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EXCITING UPDATE NEWS BEGINS HERE

I'm back, as you've gathered by now. It's here that I share with you guys my exciting update: The follow-up (because I hate the word "sequel") to this story, "Wither and Die", is coming out next week! I'll be posting chapters weekly, in a more conventional format that's less tiring than daily updates. And, partially as my special treat to you and partially because it makes me feel important, I'll be giving you a sneak preview of the new story at the end of this post, where our heroes encounter a deadly new foe.

Keep in mind, this preview, or even reading the longer description that comes with it, contains massive spoilers for Tale of the Endermen. And of course, the story itself will have huge spoilers straight from the get-go.

See you all next week!

EXCITING UPDATE NEWS ENDS HERE

Sad edit: Wither and Die is being put on hold for the time being. I've been rather busy lately, plus there has been little (read: no) response to the WaD announcement. So, until I can get the time to finish and/or more interest surfaces, WaD won't be coming out. I will hopefully get to to writing more soon, though. My apologies to anyone who may find this.

Night was falling on the world. As the light receded and the monsters began to emerge, Alex and Steve watched the Endermen at work.

"What do suppose they're trying to do?" Alex asks, looking down at the numerous lanky black figures gliding across the landscape, rearranging seemingly meaningless parts of the terrain. With the tragedy that occurred with the last member of their party to look at the Endermen, Brian had begun trying to find ways to safely monitor them. After a series of trial and error, the two wanderers now looked down from the mountain using eyepieces jury-rigged from Ender pearls, the mysterious objects they sometimes found in the hearts of the dead creatures. They worked as makeshift telescopes, as well as seemingly making it safe to observe them from a distance.

"No one knows" Steve replied. "Their patterns are erratic. Sometimes they move around random bits, sometimes they practically excavate. They might be looking for something, they might be trying to build something; hell, maybe it doesn't have meaning. It might just be their hobby when they aren't out murdering something. Who knows if it's a mystery we'll ever answer."

"You've been here longer than the rest of us." Alex looked over at Steve. "Did they show up at a particular point, or have you maybe seen other behavior?"

Steve hesitated, without looking over. "I don't know. A lot of strange things happen here. It might... just be something irrelevant, or something we really don't want to know."

Alex considered pressing, as Steve didn't really answer his question, but he decided to drop it. "Come on, we'd better go back to the camp"

The camp was less of a camp, more of a fortress. The vast stone walls dominated the landscape, serving as a beacon to any other humans that arrived in the world. With the constant assault of monsters, the three survivors built the structure as a safe haven for any who come. Inside, farms and housing ensured long-term survival. A sign over the iron door stated "All human survivors are welcome. Hit the button to alert the guards, and you will be allowed inside".

As Alex climbed over the final mountain, he considered the strange world they occupied; no one remembers how they got there, and they have little idea what kind of strange rules govern this world. Through ingenuity and teamwork, they exploited the natural resources, slowly but surely gaining dominance over the small area they inhabited.

His thoughts were interrupted by Steve stopping him with his arm, urgently whispering at him to keep still. Alex was confused, unsure of what would concern Steve so much, who was typically calm in the face of danger. As he scanned the landscape, his eyes fell upon something he had not seen since his first night.

A spider jockey.

The massive spider slowly crawled across the ground, with a pale, bony archer standing on its back. Brian said the skeletons appeared to have tamed the spiders, though it is thankfully a rare occurrence. The skeleton slowly looked around, its empty eye sockets eventually settling on the two survivors.

"BOOK IT!" Steve screamed. The two immediately took off, and the jockey pursued. It reached out one skeletal hand, shadows condensing around it. Within a second, the shadow formed a dark, gleaming arrow. The skeleton stood up straight, took aim, and fired.

The arrow landed inches from Alex's foot, providing a rush of adrenaline, surging him forward. He knew, of course, he couldn't outrun the spider. After the skeleton fired, the 6-foot long monstrosity darted across the ground, quickly closing distance. As Alex turned to see how close the jockey was, he saw the spider lunge, its bony forehead aimed squarely at him. He was knocked to the ground, with the mount quickly moving up to him. The spider spread its jaws, releasing a horrifying screech, and the skeleton prepared another arrow.

As it took aim at his head, suddenly, another arrow sped passed his vision. In a stroke of luck, the arrow pierced the skeleton's skull and went clean through, killing it instantly. Alex looked up, seeing Brian standing on the castle walls, holding his powerful bow. Looking back, he saw the spider rearing up, preparing for a deadly strike. Steve appeared at Alex's side, valiant and focused. He unsheathed his sword, a brilliant blade constructed of pure diamond. He swung the sword in an upward stroke, splitting its head in two.

Alex was breathless. The entire event had taken place in less than half a minute, and the adrenaline buzz was still rushing through him. He turned to Steve, beginning to thank him, but Steve cut him off. "No time now; get inside!". They turned, and rushed into the safety of their stronghold.

Inside, they ate by the fire, sipping some stew and munching on bread made from the wheat they grew. Alex knew that he had left the camp unprepared, but the other survivors were not angry with him; Alex was the most recent arrival, and attacks like this were an unfortunate fact of life in this world. At home, they finally found relative peace. They settled into bed, knowing the next day was another day of work, discovery, and peril. They had long known this, and come to expect it. Because they were there, to their knowledge, permanently, and humans are nothing if not adaptable. Little did they know, of course, that there was a different force influencing the world of Minecraft. Or rather, two of them didn't know.

The day came, and the three survivors prepared for the day's work. Alex could tell immediately that something was bothering Brian; the way he moved, his expression, they indicated something was on his mind. He knew the question he didn't want to answer was inevitably coming, so he quietly braced himself.

After a few minutes, Brian looked up. "I suppose it's worth asking" he said towards Steve and Alex "since I had to save you two last night... why were you late? You're normally good about getting back before the dark comes. What were you doing?"

Alex hesitated, because he knew Brian wouldn't like the answer. Steve stepped in over the silence. "We were over the second hill" he said with a level stare. "Watching the Endermen"

Brian stopped cold. His icy gaze surveyed over the other two. Barely containing himself, he said "You what? You were watching the Endermen? After all that happened?!"

Alex stammered "W-well we were safe about it. We had your eye thing. They couldn't have gone after us!"

"That's not the point! Dammit, Steve!" Brian slammed his fist on the crafting table, sending small objects flying. "Those eyepieces were an experiment! We don't even know how well they work! You KNOW how I feel about this! I-" He stopped suddenly. He put his fist on the table again, bending down to hide his face. After a few moments, he straightened back up, with a definite sadness in his eyes. "I can't let it happen. Not again."

Alex avoided Brian's eyes. He didn't want to think about it. Out of all of them, they all knew that Eliza's death had affected Brian the worst. Closing his eyes, he could still see it; the horrid creatures, mouths agape, powerful arms ripping her to pieces. Brian could barely work for days.

Looking up, he could see Steve was less affected by the memories, though he could see their leader's expression soften slightly. "We all regret what happened that night" he said in a quiet, nonetheless firm voice. "But running away from them is no answer. The more we learn about them, the better we fight them. Think of it that way, Brian. For her."

