Hunters: Dark Forces

Book Two

Prologue[]

Dark red stone littered the giant, unwelcoming cavern. Lavafalls and lakes dotted the place, and sad-eyed Ghasts floated in the musty air, longing for friends.

One Ghast, scarred with scratches, flew up to one flying by himself.

"I just want friends!" The lone Ghast screeched.

"You've got me and the Pigmen," The scarred one replied. "It won't be much longer before we finally become friends with the humans."

"But we hate the humans!" The other spat out the word. "There's no way we would ever come close to liking each other." The scarred Ghast left him. Flying around, he spotted a group of zombie pigmen. Flying down low, the swine-like swordsmen looked at him.

"Shadow," One of the pigmen greeted the Ghast. "We are ready to bring our plan to action." He waved around his sword in circles. "You know the drill." Shadow looked on in excitement. "Hallow, come on out!"

A slender, tall black figure stepped out of the shadows. "Yes?"

"We are ready to bring our plan to action." The strange, purple-eyed monster nodded his head. He lifted up a block of strange, red explosives.

"TNT?" Shadow asked. "That is a human's weapon!"

"Exactly," The black figure answered. "They'll think it's something else." The pigmen tilted their heads. "You'll know what the plan is after we take it to action." Walking away, Shadow waved his arms in confusion.

"Who the heck was that?" He blurted out to one of the pigmen.

"That's an Enderman," The pigman answered him as a matter-of-factly. "His name is Hallow. He's going to help us with the plan. We can trust him." Shadow wasn't too sure about that. Trusting a different species from a completely different dimension was sometimes dangerous. Floating away, he thought whether the plan would work or not.

He passed by Ghasts, all sobbing about that they didn't have enough friends. Shadow ignored their weeping and flew up to the roof of the cavern, looking down at all the space. A Blaze flew by his face, but he ignored it. Magma Cubes were scattered all over, and a fortress was settled right by a big lava lake.

This plan has to work, Shadow muttered darkly. The humans and monsters being friends will bring nothing but trouble. We must d this relationship.

Chapter 1[]

"Tag, you're it!" Iron bumped into Emerald. Spinning around, she loped across the Old Hollow in hot pursuit of her friend. Because of her, everyone was at peace with each other. Humans and monsters alike went when they pleased, and she no longer worried about wars or battles.

"Got you!" She puffed and tagged Iron with her foot. Loping in the opposite direction, she felt the cool wind on her face. Her mother watched in amusement at their game of tag. Iron was about a yard away. Sapphire sat next to Emerald's mother, watching the two play.

"Why don't you join?" Her mom coaxed. Sapphire shook her head and continued to watch. Iron was falling farther behind, panting heavily. Emerald didn't even break a sweat. The sunlight felt good on her skin, and took for granted that it would always be like this. She was always the fastest apprentice out of all, and even Shade couldn't match her speed.

She jumped in the river and pattled her feet hard. She swam about as fast as she trotted; Iron jumped in after her and laughed.

He was the last to learn how to keep his head above the water, Emerald wondered. She was glad she wasn't cramped up in her mother's old cave-den and she could stay up for as long as she wanted. Iron and Sapphire were adopted and were Emerald's siblings. I'm glad I have a gentle mother.

"Watch out! Iron's catching up!" Sapphire hollared. She was right; He began to pick up speed. Emerald hopped out of the river and dashed into the trees. Iron hissed and charged after her. He was about two yards away from her. Catching a glimpse of vines, she scrambled up a tree and looked down.

Iron yelped and ran into the tree. Hissing in annoyance, he tried to climb up, but he fell down again face-first.

"Ha!" Emerald teased. "You can't even climb up a tree!"

"We're creepers, not squirrels!" Iron laughed. "Get down or else I'll pull you down with me." Emerald stayed put, encouraging him to climb up. Iron tapped his foot.

"Alright, you're asking for it now!" Iron heaved himself up, grabbed Emerald's leg, and tumbled down into the grass. With a startled yelp, Emerald fell onto the grass and laughed.

"Some fall!" She exclaimed. "If this was stone, I would've broken my back!" Iron got up and prodded her with his foot.

"Tag, you're it!" He dashed off into the trees.

"Hey, no fair! I wasn't ready!" Weaving through the trees, she caught up to him in no time at all. She tripped him with her foot.

"Tag! Gotcha!" Emerald leaped on his back, and the two playfighted through the forest. The

y ended up in the Old Clearing and fell on their backs, exhausted. Panting, she stood up with wobbly movements and looked up. The human was watching them with a smirk on his face. His torn clothing and diamond sword always made Emerald shiver, but she knew that neither of them had anything to fear.

Iron headbutted Emerald playfully, knocking her aside. She leaped up and pinned him down. Iron broke free of her grasp and threw her off with his legs. Hissing, Emerald reared up.

"Not so easy anymore, huh?" Emerald tackled Iron and flung him a few feet away. Running up to him, she pinned him again, this time not letting him go.

"Alright, showoff! You win!" Letting him go, he scrambled into Emerald's cave-den. Walking up to the human, she greeted him with a friendly hello.

