A pig … how was a pig supposed to help?
Gameknight wanted to scream at the Oracle for this betrayal, but before he could even move, Herobrine was standing over him again, an evil smile on his face. And at that moment, Gameknight999 knew that this was truly the end.
CHAPTER 27
MONET113
“It is time for you to choose,” Herobrine said with a slow, methodical voice. “Either take the Gateway of Light … or die.”
Gameknight glared up at the vile monster, but was overcome with a sense of defeat. He hadn’t been smart enough, or strong enough, or good enough to defeat Herobrine. The bitter taste of failure filled his entire being as he stared up at his enemy. But there was still one thing he could do.
“I will never help you escape these servers,” Gameknight said, trying to make his voice sound strong, though it cracked with fear. “I would rather die than use the Gateway and let you get into the physical world.”
“As you wish,” Herobrine said with a sigh.
The vile monster glanced at Monet113 and smiled, then turned back to stare down at Gameknight999.
“I would have preferred that you were the instrument that let me loose on the world, but no matter.” Herobrine glanced at Monet again. “I’m sure the little girl with be less stubborn than you.”
Gameknight laughed.
“You have no idea,” the User-that-is-a-user said with a smile.
“Goodbye, Gameknight999,” Herobrine said as he raised his sword.
Just then, a wave of glass bottles flew through the air, some of them directed at Gameknight999, others aimed at Feyd. Turning his head, Gameknight could see that Shawny had built a tall tower of wood with a line of dispensers sitting on top. Redstone could be seen flashing atop the tower, triggering the dispensers to fire ammunition as fast as possible.
Bottles began hitting the ground near Gameknight and Herobrine, the red liquid within splashing all over the pair. But Gameknight was ignoring the healing potion that was coating his body. He was instead watching the bottles of blue liquid landing amid the sea of endermen. Instantly, the dark creatures started to sizzle and smoke as the water within the bottles splashed over their clammy skin. Feyd released his prisoner as water sprayed across him.
As soon as the king of the endermen released his grip, Monet113 bolted toward her brother. As she ran, she pulled out her bow and fired at Herobrine. With the shadow-crafter’s back turned, he did not see her shots as the first arrow sank into his shoulder. When Herobrine turned to identify his attacker, Gameknight rolled onto his side, then kicked Herobrine hard in the stomach, sending him flying backward.
Standing, Gameknight faced his enemy, his mind filled with anger. Monet ran to her brother’s side and drew her own sword.
“I thought I might give you some help,” she said.
But Gameknight did not hear. His mind was overwhelmed with rage, but not at Herobrine … at the Oracle.
You said that the Book of Wisdom was supposed to show me where to find the wisdom and courage to face Herobrine, but all it showed me was myself.
Suddenly, images of their past adventures flashed through his head: rescuing Monet from the zombie-town, defeating the spider queen, escaping Herobrine’s trap at the jungle temple, escaping Xa-Tul at the desert village, defeating the Elder Guardian … all these things required courage and wisdom. And Gameknight had found these traits within himself … they’d been there all along. He could do this!
But then something that the Elder Guardian had said echoed within his mind.
Sometimes, the lesson is the journey and not the destination.
Defeating the Guardian hadn’t been the important thing in the Ocean Monument; it had been figuring out how to defeat him with the help of his friends. The real lesson was that working together with others makes a person stronger than himself, alone … and that was the secret that he needed.
“HUNTER, FIRE ARROWS ALL AROUND US!” Gameknight screamed. “ALL ARCHERS, FIRE AROUND US … KEEP HEROBRINE CLOSE TO US.”
Suddenly, the air was alive with pointed shafts as arrows fell from the sky. This forced Herobrine to keep his teleportation close to the brother and sister.
Gameknight moved next to Monet. But instead of attacking Herobrine, he focused on defending himself and his sister. Monet saw this and instantly went on the offensive. When Herobrine moved to block Monet’s attack, Gameknight slashed his blade against the shadow-crafter’s armor, causing it to crack.
