A/N: Some dialogue is based after (but not completely copied) from the comments in False's MCC8 VOD. So there is some negativity here like Chapter 11 (which had the hermittwt selfie day thing, and by the way, 404twt continued to use the 7th, but I really don't care anymore because it's not worth my energy).

Also, H compared Fruit, Pete (and Dream) to Korosensei, can't believe he made Battle Scars canon. (Just kidding.) By the way, H's favourite Assassination Classroom character is apparently Kayano. H has excellent taste.

The way I view their houses here is like their Hermitcraft main base but... tiny? And they live alone (some have pets). So even though Ren has Jono, he still lives alone. Hermitcraft logic.

-

The image of the dead

Dead ends in my mind

Policemen swear to God

Love's seeping from the guns

I know my friends and I

Would probably turn and run

-

The Aqua Axolotls would win the 8th Championship.

That was what H said when they were the last team to get out of Sands of Time. They cheered, exuberant. They were getting into Dodgebolt! They could win this whole thing!

H and his team stepped onto the Dodgebolt field. Despite it being summer, H shivered. He wiped his sweaty hands on his aqua plaid jacket.

Aqua banners surrounded his side of the field, and the Axolotls looked up to see the majority of the participants cheering for them. But outside of the Championship arena, the spectator stands were drenched in Pink, and Stan Twitt's UwU screeching was clearly audible.

The audience wanted Pink to win. And solely because of that fact, the participants wanted Aqua to win. They couldn't let Pink win as expected and show off their protagonist power; HBomb, the leader of the "villainous" Aqua Axolotls, had to stop them.

"Boys, remember to breathe," H reminded his teammates.

"I'm breathing, I'm breathing H!" Joel shrieked in such a high-pitched voice that H knew he totally wasn't breathing.

"Dude, I can't believe me and Fwhip are gonna become the first back-to-back champions," H stated, his heart thumping so quickly it felt like it might jump out of his ribcage. "Me and Quig are gonna become the first three time winners, and Joel's about to win his first game. Let's GO!"

... Maybe stating their goals would boost their morale and help them win. Maybe that would calm them down instead of making them cocky. Behind H, the Aqua supporters screamed and waved their banners.

"YOU GOT THIS HMAMA! Do what you did last time!"

H turned with a beam. "Hey Ren! Thanks for the support!"

"I can't believe a builder is gonna be the first back-to-back winner," False's voice drifted towards H. She flashed the Axolotls a thumbs up. "Go on, my dudes. We'll be cheering you on."

Fwhip laughed. "Back-to-back winners, eh? It's not going to be easy."

"True, but we're still doing it." H was determined. "Guys, let's go!"

The seconds ticked down, and H scanned his opponents. The Pink Parrots were discussing their strategies, but H could tell they looked confident. H gulped, and tried not to think too much about facing the top two PvPers. H had his Aqua Axolotls, and that was enough for him.

During their first round, H was swiftly eliminated by Technoblade, his old opponent from the 7th Championship. H fought back a sigh, and stared at the bright pink paint dripping off his chest plate. He scrambled up the stairs so he could get a good look at the Dodgebolt field.

H wanted to help his team so badly— too bad he was taken out immediately. H gripped the railing. Breathe in, breathe out, he ordered himself, taking his own advice.

It's okay. I can help them from the sidelines, H told himself, but a nasty voice was whispering to him "you should've been better at dodging...."

H shook his head, and returned to reality. Practically every Championship participant was cheering for them. He couldn't let them down.

"Attaboy!" he yelled when Quig shot Michael. But Quig was then eliminated by Techno. Quig and H, known masters at Dodgebolt, were now out, leaving the 3-G crafters Joel and Fwhip alone on the field. Joel was even a first timer. When Fwhip and Joel looked up at H and Quig with the slightest hint of confusion, H knew he had to take charge.

"Aim for Techno and Dream," H ordered. "Do not target Burren— he's the bait. Call out who you're going for."

"I'm going for Dream," Joel said, and Fwhip quickly followed. "I'm going for Techno."

Fwhip shot, but he hit Burren instead. H was quick to comment despite the outcome being unexpected. "You got a kill! Nice!"

But Fwhip was shot by Techno (that guy was a beast!) and Joel, the new guy, was suddenly burdened with a 1v2.

"You're good, you're good! You have both bullets!"

"Take your time! Take your time! Don't just shoot."

The remaining Axolotls soothed Joel without a second of hesitation, and Joel gulped. He raised his gun, aiming it towards Technoblade.

He missed, but H instantly said, "Good try!"

Joel proceeded to dodge a few more bullets before Dream took a bullet and shot Joel like it was the most natural thing in the world. As the Axolotls groaned, H remained unshaken. "We got this boys, don't worry." He nodded like he could convince himself.

"Best of five, best of five."

"This be looking like a gender reveal party, bro."

