Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Grian dragged the last barrel towards the small raft he had made in the lake. 'Its not much, But its a start,' He thought as he made his way to his first shop of season 7. Stepping onto the sheet of wood, He felt it waver under his weight, but that wasn't anything to worry about, right?
His armed ached from dragging around barrels filled with stacks of sand and gravel, But he still pushed himself, besides, it was only one more barrel, what harm would that do? Taking a deep breath, He lugged up the last barrel, Plopping it into place.
A small smile formed on his face, As he took in the work he had done. Sure it was small, But he was proud nonetheless. A wave of pride washed over him.
The sun was setting in the distance, Causing the lake to shimmer in the deep orange light. It was quiet around him, except the soft chirping of the neighboring animals and the occasional call of a mooshroom. Grian let out a content sigh, taking in the beautiful scenery of the tranquilly moment.

It only lasted a second though.

The raft suddenly snapped in half, flipping over and crashing onto the poor unsuspecting hermit. Grian let out a yelp of surprised as he was knocked over and dragged dragged down under the water by the barrels of gravel and sand, The impact knocking the air out of him. Impulsively, he tried taking a sharp breath, but he was met with a mouth full of water then air. He tried coughing it out, but all it did was let more water into his system. He clamped his mouth shut, turning his focus to trying to get out. The lake was pretty shallow, but he struggled to get up considering he was pinned down by multiple barrels filled to the brim with stacks of sand and gravel. His exhaustion didn't make it any better either. As he struggled to move, He felt a sharp pain jolt through him. He felt the sharp, broken bits of wood rip and tear through his flesh, opening new wounds that now littered his body. He let out a whimper as the a few tears formed from the sudden pain. 'At least I'm not in saltwater', He thought grimly, as he gave up on escaping this hell. He felt his consciousness begin to slip away, his vision going blurry. 'Respawning is gonna be hell, but at least It wont hurt as bad as right now'. He knew that respawning like this would mean that he would be sore, and doing small tasks like moving shulker boxes and barrels would cause a spike in his pain, but it wouldn't last forever. He still didn't like the idea of respawning and being in pain for weeks, but it's not like he had much choice at the moment.
Everything started to go dark. Grian lost hope, waiting for the inevitable to happen. He could of sworn he saw a flash of red before he passed out though.

