Warnings: Violence, blood

     ~3rd P.O.V.~

It's quiet. Even for the End. As the Pack stumble drizzly out of the crumbling structure that was once a small fortress of obsidian and stone, they glance around in wary awe. The creepy ambient noises said to typically fill the void of the end are non existent, not a single enderman walks the cool pale surface of endstone, and the towers, buildings, and defences built by adventures past are now all reduced to rubble. The work of Void, no doubt. Or Herobrine. Shimmering end crystals levitate high above on obsidian pillars; deadly explosives ready to set off at a touch. In the centre of the island lies an empty bedrock frame. There isn't a living soul in sight. Just endless stretches of star filled void. The Pack creep forward, eyes scanning left and right as they advance. Clad in full suits of enchanted diamond armour, courtesy of Rob, and armed to the teeth with powers and weapons alike, they're ready to attack at a moments notice.

They emerge from the ruined fortress, built near the very edge of the main island. Mitch, the temporarily appointed leader of the Pack, signals for them to fan out. Just then there's the quietest whoosh of wind, so utterly silent that none of them notice. None of them notice... except Jerome. His sensitive bacca ears perk up and he turns on a dime, snarling out a warning as he hurls his diamond axe end over end...

only to be caught in the scaly black hand of Void.

Silky white hair whipping around like a blizzard, she twirls around in the air and sends Jerome's axe flying back. Jerome dives out of the way as the axe goes slamming into the endstone, sticking fast. As Jerome ungracefully rolls across the ground, Void lurches forward, vibrant purple acid dripping from her mouth as she blows out a hurricane of searing purple flame. In a flash Rob sends the ground in front of them exploding upwards, the purple fire blasting against the endstone. Mitch, standing near the edge of the wall, is licked by the purple flame and gasps in pain as the fire sweeps through the cracks in his armour and singes his neck and chest.

"GO!" Lachlan roars, shooting up as his limbs stretch and reaching to grapple the dragon hybrid.

      Mitch shoots off into the air, his wings a shining beacon as he draws his bow, nocks an arrow, and starts swooping and shooting at the ender crystals. Explosions rip through the silence and Vikk jumps back, trying to reach out with his mind and sense if there's even a single enderman nearby.

     Nothing.

      Huffing in frustration, Vikk swiftly morphs into a bat, flying over Void just as she breaks free of Lachlan's grasp. She hisses in fury, powerful blacks wings beating as she lashes out with her claws... only to have a cow land directly on her head. Void growls in pain as a sharp hoof cuts a deep gash into her pale face, digging her claws into Vikks flank and flinging him headfirst towards the ground. A faint beam of energy explodes from a nearby ender crystal, and the wound instantly heals. Jerome steps back, watching as Vikk morphs into a parrot in mid-air, his keen eyes assessing his opponent.

      Two purple horns curve up from a head of long silver-white hair. A torn mouth splits her pale face, her purple irises tiny and wild. Two massive white-boned wings with black membrane pump as she soars higher into the sky, well out of even Lachlan's full reach. Dark purple scales crawl halfway up her arms and a purple ball of flame shoots from her clawed hand as she intercepts a ball of Rob's magic. A thick spiked black tail swished from between two scales legs, the underside lined with large white plates. As always, a key dangles precariously from her neck from a gold chain, fashioned of endstone with a bright purple amethyst  in the centre.

     Jerome roars an earsplitting challenge, brandishing his axe. Void turns her face on him, well aware of his super-strength and not keen to verse him one-on-one so low to the ground. She hurls a half-hearted ball of condensed flame in his direction, which Jerome deflects like a paper ball into a nearby obsidian pillar. Soaring high above the range of everyone but Rob's attacks, which she dodges almost every time, the Pack scramble helplessly as she bombards them with flame, dips down for a melee attack, and then floats right back out range.

       "Mitch!" Jerome hollers, grunting as a breathe of flame singes the tip of his exposed fur, "Engage Void! Try and get her closer to the ground! I'll take care of the rest of em'."

       Mitch salutes to acknowledging the bacca, Jerome slinging his axe over his chest and sprinting over to the nearest obsidian pillar, claws easily piercing the rock as he begins to scale the side. Mitch   flies at breakneck speed towards Void, switching out his bow for a gleaming diamond sword, first flying up and then plunging down to get gravity on his side.  Void eyes him up as Mitch comes spiralling down, sword aimed to plunge through her chest. She twists around, her large muscular tail batting the sword away. Mitch tried to swerve to the side, but his momentum carries him forward and the spikes on Void's tail go piercing into his chest plate, sinking deep into his chest. He yells in pain, trying to fly backwards but turning up unsuccessful as the spikes hook into the underside of his armour. Void grins mercilessly as blood pools out of the punctures, purple flames burning hot inside her mouth.

       Suddenly a hand is grasping her horns and wrenching her head to the side, a cone of flame spilling out of her mouth and missing Mitch by an inch. Lachlan snaps her head down, his limbs stretched to their Max as he hugs a nearby pillar like a giant four-limbed spider, one arm extended and wrapped around Void's horns. Teeth gritted in pain, Mitch takes her momentary distraction to grab her tail firmly, letting his wings fall to his side and gravity take its course. She snarls in shock, falling several blocks as Mitch's full weight pulls her down by the tail, Lachlan helping by pushing.

      Another explosion rings out as Jerome destroys another end crystal, using the blast energy to propel himself nimbly to the next pillar, standing almost side by side to the other and housing the very last crystal.

