[Re-cap: The group of friends have split up since the Darkness attacked them in The End to warn villages all over Minecraftia about its presence and to help them to prepare for its coming. Emily and Steve journeyed to the West, accompanied by a hound summoned by Herobrine to protect Emily; Sky to the North, Herobrine to the East, and Derp and Ian to the South, to warn and revisit Ian's birth village, Signia. All of them are still unaware of Blaze's troubles in her birthplace, the Nether, her family's betrayal and her kidnapping by Deadlox. And even as they journey, the Darkness grows ever closer...]
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(Sorry for the sudden tense change in this book, I've become used to writing in present now for my other book and I'm just going to keep it that way as its easier for me. We are still in the same story though and the exact same era, just present tense. Apologies for any confusion caused.)
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Sky's POV
I point my budder sword at a sheep, the end of the blade quivering. "Holy Sheep tell me your secrets!" The sheep baa's softly, then dips its head down to chew thoughtfully at some grass. I blink, staring at it. "Uh...okay then, don't." I shrug, grinning, then get my map out and put a circle round the biome I'm in. I've currently travelled around 20 miles, over a period of a week or so. I've circled the villages I've alerted in yellow, because yellow is the colour of budder, and budder always means good stuff, and the biomes I'm in in red, and the villages I need to visit in blue. I study the biomes nearby. They'e all so strange, like, nothing I've ever seen before, let alone explored. They look...almost, purple. I frown, then pocket my map, setting my compass back to North and following its swivelling point. The sheep baa's again and I hush it. "Quiet Holy Sheep, can't you see I'm concentrating here?" It baa's again, seemingly this time in a sort of rejection. I abruptly trip over something and hit the ground, exclaiming in annoyance. "What the-?!" I look up and come face to face with a pig. It oinks and rubs its bristly snout against my chin. I pull a face and move away from it.

"Uh, can you not? Goddamnit..." I stand up, brushing myself off and straightening my amulet, putting my hands on my hips and looking down at the pig. It looks back up at me, almost in curiousity. "What?" I push the pig aside and retrieve my fallen compass before continuing my walking. "Stay out of my way okay? ...dumb animal." I feel a breeze rush across the back of my neck and hear a swooshing sound above me. "Aw c'mon Adam that's no way to talk to Jeffrey is it?" I start and whip round, staring up at me in shock as a rush of orange and yellow flames soar above me, bringing with it the roar of an engine and a wave of heat that hits my face, singing the hairs on my skin. "J-Jason?!" I hear a sound of delighted laughter and glimpse a flash of sky blue before a figure alights on the ground before me. I straighten up and laugh back. "What the-?! What are you doing here?!" The figure reaches up, taking off a blue helmet and sliding the orange visor up on it, revealing a slightly tanned, youthful face, ocean blue eyes and a wide, playful grin.

"Could ask the same of you, old friend." Jason trots up to me and we high five. "So Sky, where you heading? You look like a man on a mission, haha." I lift one shoulder, smirking. "I'm off to alert a lot of villages about some ass-face called the Darkness. Turns out Ty is also an ass-face and is working for him. He's gonna destroy Minecraftia if we don't stop him!" I flail for emphasis at the end; Jason looks at me blankly, then smiles weakly. "Okay then... I can take you to the next village if you want, eheh? Give me the message and I'll fly onto the one after that and pass it on too. If there are 'ass-faces' about, as you put it, I'll help yah get rid of them. But...what was that about Ty?" His face falls and I decide not to burden him with our ex friends' betrayal. "It...it's okay Jace, don't worry. But if you can pass this message on, that would be great!" Jeffrey oinks happily as Jason leans down to fondle with his ears a little. "Sure, anything to help my ol' buddy." I wrap my arm round his shoulders and we laugh a little. "You gon' stick around for a bit?" Jason grins. "Yeah! Why not?"

Herobrine's POV
I slump down against a village house, taking out my water-skin and uncapping it, glugging down a few mouthfuls before drawing away from it, gasping. I wipe my mouth, yawning and looking up at the sky, shielding my white eyes from the glaring sun. The warmth is soothing and incubating, almost like I'm resting in a candle. I'm hungry and exhausted now though, having used my powers many times to travel instantly to several villages, crossing many miles that would've harboured tedious journeys. I tilt the water-skin upside down, sighing when only a single drop falls from it, splashing into the dry dust of the desert biome sand. Cacti bow and twist gracefully around me, some sporting vivid pink flowers that sway and tremble in the hot, stinging breeze, as if feeling out of place. I can relate to that...

