Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Void. Endless void sprinkled with stars. Blueish black curtains that covered everything for thousands of miles and more. And a small hole in the void that was like a spyglass into millions of worlds. Worlds that were old and new. Words that were flourishing and destroyed. Infinite realities and infinite possibilities. All looked at by a jealous Boy. One that wished He could have that. A world. A home. A family. But no. Never for Him. Through the hole is the world He loves the most. A thriving town. Small but close. A home. A family. And at the center of it all is Him…but not really. A fragment of Him. One shard in an endless pile of broken glass. And he’s happy. Running to and from a bright red train, restocking chests and carrying out handfuls of diamonds. His fluffy, white, wings spread out behind him as he lifted off. And He felt a sudden bubble of jealousy in His chest as He remembered His own shackled wing. He was familiar with that feeling, it was something he felt often. It wasn’t fair. Why could he have this? Why not Him. That jealousy turned into hatred. He needed an excuse. An outlet. A reason to go down there and make him feel what He felt. The crushing loneliness of being doomed to Watch for eternity.

The avian glided through the cerulean sky, the cotton ball clouds ruffling his wings as he soared above them. He was hundreds of blocks in the air, the world around him silent except for the whispering wind.

Suddenly Grian’s communicator buzzed, disturbing the peaceful quiet. As he fumbled to grab it from his pocket, he swooped down towards Boatem. The village sat on the northern most point of the island that all the Hermits lived on. Impulse, Pearl, Mumbo, Scar, and Grian all lived at that point, a village of its own. As Grian finally managed to get his communicator out, he saw a message from Scar.

[GoodTimeWithScar whispered to you] Do you want to help me prank mumbo?

[You whisper to GoodTimeWithScar] absolutely! I’ll be a the wagon in 5

With a giggle, the avian went into a dive, the wind whipping his strawberry blonde hair back and making his eyes water. As Scars copper wagon came into view, Grian spread his wings out and glided down. The spruce porch creaked as he landed, stumbling slightly from the impact. He quickly regained balance though and knocked loudly on the spruce door.

As he waited there patiently on the porch, he looked around at the landscape. The mountain that Scar had terraformed from the ground up loomed on the horizon, right across the town from the wagon. The peak of the mountain wasn’t quite finished yet, the stone cut off at a small plateau. As Grian gazed up at the top he noticed what looked like… a person? He squinted, trying to make out who it was. This person had large dark wings, a dark purple, almost black. But unlike any of the avians on the server, they had 2 sets of wings. They splayed out their wings, almost like they were trying to appear bigger. A shiver went down his spine and goosebumps raised even though it was warm out. It felt like he was being Watched. Shaking off the feeling, he got ready to take off to investigate but right then Scar threw open his door.

”Grian! You got here quick! I’ll explain the plan on the way there, lets go!”, his cheerful demeanor seemed to rub off on Grian as he forgot all about the person on Scars mountain.

The duo walked off towards the redstoners van, which was held above the ground by Treesa. Scar walked ahead, rambling about his idea, something about replacing diamonds with fake painted ones. The duo was careful to maneuver around the active end crystals that were scattered around Mumbo’s base. Scar turned around, waving his hands around animatedly and managed to trip.

Time seemed to slow down as Scar fell right into an end crystal. The purple rock was knocked from its center and imploded in seconds, sending both Grian and Scar to the ground as the explosion ripped through the air. As the pair slowly got up, ears ringing and head throbbing, Grian saw It. The winged person that was on top of Scar’s mountain. His stomach dropped as he got a good look at Him. It looked just like him. It looked like Grian, the same messy hair and dark eyes. It was like staring into a mirror. The wings though, were different. He still had the two pairs of dark wings on his back, the midday sun giving them a purple shine.

The Imposter grinned down on him, but there was no joy or happiness in it. It was cold and cruel like a winter storm. As Scar started to get up, seemingly unscathed even though he was right next to the crystal, Grian continued to stare in horror at this thing he was seeing. That wasn't him. Something was very wrong.

Scar shot him a look, one that said are you alright without actually saying anything. Slowly he got up and went over to Grian, who was still frozen in place, and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. Instantly Grian seemed to snap out of the trance, looking at his friend with wide scared eyes.