"Say, you never told me your name," Emerald wondered out loud. "Why not tell me?"

"I'm Blake," The human answered. She trotted up to Sapphire.

"Don't you ever wonder that something's gonna happen eventually?" Sapphire spoke first. Emerald looked at her, puzzled.

"Like what?" She asked.

"Like, a bad kind of thing. I mean, I'm not sure that our friendship between humans and monsters is gonna last forever. I'm pretty sure something might happen. The war only happened about a few weeks ago."

"Oh, don't worry," Emerald assured her. "Nothing's gonna happen." She led her to the cave-den and they started to read the messages off the wall.

Chapter 2[]

Emerald stood in a grassy forest. Huh? Am I dreaming? A tall shadow loomed over her, with eerie purple eyes. He held a bomb in his hands.

"Wh-who are you?" Emerald stammered.

"I am Hallow," The creepy figure replied with a dark tone. "And welcome to your future." The lush forests turned into wastelands, with soot and ash spread across everywhere. Lava pools glinted in the distance, and a group of Ghasts sang songs she couldn't pick up.

"Wha..?" She was confused. "Where are Sapphire and Iron? Or the humans?"

"They are not here in this future," Hallow answered. "They were long-gone. So are the humans."

"What are you?" Emerald couldn't keep her voice from trembling.

"I am an Enderman. Something you will not see for many years to come." His outline began to fade, and then he disappeared.

"No!" Emerald shouted. She was back in her cave, along with her mother and siblings. Iron was standing next to

Emerald and iron — Iron waking up Emerald.

her, eyes wide.

"Are you ok?" Worry filled his tone. "You were talking in your sleep." Groaning, she sat up and looked into his bright yellow eyes.

"I'm fine," She muttered. She looked outside. It was Sunrise, and pale sunbeams shone through the cave. Getting up, she walked outside. Birds were singing and the air felt warm on her skin. Iron followed her out and the two trotted to the forest.

My mother and Sapphire are still asleep, She thought. Best not to wake them yet. They padded on in silence, passing by a bird or a bug occasionally. They found the deepest part of the forest begin to thin out, and they entered a beautiful hilly area.

Flowers bloomed everywhere and butterflies danced over their heads. They saw houses far in the distance and a few humans up and about. They padded towards the wooden dens and greeted the humans.

"Hi, Blake," Emerald called out to the human. He waved hello and returned to work. The grass disappeared into a rough, black street, and houses were lined everywhere. Emerald had never been to this part of the land, and it was unfamiliar to her. Iron walked on as if he had been there before.

"How do you know where you're going?" Emerald asked.

"Before I met Herobrine, me and my older sister lived where humans did. At night, we would always stroll around." He answered. Emerald nodded. The houses were lined with wood, and then with some other material she couldn't recognize.

They turned around a corner and walked on. The hard, black material was uncomfortable to Emerald. It was rough and bumpy, instead of smooth and hard in Herobrine's dimension. She was still clumsy upon walking in the long-forgotten grass.

They walked away from the road. They returned to the hilly areas. Treading back home, they remained quiet for most of the time.

"Do you ever wonder about growing up?" Iron asked eventually. Surprised at his question, she stopped and looked at him.

"No...not really. Why'd you ask?" She replied.

"Oh, no reason. I was just asking." They continued to walk into the forest and stopped by the entrance of Emerald's cave-den. Sapphire was already awake, but her mother was dozing in the sunbeams.

"Uh, do you guys feel something? Like, in the ground?" Sapphire suddenly stopped walking and leaned over. Iron's feet trembled.

"Yeah, now that you mention it, yes!" Iron yelped. "Where is it coming from?" Emerald's mother came rushing out of the cave.

"What's going on?" She asked worriedly. "Is it an earthquake?"

"I don't know what it is," Sapphire's voice was trembling. "But it sounds like a stampede of

Stampede of creepers — The three seniors charging ahead.

something!" Just at that moment, several unusually large creepers came loping across the hills. They grunted and hissed.

Shade? Gash? Jay? Is it really them? The three of the seniors came rushing inbetween the trio and completely ignored them.

"They're heading for the town!" Iron hissed. "We have to stop them!"

The three creepers were already charging in the hills.

"But how?" Sapphire asked quickly. "What...what if...what if they-" She didn't get to finish. A sudden explosion sounded loudly in the distance. A giant mushroom-shaped cloud of smoke rose above the trees, and Emerald could hear the faint crackling of fire.

Oh, no! They blew up the village! But why?

Chapter 3[]

Sirens beeped loudly. Emerald came rushing towards the town. Not much damage had been done, other than a few chipped buildings. Three craters, side-by-side, lay deep in the ground.

"Somebody get a hose!" She recognized Blake's voice. Water gushed out of a funnel and the fires were extinguished almost immediatly. Angry voices shouted in the air. Emerald loped away into the forest, passing by trees and shrubs.

Her mother looked at her wide-eyed at the twigs and leaves that stuck to her skin.

