Chapter Text
Mumbo sat near a window, leaning into the bay with arms and hands creating a rainbow that held his head at the peak. Only an hour had passed, but it felt like it had been five. With each minute, Mumbo’s anxiety only got worse. He yawned, despite his feelings. Looking over at his friend, he watched as Grian’s chest rose in slow, calm movements. Knowing that Grian was alive was the only thing keeping Mumbo from freaking out.
Scar had left fifteen minutes ago. When the redstoner had asked where his awake friend was going, said friend had said he needed a break. He wanted to go with the brunet, but decided against it. If Grian woke up with no one around... The raven-haired man didn’t want to think about it.
Mumbo looked outside. It was still dark, and he saw some phantoms circling the small villager enclosure a few meters away from the hobbit hole he was inside. Phantoms were one of the many signs of sleep deprivation. When was the last time he had slept? It couldn’t have been for too long, probably a night or two, right?
Looking over to his only friend in the room, the redstoner could only sigh sadly. He tried to figure out what was wrong with his friend, he really did. He had practically interrogated Scar before the man left, asking where he had gone, what went on, if he was even with Grian, and many more questions. Mumbo couldn’t get a lead. The brunet could only shrug and say “I don’t know!”
It wasn’t normal for nearly half of the Hermit family to just disappear like they did. They had left no tracks, no reason, no notice, not even a note saying when they’ll be back. X had called a meeting of the remaining Hermits, but no one could give an answer, not even a valid suggestion. False had said that the missing Hermits probably went to a party that was hosted offline, trying to lighten the somber mood, but was quickly shot down by Cub. He pointed out that they would have told at least Xisuma about their leaving. Not many suggestions were made after that.
Shuffling pulled Mumbo out of his thoughts. Looking over to the door of Grian’s bedroom first, thinking that maybe Scar had come back. But a whimper came from the opposite side of the room, and, immediately, the redstoner was beside his best friend’s bed.
Grian kicked off the blankets already. Mumbo scanned over his friend, taking note of how his body was shaking, his breath was quick and irregular, and his wings were jerking as if they were trying to fly. His hands were balled up in a trembling fist. The blonde’s face was scrunched up in what looked like pain, but it could have easily been fear. Mumbo didn’t know.
“Scar…” A mumble came from the sleeping man. “‘M s’ry, Scar.”
Mumbo wasn’t unfamiliar with Grian’s nightmares, and knew that what was happening to his friend was exactly that. He has had much experience with these situations, having to help Grian through nightmares when they were in high school. Rage was quickly brought to a boil in Mumbo’s stomach, but he cooled it down. He couldn’t think about that right now. The red-eyed man knew he had to wake his friend, but it couldn’t be sudden. He would have to ease Grian out of his hellish dream.
“Grian,” Mumbo called. He wasn’t loud, but it wasn’t quiet. “Gri, you’re gonna have to wake up, bud.”
“Scar..?” This time Grian’s voice came out with a higher pitch at the end.
“Not him, buddy,” Mumbo replied, grabbing his friend’s hand and squeezing it gently. “It’s Mumby! You’re just having a dream, Birdie. It’s not real.”
Grian was calming down, but he wasn’t awake yet. That was a win in Mumbo’s book, though. Deciding that it was safe enough, the red-eyed man laid his head on his friend’s chest. This was how Mumbo would ground Grian when he was having nightmares. He didn’t miss how the bird’s heart was racing.
“Wake up, Gri. It’s time to get up.” Mumbo said. He let his thumb rub the back of Grian’s hand.
They stayed like that for a few more minutes. Mumbo’s eyes began to droop, but he forced them to stay open. But the parrot’s somewhat steady breathing was just so relaxing… No! He had to stay awake, for Grian. Exhaustion caught up to the redstoner, keeping him in place even though he wished for his body to move. He closed his eyes, it wouldn’t be bad! Just to give them a break, that’s all.
He heard a small tweet and light flapping of wings, but the tired man couldn't remember the rest.
—-------------
He woke up to something - or, rather, someone - gently stroking his head. He leaned into the touch, only to feel a few sharp things dig into his head. He hissed, heard a chuckle from above him, and sat up.
