Chapter 18

                                    

                                          
Grian materialized somewhere in the prime admin grounds and ripped the rest of his watcher mask off his face. The disguise faded away for the last time, and Grian was left in his white robes again. 
Grian set to work unbinding Mumbo's corpse's chains. He had no more tears to cry. Just dry sobs and crushed dreams. As Grian lay his head on Mumbo's still chest, saying a final goodbye, Grian heard something impossible. 
But there it was again, like a low drum. Mumbo was alive! Grian grabbed the redstonist and slung him over his shoulders as he ran towards the main entrance of the HQ building. Grian barely remembered to pull his hood down as he rocketed through the hallways, using the last of his prime magic in the process. 
"M-Mumbo Jumbo," Grian was completely out of breath. "D-do s-something." Grian gulped for air as he lay Mumbo on a white hospital cot. The nurse immediately began pouring various liquids down the hermit's throat. 
Grian refused to leave his friend's side all through the night, and when morning came Grian took out redstone volumes and began reading them aloud at Mumbo's bedside. It greatly amused the nurses when they watched the indomitable, cold Prime 1 quietly reading stories aloud to an injured civilian. 
It was evening when Grian and Mumbo received their first visitor.
"Ahh... Pearl." Grian spoke the name as though there was a sour taste on his tongue. 
"Don't give me that, Xel!" Pearl crossed her arms. "Look... I'm not going to interrogate you. I know some things... are maybe hard for you to talk about. But can I least ask why I found your name on the hospital check-in list next to a Mumumbo Jajumbo this afternoon?" Pearl jibed. Grian exhaled, relieved.
"It didn't take long to get all the information I needed to... on the second day they held a meeting and brought Mumbo in. They had captured him in 1. I brought him back here to be treated." Grian's eyes shifted around the room. Pearl's own eyes narrowed. 
"How did you take him back here without getting caught?" Pearl asked. 
"I... er-" Grian winced, "well, I was sorta caught..." Grian looked down at the floor. 
"What did you do, Xel?" Pearl's tone was threatening. Grian's shoulders slumped. 
"I killed every single watcher at the meeting and revealed my watcher identity to the head watcher and by default Herobrine's descendant. I also kinda wrecked the entire throne room." Grian exhaled. Pearl's eyes widened to a comic degree and she slapped her hands over her mouth. 
"Xelqua!" Pearl's voice was muffled. 
"Okay, okay!" Grian tched. "I know it's not ideal, but I saved Mumbo, didn't I?" The weight of Grian's actions had suddenly crashed down on him. He had sacrificed all his years of careful planning and secrecy in the span of five minutes to save Mumbo. 
What if someone even more precious to him was taken? Grian couldn't think of anyone, but when he imagined Pearl, Gem, Xisuma, and even False in Mumbo's place he knew he wouldn't have acted any differently. Why did he have to love anybody? It made things so much more complicated. 
"Xelqua..." Pearl was still processing Grian's admission. "Xelqua..." Pearl moaned. 
"Enough, Pearl." Grian snapped, "I was rash, and I made poor decisions. Nothing can be done now." Grian exhaled slowly. "Now, do you need me for something or is this purely a visitation?"
"Xelqua, of course I need you! There hasn't been a time during our primeship that I haven't needed you! There's a reason for two primes, Xel. We have to address everyone together, we're supposed to make decisions together, and now that the watchers have risen we are supposed to battle together! Not just me!"