Sequel to Glowing Eyes from my 31 Day One Shot Challenge February 2019 Edition - Requested by @tHe_RetARdeD_caT
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"There has to be something we can do." Petra insisted, slamming her fist down on the wooden surface of the table.

"I want to believe that more than anything, but Petra..." Lukas paused, sighing as he combed his fingers through his blonde hair. "...We're out of options at this point."

"I refuse to believe that." Petra said, getting up so swiftly, her chair tipped backwards and fell. "If we give up, we'll loose both Beacontown and Jesse." She swung around, glaring at the other people around the table. "The town is one thing, but Jesse's our friend, she might as well have been our family. And we're not giving up on her if it's the last thing we do."

Nobody said anything, some exchanging glances while others guided their gazes down at the table. They all knew Petra was correct, there was no leaving their leader behind. But as Lukas said, they were out of options.

Whatever the Admin did to Jesse had shown no signs of wearing off. She obeyed his every command like a puppet. There were no emotion in her golden eyes when she tortured and killed her own citizens, no recognition when her friends cried her name.

The Admin had taken full control of Beacontown, ruling the place like it was his. Jesse lifelessly stood by his side through all of it, not batting an eyelid at any of his cruel actions.

Lukas, Petra, Radar, Jack and Nurm had tried all they could to try and end the Admin's reign and save Jesse. Others had fought with them at first, but those who didn't back out with their tails between their legs were captured and blinked out of existence.

"Maybe we should start with leaving Beacontown." Jack suggested, looking up again. "It's only a matter of time before the Admin finds us hiding here in the basement of my shop. In fact, I'm surprised he hasen't already." Nurm hummed in agreement.

"W-Where would we g-go?" Radar stuttered nervously, adjusting his glasses with shaky hands.

"Where to go wouldn't be our biggest problem." Petra said, thoughtfully tapping her fingers against the table's surface. "I know of a lot of places we can hide out outside of town, the old order's temple, my old cave, there's no shortage of hideouts."

"I feel like there's a but coming." Lukas said with a frown.

"We'd be running." Petra said, picking her chair back up and slumping down in it. "I'm not giving that monster the pleasure of seeing us flee and hide like cowards." She sighed. "Besides, everything we have is set up here. We either leave it all behind, or risk being seen moving it out."

Once again, it was quiet around the table.

"Let's sleep on it." Lukas finally said with a sigh. "It's late. Tomorrow we'll try and find a way around this problem again, with new energy."

Everybody else silently nodded in agreement.

"Who's on shift tonight?" Lukas asked as they all got up again.

"Petra and I." Jack said. He turned to the redhead. "Which post do you want to take?"

"Entrance." Petra decided. "I've been cooped up down here too long, I need some air."

"You two be careful, as always." Lukas said to them.

"Of course, of course." Petra dismissively waved her hand at Lukas. "See you all in the morning."

Turning away from the others, Petra made her way to the stairs. Fortunately the shop was empty, no hiding citizens, looters or the Admin's guards around. Petra took her place at the entrance, Miss Butter unsheathed and held ready. The moon was already up high, stars sprinkled across the dark sky.

Petra sighed, looking away from the stars. They never shown brightly, seen from Beacontown. There was just too much light from the city itself. Days ago, Petra had dreamed about going out to adventure again, to see the stars shining brightly out in the middle of nowhere. But at that moment, leaving was the last thing she felt like doing. If they somehow managed to save Jesse, Petra wouldn't leave her as easily again.

A heavy sigh left Petra's mouth as she drooped her head. Her reflection stared back at her from the shining golden surface of Miss Butter. Regretful blue eyes, pooling with so much anger for herself and the world around her.

"Why did I push you away?" Petra whispered softly, closing her eyes.

More than anything, Petra wished she could do the one thing that wasn't possible. She wanted to go back in time and try to be a better friend to Jesse.

But alas, she couldn't. The only thing Petra could do was make things up to Jesse if they ever managed to save her. If.

