Chapter Text
Steve saw the fireball being summoned and shouted out, “Spread out! He can’t hit us all at once!”
Everyone split into two smaller groups and ran from each other as the fireball came their way. Everyone drew their weapons and began to rush Brine, raising their swords or axes up with battle cries. They were all barely blocked by the Demi-God, with him not expecting the sudden attack and almost getting hit.
The next while was filled with the sounds of weapons clashing and fireballs slamming into shields as the group took on the Nether Prince. Several members of their party would charge, one after the other, making Brine struggle to black every blow and stop himself from being injured. He took several cuts and strikes during the battle, but his wounds would heal just as quickly from his powers. Brine tried to defend himself using his fire powers and his super strength, but even Celina could tell that he was growing tired from the battle. However, he wasn’t slowing enough for them to completely break his defenses.
After a moment, Celina had recovered enough to fight again and she remembered something she always carried. She reached into her inventory and pulled out another bottle with a grayish-bluish fluid. She spun on one leg to gain momentum, before flinging out the potion. Luckily, her aim was true and the splash potion broke on Brine. “That should weaken him!” she shouted out. “Let’s do this, guys!”
Everyone began to rush the being once more, landing blow after blow to his swords and seeing him beginning to stumble. He was growing more and more angry from the blows and he snarled out at his friends.
Celina reeled back a few steps, before raising up her sword as she ran forward. She shouted and this caught the attention of the Demi-God as she tried to bring her sword down. Their weapons clashed together and the queen pulled back. “Brine, please! Remember me! Remember us! I’m going to save you! You have to remember!”
“Celina, jump!”
Jewelavyn’s command came from behind her, and she could see the Demi-Goddess running towards her. She suddenly shifted her face and nodded, before jumping up as Jewelavyn slid down on her side, sliding under the queen. Her momentum was enough to carry her through the grass as Brine lifted a leg, letting her get behind him. She then stood and swung a leg around to kick him in the back. The Nether Prince flailed around from the force of her roundhouse kick, struggling to stay standing and dropping his swords.
“Grab Brine’s arms!” Celina shouted.
With Brine caught so off guard, the group quickly dropped their weapons and grabbed the weakened immortal by his arms, holding tightly as they kept his arms away from his sides. Brine growled loudly and began to shout at the others, trying to escape. “Let go of me! Get your filthy hands off of me!” When no one responded to him, he shouted louder. “I SAID, LET GO! I WILL TEAR YOU ALL APART! I’LL KILL YOU ALL AND THROW YOUR CORPSES INTO THE DARKEST DEPTHS OF THE NETHER!”
A set of gentle hands placed themselves on the sides of his face, and Brine glared up at the queen now kneeling in front of him. Though he still struggled a bit, the queen gently patted his face and spoke to him ever so gently. “Hush, my dear friend. I’m here to help you.”
The queen sighed softly. She had only one shot at this, and if it failed, she could be dead. However, she had to try at least.
“Herobrine, I’ve been your friend for almost seven years now. You mean so much to me. I never, in my whole life, thought I could befriend someone like you, and stay friends this long. I trust you, you gave me a chance to show you kindness when you would never let anyone else in. When we became friends, I made a promise to myself to never let you get hurt, and to protect you. And, I’ve always tried to. I would never, in my life, malevolently hurt you, Brine. I… I love you, Brine. You’re my best friend.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t there to protect you, Brine. I’m sorry I wasn’t there to stop those people from hugging you. I shouldn’t have been gone so long. I should have come home sooner. Brine, I ask that you… forgive me for not being there for you. I ask that you return home with us, so we can take care of you.” She looked away for a moment, before looking back at Brine. “Forgive me, Herobrine?”
Brine’s mind went blank as her words sunk in.
He could see her there.
Cebrina.
Brine blinked a few times, before his clouded vision cleared. He could see Celina in front of him, kneeling with her hands on his face. He could see her injured, looking exhausted and her eyes watering. For a moment, everything was silent. Then he spoke. “...Celina?”
The queen blinked in surprise and softly asked, “Brine?”
Brine looked at the queen with his mouth agape, tears running down his face. He looked at the group of people around him, then returned his attention to his best friend. He could feel a stinging pain in his hands and he raised them up to see them covered in cuts and bruises. “...Celina, what happened? Why am I hurting? Where are we?” He suddenly realized that Celina was covered in cuts and bruises and even her jaw was slightly swollen. “...Why do you have so many cuts? Who did this to you?!”
Celina sighed, putting her hands on her knees. “...You did, Brine.”
“...What?”
“Brine, you were at the castle and I saw those people hug you and you got angry. You teleported away and went on a rampage from anger. We… we had to come find you and try to stop you. We… we had to fight you to snap you out of it. A bunch of our friends came to help us find you, and you… you almost reverted to your old self; the version of yourself that terrorized the Overworld and killed people. You nearly lost your memories.”
Brine almost couldn’t believe what he was hearing, but as he looked around and saw the damage he had done, he knew it to be true. He held up his shaky hands and he quietly asked, “Celina… what… what have I done?”
Celina carefully put her hands on his face, wiping his tears with her thumbs. “Brine, please come home. Please?”
Brine let out a loud sob, before closing his eyes and telling the queen, “Celina… I want to go home.”
