Chapter Text
The universe is horrifyingly cruel, at times. Grian knows this first hand. He has learned the cruelties of the universe, of the people within it, he has seen it bleed dry first hand. He has seen death, destruction, eyes that shouldn’t have been there beating down on him. He has learned the pain of death, he has learned the pain of others dying.
And yet the world, despite the pain it can bring, can also be very kind. Giving him second chance and second chance again, no matter how often he proves how undeserving he is of it. He was a liar and a cheat, he bent the rules, even ones he himself set. And even so… the universe, every time, repaid him in another chance. In the kindness to continue on.
He enters Hermitcraft for his third time. He enters Hermitcraft for their eighth season, and the universe treats him kindly once again. Grian finds his way to the portal, to the dragon egg, and to the limits of what he thought was possible for him. It tested him, the universe did. Every time seeing just how far he could push, how much more he could do. Every time he passed the test, going just a bit beyond what he thought he could.
… There was something wrong.
And he could feel it in the air, feel it in the way people smiled. He was having fun, of course he was! He got to see Pearl again! How long had it been since he’d seen Pearl? He knew the answer, of course he did. He used to count the days, the hours, the minutes. He was having fun, Hermitcraft was always fun and the universe was always kindest to him there.
He noticed it when Impulse got him with an End Crystal. There was something electric in his eyes, the bow tie around his neck was big and bulky and purple and decidedly not Impulse. Purple was Zed’s thing, never Impulse.
He noticed it in the way Mumbo gleefully sang ‘Peace, love, and plants!’ as he killed things around him without really killing. The way his skin was wrong, blotchy and inhuman. How Grian was sure he’d seen Mumbo look at him with an eye that wasn’t quite in the right place.
He noticed it as he passed Doc and Ren on the occasion that they weren’t pulling goats out of a hole. The worried expressions on their faces as they spoke about books and codes in hushed tones, completely silenced by wind and distance. Things that weren’t supposed to happen were common here, he knew that, but he looked at the chunk with 8 spawners and couldn’t help but feel a sense of dread.
When the universe played games, it liked to do so in codes and coordinates and nonsense. Grian had first hand experience in people meddling with things they shouldn’t have and people watching when they weren’t invited. And on the topic of uninvited guests, there seemed to be an… influx of those recently. And of course Grian wouldn’t breathe a word of it, but seeing unfamiliar names and familiar names that really shouldn’t have been there at all… it made him uneasy.
But, but. Grian said none of this, simply opting to continue doing what he did best: pulling pranks and building! So he did. He blew friends up with End Crystals, dunked Scar in a bubble bath of experience, laughed with Pearl at a new wave of upside-down creatures. He began building a mountain, he started another game of tag. It was fine, he was just… a little on edge from the last place. This was different, though, it was Hermitcraft and Hermitcraft was kind to him. He had to believe it to be true. He had to.
Scar spoke about getting stuck in the void for a moment, once. It was a rare occasion where the entire Boatem village was around at once, lounging in the center of the square, just far enough away from the hole to not feel the cold of the void. Scar says that he respawned and was stuck in the void, still, and when he came back properly he respawned at his desk, not his bed. He brushed it off like a joke, Mumbo showed interest in the mechanical side of things, Impulse shivered as recalled his too-close-for-comfort experience with it.
Grian said nothing.
Pearl said nothing.
From across the area, they met eyes. The same worry, the same memory, lingering in their minds. Grian hadn’t really found himself able to speak to her about anything regarding, well, everything. It had been too long, he wouldn’t know what to say. They’d spent too much time here for him to bring it up naturally. Part of him was still worried she secretly despised him.
Hesitantly, eventually, Pearl managed to ask Scar a question, a convincing smile on her lips and tilt to her head,” About the void thing, did you… see anything down there? Other than looking up and still seeing the hole, I mean. I’ve always heard that the void is pitch black, so I’m a little curious, I’ll admit.”
