Chapter Text
Gem left to help Grian leaving Mumbo alone after saying goodbye to his best friend who might not return this time. It made the mustache man sick to watch the avain leave but he wants to trust Grian. Back at his base Mumbo sifted through the pages the top page saying to create the device and use it in the next game immediately. Mumbo looked through the pages, blueprints and Instructions for a device that would hopefully bring Grian home. The mustache man swallowed hard, he wanted to run out of his base to stop the slaughter. But his friend is stubborn and persistent even if he did mannage to stop Grian he would just do it again without telling him. The message pinged in chat, Grian slayed by GeminiTay. Mumbo took a deep breath wiping his tears and got to work.
Mumbo is a red stone man, but building something compact enough to stay on his person? nearly impossible for one man. Mumbo decided to bring in XisumaVoid and Cub into the mix. "What can we help you with Mumbo?" The admin says, Mumbo places the pages in front of him. "help me build this otherwise my best friend may never come home" X and Cub don't ask questions just nod and get to work. Xisuma collects items from his base while Cub and Mumbo start to work on what they can. "you really think this is going to work?" Cub asks. Mumbo who his biting his nails and pacing stops and shrugs "it has't to, i can't lose him again"
Cub stood up and grabbed his friend by his shoulders "you won't lose him again" Mumbo brushes him off "You don't know what it was like all those months and nights" His tone wasn't malicious or angry even just sad. "Then make me understand" Cub says pulling up a chair. The mustache man leans back against the wall "I was up until all hours of the night scanning my servers waiting for him, He's more than just my best friend, hes more than a brother, he's my platonic soulmate Cub, I can't live without him, after month three I broke" tears reach Mumbo's eyes again.
"I didn't have anyone else to turn to, I do now, i have the hermits, but i don't know its just-" Mumbo picks at his suit "just?" Cub asks "Just because i now have all these friends now doesn't mean i don't need him, What if he doesn't come back? i know how he thinks, i know he thinks he's useless and unwanted, and as much as i don't want to be man at Scar because he has a perfectly acceptable reason to be mad at Grian, what if that was the tipping point? what if he doesn't come back now?" Mumbo is panicking now.
"Hey, whoa, lets calm down" Cubs stands up and moves Mumbo over to an actual chair. "Hes not going to abandon you again Mumbo" sad black eyes look up at Cub "you don't know that" and its true Cub doesn't know that, but he knows that Grian cares about his friends and that Grian is his friend and if he knows anything about Grian he refuses to abandoned his friends. "I don't know, the math has no definite answer, but I know you and i know Grian and you two always find your way back to each other, like you said soulmates right?" Mumbo nodded at Cub's words after that they work in silence but Mumbo took Cub's words to heart and decided to hold on to hope like he did all those years ago.
Several restless nights and phantom attacks later they completed it, a small device no bigger than a stone button. "should we test it now?" Cub asks, Mumbo shakes his head placing the device in his suit pocket. "Grian was very specific, only once I'm in the game which he said would happen soon" Xisuma straightens up. "I'm going to go prepare the other players who have been sent before" The masked hermit places a hand on Mumbo's shoulder "be safe" he states before flying off. Cub gives him a silent nod before following Xisuma. Mumbo holds his suit pocket with his right hand "I trust you G" he mumbles before going about his day.
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After killing Grian and sending him god knows where Gem made a B line for Scar's base. She wanted to tell Grian to tell Scar but it wasn't her place and she didn't have Pearl to knock some common sense into his bird brain. "Scar!" She shouts flying into the Zoo, the hybrid peaks his head out from behind a project of his "Gem! how are you?" he asks with his same bright smile. "No time for pleasantries, Grian just went back" she states, Scar tilts his head "Back where?" She fidgets with her hair should she really tell him this? she debated that for all of two seconds before responding "back to the watchers" that caused Scar to pick up his cane standing up from the ground. "he did what!" he shouts not out of anger but out of worry.
