POWER

Cub could feel the moment that the Power stone entered someone's hands, felt its power buzzing passively in the air.

He shakily sat down, hand twitching as it felt the power twirl around it. It longged to feel the power coursing through it once more, but he buried that deep down. As someone who'd once held the Stones, he knew the pull of their power, a power they'd just use against you if given the chance.

He hoped that whoever had the stone didn't get anymore, or that anymore came to be. Because he feared Hermitcraft would never be the same if all six came to be.

Purple

When Grian had noticed that the Button had six colors he couldn't help himself. He got a gauntlet specially made, made to be a mix between the one Iron Man used and the one Thanos used (shape of IM's and style of Thanos'). He then used some Watcher magic to turn the concrete block into a purple stone, and he added a mild strength effect to it too.

You know, to make it more realistic!

TIME

When he felt the second stone, Time, if the subtle feeling of time stopping for a second or so was anything to go by. He really hoped it was someone else.

He hasn't yet figured out who has the Power stone, but he'll figure it out eventually. And if he doesn't figure it out himself then he'll just ask someone else. Easy as that!

Green

As soon as he got the green concrete block he did the same thing he did with the purple one. He blinked in surprise when he noticed that the air around him seemed to still, the heat still there but not trickling all over his skin like a hot breath like usual.

He looked down at where he'd just placed the green stone in, a feeling deep inside him telling him it was the stone that was doing this. So he focused in on it, silently asking it to turn time back to normal, and to his disbelief it did as it was told.

Surely it couldn't actually be the Infinity stones, right?

...Right?

SPACE

By the time he felt the presence of the Space stone he knew it was Grian that had the Stones. He'd been trying to set up a meeting with the dirty blonde, but they'd both been so busy that it hadn't been able to happen.

So he went to Scar, hoping that he could tell him the moment Grian became free.

The wizard agreed, but asked that he (Cub) come to his base and explain everything in person. Which Cub agreed to.

Blue

Grian had realized that the stones on his hands were more than just simple mineral crystals. Because no normal stone should open a portal to the nether at will, and most definitely not a frameless one.

When he discovered this new ability two clashing emotions filled him. On one hand he wanted nothing more than to rip the stones off and crush them under his foot before throwing them into the void. But on the other something pulled him to keep them, and to also use and master them. But most importantly it also whispered non verbal encouragements to get the last three, to finish the sextet of stones.

And he listened to the call of the Stones.

MIND

Cub didn't know Grian had the Mind stone until he saw the other. It had just been a quick look, the two seeing each other when Grian had been flying by when Cub stood in a portal, but the new, glistening, yellow, stone was very prominently radiating power for the short moments Cub saw it. The stone had subtly used its power passively to make Cub look at it's current wielder, as if to say "do you see what you're missing now? Look at all you could have had, look at all of what you denied".

It made him furious. Not at Grian, no, but with himself and the stones. If he'd been trying harder then there would be no way everything would turn to this, to the stones getting powerful enough to hide their presence from him. And if the stones had never even come into existence then things would be perfectly fine, and Grian wouldn't be in danger of corruption.

Oh god, Grian was in danger of corruption.

Yellow

Grian sat giggling at the top of his base, the voice in his head telling him of all the pranks he once abandoned and then expelling how to make them work with their powers. He didn't ask who "they" were, mind being too wrapped up and enthralled by the prospect of finally being able to do many of the pranks he once left behind.

He was doing exactly what the Stones wanted, he was letting them in.

SOUL /̸̧̧̳̮̑̂̀̃̈́̔̌̎̈́́̎͒̇ö̷͔͉̱̯̱̟̯͍̬͈̣͑͗̈́͋͋̎̊͘r̶̨̡̨̤̯̪̞̙̙̭̭̼̦͊̎͐̈́́ȁ̶͓͙̹̥̬̙̜̣́̎̀̆ͅn̴̢͇͔̜̦̟̱͇̼̬̻̫̪̜̊̒̊̊̏̍̇́͌̕̕͠g̴̡̡͉̗̪̘͓͖͓̞̝͊͌̓͆͠͝ͅë̶̢̨̠̝̲̤̹͔͇̗͔́͜

When Grian got the Soul stone everyone in the Nether, and Cub of course, felt it. It was like someone had dumped a bucket of cold water over their soul, it was suffocating and chilling. But to Grian it felt like a warm breeze had gently blown around him, it was comforting and sweet, like coming home to a loved one's embrace.

But all it was all nothing more than the Stones reconnecting, their powers melding together and holding each other once again. 'Just one more now, one more and we can have all the fun in the world' The Stones whispered to Grian, caressing their powers around him, to enthrall him into them even more.

