MCSM: Shattered Souls [COMPLETED]

18- In Which I Relive a Suppressed Memory

I shook my head stiffly. "I wasn't alone." I meant to say it confidently, but the words were barely a hoarse whisper.

Jaq offered me a sympathetic look that I hardly noticed. Past-me looked around the inside of the Storm, murmuring a quiet "whoa".

I turned to face the nest of tentacles again. "I think we should all strike it at the same time. I know I'm supposed to be the one to end it, but maybe that means I just have to deliver the finishing blow, and the rest of you can still help. At least, that's what I'm hoping."

The four of us (and the faded illusion of my past self) crept toward the Command Block, ducking under the drooping Wither arms. I readied my Aristan sword. "On three."

The others unsheathed theirs as well.

"One...two...three!"

We all slammed our blades down on the Command Block at the same time. A large crack appeared in the surface, and just as quickly, all of the tentacles came to life, trying to fling us away from the Command Block. I tried to hold my ground, slashing at the black masses, but there were too many. I ended up on the ground, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

"Lesson learned- don't fight back." Justin called. I swore and scrambled to my feet. The Command Block, as well as the grove of waving tentacles, had risen up from the ground, on top of a little platform.

"So..." Jandro started, but didn't say anything else.

"Was that supposed to happen?" Justin inquired.

"Yes." I growled, adjusting my grip on my sword. "Goal stays the same. Try and distract the tentacles, they get worse. You guys don't need to bother with the block anymore, I don't think you hitting it is really doing anything."

"AH! Holy shit, you weren't kidding!" Jaq shouted. One of the tentacles from the side had apparently attacked her, based on the limp black mass on the ground.

"They grow back." I warned. Jaq kicked at the fallen limb. "I think I hate this."

I ignored her and approached the Command Block again, my ghostly younger duplicate right behind. Jandro went beside me, and when we got to the writhing nest of tentacles, he went straight for the offensive, slicing and severing all the monstrous arms he could reach.

I raised my sword again and plunged it into the block, drastically widening the crack. I quickly wrenched the blade out and brought it down with just as much ferocity, but it wasn't enough. The Storm quaked violently, and began to shift sideways.

"It's turning upside-down!" I yelled, leaping away from the raised platform. Jandro managed to hang on until it was nearly halfway turned, then dropped.

"Holy fucking army of Herobrine." Jaq swore. "The hell IS this thing?! Why is it doing that?! HOW is it doing that?! WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?!"

I wiped at my jaw, and my glove came away stained with blood. The first time I'd been tossed to the ground had opened an old wound over my mouth, sending drops of scarlet sliding down my chin. "Try not to dwell on it, I'd rather finish this quickly."

"How are you gonna get up there?" Justin asked, craning his head back to look at the Command Block now attached to the ceiling. I hesitated. "Not sure. Last time, I climbed up the sides, but I accidentally woke up those nasty things." I said, using my Aristan sword to point to the dormant Wither heads. "Then later, I used one of their tractor beams to get up, but then I dropped my sword, and..." I dragged in a shaky breath, refusing to look at the faded memory version of Reuben.

Jandro adjusted his grip on his iridescent rose-gold sword. "Okay. You go up the side again, and we'll keep the arm-tentacle-things occupied. If the...heads wake up, we'll distract them. I agree, I'd rather not spend any more time in here than necessary."