Looking around the room he was in, he rubbed his injured head. Where he was lying was a blue parrot. Professor Beak looked at Mumbo with annoyance before turning his attention to the person on the bed. The redstoner, still with his hand on his head, followed the bird’s gaze.
Grian looked at him with a fondness in his eyes. He was petting his bird’s head, Professor Beak pushing into the touch. Mumbo, not trying to be sneaky, took in his friend’s features.
He had some tear stains on his cheeks and dark eye-bags just above his cheekbone. His hair was ruffled, his wings looked about the same, maybe a little worse. The redstoner noticed that the blonde wasn’t using his wrapped up but still injured arm, it was lying limp beside the man. Mumbo assumed the worst.
“Mumby?” Grian’s voice sounded rough yet tense. Mumbo, brain focused on the potentially paralyzed arm, didn’t notice.
“Is your arm… okay?” He asked his friend. The winged man visibly froze, eyes instantly full of fear.
“I… Uh…” He began, looking at everything but Mumbo, obviously trying to find the right words. “I’m okay, Mumby.” Grian took a deep breath.
The redstoner’s eyes softened, putting his hand on his friend’s shoulder. “Gri, you’re not okay.”
Grian’s eyes looked to Mumbo’s, searching for… something. The red-eyed man didn’t know. But, seemingly satisfied, the winged man sighed and looked at his pet bird on his lap.
“I just… I don’t know what to do," he confessed. “It all happened so fast and I…”
He looked at Mumbo, and what he said next made the man tense up.
“I killed him, Mumbo,” Grian looked at his friend with sad, grief-filled eyes. “I killed a lot of them. And with no mercy, at that!” He laughed, but it wasn’t from joy. He began to pick at his wing with the hand not on his pet bird. “All of them died, because of me! Some of them were even slain by my hand.” He stopped petting Professor Beak, looking away, but continued to speak. “A-and, at the end of it all…” Grian looked back into Mumbo’s eyes. “I had to kill Scar.”
“Oh, G…” Was all the redstoner could say as his best friend began to cry. Mumbo had no idea what the winged man was talking about, but killing wasn’t a good thing. Whatever had happened messed Grian up pretty good.
The raven-haired man held the blonde as he cried into his shoulder. Mumbo rubbed the parrot’s back, whispering sweet words into his traumatized friend’s ear: “It’s okay;” “it’s going to be okay;” “shh, breathe, G;” “it’s not your fault, bud.” At the last one, Grian shook his head, pulling away from the other.
“Oh, b-but it is, Mumbo,” The blonde forced out. “I-If I had just listened to-to,” He paused, taking a breath as if preparing himself. “To Them… f-from the start, none of this would have happened!”
“Buddy…” The redstoner was cut off by his friend’s laughter. It wasn’t happy, and it wasn’t sad. It was almost maniacal.
“Don’t ‘buddy’ me. I know it was my fault,” Grian hissed. “They caused it. I know They did. I… They just want to mess with me, get in my head. They want me back, Mumbo. And the only way that They will is to… to…” The parrot began to cry again, the force of it not allowing him to speak words anymore. Mumbo reached out to his friend, but he pulled away. The blonde tucked into himself, not even allowing Professor Beak to come near him. He engulfed himself in his tattered wings, keeping everything and everyone out. All Mumbo could do was watch.
The raven-haired man dropped his hands to his side. He longed to hold his friend, to try to tell him that They wouldn’t be able to reach him. But… Mumbo gulped. The Watchers did get to Grian. How? Mumbo didn’t know. He didn’t want to know.
Just then, as Mumbo was about to get up to get Grian some water, the door creaked open. The redstoner watched as his parrot friend’s head shot up and stumbled out of his bed, wings raised in an attempt to protect himself. He looked ready to fight, but Mumbo knew that it was just because the blonde was scared.
Scar stepped out from behind the door, obviously surprised at the scene in front of him. Mumbo let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding and saw that Grian had relaxed, too. The scarred man moved away from the door, but didn’t close it. Smart, Mumbo thought. He knew that Scar didn’t want Grian to feel trapped, and the redstoner was thankful.
