The song on the playlist for this chapter is "Peacekeeper" by Fleetwood Mac

Spotify link in this comment line.

[•]

The rumble of shifting blocks filled the room and everyone watched as Ivor's lava fireplace was replaced with a staircase. A staircase down into a dark tunnel.

Gabriel broke the silence. "A secret passageway...hm."

"Why would you build a secret passage in a house nobody ever visits?" Lukas asked.

Petra turned to him. "This is Ivor we're dealing with, guys. He's the type to build secret passageways for the fun of it."

Soren hummed in agreement before turning and starting down the steps, Petra following closely behind. The rest took a moment longer to follow, but just as they started to go down, Petra heard a twang and a rumble. She turned just in time to see a stone wall separating them.

She cursed. "Are you guys okay?"

Olivia's voice responded, muffled, "We're fine! But the lever isn't working anymore!"

Petra shot Soren a glare. "This is why you pay attention to your feet."

"I didn't think Ivor would do something this extreme."

She suppressed her comment, instead calling out to the others, "What we're going to do is this: stay there while this noob and I head down and look around."

It was Soren's turn to glare. "I am NOT a noob."

"Well you sure as hell act like one."

He scoffed, pulling out a torch so they could see on their way down. "Well, excuse me, but it has been a while since I have been in a foreign, potentially hostile environment. Observing Endermen is a very different ordeal."

"I'll say," she paused as she saw the room at the bottom of the stairs. "Woah. That's a lot of rare stuff."

"I can't believe it...he's gathered them all in one place!" Soren stuck the torch to the wall. "The treasures of the Order of the Stone! The stories I could tell about these dusty old things..."

"I would love to ask, but I don't see any enchanting books. Do you?"

"I do not."

She scanned the room, pointing to a set of doors. "Maybe through there?"

Soren tried the handle. "Locked. Of course."

"Knowing Ivor, there must be a secret mechanism or puzzle that opens the door. Take a look around."

He nodded, surveying the room. "Perhaps these hoppers have something to do with it."

"Maybe. The only thing we have to put in are..." She snapped her fingers. "Soren, quick! What order did you guys collect the treasures?"

"What order?"

"Yes! What's the timeline?"

"Well, those Ghast Tears were from our first mission--"

She grabbed them, running over to the hopper labeled '1'. "Sweet. What's next?"

Soren tentatively explained how they got the prismarine crystals, sea lantern, and packed ice. The Ender Dragon egg took no explanation and she was careful as she put it in last. A clunk sounded from the wall, and the doors swung open, causing Soren to grin. "I must say...you figured it out far faster than I would have! I mean, there were 120 possible combinations for those things."

"Ivor seems the 'chronological order' type of guy."

"Absolutely. For all his complaining, his time with the Order.clearly meant a great deal to him."

Petra nodded. "I guess you're right. Look...we need to go find that book."

Soren hummed in agreement, following her through the doors.

[•]

A strange purple glow radiated from the room, Petra staring as she emerged into the space. The enchanting book sat on a pedestal before her, and along the back wall was Ender Crystals. "Soren? Didn't you guys destroy these? Unless I'm looking at really impressive copies..."

"No. It can't be," the ginger rushed past her. "He kept them. The fool actually kept them! He looked me in the eye and swore...he was going to dispose of them!"

Petra took a threatening step forward. "Soren, you better start talking. You said those things had to be destroyed so you could kill the Ender Dragon. Did you even kill the Dragon?"

"Petra, this isn't...this isn't what it looks like! Our story--the story--it's mostly true! I swear it, I swear it!"

"Soren, if there's one thing I hate, it's liars. Get talking or I'll make you talk."

The ginger was clearly starting to panic. "I can't...we swore never to speak of it!"

"Do I look like I care?!"

"I...we did defeat the Ender Dragon. But it wasn't...exactly like I said."

"How 'not exactly'?"

"We got rid of it...but we...we didn't kill it, per se."

"Soren, if you don't give me a straight answer, I'll--"

"We used that damned Command Block!"

"You didn't even fight it?!"

"No! Listen, when I found that blasted block, we were nobodies. But with its power, we became stronger. Faster. We could do so much more! The others had no idea what I was doing...yet the more I used it, the more we came to depend on it. I know it was only so long before someone would find out," Soren sighed. "So I concocted a plan. I would use the Command Block to blink the Ender Dragon out of existence...Securing our status as legends...forever."

Petra marched up to him and hit him straight in the face. "You are disgusting! The whole world looked up to you. Jesse has your posters on his wall! Magnus and Ellegaard are Axel and Olivia's idols!" She shook her head. "Hell, even I hoped that one day I could do something that monumental. Just for it to be a lie?!"

