Part of this is inspired by the above animatic (also it's amazing and you should watch it if you haven't already)

Mumbo and Iskall flew off worriedly to look for information. As soon as they were out of sight of Grian's mansion- which, admittedly, took a while, Iskall turned to Mumbo.

"Explain."

"Wait- what?" Mumbo replied confusedly.

"He didn't get the idea that you told him we all hate him and he's worthless from nowhere," Iskall replied.

"But I never said anything like that! I would never!" Mumbo protested.

"Then why is he saying you did?" Iskall demanded.

"I- I don't know! He said something about me being possessed but I swear I'm not going to make excuses, I don't remember ever saying anything like that and if one of you had said that to him, I would kill you ten times over in the most painful ways I can imagine, and if I did say that- you know what, I'll just go get working on a machine to punish myself," Mumbo decided.

"No, wait," Iskall calmed down and stopped him. "I don't think you told him that knowingly. Let's go look for information about Watchers, maybe things will clear up."

Mumbo agreed and the two flew the rest of the way in silence, having pre-decided to head to Lookie Lookie At My Bookie (is it lookie lookie or looky looky?).

They arrived at the shop to find no one there- not unusual- so they browsed the shelves looking for the word Watchers. Finding nothing- they hadn't expected to- they went to go find out information the other way: asking around.

Cleo, Stress, Bdubs, Tango, Etho, and Impulse all knew nothing, but Scar told them that he thought he'd heard of Watchers somewhere while researching magic and said he'd look into it. Cub, Doc, and Zedaph know nothing, but Joe proved helpful when he invited them in and explained to them everything that he knew.

"You're wondering about Watchers?" Joe asked, seeming strangely nervous.

"Yes, do you know anything?" Mumbo replied obliviously.

"...Yes," Joe said reluctantly.

"So what are they? What do you-" Mumbo was cut off abruptly with a look from Iskall.

"Mumbo! Don't press him for information, can't you see he doesn't really want to talk?" Iskall reprimanded him.

"Sorry," Mumbo muttered. Joe would have chuckled, but he was preoccupied by the tense subject of the Watchers.

"They're magical beings, some of the most powerful magic-users to exist. They live in a massive city somewhere in the True End. They're known for observing servers and recording information but hardly ever actually interfering or being seen doing anything besides watch," Joe explained.

"Do you know anything else? This is very helpful, just wondering," Iskall inquired.

"Well, I do know of a very famous instance of them interfering with a server. It was on a server known as Evolution, where the server started in a very early Update and would go through old Updates one by one, using clues and hints left by the Watchers. That's where the Watchers got a reputation for being cruel, when they got angry about... something, no one knows what, and took one of the players. They say that the other players were angry and attempted to get their friend back, but the Watchers got angry about that, so they burned Evolution to the ground. No one knows whether the players survived or who they were, but no one liked the Watchers anymore after that," Joe sighed and stood up. "Is that all?"

Mumbo and Iskall were speechless for a moment, then Iskall nodded. "Thank you, Joe!"

The two turned and left Joe alone, then stared at each other. "Wow," Mumbo commented.

"That sounds eerily familiar to what Grian told us about them taking him," Iskall said.

"I'm glad they didn't burn Hermitcraft down- I hope that story was exaggerated," Mumbo added as he took off into the air.

Iskall nodded in agreement and the two headed off to relay the information to Xisuma.

(For some reason I just imagined that it was Christmas time during that scene and they were all in thick sweaters and sitting in a cabin with hot cocoa as Joe was telling stories and now I can't unsee it- Also Joe was sitting in a rocking chair by the fireplace)

They found Xisuma outside Grian's mansion, looking upset. He took in their story silently, then told them, "That sounds interesting. I don't know if we should be too worried; they don't seem to have come here and we already have Grian to worry about."

"Speaking of, where is he?" Iskall asked.

"I let him go off on his own- I can't force him to do anything," Xisuma explained.

Mumbo and Iskall slapped their foreheads in unison and Mumbo spoke up for both of them

"Do you know where he went?"

"His barge, I think," Xisuma answered.

"Don't let someone who's just harmed themselves go off on their own until you know they won't do it again," Iskall lectured Xisuma. (I'm sorry if this is wrong, please let me know)

"Also, do you know how much trouble Grian gets into? Last time you let him go off on his own we found him in a pool of his own blood, so you'll excuse us if we're worried about him!" Mumbo added.

Xisuma lowered his head shamefully as the two flew away again.

(Again, why do I imagine Xisuma sitting on the stone steps in the snow-)

Mumbo and Iskall found Grian in his barge, checking chests and taking out diamonds.

Grian glanced up at them and said nothing.

"Grian, talk to me!" Mumbo exclaimed.

"What do you want me to say?" snarled Grian.

Mumbo was taken aback by Grian's harsh tone. "I- I don't know, just- we want you to be happy-"

"Sure, keep saying that."

