(Alt. Title: Sorry it's been so long!)

Apologetic Author's Notes

It's been… months, since I last posted a chapter, and I feel really bad about that… life's just been drawing my attention away from writing recently. I feel like I keep repeating myself with each apology and that what I say becomes more of an excuse each time, so I'm just going to… apologize, and get on with it. So, I'm sorry.

I want to write three more chapters before I post the next one, so I can try to get back to my old 1-chp-a-week schedule. Hopefully, I'll be able to pull it off.

Anywho... Reviews!

GiggiEba, heh, well, I'm glad the gruesomeness wasn't deterring in the slightest. :P And it's very much alright to be weird, so don't worry. I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter! Here's the next, and again, sorry for the long wait.

kevy365,yeah, Trudy! Get out of there, quick!

Guest, heh, yeah, sorry… I'm working on it, I promise. :) Might've been, I'll have to check… yep, I meant conscience. :P

minecraftprogame, yeah, it is! Sorry it's not finished… heh, I'm glad you like it so much! Heh, well, hopefully it will have been worth the wait.

fanzforzfictionz, I've made it, I finished it! So sorry it took me forever and a day…

AlbinoRecord123, I'm glad you do! I feel terrible that I didn't hurry, but I put it out there in the end. :)

kevy365, heh, no, I'm not dead, but thanks for asking. :D I'm doing well, it's just that i've been up to other stuff instead of writing… heh, hi. :P

And now, finally, at long last, let's get on with the story!

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Sarah's POV

His hand cupped my cheek gently as his lips pressed up against mine. I had my arms wrapped around his neck, keeping the boy close as I kissed him. We were in our shared room, the curtains in place, only a feeble beam of sunlight pouring in. It was one of my 'off' days, so of course Thomas and I would make the most of it and spend a good long while making out. And you can't blame me either. I was sure that I'd lost him, but now that he was back... I don't know. I wanted to make sure I used up every second with my boyfriend.

Tom pulled away to breathe, brushing a strand of hair out of my face. I hadn't bothered to tie it up this morning. We were a bit busy cuddling in bed. "I love you," he murmured.

I smiled, pressing my forehead to his. "I love you too, Tom."

He smiled back, giving me another quick kiss. "Are you sure it's okay for us to just... do this? You must have many more responsibilities to deal with since you're a general."

"Blame it on Jack," I answered, taking his hand and pulling away. "He wanted me to take breaks from soldiering. I was completely against it before, obviously, but I think it'll be okay if we take advantage of it for a while."

The boy chuckled. "Right. How's your dad?"

"He's doing great," I told him, smiling a little. "Jack and I helped him out, so the house is a lot nicer now. So's his garden, which is good. I'm surprised you remember since you've only met him once."

Thomas shrugged. "I remember most things about my past life. And like I said before, fragments of older lives."

I hummed, inching closer. "Is it okay for me to ask about them?" I asked quietly. "Your memories?"

He hesitated. "Yeah, it's alright. I'll try to answer what I can, so... ask away."

A tiny smile made its way to my face. "Okay. What's your oldest memory?"

The boy frowned thoughtfully for a minute. "Uh… one of the oldest I remember is... the first time I faced Darkness," he murmured. "I'm pretty sure that's the oldest thing I can remember."

I blinked, feeling terrible for asking. "Oh. You... you don't have to tell me about that if you don't want to."

"It's alright," he said. "I... don't mind."

"Are you sure?" I pressed. I was curious, but knowing wasn't worth opening an old wound of his.

Tom smiled. "Positive. What do you want to know?"

I hummed as I thought about what to ask. "What was the first thing you said to him?"

He chuckled, blushing a little and shrugging. "'Good afternoon'."

Of course. I rolled my eyes, unable to keep myself from smiling. "And what did... he say?"

Thomas turned away, staring at his lap for a moment. "'There will be nothing good about it'," he murmured. "'Believe me'."