He looked at his shoes. "Nobody is more ashamed than me."

"So you finally admit it." 

Ivor's voice made Petra turn around, and she saw Olivia shaking her head. "Soren...how could you?"

Petra raised an eyebrow. "How long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough that they heard everything."

"So we're liars?" Gabriel asked. "All of us?"

Lukas looked at the ground. "Yeah, I think you are."

Ivor scoffed. "You didn't think you could keep it secret forever, did you, Soren? The truth hurts, doesn't it?"

Petra crossed her arms. "So you left the Order because Soren lied?"

"Because they all did! Soren, Gabriel, Magnus, Ellegaard--they agreed to keep this a secret."

"Don't act holier than thou, Ivor!" Soren snapped. "You agreed to stay quiet too! In exchange for all our treasures!"

"I technically never told anybody. Petra discovered the truth on her own."

"So this whole thing--this Wither you unleashed--" Lukas suddenly said. "Has all been to teach the Order a lesson?!"

"To teach the world a lesson!" Ivor fired back. "To show you who the Order really are. Liars, cowards! And now, they know."

Petra raised an eyebrow. "Well...I almost regret punching you now."

"Yes, well...you weren't the first. you may have broken my nose, but no one ever seems to appreciate my good intentions."

Soren scoffed. "Might have something to do with the casual way you unleashed armageddon."

"My Wither plan obviously backfired."

Olivia threw her hands in the air. "Ya think?"

"I didn't know we'd end up with three of those things tearing the world apart!"

"Yeah, well, as interesting as the dysfunctional 'Order of the Liars' is, that thing is still destroying everything!" Petra exclaimed.

Soren crossed his arms, a red handprint now formed on his face. "Petra's right. Destroying the Command Block is all that matters anymore."

Ivor visibly deflated, going up to the pedestal holding the book. "How ironic that the best thing the Command Block gave us was the very means to destroy it."

Petra eyed the book. "How do we do this?"

"You craft a weapon, then put it on an anvil. Come on, I'll show you."

"Ivor," Soren took a few hesitant steps forward. "I'm sorry. About everything."

The black-haired man offered a sad smile. "Yes, well...it doesn't matter now."

Soren nodded and watched as Ivor led Petra to another room. "Grab some ingredients and craft a weapon. I'll show you how to enchant it."

"Right," Petra bent down, opening the nearby chest. "Oh, would you look at that."

"What?"

She straightened. "That diamond you never gave me."

He laughed nervously. "Yes, well, now you're paid back three-fold. What will you make with them?"

"Pickaxe. We are breaking a block, after all," she held it up a moment later. "Can't go wrong with one of these. Now I just put it on the anvil with the book?"

"Yes...excellent," Ivor watched as she lifted the enchanted weapon. "That will do nicely. If you're going up there, you'll want better armor. Armor that fits you."

She looked down at the gaps between the sleeves and the gloves. "I agree. You got a set in mind?"

"I do. Your friends can get some too. And if you like, you can bring one back for Jesse. The sets along the walls should fit him nicely."

Petra eyed the sets along the wall. "What's that one?"

"I call that one Star Shield! No object in the universe can penetrate it."

"That's the one. Let's get everyone suited up, quick. No time to lose."

[•]

The monster raged overhead, the group dismounting their horses and peering up. 

"Shouldn't the Endermen have dismantled those things by now?" Gabriel asked. "Or am I just confused?"

Ivor shook his head. "It's not just you. Something's wrong."

"Petra!" Axel's voice drifted over to them. "Over here!"

The group turned and Petra jogged forward to greet the two approaching. "Axel! Jesse! You're okay!"

Axel grinned. "Nice freaking armor."

"Thanks, big guy," she turned her attention to Jesse. "Good Notch...are you okay?"

He managed to shake his head. "Not at all. I should've stayed back."

"Well, you saved my butt a dozen times." Axel.pointed out.

"Don't exaggerate, Axel. I found some potions to keep me going, but..."

Before Petra could reply, Olivia blurted, "Where's Ellegaard?"

Axel snorted. "Oh man, you won't believe it. See, at first it all went down like you said--ride for Soren's fortress, ect. ect. ect. Then we realized..." He shook his head. "The Endermen--they're not angry enough! I mean, some of them are, but a lot of them are just standing around, moving blocks...you know, being Endermen."

Soren grunted in frustration. "Blast!"

Jesse piped up. "They kept the main Witherstorm busy, but one of the smaller ones started attacking us..."

"Yeah!" Axel threw his hands up. "So Ellegaard ran off to fight that thing. All by herself!"

"She's fighting a Witherstorm...alone?!" Ivor exclaimed.

Axel nodded. "Yup. Kept saying something about paying for the mistakes of the past. Whatever that means."

