happy Valentines Day! have a chapter that is not romantic at all
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WTP storm: null, getting a hug: (unholy screeching)
"Here." Theo pressed a bottle into Heather's hands. "Drink this." She obeyed, tipping back the potion and swallowing. Some of the tension in her body faded, and she sighed as she lowered it.
"Thanks." She rasped. Her voice was still very shaky. The totem had repaired her lungs and heart enough for her to breathe, but no amount of healing items seemed to be able to repair the damage… again. Herobrine was just glad that her arm didn't seem to be re-broken.
Theo had found the nearest major landmass and teleported them to it as quickly as possible. Something seemed to be holding Null up, since he never reappeared through the portal, and the Elder Guardian had disappeared into the ocean.
Heather was a sorry sight, leaning back against a block of sand with Alex at her side. The white hoodie she now wore did little to hide her injuries, the fabric stained a dull red all the way down her front, and she was trying to clean the blood out from underneath her fingernails as Theo spawned a few golden apples.
"I need a bath…" She muttered.
"Not in saltwater." Theo handed her one of the apples. "That would sting."
"Really? You think?"
"We need to move." Notch spoke up, and Herobrine turned to see him facing the distant mountains. "This area will be difficult to defend in."
"No more difficult than the middle of an ocean." Herobrine muttered in response. Then, louder, he said "Heather needs time to rest, we will not be traveling until she is fit to at least ride."
"I don't care if you need to carry her, Bryn, we need to move." Notch glanced over his shoulder, a pitiless look on his face. "The threat of Null coming back is still great, and we are down one fighter. We don't have time to spare." Herobrine inhaled.
"I said we're not going anywhere. You're welcome to go on your own."
"Your purpose here is to defend me from Null, not your wife." Notch reminded him harshly. "Besides, she is immortal, she will be fine."
Herobrine felt something snap, and he broke away from Heather's side, advancing towards Notch.
"What are you-" Notch began, but was cut off when Herobrine punched him across the face.
"How can you be so narcissistic?!" Herobrine shouted as Notch reeled from the blow, clutching his jaw. "You got us into that situation, you demanded that we hide on the ocean, because you hate me too much to accept my advice! And now you act as if I am somehow obligated to prioritize you over my wife, who is injured because of your stupidity!"
"It doesn't matter!" Notch snapped back, shoving him away. "She's immortal, if we didn't know before then we know for sure now! She doesn't-"
"Doesn't matter?! He can't kill you either, you nitwit! That's the entire reason he's been hunting me!" Herobrine huffed a hot breath. "You are more than three thousand years old, how can you be so immature?!"
"So the definition of maturity is to obey my delinquent creation?" Notch hissed. "I fail to see where you're coming from."
"This delinquent creation knows how to hide, because you hunted me for centuries!" Herobrine barked back. "Do you like this, Notch? Do you like being on the run, never sure of where your enemy might pop out of? Having to battle the very world to keep yourself safe? You've been out here for three days, I suffered this for eight hundred years, alone! Because of YOU!"
"I-"
"SHUT UP!" Herobrine shouted. "You belittle me and treat me like an enemy, then in the next breath act as if I'm your slave! I am your equal! You have no power, and neither do I, but we are ALL YOU HAVE! Not only that, but I am the only one who can kill you, and that alone should make me worthy of the respect that you constantly-"
"I CREATED YOU!" Notch thundered. "You were created to serve me, and from the very beginning you have refused. These circumstances do not change-"
"You're right." Herobrine cut him off. "You did create me. With free will. You created me with a desire to explore, and create, to live!"
"That was a mistake! YOU are a mistake!"
"THEN I AM A MISTAKE THAT YOU MUST LIVE WITH!" Herobrine was vaguely aware of the others staring, silent, as he and Notch argued, but he couldn't bring himself to care. "How could you expect me not to resist?! You gave me a taste of freedom, and the moment I reached for it you tried to take it away! You tried to kill me, destroy me and put me back together from scratch, and I did nothing to deserve it! I did nothing but love the world you put me in!" Notch didn't speak.
"We didn't have to be enemies!" Herobrine pressed on. "You could have just let me be! You made a new servant anyway, two of them! We could have been allies, we could have been friends!" It hurt too much to imagine a relationship any closer than that. "But you couldn't stand the thought of a creature in your world that wasn't under your absolute control. So you hunted me down.
"And I wish," Herobrine laughed, though there was no humor in it. "I wish I could just- just assume that you're not capable of empathy, or compassion, but I know you are. Because I'm a copy of you! And even handicapped as I was, as you turned the whole world against me, I still thrived! I found fellowship and community, and love, something you will never truly feel so long as you are so obsessed with controlling the lives of those around you." His pickaxe materialized in his hand. "I only wish there was a way to make you see that-"
"That's enough!" Alex appeared suddenly between them, iron axe gripped tightly in her hand as she faced him down. "Back away. I'm not any happier with his behavior than you are, but violence will solve nothing." She brandished the axe, pointing back towards the shore. "Go." Herobrine's jaw tightened, but he took a compliant step back.
