The Search

[Aria's POV]

Once we debriefed the plan with everyone, Reginald and I walked out of the tavern and towards the wall. It was nearly completely repaired, the only main spot of damage being the spot I crashed into. I feel my back slightly spasm in reminder, and I rub it carefully. It no longer hurt anymore, and my hearts had finally rose above three. However, they refuse to go much higher than that.

At least they weren't shaking anymore.

Making it to the wall, we both keep walking through the open gate and towards the woods. We don't stop, and we don't really speak.

Well, not verbally

'This just seems so.... weird.'

A soft chuckle echoes from the enderman. 'Indeed it does. It is.... a different experience.' I shake my head as we continue on, finally taking a moment to admire the landscape around me. I had played VR Minecraft before all of this happened, but this was completely different. If it wasn't for the life or death situation at hand, I'd dare to say I would enjoy this! In fact, I had always dreamed of this happening! I believed that I would never, ever want to leave! But now?

I simply wanted to stay alive.

I wanted to go home.

My sorrow apparently flooded over to Reginald, as his cool hand rests on my shoulder. I turn to him, and he gives me a gentle smile. 'It will be alright. For once, I have hope for you players to make it home.' I could tell his words were genuine, and I find it easy to return the smile. We continue on, slowly making our way back to the place that started it all.

Our spawn point shack.

A.K.A., the massive, gaping crater in the ground.

I growl, remembering when we first came back here. Mobius nearly got crushed as it all collapsed down. I hadn't remembered so much of it falling after we retrieved the one chest. We don't get too close, fearing the ground being less than stable. With a huff, I glare at the remains of the building. Most of the front was crumbled in and filling the hole. The rest was barely standing, leaning in towards the crater. Rage seeps in, but I subdue it with a deep breath.

'You honestly think this will work?' I ask Reginald, and he just shrugs. "You are the first I have known to share his thoughts when he is near. If your idea is correct, then there is no reason for it not to." A grimace crosses his face, and I tilt my head slightly. 'But?'

Reginald sighs.

"But... I fear he may be too far gone."

I nod my head in sorrow. We carefully begin walking around the crater to the area where it seems like every player arrives when they enter this realm. "Let's hope I am right then. He has been awfully silent lately." I say as we stop and, as if on cue again, a voice echoes in my mind.

'Right about what, Aria?'

I slightly stiffen, then release a sigh. I begin to think normally, not using the Ender half of my mind. 'I had thought you'd never show up in my head again. Didn't like what was there?' I try to sound smug, and the reply I get shows it worked. 'With your thoughts beginning to depress me, I found a way to block them unless you are near.'

Suddenly, his form fizzles into life before us. He was floating in the air, slightly hunched over to gaze directly into my eyes. "And you are extremely close now." I struggle to withhold a growl while glaring into his eyes. Reginald takes a protective step forward, not restraining himself from letting out a low snarl. I hold a hand out to Reginald, motioning for him to stand down. All this glowing-eyed Steve was doing right now is aging mind games.

Which makes me smirk.

"Even then, you've been rather quiet for one who wants to leave here so badly." I see his smug smirk suddenly drop as the sky darkens. "My silence should bring you concern, not comfort. And you don't need to worry about my plans, but how you plan on defeating me in time." I shake my head with a slight laugh. "But, isn't that also your concern as well?" I gaze at him intently as he crosses his arms. Slowly, he lowers himself a bit and straightens. "What do you mean by that?" I gesture towards Reginald and begin the big speech. "If we are here too long, this happens, and we are no longer of any use to you in order for you to escape here, correct?" I see the slight anger in him start to lower, and the sky regains its brightness again. 

"Where are you going with this?"

"Show us where the portal is."

He tilts his head, as if considering it. "Why would I do that?" He questions and I mirror his look by crossing my arms as well. "You're not seriously this dumb? Think about it. If I am stuck like this right now, after only being here for maybe a whole 'normal' day, how much longer do you think I have, or any of the others in fact, before we are unable to be used by you to escape?" I hold my ground as I see the gears in his head start to move. I figure there are certain reasons he has done it like this for so long, but that wasn't the reason we were here right now anyway. I focus on my enderhalf for a moment.

'Reginald?'

"I'm still here. I don't think he can hear us."

'Well, it would be bad if he knew about Alexa behind him anyways.'

Re-focusing on Herobrine, I watch him carefully for any movement or indication that he heard my thoughts, despite possibly only using my ender-half. He doesn't move to show that he heard, nor does he turn to look behind him, so I switch things up.

As I change my mind's focus, I am instantly flooded with thoughts and ideas that were not my own. I keep a steady face but try to retain it all. It could really come in handy later. Instead, I simply think up something that should give me the reaction I need.

'Really? Takes this long to make a decision?' At that, I get an instant reaction. "Now that's just rude. It takes a while when I have to rearrange a plan that's already in motion." He looks at me carefully, then places his hands on his hips. "As easy as that would be, I truthfully only know it's general location. Its energy refuses to let me near it unless activated, and that has yet to happen." He looks at me, then gestures towards the same area of the map that was not filled in. "You will be happy to know that I cannot enter the area past the little village you are in and defended from Peter. But, I cannot tell you where from there."

I give him a slight nod and uncross my arms. "See? It's easier when you're not trying to kill everyone." A smirk plays on his face, and I hold my emotions in check. This was not the time to fight him. He could kill me in one hit. As he begins to vanish, he lifts his hands in mock offense. "What's the fun in just letting you get there?" His laugh echoes, and forces a shiver down my spine.

"Well... That wasn't exactly pleasant." 

I hear Reginald agree behind me, and he grabs my shoulder. Closing my eyes, I feel his energy flow around me before we appear at the edge of the plains biome where the map stopped. Just behind us, the rest of the crew arrives. Alexa walks up to my left, and the boys on my right. "How'd it go?" Anthony asks, worry evident in his voice. I simply shrug and slightly turn to look at Reginald. "It seems he can't hear my thoughts when I use the enderhalf, and we were right with this being the correct area." A smirk now plays on my lips. "He also can't enter here, and I know why he has waited this long."

The others turn to me, and I gesture to my head. "Two-way street, remember? The reason he's waited so long is that we have to be at least halfway mob, or changed, in order for him to enter us since he is considered a mob in-game." The others easily catch on and nod their heads. Alexa is the first to speak up. "That makes sense. I was wondering why he wasn't just like, 'It's dangerous to go alone, here, take this and get there now!" I stifle a laugh at her impersonation of him, and the others simply let it out. "A little more murderous, then I think you've got it!" Mobius says, and I shake my head.

I turn my attention to the unknown area ahead. It was a roofed forest biome. 'Just what we needed...' I close my eyes, trying to stay calm. I hold my hands out and focus carefully. I feel its energy appear before the vwoop noise hits my ears. When I open my eyes again, the Eye is floating between my hands. Alexa shakes her head. "You know, if this wasn't a life threatening situation, this would be pretty awesome." I nod my head in sorrow, spotting everyone else do the same. "I had the exact same thought earlier." Lowering one hand, I gaze back towards the biome before us and sigh. Then, I slightly toss my hand up, sending the Eye into the air. As we expected, it moves forward towards the heart of the biome, and stops in the air.

Surprisingly, instead of it dropping to the ground, it slowly returns to me and floats by my shoulder. I shrug it off and start walking forward silently. The others follow as well without any words being spoken. We could all feel the stress starting to weigh heavy on us.

'We are almost at the End... but are we ready?'

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