I sighed. "I didn't want you to get upset-"

"I'm not upset," he interrupted, "just... well, okay, I'm a bit upset, but not at you or because you made me remember. Thing is... I've never truly wanted to fight him."

"Really?" I asked incredulously. "Why not? He's a demon."

"That doesn't mean anything on its own," Tom explained. "From what I can remember, I was good friends with a few demons. And Blight's another example. 'Demon' is just... a faction, sort of. They do have to feed, unlike angels who have to let out energy to survive, but that's the only true difference."

I hummed. "Yeah, but in this case it's Darkness. Why did you not want to bring him down?"

"I still don't," he mumbled, turning away. "It's... I always hoped that I'd be able to convince him to change. Peaceful solutions were the first thing I tried with any threat."

"And did you try it with him?" I asked.

The boy nodded. "He was going to attack a mob city, and I tried to talk him out of it. I... explained how we could all live in harmony, told him that we could be like brothers."

I raised an eyebrow. "Is that why he calls you 'brother'?"

Tom chuckled. "I guess so. We had our first battle shortly after my attempt at a peaceful resolution failed. I could have ended it right then," he murmured. "I was winning the fight at the end, but when I got the chance to finish him, I... didn't. I couldn't bring myself to do it. Just so you know, I had never killed a demon before him. I fought and drove them away, but I had never killed one, nor had I wanted to.

"He took advantage of that and attacked me again," he went on. "I had no choice but to do the same. In the end, we both died... but the city was safe, and so were all the people who lived there."

"And you've been dealing with him ever since," I concluded.

Thomas nodded. "The sun talked to me after the battle. I don't remember much of what he said, just that every time Darkness and I died to each other's hand, we would lose a piece of ourselves. My light would fade and his flames would dissipate, until there was nothing left of either. But if I let him win, if he beat me, then he would wreak havoc over all the clans."

I stared at him, the boy not turning to look me in the eye. "Don't worry about that right now, Tom," I said, leaning against him. "Let's change the subject, okay? What else can you remember?"

He frowned again, thinking. A smile bloomed on his face. "Something else I remember is working on the castle and Veridon's wall. We finished it the same day I met Darkness."

"You built the castle?" I asked. "Wow."

"I had lots of help, obviously," Tom said with a shrug. "But yeah. A team of endermen builders and I built many of Veridon's houses, the wall, and the Ironstone Fortress. I've actually wondered how different it is now that when we first finished it."

I smiled, getting up. "How about a tour? I can show you around, and you can tell me what you can remember about it."

Tom smiled back, rising as well. "I'd love a tour."

"Then let's go," I told him, leading the boy out of our room and down the hall

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"This is the kitchen," I told him, opening the door. Most of the cooks were there, chopping away at vegetables and boiling things in pots.

Tom hummed, looking around. "It... hasn't changed much from what I can remember. Some of the equipment is different, and most of the furniture is in a different spot, but other than that... it looks the way it did ages ago."

I smiled. "I guess that means you built it well. Let's go to… the dining room."

He took my hand as he followed, smiling back at me. I brought him to the dining room, stopping to let him have a look. The boy examined the large room, walking around the tables and chairs. Smiling faintly, he placed a hand on one of the smooth tables. "These things were a pain to carry over," he told me.

"Really?" I asked, giggling. "Well, you did it in the end, by the looks of things. Congrats."

Tom chuckled. "Thanks. I always liked these, despite how annoying they were to move around." He looked up at the ceiling. "The chandeliers are different, though."

I hummed, walking over to him. "Are they? Well… maybe the original ones fell. Their chains might have rusted over time."

He nodded. "Probably. These look really cool as well, so that's good." The boy turned towards the castle's rear entrance. "I wonder if the courtyard changed."

A smile made its way to my face. "Oh, maybe, but not by much I'm sure."

The boy raised an eyebrow at me, and I took his hand to lead him outside. "Let's go check."

