New World [Complete]

Chapter Forty-Four: Notch

Raygel's POV

Douglas stayed in the air, but flew fairly low so we could easily follow him. It didn't take long for us to reach out destination: an obsidian pillar that looked no different from the rest. Douglas circled, then landed in front of us. He roared, probably a greeting, and then switched to a growl. Purple light that even I could see - very strong magic - illuminated the dragon's form. A panel in the ground opened, strangely silently and smoothly, and the glow ceased. 

Douglas looked at us. The hole was obviously too small for the huge dragon. A stairway lead downwards, and a feeling of nervousness bubbled up inside me. It was hard to see anything at the bottom, except a dimly torch-lit passage.

"Raygel?" Kitty's voice shook me out of my thoughts. I looked to her. "You alright?" After she asked, the nervousness washed away easily and I nodded.

"Yeah," I answered truthfully. I took my first few steps downward, and I motioned for Herobrine and Kitty to follow. Almost unconsciously, I settled into the role of a leader. I paused at the bottom for a few second to allow my eyes to adjust. The passageway was lit by torches and made out of obsidian. 

I turned a corner and almost ran into someone. I stopped just in time, but Kitty bumped into me. I simply stared at the man in front of me. His clothes were a bit ragged, his head was bald, and he had a beard; but I recognized him nonetheless. My nervousness came rushing back, freezing my body in place.

"Raygel?" His voice was the same one I'd heard in my head.

"Notch," I greeted him. I smiled hesitantly. 

"What...What are you doing here?" He asked.

"We're here to talk to you," Kitty spoke up.

"Kitty?... Herobrine?!" Notch exclaimed. Kitty nodded in confirmation, and I smiled weakly. "How did you find me?"

"It's kind of a long story..." Kitty said quietly.

"Raygel. What's wrong with you?" Notch asked. 

"W-What do you mean?" I stammered.

"First you ignore me for weeks, and then you show up here! What's going on?" Notch questioned.

"Ignore you?" I echoed. "I couldn't even contact you! I was worried, and we're looking for answers, so..." I trailed off as a feeling of dread invaded my mind. Something was very wrong with this situation.

"Raygel?" Kitty questioned as I went silent. I sighed.

"I really hate it when people mess around in my head," I said quietly.

Hello, Raygel, the dark voice in my head, presumably Dougal, spoke and was accompanied by a sharp burst of pain. I physically winced.

"Is that guy... Dougal or whatever... messing with you head?" Herobrine asked.

"Of course," I answered bitterly.

Oh? So, you remember me now? What else have you found out? Dougal questioned. And is that Herobrine that I heard? He couldn't sift through my memories! If I was careful, he wouldn't know about Notch or Kitty. I put a finger to my lips, shushing everyone else, and turned away from them.

Leave me alone! I told Dougal. I heard a sound similar to what I imagined to be a sinister chuckle. My eyes squeezed shut as the pressure on my head increased. I leaned my forehead against the cool wall and tried to breathe evenly.

You know you can't resist me for long. I could practically hear the smirk in Dougal's voice. However, I was determined.

Skylar's POV (A/N: This is a little bit in the past, by the way.)

I had a bad feeling. After Raygel told us that they were going to leave, I had a bad feeling. I sat in my room for hours, simply wondering what to do. Eventually, I heard a knock on the door.

"Skylar? It's me," Mitch's voice called.

"Come in," I replied just loud enough to be heard, still distracted. He found me sitting at near the headboard of my bed with my knees drawn up to my chest and a worried expression on my face.

"What's wrong?" He immediately questioned as he shut the door behind him. I didn't know how to respond. Instead, I sank deeper into my thoughtful stupor. My bed shook silently as he perched himself at the foot of it. I was startled out of my daze, and I looked up to meet his brown eyes. A blush formed on my cheeks. "Tell me what's wrong," he urged.

"I don't know how to explain..." I sighed, returning to my previous train of thought and staring into my lap. "I-I have a bad feeling."

"About them leaving?" Mitch clarified. I nodded. "So do I," he confessed.

"What should we do, then?" I asked.

"We should let them go... but I think we should call a meeting. I doubt we're the only ones who feel this way," Mitch said.

~

Less than half an hour later, everyone but Raygel, Kitty, and Herobrine were assembled in the library. It was the late at night, but no one had slept.

"So... Skylar, Mitch... why did you call this meeting?" Seto asked. Mitch took a deep breath and spoke up, so I wouldn't have to.

"It's about Raygel, Kitty, and Herobrine going to the End," He started.

"They've already left," Sky pointed out.

"I know," Mitch acknowledged, "but..." He trailed off uncertainly.

"It doesn't feel right," Seto finished. There were noises of agreement.

I spoke up. "I have a bad feeling."

"So, what do we do?" Lizzie asked.

"I don't know," I sighed. There was a long silence before someone spoke.

"We should go after them," Kylie suggested.

"Won't the dragon attack us, though?" Jason asked with concern.

"Hmm... I have a basic grasp of the dragon's language... I should be able to communicate," Seto mused.

"Really?" Lizzie asked. She looked excited. "Then, let's do this!" I smiled.

"Any objections?" Seto clarified, but no one spoke. "Alright, let's do this!" He echoed Lizzie's words.

"Gather your weapons, food, and other supplies. We should leave in a few hours," Sky took the leadership position and gave everyone their orders. I headed to my room and packed quickly. I spent the rest of the time - before Mitch came to fetch me - calming my racing heart and lingering doubts. We were really doing this. I just hoped that it was the right choice.