Chapter Text
Instead of sitting back down on the chair in the corner, I offered it to Skelly, who gratefully sat down, and pulled her knees up to her chest to keep from touching the wet floor. I sat down gingerly on the couch, which was not as wet as I'd originally thought, but still wet enough to make me grimace and wish I'd sat on the chair with the books still on it. Milly sat down next to me, mimicking my earlier grimace. The alchemist hovered on the sidelines, passing out cups of tea to the three of us. He then returned to the kitchen, muttering something about getting another cup and leaving us alone.
I looked at Milly, who stared back at me. After a few seconds, I broke eye contact to check on Skelly, who was trying her best not to touch the liquid surrounding her chair like a moat. Come on, Owen. Say something, anything! If you just sit here like a dork, you'll lose all the momentum you've just built up. Start at the beginning and work your way forward to today. First address Milly, then Skelly.
"Mil-chan, it's… been a while, huh?" I forced a half-smile. She nodded but said nothing. Great, now I have to actually say something meaningful. Uh, how about this… "Look, I know when I left, it probably felt like I just up and ditched you, but I swear it wasn't like that. I had no choice in the matter. She—well, the village—kicked me out. Banished me." Milly's expression softened, but she stayed silent. Skelly shifted her weight, her legs still pulled up on the chair, avoiding the mess on the floor like it might swallow her whole. No help coming from there, then. Come on, Owen, dig deep. Remember what you said to Skelly not twenty minutes ago? Just be… honest. Sincere.
"I didn't want to leave you behind, but she didn't even give me time to say goodbye. She threw me and Dug into the woods without a second thought. Do you know what that does to you? Having the person who called herself your mother, kick you out of the only place you could call home, and turn her back on you?" I paused, quelling the storm of emotions churning in my stomach. "Trust me, it isn't anything pleasant. Besides, it wasn't like I was off on some grand adventure. I nearly died three times before I even made it into the forest. There were mobs, everywhere, all of them trying to kill me." I rubbed the back of my neck, gesturing to the couch like it held some deeper meaning than just being a piece of furniture. "And when I showed up here, I didn't know they'd even let me in this time. Honestly, I'm still expecting the guards to burst through the door any minute, haul me off, and chuck me back outside."
Milly kept her gaze locked on me, her jaw clenched slightly. Is she angry? She hasn't said a thing since I started talking. What if she rejects me? I don't think I can handle that right now.
"I'm sorry, Mil-chan," I said, softer this time. "I didn't mean to leave you with nothing. I really didn't. But there was no way I could've taken you with me. I couldn't have protected you. I couldn't even protect Alex." I lowered my gaze. "The only reason I'm even here now is dumb luck—or maybe some divine providence. Either way, if you want to hate me, and never see me ever again, I understand. Just know that, for what it's worth, I care about you. As much as I did for Alex and Herbert."
She looked down, fooling with the satchel in her lap, her fingers tracing patterns in the leather. "I'm not mad," she murmured. "I… It's just… Y-You were gone… For five years. I thought you were dead. That some zombie had crunched you into powder and left you to rot."
I gulped, trying to hide the effect her words were having on me. I glanced over at Skelly, who was staring into her tea, trying to make herself invisible. Now if only I had that skill.
"Dead, huh? Guess I can see why you'd think that. I didn't exactly send postcards. But I'm here now, Mil-chan. I'm back. And I'm not going anywhere, not until I make things right…"
I looked up and met Milly's gaze. "I know that… talk is cheap. Words mean… almost nothing. They can't erase all the years, or turn the clock, but I want you to know that I-I-I'm sorry. From the bottom of my heart."
Milly stared at me for a long moment. Her facial expression shifted, and her lips parted like she wanted to say something, but instead, she fiddled with the satchel again, her fingers tracing those same mindless patterns. "Owen-kun… I don't hate you. I'm your sister, I could never turn my back on you, especially not now…." She gestured to all of me. "You're the Chosen Hero… Alex always said you were special, but she never could have guessed how special…." She laughed, but it sounded strained, more hysterical than hilarity. "It's just… I've been training… all these years."
I blinked. Wait, what? Run that by me again? "Trained? Trained for what exactly?"
Her lips curled into a small, tight-lipped smile. "For this," she said, gesturing vaguely between us. "To be strong enough. When you left, I—I thought you were dead. And yet… at the same time… it was suspiciously coincidental that the night Alex died, Herbert went out into the woods… and never came back." She kept her voice measured, but the way her face kept shifting from serious to almost hysterical made her words seem more… ominous.
"So, you trained to find… Herbert?"