"What happened? Is everybody ok over there?" Iron asked.

"Shade, Jay, and Gash..." She panted in-between words. "They...blew up the houses. Thankfully...it didn't leave any huge damage." Her mother nosed all the leaves and sticks off of her and Iron ran up.

"I wonder why they did that?" Sapphire added. "The only reason a creeper would self-destruct like that would be in means of defense."

"Is everybody alright?" Jay came running up to the trio. Everybody looked at him as if he were crazy.

"But you just blew up! Over by the town!" Sapphire squeaked. "How did you survive?"

"What? What are you talking about?" Jay's voice turned harsh. "I was never there!"

"Yes you were! Don't deny it!" Iron hissed, kicking up dirt and sand. "You were one of them charging down the hill, along with Shade and Gash!"

"Did somebody say my name?" Shade padded out of the trees.

"Yes, and you blew it! Litteraly!" Emerald stomped up to the senior mentor. "Thanks to your buddies! The humans are gonna have us in jail for this!"

Shade's gaze grew fierce, yet scared. "But; I was never there! If I was, then why would I bring anybody?"

"Admit it! You don't like the human-monster relationship, do you?" Sapphire marched up behind him. "Neither does Gash or Jay! You're just hiding it from us!"

"If we wasted our lives to blow up a stupid house, would we still be alive?" Shade hissed angrily. "This is rediculous! We would be dead if we did something as foolish as trying to anger some humans!" Jay and Shade trotted away, eyes burning with rage.

"I can't believe it!" Her mother yelped.

"Actually, they do have a point," A deep, familiar voice croaked behind Emerald. She knew that voice.

"Why do you always sneak up on us like that? It's really creepy." She asked.

"It wasn't them. It was someone else." Herobrine stepped out of the bushes, ignoring her question.

"Then who was it?" Emerald's mother hissed. Herobrine shook his head and remained silent.

"I...don't know who it was," Herobrine admitted. "There are some things that only time can figure out."

"You mean, you don't even know who committed the crime?" Iron began to tremble.

"You can't take for granted that I know everything," Herobrine replied.

Emerald dug her feet into the soft soil. "I want to know!"

"I already told you, I don't know who did it." Herobrine's voice grew tense. Sapphire remained quiet, leaning over as if to concentrate.

"Then it was you!" Sapphire leaped up and confronted the ragged miner. "You say you don't know, but you do! It was you!" Herobrine flinched. "You sent Shade, Gash, and Jay to blow up the town because you don't like the relationship we grew with the humans!"

"You have it wrong," Herobrine took a step forward. "Why on earth would I do that? I happen to be a human myself, so why would I blow up my people?"

Herobrine and sapphire — Sapphire arguing with Herobrine.

"You've got bees in your brains!" Sapphire hissed. "That's not how you felt when we were in your world. You wanted to lead us all into a war to destroy the humans!"

"Not anymore!" Herobrine raised his voice slightly. "I've seen how much things have changed. I forgave my friends. I'm not that dumb."

"What 'friends' are you reffering to? The only friends you had were us! I suppose you forgave the senior's hatred of the relationship and lead them to blow up!"

"That makes absolutely no sence at all!" Herobrine clenched his teeth. "And I wasn't the person behind this!"

"That's it!" Iron and Sapphire leaped on Herobrine. He flung them off like they were nothing. Then, he vanished into the shadows. They hissed and stomped into the cave, followed by Emerald's mother. She looked to the sky, which had grown bright with Sunhigh.

Who did this? And why?

Chapter 4[]

Ever since the mysterious explosion had gone off in the city, the humans were restless. Every time Emerald walked up to see them, they were in their houses with locked doors and pretended to be asleep. Emerald knew that they were awake, but she was worried about them.

Somebody has to be responsible, She thought. B'ut who? A wolf, seemingly out of nowhere, started yapping and circled her.

"Hey, cut that out! I'm not attacking!" She stepped backwards and landed on her side. She yelped and the wolf jumped on her stomach, barking loudly.

"Please stop that!" The wolf dug his paws into the ground next to her and barked twice. She scrambled up to her feet and took off with the wolf hard on her heels. She heard more footsteps.

Oh great! There's an entire pack of them! She yelped and slammed into the hill by her cave-den. There was a stack of bones she had collected before Herobrine took her away a year ago. Grabbing one out of the pile, she swished it around madly.

"Stay back!" She hissed through the bone. Almost immediatly, the pack took a step back. They eyed the bone feverishly.

They must like bones. She dropped it and the wolves came running up to it.

"No! Bad! Stay away from the bone!" The wolves whinned and sat down about a foot away. Sapphire walked out of the cave-den and yelped when she saw the pack of wolves.

"Gack!" She screeched. "What are those things?" The wolves saw her and swarmed Sapphire, yipping and jumping.

"No! Bad wolves! Stay away from her, too!" Emerald scolded. The wolves looked at her and padded away from the blue female.

"Well, this is odd," Emerald shook her head. "Whatever I tell them to do, they do it."