Together, they pushed back Herobrine’s attacks, but he was still too fast, and was doing damage to both Gameknight and his sister. As they circled each other, the User-that-is-not-a-user saw the spot where the pig had landed, the three balls of XP still glowing bright … and then Gameknight started to laugh.
He’d figured out the weapon that the Oracle had given him, that pig-spawn-egg … and it was brilliant.
“HERDER … I NEED YOU!” Gameknight yelled.
“I don’t have any more wolves,” the boy screamed from the walls.
“Not wolves … pigs,” Gameknight shouted. “Attack with pigs!”
He could hear shouts of confusion from the village walls, but he knew that Herder would not question him … he would just follow orders.
Suddenly, the oinks of fifty pigs filled the air. Deflecting one of Herobrine’s attacks, Gameknight dared a glance. He could see Herder charging forward, sitting on a saddled pit, a long fishing pole out in front of him. A carrot hung from the end of the fishing line, causing the pig to sprint. Behind him, a massive cluster of pigs followed close behind, all of them after the elusive vegetable.
As Herder neared, he started throwing the carrots at Herobrine, the orange vegetables raining down on him. Soon, Gameknight could hear howls of laughter from the village as the pigs surged forward, trying to get to the carrots. Herobrine was having difficulty attacking Gameknight and Monet with the pigs in the way, and was getting frustrated.
“Stonecutter, if you can hear me … I need you,” Gameknight shouted to Herobrine.
The vile shadow-crafter turned to face Gameknight999 and started to say something, but then paused as his eyes faded a bit. Then Herobrine stopped fighting and just stood there. The User-that-is-not-a-user could see that some kind of internal battle was taking place within Herobrine, his eyes glowing bright, then fading, then glowing again. But, finally, the internal light of Herobrine’s evil presence finally faded to the background, his eyes turning to a stone gray.
“Stonecutter, attack the pigs … quick.”
Stonecutter looked at Gameknight, confused.
“JUST DO IT!”
Raising his sword, Stonecutter brought Herobrine’s blade down on a pig. It squealed, but it was not fast enough to escape the second strike. It disappeared with a pop as its HP was consumed, leaving behind pork chops and three glowing balls of XP.
Suddenly, Stonecutter’s eyes started to glow as Herobrine took back control of the body, but it was too late. The balls of XP were moving toward the shadow-crafter. Gameknight pushed through the pigs and moved behind Herobrine, then gave him a shove, pushing him into the balls of XP.
Instantly, the evil shadow-crafter started to shriek as the XP flowed into his body.
“NOOOOOO!” Herobrine screamed as his body started to change, morphing into the XP of his last victim. This time it wasn’t an NPC—this time it was the lowliest and most insignificant of creatures … a pig.
Herobrine dropped his sword as he fell to the ground, landing on his hands and knees.
“No … no … noooooo!” the evil shadow-crafter screamed. “Someone help me!”
But as he yelled, his voice became higher and higher in pitch, until it sounded like the squealing of a …
His body shrank down as the gray smock of Stonecutter changed into a soft pink. Muscular arms and legs shortened as they became stubby little pig-legs, his head shrinking to a small rosy cube.
And then it was done … Herobrine had been captured within the body of
a pig.
Before he could move, Digger was there, placing blocks of cobblestone around the pig. The animal’s eyes glowed bright, each filled with a venomous hatred for Gameknight999, but Digger ignored the animal and focused on the enclosure. In seconds, the pig was completely surrounded with stone.
Herobrine had been captured.
CHAPTER 28
COMMON GROUND
The capture of Herobrine caused a panic among the monsters. Zombies gave off sorrowful moans as the skeletons clattered nervously. The flames of the blazes flickered with uncertainty as their labored wheezing became louder and louder. The only creatures that seemed unmoved were the endermen, their dark forms staring at the stone enclosure with hatred in their eyes.
At that moment, the painted zombies moved out onto the battlefield again and surrounded Gameknight, Digger, and Monet. They glared at the other monsters as the iron golems moved forward to show their support, their lumbering forms making the ground shake.
