Jimena smiled at Jimmy as he came in, but frowned when she saw the hermit following close behind him. Grian. She didn't know why he disliked her so much, but whatever the reason was, he didn't act nice to her. "Hi, sheriff, hello, Grian," She said. "Hello, Jimena," Grian greeted sourly. "You fell off a tower you were building?" Jimmy said. "I thought I was the only one who did that."
"Don't remind me," Jimena sighed, rubbing her head, or rather the bandages that covered it. "Did you bring a board game? I feel like playing UNO." "No, Timmy did not bring a game," Grian observed, looking at Jimmy's red face. "Well, how was I supposed to know that you wanted to play?" He replied defensively. "Well, now I'm bored," Jimena sighed. "I concur," Grian said. "At least we can agree on that," Jimena smiled, trying to be nice, but Grian just frowned at her. The girl scowled. "Why don't you like me?" Grian said nothing but Jimmy completely missed the hint. "He knew you from before you lost your memories." Jimmy said.
"Timmy! You weren't supposed to tell her that!" "Well, you didn't tell me not to!" Jimena stared at Grian. "You knew me?" She asked. "Yeah, even if I wished I didn't," Grian grumbled. "What did I do to you?" Jimena asked, feeling sorry. Grian must've heard it in her voice because when he turned to look at her, he looked less annoyed. "A lot of bad things," He said evasively. Now Jimena was the one getting annoyed. "Please tell me. I want to learn anything about who I was before!" "You're better off like this!" Grian exploded. "If I tell you, you might go back to the way you were before! It's just like False!"
"What about False?" Jimena asked curiously. Grian realized he'd said too much and covered his mouth. "Nothing, I said nothing about False!" "I'm False's best friend, come on, tell me," Jimena urged, but that seemed to make Grian clam up even more. "Nope, not risking you telling the other False!" Then he covered his mouth again and ran out the room. "I need to go before I say too much!" Jimena and Jimmy stared at each other, confused. "What just happened?" "I have no idea."
---
Grian could not believe how loose his lips were. The proverb ran through his head. Loose lips sink ships. Actually, on second thought, I can believe I just nearly told them False's secret. He stopped running to double check that his elytra was in good condition; right next to a tower beside a prominent rock bridge. The elytra was fine for flying so he put it back on and was about to fly away when a hammer landing on the ground in front of him caught his attention. Grian picked it up and looked around. Where did that come from?
"Psst! Grian!" Grian looked up at the tower to see a hand waving at him. Okay, guess whoever it is wants me to go inside. Grian started walking to the door to enter. "Door's locked; fly in through the window." Grian activated his elytra and flew in as instructed. He soon realized that the person who was trying to get his attention was False. But which False was it? "Which one are you?" Grian asked. "My height is a good indicator of that," False said calmly, and Grian measured her. She was only slightly taller than him, which meant that she was a hermit like him.
"Honestly, those emperors being taller than the hermits is driving me crazy," False said in frustration. "I was fine with my height until I saw how tall the emperors were and now every time I look into a mirror I look squashed." "Thank you for putting that picture in my head," Grian told her. False winced. "Sorry about that." "By the way, you lost a hammer," Grian passed the tool to her and she put it in her toolbox. "Now why did you throw a hammer at me?" "I didn't throw a hammer at you!" False protested. "I threw it in front of you! I was just trying to get your attention!"
Grian laughed. "Well, why were you trying to get my attention with a hammer?" "Because if I outright called you they might have noticed," False said seriously. "Who's 'they'?" Grian asked. "Jimena and the other False." "Oh yeah," Grian rubbed his head. "About that... I kind of slipped up." "You what?!" False gasped, fearing the worst. "I might have said a few things I probably shouldn't have in front of Jimena. The other False wasn't there though," Grian added hurriedly. "How much does she know?" False asked. "I just said stuff about amnesia, I think," Grian said.
False took a deep breath and exhaled. "Okay, maybe we don't have to worry yet." She paused. "What's Jimena like?" Grian thought for a second. It was a question with a difficult answer, at least for him. Because Grian remembered a very different version of her, the version with all her memories intact. But amnesia might have wiped her slate clean. She was a different person now, or at least that was what she believed. So to her, Grian was being mean for no reason. She still deserves it after all that she did, Grian thought angrily. Then he looked at False and realized that she was still expecting an answer.
Trying to ignore his prejudice, Grian thought of all his interactions with her and what Jimena was like. "She's trying to be nice, I think." Grian answered vaguely. False cocked her head at him. "You don't really know her, do you?" "Nope, we just met," Grian said. "No I meant... nevermind," False sighed. "Okay, uh, us having a conversation in a supposedly empty tower might attract unwanted attention; why don't you go now?" Grian shrugged and jumped out the window, spreading his wings as he cleared the tower and soaring away.
---
Gem was used to using her magic teleporting between different dimensions and change her outfit at the same time. It was second nature to her now. She was very good at not getting caught at it, too. In her whole long life, no one had found out her secret. But now she was slowly getting into trouble. Teleporting to the hermit world and back to Dawn was suddenly harder now. More than once Gem found herself in her base with the wrong clothes on. It was just plain luck that no one had caught her yet. Why am I making mistakes now after so long?
