Sorry about the delay you guys, but I managed to catch a cold while on vacation and... yeah very delirious at the moment. So I will try and post at least once this week, but my week is going to be extremely busy. :) should be back on schedule by next monday. Sorry about the delay, hope you like the chapter.

I leap to my feet and run down the hall ignoring the protests of several mobs. There was an explosion... pain burns up and down my bloodstream, and i force myself to keep moving. 'This couldn't possibly mean the Aether had actually fallen! Right? Why did i feel like I was dying? Was the first hero injured? Why would he be injured... was he in the Aether when it exploded?' A few ghasts try to attack, but I block their fire with my obsidian blades. Something yells out a cry of alarm, but I keep running toward the main hall. I thrust the door open and spot Zz monitoring a broken portal.

"The Aether," I yell knocking a group of zombie pigmen out of my way. "Oh Notch... pls no..."

"Fate!" Zz asks in surprise, "calm down I don't think you understand whats going on."

"It's gone," I growl causing a group of mobs to yelp in surprise. "I know Zz, I heard the explosion!"

"That's not possible," Zz exclaims quickly. "We're two dimensions away. You must have imagined it."

"Reignite that portal then" I command pointing to the glowstone mass. "Prove that it's still there."

"I... that's not possible..." Zz stutters. "Please Fate, just return to your quarters."

"You want to know one thing I learned from Herobrine," I state moving my gaze from one face to another. "Being a living coward is worse then dying in the first place. So you stay here and hide in the protection of this fortress, but I'm going to either help them or die again trying!"

"I would reconsider that opinion," a ghast howls. "Not only are you human, but you are also a fool."

I smile at the white squid and reply, "wouldn't want it any other way."

"You can't enter the portal," Zz states. "The connection was destroyed when the Aether..."

"I know," I reply calmly. "Zz I need to find something in the fortress."

"Of course," Zz agrees slowly. "Follow me. Everyone else maintain defensive positions, and await my return."

Pain is running up my arm and I grimace at the burning. 'Its not Herobrine I have to help. He can survive a Nuke, but that human can't... So this is what he's feeling only a few million times worse...'

"Where would Herobrine store items of great importance?" I question Zz quietly as the mobs return to their duties.

"All wealth is kept in the treasury," Zz states simply before pausing. "However I would guess you mean more along the lines of something more important... try the old training hall."

"Aren't you coming with me," I reply quickly. "I thought you were going to help me?"

"Fate," the elderly blaze adds with a sigh. "If you are looking for that object I can only assume that there must be reasons. However, the mobs need commanding while Lord Herobrine is gone. Besides, if you don't save the human were all screwed again."

I try to hide my surprise but Zz already knows he's right. All I can do is nod and run down the hallway. Ice seeps into my blood and I can sense death lingering around me. 'Move faster or everything you've worked for will fall apart. You wait 1000 years to return and then are killed because the human died!' All of the mobs are in defensive positions, and almost no one is still within the fortress. The hallways eventually end, and the only way to continue is through an ancient iron door.

Pushing the door open, I walk into the old training hall and glance around. From the looks of it no one has been here in a thousand years, but a small pathway is already carved through the spider webs. 'So someone was here rather recently...'

In the back if the room is an old wooden chest. I carefully remove the lid of the storage and take a glance inside. Two swords lay side by side in the bottom; one stone and the other a strange silver metal. Dust dulls the sheen of both blades, and I grasp the stone one. 'The blade that the Shadows left at my side.' The silver sword shines in the dull glowstone light, and I carefully tuck the stone sword into my inventory before picking up the silver one. The word Wolf is carved onto the side of the blade, and my first instinct is to place it back in the chest. I flip the sword over and notice another symbol on the back; the infinity mark.

'Why would this blade have that marking?' More words run down the handle and I reluctantly study the symbols.

"A blade forged through combining Magic and Science. Only when the enemy's stand as on one side will the world fall. A blade to assist the weak and counter those with power," I mutter and read aloud the inscription. "This was made for the first hero..."

'A blade like this could possibly kill a god if in the right hands... a demi god die even easier.'

"This blade was supposed to be given to the first hero," I state slowly. "This is the only way to set things right... There's no way he could even match Herobrine in a fight without it."

'So now you're giving this random a human a weapon that could kill your best friend? Yeah! That's a GREAT idea...'

"Weird huh," I add with a sigh and take a last glance at the Nether. "Time to go."

Everything begins to turn white, and I pull the swords with me as I slip into the Void. Well I didn't plan on dying, but I have to help the human If I want to get back.

