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Grian sat on the edge of the cliff, running his fingers through the fabric of Scar’s cloak.
It wasn’t fair.
Things weren’t supposed to turn out the way they did.
He could feel eyes on him, but not the harsh judgemental eyes he had grown used to in the years before hermitcraft.
These gazes were soft, sad, sympathetic.
As the sun set, he felt an exit open in the sky.
A small pinpoint.
He felt the presence of the players leave.
He didn’t notice that one stayed.
Standing up, he draped the cloak over the lifeless body of his lover.
He would come to him soon. He had something to take care of first.
Down the mountain, to the secret base in the sand. That’s where JImmy’s body lay.
It wasn’t the body that was eerie. It was the fact that there was no decay and no wounds. Like they had healed.
Grian hoisted Jim over his shoulder.
The canary avian was lightweight, and it wasn’t hard to bring him to a flat plain at the base of monopoly mountain.
And so the sun went, gathering the bodies of the fallen players.
Cleo in the stream behind her base.
Skizz on the upper floor of the Crastle.
Joel next to the crater in the desert.
He gathered them, and laid them next to Jimmy, closing their eyes if they weren't already.
Scott in the forest by the river.
Etho in a pit in dogwarts.
Tango in the wheat inside dogwarts.
And so he carried each player to monopoly mountain. They looked oddly serene. As if they had gone out happily, and not in their own bloody battles.
Ren halfway up the staircase out of dogwarts.
Martyn, lying in the growing carrots.
Impulse, half under the moat of the crastle.
As the bodies accumulated in the sand, Grian knew the most tedious task was coming upon him.
BigB, next to the Wool Castle in the swamp.
Bdubs, in a pool of water in the forest.
And Scar, lying on the top of monopoly mountain.
Grian sat on a stone jutting out from the base of the mountain, watching the dead players as if they would do something.
Opening his inventory, with the wood and stone that he had gathered on his journey, he set to work.
Each player had their own coffin, engraved with something representing who they were this session.
Scar had a beautiful dark oak coffin, engraved with amethyst lilacs and redstone poppies.
Jimmy got a sandstone coffin decorated with every flower Grian could find.
Scott got a birch coffin, also with all the flowers.
Each member got their own coffin.
Not just with their titles, but a symbol that meant something to them.
Whether that be a flower or a sword.
Finally, wiping his brow, Grian sat back from the final coffin.
Nothing too fancy.
A simple spruce one, with a golden sun in the center.
Happy with his work, Grian looked out over the sea of coffins.
He could finally leave.
He trekked up monopoly mountain, savoring the good memories they had on it.
As he reached the cliff, he looked back at the coffins one last time.
And he stepped off.
Grian opened his eyes.
The exit was no longer a pinpoint but a door.
And standing by it was the last person he had expected to see.
“...I didn’t expect you to do all that. For everyone.”
“Why not?”
“I just didn’t think you would want to live on that server any longer. Being alone, without us and all that.”
“Yeah.”
“I’m grateful you did though. I think it healed something in you to do that.”
“...You’re not gonna remember this. You know that?”
“I do. But I think this last chat is going to save you a lot of pain.”
“?”
“I have one last thing to say before I go.”
“And what is that?”
“I forgive you.”
“...”
“In every universe, I will forgive you.”