"Just one more." He echoed, and as he watched his reflection in the glass of the green team lounge he could see dark vein like symbols crawling up to his face. And looking up he could see his eyes quickly flash the color of all the stones he already held, and looking even further up the barely visible sight of a crown like thing over his head made out of the five stones he already had, with an obvious missing spot for the last one.

Just one left until the gauntlet would be filled up.

REALITY
The button was red. The button was finally on red!

Grian gleefully bounced up the redstone build and pressed its stone button, smiling widely as the bar filled up once more before dispensing the red concrete block. As soon as the block hit his hands it turned into the red stone he'd been told of, the last one to the six piece puzzle on his hand. He held out his right hand before bringing the Reality stone to its resting place in the middle of the gauntlet.

As soon as the stone was in place he felt a power shockwave make its way through his arm and up his body, almost like his veins were acting like cabels to pump the Stones powers through his body.

'Summon a mirror, wouldn't you like to see yourself?' Grian did want to see himself, so with quick instructions from the stones he summoned a mirror out of thin air. The face that met him was not the one from the start of the season. No, this face was lined with black veins that traveled down his body, his eyes changed color depending on from which angel he looked, and above his head now a full crown of only floating gems sat, all fully visible and pulsing with stored power. 'Look at you Wielder, so powerful, so much more powerful than that Vex coward'

"Vex? Do you mean Cub or Scar?" Grian asked, eyes looking down at the stones as he let the mirror fade back into hot air. 'Both, though Cub was the main man of the operation' The stone hummed, though there was an underlying feeling of amusement to the words. 'Tell me Wielder, how do you feel about showing him, and all the others, the power of us?'

"Let's do it!" Grian grinned. And with just three little words the Grian of Hermitcraft was gone, instead replaced by Grian of the Stones. Same person, ones just free and the other trapped by the power of the Stones mind manipulation.

INFINITY

Xisuma was just about to ask someone to go get Grian, seeing as how the dirty blond was late for a server meeting, when said Hermit walked through. The admin was about to greet him joyfully, but he then noticed how Grian looked and he was instantly on edge, sword drawn and held at the ready. Many others could see that something was wrong too, and they were one step ahead of their admin.

Grian paid them little mind, crazed eyes instead focusing on Cub. "Cub! Just the man I was looking for!" Jevin stepped in front of Cub, sword held out protectively in front of them both. This made the builder chuckle darkly. "I'm afraid that won't work, but A for a good attempt."

His eyes then flashes blue before the pharaoh robed man was in front of him, in an instead Cub can easily see both the changes to his friends, and the final stone on the gauntlet. "No."

Following his line of sight Grin grinned. "I'm afraid so." He then held up the hand, making a show of flashing the stones in the others face. "Wonderful, right? I can't see why ever denied something like this, Cub, it's amazing! It feels like I hold the power of a hundred universes in my hand."

"Grian, you have to get them off!" Scar cried, eyes wide as he finally noticed the stones over the builders head. "You can't hold them!"

"Clearly I can!" Grian called, rolling his eyes at the wizard. "Plus, it's not my fault you two were too cowardly to use them!"

Cub shook his head. "That's not it! The stones are too powerful to be held by just one person alone, it'll corrupt someone's mind!"

"Corrupt someone? Sure I got some new marks along with a crown, but how the hell is that me being corrupted?" Grian snered, eyes flashing purple as he looked down at Cub.

Before anyone could answer him he shook his head. "No matter, whatever you'll say nothing will change." 'Well said Wielder. Now, show them what we have!'

Cub, seeing Grian's eyes flash to red and stay red, barely managed to avoid the solid stone that now was where he'd just been. Grian growled before swiping at the bearded man with a fist and purple eyes, it was blocked and the sword which blocked his attack cracked slightly under the power of the impact. In a ditch effort to halt any major movements from Grian, Cub swung his axe at the dirty blonds legs, which the shorter didn't manage to dodge. So with a cry he stumbled back, but not before firing a stone spear at his attacker.

He was about to swing again, but an arrow, which was then followed by two more, hit him and made him back up. Looking up with a snarl he saw the Hermits, all fully geared up and ready for battle, approche.

"So this is how you want to play, huh? Fine let's play." Grian charged towards the group, and everytime he took a step one more of him apparead, until he reached them and over twenty of them surrounded the group.

Cub looked at the copies, trying to find the real one, when something touched his head. It took him a few seconds to realize it was Grian's gauntlet that was touching him. He tried to whirl around and attack, but he was stopped by an unseen force.

"Now, now Cub-dear, no need for violence." Grian cooed. Only, it wasn't Grian, but instead the stones. "I'm just showing you what you missed out on so long ago."

