"Grian!? Grian!?" A voice called Grian from the darkness. A voice that shouldn't have been real... was he dead? There was no way... but he couldn't die yet. "Grian! Grian?"
Grian's eyes finally opened. Gem exhaled in relief and hugged her friend tightly.
"Gem?" Grian's fragile voice coughed.
"Grian! You're awake!" Tears came to Gem's eyes.
"Where are we?" Grian managed to ask. He was laying on a white cot in a dome-shaped wooden structure... was he in a tree? Several potions lay beside him, some full and others completely emptied.
"It doesn't matter. What matters is what on earth happened to you and... how you're going to explain last night." False placed her hands on her hips.
"Oh." Grian realized he was still taller. His wings were folded behind his back. Last night had really happened. Grian's secret was out. After so many years of careful...
"Uh... Grian, have you noticed that your eyes are purple?" Gem frowned. Ah, there it was.
"We have a lot to catch up on, hermits."
"Yes. A lot indeed." Xisuma walked into the room, his arms folded.
Grian sighed angrily and managed to pull himself into a sitting position. He could feel a cast on his leg, but with a simple flick of his finger Grian's leg was completely restored. Gem gasped as she watched the cast fall to the ground and Grian's leg magically restore itself.
"Everyone who wants to hear my explanation can stay. I'm not explaining myself twice." Grian ordered in reluctance. He supposed he could mind muddle all of them to forget... but somehow Grian couldn't. He had vowed never to mess with anybody's minds, and Grian intended to keep that vow to his death.
When Xisuma had joined the small assembly, Grian began his tale.
"You know me as Grian. The watchers know me as Sunan. And my family... the admins... they both know me as Xelqua." Grian started. Xisuma interrupted.
"Whoah... how do the watchers tie into any of this?" Xisuma asked. Grian waved his hand and muted Xisuma for the time being.
"I suppose now that you know I'm the mystery prime I should start from the beginning." Grian scowled. "I was born in Evo. Mumbo was my neighbor. I lived there until I was twelve. That's when the watchers came. They murdered my parents and erased my memory." Grian paused. His past was still painful to talk about.
"I trained to be a watcher for four or five years. I was the head watcher's apprentice. I was incredibly powerful even as a watcher. I made a couple of friends there. They weren't selected to go to the battle where I met Prime 1." Grian fidgeted with the golden ring under his tunic.
"When the head watcher announced we were going to attack the admins directly, I was the first to volunteer. I placed myself on the front lines, and I took out countless admins." Grian pressed his eyes shut and forced himself to go on.
"That's when she came. She swooped down and challenged me to a duel. I was terrified, but I didn't let it show. And then suddenly she immobilized me and took out my entire army. I got thrown into the dungeons, and I was weaker than I had ever been in my life. I thought I would be there forever, but for some reason, the prime came back." Grian still wondered why she had taken such a special interest in him.
"She gave me back my memories, and before I knew it I was her apprentice. I trained for six years before she died and I became the prime. I had just taken on the responsibility when I met Mumbo again after so many years," Grian turned towards Xisuma with a warm, sad smile.
"I was so happy! And then Xisuma invited me to Hermitcraft, and I was sure I could never live a normal life again. But then Pearl took all my responsibilities and suddenly I was a hermit. I can never repay her properly. The rest is history, I suppose." Grian unmuted Xisuma.
"I can't believe you kept all this to yourself for so long... so many years..." Gem cupped her hands to her mouth. All four looked absolutely astounded.
"Did I have a choice?" Grian asked, sounding resigned.
"You always had a choice," Xisuma whispered. Grian felt tears spill down his face, but he quickly wiped them away. He had to stay in control.
"Is that why the floaty evil from last night called you Notch? Because you're the most powerful admin who ever lived?" False asked suddenly.
"Not exactly." Grian's face twisted into something like a smile. "You see, in a manner of speaking I am really Notch. Well, his direct descendant. I can inherit his powers if I choose to." A thunderstruck silence met Grian's words. Grian gave a small snicker at his audience's faces.
"Then why don't you choose to?" A black-robed figure entered the room. He had tan skin and dark hair. His face was scarred and he radiated with a red aura.
"Because it would end Minecraftia as we know it." Grian smiled. "Hello, Zebdar. Nice to meet you. You can call me Xelqua. Thanks for the help last night." Grian got to his feet.
"Ooh, you healed yourself. That's so cool, man I wish I could do that!" Zebdar's descendant knelt to inspect Grian's leg, grinning widely, "Oh, that was no problem by the way! I'm Scar!"
"Hello, Scar." Grian smirked.
"Wait wait wait- back up. You're a higher power, last night we encountered another higher power, and now this guy is a god too!?" Xisuma backed away. Grian shrugged in response.
"So we were hunting for gods!?" Gem gaped.
"Yes, two of them. As you can see, the third isn't that friendly." Grian glanced at his freshly healed leg.
"Woah, you were looking for me!" Scar looked honored. "It's so lonely here, just me and the jellie pandas." Scar lamented. "I'll totally join you or whatever you want me to do! You know, no matter how hard I've tried I've never been able to leave this server!"
"Okay... so where do we find the second higher power? Is he on a different server?" Xisuma budged in.
"No," Grian looked directly into Gem's brilliant green eyes, "She's right here." Grian placed his hand on Gem's shoulder.
"Wait.. why!? Me!? You - you think I'm a higher power!?" Gem gasped.
"No. I know you're a higher power. You can tell too, right Scar?" Grian nudged Scar.
"Oh yes, you are most definitely a higher power. Higher powers can always sense other higher powers. I read about it in a wizard manual!" Scar chuckled.
