This is a long chapter :D I think it was fun to write.

Gonna go finish my missing essay now, lol XD

~~~~~

GAME OVER

Chapter 26 [All. His. Fault.]

~~~~~

Adam took a moment to look down at the baby again, it stared at him with large lilac eyes. A sudden realization that he was holding a baby, in the End, began to sink in. In a panic, Adam held out the baby away from his body and began turning this way and that way in nervousness, trying to find what he was supposed to do.

"Oh Notch! Oh Notch! Oh Notch! Oh my Notch, I am holding a baby!" Adam started to panic, how he was so calm before amazed him.

The baby began to giggle ever so slight and reach with its little, chubby arms to the sky and grabbed at nothing as if it could grab at something. The baby paused, sneezed and blew little purple flames because of the sneeze.

In shock Adam stopped moving and stared at the baby, It was only a moment later Adam picked up his movements and moved in a more frantic panic, "Oh my Notch! I'm holding a baby that breathes fire!"

Adam took a moment to glance in Seto's direction, good, he thought. Seto was still preoccupied with the Dragon. By now the Players on the ground had changed formations in order to give Seto back up. No one was looking at Adam. Though if Seto had seen him, he'd be really surprised considering the distance between them was great, Adam himself could barely make Seto out except for the purple glow.

Adam noticed the Endermen were still standing on the mountain sides growling and raising their arms up, but they did not move to engage with the people below.

Whatever was going on this baby had to be protected. Adam brought the baby closer to his chest in a protective embrace and looked around. From below the ground, the Player that was protecting Ross rushed out and joined the fight above ground.

Perfect! Adam wasted no time dashing below the surface and saw Ross and Jin still safely underground.

"Adam!" Jin yelled, he hadn't really moved from the ground, "I can't believe you ran--"

"Guys! I need your help! Oh Jin, here," Adam tossed Jin the health pot Seto had given him and Jin caught it easily.

"What is it? Why are you so loud?"

Adam held up the child for both to see, "This! I don't know what to do!"

"Holy Notch!" Jin sat up straighter and winced due to his injury.

"Why do you have a baby!" Ross yelled.

"Seto! He just gave him to me, told me to guard him with my life...he also told me not to look, but it is kind of hard not to look when a hand just freaking pops out from underneath his cloak! Don't tell Seto that we saw he found a baby, I just need your help, how do I care for a baby?!"

Jin gulped down the potion and sighed as the effects began to take place.

"How would we know? Do we look like freaking mothers!" Ross yelled.

"I don't know, maybe!" Adam panicked. Jin unsteadily stood on his feet and walked carefully to Adam, he winced as his bones were still healing and the inflammation in his muscles died down. Jin took the baby from Adam and cradled it in his arms.

Both Adam and Ross stared in dumbfounded shock at Jin; Jin glanced up and said, "What? I have a big family and at least 7 younger cousins. I've babysat pretty much all of them at one point in their life."

"We didn't say anything..." Adam awed, "But if you want us to, I'll say you're really good at this. Look," Adam cooed, "He's already sleeping." Adam fawned over the small child practically forgetting his original concerns.

"He is pretty cute, isn't he?" Jin chuckled.

"Let me see..." Ross grumbled. He abandoned his post by Jason's machine and sauntered over to Jin and Adam. The soft snores of the child were enough to bring all three of them to silence as they stared at its sleeping frame, " Yeah...I guess he's pretty cute..." Ross looked away and flattened his ears in an attempt to stay calm.

Jin snickered and Adam grinned, "Awww! Rossy! You like babies don't you!" Adam lightly punched Ross in the arm and elbowed him while wiggling his eyebrows.

"I do not!"

"Yessss you do~!"

"Do not!"

"Guys, shhh, you'll wake him up!" Jin whispered loudly. Immediately Adam and Ross silenced themselves and Jin took a seat on the ground. Adam and Ross did the same as the huddled around the baby.

Suddenly a loud blaring voice emitted from the machine Ross was at just moments ago.

'Ross! Where are those coordinates!' it was Jason screaming into some sort of walkie talkie that apparently could transmit to this machine.

Ross jumped up in a panic and the baby woke up crying. Ross answered, "S-sorry! I'll finish scanning the surroundings!

