Grian had accomplished everything he needed to. Pearl, Gem, and Scar would rule Minecraftia. The hermits' life would return to normal. Mumbo would wake up in a few weeks and get over Grian's death. It would be hard, but Grian knew the redstonist would survive.

"Sunan?" Grian heard a voice call his name. It was Taurtis, calling him into the next life. I'm sorry, Taurtis. I didn't hide you well enough. The watchers found you, and now you're dead.

Grian breathed his last.

"No! NO! Sunan, come back! Please, I'm here!" The figure in the dark blue cloak cried, shaking Grian. Pearl stood behind him, tears sliding down her cheeks. Scar and Gem were on their knees next to Grian. Scar gently closed Grian's eyes. "I'm too late," Taurtis turned to Pearl.

"I should have stopped him." Was all Pearl said as she buried her face in her hands.

"Scar, can you bring him back? You're a necromancer! You have to bring him back!" Taurtis cried.

"I can't bring players back to life. Not unless you want a zombie Grian." Scar shook his head.

"Sunan did it! Sunan brought hundreds of players back to life, look around!" Taurtis begged.

"Grian is the most powerful being I've ever seen. He was the one who gave Zebdar his powers in the beginning. And look at the price he paid... a life for a life, it's a rule as old as time."

"A life for a life... if someone gave up their lives Sunan would live?" Taurtis asked suddenly. Scar turned around slowly, the meaning of Taurtis's question dawning on him.

"No, Grian wouldn't want that." Scar's voice was barely above a whisper.

"Scar, he's Notch. His life means so much more than mine ever will. Scar, you know that Sunan was the last of his line! Notch will die!" Taurtis shook the necromancer.

"I think that's what Grian wanted." Scar said suddenly.

"No! You don't understand! Now that Sunan's dead and he was carrying Notch's power, the power won't distribute itself among the admins like it would if Sunan had died without Notch's power! Minecraftia will start dying, Scar! There will be nothing left! You have to do it!" Tautis was frantic.

"You want to give your life to save Grian?" Scar asked.

"I already thought he died once. I can't bear it if I went through his death twice." There was so much pain layering Taurtis's voice.

"I... I can't-" Scar looked like he was fighting a mental battle.

"Yes you can. Do it. Please." Taurtis begged.

"I... fine. Are you sure? I can't undo this... you'll be giving Grian your life."

"For the greater good." Taurtis assured Scar. His deep turquoise blue eyes glimmered with sureness.

"⎓∷𝙹ᒲ 𝙹リᒷ ℸ ̣ 𝙹 ᔑリ𝙹ℸ ̣ ⍑ᒷ∷, ᔑ ℸ ̣ ∷ᔑリᓭᔑᓵℸ ̣ ╎𝙹リ ╎リ ꖎ╎⎓ᒷ." Scar spoke finally, placing his hand on Taurtis's chest. When Scar removed his hand, a little blue fire-like thing was held in his palm. Tautis gasped. Scar gently transferred the soul so he was holding it right above Grian's heart.

"Tell him... tell Sunan that my mindspace was dimming. I was ready. It wasn't his fault." Taurtis smiled for the last time. "Tell him I missed him." And with that Scar plunged Tautis's soul into Grian's chest, and Taurtis keeled over backwards, unmoving.

. . .

It was black. Then suddenly it was white. Grian was yanked upwards by an invisible rope, and suddenly he was back in his body. He could feel pain again... so much pain. Grian didn't remember pain being this strong. Then there was weight... Grian felt so heavy.

And... Notch was completely gone. Grian had always had his grandfather. Notch resided in a tiny chunk of Grian's consciousness, biding his time until the day one of his descendants finally accepted his power, like Grian. But that little piece of Grian's fiber, that tiny sliver of his soul was gone.

Something that felt like cold water washed over the half-dead prime, and suddenly Grian opened his eyes.

"GRIAN!" Scar hollered.

