TW: Kidnapping; Murder; Forgiveness; Implied Abuse; Implied Corruption; Death; Spoilers for LL!;
Last Life x HC8 x Evo
Allay!Grian & Vex!Scar
~
No one knew who one of the new players were. No one even knew what they looked like. Xisuma had no clue of their arrival, only noticing that when items were dropped, it would multiply, instead of disappearing.
Etho noticed when he saw the soft blue glow out of the corner of their eye, along with hearing the rustle of underbrush. At first, they thought it was Scar or Cub having less control of their powers then normal, or perhaps Bdubs was sleepwalking?
"Bdubs? Scar? Cub?" Etho called out, turning to look where the glow came from.
The arctic fox heard the squeak and saw the humanoid creature run further into the woods, before dropping into a cave.
None of their friends would've ran, so Etho pulled his sword out before dropping to the ground. They walked to the cave, before dropping into it. Making a round in the cave, he saw another exit.
Etho saw the small specks of what looked like the effect that came off Scar during him doing magic, but didn't follow it. They hummed before shrugging and returning to building his base. They trusted Xisuma would warn people if the humanoid creature was dangerous.
Scar noticed it when he started finding sand in his shulker boxes. He didn't have to go gather the sand, because the Sand Fairy would give it to him.
Along with cookies.
He was concerned that the Sand Fairy was stealing Impulse's candy, but didn't say anything. He would if Impulse mentioned his cookies were being stolen.
...
Grian couldn't help it.
Despite being terrified, he checked up on the members of the Lifers that were Hermits.
He didn't want to be seen when trying to figure out who was apart of the Lifers. So he snuck into the Admin's house.
He was both annoyed and worried that the Admin had a worse sleep schedule then he, so he just waited from a small space in the walls.
Except, whenever the admin would drop something, he couldn't help himself. He had to find more to help them.
He needed to help.
So he did.
Luckily the Admin didn't seem to notice him, though that only made the seed of worry in his heart grow. The admin needed to rest...
He brought multiple copies of the fallen item to the admin, only hiding when the Admin seemed to be slightly aware of their surroundings.
The Admin was flabbergasted about the items, and looked around for a source of the items. By the Fourth night this happened, the Admin decided to talk.
"Uh, thank you? You don't have to hide, you know." The Admin said. "Could- Do you need anything?"
Grian shook in the space in the wall, feeling his spectral form grow brighter. The Admin noticed.
"No need to be scared or feel pressured to show yourself. You can continue to hide if it makes you feel better. I don't mind if you steal some of my pillows or things. The Hermitcraft server is a safe place for everyone." The Admin said. "I'm Xisuma, by the way."
Tears fell down Grian's cheeks as he smiled like a goof from the wall. He didn't want to leave his safe space, but he wanted to hug the admin too.
"X-eye-zoom-a." Grian said softly.
Xisuma laughed and shook his head. "Just ask if you need something."
Grian pulled a paper from his inventory and began writing. He folded the paper into an airplane before opening the entrance slit far enough to throw it.
"Huh?" Xisuma grabbed the airplane as it landed on his desk. "Uh? Sorry?"
"...open?" Grian said softly.
Xisuma shrugged before opening the paper airplane. "You... want to know if these people are on the server?"
Grian hummed and tucked his face into his elbow.
"Most of them are. Impulse, Ren, Etho, Scar, Bdubs, Tango, and Cleo are members of Hermitcraft. Why?"
Grian felt both a nervousness and a happiness at that. He spoke softly, using the chatter of souls to hide his real voice. "...I knew them once..."
"Would you like me to message them?"
"No-" Grian said quickly. "No. I..."
"Your afraid they don't care for you anymore?" Xisuma asked.
"...memory..."
"Your afraid they don't remember you?"
Grian hummed.
...
Grian watched Etho build, wanting to approach the arctic fox and hide from them. He was scared Etho would attack him if they saw him.
But when Etho called out names looking at him, he ran. He'd been watching Etho for a while, so he knew the cave nearby had another exit. Jumping into the small cave, he followed the runes he'd created on the walls, luckily the runes were only visible to Vex and Allays, towards the exit.
