Part 1

"Do I have enough arrows...?"

I roll my eyes, strapping on the last few pieces of the Star Shield. Olivia continuing on muttering if she has everything or not, checking all her pockets as she runs down her list.

Petra groans, rolling her back on the wall. "Geez Olivia, we're never gonna get out of here if you need to triple check your 'list' every time before we go out monster hunting."

"Hey!" Olivia jabs her arm at the warrior, and I take a look at my sword. I think I might have to repair it soon, maybe after tonight. "You only have to carry around a sword. I have to make sure I have enough redstone and supplies or else I won't be able to build any of my machines."

Petra snorts, smirking as Olivia goes back to scanning how many arrows she has in her quiver. "Please, Miss Butter and I can take down twice as many mobs than your complicated machinery stuff."

"Oh boy,"  Axel quietly chuckles, and I'm unable to resist smiling either as we both know what's happening. "I love it when they get in fights like this, makes everything funner!"

"Really?" Olivia arches an eyebrow, placing her hands firmly on her hips. "You think that way huh? Well, how about a bet then?"

Lukas lightly elbows Axel in the shoulder. "More fun. And besides, we're going to need to head out soon if we want to get out there before night falls... if we finally decide where we're going to go."

"But if you lose, then you're gonna-"

"If you want to interrupt them Lukas, go right ahead." I glance at the two girls, Olivia has totally forfeited checking her supplies and is completely engaged with Petra. "Besides, I'm thinking the desert. Last time we went out monster hunting," I glare over at Axel. "Someone set the forest on fire."

His hands launch up in surrender. "That baby zombie just couldn't sit still for me to crush it! I had to resort to TNT! It's not my fault trees just so happen to be really flammable!"

Lukas and I share an eye roll, ignoring the girls and Lukas turns back to Axel. "I'm telling you, if you trained to wield an ax, you could crush anything. You wouldn't have to worry-"

"Blah, I can already crush anything once I get a hold of it. I don't need some bulky ax to do that for me."

"Fine." Lukas shakes his head, shrugging and blowing out a sigh. "But the desert huh? There's gonna be a lot of mobs there tonight. It's going to be practically crawling with them with the new moon and everything."

"Exactly why I picked it." I peer over at the two girls, Petra gloating already as Olivia rechecks her stuff. "That and they'll be pretty evenly matched. The sand should be a problem for both of them."

Axel lets out a dramatic oof, holding a hand over his chest. "Didn't even ask for our opinions? I'm hurt Jesse."

Scoffing, I slug him on the shoulder. "I'm sure you'll get over it. Hey Petra! Olivia! There's not going to be any night left if we wait any longer! Let's get a move on!"

Neither of glares affects me, because only a second later, they fixated right back on each other. Both of them looking each other dead in the eye, glaring at each other as if they're worst enemies. I really can't understand girls sometimes.

"I've been set for ages." Petra smirks, strolling out the door. "All set to whoop Olivia's butt for hours now."

Olivia huffs, marching up to her; us guys tagging along behind them. "Hey! I have all the tools I need to wipe out legions of monsters in a few seconds. You and one measly sword can't be better than that."

"Please," Petra rolls her eyes as we head outside. "I'll be able to wipe out hundreds of mobs before you're even halfway done setting up your little machine."

Sighing, I let their witty little snaps float past my ears. Basking in the last little bit of the day. I didn't bring any torches, Petra drills into anyone wimp enough to do that, but we should be there before it's night. And since the girls will be dragging their bet all night, the sun will be up for us to return. And despite it being a new moon, the desert's always pretty light even at night. It'll be harder, but not impossible.

My mind wanders while we walk through Beacontown, my body on autopilot as I smile and wave back to the citizens. It's been about a year since we've gotten back from the portal network, so at least they don't screech and run up to us anymore. Goodness, I hated how some of the fangirls would run at full speed.

I internally wince at a few of those memories. How I apologized profusely to this one girl who basically screamed at me while dead sprinting. I mean, it wasn't entirely my fault. After sending so long in different worlds, drawing my sword at whatever's screaming and running at me is just second nature. I was way too jittery to handle something like that without my instincts taking control.

"Um hey?" I shake the thoughts out my head, glancing at Olivia while we glide out of the gate. "Where exactly are we going tonight."