Tom smiled, tagging along. I was practically skipping towards the door, excited to show him the new addition to the castle's courtyard. I placed my hand on the doorknob, grinning at him--I probably looked stupid, but I didn't care--and then slowly opened the door. Spreading my arms out theatrically, I brought him outside. "Welcome to my garden."

He stepped outside slowly, taking it all in. I had put in some more work over the past few days, so now everything was gorgeous. I had planted a few more colorful tulips, had taken care of every single lovely flower, and had planted a few more saplings which would grow into tall trees and create a natural canopy above it all.

The boy looked to be in utter awe. He turned to look at me, gesturing to the beautiful grass. "May I…?"

I smiled, taking his hand again and leading him into the garden. He looked around, admiring every flower, sapling, and bush. We stopped in front of the stone formation in the center, where we had set up the mini waterfall, and where I had planted an apple tree sapling. It had grown up a tiny bit, its pretty little leaves almost glowing under the sunlight. Tom stared at it, carefully reaching over to brush a finger against one of its leaves.

I giggled, smiling widely. The boy turned to me, smiling back. "You giggled."

Blinking, I crossed my arms. I tried--very hard--but I couldn't wipe the smile off my face. "So what if I did, huh? Am I not allowed to giggle?"

Tom chuckled, taking my hand again. "Yeah, you are. It's just that I had never heard you giggle before." He turned back to the sapling. "This is an apple tree, isn't it?"

"Yep," I answered, placing my head on his shoulder. "The rest of the guys helped me set this up a few weeks ago. They bought a lot of supplies and flora, and let me plan out this little area."

He smiled. "You made them suffer, didn't you?"

I stuck my tongue out to him, making the boy chuckle. "I built this little bit with some help," I told him, gesturing to the rock formation, "and planted the sapling in your memory. I... thought it would be a… bittersweet thing to remember you by."

Tom wrapped an arm around my shoulders, holding me close. He planted a kiss on the top of my head. "Thanks… I think this is the perfect thing to remember me by," he murmured, smiling at me.

I smiled back, and we both stood there in silence, staring at my beautiful garden. "I love you, Tom," I whispered.

"I love you too, Sarah," he answered just as softly. We spent a good few minutes in my garden, enjoying the sun's warmth, and each other's company. Then we went back inside, back up to my room, and spent most of the day chatting and making out. Life was perfect.

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Valory's POV

I nodded my head again at the mayor, barely processing his complaints. I had been going from city to city all day, every other day, listening to greedy, self-centered talking heads. 'There's not enough funds for this,' 'I need a raise', 'people are disrupting governmental procedures', 'the soldiers aren't doing as they're told,' yada yada. In the end, they always asked for more money, no matter the issue.

"...and now there are people claiming that I am corrupt!" the mayor exclaimed angrily. "That is absurd! What are you going to do about this, your highness?"

I blinked, staring at him. "I, uh… well, I guess…"

"You must do something," he pressed.

"I…"

Lila stepped in between us, jabbing her finger at the man. "Why must she, huh? You're the one being accused, and rightfully so, you greedy bastard! I think that the only thing your queen can do about this is choose a mayor who isn't a money-grabbing prick! If you want to keep your position, you better do your job properly. None of this would be happening if you hadn't diverted funds from the fucking hospital!"

Both the mayor and I were shocked. He straightened his jacket, stepping back a bit. "R-right… forgive me for being so… direct, your highness," he mumbled, turning to me.

I nodded, placing a hand on Lila's shoulder. "It's… it's nothing. We'll be going now, mister Rhoe," I told him, leading my glaring sister away. She was still shooting daggers into the man, looking at him over her shoulder. "Have a... nice day."

He nodded, turning away from us. "You too, your highness."

We stepped out of his office, going down to the railway. Once we had gotten into the carts, and were racing our way back to the Hanging City on the rails, I broke into a giggle. Lila raised an eyebrow. "What's gotten into you?"

"It's just… the look on that poor man!" I explained, trying to calm down.

Lila laughed as well, smiling. "What? I wasn't gonna let him keep harassing you like that. You get plenty of that shit from most of the other mayors."

