"The Truth, however terrible it may be..."

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SSundee opened his eyes and stared up at the burning sun above him. The intense heat scorched his skin and sweat trickled down his face. He blinked a few times and forced his head off of the ground. The wound in his stomach had stopped bleeding now, but he felt drained of energy and hope. He struggled to sit up and panic swamped him as he realised he was in the middle of nowhere. Alone. Ian stood up on shaky legs and glanced around. He'd been abandoned by his friends. He'd become too dangerous to stay around them. Nearby, his sword was lying in the dust, the hilt and blade decorated with dried, splattered blood. He staggered over to it and picked it up. SSundee stared at his reflection in the tarnished metal. He gasped as he realised his eyes were crooked. For some reason though, he felt...free. There was no one around to stop him now. Feeling confused and horrified at the same time, SSundee searched for a target. In the distance there was a village. He smiled and made his way across the barren mesa biome. As he neared the village, he readied his sword and crouched down, searching for a lone figure in the crowds. He found one. SSundee didn't see why he had to hide his identity anymore. Why did he ever anyway? He had so much power now, he didn't need friends. He had himself, and that's all that mattered. The villager looked up just in time to see a flash of silver and black before the blood spurted out of the wound in his chest. He staggered backwards and Ian lashed out, smashing his fist into the villagers' face. He relished the feeling of power and the warm blood trickling from the sword onto his skin. The villager stared in terror at him out of glassy, non existent eyes. SSundee whipped round as footsteps approached. Sky, FireSpark and Deadlox stood there, fixated in horror. "Ian, what's happened to you?..." SSundee laughed and it sounded hoarse and strangled. "I am who I am Sky. You always denied it, but I always knew this day would come..." "What day?" Ty's brown eyes were wide in fear. "The day I became Derp SSundee for good..."

SSundee's POV

"NO!" I bolted upright, my heart pounding in my chest. I ran my hand through my hair. "Damn, that dream was so realistic..." I froze as I realised what had happened to me. Around me I could see my friends moving in slow motion. Running away from something...or someone. I got to my feet and watched their bodies blur around me. I tentatively reached out and gasped as FireSpark ran straight through my hand with no reaction. I stepped back and cried out as a sword passed straight through me. I whipped round and saw Derp's crooked eyes glaring at me, full of insanity and bloodlust. I swore and backed away. Suddenly I saw a flash of gold and Sky's budder sword stabbed Derp in the arm. I yelled in pain and looked down at the blood blossoming across my arm. "What the-?" I looked back at my friends and saw Derp snarl before turning and grabbing Sky's sword and twisting it. Sky cried out in pain as his arm twisted too. "No! Stop! I don't want this!" "I'm afraid you don't have much choice Ian." My eyes widened and I whipped round, staring into the soulless eyes of Herobrine. His clothes were tattered and smeared with blood. I wasn't sure how I looked. Probably not much better. "What do you want?" He raised his eyebrow. "I? I want nothing to do with you. You've been sent here." I looked round at the desolate wasteland beyond and tried to ignore the fact my insane alter ego was killing my friends. "Where is here?" Herobrine grimaced. "Here is the place they send all the killers who are a danger to Minecraftia." My mouth flopped open and I gestured wildly to Derp SSundee. "H-he's the killer! Not me!" Herobrine tilted his head. "In that case, you must've been sent here to think about something...or perhaps-" His eyes narrowed. "You were sent here to kill me." My eyes widened. "N-no! I swear, I just want to go back!" I turned round and stared as Derp stood over FireSpark, raising his sword above her, I looked away as the blade plunged downwards. "Please tell me this isn't real." I whispered. Herobrine snorted. "Nope, but it could become reality if you don't return in time." I snarled. "Then why can't I go back?!" He looked at me sadly. "You can't unless your ego yields." I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, Derp SSundee is really gonna yield to me." Herobrine smiled. "He's your alter ego?" I scowled.

"Yes." Herobrine laughed and I found myself clenching my fists. "What's so funny?" I spat. "It's just, you're all so whiny and he's so, I don't know...murderous? You're polar opposites." I unclenched my fists and stared at the ground. "I know." Herobrine tilted his head. "You're a troubled man Ian Stapleton." My head snapped up. "How do you know my full name?" Herobrine smiled and opened his palm; white flames flickered in his hand, illuminating his silver, pupiless eyes. "I know a lot of things." I gulped. "D-do you know what's happening to me?" Herobrine extinguished the flames. I watched as pale smoke curled up from between his fingers. "You know it's inevitable that you will one day become Derp SSundee?" I sighed heavily. "Yes. I do." Herobrine tilted his head again. "Well, it's a gradual process. But as of late, the attacks and shifts have been becoming more painful and prolonged, am I correct?" I raised my head. "Yes." He smiled. "This is because, and I know you'll find it hard to believe this, it's because you're stronger than he is. You know that if you let him defeat you for good, all of your friends will die. This simple fact holds you steadfast. You're fighting back against him subconsciously. The shifts are becoming more painful because he's panicking and basically throwing everything he has at you, hoping to break down your mental defences. Everything you hold dear will be lost if you do not resist." My jaw dropped. "I-I'm stronger?" Herobrine snorted. "If not a little dim too." I shook my head, bewildered. "B-but he's been controlling me!" Herobrine narrowed his eyes. "What?" I sighed. "I shifted into him once and murdered a gang of villagers looking for me, hoping to extinguish the threat Derp posed to them." Herobrine raised his eyebrow. "And?" "I didn't black out as I normally would. I stayed conscious and was forced to watch myself tear them apart. And the worst part was that I-" I faltered, remembering that morning when Sky had stood before me, eyes wide as he watched me falling apart before him. Herobrine blinked. "You what?" I took a deep, shuddering breath, forcing myself on. "I enjoyed it. Yes, I enjoyed murdering innocent people. Up until now, I just assumed it was part of the gradual process I was going through that would cause me to shift into Derp pernamently. Now...I'm...I'm not so sure." Herobrine frowned slightly, his icy gaze also sympathetic in a way. "I know what you're going through. I'm the alter ego of Steve, the 'model' Minecraftian. Everyone thinks I'm his brother, when the truth is far more sinister. Rebelling forces against Notch and Steve's rule over Minecraftia were in desperate need of help." I stared at him. "S-so they created you?" He nodded. "Yes. They had samples of Steve's DNA and they used it to create what they thought would be a stronger, faster, and of course, obedient version of him. What they actually created, was me. I'm the evil version of Steve as you might say." I blinked. He smiled bitterly. "Starting to think you've made a mistake yet?" I nodded slowly. "One more question before I leave you alone for the time being." He raised his eyebrow. "Just one more?" I could hear the sarcasm in his voice and smiled slightly. "Yes. How do I stop him?" Herobrine's smile faded from his gaunt face. "You don't want to know the truth, for it would tear you apart-" I stopped him. "Tell me. The truth, however terrible it may be." He averted his eyes to the ground and sighed heavily. "Your consciousness' are connected, yes?" I nodded in response. "Your minds are connected also. As well as this, it seems every part of you and Derp SSundee is connected to a certain extent." He looked up at me, his glowing white eyes sad as he gazed at me. "Do you wish to...kill him?" I nodded solemnly. "He is a danger to my friends and society." Herobrine took a deep breath and put his hands on my shoulders, forcing me to look him in his white, soulless eyes. "Ian...the only way to kill Derp SSundee, is to kill yourself." My heart stopped.

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