12

SNOW DAY

Robin climbed out of the boat onto the icy ground. “I have to admit, it’s pretty here. I’m glad I got to see this biome one last time before we left. It’s definitely different when you’re visiting here in a game and when you’re actually trapped in the game.”

“I agree,” Michael said and playfully threw a snowball at Robin. She quickly retaliated and flung a snowball back at Michael, prompting the gang into a snowball fight.

Giggles were heard and the gang enjoyed a good old-fashioned snowball fight, until Lily appeared.

“Lily!” Michael threw a snowball at her and laughed.

“I’d love to play, but you guys have to get busy and gather snowballs. This is no time for joking around. I don’t trust Pablo at all, and I fear he’ll shut down this server and destroy you guys.”

“What?” Mr. Anarchy was stunned. Despite once being a master griefer who had issued many empty threats, he had never threatened to destroy the server. His heart started to pound. He didn’t want to be wiped from existence. “What about Fred the Farmer?”

“And Juan the Butcher?” asked Simon.

“And Emily the Fisherwoman …” Mr. Anarchy finished. “They’ll all be gone forever if Pablo destroys the server!”

“If you get off the server, Pablo will have no reason to attack and destroy this server,” explained Lily. “Just concentrate and get off of here as quickly as you can.”

The gang halted the fight and gathered as many snowballs as they could fit in their inventories. Lily joined her friends, but excused herself when her mother needed to use the computer. She promised that she’d return and help them battle the Ender Dragon and defeat Pablo. Then she added, “But I hope I see you guys in the real world first.”

“Me too,” Simon said as he filled up his inventory with snowballs.

“My inventory is almost full,” Robin said. “Unfortunately all I have are snowballs. I have no potions left.”

“I don’t have any potions either,” Simon noted after he perused his inventory.

“What are we going to do?” asked Michael.

Mr. Anarchy asked everyone what ingredients they had in their inventories. “We can brew some,” he suggested.

As the group discussed what ingredients they were missing, Lily reappeared. Robin exclaimed, “You’re back!”

“I forgot to tell you guys that I know where you can get some command blocks,” Lily said.

“Where?” asked Robin.

“I know there are some in a Nether fortress,” Lily replied.

“How do you know this?” questioned Michael.

“I saw them,” she said, “and I’d get them for you but I have to get off the server now.” With that comment, Lily disappeared.

“The command blocks are in the Nether,” Michael moaned.

“That’s good, we need to go there. We are in desperate need of supplies for brewing potions. If we can do a quick trip to the Nether, we can get everything we need and head back to Lisimi Village and prepare to make our way back to the real world,” said Mr. Anarchy.

“I wish I could see things the way you do,” Robin sighed. “I really hate the Nether. It’s creepy and way too challenging.”

“Nobody likes the Nether,” explained Mr. Anarchy, “but we must make this one trip in order to save everyone and ourselves.”

“Okay, I’m in.” Robin took a deep breath as she placed obsidian down on the snowy ground. “I don’t have enough to craft a portal,” she stated. Robin searched through the inventory hoping she’d find more obsidian, but there simply wasn’t any more.

Michael called out, “I’m out of obsidian.”

Simon also didn’t have any obsidian. “What about you, Mr. Anarchy?”

“I don’t have any either.” Mr. Anarchy was upset. “What are we going to do? We have to get to the Nether.”

Pablo appeared and asked, “What’s the matter?”

“We aren’t telling you.” Robin leaped at Pablo with her diamond sword, but knew it was pointless to battle him.

“I don’t understand why you think I’m a bad guy,” Pablo said. “I’m not. I’m here to help.”

Robin shouted at Pablo, but everyone told her to calm down.

Mr. Anarchy knew Pablo might have obsidian on him, but he didn’t want Pablo knowing their plans. He had a serious internal debate, weighing the pros and cons of admitting that they were traveling to the Nether. If Pablo were intent on destroying them, thought Mr. Anarchy, he would destroy them no matter what. Mr. Anarchy then reasoned that Pablo could see the portion of the Nether portal that lay on the icy ground, so there was no use hiding their trip to the Nether. Mr. Anarchy decided to ask their potential enemy for help. “Do you have obsidian?”

“Yes, I do,” Pablo replied as he placed his obsidian next to the other blocks on the ground, making a rectangular shape. He ignited the portal for the group. The gang hopped on the portal. As purple mist surrounded them, they watched Pablo laugh and disappear.