Everything spins as I stand back onto me feet. The white light is circling, and it clots out my vision on either side. I try to scream for help but the roaring of explosions drown out any noise. This is what it's like to die huh... almost feels familiar. Everything seems to light on fire before an icy cold falls over me. 'I think that the nuke went off...'

Masses of swirling grey start to swerve through the white light, and I find myself moving towards them. 'That's the Void right? I go there when I die.' Everything is gone now, and I walk towards the grey willingly. Memories start to filter into my head and I find myself growing confused. I only spawned about a month ago, but some of the memory's are from my childhood.

"Maria said that I was a recantation of the first hero," I mutter curiously. "These might be from my past life."

Everything seems to flash by, and I only catch a few details. The memory's slow down when I reach a large mountain. There's a figure standing at the peak, but everything is to hazy to see the details. I walk closer, but a hand clamps around my wrist and pulls me out of my imagination.

The grey fog lunges towards me, but the hand pulls away and runs for the white. I follow in pursuit and notice a silvery figure fleeing beside me. "Who are you," I question the girl as we flee. "Are you dead to?"

"We're not dead yet," she laughs and turns her head towards me. "I'm afraid we don't have time for formal introductions though."

"Where are we exactly," I ask and notice a glowing light in the distance. "What's that?"

"No time to explain," she yells and hands me a sword. "You can't show this to anyone, but there will soon be a battle where you will need it."

"A battle?" I question in confusion, "I thought I was already dead?"

"Not dead," she laughs. "Severely injured and on the brink of it, but not quite dead. You'll know when to use the Blade, but don't use it unless it is time. Just remember that there are reasons to kill, and reasons to leave people alive."

"What do you mean?" I question as the glowing white light begins to block out the fog. "What battle, and who the heck are you?"

"I will see you soon," the girl calls out. "Remember my warning."

Tyler watches the explosion carefully. The three heroes and himself had jumped over the side of the dimension, and landed in the middle of the ocean. Everyone looks up at the fiery inferno with looks of fear and worry on their faces.

"I'm sure their fine," Tyler mutters. "They'll be landing any moment now."

"Don't worry," the hero with a katana adds. "The Enderborn family has always been rather resilient to nukes... or at least that's what I have heard anyways."

The red headed demi god looks back in confusion, but his head snaps upward upon noticing something. Herobrine slams into the water, but resurfaces within a second of impact. Notch slows down his falling speed, and slowly drop into the ocean. Tyler glances around for the others, but soon realizes that two people are missing.

"Where's Maria and Steve," he yells out, fear working its way into his voice. "They went after you... why aren't they here!"

"The girl and that human were jumping behind us," Herobrine replies blankly. "They might not have jumped before the explosion went off."

"I'm sure Maria will be fine," the hero with a dart gun answers. "But If the human didn't jump..."

There's another round of explosions before another figure hits the water. The impact causes a large wave to speed out towards

the group, and Herobrine curses under his breath at the water. Tyler swims towards the area and looks around for his older sister. For a few moments everything goes silent, but her head soon breaks the surface.

"Maria," Tyler yells and gives her a brotherly hug. "You had me worried because you didn't come down with the others, and then I thought you might have died. Then I realized that probably couldn't kill you, but i was still worried. Oh, and where's Steve. Is he coming down soon?"

"The- explosion," she stutters. "Tripped... I tried to help, but- explosion..."

"You mean he-," Tyler gasps in shock.

Another figure hits the water and the two jump back in horror. Maria watches for a moment and then dives under the water. Tyler yells for her to come back up, but shes already fifty blocks under. She breaks the surface again a few moments later and is trying to pull someone along with her.

"The human actually survived the explosion," Herobrine questions casually. "That's quite unusual."

"Hey guys," the hero with the golden sword call out. "Don't want to ruin the moment, but I think we have a problem." He looks down through the murky blue water at the dark shapes. "Squid attack."

"Your kidding me," Notch growls unhappily. "We don't have time for this!"

"Everyone in a circle," says a raspy voice. "This sushi can't pick us off one by one if we are together. "I won't be able to help, but I'll do my best to warn you of any attacks."

Steve sits up and tries to stay afloat on his own. Maria looks on in shock as he tries to grasp a sword. "You're alive," she mutters. "How did you survive the blast?"

"I followed a white light, and ended up here," Steve lies. "How long was I unconscious for?"

"Not to long," Maria replies with a shrug. "Aether exploded adew moments ago."

Steve smiles and adds," this is the easy part. It's only going to get harder from here."