The gates rumble, sliding shut behind us and won't open until we get back. "Desert. We should-"

"Ha!" Petra jumps onto the path leading to the desert, throwing a victory smirk at Olivia. "Sand is gonna get all over your precious redstone dust. I basically got this in the bag, you should give up now."

"What? So scared I'm going to win that you think you need me to quit? Yeah, tough luck on that. Besides, you're going to have a hard time running in all that sand. There's no way I'm losing now." Olivia huffs at her, Lukas helplessly shrugging when I shake my head in confusion at them. Geez, you would never believe these two actually worked together to defeat a Wither Storm with how they're acting.

Axel chuckles softly next to me while the girls keep arguing, and I find myself thinking about random thoughts as we get closer and closer to the desert. Questions about how Crown Mesa is doing now that Ivor has left to go help. Well, mainly to be with Harper, but he said he was going to help. So who knows? Maybe Ivor will actually be beneficial to a city.

Although I wonder how all the competitors are adjusting back to their old lives. Some of them were in there for a long time. Did they age as much as they should have because of all the respawning? Hopefully everything's going all good now. I certainly feel good with Hadrian and Mevia trapped in a world full of zombie-sized chickens.

Similar thoughts drift through my head. Some about other towns and people in various different worlds, some about Beacontown and some new improvements and projects popping up. Some, and my favorite, about all the stuff that we've done together now that we're back together.

At first we did normal activities. Not even Petra wanted to go temple raiding after going through all those portals. We went horse riding some days, lounged around other days, helped in town others. We only went fishing once though. Petra got so bored that she pushed Axel into the lake. None of the fishes dared to come close to us after that. We came back empty handed that day.

A shiver crawls over my muscles, the last bit of sun slowly fading away below the horizon. I hum quietly, still ignoring the girls' banter, thinking that we'll get within seeing distance of the desert before the gray light leaves us entirely. Just in time.

Another shiver breaks out, this one of excitement. Monster hunting on new moons is always the best. With the moon gone for some reason, there are more mobs than ever. That and skills are always put to the test here. With such low light to see, instincts are sharpened better here than anywhere else.

I glance over at Lukas, the low light covering most of his face in shadows. I wonder how he shoots his bow at night. It's really dark and it's even harder to see the monsters the further away they are. So how can he see them well enough to hit them?

Grunting quietly, I come to the conclusion that my eyes just aren't perfect. I've been in the presence of many explosions. Most of the time I wisely shielded myself from, but I don't always get the chance and they just happen so quickly. That and my first reaction is usually to move away instead of look away.

With a push to get those thoughts out of my head, I smile when I can see the edge of the desert come into view. It's almost completely night now, only a dark gray coating everything not consumed from pointed shadows. Oh boy, it's showtime.

"All monsters killed in the desert count, endermen are worth double." Once Olivia speaks, both of them begin to walk faster, almost breaking out into a jog.

I run up to them. "Hey girls-"

"It's over when the zombies and skeletons burn. Nothing counts after that."

"Wait, girls-"

"Starting now!"

Both of them sprint into the desert. Sighing, I just run a hand down my face. I swear, if they get hurt in this mess, then they both lose. They both have to do whatever it is they agreed the loser does. I don't want to have to carry one of them back because they got too reckless. This night should be fun, not stress inducing.

"Relax Jesse," Lukas pulls out his bow, plucking at the string as we continue to walk. "One of them is the greatest warrior to walk the worlds and the other is the greatest mechanic this world has to offer. They'll be fine."

My blade hisses, a soft blue illuminating from the enchantments. "I can't help it, whenever we run headfirst into something I get that split second terror that we don't know what we're running to and end up in some disaster."

"I know exactly what we're running at! Tons of mobs!" Axel crashes through us, TNT in his hands. "And I can't burn anything in the desert!"

"Hey! Don't kill them all! Share!" I sprint after him, a grin washing away any leftover stress. I narrow my eyes at a husk, a low moan escaping through its mouth. A light warm up to get me started.

It turns its rotting head to me right as I plunge my sword into its skull. The Smite and Sharpness enchantments immediately doing its damage, the husk going up in smoke at once.

I smirk, taking it all in for a moment. The cool winds hitting me, making sure I don't overheat in my armor, the night full of brilliant stars, our only light with the moon gone. And, of course, Petra's wild laughs as she tears through monsters and Axel's excited shouts after an explosion. The snap of Lukas's bow, the hum of Olivia's machines, all mixed into rattling bones, hisses, and groans.