"Maybe it's because of those bones over there," Sapphire pointed with her foot over to the pile. The wolves stared at the stack. Iron walked out sleepily and hissed when he saw the pack.

"Emerald! Where did you find those dogs?" Iron had a worried tone in his voice. "We are so dead now!"

"What are you talking about? They are wild and they are called wolves, not dogs. They aren't tammed."

"Oh, for the love of pete! Look at their necks!" A bright red collar outlined each of them, which was hidden by fur. "They all belong to-" he paused to read their nametags, and gasped. "-'Blake'. Now, who the heck is Blake?"

"I know who he is," Emerald answered sadly. "He was the human that attacked my parents."

"That same guy you were telling us about? He lives in the town! He's going to be so mad once he finds out we took his pets!"

"We?! I had nothing to do with this!" Sapphire hissed angrily. "Emerald's got herself to blame! You're telling me I was apart of this?" She kicked dirt in his face.

"We are the only three creepers he knows best! He saw me walking down the street. He's gonna think we all took them." Emerald raised her voice slightly at the hissing pair. The dogs whinned and huddled next to each other. First the explosion, then the pet robbing.

"Wait a minute!" Emerald pushed herself between Iron and Sapphire. "How did the dogs get out? First, one came out of nowhere and I ran away. Then, the whole pack of dogs were chasing me."

Iron backed away and thought. Sapphire stomped back into the cave. Emerald walked out into the hills and looked out into the half-sunset. The sky began to redden with dusk. The crickets began to buzz.

A shing sound screeched behind her. She felt a cold, hard stone being slightly pr

Emerald and steve — Emerald and Blake in the hills.

essed against her back.

"I believe you have what I lost?" A voice muttered darkly. She turned around, meeting face-to-face with a familiar human.

"Blake!" She stammered. "It was, uh, a mistake! It came out of nowhere, honest! He followed me back home and he brought the pack and-"

"That's enough, Emerald. This has gone too far. You and your friends don't really like us, do they?" She took a wobbly step back as Blake revealed his Diamond Sword. The moon began to rise in the horizon.

"Blake, you have to listen to me!" Emerald pleaded. "They followed me back! I didn't know they were your pets! You gotta believe me! Iron practically saved me when he saw the collars. At least I was stopped!" Blake narrowed his eyes into icy slits.

"You'll be stopped again. This time, permanently." He took a step forward, readying his sword. Emerald yelped and loped away. Blake ran after her.

These people are becoming savages! Blake was able to match her speed. She scrambled into the cave-den and hid behind her mother. She twisted her head, eyes wide.

"What's going on?" She asked. The dogs were huddled next to each other in the cave, remaining utterly quiet. Emerald's mother peeked out and saw Blake, his face twisted with rage. She scurried to a corner and sat alongside Iron and Sapphire. Emerald trembled as she saw Blake look inside the cave, then mutter and walk away.

"Somebody is tearing our relationship with the humans apart," Emerald spoke after a moment. "Somebody must not like this bond. And we have to find out who it is before something else happens."

Chapter 5[]

Emerald stood in a ash-covered black area. Smoke emitted from the ground and eerie, pig-like creatures stood in the distance, grunting loudly.

Oh, great! Not Hallow! She ran the other direction, hoping she wouldn't have to see the strange black monster again.

"Oh, hello." A soft voice greeted her. It wasn't Hallow. She looked around, but saw nothing. Huh?

"I'm over here, young one." A tall, light purple creeper stood to her left. She had light blue eyes and a bushy tail.

"Who are you?" Emerald asked.

"I am Julias, and I know who you are. You are Emmy." Emerald flinched. Only her friends called her by her nickname.

"How do you know?" She asked.

"I am one from above. I know many things. I can visit your dreams, and I have a message to tell." Emerald sat up and listened.

"Herobrine is not the one who committed the crime for the explosions or the lost dogs. None who you know are responsible. The person responsible is friends with the dragon and a tricky liar. He is an Enderman, and you must find him." Julias began to fade away.

"No! Tell me who it is!" Emerald hissed. Julias had already disappeared. She stood up in her nest.

It was just a dream, She assured herself. Shaking herself, she sleepily walked out. The moon was still out, and the colors of Dawn filled the sky. Sapphire was sitting outside, looking up.

"You're up early," Emerald greeted. Sapphire didn't reply. She looked at her in the eyes.

"Get away from me!" Sapphire hissed and turned on her. Emerald flinched.

"..Sorry. I'm still mad that Herobrine blew up the town." She apologized. "I mean, why would he ruin our bond?" Emerald felt like saying that he didn't do it, but she kept her mouth shut. Sapphire looked deep into her eyes.

"Who do you think did it?" Emerald wasn't surprised at her question.

"I don't think it was anyone we know," She replied calmly. "Herobrine does have a point. If Gash, Jay, and Shade really did blow up the town, they wouldn't be here." Sapphire dipped her head, trying to concentrate. "It could of been a different trio."

"I've been having these dreams about a creepy guy named Hallow," Sapphire admitted. "He showed me that the future would be dark and the plains turned into wastelands." Emerald froze.

