Hardcore Survival (A Minecraft Story)

Regenerating

[Aria's POV]

It's been about three or four days in Minecraft, which means it's only been truly about thirty or forty minutes. I was trying to rest, but after the potion wore off, I was no longer healing properly. I could feel the wound on my back throb with each gentle brush or bump. My arms held numerous scars, which would normally be fine, but I was the only one that held them. Anthony's arms were clear now, but sore, and any feathers that Alexa or Mobius lost have regrown. I was the only one who still showed signs of any fights having happened. Granted, it did take a few days for them to regenerate, they had fully recovered physically nonetheless.

This is why I was currently away from them, sitting on top of a house in the village, trying to relax and enjoy the blocky sun. However, it was difficult to enjoy something that you knew wasn't real, and the heat from it wasn't actual heat. This time we were using to rest was also time we were losing for gathering supplies for The End. I could feel the anxiety growing in me along with the urge to remove myself from any light source. I was fighting the light trouble fairly easily, however it was starting to get more and more difficult. Half of my face was permanently changed, and seemingly refused to switch back. No matter how hard I tried, I was stuck has half and half. The last time I attempted it, I apparently summoned Reginald with my mental screams of agony and he screeched in shock. My nose was profusely bleeding, and my eye of Ender was leaking purple. 

I sigh at the memory, leaning forward and resting my arms against my legs. I could feel the weight of everything slowly starting to weigh on me, and it was slowly becoming too much. I was trying to not show it, but that was becoming harder and harder each minute we were here. My head falls into my hands, and I fight back the stress tears that threatened to fall. The tears damage my Ender half, and I couldn't risk anything else. 

That made it even worse.

Crying lets me release the stress, but now I couldn't even do that. I was holding it all in, unable to let it out without letting it completely out and risk losing myself completely. I couldn't allow that to happen. I had to- no, have to- hold it together for everyone else. If I break, the others have to pick me up, and that can't happen. I can't let myself become a burden. The others depend on me. I have to keep it together. I have to stay sane. I have to get us through this. I have to save everyone.

"You remind me of Andrew in many ways, Aria." A shadow covers me suddenly, and I let out a sigh of relief. The covering was pleasant, and I feel my body relax slightly. I barely turn my gaze to see Reginald putting a large umbrella-like object just behind me. He seems to feel relief at the sudden cover as well, and he carefully sits down next to me. He turns to me, and I try to smile, and he returns the same exhausted expression. "Can you understand me like this?" I ask, curious. He gives me a nod, and I sigh. "I thought so, but I thought maybe you just knew how to read lips." He slightly snickers, and I feel myself actually smile. "No. No, I am not that talented." We sit in silence for a while, the sun slowly making its way across the sky. It feels like it's been half an hour, but I knew better. 

However, I could tell he was waiting for me to ask him a question. I finally give in. "When you said I remind you of Andrew, what did you mean?" I hear him take in a breath, but I knew he was going to give me a straight answer. "As you may have figured out, we were both taken by him long ago. Our group consisted of five..." He stops, and I can feel him growing emotional. Something ticks in my mind, and I turn to him. "He said he was the last of his group... what did he mean?" Reginald shakes his head. "He had believed us dead after he became trapped in the Nether. The last thing he had seen was us... fighting him." I slowly nod my head, understanding his initial shock when he say Reginald before. "However, he was correct on part of it." I could feel the sorrow pouring from him, so much so that a singular tear falls from my good eye and splashes onto the street below. I turn to him, and I can see that his face was holding back tears as well.

"There were five... but only three of us remain." I say nothing, feeling the despair start to weigh on my shoulders. It wasn't just mine, however. I could feel his pain, and it was heavy. He seems to notice this and suddenly the weight lifts. He reaches over to me with wide eyes. "I deeply apologize! I had forgotten that you could feel our emotions now. Please, try to relax." I shake my head, flinging another tear off my face. "I-I'm okay. It's f-fine now." He looks at me with concern, but I shake my head. "Honest, I'm fine now." I try to 'send' relaxed feelings his way, and it seems to work because he gives me a soft smile. He continues with his tale, leaning forward to rest his arms against his knees as well. "We were a group, just like you are now. Taken, sucked into this world. At first, we believed it a blessing. All of us wanted to escape the real world, but then..." I shudder, knowing what he meant.

"Nightfall..."

He only nods, and I remember our first night. I rub my shoulder slightly, and his gaze flicks towards me.  He says nothing, but I can feel him offering sympathy. I can't help my smile. 'He tries so hard...' He starts speaking again, finishing his story. "Andrew took up the position as leader, as per usual. I had never actually met them in person before, coming from England and they the United States.... what is so funny?" I stop my snickering, and try to act normal. ".... You cannot hide your humor from me, you know." I sigh, and turn to him. "Yeah, okay. I just thought maybe you were faking the accent at first. You speak so politely as well." His eyes widen, and he slightly smirks. "That makes sense. Anyways, I had met them through voice or video chats, but this was my first time to interact with them physically... sort of. It was obvious Andrew was, in fact, the leader. He kept his cool, lead us without hesitation, and calmed us when we were scared." He turns to me once again, and I can tell what he is already going to say. The smile was already on my face.

'Sounds like me...'

"Correct. However, behind the scenes, he was hiding his fear. I found him once, in a similar spot you are in currently. His wither half was showing more and more, and he was starting to lose his cool. I did what I could to comfort him, but the next day..." 

"We lost the first one of our group."

I snap my head towards the ground, finding the iron golem from before standing there, gazing out towards the village. A single drop of water slides down the side of his head, and he wipes it away. "Her name was Taylor. Her avatar was based off a sheep. We thought this meant she would be safe... Until we encountered a pack of wolves." I can feel the mix of anger, hurt, and sorrow flowing from Reginald, and the golem slightly shifts. The same feelings were radiating from him, and I could barely hold it in myself. Thankfully, Reginald notices it and calms himself.

"Because we had been in here for so long, the wolves didn't see her as a player anymore. We tried to help her, but then they began attacking us as well. However, she stopped us and fled, taking the pack with her." I could tell what the ending was, and no one speaks it. I feel everything slowly fade, and I shake my head. For once, I was thankful that the only avatar in our group that was related to Minecraft was my own. I feel it tingle in response, and I grunt.

Then it tingles again.

I growl and turn to Reginald. He does the same, and I stand. "Well, I guess we don't have time to mourn or regain ourselves. They're coming."