H bit back a chuckle. The aqua and pink decorations did resemble a gender reveal party, but they had business to attend to. "Techno went straight for me, so I'll be taken out first. I don't want the first shot," H told everyone as they stepped into position again.

The second round was off to a good start. Quig got Dream ("Attaboy!"), then he and Joel were eliminated. H grabbed the aqua paintball bullet and fitted it in his gun. "I'm going for Techno. I want him."

Techno... H had faced him just a month ago, and he'd won. Surely he could win again this time. A few tense seconds passed—

Then a blue bullet soared and splattered onto Techno. Techno's head jerked up and he locked eyes with H.

But Techno had looked at the wrong person.

It was Fwhip who had gotten Techno.

Before anybody could breathe, Burren accidentally stepped out of the Dodgebolt zone and was automatically eliminated. It was only Michael left.

"Nice, nice, NICE—"

A fire was roaring inside H, and he pulled the trigger. The bullet went way further than he'd expected. "How did I miss that?!" H seethed, mad at himself for throwing away such a golden opportunity. He was especially mad that Fwhip had killed someone and H couldn't, thus he had let Fwhip and his team down.

There was a flurry of confusion and excitement as Quig and Joel shouted directions from above. Suddenly, Fwhip was gone, and he passed his bullet to H. "He got me, it's all you!" Fwhip cried out. "You got two!"

H felt the invisible pressure imposed on him once more. His team was depending on him, and he had to win this round. His fingers twitched—

He missed one shot.

"H S-tier!" came a familiar voice behind him. Was it Eret, his friend and old teammate?

No, no, no. H could not afford to be distracted. His eyes narrowed in on his target—

He released.

.

.

"YESSS! Nice one, H!"

"Let's go! Well done!"

H could not celebrate yet, despite that was what his teammates were doing. He just clapped his hands with a stoic expression, hoping he could feel his fingers again after the two Dodgebolt rounds. H exhaled, and watched as his teammates entered the Dodgeball arena again.

H finally spoke, but it was in a quieter voice. "Let's go, boys! And I want the first shot."

Adrenaline was pumping through H's veins after his two kills. He was brimming with confidence, and he could barely stay still. He bounced on the soles of his feets, eager to strike—

Splat.

Pink splashed across H's chest once again as Dream cheered. He futilely raised a fist in his indignation. Once again, he'd been killed after two seconds of breathing. A flower nipped in the bud before it could bloom. H stopped to ponder for a few seconds, then forced himself to watch the Dodgebolt.

Quig shot Dream, and almost instantly Fwhip shot Michael. H slammed his hand on his thigh. "THERE WE GO!" he bellowed, nostrils flared. He knew it! If H couldn't do it, his teammates would! They would cover for each other, and they would win.

"Just breathe. The anxiety's never been higher, but it's fine," H lightly stated.

Joel then shot Techno, and H beamed like a proud father. "That's my boy! That's my bold Joel!"

But then Burren clutched and shot both Joel and Fwhip in quick succession. "He's nuts with it!" H pointed out, acknowledging Burren's skills. His team had just lost, but the score was 1-2. The Aqua Axolotls could bring this back.

"That was a good round," H insisted when the countdown started again. "Burren just hit his shots at the very end. That's it."

H told Quig to get the bullet because H knew he would be targeted. Quig tried, and he managed to dodge one shot, but Dream got him in the end. Fwhip and H then picked up the bullets that were dispensed in the middle of the field.

"I want Techno," H growled, aiming for the pink-haired guy once again, but he couldn't help but marvel at Techno. "Techno's movements are so good, dude. I can tell he's been practicing."

A blue bullet came very close to Techno, but he dodged it. H inhaled, then shot. The bullet soared and landed at Techno, and H exhaled. He'd done it once again.

"Nice, nice!" The Axolotls encouraged each other, and started to plan their next offence. As Quig and Fwhip yelled out warnings, H remained silent, totally focused on Dodgebolt. His feet moved even though he could barely feel them, his teammates were talking about how Pink was passing the bullets around, and H felt his chest constrict. He swallowed and tried to ignore the many pairs of eyes staring at him right now.

And then H was eliminated.

This time he audibly sighed, but he instantly switched his focus to Joel, the sole remaining Axolotl on the field. H managed to smile. "Joel, are you ready to clutch this?" It wasn't a question.

Joel laughed nervously just as he shot Michael. Everybody "oohed" in excitement. A crafter from the lowly 3-G in Dodgebolt— what could he do? What could this newcomer do?

"He's ready!" H declared, a mad glint in his eye. He had not doubted Joel, not even for one second.

"First Dodgebolt, and he's about to win a 1v3." H was once again stating goals like they were facts, and he could not wipe that smile off his face. True, H had been eliminated without any chance to shoot, but it was Joel's time to shine! "Look at this guy. Look at this boi!"

