Hello, my Flowers! I'm terribly sorry for the long wait on this, totally my fault. I wrote this chapter nearly three months ago, and just never got around to typing it up until today. I've got another chapter in the process and one of TTO that I might finish either today or sometime next week.

The hiatus really came from me just getting distracted by other stuff. It's been, what? Five or six months? I've got through several interests since then, and my writing's sort of been skipping around all of that. Danny Phantom, Tokyo Ghoul, Code Geass, Heroes, and I'm currently watching Merlin. I'm totally a binge-watcher, by the way.

Yeah, so I do intend on finishing this. I have a very good idea for the rest of this story and into the next (don't know if I mentioned it, but I've always planned on this being a trilogy followed by one-shots (some of which have already been done or at least started)). Don't know how long the gaps between chapters may be, but I can only hope it won't be long.

Have a good day/night!

Love, Laurel

"So, what are we doing next?" Shade asked, looking over his shoulder at me.

I thought a moment, "Well, we probably have Notch sorted out, even if he's not on our side, which would have been too much to expect. We should probably focus on Herobrine, I don't think Notch will target us anymore. Herobrine did openly attack us once with his mobs" I said it carefully, since I knew that Mist and Shade still mourned for Heather, Shade especially.

The cat hybrid didn't comment. Instead, Ty was next to speak, "It shouldn't be too hard to find a Nether portal, right? I mean, explorers are always going into the Nether. There's two in Budder City alone that I'm aware of"

"We can't exactly go back though, not yet. I'm pretty sure Notch is annoyed with us, and that will affect his priests and Sky too. Our best bet is to get all of this figured out before we try to go back. Sorry, Ty"

My brother reluctantly agreed with me, knowing that what I said was true.

"And anyways, remember what those merchants were saying? It's getting dangerous in the Nether, so fewer people are going. That should make it easier for us to find an unguarded portal" Shade said, his voice even, though his green eyes were fixated on me.

"So what's wrong?" I asked, just as evenly.

"You know you can't leave us behind this time, Krystal. I think it's more dangerous for us in the Overworld than the Nether. Shade and I will be careful, and I think that Hector will be safer than any of us. You two are probably immune to fire too. We all have to go, Krystal" Mist's light blue eyes were just as intense as her brother's, meeting my own violet.

"I know… I can't always protect you" I stated, feeling the weight of that feeling on my soul. "This is a matter mostly involving only me and Ty, I wish you three hadn't been dragged into it"

"It doesn't matter. Every step of the way, together" Mist smiled her wide, friendly smile at me, her tail wagging behind her.

(...)

We spent a few days traveling to different towns and cities, whatever we came across, trying to find a Nether portal. We eventually found a barricaded portal in a small town called Cubeville. They'd apparently recently had trouble with zombie pigmen coming through, and so had deactivated it.

We could be a bit more open in this town, seeing as they were rather open-minded. I kept my hood down and didn't wear my shades, letting them see my eyes. No one stared, and I saw several others with unusual eye colors as we walked around. We hid out hybrid status as usual, which was almost a reflex at this point.

To those who asked, we announced ourselves as a group of friends, and were welcomed. I liked this place. As their sign read, it was "A Home for Anyone and Everyone" It wasn't a bad idea. Everyone cared for each other, like how I'd wanted it to be for Sky's city.

Maybe that had been too much to ask for, turning a military city into something as welcoming and accepting as this small town.

'All you want is peace like this, but because of what we are, that might never be possible for us' Enderlox commented sagely. Ty didn't argue, too tired to care.

My brother had insisted on flying higher up while I had stayed near the others, fighting the stronger winds up there so that he could detect any enemies approaching. It had drained his energy, but he'd managed to keep it up until we stopped at the end of each day. Of course, he was the one with the enhanced hearing, which did no good up there in the wind, and I was the one with the enhanced eyesight. I probably should have been the one up there.

After discussing it, the five of us decided to stay here in Cubeville for a full day to rest, since we'd been on the move near constantly since we'd left Rikilyn, and Ty and I for even longer. As we had before, we paid for two rooms in the inn, with a connecting door between. Mist and Hector decided to go out and explore, maybe even find out something about the Nether portal. Shade and Ty unanimously voted to nap, flopping down on their beds.

