~The First Step~ a Hermitcraft AU

Chapter 10 (Grian/Mumbo)

wc: 985

so. this has not been proofread. I don't think im gonna like it very much, but... eh whatever

tw: panic attack, but it's pretty short; past mental/physical abuse

if you can't tell, things are getting juicier

Grian tried to keep his cool, but his emotions were quickly rushing up to the surface. He kept this brave face on, the happy face, but the way Scar was looking at him let Grian know that he was busted wide open.

The life Grian lived in Hermitcraft was very layered. The roots ran so deep, you'd have to get through the dirt, then stone, then deep slate, then bedrock, and you get the idea.

How did Scar know?

Grian's mind raced faster than his heart. Why was Mumbo here? What had given him away?

"So you are a Watcher," Scar said quietly.

"So what if I am?" Grian said loudly, his fists trembling. Mumbo stepped out.

"What's going on? Why can't Grian get past the sugar?" Mumbo reached out to Grian, as if he were going to pile the sugar to the side. but Scar slapped his hand aside.

"Watchers are repelled by sugar," Scar said. "It burns them." Mumbo still looked confused. "Long story short, Grian is a Watcher."

"I know-"

"YOU KNEW?" Scar whirled to face Mumbo, who was coming to grips with the situation. "AND YOU DIDN'T TELL ANYONE?!"

"He hasn't hurt anybody!" Mumbo cried, throwing his hands up in the air. "He WON'T hurt anybody! How was I supposed to know I needed to alert everybody?!"

Fury boiled deep in Grian. Sure, Scar could scream at him, but if he touched a hair on Mumbo's head-

Magic made its way from Grian's heart through his veins to his hands. Magic worked very curiously, generating somewhere hidden in the heart and traveling wherever the brain directed it to go. Usually it only moved to the hands and wings, but it could go anywhere to heal if needed.

Only one thing needed to tip Grian over the edge before it blew this place to smithereens.

"You have to leave Hermitcraft," Scar said, tipping his chin into the air. He looked comical with a fake wizard's beard, but he radiated anger, which surprised Grian. He wondered what had happened to Scar that would make him hate Watchers so much. "I'm telling X, and you're going to have to find another server."

That did it.

The sugar blew outwards in an explosion of purple. When the dust settled, a very agitated Grian stood, no longer caged.

"That sugar wasn't going to hold anyway," he said, keeping the tremor out of his voice. They didn't need to know he was scared, fear was man's greatest enemy. 

At that, his mind whisked him away...

"Pathetic." Another blow. Grian threw his hands over his head. No. Not Grian. Xelqua.

"How do you expect to fight like this?" his 'teacher' snarled.

"Just look at you!" Smack.

"Weak," Smack.

"Scared," Smack.

"Showing everybody your fear." Smack.

Grian reeled from pain. Battle training often ended like this, with him bruised and battered.

"Worthless. You'll never amount to anything." The words stung like slaps. Grian felt rage boiling in his veins. Without a second thought, he pushed that rage to the surface, and-

BLAM!

His 'teacher' was thrown to the other side of the room, against the wall in shock. After a few moments of silence,

"That's what I like to see."

Grian blinked back into the present. He didn't know whether the memory was a good or bad one. Battle training had never been quite as hard physically after that, but the damage was mainly on his mind.

Mumbo was standing in front of him, a worried look on his face. "Grian? You there?" 

When Grian opened his mouth, however, Scar pushed Mumbo aside. "Let me handle this," Scar said. He genuinely believes I'm dangerous, Grian thought sadly to himself.

Vex wings erupted from Scar's back and an outfit of his own shimmered over the wizards robe he had on, green and gold swirling up the sleeves.

I forgot he was a faerie, Grian mused to himself. That's probably why.

"If you're thinking what I'm thinking, then let me tell you that I wasn't a part of it," Grian said.

"I don't care!" Scar shouted. "They're all dead and it's because of your kind!" Tears were streaming down his cheeks.

"I HATE THE WATCHERS AS MUCH AS YOU DO!" Grian screamed.

"Yeah, right," Scar muttered.

Grian's anger only increased at that statement. He wanted nothing more to tear something apart, channel this emotion that he could finally use after so long of keeping it pent up-

X-

X-

Xel-

He whipped his head around. There was only stone behind him, plus haphazardly thrown sugar.

Xelqua.

And the whole world shattered.

pov: mumbo

Grian suddenly turned his head around. Mumbo had been prepared to step between the two in case shots were fired, but it seemed as if that wouldn't be needed.

A cry suddenly escaped Grian's lips. Scar's face morphed from fury to confusion. When Grian turned his head back around, there were tears pouring from them. Grian suddenly threw himself at Mumbo. Scar reached to catch him, but it was useless.

Mumbo nearly fell over from the sudden weight, his whole body tensed for an attack, but none came. Grian just sobbed into his suit.

"The-they've- they've- found me!" Grian cried. "And t-they're g-gonna take-take me back!"

Mumbo knew more than Scar. He'd witnessed Grian's breakdown in season six. Scar looked a little bit lost, but Mumbo didn't care.

Grian began to claw at his own head. "Get them out," he whispered. "Get them out. Get them OUT. GET THEM OUT. GET THEM OUT! GET THEM OUT!" his voice escalated into a scream.

"Look what you've done!" Mumbo snapped at Scar. He whipped out his communicator and immediately called X. 

"Hello?" came a voice out the other end. Mumbo saw that Grian had passed out against him, although he had no idea why.

"I'm coming over," Mumbo said. "It's about Grian."

"I'll teleport you guys over here," Xisuma said. No questions asked. Mumbo picked Grian up. A dozen questions swam in Mumbo's head, begging to get asked to Xisuma, but he kept his mouth shut.

Vwoosh.

They were gone, leaving a very angry but confused vex in the debris of Grian's explosion.

whew, that was a hard chapter to write. I've been thinking about it the entire day, but I've finished it. hope you liked it :D

anyway, I do have a hc oneshot book if you're interested. I could really use some requests, just for morale, ya know? 

Have a good day or night, wherever you are!

-Ete