"LOOK AT HIM GO!" H hollered, then his voice softened as he directed his next words towards Joel. "Take your time and win this for us! Let's gooo! Everyone's gonna look back at you, the legend himself—"

Precisely at that moment, Joel shot Dream, and the crowd went wild. Aqua supporters desperately clutched each other, feeling the tension in the air. Pink supporters gasped, surprised that this 3-G dude could eliminate Dream and make it look so easy.

"OOOOOHHH!"

"That's one more, Joel, one more! You got two of them!"

"Let's GOOOOO!"

"Take you time." H once again used his admittedly loud voice to cover up the cheers and screams of their friends. Joel needed guidance right now. "Don't shoot. Breathe. Breathe. Watch his movements and wait for him to turn around."

Everybody, be they supporters of Aqua or Pink, had their eyes on Joel. Was this the birth of a new Dodgebolt star? A newcomer, who'd joined with his X-Life friends, his sleeping potential awakened when all his teammates were gone?

Joel lifted his arm, and shot.

Boom.

H flung his arms into the air, elated. "THAT'S MY BOY!" he screamed for the entire world to know. "THAT'S A 1V3!"

Joel was actually shaking as Fwhip and Joel smothered him with hugs. "That was a 1v3!" he whimpered, voice even more higher pitched than usual. "Gosh!"

"You know who you just killed?" H demanded almost aggressively. "The so-called number one Minecrafter, Dream, in a 1v3! You did it against all odds."

Joel was taking deep breaths as he tried to calm down. "Oh gosh, Lizzie's gonna be so proud of me. One more round to go."

"They're nervous, they're nervous."

"Take the win home, babey!"

H shot a look at Pink, and indeed they were nervous. No doubt Joel's fantastic, never-seen-before 1v3 had totally stunned them. H cackled, but the game wasn't over yet. 2 to 2. One more round, and it was either heaven or hell.

"We got this, we got this in the bag!"

The final round of Dodgebolt began, and the crowd screamed, the Championship reaching its climax. The cheers were so loud, H could barely hear his own thoughts. All he knew was hitting and dodging and winning.

"I. Want. Techno," H murmured yet again, his eyes never leaving his enemy. Techno was his kill, his prey. Techno caught him looking, and just grinned cheekily.

H could barely register what was happening. His team shouted out names and asked each other who had the bullet. H answered their questions and hopped around the field to dodge bullets. It was like he was on autopilot. His lips trembled, his throat was dry, every cell in his body was thrumming and vibrating, and H felt like he could barely breathe, yet he had never felt so alive.

Suddenly Quig was gone. Suddenly Fwhip took out Techno. H vaguely remembered telling Quig to remind him to breathe. Suddenly Joel and Fwhip were eliminated. And just as suddenly, it was only HBomb left.

H walked over to the middle of his side of the field and picked up his two aqua bullets. He turned them over in his palm. Funny how these two tiny items were a matter of life and death. The shouts and screeches from the audience reached a crescendo and enveloped him. H cooly stared at his opponents.

Dream and Burren on the other side. Versus him, HBomb.

"Come on, H!" "You've got both bullets, H." "Think about your shots! You got this."

Everybody wanted him to win. Everybody depended on him to win. H could feel the weight of it all on his shoulders— not only his team, but his friends, the crafters, everybody in the community who just wanted an upset. H shivered despite his blood boiling. Cold sweat trickled down his forehead.

"Breathe man, breathe."

H sharply inhaled. Then his lips parted.

"I can't believe I'm about to win this."

That was right, wasn't it? If he said it enough times, he would believe it and he would make it come true. A prediction. A promise. A prophecy.

"H, you're gonna clutch it!"

Joel's encouraging voice made H grin, and he couldn't wipe the grin off. He raised his gun and hit Burren squarely in the chest. The Aqua Axolotls roared, and the crowd mimicked it, just several times louder.

"H, you've never not hit a bow shot before. You are probably the best bower I've seen in my entire life." Quig was rambling again, but H appreciated it.

Now Dream had both bullets, and H was the target. He gritted his teeth. H could not afford to lose, not when there was so much on the line. His team, his friends. Fwhip had performed wonderfully, killing Techno when H couldn't. Of course Quig was nuts as always. And Joel, Joel, his friend from 3-G. Joel, whom nobody expected to clutch in Dodgebolt, just won the first 1v3, and he did it against Dream.

Everybody had done so well. It was up to H to continue their legacy. And so he had to win.

A shot whizzed past him, and H almost had a heart attack. "Nice, nice, you dodged one—"

Then it happened.

Fresh pink paint dribbled down his chest plate, staining H's aqua jacket like a pale version of blood. The arena was loud, so loud as everybody screamed their lungs out. Everybody was in hysterics. Pink confetti rained down from the sky, covering the aqua splats of paint, covering the scoreboard, covering the Pink Parrots, covering H's eyes.

H looked up, and smiled.

Then he burrowed his head in his arms and choked out a sob—

and the deed was done.