Grian slowly fluttered his eyes open, slowly regaining consciousness from the incident. He blinked a few times, looking around the area. Around him were dirt walls and ledges, Mycelium topping them, aswell as mycelium hanging down from the ceiling, accompanied by roots and a few vines. Mushrooms were scattered along the surfaces. He could also make out a tunnel at the end of the room. He heard distant shuffling around the area, and there was a strong scent of herbs near him. In the far corner, there was a small counter area-- it was similar to a kitchen-- that was made of white mushroom stem. There were vines and roots that had a variety of plants and herbs tangled in them, as well as a few bed-sized ledges that had been covered in mycelium scattered across the room, specifically against the walls.
He felt something cool and soft Against his body. He took a look under him, letting out a small groan, his body began to ache as he switched positions. Underneath him, He saw a thick layer of soft, fluffy white wool, with a few specks of mycelium and dirt stained onto it. It was quite a strange sight, really, and no matter how much he tried to wrap his brain around it, he had no idea where he was, or how he got here. All he really knew is that he was either underground or in some sort of cave, And he was probably still in the shopping district, But that was all.
Deciding he had done enough gazing and lying around, He slowly began to push himself off the wool he had been placed on, only to feel a sharp pain stopping him in his tracks, and causing him to fall back onto his makeshift bed with a small "thump". He stayed like that for a few seconds, before trying again, too stubborn to let a little pain stop him from walking around. The shuffling he had heard earlier grew into quick but heavy steps, and it was getter louder. Panic quickly rose in Grian, motivating him to get up quicker to avoid what ever the hell what coming closer. As he had almost lifted himself off the bed, he felt a pair of hooves gently guide him back down. He snapped his gaze towards the force that was pushing him back down to the wool. His eyes widened as he stared at the peculiar creature looming in front of him.
They had bright red fur, with a grey cow print, like a mooshroom. Their eyes were round, their irises a dark brown. Their back was arched and their limbs were similar to deers, having hooves, and fluff right above those hooves. They had a somewhat- long cow-like tail, with the same pattern as the rest of their body, the furry tip was a brownish/black color, similar to their hooves.The most defining feature was the giant mushroom on their head, reminding Grian of a breloom from pokemon. The last thing that was noticeable is that the creature had been wearing a worn cloak that was a dull brown, similar to a warm tan.
"Wh..Wha..?" Grian murmured in awe at the mythical creature in front of him
The creature then spoke. "I- I know you're probably really confused about where you are and whats going on, and you probably have a lot of questions, but I need you to stay still while your wounds heal, I promise I'll answer your questions when your in a better shape" The strange creature had said. Their voice was slighter higher then Stress's voice, and they had a slight australien accent.
Grian wasn't quite sure what to do, the creature seemed friendly, and they were helping him. After a few seconds of staring, he slowly nodded, and laid against the wool, relaxing slightly.
It was only then that he noticed that gauze was wrapped around various parts of his body, such as his arms and torso. 'Geez, Was I really in that bad of shape that I needed this much medical attention?' He thought.
The creature had left the room, only to arrive shortly after with a bowl of mushroom stew in their hooves.
The creature placed the bowl down next to him, then proceeded to sit him up-- which was slightly painful. "Here, Eat this, You'll feel better afterwards" The creature instructed. Grian, Who was too tired to argue, complied, and to his surprise, he DID begin to feel better. He felt much more energized, and the slight pain he felt previously began to fade away.
He looked gratefully towards the creature, With a small smile on his face. "Thank you!" He bubbled.
The creature wore their own smile in responce "Your welcome... Now, I assume you probably have a few questions..." They stammered.
Grian's grin slightly faltered. "Um.. Yeah, Quite a few, But I guess I should start with the most obvious one" He started, The creature looked at him with eyes full of curiosity "... Whats your name?" He questioned them.
The creature's eyes widened a bit, "O-Oh! I wasn't expecting that, But its a good first question nonetheless. My name is Mycia, How about you, Whats yours?" The creature replied.
"Im Grian, Nice to meet ya!" Grian answered.
"Nice to meet you too" The creature-- No, Mycia Said.
They stood there awkwardly, It was completely silent, except for the occasional shuffling from somewhere deep in the tunnel
"Right uh..." Grian started, The creature snapped its head back up to stare at him, "What are you're pronouns?" Grian continued.
"Oh, Um, I go by she/they, I dont mind which you use, and I go by feminine gender language, How about yourself? What are your pronouns?" She questioned.
"I go by He/They, and I go by Gender neutral gender language" He answered.
"So uh, any other questions?" Mycia asked.
Grian pondered whether he should ask anything else, He just met them, and he didn't want to overwhelm her, but at the same time they wanted to know so much. He settled on two questions. "Right, I have 2 questions," He paused for a second, waiting for their response. Mycia Simply nodded. "The first is where even am I, and the second, but what exactly are you..? Um- Sorry if that sounded rude I mean no ill intent-- I'm just curious." Grian quickly added. The last thing wanted to do was offend her, after all she had been kind to him so far.
