It did not feel great.

I stood over Sausage's corpse, panting. Blood darkened his red robes and stained the pine needles that crunched under my boots.

FWhip, Gem, and Lizzie walked over, their fight forgotten. I barely paid attention to them.

There was a long silence.

Finally, I said quietly, "What have I done?"

I felt terrible.

That was two Emperors gone.

Was I any better than the man I had just killed?

"I'll bet this is the reason," Gem said, kicking at a crown that had fallen off of Sausage's head in the fight. With a jolt, I realized it was the Red Crown.

"What do we do with it?" Lizzie said.

Gem picked up Sausage's staff. "I'll cast a spell that'll banish it away," she said. "It'll still be in this world. But none of us, not even me, will know where it is."

FWhip and Lizzie looked at each other and nodded.

"Wait, is that why we were all trying to murder each other?" FWhip said.

"Probably," Gem said bitterly, avoiding my gaze. I didn't blame her.

I hadn't moved since I had stabbed Sausage. My blood-soaked sword dropped out of my hands and landed on the ground, clanging as it hit a rock. The other Emperors glanced at me but didn't say anything.

Lizzie walked over to Joel and knelt next to him. "He's alive," she said with relief. "But he needs a healing potion."

"That can be arranged," Gem said, readying both her and Sausage's staffs. She pointed them both at the Red Crown and muttered a spell.

In a flash of light, the cause of wars, murders, and betrayals was gone.

Gem looked at the staffs in her hands.

"What'll happen to Sausage's staff?" I asked, finally mustering the willpower to say something. My voice was hoarse, as if I hadn't spoken in a while.

"I'll probably let Scar use it until he makes one of his own," Gem answered without looking at me. "Then I'll put it on display in the magic school I want to build when this is all over. It'll be a lesson, to prevent people from going in the same direction he did."

I nodded even though she still wasn't looking at me. None of them were.

"Everyone grab on," Gem said after another long silence. "We're going to get the items and pets we left behind, and hopefully avoid Rivendell. I don't want to see what happened there. I'll take Sausage's word for it."

"What about Joel?" Lizzie asked.

I took one of Salems' healing potions out of my bag, back from right after we had escaped the Downside-Up, and handed it to Lizzie without looking at her. If they were going to ignore me, I would do the same. No problem.

Lizzie poured the potion down Joel's throat and examined the wound on the back of his head. We all watched as it closed.

Joel opened his eyes. "Aw, who killed him?"

I looked away. "I don't feel good about it."

Nobody responded. Joel reached a hand to the back of his head and seemed alarmed when blood came onto his fingers.

"I don't feel like I hit my head on a rock," Joel said when he saw the blood on the boulder.

"Blue had a healing potion," Lizzie said. "How do you feel?"

Joel stood up. "Fine. Wait, no, I stood up too fast."

Lizzie steadied him.

We all grabbed hands, FWhip hesitating before taking mine, and then Gem said, "Gandalf," and we were gone, leaving Sausage's dead body and a whole lot of blood behind.

I realized I had left my sword. It was a nice one, shaped like a leaf and coated in Netherite. I had also decorated it with bits of gold and magically colored green metal in the center.

Oh, well. Too late now.

I was better off without it. I knew now what happened when I had it.

We landed a little bit above the Crystal Cliffs and glided down. Despite bordering the Grimlands, the Crystal Cliffs had minimal damage done to it probably because of the gigantic mountain in the way that the place was named for.

Gem went inside her house to get her cats and screamed.

The rest of us exchanged glances of alarm (the first eye contact anyone had made with me since I killed Sausage) and followed her inside.

Inside, we found the wizard facing a much older man with a hat even bigger than hers, wearing white robes. He had a long grey beard and clutched a large wooden staff. "Oh, hello."

"Who are you?" Gem said, her staff out. "And what are you doing in my house?"

The older wizard shrugged. "You know me, but you only remember me as a cat. My name is Gandalf."

"You're the cat who hated me?" I snorted. "And I suppose you came from another universe, seeking refuge."

"That's true as well," Gandalf said.