I smiled back, shaking my head. "But you didn't have to leave him so many scars."

The cave spider shrugged. "No-one messes with my big sister without getting at least a few."

"See, this is why you'd make a better queen," I told her, giggling again.

Lila rolled her eyes, still smiling. "Not this again. You're a brilliant queen, Val. And you know that June and I are always here for you if you need help."

"Yeah, but you're so… badass and confident," I countered. "I never know what to say or do."

"Hey, if I were queen, I'd have already pissed off every citizen at the capital," she joked.

I shook my head, smiling wider. "My opinion still stands. I think you'd be twice the queen I am."

"What about Jack?" she asked. "It'd be a lot harder for you two to be together if you weren't queen."

A sigh left me. "Yeah… that's… actually the only reason I haven't just… quit," I told her with a smile.

Lila blinked, frowning. "Wait, so… you're serious? About not wanting to be queen?"

I hesitated for a moment, and then nodded. "Yeah, I am. I just… don't feel like I'm… good at this. I struggle with the speeches, I have barely done any good in my kingdom… Jack's done a great job improving the lives of everyone."

The cave spider sighed. "You can't compare your efforts to his. He's lived a life of royalty for a good while, so he already knows how to do certain things, already knows how to handle people. You just need a little more experience, that's all."

I gave her a nod, humming. "I guess you're right. But that doesn't mean I don't still feel like I'm not qualified."

"Alright, fine, let's change the subject," Lila said. "What're we gonna do after this?"

"Um…" I frowned. "I'm not sure. I don't think we have anything else yet, but missJune might have something new for us."

She nodded. "Right."

I smiled. "How are things with Adrian?"

Lila huffed a little, smiling back. "Why do you ask?"

"I just wanna know," I answered. "C'mon, you never tell me anything about the two of you. And we're by ourselves now. You know I'm not gonna tell anyone."

She sighed again, looking downwards. "Things between him and I are great. It really sucks that we don't live in the same city, but hey, you always drag me along to see Jack, so that works out."

"You were the one who asked if you could come with me that first time!" I pointed out laughingly.

The cave spider waved me away, smiling wider. "Spare me the details. He and I took a walk the other day. It was pretty fun."

"That's great. Is his injured private alright now?"

Lila nodded. "Yeah. Adrian's still a bit shook up because he thinks it was his fault, somehow, but he's fine. He said he was probably going to change the rules for his troops too, so everyone's safer."

I hummed, smiling again. "Well, as long as he's alright. How about you? Are you alright?"

She smirked, leaning back against the inside of her cart. "I just got to shout at a fat asshole. I'm better than alright."

A giggle escaped me, and I rolled my eyes. "I guess I didn't really know what kind of answer I'd get…"

The cave spider chuckled as well. We talked most of the way to the capital, until we arrived at the station. A couple of guards helped us out of the carts, one of them bowing afterwards. "Your highness, king Jack is here to see you at the front entrance."

I blinked, a smile blooming on my face. "Really?"

"Is Adrian here too?" Lila asked, struggling to keep a poker face upright. I smiled wider at that.

The guard smiled too. "Yes, I do believe he is."

My sister took my hand, and practically dragged me away. "Thank you, have a good day!"

I giggled once we were out of earshot, tugging on her hold of me. "Slow down! They're not going anywhere."

Lila huffed, blushing and slowing to a walk. "I want to spend as much time with him as I can, alright?"

"I know, I know," I told her. "I know how that feels… but we should still walk. We don't want to fall and hurt ourselves."

She nodded, and we walked towards the main entrance. Jack and Adrian were both there, as we had been told. The young skeleton king was having a chat with two of my guards as we approached.

"...dry leaves after that, according to Sarah," we heard the king say. "Egg shells and fruit peels in the next layer, and then more dirt. You leave it outside for a few days…" The stray turned to us and smiled. "Hello!"