The child cried and wailed and Jason's voice spoke again 'What was that! What is that noise in the background!'

Ross impatiently signaled to Jin to quiet the baby down, Jin panicked and stood up trying to rock the baby back to sleep like before.

"N-nothing! It...it was just Adam! He started uh...screaming!"

'Adam! He should be on his way back to me!'

Jin continued to panic-rock the baby and Adam looked around for any way to help, but he could not.

"Uh...S-Seto forced Adam to stay and do something for him! He can't come back now! Bye!"

'Wh--' Ross shut off communication and let out a tense sigh. Jin finally calmed the child once more and it fell asleep again.

All three of them slumped to the ground and sighed in relief. They were silent for several minutes before Ross spoke up, "Why is there a baby in the End?"

Jin shrugged and they looked to Adam, "I don't know man, I just know that babies don't normally spew fire--"

"What?"

"Huh"

"Spew fire, that baby spits literally fire...oh shit, did I not mention that?"

"No--"

"Shhh," Jin hushed Ross.

"Sorry, and no you did not mention such a detail!" Ross hissed.

"Sorry."

The three of them relapsed into silence once more.

The sound of a large explosion above ground was heard, there was the loud, agonizing roar of the Ender dragon.

"What just happened!?" Adam whisper-yelled.

"They killed it, oh thank Notch!" Jin stood up and all three of them clambered up the mined out steps.

The dark sky was lit up with a blinding purple-white light. Adam watched in terrified awe as the dragon's body broke apart to dust and smoke and down rained the little green and yellow orbs. There were so many.

"Oh my Notch..." Adam breathed.

"Adam, take the baby, Jin and need to bring Jason's machine to the surface," Ross told Adam. Adam nodded not really paying attention as he watched the entire area in front of him get filled with smoke. Adam felt Jin force the slumbering child in his arms.

Within a matter of 10 minutes of watching, Jin and Ross returned to the surface carrying Jason's machine, "Adam we need to move over there, you see that fountain-like structure that has appeared?"

Jin's question brought Adam back and he glanced in the direction Jin gestured in, he nodded a yes, "Good, everyone is preparing to leave through that fountain, we need to join them too."

"Right," Adam glanced down at the peacefully innocent child in his arms and grimaced as he brought Seto's cloak to hide the child's face more.

"Why would you do that?" Ross asked.

"Because Seto will get mad if he knows that we know that the it he wanted me to protect is a living, breathing he."

"Right...."

Adam walked beside Jin and Ross as they carried the machine, they traversed the rocky terrain of the end in silence. Adam kept looking around for any sign of Seto, but he could not find the man.

"ADAM!" Adam jumped and felt the tiny child in his arms stir, he glanced wildly around and found Jason storming over to him. Behind Jason was his team.

"J-Jason sir!" Adam saluted with one hand while carrying the baby with the other, he made sure no one could see that it was a baby. He didn't want Seto getting mad if everyone found out.

"Why did you not report back?" Jason stormed up to Adam and Adam had to look down on Jason in order to meet his stern expression.

"Ross tol--"

"I don't need what Ross told me, why did you not return, what is your reason?"

Adam gulped, "Seto had me watch over whatever is in his cloak, sir."

Jason's eyes lit up, "OOo! Did he say anything about what it was?"

"No sir," Adam fidgeted, he glanced over at Jin and Ross. Both of them seemed a bit nervous too, "He just told me not to look."

"And did you look?"

"N-no sir," Oh Notch why did he stutter, would Jason notice?

"Good!" Jason turned away, "Continue with whatever you were doing, at least this mission wasn't a complete failure."

Adam sighed in relief as Jason walked away but nearly jumped again when a burst of purple magic appeared next to him. Adam looked to see Seto had appeared. He was breathing hard and he was badly cut on his side, blood stained the fabric of his clothes. There were cuts on his arm that made blood trails that spiraled down his arm.

"S-Seto! You're hurt--"

"Blood loss won't kill me, I'm an OP-Player remember..." Seto grumbled.

"R-right," Adam looked at the concealed child in his hands, "I watched over hi-- it like you wanted."

"Good, give it here," Adam complied and did so carefully.

