Do as we Must - A Minecraft Story

9: Xela

"No. I said no." Jack said, panting, shortly after he awoke. We all breathed a sigh of relief- or at least I did, I can't directly recall what occurred during the moments surrounding the following.

A flurry of orange and green suddenly flooded our vision and we all started to panic. We couldn't see anything else. A deafening static noise filled our ears, before slowly dying down to the point where it was just a hum. Then, we heard a voice, a female voice, and what the voice said is the last thing I remember from these moments.

"I have seen past the furthest star. I have reached beyond the furthest galaxy. I know more than any mortal human can conceive of. I have traversed time and space at the speed of light. You could have such powers too- for the cost of only your soul."

Then I saw two white eyes. Then... I'm not sure. I didn't pass out or anything, but I only vaguely remember the following battle. Sometimes if I concentrate really hard I'll remember a little detail, maybe even an entire thirty seconds. But it's still hard to recall.

I think we fought this woman who had a green shirt and orange hair, and I assume she was the one with the white eyes. Tamika was not doing much, she was mostly just standing there.

And that's all I remember. I don't remember anything that happened for an hour (at least) after the fight. I don't know why I remember so few events surrounding the fight, but I don't.

A while after the fight, we were all back home, and I got this really dreadful feeling. It was a feeling of dread and it was unlike any other feeling I'd felt in a long time, maybe even since the 'Event'. My vision blurred, and I started calling out to everyone else. I thought another weird paranormal episode was about to happen, and I was annoyed because those kept happening and I was really fucking sick of them.

But, all of a sudden, I snapped out of it, and when I became aware of my surroundings again, Emily was in front of us in the cave. Looking around, it seemed like we'd all been completely out of it when she reappeared. We all audibly gasped. Emily seemed strangely unfazed. "Guys?" she said, puzzled. We all audibly gasped, except for Tamika, who gasped silently.

Cody immediately swept her up in a hug. I thought maybe I could make it a group hug, but that would be kinda weird, since they were a thing now. Cody seemed extremely happy to see her, but unconcerned with how she had gotten here or was even alive. I was stunned. My mouth hung open. "Cody, what's the deal?" she asked, extremely confused but slowly hugging him back.

"Guys, who the fuck is that?" Mark asked. We all ignored him.

"You... you were.... I was alone...." Cody managed through his excitement. "Back... you're back...."

Mark wouldn't shut the fuck up. "Guys, seriously, who is this random fucking girl?"

I was so happy she was alive, but I also knew something was wrong. Between the feeling I'd gotten before she randomly appeared in the room and Emily's complete lack of awareness of her own disappearance, it just did not feel right. "Emily...?" I managed slowly.

Cody let go of her and they both turned to face me. "W-what's the last thing you remember, Em?" I asked.

She considered this. "Well, I dunno... I guess I was in the woods, and then there's not much between that and now. Like I was sleeping, I guess. Wasn't I?" Nobody answered. "Wasn't I?!"

"WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU?!" Mark exclaimed.

"SHE'S MY DEAD SISTER!" I yelled back.

"DEAD?" Emily shouted, suddenly horrified.

"ALRIGHT!" Jack broke through the yelling. "Emily, listen. You completely disappeared. None of us could find you. Then, we were fighting Herobrine, and he told us he killed you." Emily's jaw dropped in shock.

"Aw, that sick fuck..." Mark said, despite having previously approached this situation with no grace or understanding. "They should call him... Villainbrine."

"Okay, who the hell is this guy?" Emily asked, rightfully pissed.

Cody narrowed his eyes at me a bit. I could tell he wasn't happy that I'd randomly let this crazy scientist guy into our home, and right now I wasn't feeling exactly pleased with this decision either.

Cody decided to answer her question. "This is Mark," he said with disdain, "and his living with us is completely temporary."

"Oh, guys, come on, it..." Mark was clearly saddened by this, but right now everyone was on Cody's side. "You guys gotta understand..." We ignored him.

"So where was I, then?" Emily returned to the subject at hand.

"Nether if I know." I answered. "But I missed you. We all missed you."

"What else did I miss?" Emily asked lightly.

Jack breathed a heavy sigh. "Notch gave us all an ultimatum. Abandon the group and live a life of luxury, or die fighting him. We all chose the latter, hence our being together."

All of a sudden, there was an insanely intense pounding on the front wall. The female voice from earlier began screaming. "I know you're in there, Hero! Don't make me take you!"

We all started panicking, but for some reason Mark in particular seemed insanely put off by this. There was a look in his eyes that almost seemed to be him withdrawing into himself. Wby would this worry him specifically? He practically just got here.

Suddenly, the wall came crashing down, and in flew a woman with orange hair and a torn green shirt. She had piercing white eyes, just like Hero's, and with them she peered directly at Mark. "There he is," she grinned darkly.

She flew at Mark with such intense speed that she became a blur of orange and pale green, and I could see blood spewing out of Mark. We all screamed. Even after the 'Event', this might've been the most terrifying thing I'd ever been subjected to. I was transfixed. I couldn't look away. I wanted to. I couldn't.

After what seemed like forever, she stopped attacking him, and I heard this awful, squelching dripping noise. "I am Xela!" she shouted to us. "I will return!"

She vanished.