"Same here!" Iron padded out. "He showed me an ash-covered place that he said was going to be the future."

"I did too," Emerald joined in quietly. "Maybe it was him." Iron and Sapphire looked at each other and exchanged worried glances.

"He must be visiting our dreams," Iron concluded. "How else would we have completely identical memories of him?"

"So have I," Emerald's mother walked out to the three. "A tall monster that called himself Hallow."

How did she receive the dream? Emerald's mind buzzed and she felt sick. All of this mystery made her uncomfortable, knowing that someone was lurking in the darkest of corners, waiting to ruin their bond. She kept thinking that someone was staring at her now.

"I hope we find out soon before things get worse." Emerald walked away.

-------------------------------------

The sun shone brightly in the sky. Emerald stood in the plains nearby the town. She looked up and squinted her eyes. The stress of knowing that somebody was trashing their newly formed relationship made her furious.

It has to be somebody who doesn't like the friendship. She concentrated hard. Otherwise they would be doing this for no reason. A loud twang snapped her back into the present. An arrow whizzed by an inch behind her.

"Freeze!" An angry voice shouted. She was immediatly surrounded by humans, each carrying a bow and a pile of arrows. She stumbled backwards and fell with a yelp. Something wooden hit her hard on the head, and she then saw nothing but darkness.

She stood in a purple-blue valley, and was aware of many bright figures surrounding her.

"Am I dead?" She asked. The forms shifted as one stepped out. She was a sparkly crystal color and she had a slim, wolf-like form.

"Oh, heavans no," Her voice was silky and smooth. "You are dreaming right now. You were knocked out. The humans think you were invading. We have something to tell you." Emerald sat straight up and listened.

"Imagine the graceful willow tree as Herobrine. He was a good man. The storms of nature waves his branches, yet he survives. Same as the storms of outbreaks among his friends waved him, yet he remained sturdy and strong with the bond.

"Now, picture the lowly Axe. It chops wood from trees and rids of their existance. They have the power to get rid of life. The axe is the greed of the humans and it shunned Herobrine out and broke the bond. Imagine Hallow as the axe. He has the power to destroy the bond between you and the humans. You must prevent this from happening, or Hallow will have complete control." The outlines began to fade.

Emerald groaned. Her head hurt and she was laying in a dimly lit wooden house. Yells of men boomed outside,

Emerald and steve2 — Emerald wrapped in in ropes.

but she couldn't tell what they were talking about. She tried to get up, but her legs and body were wrapped up in ropes. She couldn't move.

"Hello again, friend." A stark voice mocked. "It seems we have a little visitor to our damaged town." She recognized Blake's voice. Emerald struggled but couldn't escape.

"I wasn't trying to invade the town. I was nowhere near it," She growled.

"Better safe than sorry," Blake leaned in nose-to-nose with her. "We can't afford any more damage to this place. You and your hefty creepers. You were plotting an ambush, weren't you?"

"Blake, this is rediculous!" Emerald hissed angrily. "I came alone and I am no threat to your town or your people. I don't think it would be very reasonable if I brought my friends. Besides, I'm only fifteen." Blake paced the stoney floor.

"I don't think this should of ever happened," He replied darkly. "This relationship just doesn't work. We were meant to be enemies, not friends. You hate us and we hate you. That's how it should always be."

"You don't understand!" She yelped in her loudest voice. "Herobrine was friends with us and it worked out fine! How could you say something like that? Give us a chance; the war only happened three weeks ago. We just have to give it some time."

"You are the one who doesn't understand!" Blake yelled. "You monsters hated us from the beginning of time. You started this."

"No, you did. Your ancestors came and attacked us. We just naturally dislike you for that reason. We're afraid we can't trust you. But now we have to rely on each other."

"Rely for what? Some structial damage?" Blake challenged. "All you do is walk into our cities and blow up. I'm afraid I can't trust you." Emerald pounded her feet on the hard thing she was laying on. She fought the temptation to leap at him. Blake walked outside and left her alone.

Chapter 6[]

"They what?!" Emerald's mother screeched.

"That's right. They let me go after they saw that I was 'no threat'," She replied. "They just left me there." The moon was beginning to rise up and the pale colours of dusk glinted dimly.

"That's horrible!" Iron hissed angrily. "I feel like going out there and punishing them."

"That would make things worse," Sapphire replied calmly. "So, one thing we all know is that Hallow is a prime suspect. We don't know what he is, but at least we know who."

"Wait a minute," Emerald interrupted. "I received three dreams. Hallow said he was an Enderman, and the others said that the one behind all this was 'a tricky liar and an enderman.' He has to be the one."

"Or it's a different Enderman," Her mother replied. "Hypothetically speaking, of course."

"But he's from somewhere else!" Emerald hissed. "How are we supposed to find him?"

"I know where he is," A deep voice sounded behind the four. Herobrine stepped out of the shadows.

"You mean, you know this guy?" Sapphire asked. "And where to find him?"