The words visibly affected Brian. A few seconds later, he composed himself and looked Steve in the eye. "Alright. Just... still be careful."

Steve nodded. Alex looked over what had just happened, then resumed his preparations.

In this mysterious world, not all days were dangerous thrill rides like the last one. A fair share of fights was still likely, but most days were just simple survival. The rest of the day was one of those days. They mined. They farmed. They stood watch at the guard tower. The day was ground in routine. Monotonous, but nonetheless comfortable routine.

The following night, however, was anything but ordinary.

The sun had set shortly before, and Alex was at the end of his guard duty shift, right before the point where the gates are normally sealed. He looked over the landscape, and spotted a lone zombie coming from behind a nearby hill. Alex dismissed it at first, as numerous monsters normally roamed the area at night, but its behavior soon caught his attention. This zombie wasn't wandering; it was moving towards the camp. It's dead eyes were fixated on the bright lights from behind the walls, and it shambled steadily forward.

Alex considered for a moment, then turned to the numerous levers by his post. Where Steve was survivalist and fighter and Brian was the archer and engineer, Alex was the designer. He created innovative traps to subdue incoming monsters before they reached the gates, which were then turned to Brian for redstone design. He pulled one of the levers, causing a patch of dirt near the zombie to retract, revealing a dispenser device. The machine fired a single arrow, and the piece of dirt was replaced. The arrow stuck into the zombie's side, slowing it, but not stopping it. Alex reached under the rail of the guard post, grabbing the standard issue guard bow. He wasn't nearly as proficient as Brian with this weapon, but he could easily hit the target at this range. A single arrow flew, and the zombie fell. He stood tall, looking down proudly at his work.

The feeling was short-lived.

He looked up to see another zombie emerge from behind the same hill. Then another. Then another. Then a group of two, then four, then seven. A swarm of shambling undead flesh appeared, all fixated on the fort, all steadily advancing.

"STEVE! BRIAN!" he shouted into the camp. Within seconds, the other two were at the scene, apparently ascertaining the urgency of the situation from Alex's tone.

"What's the issue, Alex?" Steve asked. Without delay, Alex led them up, and showed them the scene gathering outside.

"Oh, that's what's going on" Brian said quietly. "That... might be a problem." He pulled out his personal bow, throwing another to Steve.

"With this many, they could break down our doors! There's gotta be two hundred out there!" Panic was slowly seeping into Alex's voice.

Brian pulled back his bow, aimed for a second, and fired. The arrow launched into the crowd, impaling a zombie in the skull, dropping it to the ground "One hundred ninety-nine" he said.

"On a more serious note" Steve said, clearly trying to calm down Alex "You have some heavy ordinance on that trap wall of yours, right?"

"Yeah..."

"Do it. And no crappy arrow-shooters, or anything. Bring out the big guns."

Alex nodded nervously, and turned to his lever wall and pulled one. Out on the plains, the ground opened up underneath the zombies. Dozens fell into a pit of lava, incinerating instantly.

"Nice show, kid, but I don't think that's what he meant" Brian said taking aim again.

"I know you installed TNT cannons in the walls" Steve said. "Do they work?"

"I... think" Alex said nervously. "I haven't tried them yet. And... there's no guarantee it won't blow a hole in our wall."

"No time like the present, Alex! Go now! Do it!"

Alex turned to the wall. There was a single lever, mounted on red, that he knew would trigger the cannons. He grabbed the lever, composed himself, and pulled it.

The effect was not immediate. All three of the survivors braced themselves, waiting for an explosion. They heard none. Alex, however, knew what was going on. Soon, they heard the hiss. A quiet hiss, not unlike the deadly creeper. Alex tackled the other two, screaming "GET DOWN!"

The explosion was deafening. Multiple cubic meters of dynamite in cannon holes all over the walls detonated, propelling explosive shots forward. The shots landed evenly all over the plain, just as Alex designed them, and then detonated. Shot after shot blew up, vaporizing the undead monsters. When the sound and smoke finally cleared, the three survivors looked up.

No zombies remained.

What did remain was a completely ruined landscape. Craters littered the area, trees were blown to bits, and the whole place in general looked like a war zone. Steve knew this would happen when he called the shot. It was the price of survival.

They looked up to see that the sun was rising. The ordeal must have taken up the entire night. "Well... back to work!" Brian said briskly. They all shared a laugh. They stood, gathered themselves, and set off.

Afterwords, the work continued. Alex and Steve tended to the farms, located right by the entrance to the mine. They stooped over, gathering wheat, planting seeds, when Alex heard a sound. It came from the mine, nearly inaudible at first, then growing. He turned to Steve, and saw that he heard it too.

The sound grew louder, soon becoming discernible as Brian shouting "GUYS GUYS GUYS GUYS GUYS GUYS GUYS!" They opened the door to the mine just as Brian reached the top of the stairs, breathless from running the whole way. "Guys you... *gasp* need to see this... the mine... the... dungeon..."

"Calm down, Brian" Steve said. "Catch your breath." Brian waited for a minute, hands on his knees breathing heavily. After a short period, he stood.

"The attack last night guys. I found the source. I know where it came from. And I think the Endermen started it.

"The Endermen? They caused that zombie attack? Is that even possible?"

Brian turned over to Alex "I didn't think so, either. You just... you have to see it.

Steve pondered for a moment, then nodded. "OK, Brian" he said quietly. "Take us there"

Brian led them down into the colony strip mine. The mine was designed like a massive staircase, leading deep into the earth. At regular intervals at the lower levels, small shafts branched off, mining stone and prospecting for valuable materials. It was not an uncommon occurrence for a miner to run into unexpected danger, so they always carried their weapons while on a shift. The area underground was littered with massive caves and the mysterious dungeons, the random rooms that appeared underground and created monsters from thin air.

As they descended, Alex wondered what Brian was going to show them. It had to be a dungeon, didn't it? He could think of no other reason that zombies would appear at such a terrifying rate. The only flaw in that theory is that dungeons were almost always completely buried, and zombies aren't known for their excavating abilities.

They arrived at the spot Brian led them to, and Alex came to the realization: it wasn't zombies that could excavate.

It was Endermen.

Sure enough, Brian led them to a dungeon. The distinctive moss-covered walls, and mysterious cage in the center; it was nothing out of the ordinary.

What was out of the ordinary was the ceiling.

Or rather, the lack thereof. It simply wasn't there. There was a massive hole above the dungeon, wide enough to easily climb up, and it lead all the way to the surface. The zombies were able to climb out and assault the colony, only stopping when sunlight spilled into the chamber.

Steve glanced up to the surface. "That mountain..." he said "that side faces away from our area. They dug out this hole where we couldn't see them. They did this... to attack us."

"The only problem is... why?" Brian asked. "We almost never see monsters even take notice of each other. Why would they start working together now?"

"I still... I'm still not sure" Steve said after hesitation. "Let's climb up there. Maybe we'll find more"

They found a foothold on the side of the cave, and started climbing. The stone almost felt smooth; the Endermen could move pieces of material in a seemingly effortless way, and it barely left a mark. They reached the surface to find a new surprise waiting for them: the sun was setting

"What? How... how is that..." Steve was at a sudden loss for words. Brian and Alex were both visibly disturbed by this; this was a side of their leader that they had never seen before. Steve was sometimes uncertain, but never confused. Other than the inconsistent passage of time, something deeper about the issue troubled him.