She let out a small chuckle, "Thats the kinds of questions I was expecting! Don't feel bad about not knowing what I am, most players don't since we tend to hide away-- Anyways, I am what you call a Mymercilar, A creature native to mooshroom islands, As for where you are, Your currently in my colony's tunnel system, specifically in the medical bay!" Mycia informed him.
Grian took another look around the room, H realized the plants that were tangled in the roots were herbs, the counters were probably where healing remedies were formed using said herbs, and the ledges were make-shift beds for the injured or sick individuals who were down here. Suddenly he felt like an idiot.
"I- I don't know how I didn't realize that this was a medical area considering the furniture and the state im in" Grian deadpanned.
That earned a laugh-- or more so a squeak from the creature "Well arent you soooo observant" Mycia mocked.
"Wha- Hey! I'll have you know I'm very observant Miss 'Squeaky laugh'!" Grian retorted in a teasing tone.
"Did you just make fun of my laugh?!" Mycia exclaimed, Failing to keep the amusement out of her voice.
Grian gasped dramatically, Placing a hand on his chest "You think I'd would do such a thing? I can't believe you'd make such an unfair accusation right now!" Grian took mocked offense, bringing his hand up to his head and layed slightly back like a deva.
This caused the young mymercilar to burst out into a giggling fits, "We're gonna get along!" They managed to choke out in between their constant giggling.
After a few minutes of straight up laughing and teasing the other, they calmed down.
"Hey, Mycia?" Grian started.
"Hmm?" Mycia hummed back in response.
"How long was I out for?" Grian innocently asked.
Mycia's eyes widened for a second, before lowing to an expression Grian would describe as guilty, or regretful. "Oh boy you're not gonna like that answer" She mumbled, Grian grew worried, 'Why wouldn't I like that answer?' He wondered. His only response was a slight tilt of his head
"Well... Um... You've been out for about 3 days..?" She stammered.
Grian's eyes widened, "Three days?! The hermits are probably wondering where I went!" He shouted.
Forgetting the fact that he is injured, He hopped off his make-shift bed, and instantly regretted it. He collapsed to the floor, An immediate sharp wave of pain hit his body. He swore he could feel some of his wounds reopen. He clutched himself in anguish.
"GRIAN!" Mycia called, Falling down next to him, and helping him back up onto the wool. "Are you ok?!" Mycia inquired, her voice full of worry and concern, and he could hear a slight hint of panic in her tone.
"M-Mhm" Grian whimpered, He internally cringed at how his voice slightly cracked.
He could feel tears forming in his eyes, and he knew Mycia could see them too.
Mycia looked at him sympatheticly, Which practically killed his heart. She took the end of her cloak and wiped away the tears the had began to fall down his cheek. The pain began to subside, and although his body was still aching from his sudden 'outburst', He was able to release his death grip on himself. Thats when Mycia switched their attention.
Mycia checked him over throughly, Her turning face grim every time they found a reopened wound. She took some fresh gauze, and then proceeded to line it with an herbal blend they had made in order to ensure the wounds would heal properly, and to lessen the chance of infection, Which to Grian's surprise, the scent was pleasant, admitting a floral smell from it. After lining it, They wrapped it tightly around the wounds, making sure they were tight enough to except pressure to stop the bleeding m, but not tight enough to stop circulation. Then she went over the the counter, grabbing a clay cup. They filled it with hot water, then placed some tea leaves in it to brew up some tea, After it was brewed, They added milk and honey to sweeten the taste. Finally, She took a small pouch from a cabinet in the counter. Inside were dark black seeds that resemble tiny blackberries. Carefully, They took two and dropped them into the tea, then stirred it all together. She took the tea and held it out to Grian, Signaling for them to take the cup.
Grian took the cup and starred down at it. He could feel the warmth through the rough, dry, clay surface. The aroma was similar to chai tea, with a small hint of honey. After staring at the tea for a few minutes, He took a sip. His tastebuds were overflowing with flavor. The main flavor he could pinpoint was a sweet cream-honey blend that he adored, However, When he focused more, He noticed a subtle herbal taste in the back, that weirdly complimented the sweet blend that he adored. The next thing he noticed is that he began to feel quite drowsy. Rubbing his eyes to try to keep himself awake and alert longer, he looked up to Mycia with confused but tired eyes.
"Poppy seeds. They work like pain killers, but they also tend to cause people who consume them to feel drowsy" She answered simply, somehow understanding what he was wondering.
Grian, who was too tired to respond, gave them a small nod. Thinking about her words, he realized that his pain had eased and faded, if not completely went away.
Mycia gave him a small smile "I'll leave you be to rest, I'll be back later," She whispered softly. Then, without making a sound, She left the room, Vanishing into the tunnel. Grian took this as a sign to lay down.
Once he was in a comfortable position, He closed his eyes, letting his drowsiness take over, Allowing him to rest peacefully for awhile.