I look around me, studying the village I have arrived at. It seems to have fallen into disrepair and ruin, but is still on the map. I lean forward, tracing the area with my finger that I'm on. That means that its still inhabited. The desert is barren and desolate; staggering to my feet, I turn to look at the village entrance. A lone crow pecks at the dust, and the occasional soft clanging-clinkle of a cow bell echoes in the distance. I swallow sceptically, then take steps forward into the village. The houses are empty, as if abandoned in a rush a long time ago. That is understandable though, villages move and grow with the world around them - perhaps a drought here pushes the previous inhabitants out of their homes. What I don't understand though is why it is still marked on the map as a populated village. I brush my fingertips through the yellowed tips of the dying wheat crops beside me as they ripple and whisper in the sandy winds. I try to control my now pounding heart. This place gives me the creeps. What in all of Minecraftia is still inhabiting it? I know about a lot of mobs in Minecraft, hell, I'm leader of them all.

Yet what I glimpse next, slithering between two abandoned houses, makes my hairs stand on end. My neck prickles and suddenly all instincts in my body tell me to run. I start to back away. Perhaps it wasn't just a drought that pushed these poor villagers from their homes... Maybe it's not some people inhabiting it still - the striking crunch of a footfall in dry crops nearby startles me and I whip round, just in time to see a pair of red eyes staring back at me, a mottled, ever-changing shape of an inky black body, and slowly, a previously non existent mouth pulling back to reveal a jagged grin and hot, heaving maw. Maybe it's something. I yell in shock and stagger back away from the horror staring at me in a predatory way, then abruptly turn tail and run. Heavy footfalls hit the ground in a powerful gallop right behind me now. I scream and duck aside as a house explodes into dust beside me, chunks of roof and sandstone flying everywhere. Loud panting issues from behind me and I hear an echoing snap of strong jaws clanging together right by my ear; I keep running, running, heart pounding, eyes watering.

I scrunch them up, breathing hard and fast, trying to summon up enough energy to teleport away, but something is sapping my strength. The something behind me. A something that is even more powerful than I am. I hear a roar that shakes my bones and makes my legs judder, the kind of sound that rips through your very being and makes your blood bubble up inside of you. I dare to twist my head round and in that moment I see the creature's wide, iridescent crimson eyes shooting spears through me with that one glance. I see everything I fear in that moment and my legs nearly give out from beneath me. I feel my power once again waning, my glowing white eyes dimming. I see Emily alone and screaming, my friends fighting a futile battle, being driven back up against a cliff with no way out. I see Steve lying on the ground, Deadlox's axe embedded in his back and his quiver empty of arrows. I feel hopelessness, and a sudden want to embrace death. Then, my foot catches on a small cactus and I hit the ground hard.

The creature's gaze is torn away from me, as I am jolted back to myself in that instant, and I realise that its influence over me has faded. I hold my temples tightly and shut my eyes, picturing a different biome, any place away from this one. The creature rears up behind me and screeches, and my heart ices over when I realise that I know that sound. It pangs deep into my nervous system and shakes the very thoughts from my brain. Then hot magic pulses through me and I feel my body twist and warp and my surroundings melt away until I open my eyes, feeling snow chilling into my skin, numbing me.

Now, I'm in a mega-taiga biome. I am safe. I slowly sit up, body aching and skin slick with sweat. My head spins and I feel so nauseous. I daren't teleport again after that, I could put myself into a brief coma, and then I'd be no help to anyone. My vision goes black for a few moments and my head thuds. My eyes sting and I close them, panting softly. The last time I heard that scream was in the End when we faced the Darkness caged in an Enderdragon body. This time it was in its true form, and it was unsettling to say the least. Especially now that it seems to have gathered enough power to do so. I lie down slowly, stirring the powdery snow a little, then summoning a small ball of flame to keep my freezing body warm while I rested. I close my eyes, feeling soft flakes come to rest upon my hot face. I feel shaken to the bone. This encounter had made me realise how the even more urgently we need to alert other villages, seeing as one has already been taken over by the Darkness, and who knows how many others have been too. I will return to my mission as soon as possible, but I won't be going anywhere for now. I can only hope my friends are safe and moving as quickly as possible...

SSundee's POV
Derp and I are currently hacking our way through debris and undergrowth, fighting through overgrown foliage and thorny memories, trying to find what will probably be a very dilapidated SkyBase beneath it all. I'm not sure if I'm ready to return to this place, but right now as night approaches fast, it's the best we can do for shelter with wolves lurking in the surrounding forest. Derp kicks over a rotten tree log beside me, then steps through the gap made. I duck under a few vines, wincing as the wound on my side stretches and aches as I move. A warm hand takes mine that isn't carrying my sword and I step through into a clearing. Derp smiles at me, striking a torch he was carrying against a nearby bricked wall. It bursts into flame with a crackle and I look about as it casts orange light and flickering shadows over our nearby surroundings. SkyBase stands proud but alone amongst them, crumbling and desolate in the midst of trees and bushes. Its windows are grimy and cracked, branches pushing determinedly through cracks in the walls. I brush my fingers along the ageing brickwork, so many memories rushing back to me in that instant.

