[Herobrine's POV]

For once, I find myself restless within this mindscape. Nothing I have done will settle the unease that was rising within me. These... emotions, these feelings, they are a human concept that I shouldn't have. However, because I am a copy of my creator, they are stuck within me.

Including guilt.

I growl and storm through the mindscape, trying to bring up something that will ease my mind. Something familiar and relaxing. Calming almost. Aria was resting, and I didn't want to disturb her. I slow to a stop and close my eyes. A deep breath enters my lungs, and I allow my heart rate to slow to a normal pace. A soft breeze brushes against my skin, ruffling my hair and cooling my temper. Grass rustles below me, and I feel the sun gently warming my whole being. A shadow slowly covers me, and I let out a soft sigh. My back brushes against the bark of a tree, and I open my eyes.

Then a soft gasp escapes my lips.

The landscape had changed to the old village I used to frequent before...

Nearly every villager was there, walking around and mingling with each other like it was a normal day. I can feel a sense of hurt bubbling up inside mixed with the new and annoying feeling of guilt that seems to plague me more and more each and every single day. I want to blame someone else for these feelings and the inability to push them aside like I used to. Before, I was simply driven by rage and the need for revenge. To right the betrayal that happened to me. Nothing would stop me from reaching my goal.

And now all of that has suddenly become overwhelmed by the rising guilt of what I have done.

What I have become.

I have become the very thing I sought out to destroy.

I cannot blame Aria for these feelings when I know I have had them since the beginning. They have simply been buried beneath the anger that never seemed to subside until that fateful battle in the End. The moment I realized what revenge does to someone. The hurt that was so painfully evident in Aria's eyes the moment she realized everyone she loved was possibly gone, and I was the one to blame.

Those were my eyes staring back at me.

I close my eyes, trying to shake the thought out. However, that just makes the scene much more apparent. Aria was willing to lose it all if it meant that I would go down with her. She laid her life down in order to see me destroyed. Of course, I knew she would live, but she did not and she still went through with that suicidal plan.

Am I willing to do the same?

Another sigh escapes me, this time out of irritation.

These human emotions were starting to become a nuisance. I have a mission to accomplish, and I will do whatever it takes to make it possible. I don't care how many others must perish for me to achieve my goal...

Who am I kidding.

I push myself up from my sitting position against the tree and begin to walk away from the village. It was only serving as a reminder now of what led me, led all of us, to this very moment in time. The anger and rage that I have known for so long were starting to mingle with the other emotions, and I didn't want it to wake Aria. I have no idea how to keep them under wraps as she does, and she needs this time to rest after that close call in the code.

My steps slow to a stop.

Why did I save her?

If I had said nothing, I would have gained full control of her. I could have escaped this world and fled once more to somewhere much safer and away from Entity 303. Why did I warn her and let her escape the code?

Because she trusts me.

I curse at myself slightly. I have given her reasons to trust me, and for some idiotic reason, I don't want to lose that trust. Somehow, someway, I have grown to respect this human that managed to best me. She reminds me of myself in many ways, and I refuse to recreate my past by becoming the monster I want to destroy.

I will not become him.

I slightly shake my head. How many lives have I taken or allowed to be taken before finally reaching this moment and realizing what I have done? Then again, how many have ever faced me with so much to lose and yet willing to lose it all? Aria is the only one that even in the face of utter defeat stood tall and fought back.

Just like myself.

I lift my head slightly, then frown.

Aria's heartbeat had sped up suddenly, then returned to normal.

I let out a soft sigh.

"How long?"

Silence greets me at first, then I hear something shuffle.

"Long enough."

I turn and spot Aria standing there behind me, leaning against an oak tree with her arms crossed. It was still odd to see her as a normal human within her mind, and it doesn't help that she's almost my height. Anytime we confront each other, we are eye to eye. It makes it difficult to lie.

She straightens up and looks me up and down. She looks like she wants to say something, but even her mind can't make the full sentences. It was obvious that she wasn't here the full time, but enough to overhear my thoughts. I haven't put up the mental block in a long time, and now I regret not doing it before.

I shake my head, then turn to walk away. "You should be resting. I will be more careful so as to not wake you."

I begin moving and at first, nothing follows. Maybe she is actually taking my advice-

"Hero, wait."

My heart skips. Her voice was slightly breaking, and I turn to see her holding back tears. That dreadful guilt returns and my feet take control. I'm suddenly before Aria, concern bubbling up within me. "Aria, what's wrong?" The words slip out before I can stop them, and she watches me with confused eyes. I was just as confused at myself, but I truly am concerned about what is bothering her.

