(Content Warning: character death also probably spelling mistakes)   
 
     Honestly, Bdubs thought he was a genius.

     Annual hide-and-seek champion was finally going to be going to him! He had never won before but he was sure this was going to be his year. His mossy hoodie blended in with Gem's base spectacularly with no issues. He just had to make sure not to roll over or show off his dark colored pants.

     He had been waiting here for around half a hour, trying not to fall asleep. The seekers have been on the hunt, walking past him while he tried not to giggle about how well his plan was working. He managed to make it to this point.

     The half hour, turned into a hour and a hour, turned into three. These events sometimes lasted a few days if people were lucky. Everyone always had a trick up their sleeve whether it be redstone magic tricks or building some tower of some sort that had various rooms that the hiders could hide in.

     But nope, this year, Bdubs was on the dedicated smart team.

     They did stuff differently to other Hermits, finding plot holes or ways out of getting caught. Manipulation, bribery, all that was allowed. And depending on the price, some seekers would be dumb enough to take it. Speaking of-

     "Absolutely no word of this and I will get you the redstone contraption you need." Doc had a rolled up blueprint in his hands as he walked past, feet crunching up leaves as he stepped.

     "Deal, but please don't tell the other seekers, this is my first year and I don't want to upset them." From where Bdubs was hiding, he could see the embarrassed blush rise on Pearl's cheeks. Bdubs rolled his eyes, of course the bribers would go after the newbies and not after someone like Etho who was a pro at finding.

     "Eh, it's allowed." Doc gave her one of his smiles that reminded Bdubs like a feral dog with sharp teeth. "This happens every year anyways. Etho is probably gonna find me in a bit anyways. He's too good at this." Doc shook his head before hiding in a hole that he carved out of a tree. Bdubs wanted to sigh, this was his spot! And if he did get caught by Doc, he would get picked out first as another bribe.

     "Alright, I'm going to go." Pearl waved before running off into the forest.

     Bdubs watched silently from his place in the bush as the other man sighed before crouching into his spot. It looked like a tight fit but somehow the hybrid was making it work. It looked very uncomfortable.

     He wasn't bothered by this, instead closing his eyes. It was familiar in a way, being right next to his old and grouchy neighbor.

---

     Not too long after, he heard as Vintage Beef and Etho walked into the forest, looking around. His eyes opened and watched Doc get caught.

     "Doc is over there," Etho pointed to the tree the scientist was hiding in. Beef ran over and tapped Doc who groaned in annoyance.

     "Seriously? This early in the game already?" He grumbled, standing up and shoving Beef away.

     "Yeah, Etho has been on a spree this year! Over half of everyone has been found already." Beef relayed the information across. Doc looked up into the sky.

     "Is Bdubs not joining you guys in hunting this year? I know that when he gets found he joins in the NHO seeker group." Bdubs wanted to curse him out for doubting his capabilities. Of course he was still apart of the NHO group! He just hasn't been found yet.

     "Nah, we keep checking our comms to see if he has been found yet. He hasn't been but it should be sometime soon." Bdubs really wanted to get up and start fighting Etho. Why do they keep doubting him? He is literally hiding right next to them and the best seeker is right there. He won't move though because this has been his best chance so far.

     "Well, we better get to finding the short man. He probably bribed Pearl with clocks that her and Keralis really want for some reason." Beef said, tugging the other old NHO members behind him.

---

     Bdubs was finally alone (again) but it felt more peaceful. He really did believe that this would be his time. No matter what, he wasn't going to move.

     The birds were chirping a nice melody as he yawned. Through the trees, he could see the sky was orange and purple as the sun set. It was getting to be night but he was comfortable here. Maybe he can just close his eyes for a little bit-

     He fell asleep.

---

     "What do I do?" Bdubs woke up to a person whispering frantically to themself. They had a higher voice so it led him to believe it was a feminine person or some dude who was really scared. Or both, now that he thought of it.