"Alright Steve, what the hell?" Brian asked, suddenly angry. "I've held my tongue for this long, but I can't take it anymore. What the hell is going on?" He moved closer, bringing his full imposing height into effect. "We both know that you know something about this that you aren't telling us. We see you hesitate, when you omit. What do you know that you aren't telling us?"

Steve turned, fixating his deadly stare straight Brian. He visibly withered, if only slightly, but held his ground. "You remember Eliza's crazy stories? The far realm? The whole idea that someone else is here, just in hiding?"

Brian's eyes narrowed. "I hope you have a REALLY good reason for bringing her up"

"I think he does" Alex suddenly added. Brian whipped around, and his eyes widened. In front of him was a large gate, constructed of obsidian. It was unfinished; large chunks were missing, and it didn't form the full loop, but the objective was unmistakable.

There was a portal in construction.

They all knew where the portal led. It led to a place of fire and death. It lead to a place of lava seas and ghostly guardians.

It led to the Nether.

"No..." Brian said, slowly shaking his head "No, no, no, this can't happen. That place should be sealed off forever"

"I've never been there..." Alex considered. "Is it really that ba-"

"If there is a true Hell, this is it." Steve said. "The lava seas stretch on for miles, and the scream of a Ghast will haunt your dreams."

They all paused for a moment to consider. Suddenly, and unpleasant thought occurred to Alex. "We've strip mined most of this area, haven't we? We've seen most of the caves. And by extension, drained a lot of the lava..."

"...which means we have most of the obsidian in the area." Brian glanced nervously at the rest of the group "You don't think..."

Steve instantly understood. "We need to go back to the camp. Now."

* * *

The three survivors sprinted across the landscape. Within minutes, they were within viewing distance of the camp. As they approached, they saw dark figures approaching the wall. All three stopped, taking cover in one of the craters from the previous day. "Eyepieces! Now!" Brian hissed. They all took their Ender Pearl eyepieces from their packs, strapped them on, and peeked over the edge of the crater to observe what was going on.

Near the wall, two black, lanky Endermen gracefully walked toward the wall. The first one extended its hands forward, and its fingers slowly slid into the stone walls as if it wasn't even there. A moment later, it pulled its hands back, holding a large chunk of the wall. The second one repeated the process, creating a small doorway.

"Come ON" Brian whispered. "There are only two of them! We can deal with this!"

"Wait... who's that?" asked Alex, pointing near the wall

As they looked again, a third figure emerged. This one was no Enderman; he was unmistakably human, but his features were shrouded in darkness. He seemed average height and athletic in build, but anything else was indistinguishable. As he approached the hole in the wall, the two Endermen took a step back, clearing a path for him. He stepped into the fort, with the Endermen following behind him. A few minutes later, they emerged from the hole in the wall. The two Endermen were holding large chunks of what could only be obsidian.

"Well, at least we know who's making that portal now" Brian said with resignation. The Endermen and the mysterious figure walked off, disappearing behind a mountain.

Steve stood for a moment, considering. "We need to see what this is all about. Brian, I need you to stay here to fix the wall and keep away any intruders. I'll go the way they left and see if I can follow them. Alex, you go around the other side of the mountain and see if you find them. Do you have all your equipment?"

Alex checked his belt. Iron sword, ender monocle, and an extra piece of his own design. "Yeah, I have everything"

Steve nodded with quiet determination. "Alright. Let's get going."

Alex set off, circling around the side of the mountain. The sun was still a good way from rising, but the few torches that had been scattered around the surrounding area gave him enough light to see. He had no specific destination in mind, so he continued to go around the mountain, searching for any signs of movement.

After a few minutes, he saw one. A slight stirring in the shadows caught his eye. He drew his sword, but kept his eyes low, aware of the possibility that there might be an Enderman, and scanned with his peripherals. He moved closer to the disturbance, and there was a sudden sound of movement in front of him. Out of instinct, he stepped back and looked forward to find the source. The area was dark, but just enough light came from afar to show the dark outline of an Enderman standing before him.

The creature was not looking at him initially, but it's reaction to Alex's gaze was immediate. It froze stiff, not a muscle moving for several seconds. Alex knew that looking at the Endermen directly was dangerous, but now that he had accidentally layed eyes on it, it would attack as soon as he looked away. The Enderman slowly turned, standing up to its full terrifying height. It opened its gaping mouth, and a faint blue light spilled out. Something else happened, what could only be described as its outline blurring, as if a faint distortion filled the air around it.

Alex knew he had little time to act. Without breaking eye contact, he reached for the sealed container on his belt. He flicked open the top, and a small wave of heat escaped from the insulated capsule. He didn't have very much, as carrying any more would be dangerous, but it would have to do. He swept the container in a quick arc in front of him, releasing the lava he kept inside.

The lava flew out a few feet and landed in a line in front of him, forming a glowing barrier between him and the Enderman. If it stepped any further forward, it would hit the line. Of course, it would teleport away, but the searing heat would cause serious injury, at least. Alex started working on his plan beyond that when another sound cut off his thoughts. Something else was approaching from the darkness. A shape approached from behind the Enderman. Alex glanced over to the shape, and suddenly tensed up as he realized he had taken his eyes off his adversary. As he looked up, however, he saw something that no one had seen before.

The Enderman had stopped.

It simply stood still. The blurring that surrounded it ceased, and it slowly closed its mouth and stood there, never taking its gaze off of him. Alex stared in disbelief. Why would it do such a thing? He looked over to the mysterious shape in the shadows again, and a chill ran through him. It was a human, watching him from the shadows. Furthermore, it appeared to be the same person that had appeared at their fortress just minutes before. Whoever this person was, the lava that was recently spread on the ground caught its attention. It took slow steps forward, gaze focused on the the small glowing arc on the ground.

As the figure approached closer, Alex could make out more features. It was unmistakably male, and his build confirmed his belief that he had seen this person before. The stranger moved closer and closer still, eyes still down. Alex made out a teal T-shirt, a medium skin tone, possibly Hispanic, and short, dark brown hair. Seconds later, a flood of terrible recognition came to him.

"Steve? Oh God, Steve, what the hell is going on here?"

He didn't answer. Instead, he moved closer. Eventually standing right above the lava. He got down on one knee, and slowly reached down and touched the bright arc. It caused him no apparent injury; instead, he scooped up a small handful of it, and looked up to Alex. Alex's blood ran cold.

The stranger had white eyes.

Whoever this was, as it was certainly not Steve, smiled slightly. He stood up, lava in hand. He gave Alex a brief, curt nod, and turned around to leave. The Enderman took a few steps back, then turned to leave with the stranger.

Alex stood in confusion for several seconds. Numerous questions raced through his mind. Why had the Enderman stopped? Was it with the stranger? Who was the stranger? Why did he look like Steve? How did he pick up the lava? Why?

He shook off the confusion and resolved to pursue the pair. He ran in the direction they left, keeping carefully aware with his eyes and ears for any sign of them. He was so focused, in fact, that he ran straight into Brian as he came around the mountain.