"Let him go." Cub hissed, struggling in the stones mental grip. "Your beef is with me, not him! He's innocent!"

"Not really. His past is as tainted as us, if not more!" The stones laughed, their grip on his hand tightening. "But that's besides the point, he came to us, so we're using that to our advantage. Pretty neat, huh?"

Cub caught Scar's eyes, and subtly sent a silent message of "help" to him. After a nod answered him he focused back on his captor. "Neat is the last word I'd use, especially for this." He glanced back over towards the fighting Hermits and noticed that Scar was not amongst them. And if the shifting of the earth under him he had a good feeling about it. "Now, please let me go."

"Let you go? I'm afraid we can't do thAAAAA!" The Stones screamed as a large plant slapped them away from Cub. Said Hermit brushed himself off before saying, "Should have let me go when I asked nicely."

"You know, if I hadn't stepped in you'd probably be a goner by now." Scar commented as he walked up to his friends, keeping an eye on Stone-possessed-Grian.

Cub had no chance to retort before their opponent was standing once again. The stones growled loudly before charging at the two, just as he swiped at them, he disappeared. Neither knew what had happened until they checked their communicators.

Grian has been banned

Everyone looked to where Xisuma was standing, unshed tears in his eyes as he held his admin screens up with shaking hands. "I'm so sorry." He cracked out, refusing to meet anyone's eyes. "I didn't have a choice."

"But you did!" Scar argued. "We could have gotten the stones off! We could have saved him! But now he's left to rot with the Stones slowly taking him over more and more!"

Their argument was broken up by the sky turning a deep purple, and soon a familiar, yet also so not, laugh echoed around them. "How cute! You thought you could banish us! Well guess what, you can't!"

"NO!" Cub growled, his eyes glowing blue for the first time in such a long time, the air crawling with yell. "I will not allow you six to take him away from us! From me!"

The stones cooed at him, forming back at where they stood mid charge. "Aww, has the little bear finally figured out his feelings? How cute."

"I have. You know what else I've figured out?" He asked, eyes narrowed as he looked at the controlled form of Grian.

"What?" The dirty blond aske, eyebrow raised at the taller man.

A sharp smirk spread along Cub's face as an evil glint entered his eyes. "You can't sense invisible people."

It took the stones one second to many to realize what he meant, and the gauntlet on their hand was soon destroyed by Scar's magic. The wizard winced, seeing as destroying the gauntlet ment crushing the arm, which meant crushing Grian's arm. Thankfully he knew that it would just be severely broken and with minimal scarring after it had fully healed.

As soon as the gauntlet no longer had a thing to keep a connection through to Grian they lost their control over him, and due to the big amount of magical energie used the dirty blond fell unconscious. Cub rushed to the smaller Hermits side as Scar got one shulker for each of the stones.

"You're safe now." Cub whispered, hand caresing Grian's soft hair gently. "The stones are gone." Xisuma came up to him and asked to look at Grian to make sure he was okay and rid of the stones, which he was on both accounts, if you ignore the broken arm and all of that.

"But what about the markings? Shouldn't they be gone?" Zedaph asked, seeing as he, along with all the other Hermits, were now gathered around their unconscious friend.

"It's ancient magic." Scar sighed, having put away the six stones safely. "They'll fade like scars, but just like scar's they'll still be there."

"Well who cares about a few markings?" Tango butted in, hands on his hips. "Marking or no markings, previously tried to attack us or nor, he's still our friend! And we'll help him as such!"

"I'm almost offended you think we wouldn't help him." Cleo said drilly. "Though I'm sure Cub over there will help him as more than that." She added with a grin.

The pharaoh dressed man flushed, but didn't deny her words. Which got him some teasing from the others, but they were mostly just happy and relieved that the stones no longer held a hold on their friend.

INFINITESIMAL

It was a long road of recovery for Grian, possession of any kind is never any fun, especially not when it involved hurting your friends. But with the help of everyone around him, Cub more so than others, he was doing okay. He was by no means good, god knows this was something that he'd never forget, but he was better. And as time went on, he was sure to get better and better until he was good again. And he'd do this with the support and help of those around him. Their Hermits after all, help and support is something they're all good at.

So yeah, Grian wasn't good. But he was getting better, and that's the important thing.

<The ending is not my favorite, but it's late and I can't come up with anything better. Also, this is based off of a fic I found on AO3 (can't remember the name) plus some art I did (which I'll include at the end of this note). So yeah, that's all I have to say!

So stay safe, and have a wonderful time everyone!

Here's the picture. Also his hair isn't like this in the fic, I just drew him with long hair cuz I felt like it at the time.>