     A hand was on his neck, feeling for a pulse, undoubtedly. It was slightly rougher but not at the fingertips like redstone engineers have. It was more so the whole hand, leading Bdubs to believe this person was at least a builder. The skin was soft and that narrowed down a lot more people (he is sorry but half of the builders would never use lotion or cream on their hands even though they undoubtedly needed it cough, Keralis, cough.) The hands were lightly caked in dirt but not too much so he could eliminate that this person was a serious terraformer (Scar's hands are always CAKED in mud, from his fingers all the way up to his elbows.) This person probably didn't dabble in too much fighting since they dont have any scars along their hands (Etho wore gloves to cover most of them.) He could eliminate this person being a hybrid or part mob since there wasn't anything specific feeling in the persons hands (Jevin being a slimy [gosh, he knows it sounds wrong but its true] texture, Cleo having colder than usual hands, and Doc having hotter hands.) This person had to be human, not one of the stupid builders with ruined hands, not a major terraformer, and had to have a higher voice. This led him to believe it was either Gem or Pearl.

     "Bdubs, wake up!" He was shaken out of his thoughts by literal shaking. Gem, who he had recognized by her voice, had grabbed his shoulders and started shaking him rapidly.

     "Jeez, I'm up, I'm up!" He swatted her away with one hand and used the other to keep himself up. Opening his eyes, he gasped. In front of him, she looked different, her hair was lighter and her face looked older. Looking at his surroundings, things had popped out of nowhere, and he had no clue where they had come from. "Gem?" He asked, shock settling in. Looking back over, she was just as surprised, eyes going misty.

     "Bdubs, it's been years!"

     He felt the color drain from his face and before he could faint, he uttered a single word:

     "What?"

---

     He came to in a base he recognized as his crescent house. It was just the same, untouched, little place. Nothing was different. His blue prints were out from the day he was last here, paper littered the room from countless times he had made a mistake.

     Sitting up, he heard someone clearing their throat. Etho stood there with a blank look on his face. He looked the same except you can see the sadness that was lost in his eyes.

     "Etho?" He asked the other. He got a stiff nod in return. "What happened?"

     The ninja sat down in his desk chair, letting his shoulders sag.

     "I was going to ask you the same thing."

     "Look, I was just hiding and I fell asleep and that is the last thing I remember." Bdubs explained quickly, finishing with an annoyed glare. "Your turn."

     "Fine," Etho sat up a bit straighter and sighed, "let's start from there."

---

     Etho had been looking for days. Bdubs was still missing and nobody had any clue where he went. The last they saw of him was when the hide-and-seek competition began.

     "Hey, cheer up, we will find him soon." Beef said softly, trying to lighten the atmosphere. It didn't work, even he sounded doubtful.

     "Yeah, sure." He grumbled back, hands in his pockets as he scanned the forest around them. He was so upset, how could he, the best seeker, not even find one of the worst hiders? It should go hand in hand, Etho finding Bdubs, Bdubs hiding behind a comically small twig. That's how it should be.

     It wasn't.

     Beef and Etho walked through the forest at every longitude and latitude for hours everyday in silence. Their feet ached but neither was about to stop the search. Beef would make jokes that landed like a plane crashing into a building while Etho would listen for any sign.

     There were none.

---

     "I'm stepping down as Admin." The crowd was stunned into silence. They had no clue that this is what the meeting was about.

     "Xisuma, you can't just leave at a time like this!" Doc shouted, anger radiating off of him. Beef was trying to hold the scientist back but it was a hard task. Etho stood in silence next to them.

     "I'm leaving so I could go search in far lands. I can't stay admin and search for him at the same time. I'm stepping down and dissolving Hermitcraft as a community." The silence was then followed by people chattering and yelling over each other.

     There had been stories of people leaving in the middle of seasons. It has been done with so many members and it has happened without anyone's knowing. Etho knows this but this is different. Bdubs was playing a game, he wouldn't just leave during it. It is an unspoken rule that everyone obeyed: tell the admin if you are leaving while in a faction, or playing a game. It won't worry the other members and everyone will know. People disappearing silently do so when nothing is occuring or they just get bored. Nothing like this had ever happened before.

     "We can't just dissolve the Hermitcraft community! We need someone to stand up!" False argued as X just sighed.

     "If you can come up with a collective agreement, we can give admin to someone right now. I want to get searching quickly."

     They voted.

     And Etho came out as new admin.

---

     Etho still continued to search.

     His projects were forgotten about, abandoned and he didn't mind. Iskall would bring him back to the base at night to sleep but would let him search the forest when day came. Beef continued to tag along, gettint quieter over time.

     Each step was rhythmic.

     One step at a time.

     One foot in front of the other, eyes looking at the trees today. Tomorrow he could look at the bushes. The day after he would go backwards but look in the trees again. Eyes just wandering over the green, looking for a hint of tan skin.