"To find answers," she corrected softly. "Answers about what happened that night. About what really happened to Alex." She glanced sideways at Skelly, whose focus was still very much on her tea. She leaned closer and lowered her voice anyway. "I never did believe that half-baked story you fed the council. I did some digging, and I found several things, each one more disturbing than the last. An abandoned laboratory, filled with the disassembled body parts of several animals. Books in Herbert's old shelter, books on animal physiology, and the dimension known as the Nether. And finally, the most horrifying of all, a journal written in blood red ink, filled with disturbing accounts of experiments, performed on Alex, all of which were done to achieve one thing, and one thing only." Milly glanced at the skeleton girl, who was sipping the last of her tea. "Power. Unlimited power. Herbert was trying to achieve omnipotence, for what reason he did not say, but… from my discoveries, I was able to piece together the truth. The actual truth. Herbert's real identity."
She knows. She knows about Herbert, and Alex, and that night. What is she getting at? Why is she telling me all this?
"And now, you're here," she continued, her voice barely a whisper now, but I could hear the tension creeping in. "And then I heard rumors that you were alive, and you were going after Herobrine. The One who dwells in Darkness. Maybe…" Her voice trailed off, eyes flicking toward Skelly again. She hesitated, choosing her words carefully. "Maybe we can help each other. I've trained hard, Owen-kun. Hard enough to make sure I could… get justice. For both of us."
"I want to help you," Milly pressed, her voice growing steadier. "We both lost Alex. And I'm ready now. I'm strong enough. Let me fight with you, Owen-kun. We can do this together. For her."
Her words were like a sharp diamond blade, cutting through me. Skelly shifted slightly, though she didn't say anything. I can't tell her anything. Not yet.
"Mil-chan…" I started. Oh, what do I say to something like that? If I turn her away, she'll probably find some way to follow me around until I give in. If I say yes and she gets hurt because of this… I'll never forgive myself. It would be like losing Alex all over again. "I hear what you're saying and I want to agree, but… what we're going up against… It's bigger than just you or just me. Herobrine has grown powerful enough to threaten the entire Overworld. I wouldn't have been chosen if this wasn't world-endingly serious."
"I know that," Milly replied, her voice still soft, yet hard like iron. "But that's why we need each other. I need you, Owen-kun. And maybe, just maybe… you need me too. You know that, don't you? There aren't a bunch of alchemists lining up to join your cause, right? I'm your only option." She slung the satchel over her shoulder and placed her hands on her hips.
I clenched my fists. She's not asking me; she's telling me. Mil-chan is all in—whether I like it or not. And the worst part? She wasn't wrong. I did need her. What do I do? I glanced at Skelly. The skeleton girl sat up, putting her feet on the soggy ground, and nodded. 'You know what you need to do,' she mouthed. I sighed. Yeah, I know, but that doesn't mean I have to like it.
"All right," I said. "If this is what you really want… then I, Owen, the Chosen Hero, accept you, Mil-chan, as my party member. I promise to defend and stand by you, until either I die, or the end of the world."
The moment the ceremonial words left my mouth, I felt something—an odd, sudden tug deep in my chest, like invisible threads tying us together. I blinked and glowing words appeared in the air beside Milly:
[Party member acquired:
{Mil-chan} (Level: 45)]
{Notice} [Your max party limit has been reached.]
(Level required for upgrade: 50)
I stared at the floating words, frozen for a moment as they flickered and disappeared. What in Notch's beard hairs was that? My pulse quickened. I glanced around. Did nobody else see that? What is going on in this world? Strange things keep happening, and no one explains them. How am I supposed to be the Chosen Hero if I keep getting bombarded with crazy stuff like that?
"Welcome to the group, Milly-san," Skelly said, standing up, and offering Milly a hand. From where I sat, Skelly's grip seemed a little firmer than necessary, but Milly didn't seem to notice. She was beaming and trembling.
"Thank you!" Milly said, hugging me. "I promise, I won't let you down, Owen-kun."
I nodded slowly, pushing the bizarre notification out of my mind—for now, at least. Whatever that was, I'll figure it out later. Right now, I need to focus on what's important. "Mil-chan, I think you're going to like our group," I said, releasing her. "You haven't met Creeper-chan yet, but you'll get along just fine…" Creeper-chan… I left her at the cave, alone. With no defenses—well, she has my iron sword, but still… What if someone breaks in? Creeper-chan is still on low energy! "Oh, crap. Creeper-chan!" I whirled around, spilling my tea. Milly turned to Skelly, but she was just as frantic, restringing her bow and slinging it over her shoulder.