We both smiled back at them, Lila walking past him to hug Adrian tightly. Jack pulled me into a hug of our own as well, and I pulled away just enough to give him a quick kiss. "Hi. What were you talking about?"

Jack chuckled. "Mark is setting up a garden for his mother, and he asked us if we knew how to make compost just to make small talk."

One of the guards nodded. "Yeah. But I'm grateful for the help, your highness."

The stray smiled at him. "No problem. I'm glad to help."

I smiled at the guards. "Thank you for keeping them company. Have a good day."

They gave us quick bows. "Have a good day, your majesties."

We returned the bows. "Good day to you both," Lila told them before we walked further into the castle.

"Not that I'm complaining, but why the surprise visit?" I asked Jack after a moment

He shrugged, smiling. "In all honesty… I wanted to see you. And I dragged Adrian along for the ride because… y'know."

I giggled, nodding. "Right. That's really sweet of you."

Jack planted a kiss on my forehead, smiling wider. "How have you been? Any royal plans that'll stop me from taking you out on a walk?"

"I've been good, thanks," I answered, smiling back. "I haven't spoken with miss June yet, so I don't know if there's anything I have to do. If there's nothing, then I'd love to take a walk."

He nodded. "Alright. I really enjoy taking walks here. The buildings are very interesting."

"Yeah, they are," I agreed.

We walked together up the stairs and towards the throne room. Lila and Adrian waved goodbye and walked away, towards the dining hall and the kitchen. We stopped in front of the throne room's doors, and I turned towards him. "Wait out here for me, please? I'll only be a minute."

The stray smiled, leaning against a wall. "Alright, I'll be right here."

Smiling back, I nodded, and slipped inside. "Thanks," I told him as I closed the door behind me.

My second royal advisor was sitting in her chair--which was to the left of my throne and opposite to Lila's--and reading a book when I stepped inside. She looked up at the sound of me closing the door, and smiled. "Hello, Val."

"Hello, miss June," I said, smiling back. I refused to just call her 'June'. It felt wrong.

"Did your visit to mister Rhoe go smoothly?" she asked, closing her book.

I hummed, smiling sheepishly. "I guess you could… say that."

The ex-queen chuckled. "Lila shouted at him, didn't she?"

"How did you know?" I asked with a giggle.

"I would have done the exact same thing," miss June answered, still smiling.

Shrugging, I walked closer. "Is there anything else for me to do today?"

"Yes, actually," she said, taking a letter from her pockets. "King Adam wanted to meet with you to organize new trade routes between here and Laterite."

I nodded, hiding my disappointment and reading the letter. The creeper king wanted to make silk trading faster, and he wanted to trade for more of it. "It's not urgent, though, is it?" I asked miss June.

"I suppose not," she agreed with a nod. "I can send him a letter explaining that you're not available yet. Should I tell him why?"

I opened my mouth, thinking about it. "No, just… tell him I'm busy."

My royal advisor nodded, smiling. "Could I know why?"

Smiling back, I shrugged. "I have to take a walk with someone important."

She chuckled. "Alright. Go take your walk, then, your highness," she teased, giving me a short bow.

"Thank you, miss June," I said, bowing back before leaving the throne room.

Jack turned to me as I stepped outside. "So, are you free for the rest of today?"

I sighed, turning away. "No… I'm gonna be busy."

The stray frowned. "Oh… that's fine. Busy with what?"

Unable to help myself, I broke into a smile. I wrapped my arms around his neck and planted a big kiss on his cheek. "I have to take a walk with a certain someone."

The young skeleton king smiled. "Alright, then let's take a walk," he said, kissing me on the lips.

We left the castle hand in hand and walked the streets of the Hanging City, greeting people and admiring the buildings here. A loud, sharp cry rang out, startling a few people. Hawkheart dove toward us, fluttering down to rest on my shoulder. I smiled, scratching the large phantom's chin. "Hey, buddy. Is the clothing I made you still good? Do you have any burns on you?"