"Your whiskers were just as impressive as a cat as they are now," FWhip observed. Joel laughed.

Gandalf looked a little confused. "I'm a wizard from another land called Middle-Earth, along with two hobbits and a group of elves, the ancestors of your friend Scott."

"Wait, you are from another universe?" Lizzie asked, her eyes wide.

"Indeed."

Indeed. Nobody said that anymore.

"The Crystal Cliffs is in good hands, Gemini," Gandalf said. "You still have much to learn. But you will learn it in time."

"This... this is a lot to process," Gem said. "You're an ancient wizard who knew the ancestors of Scott, an elf who would have lived for hundreds of years if he didn't have a demon brother, and then you turned into a cat, my cat, and now you're a wizard again."

"Pretty much," Gandalf agreed.

"And I'm guessing Goose is a wizard too?" Gem asked, crossing her arms.

Gandalf shook his head. "Goose is an actual cat. But the Crystal Cliffs still exist and thrive, and I am willing to run them if you wish to leave."

"That would be great, thanks," Gem said, a little awkwardly. "I'm just here to get the dragon egg and Goose, and then I'll be out and you can take over."

She spoke like she had been a wizard for a very long time, even though in skill she was just an apprentice.

Goose, the fluffy, squish-faced cat who hated me like every other, padded into the room and meowed at Gem.

Gem picked him up. "Okay. Just the dragon egg, and then off to... wherever you guys want to go."

"A tip for hatching the egg," Gandalf said. "Use fire magic. A lot of it. Your friend Scar should be able to help with that."

"How do you know about Scar-"

"Goodbye, Gemini. Until we meet again, if we do."

We flew over the Cod Empire and Dripleaf Marsh since I didn't have anything I needed to bring with me, and then made our way to the Ocean Empire, which, like the Dripleaf Marsh, was drained of water.

Lizzie landed at the Prisma-Palace. "Did I build this?"

We all nodded.

"I remember building it, but I can't remember..." she trailed off.

We spent hours there, since Lizzie wanted to wander around and try to remember something. She puzzled over her collection of random items, broke ino her coral domes to grab her axolotls, and then found a book on a lectern.

"The Book of Prophecies," I read, my voice quiet.

"I remember it," Lizzie said. "Sort of."

"I found it in the library, but I didn't take it," FWhip said.

"It's important," Lizzie insisted, and put it into her backpack.

Since the Grimlands were completely destroyed, we didn't bother going there. Instead, we all grabbed onto the crystal again and located Jimmy to get back to Gateway.

The Emperors who we had left behind ran out of the big house, but quickly slowed as they saw our melancholy expressions.

"What happened?" Katherine asked.

"Scott and Sausage are dead," Gem said.

"NO!" Jimmy yelled.

"Oh, dear," Shubble gasped.

Katherine hung her head. Pearl went pale and bit her lip.

"...how?" Pearl asked.

"We think Xornoth killed Scott," FWhip said angrily. "But Xornoth died in the process, from a prophecy."

"If one soul dies, the other is sure to follow," Lizzie recited, and handed Jimmy the book. "Apparently we're siblings."

Jimmy's eyes teared up even more as he took it. "I know."

"What happened to Sausage?" Katherine asked, picking up Goose.

Everyone who had been there found somewhere else to look besides me.

"What happened?" Katherine repeated.

Nobody answered her.

"Anyway," Gem said. "We didn't visit all the Empires because we didn't know what you guys would decide to bring. Shrub, Katherine, Jimmy, Pearl, it's your turn."

Katherine put down Goose, Pearl tucked her book into her backpack, Jimmy handed Norman and the Book of Prophecies to Lizzie, and Shrub told her dogs to sit. Then they all grabbed on to Gem and they disappeared.

I immediately flew off. I wasn't going to hang out with a bunch of people who thought I was going to murder them.

I wasn't sure where I was going, but I found myself in a large plains biome. Once there, I leaned against a tree.

I didn't feel the tears coming until they ran down my face.

What had I done? I had just killed Sausage, after a bunch of other Emperors had been friends with him for months. Why did it matter if I didn't like him? Other people did. My own siblings did.