"Mhm." Grian wasn't really paying attention anymore. Notch, I need you... just like he had uttered a summon, Grian was pulled into his mindspace, vaguely aware that he had collapsed again in real life.
. . .
"Hey, Xelqua!" Notch cried cheerfully. Grian looked up and saw his grandfather silhouetted in the familiar bright white void.
"Notch." Grian dipped his head. "I need to know the spell to unlock the higher powers."
"Are you sure you want to do that? After you've already seen Herobrine's descendant and how much more powerful he'll be after you do the spell? And let me remind you of Herobrine's... ability. Just because you aren't affected doesn't mean the others won't be." Notch warned.
Grian wasn't sure what Notch meant, but he pretended to. "Yes, I'm aware." Grian hedged. Notch raised one eyebrow but said nothing more.
"Alright. As you wish. Notch pressed his pale hand to Grian's forehead, and in a burst of sparks Grian was suddenly back in the treehouse.
. . .
"Grian! What happened!? What's wrong with him!?" Grian heard False's voice shouting frantically.
"Geesh, nothing's wrong with me, False." Grian stood up. The watching faces told otherwise. "Now then I need to do something. Gem, Scar, come with me." Grian exited the room onto a bridge that spiraled around a large obviously man-made tree. It was an incredible building.
"Wait! Why can't we come?" Xisuma ran towards Grian. Grian immobilized him with a snap.
"Because this doesn't concern you, Void." Grian didn't even look at Xisuma as he leaped from the bridge to the ground, his wings gently fluttering him down. He could feel Gem and Scar following.
"What are you going to do?" Gem almost sounded scared.
"You'll see." Grian stopped in a large clearing.
"Ooh, I love surprises!" Scar rubbed his hands together in glee.
Gem watched, nervous, from the sidelines. Grian threw off his robes, and Gem was struck with awe as she caught a glimpse of Grian's magic marks when he turned away.
Grian laced his fingers together and knelt to the ground, muttering in ancient galactic. He began to pulse with a golden light. Then suddenly Grian looked up and yelled something before slamming the palms of his hands into the earth.
"∷ᒷᓭℸ ̣ 𝙹∷ᒷ ℸ ̣ ⍑ᒷ !¡𝙹∴ᒷ∷ᓭ 𝙹⎓ ⍑╎⊣⍑ 𝙹ꖎ↸!"
A sonic wave of white light hit Gem and Scar square in the chest. Gem stumbled back and screamed. A red hot pain filled her. Gem clutched her head, feeling as if it would split in two any second. She could feel herself absorbing light, filling with power. It was too much power.
Gem fell to her knees. She could see Scar on his own knees out of the corner of her eye, but everything was hazy. There was a crack. Then mini explosions of pain everywhere. Gem crumbled to the ground, writhing in agony.
Then suddenly the pain stopped. A warm, powerful feeling enveloped Gem. She felt completely in control, better than she had ever felt before.
Grian watched as Gem got to her feet, smiling serenely. Vines wove their way up from the ground and twisted around Gem's legs and torso, welcoming the lady of nature back. Flowers bloomed in Gem's hair, and a shining green glow outlined her figure.
Antlers adorned Gem's freckled face, and they were soon interwoven with more vines and flowers. When the transformation was complete, a glowing green halo of the higher powers appeared over Gem's head. Sheep, pandas, wolves, and bees alike surrounded the young woman, drawn to her by an invisible force.
Grian smiled, "Welcome back, Niaya. Lady of nature." Grian bowed. Gem giggled and leaned down to pet one of the wolves, cooing softly.
"Thank you," She whispered, her beautiful voice barely audible.
Grian turned to Scar. Zebdar's descendant was still on his knees, clenching his temples. When Scar finally looked up wore a nefarious grin. "Whoah, thanks Xelqua! I feel so much different! So powerful!" Scar got to his feet. He was now adorned with a crimson top hat, a trademark tool of Zebdar's.
"Scar..." There was a warning in Grian's voice.
"Oh no, don't worry! I'm not evil!" Scar laughed. "Whoah, what do you think I can do now? Hey, Gem! Wow, you look so cool!" Scar pranced over to the second higher power.
"Thanks!" Gem practically sparkled with joy. The pain had been so worth it.
"Ooh look! Do I get a halo!? Prime admin, I want a halo!" Scar snickered like a toddler.
"Fine, you can have a halo!" Grian relented. "Just be patient!" Just as Grian finished speaking a bright red halo appeared around Zebdar's descendant's head.
"Ooh! Thanks, Xelqua!" Scar danced around.
"It wasn't me." Grian's words went unheard.
"Can I bring some zombies to life and prank Xisuma and False?" Scar pleaded.
"NO. You cannot just use your powers to scare people! We're trying to be serious, Scar!" Grian huffed.
"Aww." Scar hung his head and Grian facepalmed. He was quickly getting to know Zebdar's descendant... and he wasn't exactly easy to work with.
Suddenly Grian heard a clap of thunder and rain began to pelt down on the admins. The sky was abnormally dark. Something's happened... oh dear, is Pearl...!?
The alarm must have surfaced on Grian's face because Gem looked worried. "Is it the other prime admin, Grian? Can you feel that, too?"
"N - no. Not exactly." Grian remembered his nausea last time Pearl had been in mortal danger. "But something's happened. Something terrible."
"What's happened?" Gem screeched above the howling wind. Grian didn't respond, but he threw a portal key at the lady of nature.
"I have to go! Get the others and meet me at the admin headquarters!" Grian called before vanishing in a flash of golden sparks.
All Grian knew was that he needed to find Pearl... before it was too late.
a/n: Thank you guys for the support on this story! :D. Please leave a like or drop a follow to support me if you enjoy this story. It means a lot! Can't wait to press on to the next chapter!