-

When you get out of bed

Don't end up stranded

horrified with each stone

On the stage

My little dark age

-

A chorus of "GGs" rang out, and H knew he said "GG" as well, but he couldn't register it. His skin was unnaturally hot yet cold. He vaguely realized Joel was hugging all three of them, and H naturally had to reciprocate.

"We did well, dudes."

"Yeah, we did the best we could."

The Axolotls nodded, but there was no denying that they were upset and disappointed. Especially after H boldly declared they would win and they had their hopes up.

They congratulated the winners and chatted for a while. As the other three went to wash up, H remained in the Championship arena. He stiffly sat on a bench, away from the screeching masses of Pink stans, his blue eyes still trained on the leaderboard.

Aqua did so good. Pink Parrots just got the win in the end.

And it was a well deserved win! Burren totally carried Pink in Dodgebolt despite Techno and Dream being well known PvPers. H was happy for Pink. He genuinely was.

HBomb just failed everybody.

He had loudly declared himself the villain to the audience's (and Stan Twitt's) favourites, only to fail humiliatingly. Everybody was depending on him for an upset— of course his friends and the builder community cheered for him, but even people whom H had never spoken to voiced their support for Aqua.

To make things worse, everybody on his team popped off. Quig, Fwhip, they were totally killing it. Joel was a madman— he was forced into a 1v3 and survived to tell the tale. It was just HBomb who slipped up. HBomb, the leader, carrying the burden of winning in the final duel against Dream. It was HBomb who had disappointed everybody.

Quite a number of participants were still hanging out in the arena, but all of them were wise not to disturb HBomb. Pink and Aqua had a quick chat after Dodgebolt and they congratulated each other with some smack talk interspersed. Techno had screamed "NOT TODAY, H. NOT AGAIN", referencing when H defeated Techno last time, but H knew there was no ill will on both sides. Of course there wouldn't be. H and Quig shared a class with Dream and Techno, and they all respected each other.

It was just the freaking audience and Stan Twitt.

Boldly proclaiming Pink was always meant to win, and everybody else was irrelevant. H knew he and his team would receive hate if they won, so maybe it was better to be pushed into oblivion instead of tasting victory and paying the unfair price for it.

H gripped his bench, muscles stiff. His eyeballs were oddly hot and dry. H wouldn't cry; he was a lot of things, but he wasn't a sore loser. He just—

"Sup, H."

A familiar calm voice. H turned to see Fruit sit down next to him. Fruit had a small but slightly nervous smile on his face, as if to test the waters. H shifted so Fruit could have more space, and Fruit took it as a sign of welcome.

"I know you didn't see me, but I was cheering for you the entire time."

H scoffed. "Aren't you Dream and Techno' sensei?"

"Yeah, but you're my friend," Fruit said as if it explained everything. "And besides, if anything, you guys deserve to win. You killed it at all the team games. I'm calling it— you guys are gonna be seen as the strongest team in all of Championship history."

H's lips quirked up. "The strongest team that lost. How ironic."

"We deserved that win." "H, I thought you were going to do it again."

The words the Axolotls said floated back into H's mind. Of course they reassured him it was okay and they were just unlucky.

"I wanted to win for Joel," H said abruptly. "All of us have won except for him. He did even better than I had expected but... I couldn't win for him."

"It's alright. Joel's proven his worth."

H wrinkled his nose. "I know everyone is going to focus on Burren's shots and not Joel's 1v3. No offence to Burren obviously, he did great; it's just that he's on Pink and the vocal majority of the audience is very biased."

Fruit sighed. "True, true."

H liked talking to Fruit. Fruit was calm, had a softer voice than his, but could be wholly chaotic. But at the same time, he was kind and humble and genuine. Fruit always managed to sound unbiased and honest without being offensive.

"You know, H, you're a great team leader."

"Am I now?"

Fruit laughed. "Yeah! You were going crazy during Dodgebolt. You were cheering but you didn't forget to give practical advice. I know you were super stressed, but you still did your best to relieve your friends' stress."

H stared at his hands. "... I just want them to have a good time. But I am ecstatic that Joel popped off."

"Yeah, and you kind of enabled it."

H frowned and twisted his fingers. "No, no, no. Joel did it by himself. We did nothing."

"You supported him," Fruit argued. "You constantly hyped him up so he could be confident. Sure, Joel is skilled, but his potential had to be awakened, and you did that, H. You've always been good at awakening other people's potential."

H didn't know what to say. His chest felt warm. H knew Fruit was being honest, and he wasn't saying that to be nice or to comfort him after he lost. "... Well, I think these players have always been good."

"They are, they just need someone to aggressively shake their shoulders and wake them up." Fruit was grinning now. "And I think you're the best at doing that, H."

H tapped his chin. There was something magical and utterly satisfying about seeing Joel pop off when people didn't expect him to. And H didn't even want any credit. He just liked seeing people do good. Even if they weren't on his team.

"Well, I came to the Championship to make friends," H finally said. "Winning's never my first priority, even though I really want to win. And everyone wanted us to defeat Pink for an upset."