     "Etho," Doc said, walking in stride with the two. His enhanced eye was looking everywhere for a heat signature. "I'm also leaving to look out there." The ninja stopped, the other two following. They watched as he thought.

     "X went north, where are you going?" He asked quietly.

     "South. I heard that Keralis is planning on traveling east soon and then all of ZIT is going west. Keralis and Tango were his neighbors after all."

     It was quiet as Etho just stared at Doc. He wanted to say something but nothing came out.

     Beef was the first to move.

     He hugged Doc tight, sobs wracking his once joyful form in anguish and sorrow. Doc wrapped his organic arm, holding him close. The hybrid may rarely show any sign of emotion but he did look upset to hear the most emotional member breakdown.

     "I'll be back when we find him. I promise." He said to the two, knowing that they believed him.

---

     They had been walking again.

     It had been two years of the same routine, just going on and on, searching for something. Beef was worn down, skin pale and there was rarely a smile on his face. Etho was powering on, not letting anything get in his way. He started to tear the forest up, one tree at a time. If they got through the whole area without finding Bdubs, he would be declared dead.

     They passed by a clearing that had been made, statues of Hermits standing tall. Cleo was sculpting them while Joe wrote the obituaries. They did this everyday.

     They continued just before the swamp where Bdubs lived when Beef let out a strangled noise. Turning, Etho watched as the other fell, exhaustion hitting him.

     "Beef?" He asked, kneeling down and holding onto the other.

     "I can't do this anymore, Etho." He sounded so guilty and resigned. "I'm too weak to continue this. I can barely walk. He's gone now." Etho shook his head quickly.

     "Don't give up, I bet we can find him, I know we are close!" He begged but the butcher shook his head.

     "I can't stand anymore, I-I'm sick, Etho." The ninja let his body slump. "We've known this for awhile. I can't keep doing this everyday." Etho nodded his head in understanding.

     "We will get you better. You need your rest." Beef let one of his rare smiles flash on his face.

     "There you go, I always knew you were a smart one."

     Etho picked him up bridal style and set out home.

---

     Stress said that Beef was sick with exhaustion and loneliness. Heartbreak, some would call it.

     He was on bedrest all time. He wasn't allowed to get up at all. His breathing was labored and he coughed sp much. He looked as pale as the statue that Cleo had started to sculpt of him.

     It was obvious his time was up.

     Doc had come home, face filled with grief as he sat next to Etho at his bedside. Beef was so sickly that it was painful to watch. Cleo had finished the sculpture that day. She wanted to get his actual features just right. Etho thought it was perfect.

     Beef died, officially of heartbreak. It sounds like a joke but it was true. He had grown so exhausted that he had his last breath. He was missing Doc dearly but him returning home briefly wasn't going to make him better quickly.

     Etho was the one to stand in front of the crowd of Hermits. Those that had left in search of Bdubs were there as well. All wore black.

     They stood in the clearing of statues. The newly made statue of Beef stood right there at his grave. Joe had made the plaque that sat at the bottom of the pedestal. Etho went through with the ceremony, voice numb as he spoke. If he just talked, he could forget about the problems.

     When all was said and done, Etho went back to clearing the forest.

---

     It had been about a year after Beef had died.

     Hermits would cut down the forest with Etho, nobody allowed to replant. Mumbo even helped in the deforestation. People were starting to give up but if cutting down a tree could bring them one step closer to closure, then they could lift their axe up again.

     The continent was large and the forest still was vast. They managed to wipe out the whole south forest. They still continued on.

     Etho walked past the cemetery of statues. He tried to ignore the new gravestones built. Hermitcraft wasn't happy anymore, people disappearing left and right. Grian had left in search of a shrine to the gods. He claimed that it could revive the world and bring back those that were lost.

     Etho thought it was a bunch of garbage but then again, he believed that Bdubs was still alive. His flame of hope flickered but it always came back just as bright. There was no time to mourn.

     He was about to chop down a tree, axe held high when he heard a ding.

     Opening his comm, he could see a private message from Gem. His eyes widened before he took off running as quick as he could.

---

     "Beef... died?" Bdubs asked in a whisper, tears blurring his vision. Etho just nodded his head solemnly.

     "He missed you so much. If he were here right now, he would be so happy to see you..." Etho choked on a sob, covering his mouth with a gloved hand.

