The Broken Flame

“Oh… my… Gods…”

There, hanging from the tree by a sword through his chest, was Steve. He was bruised and battered, with scratches, cuts and darkened spots littering his whole form. Blood dripped from his arms and legs, from the corner of his lips, from holes in his jeans and shirt. The belt on his chest was gone, the one in his jeans torn. His normally pristine hair was a mess and he looked so tired and in so much pain. Tears rolled down his face from the creases of his eyes. The worst part? He had a large wound across his chest, and in it was his diamond sword, keeping him pinned and hanging from the tree. 

“Oh, my Gods, Steve!” Celina shouted, putting her sword in her belt and running to her figurative brother. She held up her hands and curled them up. The miner didn’t even flinch at his name and she felt tears forming in her eyes. No, what happened to him?! “Steve, what happened?! Who did this?!”

The miner didn’t answer and she looked from his face to his chest. She couldn’t see him breathing. He was still as stone. “No… no, Steve. Steven. Oh, Gods, Steven Alfonce Mindrall, please, answer me! Wake up, please?!”

There was still no answer from the miner. Celina felt herself wanting to fall to her knees, her legs were wobbling and she couldn’t help but let a sob escape her lips. Oh, no… she was too late. The queen felt hot tears rolling down her face as she closed her eyes. No, the queen was too late and now he was--she didn’t even want the thought to cross her mind but it seemed to be true. What did Steve do to deserve this? She knew he had only ever been a good person, no one like him deserved such a cruel death. Celina did her best now to fall to her knees and cried loudly, throwing her head back in hysteria. “Steve!”

There was almost no movement. Then, Steve’s eyes slowly opened. He was only able to get them open a little bit, but it was just enough. His darkened vision cleared ever so slowly. The spots of black faded and he let a tiny sigh escape his lips. He was hurting so badly. Steve tried to breathe but his lungs ached so badly. His head was pounding, his limbs were stinging and his chest burned. He wanted so much for this agony to stop, but something had woken him up from his nearly unconscious state. 

Steve managed to tilt his head up the tiniest bit. He saw a familiar figure in front of him, a girl in bright clothes and a crown, her enchanted diamond sword on her belt. Steve recognized her. It was his figurative sister. He tried to speak, but only a few quiet, strained noises came out. The man was so weak, he took several deep breaths, swallowing down his pain. He then managed to croak out, “...Celina? Is--is that… is that you?”

Celina’s eyes flew open, she snapped her head up to look at the miner and that was when she saw his eyes. They were barely open with globules of clear fluid filling them. Celina let a gasp escape her lips. He was alive. Steve was somehow alive, conscious, and clinging to life by a string. “Ste… Steve,” she whispered. She carefully took one of Steve’s hands into hers and held it close as she stepped closer to him. “Oh, dear Jeb, Steve, what happened?”

Steve winced as she took his hand. It hurt, everything hurt. His whole body was aching and burning so much, he wanted to sleep to put his pain at ease, but he knew he couldn’t sleep now. It might be the end of him if he did. 

Trying to keep himself from crying out, Steve looked into Celina’s gray eyes. “I--I…” he started, voice weak and hoarse. “I was--just… wa--walking home. I… I didn’t have… any tor--ches, and… I got lost. I tried--gett--ing home… on my own. Then… I was… was--attacked.”

Celina felt herself wanting to sob at hearing Steve. He sounded so weak and in so much pain. She didn’t know how long he had been out here, but now she could only curse herself for now finding him sooner. She shook her head. Now was not the time to wallow in self-pity. She had to save Steve. Who knows how much blood he had lost already? And he was still losing more. 

The queen held onto Steve’s hands a little tighter. “Don’t worry, Steve, I’m… I’m going to save you. Just please, hang on.” She brought his hand close, closing her eyes, and gave it a gentle kiss. “I’m going to save you, Steven. I promise.”

Steve would have smiled if he had the strength. He knew the younger one only called him Steven when she truly meant something. He knew how serious this was. 

Celina opened her eyes and looked up the sword holding her figurative brother in place. That sword was put there by someone and now the miner was dying because of it. She didn’t know who put that sword in his chest, but she did know she had to get it out. Celina slowly took a grip on the handle, hearing the miner wince as she did so. She sighed softly. “Forgive me if I hurt you, miner.”

With that, she began to pull on the blade, holding onto the wooden handle as tightly as she could. Celina tugged and pulled and adjusted her grip a few times, but the sword wasn’t budging. Her shoes scraped on the ground as she pulled, but nothing was working. “C’mon… c’mon… come out, damn it!” she shouted into the darkness.

The queen began pulling on the blade and as she pulled, surges of pain began to dance in Steve’s chest. He sobbed and whimpered and lightly squirmed around, too weak to scream or cry out despite how much it hurt. It was like fire in his torso and he couldn’t stand it. Everything hurt so badly and he couldn’t get it to stop. He wanted to tell his figurative sister, but he could barely draw in enough breath to keep himself from suffocating.

“C’mon!” Celina shouted again. She briefly looked up to see Steve’s face and saw how much agony he was in. “It’s--okay, Steve! I’m gonna get it out! Hold on!” She gritted her teeth and pulled harder, her hands nearly slipping from the wooden handle.

Steve let out a loud sob at a particularly strong pain, like a clawed hand was wrapped around his heart. He took as deep a breath as he could manage before speaking to the queen. “Your… Your Highness… please--please… stop. You’re… you’re hur--hurting me.”

Celina immediately ceased her efforts and looked up into her friend’s barely open violet eyes. Steve only called her by her royal titles when he was serious or truly in pain. She blinked with her mouth slightly agape, shocked from how weak Steve sounded. “I’m sorry, Steven,” she said in a gentle voice. “I didn’t mean to hurt you, I was just trying to help.”