Fruit shrugged. "Well, who says you can't upset them in the next one?"

Alright. Maybe H had to let the fan favourites win so he and his future team could have a strong comeback, and when they won, they would become even more of a fan favourite. H was tired of being the villain to the conventional protagonists. He wanted to be the hero of his (and someone else's) story.

A smirk spread across H's face, his usual vigour and energy returning to him. "I like your way of thinking, Fruityloops."

Fruit stretched his arms and yawned. "Y'know, they've been calling the 8th Championship as the one with the legendary rivals teaming up. And they won against their common enemy— you."

H snorted. "What is this, an anime? Assassination Classroom but unsatisfying? The underdogs, not the established favourites, usually win in anime."

"Yeah, my point exactly. It's boooring if those predicted to win actually win. But how about we try to win the next one?"

H raised an eyebrow. "We?"

(H tried to sound nonchalant, but his heart was leaping at the opportunity.)

Excitement glinted in Fruit's eyes. "We used to be rivals, didn't we? It was one-sided, because I didn't see you as one, but still. We can be the "legendary rivals team up"."

H chuckled. "A bootleg version of Pink Parrots. I like it. Or maybe they're the bootleg version."

"That's it! And we can do what Pink did— find two other so-called "weaker" players and bring them to victory. No one will expect us to win— you lost this Championship, I got 14th last time. We know our worth, they don't. So there won't be any pressure!"

H laughed, but turned away. "Thanks for the entertaining idea, Fruit. I like it, I really do. But will Scott allow it? You're still a S tier, despite your..." H waved his hands vaguely. "Last placement."

"If he allowed Dream and Techno to be in the same team, why not us?" Fruit said airily. "But you have a point. You're crazy strong, H. If you won the 8th Championship, there would practically be no chance for me to team up with you. But you lost this one, so Scott would think it's balanced."

H drummed his fingers on his thigh. "Interesting. So losing the 8th Championship might be a blessing in disguise. I like it. You're right; we should team up."

Fruit playfully punched H. "Ohhh yeah. That's awesome!"

H shifted his body, and allowed a small smile to spread across his face. Now that he had calmed down and talked to Fruit, he felt a lot better. His muscles were more relaxed, and he once again felt hope blossom in his heart.

Losing the 8th Championship wasn't the end. In fact, it was just the beginning.

H stood up. "Thanks for the chat, Fruity, I needed it. I'm going to find the rest of the Axolotls."

"Wait." Fruit peered up at H. "Which two are we inviting to our team?"

H had his signature grin on his face.

"Are you thinking who I'm thinking?"

(Out of the corner of H's eye, he saw four yellow-clad figures scurry away, as if hiding from the spotlight.)

-

The feelings start to rot

One wink at a time

-

So Pink Parrots won, and the Yellow Yaks did not get an upset as they would've liked. They were still bummed about getting ninth, and had done their best to keep their spirits up, but all of them were physically and mentally exhausted.

They thought it was an exciting Dodgebolt, and stuck around to chat with Fwhip. Unfortunately, the audience members were now allowed to enter the arena, and the arena was swarmed with people.

They went to congratulate Fwhip and the rest of the Axolotls (H was not there), and the Yaks actually planned to linger longer, but then they started to hear comments directed towards them.

"I love the hermits, so I'm sad they're always getting ninth!" somebody wailed.

"They used to place sixth or seventh. I think they should team up with people outside of the hermits and 3-G. I suggest that they should split for one time and try other teammates."

"I know right, that's what I'm thinking! But Techno plus Dream is too OP, and that's not fair. Hopefully the hermits can have a comeback!"

"But the important thing is that they have fun!"

The hermit fans nodded, but their conversation was rudely interrupted by a troll.

"They suck because they're bad at PvP, they suck at fast reaction times, they suck at performance under pressure, and they suck at... I dunno, practicing."

The fans glared at the troll. "Hey, don't bring negativity here! Don't criticize if it's not constructive!"

Unfortunately, that troll attracted more trolls, and it snowballed from there.

"Lol you got destroyed," someone casually stated, but quickly added, "THIS IS A JOKE, YOU DID WELL, JUST STAN PINK PARROTS AND GREEN GUARDIANS DJSJNDISNSJDHEJ—"

"The builders lost."

"You sucked lol."

"Don't know why False is called the Queen of PvP. Queen of Builders maybe, but bottom of the barrel at PvP. They're all PvP noobs."

False stiffened. Ren grabbed her arm, and hissed in her ear, "Let's go. Not worth our attention."

But the mean shouts continued. The Yaks had had haters before, everyone in MCYT school had those, and they knew better than to listen to them, but it was still very upsetting. The Yellow Yaks' fans were protesting, but the vocal minority remained, well, vocal.
"GIT GUD SUCKERS!! Hermitcrafters, you're bad at this!"

"Wow they even suck at their main game— Build Mart. Aren't they builders? Lol."

"They're a Battle Box losing streak team right here."