Gabriel stepped forward. "If a member of the Order of, uh...of the..."

Petra sighed. "The Order of the Stone."

"Is out there fighting...then I belong out there too."

Soren immediately protested. "Gabriel, no, I told you, you're not who you think you are!"

"My name...is Gabriel the Warrior!" With a scream that could only be described as terrified, he turned and began to run--away from the fray.

Axel scoffed. "And he's running the wrong way."

"Oh, for goodness' sake..." Ivor swore. "I'm not letting that idiot get himself killed! Gabriel! Come back here!"

He ran after the warrior and Soren looked at his shoes. "Without the Command Block, none of them stand a chance."

Axel did a double take. "Say what now?"

"Ugh, they're all frauds!" Petra replied. "But we don't have time for that."

Like a reminder they were running out of time, Jesse started coughing violently. Reuben oinked in alarm as Jesse sunk to the ground. "I can't...I can't go on. You have to do this without me."

Petra knelt in front of him. "I should've forced you to stay in that cave."

"You tried. Not as hard as you usually would, but you did try. I...didn't listen...Look, go destroy that Command Block. For me."

"Oh, I will. Reuben," she stood, looking down at the pig. "Stay with him, okay? Don't let anything happen."

Reuben oinked in determination, settling himself next to Jesse. Petra nodded and turned to the group. "Let's get in that fortress...and end this."

[•]

The water stung Petra's face as she fell into it the height of the drop forcing her almost to the bottom. She heard muffled splashes as chunks of the Witherstorm fell into the pond around her, finally, truly dead.

It was over.

Petra watched her hair drift around her face, giving her heart a moment to calm down. Then she pushed up, head popping out of the water and she took a deep breath. The air smelled clean, fresh, and the sky above was blue again.

"Petra! There you are!" Olivia ran to the edge of the pond. "I was worried you wouldn't..."

"Of course she made it," Axel interrupted. "It's Petrs! Are you hurt, though?"

"I'm fine! Shook, but fine," she pulled herself out of the pond, water pouring out of her armor. "Probably should've worn that helmet that came with the armor, though. I got knocked around a bit."

"So you're not hurt?" Axel repeated.

"Bruised, but aren't we all?"

Olivia sighed in relief. "I'm just glad you're okay."

"Same to you, Olivia. Hey, where's--"

"Guys!" The familiar voice made Petra freeze. "You did it! And everyone's okay!"

Petra looked in the direction of the voice. Standing above them was Jesse, a massive grin on his face and the usual rosy glow back in his skin. He held a slightly-bruised Reuben in his arms, the pig looking just as excited as the owner was.

Petra dashed forward, climbing up to them. "Are you guys okay? Anything happen?"

"Yeah, we're okay! An Enderman found us and tried to attack. I was too weak to move, but Reuben--" Jesse let out a breathy laugh. "I don't know how he did it, but he managed to scare the Enderman off!"

Reuben grinned and Petra patted him on the head. "Good job, Reuben. And you, Jesse? Are you...?"

"It's completely gone!" He set Reuben down, quickly rolling up his sleeves. The purple and grey patches were gone, but there was a blotch of what looked like scar tissue on his upper forearm. Right where the sickness had first appeared. "Okay, wasn't expecting that."

"Cool scar."

"You think?" He lifted his arm to get a better look. "I mean...yeah! Looks like I got hit by some magic fireball or something!" His green eyes shifted over to her. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

She let out a short laugh. "Like what?"

"Like that!"

Instead of trying to explain the overwhelming feelings coursing through her, she took his face in her hands and crashed her lips against his. He made a noise of surprise, but quickly relaxed, his hand sliding up into her damp hair.

Everything--his hand, his face, his lips--was radiating warmth, a complete 180 from the coldness mere hours before. She felt him stretch up a bit, tilting his head to better fit their lips together, and she let out a contented sigh.

That's when Lukas announced, "We're still here, you know!"

They broke apart, Jesse beet red while Petra shot the blond a glare. "If someone you love nearly dies, I'll be sure to interrupt."

Lukas sputtered and Axel let out a booming laugh. "I'd love to see that!"

Olivia smiled and shook her head. "Well, there's still work to do. People to help."

Petra nodded. "Right. Ready, Jesse?"

He grinned. "Of course I am."

She took his hand and gave it a squeeze before turning to the crowd of people starting to gather around them. "Let's do it, then."

A/N: OH MY GODDDDD 😭

Jetra kiss (finally), everyone's alive INCLUDING REUBEN. REUBEN LIVES.

I know a bunch of y'all thought he was gonna die! Surprise!

And we're not done yet! Stick around, because I have another chapter due to release very closely behind this one.