At that instant, he was everything and he was nothing, infinite and non-existent.

He could feel himself, he could still think and breathe and be, but everything else was gone, it was so blank, so void of anything. There was only black around them – not darkness, not just the absence of light; but blackness, the absence of everything. He tried to look down at his hands but there was nothing there – there was nothing, he was nothing – he tried to walk instead but his legs that weren't there became hopelessly tangled, he felt as though he fell but he fell neither up or down – was he even real? There seemed to be no evidence of his existence other than the fact he was questioning it. But he could see nothing, hear nothing, feel nothing – not a breath nor a beat of his heart. He felt weightless, breathless, and though the world wasn't moving, and as far as he could tell, neither was he – wherever and whatever and whoever he was – he felt sick and dizzy, the blackness swirling around him, pressing against him hard from all directions, he could not breathe or twist and move away, it was everywhere, choking him, suffocating him, swallowing him, entangling him in the void…

Then he felt something hard and strong hook itself behind his navel. It ripped through the blackness, tearing a white crack in the world and he fell through, jolted into brightness, and he hit the soft white sand with an almighty thud.

Aboard the Celaeno airship, which was drifting lazily above the world on the way back to the YogCave, Xephos was experiencing perhaps his first real moment of peace in what felt like an eternity. It felt like everything had been moving non-stop; the world a flurry of noise and colours and motion around him, as he and Honeydew just got swept up in the events as they always seemed to, buffeted and bashed and bruised from side to side as they thundered along from one scenario to another. Everything just moved so quickly nowadays, nothing seemed content to stand still and allow Xephos to catch his breath. The airship he was now a passenger of had collected the demon and his Dwarven companion a few hours earlier, yet it felt like only mere moments since the great vessel had touched down on the sandy banks of the 'Survival Island', as Honeydew had dubbed it. He leant against the railing of the airship, watching the horizon thoughtfully. He estimated it was around about midnight, as he saw some mobs pacing about far below him, no doubt in search of a village to lay siege to. The entire landscape – consisting of a grassy, fairly hilly biome, with clumps of trees here and there, and with a couple of jagged sheer cliffs protruding out of the ground in the distance – was bathed in pale silvery moonlight, occasionally interrupted by the orange glow of a few scattered torches. Xephos didn't think even Ridge's mansion allowed one to see this far and wide.

He rubbed his temples, leaning over the edge slightly. Of course, with everything moving so fast it was only a blurry haze, it was not often the Spaceman had time to mull things over. He thought about everything he had been through since leaving Ridge, Lomadia, and all the others behind. He found it hard enough to believe that he had been on Survival Island with Honeydew for months, let alone that it had been…what – six months, a year maybe? – since he had seen Ridge and Lomadia last. Up in the airship, even being able to see what felt like the entire world down below him, the demon still felt very much isolated. There were still so many things he didn't understand. The events that happened between him, Honeydew and Old Peculier stepping into the Nether Portal and then the two of them waking up on Survival Island sans the innkeeper were difficult to fully piece together. They'd not had the opportunity to really dwell on it before, what with their minds being starved of nutrition for the last…however long it was, but now in the still of the night, it all seemed so mysterious and sinister. And now, Old Peculier had turned up again, out of the blue, presumably after some time of searching for them, with this mysterious Skylord fellow, and little explanation as to how Xephos and Honeydew had even become separated from him in the first place. Maybe he didn't know either.

Xephos wished someone did.

The airship continued its silent course. Xephos looked across the hilly plains again, wondering if Ridge could hear him, all the way out here. He had no idea if their telepathy had some kind of limit, or if Ridge could hear all he was thinking right now. He didn't reply, if that were the case. How far away even was he? Xephos had found it difficult to guess where he was in the world in relation to everything else ever since the charged Creeper attack. Honeydew could have taken him in any direction for any number of blocks from there, it was impossible to tell, and the YogCave was even further away still, and Survival Island seemed to be an infinite distance in the opposite direction to everything else in the world. If it even was of this world. They had stepped through a portal to end up there, hadn't they? But if that was the Nether, it was not as he had expected it. And as far as he could tell, the Celaeno had not travelled through a portal to return to the Overworld, and yet here they were, unmistakably. The possibilities were dizzying.

"Quite a view, isn't it?" A voice rasped to the left of him, cutting through the silence of the still midnight air like a knife. "Though I suspect you've seen far greater splendors on your travels, Mr. Xephos."

Xephos glanced to his left. Old Peculier had joined him on the deck. "Mm, it's not bad." Xephos agreed, his voice still hoarse, his throat dry from many months spent on rationed water.

Old Peculier lent against the railings. "I must say, you and Mr. Honeydew are certainly a sight for sore eyes too, Mr. Xephos. After you disappeared, I feared the worst…" He shook his head, disturbed. "But naturally, you pulled through. I expected nothing less, of course."

Xephos gave a vague smile, his thoughts elsewhere. "It's good to see you too, Old Peculier."

"Well, I should hope so, it took us long enough to find you." Old Peculier said, nudging Xephos fondly with a sharp elbow.

"How long is 'long enough'?" Xephos asked, slightly guiltily.

"Months, perhaps? It is difficult to tell." Old Peculier said, rubbing his balding head. "I am unsure of exactly what transpired after we travelled through the hellgate. I was unconscious for a time…" he shuddered. "It is fortunate that Lysander happened by." He looked at Xephos, his eyes milky and weary. The Spaceman noted that the innkeeper looked as though he had aged years since they had last met, not mere months. But surely…Xephos did not know how long he had been away, but…years…? It seemed impossible, but then again, so did many things in his life that happened with little regard for whether he thought them impossible or not.

"I have learned many ill-things while you have been gone, Mr. Xephos." Old Peculier continued gravely. "There are dire tales all over Minecraftia. I need your help to save the world from this plague…and to rescue my love."

"Daisy…" Xephos said, worried, casting his eye out across the horizon once more. "You couldn't find her?"

"I looked, but she could be anywhere. But even with Lysander's help, we cannot defeat that demon. I knew I could not delay in bringing you back." He cast a hard glare over Xephos. "You are the only ones capable of challenging him."

Xephos blinked. "Huh?"

Old Peculier lowered his voice. "You and Honeydew…it is your destiny…or so I am told." He huffed. "It is your destiny to end that vile, despicable creature's life once and for all…as it is my destiny to die making sure you fulfill that goal."

"Huh?!" Xephos said, taken aback, his reaction more an instinctive noise of surprise than anything resembling words.

The innkeeper seemed unperturbed by Xephos' sudden outcry. "I was going to kill you, you know." He said, as casually as one might discuss the weather. "When you and Honeydew first arrived in Terrorvale, I was going to poison you both. I was under Israphel's command, of course." He clarified, noting Xephos' expression of horror and confusion. "But it would've been easy, really. So frantic was my paranoia, I was in no position to resist Israphel's influence. Only Daisy…" he cleared his throat, a lump catching his words for a brief moment. "But I didn't. There was goodness in both of your hearts. You were my salvation. I could ignore what I had heard about you – what they had told me – because I knew you were pure of heart. I knew you could not be…kin…of a demon." He was staring directly at Xephos now, his eyes completely expressionless. Xephos remained silent. A moment that felt like an eternity passed between them, neither of the two men blinking. When Old Peculier sighed deeply and moved, Xephos nearly jumped out of his skin.