Feeling the familiar prick of tears in her eyes, Petra let out a bitter chuckle. She balled her hands into tight fists, angered at herself. She screwed up, she made one hell of a mess out of her last remaining friendship. And now she was resorting to crying about it. How completely and utterly pathetic.

Opening her eyes again, Petra reached a hand up to wipe away the tears before they had a chance to fall. She thoughtfully bit her bottom lip, glancing around the dark alley. Hesitation was visible in her movements,

There was a reason Petra chose to be at the entrance that night and it wasn't for the sole purpose of needing some fresh air. She needed to act, and she wasn't about to wait for the others to make up their minds.

Petra glanced back at the shop one last time, before pushing herself off the wall she was leaning on. Sheathing Miss Butter so it's glow wouldn't be a dead giveaway, Petra crept through the shadows along the walls. Fortunately none of her friends had questioned the all-black attire she wore that day. She was almost invisible in the dark.

Petra hunched down behind a hedge, carefully peering through the leaves. From there she had a clear view of the floating tower that the admin had constructed above Beacontown. It was the only place Petra imagined the Admin and Jesse would be at, at that hour. She didn't care where the Admin was or what he was doing, as long as he wasn't close to the person she really was after – Jesse.

Petra's eyes moved to a large jungle tree, its top branches lightly brushing against part of the tower. The perfect way of getting up, it was a good thing Petra had the world's experience in scaling trees.

Slipping out from behind the hedge, but still remaining in the shadows, Petra carefully made her way around the Order Hall. She couldn't help but feel a wave of nostalgia as she crept through the garden, remembering the time when she still used to live there.. .when all of them used to live there. How lonely did Jesse become in such a large building?

Gritting her teeth, Petra shook her head. That wasn't the time for emotions, she could wallow in the past and sob over her regrets later, if she wanted that badly. But at that moment, she had to remain focused.

Petra jumped up, grabbing onto a vine that was making it's way down the thick trunk of the jungle tree. Expertly getting into a position where the vine supported her weight, Petra planted her feet against the trunk and began to hoist herself up. Her movements were confident, but her breath was held as she prayed the vine wouldn't snap beneath her weight.

The moment Petra was high enough, she let go of the vine and jumped over onto a branch. Swinging her legs up onto it and expertly balancing on the thin strip of wood, Petra reached for the next one. By the time she reached the top, Petra's arms were quivering ever so slightly, her muscles exhausted.

"Okay." Petra whispered shakily as she tried to regain proper control over her jagged breaths.

She was sitting on one of the highest branches, one that was a little flimsy to be supporting her weight. But Petra was level with the tower and that was all that mattered.

Adjusting her position, Petra got ready to jump. She spared one quick glance down, before leaping. There was a moment where Petra was in mid-air, high enough that falling from there would result in death on impact. But then her hands grasped a ledge on the tower, her tired arms supporting her body weight.

Petra glanced down again, taking a moment to measure just how high she was. Heights never phased her, but that position was sketchy enough that it made even Petra feel a little queasy. Shaking her head to herself, she raised her gaze again and began to shimmy along the edge.

Ignoring her sore muscles' complaints, Petra pulled herself up to peek over the edge of the platform. There was a golem positioned, it's back turned in her direction. Petra knew she'd have to sneak around it, if she didn't want to cause a commotion.

Gnawing on her bottom lip in concentration, Petra carefully pulled herself up onto the platform. Remaining in a crawling position to make herself as tiny as humanly possible, Petra crept along the wall in the direction of the entrance. Looking over at the golem one more time, Petra slipped around the corner, into the towering. She pushed herself up onto her legs, swiftly making her way into the dark.

It was pitch black inside the hallway. Despite her eyes having already adjusted to the light, Petra had to resist the urge to pull out Miss Butter to use the light from the swords' enchantments for some guidance. So she just continued moving in the dark, trying to ignore the tang of blood in her mouth from chewing on her lip.

Finally the endless hallway came to an end and rooms, or chambers more accurately, became visible. When Petra peeked into one, she saw cages and cells lining the walls with the shape of people inside. The air inside smelled of old blood.

We can come back for these people. Petra decided, moving on from there. Jesse is top priority.

