Jesse stood her ground, even though half of her felt like swinging around and bolting away. The other part felt like charging forward with her blade raised. She just about saw some of her friends move out of the corner of her eye, Petra raising Miss Butter, while Lukas took a step back. Like her, Axel and Olivia were frozen to the spot.

"What?" The person asked, holding their arms out. "Not happy to see me? The feeling's mutual."

Jesse clenched her jaw, feeling old hatred start to bubble within her as she glared across at probably her oldest and most hated enemy.

"Aiden." She said through gritted teeth. "The hell are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing, Jesse." He responded bitterly. Great, the way he said her name was still able to send a chill down her spine, no matter the years its been.

Leaves crunched as two more figures stepped into view from the other directions. The three blaze rods seemed to have finally given up on the leather jacket theme, Aiden being the only one who still wore one. Gill merely had a batter old t-shirt on, while Maya had a quite luxurious looking fur coat on. How she wasn't melting from the heat, Jesse didn't know.

"Okay, can somebody give me a ticket to sky city so I can snap their necks for letting you imbeciles go?" Petra sneered.

"I'm afraid there's no necks left for you snap." Aiden said, beginning to smirk. "Then again, if you look hard enough, you might find one that's still intact, somewhere beneath the ashes."

Jesse felt a rock of dread sink into her stomach at Aiden's words. Her grip on the sword increased, anger flaring up within her.

"You sick, twisted man." Olivia hissed through gritted teeth. "And you came back here to do what, huh? Kill us?"

"What we're here to do is none of your business." Maya said to Olivia, beginning to grin as well. "In fact, you all weren't even part of the plan."

"But some revenge would really sweeten things up." Gill added, grinning maniacally.

"Get lost." Aiden sneered at them. "Run back to wherever you came from, and stay out of our way."

"We know you're the ones who took the command block." Jesse said, holding up the tracking the device. "Hand it back over, you have no idea what type of power you're dealing with."

"That's my tracker!" Maya gasped, all of a sudden glaring over at Gill. "You idiot! Out of all the things you could have forgotten to pick up!"

"I repeat, get lost, Jesse." Aiden said through gritted teeth. "You have no idea who you're dealing with."

He grasped the helm of the sword in his sheath, pulling it out. Immediately Jesse could tell that the command block was used to make the blade. It was a weapon like she's never seen before, almost looking like it was cut from glass, the blade made out of clear diamond.

Maya slipped a curved golden sword from her belt, the weapon glowing with unnatural enchantments. Gill fumbled slightly, turning around on the spot as he struggled to get his sword out of the sheath on his back. Finally succeeding and pulling out a glimmering emerald blade. Axel's jaw dropped at the sight of it.

Jesse simple raised her own sword, continuing to glare at Aiden. He probably didn't realise that the sword she held was just as dangerous as his, if not more. After all, Nether Star was even stronger than diamond. And Aiden didn't even have any armour on.

"So we're playing it this way, huh?" Aiden asked, starting to smirk. "I'll gladly cut through you."

For a second it was deathly silent between the two groups. Thunder roared softly in the distance, the trees' branches swaying in a forming breeze.

And then, as if an invisible signal was given, both groups charged at each other.

Maya leaped in front of Axel and Petra, sparks flying as the blades made contact. Gill was quick to deflect one of Olivia's arrows with his emerald sword, before clashing it with Lukas's dagger.

Jesse felt the energy from her sword's enchantments ripple up her arm as the blade met Aiden's. She could immediately tell that he was a lot more skilled than what she remembered, stronger too.

Ducking below a swing of his sword, Jesse somersaulted to the right, pushing herself back off the ground at the sped of light. Immediately she had to block another blow, feeling the muscles in her arms start to cramp. Maybe she and Petra should had practised together more often, fighting mobs and fighting people were two completely different skills.

"Pathetic!" Aiden sneered as he pushed her back, Jesse only just keeping her balance. "This is the mighty leader of the Order? You're even weaker than I remember!"

Jesse felt her blood beginning to boil at Aiden's words, charging forward aggressively. Adrenaline pulsed through her veins as the two blades met each other, both fighters needing to stand their ground.

Forcing her sore muscles to work together, Jesse pressed forward with all her might, only just managing to push Aiden back a step. Her limbs throbbed violently, painfully complaining about being put through so much strain.

"I don't know what you've been doing the past seven years after our last encounter-" Aiden said as the two of them circled each other. "-But your very clearly rusty, Jesse."

He lunged forward, Jesse ducking below the blow just in time, before delivering one of her own. The two blades screeched against each other.

For as much as Jesse hated to admit it, Aiden was right. It took her months to fully recover from her battle with Soren, and she hadn't done a good job of getting back into practice afterwards.

Olivia hated at how much of a disadvantage she was with her bow, needing to keep distance between her and Gill. She's never been the best of fighter, but felt utterly useless at that moment.

Breath already racing, Olivia felt herself start to fumble with each arrow she took out. One of her key skills was to not be clumsy with whatever she was handling, why did stress so easily change that?