"Your servants, your precious, perfect creations." He said lowly. "They would do anything for you." Alex blinked, and Notch said nothing. "And yet you treat them almost as poorly as you do me. Because of your arrogance, Steve is gone." Herobrine spun around, putting his back to his creator. "You cannot force them to obey you, Notch, not now. Not any more than you can force me. I would suggest you gain some respect for those around you." He started to walk, intent on making it to his wife's side.
"Herobrine, wait." It wasn't Notch's voice that made him stop, turning to look over his shoulder. Rather, it was the use of his chosen name, rather than his given one. Notch said nothing for a few moments, only holding his creation's gaze, before he reluctantly spoke. "You're… right." Herobrine blinked.
"…don't tell me some of that actually got through your thick skull."
"It was my pride that got us into that situation." Notch said quietly. "I'm sorry." He averted his gaze, the action of apologizing apparently too much for him. "You have given me much to think about." Herobrine said nothing, only wondering what angle he could be playing. Notch had tricked him before.
"Alright." He acknowledged at last, then turned back around and went to sit by his wife's side.
Heather sank back against the block of wool, letting out a pained grunt as her chest protested at the pressure.
"Sorry." Alex murmured, trying to get her situated. Heather coughed, letting her head droop back to stare up at the cloudy sky.
They had been on this beach for about a day now, and Null had yet to show his face again. Herobrine and Notch seemed to be getting along well enough after their fight, they were currently off in the surrounding woods collecting supplies and didn't seem to be killing each other. Theo was still there, currently sitting on the sand by the water, accompanying Heather until she had at least recovered somewhat. He and Alex were keeping her company since she wasn't supposed to be moving.
"Here." Alex handed her a golden apple, and Heather took a bite out of it. Her body didn't follow Minecraft health rules, so continuing to eat healing items wouldn't make her recover any more quickly than she already was, but it made her feel better.
Heather chewed on the apple, watching Alex's face as she stared out to sea. Her face rarely showed much expression, but Heather had known her long enough to know that she was upset.
"You okay?" Heather voiced after a moment. Alex grunted.
"Fine."
"Mm…" She clearly wasn't, but if she didn't want to talk then Heather didn't want to pry. The two of them sat in awkward silence for a few moments as Heather ate the apple, then tossed away the core, resting her arm over her chest.
"Are you worried about Steve?" Alex finally asked, looking back at her. Heather blinked and met her eyes.
"I… yeah." She lifted her head a bit. "Probably Null stole his spawn point and has him again, and… I don't know what he could be doing to him." And she knew Null liked to hurt people. Alex just looked away, and it was a few moments before Heather returned the question. "Are you worried?"
"No." Alex's voice caught, and she forced a laugh. "That's the problem." Heather stared in bewilderment, and Alex went on. "Steve is the only one I have. I might not see him that often, normally, but it's more than I see Notch, or even you and Herobrine. He's my only friend in this stupid world, why don't I care that he's probably in danger?" She dashed a hand across her face, and Heather saw the sparkle of an escaping tear.
"I know why." Alex added, voice wavering. "It's because we were built to be alone. We were built not to need each other. My head says I do need him, but my heart doesn't agree. I want to be worried, but I don't… feel anything." Heather pushed herself up a bit, lifting her better hand to touch her friend's shoulder.
"Isn't that concern in itself?" She asked softly. "There's no wrong way to feel for someone, Alex. You're obviously upset for him… even if it's not for him, isn't that proof that you care?" Alex's shoulders slumped miserably.
"I do care. Just…" She took a breath, squaring her shoulders. "Alright." She still didn't look at her.
Neither of them spoke until Herobrine and Notch came back.
"We got mounts." Herobrine called, announcing his presence as Heather turned to find several horses trailing behind him. "As soon as Heather has recovered somewhat, we'll move out."
"How are you feeling?" Notch asked, his eyes on her. It was almost unsettling to see him actually… care.
"Not great." Heather answered honestly. "I can ride, but…"
"We'll wait." Herobrine finished. "As long as we need. In the meantime, I'm going to make a shelter for us. It wouldn't do to have the mobs spot us again."
"Good plan." Theo straightened, stretched. "I'll keep watch. I'm… not sure how useful I'll be against Null in a fight, but I'll be able to help somewhat. Probably."
"Good." Herobrine led his three horses onto the beach, where he tied them to a fencepost. "Without Heather and Steve, we're going to need all the help we can get."