In a Far Away Land

by TheReaderAndWriter

March

For the next couple of days, hardy iron had been crafted into everything that could conceivably be even remotely dangerous or useful. Swords and armor was the obvious first choice, but this was a desperate charge they were preparing for; nothing could be allowed to go unused, not a single iron ingot would be left if they could help it. Buckets with water and lava, shears, shovels, it didn't matter. Everything could be of use.

Diamonds, every one gained from years of toil and danger, all used up to protect or aid the strongest warriors and guards. Those crafting with the rare material either cringed with grief, or laughed with mad catharsis.

Enchantments created from the experience of hundreds of proud fighters fueled the very best weapons, undoubtedly forging tools of pure destruction that would be the stuff of legends starting from the very next generation. When a pony crafted and enchanted a diamond weapon they were allowed to name it, an act that brought almost a sense of honor and glory with it.

And food! Rations were simple, with bread, carrots and bottles of water, but at least plentiful. However, the best chefs were preparing what everyone would need: the greatest feast in their world's memory. Those not truly capable of fighting did the grunt work before the battle, such as farming, cooking, cleaning and running around with messages.

Twilight had actually been amused, and downright proud, of how well the changelings and ponies worked together. Sure, they sometimes did, but not to this degree. For the first time ever she had seen the two work so well that they surpassed what either of them could do alone. A well-oiled machine.

Bows, armor, ladders, bombs, arrows, lava, notes, torches, everything useful, distributed evenly and giving everyone a role.

Then, Constant had fallen silent the night before the battle. After every street had been so crowded, sweaty, filled with hay bales and materials, road after road of ponies and changelings shouting, talking, working... it was empty, completely still. Desolate like it was the end, downright melancholy and beautiful.

Where were they all? Why, in the greatest building of course, eating the best cakes, drinking the finest drinks, savoring everything they could without upsetting their stomachs. There was singing, camaraderie, joy, fear, laughter, crying, prepared goodbyes, new bonds were made. If it truly was their last night alive, or at least alive and not fighting, then they would make it count.

For that night, Constant's last night, the town was the very brightness that Herobrine had pretended could harm him. It was their way to defy him before the final battle. This brightness, the very joy of being alive, was something he took as an insult.

And then, sooner than most had wanted, it was time for bed.

Dancing, running, brawling, eating, it was all carefully weighed to make sure all would have a good night's rest.

They would need it.

***

While the night before certainly had boosted morale, there was still a certain degree of hesitation as ponies slowly but surely left the town. The young, old and unprepared simply had to stay, being forced to await either victory or doom. Ponies said farewell, and then marched.

The very last hour before they left, Twilight and Timey made what could very well be their final goodbye to each other. During the battle they would both be in different places, approaching it at their own angle, like they planned. Hopefully it would work, but Twilight was sure Timey could pull it off.

Then they all, hundreds, over a thousand ponies and changelings, left Constant. Haven awaited, as did Herobrine.

***

The journey's end was days away, and organizing a march through the mapped wilderness had taken several sharp minds. It was slow, but at least they made sure none was left behind, and that nopony in the numerous battalions was lost.

Rarity and Pinkie Pie had been ordered by Twilight to lead, or at least tend to, several different groups. They didn't have much time to chat, not that they were in much of a mood to.

Once night fell, it was a different matter. While ponies raised simple tents, cut down trees that could hide monsters,and laid down parameters against whatever creature of the night would approach them, Pinkie Pie and Rarity joined Twilight close her tent, right in front of a fireplace.

Considering one could not look in any direction without seeing at least five large camps at least at a minimum of a twenty blocks away from each other, the night was very quiet, even in their own well-lit shantytown. The moon was full, bright. The cool glow from the celestial body was in stark contrast with the warmth of both torches and their little fireplaces. Those not on guard-duty often sat around the fires, idly chatting with low voices. There was fear in the air, but also an urge. Ponies and changelings wanted to fight the threat.

As Rarity and Pinkie Pie entered the tent, Twilight had just finished talking to a changeling soldier.

"Oh, come in, girls," said Twilight. "Would you like something to drink?"

Rarity shook her head. "No thank you, Darling. We just wanted to see how you were. It's been a tiring day, after all."

"You're telling me!" said Twilight. "Still, I'm grateful things have gone well so far. How did it go for you?"

"Fairly well," said Rarity, but she was a bit hesitant. "Though, I saw Sweetie Belle. I admit that it was a bit of a shock, actually seeing her ready for outright war. While I am proud of her, and am aware she's a strong mare, it's still quite jarring seeing your sister in such a fashion. Ghastly, really."

"I'm sure she will be fine, Rarity. I know you're worried, believe me, I do, but we will certainly win," said Twilight.

