Chapter Text
Have you ever stared into an End Portal? Some find them hypnotizing, some pretty, some dizzying. They resemble space, with specks like stars. Hot air steams from the depth, even though the dimension behind them is cold. And no matter who looks at them, the specs seem to follow the eyes. That’s the part that makes some dizzy and most confused. It is an interesting phenomenon – the portal looks different for two different people, staring at it from different places, at different angles.
Spoke is standing at the balcony of the main tower at NeoNULL city, admiring the view. The building process is going smoothly, with new buildings and decorations getting added all over the place. He leans on the sandstone railing, content with this little moment of peace and quiet.
Spoke flinches hearing footsteps behind him. As he turns around, he sees Commander Underscore slowly pacing towards him. The froglights above the door are shining a purple light on him, making his white trims seem to glitter like small Void rifts in his armor.
Spoke: “What’s the matter? Did we find any nearby civilizations we have to deal with?”
Underscore straightened up and looked Spoke in the eyes, before adding in an official tone:
CU: “No, no. I just wanted to inform you that we are running low on building materials.”
Spoke: “Building materials? Can’t we just… disassemble more end cities?”
CU: “I’m not talking about end stone or purpur – we need wood, diorite, sandstone and all of the stuff from the overworld. There weren’t much supplies of random building blocks in Purgatory and we haven’t been in the overworld for a long time.”
Spoke: “Well, then what are we waiting for? Assemble a team and send them onto an expedition to get some resources – honestly, I could check in on what’s happening in the overworld myself. I’ll be back soon though.”
Spoke smiles hoping that Underscore would do the same, but he just nods his head, equips an elytra and flies off after a brief “I’ll take care of it”. The Voidling sighs and looks up at the giant black hole-security tower. It turned out really pretty – the whole city was getting finished up and Spoke is filled with a sudden feeling of pride. His army, his responsibility, his people – they are free from Jamato’s rule and currently working together on something beautiful. They are working on a home.
After a while, Spoke starts heading down himself to join the assembled team to the end portal. Before he makes it out of the building, a voice interrupts him.
JamatoP: “What do you expect to find in the overworld?”
Jamato’s voice sounds, echoing over the obsidian walls surrounding his iron bar cage. His eyes are locked on Spoke. Looking up from the mathematical equations he was scribbling on the sandstone floor.
Spoke is not in the mood for this. Running NULL is already stressful enough. He could just ignore him, but some prideful part of him makes him respond.
Spoke: “I don’t think it concerns you, but outside these walls we are building something, something new. Something greater. Something more… home. Did you ever do that? Give your soldiers a home? Or am I about to prove that I am a better leader than you?”
Jamato listens to his words with hostile intensity, like he’s filing every word to use against him sooner or later.
Jamato: “Nah. Your empire will crumble before you. If not by my hands, than by someone else’s.”
Spoke turns and leaves abruptly. He doesn’t want to give Jamato the satisfaction of seeing his expression when the words got to him. Instead, he walks out onto the front platform, where MinuteTech, Commander Underscore and his army are waiting for him. His thriving army.
Spoke: “Is everything ready to go?”
CU: “Yes. There’s been a small incident, but it’s been delt with.”
Spoke: “What incident?”
It was already delt with, but Spoke still wants to know – every issue regarding his army, he wants to know and help solve. So what if the problems could be resolved without him even bothering with them? It could be important later on. What if they lost a soldier? Spoke already noticed the entire NULL army, including the Commander himself, aren’t used to every single army member being important. Jamato treated individual members like they were expendable – that much he already figured out from their terrified reactions at the tiniest mistake. Commander is quiet, so Minute answers him instead.
Minute: “A group approached NeoNULL, same people as those who we encountered when exploring, the ones who took our loot. Apparently, they’re called Cycle.”
Spoke looked concerned. He does not want people near his army while they’re still settling.
Spoke: “What did they want?”
Minute: “No idea. By the time I got there the guards have already attacked them. They fled, neither side took any casualties.”
Spoke sighs with relief. No casualties. No one lost.
Spoke: “Okay… hopefully we scared them off enough, good job everyone…”
Spoke says calmly, but the tension doesn’t fully leave him. Minute notices it – he’s always noticed Spoke’s state easily, even when he was trying to hide it.