They probably saw me as a monster, no better than a phantom or enderman or stupid creeper who set out to murder innocent people. I saw myself as a monster.

I hated the Red Crown. So much that I wanted to go and find it, wherever it was.

I shook off the thought. What?

I wanted that thing as far away from me as possible. Why was I thinking about finding it?

Obviously its influence was still out there. But it was fading a little. It could be ignored.

I built myself a little shelter in the plains. I wasn't quite ready to go back yet, but it was getting dark and I didn't want to have to stay on the move.

The shelter wasn't much, just a little oak shack. I went inside, rolled out a sleeping bag, and went to sleep.

My dreams were haunted that night. Blood. Swords. Demons. The dripleaf withered, the swamp drained. My vision from the End City, which I still didn't know the cause of, replayed over and over. A dead body lying in a bed of pine needles. And less recent events as well: The Watchers and Listener facing each other, shooting purple beams of magic that shattered the earth. Assassins with red, yellow, and green masks attacking in the night. Battles. Banners. Crowns. Betrayals.

And even before that: A creeper explosion. A sword with three hearts on the hilt.

Take the sword, and you take an opportunity.

What I would have given to go back to that moment. None of this would ever have happened if I had just gone with Gem.

It wasn't Sausage's fault. It was mine.

I woke in a cold sweat, knowing I wouldn't be able to go back to sleep. The room seemed to spin, and then I bent over and was sick all over my sleeping bag.

Where did that come from? I thought groggily. My mouth was raw and tasted terrible.

I don't think I'm okay.

I crawled out of my sleeping bag, gagging at the smell, and went outside. I didn't care if every monster in existence came after me. I just needed fresh air.

I was out the door and leaning against the house. I saw several monsters, but they were luckily pretty far away. I would be fine, for now.

The cool breeze felt good. Crickets chirped in the tall grass.

I looked up to see a tall black figure, but I stopped myself before I looked up any further. I knew what I would see - glowing magenta eyes that would turn hostile as I looked into them. Just an enderman.

The enderman said something that sounded like "Look for the eye," and then teleported away.

I took a quick drink of water and winced as it made the taste in my mouth worse.

I went back inside, only to drag my sleeping bag out. There were no water sources nearby, so I couldn't wash it. Great.

I poured the remaining liquid in my water bottle over it, which got rid of most of my mess. I left it outside to dry, deciding to figure it out in the morning.

With that mostly taken care of, I sat in the corner and shuddered. I felt both too hot and too cold at the same time. When I put a blanket over myself, I started sweating uncontrollably. When I took it off, I shivered.

Something's wrong.

But what?

My energy stores felt depleted. This was caused by much more than the gruesome memories that I had accumulated.

My head spun, the room tilted, and I slumped onto the ground, unconscious.

—---

The curse is getting stronger.

The Listener's voice was full of panic, panic that I now knew was fake.

"Get out of my head."

What?

"You heard me."

You've mistaken me for a Watcher.

"No, I haven't. I just know the truth now."

I don't understand.

"Oh, so now you don't understand. Usually the one who doesn't understand is me, and Gem, and Jimmy, and Scar, and all the other people you use."

Use?

"Yes. I've explained as well as you ever have. Now, goodbye."

No, I've come to warn you. The Watchers-

"THE WATCHERS DON'T MATTER RIGHT NOW! ARE THEY ALL YOU CARE ABOUT? ARE THEY THE REASON YOU'RE 'HELPING US' - SO YOU CAN DEFEAT THEM AND THEN ABANDON US?"

If you cut off the connection to them, you cut off the connection to me.

"Because you're one of them."

Her shock gave me a feeling of satisfaction.

...How did you find out?

"A Watcher, in an End City. His name was Rege, and he's not one of the bad ones. He's one of the ones who didn't agree with the Watchers' destruction of Evo or Third Life or any of that other horrible stuff they did. One of the good ones, who you also forgot to mention in your big plan to destroy them."

