Nora's POV

Growling and cursing under my breath, I struggle to open an old, broken umbrella with holes in it. Rain pours down onto me, soaking me through to the bone and making me even colder.

I'm about to give up when something blocks the rain and someone taps my shoulder. Turning, I see a young woman with fluffy magenta hair and soft, purple eyes, holding a black umbrella. Dark wings are partially hidden beneath a long cloak, and I can feel a huge amount of magic within her.

"You're a Watcher aren't you?" She asks

I don't respond, narrowing my eyes suspiciously.

"I am too. I'm looking for someone... Grian?"

"Touch him and I'll kill you!" I immediately snap, forcing the stranger against a wall. Her eyes widen in fear, and she briefly struggles to try and escape my grip.

"W-wait! I'm trying to help him!"

I let go, tilting my head.

"Help him?"

"Yes. I know what would happen if the Watchers got their hands on him, and I want to try and stop them from finding him. I assume you're doing something similar?"

"Yeah... he's my nephew, I'm trying to protect him."

"Ah... and do you know where he is?"

"Like I'm telling you! For all I know you're lying to me and trying to get your hands on him too!"

"For all I know you're doing the exact same."

This makes me pause. She has a point. But I still don't trust her.

"Look, I've got this, ok? Just... just go and thwart some other huge plan or something"

I turn to leave, but the stranger grabs my wrist, a dead serious expression on her face.

"Trust me, you'll need my help. They're planning to act without command and find him, and that never ends well"

"Without command?" I repeat

"The Council has planned to attack the server he's on without the permission of The Prime Watcher. They'll do anything to find your nephew, and trust me, it won't end well if they do. They've already destroyed Grian's previous server and killed over 20 players to try to find him, they can do so much worse."

Her expression remains serious, but I can feel the fear inside her. She's clearly experienced what happens when the Watchers have power like Grian's under their control.

"You... you can feel my emotions. Can't you?" She asks

I nod, and her expression softens. She looks me straight in the eye, and I begin to feel more of her emotions. Fear, grief, concern, sadness, hope, anger, trust... It's unlike anything I've ever felt before.

"Do you trust me now?"

I try to speak but I can't. I manage a small nod eventually, feeling my cheeks go a little pink. This confuses me. Nobody's ever made me blush before, how come this person did?!

"You didn't know your magic could do that, did you?" She asks me with a smile, and I nod again.

"I can teach you to do that if you want"

I'm too embarrassed to do anything but nod, and she smiles again.

"Well then, let's find your nephew!"

"Wait. You can't go around looking like that, you'll raise questions"

The stranger looks down at her clothes

"I don't see the issue"

"Well I do. Come on, we'll go to a public bathroom and you can borrow one of my hoodies."

"Hood-ees?" She repeats

"Yeah... do you not know what that is?"

"No"

"Haven't been in the Overworld for a while, huh?"

"Yes. 8,000 years to be exact"

My eyes widen as the girl beams innocently.

"Eight THOUSAND years?" I repeat

"Yes"

"Ok... Well, a hoodie is an item of clothing most people wear. What you're wearing stands out like a red rose in a desert."

"Oh... ok!"

She motions for me to lead the way, and I stick by her side to stay beneath the umbrella. She seems so happy and positive for someone who's trying to stop a powerful group of magic users, with only the help of a negative woman who'd give up on life if her nephew wasn't in such danger.

"I'm Stella by the way" She tells me

"Nora" I mumble

"That's a nice name"

"Thanks"

We eventually find a small dirty shop with an even smaller, dirtier bathroom at the back. I pull one of my spare sets of clothes out of my old backpack.

"Ok, put those on, and come back out when you're ready"

She nods, closing the door, and I'm left by myself again. This is something I don't usually mind, seeing as I've been alone for the last few years, but suddenly it feels so sad. I've hardly spoken to anyone since I left to find Grian, Alex probably being the only person I've had a full conversation with in years.

The door opens again, and I have to stop myself from snickering.

I'm a fair few inches taller than Stella, so my black hoodie reaches almost to her knees, the denim shorts she's wearing hardly visible at all. My old trainers seem to fit her ok, and she certainly seems happy.

"Is it supposed to be this long?" She asks me, looking down at the hoodie

"No, you're just short"

"Oh, ok- HEY!"

Grian's POV

I always manage to get myself into all kinds of trouble.

It's kind of a natural talent of mine by now.

But this is certainly one of the weirdest situations I've found myself in.

About to fight a war.

A prank war.

I didn't think touching Doc's bush would upset him so much, it was only a small prank! But then things escalated, chickens were built, people blew up...

And this happened.

"So, you're telling me we spent nearly a MONTH preparing for this, and all Team S.T.A.R did was make a diss track?!" I repeat, Iskall nodding

"AND it's not even that good" They add, crossing their arms

"Iskall, I don't think you have the right to insult anyone while you're wearing that" Cleo remarks, looking the Swede up and down. There had been a bizarre mix up with the uniforms, leading to Iskall receiving a ridiculous blue outfit that made them look like a cartoon sailor.

"THIS WAS WHAT I GOT IN THE MAIL, DONT BLAME ME!" They snap at the zombie

The yelling makes me flinch, and I almost immediately feel Joe's hand slip into mine. I scoot a little closer to him, letting him hug me. I'm usually a little vulnerable around January, and X and Joe are always there to help me.

Unfortunately, Xisuma ended up on Team S.T.A.R, and even if the 'war' is just for fun and not really serious, I don't like the idea of fighting him.

