Chereads / (Herobrine x Reader)...'s Sister / Chapter 11 - Chapter 11, Important

Chapter 11 - Chapter 11, Important

"NOOO!!!" Lyla screamed, lunging forward in her sleeping bag and tearing desperately at the wall of snow before her. Tears filled her eyes as she desperately dug for something she knew would be a waste of time. Nevertheless, she had to try! Steve had just saved her from freezing to death; if there was even a sliver of a chance he was still alright, she was going to use that to fuel her hope. It wasn't long before her clawing fingers ran into something fleshy. Swiping her tears away, Lyla saw it was none other than Steve's hand still reaching out in a desperate attempt to survive. She felt for a pulse immediately. She felt none. "...No.... Steve.." Her eyes began to water again. She slowly dug around it a little more until the hand was completely free, and held it, dreading the reality before her...

As her own hand began to warm up the frozen limb, however, Lyla felt blood pumping again as it was able to run through the fingers once again. Determination shot through the young woman once again as she felt this. Immediately, she began scooping more and more snow out from around the arm. All the extra snow had to be packed into the already hardening icy substance. No doubt it would be hard to dig back out. Within maybe three minutes, Steve's dark brown hair was found, along with the rest of his head. Lyla was practically tunneling at that point, having to shove snow around in order to creep closer to the one she was still trying to rescue. She quickly shoved her hand in front of Steve's face and pushed snow away so that he could breathe better. With that, there was a slight groan from the unconscious man. There was no time to think about how awkward it might be to chisel out the guy, she had just planned to tug him out whenever possible anyways. The only problem was, how would she warm him back up, and how would they get out? Questions to worry about later; there was still a friend to save. After a few more minutes, Lyla had pulled and pushed enough snow around until she believed she could finally pull him out, which she tried. Lyla grabbed both the guy's shoulders and attempted to pull him out of there. The snow was like a deep, solid, ocean, however, and didn't let the man even budge. So, she went back to digging -- her own body back to freezing since she had long ago crawled out of the sleeping bag.

"Come on, just.. wake up!" Lyla groaned as she pulled a second time. That time he did move by a few inches, and she continued from there until she finally had a freezing cold Steve out from under the heavy snow. Steve's jaw chattered as his still unconscious self attempted to warm back up. His coat had served him well, however, it wasn't good enough to keep him lasting much longer. Oh a whim, Lyla thought up an immediate plan without a single thought of actual functionality, or much else really. Quickly, Lyla lifted Steve as well as she could, which was more of dragging, and hobbled herself back over to the small pocket in the snow. There, she found, her sleeping bag, and after some annoying struggling, finally pushed her friend in there with a tired huff. Her body was exhausted after that last effort, and she desperately wanted to feel warm again, however, the only other sleeping bag was the one in Steve's inventory, which she didn't have the time or ability to dig through at the moment. So, she sat and shivered, waiting for the time when her body would quit feeling so cold and fall asleep. She laid down near the sleeping bag, which held a finally calm Steve -- his own shaking slowly calming down. After a few moments of being kept awake from her own shivering, Lyla finally realized that if she fell asleep, she would surely freeze. And, she knew that it would be such a stupid thing to die just because you refused to sit through something possibly uncomfortable.. Choosing not to think about all the pros and cons, all the good and the bad, all the worries and alrights, Lyla finally crawled over to the sleeping bag and crawled in herself -- her and Steve back to back. The new cold she brought made her unconscious friend shiver much more once again, but their combined body heat eventually warmed both of them up so they were able to rest peacefully. Lyla, feeling so soothed after the internal shaking finally stopped, breathed her last shaky breath of worry for the time being, and drifted off into a deep sleep.

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"Hhhyaaahhh.." Steve yawned as he woke, comfortably warm. It was strange. His face felt as if was surrounded by so much cold that you would think he were in a mound of snow, yet around and especially behind him rested a calming warmth. Waking up a little more, Steve realized he was in a sleeping bag, and whatever was pressing against his back was another human. Right as he realized this, that same person rolled over and rested their arm over his side. His eyes snapped open as he looked wildly around, seeing nothing but snow, stone, and the sleeping bag he was in. As he looked around, memories of past events came back, and his entire face burned with a redstone shade as he realized who it must be who was behind him. "Psst.. Psst! Lyla. Wake, up.." Steve, refusing to turn around, poked at the young lady over his shoulder in order to wake her up or at least get her to roll back over. The girl only hummed in annoyance as she tucked herself further into the sleeping bag. "Oh, you have to be kidding me." He groaned, and instead turned to pinching at her sides. That seemed to work a lot better, as she quickly rolled back around, grumbling under her breath. "Lyla. Wake. Up." He then continued in order to snap her mind awake again. Slowly, he heard her stir as her mind unfogged. As she slowly woke, Steve looked more around at the small, almost cave, they were in. A portion of the sleeping bag rested inside that same little pocket of snow, but the rest was in a carved-out section, which looked to be tunneling in a certain direction for something. At the end was maybe even where he had fallen, and had been pulled out; he wondered how long ago exactly.