Stopping at the other entrance, he let his form shift to his allay form, before flying into the underbrush and flying away.
He ended up at a weird ship caravan, but stayed hidden.
Tears filled his eyes as he heard the soft humming he'd grown to love. He flew up to one of the windows and saw the scarred Vex. The weight of his gold locket increased heavily as he stared at the man.
Impulse, Scar, Cleo, and three others were playing a game of cards. Two of the other people, he felt he knew before Last Life. Grian cast an illusion rune before watching them play.
Scar was laughing and smiling largely. Cleo seemed calm and relaxed. Impulse was happy and giggling while placing more candy on the table. Another person walked into the room, and Grian felt guilt and fear envelope him as he saw Bdubs carrying what looked like cake into the room.
He saw Bdubs and Impulse playfully punching Scar as Scar lowered his head in shame if something. It didn't make sense.
"...have they already gotten past it...?" Grian asked himself. "...perhaps they never blamed eachother?"
The last sentence was filled with hope. But he knew that was unlikely. He knew they wouldn't be as forgiving of him. He'd caused the most damage. He'd caused the most pain. He'd caused the most bloodshed. He'd 'won'.
How was he supposed to get them to forgive him, if he couldn't even forgive himself? He was scared of them.
Grian dropped from the sill and flew towards the empty space between the two incomplete man-made mountains. How could he prove he wasn't dangerous to them?
Looking at the sea, his eyes widened. The glint of gold under the sand gave him an idea.
He could give gifts.
Plus he could gather sand for Scar to build with! It would be a nice throwback to gathering sand in the desert.
But...
He didn't really want to spend time daily flying from X's house to wherever he was gathering materials.
He could build a house in the closest desert?
No.
He'd seen the map of the server in X's house. The closest desert was far.
Looking between the incomplete mountains, he looked at the cleared space. What if he...
He quickly picked out a space, before starting to build. It was quick that the small house was built, mostly because of his Allay instincts making him gather a lot of things.
By dawn, he quickly flew to the end. Spending a few hours end busting was boring, but he only stopped when he saw another person.
"Hey! Are you a new hermit?" The voice yelled up at him.
He squeaked and flew into the end city.
"Oh- No need to be scared! I was just gonna introduce myself." They laughed. "I'm Iskall."
Grian floated down to the ground floor and peaked out at them. They wore a brown vest over a green hoodie, and a Cybernetic eye.
"You alright?"
Grian hesitantly nodded before looking at the shulkers in his inventory. "...do you need something...?"
"Oh? No. I wanted to go end busting for shulkers and an elytra but everyone already got the closest cities." Iskall laughed.
An...? "Elytra?" Grian asked, stepping more into the doorway.
Iskall had a look of confusion. "Weren't you using an elytra earlier? They're wings."
Grian tilted his head before spreading his wings behind him.
"Oh! Sorry. I didn't realize you were a hybrid."
"How...?"
"What?"
"I glow."
Iskall blinked before shaking their head as they laughed. "Oh, I thought my eye was acting up."
"...would you like me to grab the wings from that ship?" Grian asked, pointing to the end ship. "I didn't grab it."
Iskall shook their head. "Nah, you can have that one. Even if you don't use it, you can sell them to the other Hermits."
"So I can sell it to you?"
"Uh, I guess? But it's a right of passage to get your own elytra every server. Wels, our resident Avian, usually just gets one to put on an armor stand to say he passed it. Those who don't get an elytra in their first few weeks get teased to hell and back. Usually elytra sells get more profitable later on in the season, when people lose their elytra but don't have time to get one themself."
"...so I can sell the Elytra to someone who dies a lot?"
Iskall blinked. "I guess?"
Scar...
"Does... Does Scar die a lot?"
Iskall raised an eyebrow. "He dies the most. He's our resident Totem of Dying. How did you know that?"
Grian looked up at the ship. "Scar seems like someone who'd die a lot..."
"Want to get it then join me in End Busting?" Iskall offered.
"...sure..."
