Stella's POV

"Well at least I'm used to this," I sighed. "After all, it's not the first time."

Of course this time I feel more lonely. Oh well... best to keep going.

For the last hour or so, I've been cursing at Ember since our whole episode at night time. It would have hurt way less if he had just told me that he didn't trust me instead of acting all secretive about it! I would have understood and even respected him if he was just brave enough to tell me in my face. Maybe a bit more kindly then he did, to be honest.

I couldn't go back to the Frostbourne, not with him around.

But I don't want to wish exile or anything on Ember either.

But I miss Rain and Moon and everyone there.

Part of me even misses Ember, or at least, what he could have been.

"Bark! Bark!" I turned around, trying to locate what was making that sound.

Oh, wait, it's probably a young wolf, I thought. Sounds kinda like a female... I don't know why it took me a few minutes to realize that the barking sound must have been from a wolf. 

"Draemen! Sit!" A familiar slightly younger voice called out.

Before I knew it, a baby wolf pup, jumped on me and knocked me over, yapping, happily, and jumping all over the place.

"Aww, you're a cute little girl, aren't you?" I said, scratching her ears, she replied with a happy bark.

"Oh, Draemen, you silly pup," the voice said with an undercurrent of laughter. "How many times do I have to tell you not to chase after every scent you find?"

I got up and I saw who the voice belonged to, but it took me a minute to realize that I wasn't just imagining things.

A slightly smaller figure with glowing strange eyes, one black and red, the other a yellowish gold, a white paw, cybernetic shoes and a glove, and a serious look on her face.

No way.

"Meeps?" I asked with desbelief.

"Hello, Stella," the young cybernetic red panda said. "How are you?"

"Fine, but how are you alive?" I asked.

"Oh, I defied death again," Meeps said. "I stayed for a bit to visit my brother, Andrew, before I returned back to the Overworld. I won't stay dead long, until Entity is gone." She smiled. "Oh, and I got this cute wolf pup, I named her Draemen."

Draemen yapped some more.

"She's cute," I said. "And I'm pleased to see that you're doing well."

"Hey, where's Rain and everyone else?" She asked.

"I left them," I told her.

Meeps looked astounded but didn't ask exactly why I did it, so I told her.

"Oh, Stella, I'm sorry," she said. "If you like, I could come with you."

I shook my head. "Thank you, Meeps, you truly are loyal, but I want to be alone."

"But you could get hurt or something!" She protested.

Not as hurt as I am right now. I thought, before smiling and saying. "I'll be fine, besides where were you heading anyways?"

"To find Razer," she said. "I miss him."

"Razer is back at the Frostbourne and he's fine," I told her. "Can you do something for me?"

"Anything," she promised.

"Alright," I said. "I want you to head back to the Frostbourne and stay there. After all, I want you and Razer to be together again, and I don't want to risk you dying no matter how many times you'll just return. Besides, I want you to tell Rain and the others that I'm okay and they don't have to worry about me. Tell them I'm safe, and I don't want them to chase after me just to get hurt or anything. Tell them," I hesitated. "Tell them that I don't know when I'll return, but one day I will. And tell Rain that I love him, and I'm sorry, okay?"

Meeps nodded. "Okay," she said, softly. "But are you sure you don't want me to come?"

"I'm sure," I told her. "I want you to send that message back to my friends, okay?"

Meeps nodded, but she looked a bit guilty about leaving me.

"Don't worry, you're doing the best thing doing this for me," I reassured her. "I'll be okay, I promise. Besides, Razer is still beating himself up for your death."

"I don't blame him," Meeps said. "But I don't want him to either, maybe he did pull out the arrow, but I know he did it with the right intentions."

"That's also why I want you to head back, to tell Razer that," I said. "Okay?"

"Okay, Stella," Meeps said, dipping her head with respect. "Good luck."

"Thank you," I said. "Good luck to you and goodbye, Meeps."

"Goodbye," she replied, before turning around with Draemen at her heels. She paused once to give me a thoughtful look before breaking into a run towards Dreadfort, where I had left my friends and family behind.

I sighed, smiling a bit, before turning around and continued on walking.

{Around midnight}

Around midnight, I went under a tree and sat down, exhausted after my long day of walking.

I hope Meeps got back to the Frostbourne safely, I thought. She's very loyal, and I'm glad she's okay.

As I stared at the moon, I thought about everything that has happened in my life, both the good and the bad.

I knew life isn't a rose garden, and I knew that there will be difficulties. But sometimes I wonder if life could have been more peaceful.

That was my last thought before I fell asleep.

{Time skip to the morning}

I opened my eyes then shut them again, not wanting to believe what I just saw.

Mustering up my courage I opened my eyes again and looked around, shocked with what I saw. 

Everything was completely black, minus the pools of lava and the red sky.

This wasn't the Overworld, obviously, and it wasn't the End either.

The Nether? No, it can't be the Nether either, it's too dark.

Where am I?

I tried to stand up to realize that my hands were tied behind my back.

"Hello, Stella," came a voice, and a man with a black cape, red eyes, and a sinister smile approached me.

And he was holding a staff with the red Ender eye.

Meeps has returned!

Thank you, Lady_StellaTheWoof, for the name Draemen.