Do you truly hate me because I used to be a Watcher? I helped your kind, the Admins, in the First War. If anything, your ancestors are to blame for this, because they are the ones who started the war. Not the Watchers. And in return for my help, they cast me out. Now, hundreds of years later, I try to help you again, and now you cast me out as well.

"Because you don't actually care about us. All you care about, all you've ever cared about, is defeating the Watcher Council, and I don't know why, but as soon as we win, you'll leave and that'll be the end of it. You're not trying to help us. We would be living at peace with the Watchers if not for you. You're the one calling for our help, and once we've given it, you'll throw us aside."

Why do you think that?

I didn't want to talk about the vision I had had. I didn't even know where it had come from.

A vision.

"Stop reading my thoughts!"

That's what I was coming to tell you. During your battle in the Downside-Up, the Watchers put a curse on you. I'm not sure if they meant to, or if it was a defense instinct.

"So that's it. 'Hey, Blue, I used to be a Watcher and by the way you're cursed.'"

No. Let me finish. It started when you met that Watcher, but the curse will be triggered when in close proximity to something with Watcher, or End, magic. It depends on the level of magic, but you may have visions of the past or future like the one you had in the End City.

"Future?" Suddenly, I was interested in what she had to say.

Yes. This curse can be a good thing if you use it well, but the visions may not show you what you want to see. But the visions only come when you are surrounded by strong Watcher magic, such as in the End City or Downside-Up. Smaller things, like endermen, will cause smaller although still dangerous effects.

"Like what?"

Nausea. Dizziness. Pain. Inability to see, hear, or think clearly. Chills or fever. Fainting, if the magic source is close enough.

So like what had happened just barely. I remembered the enderman that had teleported right in front of me. The throwing up... that had probably just been a lovely side effect of my nightmares and remembering all the battles and things that had happened, especially killing Sausage.

"So, now I'm allergic to the End."

In a way.

"Is there a cure?"

Cutting off the one who cursed you.

"Aaand we're back to killing Watchers."

It helps you just as much as it helps me. But I came tonight to warn you to avoid Watcher magic, or End magic. They're pretty much the same thing. Think about it.

Then I woke up before I could tell her I didn't care about her stupid plan.

I felt fine. Better than fine, actually. I was ready to go back to the other Emperors and tell them what happened. They deserved to know.

The sky was overcast, but it didn't start to rain until about an hour later, when I had gathered my things and was flying away. My sleeping bag was left behind. I didn't think I would ever get the stench out of it, and I could always make a new one.

My elytra broke halfway back to the main village. Feather Falling helped me take less damage when I crashed through a tree and landed in a large bush.

Grumbling, I pulled twigs and leaves out of my hair and clothes and looked back at my elytra. One elytron had a hole worn into it, and the other was nearly at that point. Sighing, I walked the rest of the way back, hoping someone had an experience farm or at least some phantom membrane so I could repair it.

I went to the town hall and found it empty except for Joel, who told me that he was waiting for his copper to oxidize before he built his starter base.

Starter base? The Emperors were settling here?

I left to find one of the Evolutionists or Hermits, because they probably had a farm, or at the very least, a spawner that I could turn into one with help from a redstoner.

I found Gem and Impulse in between two bases. Gem had planted a tree, and probably used magic on it to help it grow, and then turned it into a treehouse. Impulse, meanwhile, had built a gigantic mansion out of calcite and amethyst that was similar to the style of the Crystal Cliffs, but a lot bigger.

I wondered in the back of my mind if that building made Gem sad to look at.

I walked up behind Gem. Impulse saw me and immediately yelled, "BEHIND YOU GEM- oh, wait. Hi, Blue."

Gem turned around and hugged me. "You didn't leave forever," she said quietly.

"I thought you were a zombie or something!" Impulse said.

"How do I look like a zombie?" I laughed.

"Uh... you both wear blue clothes?"

"I was wondering if there's an experience farm anywhere nearby," I said. "My wings are broken."

Gem brightened. "I was just talking to Impulse about making one!"

"It was this whole thing," Impulse muttered. "She had a sign that said she would make a farm. Then she changed it right in front of me to say 'Gem will watch Impulse make a farm here.'"