"I suppose I should stop this rambling, and take in this view while I can. I mightn't be around to see it much longer."

Xephos fumbled with his hands. "Mmm." He said, unable to think of much to say. His thoughts were racing. "The future can be changed."

"That is a nice thought, I think." Old Peculier replied, smiling. "Though it wouldn't much please a certain fortune teller I know."

The two men smiled at each other, and then watched the view go by in silence.

The trio left the templar remains behind them, and as they left the hallway they stepped out into a huge cavern, which could have been mistaken for some overgrown temple it was so large, though it appeared to be much more industrial in structure. Great wooden struts acted as support beams, disappearing into the high darkness where stone and vines drooped downwards. Slightly rusted metal minecart tracks ran under their feet, forging three precarious and winding paths over a sea of neon green lava which was surrounded by uneven obsidian and sand banks, which appeared to have been naturally corroded and eaten away by the molten green ocean. Knight Peculier, still appeared visibly shaken by the discovery of Enoch's gruesome fate. "Poor Enoch." He mused.

Xephos patted his friend gently on the back. "Come on, KP, let's keep going. We can make sure no one ever has to go through that again."

Honeydew, who was digging through a chest, shrugged dismissively. "If you ask me, that idiot kinda got what was coming to him."

"But to die such a horrible and lonely death…I would not wish that upon anyone." Knight Peculier said softly, but it seemed that the mere thought of the blood-splattered iron blocks in the previous room was enough to turn him a sickly shade of pale green.

"Nothing but minecarts in here." Honeydew said, a little disappointedly, though it had been a long time since he had expected to find loot in every chest.

"I think we'll be needing them." Xephos said, following the rails to the edge of the solid wooden platform, and tracing the line they drew across the goo to the other side. "These tracks look like the only way across."

"Looks like we have a ride ahead of us." Knight Peculier said, rolling his eyes. "Joyous."

"You know you love it really, KP." Honeydew grinned, placing one cart on each track and beginning to shunt his own up to the docking station. Xephos beamed, and took hold of the left cart, giving it a forceful shove up the track.

"Oh yes, Mr. Honeydew, this is exactly what I want to do after seeing a dead body." KP replied monotonously, evidently unimpressed. He shoved against his cart with his shoulder, like a battering ram, but it barely budged. "Notch-damned thing!" He whispered angrily under his breath, rubbing his shoulder.

"No worries, KP, you take mine. I'll sort this one out." Xephos offered. The knight wiped his brow and gave a grateful nod, as he clambered into the leftmost cart wearily. Xephos bent down and swept his finger around the inside of the wheel arches. "Aha." One side was clogged with moss, which he pulled out with one strong tug. He wheeled the cart up to the start point with ease and climbed inside, tucking his knees together, since unlike his companions, he was rather too tall to fit inside one of these things.

"You ready, Xeph?" Honeydew called, his gloved hand hovering over the stone button that would begin their journey.

"Ready!"

"Ready, KP?"

"Let's just get this over with." KP replied miserably, sinking further down into his cart. Honeydew chuckled and pressed the button. Redstone ticked and fizzled back into life after years of disuse, and suddenly the trio were off, zig-zagging and criss-crossing across the green goo, the three tracks interweaving and rising and falling on every side, twisting and turning, only running parallel for brief moments.

Xephos hurtled from side to side, and it soon became so frightening that he clasped the sides of his cart to prevent himself from getting thrown out, though as the cart gained speed and screeched around every corner, it felt more and more likely that the whole thing would topple into the radioactive sludge below. His cart lurched upwards and he was suddenly alongside Honeydew again, but Knight Peculier was nowhere to be seen. He was about to call out to the Dwarf but his cart veered off again, passing through a curtain of vines that Xephos shook off irritably. His minecart had ascended and was rocketing along a track suspended closer to the uneven ceiling than his two companions. For a brief moment he saw them both, running on lower tracks, and noticed a divide between them.

He heard a distant call from KP; "We're getting separated!" before his cart weaved around a difficult corkscrew bend, disappeared behind a stone wall and he lost sight of them again.

When he reemerged from the short tunnel, he caught sight of Honeydew going in the opposite direction, and KP hurtling towards a gap in the track. His eyes widened, and time seemed to slow down as he cried; "KP!" with all his might, but if the knight heard him it was too late. At full-speed, the cart flew into the air, sailing above the goo, and for a quick but glorious moment, Xephos thought that the knight had enough momentum to touch down on the rails on the other side, but it was not to be. KP's cart plummeted into the lava with a sticky thud. Xephos heard his final cry of; "Heroes!" before the tiny speck in his vision disappeared into the green completely.

"KNIGHT PECULIER!" Xephos screamed, his call echoing around the cavern.

Xephos' cart continued to thunder down the track, screaming round bends and beginning to slow, but Xephos could hear nothing but Knight Peculier's final cry for help, repeating endlessly, over and over and over again in his head, unable to process what had just transpired. His minecart thudded against the barriers at the other side, but Xephos did not get out. He didn't do anything but stare into space. He couldn't.

Honeydew's cart rolled into the docking station, and the Dwarf leapt out, buzzing. "Eyy, that was a wild ride, weren't it, Xeph? I hope KP doesn't throw up on us, though, eh? Where is he, anyway?" He said, beaming, glancing back at the tracks, then at Xephos. "Xeph?" He said, his grin starting to falter. "Xephos? Where…w-where's KP?"

Xephos very slowly turned his head to the sound of his companion's voice. His eyes were not glowing. "Knight Peculier is dead." He said, surprised at how cold and detached his words were, and how easily they came.

"What?" Honeydew said, his smile completely gone. "What…what're you…?"

"He's dead, Honeydew." Xephos repeated, slowly. "His cart fell into the lava."

"But…b-but that's…" Honeydew's face scrunched up. "H-he can't!" He looked back down the tunnel. "KP…" He rushed to the opening, but was caught off guard by a zombie emerging from the darkness below, climbing up the rocks towards the Dwarf with surprising speed thanks to mutation by radiation. "Fuck!" Honeydew let out a half-strangled yelp and clumsily lodged his pickaxe in one of the thing's bloated eyeballs, black blood spurting out with a disgusting squashing-pop sound. Honeydew kicked the zombie in the chest so it fell back down, dead, into the pit under the rails, ripping his pickaxe free in disgust. "This is – I don't…everything is so fucked…" Honeydew stammered, gazing out across the iridescent lake. Xephos watched him, fixated, feeling himself shaking, the cart rattling around him like a cage. Honeydew lowered his weapon, before removing his iron helmet and holding it to his chest, his head bowed.

"RIP in peace, Knight Peculier, a more noble soul we knew not." He sniffed, replacing his helmet. "Oh, KP…why'd you have to take the left track?" He whined wistfully.