Minute: “Spoke, you okay?”
He asks but doesn’t expect much – it’s Spoke. Now, with NULL on his back, he’d rather die than show weakness. Even when worried, or lost, or desperate to help someone, change something bad, he doesn’t ask for help. Doesn’t share. That habit has hurt him before, but habits die hard.
Spoke: “Yeah, I’m fine. Let’s move.”
Minute sighs – as expected. He knows prying will result in nothing, so he just follows the army by Spoke’s side. All while said army talks and discusses their mission.
Ei: “To the overworld we go again I guess. I missed fresh air.”
Wex: “Girl, same. End air is so… I dunno, End. Feels weird after so long in the nether.”
The two girls talk while walking, other friends joining their conversation.
Aiz: “Don’t get too excited. We’re getting building materials, we might end up mining underground.”
Aiz adds, but Ei just grins.
Ei: “Don’t ruin the mood, maybe it’ll be fun!”
Wex: “Yeah, maybe we’ll get to fight someone!”
Wex sounds eager, to which Aiz responds with a concerned glace. Whether his concern was for Wex or her surroundings is unclear.
Ei: “Do you think any of the players we run into will be hot?”
Now Aiz’s concerned glance shifts to Ei. Why is she like this is an unanswered question almost everyone who’s heard her speak has asked.
Uzi: “Less talking, more moving. Don’t hold up the line.”
Uzi interrupts them, pushing ahead in the line to the pearl cannon back to the center of the End. Ei and Wex didn’t even notice when they got there, engaged in conversation. Time to throw some pearls. In the back of the line, two soldiers watch ender pearls disappear into the cannon.
Groz: “TK, how do ender pearls work?”
Groz asks, seemingly mesmerized by the sight.
TK: “Uhh, you throw one and teleport to where it lands?”
TK answers, looking at Groz sceptically, because they use ender pearls on the daily.
Groz: “I know that, but how?”
TK: “Fragments of an Enderman’s power I think.”
TK says, thinking that explains it enough, because Groz falls silent for a while. Not a long while though.
Groz: “…How do Endermen teleport?”
TK sighs. It’s one of those days, and he already knows the questions won’t stop coming.
TK: “I don’t know Groz. I’m not an Enderman expert. It probably has something to do with coordinate manipulation.”
TK is guessing based on experience. Groz seems to believe him out of a lack of other information.
Groz: “…what’s coordinate manipulation?”
The start of the line never looked further away.
Spoke, MinuteTech and Commander Underscore stand in front of an empty bedrock fountain. The End portal is gone. Broken. Closed. The End is locked down.
Spoke: “How even…?”
Spoke stares at the bedrock. They’re locked in the End dimension. The portal has been broken. Who could have trapped them in the End? Had he already made enemies?
MinuteTech: “It’s not impossible. I’ve had protocols for it. But this wasn’t me. I have no idea who would do this.”
Minute adds, checking the portal. Sure enough, there’s leftovers from the mechanism that deletes the End portal.
“We just need to respawn and kill the dragon to kill it. There should be End crystals in the base.”
Spoke: “Don’t go alone. NULL, some of you, go with him. We don’t know if the person who did this isn’t still here.”
Spoke commands, and a group of NULL soldiers follows MinuteTech inside the End base.
It’s mostly exactly as Minute left it. The storage area is huge, rows of chests reaching the high ceilings. Everything is sorted and in its place. Most chests are filled to the brim with resources.
Ei: “Damn, I knew the End guardian was rich, but this is another level.”
Ei looks through the chests for End crystals, Aiz by her side. Every soldier is checking their row of chests.
“Y’know with this amount of resources and riches in here, he could make a great s-“
Aiz slaps their hand on Ei’s mouth before she could finish that sentence.
Aiz: “Ei. Don’t. He’s scary enough without you pissing him off with your bullshit.”
Ei just smiles smugly, but does stay shut, checking the last of her chests.
Ei: “Nothin’. I mean, lots of stuff, but no End crystals.”
Around them, other NULL soldiers also finish empty handed. Minute checks some chests himself, but it’s futile.
