It's been a while. By that, I mean I've been a lazy woman. Apologies for that. Hopefully I can actually finish this one! I'm kind of excited for this one, and I hopefully will not have too many major issues with doing this. It was originally written during 1.4.7, but will easily move forward. New mods will be added into the story, I'm sure, but for now the only ones mentioned are Biomes O' Plenty and Tropicraft. I will let you know if/when I mention a different mod. Forgive the spelling errors you may find; I'll correct them as I see them. Like my other Minecraft fan-fictions this will be realistic. Well, realistic for a fantasy. Hope you enjoyed this so far, and I'll see you in the first chapter!

~-Ari

Years ago, not too long, there was a war. It was a war fought by my grandfather and his grandfather... perhaps even his grandfather. Centuries and centuries it lasted, staining the grounds on which we'd once lived with red.

Nobody can recall for certain what had started the Bloody War. Some say it was over a royal family - others argue it was over space and food.

Regardless, humans and elves have lived in peace for a while now. My father brought me into a peaceful land. At least... a relatively peaceful land.

Perhaps I should elaborate.

My name is Princess Astradia, named after the Great God of Peace, Strad. He was one of three who brought peace back to our lands, though at a great and terrible price. He and his brother and sister, Stal and Mellohi, had joined together to rescue their creations at the height of the War. Pleading and arguing with the Council on both sides did nothing - all it accomplished was a heightened sense of anger and urgency, blood lust rising within the armies.

Strad had abandoned his siblings for a time, leaving them to fight the humans and elves on their own, desperate to bring peace back to their lands.

When Strad returned, with him came the Ash.

The Ash had been in stories from the dawn of our people, when the first man and woman of each tribe awoke on a beautiful planet. In their minds was planted knowledge of the dangers the Gods could bring upon the land, a veiled threat in favor of peace. It was written in the Books, rewritten dozens of times over the years as parchment became damaged.

The Ash was, to put it simply, a plague. Disease and death would only be the beginning - those who survived, the Undead would haunt. Unnatural creatures rose from the depths of the Underworld itself, reaching through the void and taking hold of the Terra Firma of our world, all too willing to destroy what we had created.

Strad had given us an ultimatum, that day. Live together... or die together.

We, naturally, banded together in tragedy and fear. The Gods taught us magic and defense, aiding us in the War as moral support - they could not meddle into our affairs any longer, as they had done more than enough damage.

We battled against the threats that swarmed us, outnumbering us by the thousands.

But we did not give in.

Despite the fact that so many had perished, the Ash was driven back by our forces, appalled by the strength and love at which they'd stood up against. Pride in our homeland had swelled the day Strad had announced our victory.

But a consequence came that not even the Gods had anticipated.

Though the Ash had been driven away, the effects still remained. The rifts between our world and the thousands of others had opened up when Strad had brought the Ash into existence. In the terror the Ash had left behind, such emotion fueled the stronger enemies to bleed into our world.

During the day, only a select few monsters roam the lands, the most common being things dubbed as 'Creepers', and giant spiders capable of dissolving the very ground you walk on, should it see fit. At night... at night, the terrors truly begin. Animate bones stalk through the trees, wielding bows with seemingly infinite arrows. Groaning undead roam the forests and plains, desperate for flesh. Tall black figures, far too tall to be a natural being of our lands, appear and disappear at random, leaving behind only purple flakes of dust and streaks of red where they'd once stood. They take fistfuls of things from every which way, be it wood or dirt or anything in between, a disappear without a trace. If one looks at them, they stare straight at you with menacing purple eyes, quaking and growling like a rabid mutt. Never ever look at them - and if you do, never look away until you are safely inside. From there, pray that they do not follow you.

The Gods were not able to banish these creatures. Strad had attempted to do so, but he had been severely weakened to the point of collapse, and still not a change had occurred.

Since our home was filled with these creatures, we ran from it in hopes that the numbers would be lesser with distance. We were correct in this assumption - from the forests and the deserts we roamed, leaving our precious Gardens and Extreme Hills we'd come to love.

We attempted to settle within the Mushrooms but in time it quickly proved to be a terrible idea. Something in the soil was bringing poisoned food into our lives. Yet again we were uprooted, fleeing the lands with a dark shadow looming on our heels. All the while the three Celestials followed us, running at the same pace as us, desperate to bring us safety. Mellohi and Stal had managed to keep the creatures at bay long enough to allow Strad to lead us into a beautiful land, filled with blue trees and sparkling, glowing flowers. It didn't take long before we realized that this was to be our next home.

My family built a home in the trees, overlooking the ocean by which we'd decided to live. A dock was built to fish, a farm created just outside our doors. Fish were caught and placed in our pool to be eaten at a later date, in particular Marlin. Marlin became our main food source, where humans left to live in a neighboring land, the Maple Forests. Red and Blue, we were.

Each race divided into two - some elves left for the cherried lands, filled with blossoms of the same name. Half of the humans ended up in a land much like our old forests. We were prepared to spread our kind across the planet, so desperate to preserve our species. Our land here in the Blue Forests, it has been decided that leaves painted the same colors as the four Homelands were to be placed around the base of the tree: Red, orange, blue, and pink. A fountain was placed nearby as well, the naturally purple water flowing inside multicolored leaves, symbolizing our new found hope and freedom. Stal and Mellohi returned with few battle scars, calling their brother home.

But going 'home' in the Heavens was not so easy.

Stal had fallen in love with a young human girl, where Strad had become enamored with an elven male. Mellohi herself had a lover in the Heavens, waiting on her return.

Despite it being a selfish action, both Strad and Stal made their lovers immortal. Both of them live in the same places they had for nearly one hundred and fifty years. Stal's lover, Tarryn, has departed for the forests of Pink. She had been nicknamed 'Chirp' for her love of birds. However, Strad's mate, Varen, remained in the blue forests with my family. He had been nicknamed 'Ward' for a reason unknown to the rest of us - Strad had named him, and Varen rarely goes by anything else.

However, there is still one other thing I've forgotten to mention.

As the story goes... I am Strad's Great Daughter, made of stars and wind, placed in my mother's womb to carry on Strad's legacy. There is no real proof to that claim, but... it's a nice thought. Varen in particular feels as if I am part of him. "I can feel it" he always says. He's a kind man, but sometimes he is a little worrying.

My father is dying, currently... and I am to take over for him when he passes.

This Blue Forest has never had a name aside from that - but I had a dream just the other night.

I think... I think it is called the Mystic Grove.