And the day was spent. Grian growing more and more comfortable with Iskall around, him catching Iskall a few times when Shulkers hit the cyborg Hybrid above the Void, and just general joy.
"So what are you building this season?" Iskall asked.
Grian shrugged. "I think I imposed on a group earlier when I built my starter base. I might make a build in a desert though..."
"Oh? Cub last season made a giant pyramid and had this whole Pharoah thing going on. Scar and Ren held this Mayor Race thing, before starting the Turf war. Mumbo and I were hobbits too!"
"...mumbo...?"
"Yeah?" Iskall said. "He was actually supposed to be end busting with me today, but Doc must've brought up new Redstone schematics. Those two are the best Redstoners I know."
"...Mumbo tried teaching me once..." Grian laughed. "We knew loosely of eachother before we were friends. We actually became friends after going down a terrifying water slide!"
"Were friends?" Iskall asked. "You said that like you aren't anymore..."
Grian looked down into the Void beneath them. So empty. So desolate. So lonely.
"Iskall, I- I don't think I would recognize him if he stood in front of me. It was a long time ago. Back in Beta days."
Iskall nodded and rested a hand on Grian's shoulder. "I'm sure he'd be happy to see you again. He used to say how much he missed those in his friend group as a kid."
"...is he the one with the mustache?"
"Yes he has the mustache."
Grian giggled while Iskall looked confused. "He used to have this fake mustache he wore to make himself look older and more sophisticated. He'd use it to steal books on Redstone without worrying about the police finding him."
"Really?" Iskall laughed.
Grian nodded and giggled. "I think I have a picture!"
...
Grian spent most of his time collecting resources and messing with Iskall. They never asked why Grian avoided people, nor why Grian seemed to gather sand endlessly.
Atleast, they never pushed it. They knew Grian felt he needed to, but they didn't know why.
"Why do you need this much sand? You don't sell anything from what I know." Iskall asked, looking at the ten shulkers full of sand.
"Oh... I'm giving them to Scar." Grian said, placing another shulker down.
Iskall looked up and sighed. "Grian, why do you feel the need to pamper Scar without him knowing who?"
Grian looked at the shulkers. He needed to gather sand for Scar... "...I knew him once... He told me to gather sand... I'm an allay so I'm... even if it was in another server, I feel the need to help him by doing this..."
Iskall nodded. "Alright then. Would you like some help?"
Grian smiled and looked to the desert around them. "Yeah. Thank you."
"Anything for a friend."
...
Grian waved to Iskall and Stress before walking to Xisuma's place. It had been a few weeks, and he wanted to talk to X about Last Life. From what Iskall and Stress knew, they hadn't said anything about Last Life.
Grian knocked on the door and waited as he looked around. Soft footsteps approached the door, before opening.
Grian felt his stomach drop as he looked at Etho. "Ah, hello? Would you like to come in?"
Etho wasn't mad. Etho wasn't mad at him.
"Uh, yeah." Grian said, nervously.
Grian followed Etho into the Admin's house, and walked into the living room. Cleo, Bdubs, Impulse, Tango, Xisuma, Keralis, and another he didn't recognize sat in the room.
Thankfully he knew X and Keralis so he wasn't stranded in a room with people he was scared of.
"Hey." Grian waved.
"Guys, this is the third new member." Xisuma explained.
"Everything alright, Brian?" Keralis asked.
Grian hummed and smiled. "What's going on here?"
"Just a game night." Cleo said. "Also, welcome to Hermitcraft. I'm Cleo, and this nerd is Joe."
"Hi. Mind if I join?" Grian asked.
"Not really, just sit down anywhere."
It was a circular shape, at the head being X. Keralis sat on the left of X, with Grian on the left of him. Bdubs after Grian, with Etho and Impulse next. Tango and Cleo next, with Joe beside X.
"You know how to play BS?" Cleo asked.
"Yeah." Grian smiled as the memory of the first night on Last Life came back. Ren and Scar bickering while Cleo explained the game to Jimmy and Martyn. Grian watching confused while Joel and Skizz asked him about where he'd been.
