Watching and Listening - An Empires SMP AU

Learning the truth

           Jimmy opened eyes he hadn't realized were tightly shut to see the hermits looking at him concernedly again. "Sorry, I was just remembering." He said. "Okay, explain to me what's going on?" Tango said. "Grian just said that he was taken by something called the Watchers and then Jimmy started zoning out." Scar said. "This will be difficult to explain." Grian muttered. "That's what False said," Tango reminded him.

           "Wait, what was that about False?" Jimmy blinked. The hermits immediately started mumbling excuses. "Um, nevermind," Grian said quickly. "Look, I'll explain the Watchers now." Jimmy got the feeling it was just to change the subject.

           "There are these really powerful multiversal beings called the Watchers. They're called that because they're supposed to watch over various dimensions. Timmy and me used to be in a world that was watched by them." Grian said. "And then one day we tried to kill the ender dragon... They took me."

           "Why?" Jimmy asked, a mess of confusing emotions. "Why did they take you?" Scar and Tango asked at the same time. Grian paused for a moment, hesitating, wondering if he should tell them. "They turned me into a Watcher," He finally said. Scar and Tango stared at him. "You look more like a cod man than a powerful multiversal being." Scar said, and everyone laughed.

           "I'll have you know I'm extremely powerful!" Grian squawked. "Then show us your Watcher powers of however they're called." Tango said. Grian opened his mouth to respond but he stopped when he caught sight of Jimmy. The sheriff's eyes were looking straight at the hermits but also at something beyond them. For the third time that conversation, he'd zoned out while remembering something.

           Jimmy was on a whole other level. He suddenly remembered the day they'd fought the ender dragon. But this time he remembered it as it actually happened. The Watchers took Grian. All the evolutionists couldn't stop them. Grian was just gone... Gone to become one of them. And then, on the first day Jimmy was taken to the life games, his memory of Grian being a Watcher was just plucked from his mind like it had never happened.

           "I remember now," Jimmy said softly. "I remember 1 and 2 taking you to be a Watcher." "Yeah, they made you guys forget. Watchers have the power to mess with minds," Grian said grimly. "When triggered, though, the memory will sometimes comes back."

            "Wait, 1 and 2? I'm so confused," Scar said, head spinning. "That's what the first Watchers called themselves," Grian explained. "I was 3, since I was the third Watcher. And then 2 made 4 a Watcher, so 1 decided to let us all have Watcher names to make it less confusing." "Watcher name?" Tango mused. "It's to help detach from your pre-Watcher life," Grian said, scowling. "When I was with them, Grian didn't exist. I was Xelqua."

           "That's a cool name," Tango said, but he immediately backed off when Grian glared at them. "Don't you dare say it," Grian warned. "I hate it and I hate them and don't you dare say it." "I get it, I get it," Tango said quickly. "Why do you hate them so much, Grian?" Scar asked curiously. Jimmy was curious too. From what he remembered, the Watchers weren't that bad... Although he'd begun to suspect them of... things.

           "I hate them because they're evil!" Grian shouted. "The stuff they did- the stuff they made me do! They're the ones who put you guys in the life games!" Jimmy, Tango, and Scar shot furtive glances at each other. The life games didn't deserve to simply be called games. Death matches, maybe, but never games. Friends being forced to kill each other to survive... Jimmy was slightly glad he was always first out, because it meant he had less trauma. But he still knew how bad it was after his death.

            "And you too," Tango said quietly, looking at Grian. "No, they didn't put me in," Grian said. "They tried to keep me out of the world's they used to make the games but I used my powers to slip inside. I was trying to get you guys out but nothing I did ever worked." Jimmy didn't know what possessed him to do it, but on a whim he hugged him. "It's okay, Grian, we're all here alive, aren't we?" He said, trying to be comforting.

           "This is only the break between games," Grian scowled, breaking free of the hug. "To let you guys get over your trauma. You need to be mentally well enough for the next game. Because sooner or later the Watchers are going to get bored and put you all back into that world and make you kill each other. And I can't do anything to stop it!" The hermit punched the table as be spoke.

           The other three looked at each other uncomfortably. They didn't like seeing Grian like that. What do I say? How can I help? No matter how annoying he is, he's still my friend, Jimmy thought, shifting uneasily. "Grian," Jimmy started, reaching out to him, but Scar made it first. The hermit, with his face cut up from one of the Watcher's life games, hugged Grian tightly like he would never let go, and Grian returned the hug, shaking quietly.

---

           Gem sat with Scott in his llama gardens, talking. The two of them had taken to discussing things there, where people usually avoided because of the spitting llamas. It meant that people were less likely to overhear. She'd already had the instance of Jimena and Scott eavesdropping on the hermits telling her about the clone False and now she heard rumors about a fight at Cogsmeade. She didn't want to know what that was about but had the nagging feeling that she should. 

           "What do you think the rift means?" Scott asked suddenly, petting Owen. Gem paused. She knew what Scott meant. The ones who had created the rift and put it there had certainly done it with a particular purpose in mind. And yet nothing so far had happened... it was quite disconcerting. "Probably just to see the interaction between the hermits and emperors," Gem said. "They might've wanted a new show while waiting for the next games." Scott nodded but looked lost in thought. 

           "I have friends that tell me that they're planning something big," Scott said. "That this is the calm before the storm." Gem knew he was right. He wouldn't have gone to the trouble of tearing the rift open and causing the hermit incursion without making sure that it would profoundly benefit him. Gem wondered what he was up to. What his angle was. What profit he was hoping to reap. 

           "Grian being here probably isn't an accident," Gem said. "No, it definitely isn't an accident. The rift on the hermit's side is literally in Grian's wall." "So they want Grian in this world," Scott mused. "For what reason?" "I'm just as clueless as you," Gem sighed. Suddenly she felt tapped out and she leaned backward, closing her eyes.

           "Scott, what are we supposed to do with this knowledge?" "Something," Scott said firmly. "We have to do something." "I don't think I've been doing anything like this before I found out about you," Gem admitted. 

           "You mean help stop the games?" Scott asked. "Or anything related to them at all," Gem said darkly. "I knew about them and what they were capable of and yet I just stayed out of their way. I didn't agree with them but I didn't do anything to stop them either." "Gem, there's a whole war out there and no one knows about it," Scott said. "Whether you knew or not know about it or could or couldn't do something about it, it's happening." 

           "And I have powers that I use to roleplay," Gem hissed. "If that's what I waste my powers on then maybe someone else should have it." "That's the problem," Scott said softly. "There are others who have it. And you're the only one on our side."