"If you keep on saying you hate this and hate that, just go back to Hermitcraft. Thank God you didn't team with Dream or Technoblade, you will just make them fall."

The words stung more than they should, and False blanched. Next to her, Cub looked very pale. Pearl was frowning. False could feel Ren's grip on her arm instinctively tighten.

There were only a handful of trolls, but negative comments sadly had a bigger impact than the positive comments. Seeing this, the fans of the Yaks spoke up, using their volume to drown out the problematic minority.

"They're just jealous they're not part of the Yellow Yaks! Yaks for life!"

"Well done guys, you did amazing even if you didn't win! #NotLast!"

"Yeah, I loved it! You'll get Top 3 next time!"

"Yass to False's PvP brain! Woohoo!"

A hint of a smile appeared on False's face. So people still believed in her. Nice.

"I think Team Hermitcraft is decently good at Survival Games since their strategy really works for them and Rocket Spleef. Sadly these games weren't chosen. But now they know how Skyblockle works, I think they might be good at it as well. Rooting for you guys as always for the next Championship!"

"Honestly I love the way that you guys play. You didn't get last place and although I root for all teams, I have grown a liking to the Hermitcraft team. Hermitcraft Represent!"

"Aww, what a really supportive community for really bad Championship players."

The troll was speaking again, and everyone glared at them. "They'll win, mark my words," somebody seethed.

Ren was looking worried. "Guys, let's go." He turned to their fans with a smile. "Thanks for the support, really appreciate it."

Ren wrapped his arms around his friends and ushered them away from the crowd. False swallowed the lump in her throat. The insecurity she'd been wrestling with returned full force. How awful was it that mere words had such an impact on the morale they had been precariously building up.

"They're rude," False blurted out before she could think. "So rude."

Cub nodded. "True! Like man, we're just... existing."

"They're annoying. Who do they think they are?" Pearl muttered. "Try participating in the Championship yourselves then. Screw you."

Pearl's intensity made them all laugh a little, but the laughter swiftly died down. They had to face the harsh reality that they had gotten ninth three times in a row. 

"It's all good, guys!" Ren somehow managed to have a genuine smile on his face. "We've got our own fans, and those haters of ours are immature kiddos who have their heads stuck in their own butts! Like, we have these amazing uniforms and fanart. They appreciate us. We appreciate each other."

"You're right, you're right."

The Yaks hugged each other one final time. They agreed to meet up for dinner to chat, but now they all needed a shower and some rest. Ren and Cub opted to go to the 3-H classroom to wash up like they always did, but False wanted some alone time, so she excused herself and went home.

The way home was... weird, because False usually had multiple friends with her. At the very least, she had her neighbour Ren. But now it suited False, because she was so tired she didn't want to speak.

She entered her house and threw her dirty team jacket into the laundry basket. False winced at the large bruise on her arm; it seemed to be getting worse. She stepped into the shower and let the water wash away the sweat and blood. Maybe it could wash away the negative thoughts too.

False sighed and rested her head on the cool wall. She really was pathetic, wasn't she? She was supposed to be good at PvP. She'd saved her friends multiple times from people fighting them. She knew she shouldn't let those silly haters affect her, but she was human after all, and the words hurt.

She methodically dried her hair, making sure not to move her left arm too much since it was hurt. She was still thinking about the Championship and her failure and the disappointment and the pain when—

Her phone vibrated.

Ren: Meeting up in 30 mins? :D

-

And the engine's failed again

All limits of disguise

The humor's not the same

Coming from denial

-

The dinner was a mostly quiet affair as Pearl had expected. The Yaks made small talk— Cub said he was going to sleep over at Scar's, they asked each other about their injuries, Ren pronounced "lasagne" in a weird way.

Silence fell over the quartet when they realized they ran out of lighthearted things to say. Pearl remembered their last dinner before the 8th Championship, which was a mere twenty four hours ago, she realized with a laugh. It felt like an eternity since then. Back then, they had oh-so-hopefully, oh-so-boldly declared they would get seventh. Someone (was it False?) had even said the four of them would get into Dodgebolt one day. How far were they from their dream?

Now with battered bodies and bruised egos, it was painful to think about their hopeful promise. So no one mentioned it.

Pearl noticed that even Ren, who was the most vocal about his support, was quiet. Ren moodily picked at his food, while False was busy fiddling with the ice pack on her left arm. Cub just stared at his glass of water. Pearl gulped.

They had been demoralized from the very beginning, when they were predicted to get ninth, but they'd supported each other. They faced the lows of Battle Box and Build Mart and tried to conquer their insecurities. Alas, they still got ninth. Pearl still got 33rd despite her best efforts. Not to mention their haters were enjoying their failure. For so long, all four of them struggled to remain optimistic. Ren in particular always had a nice word to say about anyone and anything. Ren had that special ability to make objectively bad situations sound positive. When Ren said they were placing low to give the others a head start, Pearl chimed in and said they were giving them a handicap. All four of them tried, but Ren tried the most, and everybody knew.