Xephos snapped to attention. The left track…he was supposed to take that track! He had been going to…but he saw KP struggling with that middle cart, he was just trying to help…and KP had died because of him, the knight would have made it to the other side if he'd have taken the middle cart…Xephos should have died in his place, in fact he probably wouldn't have died; if the radiation or heat affected him at all, which there was no telling if it would, he would have just bounced back, like he always did. The three of them would all still be here, together, soldiering on.

He curled up tightly inside the minecart, feeling hot tears well in his eyes. Why did he have to be so weak? He hated this; why did good men like Peculier die while he lived because of his so-called destiny? He contributed nothing except pain and hurt; people died because of him. Knight Peculier had died because of him. Was the knight's life not important? It didn't matter how he died, he was insignificant, as long as he didn't stand in the way of Xephos' wretched destiny? Xephos snapped and shrieked in frustration, punching the wall of the cart in fury, denting it outwards.

Knight Peculier was important! He was just as important as any other, he had his own life, his own goals, his own destiny to fulfill! Why did the higher-up powers view his life below that of Xephos'? The knight had been an integral part of Xephos and Honeydew's journey so far – heck, he had helped to start it, way back in Terrorvale – why now, of all times, was it the place for his journey to end?

Unless…unless he could still be saved. What if Xephos' inaction now was what really led to KP's death? It couldn't be left up to chance – it couldn't all be decided by the simple matter of who took what cart, could it? There had to be something more, there had to be! Xephos could still save him! Maybe the lava took a few minutes to take effect, or maybe there was water below it, and below that, a room, a safe haven, a chance, anything! Xephos' mind was racing with possibilities – even if none of them were true, he had to try! He had to take advantage of his alleged immortality to avert disaster. He knew he could not die here – Lomadia would be the one to kill him, so the forces-that-be predicted – so KP could still be saved, surely!

The Spaceman sprung to his feet and sprinted to the opening, feeling something deep inside him begin to burl and coil, growing hotter and hotter and spreading throughout his veins like fire, threatening to consume him, to burst out of his skin, shoot out of his fingertips and pour out of his eyes…

Honeydew jumped as Xephos brushed past him, running back across the tracks. "Xeph! What the hell are you doing?! It's not safe!" Despite his own warning, he took off after his companion hastily, trying not to peer downwards into the green.

"I can still save him, Honeydew!" Xephos cried back, catching hold of one of the wooden poles which extended up into the ceiling, suspending the track in midair. "It was about here, if I can just swim down…" He said, tracing the cart's trajectory and the point of impact with his finger.

"What are you talking about?!" Honeydew panted, catching up to Xephos and leaning wearily on the same support strut. "You can't go down there! What are you thinking?!"

"I can survive, Honeydew, I can still save him!"

"No, Xeph!" Honeydew caught hold of his friend's arm, tugging against him with all his might. "KP is dead! You said so yourself!"

"He might not be! I can still…I can save him, I can!" Xephos pulled against Honeydew desperately, his eyes fixed on the lava.

"Xeph, I'm sorry…he's gone."

"N-no! He's not – he's not dead!" Xephos forcefully yanked his arm free of Honeydew's grasp and bent down, his hand resting on the edge of the rails as he prepared to dive.

"Xephos! No!" Honeydew grabbed hold of his friend, wrapping his strong arms around Xephos' midsection and hoisting him into the air with some difficulty. Xephos writhed and wriggled like a snake, shrieking.

"Let go of me! I can do it! He's…h-he's…there's still time!" Xephos insisted, though his struggles grew weaker and weaker as Honeydew carried him back over to solid ground. "KP…" He sobbed uncontrollably. Honeydew lowered him to the ground gently, still keeping an eye on his friend, though Xephos seemed in too much of a state to do much at all at this point. Slumping dejectedly against the wall, he curled up tightly into a ball, running his fingers through his hair frantically, his eyes a faded blue-grey colour. "He's gone…he's gone…he'sgonehe'sgonehe'sgone…" He said, his eyes wide and scared. Honeydew watched him, nervous, unsure of himself – never had he seen his friend in such a broken and terrified state, but then he supposed that on their long and treacherous journey, neither of them had seen an event quite as horrific as what had just transpired. They had heard of Enoch's grisly end through the snippets of diary, and they had seen what had happened to Skylord Lysander's grandfather in Skyhold when he was finally overcome by his illness, but they had never seen a man as good and noble as Knight Peculier meet such a terrible end – never someone they were so close to. It was all only things that would happen to someone else.

But not this time. Honeydew felt a sinking pit in his stomach, a lump in his throat and a hot feeling prickling his eyes. "Xeph…I'm sorry. I had to stop you." He eventually managed to choke out.

"It's all my fault…he's gone…"

"N-no, no no no, Xeph, we couldn't have known…"

"It should have been me…I was going to take that minecart…it's all my fault…"

"Xeph, no. It's…I buggered up the minecart when I put it on the rails, it's my fault."

"It's…" Xephos paused, his gaze drifting towards Honeydew. A hardened, savage look entered his eyes. "It's your fault."

"I know…Xeph, I know, I'm sorry." Honeydew assured him.

"It's your fault." Xephos said again, his eyes narrowing, beginning to glow slightly again. He stood, slowly.

"Yeah…you, uh, you don't need to rub it in, Xeph." Honeydew said, his hand moving subtly towards his pickaxe. It was only now, as his friend began to advance slowly but surely towards him, that he noticed how very small he was in comparison to Xephos, who, at his full height as he was now, stood at least two feet taller than the Dwarf. Now that two feet seemed all the more threatening. Honeydew gulped. Something was wrong.

"It's your fault." Xephos repeated. "I could have saved him. If only you hadn't stopped me."

"Xephos, if KP couldn't make it then neither could you. You know that."

"You don't know that! You don't know what I am!" Xephos shrieked, drawing himself up taller still, staring down at the Dwarf. "You don't know anything about m–" Abruptly he cut off, his pupils dilating so they were just tiny black pinpricks lost in the glowing blue sea of his irises. He clutched at his chest suddenly, feeling a great stabbing at his heart. "Nnnnhhrrrrrrrrr!"

"Xeph!" Honeydew cried, forgetting himself, throwing his pickaxe away and rushing to aid his friend. Xephos tore one hand away from his chest and held it out in front of him, stopping Honeydew in his tracks.

"S-s-stay back!" He pleaded, grunting in pain. "Please…H-Honeydew…just, stay…thereeaarGHHHHHH!" He dropped to his knees, and then everything began to change. Horns burst out of his brown hair; one towered, sleek, black and shining, above the left horn, which was shattered about halfway up, ending in a series of splintered, jagged points. Large, pointed teeth jutted out of his mouth, and black claws ripped through his fingers. A tail sprouted out of his clothes, tearing through them like it was a blade, and his eyes glowed such a searingly bright blue Honeydew could barely even glance in his friend's direction.

