(T/W for blood and description of death)

POV: Grian

Location: Hermitville

I stared in shock at the smoke rising in the distance. I turned to glance at the others and saw them already equipping their elytras. I put on my own and pulled out my rockets. EX put on his helmet and glared toward the smoke through the black visor. I noticed Joe running out of his house, hastily putting on his elytra as he ran and slightly failing at it.

I ignored him and took off into the air, the other hermits following close behind.

As we neared Area 77, I felt a sudden tug and I was pulled toward the earth. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see that those with magic were affected. However, this confused me because Iskall was getting pulled while Mumbo and Joe weren't.

Turning my gaze back on the air in front of me, I realized the air had been replaced with grass and dirt. I quickly raised my arms to protect my face and crashed into the ground, gritting my teeth in pain as my fresh wounds were disturbed.

I staggered to my feet, just inside the treeline of the forest surrounding the bunker. I glanced behind me and saw my friends managing to get up. Mumbo and Joe swooped down to join us and we turned to look at the bunker.

We froze in shock. The bunker's front door had been blown off and the area surrounding it was charred and blackened from the explosion.

Standing in front of the bunker, stood the creature EX and I had discovered within the bunker. I froze as it met my gaze. It was definitely taller than even the tallest hermits. Its fur gleamed in the sunlight and suddenly, it vanished.

I ran forward, EX right on my heels. "It's gone, " I breathed.

My gaze ran over the area as I tried to survey the damage. I froze in horror as I spotted the body of a cyborg creeper further away from the door. However, I could see him breathing so I didn't worry too much.

Stress ran over to Doc and looked him over. He seemed to have taken some of the damage of the explosion as well as some fractured bones and cuts. She assumed he had been fighting the creature and it had thrown him out of the bunker before exploding the entrance.

My gaze fell upon a charred object not far from the source of the explosion. I walked over and picked it up, finding it to be a cowboy hat. I froze, my eyes widening in horror.

Slowly, my gaze ran across the ground until it fell upon a body that wasn't moving.

"Scar!" I gasped, dropping the hat and running to his side. Tears formed in my eyes as I looked at his unmoving body. The edges of his trench coat were charred and blackened and burn marks covered his arms and face. Blood slowly seeped out of a set of three cuts on his chest, which the creature probably had given him. His green eyes stared blankly up at the sky, permanently a mark of the horror he had been feeling in his final moments.

I covered my mouth as I let out a sob. Xisuma came up behind me and pulled me away. Mumbo came up and pulled me into a hug. I sobbed into his suit shoulder, unsure of what to do. I hadn't had to deal with a friend dying ever before and it hurt so much more than I thought it would.

I heard speaking and looked over at Scar's body to see EX leaning over him. "Come on, " I heard him mutter. "Don't tell me those Vex abilities aren't always active..." He placed a gloved hand on his cheek and held it there for a few moments.

Moments later, I heard him whispering, "Of course." He turned and looked toward Joe, the most composed hermit in the area. "Get Cub," he ordered. Joe nodded and flew off toward the Nether portal in search of Cub.

A spark of anger ignited in me. "Why would you ask Joe to bring Cub to see his dead friend?!" I exploded, turning to look at him. EX levelly met my gaze.

"I didn't," he answered vaguely before looking back at Scar. His words brought another sob to my lips. I looked away, unable to bear the sight of Scar's mangled body anymore.

Soon, I looked up as I heard rockets and saw Joe quickly coming back with Cub. Apparently, he had just gotten to Hermitville when Joe found him.

Cub's eyes widened as he saw the scene and his mouth gaped open as he saw Scar's body. EX watched him land and crouch beside the hermit.

"Scar...?" he whispered, eyes wide in horror.

EX leaned over and whispered something that I could barely hear. "Help him." Cub looked up and met his gaze.