She looks away at first, and then back to me. I could finally see what she was thinking, and my eyes go wide. She couldn't actually be considering-

"I'm doing more than considering it. I'm asking for it."

I can only look at her in shock.

She quickly speaks, her words hushed as if someone else might hear this insane plan. "Look, I can't lose them all again. I will not let them die once more because I wasn't strong enough to protect them. You are. If I cannot defeat Entity, and we have to enter the code, I need you to promise me-"

"No, I can't do that-"

"Promise me!"

"I will not!"

"Please!"

I stop. She had grabbed my arms tight, and I feel her heartbeat through her tight grip. Her eyes were now pouring with tears that were fear-filled, but not for herself. She was willing to lay her life down again just to save them.

A soft smile makes it on my face, and I look away. Always so reckless...

Her grip tightens, and I turn to look her in the eye once more. She was pleading with me. "Promise me you'll save them. I don't care what happens to me, just save them."

"I... I can't. You don't deserve to be trapped here. I will make sure you all get out of here, no matter what."

I stop with wide eyes staring at me, and mine were a mirror image. Those words were said by my own mouth, and I meant each one. Aria loosens her grip, most likely in shock. She shakes her head and stands back, arms crossed. "What if you can't?" I simply shrug and smirk. "Then I'll take him down with me, and make sure you get out of here... All of you."

I keep my face stern. For once, I meant each word I said. Aria just gazes at me in complete and utter disbelief. I can feel her rummaging around in my mind, trying to make sense of what could have caused me to say those words or if I was even being honest.

Carefully, I slip my arms up from her grasp until her hands are in mine. "Perhaps this is me trying to atone for what I caused you to go through, and maybe being stuck within your mind has made me realize... I was becoming the very thing I despised." I look away at that part, the pain of actually admitting this out loud more than I had thought it would be. With a deep breath, I turn to look at her once more. Her eyes were still tear-filled, but the hope behind them was evident. There was one more thing I had to say, I needed to tell her, but it could make it worse.

She tilts her head slightly. "What is it?" She could tell I was trying to figure out how to say this, so I finally just think it instead. Her eyes widen and she slips her hands from my grip. "What... You can't be serious?!" Anger, hurt, and shock are all mingling in her eyes, and I look away once more.

"That... is my final secret. I have nothing left to hide."

She gazes at me, looks me up and down, then simply shakes her head. "This whole time, and you've never told anyone?" I only give a shrug. "At first, why would I? Some coding needs to be altered, and only I could do that. However, they would simply warn others to not install it, and my plan would be defeated. And then I became trapped within your sword until you recalled it-"

I stop.

Aria's eyes widen.

"You... were trapped in the sword?"

Ideas begin forming in my mind, and I see Aria thinking nearly the exact same thing. "You need to tell the others. We may have just figured out how to win this battle." She nods her head and begins to turn away. For some reason, she stops and turns back to me. "We'll talk about that whole thing later. Don't think I'll let you forget this." I give her a small smile. "I understand. I wouldn't expect you to, either."

Surprisingly, she returns the smile before vanishing. I could feel her mind working as she slowly woke up from her sleep. Carefully, I slip into the unconscious mindscape. I didn't want to disturb her anymore while trying to figure out a way to keep my promise to Aria. In order to do that... I need to separate myself from her.

I feel a new sense of hope rise in my chest.

A small smile makes its way onto my face.

'Guess this is what it feels like to be a good guy...'

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

[Alexa POV]

Despite needing to rest, my mind was doing anything but resting. So now I found myself sparring off with the Wither King himself. He understood my need to blow off steam and was quick to offer a real challenge. Joseph was with Mobius, trying to figure out a good battle plan with Reginald's help. Aria was resting, as per orders from literally everyone, and I was supposed to be resting as well.

Instead, I duck below a sword swipe and roll to the side as he stabs straight into the ground. I quickly kick my leg up and nail the skeleton in the jaw. As he stumbles back, I quickly jump up and kick out once again. I feel my foot connect with his chest plate, so I quickly jump off my other foot and twist. The move works flawlessly as my blocky foot slams against Andrew's skull. I withhold the urge to snicker as his skull spins madly before he finally stops it with a huff.

"Dizzy?" I ask, and he only grunts in reply. He swiftly returns the attack, and I narrowly dodge his strikes. I could tell he was picking up his pace, but his patterns were becoming familiar. So, I let my mind wander for a bit and allow my instincts to keep my footing in place.

Unfortunately, my mind begins to wander in the wrong direction.

'What use is this practice? Entity can't be harmed by them much anyways.'

'You're not strong enough to even dent him, why do you keep trying?'

'Because Aria would do the same.'