The Dwarf stared, his mouth agape, rooted to the spot and shaking with fear. 'Xephos'…if this thing could still be called that – clambered to its feet, bleary eyed and confused, before locking eyes with the Dwarf. It screeched – a terrifying high-pitched sound that echoed around the cavern, booming around and rattling the surviving minecarts – before it was suddenly upon him. It knocked Honeydew to the floor, knocking the wind out of him as he smacked the cavern floor with an 'oof!'. The Dwarf stared up fearfully, his lips trembling. "What the f-fuck?!" He spluttered, and instinctively tried to bat the creature away. Honeydew was strong, but the creature kept a firm grip on him, eyes boring directly into his, seeming completely unaware of the Dwarf's struggles and increasingly frantic shrieks and swearing.

"Get off me, whatever…whatever the fuck you are! Geroff, ya bloody great…it's me, Xeph, it's Honeydew!" he urged, before he heard a deafening crack accompanied by a blinding flash of white light that seemed to devour everything in the room, swallowing him, Xephos, the minecarts, the entire cavern was lost in the bleached void. Honeydew prepared for the end, squeezing his eyes tightly shut, as the white light seeped through his eyelids.

Xeph!

When he awoke, he was in an unfamiliar place. A bizarre room greeted him as he opened his eyes – a fairly well-decorated and grand-looking room, though mostly dominated by the large double bed he was in, with a dark oak and rather sparse-looking bookshelf hiding away in the corner. What was most strange was that every available inch of the walls was lined in torches – they covered everything, barely any space showing through – there were even two on each of the bedposts. Honeydew frowned, and glanced to his side, before letting out a nervous gasp. Beside him was his helmet and pickaxe, leaning against the bedside table, and leaning back against the wall in her chair, nose buried in a book and with her feet propped up on the wooden end of the bed, was an Elf.

Hearing his gasp, she peered over the top of the book, which Honeydew recognized as an Elbib, possibly even a first edition. "Oh good, you're awake." She said. She marked her page and placed the book on the bed. Honeydew sat up. Now he could see a bit more of her he thought it just as well Dwarves and Elves were prone to recognizing each other, because she didn't appear to dress like a typical Elf. Her pointy ears, usually the main telltale sign, were covered by a hat shaped like an owl, and her hair was much more unkempt than the neat and well-braided hair of most elves. She smiled at him. "What's your name, then?"

"Honeydew, of Khaz Modan." He said.

She raised her eyebrows. "You're a long way from home, Honeydew of Khaz Modan."

He furrowed his own. "So are you. Further than me, Elf Lady of Mysterious Bedroom."

"Fair point. And it's Lomadia." She grinned, sticking her tongue out at him. "How're you feeling? Can you remember what happened?"

"Uhh…" Honeydew winced. His head felt cloudy and his brain muggy; trying to recall anything was like trying to wade through thick mud. His fingers brushed against bandages as he scratched his head. "I can't really…remember…" He said uselessly.

"Probably the teleporting. Ridge says it always gets first-timers." She said, sympathetically, before her expression grew somber. "And you took a bit of a beating from–"

"Xephos!" Honeydew cried, and he made a move to get up, untangling himself from the heavy duvet. "What happened? Is he okay? Where is he? Why did he–?" As he moved, he felt a searing pain in his muscles as they groaned in agony at his sudden movement. He paused, breathless, feeling hot tears well behind his eyelids.

"Hey hey hey!" Lomadia was quick on her feet, pushing the Dwarf back into bed. "Ridge is with him now, he's looking after him, I promise. Besides, you're in no condition to see anyone right now."

"I'm tougher than I look." Honeydew croaked, his wounds on fire. He gave little resistance as Lomadia lowered him back against the pillows. "I need…I need to see Xeph…make sure he's alright…"

"And you will. Ridge will take care of him, and he can answer any questions you might have."

She paused. "Well, nearly any question. I could try too, but…"

"What happened back there?" Honeydew interrupted.

She held up her hand, shaking her head despairingly. "That's for Ridge."

"How did we end up on Survival Island?"

"Ridge. Actually, he might not even know that one."

"Who…who is Israphel?"

Lomadia said nothing for a moment. Then she reached for the Elbib she had been reading and flicked to a page near the centre. She handed it to Honeydew. "That," She said, tapping the image on the page, "is Israphel."

It was the pain that finally woke Xephos.

Pain that bit at his flesh – his head, his back, his arms, everywhere – a fierce and merciless agony burning through his veins like venom. There was another burning too – in his chest and in his mind – anger. Mindless rage filled him, each attempt at a rational thought fruitless – his vain tries at reason served only to devolve into more fuel for his burning hatred. Even in unconsciousness it consumed him, the primitive anger itching to free itself from the cage of his mind, it felt like it would rip itself from his skin and devour him whole…but it needed him. It clung to his flesh and swam in his blood, pacing like a trapped predator, longing for freedom to wreak wanton destruction on everything and anything – an unstoppable red-eyed monster, an impossibly fast and incomparably strong being, streaking from victim to victim unchallenged. Blood dripped from a gleaming, glowing diamond sword, the scarlet streaking the blue blade, until it was stained that way – left red as a devil by all the blood it had drunk. He wanted to kill. He did not care if they deserved it, and he did not expect to enjoy it – there was no laughter here, no sadistic grin – there was only rage, and not even death would quell it. So he would go on, a whirlwind of fire and rage and hatred and death, until there was no one left but him.

Two people looked at him. Xephos saw them, but his vision was swirling with hatred so he could barely recognize them. One was a small man, but he looked fairly lean and fit despite that. His dark hair was streaked with silver, though he looked to be only in his late thirties. He had an iron sword slung across his back, Xephos saw, but he made no effort to draw it. Instead he only watched. The other one, a woman with her face framed with flowers braided into her blonde curls; she too, was strangely still and quiet in the face of the red-eyed demon. It didn't matter to him, Xephos would strike them down, the same as any other. Their blood would join the thousands already tainting his blade, dyeing it deeper, darker, until it was so dark it was black. Xephos raised his blade and they did not even flinch. He studied their faces for the last time, his scarlet eyes drinking in their features. They were kind faces, with soft and gentle features, wisdom in their eyes. Their eyes did not judge him, though Xephos did not care about that – but they were smiling at him, their happiness alight in their eyes like a warm fire burning down the last of the wax on a candle. Xephos caught himself staring at their eyes – the man's; hazel, they were wise beyond his years and had seen the darkest night followed by the brightest day; and the woman's were older still, and they had seen things no mortal should ever see, they burned bright, glowering the distinctive blue of hellfire. The same colour, Xephos realized, as his own eyes. The same colour as his shining sword, which pulsated with blue energy, crackling with power, fizzling away the blood that had tainted it just moments ago. Then he saw other things flashing by – ten-foot tall metal men, a silver star crashing into a murky grey landscape, a bubbling purple tsunami, a massive marble structure puncturing the sky, a gigantic man dressed in red robes, a mushroom cloud – that was all he could decipher before the images were flashing past so fast they all blurred into one another. His vision swam, colours and shapes swirling and shifting before everything congealed into darkness.