"Alchemist-san!" The elderly man shuffled out of the kitchen.
"A-yes, Hero-sama?"
"We need to leave now, but we will be back. I forgot about a companion whom we left alone at our base. She needs food, and I told her I'd bring some back." I searched my belt. "Here, take these." I handed him five emeralds and then grabbed a potion of regeneration from one of the chests hanging from the wall. "If that's not enough, I'll pay you when we return tomorrow for Mil-chan."
Milly grabbed my sleeve as I turned to dash out the door. "No, Owen-kun. I'm coming with you. I'm not going to stay here, worrying about you for another second."
I nodded. "Try to keep up then." No time for arguments. I need to get back to Creeper-chan and make sure she's alright.
Milly turned to the alchemist. "Ciao, padre." She embraced the man, who was shuddering, and wiping tears from his eyes.
"Ciao, mia figlia." The man stepped back from her, and gently wiped her eyes, which were glistening as well. "Be safe." She nodded, then spun around, facing me.
"Where are we headed?" I simply motioned for her to follow me and dashed out of the alchemist's home.
After reassuring the gatekeeper Skelly was not going to return to the village, we sprinted into the forest. I led the pell-mell race through the dense forest, the underbrush whipping at our legs as we weaved between the trees. The cold night air stung my lungs, making each breath incredibly painful. Can't give up now. Gotta keep moving forward. Each block we cover takes us one closer to Creeper-chan. Behind me, I could hear the panicked panting and wheezing of Milly, who was struggling to keep up with me and Skelly. "Slow down, Owen-kun! I need… a break…." I slid to a stop. Come on, come on, COME ON! Hurry up! Seconds ticked by, and I tapped my foot impatiently, struggling not to yell that Skelly hadn't stopped for a break and she was probably at the house right now, facing down a horde of hungry zombies without us because of Milly's tiny lung capacity.
Finally, Milly looked up and nodded. "I'm ready now." We continued down the dirt road, sticks snapping and minuscule rocks crunching underfoot as we raced up the hill. Was the path always this long? Where were those trees there before? Am I even going the right way? Creeper-chan, please be all right.
"Faster!" Milly was too busy taking in gulps of air to respond, but she increased her speed to match mine. The trees blurred by as we broke into a full run. My legs ached. My arms ached. My eyes were watering. Can't stop. Must. Keep. Running. Have to. Get back. Quickly.
The familiar outline of Skelly's stone house came into view and my heart leaped, but the sight of it didn't ease my nerves. Why are all the torches out? And why is the gate open? Oh, no, Creeper-chan!
The next few moments were like a dream sequence. I vaguely remember stumbling through the courtyard, grabbing the door, and hastily unlocking it. My hands were shaky and weak, so Milly threw the door open for me. "Creeper-chan?" I called. My voice echoed in the dark empty room. Milly stood at the threshold, her eyes scanning the dim interior. Creak… I spun, aiming my sword at the disturbance. "W-W-Who goes there?" My voice cracked, going as high as Milly's. I coughed and tried again, this time in my normal voice. "Who goes there? Show yourself, intruder."
Skelly appeared from the dark shadows of the hallway. "Relax, Hero-sama. It's just me. I couldn't find Creeper-chan anywhere. Have you two seen anything?" We shook our heads. I sighed and walked over to the bench. Maybe there will be clues here as to where she went. There was a half-eaten pork chop lying in a pool of grease, and piles of leaves stacked up in front of the fire, which had burned down into ashes. Wait, why is there a pile of leaves here? That wasn't here when I left, was it?
"Psst! Skelly, Mil-chan! Over here!" I gestured towards the stack of leaves. "Was this here before?" Skelly shook her head and aimed an arrow at the piles.
They rustled, and Milly squeaked, pulling out a grey potion of some kind, and splashing it on herself. She vanished along with her satchel. Where did she go? A flare of red, white, and orange flashing lights exploded outward from the brush, blinding us. A smell like rotten eggs and fish guts filled my nostrils along with a cloud of noxious smoke and we all coughed and stepped back, Skelly keeping her arrow on the string. From the smoke, emerged a hissing flashing figure, wielding a handful of red and white striped rockets in one hand, and a familiar-looking iron sword in the other.
Hang on, that's my sword, which I gave to… Creeper-chan! "Stop right there, intruder!" The figure growled; its eyes glowing as it brandished the sword. "Take one more step, and I'll blow you sky-high!" That voice sounds awfully familiar. Could it be… Creeper-chan!