Chapter Text

Grian awoke to the same setting from the other day-- night? He wasn't sure what time it was, it was moments like this that he wished he had a clock on him. Maybe he should've followed Bdubs' advice- Anyways, that wasn't important. What WAS important is that he was stuck here, while the hermits were probably panicking or searching for him above ground. He'd try to get out of bed if it hadn't been in a lot of pain last time he did. So instead he laid there, letting out a small groan.

Soon, after what felt like forever (but was really like, 5 minutes), he heard a similar shuffling, which he learned previously was the shuffling of hooves. His face lit up at the arrival of his new friend from the day-- no, night? It didn't matter-- from the time before he fell asleep.

"Oh, you're awake! Hope you had a good rest," Mycia greeted the avian.

"Yeah I did, I guess that's all I'll be doing for the next few days though, huh?" Grian guessed.

To Grian's surprise, he was wrong. "Actually, no! You spent 3 days resting, 4 including what happened yesterday, so your wounds have pretty much healed up. We're actually going to start a sort of physical therapy, if you will," Mycia informed her client.

Grian stared back at her, processing the words, "Wait, does that mean I can go back up soon?! I thought I messed up my injuries yesterday- or last night--, wouldn't that mean they have to heal again?" Grian rambled, Mycia giving him a thoughtful look. "... Yes that is true, But you only reopened a few, Really the only thing it hindered is that you'll probably start standing and walking either tomorrow or the day after instead of today." Mycia enlightened Grian.

"Wait-- So what am I doing today then-?" Grian questioned.

"Were just gonna be prepping for tomorrow, also we're gonna try to get you moving your limbs without a serious amount of pain."

"Oh- I guess I should try moving around then, huh?" Grian questioned the mymercilar in front of him.

"Oh- Yeah, First, try to sit up," They instructed.

Grian nodded, following her orders. He first turned onto his back, as he was previously, stirring up a whimper as a small aching had emerged onto their back. Clearly, it was sore after coming into contact with both the weight and the broken bits of the barrels and barge on that fateful night. Sucking in a breath, he placed both of his arms to the side of him, and slowly began to lift himself up. While he was making his way up, he began using his wings to help him push off the soft surface he was previously laying on. He winced, feeling how unkept his wings were. The feathers were an absolute mess, and definitely needed preening soon. Flying would probably be hard, but that was a future Grian problem. As they made his way up, He bent their knees slightly so they weren't in an uncomfortable position.

He finally let out a breath, "Okay, Whats next?" He eagerly asked, wanting desperately to leave. Its not like he disliked it here, He met a new friend after all and it was quite peaceful, But he yearned to get back to the hermits, as well as stop them from worrying and possibly panicking-- That is if they actually noticed he was gone.

"Right, try stretching your limbs out and moving them around, don't go too fast though, or you might pull a muscle." Mycia then commanded.

Grian nodded once more. First, he lifted up his arm, ignoring the pain that shot through it. Slowly, he stretched it out and moved it around, bending it and unbending it, getting used to the way it worked again. He repeated this process with his other arm and his legs. Afterwards, He focused on his wings. Bracing himself, he flexed one wing, opening it up and then closing it. He winced again, the feathers moving and rubbing against his skin in uncomfortable ways. Then, he flapped it. A sharp pain shot through the injured feathery appendage, loose feathers flying all over the place. He swore he even heard Mycia sneeze once. He brought his wing over around him, running his hands down the feathers, soothing the pain, letting out a breath that he wasn't even aware he was holding. Then he repeated the motions with the other wing, being much more careful to not flap as hard, nor as fast. Less feathers fell out this time, but it was still concerning that so many did. God, this is gonna be so annoying to clean up later, He thought, letting out a sigh.

"Alright, what's next?" Grian questioned once more.

"Right, So next-" Mycia was cut off by a growl, that growl coming from Grian's stomach. His cheeks turned a light shade of pink.

"...We get you some food!" She snickered.

"R-Right." Grian stuttered, looking away in embarrassment.

Mycia walked away, cooking up some more stew, like the one from before. Mixing in the mushrooms and herbs, she poured it into a wooden bowl. As it filled it up, she channeled the energy from the mushrooms surrounding her into the stew, causing it to slightly glow. Soon the light died down, and the bowl of delicious medicine was ready to be served. Walking back to the avian, who had his wings folded around him, and was currently plucking out some loose feathers, she placed the bowl beside him.

"Oh, Thank you!" Grian shifted his attention from his still very messy wings to the dish in front of him. While he made work of the delectable food, he couldn't help but feel the uneasy eyes of the mymercilar as she stood next to him.

"...Is something wrong?" He asked.

"Oh! Uh- Sorry if I was staring, I was just wondering what you were doing to your wings earlier-?" She inquired.

Grian looked a little surprised. "Oh uh- I thought you would know-- It's called preening, it's what us avians do to keep our wings clean, and in tip-top shape! It helps us fly better when our feathers are aligned properly," Grian hastily explained.

Mycia simply nodded. "I see."

A short period of awkward silence followed that, the only noise being Grian eating his food.