Hours passed, with Grian laying his lies on thick. He was an amazing liar - or perhaps it was his ability to count cards without it seeming he is - and he won most rounds.
"Okay, how about we just call BS on Grian since he keeps winning?" Impulse asked.
Grian looked at his cards and pushed the feeling to laugh off. "Either way, I'd still win."
"Your literally playing mind games now." Etho snickered. "He's playing mind games. That TNT couldn't be that powerful."
Grian pushed the evergrowing feeling of unease aside to focus on the game and the enjoyment.
"Three 2s." Grian said, placing his twos down.
"BS." Joe called.
Grian smirked before flipping his twos over.
"Damn it!" Joe said, before picking up the laid cards.
"Maybe next time." Grian teased.
"Two threes." Bdubs said.
"BS." Grian said. Bdubs huffed as he picked up his five and four.
"Three fours." Etho said, placing the three cards down.
"Two fives." Impulse said.
"Three sixes." Tango yawned.
"Two sevens." Cleo said.
"Three eights." Joe shrugged.
"Two nines." X said.
"Three tens." Keralis said.
Grian glanced to the cards Keralis placed. Considering Grian had two tens, he knew Keralis was lying. Plus the fact Keralis placed four cards.
"Three Jacks." Grian placed his last three cards down.
"BS." Cleo said. Flipping the last three cards, he revealed he was truthful. "Well, shit."
Cleo didn't hesitate to pick up the cards, but she grumbled the entire time. Before... "Keralis you placed four cards, two of then not tens."
Grian snickered while Keralis blushed and glared softly at Grian. "Thank you all for helping me win."
"I swear, it's like you know how we think." Bdubs shook his head.
I do... Most of you have died to my hand or my traps...
"Nah. I'm pretty good at reading people." Grian stretched.
"Tired?" Bdubs asked.
"Suprised you aren't, aren't you the first to bed, last to rise?" Grian teased. Grian immediately realized he said far too much. "I should head back to my place before I get too tired."
Grian stood and waved before making a slight rushed escape to the hallway.
"Wait, how did you know that?" Bdubs said, grabbing Grian's wrist.
"What do you think your doing here." Martyn's voice growled from a memory.
Grian glanced back at the man. He seemed softer and calmer. God he hated how much Bdubs was different. How different all of them were.
"None of you remember Third Life, do you?" Grian asked. He examined Bdubs eyes, looking for a hint of green. Or yellow. Or even red. He needed something familiar.
"...I-" Bdubs let go of Grian's wrist. "...I'm sorry?"
Grian shook his head and looked to the door. He could leave. But he wanted to know the truth. So he turned back to look at Bdubs, he saw Etho and X in the doorframe, but pushed it aside. "We were on a server together, Third Life. It seems I'm the only one to remember."
Bdubs bit his lip and his brows furrowed. "...'m sorry..."
Grian shook his head. "Honestly? I'm glad no one remembers. It wouldn't effect your relationship with your friends."
"...Third Life was a hardcore type server?" Etho asked.
"Three life server. Green for three and yellow for two lives. Those on their last lives were red, and were allowed to be hostile. After your third death, you would be kicked from the server. I won, so that might be why I remember."
"That's why you ran from me?"
Grian bit his tongue. "I've ran from many of the Hermits, those in Third Life included."
Bdubs looked up at Grian. "How about you tell us about it?"
Grian bit back a yawn. "Maybe another day. I wasn't lying when I said I needed to head home."
"Alright then." Bdubs smiled, before shifting to an uncertain face. "Wait, where do you live?"
"Uh-" Grian thought for a moment. "I kind of intruded on a group's place, but no one's said anything."
"Your the person who built the house in Boatem!" Impulse pointed and smiled widely. He had stepped into the doorway at the words.
"...what?" Grian blinked.
"Wait, your the mystery Boatem Member?" Bdubs laughed.
"Uh? Sure?"
...
Grian felt his stomach drop as he saw Scar approach. Sure he'd grown more and more comfortable around the Hermits, and the Lifers, but he'd avoided Scar.
