The Nether Queen - Herobrine x Reader

Chapter Twenty Eight

"Did you think this was over?" Notch snarls as Herobrine scrambles to his feet, taking a defensive stance. "I told you, I am immortal. Even if I only hit you once for every time you kill me, I will still come out on top eventually. You cannot win."

"Maybe not, but I'm not going down without a fight." Herobrine reaches out with his free hand, gently pushing you away. "Stay away from me, understand?" You give him a wordless nod. You want to help, but you don't have time to argue.

Notch's hammer reappears in his hand, and he teleports abruptly into range, swinging the heavy weapon at your husband's head. Herobrine teleports behind him, attacking him from behind, but Notch follows through with his swing and Herobrine is forced to teleport again to safety.

"I don't understand your conviction!" Notch yells, teleporting close again to attack. "Why do you continue to fight me?? You know you're going to lose! What can you gain from dragging this out?!"

"You don't understand because you are not mortal. Death is little more than an inconvenience for you. You've said it yourself, if I die, I'm gone for good. I can't just give up and let it happen." Herobrine slashes his arm open, and Notch stumbles back with a yell.

"But why is the extra effort worth it??"

"Because I'll be dead!" Herobrine sighs, teleporting behind him and digging his pick into his back. "You're the ruler of the world. You'll never understand what it feels like to be like me." He twists his pick, and Notch dies again. Herobrine's shoulders slump, and his pick falls to his side as Notch's body shatters into a million pieces.

"He's going to kill us both, isn't he?" Your husband looks up at your voice, and his blank eyes confirm it for you.

"Yes." His pick disappearing into his inventory, he makes his way across the platform towards you. "He's right. Our fight will go on for eternity, until I'm dead, and after this... he will not spare your life." Reaching you, he gets down to your level and wraps his arms tightly around you. "I'm so sorry. I don't have the power left to bring you home."

"I don't want to go home." Your head is buzzing as you wrap your arms around his neck, pressing your forehead against his shoulder. Adrenaline is pumping through you, but every instinct you have is telling you to stay. That you don't want to leave now.

"How sweet." Your head jerks up at Notch's voice, and you find him standing in the center of the platform again. "One last embrace for the star-crossed lovers." Herobrine glowers at him over your shoulder, then pulls away, standing and drawing his pick. "No retort?"

"Why should I waste my breath?" Notch scoffs, then draws a sword again. He must have figured out that the hammer wasn't working for him. Herobrine takes the initiative and attacks, probably not wanting Notch to be able to set the tone of the fight, and nearly knocks his sword out of his grip before his opponent can realize what's happening.

Reeling from the blow, Notch draws a second sword and strikes back, forcing Herobrine back and landing a blow on his right arm. Herobrine switches his pick to his left before attacking again. He's slower, though, than he was before. He's getting weaker. He might not beat Notch again.

Notch spins around to gain momentum and slams his main sword into Herobrine's pick, causing him to stumble back, then follows up with a slash at his head. Herobrine ducks it and strikes at his knees, forcing Notch to retreat a few feet. Arrows appear in the air around them, and Herobrine lifts his shield to catch them as they fly.

The moment he lowers it, Notch appears in front of him, slicing through his shoulder and chopping his left arm off.

Herobrine cries out, teleporting a few feet back and clutching his bleeding shoulder. You're frozen, eyes open wide as they'll go, hands pressed over your mouth. He's going to kill him. Your husband sinks to his knees, pressing his hand to the stump in an attempt to stop the bleeding. Notch laughs, a frantic sound.

"Now I have you." Letting go of his shoulder, Herobrine snatches up his pickaxe, and teleports behind Notch to attack him again. Notch sees it coming, and spins around, slamming the hilt of his sword into your husband's head. Herobrine stumbles back, and Notch buries his sword up to the hilt in your husband's stomach. He falls.

"No!" You gasp out as he teleports farther away, slumping down on the stone. Blood is spreading quickly on the stones around him, collecting in the grooves between the bricks. He's not going to survive.

"Any last words?" Notch roars, stalking towards his prey. You can see your husband's mouth moving, but you can't make out the words from so far away.

You don't even realize you're running until you register Herobrine shouting for you to stay away. You can barely hear it through your heart pounding in your ears. Skidding to a stop between him and Notch, you throw your hands out to your sides, yelling,

"Notch, stop!!" He stops. Raising one eyebrow, he stares down at you, twirling the bloodstained sword in his hand.

"And why, pray tell, should I do that?"

"You don't have to do this." You tell him desperately. "Just let him go. He won't bother you, he never has."

"We've been over this, little one, and I've told you already why he must be eliminated. Why are you continuing to fight me?"

"I can't just let you kill him!!" Tears spring to your eyes, and you try and fail to blink them away. "Please, Notch, please. He was made from you, wasn't he?? He's you. And if- if he can feel this much, so can you!!" Sinking to your knees, you bow your head, clasping your hands to your heart. "I can't o-offer you anything, I'm just a kid, but I'll do anything. Just please, let him go." The tears escape your eyes and flow down your cheeks, dripping onto the stones beneath you. "Please."

Notch is silent, and you don't dare look up. You can hear Herobrine behind you, his breaths loud and rasping, but you can't turn around. Can't move an inch. Silent and still on the stones.

Finally, you hear a sigh, and movement in front of you, and you blink your eyes open to see Notch kneeling to your level.

"Very well." Your heart jumps into your throat, and your jerk up to look at him. Was he...?? Lifting a hand towards your husband, Notch begins to glow, and you turn to see Herobrine's body begin to knit itself together.

"Y-you..." you stammer, and Notch chuckles.

"...have been overreacting? Perhaps so." He stands, waving a hand, and the void is replaced by a plains biome in a splash of color. "Get him out of my sight." Scrambling to your feet, you turn, running to your husband and falling to your knees beside him. The sword is gone, and he's rapidly healing, his arm regenerating in a shower of golden sparks. You spin to look at Notch, who's walking away.

"W-wait!" You call out before you can think better of it. Notch stops, but doesn't turn. "W-what about Steve? Is he okay?" The man is silent for a few moments.

"I placed him in stasis along with the world, but he should have regenerated with it. And..." Notch lifts his hand, and a text box appears with enchanting table text in it. He swipes upwards, and all the text disappears. "I've restored his memory."

"Th-thank you." Notch nods, then disappears. You swivel to look at Herobrine again, and find himself pushing himself up with his right arm to examine his newly-functional left. He meets your eyes, and you throw your arms around him.

"This makes it twice now that you've saved my life." He murmurs as you bury your face in his shirt, holding you tight with one hand and entangling the other in your hair.

"T-to be fair, my life w-was on the line both times too."

"Still. I can't believe we're alive."

"Me either." You admit. "I love you."

"I love you too." You rest your cheek on his shoulder, feeling the last of your adrenaline rush fade away and be replaced with heavy relief. At least for now, Notch was letting him go. He was safe.

Neither of you move until the sound of an Enderman's teleport breaks the silence, and you turn to see who was there - only to let out a cry of joy as a familiar trill greets you.

"MANFRED!"