I said I would update every day, here I am three days later... Fail. Enjoy, I guess. And yes, I know this chapter is awful.

Oh, and by the way: I've really been slacking off on thank you's for certain milestones, so I'll put them all here:

Thanks for 1,000 views!

Thanks for 2,000 views!

Thanks for 3,000 views!

Thanks for surpassing the amount of views on Equinox's Revenge!

Thanks for 150 reviews!

Thanks for 4,000 views!

Thanks for 200 reviews!

And since we're so close but I'll forget... Thanks in advance for 5,000 views!

"Son?" Prince gasped. "Oh, no. It can't be me. I'm just... I'm a nobody!"

King rested his hand on Prince's shoulder. "Your eyes. They're green, just like your mother's."

"Lots of people have green eyes. Why does it have to be me?"

"Oh my gosh!" I said. "Prince, you even have a royal name. He's named King, and you're Prince. Accept it!" Steve and Sky nodded in agreement.

"But-" Prince started.

"Listen," Jordan said. "Trust me on this one." Prince opened his mouth to argue but eventually sighed.

"I don't understand." King said. "A year ago my five-year-old son goes missing after we're attacked by mobs. Now my son stands before me at, what, sixteen?"

"Fifteen." Prince corrected. "Wait, so this only happened a year ago?"

"To this day." King replied.

I chewed on my lip, considering the possibilities. Jordan quietly murmured something about creepers, skeletons, and blowing down doors. Steve still seemed a bit behind, focusing on the puppet stand. All at once, the three of us made eye contact. "The time barrier!" We said.

"The what?" Sky asked.

"The time barrier. We saw you a month ago, I mean a- We saw past you." Steve concluded. "But it was obvious you couldn't be in two places at once. We discovered that certain areas of the game are different sections of time."

"Is that why there were less flowers?" I asked. "Were they not invented yet?"

Jordan's eyes widened. "I don't know how you knew that, Elle, but you're a genius! Flowers weren't added until, what, 1.7.2?"

"But what about the flower in the girl's hand?" I asked.

"The what?" Jordan seemed confused.

"A yellow flower. A dead girl was holding one."

"That's always been apart of Minecraft."

I looked over to King and saw him clenching his jaw. "Are you alright?"

He met my gaze and sighed. "I remember giving that girl a flower. To think she died such a short time after that."

"What happened, King?" Prince asked.

"Dad." King corrected. "And it's a really long story."

"We've got time." Sky said.

King sighed and walked over to cobblestone stairs. "Well, I used to rule this land. Hence my name, King, but anyway. I was a fair ruler who was far more interactive with citizens than any king who'd come before me. And mobs... Well, they were terrified of me. Villagers cheered when they saw me, children gave me flowers..." He trailed off for a moment. "They said I was a hero. But the last night, the night our civilization fell, I didn't act heroically at all."

"It couldn't have been that bad." I said sympathetically.

"No. It was." He replied. "I can still hear their cries, but I stood there, well, numb. Not once did I help someone. All I cared about was saving my family, and I half-failed at that."

"You mean..." Prince said. "Mom's..."

"Dead." King said. "I don't even know how you survived. You don't understand how long it's haunted me."

"I'm sure it wasn't all your fault." Steve said.

"Let me show you." We began walking up a path to the ruined castle. "You see, a guard came through here with a bunch of arrows in his back. I just ordered people around. And then I went over here and-" His gaze met something and he fell silent.

"What is it?" Sky asked.

"My crown." He whispered. I saw the hurt and regret in his eyes as he gingerly picked it up. "I can't believe it... So long ago that I proudly wore this... I can't put it back on. I'm not worthy."

"Oh, come on." I said. "From what you've told us so far you didn't do anything wrong."

"You haven't heard the rest of the story." He said sadly. "I began fighting the mobs, but soon I really messed up. For some dumb reason I dropped my sword- my only weapon, mind you- and took my wife's hand. We tried to run over a bridge and to safety but a creeper blew it apart, leaving me on one side and her on the other with Prince. I didn't even try and save them. I ran like a coward and jumped into water. I failed." A tear escaped the corner of his eye.

"It's alright Ki- Dad, I'm safe now." Prince comforted.

"I didn't even raise you. I didn't meet the grown-up you until now."

"But you didn't mess up!" Prince insisted. "I was raised in a village by nice villagers. I learned how to defend myself, a skill I'd probably never learn here! I have so much valuable knowledge from living there. Now that I think about it... I don't want a life of royalty and luxury. I'm happy the way I am."

"Good thing you don't, my kingdom's in shambles." King sighed and sat down. "I've spent the past year scavenging for food and barely living. Mobs are always so close to ending me."

"There's got to be something we can do!" I said. "I mean, someone has to be behind this."

"Herobrine..." Jordan, who had been silent for ages, finally spoke.

"Come again?"

"Herobrine." King repeated. "I should've known he would do this! Oh, he's gonna get it!"

"There we go. We just have to find and kill Herobrine, and then everyone's happy!" I exclaimed.

"I still don't know who killed my villager father." Prince sighed.

I chewed my lip, a habit I had formed from all the problem solving I'd been doing. "Maybe... Maybe Herobrine is determined to kill your family? Maybe he did it, intending to kill you?"

"That's a good idea." Prince mused. "But where do we find Herobrine?"

I heard a large crash and a sizzling ball whizzed past my ear. "Guys..." I gulped. "I think I found him."

I hate describing music videos because I'm terrified of messing something up. Why did I decide to write a book on this? Anyways... In the reviews, let me know if you think the King's being hard on himself or if he should have helped more! If you couldn't tell, I think he was a bit dumb to drop his only weapon. Otherwise he did his best :p

~Scarlett