Currently he sat on a bench with Impulse, talking about Third Life. He'd avoided talking about Scar for so long, he was certain everyone knew he was hiding something.
"Well, it's a fine day for a walk, is it not? Might I intrest you in a-" Scar's voice was like honey. So addictive and sweet, but woul made him feel sick if he heard too much. And not sick physically, more of he'd feel the rush of adrenaline and bloodlust as he did in that cursed cactus ring.
"Scar, this is Grian. Stop trying to scam people for a second." Impulse shook his head as he looked at his fellow Boatem Member.
Scar tilted his head in slight confusion, but took offhis hat and bowed to Grian anyway. "May I interest thou in a hat?"
Grian snickered and nodded.
"Really?" Scar's eyes light up in excitement.
"Why not?" Grian shrugged.
Scar smiled before running off.
"Huh, usually he tries to scam people." Impulse said. "I wonder what he's trying to do."
"I hope he doesn't make me pay in dark oak. I don't think I could handle dying of laugher." Grian shook his head.
Impulse rested a hand on Grian's, causing the blonde to look at him. "He was another member of Third Life, wasn't he?"
Grian's smile fell and he looked towards the Swaggon. "He was my Partner in Crime. But we were the last two alive, and only one of us could win."
"Couldn't you have stopped?" Impulse asked.
Grian could hear Scar's laughter from the bench beside his house. How happy he was. It reminded him of their home on Monopoly Mountain. It reminded him of an endless amount of sand. It reminded him of nights where Scar would search for him because Grian's hybrid insticts acted up. Of nights where they had dinner at Pizza's grave. Of nights filled with laughter and pillow fights. Of nights filled with an ever growing feeling of love and adoration and the want to be the others' white knight.
"Neither of us could." Grian said. "Even as we cried, we couldn't. Because being red dulled everything but the bloodlust. Even the pain was dulled."
"Grian... Did you want to win?"
He... did he want to win?
"In the beginning... At the end it... I couldn't stop myself... Even after I killed Bdubs and tried to kill Scar in that pond... I didn't want him to die... I didn't want to win. But there wasn't any other way out..."
"Maybe you should talk to Scar about it-"
"Absolutely not."
"...why?"
"Because he'll hate me."
"So your afraid of him knowing what happened? Even though you regret it?"
Scar's hopefilled smile as he handed dead flowers to him filled his mind. The smile that came from Scar in that pond, as Scar handed his sword over. The smile Scar wore whenever they laid in the same bed.
"No... I'm scared he'll regret it."
"Theres something else, isn't there? Something else you haven't told us."
Grian laughed dryly. "How do you tell someone that you fell for their friend in a death game only you remember?"
Impulse pulled Grian into hug. Grian rested his head against the candy maker's shoulder while memories filled his mind. Scar and his conversation from the night before the final day echoed through his mind.
"Do you think we'll be pushed back into our servers after we're kicked?" Scar asked. Grian shrugged from where he stood, staring at the tea kettle. "Hey, Grian. What was your server like?"
Grian sighed and looked over at Scar. The bunker was tiny enough that only a few blocks seperated them. "Why do you want to know now?"
Scar seemed a tad bit hurt but just looked at the counter. "I just wanted to know. We all know tomorrow's likely gonna be the last day..."
Grian looked to the kettle before sighing. He shook his head before turning and stepping closer to Scar. "Scar. I'm an Allay hybrid who knows runes. We both know where I was."
Scar looked up at Grian as horror filled his eyes. "...please... no..."
"Even if tomorrow is the final day, and we are sent home, it would likely be my final day as an Allay." Grian reached his hand out to Scar's. Scar took it and immediately intertwined their fingers.
"What if I performed a spell as soon as I get to Hermitcraft-"
"Scar. You don't like using Vex magic." Grian frowned as he looked at Scar. "Besides, I'm alright with my final day being spent with you."
"G... G no. I'll somehow get you onto Hermitcraft. Even if I have to use my magic! I'd use my magic, because I love you."
Grian felt himself blush a soft blue, and he smiled. He pressed a kiss against Scar's forehead before speaking. "Alright. But I wouldn't forgive myself if you got hurt while doing it, so don't."