I froze, holding up my hands. "Wait! It's me, Owen! The Chosen Hero! Creeper-chan, it's me!" The smoke cleared and I was able to get a good look at the figure, a.k.a. Creeper-chan. Her hoodie was blackened with soot, and she looked like she'd been struck by lightning, but it was definitely the creeper girl I'd been so worried about.
"Owen-san?" She blinked, lowering the sword. "You should have said something! I thought you all were bandits!" She relaxed, tossing the fireworks casually to the side.
I sagged, letting out a sigh of relief. I had been so worried about Creeper-chan that I hadn't realized how wound up I was. BAMF! In a puff of smoke, Milly reappeared, still clutching the satchel like it was a shield to protect her from crazy creeper girls. I turned to her. "I'm sorry we had to run all the way here, Mil-chan. It's just…"
She shook her head. "No, it's not a problem! This just shows me how much you care about your party! Just be sure to extend the same courtesy to me, okay?"
I nodded, rubbing the back of my neck and returning my gaze to the crazy creeper girl in question. "Creeper-chan, now that we're all here, can you explain just what you were doing under those leaves? You could have started a fire!"
Creeper-chan puffed her chest out, beaming. "I was being on guard, just like you said!"
I smacked my forehead. Leave it to Creeper-chan, to go to the extreme. "I said nothing of the sort! I said to stay put and wait for me."
Creeper-chan pouted. "Awwwwwwwww. That was boring! So, I decided to have some fun! I've been on guard this whole time!"
I massaged my temples. I guess her energy levels are back up. All she really needed was a pork chop… I glanced around the room and several things jumped out at me. A pile of breadcrumbs, some apple cores hidden behind a small pile of wood shavings. She didn't… she did! "Creeper-chan… how much of the food did you eat?"
She shrugged, holding the iron sword aloft. "I don't remember. I ate the pork chop, which was good, but not filling enough, so I scrounged around in the chests. I found several apples and a few loaves of bread. I ate them as well, and now I feel super!" She hopped around the room and did several jumping jacks.
Skelly sighed behind me, shaking her head in disbelief. "So, you ate all the food?" Creeper-chan nodded, and the skeleton groaned. "Just when we brought in a new party member… Creeper-chan, even though you need energy, you need to control yourself. We'll starve to death because of you one of these days."
The creeper girl sighed. "I was hungry, Skelly-chan! I needed the energy! I didn't have time to wonder if you would bring back a new friend!"
Milly smiled at Creeper-chan's reference to her as a 'new friend,' and then gasped when she realized how much Creeper-chan had eaten. "So… let me get this straight. You are preparing to fight Herobrine, but you can't even provide enough food for one party member, let alone three?"
I nodded, rubbing the back of my neck sheepishly. "In my defense, those chicken jockeys back at the village refused to sell anything to us. We'll probably need to go hunting tomorrow in order to restock supplies."
Skelly shook her head, a smirk forming. "Looks like she found you out, Hero-sama. It turns out you're human, just like… well some of us… You don't plan, you hurt people's feelings, you make great heartfelt apologies but only when held at arrow point." She laughed, and smacked me on the back, hard enough to make the supplies I was carrying fall to the floor.
"What do you mean?" Creeper-chan asked. "Owen-san apologized perfectly fine to me. I didn't need to threaten him. I simply reminded him of what he truly cares about, and why he does." Out of the mouth of anyone else, that would sound cheesy, but for some reason, hearing it come out of the mouth of Creeper-chan makes it sound mature. Why? "Besides, that's not important. What is important is what I'm going to eat for dinner!"
I couldn't help myself. I snorted, bursting into laughter. "Oh, Creeper-chan. You are the salt of the earth." She turned to me, squeaking confusedly.
Milly shook her head, rubbing her temples. "Why are all of you so confusing…"
"Trust me, the only reason we sound like this is because we've been operating on almost no brain cells due to all of them being vaporized by those chicken jockeys and their bigotry," I said, patting her shoulder. "Tomorrow we will probably make much more sense." I glanced at Creeper-chan, who was using the iron sword as a toothpick. I gently took it away and tied it to my belt, along with my stone sword. "Probably." Milly sighed, and Skelly chortled as she helped Milly find a suitable place next to the fire to place her things.
Creeper-chan glanced at me quizzically. "Where are you going, Owen-san?"
"To bed. I need twenty-four hours of uninterrupted peace in order to plot our next move, but since I can't have that, I'll take a quick eight-hour power nap and hopefully, some new options will have presented themselves to us." I walked down the hallway and felt my way along in the dark until I found a doorway. The room was empty except for a small bed with the blankets and sheets dyed red. I plopped into it, and within seconds, I was snoozing.