"Ow! Crap, Alex! Calm down!"

Steve proceeded over to help the two up. They got their bearings, and proceeded to fill Alex in.

"No sign of them" said Steve. "We had a close call with a small band of creepers, but no indication of our... visitors."

"I saw them" Alex interjected. Steve glanced at him quizzically, but a certain realization came over his features.

"You saw him, didn't you?" Steve asked quietly.

"I did" Alex replied, suddenly getting angry. "And I'm tired of this. What's going on, Steve? You know something that we don't. We need to know, or we're all going to die out here."

"Back up for a second" Brian interrupted. "What exactly did you see?" Alex told him what happened. Brian only appeared confused, but Steve remained stoic as ever.

"He's back" said Steve. "I never thought he would, but he's back. And if he is, he's after something. Not sure what, yet, but it's certainly something big. And if he gets to what he's looking for, nothing will stop him."

"Who is 'he', Steve?" Alex demanded. "Who. Is. This. Person?"

Steve looked up. "He was here before Brian arrived. Eliza called him Rayner. I once called him brother. But he calls himself the Herobrine."

"Herobrine? He calls himself... Herobrine?" Brian gave Steve a level gaze, his eyes only narrowing with the new revelation.

"And he's your brother, as well?" Alex asked. "What exactly happened?"

Steve rested his hands on his sword, took a deep breath, and continued his story. "Rayner and I were brothers. Identical twins, but in appearance only. I was always the quiet one, the efficient one. Rayner was smart, almost unbelievably so. When he wanted something, he found a way to get it. But he was also impatient. It enraged him when people wouldn't go with his ideas. You could say he had all the qualities of a superior leader except patience and humility." Alex perceived the faintest smirk on Steve's face. "We arrived in this world at the same time, near the same place. We survived together. After several weeks, we found Eliza. They got along fine enough, but I could tell she was always suspicious of him."

"One day, something happened. The three of us found... some sort of abandoned structure. Underground. Rayner was very attracted to it, and seemed to want nothing else but explore the place. At some point, we got separated. Some kind of... pulse went out. Knocked all of us unconscious. When I woke up, I was on the surface. I found him after a short while. He was talking the strangest sort of nonsense. About portals, the dragon, and limitless power. He told me we could seek it together, the three of us. All I wanted to do was get him to the camp to get him better. Of course, this only made him mad."

"Eventually, I struck him, just trying to snap him out of it. He flew into a rage the likes of which I have never seen. He hit me back, squarely in the chest. Something must have happened, because he hit me with unimaginable force, driving me back several meters. I fell down, and he stood over me, his expression turning cold. He said to me 'You have no idea what I've seen. I've glimpsed power you could never imagine, and now I know how to get it. This world has chosen me as the Herobrine. You will not stop me'. As he said this, his eyes changed, turning pure white. The last thing I heard him say was 'This is not over. You will see me again'. Then he simply turned and left. I haven't seen him since. Until tonight."

Brian looked on quizzically. "So he is... the Herobrine? What does that even mean?"

Alex spoke up before Steve could. "Well, he at least seems to have some sort of control over the world. The Endermen seem to obey him. He was able to touch lava without hurting himself, and he probably had something to with our rather odd time situation."

Steve nodded. "I think you're right. He said something about being the world's guardian, of the center and the end. Whatever that means."

"What I say it means," said Brian, holstering his bow "is we'd better get moving. You said he mentioned a portal, right? Well, we just so happened to have stumbled across one of those lovely devices in progress today. Three guesses at who's associated with it?"

Steve nodded. "Sun's starting to come up anyway. Let's get moving."
* * *
They were able to navigate their way with reasonable success. The exit from the dungeon had been just behind a mountain near their base, and the portal was nearby. They rounded the mountain, and saw the massive opening in the ground that they had exited just hours before, though it felt like days. They passed through a small patch of forest, but before exiting it, the portal came into view.

Steve calmly held out his hand, ordering everyone to slow to a stop. "There he is" he whispered. "He's looking at the portal."

Alex looked over Steve's shoulder. Sure enough, he stood there, looking at the portal. The endermen that accompanied him to the base stood beside him, holding large chunks of obsidian. He looked at the two creatures and nodded. On his command, they held up the dark pieces of material they held, and they began to shimmer and shift, changing shape to accommodate the portal. Eventually, they both held pieces that fit perfectly, and they placed them into the portal, completing the arcing gate.

Steve looked over to the other two, and quietly unsheathed his sword. "We'll need to come up behind him. Our only chance is to take him by surprise". Brian and Alex nodded, taking out their weapons. Abruptly, one of the enderman near the portal stood straight, then disappeared. It was simply gone in a puff of smoke.

Before the group had time to react, the enderman reappeared just a few feet in front of them. What's more, several more appeared, quickly surrounding them. The three froze where they stood, but after a few seconds, the endermen standing in front of them stepped back. Herobrine stood there in front of them.

He smirked. "Sure, it would just be that easy, right? Sneak up behind him! There's no way he'll find out!" He turned and took a few steps away, and looked over his shoulder. "You really don't learn, do you, Steven? Things have changed. New... possibilities have been opened."

"Rayner" Steve said, taking a step forward. "This has to stop"

"Why should it?" He suddenly demanded. There was an air of anger in his voice, and the area around them felt slightly colder. He stopped himself, and calmed down. "You've actually helped me, did you know that? Even in this state, in tune as I am, I can not create from nothing. What with my little..." he indicated at the portal behind him "project here, I am still in need of a way to open it." He fixed his gaze on Alex. "Your little friend here changed that." He raised his hand, and he still held the small handful of lava that he had taken earlier.

Steve was evidently out of things to say, simply fixing his gaze on his brother, so the latter continued. "Follow us if you must. There's nothing you can do about it. I will reach my goal." His white eyes appeared to flash briefly. "And when I find it... well, you won't be a problem, at least."

He stepped towards the portal, looked at the lava in his hand for a moment, and threw it in. It took effect instantly. The lava hissed and disappeared, but brilliant blue flame sprang up from it. The flame, rather than rising, instead traveled up the side of the gate, swirling around the full loop. The entire inside of the portal was now wreathed in flame, and it continued to swirl and grow inward. Eventually, the entire interior of the portal was a wall of fire, and it changed composition. The flame turned a mysterious purple color, giving off little floating motes of an unknown material. It also appeared more like a gas, but still resided inside the portal.

Herobrine was clearly fascinated. He stood with a dignified demeanor, but his eyes showed raw excitement. He put his hand into the portal material. It swirled around his hand, but remained intact. Slowly, he stepped into the purple veil. It now swirled around his entire body, faster and faster. His shape began to distort. More and more it distorted, then he suddenly vanished, and the veil settled. The endermen disappeared too, in a puff of smoke similar to the material of the veil.

Alex stood in disbelief. This was the first time he had seen a portal in action. He turned to Alex and Brian, who were also looking around.

"We're going to do it, aren't we?" Brian asked after a moment. "We're actually stupid enough to go after them? We know what's on the other side..."

"I don't think the Nether is Rayner's goal." Steve interjected. "I think there's just something he needs there."

"Any ideas what?" Alex asked.