*****
The last of the flames died down as the group moved back out of the clearing and into the woods, heading back into the direction of Creatoria. Celina led the way, with Brine wrapped in a blanket and being held bridal style in her arms. She held her friend close as he kept his eyes closed, obviously exhausted from the battle and the emotional toll he had just been through. He spoke softly to Celina as they made their way home, thanking her for saving him again and again.
Once the group reached the castle, everyone was given treatment for the wounds they had gotten, given shelter and food, and given the very best care.
Celina got Brine’s bed and set it in the grand room, helping him get into his nightgown and helping him into bed. She then pulled his egg from the quiver where it had still been sitting, placing it into his arms. He took his egg with gratitude and whispered soft apologies to the unborn child, promising to never hurt it or let it go again. Celina then bid the Demi-God goodnight and whispered, “Welcome home, Brine.”
*****
It was about a week later when Celina was asleep with Cenlar in her bedroom. Her now shortly cut hair was messy and curled and fluffed up around her face. She slept soundly, knowing that Brine was home and was safe and sound.
Everyone was given rewards of their choice from Celina’s items after the fight, and she had been keeping an eye on Brine as he drifted in and out of sleep each day and night. He seemed very tired, and she couldn’t blame him. The battle and the emotions had worn her out, so she couldn’t imagine how tired the Demi-God was. But he was home, he was safe, and so was his child.
However, something would stir the queen from her sleep this night.
“Celina?”
The queen could hear her name in her sleep, and after a moment, she realized what she heard was not in her dream. Her eyes fluttered open as she laid on her side, trying to process where the voice had come from. She blinked a few times. “Huh?”
“Celina… are you awake?”
She realized that was Brine’s voice. The queen looked down, with her and Cenlar’s bedroom being above the grand room where Brine slept. She furrowed her brows. “Brine? Is that you, sweetie?”
“Yes. Can you come down here for a moment?”
She could hear the worry in his voice, so she nodded and answered with, “Okay, Brine, I will. Give me a few minutes, dear.”
*****
Celina was dressed in her pink nightgown decorated with magenta hearts as she moved down the stairs, making her way into the grand room. She yawned softly. It had to be at least midnight by now, and she was awfully tired. However, Brine sounded very worried, so she needed to see what was wrong.
She reached the bottom of the stairs and looked up. “Brine, what did you need, swee---” She gasped softly, her eyes widening.
There sat Brine next to his bed, pieces of the egg’s shell scattered on his bed. In Brine’s arms sat a tiny Kivuuli, grayish fur on their body with black stripes. Some white patches with gray stripes covered them as well, and white hair fluffed out on their head. They had their eyes closed and slept soundly in Brine’s arms, letting out a small chirp.
Celina moved to Brine and knelt in front of him as he sat on the ground. “Oh, Brine! It hatched?”
Brine nodded. “Yes, it did. I was asleep when I heard some tapping and squeaking. I chirped at the egg and they chirped back, and I realized they were trying to get out. I had to help them a bit, but now… they’re here. And… I’m so happy.”
Celina smiled and chuckled. “Oh, Brine. They’re beautiful. I’m so glad that they’re okay, and that you’re okay and here too.”
Brine smiled softly. “I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you coming to save me, Celina. Thank you… for everything you’ve done for me.”
Celina felt her heart melt. “It’s no trouble, Brine. I wasn’t going to lose you. I love you, buddy.” She saw him smile back, before she asked, “So… are they male or female?”
Brine blinked, before turning his head and letting himself sense their energy. “...Both.”
“They’re a hermaphrodite?”
“It would appear so.”
“Are they a masculine one, or a feminine one?”
“Their energy says masculine.”
Celina blinked. “Huh… honestly, if they turned out to be a Kivuuli, I was expecting a full female.”
Brine chuckled. “I think Darsha has said full females are very rare. Herms are much more common.” He smiled down at his child, feeling them shift in his arms and hearing them chirp. “It doesn’t matter to me though. What matters is that they’re here, they’re healthy, and they’re okay.”
Celina nodded, before looking to the window. “It’s a little late, Brine. You and the baby should get some rest.”
Brine nodded and climbed back into his bed, Celina helping to tuck him in with his child curled up next to him. As the queen bid him goodnight and climbed back up the stairs, he looked down at his Kivuuli child, gently petting their hair. “Welcome to Minecraftia, little one,” he whispered. “Welcome to the world, my child.”
*****
A few days later, Brine sat in his bed as Celina made breakfast, having moved his bed to the throne room. He had been watching over his child and mostly resting with him over the past few days. He didn’t yet have a name, but Brine wanted to wait until his eyes opened, as it was in Kivuuli tradition. And it was a few days later that his eyes finally opened.
His lids moved slowly, and when they lifted, there were two eyes of different colors. The right, purple like that of an Ender’s eyes. The left, as blue as the sky. The child blinked slowly, before looking up at the Demi-God as he spoke to them. “Hello, little one. Welcome to our world.”
The Kivuuli seemed to smile as he chirped, slowly reaching to his “mother.” Celina had walked over to see the baby and she chuckled as Brine chirped back at him.
“So… did you have a name in mind,” she asked softly.
Brine nodded. “I think… his name will be Azariah. It means, ‘to be helped by the gods.’ And considering everything he went through… I think it fits.”
Celina nodded in agreement. “That’s such a lovely name, Brine. It fits him well.”
Brine nodded, before gently petting his child’s hair again. “Welcome to Minecraftia, Azariah. Welcome to your home. I’ll take care of you… and I will always love you.”