"Right um.. What's next?" He broke the silence.

"Oh! Well, Considering we want to get you walking by tomorrow, I think the next course of action is getting you to stand!" Mycia's bounced straight back into the conversation. However that wasn't what left Grian shocked. 

Grian's mind raced. Standing up? Last time I tried I... Grian vividly recalled the immense pain he was in, Tumbling down to the floor the minute he got off the bed. It shook him to his core. He averted his gaze, trying to hide the fear in his eyes.

"Are... Are you sure? I don't want to move too fast..." He queried, voice quivering.

Mycia was able to read him like a book apparently, or she could read their mind-- Grian wasn't sure which it was-- Since they said in a soft voice "You're not gonna fall again if that's what you're worried about, I'm here to catch you if you do! If you aren't ready though, We can wait till tomorrow," They assured. 

Grian pondered over this offer. Yes, they would like some time to recover from the incident mentally, but he desperately wanted to get back to the hermits. He knew how much they worried, and they didn't want to be the cause of that.

"...You promise you'll catch me if I fall?"

"I promise." Mycia concluded, lifting a hoof and putting it out to him.

"...Then let's do it." They took hold of the hoof.

Grian shifted his weight towards the edge of the bed. Soon their feet were hanging off the edge. He couldn't help but feel nervous. Yes, Mycia was there, but he had only just met them the day before, And they weren't quite sure how fast Mycia would be. Maybe I shouldn't... But the others... ARGH! Why is this so hard damn it?! It's just standing, Get a hold of yourself!  

Mycia gazed over them, a thoughtful look painted on her face, though they didn't speak a word to him.

Sucking in a deep breath, Grian allowed himself to slip off the bed, his feet hitting the floor. Immediately he felt himself collapse to the ground, and he instinctively grabbed onto his new friend as they reached out and held onto her like it was the end of the world. Slowly, he lifted himself up, struggling to keep himself up straight. His legs shook like an earthquake and he was at their mercy. Not only was he shaking as if he were in a blizzard, but they could feel the ever growing pain in their legs as the pressure kept building, feeling as if something kept weighing him down. His arms began to ache from all the strain he was putting on them, attempting to keep himself upright. He felt a pair of hooves push him back to the bed.

Sitting down had never felt so relieving before. The pain went away as his limbs eased and relaxed after having to hold him up. Damn, he really hadn't used them in a while, had he?

"Well, that didn't go exactly to plan, But it's a start. Though it was rough, I think I have an idea of how we can get you walking again!" Mycia cheered.

Grian looked up in interest, hope and excitement sparkled in his eyes.

"Water therapy! I- Uh- I'll actually have to leave for a bit so I can get a conduit though. We have a small spring down here we can use but no clothes you can change into-- So the next best thing is a conduit!" Mycia explained with clear excitement and passion in their voice. Before Grian could even reply, she bolted out of the room, leaving him alone. 

Hours went by, and that didn't help Grian's increasing boredom waiting for Mycia. Eventually, he heard the thumping of hooves, but something was off. They were quieter, and the pitch was higher. Grian tensed as the figure entered the room, only to relax when he saw how small they were. The figure was very similar to Mycia, meaning they were most likely a mymercilar. Their pelt was a tawny brown instead of the amaranth red that covered Mycia, however the silver cow print was the same, minus the fact that they weren't in the same area. Their horns, hooves, and tail tip were a dark brown instead of the black that Mycia had. The two most interesting things though were their eyes and their mushrooms. Unlike the other, they didn't have a giant mushroom top on their head, rather, a trail of small  brown mushrooms running down from their head to the tip of their tail. Their irises were colored an ivory white, and Grian didn't fail to notice the white that clouded their pupil. Are they blind? I shouldn't ask… The figure stopped, but didn't look up at them. Then, they broke the silence. "Are you the person Mycia brought down a few days ago?". Their voice had a slight British accent and was fairly a higher pitch, not similar to anyone he knew, but sounded like a young child, a young boy to be exact.

"...Yes I am, what's your name, little one?" Grian asked the young mymercilar.

"C-Casper! He/They, preferably they/them though, what about you?" The child-- No, Casper answered, and asked with delight. Wow, I didn't have to ask them their pronouns Grian thought to themself.

