Minecraft Story Mode Season 3, Episode 2: Friends and Foes

Part 23: The Lingering Ashes

Romeo stood at the gates of Champion City.

Though perhaps "the gates of what was left of Champion City" would be more accurate phrasing.

The once-beautiful white and blue skyscrapers had been reduced to smoldering ruins. Some of the skyscrapers were blown to pieces, while others had gaping holes and burn marks. Everything had been destroyed.

Romeo remembered that he'd decided to blow up Champion City while he was impersonating Jesse. The moment was burned into his memory, though he wished he could erase it...

Olivia, Axel, Stella, and Romeo- who was disguised as Jesse at the moment- stood at the gates of Beacontown.

Olivia turned to Romeo. She looked extremely disgusted and confused.

"Why exactly are we having a whole festival devoted solely to you--?" Olivia questioned. Axel's expression was full of discomfort as he stared at Romeo.

"Do we really have to go up on stage with you in front of everyone?" Axel asked. Romeo glared at Axel and Olivia.

"Enough. You two are going to need to do a lot less talking and a lot more agreeing if you want to be a part of Beacontown," Romeo hissed.

"Not so sure I do, actually. In fact, we were just about to head home!" Olivia said nervously.

Romeo's blood boiled. Xara and Fred had already left him, and now Axel and Olivia wanted to leave him too. No. He wouldn't let it happen again. He wouldn't be alone again. There must be some way to stop it from happening.

Romeo remembered that Xara and Fred would start seeing him less and less because they told him that they had to go back home... go back to the Oasis and Fred's Keep.

But what about the cabin? Was the cabin not "home" anymore? Did the home that the three of them built together mean anything to Xara and Fred anymore? Did he even mean anything to Xara and Fred anymore?

Romeoburg had never been home to Romeo. Home had been and always will be the cabin.

Fred and Xara would have stayed with him longer if they didn't have to leave the cabin to go back to their new homes.

If they didn't have a home to go back to, would they have never left Romeo's side? Romeo thought- no, he knew- that the answer was yes.

Romeo realized that he'd gotten lost in his thoughts and returned his attention to Axel and Olivia.

"I'd be very careful if I were you guys, or there might not be a home to go back to at all," Romeo snapped. He used his telekinesis to open Beacontown's gates. Champion City, in all of its pristine glory, could be seen in the distance. "It's just so easy for something bad to happen to a town. Like Champion City, for example... And... boop!" Romeo clapped his hands. All of the people in Champion City were teleported to safety, but the city itself was blown to smithereens. Stella fell to her knees and began to sob.

"My... No," Stella murmured. Romeo didn't know why she was so upset. He'd spared her citizens. All he did was destroy Stella's city, and honestly Stella should be thanking him for lifting the burden of running a city from her shoulders.

"What? You were always so worried about Champion City and now... one less thing to worry about!" Romeo chirped.

"...my... my friends and... my people... they're... gone," Stella cried. Romeo rolled his eyes. He didn't understand why Stella was being so dramatic. Stella's friends and people could just move to Beacontown- which was an added bonus because then he would have even more friends. Oh, how he loved having friends.

Romeo felt guilt and regret wash over him as he stared at the remains of Champion City. He'd been so blind that he actually thought there was nothing wrong with destroying it.

Everything that he'd said played over and over again, like a song on repeat that he couldn't turn off.

"I'd be very careful if I were you guys, or there might not be a home to go back to at all."

"It's just so easy for something bad to happen to a town. Like Champion City, for example... And... boop!"

"What? You were always so worried about Champion City and now... one less thing to worry about!"

Notch, how he hated himself.

Stella walked up to him and smiled. Romeo didn't understand why she still liked him. Maybe because she deeply admired Jesse and figured that any friend of Jesse's couldn't be that bad? Maybe Stella was just extremely loyal?

"Oh, there you are! I was worried that you'd been attacked by wild wolves on the way here or something," Stella chuckled.

Tears filled Romeo's eyes. He attempted to hold them back, but failed.

Romeo broke down and sobbed. He'd already cried at Xara's house... but Stella was witnessing a full on panic attack.

Romeo's breathing was extremely shaky and he was hyperventilating. Everything that had happened in just one day- Binta's hostility at the meeting, Veeva taking advantage of his empathy to get away with cheating, Cassie framing him and completely destroying his reputation, Veeva's betrayal, Xara despising him, and Aiden relentlessly throwing insults- and everything Romeo had done as a villain came crashing down on his head.

"You're worthless. Selfish. An unfeeling monster," Romeo's thoughts whispered.

"I've never seen you like this, so something must definitely be wrong. Are you alright?" Stella pointed out. She sounded genuinely concerned. Romeo shook his head and Stella gave him a hug. She instantly backed away and winced. "Ohh, I shouldn't have done that. It's not very professional to hug your business partner," Stella realized.

Romeo took a deep breath and regained his composure.

"No, I needed that. Thanks," Romeo answered. He paused for a moment. "I should get to work on the rebuilding."

"If you insist. I think we should just do the flowerbeds today since we're short on time because you were late... No offense, of course," Stella assured.

Stella and Romeo spent the next few hours working on Champion City's flowerbeds. First they pulled out the damaged flowers- a job that Romeo was actually good at, and then they planted new flowers.

"I want the daisies to go here," Stella explained. She gestured to a patch of grass and Romeo brought her tiny four petaled white flowers. Stella slapped a palm to her forehead.

"Those are azure bluets, not daisies," Stella groaned. Romeo smiled sheepishly and instantly left to look for daisies.

Despite a few mishaps and Romeo's lack of flower planting knowledge, Stella and Romeo soon finished fixing the flowerbeds.

"Maybe I could help you again tomorrow?" Romeo suggested. Stella beamed at him.

"That sounds absolutely perfect," Stella replied. Romeo waved goodbye to her and began to walk to Xara's house.

He knew Xara wanted to tell him about something strange that had happened recently, but what?