     It was shocking. That someone so full of positive energy could lose so much of it that they die. Almost as shocking as seeing Etho crying for the first time since, well, forever.

     "Etho?" The other was on his knees next to the bed, head resting on the mattress as he cried.

     Bdubs realized he must have been holding it back. Etho must have been keeping his emotions dialed down on the search for him, not wanting it to bother him. If he did, he would have never been found. What had pushed through the flood gates was everything; stress of losing Bdubs, stress of becoming admin over night, grief of watching as Doc left, grief of losing Beef, feeling alone as he continued to do his responsibilities.

     He got out of the bed and hugged his friend.

     "It's okay now, just let it out." Bdubs held his friend while he cried.

---

     A few days later, Doc came back.

     They were just staring at each other, trying to think about what to say.

     "Bdubs..." the scientist muttered under his breath. They embraced in a hug quickly, both grasping at the other's clothing.

     The hybrid looked so much different than Bdubs had last seen. His hair was unevenly cut, probably from a sword and it was shaggy. The ratty lab coat he always wore was replaced by adventuring clothing, a vest and a shirt that actually covered his chest for once in his life. Steam was being lifted from the corner of his eyes, tears turning to vapor at the touch of his skin.

     Doc pulled back, holding onto Bdubs' shoulders tight, "Don't you dare do that again." It was supposed to be menacing but knowing the creeper hybrid was crying made Bdubs just feel bad.

     "I don't even know what I did, asshole!" Bdubs shouted, ignoring the lump that formed in the back pf his throat. Doc let one of his smug smiles slide onto his face, showing off his sharp teeth.

     "There's the Bdubs we have all known and loved." The younger tried to keep his tears back but he was so relieved that Doc had came. He missed joking around and pretending that nothing happened.

     Doc pulled him back in for a hug. His hand rested on the back of the shorter's head pushing it into his shoulder. They stood like that for a bit before Bdubs started to shake with upcoming sobs.

     He started to feel a little better.

---

     Xisuma and Grian had arrived together.

     The shorter of the two was dressed in different attire, almost unrecognizable under the mask that was over his eyes. He claimed he had found the shrine.

     "I used to be apart of their relm." He had his hands up, purple fire englufed his hands. "We are the Watchers. As gods and goddesses, we are sent to oversee the lands that encompass the whole world. We move from place to place, making sure everything goes right." Grian's speech was a bit garbled but it was still recognizable. "I was moved to Hermitcraft years ago and I decided to stay. I lost my powers but I was told to go to the shrine if anything bad happened. They gave me my powers back and I am going to find the problem and fix this." Everyone watched in silence as the purple flame traveled downward in a spiral before touching the ground. An aura of lavendar surrounded the lands around them along with themselves. The Watcher was silent.

     After a few minutes, he snapped his right hand and the flames disappeared.

     "I found the problem." The group of Hermits followed him through the forest to a spot near Gem's base. Gesturing to the mossy floor, Grian frowned. "Since moss is new, it had some glitches. Bdubs hiding in it had made him fall asleep and wake up like he would have when this all started. Likely, if Gem had never found him, he would still be here and would have for decades. Bdubs is the only one who never aged."

     Bdubs wanted to kick the moss.

     He loved how soft it was and how it looks. It was also very comfortable to sleep on but it wasn't worth the trouble of it all. He didn't want to see another piece if he had to.

     "Can you fix it?" Xisuma asked, voice softer than Bdubs had last heard it. It wasn't the strong and authoritative tone that he had when announcing that hide-and-seek had started.

     "Yeah, Watcher's powers have something to do with time. I can reverse or make time go forward. I used to do this in the other world I supervised." He snapped his fingers and a nether portal appeared. It was broken with blocks missing around the corners.

     "Does that even work?" Bdubs asked as Grian laughed.

     "Yeah, it is just a special portal. We all step through it and we go back to years ago during that hide-and-seek. Those that aren't here today will be there. The only difference is that I'm going to wipe everyone's memories once we step through."

     "Wipe our memories? Why?" Doc asked from next to Bdubs. The taller had his arm wrapped around his shoulders the entire time.

     "This is a fluke, Watchers do not make mistakes." Grian sounded like he was talking to children with his tone, trying to indicate that it was obvious. "Plus, almost all of you are upset in any way and that makes it hard to forget. If all of you are oblivious, you can be happy. The people back there that were gone won't want to be out of the loop. How do you think that makes them feel?"

