Minecraft Story Mode: Pain and Healing

Epilogue

Far underneath the bedrock, on a mystical mountain that always moves and never stays in the same place, Notch was calmly meditating while sitting amongst the numerous statues that he had accumulated in the past dozen years. On the outside, it looked like he was too deep in concentration to notice anything going on around him. But in reality, Notch was straining his ears, listening for any footsteps or voices that might occur. The old man wasn't usually this alert, but today was different. Today, he was about to get a visit from an old friend.

Sure enough, it wasn't long before he heard footsteps heading into the temple from behind him, followed by an irritated grunt. "Hello, Notch," said a gravelly voice. It was deep, terrifying, and filled with enough venom to kill a man. However, Notch was not afraid in the slightest. Instead, he opened his eyes and turned around to greet his visitor. "Herobrine, my old friend," he said with a warm smile. "It's been far too long since we last saw each other. Please, make yourself at home." At first glance, Herobrine looked like an average man. He had fairly dark skin and wore a light blue shirt, purple pants, and gray shoes. It was his eyes that were a dead giveaway as to who, or what, he truly was. His eyes were pure white, as white as the moon in the sky, and filled with unimaginable hatred, loathing, and evil.

Herobrine looked around at the statues filling the temple, raising an eyebrow. "It seems that you started a little collection while I was away," he said. Notch shrugged. "It's a fine way to pass the time," he said. "Tell me, what brings you here from your travels across the cosmos?" Herobrine walked towards one of the statues, tipped it over, and used it as a chair without asking for Notch's permission. He didn't have to, anyway. Neither of them had anything to fear from each other. "I heard that you brought another Admin into this world. Is that true or not?" Notch nodded. "Yes, it's true." Herobrine growled at how nonchalant his friend was acting. "Don't you see what a terrible mistake you just made?!," he roared. "It was bad enough that there were three Admins running around, and you just added a fourth! Out of all the beings in existence, they are probably the only ones in the multiverse that could rival our power!"

"Yes, I know that," said Notch, nodding patiently. Despite the two of them seeming like complete opposites, their pride and callousness knew no bounds. "But THEY don't, and I intend to keep it that way. Besides, Xara, Fred, and Romeo are all dead now. There is only ONE Admin left, and TWO of us. Relax, old friend. We have nothing to worry about." Herobrine nodded, albeit hesitantly. The last thing they needed was for the truth to come out - that they are only slightly more powerful than Admins, that they are not as omnipotent or all powerful as they portray themselves as. "So who is it, then?," asked Herobrine. "The new Admin?"

Notch scooped up some dust from the ground and blew it into the air. The dust formed into the solid shape of a girl with silver hair and blue skin. "Her name is Alex," said Notch, gesturing to the dusty illusion. "I've been watching her for a very, very long time. She is quite the interesting character, my friend." Herobrine glared at this woman - no, this CHILD - with disdain. "She doesn't look that impressive," he growled, disrupting the illusion with a disgusted wave of his hand. "You turned HER into an Admin? That pathetic little whelp?"

"She already was an Admin," Notch corrected him. "I merely helped her unlock her powers." He looked at Herobrine curiously. "On her way here, she came across a man who was quite...strange. He survived fatal wounds that even made ME feel queasy, and he was yelling your name for some reason." "My name?," said Herobrine, raising an eyebrow. "Who was that man?" "A fellow named Patrick," Notch answered. "Oh," grumbled Herobrine, his eyebrow lowering as quickly as it came up. "So you know him?," asked Notch.

"Yes, unfortunately," sighed Herobrine. "He used to be a famous archeologist, you know." "Really? An archeologist?," Notch questioned. He tried to picture that raving lunatic as one, but failed to do so. "That's hard to imagine." Herobrine snorted in amusement. "Anyway, people knew him as Professor Patrick Peterson," the white eyed man continued. "He was famous for exploring and uncovering lost civilizations and artifacts that were thought to be myths. But it was his curiosity that ultimately led to his undoing. He heard rumors of a lost city that was said to have possessed technology far more advanced than any other. A city called the Abyss." "Ah, yes, I know about the Abyss," said Notch, nodding. "It was an ancient city that you once ruled over for a brief period of time, right?" "Yes, exactly," said Herobrine, also nodding. "The very same one. Anyway, the professor had no trouble getting there, but when he did, he discovered something that immediately caught his attention: an ancient portal frame."

"What's so special about a simple portal frame?," asked Notch. "That portal was active when the professor first saw it," Herobrine answered. "He thought that it was already like that for thousands of years, not knowing that someone else had already activated it. That man let his foolishness get the best of him. To satisfy his curiosity, he poked his head through the portal to see what was on the other side." "And what did he see?," asked Notch curiously.

"He saw ME," said Herobrine, looking Notch in the eye. "In my true form."

Notch nodded in understanding. "That makes sense," he said. "Our true forms are far beyond the comprehension of mortals. Let me guess, seeing your true form is what drove him insane?" Herobrine nodded. "That's about it," he said. Then, he gave Notch a suspicious glare. "Now I have a question for YOU, Notch," he continued. "What was it about that girl that caught your interest?" "She entertains me, simple as that," Notch answered, shrugging his shoulders. "She's actually a lot like her birth father in many ways. Both are naturally kind people, and both have idealistic views, though Alex's is a bit more jaded. But she also has that sort of... spark inside of her. A flame of determination that can never be quenched."

Herobrine stared at Notch, then snorted again. "You've been reading too much poetry, old friend," he said, smirking. On the inside, he was not fooled at all. Notch may have liked being entertained, but that old man always had his own reasons beyond that. This was no different. "But I'll admit, that DOES sound interesting," he continued. "She really must have an iron will if you of all people are complimenting her. But I'll bet that I can be the first one to break her. I'm always looking for a challenge." Notch smirked back. "I doubt it, old friend," said the old man. "She's stronger than you think. You won't be able to break her that easily."

"Oh, yeah?," said Herobrine, glaring at Notch challengingly. "Well, I bet I can. You just watch, old man." I'm only a few eons older than you, Notch thought scornfully. "Very well," he said, smiling. "Knock yourself out." Herobrine nodded and stood up, walking out of the temple. The white-eyed man couldn't help but smile in anticipation for what he was about to enact on the newest Admin. As Notch watched Herobrine climb back down that mountain, he couldn't help but pity Alex now. Well, almost. He was still going to sit back and enjoy the show.

If there's one thing that Herobrine hates above all else, it's losing a bet.