“Grian..? Are you all good?” The concern in Scars voice was palpable. He had never seen G this scared. He was swimming in uncharted waters. Deep, dark, murky waters.

“Yea… yea im fine. Just thought I saw something”, the lie sounded stale even in Grian’s ears. The worry on Scar’s face only seemed to deepen as the lie sunk into the heavy air between them. But in an effort to salvage the sinking mood, the avian let out a giggle and looked around at the surrounding damage, trying to ignore the menacing mirror image in front of him.

“I suppose we don’t need to take Mumbo’s stuff then right? We already blew up half his lawn…”

Scar looked around and surveyed the damage and let out a weak chuckle.

“Yea i suppose you’re right…”

Being in the world where He shouldn’t be was exhausting. Even for a powerful deity, it wore down on Him. He returned to His home. The void was cold and unforgiving, a harsh contrast from the paradise He left. He felt satisfied, the fear He caused made Him feel elated. The feeling wouldn’t last though. It never did. He wanted to do so much more than just appear like a mirage in the desert, and he knew how to do it. But He needed permission. All at once He felt their eyes. Their ceaseless Watching. They were summoned by His mere thought. So He asked. It was almost an immediate response that echoed through the void. Yes

Chapter Text

The moon casted its cool rays down on the clearing, illuminating the deer hybrid in its pale light. Gem stood there in a small field, not that far away from Impulse's candy factory. She was far enough away that she couldn’t see the boatem hole.

If she had been there, she would see the claw like talons dig into the soft dirt surrounding the hole. She’d watch as the god clawed its way out of the void onto unsteady feet, its two sets of wings flaring out and creating a horrifying image. Eyes opened all around it, gathering information and taking in its surroundings.

And while Gem couldn’t see It, It could see her. In a flash it was off, running and gliding through the town into the forest like he had been there so many times before.

Gem was humming a peaceful tune as she picked some flowers, until the snap of a stick breaking spun her out of her concentration. She perked up and scanned the edges of the clearing, looking for whatever mob broke the branch.

Instead of seeing a zombie or a skeleton, many pairs of faint purple eyes looked back. Gem was frozen in fear as they seemed to move back into the darkness and fade away as… Grian stepped out?

It was Grian. His pristine white wings folded behind his back as he waltzed into the clearing with Gem. He had an oddly mischievous smile for the late hour. The peaceful mood had been sucked out and replaced with a heavier, more dread filled one. Which was odd because it was only Grian. Something felt off…

”Oh Grian! I uh… wasn’t expecting to see you up this late…” the silence stretched on uncomfortably and Gem was starting to sweat even with the cool nights breeze.

”Hello Gem. I wanted to enjoy a nice moonlit stroll. It seems I’ve ran into you though…” Grian’s uncanny smile didn’t reach his eyes. He edged closer to Gem, shuffling his feet slightly. His wings twitched. Something was wrong.

In a split second decision Gem ran. She ran faster than she ever did before because something was so terribly wrong and she didn’t think it was a prank. So she sprinted through the forest, leaping over fallen trees and crashing through the underbrush. She was almost out of the forest when she felt someone yank on her shirt, jerking her back. A cool diamond blade was brought to her throat and she barely had time to scream before the blade sliced and her world went dark.

The hermits slowly woke up the next morning, but no matter what time they rose, they all saw the same messages

GeminiTay was slain by Grian

BdoubleO100 was slain by Grian

Xisuma woke up to his communicator practically exploding, and upon seeing the messages he understood why. He immediately called an emergency island meeting.

Grian woke up with a yawn as someone pounded on his door. He groggily got to his door and stretched out his wings as he flung the door open, still yawning. The rest of Boatem was crammed at his door all looking various degrees of stressed and upset.

The lighthearted mood was squashed in an instant. Grian straightened up and snapped his wings behind his back.

”What’s brought all you guys to my door this early?” The tension at his door only seemed to thicken. Pearl looked more upset and Mumbo was practically falling apart at the seams, fiddling anxiously with his red tie. Scar looked so deep in thought that Grian was even more baffled.