Olivia spared a glance over to where Petra and Axel were fighting against Maya. She was skillfully keeping them both at bay, but was visibly becoming worn through. Olivia could hear Jesse and Aiden's blades clashing, but they weren't in her line of sight.

That one moment it took for Olivia to check up on her friends, happened to be the one moment Gill manage to disarm Lukas, the tiny dagger not being a proper match for the bulky sword. Lukas barely had a moment to take in the fact that Gill had rendered him weaponless, when his former friend lower his sword, raising the other hand and slamming his fist into the side of Lukas's face.

Olivia cried out in horror as Lukas was knocked to the ground, completely out like a light. She grabbed wildly to get another arrow nocked into her bow, her fingers trembling insanely.

"No you don't!" Gill barrelled straight into Olivia, pinning her up against a tree. She desperately tried to squirm free, but it was no use – Gill was a lot stronger, than he was smart.

In the past, Maya had been no match for Petra. But the Blaze Rod had clearly sharpened up her skills since the two of them had last met. She just about managed to fight off both Petra and Axel, her heavily enchanted gold sword a mere metallic blur as she flung it left and right.

And then, somehow, Maya got just the right hit on Axel's diamond axe, knocking it to the side. Axel cursed, seeing his weapon skid across the grass.

"Go, I got her!" Petra hissed to him, slamming Miss Butter against Maya's sword again.

"Oh, you do now?" Maya taunted, pushing Petra back with her weapon. "Don't underestimate me, Petra." She ducked beneath one of the redheaded warrior's blows, rolling to the side. "After all, I was able to beat the Founder in our throne room. Are you even a match to me?"

No wonder she's handling us so well. Petra thought, feeling a bead of sweat run down her forehead.

Jesse was beginning to run out of steam, gasping and panting. It made her feel only a smidge better, seeing that Aiden himself was beginning to sweat a bit. But he wasn't nearly as fatigued as her.

The advantage of having armour was paying off however, Jesse was completely unscathed, while her sword had already cut skin numerous time.

"Somebody's getting a little breathless I see." Aiden taunted as their two swords were forced against each other once more. "Giving up yet?"

"I'll fight until I die." Jesse hissed back at him, digging her feet into the ground to stay positioned. "But I'll never give up."

"You think that's what I want for my oldest enemy?" Aiden said, leaning in closer. "To see her bleed, to know I was the one who put an end to the beating of her heart?"

Jesse gulped, Aiden's words spiking the fear within her.

"Death is too good for you, Jesse."

Sweat began to build up on Jesse's face, her heart throbbing inside her chest. It was too familiar, it was so painfully similar to what Soren had said.

Aiden shoved forward with all his strenght, knocking Jesse back. Jesse didn't know there had been a tree behind her, until her back collided with it. She felt the breath knocked out of her, gasping painfully as she fell to the ground.

Jesse's mouth was wide open as she fought to get her breath back, pain searing through her tired body. She looked up as she finally managed to pull in a small gasp of air again, the rage in her system replaced by pure and utter fear. Waiting for Aiden to plunge his fancy crystal blade into her chest.

Horrified to see him turn away, sheathing his sword again, and taking out a different weapon. Raising the bow, and aiming for the closest of her friends.

Petra's breath was beginning to race, sweat trailing down her face. It's been merely seconds since Axel was disarmed, but to her tired body, it felt like it's been so much longer.

Maya was equally worn through, but didn't dare back down. A smirked remained on her face, a smirk that made Petra incredibly uncomfortable.

"Come on now." She taunted Petra. "Am I that hard to beat? Or have you just gotten weak?"

Fury pulsed through Petra's veins, lurching forward and swinging her sword at Maya with as much strength as she possibly could – Just like the Blaze Rod had anticipated.

Maya rolled out of the way just in time, Miss Butter getting embedded into the trunk of the tree behind her. Petra yanked on her sword, trying to pull it free again. If it weren't for Axel stepping back in and recapturing Maya's attention. She would probably have finished her off there and then.

Petra tugged on the blade, trying and failing to pull it out of the tree. Her injured shoulder flared up in pain, throbs radiating throughout her arm, weakening her pull.

And that's when Petra heard a bowstring snap. She rose her head, feeling like everything around her had gone into slow motion.

Jesse was on the ground, gasping for breath, expression pained. Aiden was standing in front of her with a bow raised, the arrow moving right towards Petra.

But right at the very last split second, a grey shape leaped in front of her.

A shrill scream ripped itself from Petra's throat, ripping her blade from the tree with all her might. Only to immediately toss it to the side as she fell to the ground beside Rascal.

"No, no, no, NO!"

It felt like Petra's whole world was crumbling around her as she knotted her fingers into Rascal's thick fur, the gloves of her armour instantly stained a blood red.

Aiden held one hand up, signalling Maya and Gill. Gill instantly let go of Olivia, who ran to a slowly waking Lukas's side. Maya backed off from Axel, who for a second looked like he wanted to continue fighting her. But instinct taking over, he bolted to Jesse's side instead, starting to help her up.