"Anything for you, Sundrop."
"Oh my god Scar, stop being so sappy."
"I'll stop being sappy when I get a ring on your finger-"
"SCAR!"
Grian pushed himself off Impulse as he heard footsteps approach. Scar was approaching with a happy look and a red conductor hat. He wondered how Scar knew what color to do.
"Here ya go!" Scar said, smiling widely at Grian.
"Thank you." Grian reached out for the hat, only to be dragged into a hug.
"Welcome to Hermitcraft, Grian. If you need anything, don't feel scared to ask, okay?" Scar dropped his voice from loud and bubbly to a quiet whisper before speaking again. "Just between us though, I have a ton of sand I can give you. The Sand Fairy's been giving me shulkers full of the stuff!"
Grian felt himself smile as he heard it.
"I have to get going." Impulse patted Grian's shoulder before flying off on his elytra.
Grian wanted to complain, but Impulse was already gone. And Scar seemed happier with Impulse gone.
"How about we go inside your house? I have some pranks I think you might want to join in on!"
Pranks? With Scar?
"Alright. I'll make some tea while we talk."
Once inside, Grian reached for his box of teas. He pulled out two rosemary tea packets, before getting two cups out. He remembered his first night with Scar on Monopoly Mountain, he'd forced Scar into drinking it and Scar had fallen in love. He could only hope that carried over to this world too.
"So what are you building?" Grian asked, pouring water into his kettle.
"Me? I haven't started my main base yet, but its gonna be a mountain! I'm working on my Swaggon Train first. Trying to figure out a way to use the sand my Sand Fairy keeps giving me."
"Sand?" Grian asked. "In one of the mountains of Boatem? Won't that cost a ton of resources?"
"Yeah. Though I can't say anything, a Sand Fairy drops off a lot of sand every few days, and I don't know how to repay them!" Scar's voice was playful. "Though I'm pretty certain the Sand Fairy's actually just a helpful Allay."
Grian blinked in confusion. He turned to face Scar and felt himself physically calm at the soft smile and adoring eyes.
"I promised I'd get you to Hermitcraft, didn't I?"
Grian felt his smile fall as tears swelled up in his eyes. "...what?"
"Come on Sundrop, I promised. And I never break the promises I make to my loved ones."
Grian felt his tears escape his eyes as he looked at Scar. The gold pendant weighed heavy against his chest as he saw the man wasn't lying.
"...you remember...?" Grian managed.
"Of course I remember. I'm a Vex. We're known for being tricky and knowing things we shouldn't."
Grian threw himself into Scar's arms and buried his head into the taller one's chest. He felt the walls he'd built to protect himself crumble. He bawled as he realized he hadn't needed to hide from Scar. He could've been with him since the beginning.
You can never prove he felt annoyed at Scar wearing clothing. And you can never prove Grian missed being able to trace the scars while they hugged. Nor can you prove that he shifted to be in his Allay form.
...
Waking up the next morning, Grian felt happiness fill him at the sight of his sleeping lover. He sat up and shifted to his human form before pulling his locket from beneath his sweater. He undid the back before pulling it infront of himself and reclipping the chain together.
He smiled as he saw the heart form of the gold locket. Opening it, his smile softened.
A picture of him and Scar sitting on the steps of Monopoly Mountain sat on the right picture peice. He remembered when he realized Scott and Jimmy had that photo, and how Jimmy immediately gave it to him when he asked for it. Perhaps Jimmy had known that Grian was going to keep it?
But, more likely was that Jimmy didn't care and handed it over.
"Why are you awake?" Scar asked, wrapping an arm around Grian's waist.
"Just looking at my locket." Grian said.
Scar pulled Grian to the mattress and pressed his face into Grian's hair. "Can we stay here...?"
Grian felt his heart melt at the softness of the voice. "Of course, Scar."
"...Thank you Sundrop..." Scar said, pulling Grian closer to him.
Of course Scar.
We don't have a war to go fight anymore. We don't have to hurt eachother anymore. We don't have to be apart anymore.