"Grian, really, we all like you-" Iskall interjected.

"No you don't! Stop lying! If you like me then why'd you never come? Why'd you leave me with them? Why'd you never save me?" Grian finished quietly, a tear rolling down his face.

"We-" Mumbo didn't finish. He didn't know how to answer. Would Grian believe that it was because they hadn't known? But he should have known! He should have been there for Grian! 

Grian turned and flew away in silence.

TW: Suicidal thoughts, descriptions of drowning, and I think this counts as a suicide attempt. So, TW!!! (scroll and find the next section of BOLD text to skip triggers)

They wouldn't listen.

He tried to tell them, to make them drop the act and admit that they hated him, but they wouldn't.

He thought about death.

Would it be better just to die and not respawn? Would they even miss him?

They'd 'mourn' but they'd move on.

He was flying over the water.

It would be so easy to just give up, to stop flying and fall...

They might never find him...

Grian almost wasn't aware that he'd stopped flying until he felt the rush of air and then hit the water. He felt it seep into his wings, dampening them. There went his chance to fly away.

Not that he had been going to.

He felt the water flow into his nose. It hurt. He didn't move.

There was a muffled splash, then there was darkness.

Skip to HERE to avoid triggers! (Summary: Grian thinks no one will miss him, so he stops flying. He's over water, so he falls into it and starts drowning)

Mumbo was grateful they'd followed Grian. (they as in Mumbo and Iskall)

It meant that they were close enough to him that, when he'd stopped flying, fallen into the water, and not come up, Mumbo was able to dive in and save his friend.

Mumbo frantically and unhesitantly leapt into the sea. He saw Grian's form sinking, his wings curling around him. Mumbo grabbed him with one arm and pushed his other arm and his legs through the water desperately. They surfaced and Iskall jumped in to help Mumbo carry Grian. The two got to shore and laid their friend on the beach.

"What do we do?" a panicked Mumbo asked.

Iskall, staying surprisingly calm the entire time, put his hands on Grian's chest and pushed. Grian coughed up water onto the sand, then laid limp, barely breathing but alive.
(I DON'T KNOW HOW CPR WORKS OKAY I TRIED MY BEST)

Iskall picked Grian up and called to Mumbo, "Follow me, we're going to Cleo's zoo, she's the closest. Ok?"

"Okay, will Grian be okay? Will he-" Mumbo frantically tried to get to Iskall, but Iskall stepped away.

"Mumbo, calm down, he'll be ok," Iskall reassured him.

Mumbo finally reluctantly followed Iskall to the Elephant Gate. Cleo had apparently heard them, because she came striding into view and quickly brought them inside the mountain when she saw Grian. She'd turned the inside into the equivalent of the others' main bases, with her storage system nearby, her bed, crafting benches, and other tools laying around. 
(I'm fairly sure Cleo's base isn't like this, but can we pretend? Ok thanks)

"What happened?" Cleo asked as soon as they had gotten Grian inside and made sure he was okay.

"Long story or short story?" Iskall offered.

"I'll take the short version," Cleo replied.

"He was flying over the water, but then he fell in and we jumped in and saved him," Iskall summarized.

"I figured that much," Cleo snorted. 

"We don't know much else," Mumbo said from next to Grian.

Then, Grian woke up with a splutter. Coughing up more water, he opened his eyes and glanced warily around.

"What are you doing here? What am I doing here? Where are we? What do you want?" he demanded, jumping up. Unfortunately for him, he swayed and fell back over as soon as he finished talking.

"Whoa, slow down," Cleo told him.

"We rescued you, idiot," Iskall said. "What were you thinking?"

"Doesn't matter what I was thinking," Grian replied.

"Not even a thank you?" Iskall asked back.

"For what? Clearly you only saved me so you could have leverage over me and I would be in your debt," Grian reasoned.

"What kind of logic is that? Can you literally not accept that we might genuinely want you around?" Iskall wondered.

"Maybe I can't!" Tears began to form in Grian's eyes as he ran out of the door.

"'K, long story, now, please," Cleo demanded, turning to Iskall.

"Here we go..."

Grian raced away from Cleo's zoo, taking to the sky and trying to think.

They'd been so nice, and when had they ever said they hated him? Why did he think they hated him? Why?

But a little voice in his head couldn't stay silent. After the Watchers, after they'd destroyed Evo, after everything, how could anyone ever want him? He'd been blind. Xisuma was a competent admin, he should have been able to find Grian, right?

He didn't know how any of that made sense.

Mumbo had said he hated him.

But that had been the Watchers, right?

How did the mind control work?

Did it force Mumbo to say that?

Or did he secretly think that?

He was so confused. He wanted to trust them, but how could he trust anyone anymore?

How could anyone not hate him?

It was all so confusing and scary.

Grian just wanted to hide away and cry.

So, part three coming soon.
This was supposed to be a ONESHOT why has it become THIS?