Rarity cleared her throat. "Might I ask-"

"No." Twilight raised her hoof. "You may not ask about the plan."

"It's a secret, silly!" said Pinkie Pie.

Rarity sighed. "Fine. Very well. When will our... 'friends' from Lock be arriving?"

"The same day we will reach Haven. They are a bit of a wild card, but Sharp will keep them in check for the good of all of us," said Twilight.

"Yes, but why so close to the attack?" asked Rarity.

"Well, would you want those ponies around us anymore than you had to? While I am absolutely sure we need their help, the majority of them are, after all, still dangerous criminals. The less time they spend with us before the battle, the better. If I didn't trust Sharp Edge had a tight grip on them, I wouldn't even have considered it," said Twilight.

"As long as you're sure," said Rarity.

***

While Twilight was busy looking over notes, maps and even graphs, she did her best to make sure she talked to them, made them feel welcome. Twilight Sparkle still needed and trusted her friends, now more than ever.

Eventually, they had to leave. It was late, most were asleep and even the princess was beginning to feel drowsy. Rarity and Pinkie Pie yawned as they made their way towards the door.

"Girls, wait," said Twilight.

"Yes, Twilight?" asked Rarity and turned to her.

"Things are going to get a lot worse very soon, so I just want to know how much you mean to dear old Twilight. You've had such a great impact on my life. Thank you," said Twilight.

Rarity gave her a kind smile. "Darling, we love you too."

"We've at least never been bored with you around!" said Pinkie Pie.

Twilight smiled as they hugger her. As they left for the night, their words outright made her feel invigorated, but she needed to take a break. Without further ado, she headed straight for the bed.

***

The very next morning everyone packed their things and headed out. They left behind as much as they possibly could, not even bothering to clean up. For the moment it simply didn't matter.

What did matter, however, was a short meeting just before Twilight left her tent. While their tactics had already been decided upon, she just wanted to make sure her friends and family knew what to expect.

Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Shining Armor, Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, Trickery, Minny Miner, and Fluttershy.

"Now, everyone," said Twilight. "While we all know our individual roles in this fight, who we will command and what our goals are, I realize that we would feel better knowing what we will all do, to better understand the whole."

Sweetie Belle gave her a confused look. "Wouldn't that make us vulnerable if one of us got captured and interrogated during the fight?"

"The battle isn't going to be that spread out," said Shining Armor. "It is true that one team will infiltrate the city directly in order to cut off their resources, but there won't be much need for secrecy otherwise, not between us in any case. This isn't top secret."

"Speaking of which," said Twilight. "Scootaloo, Trickery, how's your team?"

"They are all super prepared. I'll go with them as second-in-command, help them in the mines," said Scootaloo.

"We will do well, we promise," said Trickery.

"And you know the tunnels?" asked Shining Armor.

"By heart," said Scootaloo.

"And when will you go?" asked Twilight.

"We will all go roughly-"

"Exactly, Scootaloo" said Twilight.

"Exactly an hour before the army's first charge against Haven."

Twilight nodded. "Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Shining Armor, where will you be?"

"I shall be directing my squads from the hill by the eastern wall," said Rarity.

Shining Armor looked at his sister. "And I'll be with my warrior squad on the western side, charging into the city as the majority of Herobrine's ponies will leave to face your part of the army,"

"Pinkie Pie?"

"Will be in charge of the medical tent, spreading joy, confetti, and bandages to all! Not really looking forward to the blood and all that nasty stuff, but I'll just pretend it's ketchup and do my best!" Suddenly her look became oddly somber. "Gosh, I miss ketchup."

"Applebloom and Sweetie Belle?"

"We're going to quickly set up the underground traps, making sure nothing can dig under us!" said Applebloom.

"Great," said Twilight. "Fluttershy?"

The Enderpony just looked at her.

Minny Miner cleared her throat. "She said she and her Enderponies will attack everyone with dark eyes, teleporting in whenever they can. They will also build quick simple shelters all over the battlefield, just in case Herobrine decides to bring the thunder."

"And?" asked Twilight.

"They will teleport in Sharp's ponies before the battle, giving your commanders enough time to get them in line," said Minny.

"And you, Twilight?" asked Shining Armor.

"I will lead the second charge towards the main gate," said Twilight. It all sounded easy on paper, but in practice... At least they had an organized approach, so it was certainly possible. "Minny Miner will be in my squad. We will head straight for Herobrine, who is likely to overlook the battle from his tower. We will confront him directly in order to bring an end to all of this." There was determination in her voice.

"But what will you actually do?" asked Shining Armor.

"That, however, is top secret."

"Fine," said Shining Armor, accepting, trusting.

Then, they were off. There were no more words needed. The battle was looming.