My pet cawed softly, stretching his wings and shaking a little. He seemed alright, no burns on his body or tears on the clothing.

"He seems happy to have you home," Jack comments with a smile. He reaches over, petting the monster. Hawkheart rumbles softly, leaning into his touch.

"Yeah, he does," I agreed, smiling back. "It's been ages since we've had any fun together, hasn't it, Hawky?"

The phantom cawed again, glaring at me now. I giggled, pouting at him. "Awww, I'm sorry, buddy. I've been busy, you know that. Tell you what, why don't you come with us? You can fly around, beg people for food, and get pats from us. Do you wanna do that?"

Hawkheart purrs, nosing my and settling down comfortably on my shoulder. I smiled, giving his little snout a kiss. "I'm glad you like the idea, buddy."

Jack chuckled, taking my hand. "Where should we go?"

I hummed, and then shrugged. "Wherever, I guess," I answered, leaning over to peck his cheek.

The stray smiles at me, returning the kiss and leading us onward. "Wherever it is, then."

We spent the rest of the day walking, talking, and kissing, enjoying each other's sweet company. Hawkheart got plenty of kisses, rubbing, and food, the large phantom spooking several folks along the way. It sucked when he had to go back to Veridon, but… we said we'd meet again tomorrow. King Adam will just have to wait for a while longer.

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3rd person POV

Monsters snarled and huffed at each other, unable to sit still for much longer. They had been waiting for many weeks to go out and wreak havoc, and the promises for carnage were getting old.A blaze woman passed by with her head held high, as always. Most of the monsters couldn't tell, but she was terrified to be near them now. Terrified that, if they knew what she was thinking of doing, they'd kill her where she stood.

She walked onwards, into the caverns where her room was located. The blaze quietly shut her door, and sat down on the bed. She couldn't leave today. The demon still needed her to run his wicked errands. He knew full well how skittish she had become, which is why he appointed that runt of a third-in-command to keep the monsters in line instead of her.

She would have to think of a plan. Even if she could start a fight, very few monsters would battle each other. It wouldn't cause enough chaos for her to leave unnoticed. And if she managed to escape, it would be less than an hour by the time he knew. It was almost hopeless. She couldn't fight: her flames had never been any good for much. She couldn't run fast or far either, and the endermen would find her before she could reach any of the mob cities.

It wasn't long before a headache set in, bringing tears and increasing her ever-present fear. She had to get out. But she didn't know how she could. Footsteps approached her door, and the blaze quickly dried her tears. She got up and walked to her dresser, the only other furniture item in her room, to pretend to be busy. The door opened, and she turned around to find the demon there.

"Trudy," he began, gesturing for her to step outside. "I have a task for you."

The blaze woman nodded, walking out of her room. "What do you need, my lord?"

"Dusk needs more food," he answered. "Send some of my monsters to collect it."

She nodded. "Very well-"

"You are going with them," the demon interrupted, leaning in. "Just so you can make sure nobody frees our captives this time."

Trudy blinked. "Alright… I will, my liege."

"Good. Keep an eye on them," he told her, walking away towards his own quarters.

The blaze watched as he walked away, completely shocked. This could be the chance for her to escape, but if she tried… what if she was caught by the monsters? They would probably be keeping an eye on her too. If she tried, she might die, and if she doesn't… tha blaze is more than certain that she will. She would have to think some more, but for now…

Trudy walked back to the large cavern, and picked out a spider and two zombie pigmen. She would have to play along if she wanted a chance to escape, and play along she would.

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Author's Notes

I feel terrible, cuz the chapter's approximately 500 words short of the full 5k, but I don't know what else to add. So, I'm calling it finished at last.

I did enjoy writing this chapter, just like all the others, but I'm still very much ashamed of how long it took me to finish it. Even so, I hope you enjoyed it. :D

Thank you all for your time, support, and most of all, patience. Have an awesome day!

~ LeMafiaKreb

(P.S, kevy, you're pretty much the only reason the chapter was done today, so thanks for that. :D )