But they were utterly exhausted now, having spoken every encouragement they could think of, having thought of every way their predicament could be seen as helpful. So everybody was silent.

As unavoidable the silence was, it was also unbearable.

So they decided to call it a day and rest early. There was nothing else they could do. They mumbled their goodbyes and split up— the hermits going in one direction (Pearl knew they lived close to each other) and Pearl in another.

As Pearl briskly walked home, she found many thoughts occupying her brain, many thoughts that hadn't appeared when she was with the three hermits. Pearl knew she was the odd one out— she was always the odd one out, even though the hermits were perfectly friendly and welcoming. In fact, Pearl was one of the rare few who were considered an "honorary hermit" by the hermits. But there was no hiding that circumstance-wise, she was different.

For starters, Pearl was not in 3-H. Sure, many mistook her as a member of 3-H, but she was part of the main campus. She wasn't isolated like the hermits (although all four of them were looked down).

And secondly, out of the four, Pearl was the only one who had actually practiced. The three hermits often said they would do better next time because they would practice, but Pearl, who practiced every day, did not get a better rank. In fact, she even dropped a few ranks, from 28th to 31st to 33rd. She knew her skills had improved, it just wasn't significant compared to the progress everyone had.

The hermits did not try, and they got an unsatisfactory rank.

Pearl tried, she tried so hard, and still she got an unsatisfactory rank.

At least the hermits had hope. Pearl had disappointment and frustration.

That was why the hermits didn't really mention practice during dinner, since they didn't want to rub salt in the wound. But the hermits did say they wanted someone to teach them, and Pearl seemed to be their favourite choice. Except Pearl wasn't even good at parkour.

Of course Pearl could not say that to the hermits— after all, she was the outsider. She put in a lot more effort in the 8th Championship than they did. She received regular training from the main campus teachers while the 3-Hermitcrafters could only rely on Scott and their friends. And as the hermits' friend, Pearl would be more than delighted to help them.

She just wasn't good enough.

She'd practiced, but she was still on the same level of those who had not practiced.

And definitely not on the level of her 3-G peers who even got into Dodgebolt.

Pearl sighed and rubbed her arms self-consciously. The streetlamps cast a solitary shadow, and Pearl felt oddly ostracized even though she just had dinner with friends.

Pearl inhaled. No, she wouldn't be stupid. She was Pearlescentmoon, a builder, a crafter, and not a quitter. Her hands balled up into shaky fists.

Yes, she failed in the 8th Championship. No, she wasn't giving up.

Maybe she needed to practice more. Maybe she needed to practice more efficiently. Pearl would find out why her practices didn't work like she thought they would.

But for now, Pearl allowed herself to be upset. She allowed herself to forget about her worries and insecurities.

But there was one thing Pearl was sure of.

She would return for the 9th Championship, and she would return stronger than ever.

-

I grieve in stereo

The stereo sounds strange

I know that if you hide

It doesn't go away

-

Cub said bye to False and Ren and approached Scar's house. As tired as he was after the 8th Championship and dinner with the Yaks, he was never too tired to not appreciate Scar's beautiful creations.

Scar's place was a charming brick house with a prismarine roof. It was covered with vines, ivy, different flowers, and the house was practically buried by the numerous trees in Scar's back and front yards. It looked like it came straight out of a fairy tale (and Scar probably took inspiration from that, considering his love for Disney). The yard was jam-packed with items like a BBQ grill, a tent (and Jellie's special turquoise-pink-white tent), a hammock, and even a treehouse that Scar and Cub built together and used for stargazing. A greenhouse filled with exotic plants was tucked in the corner, a man-made waterfall next to it. The hermits always had a Good Time at GoodTimesWithScar's place (Mumbo cried when he saw Scar's cute little mushrooms). Every hermit could craft and build, but not a lot of them could breathe life into their creations like Scar did. Now that it was dark, lanterns lit up the yard (the yard was at least twice the size of the actual house). A soft golden glow emitted from the glass windows.

Scar went out to open the gate for Cub. They made small talk as they walked down the cobblestone path to the house. Cub had slept at Scar's place so many times he had his own pair of slippers, his toothbrush and his mug.

"Sooo... what do you wanna do tonight?" Scar asked with a warm smile.

"I'm tired... maybe I'll just sit down."

The inside of Scar's house was just as pretty as the exterior, except it was way messier. Chestmonsters littered the floor, while sets of Legos and Jellie plushies lined the shelves. Cub sat on Scar's couch as Scar went into the kitchen to make hot chocolate. Cub sighed and hugged his knees to his chest. He felt his back ache, probably from when he was knocked to the ground during Battle Box.

As if sensing his distress, Jellie walked over and sat on Cub's lap. She purred, and Cub petted her head. Cub couldn't stop the smile spreading across his face. Spending time with his best friend and his cat was very relaxing and healing.

