[A/N:] What? I'm updating again? Really? 

Well, I'm feeling generous, and I really want to give you guys something to read. So please, tell me what you think! And if you get all the references I slip in here and there.

Still salty someone didn't even notice the Mandalorian reference I put in the last book... -.-'

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[Anastasia's POV]

I still could not process what was going on. Everything was a blur to me, and nothing was making sense. I couldn't really tell what was going on, and when everyone began freaking out and rushing around, I felt all my confidence leave. It wasn't until Anthony helped me up and tried to explain on the way to one end of the nether fortress what was going on. Even then?

I'm still lost.

Now, we are back at the weird castle fortress in a room that looked like an old-fashioned living room. Aria was in the room across the hall with the blue-eyed enderman hovering over her. Anthony didn't have to tell me about them hitting it off after their first time here, it was obvious enough. However, the injuries she held, the way one of her eyes was glowing pure white then faded when she fainted, and how Anthony was calling some of these mobs by names showed me there was much, much more I still wasn't understanding.

I quickly look back to Anthony as he finishes explaining everything, and I try to summarize and repeat it all.

"So, you are telling me that Herobrine, the bright-eyed steve skin that you thought you had destroyed before coming back home, somehow made his way into Aria to survive, is within her now, and that's why this Entity guy is here. He wants to kill Herobrine, but that would kill Aria, no one wants that." Anthony nods, and Mobius slowly walks up to us. His chest held a large scar and his prosthetic arm held a very noticeable scratch that went nearly the entire length of his arm.

"Not to mention the fact that if he succeeds in destroying Herobrine, he will delete this world, which will completely erase everything... and everyone left here."

This makes me finally speak up about something that still wasn't making sense.

"So wait, why is that so bad? Who are these mobs that they aren't killing us?" Mobius looks at me, then to Anthony as if he was surprised he hasn't explained it yet. Anthony looks... uncomfortable? He scratches the back of his neck, then turns to me. "Well, remember how I told you Herobrine was trying to escape here and how we found out we needed to be half-mob in order for him to take us over?" I nod, remembering that part of the story outside the game. He then continues. "Well, not everyone was able to make it to the End before turning full mob, and now..." He gestures across the room, and my gaze follows. I find myself looking at the one they were calling 'Andrew', also called the wither king. He was surrounded by other skeletons, their clacking fast and... worrisome.

I shake my head, finally getting an understanding. "So... he used to be... ?" Anthony nods, and so does Mobius. The pieces fit together finally, and my heart drops. "So... they will...?"

"We will die."

I nearly jump out of my skin (literally), and find the wither king right behind me. His gaze is cold as he gazes over my being. I feel a chill run up my spine, and I instinctively step towards Anthony. He grabs my hand and gives it a squeeze, and I relax. The wither king makes a noise, but I can't tell what he says. However, Anthony's grip slightly tightens, and I look at him in concern. His gaze was level and set, and it was obvious he knew what was said.

"Aria needs time to rest. Get her ready for anything that might come up."

Then, the skeleton leaves us, and I yank on Anthony's arm to get him to look at me. His eyes were cold as they watched the skeleton leave, but they instantly soften when they meet my own. "What is it?" I ask, and he starts to form a lie. I can see it immediately, so I gently punch him. That seems to get his attention, and he huffs instead.

"He... doesn't like new people. It was a threat."

My grip tightens apparently, and I am suddenly in a tight embrace. "Don't you worry. I won't let him harm you." I can only close my eyes and hug Anthony back. I wish I could say I believed him, but this all seems so crazy. And if Aria was down for the count right now...

I just want to get home safely now.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

[Reginald POV]

Aria was still asleep, but I could feel her mind at work. It was obvious she was dreaming, but I could not tell what about. It seems to be bothering her for a moment until she lays still once more. Her other eye held a soft glow, and I could feel the irritation, anger, and slight disappointment radiating from her. However, hidden behind that all was a tinge of sorrow. Her body shifts, bringing me back to the present. She wasn't awake, but her mind was not in a dream any longer. I can't explain how I know, but I can feel it. So, I give her a mental nudge.

'Aria? Are you still here?'

Silence meets me at first, and I start to grow concerned. If he had taken over, then our bond would be broken and I would no longer be able to communicate with her. I wouldn't truly be able to read her thoughts or feel her feelings any longer. That thought terrifies me.

'Why did you ask that? Did I go somewhere?'

I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding.

'I could tell you were in a dream, and it didn't look exactly... pleasant.'

Silence again comes to me, and I feel agitation slip through. It disappears soon as she replies.

'Let's just say a certain someone was trying to get me to... trust him.'

If enderblood could boil, mine was nearing it.

'He... what?'

Apparently, the feeling I was having was flooding through the bond, and Aria stutters quickly.

'R-Reggie, calm down. I-I can't exactly contain extra rage right now...'