"Hhmmmm, wh..." Lyla mumbled as she woke up, finally opening her eyes to see snow and stone, also being reminded of the past events.

"Uummmm, Lyla?.. Is that you?" Steve asked. Lyla shot up into a sitting position the moment she heard the voice. Oh.. she had hoped she would wake up before him.

"U-heh.. Yeeah?" Lyla rubbed her eyes when the initial shock drifted away. "So, I'm glad to see you are alive... You had me worried there." Lyla scoffed, swatting at the guy's head.

"Heh, sorry.... Thanks for saving me..." Steve whispered. Lyla didn't respond. Instead, she slipped out of the sleeping bag and sat down on a little ledge in the tiny crevasse of the now covered cliff.

"I wonder how much oxygen we have left... It's probably been a few hours already, so probably not much." Lyla turned to pondering, taking slightly deeper inhales than before. Steve did too, noticing as well the looming threat of running out of oxygen.

"Yeah, I guess we should start digging out then.." Steve sighed, sliding out of the sleeping bag with tired eyes and gently clawing into the snow to their right -- upwards but not straight up.

"We can take turns." Lyla suggested. Steve only nodded, and began forcing his cold hands deeper into the thick snow. There was complete silence as slowly a tunnel began forming in front of Steve. For Lyla, her head was spinning; full of all kinds of thoughts. Small forms of regret, as well as a slipping fear.

"S- Steve?" Lyla asked, looking up at the only other person within miles of her... hopefully.

"Yes?"

"What is so special about a Soul Of The Sky anyways?" Was the young lady's question.

"Hhhh.. To most, it is only a stone. A stone which could be useful, but only if in the right hands... Some people even say they have magic capabilities. To me, however. That specific one is much more precious..." Lyla's stomach jumped at that. Oh no.

"Um.. what does that mean?" She asked. Steve's eyes widened. He had been so focused on digging, he had hardly been able to think about what he was saying.

"Oh-hoh! Ummm.. nothing." He quickly darted back to the snow, scooping loudly.

"Steve? Steve. Steve!" Lyla stood up, just barely bumping her head, and grabbed him by the shoulder. "Steve. What aren't you telling me?" She spoke sternly. The man turned around slowly, a pained look pinching one side of his face. Looking at this new expression, Lyla caught a glimpse of a person she had never seen before. There was just something about him that told her something was, off. "Steve?? You have been hiding something big.. haven't you?" The man's face twisted further. The very thoughts that had been plaguing his mind for days on end was finally showing.

"...The Trudgers..." He whispered.

"..What about them?" Lyla asked, matching his hushed tone. Steve longed to tell her. He wanted to tell her everything. But.. he just couldn't.

"I'll tell you when we get out." He agreed within himself.

"No." Lyla turned Steve fully around to face her. "Steve, I know this is going to sound annoying, but I need to know what is going on. I am your partner on this mission. I have stuck with you this long, and I am going to continue to until we are both outside the Nether, safe and sound, with my sister. So, if you are not telling me something. Something I need to know. Well, I need to know it." The two just stared at one another, each trying to convince the other of their wishes with nothing but their faces. It had eventually gotten to the point where Steve's own soul was burning with the secrets. Finally, he sighed in defeat.

"..Fine.... I guess we can afford to sit for a moment." Taking the lead, Steve sat down along the little cliff. Lyla sat beside him. Silently, the two sat, waiting for Steve to speak. Even Steve waited for him to speak, until he realized he had to be the one to open his mouth.

"So.. what has been with you and The Trudgers. I noticed before that you know a lot about them.. You also can't forget that you had told me so much about how they are able to manipulate the weather and stuff. So, did you know some of them?.. Was Herobrine once one?-"

"-I.. was a Trudger..."

"What?-"

"I was maybe, sixteen, years old. And, I was having a hard time in life. Everyone seemed to know of me, but no one really knew me. I just kind of wandered the world years on end. Until eventually, at age sixteen, I met them. The Trudgers. I was running from a horde of angry monsters when I was backed up against a cliff. I was stuck; completely helpless, until, they showed up. Apparently they had just been passing by, heard me shout for help, and came to save me. Afterwards, they just kind of took me in... They were the closest thing I had had to a family in years, so I was quick to bond with them. Little did I know what kind of people they really were.."

"You?! A- a Trudger?!. How- what happened?"