      Rob pants, exhausted from sending off a barrage of magical attacks. Then, he looks at Mitch, looks to Vikk who is standing there frustrated, not able to do much, and gets an idea.

     "Vikk, can you turn into like... a really big rock. A spikey one?"
  
        Vikk nods silently, his body crunching and growing as his ribs snap, protruding out of his torso and lengthening as he morphs into a giant spiked boulder the size of a ravager. Rob summons a giant braid of vines that wrap around and secure themselves onto Vikk. The vines lift Vikk easily into the air, extending higher and higher to seemingly endless heights until he is parallel with Void and Mitch.

       "Lachlan, let go!" Rob shouts, concentrating and simultaneously summoning an ender pearl into Mitch's hands.

       As Lachlan releases his grip, and Mitch chucks the pearl into Lachlan's forearm. He teleports off of Void's tail, grimacing as Lachlan wraps his arm like a snake around his waist, lowering him to the ground. As the last ender crystal shatters into a million pieces, Void shrieks in pain as a giant spiked boulder smashes into her back, Vikk's spikes digging into her wings and ribs. She pinwheels towards the ground, torn wings flapping in a panic as blood spurts from her fresh wounds, Rob controlling the vines to swing Vikk down in hot pursuit. She catches herself at the last second, sweeping low to the ground and ramming headfirst into Rob, Vikk plummeting to the ground not a second later.

       Rob dives out of the way of her head butt, Void's horns scraping the side of his leggings with a horrible screeching sound. Angered, she spins around in an instant, fire spurting form her mouth and hitting Rob straight in the back at close range, leaving a toxic haze behind. Rob gasps and chokes in shock, skin searing as he crawls out from the cloud of smog. She dives to rake him with her claws, when an axe comes end over end and sinks right into her shoulder blade, blood squirting out on impact.

      Howling in rage, Void rips the axe out, eyes furious as she hurls it at Vikk, now having morphed into a fox and charging full speed to reach her. As Vikk yelps in agony, the bloody axe pinning his tail to the ground, Void twists and kicks off the ground, ducking under Lachlan's swinging arm and making a line straight for Jerome. The one who got rid of her last source of regeneration, and the one at fault for her fresh wounds. Jerome takes a deep breath, letting out a sonic scream as Void approaches, hands outstretched with two balls of flame in either hand. She barrel rolls out of the way as the deadly vibrations blast past her. She claps her hands together and a giant cloud of smog fills the air behind her.

        Mitch, who was hot on her tail, flies right into that cloud. And Mitch, now in direct line of Jerome's attack, is hit head on.

       Jerome can't help but freeze as he sees the body of his best friend drop from the sky, a trail of toxic smog trailing behind him as he spirals uncontrollably towards the ground, eyes closed. He only has a moment to see Vikk ripping his tail free, lunging forward, and morphing into a stack of hay to catch Mitch before Void comes barreling into him. Her claws gouge deep into Jerome's forearm which he raises at the last second to protect himself. As his flesh is sliced open, he brings his other fist around and it makes a solid connection with Voids gut. She coughs up a mixture of blood and acid that burns Jerome's face, momentarily gliding his vision. With a growl, blinking the stinging substance away, Jerome bares his teeth and sinks them into her bicep, using his overwhelming strength to overpower her.

      Void, knowing she can't beat Jerome at a contest of strength, tries a different tactic. She rips herself free before he can get a good hold on her, giving Jerome whiplash with her tail as his claws rake through her skin. He stumbles back and Void makes a tight circle, flying once again straight towards him. Jerome steadies himself, ready to catch her, but at the last second she drops her altitude and Jerome's grab misses. She shifts to the side and her tough wings sweep his legs, sending him crashing over the side of the pillar. Jerome catches himself on the ledge, dangling by only three fingers as he grunts and struggles to pull himself up. Before Jerome can recover, and before the rest of the Pack can reach her, Void flips in the air and plucks Jerome right off the edge. Grabbing around his ankle so he's flipped and disoriented, Void dive-bombs towards the edge of the island...

      and tosses Jerome right off the edge.

       As this is happening a crack splits the air and a bolt of thunder slams into Void, sending her dripping from the sky as the membrane on her wings burns. The light snaps Mitch out of his daze, groaning as Vikk comes into focus above him, forcing a regeneration potion down his throat. A sharp ringing stabs his ears as Vikk props up his head. His lips are moving but, to Mitch, it's gibberish. Motion somewhere in the distance occupies Mitch's bleary focus, and he tilts his head. Mitch's eyes shift behind Vikk just as Jerome's body disappears over the edge.

       Lachlan in an instant extends his legs and steps to the edge in a single stride, dropping to his stomach and sending his arms flailing out as far as they will go. Jerome steadies himself in the air, reaching and stretching as far as his tired body can go as wind whips past his face, just brushing Lachlan's fingertips but continuing his fall. Lachlan's hand jerks away, his face a mask of horror, as the island shrinks smaller and smaller, darkness beginning to cloud Jerome's vision as the dead cold of the void seeps around him, wrapping around his body and paralyzingly him. Falling limp, a single tear drips from his eyes, glinting as it falls away. The stars surrounding him seem to pulse and wave, blanketing his vision, clouding his mind.

       And then suddenly, one of the stars seems to shift. Grow. Shining brighter than its kin, the star begins to overtake Jerome's vision, and he smiles grimly despite the crushing pain coursing through his body. The light speeds closer, closer, dulling everything in comparison. I guess this is the light at the end of the tunnel... is the last thought running through Jerome's mind as the world fades to white.

~~~

Question of the chapter:

Thoughts, GO!