“It’s… it’s alright, Ce--Celina.” Steve winced and took a few deep breaths. His head was pounding and he couldn’t concentrate on anything. He was gradually losing focus on his surroundings and was even having a hard time focusing on his friend. Steve could see tears rolling down her face. Despite the pain in his arm, like a needle in his veins, Steve reached down and wiped Celina’s eyes. He hated to see her cry. He didn’t like when she was unhappy.

The miner managed to find his voice. She had to leave. He didn’t want her to end up the same way he did. She had a whole life ahead of her. “Celina… you--you need… to get out… of here. Be--Before he… he comes back.”

Celina sniffled, but her brows rose. “Wait… before ‘who’ comes back? Who did this to you, Steve?”

Steve whimpered again. He was in so much pain and his heart was starting to strain in his chest. Hanging in the air was also very uncomfortable. He looked at his figurative sister. “He just... he--came--out… of nowhere. He just… I didn’t see him coming.”

Celina took a hold of his hand again. “Who? Who did this, Steven?”

“It… was… He...Herobrine,” he finally spoke, his voice turning to a whisper on the name. Even uttering his name made him remember everything that happened. Steve could remember the pain of the silverfish biting down on him, the fear of realizing he was at Herobrine’s mercy, the pain and exhaustion during their battle; he still remembered his own scream as the being plunged the diamond sword into his chest and pinned him here.

Celina let a gasp escape her lips. She didn’t want to believe she had been right but it was true. Herobrine had attacked the miner and left him here to die. “What… no… Steve, why would Herobrine do this to you?”

“I--I don’t know,” Steve feebly answered. “He… he hates me. He--he always… tries to kill me. Looks… like he… finally did.” The miner lowered his head in acceptance of his demise and the lack of strength to hold up his head anymore. He really didn’t want to die, but he had to face the facts. Celina couldn’t remove the sword and his own foolish idea to go home by himself got him killed. Now, the queen was going to have to be the one to watch him die and tell everyone what happened to him. He didn’t want that to be on her, but there was nothing he could do.

Celina heard his words and more tears ran down her face. “No, no, Steven,” she spoke, holding onto his hand again. “I’m… I won’t let you die. I’m not gonna let him kill you. Just, please, hold on.” She saw how his eyes threatened to shut. “Try to stay awake, Steve. I’ll… I’ll save you, I promise.”

She saw him nod, before her hands returned to the handle of his sword. “Jeb, give me strength,” She thought. “Please, let me save Steve. He didn’t do anything wrong. Please, let him live.” With that, she took a breath and started to pull again, snorting in her efforts to remove the blade.

The queen began to pull again and the pain came again. Steve could feel hot tears on his face as he sobbed out, trying to keep himself from screaming. “Celina… pl--please… stop. It--it hurts.”

“It’s okay, Steve! I’ve--almost--got it!” She growled loudly as she failed again and let her arms go slack. “Damn it, c’mon!” She stopped for only a moment, before letting one last yell of frustration out and swiftly pulling the blade out. She stepped back with her eyes shut, the sword in her hands raised over her head. 

Steve only saw when the sword was pulled out before he fell to the ground, landing on his side in the large puddle under him. He silently screamed as he fell, and everything went black when he landed.

Celina heard the splash and the thud, and she opened her eyes to see Steve on the ground. “Oh, Jeb, Steve!” She threw the weapon aside and dropped to her knees in front of the miner, putting a hand on his shoulder. “Hey, Steve. Steve, can you hear me? Steven Alfonce Mindrall, please, wake up! Wake up!”

Steve let out a small wince of pain, before managing to open his violet eyes and look up at Celina. “Celina… I… it--it hurts.”

Celina felt her heart breaking as she carefully took a hold of the miner, wrapping her arms around him and pulling him into her lap. Steve just laid there in her lap, his breathing so shallow and soft that she could hardly hear it. He looked so tired and in so much pain. The queen gently held him, hoping the longer she held on, the more of a chance she would have to save him.

Steve could see those gray eyes looking down at him and he tried to speak. A violent cough escaped his lips and more blood flew from his mouth. When he managed to get his voice, he told Celina, “Ce… Celina. We… just--leave--me. If… if Herobrine comes--back… we’re screwed.”

The queen whispered, “I know, Steve, but I’m not leaving you. Just… just hang on.” Celina’s mind was in a frenzy, she didn’t know what to do. She didn’t bring bandages with her and the miner had lost so much blood. How was she supposed to--

Wait, she brought those Regen-Healing potions.

Celina quickly pulled a bottle from her inventory. The pinkish, reddish concoction glowed softly. She felt herself hesitating. She had used this potion on herself before. It burned and hurt like the Nether searing through your skin, and she had only used it on a broken arm. She didn’t want to imagine how much Steve would be hurting if she used it on him. Celina so badly wanted to save her friend, but she didn’t want to hurt him.

Steve saw the potion in her hand and asked, “Your Majesty… what is that?”

Celian sighed. “Steve… this is one of my Regen-Healing potions. I make them myself for big wounds. They’re very effective and can even replace lost blood. But… it comes at a cost. It burns, it hurts like the Nether. The bigger the wound, the more pain there is. I let Irona pour some in a wound I had once when I broke my arm. I must have screamed for an hour before I passed out.” She whimpered at seeing Steve’s pained face. “I… want to use this, but… Steve, I don’t want to hurt you anymore. I already did when I pulled on that sword, and you have so many wounds. I... I don’t--”

A finger was placed to her lips, and when it was removed, she looked with surprise at Steve. He spoke to her, his voice so pained and weak.