"It was all quite simple, actually. They accepted me as one of their own. They trained me. Fed me. Gave me a roof above my head and people to trust. And in return, I would help them on their missions. I learned a lot from them. Way more than I ever could have on my own... The missions I was in started simple and pretty easy for me to comprehend. The Trudgers were the superheroes in disguise; using the world around them as their powers in order to capture the bad guys. There was so much I learned from them about our world, I can't even remember all I learned right now, which is why I knew we could never take them on. They always make sure they are the ones who have the advantage. Anyway! I started off just capturing bad guys.. then killing bad guys... then killing sort of bad guys... and so on; until one day, I just woke up with the same mindset as the rest of them: the mindset that no one except us are the good guys.. That mindset tore at my soul. Too bad I didn't even notice it until about two years later. I was almost at the point where I could have become one of their leaders. They have several, in case one or more are killed.. They are also much more of them than they let on. Only about half of them at most are allowed to go out on missions at Ata time, so their numbers are kept a secret, just like their very existance.... It wasn't until I was assigned to a mission that I just knew wasn't right. I still can't believe it.. The only way to snap me out of it was when I finally came face to face with a little girl, who reminded me a lot of you... It was then that I realized I couldn't do this anymore. I couldn't kill an innocent man and his innocent little girl. I just couldn't. So, I fought back. I rescued the ones I had almost killed and at the same time was labeled a traitor; and I didn't mind that.. From there, I continued wandering, and I never stopped. I was chased by The Trudgers until they finally gave up when they saw that I only used their own techniques against them... I never took on partners, I never made friends, I never cared to get to know others.. simply because I was afraid they would become targets too... I am so sorry, Lyla. I pulled you into this without even giving you a proper warning. All you wanted to do was save your little sister... I just got in the way of that. Heh. Knowing you, you would probably already be safe at home, along with your sister. And here I am with all my horrible problems I drag with me."

"-Steve. You.. have been nothing but a help to me." Lyla stopped him there. A genuine look in her eyes which was so soft, it almost made Steve's eyes begin to water.

"Hah, yeah right. What have I done?"

"First off, you lead me all the way here. You were the one who knew where (Y/n) was, and without you, I would be lost for sure. And when I was sick; who was there to help me feel better? You. Without your help, I might have suffered much worse. Third.. I really needed the company. I know myself; and I am sure I would have tired myself out too quickly before even reaching the place. I would have worried so much being all by myself that I may have gone a little insane, who knows!"

"Heh. I don't see you ever going insane."

"Maybe not to that extreme, but I sure wouldn't have been alright if you hadn't been there, even just to talk." Lyla.

"Well, you could have always gone with someone else. I am sure there are many people willing to go with you."

"-And that leads me to my fourth thing. Steve, I didn't really have any friends back at home. I hardly knew anyone except a couple pesky neighbors and my little sister. You simply being my friend, let me know that it was possible for me to have friends again." As Lyla spoke, she herself was astonished. She hadn't really thought of all this stuff before, and now it was all pouring out as if somewhere she had kept it all hidden, even from herself. Listening to herself thinking, she was right. She no longer had that nagging fear of talking to other people.. even making a couple friends. "And it isn't just that you talked or cracked a few jokes or something. Anyone could do that. I... I kind of found your personality enjoyable. You have a pretty fun side when you let your hard walls down for a bit. You were a pretty emotionless dude at first.. but, that changed. Steve, don't think for one more second that you have been nothing but a burden, because you haven't." Lyla finished.

"...Heh. Same goes for you." Steve smiled slightly. Lyla smiled at his smile, which made his grow, and she attacked him in a tight hug. The two silently hugged for a few seconds before Lyla pushed herself up.

"Alright, I guess it is my turn to dig then." With that, the young lady took up her turn in digging as her traveling partner rubbed his hands together and warmed up more. About an hour passed, the two swapping about every ten minutes or so. It was once again Steve's turn -- he was so close to the surface, it was so bright -- when he heard what sounded like footstep. Steve froze, listening to the crunching noises just above.

"...Steve, I I can barely breathe." Lyla coughed on her own carbon dioxide. Steve shushed her, listening closer to the outside world.

"H- hello? Is somebody in there?! I- I heard there was an avalanche! A- are you alright?!" The voice of a vaguely recognizable young woman shouted down through the snow. Steve rejoiced. It must have been one of those firefighters he had seen earlier while escaping. That must mean the firefighters made their way over here to save them!

"Y- yes! Down here!" Steve shouted back. There was rustling as a gathering of footsteps marched through the snow. Then there was a sound of shovels ripping the snow above them up into the air. Lyla rushed up behind Steve in the thin channel, desperate for some fresh air. Steve was too, and he dug straight up towards the sound of shovels. Both Steve and Lyla cheered to one another as there were no words to express their relief. Finally, they would be out of that snow! There was a break in the barrier between them and freedom, and cold air rushed down, forcing a shiver from both. A hand covered in a thick, almost metallic glove reached down, open for anyone who would grab it. Steve didn't hesitate in grabbing the hand firmly, and was immediately pulled up so quickly it was as if he had been sucked up by a massive vacuum.

The moment of rejoicing ceased as the whole world fell silent. Lyla's eyes narrowed, sensing something a little off about the silence. Another hand reached down. This time, she looked closely at it. It almost looked anxious or somewhat in a hurry. Well, I guess that would make sense if he or she was trying to save someone, but in the moment, everything about it looked menacing.

"Wh- who is it?.." Lyla asked, creeping closer so that she could look up at the owner of the hand. Without giving her any time to react, the hand stretched down and grasped the collar of her coat firmly. "WHA-!" ...Lyla was only able to yelp as she too was pulled up and out of the snow.

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Finally! 3,300 something words, baby! :D (this was waaay before I had written that 9,000-word long chapter in "You Versus The Universe")