The next place Petra checked, greeted her with a sight that made her blood run cold. It nearly looked like an exact replica of their treasure room, sets of Jesse's armour lining the walls and valuables resting on golden pedestals. But instead of a light, quartz design, the room was made out of black obsidian and gold blocks.

But it wasn't the familiarity of the room or the dark design of it all that made Petra's heartrate kick up. It was the person inside. The weren't facing in her direction, walking along one of the walls as they admired the sets of armour. But the blueish grey skin, the blood red hair was all unmistakable.

Before the Admin could turn and possible spot Petra, she reeled back from the doorway and tiptoed back into the shadows. She remained completely silently, but her chest was rising and falling with quick, rapid movements, sweat glistening on her pale skin. Her blue eyes frantically darted back to the entrance, before she proceeded to make her way down the hallway.

Deep breaths. He didn't see you. Petra told herself firmly in her head, trying to relax her tense muscles.

A new flutter of hope rippled through her veins, as she calmed down enough to realise that Jesse hadn't been in there with the admin. She had to be alone, wherever she was.

Glancing over her shoulder one last time to make sure she was in the clear, Petra quickened her pace through the building. She halted herself in her tracks again when she heard a shuffling sound. Her heart banged against the inside of her chest, her mind immediately scolding herself for not being silent enough. But then, while standing perfectly still, Petra heard the sound again. It wasn't her.

Petra glanced around a few times, her eyes finding an iron door that was left slightly ajar. A dim light flickered inside. Creeping closer, Petra carefully peeked inside. At first, the room looked empty. It was large and spacious, barely holding any furniture. But before Petra could back up again, she spotted the figure that was standing the corner of the room. They were still as a statue, just staring out of the window. Dressed in an unfamiliar set of red, black and gold armour, but with an all too familiar mob of chestnut hair.

Jesse.

Gulping, Petra carefully pulled the door open further and slipped inside. She carefully closed it behind her, praying that the Admin wouldn't come to pay Jesse a visit. From inside the room, Petra actually realised it lead out onto a large platform that overlooked beacontown. Her gut squirmed uncomfortably as she realised it had to be the admin's sick idea of Jesse's room.

Petra took a deep breath, hesitating a few metres behind Jesse. What should she do? Try and grab her, drag her out and back to Jack's shop? Try and talk to her and attempt to get through to her again? Another deep breath was taken before Petra made up her mind.

"Jesse?" She asked in a hushed voice.

For a second, Jesse didn't move a muscle. Then she slowly turned around, her lifeless gaze meeting Petra's. Up close, her expression looked dazed and out of it, eyes hidden behind the golden glow.

"Hey... it's me." Petra said softly, taking a step forward. "You know me, right?"

Jesse blinked slowly, just lifelessly staring at Petra. "Beacontowner." She spoke bluntly. "Trespassing, Beacontowner."

"No, no, no." Petra shook her head, still keeping her voice down. "I'm your friend, Jesse."

"The Admin is my friend."

Petra's heart was aching at Jesse's words. That wasn't her friend speaking, Jesse wasn't in control of her own body at all. It was heartbreaking to watch and downright cruel to Jesse!

"He's using you, Jesse." Petra tried. "He doesn't care for you, he only cares for himself and his power." She slowly pointed to herself. "I care, Jesse. And I want to help you."

For a second it was silent between the two of them. Jesse blinked slowly, and Petra could have sworn the glow in her eyes dimmed ever so slightly.

"Come back with me." Petra said softly, slowly extending a hand. "All your friends are back in the town, we can help you."

Jesse remained still. Suddenly the glow in her eyes brightened again and she launched forward. A strangled gasp escaped Petra's mouth as Jesse's hands both clasped around her throat, pressing her up against the wall. She desperately tried to claw Jesse's fingers from her windpipe as her oxygen was cut off, but the shorter girl had an iron grip.

"Jesse... please." Petra croaked out, her voice barely audible. "I... miss... you..."

Something about those words got through to Jesse, enough to where her grip loosened ever so slightly. Petra managed to inhale a sliver of air, the burning in her throat subsiding by fraction. Once more, the glow in Jesse's eyes had dimmed.