Scar just shrugged in response,” I don’t really know! I don’t think so! Like I said, I couldn’t really move. It was dark and cold and I could see where I fell from and not really much else. Oh! Uh- I didn’t mention it but I knew it was one hundred percent a respawn because I lost my carrots! I had golden carrots in my hand as I fell, respawned, and poof! They were gone!”
“Oooh, interesting!” Pearl hummed, nodding along.
“Note to self: Be careful about pushing Scar into the void, he might get stuck there.” And Grian phrased it like a joke, leaning back lazily and casting a cheeky glance at Scar. And people took it as a joke, Scar scoffing in mock-offense, Mumbo rolling his eyes and shaking his head, Impulse chuckling under his breath.
It was not a joke. This hole was a bad idea. He couldn’t fill it back up, not anymore. He hoped no one did, because he was sure if the hole was covered by any material at all, they’d wake up to see it sealed with bedrock. Or to see it open again, to be convinced they saw something at the bottom of the void and find themselves compelled to check it out. Grian shook his head, laughing to himself to conceal his thoughts, make it seem like a delayed reaction to the uproar.
Eventually, the group dispersed, going off to work on their own projects for the day. Everyone in the village had a lot to do and a lot to busy themselves with, it really was a shock they’d gotten that time together at all. Grian turned to find his way back to the mountain he was in the process of building, but found himself lingering by the Boatem Hole. Not close enough to be easily pushed, no way, but close enough that he could hear void wind, feel the chill of the darkness rise up from below.
He wasn’t as shocked as he could have been to realize that Pearl ended up looking into the darkness beside him. Grian glanced up at her for a moment as she nodded, gesturing to find somewhere quieter to speak. Despite it all, they still understood each other well. The two walked out to the spruce forest in relative silence, exchanging the occasional look at the other. Until they came upon a relatively undisturbed area, unlikely to have any listening ears.
“So.” Grian said, a bit more gravely than he’d meant,” This is bad.”
“Yeah… I’ve noticed.” Pearl breathed, sitting square on the ground. Grian followed. “I… didn’t expect the server to be like this.”
“It’s not!” He protested,” Not- not usually! Usually it’s calm… everything is lighthearted and fun. We’ve had a war each season I’ve been here and it’s always been solved with pranks or games or fun! I- I heard about something that happened in five, with a jungle, but that was before my time. It’s usually calm- it’s always been calm to me.”
“There’s a hole to the void that Scar got stuck in! ”
“I know- I know, okay? I know, I heard, I did. And I’ve seen Doc and Ren’s massive whatever they’re up tos, and I’ve heard about books with codes and people who aren’t supposed to be here. And I know. I- I’ve seen it. I just. I can’t- I don’t-”
Pearl grabbed his wrists firmly, pulling his hands out from his hair. He didn’t realize that he’d managed to knot them in there as he rambled, but it made sense. Grian prided himself in generally being a decently laid back guy, he liked making jokes and playing pranks, avoiding any consequence just in time. He could be kind of critical of himself, though, which was maybe not needed here.
“Grian, Grian. Listen to me- look at me,” Her breath was pinched slightly, but her tone was reassuring,” Grian we aren’t going to let it happen again, okay? We aren’t- we know better now. We’ve learned- I’ve learned. I’m not sure about you, I guess.”
They both tried to ignore the slight bitterness that lingered in her tone. Grian found himself reaching up to his face now that Pearl had released her grasp on his wrists, tapping a hand to his cheek. He almost expected to feel something other than skin on his fingertips, but there was nothing there.
“... it could be nothing.” Grian said after a long time, voice betraying him and lacking any sense of confidence at all.
“It’s better safe than sorry! It could be something. Isn’t that horrifying?”