"Mumbo and I knew we couldn't stop him he said it was a matter of stopping the games-" Scar shook his head "he should have told me or Pearl at the very least" Scar huffs. "he shouldn't had gone back, i should have gone with him!" Scar wanted to storm out to grab Grian by the ear, but where even is he? Gem places her hand on the vex's shoulder. "this is probably why he didn't tell you, he knew you would stop him" Gem stared at Scar, He looked at her doe eyes before sitting back down "you're probably right" he sighed defeated. Gem moves closer to her friend keeping a safe distance in case he tries to storm off.
"I just, he does this he puts himself in danger because he doesn't want anyone else to put themselves in danger which is sweet and all but I don't want him in danger I wish he would just let me help" Scar trails off looking out of his base into the foggy distance where Grian's base lies just beyond it. Gem doesn't say anything just listens, "he's so stupid" Scar throws his hand up In frustration as he leans heavily on his cane to keep his balance. "I mean He worried Mumbo sick when he disappeared for a whole year and I know that wasn't his fault but then directly after shuts everyone out, Like, I don't know how to get it into his thick skull that we love him we want to help him, I'm repeating myself all the time and he just wont get it, that stupid, stupid, lovable idiot won't get it!" Scar leans his head against the wall of his zoo, "I mean I love him for void sake and he won't accept that, he says he loves me back but then goes and throws himself into the next thing acting as though it doesn't mean shit" Gem tilts her head "then why did you break up with him?" she asks.
Scar looks at her "because he cheating on me, because my love wasn't enough, then the watchers make him forget he ever hurt me, it hurts Gem" tears breach Scar's eyes, "he ran off with BigB like we weren't soulbound together, called each other secret soulmates, I could try and convince myself it was some watcher magic that they pulled the strings but no Grian made that choice he choose BigB over me" Scar slid back down to the ground "I know i wasn't the best soulmate, but it doesn't mean he should abandon me, but then i think back to the times we cuddled in my bed and kisses on the forehead, and late night research" Scar smiles thinking of the memories "when we would sit and just talk and drink our tea, coffee, or hot chocolate. even back to when we were just friends, his silly pranks and his laugh, I've been in love with him for years and I still am, but that doesn't mean what he does doesn't hurt me"
Gem sits beside her friend "I want him to want me like i want him, I want him to lean on me and trust me" the deer hybrid smiles "that goes both ways you know" Scar glares at her. "What? its true! me and Pearl didn't work out because i couldn't lean on her when i needed to, Its hypocritical to ask someone to lean on you when you can't lean on them in return" The vex crosses his arms listening to his friend. "Look what Grian did? sucked, you don't have to forgive him for that, heck you don't ever have to see him again if you don't want to" that causes Scar to shakes his head "I just mean, what he did wasn't ok, but besides the cheating everything else G does you do as well"
He tilts his head to the side "Like?" Gem rolls her eyes "Like when you have bad pain days and refuse to tell anyone or when you over work yourself then wont cancel plans or after every death game where your first to check on everyone else before you fully let yourself heal. Look its not the same as fighting deities without help but you are also putting yourself in danger Scar and not asking for help with it" Scar never though about it like that before.
"And i think the cheating thing was probably more of a distraction from the thought of you anyways" Scar looks at Gem "how so?" the redhead shrugs "Grian clearly has a hard time expressing his feelings, you really think he would have an easy time understand that he has feelings for one of his closest friends?" Ah, Scar though, "doesn't make it right but just a thought" Gem stood up "I have to get back to my base and clean up a few things before were zapped to the next game, bye Scar" Gem flies off leaving Scar on the floor of his Zoo.
A couple of days later just like in the past people start being blipped out of hermitcraft and appearing in a new world, except this time Grian wasn't there. Mumbo on cue activated the device causing Grian to appear in the middle of the circle dressed in purple robes as several wings and eye surround him. Everyone was scared, but not Scar he saw his friend, ex, partner and smiled. The pixels faded and he was back in his normal clothes. "Welcome to Wildlife" Grian says with a wide smile even though his eyes looked tired "this time the game changed, but for the better"....