"Yes, and yes. I was once friends with him, until he broke our relationship. I know how to find him, but it's not going to be easy." He held out twelve eyeball-like orbs that shone brightly for a brief second. "The portal to his world is in a place called a stronghold. It is deep underground, and we are going to have to dig it out."

"How deep? A place like that by the name sounds like it must be really deep." Iron questioned.

"It is," Herobrine nodded his head. "Deep enough to find gold."

"Whoa! That's going to take us forever to go that deep!" Emerald replied briskly.

"Not without these," He held out a blue shovel and blue pickaxe with a trembling hand. "I was once a miner, remember? I have the miner tools and supplies."

"Then we're all set," Emerald chimmed in eagerly. "Time to mine that thing out and go get Hallow!"

------------------------------------

Emerald, Iron, Sapphire, and Herobrine dug themselves a mine in attempt to find their needed stronghold. They had dug all night long and ran into several caves along the way. The monsters down there greeted Herobrine with surprised faces.

"Where are you going?" A spider asked him.

"To find a stronghold," Herobrine didn't look up. Iron tried several times to mine the stone, but all he got were splinters and a yelp. The Diamond Pickaxe worked like magic and didn't break at all the entire time. When Emerald thought they would go on forever, a dusky grey material stood at their feet.

"Is that a stronghold under there?" Iron asked hopefully. Herobrine shook his head and flung the pickaxe over his shoulder.

"No. We've hit bedrock," He sighed. "We'll have to strip-mine if we're going to find any strongholds." He walked up a couple of the stairs on the staircase and began to mine straight forward. They dug on for what seemed like hours.

Eventually, they saw a cobbled stone-like material sticking out from the roof. Herobrine mined it and a large, stoney space was over their heads.

"Well, lady luck descided to visit us today," Herobrine announced to the three. "We've found a stronghold."

Chapter 7[]

The four of them searched for the hidden portal. There were many rooms that fascinated Emerald, but she couldn't stay for long. They had to find Hallow and stop him from breaking their bond. Herobrine met several fish-like animals that would climb out of the stone.

"Hi, Steve!" They squeaked in tiny, shrill voices. Emerald was surprised at their friendliness.

"Oh, it's you. Do you know where the portal room is?" Herobrine asked the fish.

"Yea, yea, yea! We know, like, exactly where it, like, is!" The fish responded with eerily high-pitched squeaks. They squirmed over to one direction and they followed.

"So, like, what are you, like, doing down here?" One of them asked.

"Trying to find a guy named Hallow," Iron responded.

"Hallow? Like, he is the, like, absolute worst friend, like, ever!" Their voices made Emerald giggle. The fish led them to a bright room. A frame with a lava pool in the middle lay before them.

"Like, call us when, like, you're done!" The fish squirmed away into a piece of cobblestone. Herobrine carefully layed each of the eye-like orbs into a slot, and a black portal shone.

"Jump in." Herobrine leaped into the portal and he vanished. Iron and Sapphire jumped in and then Emerald. She landed on a squishy substance. The sky was black and the area was filled with purple-eyed men.

"How on earth are we supposed to find him?" Sapphire hissed quietly. "They all look alike!"

"Steve? Is that you?" Two dark shadows glinted in the distance. One looked like a giant dinosaur with wings. The

Ender dragon herobrine emerald and ender steve — Heobrine, Ender Steve, and Emerald.

other looked like a human, but he had wings and a tail. He waved at Herobrine and landed neatly on his feet.

"Gosh, you haven't changed a bit. I see you brought friends. What brings you here?" The dragon looked at Emerald.

"What an interesting little friend you have here," The dragon talked slowly. "I've never seen one of you before. What is your name?"

"I'm Emerald, and this is Sapphire and Iron," She introduced. Iron waved and Sapphire blushed. Herobrine explained that they needed to see Hallow.

"Oh, Hallow? He just came back from a little trip. I'll go get him." He flew away and about a moment later he came back with Hallow standing next to him. After he brought him, he and the dragon flew away.

Iron turned on him. "Why are you doing this?"

"Doing what?" Hallow remarked.

"Don't play dumb with us!" Emerald stood nose-to-nose with the tall Enderman. "You know what we're talking about! You're destroying the bond between us and the humans! You have got to stop!"

"So what if I am?" He sneered. "You can't do anything to stop me, and none of your pink-skinned buddies can do anything about it. They think it's you. And then everybody will be enemies, just how it's always been and how it always should of been."

Emerald hissed and leaped at him. He disappeared in a puff of smoke. She thumped on the squishy ground on her side with a yelp. He reappeared a second later and laughed.

"You can't even hit me. How are you supposed to stop me and my friends?" Hallow chuckled darkly. Emerald growled and stumbled up to her feet. Stepping back, she tried to think.

The axe is Hallow, and the tree is the friendship, She thought wearily. But an axe has to be controlled by someone, right? That could be his weakness. But who, or what, could be truely behind this? She stepped back.

"It's no use, Emerald," Herobrine held her back with his arm. "We can't fight him. Our buissness is done here." A portal opened up at that moment, and the four of them jumped in.