“Of course it is! That’s why I hope it isn’t anything! Because the last times I’ve dealt with ‘somethings’ I- Scar, Impulse and I’ve talked about the three-lives-scenario. And before that it was- it was,” It was Evo, he doesn’t say. It was being forced to leave you behind, it was losing one of his closest friends- more than one of his closest friends. “And before that it was… I’ve told you that story, too. Pearl, the universe doesn’t like me much. Hermitcraft is my nothing place. Hermitcraft is my place where nothing bad happens and the world doesn’t fall apart around me.”
“Oh.” Pearl looks at him with an unreadable expression.
Part of Grian hopes Pearl shouts. That Pearl smacks him in his dumb cheeky face and calls him a jerk and a moron. That’s not how she is, though, and if she called him anything it’d fall more in line with ‘nugget’ than ‘moron’. Still, he couldn’t help but expect it. For her to lash out that she’d been left behind for something so petty.
“That’s… fair, I guess.” she muttered after a very long time of tense silence,” I just- why didn’t you come back if Hermitcraft is so calm?”
Grian suppressed the urge to scream,” I did!- I did. I tried, I tried so hard for so long. Pearl, I used to count the minutes! I tried everything I could think of! I- I got into contact with Martyn, I got into contact with Big B, hell- I got into contact with Timmy! Then I watched them all- I had a hand in it. And I lost them again, too. I tried everything I could! To reach you, or- or Netty, or Taurtis and I couldn’t find you. And maybe I should have asked X or someone for help but the idea of getting help from an Admin kind of terrifies me, even now.”
He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been so vulnerable. He isn’t sure if there’s ever been one. Grian wasn’t the type of guy to just spill his guts. There wasn’t room for it, when you were him. The most vulnerable he’d really been in recent times was the occasional anxiety attack that snuck up on him in public. And that was fine! The hermits had learned that he’d had anxiety issues, he got a slap on the back, and was told that anxiety attacks happened to the best of them. That was it, nothing worse than Grian being a little shaky and needing to sit down for a bit.
“Grian we can’t sit by and let this happen to another world.”
“I know.”
“I’ve watched enough worlds fall apart, okay? I’m sure you have too. And if this really is your ‘Nothing Place’ or whatever, I don’t think you’ll want it to go. And I don’t- I don’t either, Grian. I have friends now, I have people again!” Pearl balled her fists against her lap,” I can’t let that go away, I can’t just sit by and hope it works itself out! We’re- we’re us, Grian. And if they didn’t notice you, I’ll bet they noticed me. Or us together. We always made their lives harder together.”
Despite himself, Grian held back a laugh,” You sound like me.”
“Huh?”
“With the motivational pep talk calling me to action. I used to do that.”
“Ah! So you did. So I did. How the tabled turns.”
“That’s not how that saying goes.”
That earned him a good natured swat,” I know, you nugget!”
And even though the tension was high, the two found themselves laughing. Even if his hands shook slightly, Grian opened his arms for a hug. Even despite the embers of dread in her eyes, Pearl pulled him in. A smile on both their faces even despite the panic in their hearts. His wings wrapped around her, almost protective, like he could shield her and give her light all at the same time. Wings he didn’t see on her before wrapped around his in response. Glittering and bright, and more blue than purple, something Grian was more than okay with.
“I don’t know what to do.” Grian admits after a long time.
“I don’t, either.” Pearl responds.
It’s hard to plan for something that may or may not actually happen. It isn’t an apocalypse event, it isn’t friends losing themselves (they say that, but the weird gleam in Impulse’s eyes and strange shimmer in his smile stick to both their minds), it’s just… the possibility of the end. There’s no way of knowing yet, no concrete proof, but it’s the possibility of the end and they can’t take the risk of it going too far. Because the moment bedrock appears where it shouldn’t it’s already too far gone. And they just can’t take that risk.
The watching is fine, it's normal, even. The watching was what they were meant to do, they existed to watch. It was the meddling that was an issue, the interference.
They just hoped it wasn’t too late.