Scar returned with two steaming mugs of hot chocolate, and Cub gratefully smiled. They sat next to each other on the couch, Scar fiddling with his multicoloured "magic crystals" on the coffee table. There was a comfortable silence between them, but Cub didn't want it to be silent.

Cub exhaled, and started to speak. "Truth be told, I'm not feeling so good after the Championship."

Scar slowly set down his mug. Scar had never been in the Championship, in fact, he rarely was in competitive events, so he couldn't fully understand Cub, but that didn't mean he wasn't going to try.

"Want to talk about it?"

"... I feel like I let everyone down," Cub confessed, his voice heavy. "I got the worst rank, I'm not good at movement or PvP, and I... I even suggested a strategy that backfired. I know it's not wholly my fault, but I feel like it is."

Scar soothingly rubbed Cub's back. "Yeah, sometimes your silly emotions make you believe in things that aren't true. It's okay, Cub. I know you did your best, and that's enough. I know your teammates, the Yellow Yaks, feel the same way."

Cub didn't reply. He was too tired to do so. So he rested his head on Scar's shoulder and two sat there for a while. Jellie meowed at Cub, sounding a little concerned. Cub quietly chuckled and scratched under Jellie's chin.

"I'm alright, Jellie, just need some time to process it and get over it."

The cheerful and optimistic Scar always did wonders at lifting others' spirits. Being in a place Scar designed, seeing his cat, or even drinking Scar's MooPop, they all reminded Cub of Scar. It was like Scar's sweet and sunny personality permeated everything he touched, making his creations overflow with Scar-ness. And just being by Scar's side made Cub feel a lot better.

"... What do you want me to do?"

Cub looked up to see Scar's forest green eyes, twinkling and filled with warmth. Sure, Scar cared, he cared a lot, but he also didn't want to overwhelm Cub when he was visibly tired.

Cub thought of all the fun things he could do with Scar- work on the Aque Town lego set, rewatch the launch of a rocket, gaze at the stars, play with Jellie-

And Cub made up his mind.

"Just stay here."

And so they sat, side by side, enjoying each other's companionship, quietly sipping their hot chocolate, until Cub's eyelids inevitably started to droop.

-

If you get out of bed

And find me standing all alone

Open-eyed

Burn the page

My little dark age

-

During the dinner with the Yaks, Ren was silent, probably having run out of jokes to make. Could False blame him? He was always the one who made them feel better. He somehow managed to stay positive despite all three of his friends being in despair. It must be really tough for him.

The three hermits said bye to Pearl, then False and Ren said bye to Cub. Soon they would reach their neighbourhood and say bye to each other. False exhaled.

The road home was quiet, the only sound being their footsteps and the chirping of crickets. False's left arm continued to throb, the pain even more noticeable in the silence.

... False had always been thankful for Ren, but she hadn't realised how important his presence was until he stopped talking. Maybe she'd taken him for granted— she was probably closest to Ren and Cub out of the Kingdomcrafters, not to mention they went to school together every day. Plus Ren had loyally been with her in every Championship.

They had reached the tree in front of their houses. The tree they met at every morning. False gulped. Ren, who was walking in front of her, cleared his throat.

"Well, I guess this is it. See you soon."

.

.

.

It would be easy. It would be easy for her to say two words— a simple "see ya" and she could go home and sleep and forget about everything. It should've been easy.

But it wasn't. Because getting ninth for the third time in a row sucked, and False wanted to scream. But it was Ren who made it bearable, with his silly jokes and comforting smiles and reassuring words. It was Ren who tried non-stop to cheer them up for practically the entire day. Maybe she was just used to him, but it felt... wrong and hollow and strange and empty when he quieted down. And without his words to preoccupy her, her thoughts did, scolding her for letting everyone down, and convincing her winning was hopeless and she should just stop participating to save herself from misery.

And False thought of going home, tucking herself in her bed, staring at the ceiling, with nothing and no one to distract her. She knew she wouldn't be able to sleep as her thoughts would keep her up all night, and it was— it was unbearable. Stewing in her anguish, spiralling into a pit of despair, clumsily attempting to keep her emotions under lock and key only to fail.

Sometimes being alone sucked.

And it wasn't just her. They were all suffering. Ren, especially. How bad he must've felt seeing his friends so miserable, yet knowing he must be cheerful for their sake? He was mentally exhausted too, wasn't he? And while she knew they didn't like to bother anyone, this time, it was too much to keep it in. They couldn't pretend it was fine and move on. It was too much, too much, too much—

Too much for them to bear on their own.

.

.

.

And False couldn't take it anymore.

Normally False would've felt awkward, or guilty, or something. But today she was just tired. Oh-so-very-tired. Too tired to give a damn about anything else. She was sure if she let herself, she would just collapse on the ground.

She took a step forward, then one more.

"Hmm?" Ren sounded confused, yet his tone was kind.

In a rare act of vulnerability, False lowered her head—

and uttered one single word.