Then, the darkness began to lighten. And again. And again. One shade at a time, until it was a darkened red colour. Xephos wanted nothing more than for this to be over – he felt sick, dizzy, tired – everything was numb, as though he were floating.

Then the pain clawed at his heart and he awoke. There was just one figure here now, leaning against the strut of the four-poster bed Xephos had awoken in. It was a figure he recognized – from long royal blue overcoat, ruffled green shirt, hazel hair gelled into a perfect quiff – right down to the buck-toothed smile that was spreading across his face as his eyes met Xephos'.

"Ridge!" Xephos croaked, his voice hoarse from disuse. Despite the protesting aches and pains in his muscles he threw the blankets and duvets off and hurled himself at Ridge, locking his arms around the older demon in a tight hug. Ridge seemed taken aback at first, but it was only a moment before he hugged Xephos tightly back.

"Welcome home, little brother."

Xephos breathed in for a brief blissful moment, his pained muscles relaxing into his brother's form as a soft, sweet scent, like honey, filled his nostrils. Ridge's words repeated in his mind – home. He had not been born here, nor really lived here for that long compared to his time in the YogCave or his and Honeydew's shack on the Survival Island – but he had been born in a horrible, hellish place, a cold, cruel world he had only seen in nightmares and dark visions; and the YogCave was gone, he and Honeydew had abandoned its smoldering ruins so long ago, at the start of their adventure – where was his home if not where he stood now?

Xephos tightened his grip on his brother's coat, then loosened, and pulled away. The comfort of family, the safety of home, the warmth of love and light…it was a prize, a sacred treasure – one he could not say he had earned, not yet. Not after…

"Knight Peculier!" Xephos said suddenly, grief washing over him and panic setting in soon after. "Is he…? I…Honeydew!" Xephos clenched his fists tightly, freeing himself fully from the embrace and spinning wildly around the room. "Ridge!" He cried urgently, his muscles burning with pain that had reawakened after hibernating during his rest. He was caught off-balance and collapsed back onto the bed. "Where is – I need…where's Honeydew?"

Ridge hovered over to his side, steadying him. "It's alright, Xeph. Your friend is alright, you're alright. You were both in…" he paused, "…bad shape. I teleported you over here. I could sort of…tell…you weren't…" he gestured awkwardly at Xephos, his eyes focusing on his head and…tail? Xephos struggled to remember anything past the memory of Knight Peculier falling into the radioactive green lake – that memory, despite everything, remained so crystal clear Xephos found it hard to believe it wasn't happening in front of his eyes at this very moment. Only Ridge's rock-solid grip at his side told him that the visions playing before him were not real – well, not real anymore. Xephos touched his head, and his horns were there, sharper than he remembered, so he winced with surprise when his finger ran over the splintered point of his broken horn. So he had lost control…Idiot! Honeydew must have been so confused…and terrified…how could Xephos have done that to him? What if he'd hurt his friend? Xephos had grown complacent, that was it. No one so close to him had died like that before, so suddenly, without warning – and Xephos had never expected it to happen, so he was woefully unprepared when it did – that had to be it! Over the course of his long journey across Minecraftia, he had worn his immortality with too much pride, he had treated this quest like it was all just a game, tried to sink into this 'hero' role too much – but Knight Peculier was dead. Dead. The finality of it was so harsh, it cut sharper and stung more than any blade. Xephos would never see KP again, nor hear his voice, save for the voice of the memory dominating his mindscape.

"Heroes!"

That final desperate cry and an image of a hand sinking below the glowing green ooze was all that was left of Knight Peculier, Verigan Antioch II. All that remained…except his legacy. His quest to restore peace to the world, drive the Sands back to the desert, the demons back to Ukushona and the darkness from this realm. His quest to rescue Daisy Duke and slay the creature that held her captive. His quest to save the world. That could still be fulfilled. It had to be. How long had Xephos' episode set his and Honeydew's quest back? Israphel would not wait for them, in fact with Knight Peculier's death, his position was stronger than ever. And so many more people would die if Xephos and Honeydew failed to stop him now. The whole world would be lost.

No, no. Xephos wouldn't let this happen. He wouldn't let Knight Peculier be the first line in a series of deaths he had fought so hard to prevent. No, this wouldn't make Xephos weaker, he had to take this to heart, he had to remember what he had lost so he had something to fight for. Israphel had Daisy, but KP's death had cut Xephos like a knife cuts butter. His wound might heal, over time, but for now, he was bleeding, and he would make Israphel bleed too.

"Thank you, Ridge." Xephos said, surprising himself with his calm. "Thank you…brother…for everything you've done for me." Ridge too, seemed surprised at Xephos' tone. He blinked, taken aback, but his expression remained solemn. "There's just one more thing I need you to do for me. I know I said this the last time I asked for help but…this really is the final thing I'll ask of you."

Ridge raised an eyebrow.

"I need my sword."

Ridgedog frowned. "Xeph…" He glanced away, not meeting Xephos' gaze. "…in the past 24 hours, honestly, all I've seen is more evidence that you're not yet ready to use the sword. You lost control…if you had had your sword with you, everything would have been far more catastrophic. That sword contains a huge portion of your true power, yet even without it you posed a threat to your friend. The damage it could do…" Ridge looked back at Xephos, his eyes swimming.

"I know that. But I don't want it to use it freely. I want it for when I have no choice but to use it. When I have to kill Israphel. When I have to rescue Daisy. When I have to protect Honeydew." Xephos spoke, the words coming so naturally to him he surprised himself. "I need it, Ridge. Its power is terrible, I know that, but without it…I'm just a guy with pointy ears." He shrugged uselessly. "I know it's risky, but I need it to hand. I can't afford to let anyone else…die…because of me." He spoke shakily, but he was certain in his words. His power came from rage and that became uncontrollable aggression, but he could turn that into a force for good – turn mindless anger into a burning passion to protect his friends and slay those who meant them harm, stop them when no one else could. To slay Israphel, when the time came. "And without it, how am I to stop him? No other weapon I have will slay him, and we both know I'm the one to do it."

"Yes…" Ridge said, seeming distracted. His eyes seemed to have glazed over somewhere in the middle of what Xephos had been saying, and he was looking directly at his brother, but didn't appear to be truly seeing him. He blinked, and light returned to his eyes. "One moment." He said curtly, before turning away and zooming over to his desk. From behind it he pulled a large red package – it appeared to be some kind of patchwork of cloths wrapped around something long and thin, with the unmistakable hilt of a sword sticking out of the top. No blade was visible, but the blue glow was bright enough to be seen through the thinnest patches of cloth. Ridge floated back over and gingerly offered the hilt to Xephos, keeping both his hands firmly clasped around the other end of the package. "Touch the hilt, go on." Ridge said, watching Xephos closely. "Do not draw the sword." He said firmly.

Xephos narrowed his eyes. Was this some kind of test? He held his hand out to take the sword in his hand. It did feel odd – even though his fingers hovered a few inches above the metal of the hilt, he felt drawn to it, like the bolt of lightning that had infused it with his power in the first place. He took a deep breath, and took it tightly in his hand.