"No idea. But I don't want him to find it. He's dangerous enough already."

Alex nodded. Without another word, they started walking towards the portal. They stopped just a step before entering.

"Together?" Brian asked.

"I wouldn't have it any other way" said Steve, with a slight smile on his face.

The three of them stepped into the mysterious veil. Alex could immediately feel the gaseous material swirling around him, moving faster and faster. His view of the world became distorted, until all he could see was a purple haze. And, just like that, all three of them vanished behind the veil.

It was like his mind had stopped.

As the purple haze of the portal continued to swirl, Alex could almost feel his mind swirling with it. As the world seemed to fade, so did he. For just a moment, his stresses and emotions lifted as he experienced sweet oblivion.

Then, all at once, it was gone. Or rather, it was back. He emerged on the other side. The veil of the portal still covered his vision, but he could clearly see where he was. He had arrived in the nether.

Miles and miles of rough, blood red rocks stretched before him. Random motes of flamed danced about, lasting far longer than flame ought to. In the distance, he could see a lake of lava.

His semi-tranquil state was shattered by a positively hideous creature entering his field of field of vision not six feet away from him. Alex jumped in surprise and began to draw his sword. Before it was out of the sheath, however, someone’s hand blocked it from being drawn. Alex turned to see Steve standing next to him.

“The zombie pigmen don’t take very kindly to aggression” he said quietly. Alex turned to look again at the zombie pigman. Sure enough, it looked like some unholy mix of a simple pig and a human being, and then corrupted even beyond that. It seems its original state was that of some bipedal creature with a round snout, baggy pink skin, and an intimidating muscular structure. Now, however, half their face was rotted away, revealing a bleach-white skull underneath, and each one carried a large, heavy-looking sword apparently made of pure gold.

“They don’t care much about what you do, as long as you don’t bother them” piped in Brian, walking up behind them. The creature looked them over for a moment, huffed out a strange sort of grunt, thumped its sword once on the ground, and turned to leave.

The group took a moment to collect themselves. “Any other things I should know about?” Alex eventually asked.

Brian started before Steve could talk. “Ghasts” he said. “We’re not sure if they’re guardians or just very angry natives, but they’re nasty buggers all the same. Think giant white jellyfish.”

“Exactly how giant are we talking, here?”

“Maybe four meters across. They spit fire from a distance that’s a little too far to be comfortable, and this place burns easily. Luckily, though, they’re pretty slow. Also, they’ll have a hard time following us into any tight tunnels.”

“Noted” Alex muttered, though none of this news made him feel better. “So, now that we’re here… now what?”

Steve took a moment to look around. “They only could have come in through this same portal, if I remember how the nether works correctly.”

Brian nodded. “We’ll have to keep an eye out for any signs of their passing. Smooth sections of netherrack missing, dead pigmen, broken terrain, anything. I don’t see any of that from here, but there’s only one way off this cliff we’re on right now. May as well start there.”

Alex and Steve both agreed, and they began to head off. For just a moment, they heard a sound in the distance. It was almost like a whale, a high-pitched sound heard through lots of water, making it lower. They all heard it, but none of them were willing to acknowledge it. If it ended up being a problem, they would have to deal with it later.

They had walked all of thirty seconds when they saw Herobrine's destination.

“Well then.” Brian mused. “That was... unexpectedly easy.”

They didn't actually see Herobrine anywhere, but there were few enough terrain features that it was unlikely that he would be anywhere else. In front of them stood a massive castle turret. Walls stretched out from two sides of it, linking tunnels and ramparts of a massive complex made of smoothed blood-red stone.

“Looks like we found it” Alex said, walking up to a window on the wall. Looking through, he could see it was less than a foot thick. “Anyone think to bring a pick?”

Steve responded wordlessly, pulling a pickaxe from his pack and tossing it to him. Of course it was Steve. Alex raised the pick, took a moment to assess the surface, then swung. The stone of the wall was more brittle than expected, and Alex's swing brought out a large chunk. With a few more swings, there was a doorway large enough for them to pass through.

As they walked through, they heard it again; a muffled moan, coming from an indeterminate direction.

Trying as hard as they could to disregard it once again, they assessed their surroundings. “I've never seen anything like this in the Nether before” Steve said. “Last time we came through, we must have come in on a completely different side of this place.”

“I suppose it's obvious that there's something here, living or inanimate” Alex said. “I suppose that's what he's after?”

“Makes sense” Steve replied. “Let's start looking”

The maze of tunnels seemed to go on for miles. They kept careful track of their orientation, so the could hopefully find their way home, leaving occasional markers on the walls.

“Wait” Brian whispered suddenly. “Do you hear that?”

It wasn't the same moaning they heard earlier. It more like... breathing. A faint sound, breath being taken in and out, but it wasn't human breath. It was like a wheeze, made though an inhuman mouth, and it sounded like it took conscious effort. They walked to the end of the corridor, rounded the corner, and found the source of the noise.

It was a horrifying sight. The creature was far beyond anything that the group had ever seen. A single head floated, though it was difficult to tell what the head looked like, as it was completely engulfed it flames, to the point where only its black eyes were visible. Several golden rods spun around the head, leaving small trails of flame behind them. The noise that the survivors made coming around the corner seemed to catch its attention, and it responded in an unmistakably aggressive manner.

The rods around the head began to spin faster, creating rings of fire circling the creature. It then made a very labored-sounding inhale, sucking the rings of fire into its mouth – or at least where its mouth should be. Almost immediately after that, it released the flame it a rapid series of three bursts. The three fireballs went blazing toward the three, who were barely able to duck in time to avoid them. Brian, in a practiced movement of a true combat archer, continued the motion of ducking into a roll and rise while simultaneously pulling out his bow in one fluid motion. He loaded and arrow and quickly fired. The arrow whizzed toward the creature, only to be knocked aside by one of the rods. The creature primed and fired another shot, forcing Brian and the others to retreat behind the corner.

“This is crazy!” Alex panted out. “How do you beat something like that?”

As he spoke, the creature rounded the corner. It was bearing down on them, when something suddenly hit it. Not physically hit it, so to speak, but it suddenly felt the presence of something. The survivors felt it too; Alex felt a tremendous wave of what could only be described as psychic pressure roll over him, pressing on his skull and scrambling his thoughts.

But the wave wasn't directed at them.

Herobrine emerged into view, his outstretched palm pointed at the blaze-being. It tried to move backwards, its rods clanking against the walls. Herobrine thrust his hand forward, though the flames and grabbing the fire spirit's skull directly. It let out a horrible sound, like the sound of a massive animal experiencing sudden pain. He then proceeded to smash its head into the wall.

The head suddenly disappeared into a small cloud of fire, and the rods stopped floating and clattered to the ground. Herobrine looked at the fallen rods for a moment, and proceeded to pick up a few. The whole time, he hadn't noticed, or at least indicated that he had noticed, the three survivors on the ground right next to him.


Eventually, he turned. “Well, this is rather interesting. I...”


A loud splashing sound cut him off. He didn't move, but he stopped talking, his eyes turning alert.


A moment later, there was the sound of a massive impact just outside the wall behind him. It evidently wasn't something Herobrine expected, as he whirled around to look out the window. The three also got up to see what had created the sound.


