Today was the day Jesse dreaded the most every year. It was the anniversary of Reuben's death. It had been fifteen years since the Witherstorm had been destroyed. But fate decided that, no, that wasn't enough of a burden on Jesse's shoulders. It was also the first anniversary of the Incident.

+_()_+

Jesse looked around. He was with everyone he had come to know as a friend over the years. It was almost midnight, yet nobody was drunk. Well, nobody besides Magnus. Maybe they weren't drunk because some of them knew what Jesse was going to do.

Jesse looked to his girlfriend, Petra, and absentmindedly rubbed the small box in his pocket with his thumb. Most would say that box held a ring. Jesse liked to think it held their relationship.

A few minutes before midnight, everyone started drifting into one big group.

Jesse, deciding not to hide the blush on his face, walked over to his girlfriend, who was talking to Olivia. He tapped Petra on the shoulder. "Hey Petra, can I talk to you for a minute?"

The young girl turned to her boyfriend, a kind smile on her face. "Sure thing, Jesse."

Jesse breathed a sigh of relief. He wouldn't have to struggle to get her attention. Behind Petra, Olivia gave him a thumbs up and a grin. She was one of the very few people who knew about the upcoming proposal.

The room quieted down, and silently, Jesse took Petra by the hand and brought her to the center of the room.

"Petra, I've known you for as long as I can remember, and we've been dating for ten years. I wanted to buy you everything in the world… but all I could afford was this ring." Petra gasped as Jesse got down on one knee, opening the box. "Will you… marry me?"

A collective "awwww…" went through everyone as Petra, crying tears of joy, said "YES!" Then, everyone shared another sigh as the young couple shared a passionate kiss.

After they pulled apart, Jesse gave his fiance a hug.

"I'm so lucky to have you."

X-{}-X

The party went on for a few more hours, going until about 3:30 in the morning. It was at that point when people decided to start going to sleep. The party, hosted by Olivia, was also a sleepover, because everyone knew they were going to be out late and didn't want to walk home when they would be super tired. And even though mobs weren't a problem for these people, they didn't want to go out at night when they didn't have to. Common sense.

Timeskip to 6:00, when everyone was still asleep. Everyone except Jesse, that is. Jesse was an early bird. After this Incident, he would always be an even earlier bird.

Jesse got up from the bed he and Petra were sharing, tiptoed to the door, and slipped out of the room, completely undetected.

Jesse snuck into the kitchen, leaving the door open so as to not wake anyone. Opening a large chest, opposite the door, he pulled out an apple. He was about to bite into it, when he heard the click of the door being closed.

'Wonder who's up this early…' Jesse thought.

Turning around, the first thing he saw wasn't one of his friends. No, it was a… demon?

"He- Hello there…" Jesse said, trailing off.

"Why hello there, young hero. My name is… Derrel. I am a god, and my brother… er... Mark... and I have been fighting for ages. Will you join me in my crusade against his forces?" the being asked.

"Can you, like, show me a picture of him or something? So I know I'm on the right side?" Jesse asked, somewhat suspicious of the strange god.

"Augh!" Derrel yell-whispered.

"You're acting kinda suspicious, Derrel. Sneaking in here this early in the morning, when I'm the only one awake, and trying to convince me to join you? Kinda weird, if you ask me."

"I guess you figured me out. But I can't have you blabbering to your overpowered friends."

"What are you going to do? Kill me? People have tried. It's not possible."

Derrel laughed. "Oh, I'm not going to kill you. I'm going to kill everyone else in this house."

Before Jesse could respond, he was teleported somewhere. Looking around, he was floating above Olivia's house.

Derrel appeared right beside Jesse, a smirk on his smug face. "Well, say goodbye to your family!"

The demon-god clapped his hands twice, and Olivia's house, along with everyone in it, was blown to bits.

+_()_+

Jesse continued walking through the forest, silent tears flowing down his face. Today was the worst day of the year. November 19th. For most of the day, he had stayed in his small house, not wanting to see anyone. But at about 4:00, he did his annual tradition - write a letter to Reuben and put it by his memorial. On his way back home, he visited the homes of everyone who was lost in the Incident.

Now, he was making his way back home, and the sun was setting. He didn't have his armor with him, seeing as he got rid of most of the unimportant things he associated with the Witherstorm or his friends. He even exchanged his classic suspenders, white shirt and jeans for a pair of dungarees and a red and white shirt.

It was getting dark, and the mobs were starting to come out. Jesse didn't have his sword with him; he didn't think he would be out this late.

Hearing a moan behind him, he turned to see a multitude of zombies coming out of a nearby cave. He started running, and stopped by a patch of tall grass. Thinking he was safe, he put his hands on his knees, panting. He was only there for a few seconds, though, as a familiar hissing sound filled his ears. Trying to get away from the creeper, he ran to a small ledge, where no mobs could get behind him and catch him unaware.

This was short lived as well, as an arrow hit the ledge right next to his head. He ran far away from the skeleton.

Feeling a wave de ja vu, Jesse realized exactly where he was. He was in the forest just outside of where Endercon used to be held.

Stopping at the same ledge as he did over fifteen years ago, he turned around to see zombies approaching him.

He was seventeen-year-old Jesse again. Except this time, he didn't have Reuben, and Petra wouldn't be there to save him. He felt doomed.

He thought he was a goner for sure when suddenly, dozens of arrows impaled the incoming mobs.

He turned towards the shooter. In front of him was a girl, about his age, with long purple hair, and a torn purple dress. Her purple irises gleamed in the moonlight. Putting her enchanted bow in her inventory, she pulled out what Jesse recognized as a Potion of Swiftness. Downing it in on one gulp, she rushed to work, placing redstone perfectly so as to push the oncoming mobs into a pit.

With perfect precision, the young woman quickly built a stairwell up to the top of the ledge, from which she dropped TNT with a professional flick of the wrist. After the explosions, she jumped down, pulling out a gold sword, slicing through the mobs.

As Jesse watched the girl, he noticed something. It was like she was in expert in everything the Order's members had ever been in expert in. Her redstone skills reminded him of Olivia, her ability to destroy reminded him of Axel and Magnus, her building skills were like Lukas and Soren, and her combat moves were exactly like Petra's.

Finishing off the surrounding mobs, the young woman put away her sword and pulled out her bow. "Come on, let's get out of the open."

The first sentence she said to Jesse reminded him of Petra.

+_()_+

Hey everybody! Emily here! I hope you enjoyed chapter one of my second MCSM fanfic! If you can figure out who Derrel really is, you get a virtual cookie!

Stay cool!