"Name's Grian, He/They, Altering Preference, nice to meet ya Casper!" Grian grinned, reaching his hand out to them. They didn't take it for a bit, Then took it, muttering an "Oh wait-" while they did. This only furthered their suspicions on Casper being blind.

"Um... Question, If its too personal or invasive you don't have to answer, but are you by any chance blind..?" Grian entreated, hesitation lacing his voice.

Casper blinked, not at him for Casper wasn't look at him, But blinked nonetheless.

"Yeah! Although I can see things through the mycelium and stuff." Casper bubbled, smiling.

Well... That was quite an energetic answer-  

Then they processed what Casper fully said, and his mind began to race with questions.

"Wait. Did you say you could see through the mycelium?"

"Oh, thats probably not normal is it?" Casper questioned.

"Yeaaaah-- Most of us can't really do that-" 

"Oh. Well, I can sense things through the mushrooms and mycelium, or that's what Messumnia said..." Casper explained.

Messumnia? Thats a new name, probably someone else who lives here, Grian thought, listening attentively.

"...Anyways, everythings black, but I see outlines of everything in color, like your flickering from yellow and red," Casper finished, stopping in between words thinking about how to explain.

"Oh, I see! Um, How are you able to do this, if that's okay for me to ask?" Grian asked, curious.

"Oh-! Well, um, Messnumia said it might be because I was born differently or something? Something about my variant and coat color? I don't really know, sorry..."

Grian looked at the calf with a sympathetic smile, "No need to apologize! You did nothing wrong," Grian assured them.

Casper simply smiled. Then, he came towards the bed and crawled onto it. Once they managed to get up, they laid against Grian's arm. Immediately, he felt warmth spread through him, instinctively wrapping his somewhat-messy wing around them. They could feel Casper's fur, It was short, but soft. Closing their eyes, they took in the peaceful demeanor of the situation. Slowly, he began to lean back, and drifted off into a slumber.

Grian slowly fluttered their eyes open, immediately taking notice of the lack of warmth on their side, indicating that Casper had seemed to have left a while ago.

Letting out a yawn, he slowly sat up, for once without much difficulty. The avian stretched out their limbs, and flexed his wings, making sure that they didn't cramp up during his rest.

If he hadn't been sleepy, they probably would have been shocked at how easily they could move around now. Though they still felt weak and sore, he had been feeling better than before, especially considering it had only been about 5 days. Maybe there was something in the mushroom stew? He silently thought to himself.

A loud rustling was heard through the corridors of the tunnel system, and from it, came a stumbling Mycia, with a satchel full of goodies.

"Oh goodness! You alright there?" Grian, though tired, had a concerned expression. They shifted uncomfortably, wanting to help his new friend, but unable to reach them.

"I'm alright, I'm alright! Just a little excited is all!" Mycia chirped, quickly lugging their load of loot onto the counter she had previously made mushroom stew at. Pulling out a round glass bottle, filled with a bright magenta liquid, Mycia made their way to her patient. The liquid sloshed around the clear encasing, coating the room with the soft sound of it swishing around. 

Grian immediately recognized the contents of the bottle when Mycia handed it over to him. The pink tint and warmth the liquid emitted told them all they needed to know; It was a regeneration potion.

Without wasting a second, Grian took out the cork and downed the bottle. The effect was slow, but they could feel a sweet relief as the lingering sting in their wounds washed away. Looking back up, he noticed that Mycia offered another potion, colored with a deep rosewood; Strength. He gratefully took the bottle and drank every drop. Unlike before, the effect was immediate, and they could feel the strength return to their body in an instant.

"Thank you! Those helped a lot!" Grian gave a genuine smile, his wings puffed out.

"I'm glad! I heard that potions do wonders for wounds, so I thought they would help." Mycia stashed away the empty bottles into the satchel again.

"They sure did! So, what are we doing now?"

"Ah, well, as I mentioned before rushing out yesterday, we're gonna try water therapy! But first-- We need to get you there!" 

"Wait--Water therapy-? I mean-- It's a good idea but wouldn't I get wet? Not that I mind, but I don't have a change of clothes-" They swung their legs back and forth, leaning back and propping his arms behind him in a more comfortable position.

"Well yes, that's true, which is why..." She paused, digging through her satchel before triumphantly taking out a beige orb, "I brought this!" She finished, holding it up proudly.

"Is that a conduit? How did you get your hands- er, hoofs- on one?!" Grian beamed, leaning forward in interest.