Eventually after a tense moment, Impulse turned his communicator around and showed him the messages that everyone got late last night. In that instant the world seemed to slow as Grian’s blood turned to ice, a deep pit forming in his stomach. He didn’t do that. That wasn’t him. But the communicators dont lie.

”X called a mandatory meeting. We have to go over now.” Grian didn’t hear who said that. His mind was racing and ears were ringing. Surely this was a prank. It was a joke and people weren’t mad and it was okay. Maybe he was still dreaming.

An hour later the meeting was over. This was no prank. This wasn’t a joke. This was reality. Grian could still feel everyone’s eyes on him, the glares and the fear and the uncertainty. Like he was dangerous. The warning Xisuma had gave him still rang in his ears

“Grian, you have one last chance. You are not to kill another member of Hermitcraft until we figure out what happened last night. Failure to comply will lead to your immediate exile.”

Exile. Being taken away from his friends and family and put somewhere alone. The thought alone made his chest tighten as he propelled himself further into the sky. The sun had just begun to climb higher in the sky as Grian flew above the ground, his hair whipping his face and covering his eyes.

The wind in his wings calmed his racing mind as he tried to wrap his head around the past few hours. His head was starting to hurt with how hard he was thinking.

Suddenly his communicator buzzed. He startled in the air as he looked at it.

[GoodTimeWithScar whispered to you] could we talk?

[You whisper to GoodTimeWithScar] I’ll be there in 5

Grian tucked his wings in and dove down, Scars copper wagon slowly coming into view. The teal metal roof reached up to the sky, almost scraping the clouds. He swiftly landed on Scar’s porch and knocked on the door.

A second later Scar opened his door and quickly ushered Grian in. He followed Scar through his winding base as they finally made it up to his room, the early day sunlight streaming into the room.

As he finally took a moment to be still and think, Grian realized how bad he was shaking. He didn’t know what was happening. He had been asleep when the deaths happened and he couldn’t remember getting up to do anything. He wouldn’t even kill his friends like that. His mind slowly started to spiral as he really thought it out.

Scar was saying something, pacing around the room and thinking out loud about what could’ve happened. He didn’t think Grian would do that. He trusted Grian.

“Scar you don’t really think I did that right? Like you know me. I wouldn’t do that.” He stopped pacing and looked at Grian. They locked eyes and he could see the gears turning in his head. He really thought he killed Gem and Bdubs. Scar gave him a sympathetic look.

“Listen, G, I’m just worried about you. When you fell yesterday you must’ve hit your head or something. You were seeing things, remember? Maybe this has something to do with that?” Grian let out a sigh. Why didn’t anybody believe him? He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, his headache slowly starting to get worse.

It’s fine.

“I didn’t hit my head, I’m not seeing things, and I didn’t kill Gem and Bdubs.” Scar closed any distance between them and placed his hands on his shoulders.

”Grian it’s okay.” He tried to shrug his hands off but instead it had the opposite effect. Scar hugged him tight. Grian tried to struggle against it but eventually gave up. He was so tired and confused. He wanted to go back to yesterday, when everything was okay.

When Scar finally pulled away he looked at Grian, but Grian wasn’t looking at him. He was back. The imposter was there, grinning, but the smile didn’t reach his eyes.

Grian slowly backed away like a cornered dog. This was probably who killed Gem and Bdubs, and he was the only one who could see him. They would all think he’s crazy.

Scar looked behind him but didn’t react. Like he couldn’t see him.

“Scar, tell me you see him.”

Scar looked back at him with pity and sadness, like he was broken beyond repair.

“Grian there’s nothing there.”

The imposter chuckled, but there was no humor in His laugh. It was cold and bone chilling. He was enjoying this.

“Scar… please tell me you're joking. Is that it? Is this just one big prank?” The desperation in his voice made Scar’s heart hurt. He shook his head.

He slowly approached Grian and sat him down in a chair. His headache was getting worse as he shut his eyes, trying to block this out. This was too much.

“Can you tell me what you see? What’s there?” Scar seemed to want to genuinely help, but Grian still hesitated. What if he didn’t believe him, what if he thought he was crazy, what if- Scar waved a hand infront of his face. Grian hesitated for a moment.