I jump when my communicator starts buzzing like crazy. Checking the screen, I have to stop myself from laughing.

MumboJumbo: BANANAS

MumboJumbo: BANANAS

MumboJumbo: BANANAS

MumboJumbo: BANANAS

MumboJumbo: BANANAS

MumboJumbo: BANANAS

MumboJumbo: BANANAS

MumboJumbo: BANANAS

MumboJumbo: BANANAS

MumboJumbo: BANANAS

MumboJumbo: BANANAS

Shoving the device back into my pocket, I start running toward the main hall, drinking my invisibility potion. I had the genius idea to use said potions and pretend to be armour stands. Then, when S.T.A.R comes, we'll jump out and attack.

I don't dare to breathe as we wait, careful not to move and give us away. Eventually I hear loud whispers, and Xisuma 'sneakily' crawls through through a hole he just broke in the wall. It takes all my willpower not to laugh. THAT was his genius plan?!

"Mumbo dude! What's with the bananas?!" Doc whisper-yells, as he crawls out the hole X made.

"Oh, they can... um... hide any messages we're sending?" The mustached mole tries

"We don't need to send messages! WE'RE THREE FUCKING INCHES APART"

"Doc, get your butt outta my face!" Ren hisses, confirming the creeper's words

"Get your FACE outta my BUTT!" The German snaps back

"Wels I can't see!" False grumbles

"Well, EXCUSE me! Not my fault I have a gorgeous ass!" The knight replies sassily

"Guys? I'm stuck" Impulse mumbles

"I TOLD YOU NOT TO EAT LUNCH BEFORE WE LEFT!"

"I know Doc...but the donut was too tempting"

"There were donuts?!" Ren gasps

Behind the helmet, I can see how pissed Xisuma is right now. Sighing for probably the hundredth time today, he types in a command and the other S.T.A.R members teleport back to him.

MumboJumbo: BANANAS

MumboJumbo: BANANAS

MumboJumbo: BANANAS

MumboJumbo: BANANAS

"Quit it Mumbo!" Doc hisses "It's almost like you want G-Team to know we're-"

He pauses, looking at his communicator, then at Mumbo, then up at the armour stands.

"Oh no."

"YAAAAAGGGHHHH!" Iskall screams, jumping off of the ledge as the potion wears off. He's followed by the rest of us, and S.T.A.R are caught off guard completely.

"Nice one Mumbo!" I yell, dodging Wels's sword.

"HE WAS A MOLE! I KNEW IT!" Doc roars

Xisuma looks a little distressed, very confused, and on the verge of laughing.

"You were there the whole time?!" He gasps

"Yep!" Stress replies, but is too late to dodge a punch from False. The blonde smirks, seeming proud of herself, before she sees Stress's grin and realises she's made a horrible mistake.

Within seconds, a pack of dogs come bursting through the doors, charging at Team S.T.A.R. Ren, despite being a dog-hybrid, legs it completely, but is tackled to the ground by a husky.

Xisuma gets pounced on by several more dogs, who begin to attack him. I had considered that this war might mean a bit of violence, but the sight of X getting mauled by wolves makes me panic.

I flash back to 8 years ago as I was made watch the others were forced to fight eachother with magic. Seeing Xisuma with a black eye and a bloody nose, pitted against someone with much stronger magic than him. Looking to my left and watching Ezra get a blast of energy in the stomach, too caring to fight back. Joe beside me, holding a cloth to a gash on his cheek, keeping me close to him as we sat, unable to do anything...

"GRIAN!"

I'm brought back to reality by Xisuma shaking me. He must've died and respawned, as his injuries are gone.

"Grian I'm ok, it's alright!"

It's only now that I feel the tears flowing down my cheeks, realising I'm curled up in a small ball, holding my head in my hands as I cry. Everyone has stopped fighting, and Stress is ushering her dogs out of the room.

"Hey, whatever's wrong, it's alright G. You're safe, ok?" Iskall tells me

"We can stop this if you want" Doc offers softly

"Yeah, if it's too much we'll all agree on a tie" Tango adds comfortingly

I sniff, trying to answer, but I end up choking on my tears. Xisuma helps me up, and I cling onto him, trying to stop crying.

"I'm gonna bring him to my base, ok? He'll be alright, don't worry"

The Hermits nod understandingly, and I'm surprised by how well they've dealt with this. X gently guides me out of the G-Team base, but my legs are shaking so much, I can't walk.

"Want me to carry you?" He asks gently, and I nod. Being much taller and stronger than me, he easily lifts me up into his arms, before taking off in the direction of his base. It's kinda comforting. Flying is one of my favourite things, and mixed with the feeling of Xisuma's strong arms around me, it's nice.

"Are you ok?" He asks me, once we reach his base.

"Yeah... all the noise and fighting just overwhelmed me a bit. Especially when Stress's dogs started to hurt you..."

"It's alright. We won't continue this if it distresses you, you heard the others."

"I'm surprised by how well they dealt with it..."

"We often have to help each other through trauma related panic attacks, we're used to it by now. And we aren't the only ones with some horrible past, a few of the others are sometimes willing to talk about it if you need someone different to speak to."

"Wow... this place really isn't what it seems on the outside."

"It's not. But we're always here for each other, and that includes you too Gri. Even if you've only been here 6 months, everyone would be glad to help you."

"Th-thanks Xisuma"

"No problem."