"Trust me." Petra's voice was strained and cracked through her laboured breaths. "I want to help you, you're... you're my best friend."

Jesse's eyes slowly blinked, the glow beginning to fade more. Her grip around Petra's throat relaxed even more. It was barely visible, but a hint of her old eye colour could be seen through the golden glow. And that was when Petra knew what words needed to be spoken.

"I'm sorry." She choked out. "For everything. I never should have lied to you, I never should have pushed you away or tried to leave you behind." She gulped, her eyelids fluttering slightly. "I was wrong, and I regret what I did. I'm so, so sorry, Jesse..."

The lights were beginning to flicker for Petra, her mind dwindling from the lack of air. But then pressure around her throat was suddenly relieved and she sunk to the ground, coughing. She inhaled desperately, relishing in the mere ability to breathe again. She tasted blood and her head was pounding, but at least she could breathe.

Petra slowly lifted her head once she had inhaled few large gulps of air. Her blue eyes widened at the person in front of her, also on their knees. Jesse was breathing choppily, her entire body shaking. Eyes squeezed shut, droplets of sweat rolling down her face.

"Jesse?" Petra breathed in a cracking voice.

Her friend's eyes blinked open, revealing two bright copper irises. A hazy gold around the rims were the only trace left of the admin's spell.

"Petra?"

It was barely audible, a mere whisper. But it was Jesse who had spoken, and that one word nearly brought tears to Petra's eyes. Broken into the largest smile she has shown in days, Petra threw herself forward at Jesse and enveloped her friend in a tight embrace.

Jesse breathlessly sunk into Petra's arms, weakly hugging her back. Tears were brimming her brown eyes, her fingers digging into the black fabric of Petra's jacket.

"Are you okay?" Petra finally asked her, looking down at Jesse in her arms. She looked traumatized and absolutely drained of energy, grip weak and skin feverish.

"I..." Jesse gulped to try and strengthen her voice. "...don't know."

"Let's get you out of here." Petra said, pulling away from Jesse. She held her trembling friend firmly by the shoulders, looking into her eyes with as much confidence as she could muster up. "It's going to be okay, you're going to be okay."

Jesse gave a weak nod, trying and failing to smile at Petra. Petra got up, helping Jesse to her own feet. She swayed dangerously, clutching Petra's arm for balance. Her face had grown pale.

Thinking quickly, Petra bent slightly down in front of Jesse and helped her friend onto her back. Jesse was as light as a feather, and Petra knew she'd be able to carry her out of there with ease. Feeling her friend wrap her arms around Petra's neck, she turned to the iron door out of the room.

"Did you mean it?" Jesse suddenly asked in a weak voice, from her position on Petra's back. "When you apologised... did you really mean what you said?"

Petra glanced back at Jesse, managing a smile.

"Every word."

Jesse's grip around her neck tightened, a faint smile forming on Jesse's face.

"I'm sorry too." She whispered. "I didn't treat you any better."

Petra reached a hand up, gripping one of Jesse's that were wrapped around her, and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

"It's in the past." She said. "We can forget it ever happened, and start over."

"I'd like that." Jesse said softly. "We just have to get out of this alive first."

"And we will." Petra smiled confidently. "Together, I know we can."

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Ooft, it's been a while, hasn't it?

Not about to ramble about why I haven't written many one shots, I was simply focused on NOTM and a little drained when I finished. Let's talk about this one shot instead!

I actually like this one more than it's prequel-

I had a ton of fun writing this tho! It's something a bit different, and I loved playing around with it. 

At first, it was going to end much more darkly. I had the idea of Petra not being able to get through to Jesse, and getting pushed off that balcony by Jesse.
While I still really like that different, dark approach, I'm glad I went for a slightly more happy ending! I needed some good Jesse and Petra friendship moments, okay-

Anyhow, I hope you all enjoyed the one shot! Feel free to leave me more requests, whether they are prompts, actual plot lines, or sequels/prequals to other one shots I have written!

Remaining requests pending: 1

(whaaaat)