Author's note

Me: Let's actually write something to post on a special holiday! A long, love-filled oneshot!

Brain: What about no?

... Aight then.

Headcannons will be at the end. Because guess who this man is ;3! Most of you already know, lol

———

The End. A place of opportunity.

Players knew it as the site of the 'final battle'. Hermits knew it as 'oh sick a giant shulker farm that comes with extra flappy things'.

But lost within the world, there are intelligent civilisations. Now, these special towns' existence is dying out, becoming rarer and rarer by the day.

Their inhabitants were known as 'Ender-men'. Such a confusing name that most couldn't differentiate between Endermen and Ender-men. To be fair on them, few had yet to even hear of the latter species.

They had all but died out with only a few elders left to this day. Towns previously filled to the brim with inhabitants simply vanished into thin air, or turned into normal end cities.

Well. It was to be expected after the collapse of the source.

Every town in the End was connected to one specific town: the town that held their current seer. If this town, or their seer, were erased, their generations would pay with their lives.

And that's exactly what happened.

———

Muttering, muttering, useless opportunity!

But he'd be damned before it went away...

Yes, for it was said that 'he who roamed the darkest of skies would eventually find...' And that was where the entire prediction cut off.

Grandad was always a little batty, sure, but... But he had a certain feeling with this one.

He had been just a boy back then.

Playing with his toys on the moth-eaten carpet, no care in the world. Until grandad started talking... But it was nothing like his usual, familiar whispers...

This voice was ethereal.

It spoke to him. It spoke to the little boy, cowering under the bright violet rays of colour, and it sung that prophecy to him and him alone.

Ever since that day, he'd been working day and night to fulfil it.

—————

The tiny bell rung.

Aries grunted from where he lay. Begrudgingly, he opened his eyes to see his master walk in with a large bag, before disappearing behind the beaded curtain. Most likely to work on master's project again.

To Aries, none of it made sense. His master was his master and he was but a 'pet' after all. However, since he was a kid, Aries knew how important his master regarded his project, so Aries was content staying out of the way.

Since he was a kid... Gee, he wasn't that old, was he?

The rastram snickered to himself; try as he might, he had to accept that he had indeed aged since he first met his master.

Aries had grown up into your average rastram: well-built, well-groomed and well-looked after. His coat was as glossy as the night sky, speckled with just as many stars. Of course, his chosen namesake burned the brightest.

His master had grown too; gone was that tiny curious child, for in his place, a man stood. If not for the biological traits, like the stubbornly childish roundness his master had yet to grow out of, Aries wouldn't have recognised him.

They had grown up together. Aries had watched his master's den change over time to suit his needs. At least the main layout remained untouched...

In the present, his master lived in upstairs in a room Aries couldn't fit nor was allowed to go into.

From what Aries could see before the door shut on him, a collection of strange items in glass jars perched on shelves. A few more were on a simple desk, stained with sparkly dust.

The first floor contained their messy explosion of a shop. With walls made of purpur and a dark floor, it gave the illusion of vast space, even though the real thing was hardly 'huge'.

Shelves and stands stood haphazardly in balancing acts everywhere: it was dangerous journey to Aries' own den, situated next to the till.

Just like in his master's bedroom, jars and glass cases held all sorts of funny items for sale.

Aries had no idea where they came from- he simply knew the routine his master took whenever he returned with them.

Once a week, his master would go out in the morning and if he remembered, Aries would find food already in his bowl. If not, Aries got it from the cabinets himself.

Aries would be in charge of the shop until his master returned. People in his region were familiar with his species' diligence, so Aries wouldn't find this job too difficult (it was only when costumers asked questions that he had a hard time).

His master returned a few hours later with a bag full of... Something new. Again, Aries had no clue what they were until the odd new items found their way onto shelves.

However every time his master returned, he would never seem pleased with what he'd found. This would lead to walking space becoming considerable messier.

On the floor, occasional torn-up plans lay, and Aries always had to be wary of treading on any broken items. Also deemed unworthy.

He'd seen enough torn drawings to begin to understand what this 'worthy item' was... Some sort of metal-rock thing... And a crystalline shard.

The metal-rock was beyond Aries' knowledge, rastram or not; he couldn't have found it even if he tried (trust him. He tried). The crystal -on the other hand- was very familiar.

He wore one around his tail, actually, and his master wore its twin around his neck. A gift from his master's grandfather, when they both were mere kids. The older man said it was because they were such good friends.

Magical, no doubt... Though Aries had always imagined the strange glow symbolised hope and trust instead.

It seemed like his master had different ideas, which the concerned rastram fretted over constantly. However rastrams, as clever as they were, could not intervene with their masters' wishes.

So Aries could not warn his master. He could not throw a wrench in his plans at all...

—————

Finally... Finally...

Another foolish 'player' had come into our world and perished. Of course, I'd memorised the 'players' arrival times almost flawlessly; a player would arrive at the same time, same place and with the same goal each and every time.

Easy.

This 'player' had dropped their items upon death as usual, which no one else was interested in... Except me. I'd done this many a time before with near-useless findings but this time...

Finally.

The final tool I needed. The final tool I needed to fulfil my destiny...