“It… it looks like me. And it looks mean.” It came out as barely a whisper, a truth he was too scared to admit. Scar nodded. Grian could tell he was trying his hardest not to let his concern show.

”Is there anything else you see?” He shook his head.

The other Grian slowly took out a diamond sword. Its blade shimmered in the sunlight as He slowly raised it above His head. In a split second the sword came down and slashed Scars arm.

Grian jumped up and grabbed his sword and tried to fend off the imposter. It glitched around the slash and glitched again behind Grian.

As Scar stumbled back, dazed, he grabbed his communicator and quickly typed a message with trembling fingers.

<GoodTimeWithScar> Guys something’s wrong with Grian. I don’t know what but I need backup.

The Fake knocked Grian to the ground as He got behind him, his sword clattering to the ground. The hard wood floor let out a hollow THUNK as he fell and the world went fuzzy, but Grian tried to scramble back up.

He watched this second version of himself approach Scar who was desperately trying to stop his arm from bleeding too much and get away at the same time.

“Grian? Buddy what are you doing? Hey are you listening to me?” Scar made one last move to escape but it was all in vain.

In a single slash a spray of blood coated the room in a graceful arc. Grian scrambled over to Scar, who was on the ground now, as the imposter glitched out and disappeared. A pool of crimson slowly started to surround him. He desperately tried to back away from Grian as he approached.

“Scar? Can you hear me? C'mon you gotta let me help you.” Scar took heaving breaths as Grian tried desperately to stop the blood. But it was too late. The communicator buzzed, a death sentence for them both.

GoodTimesWithScar was slain by Grian.

Scar trusted Grian. He was one of his best friends after all!! The countless pranks they pulled, the wars they started, the buildings they did, it was hard not to grow close. So when he wanted to prank Mumbo, Grain was the first person he went to.

Scar used to trust Grian. Until he had tripped and accidentally set off an end crystal that could’ve easily killed them both. He trusted Grian until he looked into blank space with petrified eyes and then refused to share what he saw. It hurt Scar a little that he didn’t share with him, but he chalked it up to shock. It was an excuse that did nothing to ease his mind as he went to sleep though.

Scar used to trust Grian until he saw the death messages on his communicator. There was a whisper in the back of his mind saying that there was a reasonable explanation for this. A whisper that begged to not turn on Grian because surely there must have been a mistake.

Scar trusted Grian. Until he didn’t. Until his friend slashed his sword across his chest, cutting through cloth and cartilage, painting his room in his own vibrant blood. He doesn’t trust Grian anymore. Not since his own death message rang out on the communicators.

Scar doesn’t trust Grian anymore.

GoodTimesWithScar was slain by Grian.

Chapter Text

Scar was dead. He was dead and his blood was on his hands. The communicator ding sounded more like a death sentence than a run of the mill notification.

The pings that came afterwards were what made his blood run cold. That and the sound of multiple people running through Scar’s pristine wagon. Grian could hear the shouts and cries of his friends as they made their way up.

With no clue on what to do, he sat there. He sat in his friends pool of blood as the body infront of him slowly disintegrated into a white dust. His pristine white wings were stained a crimson red, vibrant and ugly. A reminder of what had happened.

The spruce door burst open; Impulse, Pearl, and Mumbo stood there in the doorway panting and frantically scanning the room.

Grian, the friend they all loved, sat in a pool of blood as Scar’s body finally drifted away. The lost and distressed look on Grian's face made Mumbo's heart hurt. How could something like this happen? It was like a flip was switched.

Pearl on the other hand, immediately sprang into action. She directed Impulse and Mumbo to take Grian out of the room and somewhere else while she waited for Scar’s eventual respawn.

The movement seemed to snap Grian out of it as he jumped up suddenly, his wings mantling around himself as he backed away. The main door out was blocked.

The only other option was out the window.

In one tense second a few things happened. Impulse pounced foreward, trying to get Grian before he could escape. Grian himself scampered back but slipped on the blood, falling on the hard ground. And Mumbo? Mumbo stood there looking on in shock because really what was happening?

Eventually after a moment of flapping wings and shouts, Impulse had Grian firmly held and he and Mumbo dragged him out.

