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

22 - Ill Fate

A/N:
Sorry for the late upload again, I've got a controlled assessment in less than two weeks so I've had a hell of a lot of homework for that.

Anyways, hope y'all enjoy! Next chapter's gonna be The Biggie!

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Herobrine moved in front of (Y/N), directing his sword at Entity's chest. "Stay away from (Y/N)."

Entity smirked (or, he would have, if he had a visible mouth) as he half-heartedly raised his hands. There was a particularly unsettling gleam in his red eyes.

"Or what?" Entity scoffed. "You'll kill me with that glorified stick you're holding? How original of you, old friend."

Herobrine opened his mouth to retort, but Entity cut him short.

"I believe that's the one thing we still have in common, Herobrine: kill me, and I'm gone forever. Do you really want that on your conscience?"

"I've got worse."

Entity's eyes drifted over Herobrine's shoulder. "Well since clearly you're not here for a friendly catch-up, Herobrine: to what do I owe the pleasure?"

"We need your help," (Y/N) said quickly. "There's a Wither Storm."

"That's impossible," chuckled Entity as he shifted his gaze back to Herobrine. A quavering note of unease bordered his voice. "You killed it. You, and the others - didn't you?"

"There's another one - already consumed its maker, too. Meaning, in case you forgot, that it has conscious goals, and it knows exactly what it can do to achieve them."

"That explains what they're doing back here." Entity nodded to (Y/N). "But it doesn't explain what any of you need me for.

"Even here, in this desolate wasteland of a purgatory, word travels: and word has it that you and the other two -"

"Why don't you say their names?" Herobrine sighed agitatedly, lowering his sword. "Steve and Alex. They were our friends, remember?"

"Your friends. I was forgotten, wasn't I?

"Like I was saying, word had it that you three fought the Storm and killed it. How come you haven't rallied them and gone after it already?"

"They're both dead."

"Didn't they respawn? They could do that, right? Like (Y/N)." Scorn crept into Entity's voice.

"There's only so many times anyone can come back," Herobrine muttered. "You and I both know that, Entity."

"And what do you know about any of that?"

Herobrine said solemnly, "You fell into the void. After something like that, you either come back from death once more, or not at all. That first Storm consumed Alex, so killing it meant killing her. Steve wound up respawning so often, he just ran out of soul and energy to give, like everything does. As for me - well, I was never really alive in the first place, now was I?"

(Y/N) spoke up, "Entity, please, we need your help to defeat the Storm."

"You really think I'm going to throw my life away for something that can't affect me here?"

"Because -"

Crack.

Herobrine barely managed to pull (Y/N) towards him in time as Johnny leapt backwards, away from them. A large chunk of the End island broke away, falling almost directly on top of them. It struck a corner of the obsidian platform, breaking it off and dragging it down into the void.

A thunderous noise rattled Herobrine's bones. He turned back to Entity.

"Nowhere is safe - not while that Storm lives."

"Call me crazy, but I think the safest place right now is in the Overworld," Johnny interjected.

"You're crazy," said (Y/N). "If it's doing this to other dimensions -" they gestured to the the cavity in the island above "- imagine what it's already done there."

Herobrine realised that he was still holding onto (Y/N), but as he made to move away, he noticed how heavily they leaned on him. Their face was flushed, too.

"We'll need numbers." (Y/N) spoke to Entity as they took an unsteady step forward. "We can't fight it on our own - we need your help."

Entity folded his arms. "If by numbers you mean you're after an army, I hate to break it to you but you're well out of luck. After you freed the End by killing my dragon, the endermen no longer obey me.

"However, since I have, in essence, become a manifestation of the void itself, there's still a solution. I can -"

"(Y/N)!" Herobrine caught them as their legs gave out. They trembled like a leaf in a storm, but when he touched the back of his hand to their forehead, their skin felt like it was ablaze.

"I'm fine, really," (Y/N) murmured shakily, waving him off. A thin, dark line sat just under their knuckle, where the skin was now sallow and bloodied. "Just give me a minute."

"Fine?" Herobrine exclaimed. "(Y/N) that's a wither affect, you are not fine! When did that even happen?"

"In...in the stronghold...wither rose..." Their speech slurred as they completely collapsed in Herobrine's arms.

"Wither affect?" Entity took hold of (Y/N)'s hand and inspected the cut.

"I've never seen it get this bad this quickly," Herobrine said. "We were only in the stronghold for a few minutes."

"Will they be okay?" Johnny called from where he remained at the opposite side of the platform.

"This isn't good - I can treat the symptoms and the wound, but not the affect itself." Entity took a step back towards the centre of the platform. "I'll have to bring you all to my citadel."

Entity's cloak flew open, and his body immediately diffused into a black fog cascaded towards them like a river. It rapidly encompassed the platform, pooling at everyone's feet before rising into a ceiling.

Barely a moment later, the fog cleared and Entity stood before them in a chamber of sorts. A long, narrow oak table sat in the centre, and brewing stands lined the walls.

Moving over to the table, Herobrine lifted (Y/N) so they were sitting on it. Worry creased his brow as he looked into their eyes: exhausted, barely present; and yet, he dared to hope that he saw that familiar spark relentless determination and power of will flicker across their irises.

Blood trickled from the (Y/N)'s lips as they coughed. A red stain began to spread across their shirt; (Y/N) seemed to notice as well, because they tentatively lifted the hem of their shirt to reveal a deep gash across their lower ribs.

Herobrine forced away the memory of the raid. He needed to be here, in the now. For (Y/N)'s sake.

Still,his mind wandered back to an older time, where he had seen injuries carry for so long, even through a respawn. He knew what it meant.

Entity set down cloth and a bowl of bright pink liquid. "Start applying that to their injuries, quickly. I need to collect more supplies if (Y/N) is going to pull through; you -" he gestured to Johnny as he walked out of the doorway, "- with me."

Herobrine set to work, methodically dipping the clith in the potion and gently wiping away the blood on (Y/N)'s torso.

"I'm sorry," they whispered between laboured breaths. "It's...my fault...we're here..."

"It's not your fault," Herobrine replied truthfully. "I've been selfish - I didn't stop to think. Now look where it's got us."

With their free hand, (Y/N) slowly reached out hold Herobrine's. He lifted their knuckles to his lips and placed a tender kiss.

"You'll be alright - I promise," he muttered, biting back the lump in his throat.

Herobrine and (Y/N) remained there in silence. Just the two of them. How desperately Herobrine wanted to say it; those few words he never thought he'd say.

He dipped the cloth in the potion and continued cleaning the wound.