As the users moved next to the iron golems, Ba-Jin stepped forward and faced the four horsemen. Gameknight looked through the group of users, trying to find Shawny. He saw Honey-Don’t and Zefos, their weapons still in their hands, looks of grim determination painted on their square faces. Moving next to Gameknight was Lowpixel, the great mapmaker; his old friend, AttackMoose52; and Disko42, the redstone master. He could see friends who had been there on the steps of the Source during the previous battle … and now they were here again. He felt truly blessed to have all these friends. Who would have thought that Gameknight999, once the self-proclaimed king of the griefers, would have so many users willing to help him? He was humbled and was about to say something, but suddenly a young voice cut through the uneasy silence.
“Herobrine used you so that he could escape from Minecraft,” Ba-Jin shouted to the monsters that stood before them. “He wasn’t going to change anything in Minecraft.” She pointed up at the sun. “The sun would still burn, and we would still have to stay near our HP fountains. All would have stayed the same, except for the lives that would be lost in this battle.”
She stepped forward so that she was closer to Xa-Tul than she was to her own forces. Running forward, Gameknight stood next to her, both swords held ready.
“No one benefits from this battle continuing,” she said to the king of the zombies. She then turned and addressed all the monsters. “Go home, take care of your children, take care of your communities, and be at peace. The Last Battle is over.” She looked around and could see items strewn all across the battlefield, balls of XP from the deceased floating in the air. “No one has won here today, but we all have lost. Look at all the lives that were ended because of Herobrine’s hate-filled insanity.”
Slowly Ba-Jin raised her hand high into the air, claws extended. She then shouted in a loud, high-pitched voice.
“To those who died for the clan, the salute of sacrifice is given.”
Many of the zombies behind Xa-Tul looked at the young girl, then glanced across the battlefield at all the items and pieces of zombie flesh. Slowly, green zombie hands began to sprout out of the sea of decaying bodies, clawed fingers spread wide.
Many of the NPCs saw this and also raised their hands, fingers extended.
Then the zombies leaned back their heads as one and howled such a sorrowful moan that tears came to Gameknight’s eyes. Looking across the zombie army, he could see that many of the decaying monsters were also weeping for the friends and family who had died. Turning back to look at the NPCs, he could see similar emotions playing on their faces.
“For the good of the clan,” one of the zombies shouted, but this time it was not echoed. Nothing had happened this day for the good of the clan … it had only been for the good of Herobrine, and they all now realized it.
As the zombies slowly brought down their hands, they looked about the battlefield in disbelief, then glared up at their king. Gameknight could see that they hated Xa-Tul for bringing them to this place and letting all these monsters die for nothing. A few of the decaying monsters broke formation and moved through the portal, leaving the battlefield.
“NO!” barked Xa-Tul. “The war has not ended!”
Ba-Jin then took a step forward and looked directly at the zombie king, challenging him. Gameknight moved directly behind her.
“It’s over!” the young zombie said, then turned her back on the zombie king and the other horsemen, showing her lack of fear.
“NO!” screamed Xa-Tul, but none of the zombies listened.
This display of bravery triggered something in the zombies that they hadn’t felt for a long time … respect. Abandoning the battle, they started to move through the portal in pairs … then in groups … then in mass, taking the shimmering gateway back to their zombie-towns.
The skeletons could see countless white bones scattered across the battlefield. There were so many that they couldn’t even count them. Many grumbled questions to their leader, but Reaper ignored the complaints and shouted orders.
“Get ready to attack,” the skeleton king shouted in his raspy, clattering voice. “We will fight to the end!”
The bony monsters looked up at their king with a look of hatred, then followed the zombies’ example. Moving through the pale yellow gateway in large groups, the skeletons ignored the glaring stare of Reaper, abandoning the Last Battle.
Once the monsters of the Overworld left the field of battle, the blazes could tell that the balance of power had significantly changed. They were now completely outnumbered, and had no desire to face the users with their snowballs while at the same time having to confront the iron golems. Ignoring the growling commands of Charybdis, they too moved through their portal and went back to the beautifully warm and smoky Nether.