“You’re up!” Scar observed happily. “Thank goodness! I was getting worried.”
Grian chuckled, eyes downcast. “Y-Yeah. I am…”
Scar glanced at Mumbo, and he returned the look.
“So…” Scar began, leaning on his cane. “How’re ya doin’?”
The parrot shook his wings. He still didn’t make eye contact with either of the two across from him. “I-I’m fine.”
Mumbo sighed, running his fingers through his hair. “Gri, we know you’re not okay. You were just acting hysterical not even three minutes ago.”
Scar made a small noise of shock, but the redstoner motioned for him to be quiet.
“Okay…” Grian tried. “I will be fine.” The man gave Mumbo a pointed look. Mumbo held the blonde’s gaze before shaking his head.
“Songbird… I-I know you don’t want to talk about it, but we can’t help you if we don’t know what’s going on.” Scar took a step forward. Grian took a step back.
“I-I don’t need help. Things like this… I can handle it!” The bird, looking to the side, cradled his injured arm, his wings half covering his lower half.
Mumbo made a move this time, moving around the bed. He knew all too well that Grian, in fact, could not handle this, at least on his own. The redstoner knew that things that his long-time friend didn’t get help with only caused more issues, more trauma . If he didn’t step in now, things could get out of hand.
“G, look. I know you. You won’t be able to handle something this big.” Mumbo took another step towards Grian. He didn’t seem to notice. “You’re hurt, in more ways than one…” He felt something rise in his throat but forced it down. “You need help. I know you need help.” He was only a step away. “It doesn’t have to be us. It can be someone else. X, maybe.”
When he got the chance, Mumbo took Grian in a hug, holding the man close to him. The blonde didn’t fight, but he didn’t react in any other way. He just stood there. The redstoner put his hand to the other’s hair, petting it. It was soft, like always.
“You need help, buddy. Please, if not for yourself, for us… For me.” Mumbo heard footsteps as Scar moved closer. The two made eye contact before the red-eyed man nodded. The other wrapped his arms around the redstoner and the other builder. Mumbo felt Scar rest his head on his own.
“No matter what, you have your friends, Songbird.” Scar muttered to the bird. Mumbo felt arms reach around his waist and knew that Grian was cracking. “I may not know what happened while we were gone from Hermitcraft, but what I do know is that I’m not leaving you. I’ll stay by your side, forever and always.”
At that, Mumbo felt more weight in his arms as Grian collapsed into sobbing. The three lowered to the ground, the redstoner holding the small bird in his arms as the scarred man hugged him from behind. The blonde tried to speak, but tears blocked his mouth. Mumbo and Scar hushed their friend, holding him close.
—-------------
Mumbo walked out of base, breathing in the nice jungle air. The pond in front of him splashed lazily against the shore. The raven-haired man watched as colorful birds chased each other, flying around the trees. The sun shown proudly against the green, luscious trees that surrounded him. It was a peaceful morning.
It was too peaceful.
Grabbing his rockets, he opened his Elytra and shot up into the air. He glided to Grian’s unfinished, floating mansion, using a rocket to keep himself in the sky. As if it were instinct, Mumbo looked at the roof of the mansion when he got there, half expecting a certain winged man to be there. No one was on the roof. He relaxed, letting out a sigh of relief. Mumbo looked downward, seeing two figures digging through chests. He smiled, gliding downward to meet the two.
“Oh, hi, Mumby!” Grain greeted the other with a big smile. He set down what he was holding and ran up to the raven-haired man.
“Hi, Gri.” Mumbo opened his arms as the blonde wrapped his own around his friend. The two embraced, letting each other go as Scar walked up.
“Awe, no hug for me?” The man pouted light-heartedly, sagging his shoulders.
“C’mere, you spoon.” Mumbo hugged Scar then moved away. “So, what’cha two up to?”
“Ah, Scar here is going to help me terraform this land underneath my mansion!” Grian answered, moving back to the chests. “We’re just looking for all of the dirt I’ve collected.”