Seto, however, was none too gentle with the baby and his rough treatment nearly made Adam give himself away until Ross squarely kicked Adam in the back of the leg. Adam nearly fell.

"Ack!"

"We're leaving soon, get ready to jump," Seto muttered and walked away with the hidden baby in one arm and his staff in the other.

"Nice going, you nearly spilled the beans," Ross muttered.

"Sorry, but did you see how he held the poor kid! Oh Notch--"

"Just stay calm, that's just Seto for you," Jin said.

"Did you see the way Jason reacted, it seems he knows what Seto got," Ross added.

"Yeah..." Adam trailed off, "Something just doesn't feel right," the last bit was inaudible to Ross and Jin.

~~~~~

The End was still covered in the smoke from the dead Ender dragon. All four teams had lined up in front of the fountain. Team 1 had already jumped through, one after the other and so had Team 2 and half of Team 3.

Adam waited patiently near the end of Team Jason's line with Jin and Ross. He kept glancing over to the smoke as if expecting to see something. He had been told that the Ender dragon always came back, and he was worried it would suddenly emerge and kill them all. Adam wondered how many people died and found themselves back in the capital. He also wondered if anyone had permanently died, Adam shuddered at the thought and hoped no.

In 5 minutes, Adam, Jin, and Ross were next. He gave Jin and Ross a thumbs up as they carried Jason's machine and jumped through together. Now...it was only him.

The last of the AHD's people in the End; the quiet was almost haunting. Adam stood at the very edge of the fountain and glanced down at the inky black whatever that seemingly had stars or something within. This would take him back home, back to the capital.

Adam jumped but took one last look as he did so.

For a second...Adam thought he saw two figures in the smoke.

Not the tall, thin, stick-like figures of Endermen, but tall, human-like figures.

But Adam wasn't sure, because the moment he realized this, he fell into darkness.

~~~~~

"Stop this! Listen to me Azmir! This will not work!" The moon was high and swarms of Players and OP's battled and fought on the border of Rekrium and Celean. It was pure desperation of their mother who called for this war in order to bring her innocent son home. Having no choice, Aurora complied, she was strong, and she knew it. Though her magic was not as numerous nor as powerful as Azmir, she could enhance her strength tenfold and build herself and objects up with the most indestructible of materials. But she did not do so in this battle, she called it her honor code, her code to always fight fair.

"It will because I will make sure it does!" Azmir whirled to face his sister, the two of them were far from the densest parts of the battle, only because Aurora feared for what her brother would do. When she tried to place a hand on him, Azmir merely smacked it away. The two twins had never acted this way towards each other before, but now with their brother missing, it seemed to be the only reason they could no longer agree or laugh together.

"Dammit, out of the way! I will save him!"

"Azmir! Wait! You mustn't use your gifts! We were blessed with these abilities to promote peace, you mustn't spite the gods now with your rage and hate--"

Azmir spun around, "You're telling me not to fight with everything I have, but instead leave my brother in the hands of that greedy king! I can't believe you would say something so cruel--"

"I said no such thing!" Aurora roared, through the battle waged on around them, no man dared come close. Despite the King's demands for their powers, the royalty of Celean was still regarded in a somewhat holy veil, it would take a madman or a damn courageous son of a bitch to even attempt to attack even one of them.

Azmir did not flinch at her sister's words.

"If you use that magic of yours, it will be their lives in your hands, can you so cruelly take them--"