What a good night.

I shake myself out of the trace when a sizzle and hiss comes from behind me. Without so much as thinking, I swing my blade around. Pushing the creeper back as I roll to the side. Scrambling back to my feet, thankful that it didn't explode or else Petra would've teased me about it forever, and farther from the creeper. Holding my sword up properly, a streak of satisfaction running through me at the long gash in the creeper's side.

Charging, I arc my sword down into it. Only a distorted hiss breaks out before it vanishes. A rush of thrill lights up in me, my heart bursting excitedly before it's ignored once I find my next target. Starring directly at the purple eyes with a broad smile.

A loud screech pierces the air, but my smile only grows as I jump back from where the enderman popped to get me. My blade singing as I swipe at it, the diamond blade cutting into its strange black skin. Its enraged shriek echoing in my ears before it vanishes. I huff, running a hand over my sword. Feeling the power of my enchantments through my fingers, all the best. Definitely not the easiest to repair either.

The enderman pops in front of me, swinging its huge arms at me. I duck below them, lunging forward and stabbing its legs. Rolling away before springing to my feet and twirling around, my blade slicing across it again by the time I turn all the way around.

The enderman never gets the chance to holler again, because just like that my sword digs into its chest, all the way to the hilt. The black monster dissolving, leaving behind an orb that almost looks like a rock among the sand.

"Why thank you kind enderman." I reach down for it, the pearl slick and smooth in my fingers as I pocket it. "Your gift is greatly appreciated."

With at least one trophy from tonight that's not the generic loot, I jump back into the fray. Spending hours dodging arrows, doing the Griever Grab once or twice with Axel, taking Lukas's back as he rains down a barrage over just tons of monsters. I have no clue how many monsters the girls have taken down, though I have been checking where they are every so often, but I'd be surprised they could come close with how many I've killed with the guys. Then again, we were working together. The power of teamwork.

I hum, decapitating a skeleton, feeling the itch of competition in my bones. Maybe next night we could do a team competition, and to make things more interesting, that'll be based on the amount and quality of loot. Which throws open the door for being sneaky and stealing someone else's loot before they grab it. Plus the town will go berserk when we give all the bones and sulfur to them. Farming and trade with Boom Town goes way up when we do.

Grinning, causally impaling a spider's head with my sword, I nod to my decision. We'll probably go out soon enough after this anyway. With how great this night's going, I'm sure everyone will want to head back out once a couple of nights pass. And if tonight's loser only lost by a bit, I'm sure a rematch will be declared. 

I lift my head, doing a routine check on Petra and Olivia. We only have a quarter of the night left, so they're probably feeling stressed if they have a low kill count. I can clearly hear Olivia's whoop of excitement next to a big black structure. But I can't see Petra, which isn't surprising, yet I can't hear her either, which is worrying. Petra doesn't really do stealthy on these kinds of nights.

"Hey Lukas!" I run to him, cutting down a small group of zombies in my path. "Do you know where Petra is?"

His bow snaps a few more times, and I take care of a spider trying to sneak up on him. "Uh... no actually, I don't. I could've sworn I just heard her not that long ago though."

I groan quietly, scanning the surroundings again. While I don't have too much of a problem seeing things when they're closer, everything just dissolves into black in the distance. The only thing I can make out is a few sandhills, but that's about it. But still, how far would Petra have to be to where I couldn't hear her screams of triumph and glory?

"Well I'm sure she's fine. Petra can handle her own. Don't worry about."

I huff, keeping my ears peeled as I strike down another zombie. "I'm not worried-"

He snorts, and I can just hear the eye-roll. "Yeah, sure you're not."

"I'm concerned. There's a difference." I press my lips together, a growing restlessness when I still can't hear anything after straining my ears. "Besides, remember when you got hit with an arrow a few months ago? Who says another lucky arrow won't find its mark?"

"Yep, that sounds like you're worried. And for the record, that only happened because-"

My head snaps up, totally ignoring Lukas when the wind carries the whisper of Petra's war cries. I turn to it, facing the black humps of sand sticking out of the mostly smooth ground. Of course Petra went to the one place it would be hard to hear her and impossible to see her.

"That's great Lukas, really." I begin to run towards Petra, not even caring what Lukas said. "Just don't get hit by another arrow while I'm gone."