"I traveled quite a bit, but I was able to collect everything to make one! I also bought some prismarine from one of the shops above." Mycia explained.

Without giving the injured avian a chance to respond, they dragged them off their bed, causing them to yelp, and steadied him before he fell.

"Okay- I guess we're going now?" Grian said, still somewhat shaking from the sudden movement.

They quickly made their way through the tunnels, Mycia pointing out different rooms and giving a brief explanation of each. She also rambled a bit about her customs and family. Grian learned many things about Mymercilars and how they worked.

Mymercilars had colonies, typically from 15-20 members. However, due to the hermits coming to the island, Mycia's tribe split up and there were only 6 members left, including Mycia and Casper.

Other than those two, there was their eldest sibling, Amanitana. They went by all pronouns, but mainly She/Her. She had a darker coat then Mycia, and no mushrooms, but rather dark maroon fur along his spine that went from the tip of their tail to the top of her head. According to Mycia, he's protective and cold to newcomers, making them seem very intimidating, but in reality, he's sweet and has a soft heart once you get to know her.

Next up were her parents. Her mother's name was Moriana, She/Her. Her pelt was like Casper's, and she had small mushrooms dotting down her back like them aswell.. Mycia's father's name was Ravine, He/Him. Unlike any of his children, his pelt was snow white, and like Casper and Moriana, he too had small mushrooms spotting his pelt. They both were kind and welcoming souls.

Lastly was their leader, Emolen, He/Him. His coat was a deep, dull, muted brown, and he had a large mushroom cap on his head, like Mycia. Unlike the others, his coat was plain, barren of any spots. He was said to be very wise from living for so many years, He was kind and often knew what was best for his colony.

It was quite interesting to learn about the colony honestly, and he hoped maybe one day he would actually meet the others, but they had doubts about that ever happening. 

Eventually, they made it to a room with a spring. Looking in the water, they noticed a small prismarine case was already constructed for the conduit to float in. Mycia placed it in the water, and pushed it towards the prismarine structure. It quickly gravitated towards the center of it, emitting a soft glow once it was in place. Grian slowly entered the water, gripping the sides so he didn't sink in. He felt the tension leave his leg as he wadded above the ground.

"Here! So you don't have to worry about staying afloat!" Mycia tossed a log into the water, Which Grian immediately grabbed onto. They flashed a grateful smile to the Mymercilar.

"Alright, Try kicking your legs and move around! That should help get your legs used to moving around again, along with building up strength!" She instructed.

Grian followed, slowly swimming around the area without the worry of applying pressure to his healing limbs. It was nice not to worry about wet clothes either, they didn't cling to his skin uncomfortably due to the conduit's power. He would have to thank whoever discovered such an artifact.

Sometime during the physical therapy session, Casper walked in and dropped off 2 newly cut stilts, made from oak wood that he somehow obtained from the surface– Grian had a sneaking suspicion he stole the logs, though that didn't stop him from feeling thankful for the little one. He would be able to walk easier now!

Soon, Grian grew tired from swimming endlessly-- Of course it wasn't like he swam non stop, they took breaks frequently, but swimming for a while really wore them down, which was surprising considering how much he swam in season 6. After he was too tired to continue, Mycia and Grian headed back to the room he stayed at in silence. Once they reached it, Mycia bid them farewell and good night and quickly left the room. Grian climbed back onto his bed, and wasted no time flopping down and immediately going to sleep.

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Small update--

I haven't started chapter 3, and I deeply apologize for that. I haven't been able to get myself to write the next chapter due to how burnt out I felt after writing chapter 2. Truth be told, I have no clue when I'll be able to sit down and begin writing chapter 3, However, I have some other oneshots and AU'S/Stories that I would be willing to post if you all would be interested!

I swear I will finish chapter 3 along with the rest of this story, I just need time to get motivation back for this story, I hope you all understand!

tl/dr I haven't started chapter 3 and I dont know when I will

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Hey all

Im sorry to say but im discontinuing this fanfic, Ive lost motivation to write for this specific story, and honestly have lost interest in this AU in general

I still plan to make content for this au in the future, but Im going to be focusing on my other AUs, specifically the MidWatcher AU(Which I will try to post some content for soon), as well as some content from other fandoms

I dont know how many people were actually following this story, but if anyone was, I apologize