MinuteTech: “There’s no point, clearly someone has robbed my base of all End crystals. Go back out and regroup.”
Minute says, exiting the base. He does not look happy about being robbed. Then again, who would be?
Spoke takes one look at Minute’s expression and knows. Nothing. Someone capable of locking them in the End wouldn’t be stupid enough to leave a way out in the base next to the portal.
Spoke: “Those of you who went with Minute, you stay here. Watch the portal. If anyone else comes here, they might either have End crystals or be behind the lockdown. Minute, Commander, let’s go back to NeoNULL to see if we have End crystals in our storage.”
Spoke speaks faster than usual. Today has really been turning from bad to worse, and knowing his luck this is just the beginning.
The route to NeoNULL was same as ever – bridge, pearl cannon, home sweet home. Before Spoke can even command it, NULL and Commander head to the storage to get their End crystals.
Spoke: “WHAT DO YOU MEAN WE DON’T HAVE ANY END CRYSTALS?!”
Spoke’s voice echoes off the walls of the tower. Having given Spoke the news that they don’t have any End crystals in their storage, Commander now stands in front of their leader. Commander Underscore has always been good at concealing any emotion, but even he seems a bit unsettled with their leader yelling at him.
CU: “All of the stashes were destroyed by the wither cannon.”
CU tries to sound calm when he explains, but even he talks faster under this kind of pressure.
CU: “I only brought what we could obtain from the prison. We had to come here fast.”
Spoke sighs through his teeth.
Spoke: “It’s just… ugh, it’s just ghast tears, glass, and obsidian! How do we not have any ghast tears?!”
Spoke starts pacing back and forth in the room, his head spinning from thinking.
Spoke: “Oh my Void, oh my Void, okay… no- no End crystals, that’s fine, that’s fine, that’s so fine… Perfect, we make the best of our poor situation, I’ll figure it out…”
Spoke talks to himself now more than to the Commander who stands there awkwardly, waiting for orders.
Spoke: “Okay, okay fine. Go get the army ready. I’ll join you when I have a plan. Just- go. Maybe think of something if you can.”
It comes out harsher than Spoke intended it to be. He feels like he’s at his limit. But there’s no time for that. Spoke sits down on the floor against a wall, thoughts spiraling. They are trapped in the End with something, someone capable of breaking the portal and intention to do so. What for? Who would even do this? Those Cycle people they fought earlier? Some other civilization like carnationn’s? What if NULL wasn’t even the target and they meant to trap someone else?? Would another civilization have End crystals? Do they have to go civ by civ scouring for End crystals? Killing more players who just live their lives out here?
Players live out here.
If this was a cartoon and not Minecraft, a lightbulb would have lit up above Spoke’s head. Why hunt other players when they will come to them? Every civilization needs to visit the overworld from time to time to get food or resources, recruit new citizens or just get a breath of fresh air. Maybe one of those civilizations would find the End portal broken and bring their own End crystals. Then they wouldn’t even need to fight them, maybe they can just make a deal with them to kill the dragon for them in exchange for those. Everyone gets the End portal back.
Spoke stands up fast, so fast it makes him dizzy. He rushes down the stairs to the exit, where out front the army stood ready.
JamatoP: “You really didn’t bring End cryst-“
Jamato’s voice sounds mocking again, trying to get into Spoke’s head. Not this time though.
Spoke: “Jamato, shut up. I have a plan and I’m about to fix this and I don’t need your yapping making it harder.”
Spoke snaps back at him, not looking in the direction of the cage. He fixates on walking through the halls to the front. Jamato had it coming for getting into his head, Spoke had every right to snap at this manipulator. He deserved it.
But his Commander didn’t. Spoke recalls their entire conversation – his patience snapped under pressure and stress… but it wasn’t Commander Underscore’s fault. If anything, he’s been only making things easier by assisting Spoke.
Soldiers stand side by side, netherite pauldron against pauldron, waiting for orders. In front of them, stands their Commander, with Minute by his side, all waiting for Spoke, who does come down the stairs moments later. His eyes lock with the Commander’s visor.
CU: “The army is ready for your orders.”
Commander’s voice sounds colder than usual, maybe also from stress.
