Many of y'all won't like this chapter ahah

I recommend LOOPING THE MUSICS above uwu

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RECAP

     Eventually, the feral crowd backed away, and Steven lifted his head to see the rest of the hunters melting into the deep shadows of the woods. He tugged at his hands, groaning when his wound stung and burned, "Idiots!!"

     "You're all idiots!!, Stupid, heartless demons!! Living with Herobrine for near half a year was better than a few hours in your hands! Cast yourselves into the Nether where you belong!!"

     "Steven..." Jake's shaky voice stopped him from launching into another rant, "P-please... I don't want t' see you get what they dish out when they're angry."

     Steven sighed harshly, leaning his head back against the rough post - an uncut tree branch, he now noticed - and stared up in despair at the emerging stars above. Why?? Why was this happening?? Notch... why was he silent, allowing such torment to fall upon them when all they had done was help and protect-

     "I-I think... we're bait."

     Steven's prayers were again cut short, and he rasped, "What?"

     "B-bait... they're drawing Herobrine out."

END RECAP

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Remember Me

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      Those cries and pleas had almost been too much to bear.

       Herobrine's hands were clamped over his ears now, his face screwed up in a grimace. He'd almost barreled into their midst, to tear his friends away from those cruel hands, but there were just too many. Even now, he could just barely see his friends against that cruel post, their heads hanging low from weariness... surrounded by cruelly grinning faces in the wooded shadows. Perched in the tallest tree he could find, he truly had the best vantage point for a wicked show he'd never wished to see.

       They were going to do something to his friends tomorrow, that's what the biggest man had said. He was thankful for his acute hearing, though he'd certainly cursed it when the air had been filled with unanswered pleas.

       Alright... from what he had observed, Steven and Jake always slept deepest early in the mornings, when the sun had not yet reached the sky. Perhaps these men were the same, and he could strike when they were most tired. He would sneak in, pull Steven's and Jake's hands free, and pull them to safety...

       ...but then what? He could only teleport two passengers so far, and his teleportation hurt them, how much could they take while so grievously wounded? And once they were gone, surely these hunters would track them relentlessly, never letting them rest or heal...

     Herobrine blinked, shuddered as another idea descended upon his mind.

       These men... wanted him. Jake and Steven had gotten in their way, surely, if these hunters had him, they would not go after his friends.

     Herobrine bowed his head, eyes squeezed shut. He was selfish, oh so selfish, and afraid. Those hunters would do horrible things, he was certain...

      ...but he could survive those things.

      Could Steven? Could Jake?

      Pleading in his mind, and even whispering aloud, he begged for strength, for mercy to be shown when he did what he had to do. He didn't even know who he prayed to... he just begged that they would listen.

      A breeze rattled the branches he sat among, and he lifted his head, looking towards the dark skies, to the stars flaring gently against the void.

      Please... give me strength to do what I must, to do what I am most afraid of.

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       Jake braced an aching foot against the ground, trying to keep himself from hanging by his wrists.

       He was so cold... so tired, his mind an endless loop of hurt and weariness. He groaned softly again, feeling Steven move a little behind him. Both of them had been restless, shivering as the night grew colder, longer. A hunter had mentioned something about exhausting the mind so it was more open to... purging. He hated the thought, feared what the hunter meant by 'purging'.

       "Ughh... N-Notch please..."

       Again, he was muttering nonsense... tch, as if Notch ever cared for them. Perhaps this was some sort of punishment for running away from his needy family. there was no hope for this situation - if Heorbrine dared rescue them, nobody would know they needed help, nobody would bother to rescue a lonely explorer and his mountainside friend... and certainly not the demon they had sheltered. Perhaps a few villagers would check in... but they certainly didn't have the resources or skills necessary for a rescue.

      And if Heorbrine had fled, left them behind... at least he would be free.

      But nobody would help him or Steven.

       The mournful hoot of an owl broke Jake from his morose thoughts. He lifted his head briefly, blinking once more at the array of torches and hulking hunters before him. He was so tired–

       White eyes flashed before him, and a hand lifted to cover his mouth. Jake's heart nearly leaped out of his throat, and his weak noise of shock was, thankfully, muffled by the hand. Herobrine stared quietly into his face, and a horrible, ominous feeling descended over Jake. That expression... was of defeat, surrender. Tear tracks cut through a bit of snow dusting his cheeks.

      Before Jake could muster the strength to ask what Brine was doing here, Herobrine set to work quickly on the ropes keeping Jake's hands pinned to the stake. Barely had the ropes loosened before an arrow whipped past Herobrine's head, and all Nether broke loose in the darkness.

       Time blurred, shouting had ensued, Herobrine was gone. Steven was yelling something, then the ropes snapped, and Jake fell to the cold ground, curling up as he tried to cover his head. Heorbrine's voice rang out, it sounded pained–

       A hand landed on the back of his neck, and a familiar dizzying sickness ripped through his body.

       Then... it was silent.

       Jake retched a little, pushing away from the ground as he looked about. Steven was there, by his side, moving, alive. A glance behind him, and his eyes met white.

      "B-Brine... agh, you're jus' in time, let's get t' the house 'n start packing for–"

      A soft shake of the being's head made Jake's voice trail off.

      "What?"

     "I... I must go back."

      Steven's and Jake's voices blended together, "What??"

      Herobrine's hands flung out, making motions to quiet them, "H-hush... I know, I don't want to either. But... they w-will not stop hunting until they have me. You... You will only be hurt. You may... die."

     "D#mmit Brine, we're not leavin' you t' suffer them alone," Steven's voice was shaking, angered.

     A little shrug answered Steven, "You... have no choice. I-I will protect you how I can. You..." his voice hitched, and Jake's heart clenched at the look of terror beginning to grow on his friend's face.

     Herobrine recovered, pressed on, "...you cannot stand my teleporting long. You cannot run, you are hurt. But... you can get better. You can come after me."

      "Herobrine, he'll kill you!!" Steven's voice broke a little on the final word.

      "I... do not die easily, I have learned. He may hurt... but it will take much time to kill me, I think."

     "Enough time f-for... for you to heal. To come for me."

     "Herobrine, please-" Jake was already reaching for his arm.

     "If you cannot find me... then I thank you for your kindness, for giving me the gift of speech, for showing me how kind some humans can be..." Herobrine pushed Jake's hand away.

     "Remember me."

     "Brine, NO!!"

      He was gone in a whisk of cyan particles.

      "NO!!"

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This chapter's SHORT and I'm sorry for that, but I can only sit and type for so long due to Mine Spine

Dw I SWEAR it ends happy but UGH writing this section broke my heart fr