Minecraft: The Marvelous Adventures of Steve: The Invasion Trilogy

An Old Person Made New

They quickly gathered their supplies with what little time they had left. Sam helped the pig down into the tunnel. Steve had just reached the bottom when they heard the door break down. He put cobblestone over the hole.

"That should buy us enough time," he said.

Sam had crafted an extra boat for the pig to float in. They quickly got outside and climbed into the boats just as they heard creepers start exploding.

"They couldn't find us," Sam said, "so they're destroying the house."

"Without us in it," he said.

The current took hold of their boats. Steve was pulled first. Sam had a lead tied to the pig's boat, and they were all swept into the current. The light disappeared the deeper they went into the cave. Sam wanted to say something but remained silent. The only sound to be heard was the dripping of water somewhere in the dark and their silent breathing. The trickle of water made an appearance every now and then.

After what seemed like an hour, they could see a soft glow coming out of the dark. When they emerged, it opened into a sparsely dense forest. Cows had their mouths dipped into the stream's riverbed for a quick drink. Their ears twitched when they looked up at the travelers. The current pushed them into a small lake without a current to push them out. They took their paddles and rowed to the edge. They crawled out of their boats. Sam helped his pig out. He took off the leash and put it in his inventory.

"So, which way is north?"

Sam finally broke their silence. Steve, nonchalantly, took a compass out of his pocket.

"I had just enough iron to make a compass," he said. "We'll just follow the red needle."

He pulled it out and held it in his hand. The needle turned until it settled on a single direction. He followed it without another word. Sam caught up with him and walked behind him. Both Sam and the pig followed silently. He didn't like that the only thing he could hear was the crunching of grass under their feet. The silence Steve was giving off was deafening. He knew Steve had to be really sad about his home being destroyed. He was hoping they would spare it when they had left, but the creepers had other plans. Sam couldn't let Steve just grieve alone.

"Steve, I'm so sorry about your home."

He didn't say anything.

"It's all my fault," Sam continued. Maybe if I had left, they wouldn't have bothered you. They could have just... passed by."

Steve kept walking and remained silent.

"But it was you who saved me. I could've died. I could've left. I wouldn't have been a bother to you. Ever since I showed up, I've done nothing but cause you pain. You kept me in good health. You gave me a home, food and water, and the company of someone that I've never experienced before. I... I'll never be able to repay you for the kindness you've shown me."

"You're wrong."

Steve broke his silence. He turned around and looked into Sam's eyes.

"You have never been a bother to me," Steve said. "Not once. I finally got what I wanted for a long time."

"What?"

"A friend."

Then, to Sam's surprise, Steve hugged him. He hugged back. Steve pulled back and continued.

"For as long as I can remember, I was alone. I never knew my parents. I never had a real family. I had to learn to survive on my own, even when I was very little. Most of the time, I had to dig holes and hide from the monsters that came out at night. I cried every time, hoping someone would hear me and come to my rescue. No one ever came. I never found anyone to be close to. I never had a home."

"Then, when I was about nine, I stumbled upon a horse, and we became friends. He liked the name Hudson over Horsey, but I couldn't blame him. He was my friend and knew how to fight off mobs, kicking them with such force that he was like a super horse."

"One day, we had slept in too late. We didn't have anywhere safe nearby to stay, and it was becoming late evening. When we woke up, we had mobs coming after us with no warning. He kicked and rammed into them so that I could get away. I never knew what happened to him, so I assumed the worse and went back for him. There was nothing left to find. He was gone."

"I eventually came across a village when I was about seventeen. It was very far away from here. We'll never find them before the mobs. I was awkward, not sure how to be around other people. I tried to make friends, but that place ended up being a horrible place with a corrupted leader. As much as I wanted to stay, I had to leave."

"Then, after a long time, I came across the valley. That night, while I was sleeping next to the river inside that valley, I had a dream that I would make a great home in that valley with a garden and a forest. It would have everything I needed and make a great home. When the right person would come along, I would be able to have a family of my own."

"When you showed up, I felt like that dream was coming true. I finally had a friend after being alone for so long. I had so much fun from the minute you showed up. We had those small adventures and accidents that made our lives so much more interesting. Just think about all of the things we dealt with the past few days. It was pretty wild."

"I may have lost a home, but I'm not losing my friend, too."

Steve smiled and went back to following the compass. He felt much better, letting out his feelings. He wasn't as sad as before, but he still shed a tear.

"And, uh, thanks. For... you know... trying to help me feel better."

Sam had no idea what kind of impact he had on Steve. After hearing his life story, he realized just how much he meant to Steve. Smiling a big smile, he followed Steve close behind. He put his hand on Steve's shoulder for a few seconds. Steve looked back with a teary smile.

"I'm glad to be your friend," Sam said.

They walked through the woods for a few hours until the sun was setting close to the horizon. The day was growing late. Steve decided to stop and set up camp.

"Let's dig a hole and put the beds in," he said.

"Like old times?"

"No," he said. "This time, I'm not doing it alone."

They each pulled out a shovel and started digging. The pig sat down and yawned, watching them work. When they were done, Sam woke the pig up and shooed it into the hole. Once inside, they patched the roof up and placed the beds with a single torch on the floor.

"Okay, a little like old times," Steve corrected.

They both fell asleep before the mobs on the surface began to spawn. Even though they were asleep, Steve could hear them in his dreams. He could never escape them.