"It worked! I can't believe it really worked!" Happy tears came to Pearl's eyes. Gem propped Grian up slowly so he was sitting up against Scar.

"I... what?" Grian mumbled finally. He could see a large crowd of newly-raised admins standing off to the side, laughing and talking. "I brought them all back... how... how am I alive?" Grian asked.

"It was all Taurtis. He gave you his soul." Pearl sat down next to Grian. "I had just portaled into headquarters when I met Taurtis standing on the doorstep. He told me you were old friends, and explained that he was the one you had sent to the End dimension with some Ezren," Pearl explained.

"He said he used a physical watcher charm to teleport here... he called it ᔑリ||∴⍑ᒷ∷ᒷ." Pearl spoke.

"Ah... anywhere." Grian whispered. "I made it for him a long time ago." Tears came to Grian's eyes. "Does that mean he's gone? He gave himself for... me?" In response Scar nodded slowly and pointed to a pile of dark blue robes. Taurtis had disappeared moments after his soul had parted with his body.

Grian completely broke down. "I abandoned him. Ezren said... Ezren said he was in so much pain. I was like a brother to him. Why... why did he give his life for me?" Grian sobbed.

"He told me to tell you," Scar hesitated, "that his mindspace was already dimming. He was ready. It wasn't your fault. He - he missed you. But his death was inevitable." Scar repeated the message.

"He knew he was going to die anyway, then." Grian was barely comforted. "ℸ ̣ ⍑ᔑリꖌ ||𝙹⚍, ᒲ|| ⎓∷╎ᒷリ↸." Grian whispered to the sky, hoping Taurtis could somehow hear him beyond the grave. Life was a last, undeserved gift from a great friend.

"Here." Pearl handed Grian her white prime robes. Grian's own had been destroyed in the fight, and Pearl was sure he would still want to conceal his identity.

"Thank you, Pearl." Grian pulled the robes on. They were slightly small, but Grian didn't mind as he pulled the familiar baggy hood over his face. "Oh, this hood doesn't have one-way sight fabric."

"Be grateful," Pearl grinned as she snapped her fingers and the fabric rearranged itself to allow Grian sight. Grian bowed his head slightly in thanks. "Oh, and we found our mole." Pearl whispered.

"Really? Who?" Grian was taken aback.

"They don't even know that we know yet. But I have a feeling they might wake up in the dungeons tomorrow morning with no recollection of being arrested." Pearl laughed.

"Ah, so it was Myth Sausage?" Grian's ever-present smile still hadn't resurfaced. It might take a long time for the trauma and loss of the night to sink in.

"It seems Scott's hunch was right." Pearl nodded.

"We'll have to hold the prime admin ceremonies for Gem and Scar." It took all of Grian's have a conversation like everything was normal. Things were far, far from normal.

"What!?" Pearl snapped, hey eyes wide. She looked almost... angry for some reason. "I mean, what are you talking about?" Pearl quickly rephrased her surprise.

"Pearl," Grian gave a strange look, "In the beggining there were six primes. Over time the other two prime positions were taken to the grave. Nobody could weild the magic of the nature prime or necromancer anymore. Notch and Lillir, the aether person, were the only prime positions left,

"Notch's physical, Lillir's technology. But now that the nature and necromancer knowledge has returned with the original gaurdian's descendants..." Grian prompted.

"We'll have four primes again." Pearl breathed. "Then I guess Minecraftia is truly being restored to it's natural order again." Pearl sighed.

Grian smiled for the first time. "Yes,"

"Are you sure you can manage Notch's powers? He won't start controlling you again?" Pearl asked. The others had filled her in on the battle.

"I know he won't. I have a new soul, Pearl. A soul that Notch has never touched. Taurtis's soul. Notch's soul is gone forever. Notch will never return." Grian let his words sink in.

"Then who will offer his power to his descendants to come?" Pearl asked.

"I will."

A/N: Sorry about the short chapter, I just couldn't drag it on anymore. One more chapter to go... thanks for all the support!