Without a word, he turned back to Scar and raised his hands in front of him. I turned to watch just as his hands glowed light blue and a white glow surrounded his eyes. My eyes widening, I watched as Scar's hands and eyes glowed the same color as Cub's. Cub gritted his teeth in the effort and made the final push. A light blue pair of wings appeared on his back and moments later, a similar pair appeared on Scar's back. Light blue magic surrounded Scar's chest and remained there, healing his biggest wounds.

Scar gasped for air and looked around in surprise, the light blue glow fading. Cub released the spell and his wings faded. Scar pushed himself to a sitting position, his gaze moving around the area at our shocked faces. His wings were fading as well. His gaze landed on Cub and tears formed in his eyes. Cub reached out and pulled him into a hug.

"Don't ever do that again," Cub said, gripping him tightly.

Scar breathed heavily as his brain tried to process everything. He gasped again and pulled away from Cub, starting to look everywhere.

His gaze landed on me. "Where's the creature?" he asked.

"Gone," I answered quietly.

He let out a frustrated growl and sat back, leaning on his hand. Scar suddenly seemed to notice Doc and ran over to him, exclaiming his name. Stress shooed him away, saying, "He's fine. He's not as bad as you were." Scar reluctantly returned to Cub and looked self-consciously at our surprised faces.

"What was that?" Mumbo spoke up, his voice filled with bewilderment.

Cub stood beside Scar and gripped his hand to try and encourage him.

Scar took a breath. "I'm a Vex," he said. "And so is Cub." He glanced at Cub and then back at us. Everyone besides EX froze in surprise.

"How are you Vexes?!" Iskall exclaimed. "You're players!"

Scar exchanged an amused glance with Cub. "We're Vex-cursed players," he replied, looking at him.

Without a word, I pulled away from Mumbo and stood up. I wrapped my arms around Scar, tears forming in my eyes. "Don't ever do that again," I whispered. He wrapped his arms around me, muttering, "I won't, I promise."

I glanced at EX over Scar's shoulder and stepped away from Scar. He noticed me trying to look at EX and stepped out of the way to go check Doc.

"Did you know?" I asked. He met my gaze. "Yes," he answered quietly.

Stress hurried over. "Alright, enough hanging around the burnt bunker, time to go back to Hermitville," she said, holding out her rockets. The hermits did as they were told and one by one headed back to the village.

Iskall headed over to Doc and called Joe over to help him carry the unconscious hermit.

Scar turned to look at the bunker when the only ones left on the ground were him, EX, Stress, Cub, and myself. He froze as his gaze fell upon something a little way into the bunker. I noticed him staring into the bunker with shock in his gaze and turned to look.

Stress gasped and ran toward it to get a better view. EX and I quickly followed.

There was a body lying just outside the hallway that led to the creature's cage room. His purple cloak was blackened and torn to shreds and his ruffled pale purple wings were spread out beside him, one of them in an odd position as if it had been broken. His pale purple mask was partway broken on the left side, revealing a closed eye. His already-black hair hung just above his eyes, brushing against the top of the broken mask covering his right eye. I noticed there seemed to be a faint purple glow coming from him.

"Who is this?" Scar asked when he saw that all three of us seemed to know who he was. We looked up at him in surprise.

"You don't know?" I replied, my eyes widening with surprise.

Scar shook his head, his blackened hair bouncing with his head.

"He's in your bunker," Stress said.

"I don't know who he is," Scar replied.

"Then... Who is he?" EX asked, looking down at him.

His eye opened and he sat up, breathing heavily. We all jumped back in surprise. He leaned over and began to cough, eye wide. When he could actually breathe again, he reached up and grabbed what was left of his mask, pulling it off with a grimace.

He looked up at me, recognition showing in his black eyes.

"G-Grian?" he stammered quietly.

I froze and realized who I was looking at.

"Taurtis?!"

(1600 words or so. Bit shorter this time cuz cliffhangers are great >:3)

(And yes, I did just try to make you go through the 5 stages of grief in less than 2000 words :) it probably didn't work lol)

(Also, now you can't kill me >:D)

(I think...)

(Hope you enjoyed, bye~!)