Outcasts - A Fractures Alternate Universe

Chapter 5: The End's Fall

   Caitlyn jumped out of the portal, landing on the Endstone floor. She looked around, seeing purple skies, lavender fog, and large obsidian towers. She was in the End, alright, and with each passing second, she wished she wasn't. Another thing she noticed was the massive army of Enderkin ahead of her.

   Heading the army were End Dancer Zeganirn, Dragon Seer Vordus, the Ender Dragon, and, much to Caitlyn's dismay, Matriarch Ceris. Suddenly, a loud SHING echoed through the End City, and each Enderman now had an arm blade.

   The first group of Nether soldiers advanced, charging into the city. Ceris drew her greatsword, charged forward, and disintegrated the first wave of invaders with one swing. The End Dancer led the rest of the army forward, wiping out the next column of soldiers. With only a few soldiers from the first wave remaining, the Ender Dragon swooped in, knocked several troops aside, and even incinerated a few with her fire.

   For a moment, it looked as though the Nether had been defeated. That is, until Naeus himself emerged from the portal, making a beeline for the dragon with Hogsworth close behind. He launched himself into the air and slashed the dragon's wing, making it impossible for her to fly away. Angered by this, the dragon began charging a fireball. Naeus took notice of this and shoved his spear down her throat, causing the fireball to explode. The dragon stumbled back before collapsing onto the Endstone, her body lifeless and smoldering.

   Unable to watch anymore, Caitlyn teleported on top of one of the towers and broke down crying. For quite some time, she had grown up in the End, helping Ceris make decisions that would later help the End prosper. Ceris was like a mother to her, and the dragon her pet. Now, everything she once cherished was being destroyed.

   Rage boiled inside Caitlyn as she made the decision to turn against the Horde, finally having enough of Naeus' greedy, tyrannical ambitions. She looked down below at the battle as she drew her machete. The now-former Nether Assassin's eyes turned black as she leapt off the tower and darted for the nearest platoon of Nether soldiers.

   "General Tenebrum!" A heavily armored pigman greeted Caitlyn. "Thank goodness you're here! They're slaughtering us! You gotta he-"

   Caitlyn drove her machete into the pigman's neck, his eyes going wide in shock. The other soldiers stepped back, taken aback by this sudden betrayal.

   The armored pigman gagged as blood sprayed from his neck, painting Caitlyn's blade and armor red.

   "K-kill.. her.." the pigman uttered his final words as he drowned in his own blood. These words seemed to take the other soldiers out of their trance, as they started to advance toward Caitlyn.

   It was here that Caitlyn realized Tiranius, one of her own assassins, was among them.

   "How could you, Caitlyn? After everything that has happened, you do this?!"

   Tiranius' words hurt Caitlyn, as did the fact that she was now forced to fight him. But she had made her choice, and she was going to fight for the End no matter the circumstances.

   "The Nether isn't my home, Tiranius. It never was."

   "Then you will perish like the rest of the Ender Watchers!" Tiranius brought his axe up over his shoulder and swung it at Caitlyn.

   Caitlyn dodged the axe with ease by rolling to the side. Getting back on her feet, Caitlyn swung her own weapon at Tiranius, dinging his armor. She did it again, harder, once more dinging his armor but also knocking him back a little. Tiranius was frustrated by this, and, as Caitlyn swung to attack again and let her guard down, he sent his axe hurling into her stomach.

   Caitlyn could feel the axe crack through her armor and cut into her as the force of the impact launched her into a pillar. Tiranius trudged toward a now weakened Caitlyn, his axe dragging across the Endstone.

   "The Nether is no place for traitors like you!" He lifted the axe, ready to deliver the finishing blow that would kill his former leader.

   But before he could deliver it, Zeganirn seemingly appeared out of nowhere, pouncing on top of Tiranius and tearing him apart. Hogsworth ran to the wither knight's aid, but it was too late, as Zeganirn had already killed him.

   Hogsworth shouted in anger before attacking the ancient Enderman. Caitlyn picked herself up and ran, killing any Netherkin who stood in her way. She was running out of energy as she realized the blow from Tiranius may have caused her some internal bleeding.

   The bright white light of a beacon took Caitlyn's mind off of her injuries. She looked towards the source of the beacon, and there she saw Ceris, heavily injured, with burns and bruises all over her body as she closed the Ender chest from whence the beacon came.

   "Ceris!" Caitlyn screamed. The Ender Queen briefly looked at her, then ahead to something else: King Naeus, seemingly unharmed from the battle.

   Caitlyn stepped forward, only to be stopped when Ceris held her hand up, signaling her not to take another step. Ceris began walking toward Naeus, and in turn, Naeus began walking toward her. Caitlyn seemed to be the only witness to the duel as the rest of both armies continued to clash in the city.

   Ceris summoned her arm blades and swung at Naeus viciously. The Nether King blocked most of her attacks but was unable to stop her from stabbing him twice in the torso.

   "Ha! You're not gonna take me down by stabbing me there, Matriarch!" Naeus taunted Ceris as he drove his spear through her chest. Her eyes went wide with shock, as did Caitlyn's.

   The Nether King kicked Ceris back and widened her previously given wound with a swift slash to the chest, followed by a second stab. With his spear still embedded in the Ender Queen's chest, he channeled a large blast of lightning into her, which severed her immortality.

   Caitlyn struggled to watch her mentor be beaten like this. Naeus blasted Ceris again, knocking her off her feet. Naeus teleported on top of the Queen, attempting to drive his spear into her again.

   Ceris struggled to push back his blade until eventually, she couldn't push anymore. She faltered, allowing Naeus to drive his blade into her once more, except this time, she lay there almost motionless, her chest quivering as it rose up and down with her shaky breaths.

   Naeus stood proudly, about to walk forward and claim his prize. Unfortunately for the Nether King, Zeganirn beat him to it, pouncing from seemingly nowhere and grabbing the Ender chest before warping to another dimension.

   Caitlyn had waited long enough, and finally, she charged at the Nether King, screaming as she raised her sword to strike. Naeus turned around, attempting to block Caitlyn's attack, but it was too late.

   Her sword hit him in the face, creating a crack from his eye to his mouth. Skimming across the boney surface of his skull, the blade also sliced off Naeus' hood, exposing the rest of his skull. He stumbled back as lightning sparked around him. The Nether King lifted his head, both of his eyes glowing a bright red.

   "You DARE defy me?! I knew you couldn't let go of the End, and now you shall die for it!" Naeus punched Caitlyn in the face, channeling lightning through his fist. Caitlyn channeled shadow magic through her fists and beat him, burning his robes and bones, but not doing much else.

   Naeus just laughed and kicked her away. Caitlyn continued her rage-fueled attacks, failing to cause significant damage each time. Her bleeding worsened as she sustained more injuries.

   "Enough!" Naeus stabbed Caitlyn in the stomach, the tip of his spear going through her back. She fell on her knees and coughed up blood, looking up at Naeus in defeat. The robed skeleton grabbed Caitlyn by the throat and dragged her to the island's edge. Her eyes widened as she realized what he was going to do.

   "N-no!" Caitlyn screamed as Naeus threw her off the edge, watching as she plummeted into the abyss. Atop a nearby tower, Karina and Valentino stood, horrified. Witnessing the demise of their friend would haunt them for many weeks to come.