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"Like, that is so, like, not fair!" The fish squeaked after they returned to the stronghold. "Hallow is so, like, evil!"

"And he does have a point," Emerald commented. "We can't fight him. He has some ability to teleport.

"Like, all Enderwhatsits have that, like, ability," Another answered. Iron nodded his head solemly. The fish led them to their tunnel and the four of them walked up the staircase they mined out and walked back to the cave-den. Herobrine came along with them.

Her mother's eyes grew wide as she saw the four of them walk in.

"So? How did it go?" Her mother's tone was filled with worry.

"Hallow is the one behind all these things," Iron hissed. "But we have other problems." Emerald's mother stood up.

"We can't fight him, and he has buddies who are with him and his stupid plan, but we don't know who they are. We have to think up of a plan to stop him before it's too late."

Chapter 8[]

Rain thudded the grass lightly. Emerald stood far away from the town in the hills, watching for anyone who might sneak up on her. The full moon was slightly covered by the clouds. She was soaked, but she didn't want to leave. Her feet trembled.

"I'm not invading, you can go home now!" She yelled out suspiciously at anyone who might be there. A tiny meow squeaked, and an ocelot kitten appeared.

"Nice try, Hallow! A random little ocelot kitty. They only come out at jungles and cats hate rain!" She yelped out to the cat. It stared at her with bulging eyes, mewling pitfully. Emerald shook her head and looked away. She heard footsteps. Darting to a bush, she peeked out. Blake was approaching the kitten.

"No!" She scrambled out, but it was too late. A tree appeared out of nowhere and ropes, seemingly having a mind of their own, grabbed his body, arms, and legs and held him to the trunk. Hallow came out wearing a black coat.

Struggling, blake tried to escape, but was unsuccessful. His mouth was taped together. His voice was muffled and he yelled, kicking the trunk. The kitten had disappeared.

"Ah, this is unexpected." Hallow commented, not seeming the least bit surprised. "I got a human. I was aiming for a creeper, but this will work." Blake narrowed his eyes. Hallow chuckled.

"Stop it!" Emerald, knowing that Hallow could teleport, leaped at him angrily, her mind filled with rage. Taken by surprise, she managed to land a blow near his body before he vanished. Standing still, she waited to come back. He came behind her and she kicked with her hind legs, sending him reeling. Hallow grunted and vanished again, appearing near Blake. She charged and headbutted him in the body and tripped him hastily. He landed on the water-soaked grass with a thud and teleported behind her.

She did a backflip and landed on his shoulders, pressing him to the ground. Blake tried to speak, but the tape muffled his voice and it came out as a groan. Hallow teleported in front of Blake and smirked.

"You're not as bad as you look," Hallow commented with a grin. "But I have friends on my side." Shadows appeared behind him, and some pig-like creatures came into view, snarling and grunting. They held golden swords and waved them around in the air.

"I'm not afraid of your stupid pig things," She hissed. Two of the pig-creatures charged. She jumped in the air and kicked both of them right in the stomach. They squealed and fell to the ground, dropping their swords. She jumped on both of them and launched herself into the air. heaving one of the swords in her mouth, she came down and the sword dug into the ground next to the pig-creatures with a loud shing. The creatures snarled and ran away into the forest.

Hallow pointed to her, and the whole pack came charging. She leaped up and pushed one to the ground, then jumped to the next and pushed down hard. She leaped off the pig-creature's head and headbutted another. It was sent reeling into the dirt. She picked up its sword and threw it up high in the air. It came toppling down and nearly hit one with a thonk.

It squealed and ran to the forest, as well as three others. Hallow looked on in amusement. She chased away the remaining pig-creatures and looked up angrily at the slender, black figure.

"Let him go, or you're history," She snarled in a voice that didn't sound like herself. She took a step forward. Blake murmered something she couldn't pick up.

"Ha, kids and their puny threats these days," Hallow sneered. He drew his coat over his head and clapped twice. A giant shadow loomed over her, and a huge, sad-eyed Ghast stared into her eyes. He had long, waving tentacles and scars all over his body.

"We can't accept meddling little kids in our plan," He shot an angry glance at Emerald. A hot fireball whizzed right over her head and exploded behind her. With a yelp, she stumbled forward and fell face-first in a puddle of mud. Looking up, the Ghast and Hallow were stepping back and they vanished.

She scrambled up and her heart pounded as the tree that Blake was strapped to was gone. They had taken him with them.

"No! Blake!" She ran over to a patch of dirt, trembling with fury. There was nothing she could do. They had taken Blake, and she couldn't stop them. Screeching, she ran back into the forest. Iron and Sapphire jumped when they saw her mud-plastered skin and bruises.

"It's Hallow! He captured Blake!"

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Emerald woke early. She kept having nightmares about Hallow. Restless, she walked outside. Angry yowls boomed in the distance.

They're coming from the plains! She darted away into the forest and emerged from the bushes. A group of humans and monsters were glaring at each other.

"You took Blake for hostage!" One of the humans yelled.

"No we didn't! I don't know what you're talking about!" A skeleton spat. Emerald walked up to the two.

