Chapter Text
They had tried for hours now. Etho was remembering nothing and the potion was rapidly shrinking him. Etho had started out at five years old, but now in the course of a day he is not only forgetting 2 seasons at a time, but he is now 4 years old.
“How is this possible?”
“I’m not sure, I haven’t figured it out yet!”
“Well hurry up.”
“Doc…”
It was so loud. Etho used his hands to flatten his fox ears against his skull. The little Hermit was trying desperately to remember.. but he couldn’t, no matter how hard he tried. His eyes opened when someone grabbed him and cradled him close, the smell of the ocean filling his lungs. “We all just need to calm down.” Beef exclaimed, holding Etho close to comfort him. “Arguing and yelling is not helping anyone, especially Etho.” The other three adults looked away in shame, Beef sighed in relief “EX. What do you need for the antidote? If we help then maybe it will hurry it along.”
“That’s just it. I have all the ingredients, but if Etho can’t remember then who knows what the side effect could be. He could look like an adult but have the mindset of a child, or he could forget everything about everyone, the possibilities are endless.”
“Well maybe if your weren’t messing with potions-“
“Again! I didn’t know-“
“ENOUGH.” Everyone looked to Xisuma. “We have try. Just because Etho is a child now, his code shows that there is still a hint of his old self inside him. We need to figure out how to get Etho to remember. So, Doc, Beef, you two take Etho and go anywhere. Anything could trigger his memories.” Ex comes over with the bottled potion. The contents inside swirling a bright white. “Since the potion is done, you should take it with you, and take any other Hermits who you think could help. For now, I will call a server meeting. The Hermits deserve the right to know what is happening.”
Doc quickly snatches the potion from Ex, the two having one last death Stare Contest before Doc follows Beef and Etho out the door.
They tried for days, but nothing seemed to trigger any memories. Etho felt bad for Beef and… uh..DOC. Right, Doc. He felt like he was letting them down. He notices each time they bring up a name or an object that Etho doesn’t get memories from, they frown at him at their progress. Which is none.
They’ve never taken a break. They never stopped looking. Until, they couldn’t look anymore. They were running out of ideas. Once they ran out of ideas, all they could do was take a break and think of what to do next. They set up camp in the middle of the snowy tundra, another idea to spark memories. The snow was Etho’s favorite, not just because he was an Artic fox hybrid, but because it reminded him of home. Once night settled, Doc stayed up while Beef and Etho slept near the campfire. Beef was bundled in his sleeping bag, while Etho preferred to sleep in a pile of snow shaped just like a nest. Doc couldn’t help the sting in his heart when he saw how small his friend was now. He wondered what would happen if Etho never got his memories back. Would he disappear and return to the void? Would the shrinking stop one day? What if they can’t use the potion on him? What if-?
A weight on his leg sparked him out of the trance. He looked down and saw Etho, laid across his leg and looking up at him with big eyes.
“Etho. You should be asleep, kit.” He cringed at how sore his throat was.
“Yu shoul ‘e too.” Etho’s words slurred together. Whether it was because he was a child or he had just woken up, Doc didn’t know.
“You don’t have to worry about me, Etho. I’m fine.” Doc gave him the biggest smile he could muster, but even he could have admitted to being a little tired.
“Yor not a good liar.”
Doc’s smile fell when he looked at Etho’s eyes and saw that his lie was not fooling the small hermit.
“I’m not. Huh?”
Etho nodded. “Not when you sleepy.”
Doc laughed. “I guess your right.”
“If you ask me, you need sleep.”
Doc hummed. Maybe a small nap couldn’t hur- wait.
“We never asked you…” Doc mumbled. “hm?” Etho tilted his head like a confused puppy, waiting for Doc to elaborate. “It’s the one thing we haven’t done.” Doc said, his excitement making him raise his voice a little more each time he spoke. “We never asked you what would spark your memory. We’ve been doing this all wrong. We’ve been trying to spark your memories, but they are not our memories, their YOURS.”
Doc turned fully to Etho when he finished his elaboration. “Etho, how can we spark your memories? Whats one thing that stands out to you more than anything?”
Etho understood what Doc meant. He never thought about finding the memories himself, he just followed what everyone was telling him. HE needs to find the spark. He thought long and hard when something clicked. There was one thing that stood out, that he could always remember and never forget.
“Beef!” Etho jolted out of his spot and pounced at Beef’s sleeping form. “Beef! Beef! Wake up! Wake up BEEFERS!”
“wha- What? What happened?” Beef jolted awake.
“We gotta go!”
“Etho?” Etho never answered Doc’s question.
“CMON!” Etho was running into the woods, the sun slowly rising.
“Etho!”
“Etho, WAIT!”
Doc and Beef followed Etho through the woods until they were back at Spawn.
“Etho… wait…” Both players were out of breath.
“That’s what I remember.” Doc and Beef eagerly looked to what Etho was pointing at. It was a small starter shake, made of dirt and cobblestone. “That’s what you remember? A started base?”
“Man, we were really off, dude.” Doc said rubing the back of his neck. The sun fully rose and Etho was beginning to shrink once more. “Quick the potion!” Doc reached into his bag and grabbed out the potion. “Etho, are you sure this is it?”
Etho looked back at the Starter Base and then back to Doc. “I’m sure.” Etho took the potion, pulled down his mask and drank it. At first nothing happened, until Etho disappeared in a puff of smoke.
Beef and Doc looked at the spot where Etho disappeared, but before they could panic a message in chat made them sprint.
(Etho) Honey Im home! :D
Etho needed a few days to recover from being a literal child. Evil X was grounded to never use Prank Potions ever again. Everything on Hermitcraft went back to normal. Everyone visited Etho in Doc’s base. It was the safest place because Etho’s was far from finished. Once everyone visited, Etho was to stay in bed, because he was getting used to being a full grown player once again, and Doc wanted to moitor his code progress. Watching as it fixes itself. Well, as fixed as it was before.
“How’s it, Doc?”
“All good, Etho. Your code should be good in about 3 days.”
“Thanks, Doc.”
“Anytime, Etho.”
“No I mean it.”
Doc looked at Etho. The Book he was reading placed on his lap. “You didn’t have to take care of me, and you didn’t have to go across servers just to find something to spark my memories. You didn’t have to-“ Etho’s voice was cut off when he realized Doc had moved to give him a hug. It’s a well-known fact that neither Doc nor Etho were the touchy type, but Etho was quick to wrap his arms around Doc’s neck as he hugged back. “If it ever happened again, or anything like this happened again… I’d put Ex in a death loop.” The fact made them both chuckle in each other’s arms before they pulled away. “But seriously, Dude. You’re family. I would do anything to help you, or anyone for that matter.” “And so would I.” Etho replied. Doc chuckled and patted his head “I know you would, Kit.” He shook Etho’s hair, making the Hermit bat the hand away, laughing all the same.
“I just have one question.” Doc began. “Why a Starter Base?”
Etho smirked under the mask. “What Starter Base?” Etho asked innocently.
Doc crossed his arms “Fine, Mr. I’m-A-Ninja-and-have-so-many-secrets. Don’t tell me.”
“I won’t.” Etho laughed.
“You wound your father.”
“Sorry, Old Man.”
Doc sighed. “I’m going to see if I can recreate that potion. You were so much easier to handle as a kid.” Doc walked away, opening the door.
“Don’t. Doc!”
Doc closed the door and laughed at himself. He’s glad to have his friend back.