I run up the hills instead of around. Since the wind chose the exact wrong moment to slow down, I can't really hear her anymore. I can't rely on my eyes, it'd be really embarrassing mistaking a zombie for Petra, so hopefully I'll be able to pinpoint her faster at the top of the hill. I swear if Petra gets herself hurt-

A flutter of relief works its way down my muscles when her crazed laughter floats into my head. I pause at the top of the hill, pinpointing her and smiling when I can more clearly listen to skeletons and zombies falling prey to Miss Butter.

I whip out my sword again, opening my mouth and running-

The sand shudders and collapses, every single muscle I have clamping as tight as possible in that tiny moment. Gravity yanks me down, my yelp choked by sand raining down on me. The waterfall of sand constricting me, burning eyes and throats as I try to grab for something that I can-

My back screams as I land against a table, a burning arrow shooting into my skull as the sand shoves me along with it. Dull explosions rippling through my body, bones creaking under the heavy hits. Stomach churning as I finally slow to a stop, nauseous at the bright lights stinging my eyes.

Groaning, I try to move in my sand bed. Muscles screech, so bloated and sore that my willpower isn't enough to fight that resistance. Besides, sand is still raining down and burying my legs. Oh it's making them so heavy, so heavy and numb.

The sharp glimmers of light pierce my eyes and strikes at my headache, even when I close them. Senses flickering helplessly, mashing everything up in a confusing pot of pain. My body doesn't even feel right, too small. I feel so bloated, the pressure pushing against my cells to be released. Bones shouldn't creak like they're expanding.

"Jesse! Are you okay?"

My ears screech at the noise and wish I could hunker down into this sand so I can't hear anything. But simply breathing takes a lot of effort, no muscle, tendon, or bone actually wants to move right now. Ever.

"I swear if you're just faking and cost me the win then you're taking my punishment!"

I try to move my mouth, pushing some form of an attempt into my bloated body. It doesn't work, my lips barely part and my tongue just twitches. I don't even think it's possible to have the willpower to make any noise out of my sandblasted throat.

I just wish I could fall asleep, but my body moans and whines in this pressure. I don't have the energy to move but I'm not relaxed enough to fall asleep. This sucks, just let me fall numb.

My stomach gurgles at me, whimpering with the rest of my internal organs being stretched and pushed at by all the pressure swelling in me.

Throbs from my pulse make it worse, its pain fighting off the glorious sleep I wish I could have. My body can't even keep it in, it's like my blood is about to burst from my skin or crack my skull open and flood my brain. That surely won't help my headache.

"Jesse!" A screeching banshee runs closer to me, my ears wishing they could just fall off. "Are you awake? Can you hear me?"

I am very much so painfully awake when someone pulls my body out of the sand, muscles screeching as they're stretched out. Bloated organs clenching up at the sudden movements as blood rushes up into my head, cool and sickening.

"C'mon-"

I groan, softly despite me trying to be as loud as possible to shut up whoever this horrid individual is. Thankfully, they shut up. Yet they flip my body, sending shoots achy agony as my back thuds against the sand. Numbing nausea spreading from my stomach, swallowing up other sensations.

"Okay Jesse, can you open eyes? Or-"

I groan again, this time even softer, and try to peel up my eyes to shut this person up. Something's caused over them though, sealing them shut. More and more sensations falling numb, and now the nauseous feeling is gone too. Bliss.

"Give it up Lukas, he's out. Axel!" A stab of life shrieks from my ears, but even that crumbles away. "Pick Jesse up, we gotta get him back."

Dim bloated touches float into the swamp I used to call a brain. I huddle up in the darkness, pushing everything out. Basking in the bliss when everything stops hurting.

"Hey, guys?" Even my ears begin to fade, these accursed voices can't make me suffer anymore. "What is this place?"

"Looks like some enchanting room, Jesse must've crashed into a buried temple." The voice fades along with any thoughts, whispers fading to darkness. "Let's just go before..."

****

So, hi.

Anyway, awkward introduction into author notes aside, this is a little story I had tucked away. Too short for a book and too long for a oneshot. I don't know how many parts it'll have, but this will be the last contribution to this fandom. Just as a heads up.

Well, as always, I hope you enjoyed this and will enjoy the coming ones! Bye until the next one comes out!