Outside the window was one of the Nether's many lava lakes. Stretching out from the lake was a massive white tentacle, the other end of it buried in the stone. As they looked, another two came out and braced against the landscape. They pushed against the netherrack, hoisting the Ghast out of the lava.


As Brian had described, it was massive. It had a perplexing face, oddly human-like for such an otherworldly creature, though its eyes were closed. It rose out of the lava lake and into the air, floating up above the fortress. It opened its eyes, bulging and red, and let out a horrible screech.


Brian and Steve knew well enough what was coming next, and Alex knew well enough to follow their lead here. They turned and sprinted away, putting as much distance between the Ghast and themselves as possible.


The Ghast breathed out forcefully, launching a fireball towards the fortress. As soon as it made contact with the wall, it detonated. It wasn't a huge explosion, but it was large enough to put a hole in the wall. The three had no idea what became of Herobrine, though it was unlikely even a creature such as that would be able to take him. They ran through the fortress as fast as they could, trying at the same time to follow a path back established by memory and markers.


The Endermen were nowhere to be found, and the Ghast evidently wasn't concerned with chasing them at the time. They didn't bother to think about their good luck, and made their way to the portal as fast as possible. They didn't bother with ceremony this time around. They each jumped into the swirling veil as soon as they reached it, and the purple mist enveloped them, bringing them back to the world.

They didn't stop at all as they made their way back home. It was only once they were in the relative safety of the walls that they collapsed and caught their breath.


“Alright... what the the hell was...” Alex eventually gave up trying to speak. This was no time to think about things. It was nightfall, anyway. He staggered over to his cabin. If the creatures of the night decided to claim him in his sleep, so be it. He wouldn't be able to put up much of a fight anyway.


Strange dreams plagued him that night. He kept on going back to the first time he saw Herobrine, that blank look, and the strange power behind it. What was behind it? How did this all tie together? All the monsters that had been chasing him over the past few days swirled around in one bizarre construct, so surreal even his dream-self couldn't make sense of it. Just as he woke up, he saw a distant pair of eyes...


He jerked awake. Ugh, it was morning already. “I'm not ready for morning yet” he grumbled, but nonetheless forced himself out.


As it ended up, it was much later than morning. He went to the meeting area to find Steve and Brian already there. Steve looked positively downtrodden, and Brian didn't seem much better.


“I imagine your night wasn't much better than mine?” Alex asked as he came in. The looks he got gave him answer enough. He sat down at the table, but he didn't feel particularly hungry.


A long silence passed. Alex looked around, and tentatively decided to speak up. “So... what now?”


He got a glare from Steve as a first response. “What do you mean?”


“Well... we aren't just stopping now, are we? He got away. He got those rods. What's he going to with them?”


“Oh come ON, Alex” Steve growled. “What CAN we do anymore? My brother has all the cards. He has the power, the resources, and the knowledge. We don't have a damn clue where he is now, and anything we do will be just a wild goose chase”


He sighed and looked down. He spoke again without looking up. “There's nothing we can do anymore.”


Alex looked at him for a long time. Suddenly, he found it in himself to say something. “What happened to you, Steve?”


He almost took it back as the other looked up. There were lasers less intense than the look he received. Still, he held his ground.


“You're the fearless, mighty leader. And now your twin brother has the upper hand, you're just giving up? I think we both knew long ago that he's not up to any kind of petty scheme with the kinds of things he's pulling off.”


Alex stood up again and addressed them both. “This is OUR world now. We've earned our right to survive here. We've made this place our own. And I don't know about you, but I'm not letting some stranger come in and wreck all that we've worked for.”


Steve looked at him sheepishly, but seemed intrigued. “What are you suggesting?”


Alex looked back, a sudden excitement in his eyes. “I'm saying we're going to stop him. We'll put an end to this, and make our home the safe haven that it's supposed to be.”


The silence that followed was a bit too empty for the moment. Brian was the one who broke it, chuckling lightly.


“Nicely done, recruit. Cheesy, sure, but inspiring. I was a bit busy wallowing in my own self-pity this morning that I haven't gotten a chance to work on a little... well, project of mine.”


“And what would that be?”


“Well, we'll have to see, won't we? I'll see what I can find out. We'll talk again this afternoon”


* * *


They did not, in fact, talk that afternoon. Brian stayed locked up in his lab the rest of the day, and went straight back in the next morning. It was in the afternoon the next day he emerged, looked somewhat frazzled but confident. Steve and Alex immediately came over to see what he had found.


“So what's the deal?”


“I think I may have found a way to find the Herobrine.”


Steve's interest was captured immediately. “What? How?”


“With this...” Brian pulled out a gleaming Ender Pearl in one hand “And this”. With the other hand, he pulled out a shining rod, the exact kind from the blaze-being they encountered yesterday.


“How did you get those?” Alex asked, surprised.


“I picked them up when Steve's brother was distracted by the Ghast yesterday. Only had time to get a few, but I figured if they were so important to him we might need some too.”


Steve considered for a moment. “That's... that's actually pretty brilliant, Brian”


“Aww, I'm flattered. Anyway, I did some experiments with both of these. Ends up that this pearl is central to... an Enderman's essence, or something like that. Check this out.” He turned, and threw the pearl as hard as he could at the nearby wall. It shattered immediately, releasing a small cloud of purple particles.


In the same instant, Brian vanished.


Simultaneously, the floating particles came together and swirled around. In less than half a second, they re-formed Brian, standing there by the wall. “Cool, huh?”


“Interesting” Alex mused. “It's part of how they teleport.”


“And I'm not done yet.” Brian continued. “These blaze rods, as it ends up, have some powerful transmutational properties.” He held up the blaze rod in both hands over the table and squeezed it. It started to shimmer, and then it began dissolving. After a few seconds, there was a pile of glowing golden dust on the table. Brian pulled out another Ender Pearl. “My theory is that the energy in this creates a stronger link to the Endermen themselves.” He plunged the pearl into the dust, sifting around to cover it fully. When he pulled it out, it had changed. Rather than a pearl's distinct blue appearance, it now had a very large cat-like eye in the center of it.


Brian pulled out a piece of string and tied it to the new pearl. He gently tossed it into the air, and it began to float up. Not only that, it floated in a specific direction, tugging on the line.


“It's pulling towards something. The link created by the blaze powder is creating the pull.”


“So what do you think it's pulling towards?” Steve asked “The Endermen?”


Alex shook his head. “There are too many Endermen floating around right now for it to be going in a definite direction. This is going somewhere else. Rayner, something else, I don't know. But if the link is that strong, it's probably important.”


“Precisely” Brian said, smiling. “I think we have our solution.”


Alex could see the fire reigniting in Steve's eyes. They had hope again.


“Excellent work, Brian. We need to get everything together. We're moving out tomorrow morning.”


* * *


Until evening, they worked. Equipment designed, weapons refined, they didn't have a moment to waste. They knew they would have to bring everything they could to this next fight. If they didn't, they might not return.

The next morning, the three survivors set out. They ended up walking for most of the day, only stopping for short periods to rest and eat. Brian walked at the head of the pack, holding the eye-pearl suspended on a piece of string, leading them to their destination.