Tears pricked at his eyes as he was hauled away. The trio fell into an uneasy silence.

How do you talk when one of them apparently killed their friend and was now being hauled around like a feathery sack of potatoes?

Grian tried to squirm out of his hold. But Impules had his arms locked around him, unwilling to let him go. After a moment of walking, they slowly went down, the ground seeming to shift from uneven grass, to paved stone steps.

It wasn’t until he was sat down in the open obsidian box that Grian realized where they were. The meeting room sat silent, the tension a physical force pushing down on everyone. He tucked in his now stained wings and brought his knees to his chest.

The past 24 hours all felt to fast. It was barely past noon and he was already being exiled. For something he didn’t do. At that thought he found his voic agian, the unfairness stirring the coals that had been long extinguished in hs chest.

”I didn’t do it,”

The words bounced off the walls, the silence seeming to get louder the more they sat. The only sound was that of Grians own breathing and Mumbos anxious taps on the glassy black rock below them all.

”then who did?”

Impulse looked at Grian, a look i his eyes that pleade to explain. One that said prove us wrong so things can go back to normal.

But of course things weren’t that easy. They never were. The mere thought of Scars pitiful look and doubting voice immediately doused any fight.

Was it worth it to defend himself if it made him look crazy?

Maybe.

”it. It was… ughh”, the sigh seemed to reverberate off the walls. How did he explain this?

The obsidian walls seemed to shrink in on him as his chest got tight. The familiar lump in his throat came back, and his sweater felt too tight. Everything was too small and he was trapped and he couldn’t breathe and-

His wings snapped out and with a powerful beat of them he was up. Grian soared out of the boatem hole and up into the great blue sky. It was midday, the sun shining bright above.

He didn’t have a lot of time. He had to move, and fast.

In an instant he went into a dive, aiming for his start base window on the top floor, the lack of glass making it a good entry. He rolled in and slammed into the wall, a fire work of pain exploding in his head and wings. There was no time for that though, Grian could hear his friends coming.

He ran down to the first floor and locked his door right as he heard Impulse try the door knob. He was once again trapped.

Completely and utterly trapped. He was a bird in a cage, and the cage was his own base, his own reality. He had two options.

One, give in and be sent away, exiled, and live it out until they want him back.

Or two. Run. Run and never look back and wait for them to relax and think. They’d want him to come back eventually, right?

That thought didn’t get much time to marinate though because the knocccking on his door got louder, he could see the hinges fighting for their lives. The door wouldn’t hold forever.

So grian made a choice.

He ran.

Well he jumped out of the side window first, the glass shattering and sprinkling his wings with little cuts.

Then he ran.

He ran and he took off flying, getting as much distance as he could.

Until the arrows hit him. The flint arrowhead embedded itself in his arm as Grian faltered and cried out. There were gray particles emitting from the wound, the weakness taking effect almost immediately.

His wings felt like lead and his eyes drooped. He fought to stay conscious, trying to stay in the sky. But it was too much. Another arrow tore through his wing, the thin muscle screaming as the tip of the arrow poked through.

And just like that he fell. The weakness, the pain, the exhaustion from everything. It was all a bit too much.

So he fell further. He fell like Icarus. Except his wings weren’t wax. They were leaden and waterlogged, too heavy to carry on. He wasn’t too close to the sun, he was too far away.

As he fell, he heard something other than the wishing of wind in his ears. He heard His own laughter. Cold and cruel, but pleased. And that was all he heard before he connected with the ground.

Chapter Text

The soothing sound of lapping waves was the first thing Grian heard. The rocking motion of a boat seemed to call him back to sleep, exhaustion tugging at his bones. 

The fog in his brain cleared a bit as he lifted his tired head and looked around. The jolt of the boat hitting something woke him up fully.

Xisuma was there rowing the boat, although he had stopped now and was looking at Grian like he was a foreign person or maybe a bug. 

Memories seemed to crawl back to Grian slowly. The meeting, seeing Scar, the chase. It seemed to dawn on him that he was in trouble. 

He was in deep trouble for something he didn’t do. 

He was being exiled.

