The Watchers' Revenge

Chapter 22: The Last Goodbye

Grian watched hidden among the trees as the hermits each began their Season 8 adventures. 

Mumbo wandered sadly alone until Scar found him, and the two headed north to join Impulse and Pearl on the top of the island. Ren and Doc came by and stole goats, then took up residence just slightly more north than the others, on the very edge of the continent.

Xisuma headed southeast and established a small house on a tall peninsula jutting out into a bay.

Cleo and Joe found a flower forest and settled there together, beginning their plans.

Gem, False, and Stress adventured side-by-side around the island, eventually settling in and around the swamp.

Iskall and Etho climbed up to a gravity-defying shattered savannah and decided to live there.

Bdubs, Tango, and Keralis established settlements around a small bay near each other.

The only difference was that Grian didn't join them.

He knew he had to go talk to Mumbo, but he just didn't want to, so he settled for simply hanging out up north by the newly-christened Boatem, being sure to not be seen.

He went to visit Xisuma, who agreed to tell the others that he was alive and he'd like them not to worry, but insisted he talk to Mumbo, and reluctantly promised to go see him.

And that was how Grian found himself knocking on the door of Mumbo's van, shifting his feet nervously as he waited.

The side of the van slid open to reveal Mumbo, who promptly froze and stared in shock at Grian.

"G-Grian?"

"Hi Mumbo," Grian awkwardly flittered his wings.

"Grian," A tear slid down Mumbo's cheek, tracing a clearly well-trodden path. Mumbo stepped down out of the van and wrapped his arms around Grian, who accepted the hug stiffly. "Where have you been?"

"Um... around," Grian gestured wildly to nowhere in specific. "I'm sorry I randomly left, I guess-"

"I'm glad you're here now," Mumbo decided. "I was so scared."

Yeah, it was soooo hard to tell, Grian thought sarcastically. He pushed away the thought with an internal eye roll and opted to be nice. "Yeah, nice to see you, just making sure you weren't too mad."

"Wait, you're staying, right?" Mumbo suddenly studied Grian intensely.

Grian pulled away from the hug and became incredibly interested in the grass.

"You're staying, right?" Mumbo repeated.

"Sorry, Mumbo," Grian mumbled. "I just can't be around people anymore." Well, as a human, at least.

"No! Please don't leave," Mumbo begged, his voice becoming suddenly desperate.

Grian's gaze hardened. "This is why I'm leaving. You and all the others constantly crying and sneaking around me."

"No- wait- Grian-" Mumbo protested.

"I'll still be on the server, Mumbo, just not around too much," Grian told him. To Mumbo's knowledge, that was.

"Grian- I'm sorry."

"W-what?"

"I'm sorry I've been so hysterical around you lately," Mumbo told him. "I'm just worried about you and I'm scared to lose you."

"I appreciate it," Grian said with a smile. "Thanks, and maybe I'll be back someday."

"Goodbye, Grian," Mumbo gave him a weak and sad smile."

"Goodbye, Mumbo."

After talking to Scar and Iskall, Grian transformed into a parrot and flew off. Unfortunately, there was no jungle biome to hide in, but Grian disguised his bright colors by covering himself in lime paint, accidentally-on-purpose falling into Xisuma's open paint can. Xisuma worriedly dragged him out, then proceeded to snicker at him for the next twenty minutes after realizing he was alright.

The others would be worried, but it was for the best that Grian spent the early season flitting around and watching them as a parrot.

Some of them talked about him sometimes. For the most part, they moved on, unhappy but accepting of Xisuma's explanation that Grian was hiding away from the others after the events of Season Seven.

And so Grian lived out his days happily, with his friends in the way that he wanted to be, content to soar through the skies as a parrot, mess with the other hermits occasionally, and forget the events that had led to this life.

He was safe once more, never to see the Watchers again.

And with that TWR is finished, and so is this series.

No, really this time.

It's been a journey, but I'm grateful to everyone who was here for it.

Thank you to everyone who took the time to read this. Thank you especially to all those who commented; every one was amazing and gave me motivation to read this. You are the people who gave me the dedication to stick with this and finish it, and now I have.

Thank you for bearing with me through all my many side projects that distracted me, the many times I didn't upload for a week.

And now for the first and only time ever, I ask you to leave a kudos or a vote if you enjoyed this.

Also, please do NOT hold back on the comments, I love your comments.

(btw i hope this was a satisfying conclusion and yes this is the end. And yes the title of this chapter is a Hobbit reference and if you got it I love you)