Sometime in the afternoon, Steve suddenly broke the silence.


“I know this place”.


Alex and Brian both turned their heads. At the same time, the eye-pearl stopped tugging like it had been all day. It floated directly overhead for a few seconds, then slowly descended, until it eventually touched the ground.


“I guess that means we're here.” Brian said. “This is too much of a coincidence. How do you know this place?”


Steve closed his eyes for a moment, as if he were trying to fight back painful memories. He opened them and said “This was the last place I saw my brother. Before... before whatever happened to him.”


“This is the place he changed...” Alex said quietly. “You said he spoke to you, bunch of random sounding nonsense. Do you remember any of it?”


Steve paused to consider for a moment. “I do. Only a part. He said 'I heard its voice through the other side. It told me that I am the Herobrine, Guardian of the Center and the End.'. A tad dramatic, yes. I'm still not sure what he meant.”


“It's voice...” Alex mused. He forced himself to snap out of it. “This is too much of a coincidence. Our tracker must be leading us here, and it must be where your brother is going as well. Do you remember how to get in?”


“I do. The there's an entrance on the worn-away stone just over that hill. Come on.”


* * *


They descended into the depths of the underground structure. Whatever it was, it had clearly been there for a very long time. The winding tunnels made of large, gray bricks bore the wear and tear of many years of abandonment. Some spots were overgrown with vines and moss, and others were cracked from the strain of holding up the hundreds of tons of earth above them.


Some of the torches were somehow still functioning, while many others were burnt out. They found a library, completely covered in cobwebs, the books written in an indecipherable language. They didn't have time to look over it more thoroughly.


They moved quietly, listening and watching for any sign of those they pursued. As they neared the end of one hallway, they saw some purple particles floating through the air just around the corner. They all looked at each other in silent agreement, and moved faster. As they rounded the corner, they found... nothing.


They stood there for a moment, tensed, looking for any sign of the Enderman that they were sure they saw. As Alex looked around, behind him he heard a sharp hissing sound.


He turned around to see something flying towards his face. It wasn't large, maybe the size of a small dog, and it was light gray and insectoid. It caught him off guard and knocked him to the ground. He struggled with it, and it eerily sharp-looking mandibles gnashed at his face. It was too close to pull out his sword, so he reached for his belt and pulled out an item of his own personal design.


During their times trapped in that world, there had been several times like this one where one of them found themselves trapped in very close quarters with a very dangerous creature; an explosive creeper was the worst to encounter in this situation. Alex had taken it upon himself to design a backup weapon, one that could be used in such emergencies.


The result was the creep blade; a small, curved dagger, just the right size to jab into a creeper's eye and kill it instantly. It was also perfect for small creatures such as this one.


Alex unsheathed the dagger from his belt and brought it up in a quick motion against the insect's side. It let out another hiss, this one much more pained-sounding. It distracted it long enough for Alex to get a grip on it and stand up. He held it against the wall and drove the blade through it, pinning it to the wall. The creature let out a small shriek and stopped moving.


He pulled the blade out and sheathed it, breathing heavily. “What was that thing?” he asked.


“Silverfish.” Steve answered. “We found them the last time we came here. The main problem with them is...”


There was a sudden sound of stone bricks being broken. Alex and Brian gave him an urgent look.


“...that they're never alone. Run!”


They sprinted down the hallway. More silverfish began emerging out of dark corners, some even bursting through cracks in the walls. The slashed at them with their swords as they ran, even as more came out to chase them.


Slowly, the horde chasing them began to thin. At the same time, they found themselves at the beginning of a long hallway. At the end there was a well-lit room.


Herobrine and several Endermen could be seen standing in the room.


“You two need to go.” Brian said. He pulled out his custom-designed bow. “We need someone to hold these things off. I'll do that as long as I can.”


The other two began to protest, but they stopped when they saw the look in Brian's eyes. He knew they all had a role in this. If anyone didn't do their part, they may not be coming back.


“Alright.” Steve said quietly. There was sadness in his eyes. He and Alex turned and ran to the room.


* * *


When they reached it, they saw there was a large pedestal in the center. Herobrine stood in front of it, and four Endermen stood along the sides. There was some sort of cage at the base of the stairs, and it seems to have been smashed open.


At the top of the pedestal was a sort of ring, made of several sections with large slots in them. Several of the slots were filled, and Alex recognized the objects as being the eye-pearls they used earlier.


“Rayner!” Steve called out. His brother turned to look at him. No evident surprise appeared in his features. Alex and Steve stopped at the entrance to the room.


“Well then.” he chuckled. “You guys are quite the persistent ones, aren't you? I didn't really think you'd find your way here, but then here we are.” He glanced over his shoulder, towards the construct behind him. “The portal's almost finished now. We only need one more piece...”


He walked over until he was behind one of the Endermen. Then he killed it. He simply drove his hand into its back. The Enderman arched its back, then fell. Herobrine pulled out a gleaming pearl from the dead creature.


“You two are about to see the dawn of a new era” he continued. He pulled out one of the blaze rods and held it above the pearl. It shimmered, just like Brian and done, and became powder, washing over the Ender pearl. When the glow faded, the cat-like eye appeared. He turned and started to walk towards the portal, only to see Alex standing in his way.


“No you're not.”


Herobrine at first seemed confused by this. “I'm not letting this go on any further” Alex went on. “If you want to put that in...” he pulled out his sword “...well, I'm not going to let you.”

A sudden fire erupted in Herobrine's eyes. “ENOUGH!” he shouted. He swung his arm and struck Alex, knocking him out of the way. He hit the wall with a crushing impact and a sickening crunch, and fell to the ground. He didn't move.


“I warned you.” Herobrine said, seething with rage. “You should have stayed out of this.”


“What have you done...” Steve said quietly. “What have you DONE?! HEROBRINE!” He suddenly bellowed out. He pulled out his gleaming diamond sword, and pointed it towards his brother. The latter turned around to face him.


“This ends NOW!”


Herobrine laughed, put down the pearl, and walked down the stairs.

“So be it.”


And so began the duel of brothers for the fate of the world.

Pain.


Nothing else mattered. Crushing, overwhelming pain.


Alex stirred slightly. He felt like his whole body was broken. Which, he reminded himself, probably wasn't far off the truth. Herobrine packed a punch.


Slowly, he forced himself to look up. Through all the pain, he opened up his eyes. He saw the two brothers locked in battle.


Steve wielded his mighty sword. He moved quick, but flowingly, almost gracefully. His brother fought with no weapon, only his bare hands. He struck rapidly and relentlessly, using his hands to parry off blows from a sword that could split a man's skull in two.


It went on for what felt like hours. Steve maintained his ever-present focus, never taking his eyes off his opponent. Eventually, the became locked in place. The stood opposite of each other, feet planted and unmoving. They each attacked with unbelievable speed, faster than any human should be able to move. They were evenly matched, neither making progress on the other.


Suddenly, Herobrine decided it was time for the battle to end. He abruptly caught Steve's sword, stopping the shining diamond blade dead. The both strained for several seconds, and the sword shattered under the crushing grip. Pieces of crystal flew around the room Herobrine immediately followed up with a palm strike to the chest, driving Steve back and knocking him to the ground.