     "But how will I not just go and hide in the moss again?" Bdubs asked, trying to keep the fear out of his voice.

     "I will make sure you get found while there and then, I will fix the problem. It will take weeks but I won't have weeks there. The best option is to just trust me." Grian gestured to the portal, sending a flame to it and lighting it up.

     Bdubs could see how it was different.

     It was purple but in the middle of the swirls, there was the hide-and-seek starting line. Everything was paused and those that were gone were standing there with closed eyes like they were in a trance. Beef stood there, mouth open like he was talking.

     Bdubs felt the tears bubbling up.

     With that, the group stepped into the portal.

---

     He blinked before nodding with Beef. The butcher had been talking about strategy. Bdubs didn't care though, he was definitely going to win with his trick of hiding in the moss.

     "But I am going to win this year!" Bdubs said, watching as his friends laughed.

     "Etho will definitely find you first, you are too easy to find." Doc said with a smirk on his face.

     "Right? You always get found before anything interesting happens." Etho agreed.

     "Assholes! I will win and you guys will never find me again! It will take years!" He exaggerated annoyed with his friends.

     "Yeah, sure. Have fun with that, 'dubs!"

     "Alright everyone!" Xisuma announced, standing at the makeshift podium they always put up for the event. "We have a change in seekers this year! Grian will be joining instead of hiding. The hiders will have a smaller team this year but that will be alright." Bdubs looked over to Grian who looked different. Everything about him looked to be tinted purple and he was whispering to himself. The ground that surrounded him was also a purple tint and if Bdubs squinted, a smoke trail was coming off of his fingers. "Alright, let the games begin!" Bdubs tuned back in to see everyone run off in different directions. The seekers were gathering together.

     With a late start, he ran as fast as he could into tbe forest to find his hiding spot.

---

      "Well, we better get to finding the short man. He probably bribed Pearl with clocks that her and Keralis really want for some reason." Bdubs watched as Beef pulled Etho and Doc away from the forest with a smile.

     He settled back into the moss, liking how soft it was. It made him sleepy, like he was in the best bed ever. Closing his eyes, he liked how cool it was.

     But it didn't last long.

     "Bdubs!" He snapped his eyes open to see Grian standing over him with a smile on his face. Were his eyes always purple?

     "Gah!" He yelled putting his hands to his head. "I fall asleep for one second and you find me? I lost the game!"

     "What? No, you won!" The builder looked like he was trying not to lie about something. Like he knew something Bdubs didn't.

     "Is everything alright, Grian?" He asked as the other just smiled and pulled him up.

     "Yeah, let's just get you to your prize."

---

     Xisuma handed Bdubs the trophy.

     "Bdubs wins the annual hide-and-seek!" Everyone cheered, even the former NHO members that were bullying him about losing earlier.

     "Yeah! And everyone doubted me! I could have lasted years!" He shouted in triumph. From the edge of the crowd, Grian had been doing the thing he was doing earlier but it faltered when Bdubs had said that. Something was definitely up.

     He stepped off the podium, about to go over when he was pulled over by Doc who put him in a headlock and started to rubs at it furiously.

     "Asshole, let go of me!" Bdubs said, finally getting out of the taller's hold.

     "Whatever, using your hoodie to hide is just a foul move." He grumbled in annoyance.

     "Whatever, at least a NHO member won for the first time in years!" Beef cheered, Etho just laughing along.

     "Announcements everyone," Xisuma said from the podium, "that is the closure of the hide-and-seek game for this year. Our annual picnic is on thursday so everyone make sure to bring food. One more announcement is a safety precaution to stay away from moss. I just got sent a message saying that it is unsafe at the moment. Other than that, that is our last reminder. Alright, everyone is dismissed!"

     Bdubs turned to his friends.

     "Jeez, it's a good thing you didn't get hurt or affected by the moss, that would be bad." Beef said, letting a relieved laugh out.

     "Whatever, a little moss won't hurt me!"

     Grian seemed to be looking at him.

Words: 4544
Written: Sunday, September 12th, 2021, 5:21 am
Edited:
Originally Posted: Sunday, September 12th, 2021, 5:26 am

Pretty much the ending in a nutshell:

Grian: *does stuff*
Bdubs: haha, thats sus