The answer was soon clear. The rift. Gem had heard from Sausage that the rift and the hermits' presence was making his dormant interdimensional powers act up and making him disappear into other worlds for hours on end with no control over it whatsoever. Apparently a similar thing was happening with her. I just hope it doesn't cost me my secret... So she lessened how often she travelled between dimensions. It was better safe than sorry, but Gem sometimes worried that her friends would notice her growing absences.
Gem checked the date. She'd been in the hermit world for long enough; it was time to switch dimensions. So she walked into her closet and started to warp reality to bring her to Dawn. At first, it was easy. She didn't think anything was wrong. Just as her feet touched the ground in the empire world, however, Gem quickly realized that something had gone very, very wrong.
She wasn't in the safety of her house in Dawn. She wasn't even inside a building where there was less chances to be caught teleporting. Gem was outside. In plain sight. And right next to the rift. Where a certain colorful emperor was watching her with a surprised expression; holding a leaded llama with orange carpet. "Scott..." Gem started, not knowing what to say. "Gem, did- did you just teleport?" Scott asked in disbelief.
Gem sighed. She didn't think there was any way to lie out of this. She was just glad it was Scott and not someone else. She was fairly certain Scott would keep her secret. "Scott, I promise I'll explain this to you, but can we do this somewhere private?" Scott nodded in understanding and he lead her and the llama to the great bridge.
It was a great bridge indeed, carved out of aged stone with intricate tile patterns etched into the tough floor, the supports overgrown with mossy and vines as proof of its great age. There were also slots at the edges for every emperor to put a representation of their empire there. Tumble Town built a rickety wooden water tower, Gobland had a goblin statue that also sold pork, Sanctuary had a giant sword surrounded by chests of loot that everyone was free to get. Gem actually hadn't built anything in her slot yet, but she was planning to someday. When she was less busy constantly jumping between universes.
Scott tugged the llama along to his contribution to the bridge: a llama statue with a llama pen surrounding it. Gem personally thought that Eversea had built a better colorful animal statue on the great bridge, what with their giant brightly-hued parrot wearing an eye patch, but Scott was annoyed about it enough already so she didn't say so. "Hello, Crow, Mia," Scott greeted the two llamas in the llama pen. "How are you?"
They bleated back at him, and the orange-carpetted llama spat at Scott. "Owen, I already asked how you were this morning, do I have to ask you again?" The llama spat again. "Fine, how are you?" Gem giggled. Owen looked so satisfied that he didn't even answer. Not that he could, since llamas obviously couldn't talk. But it was still funny to watch.
Scott looked around to be sure that no one was looking before opening a trapdoor in the floor that Gem hadn't noticed before. It had been disguised with moss and blended in with the vegetation of the llama pen. Scott beckoned to her to follow him down, told Owen to stay put and not do anything, and descended into what Gem assumed was a secret room.
She wasn't entirely wrong. It was a secret place, yes, but it was too big to be simply called a room. What Gem didn't know about the great bridge was that it was apparently hollow, and Scott had repurposed the giant cavern into a black market. Stalls and stalls stretched out as far as Gem could see; illuminated by old lanterns swinging from the ceiling; each stocked with wares that were most obviously illegal. Sheriff badges, rocket weaponry, and a varied assortment of hats.
"What is this place?" Gem asked, even if she had a fairly good idea what was going on. "Black market," Scott replied. "This is how you get rid of things you stole and earning money while you're at it. Without it being traced back to you, of course." "So this is mostly for you," Gem grinned. Scott didn't even deny it. "How many people know about this place?" Gem asked. "Everyone, except Jimmy," Scott said. Gem understood. If the sheriff knew about the black market he would have it shut down.
"You wanted a private place to talk," Scott said, reminding her why they were down there. Gem paused as she tried to figure out how to explain it to him. "Promise you won't tell anyone?" Gem asked quietly. Scott nodded, his heterochromic eyes flashing with sincerity. "Of course, Gem. I won't tell anyone about your secret and you don't tell Jimmy about the black market." Gem laughed. "Is this a deal now?" "No, just making sure."
So Gem explained to him. It felt weird, finally telling someone her secret after so long. She didn't tell him everything, of course, just enough to explain why she teleported. By the end of it, Scott's mouth was slightly agape. "So you teleport between dimensions and roleplay?" "Yeah, that's one way to put it," Gem admitted. Scott paused. "Are you actually friends with me, Gem?" He asked softly, voice sober. " Or is this just part of your roleplay?"
Gem knew that he was justified in asking that question, but it still stung that Scott felt the need to make sure. "Of course, Scott, I am your friend!" She exclaimed. "How can I not be?" "You kind of hid this part of you from all of us," Scott reminded her. Gem sighed. "Well, I was worried what everyone would think of me," She admitted. "Because of why I have these multiversal powers." "But we're fine with Sausage," Scott said, missing what Gem was trying to tell him.
"Scott, Sausage's power is different from mine. How I got my power... some people would hate me for it." Gem leaned heavily on the wall. Should I tell him the whole story? A single glance at Scott informed her that she didn't have to. The way that he looked into her eyes proved that he knew what she was intimating to him. "Gem... you're a...?" Scott trailed off. Gem nodded. "I am, Scott. I am."