That was a very Gem thing to do. When she wasn't trapping demons or worrying about FWhip and me or evacuating a world, that is. And that was all she seemed to be doing lately.

"I can't do redstone!" Gem protested.

"You're better at it than I am," I said. "I don't even know how a comparator works."

"Ask Mumbo," Impulse advised. "He's really good at explaining how a comparator works."

"He's not good at explaining anything!" Gem said. "Were you there when we first went into the Eighth World?"

"True," Impulse said.

"I don't have a clue what you're talking about," I said, crossing my arms.

"There's a zombie spawner in that direction," Impulse said, west. "Look for a sign at the top of a spiral staircase that says 'Gem's hole in the ground'."

I snickered and walked in the direction he pointed.

"Blue, after you're done, we need to talk," Gem said, and I immediately thought, Uh-oh.

For a minute, I thought she had somehow found out about the curse, but then I realized she probably meant about what had happened with Sausage. Then I was relieved. And then I realized that that reason was worse.

I found the sign and staircase and headed down. It wasn't much yet, still just a dungeon with a lit spawner in the middle, but I dug a hole, placed some slabs, and made a makeshift spawner that used myself as bait but didn't allow the zombies to get to me. Then I took down the torches surrounding the spawner and let the zombies spawn.

I ran down the tunnel, placed a block, and used my sword on the first group of monsters. Yellowish-green experience orbs came out, and the holes in my elytra started to mend.

Within minutes, it was as good as new and I lit a rocket and flew back to Gem's little tree, a feeling of dread forming a knot in my stomach.

I landed in front of the tree and called, "Gem?"

"Come on in," she said.

"There's no door."

"Yes, there is. Go around the tree."

I did find a door, and I went into the treehouse. Gem helped me off of the ladder, and we took a seat at a table. I didn't know how it didn't fall through the leaves. Probably magic. Specifically, plant magic.

"So," Gem said, crossing her arms.

"So... what?" I said.

"So, you murdered Sausage."

I looked away. "Yeah, I know."

This was awkward.

"Did you mean to do that?"

"I didn't come here for a therapy session," I muttered.

"I didn't come here to hear you complain," Gem said sternly. "You're not the only one who was affected by the Empires being destroyed, Blue."

"No, I'm not," I agreed. "But I am the only one who was affected by other things."

Gem leaned back in her chair. "Such as?"

The table suddenly became very interesting. I traced a groove in the wood with my finger, refusing to answer.

I didn't want to worry her more than she already was, but I didn't know if it would make her more anxious if I told her about the Listener and the curse or said nothing at all.

"Blue?" Gem said.

"Remember Rege?" I asked, glancing up at her.

"Yes. Don't tell me you're worried about the Watchers, Blue."

"Not all of them are bad," I said.

"You warned him," Gem said. "That should be enough."

"I know that," I said. "But I'm still scared. Also, the Listener. I know you don't believe me, and we barely had any time before that message came in from Jimmy, but she's not exactly on our side."

"Blue, she saved your life at the end of Last Life," Gem said, frowning. "The Watchers were going to delete you. I don't see how that doesn't prove it."

I didn't have the patience for this. "After we met Rege, we went to grab the Ender chest. I had a vision when I touched it, that's why I fell over. I saw things from the Listener's perspective. She's using us to get rid of her enemies, and then she's going to push us aside. She's not trustworthy."

"Blue, it was probably some Watcher curse on the chest or something. We don't know where that vision came from. There's no proof."

"This is why I didn't want to tell you," I said. "You think I've gone crazy, and that it was why I killed Sausage."

"Blue, if you would just listen-"

"No, you need to listen. The Listener-" I winced as I realized what I had said "-isn't going to help us after the Watchers are gone. She's not our friend. She's probably going to take away Scar's and your power, and then float away on her raft and leave us to tread water."

I climbed down the ladder, fuming.

I found Impulse at the bottom. "I take it that didn't go well."

"It didn't," I snapped, and flew away.

~~~

Ya, so Sausage is dead. Scott is dead. The Listener used to be a Watcher. Blue is allergic to the End. Fun things!

-Indigo