The realization seemed to wake him fully, something he immediately regretted though because his wing throbbed something awful. Grian looked down at his wings, the white feathers dirty and stained, and spotted the hole. It wasn’t awful, mostly healed over, but there was a small patch where the feathers didn’t cover it.

He looked over at Xisuma, who now seemed very interested in the murky water around them, and glanced at the island. There were at least two trees, and the sandy beach seemed to occupy most of the island. The state of this island would usually make Grian laugh, but knowing that was where he’d be for the foreseeable future. 

As he sat there stunned, Xisuma rustled around in the boat and pulled out a small satchel. The coarse fabric was warm to the touch as X explained what was in there.

“I packed you some food to get you started… nothing special, just some pork chops and beef”, the admin sighed as he added,” I’m sorry Grian, I really am. But I have to protect my hermits. You understand right?”

The weight in his chest seemed to get heavier as Xisuma got up and got out of the boat. The shin deep water lapped around his armored legs, the pink armor shimmered in the ocean. His words seemed to echo in Grian’s head. I need to protect my hermits. Like he wasn’t one of them… 

He stood up in a haze as he was lead to the land, the salty sea water drenching his pants and legs. The water was cold and it seemed to seep into his very bones, sending a teeth chattering chill up his spine. This was real. This was happening.

Grian waded onto land, the sand sticking to his shoes as he dragged himself ashore. He turned around to look at Xisuma but he was gone. The boat and his admin were gone and he was alone on this little island. The silence seemed deafening, the only sound being the waves lapping at the shore.

The sky was gray and cloudy, a foretelling of what was to come. A breeze ruffled his wings and that seemed to snap him out of it. Grian stood straight and surveyed what he had. The singular tree was oak, the leaves swaying in the ocean breeze. He was gonna do what he could do best. Build.

It had been a few hours and a shabby little tent stood. It wasn’t anything special, the only sheep on the island had barely enough wool to cover the sticks Grian had set up. It was barely tall enough for him to stand in, much less stretch his wings; but it was something. And in his eyes, something was better than nothing.

As the sky grew darker, little droplets of rain coming down. It was only a matter of time before it started to pour. A rumble of thunder echoed in the distance. Only a second later a bolt of lightning struck down in front of Grian. The purple electricity blinded him for a moment as the flash illuminated the whole island, the dingy gray colors turning a pale purple. As the light faded, a figure in dark cloaks stood still. His wings, both pairs of them, were flared out in a graceful arc, making Him appear ten times bigger. The rain came down harder and another clap of thunder shook Grian out of his shocked stupor.

He knew who the figure was. 

It was Him. The imposter. The reason he was here. 

And in that all he felt was white hot rage. The avian stood there in the rain, shaking with rage, as the godlike figure in front of him smirked.

 His purple robes cascaded down, draping his arms and pooling on the ground. The fabric seemed to shimmer like it was enchanted. 

“This is your fault.” 

The god looked shocked that he said anything at all, the smug smirk falling off His face, before it was replaced with a scowl that could wilt flowers.

“It’s not my fault. You're the one who killed your friends. You're the one who’s named Grian. It was your name in those death messages. Not mine. This is your own doing, so don’t you dare blame me.” 

He practically spat the last words, disgust seeping into his voice as Grian faltered. He knew he didn’t kill his friends. He wouldn’t. But… He had a point. As much as Grian hated to admit it, his tormentor was right.

The doubt seemed to seep into every corner of his brain as he recalled the nights before. He had fallen asleep in the alley, at least he thought he did. There was no telling if he got up or not.

It was pouring now, Grian’s sweater and wings thoroughly soaked now, his hair sticking to his forehead. The God seemed unbothered by it, His wings staying as pristine as ever, His hair seeming to not be affected by the downpour around them.

”Well I should be off then, I have more important things to do… I’ll be back. Maybe.”

And in a blink, He was gone. The only thing that remained was a single black feather.

Grian stood there in the rain, completely and utterly alone, his only other company being the moon and stars above.

He felt good. His first visit went as perfect as He had hoped. The seeds of doubt he sowed were taking root, and sooner or later this small pathetic version of Him would be in His place. Everything was falling into place.