Minecraft Story Mode: Darkness Rising

Chapter 18

"There's no need to freak out," Aiden chuckled as both Lukas and Anide scrambled in front of Jesse. "I'm not going to kill her."

"I'd say actions speak a bit louder than words," Lukas retorted. Aiden shrugged.

"Ok. You've got that right. Here, I'll drop my sword." The enchanted diamond blade rattled on the stone floor. "See? Friendly."

"This is who my Other is?" Anide asked. "I'm ashamed of you."

"Look who's talking," Aiden snapped. "Besides, can't you tell that I'm being truthful here? Your weird Jesse copy could."

"Just because I can see it doesn't mean I believe it."

"Then we could stand here all night and not get anywhere."  He glanced at Jesse.  "And something tells me we don't have that much time."

"What are you talking about?" Lukas asked.

"While you guys are sitting in here camping, Herobrine is out there wrecking my home. That may not matter to you, but it matters to me."

"It matters to all of us."

"Nobody wants to see Herobrine rule the world," Anide agreed.

"If that's how you really feel, then all of us can work together to complete my plan," Aiden said.

"What is it?"  Jesse could hear the hesitation in Lukas's voice, and she didn't blame him for feeling that way.  Aiden was the one who released Herobrine in the first place.  How could they ever trust him?

Aiden turned his gaze on Jesse and grinned as if he could read her mind.  He gestured towards Anide.  "I can't believe you haven't figured it out, even hanging around him for so long."

"Get to the point," Anide growled.  Aiden laughed.

"So touchy.  If this is a world full of reflections of people, wouldn't it make sense that everyone has a reflection?  Anybody who's ever lived at all?"

Jesse couldn't see where he was going with that, but both Lukas and Anide gasped as Aiden's words sank in.

"Prisoner S," Anide breathed.

"You're kidding," Lukas said.  "He's actually right?"

"Could someone fill me in?" Jesse asked.  "Because I have no idea what you're talking about."

"This world is full of reflections," Anide explained.  "It would make sense that Herobrine has a reflection here too.  And Herobrine's reflection wouldn't be evil like he is."

"But if Herobrine has a reflection, doesn't that mean Notch has a reflection here too?"  Jesse's mind was spinning.  If Notch had a reflection, Notch who was one if the great heroes who sealed away Herobrine in the first place, then what about the other two heroes?  Alex and Steve?  They could have reflections too, and all three of them would be evil.

But Anide was already shaking his head.  "Herobrine destroyed their reflections early on.  They were a threat to his control on this world.  His own reflection he kept locked up because he didn't know if killing it would hurt himself in some way."

"And would it?"

Anide shrugged.  "It doesn't really matter.  We would never be able to get close to Prisoner S.  And even if we did, we'd waste valuable time we could be using to get Jesse to a portal out of here.  The sooner she's back in her own world, the better off she'll be."

"But if you all waste time looking for a portal than we may lose our one chance to get an edge over Herobrine," Aiden protested.

"I think Jesse should decide," Lukas said.  All eyes turned to Jesse.  She looked away, choosing instead to stare at the flickering flames of their little fire.

Find Herobrine's reflection or go home.  Those were her two options, and they were both impossible.  But it really wasn't a choice.  Not in the end.

"It's not about saving me, it's about saving the worlds," she said.  She took a deep breath.  "Let's go find Prisoner S."