Spoke: “Yeah, I have a plan, just… Commander, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have snapped at you, it was not your fault for our situation. Now, we go fix it. We have to get back to the main End island, so let’s get moving!”
Spoke stares for a second as the army takes around 5 seconds longer than usual to process the order. Or, in fact, process anything. For those five long seconds, his entire army stares at Spoke, ranging from completely baffled to doubting their hearing. Spoke stays in the back with Minute, explaining his plan to the older Voidling.
Spoke: “…and that’s how he get the End portal back. Do you think it’ll work?”
Spoke asks, watching Minute’s expression carefully.
MinuteTech: “Sounds good to me. People do you the exit all the time. Someone is bound to show up eventually.”
Spoke nods, then for a while just stares at his army walking onward.
Spoke: “Minute, why did they all look so shocked when I came out? Did something happen?”
Spoke asks. He sounds both curious and concerned. But Minute actually chuckles at his confusion.
MinuteTech: “You happened, Spoke. They were shocked at what you said.”
Minute says, but Spoke just looks even more confused, just like his army minutes ago.
Spoke: “What, “now we go fix it”? Were they expecting us to stay stuck in the End?”
MinuteTech: “Obviously not. I meant your apology to Commander Underscore. You just admitted to making a mistake in front of everyone.”
Spoke: “I mean, it wasn’t right to yell at him, he did nothing wrong, I just snapped, I had to make it right somehow. I just said sorry.”
Spoke starts overthinking it again, if it was a good decision to do it, but Minute snaps him out of it.
Minute: “You know most leaders of big armies like this usually claim to be all… perfect and absolute, even if they’re in the wrong.”
Minute says. For a second, he imagines his own past, how he would react if the mafia leader apologized publicly for yelling at one of his soldiers. …yeah, he’d be baffled for longer than 5 seconds, then suspect possession.
Spoke: “That’s… I don’t wanna be that. I don’t want to lie to them. I mean, I’d probably hate it if someone ditched the blame on me, and I don’t want them to hate me.”
Minute listens to Spoke, taking in his words. He does sound like he cares about this army, with every situation it becomes more obvious.
MinuteTech: “Maybe you having this army is not so bad. Do you think their previous leader ever apologized to one of them like that?”
Spoke actually laughs at his question. Jamato? Admitting to being wrong?
Spoke: “Not in a million years. No way. Jamato apologizing? For snapping at someone? I can’t even hear his voice saying something like that.”
Spoke says, and Minute smiles at him.
MinuteTech: “There’s your answer to why they were so surprised to hear it from you.”
Spoke: “Well… they better get used to it.”
Groz: “…so you all did hear that, right?”
TK, Uzi, Groz and Wex were all walking in baffled silence until Groz broke it.
TK: “Yes Groz, but did we hear it right?”
TK says. Usually, one of them would laugh at how they’ve just made the perfect example of the importance of punctuation, but now no one laughs.
Wex: “Did any of you ever hear Jamato apologize for anything?”
Uzi: “You’re kidding, right? Never. He didn’t do that type of thing, he never even spoke out loud around us.”
Wex: “…right. …We overuse this word.”
Wex points out, changing the topic a bit.
Groz: “I know, right?”
The rest stares at him in quiet disappointment.
TK: “Did any of you see how Ei and Aiz reacted to this? I’m surprised I didn’t hear Aiz falling over somewhere.”
TK asks, looking around the walking army, though it’s hard identifying anyone in the near identical crowd.
Uzi: “I think they were in the group that stayed back.”
Wex: “Oh Ei is never going to believe me when I tell her.”
Groz: “I’ll vouch for you sis!”
Wex chuckles at her brother’s enthusiasm.
Wex: “I’m pretty sure she’ll still call bullshit, but we can try.”
The army approaches the pearl cannon back to the main island.
The sound of swords crashing echoes against the Endstone and walls of Minute’s base. The shockwave of a mace throws around fighters of both sides of the conflict. Aiz gets up from the ground, hand on their temple, disoriented after the elytra-mace hit nearly got him. And they look up exactly in time to see their best friend, who’s voice lit up the dark void of their thoughts, surrounded by swords from every direction.
Aiz: “EI!”