"Lydiaaa why aren't you writing Nullified or Eyes Like Mine or that fic you literally just started the other day have you lost interest already?" well, yes but actually no.
I wrote this oneshot… at least a year ago now and never published it here. so here it is! it's a fanfic oneshot of the discontinued Minecraft fanfiction "Hero's Bane" by blackdragon41, which was recently recontinued. The author also read this oneshot and it has her seal of approval. So you better like it.
if you have like three consecutive days to kill and like angst, why not go read Hero's Bane? it's an insanely good fic, and very very long. and like, half done, i think. anyway enjoy
Nothing Lasts Forever - a Hero's Bane fic. Rated K+ for dark tones.
"Come back!" The child's voice yelled, echoing through the dark cavern, and was immediately followed by the splashing of leather boots in the puddles littering the ground.
"Stupid thing!" Careening into the cave, lit dimly by a pit of lava on the opposite side, the blond boy threw himself at the cave toad hopping desperately for shelter. It slipped out of his grasp, and he groaned, pushing himself up on one arm to glare after it.
"I'm gonna cook you into a soup." He threatened, scrambling to his feet and hurrying after the slimy creature once more. The boy paid no heed to the lava pit that he was approaching, nor did he notice when the frog hopped onto the loose gravel on the edge. Blissfully ignorant of the danger, the child stepped onto the loose ground, only to let out a cry as the edge crumbled underneath him and sent him plummeting towards a fiery death.
"CONNOR!" A grip as strong as diamond wrapped around the boy's wrist, and the fear drained from his face as the child in question looked up to face his rescuer.
"Oreh!" Herobrine let out a low growl as he dragged the child back up to safety, scooping him up the moment he was in range and backing away from the lava with him.
"Notch's beard, you're fearless." He scolded, retreating to the mouth of the cavern as Connor squirmed in his grasp. "Can you imagine if I had to tell your father that his heir threw himself into lava? He'd kill me himself."
"That wouldn't happen!" The prince chirped, giving up on escaping. Instead, he threw his arms around Herobrine's neck, peering around at his surroundings as he was physically escorted from the cave. "Not when I have you to look after me, Oreh!"
"You gave me quite the scare there." Herobrine told him sternly. "Much more of this, and all my hair will turn white." The warning had no effect on the child, who burst into laughter at the concept. Sighing, the warrior cradled his charge to his chest, carrying the boy towards the exit of the cave ahead.
Connor continued to giggle as the pair stepped back out into the sunlight, only stopping when a shout called his attention elsewhere.
"Brine!" The clanking of silver armor announced the sentinel's presence, and Herobrine turned to see Lionel coming up from his right. "Oh, thank Notch you found him. I was about to call out the guard."
"He was chasing a frog." Herobrine turned disapproving eyes on the child in his arms, who ignored them. "By a pit of lava."
"Pete's sake, kid, really?" Lionel reached over, tousling the boy's blond hair. "Obviously we have to set up some ground rules before letting you loose again." Connor just grinned.
"It's getting late." Herobrine stated, casting a glance at the shades of pink forming in the western sky. "We should head homewards. Connor, would you rather walk?"
"Yeah." The prince squirmed again, and Herobrine let him slide from his arms onto his feet. Grabbing his guardian's hand, Connor turned and headed up the dirt path, leading his two elders behind him.
It was about a fifteen minute walk back to the city, maybe twenty with Connor walking. Herobrine lost himself in thought quickly, gauging the path for possible ambush locations and keeping an eye out for assassins or monsters. Lionel, always his other half, took Connor's other hand, shielding him from possible assailants as they walked in near-silence.
"Oreh?" Connor's voice broke the silence almost ten minutes down the path, and Herobrine blinked, looking down to catch the boy's eyes.
"Yes?"
"Why are you sad?" The question caught him off guard.
"Sad?" He echoed, glancing up to meet Lionel's gaze. "What makes you think I'm upset?"
"I feel it." Connor's grip tightened a bit. "In your hands." Herobrine blinked, continuing to walk on the firm path. He… did not even know where to begin with that.
"I'm… not sure." He responded at last, not willing to tell the boy that he was wrong. "If anything, I suppose I'm just afraid to have almost lost you."
"I'm sorry." The earnestness in Connor's voice rang clear in the night air, and Herobrine couldn't help but send him another curious look. "I'll be more careful. Okay?"