I feel an emptiness open up inside of me and I sigh, feeling hollow and old from seeing my past like this, so forgotten and miserable. Derp eases the rusted entrance door open and we tentatively step inside. It's equally dark in the old headquarters, and some corridors are still ravaged from the mutant squid attack, so long ago now. My stomach churns, seeing the scar on Derp's face from that incident catch the firelight and glimmer in a deathly white tone. His grip on my hand tightens as he arrives at what used to be our room. He kicks the door open, sword in hand. It slowly creaks open, revealing a musty room inside, thick with dust. I take a cautious step inside, letting go of Derp's hand, and looking over at our bed. I feel weak with fatigue, hunger and exhaustion, and coupled with these waves of nostalgia and memories hitting me at every turn, I feel my knees threaten to buckle. "Derp..." I call out in a frail tone that doesn't sound like me, then reach for the bed and roll down onto it, lying on my back. I spent so many sleepless night in this position, crying, alone without my beloved by my side. My stomach clenches. Then, speaking of him, he seems to have heard my call and has returned. I think he went to see if the kitchens, where a Mudkip used to be often found dwelling in, contained any salvageable food still. It seems he's found two tins of soup, beetroot and chicken and mushroom. I curl up, nudging my sunglasses off my face and rubbing my aching eyes. Derp places the torch on a rusted brazier on the wall and then moves to block up some gaps in the ceiling where water was dripping into the room. I sneeze, nose wrinkling from the dust. Derp lies down beside me and smiles affectionately. "Bless you." I laugh weakly, then close my eyes, abandoning all thoughts and worries for now. As I begin to drift off, I feel a soft kiss being placed on my forehead, and a gentle voice whispering, "Welcome home Ian."

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Mystery Person's POV
"If this thing bloody explodes I am going to wring your scrawny neck." "Will you relax already?! We've created loads of animals before, even mobs! This'll be a piece of cake! ...mm, cake." I roll my eyes, pushing my stupid colleague aside to glance into the glowing and bubbling cauldron, face slacking a little when I see the dragon egg fusing together inside it with a blaze rod and creeper egg, and now pulsing with an angry, menacing red and throwing out powerful waves of heat. "I can't believe I let you talk me into this yet again-..." "Well it's a bit late for doubts now isn't it?! Don't you dare chicken out on me now." He chuckles, seemingly nonchalant and completely carefree despite the fact that this creation, our creation, isn't going anywhere as near to plan as I thought it would be. I take a few nervous steps back, my eyes throwing out a bright, white glow onto my hands as I start to cast protection spells for reassurance. My colleague throws me a sarcastic look. "Wow! Wo-ha-ow! Are you really casting anti-fire spells when we're creating a dragon hybrid?" I glare at him. "Yes, because unlike you, I don't wish to become a dead sorcerer."

He rolls his eyes and goes to make a snappy retort, but abruptly the cauldron throws out a terrifying screech and a chunk of it explodes outwards, hitting the sturdy, wooden villager house wall and leaving a deep crater in it. My colleague's eyes suddenly fill with a delayed reaction of fear and he screams, running to me and practically leaping into my arms in panic. I yell at him in anger and we exchange a few heated words at his embarrassing behaviour before the cauldron vomits out more flames and explosions. Now we both dive for cover as I cast more spells vigorously. An intense and uncontrollable roar soon rumbles forth from the cauldron though before I can do anything else, and it completely destroys itself, throwing intense shockwaves outwards and making my core shake. I hear an ominous creaking sound from above and look up in time to see a blazing rafter crack and fall downwards towards me. I roll out of the way though and cast a shield spell, holding my arms over my face to block out the searing heat of the fire. I hear a scream though and look round worriedly, realising my colleague has disappeared amongst the flames now raging inside of the small wooden house. The cauldron is no where to be seen either, but out of the flames a floating image is beginning to appear, a spiralling glowing egg, floating higher and higher above the ground.

My eyes widen as I realise the dragon is about to hatch and I cast my gaze around more fervently, yelling my colleague's name desperately. I melt with relief when I glimpse a hand appearing amongst the flames, waving weakly, a tattered turquoise robe sleeve smouldering beneath it. I leap over the collapsed rafters and grab it, pulling him up from ashes and debris, putting an arm round him as he coughs and splutters, tears streaking through the ash on his face. I scowl. "This is all your fault! This is the goddamn last hybrid, you hear me?! If we die, it's gonna be on you, I swear!" My heart twists though as my harsh words seem to spark my shocked friend into a flood of terrified tears and I sigh heavily. I look to the side and cast a freezing spell at the egg and with the last of my magical energy, hold my colleague close and leap for it, covering it with my robe and holding it close to me. I scrunch my face up in agony, yelling out as the searing hot egg feels as if it is setting my skin aflame; then I yell out a teleportation spell and the flames about to consume us warp away in a blinding moment as my vision flashes white.

(A/N: Hey dudes, hoping to kickstart this book again as I have ideas for it and it's always been at the back of my head this past year or so as one of my least stagnant books. It would be nice to revive it. Hope you all enjoyed this new chapter, and I'll see you guys around! Squeaks, out. *tomska-style salute*)