***

None had expected the journey to Haven to go smoothly, yet the army had marched with surprising speed and determination. They rarely stopped, not even monsters were able to hold them busy for long. But, merely a few thousand blocks away from their city, they suddenly came to a complete halt.

It didn't take long for a single guard to fly from the front lines all the way back to Twilight.

"Was is wrong?" asked Twilight.

The guard looked worried, she kept looking back where she came from. "Princess Twilight Sparkle, there are ponies in the open landscape ahead. Their eyes are black, like you've described. They are just standing there, looking at us. We're unsure how to proceed."

"How many?" asked Twilight, immediately flapping her wings a few times, rising enough to see beyond the crowd.

"A few dozen, I'd say, spread out," said the guard. She was right; Twilight could see silhouettes in the far distance, where black voids for eyes instantly drew her attention.

"Are they doing anything?" asked Shining Armor.

"No, nothing. Just... standing there."

"A trap, a diversion, probably even scouts," said Twilight. "Now he knows we're on our way, and exactly where we are in relation to Haven." She turned to another guard. "Inform every branch of the army that enemy reinforcements might arrive any minute. They need to be prepared."

"Right away, Princess," said the guard, quickly spreading his wings and flying off.

"What do you want us to do? How should we respond?" asked Shining Armor.

"Do we have obsidian?" asked Twilight, turning towards a nearby changeling. "Can we trap any of them? We need to deal with them somehow, before more arrive and we get swarmed. Right now, trapping them could prove more useful."

The changeling shook her head. "Unfortunately we-"

But then they heard screams at the front. The moment Twilight turned forward to take a look, she fell down to the ground in shock. The ponies, they were slitting their own throats, turning the grass red with blood.

"Oh my heavens," said Twilight. "I should have known, of course he would do something so terrible."

"As far as demoralizing tactics in war goes, I've never actually seen something this drastic," said Shining Armor atop a block, trying not to wince at the gruesome sight.

"I'll be right back," said Twilight, taking to the skies again.

She flew over everyone, towards those in the front. The poor ponies under Herobrine's control had started to vanish, still leaving behind pools of blood. It couldn't have been more than a minute before the last vanished into thin air, returning to the void.

Twilight turned to her ponies, she could outright feel morale dropping amongst her ponies, her changelings, her citizens. This was the last thing they needed before the battle. What would the princess do?

"My friends, my many friends, please listen to me!" she said, managing to draw a bit of their attention, though some still talked to each other, possibly even on the verge of panic. "Please, all of you, listen to me! Calm yourselves, everyone!"

All the chattering of the ponies started to spread. 'Can we even win?', 'What is her plan?', 'What will he do to us?' With these thoughts, this fear perpetuating even in the battle itself, their odds of success looked grim.

Twilight raised her voice. "Everyone, I need you to listen to me!" Thankfully, a few more looked up towards her. "What you've just seen is more than just a horror of war! It is a horrible act of a cornered beast, baring it's fangs against what it deems a threat! What we've just seen is what we are here to stop!" More ponies turned their attention to her, the voices in the crowd dying down. "If we turn back, or surrender, or don't give it our all, then we will have no future but what he has in store for us! It is vital that we press on, that we fight back against that abomination! We are all scared, I know, we would be fools not to be! But, we will not run away like cowards! We will continue, and we will show this beast just how brave we can be! We've survived up to this point, and we will survive far beyond it!"

They didn't look quite convinced, but at least focusing on her made it easier for them to not panic.

Twilight took a breath. "He has done far too much to us, and we have never stood for it. His actions have pushed us again and again, and now when our chance to push back is here, we can't let it slip!"

"But how can we kill, or even defeat, something like him?!" asked another pony.

"Don't you think I have a plan? Princess Twilight Sparkle always has a plan! It's just that I can't tell you it now, can I? Not when he's watching us! Do you hear me, Herobrine?! We're coming for you!" shouted Twilight without fear.

She was certain he had started to see through them at this point. Even if he couldn't see through those he controlled, if that was even true, then he could probably see through those that his victims saw. One or two sleeper-agents had probably slipped through. In any case, it didn't matter. It wasn't truly him she wanted to hear her.

"We won't let you survive beyond today, I assure you, monster!" she shouted.

"Yeah! We're going to end your reign of terror!" yelled Shining Armor among the crowd. The confident words of a warrior from Promise Peak helped bring courage.

"You're going so far down downtown you'll have to take the train just to get back to your apartment!" yelled Pinkie Pie.

"We're certainly not going to give up! We will save our friends and family!" shouted Rarity.

The bravest, the experienced, roared in agreement. Their participation helped Twilight ease the hearts and minds of their comrades so much easier, to her own relief.

"Today we are going to show that monster just how little he means to us! Today we are going to fight! Today we are going to win!" yelled Twilight. "DO YOU NOT AGREE?!"