Swiftly, I calm myself, most likely faster than I ever have before. I hadn't noticed how her body stiffened in slight shock when I let my emotions boil over. She relaxes instantly and lets out a long breath. I see her skin slowly turn back to the normal pigmentation.

'Anyways... Apparently, him being inside my mind has made him... reconsider his motives a bit.'

I can feel a 'but' following that sentence.

'However, I am not going to simply lay down like some tamed mutt for him to pet at a simple apology or explanation or whatever he wants to call that sorry excuse for a conversation just now.'

Her body shifts and I notice the glow beneath her eyelids fading. Slowly, they flutter open, and they immediately look for me. Once they land on my own eyes, I see her slightly relax even more. She starts to move, then cringes in pain. I lay a gentle hand over her stomach area. "Easy. You took quite the beating before we made it to you. And... you nearly exhausted all the energy you had again."

Recognition sweeps across her face. She settles and sucks in a deep breath. "H-How... long?" A soft smile makes its way onto my face. 'Always so concerned about the others...' I think, but I give her an answer. "It has only been about a day. Anastasia is adjusting moderately, and the others are fine. Mobius already repaired his arm and is experimenting with his cybernetics." Aria smiles at that, and I can hear the chuckling in her mind.

"O-Of course... After w-what I s-saw... He'll probably be ext-tremely overpowered s-soon." She starts coughing after that, and I have to withhold the temptation to gasp at the slight purple that was slipping out from between her lips. Her ribs were beyond shattered, so the mending would take a long time even with potions coursing through her.

Believe me when I say that we have forced many regeneration potions down her throat.

She starts to calm down once more, but I could feel the many other questions flowing from her mind. However, she doesn't speak them or even verbalize them in her mind. Instead, she closes her eyes again and I take that as my sign to leave. Just as I start to stand, I feel a hand grab my arm and hold me in place. When I look back, her eyes are still closed, but I could hear her mind mutter out one last thing.

'Stay... I... I don't... want to be alone...'

I feel my heart melt for this leader that was now showing just how human she still was. Carefully, I sit back down and leave my hand in hers. Despite us both knowing nothing could ever happen because of our circumstances, we both didn't want to simply ignore it.

"I won't leave you alone again, Aria. You have my word."

'Even if it means following you to the end.'

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

[Anthony's POV]

'The nerve of that skeleton...' I feel slight rage in my heart at Andrew still for his remark about Anastasia. "If she causes us to fail due to her inexperience..." He didn't have to finish what he was saying to get his point across, and I was furious. If Anastasia didn't pull my arm back, I would have dove at him. Made him apologize. He had no right to assume she would do that, and she does know how to play Minecraft. I'm not such a terrible boyfriend that I wouldn't have already shown her how.

I know she will easily catch on.

However, I feel slight fear sinking in at the fact that we were in such a life-threatening situation again with a teleporting, murderous, stupidly strong being that wanted Aria dead all because the original teleporting, murderous, stupidly strong being became trapped within her avatar.

'Wait...'

I scan the room quickly, and I find Anastasia with Mobius off to the side. It looked like he was filling her in and handing her a sword. He turns to me, and I give him a nod. He returns it, and leads Anastasia out of the room. 'Without Alexa, he's the next best with his cybernetics to prepare her besides myself...'

'But I have other matters to attend to.'

Slowly, I make my way out and towards the throne room where Andrew had disappeared to. It was easy to find him, as he was standing in the middle of the massive hall with piglins surrounding him. They disperse the moment I near, and the wither king turns to me. His expression seems harsh, and I raise my hands. "I'm not here about what you said, however much I may want to crack your skull for that comment." I see the orange glow in his eye sockets brighten as if he was saying 'Try it.' I hold back my growl and take a deep breath in.

'Remember what Aria said she would do to you if you body-slammed another boss monster...'

Instead, I lower my hands and begin asking the question that was on my mind. "If Herobrine is within Aria while she is here... How did he not escape through her?" I feel as though I didn't word it properly, but there really isn't an easier way to ask this. However, when Andrew's eye sockets widen, I can tell he knows what I mean.

"I never realized it... but that does mean he must have been within her this entire time." He raises a bony arm and rests his chin on it. His gaze narrows and I watch him closely. "Or his code was simply mixed within her avatar's coding, and therefore he wasn't 'awakened' until she returned and tried to summon her sword."

Suddenly, it clicks in both of our minds.

"Her sword!"

Andrew nods his skull a few times in agreement. "It is possible that he may have been trapped within her sword originally, however he has obviously moved into his original target... But we must investigate this further. It could hold potential for something else." I can only nod my head in agreement before having another question, or rather an idea, rise up in me.

"Now, I have an idea to get more people here to help us, but it's going to require some... more experienced help."

Andrew looks at me carefully, but a smirk seems to come across his skull.

"What did you have in mind?"