I chuckled at the tired boys, letting them get the sleep they deserved. If anything, this trip was strengthening the bonds between us hybrids. Shade was finally acting like we were family and not just acquaintances. I knew he still blamed me for his friend's death, and possibly even for dragging them into all this, even if Mist didn't.

I decided to spend a bit of my free time talking to Mother, seeing as we hadn't spoken since our brief contact in the Aether. Come to think of it, I hadn't seen Endre and Endrea either. Had they not found us since we'd flown up to the dimension of floating islands? Even more so, I hadn't seen a single enderman since Ty and I had left Rikilyn the first time. We had been in the Aether for less time than I'd expected, but our two endermen guards usually would have spoken to us by now.

Sitting cross-legged on my bed, I was glad that Mist had left and the room was empty, though I could still hear Shade's purring snores in the next room. A pleasant sound in the background.

I reached out with my mind, seeking the connection I had felt once before, in the Aether. After a few moments, I found it, and I let out a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding, -Mother? Are you there?-

-Krystal!- Her immediate reply made me wince slightly. -Where have you been!? Notch hasn't said a word in days! I was afraid he'd…- She trailed off, obviously having been about to say either "killed you" or "captured you"

-I'm fine, Mother. As are Ty and everyone else- I assured her. -We left the Aether three days ago, when Notch nearly got Mist, Shade, and Hector killed in Rikilyn. No one's hurt, and we're all safe in a small village at the moment-

Quickly, I explained to her all that had happened, including my DreamSight battle with Taro. To my curiosity, she knew what it was, and like the valkyries, called it the Dream Realm. Apparently, it was a very rare ability among the enderdragons. Very rare, but possible. She herself had only heard of it before, never seen another with the ability.

-I'm just glad you're alright, Krystal. I'll send Endre and Endrea to you as soon as possible. They've been almost as worried about you as I have been- Mother stated, and I got a mental image of her fussing over me even though we weren't physically together, and although I'd never exactly been coddled, I understood the concept.

I grinned at the idea, only because she couldn't see it, but then went directly back to seriousness, -Their guard of us may not be possible soon. We're leaving for the Nether tomorrow, so I don't think they can follow us. I'll talk to them in the morning, and I'll contact you the moment we leave so you can send them back- I decided. -Has anything else happened with the other immortals?-

-No, they have barely spoken since we last did. I suppose due to the fact that Notch does not want to admit that you slipped through his grasp. He is far too proud- My dragon mother was probably chuckling at the idea. -You certainly put him in his place-

Me, putting a god in his place. -I agree. I don't think we have to worry about him at the moment. But what of Herobrine? He hasn't tried anything since that one attack, as far as I'm aware- I was referring to the attack which had led to Ty and I meeting our mother for the first time.

-I do not know, dearest. I have not heard anything, and the endermen claim no unusual activity-

-Alright, I'll be careful- I promised.

-Tell your brother that too-

With that ending, I cut the connection and opened my eyes. It had been less than an hour, so I was still alone. The room that my wolfish friend and I were sharing had a balcony, so I stepped out into the open air.

The balcony overlooked the forest outside of the town, which led into a marsh further out into the trees. A human probably couldn't, but I could smell the peaty water through the fragrance of the woods and the thicker scents of the village. Even though we were supposed to be relaxing, I found myself tense, finding it hard to let down my guard.

I found a sort of hatred festering in my heart, directed at Notch and especially at Taro. How could they treat life and faith with such disregard? The rogue valkyrie, nothing like the noble folk she came from, had violated Ty with her rancid spirit, possessing him as though he were nothing more than a puppet whose sole purpose was for her to control him. She'd held no regard for his or Enderlox's opinions. Then there was Notch, who had openly threatened my little family, and laughed at Sky's devout faith.