'Ten blocks of unbreakable mineral, build into a portal. Two, three, two, three. A tool of iron and flint is what you'll soon need'

I still had no idea what this- these things were called, but it didn't matter. I had everything I needed for the first step...

I had everything I needed for the first step!

Ender-men were surprised to see their plucky little seer bolting across their town. A stupid grin was plastered on his face, and the more observant were able to spot the strange glint in his hands.

But he didn't care. He really couldn't care less right now: he'd done it!

His shop's bell rung out louder than usual as he flung open his door, startling Aries. The rastram stared at him curiously as he sped directly through that beaded curtain, sliding into his experimentation room with a flourish.

The portal had been created ages ago, block by block, scavenged with his own hands: obsidian was easy to get once he found a 'player's' pickaxe. The structure was a little harder to get right, but now, he was confident it was perfect.

Well... Only one way to find out!

As he moved to strike his new tool against the portal, there was a hard tug on his sleeve. With a huff, he brushed Aries aside before using the tool anyway, marvelling at the tiny sparks flying from it instead of his loyal companion.

... Nothing happened.

Oh, of course!

'No average Ender-man can complete this task, for something unique is needed. A crystal passed from father to son, from the End's last remaining seer'

The excited grin was still on his face as he noticed his necklace beginning to glow. With no hesitation, he grasped it with his free hand, unleashing the imprisoned lilac light.

Aries took a few steps back as his master jumped with joy. Several things in the room, including his master, began to levitate as the light warped around the newly found tool.

His master's exhalation remained unchanged through this process. He didn't even flinch as Aries fled, knocking over and shattering several items in their shop in his haste.

The tool, shrouded in his crystal's bright light, was in his hands.

The power to complete this was in his hands.

His purpose...

Eyes gleaming with anticipation, he pushed the ball of light towards the centre of the portal, as if some otherworldly force had told him what to do.

... Was finally...

The portal sprung to life at once. Though an obnoxiously loud sound filled his ears and a uncomfortably lustrous light burned his eyes, he didn't care. Without a second thought, he stepped into the unknown.

... In his hands.

And the portal exploded right after that, vaporising all people, structures and even land within a thousand block radius.

None of the inhabitants could've known that that would be their last day alive. None could've predicted the fall of the Ender-men.

If they did, they surely would've stopped their seer.

But they didn't.

And time moves only forwards.

Once the dust settled, everything was gone. No trace of the grand civilisation remained- only an empty, black void.

Aries watched as this occurred. Staring at the metaphorical ruins and rubble of a place he once called home. He looked on for a few more seconds, before the rastram continued running away.

The crystal, previously light, now felt a lot heavier on his tail.

—————

He fell to the floor with a cough.

What 'hit' him first was the floor; a brilliant red floor that felt grainier, softer than his own worlds' floor.

Next was the heat. Yes, his normal attire wasn't at all tight or complex, but he had grown up with the coolness of the End. The heat was shocking. As beads of sweat already started dotting his brow, he wondered if he'd ever get used to it.

Last was the-

All of a sudden, he felt himself being pinned to the ground, back pressed against the floor and a weight upon his stomach. A clawed hand was at his neck and as he looked up, he saw his attacker.

... And he froze.

Blond hair, warmer and richer than his. Strangely lighter skin for one who seemed accustomed to this hot world. A golden headband, wrapping around his head.

And, he gasped, a pair of sharp crimson horns on his head, along with dragon-like wings on his back. These wings were flared out most impressively, reminding him of his currently very vulnerable condition. He could also feel a slight prodding on his leg: most likely the demon's tail.

... And fiery, scarlet eyes.

Eyes of ash and flame.

Eyes of burning beauty.

Eyes... Of a demon.

Lying there staring transfixed at the... Demon pinning him down, he didn't notice as his face became the same shade as the demon's eyes.

In fact, he forgot about every other one of his previous plans (he hadn't actually figured out what to do after he went through with that silly prophecy... So he wasn't disobeying anyone, was he?).

Zedaph just wanted to know more about... Him.

———————————
Author's note
This one is much shorter... Than Bittersweet and Lacuna, huh...?

Anyway.

Zed's the last seer- a long line of powerful, seemingly player-like beings originating from the End. Once they reach a certain age, they are able to receive and 'see' prophecies and future events.

However, the ones who focus too deeply on these predictions will go insane... Often neglecting all else to go after them and see them come into fruition. This affects the lonesome the most.

I mean, it made Zed unknowingly destroy his people's future...

In this story:

1) Zed has about a year or two to go before he achieves his ability

2) Yes, Tango and Zed's backstories do overlap, but I haven't written Tango's backstory yet

3) Impulse hasn't met them just yet, but he will in the future

4) A few Ender-men do still exist, but the total population has already dropped to less than a hundred.

5) Aries is a rastram, at the moment. He's technically a magical constellation-based creature, who morphs into whichever star sign his owner needs the most. His name and markings change with his appearance.

Zed needed someone fiery, helpful and confident... But due to Zed going a bit crazy after hearing his grandad's prophecy, Aries was unable to help him.

Legends say that if a star sign appears in the sky unexpectedly, it's 'Aries' cantering through the void.