Maya and Gill went to stand on either side of Aiden as he watched the redhead on the ground, a smirk forming on his face.

"I was wondering who this mutt belonged to." He said. "Thought it might have been a replacement for the pig. Can't say I expected to belong to you."

Petra slowly raised her head, flames dancing in her cold blue eyes. Strong hatred pulsed through her system, her grief converted into pure anger.

"Be gone." Aiden hissed below his breath. "Before I change my mind and actually kill you."

Petra was almost deaf to his words, her ears ringing with her own hammering heartbeat. Something within her exploded, all of a sudden grabbing Miss Butter off the ground and leaping to her feet.

She would have ran right back into a battle with Aiden, had a a hand not clasped around her arm, holding her back. Petra's head snapped back to see the two pleading brown eyes of Jesse behind her.

"We have to go."

"NO!" Petra tried ripping free from Jesse's pull, refusing to leave before she could plunge her golden blade into Aiden's chest.

Jesse wrapped her arms around Petra, pulling her back, away from Aiden before she could get herself into a battle she wouldn't win. Aiden grinned darkly, watching as Petra fought against her friend's grip.

All logic had left Petra's head, her only wish at that moment to kill the man in front of her. But there was no pulling free from her friends' grasps, Jesse not being the only one to hold on to her any more.

With every step her friends pulled her back, Petra felt her strength falling away, emotions beginning to build up within her. A chain of grief tightening around her heart as she was pulled away from not just Aiden, but also Rascal's body. The only thing of his she still had, being the bandanna that was clutched in her left hand.

And then she felt it, one of the tears she's been biting back, breaking free and trailing down the side of her face.

"Come on." She heard Jesse's gentle voice, her struggles slowly dying way.

And as the cold, harsh reality of what had just happened, pierced through Petra's heart like an arrow – all she wanted to do was get out of there.

Aiden watched with a triumphant smirk as Petra gave up her fight, giving in to her friend's wishes. The five of them bolting away, and disappearing into the trees. Pride bubbling up within him at the sight of the mighty Order of the Stone, running away from him.

And it might not have been Jesse, but somebody had still broken under his actions.

They didn't stop running until they reached the horses and after that, they didn't stop galloping. Urging on their mounts, expertly weaving the horses through the trees. Not glancing back, until they were home again.

Fleeing.

The horse's flanks were heaving, puffing tiredly as they pulled them up in the small clearing they called home. The riders themselves red in the faces, hearts racing.

Petra slid down from her horse, leaning against the mare's side as she gripped handfuls of her creamy coloured mane in her hands. Staring out in front of her with an almost bug-eyed expression.

Everybody slowly exchanged glances, mixtures of heartbreak and concern lacing their faces as the realisation sunk in.

Rascal was dead.

"Petra?" Olivia said softly, putting one of her hands out onto the redhead's shoulder. "We're so sorry-"

"Shut up!" Petra snapped out of her trance, all of a sudden shoving Olivia away from her. The engineer staggered backwards, only keeping her balance because Lukas was standing behind her.

Petra didn't bat an eyelid at what she did, just glaring at them with more hatred in her eyes, than any of her friends had ever seen. And then she turned away, stomping back to the tree-house.

"Petra, wait!" Jesse tried, not getting a glance from her friend in response. Her shoulders sank as she watched Petra disappear inside the building.

"Go after her, Jesse." Lukas said softly. "It's okay, we'll care for your horses as well. I think if anybody can get through to Petra right now, it's you."

Jesse nodded, beginning to walk after her friend. There was a lump in her own throat, a burning in her eyes. It had happened so suddenly... and she couldn't help but blame herself.

"Petra?" Jesse asked softly as the stepped into the tree-house.

The living room was completely empty. There was a heap of armour lying on the floor, looking like Petra had just carelessly dumped it there, mid-walk.

Jesse slowly walked down the hallway, hearing the wooden floor lightly creak beneath her boots. Petra's bedroom door was left ajar, Jesse carefully pushing it open further.

Throughout the many years they have been friends, Jesse had seen Petra upset on more than one occasion. But nothing could be compared to the state the person in the room was in.

Petra was curled in a ball on the bed, her arms wrapped around her pillow with her face buried into its fabric. Her entire body shaking with cries that she left unheard.

Jesse bit the inside of her lip, trying to hold back tears of her own. For once she had the ability to say that she knew exactly what the person in front of her was going through.

It may have been over a decade ago, but she had been in that exact position. And she knew, if Petra was anything like she was back then... she wanted to be left alone.

But stepping back and closing the bedroom door again, leaving her friend to grief, was one of the hardest things Jesse had to do.

___

*Slowly raises hands in defense*

Ya'll are going to kill me for this, aren't you?

Yeahh... Not even I can believe what I did here. Rascal means the world to me, I definitely didn't want his original story to end this way. I still don't.

The heartbreak aside, our mystery antagonist has been unmasked!
What do you think Aiden's original plan was? Why did he want the command block? What is he planning to do with it?

Any theories welcome! Send them along with the pitchforks I know will be coming my way!

Also sorry this chapter is late, Wattpad was being buggy-