How could they stand over others like that? How could a god have so little concern for those beings that he, as the legend went, had created? A creator was supposed to have a responsibility, an obligation to their creations. I had walked alongside humans, and though I had seen many sides, including darker ones, the very thought of thinking of lives as worthless made me sick to my very core. Maybe it was because I myself was half human, even if I had been treated badly by them for most of my life. Maybe it was because my own life had been created, not born, and i had always been treated as inhuman. I still didn't know which half I sided with more, the ender beings I loved or flawed humans. Maybe it was because the arrogant way Notch spoke made me think of the scientists, who played with life like it was nothing of value. But most of all, it was because they reminded me all too much of what I was supposed to be, what I had been created to become, the monster that filled me with fear unlike any other thing could…

Was Herobrine just as careless? Just as disregarding of life? He was said to be the worse of the two gods, but after my discussion with Notch, I didn't want to believe that the white-eyed brother could be worse. I had heard once, while speaking with Endrea, that Herobrine at least cared for the mobs under his rule, and never just threw their lives or unlives away without purpose. That had to count for something. The Aetherian god and Taro hadn't even seemed to care for the valkyries, who were growing more and more sick of Notch's behavior.

I shook my head, tired of thinking about the gods. Might as well get something done. I sat down at a desk in the room and pulled out a book and quill I had bought in the market earlier. At least with the time we'd spent in the Sky Army, mostly Ty, we weren't concerned about money.

I wrote a letter to Eli, back in the city. I needed to update him on the situation, seeing as he was my best and favorite human ally, and we had a moment of respite before diving back into the fire. Literally, in this case. I wrote of all that had happened, including trying moments such as Ty's possession, the fight with the valkyries and then Taro, Notch's threats, and our escape from the kingdom of Rikilyn. I trusted him the most, Seto being a close second. Sky wasn't exactly fond of me, and as much as I trusted Savannah, she hadn't exactly been emotionally stable ever since her brother's betrayal. She couldn't imagine why he'd done so. I made sure to include in my letter to inform her that we were alive and doing quite well for ourselves.

I didn't mention DreamSight. I didn't know the potential of that realm, so I wasn't about to risk writing about it in something that could potentially be intercepted. Of course, I wasn't even going to mark it with my real name, instead using the name of Lilyana Ripley, his old neighbor and friend from back when he'd lived at the orchard, before meeting me. I was also writing the part about the Aether as though I was proposing an idea for a fictional novel to him. It never hurt to be safe, who knew what Sky had done in our absence?

Once I was finished, writing out my friend's address on the envelope, I walked over to the town post office and dropped it off. The townsfolk were very happy people, almost everyone who passed me on the street said some form of greeting.

"Hey!" I looked over my shoulder when I heard running footsteps and a voice calling, "Your name's Krystal, right?"
It was the innkeeper's daughter, a girl around my age with curly brown hair and freckles. She wore long, sky blue robes, as she was training to be a mage. Her name was Celine.

"Yes, it is. What do you need, Celine?" I replied evenly, slowing my gait so she could catch up and walk beside me. As always, I wore my black cloak in public so as to hide my wings and tail.

"Just wanted to say hi since you're new in town and all" She grinned. "So, how do you like Cubeville? I've always found it so nice. My parents and I moved here so we can study magic in peace, without persecution"

I nodded in agreement, "Yes, I know how that can be" I paused, then decided to use an example from outside of the five of us she knew, "My brother and I have a friend, a sorcerer. He was driven from the city because of his magic, and has lived in isolation since, except for we few visitors"

"What about you, Krystal? What drives you to seek sanctuary?"

I gave her a soft smile, "There is no sanctuary, Celine. Not for us" Not here in the human world, not yet. "There are very few places I am not constantly watching over my shoulder for trouble, where I feel safe" At home, in the End with Mother and Ty beside me. "Even here, no matter how naturally welcoming, I would not feel comfortable explaining half the truth of myself. There is much I keep hidden, for everyone's sakes" Mostly to protect the five of us hybrids.

There was something about Celine that almost put me at ease, some internal yearning to trust the mage. And that feeling felt unnatural, unlike myself, so it put me on edge. Besides, as much as I wanted to trust her, I couldn't risk endangering the others who depended on me more than I realized sometimes.

"I understand. Just be safe, okay? You seem like a really nice person who's been through a lot of bad. It always gets better eventually, or at least bearable" Celine promised, waving as she left me to continue on my way back to the inn.