Mumbo nodded, watching as Scar went over to the parrot to continue what they were doing.
It had been two months since the missing Hermits had returned. Xisuma had held another meeting once he was in contact with all of them. No one could recall what had happened when they left. The missing Hermits had only said that it was like they had fallen asleep. Scar had made a comment that Jellie had acted weird when he woke up, as if he hadn’t been there for a long time, and a few other Hermits who have pets had similar stories. X confirmed Scar’s, and everyone else’s, suspicion of being away from Hermitcraft, which shocked all of the missing Hermits.
Grian hadn’t spoken the entire meeting. Mumbo knew it was because of whatever had happened during that month the Hermits had disappeared, but he didn’t mention that. Scar, however, told the Hermits that Grian had broken down right when he had gotten back. That had made the parrot freak out, and Mumbo had to ask X to call off the meeting.
The raven-haired man had to talk to Scar after that meeting. Scar had apologized to Grian.
Everything had continued as normal, pretty much. Grian had episodes every day for the first few weeks after coming back, all varying in severity. There had been some where Scar and Mumbo had to restrain Grian and remove all sharp objects in his starter base. After the first couple of times, Mumbo had suggested that Grian move in with either him or Scar. Reluctantly, the parrot packed his things and went with his long-time friend.
The bird’s various breakdowns had let Mumbo and Scar in on what had happened during that blip of time. Grian, along with Scar, the other Hermits, and others from different servers, had been put in some sort of “game.” It was a death game, according to Grian. They were all put against each other, and only one person could be the winner. The blonde didn’t share much about what happened during the “game,” just that Grian was forced to kill many people.
Scar had learned that Grian had killed him. They had learned that Grian had won the “game.” The scarred man had let Grian know that he didn’t hold it against him, and that he still loved him.
It had taken a while to get Grian to realize that none of what happened was his fault. There had been a lot of sleepless nights between the trio, a lot of tears and a lot of… injuries. Mumbo had been (and still was) extremely worried for Grian’s mental health. The redstoner had thought that the parrot stopped self-harming a long time ago, and Grian confirmed he did.
“I… It wasn’t on purpose, Mumby.” Grian tried to tell his friend.
“No one just accidentally uses heat torture on themselves, Gri!” Mumbo was terrified. He didn’t mean to lash out, but that’s just what happens when he’s scared.
“I-I just felt… worthless? L-Like… Like I had to hurt myself. I hurt everyone I knew and loved , directly or indirectly - it doesn’t matter!” Grian pulled on his hair. Mumbo stopped him. “I needed to hurt like they did.”
That night, Mumbo hadn’t let Grian out of his sight. They had shared a bed, but while the parrot had a fitful sleep, Mumbo had stayed awake the whole night. He had feared that his best friend would have done something horrible had he not been awake.
He had been right.
But now, as Mumbo watched Grian and Scar fly up to the platform that held the mansion, the redstoner knew that it would be okay. He knew that he would always be there for his friend, and he knew that he had Scar to help, as well.
Sure, Grian still had moments where he couldn’t be trusted to be left alone, but Mumbo was always there, ready to comfort his best friend. And when he couldn’t be, Mumbo could trust that Scar was right behind him, ready to step up.
Grain still had triggers that would make him think he was back in that “game.” The parrot seems to find immense physical comfort in Scar when he was in that mindset, and Mumbo was able to bring Grain out of it through his familiar voice. As long as Scar or Mumbo was there, everything would be just fine.
Everything would be okay.
Right?
Wrong.
As Mumbo got up from his bed, he stretched. He was sore, but from what? He had just fallen asleep, did he have a restless night?
A spam of notifications on his comm made him jump. Looking at it, his heart skipped a beat.
PearlescentMoon has joined the game.
Rendog has joined the game.
EthosLab has joined the game.
ZombieCleo has joined the game.
GoodTimesWithScar has joined the game.
TangoTek has joined the game.
BdoubleO100 has joined the game.
ImpulseSV has joined the game.
Skizzleman has joined the game.
Grian has joined the game.
MumboJumbo has joined the game.