A/N Hey guys! Thanks for being so patient with me! I know that I'm super bad at being consistent (consistently inconsistent?) with my postings, and I kinda feel bad for the people who are STILL waiting for some of my other fics. Again. I apologize, but as much as I joke about not having a life... I kinda have a life. It's called school. Heh heh heh... And it doesn't help that I just became Undertale trash about 2 months ago and it's been controlling my life *sob* lolz. So, here's a new chapter of "Dear Angel, Dear Demon" for y'alls as an apology! I may be posting y Undertale AU/headcannon/fanfiction something too... You know, if I ever muster enough DeTEMMIEnation to finish it!
No guarantees this fic will be finished asap, but I do have a small stockpile coming up. So enjoy while it lasts, look for my other fics, be nice, have fun don't die, don't let Chara near the chocolate bar in the fridge of Herobrine near those cookies, and remember that Llama's Day is on Dec 9th!
Chapter 11
The Decision
Herobrine's POV
I watched as she sobbed, on her hands and knees and shaking, in that spot for hours. She could scream. I couldn't. I may have disliked my brother, but I didn't hate him. I could never wish something as terrible as this upon anyone. I knew what the Void was too well. Way, way too well. I knew its crushing darkness, the overwhelming sense of evil it exuded. It was like being at the bottom of a dark ocean. You couldn't hear, or see, or do anything to save yourself. Yes, I knew the Void. What I didn't know was if anyone other than me could survive it.
I had to move. To get away from this place. Run. Run away.
Run? Where to? I didn't have anywhere to run to, did I? And besides, I couldn't leave this girl behind. Could I? I could, but should I guess was the question. I was human, or at least, I had been at one point. I wasn't sure what I was now. It's been way too long. I couldn't remember.
I don't even remember how long we were there. All I knew was that it was suddenly nightfall, and the girl wasn't moving. She wasn't crying. She just sat there, her pale white face stained with grass, dirt, and tears. Her hazel eyes were blank and unseeing. I had regained myself, slightly, so I walked over to her and knelt down. She turned slowly to look at me, saying nothing. She wasn't about to get up, but it was too dark to leave her outside.
I lifted her up in my arms. She didn't fight, or try to steady herself. She just let me pick her up, her eyes still blind to her surroundings. She was relatively light for a warrior, but I was… Me, so that might have had something to do with that. I carried her into her house and to her room, setting her on her bed. I wondered how she must have felt when it had been me being set onto a bed. Probably relieved that she no longer had to carry me. It was astounding that she had even managed to get me into a bed. At least I could carry her.
Tears were still streaming down her face as I covered her with the blanket and brushed a stray hair out of her face. Was something wrong with me? Was something wrong with her? She never ran away from me after I tried to kill her. She didn't scream. She only treated me like a person. It was like she wasn't afraid of me. That couldn't be right. Everyone was terrified of the demon ghost of the Nether. I thought everyone was, besides Steve. Steve, who might be dead now. I didn't know. I just didn't know. I turned away from the girl and walked out of her room before stopping at the sound of her faint voice.
"Is he alive? Do you know?"
I didn't answer for a moment. "No… I don't know."
"Then there's hope." I turned around. She had sat up, now looking at me, her expression determined. "Herobrine, help me save Steve."
"What?"
"You said you didn't know whether Steve was dead or alive. Let's save him."
"You don't understand what the Void is, do you?"
"No, but you do. I know you do, don't you?"
This girl was kind of frightening. She swung her legs out from under the blanket and touched her feet to the floor, walking over to me. "You do know, Herobrine. Maybe even more than you wished you did."
I had to hand it to her, she had a point. I stared into her glittering eyes. "Yes, I do. But only so much. I used to study the Void before…" I stopped. Too much. Too much of my past. I couldn't let her know. I did have a reputation to uphold as Herobrine. "Whatever. The Void is nothingness. Nothing without immense power or will can survive it. You only made it out because I saved you."
Her face hardened. "Are you calling me weak? After I saved your life even after you tried killing me? After I took care of you even after I knew that you weren't Steve? After I'm still standing here and talking to you rather than hiding and cowering like you are right now from the Void?"
"It's not- I-" I sputtered. How can a human go from being completely apathetic to having me at a loss for words so quickly? It was infuriating. And embarrassing, to be honest. She was right in my face all the sudden.
"What are you hiding from? Are you a coward? The Nether King? Running? I know you wanted to earlier. I felt it. You can't hide it. And what made you stay? Guilt? Or were you just too scared to move?" she snarled.
"Shut up! You don't understand what you're talking about!" I shouted, grabbing the front of her shirt and pulling her up to my face so that her feet left the ground. I was shocked to see the resolute grin on her face. I let her go, but she didn't step away from me. Either she was brave or she was stupid, and I opted for the latter since I usually felt slightly more patient with stupid people.
"I know I'm human, Herobrine," she said quietly, her eyes burning with determination. "I know I don't know everything. I also know that only you can help me find Steve. No matter your past, I don't think you're an inherently evil person. And even if you don't see m the same way, I want to believe you're my friend. I feel like you want a friend, too. I want to be that person, so please… Just help me…"
Her last words sounded so despondent and desperate I couldn't help but feel my stone heart twinge a little bit. I hated myself- despised myself- for even thinking about it or acknowledging it, but… Her thoughts weren't completely off. They had a ring of truth. I wasn't about to tell this puny human that she might be right, but still… Being a ghost was hard. They're invisible to the world. Discarded. Ignored. Nobody knew me more than being a murderer, and even that… They didn't know. I wouldn't let anyone ever know.
"I'm not guaranteeing anything, girl," I said, not looking at her. Her expression was infuriatingly excited and smug. "But I'll go with you. Only out of boredom, mind you. Let's see how far a human like you can get into the Void before succumbing."
"Well then," she said. Her voice had changed tone again and I looked at her face. It was slightly… Sinister. And yet resolute. The torchlight made her features seem inhuman, and her eyes stood out bright white. She looked more like a demon than anything. "Then let's do this".
A/N Thank for reading! Constructive critisism and suggestions are very much welcomed to all of my fics! Don't be filled with LOVE, love is good enough. The Great Papyrus (preshes sinnimun roll!) wishes you a FANTASTIBULOUS day! Nyeh heh heh!