'What happens if this plan doesn't work?'

'It will work.'

'How do you plan on stopping Entity? You can't contain him.'

'We will defeat him, not contain... him?'

My sword locks with Andrews, but I don't register his other movement until his blocky foot connects with my gut. I stab my sword into the ground to slow my movement, but my gaze is locked on my blade. I hear movement and Andrew's clacking, but it doesn't register. Not even the pain from the hit.

'How was Herobrine transferred to Aria?'

'More like when was he transferred?'

I finally hear Andrew clack, and I quickly shake my head to return to the present. Pulling my sword from the ground, I gaze at the Wither King. "Herobrine was stuck here after our battle, correct?" Andrew nods, and I spin my sword between us. I can see his eye sockets widen, and I nod my head. Before I can speak, the doors burst open and Aria walks in. There is a quickness to her steps and excitement in her eyes. "Guys, I think we have a way to trap Entity." I nod, and Andrew does as well.

Aria slightly pouts.

"You guys aren't supposed to rain on my parade like that, ya know."

I barely snicker, but another voice joins us as Mobius comes in with Tyler.

"We were just talking about that as well, so I guess we are in the right place."

Aria turns to face them, then huffs and pulls her sword from the sheath on her back. "Alright, fine, whatever. Anyways, the shiny-eyed boy just told me that he was, in fact, trapped within the sword." Mobius joins in by throwing out two screens for all of us to see. They float parallel with the ground and project images up at our eye level. One image was Herobrine's code, the other was a code that mimicked a serpent.

"After a lot of scheming with Joseph and Reginald, we found something rather... Interesting. The coding that looks like a snake is Entity's. The other, as we know, is Herobrine's." My gaze flicks from Mobius to Aria, and I see her shift uncomfortably. It's obvious Herobrine wasn't liking the idea of his coding being out like this for all to see, but not much he can do about it after he willingly gave it over to Aria. That still boggles my mind, but I focus back on what Mobius is saying.

"Although these two codes look nothing alike, I realized something that needed a second opinion." Joseph then steps forward and gestures at Entity's code. "Despite the very obvious difference, they are nearly identical."

In unison, we all say the same thing.

"What?!"

Aria was the most prominent voice, and Joseph turns to her. As he moves into the hologram of the coding, he speaks. "If you look carefully enough, the coding is flowing in a very specific direction here in Herobrine's. It moves along the cubicle box like a stream, only branching off on the sides. However, it all still follows a similar pattern." Slowly, he makes his way towards the other code, gesturing to it. "If you watch, Entity's code seems to have no set pattern. Each section flows randomly, in different directions. It seems... chaotic, with no real reason." He pauses for a moment, making sure we are all understanding properly.

I pipe in when I realize something is off. "But Entity is never one to do something chaotic. He always has a plan." Aria nods as well, a white glow emitting from her eye. "When I have encountered him, he has always had a backup plan. Usually, he can never be caught off guard..." Mobius nods, but a smile is on his face. I look at him with confusion until Joseph starts moving Entity's code. He folds it carefully, slowly moving it around until it becomes nearly exactly like the box next to it.

"No way... It is nearly the same!" I exclaim. I turn to Aria, expecting her to be excited. However, her face only shows anger. I uncross my arms, starting to feel worried. Rage was starting to radiate off her in waves. "I'll be right back." Is all that's said before she turns and storms off. We could all tell it was Herobrine speaking and acting, but none of us knew why-

Wait.

"Mobius. If they have nearly the same code, wouldn't that mean they were created almost the same way?" The avali gives a nod and the realization hits all of us like a ton of bricks.

"So what you're saying is Entity... is basically Hero's brother, in essence?" Mobius nods with his hand on his chin. "By definition, yes. However, I don't think that's what upset him." Joseph looks to Mobius, trying to figure out what was going through the avali's head. His eyes widen, but I'm still confused. "Alright, you two better tell me what's up. I seem to be missing something here." They both turn to look at me, then Joseph starts to explain to me what they seem to be sharing.

"I think the proper term would be 'twin'. Entity is just another version of Herobrine, however, he was programmed to follow a single order. He is what Notch wanted Herobrine to be. He's... a replacement."

My eyes widen.

I turn to follow Aria, but a hand wraps around my arm. When I turn to try and pull away, I see Joseph watching me carefully. "I don't think you're the one to comfort her right now." I tilt my head, but out of the corner of my eye I see and white and blue figure disappears down the same hallway Aria went down. Joseph only tugs on my arm again, and I face him fully. "We need to get ready to leave soon. He'll manage to figure it out." I can only shake my head and hope Joseph was right about this.