He stood over him for a moment, before turning around. “You're no threat to me anymore. Now all you have left to do is watch.” He bent over and picked up the pearl. “All you can do is watch me ascend.”


He leaned down and placed the pearl into the slot on the portal. The effect wasn't immediate. It did, however, happen all at once.


There was a sudden flash of light, and a mighty gust of wind came out of the portal. Herobrine looked down into it, the wind blowing his hair back, raw excitement in his eyes.


“Do you feel it, my brothers?” It was unclear who he was addressing, though it was clearly not Steve. “Do you feel the power flowing from the end of time itself?” A maniacal smile overtook his features. “Are you ready to destroy a world?”


Herobrine suddenly let out a cry of surprised pain. The noise of the portal continued, but his crazed ranting had stopped.


Behind him stood Alex, battered, bloody, and nearly dead, holding a shard of Steve's broken sword in his hand. The shard protruded deeply from Herobrine's back.


Steve stood up to see his brother turn around. There was a primal rage in his eyes, and he looked ready to destroy them and everything around them in his anger. His expression then faded, and a white mist began to rise out of his eyes. He began to say something, but he fell backwards, falling through the portal.


The two survivors looked down just in time to see him get snatched away, as a massive black shape moving at incredibly speeds blazed past their vision.


Alex nearly collapsed, but Steve caught him. “Come on!” Steve said. “We need to get out of here!”


Alex tried to speak, but only a pained croak came out. He mustered his strength again, and simply said “No.”


“What? Stop talking like that! He's gone. We won! We can go home now!”


“Not... not while this thing is here. Not while it's still open.”


Steve looked at him desperately. “We can still make it out. We can have our safe haven that we always wanted!”


Alex shook his head. “This thing needs to be closed. I can feel it. It's a threat to everyone here as long as it's still active.”


Steve started to protest, but Alex cut him off. “Steve... go. Someone needs to know what happened here today. Someone needs to look after anyone new who arrives.”


Steve looked at him for a long time, his expression pained. Eventually, he put his hand on Alex's shoulder. It wasn't a long goodbye, but they both knew what it meant. He turned and left.


Alex turned and limped toward the portal. The bright light and wind were still coming out of it. He made his way up the stairs, gripped onto one of the Ender Eyes, and pulled as hard as he could. It was stuck fast, not budging at all. Nonetheless, he continued to pull, pulling with every fiber of his being.


He exerted himself even harder, and collapsed, wheezing and coughing up blood. As he tried to muster up more strength to try again, he felt another presence behind him. As he reached for the pearl again, two more sets of arms reached for it as well. Long, lanky, jet-black arms. He looked up to see the Endermen standing beside him.


As he pulled again, he felt the presence of the Endermen in his mind, making him stronger. A crack started to form in the pearl, with brilliant light spilling out. As they continued to pull, it became wider, then the whole thing came out.


There was a pulse of light as this happened, knocking him back. He looked up to the portal, and saw a beam of bright white light coming out. As this happened, he felt the stronghold start to crumble around him.


* * *


Steve and Brian emerged from the exit at the surface. As they did, they felt a large rumble beneath their feet. The looked forward, and saw a powerful beam of light coming out of the ground and piercing the sky. More rumbling came, and they could feel the structure collapsing underneath them.


Brian looked at the beam, despair in his eyes. “No...” he whispered. “Alex...”


Steve looked at the beam differently. There was a slight smile on his face, as the looked at the mighty pillar of light. “You did good, kid. You did good...”


* * *


Alex lay on the ground, watching the pulsing beam of light grow stronger. He started to feel another presence arrive in his mind, similar to that of the Endermen, though quite different. In grew stronger, then manifested itself in full, in the form of massive psychic pressure, not unlike what had been used on the Blaze. This, however, much much stronger, and more clearly pointed at him. It felt like a massive pain in his skull, and the presence began to form a voice in his mind.


Weak...


Alex tried to ignore it and tried to get up again, but to no avail.


You are WEAK!


Stars exploded in his vision. This power was unlike any he had felt before. He felt like his head was going to explode from the inside.


Puny. Abandoned. You've done your meddling. Now you're just here with me... alone...


He's not alone.


Alex heard another voice. Who was this? It was different than the other... it was almost like a whisper. Just as he was about to black out, he heard another voice. This one sounded human, and distinctly female.


“He will never be alone...”


As Alex lost consciousness, he felt another explosion rock himself. Then he felt sweet, sweet oblivion once more.


* * *


What?


Where am I?


I thought I was... thought I was...


Alex pushed himself up. He was on the surface again. He realized that he was actually able to stand up. He looked down at himself, and saw his injuries were gone. He looked at his surroundings.


It was a normal sunny day. The grass was bright and green, the animals went about their business as if nothing abnormal was happened.


He felt oddly in tune with everything, as if he was where he truly belonged. He continued to turn and saw an Enderman standing before him.


It looked out of place, but strangely, still a part of everything there. It stood and stared at him, and Alex felt its mind within his own.


You freed us.


“I freed you? From who?”


The dark one. He exerted his will over us. But even his mind was not his own. The Dragon made sure of that.


“The dragon? Was that the the one talking to me? What happened to it?”


We do not know if it lives. Its connection to this world has been severed.


“My friends... did they make it?”


The wise one and the clever one did escape from the stronghold. They approach their home now, accompanied by two others.


“More survivors...” Alex whispered. “So... what happens now?”


You knew the dark one as the Herobrine. Herobrine is not a name, but a title. The guardian of the world, the one with the power to influence it. There must always be one, and there will forever be one.


Alex suddenly felt like he understood what the Enderman was saying. He walked over to a nearby pond. He looked down at his reflection, and saw what he expected. He saw fair skin, blond hair, and his battered clothes. He also saw something new.


His eyes were white.

“What's your name, kid? Come on... we're all friends here.”


“Andy... Andy Zero.”


“Good. And you?”


“Rana... My name's Rana.”


“Excellent. My name is Brian. This is Steve. Welcome to your new home.”


The four of them walked through the gates of the mighty fortress they had built. Andy and Rana were awestruck by it.


They gave the new ones shelter and food. It had been such a long time since anyone new had arrived.


They told them stories. Stories of adventure and heroism, how the whole world had almost come to an end. Did they believe them when they said it was true? Maybe they did, maybe they didn't, it didn't matter right now.


Steve took a moment away from the group, and walked up the stairs to the walls. He overlooked the fields and mountains outside. It felt like years since he had just stopped and appreciated the scenery.


On one of the closer mountains, he saw something emerge. He stood up straighter to get a closer look. He then saw that the figure was looking back at him.


He felt the realization and recognition hit him. As they did, he smiled. Alex smiled back at him. This wasn't the end. It was only the beginning.

Wither and Die takes place two months after the end of Tale of the Endermen. Our heroes, Steve, Brian, Alex, Rana, and Andy continue to survive in the strange world in which they're stranded. Now, however, a new threat is arising. A sinister entity hides in the shadows that will drive their minds to their limits, stopping at nothing to achieve its goal.

The Withering has begun.

For example, what would Alex do with those new powers? Would he turn evil or try and protect the world? It really leaves a lot to think about.