Chapter 7

In an unexpected turn of events, my senses slowly came back to me. I knew right away that I wasn't dead when I felt myself laying on my bed. My entire body had an equal amount of pain surging throughout it so I couldn't feel it's source. But, how was I still alive? I had felt myself leaving, so how? I noticed I was too tired to move a muscle, not even open my eyes.

"He's alive!" I heard the muffled, but recognizable voice of Evie exclaim happily. She panted as if just having run a marathon.

"Herobwine!!" Teddy squealed, and I felt a pounce near me. Unfortunately, it was hard for me to keep my senses focused. My body felt like falling asleep as if I really needed it. If I were just dead, then how come my body needs rest? Hmmm.. A thought for another day I guess.

"Oh my, thank you so much, Evie. I thought he was dead for sure." Sebastian panted as if he too had just come back from running.

"It's alright, seems like he hadn't fully died, just sort of. I guess it's some sort of near-death state he goes into if close to death. Seems like giving him back all his original power did the trick in returning him back to normal." Evie guess-explained. I honestly had no idea of this hidden power. Of course, I had never really almost died before either, at least not almost died THAT badly.

"What do you mean it's alright?!" Sebastian snapped under a lot of stress. I wondered exactly how long I had been in that little 'coma' of mine. "I was the one who almost killed him in the first place! And I would have just left him had he not told me the whole goal of that machine thingy! Grr, this must be how Maddie feels!"

"Hey, I am right here!" Madelyn's voice shouted angrily. No words were spoken right after.

"Anyway, just make sure he stays stable. I'll come back tomorrow... Oh wait, ugh! I really didn't think this through did I?!" Evie grumble shouted at herself.

"What do you mean?" Sebastian asked.

"To return all of Herobrine's power back to him meant I had to return the power he had given me, which means I am stuck inside Minecraft until he gets better!" Evie panicked with frustration.

"You mean Minecraftia?" Sebastian asked puzzled.

"No, Minecraft!. I can't go to Earth now, my home! It's kind of complicated though." Evie huffed. "Oh, my parents are going to be so mad! I just hope Herobrine can heal up soon." Then I heard stomping followed by other footsteps and the sound of my bedroom doors opening. Was I seriously still in my room?! I have a medical room ya know!

I then heard quieter steps make their way towards me and heard Sebastian sigh beside my bed. "Herobrine, if you can hear me, please know I am s- sorry.. I was so fueled by anger. You were responsible for my parents' deaths after all. But I shouldn't have acted the way I did. Especially since you have been nothing but kind to us. I- I- I..." Sebastian then sighed again in defeat having nothing else to say. But I could tell he wanted to say much more. I myself so badly wished to get up, sit up, nod, open my eyes, just move at all. I wanted to let Sebastian know I could hear him so badly, but I couldn't. At least not then.

I no longer felt tired, well at least my brain no longer did. So I just laid there and listened to the room around me. Sebastian left and I was alone, and it was quiet. Eventually, I decided to make myself fall asleep.

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"Hey, Herobrine." I heard Madelyn half-whisper, and I was woken up, but still couldn't move. My instinct was to talk back, but not a sound came out of me. "I- I um, just thought you felt a little lonely." She said quietly. Actually, I felt a little tired. But I decided to listen incase she had anything important to say, or just anything at all. Madelyn didn't really talk very much. "Well, Teddy told me you wanted to know about Paul. Maybe I could read you the story if you like." She then waited for me to answer, but obviously I couldn't.

Coming out of whatever state I had been in must have been really hard or something. I guess it wouldn't be considered too far off from raising someone from the dead.

After a few silent moments, provided by me, Madelyn sighed sadly and I heard her flip through a book. Once she found her place, Madelyn began reading the story from when Paul, was called Saul. I listened closely. He had started out by just helping others kill the Christians off. But eventually, he was seen as the biggest and most feared threat to the believers of Christ, leading raids and burning entire towns. I almost shook hearing about it, comparing my own journey with his. That man was evil!. But then like Teddy said, he changed, changing his name to Paul.

It was probably hours later when Madelyn was done. She skipped a lot of it since most of what he wrote were words of wisdom to churches all around. And his story ended pretty ironically. He ended up being killed by the same side he had been on years ago, and for the same reason he used to kill others. I definitely found it nice finally knowing how the story ended, even if it was sad. He had been selfless and didn't care if he eventually died for his cause. Pretty heroic actually.

I also felt as if I understood my situation a little. I was probably still in the blinded stage. Right after realizing all I had done, wanting to change, but not sure how. So I decided to think about what Saul/Paul, did. And then I found it out. I had to turn my life around fully, not just halfway. And I had to see myself differently, even if I still felt the same. I had to see myself as new once having asked for forgiveness. I also had to forgive myself, probably one of the hardest things I would ever have to do. If I didn't, I would just stay blind, but I might go back to how I used to be. So I decided to ask for forgiveness from the god who had forgiven Paul, and also a part of myself too. Things were silent all around me and there was nothing else to think about. Madelyn had left soon after finishing. So I had plenty of time to think..

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"Herobwine!" I heard Teddy shout as he ran through my doors. Operantly they had been left wide open. Also operantly I had fallen back asleep without even noticing it. The young boy jumped on my bed like a rocket and hugged my arm. I tried to ask him what was up but again I was quiet. I was also beginning to feel sore after laying on my back for so long.