A mistake.

It hit him like a battering ram. A whirlwind of emotions – anger, fear, confusion, and desire; above all else there was such a strong overwhelming desire to pull out the sword from its cloth wraps – it filled his body and his brain and his blood and was threatening to rip him apart and tear him into so many pieces he would never be whole again. He felt claws on him, raking through his skin and puncturing his flesh, he was drowning in blood and he could feel scarlet pressing against him, choking him, and yet it was trying to free itself from him too, pouring out of his nose and mouth and pushing against the inside of his skin, his bones were breaking and all the air was being sucked out of his lungs – he was dying, he knew it, he was burning and drowning all at once and he would be scattered to the wind like ash – but he wanted to die, because that would make this all stop – the unbearable pain, the noise, the screaming – he just wanted it all to end. It was all he could hear, he couldn't focus on the words through the blinding pain in his head but they made him hear anyway – what were they saying?

Make…me…whole!

He was screaming. He wrenched his hand away from the handle of the sword and threw himself back, sweating all over and panting heavily. He was still screaming but those voices were screaming too, shouting back at him – Make us whole! Make us whole!– why wouldn't they stop? He kept backing away from the sword, it seemed like it was screaming loudest of all, its voice cutting through the commotion as sharply as its blade would cut through a creature. Xephos reached his hand back to claw his way further away from the sword and his fingers closed around nothing. He tumbled backwards and a sharp hit to the back of his head plunged him into dark silence.

"Okay, so, can you just run me by what happened again?" Honeydew asked, shaking his head.

Ridge grimaced. He had heard about Dwarves' lack of intelligence before, but apparently words did not do their stupidity justice. He grinded his buckteeth together impatiently. "Xephos fell off the bed and hit his head on the wall. Got knocked out, from the shock, I think."

"From that sword?" Lomadia asked, not looking up. She was knelt at Xephos' side, holding his hand gently but firmly in her own. It couldn't have been more than a few months since she had last seen him, but so much had happened in that time – the whole world had crumbled into dust and been reborn, for one. She, Ridge and a handful of others had escaped into the Nether – well, actually, she wasn't sure. She had never been to the Nether but she had an idea about what it looked like, and it had been nothing like that. Ridge had theorized that they had not travelled to the Nether, but to some kind of 'edgespace' – a place between dimensions, to wait out the reconstruction of the world they knew. And that theory seemed true; when their portal had flickered back into life and they had stepped through, she had been expecting a ruined wasteland to greet them. In fact, like now, her sense of time had been distorted back then. The world looked exactly as it had done before their escape, before the Tekkit War, even. Every tree, every mob, every Villager, everyone exactly as they had been before, exactly as it should be, as though it had been only a few seconds since they had stepped into the Nether. Ridge had told them that the whole world must have been recreated to be identical to how it was before, and Lomadia had wondered for a while if Xephos had fled to another dimension like they did, or whether he had been recreated too, like the Villagers – part of her mind nagged at her, wondering if this was the same Xephos she had known before, or a second version; a man who looked the same, sounded the same, acted the same, believed he was the same and for all intents and purposes was the same – but wasn't, like a clone.

She dismissed the thought and pushed it to the back of her mind. This was Xephos. True, it really had been just a few months since they had last seen each other, but a glance at his face might have convinced you it had been years. His brow was furrowed – even now he was troubled in his dreams, it seemed – and he had a few worry lines etched onto his forehead, though it wasn't those that troubled Lomadia. She thought it odd that Xephos had no cuts or bruises, not that she noticed at first, but then she remembered his accelerated healing; that explained a lot – he had other symptoms of an adventurer; he could certainly do with a wash; his clothes dirty, singed, torn and ripped and all manner of other things; his hair was significantly longer and much more unruly than last time (she smiled as she pushed a lock of grubby hair behind his ear, which she noticed were long and pointed like her own) but then she saw it; on his arm, a large scar that looked surprisingly – and troublingly – fresh and tender, like a wide crimson smile on his otherwise pale skin. She tightened her grip on his hand and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek. Xephos' fingers twitched and he let out a sleepy sigh, shifting closer to Lomadia. She ran her fingers through his unkempt hair, until his expression softened.

"Yes. He reacted well, though, despite that. I was expecting him to draw it. He wants to take this sword with him." Ridge drummed his fingers on the case, deep in thought. "I was merely testing whether he was ready. And I think he is." He looked up at Honeydew. "This sword has the power to vanquish my fa– Israphel."

Honeydew frowned. "About that…" He did not speak for a moment, leaving his sentence hanging awkwardly in the air. He looked uncomfortably at Xephos, his gaze lingering on his friend's collapsed form, before meeting Ridge's gaze again. "…Xeph…is…Israphel's…?"

Lomadia tightened her grip on Xephos' hand, glancing back at Honeydew with a curt jerk of her head. "What caused this wound on his arm?"

"Some fancy golden sword this…this Reverend guy had. Reverend John. It's funny you should mention that." Honeydew's frown deepened. "Never seen a sword cut Xeph like that one did."

"Reasonable." Ridge said, though his expression and tone of voice seemed to suggest it was anything but. He paused. "To answer your question; yes, Xephos – and I – are Israphel's sons. As half-demons, we have strength, dexterity and constitution beyond that of the average human. Only weapons with a powerful enchantment can harm us. This…Reverend John…he was working with my father? But he was just a human, wasn't he?"

"Well…I think so. We killed him with just a normal diamond sword, I think…I mean…he was a bit…weird, even before we found out he was a…cultist or whatever. But he had…lost his son…" Honeydew's eyes widened in realization. "Well, that's what he said – he said he lost his son to a Creeper attack. But his son was also called Israphel? But there was no body or anything in the tomb so…maybe he just made it up?" Honeydew bit his lip, his mind racing.

"Maybe." Ridge said, though he did not look convinced, and Honeydew did not blame him. To be honest, he wasn't even sure what he was proposing – with each new piece of information uncovered, he had only more questions, and it seemed like most of these details were vague at best and contradictory at worst. To add to that, everything Ridgedog had said had blurred into an amorphous grey lump in Honeydew's mind – not because of his mind's limited scope, but because from the start his thoughts had been dominated by one key revelation – Xephos was Israphel's son. A demon – half-demon, whatever.

It wasn't the demonic nature of his friend that he found most startling, nor even – Honeydew was surprised to note – that he was related to their greatest foe – though that certainly wasn't something to be taken lightly. No, what surprised him the most was that Xephos had never told him. Xephos was his closest friend; they had found a home together, they had fought together, made a place for themselves in the world together, and now, with Knight Peculier…gone…Honeydew had no one else but Xephos. He might have understood if it had just been early on in their partnership, when they met for the first time – the spaceman story seemed ludicrous now, in light of this, but at the time, it had made sense. Honeydew had gotten the gist of it; Xephos had a past he wanted to forget, to run away from his old life and begin a new one – Honeydew understood that well enough; after all, he had left Khaz Modan for similar reasons, though admittedly not by choice. But now he was annoyed at himself that he had just accepted those vague details at face value and never pressed for more. Perhaps it was just his own desire for companionship that had made him blind to common sense, and perhaps it was that, too, that made it so easy to explain away inconsistencies that seemed glaringly obvious now – Xephos never got hurt by blades or arrows, he healed without food, he sometimes spoke in incomprehensible tongues, his eyes glowed; Honeydew had chalked it all up to 'alien genes' but now it was all undeniable – and how Xephos had despaired when Old Peculier had killed that Zombie_Boss; there was a wild, animalistic rage in his eyes that Honeydew had never seen before and hadn't seen again until Knight Peculier had sunk below the green lava in the mines.