"Yes, my family is everything to me, if you've forgotten what it means to have a family, then you're no sister of mine," with that Azmir turned away from his sister, and Aurora watched him go.

~~~~~

Once, many centuries ago, OP's were feared. Regarded as overpowered beings that should not live in society. They were driven out of the cities and forced to live in isolation, but the King of Rekrium brought them back. He promised them a home in his kingdom if they would swear to his name and fight for him. And so they did.

Celean was losing the war because of this. The OP's were strong. The summoned bombs from the sky that rained down on the battlefield, they created waves that crashed to the ground and swept all in its path away.

But Azmir had enough. If his sister would quit being so stubborn she could deal with the OPs herself, that sword of hers was strong enough to kill even an OP in their OP state. It was one of a kind, a sword that could slay even a God.

But she would not raise a finger, instead, she cowered thinking the war could be won with their troops alone. But Azmir was smarter. He would counter the OPs with his own abilities.

His red eyes blazed with rage as he brought his hands to the sky. He was no OP, he needed no gem, no staff, all he needed was himself.

And there was purple. A purple like the dead of night, dark and devouring, it covered the expanse of the battlefield, it was the darkest of lights.

10 minutes passed and still the dark light would not let up, the battle had become silent. Not because people had died, but because people were terrified.

So this was the wrath of the Celean Royalty, those who were held to be holy as the oldest family line in existence. Said to possess mysterious gifts, said to be untouchable.

The light began to fade, the ground began to crack, Azmir was ready, he was willing, he would use his power to--

There was a scream, but not his scream. Azmir gasped in shock as the dark light faded completely and in front of him was his sister. His sister stood in front of him holding her sword up, protecting Azmir from the player that had dared tried to kill her brother.

Azmir took a step back, the ground cracked, "Aurora..."

The world was silent. A brother watched his sister get speared by knives and swords right in front of his eyes by a small team of Players who were just the sort of madman or courageous sons of bitches that were needed to do such a thing to Celean Royalty. People stopped fighting, to see someone regarded as an almost holy being get injured in such a way never heard of.

Even the Players who had aimed for Azmir's life were shocked and almost fearful. Everything was still.

Aurora dropped to her knees and coughed, blood splattered the grass.

"Aurora...why?" Azmir's voice cracked. He took a step forward the ground began to crumble only slightly.

"Don't move." she whispered; he heard; he stopped.

Aurora pushed herself into a standing position using her sword as a crutch. Her breathing was heavy, her clothes nearly stained completely in her blood. She stared in fury at the Rekrian troops in front of her.

"Stop fighting! There is no need to fight! We do not want to rage war, we only want our Prince back! We are a peaceful kingdom, and so we only want peace! Will you still fight for a battle that leads only to bloodshed! Or will you stand down, we are all human here, we are all under the Gods care, why must we fight when we should live in peace!"

Azmir's magic began to fade but the ground still cracked beneath the surface, unnoticed by the people.

Aurora's breathing was labored and Azmir tried to step forward to help her, "Don't move Azmir! You are done, do not instigate any further quarrels!" Aurora roared, she stood tall despite the blood, she tossed her sword behind her by Azmir's feet and held out her arms as if trying to welcome the world into a hug.

"Give our prince back to us, we want only peace--"

"Peace? You want peace?" A man walked through the crowd, "Peace, coming from the woman who sent her loyal subject into the castle and had a man killed, for what, to find a child. You had a man killed for peace! Don't ask for peace when you've already lost it!" The man raised a familiar sword into the sky. Aurora's eyes widened, the sword she had given to her trusted friend, a Celeanian who lived in Rekrium as their ambassador.

So it was true, he had died.

The man lowered the sword, and the OP's in the sky dropped bombs.

The Rekrians retreated, and the Celeanians fled to safety. Azmir ran to his sister's side but she denied his assistance.

"Take the sword," she told him, "take it." In a last ditch effort, Aurora tried to use her strengthening magic to protect Celean, but the ground had weakened from the OP's earlier assault and Azmir's attempt to end the war in one swoop.

Instead, Azmir watched his sister get blown back by the explosion, her body never to be found. He watched his people die by fire and force as they fled. He watched as the land he called home cracked and crumbled at his feet. The ground broke away. The kingdom sinking.

In one sudden realization he realized his recklessness had brought this upon them, he realized all of it, was his fault. He realized as he fell that Celean was falling because of him.

Azmir watched the night sky fade to black as his kingdom around him broke away from the land and sunk into the blackening void.

This was his fault.

This was his fault.

And now, he would never see his brother. Now his brother will probably be killed, a child who never got to grow old, a child who never fell in love, a child who would never get to be with his family again.

This was his fault.

So much blood was lost today, the blood of his people and the blood of his family.

This was his fault.

All. His. Fault.

~~~~~

Whoo, I wasn't planning on updating this weekend while I was grounded. Which is why I updated early, just in case, but look at that. I updated anyways.

P.S. Ross secretly likes sweets and cute things if you can't tell. He tried very hard to hide that, but the baby was too cute for him to resist.

Theories? I bet there are a lot now :D

~CATtheDrawer