"Please stop! We don't have time for arguing!" She hissed, trying to pry the two away. Something hard shoved her aside.

"This isn't your buisness, you old bag," Another human challenged. She ignored the insult and walked away. She couldn't fight them, or else more trouble would come. Thoughts whizzed through her mind.

Imagine Hallow as the axe. He has the power to destroy the bond between you and the humans. You must prevent this from happening, or Hallow will have complete control. The starry wolf's message came into her mind. An axe doesn't control itself. If I can stop whoever is leading him, I can bring back the peace. And I have to figure out how. Suddenly, her thoughts were replaced with rage.

Hallow will have to pay. Blake does not deserve this. I will free him and punish that jerk who's destroying our relationship.

Chapter 9[]

Emerald walked back to the Old Clearing. She looked in a puddle and saw her reflection. It waved with the gentle morning breeze. She padded over to the mine that Herobrine had dug out three days ago. Squirming in, she walked down the steps silently. It wasn't long before she reached the stronghold. As soon as she set foot on the stoney floor, she was greeted by a single one of the fish-like creatures.

"Like, what are you, like, doing here now?" His voice came out in shrill squeaks. Emerald shoved past him without a word. She found the portal room and jumped in the portal. She landed neatly on the spongey stone and walked past gleaming purple eyes. She saw a cave and peeked in.

"Excuse me?" A slow voice boomed inside. "Is someone there? I can't see when it's so dark in here." Glowing purple eyes shone and she stepped back as the dragon padded out.

"Oh! I remember you. You were one of the others that came with Herobrine. Is there something wrong?" She pressed anxiously.

"You should know!" Emerald couldn't contain her anger. "Hallow just captured a human and is holding him against his will! Do you know where he is?"

"Slow down. You sound stressed." The dragon replied coolly. "I know where he is. I don't remember seeing him with anybody, but I can show you where he is." Emerald leaped on the dragon's back and she was soaring in the air. Cold wind flattened her and she held on tightly. They landed about a moment later. A black figure wearing a familiar black coat was standing next to a tree.

The dragon gasped. She landed and Emerald leaped off with a startled hiss. Hallow was holding Blake to the tree by his neck.

"Tell me where she is!" Hallow screamed. He pressed harder and Emerald saw Blake's face turn pale. He kicked helplessly against the trunk. Screeching in fury, she leaped as hard as she could and slammed into Hallow with full force. He was taken by surprise and he was sent reeling several meters away. Blake gasped for air and fell to the ground, panting.

"You filthy jerk!" Emerald screeched in his ear. "You have no right to do this!" Hallow didn't teleport away. His eyes were wide with fear. Emerald flung him aside with her foot. The dragon walked up to her side, snarling.

"Says you and what army?" Hallow sneered. Emerald smirked as she heard squirming behind her.

"Like, she has us! So, like, count us in!" The fish-creatures stood bravely by her other side. "And, like, there's more of us!" Iron, Sapphire, Herobrine, and her mother stood next to her.

"The Silverfish warned us that you came here," Iron hissed through bared teeth. She took a step forward. Hallow had the same Ghast floating behind him. Emerald was suddenly aware of how fierce she looked, because Hallow and the Ghast were trembling.

She stalked up to Hallow, rearing up on her hind legs.

"Leave now if you don't want a fight. And never come back." The dragon roared and scared the two off. Emerald padded up to Blake, who was covered with dirt and mud. She helped him to his feet, surprised at how weak he was.

"Are...are you ok?" She stammered.

"I'm fine," Blake coughed. The dragon lead them back to the portal and they all jumped in. Blake had trouble climbing up the staircase. When they came out, it was night. Iron helped Blake walk back to the town. When they got there, muffled gasps arose.

"I'm back," Blake announced weakly. "She saved my life." Several humans came crowding around them, asking them questions. He shoved past them and walked into a house. Emerald left him and her and Iron walked back into the forest. They had a lot to explain.

Chapter 10[]

"The person behind this was an Enderman named Hallow," Herobrine announced. He had gathered all the monsters and humans together for a meeting. "He was trying to break our relationship by masking his crimes." Nods of agreement rose.

Emerald stepped forward. "We don't know how, but he had formed a secret gang of other monsters who disliked our bond. They were the ones responsible. Speaking of which," Emerald cast a glance over her shoulder. "We have him here now." She nudged the Enderman forward. Yowls of anger rose from the monsters. Hallow stared at his feet.

"I'm sorry," Worried filled his tone.

"Not sorry enough," Herobrine scolded. "You have commited too many crimes. For this, you will be punished. You are forbidden to enter these lands again. Leave and never come back." The Enderman walked to the setting sun and eventually disappeared from view. The humans and monsters began to walk away. Herobrine had already vanished.

"You saved us!" Iron came running up to her. "If it weren't for you, we would probably be enemies again." Sapphire and Emerald's mother came up to her and greeted her. The four of them walked back into the forest. Whispers enveloped her, and for a moment she thought she saw the shiny wolf look down at her from the sky.

Thank you.

-THE END-