"YEAH!"

"Then, against whatever threat he has in store for us, WE MARCH!"

***

Herobrine stopped spying through hundreds upon hundred of eyes. The noise was too much, and he didn't appreciate the frenzy of insults.

Sighing, he got out of his chair and walked up to the window, looking out over Haven from his tower. The reflection of his dead white eyes stared back at him. In the corner of his view he could see the outline of something standing behind him.

Below he could easily see the walls surrounding the city. They had been made five times as thick, broader than most houses. Lava was flowing over the edge, and every last bit of obsidian had been used in the construction. There simply wasn't enough to cover each and every piece, but they had to make do with what they had.

"You know, at first I actually couldn't figure out why I wanted to protect this place. It's just a bunch of useless blocks. Yet, I just kept my slaves building and reinforcing Haven. I was so confused as to why I didn't just let Twilight, Minny and all the other idiots roll right in, kill me and my ponies," he said. With another heavy sigh, he walked along the window, looking towards the horizon. "It wouldn't have mattered. I'd have just come back, again and again. I have time, plenty of it. So why am I preparing? Is it sentiment for this place? Has it become my home? Did my daily talks, smiles, jokes and general friendliness with ponies and changelings make this more special? Did all this time here give these few measly blocks just that extra bit of sentiment, making them slightly less insubstantial than all the literally limitless others?"

He looked up towards the sky, a solemn look could be seen in his uncanny face.

"Maybe all of this time with them has actually made me a better individual, fighting his inner demons and terrible nature. Perhaps I've become the pony I've possessed. Is there a chance I've really become more of Swift Digger than Herobrine? Could I possibly have grown a sou-ha ha HA HA!"

He started to laugh, a laugh that quickly devolved into a screech that could have broken the glass in front of him, were it not a bunch of blocks. "Sorry, I could not keep a straight face! I got so close too!"

He turned around, completely. "The reason I'm staying put? The actual reason I'm fighting back isn't because it wouldn't cost me anything, or that I don't want to have to move. It's because they have the gall to oppose me!" He spat on the ground. "THIS IS MY WORLD, I OWN IT AND EVERYTHING IN IT! THEY GOT IN HERE, SO I OWN THEM!"

Turning back towards the glass, he took a deep breath. "Unbelievable. Well, they are almost here. It's time I show them a lesson." With a thought he told his puppets, all of them, to get into position. "Come on, hurry up, everyone. We'll be having guests pretty soon."

Herobrine grinned to himself. "Honestly, I am bit surprised. I didn't think they would be this desperate. I knew they weren't cowards, but I thought they'd be a smarter." He turned his head back, to the only other being in the room. "Don't you agree?"

His company didn't answer.

"Don't you agree?" asked Herobrine.

"Y- yea-"

Herobrine rolled his eyes and started to walk over to his 'friend'. "Again, unbelievable! Not only do I have to deal with this idiot army, but now you aren't working right! I'm going to start big, or, rather, you will. I can't have you freaking break on me."

With a thrust Herobrine put his hoof through his companion's head like it was water. "Changelings were harder than ponies, but not remotely as hard to get right as you," he said, yanking out his hoof without leaving so much as a scratch. He leaned in close to his slave's head. "Don't you agree?"

"Of course," said the creature, covered in black scales, wings spread out far and wide, eyes hollow, black, dead, with a hint of green and purple.

"Thank you, Spike." Herobrine couldn't help but to admire his own work. Twilight Sparkle would freak out once she saw what an abomination her trusted assistant, friend, brother, had become.

Soon, it would all begin. Herobrine was both infuriated and excited. Whatever token thing he would lose today would be worth it, because at the end of the day, he would own so much more. Today is going to be fun.

Author's Note:

Originally I had planned for this to be longer, and be less setup. However, it didn't turn out that way, and I haven't updated the story in a while. I decided this worked better on its own.

Comments

[Booster Spice]

Onlya couple things I can think of for Twilight to do there, the next is wrst than the previous and the first is horrible enough.

I really hope Herobrine gets booted, totally out of the realm, and his access rights revoked. Then his console self ignites.

[DauntedSuperior]

It's truly one of the greatest mysteries of all time that I haven't seen this get featured, you're even close to the ending! That's more than most of the fics in my favorites! I just can't get over that! This story is so good yet so little people have read it, so few have commented, and then you have only 119 likes as I type this and that is something that just seems to be completely lacking as it's so freaking great! Now that I'm all caught up, I do believe I'll finally get some sleep... Oh, wait, another story just updated in my favorites, sleep will have to wait... so close.

[breyercrazy]

I adore this story :) one of the best MLP-Minecraft crossovers i have ever read!