"Thank you." The warrior offered him a smile in return, and within moments the child was back to his cheerful self. The three finished the trek in silence, Connor swinging Herobrine's hand between them as they walked.
Once Connor was safely passed over to another escort, the pair headed to their guardpost to spend the night. Such nights were often spent the same way - idle chatter between them as they held the tower, with occasional ribbing from Herobrine to keep his brother awake.
This night, however, such talk was at a minimum. Herobrine was nearly silent, responding to Lionel concisely and without much thought. At first, the Silver Sentinel allowed him to mull over his own thoughts, but, finally, he voiced his concerns aloud.
"Brine." The warrior glanced up from his sword, meeting his gaze with his glowing eyes. "You're quiet. Tell me what's on your mind." Herobrine shook his head.
"It's nothing."
"Herobrine." Lionel reached over, placing a firm hand on his shoulder. "Don't 'it's nothing' me. I know that head of yours like the back of my hand." He grinned, but the expression wasn't returned, and he let it fade. "Look, I know you're gonna stew over it until we talk about it. Let's skip the brooding, okay?" Herobrine met his gaze for a few moments longer, than gave him a single nod.
"Very well." He hesitated, then began to explain. "Connor asked me why I was upset. What I told him - I didn't really mean it, not at the time. I was afraid of losing him, but, now that I think about it…" The warrior looked away, down at his sword again. "...I truly am."
"Of course you are." Lionel edged closer, trying to meet his eyes again. "You love him, and he loves you. Of course you're afraid of losing him."
"It's not that that bothers me." Herobrine continued, his voice heavy. "It's that I will lose him. I'll lose you. You are mortal, as is he, and I am not. Once you are gone, I am doomed to spend eternity without you."
"Brine, is that what you're worried about?" Lionel slung an arm around his brother's neck, careful to avoid touching the enchanted sword in his lap. "Of course, we'll be gone someday. It's part of being human. And it's not good, and I'll miss you once I'm gone just as much as you'll miss me. But… you can't think about that.
"You can't worry about the future, it'll ruin your time in the present. Nothing lasts forever, but that's why we have to make the best out of what we have. Fight a good fight, give it everything you've got."
"Until the very end." Herobrine finished, his voice little more than a murmur. "Lionel…"
"Losing people you love is awful, I know." Lionel leaned his head on his brother's shoulder. "But if you spend your days with them worrying about when they're gone, you'll have wasted the time you had to enjoy life with them."
"But I can't just ignore it." Herobrine protested. "That would be foolish."
"It's not ignoring it. It's choosing to live in the present." The warrior didn't respond, and Lionel sighed. "I know I can't change your mind, but… think about it. I think you'd be happier that way. Nothing lasts forever, but if you don't enjoy the time that you do have, it's like you had none at all."
"I suppose." Herobrine's breath escaped his lips in a sigh, and he stared off into space. Lionel tightened his grip around his shoulders, and Herobrine's arm slipped around his back to pull him close.
Neither man spoke until dawn.
Present
"Herobrine?" A soft voice, accompanied by a gentle touch, roused the warrior from his slumber. Herobrine let out a soft groan as he opened his eyes, looking up to see Steve standing over him. "It's almost time." He told him quietly. "You should get up."
"Right…" He pushed himself up, eyes straying to the End portal on the other end of the room. Ender's eyes bulged from where they were trapped in their sockets, infuriated by the fact that they were the key to their master's destruction.
"Are you ready?" He tore his gaze from the shrine, meeting the eyes of his mortal doppelgänger.
"As I'll ever be." He caught a rush of nervousness from the mortal's mind as he spoke, and concentrating a bit more allowed him to peek in on a long list of ways they could perish being formulated almost unconsciously in Steven's brain. "Focus on the battle ahead, mortal."
"Right." Steven swept a hand through his hair, but a small smile lit his face. "Are you nervous?"
"More in disbelief." Was the being's quiet response. "This… I never thought this would end. Today, either we kill Ender and free me of my debt, or he will kill us both. Either way, it will be over."
"We're going to win." Steven's eternal optimism showed in his firm tone. "We have to. There's no other option."
"If you say so."
"Nothing lasts forever, Brine, including Ender." The miner gave him a determined smile. "We can kill him." Unwilling to argue, the demigod rose to his feet, drawing his sword and holding it in his right hand.
"You're right." He murmured. "Nothing lasts forever."
They walked towards the portal.
