Herobrine X Reader - Love's Wither Rose (COMPLETE)

16 - Reunion

Herobrine grit his teeth as he used the arrowhead to dig the thorn out from his palm. He was an idiot to have not done this sooner. It wasn't like he could feel the arrow digging around the thorn over the numbing pain that had set into the rest of his arm over the last...week?

He eventually got it out, then cut off a strip of fabric from his shirt. He folded the material around the thorn and stuffed it in his pocket, alongside the arrowhead.

Pistons clicked and shifted as the bridge slowly extended from the tower to the cage.

Herobrine slowly raised his head at the sound of approaching footsteps. Alden stood on the other side of the bars, smirking with his chin stuck outwards. Two Piglin Brutes stood waiting at the other end of the bridge.

"Quite the escort," Herobrine sneered. "Seems to me like you're scared."

"The only one here who should be scared is you." Alden paused for a moment, grinning wider. "I have a surprise for you."

"The hell are you talking about?"

"Now, if I told you, it'd ruin the surprise - wouldn't it?"

Herobrine clenched his jaw. What was he playing at?

"Though if you really want to know," Alden said. "Perhaps this can give you a hint."

He waved a hand and one of the Piglin Brutes stood forward. As he watched, Herobrine noticed how it walked with a slight gait in its step. Alden had it turn around and an uneasy feeling settled in Herobrine's gut as he stared at the deep wound across the Piglin Brute's back. It made his own back to tingle painfully, seeing the deep, ragged line connecting its shoulder blades - still bleeding, too.

What could've done this?

"It fascinates me, you know: you couldn't do so much as put a scratch on one of my Piglin Brutes, so even the possibility that something remotely human could doesn't even cross your mind." Alden shook his head and had the Piglin turn back around as Herobrine stared at him in disbelief. "Oh, don't look so shocked. To read someone's thoughts like words on paper is just as effective as already holding the knife to their throat."

Herobrine said nothing.

"I'm sure you're just dying to know who did what the former King of the Nether Realm couldn't. I'll have you know they had the same start to the fight as you; I don't know about you, but I must say I'm terribly proud of how far (Y/N) got into the fight before their inevitable defeat."

"(Y/N)?"

Alden laughed dryly. "I knew that would get your attention."

"What have you done to them?" Herobrine gripped the bars till his knuckles turned white, the iron beginning to glow red. "Where are they?"

"They're safe - for now. So is their little friend; and if it's going to stay that way, you will cooperate without fuss."

The second Piglin Brute came towards the cage, holding a ring of keys. It unlocked the barred gate and the first Brute dragged Herobrine out onto the bridge with a vice-like grip on his arm. Before he could do anything, his hands were pulled behind his back and metal cuffs clicked into place around his wrists.

"Don't bother wasting your energy on trying to melt those," said Alden. "Netherite, as I'm sure you're aware, is completely resistant to fire - even yours. Come along, now."

Alden led the way from the bridge, and Herobrine was half-stumbling/half-dragged along behind. He tried to make note of the many twists and turns of the corridors as they marched on. Left, another left, right, left, right - wait, was that right? Or was it left? Great - three more turns and he didn't register a single one. Down a long, narrow staircase.

By the time he had finally gotten steady on his feet, Herobrine found himself being thrown to the ground. Clouds of dust flooded his lungs, and each sharp cough sent another stab of pain across his ribs. Again he was yanked up by the shoulder so that he sat on his knees.

Herobrine knew this was the dungeons, with its stale air and corridors lined with cells. Most of them were empty, save for the charred skull sat in the cell beside him. The gleaming dagger mounted on the brick wall didn't escape him, either. 

Alden watched him with sadistic delight. "Bring them in."

As the wounded Brute hobbled away, Alden plucked the dagger from its mount letting its iron blade glow red in the torchlight. That uneasy churn in his stomach returned tenfold now that Herobrine could make out the sound of distant shouts.

"At least make an effort to appear somewhat bold," Alden sighed irritatedly. "I assure you, I won't harm (Y/N)."

Just as Herobrine opened his mouth to reply, he realised the shouting had died out and the rhythmic thump, thump, thump of the Piglin Brute's footsteps resonated in the dungeon hall. It emerged from the shadows and tossed someone to the ground.

A vindicator? As he lifted his head Herobrine recognised him: that Johnny from the outpost. Why was he here?

Someone else hit the ground beside him.

(Y/N) propped themselves up awkwardly, and Herobrine could see their arm tied in a makeshift sling. As Herobrine watched, he felt his mind flood with relief and panic. They didn't seem to notice him, though. Instead they kept their furious eyes trained on Alden.

"You died, Zac," they growled. "You fell - I watched you fucking die!"

Zac?

"It's nice to see you too, (Y/N)," Alden said. "Though I go by Alden now; just something I picked up to help me start over. You know, after you did nothing to even try to help me when I fell, or when you didn't even try looking for me."

Herobrine just watched in a stunned silence.

"How was I supposed to know you were alive?"

"I tried. I tried to show you I wasn't dead." Alden's shoulders tensed. "But you ignored it all."

"Then why not tell me yourself?" Herobrine heard the twinge in (Y/N)'s voice. "Why not just show up and tell me yourself? In person!"

Johnny and Herobrine both shared a look that sat somewhere between disbelief and (frankly) fear.

"It wasn't that simple, okay?" Alden shouted.

"Why not?"

"I don't have time for this," grumbled Alden as he shoved the edge of the dagger against Herobrine's throat.

Seeing Herobrine in the room for the first time, (Y/N)'s eyes widened. A familiar look washed over their face for a moment, but it disappeared as fast as it came, leaving behind a hard expression, completely alien for Herobrine to see on them.

Any words that wanted to come rushing out of his mouth like a wild river dried up on Herobrine's tongue.

"Still got your knack for closing yourself away from folks, eh? Glad to know it's not just me who's clearly so disposable to you, (Y/N)."

The blade began to dig into Herobrine's skin.

"Leave it, Alden." Another voice entered the room.

If it weren't for the fact that he was millimetres from getting his throat cut open, Herobrine would've turned around. He knew that voice.

The dagger flew away from his throat, and he realesed a breath he didn't know he was holding.

"Uhm - Blythe! I -"

"Save it." Blythe stepped into view. "Wonderful to see you all again, though I must admit that that one -" He gestured to Johnny. "- was certainly unexpected."

Blythe clapped his hands together. "Regardless, now that catch-up time is over, we can continue as planned."