Honeydew shook the terrifying encounter from his mind and looked at his friend's sleeping form – clothes ripped and torn, skin muddy and sooty, hair sticking up at all angles, brow slightly furrowed. In this brightly torchlit room, that was the Xephos he knew and loved, but was that all a lie? Even his name sounded bizarrely foreign to him now – if that even was his name. Honeydew desperately wanted to believe that when Xephos called him 'friend' he meant it; that their relationship meant as much to him as it did to the Dwarf…but it was…frustratingly difficult. Honeydew hated himself for thinking it, but Knight Peculier had told him extensively about the mental trauma inflicted upon him by demons and darkness. They played mind games, manipulated the vulnerable and delighted in the twisted results. Was Xephos like those demons? Was it all an act? What if…what if their friendship…what if it was all some big trick?

Honeydew cleared his throat and stood up. "I'm just gonna…I'd like to get some fresh air, if you don't mind."

Ridge narrowed his eyes. "Take the staircase to the roof. Just outside." He nodded in the direction of the door.

Honeydew mumbled some thanks and made his way outside, taking a deep breath of the cold, crisp night air, and drinking in the view below. Great plains stretched into the distance, dotted with wandering mobs, and lined on either side with dense forest. Far, far away, Honeydew could see a dark, crumbling structure that closely resembled a Nether Portal. Thankfully, it seemed it had already been destroyed.

It was a little while after Honeydew had ascended the steps that Xephos had begun to stir. He muttered and groaned to himself as he began to come to, his grip on Lomadia's hand tightening slightly, before his eyes steadily flitted open, bathing the room in pale blue. His eyes settled first on Ridge, then his hand, then the hand his was linked with, then the owner of that hand.

"Lomadia!" He made to move, but she was faster, wrapping her arms tightly around him. He winced instinctively, his wounds burning with the sudden pressure, and she quickly recoiled.

"Oh shit, Xeph, I'm sorry!" She said, panicked.

He gritted his teeth and pulled her close again, sitting up as much as he could. "You're obviously grown stronger since last time."

She grinned and flexed her muscles impressively. "Someone's gotta keep this place defended, y'know?"

Xephos hugged her close, resting his chin on the top of her head, breathing in her scent. "I-I…I missed you." He clung to her; her warmth and safety and comfort; rubbing against the softness of her hair and sighing into her scent.

"I missed you too, Xeph." She squeezed his hand as tightly as she dared – despite his own strength, he seemed as fragile as glass now. She moved away slightly to address him properly. "Though I wish you'd come back under slightly better circumstances. AKA looking less like you've been through one hell of a shitshow." Her gaze drifted from his eyes to the wound on his arm, to his ripped clothes, broken horn and general unkempt appearance.

Xephos could not meet her eyes. "I…lost control." He admitted, before rubbing his head. "Though this most recent ailment is to be blamed entirely on Ridge, I think." He looked over in his brother's direction. "What happened to that…where's the sword?"

Ridge lifted a finger. "Do you want to draw it?"

Xephos paused. "No." He lied.

Ridge waggled his finger. "Actually, you do. And you will do the whole time it's with you. It'll feel like it's taunting you, calling to you, begging you, killing you…but you'll get used to it. It'll never go away, that desire, but it can be lived with. Not ignored, but tolerated. I should know." Ridge's eyes darkened. "It will hurt. But it will hurt Israphel too, and I suppose that's reason enough to let you take it." He retrieved the sword, still sealed in its package, from his desk and handed it to Lomadia.

"Actually," Lomadia corrected, taking the blade, "you can take it because he expected you to try and draw the sword just now. You didn't. That took amazing strength and restraint, so you're obviously not fucking around when you say you're ready to wield it." She smiled, and cupped Xephos' cheek in her hand. "I'm so proud of you, Xeph."

"I…uh…" Xephos stammered, his cheeks flushing red. The warm glow of Lomadia's approving gaze was soothing, but he could not let it be. "It was only because…because I let my friend die."

Lomadia blinked. "What?"

"My friend – Knight Peculier – he was a great man, and he died…he died because of me. And I…I don't want that to happen to anyone else. Not to Honeydew, or Ridge, or you, or anyone. I can't let anything happen to you. I have to be ready. I have to…accept that I have to do this, accept that I have to kill him. And I will kill him. With this." He gestured to the sword. Despite his wounds, he felt ready and raring to go, running on adrenaline and ready to return to his quest. It was no longer mindless rage that burned in him, but righteous fury.

Honeydew watched a Creeper and skeleton engage in a lengthy scuffle, with the skeleton backing out of the Creeper's explosion range in just the nick of time before getting in another quick shot of its bow. Eventually the bony bowman emerged victorious, picking up its prize of a music disc before stalking away into the forest. Honeydew was so preoccupied with this bizarre display that he jumped a little when he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"Are you not cold out here, friend?" Xephos said, smiling. His outfit had radically changed – his old uniform was gone, and in its place was something with a kind of pirate vibe to it; dark brown trousers tucked into tall buttoned brown boots, and a blue and white striped shirt beneath a long red coat trimmed with gold, not too dissimilar to the royal blue version Ridgesog had been wearing. Across his back, a sword was resting in a holster, and the strap that went over his chest was pinned with the familiar badge that Xephos had worn with his old outfit too. Lomadia had her arm linked through his, and she shared his warm beam. Honeydew shifted uncomfortably.

"Erm…a little, I guess." The Dwarf said rigidly, glancing awkwardly at his feet. Xephos' expression fell.

Lomadia nudged him. "Talk to him, Xeph. You need to be on good terms if you're going to save the world." She freed her arm and gave Honeydew a small wave. "Nice to meet you, Honeydew of Khaz Modan."

"Same to you, Lomadia."

She reached up to wrap her arms tightly around Xephos in a bittersweet hug, before pecking him on the cheek with a kiss and whispering something in his ear. He nodded, and she settled back down onto the flats of her feet.

"You be careful, mister. I want some boyfriend to come back to."

"I will." Xephos said, his voice cracking slightly. "I will come back for you." He said again, more quietly. Lomadia smiled at him once last time, before disappearing back down the stairs. Xephos watched her go, before rubbing his eyes with his sleeve.

"What's with the new get-up, Xeph?" Honeydew said quickly, to ease the awkward silence between them.

"Hmm? Oh…" Xephos said, distracted, "…Ridge suggested it, seeing how my uniform was on its last legs and he had a coat going spare…"

"Looks fancy."