"Herobwine, are you better yet?!" The innocent little boy asked me. I gave no answer. Then Teddy started to cry. I felt his tears fall onto my arm. "You pwomised me you wouldn't vanish. Pwease, pwease don't go like Mommy and Daddy did?" He begged. I felt tears build up in my eyes and leak out my eyelids. How come I was so emotional all of a sudden?! Did it have to do with the whole me asking for forgiveness and changing inside?! I didn't know more emotions would come with the saved thing! XD

Teddy hugged my arm again as if trying to will me back awake. I tried to move but only my tears seemed to be able to flow. Thanks a lot, self!

"There you are, Teddy! My Notch, get away from Lord Herobrine! He needs his rest!" Fred ran in for Teddy. I felt Teddy leave me as he was picked up by Fred and set down on the floor. Teddy had stopped crying but still choked back tears.

"W- w- will, Herobwine be okay?" Teddy asked tearfully. Fred sighed and I felt his gaze on me. Wait, I could sense more! I was slowly coming back around, wahoo!!

"Hhhh.. Herobrine will be alright." Fred sighed. "But don't mess with him until he is feeling better. You might accidentally hurt him." Fred, in a way, scolded. Then the two left me to be in quiet again. Grr, the silence was figuratively killing me!!

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I could tell days were passing when visits fell into rhythms. The loop often started with Sebastian coming in, sometimes accompanied by Teddy or Evie. Most of the time he was alone though. He seemed to be placing a lot of blame on himself. Something I would have to talk to him about when I was feeling better. Hmm, strange. Not too long ago I was the one blaming myself for everything. Still something I was working on, but it was silent most of the time and I had plenty of time to talk to myself about it.

A little after Sebastian's visits. Teddy would show up and tell me stories he had heard. Most of them were cute silly little stories about magical lands with flying horses, an evil witch queen, and a magical lamp.

And a while after Madelyn would show up and read me more of the Bible. Most of it was boring, but I was already pretty bored so at the time I found every word interesting. Better than silence I guess. And they did have interesting stories. She was even kind enough to consider which ones I might like and read me many of the war stories between ancient kingdoms.

Every now and then Fred would randomly show up and ask me the same kinds of questions he always asked. Then when I didn't answer he would try to answer for me, mimicking my voice and accent. It was hilarious to listen to. But I couldn't mentally record it because I knew I needed every ounce of energy possible. I could tell most of it was going towards healing and bringing me fully out of my state, and a bit more was working on the whole working without food or water or going to the ba- wait the last thing is only outside Minecraft anyways.

It was probably a week later when I finally woke up.

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My whole body felt a little twinge go through it and I felt myself suddenly given back the ability to move again. I sat up quickly and looked around in a daze. I probably shouldn't have moved so quickly so soon because I felt like barfing. I kept myself from doing so, thankfully, and just sat there leaned up against the head of my bed for a bit. Being able to look around was nice. I saw my bedroom doors both wide open in front of me and saw that my room had more redstone lamps in it to make it brighter.

I checked to see how well my powers were by flickering on and off the lights, over, and over, and over, and over, again. I was bored alright! After a bit of turning them on and off with my mind I found it easy. So I did it FASTER. And I kept going faster, intrigued by the ease of it all, until the lights all burst out at the same time, leaving me in the dark.

It must have been because I had all my original power again that made it so easy. I had gotten used to just using two-fifths of my power. So using it all at once again made everything like a walk in the park. Speaking of walking..

I turned myself so my feet were dangling over the floor off the bed. Being able to walk again was such a tantalizing thought, I just had to take the risk. I dropped down from my bed onto my feet. The contact between my feet and the floor made my legs feel like they were suddenly being pricked by millions of needles at all angles, and I fell to the floor. When I fell onto my belly everything touching the floor felt like it was being poked by needles as well. I quickly hovered up off the ground to relieve myself from the pain. Wondering if it was just the floor, I reached my arm out and carefully touched my bed. Ouch! The same pain covered my arm as my hand touched the soft mattress. I had no idea what was going on. At least I could keep myself in the air longer with my powers having been increased. So I kept myself hovering above the ground just a couple pixels and flew out the door to re-explore my castle. The kitchen was the first place I went of course.

It was so nice finally being able to move around. Even though I had been in bed for only about one week it felt more like an eternity to me.

Once in the kitchen, I ignored the stinging pain in my arms as I grabbed bottles of water and chugged away. I then snatched up a feast big enough to feed an entire army and ate it all in that same setting. I was glad when I finished because my arms no longer stung, and my thirst and hunger were quenched.

"Herobwine?" Teddy asked from the door behind me puzzled. Then before I could turn around he rushed into the kitchen for me screaming. "HEROBWINE!!!" He hugged my back and I hissed in pain as I pulled myself away. When I turned around I saw a sad hurt look on Teddy's face. I couldn't bare just leave him like that. So I scooped him up in a big hug. Yeah it hurt like the void, but I knew he had wished for me to get better so badly. And I couldn't help but give him a big happy hug when I finally saw him again. "I am so glad youwre allwite!" Teddy said happily as he hugged me back. I then felt two others hug me. Sebastian and Madelyn. They must have been right behind Teddy. And then I heard teleporting and felt Fred's big bony arms wrap around us all. I think even Evie somehow got into the group hug.

And for the first time in an entire week, I spoke. "Thank you.. I- I heard all of you.. The whole time.. Even you Fred." I chuckled the last bit.

My entire body felt like I was trapped inside a torture device, but my heart was too happy to even care.