Last to leave were the endermen. Their hateful stares were focused on the User-that-is-not-a-user, but he did not return their gaze. In fact, everyone was careful to not stare back at the dark monsters, for it could enrage them. The shadowy monsters could fight only if something enraged them … if left alone, they could not join the fighting. It was how they were programmed.
Knowing that there was no battle here for them, then endermen used their teleportation powers and disappeared back to their home, The End. In seconds, all that remained of the enderman army was a cloud of purple teleportation particles.
And in minutes, triggered by the bravery of Ba-Jin, all that remained of Herobrine’s massive army were the four horsemen, the apocalypse that they sought to bring to Minecraft having evaporated into peace. The four evil creations all glared down at Gameknight999, but he did not shrink back. Instead, he stared back at them, unafraid, for now he knew the secret to accomplishing great deeds and shouldering impossible responsibilities: let those around you help, for no one is truly alone.
“Your armies have abandoned you,” Gameknight said. “Your leader, Herobrine, lied to you, and has been defeated. You now have two choices before you. Either go away, now and forever, or fight all of us and be destroyed.”
Charybdis did not even pause to think. He pulled his flaming horse around and rode into his portal, going back to the Nether. Reaper then did the same, guiding his horse through the pale yellow portal and back to his skeleton-town.
That left only Xa-Tul and Feyd.
Gameknight took a step forward and glared at the king of the zombies.
“What will it be, zombie?” the User-that-is-not-a-user asked. “Will you leave, or will we dance again?”
Suddenly, a user named Sky came to his side, AntPoison standing directly behind. Their diamond swords sparkled in the sunlight, reflecting shafts of light on the ground at Xa-Tul’s feet.
The zombie king growled, then guided his zombie horse to the portal. But before he stepped through, the monster turned his massive head and glared at the User-that-is-not-a-user one last time, his dark eyes filled with hatred and a thirst for revenge.
“Xa-Tul and Gameknight999 will meet again,” the zombie king growled. He then guided his zombie horse throug
h the portal and disappeared.
“That leaves only you, enderman,” Gameknight said.
“You killed my predecessor, Erebus, and now you insult all endermen with your presence in Minecraft,” Feyd screeched in a high-pitched voice. “This is not over, User-that-is-not-a-user. Your time will come!” The king of the endermen then pointed his long black arm at all the users and NPCs. “All of you will rue the day that you tangled with Feyd, king of the endermen. We will exact our revenge, and then you all will suffer.”
One of the users named GeneralSprinkles laughed, causing others to snicker, mocking the monster’s screechy speech. With his eyes glowing bright red, Feyd glared at Sprinkles, then disappeared, leaving behind a cloud of purple teleportation particles that quickly evaporated.
Another user, Mumbo, sprinted forward and quickly broke a block on each of the portals, causing the shimmering fields that were held within the obsidian rings to grow dark and disappear. The user turned and waved at Gameknight999, then disappeared as he disconnected from the server, the rest of the users following his lead.
Sighing with relief, the User-that-is-not-a-user looked down at Ba-Jin and found the zombie looking up at him, smiling. Gameknight marveled at her bravery and wisdom. She had turned back the tide and stopped all the killing with her tenacity and refusal to be violent … she was remarkable. And the seed that had been planted within the young zombie to cause this change had come from a delicate flower being painted on her shirt. Gameknight’s sister had ignited this fire with the spark of her art and love of beauty in all its forms. Monet had truly caused trouble in zombie-town, for her actions had changed the entire species.
Suddenly, Monet’s arms were wrapped around Gameknight’s chest, squeezing him tight.
“I knew you could do it,” Monet said excitedly, wiping tears from her cheeks.
“I didn’t do it … we did it … all of us,” Gameknight said as he gestured to the NPCs, painted zombies, and iron golems. “That’s what the Oracle was trying to teach me. Alone we are weak, but together we are strong.”
Last Stand on the Ocean Shore Page 19