"I quite like it. It's warm." Xephos said. "And it's in the same colour as before!" He said, grinning at Honeydew, slightly red-eyed. Honeydew found it difficult to smile back.

"When were you…going to tell me?" Honeydew said, turning away from Xephos and facing out towards the landscape again. "Were you going to tell me…?"

He felt Xephos move and stand beside him. "I…I…" Xephos began. "I…wanted to…" He trailed off miserably.

"Then…why didn't you?" Honeydew said, unable to disguise the hurt in his voice. His hands balled into fists as his voice wobbled. "I could have understood, at first…everyone has things they want to keep secret, I know that, so when we had only just met…that I understand, but…I thought we were friends, Xeph. When he attacked us in The YogCave, when we followed him to Terrorvale, when we fought at the wall…all this time…we've chased him to the ends of the earth and all this time…he was…your father…"

He felt Xephos move to stand beside him. The taller man leant over the edge, elbows resting on the stone brick ledge. "I was…selfish." Xephos admitted softly. "I wanted to start afresh, begin anew…that's why I left them all behind – Lomadia, Ridge, and the others…I went off on my own…that was stupid. This…Creeper, it ambushed me. That's what caused the crater you found me in."

Honeydew frowned. "Too big for that."

Xephos shook his head. "When creatures get struck by lightning, they mutate. Pigs become zombie pigmen, Creepers become…charged. More powerful. Bigger boom." He shuddered. "That's why I explained it away as being a crash landing, I knew few people would know about the lightning stuff. That thing…it ambushed me, taunted me. I can hear them, y'know." He tapped his temple. "The mobs…they speak to me."

Honeydew's eyes widened. "You can talk to pigs?"

Xephos blinked. "Um…no. No, not all mobs. Only the bad ones. Zombies, skeletons, Creepers, Endermen…those ones. They're like, basic demons."

"Oh." Honeydew said, feeling a little disappointed. "What do they say?"

"'Die.'" Xephos said. "Or words to that effect."

"Oh." Honeydew said again. He wasn't sure what he had been expecting.

Xephos half-chuckled at Honeydew's expression. "When you saved me…at first I was just glad for the company. If I was alone again, he would find me…hurt me…it was selfish of me, but I…I had so much fun! Building that silly little shack, moving into The YogCave, all that mining and crafting we did…I enjoyed it so much, and I felt…so happy. I had found...a friend. I never wanted that to end…and I knew if I told you…" He wiped his eyes with his sleeve, the sudden movement startling Honeydew. "Well. I would be alone again, wouldn't I? Because of what I am – a monster, and monsters can't have friends. But perhaps that would have been better. You would have been safer." He sniffed.

"But…we can't die, Xeph, I'm not sure how you can get much safer than that."

"No no no, we can die, just not yet. All the times we've died and come back before – we came back because it was too early for us to die, it wasn't the right time. That's what…" He raked his fingers through his hair. "There's so much to explain…argh…back in Terrorvale, when I made us run through all those tunnels so we could go to the Nether?"

"Yeah, and we ended up on Survival Island, in the middle of fucking nowhere."

"Yeah, well…uh, well, that bit, I can't really explain, something to do with the dimensions breaking down…but! I was told to run. By…by Notch."

Honeydew raised an eyebrow.

"No no, honestly!" Xephos insisted. "Well, I think so…but don't you see? We had to run because we had to survive. This quest we're on…it's so vital that we succeed that Notch is breaking the laws of life and death just so we can see it through to the end. He intervened then, he intervenes every time we come back from death like it's nothing. It was foretold before this world was even made that events would play out in a perfect way, and we're both an integral part of that! So when we die, we come back, so we can play our part in all this."

"…And KP?" Honeydew said bitterly. "What was his part in everything, Xeph? To die because some ancient text says so?"

Xephos paused, guilt panging in his chest. "Maybe…maybe we would be inspired…to fight Israphel…so KP didn't die for nothing."

"Right." Honeydew nodded, taking a step back. "Get your brother to take us back."

Xephos moved away from the edge, tilting his head to one side. "Huh?"

"He brought us here – teleported us or whatever – get him to take us back. I'm ready to go." He unslung his pickaxe from his back and the diamond tip clunked against the stone floor. He extended his other hand towards Xephos. "You're right, Xeph. I have been inspired to fight this fucker because he killed KP. But I've been inspired because that man was my friend, not because it's my 'destiny' or because someone said I should be inspired. And I hope you're inspired too – I hope you're going to fight with me because you're my friend, not because a spaceman and a Dwarf were meant to save the world because some ancient beings said so. You are my friend, Xephos, no matter what you are or who your dad is. You're my very best friend. I hope you think the same about me."

Xephos smiled, and grabbed the Dwarf's outstretched hand, shaking it firmly. "Of course I do, friend! You were never just some piece of a puzzle or prophecy to me! I was…I was just…so…so scared you'd leave me…I didn't want you to go…!" He took a deep breath, struggling to blink back tears. "Honeydew…I have been, and always shall be, your friend."

With that, Xephos pulled Honeydew into a warm embrace. The demon's strong but soft arms lifted the Dwarf into the air as he hugged him close. Dazed for a moment by the spontaneity of the gesture, Honeydew's shoulders slowly relaxed and he wrapped his arms around Xephos' chest to hug him back, breathing deeply into the soft scent of fresh fabric and the strange metallic aroma that Xephos had always had. He felt Xephos trembling beneath his gloved fingers, quietly sobbing into the Dwarf's shoulder.

"I will fight with you, friend, from this day...until the end of my days."

A/N: Annndddd that's a wrap, everyone! I'm not sure how many people care that this fic is finally over and done with, but personally I'm just proud that I managed to finish it, especially when I rarely see any of my projects through to the end XD I'll be honest, I'm not really in the Yogs fandom anymore (so I can't promise I'll write the sequel I hyped up ages ago, or even ever use this account again, whoops) but it's just nice to have everything wrapped up, and hopefully leave a few mysteries for people to think about in case I do decide to ever return to this universe :) So now you can read up until chapter 47, watch series 1 of the Yogscast Minecraft Survival Series, read up to chapter 51, watch Survival Island, then watch Shadow of Israphel up until episode 38, read this epilogue (which is not really an epilogue because it's waaaaaay longer than all the other chapters but whatever lol) then return to SOI to watch until episode 42. I mean that's a thing you can do. Then I guess we can all have a cry while we wait for the Yogs to finish the story too XD (hey, at least I actually completed my story, even if it took ages!)

Thank you so much to everyone who read, reviewed, liked, favourited, followed, or just enjoyed this story, I hope this is at least a somewhat satisfying final chapter and I hope you have a lovely day because you are awesome :) sorry i made you wait so long oops

Many thanks o/

- AJ

PS: No, seriously, thank you all for your lovely comments, reviews and just all your support over the past few years. I went through so many ups and downs (which is why chapters were so far apart) but just reading all your kind words brightened up my days :D Seriously, it's because of you guys that this fic is complete. It's because of you that it got past the first chapter lmao

Thank you.