Etho?

Beetho angst?

Yep.

WC: ~680

Enjoy!

No.

It can't be true.

Dead.

Dead.

Dead.

"Etho, breathe,"

How can I breathe when he's not?

It's probably all just a mistake.

A sick joke.

A misunderstanding.

I came all this way...

Only for this...

Please, please let him be alive.

Etho still remembered when he had been taken.

"WHERE IS HE??" Etho had yelled, tears pouring from his eyes. He tried to escape the grip of the magic that the Watcher had set around him. "BEEF!! LET ME GO, YOU MONSTER!!!"

"No," the Watcher replied. "If I did, I'd get yelled at. So... no."

"I SAID LET ME GO!!" Etho shrieked, still crying. "I NEED TO SEE HIM, PLEASE-" his screams were cut off by his mouth being bound shut.

"Sorry, screaming ninja," the Watcher said with a small smile. "But you're heading to the cells."

The hallways were full of muffled sobbing that night.

Etho had sworn that he would find him.

That promise never saw the light.

But that was years ago.

He still had hope years ago.

Unless if he isn't dead...

But then, where is he?

"Where was Bdubs?" Etho asked, unaware of the tears streaming down his face.

"Trapped inside Grian's mind," Bdubs replied softly, appearing calm.

Etho could see the cracks in his small smile.

And the tears in his eyes.

"W-what if Beef's in a Watcher's mind?" Etho offered. Bdubs's face lit up with hope.

"That's not possible," Doc's voice was blunt, but sad. "Well, it is possible. But we've already swept Grian's mindspace, and he's the only Watcher on our side. Even if Beef's in someone else's mindspace, there's no way we're getting him out."

"Grian isn't the only good Watcher," Etho mumbled. "Xay- no. He has such good control over his mindspace, there's no way anyone could hide anything- or anyone- in there.

"That reminds me," Mumbo came out from hiding nervously in a corner. "Where is Grian?"

"One problem at a time," Etho muttered, mostly to himself.

That was the best way to take it.

Where was Xay?

One problem at a time.

What happened with Xisuma?

One problem at a time.

Where did Grian go?

One problem at a time.

Not to mention all the bigger problems, like the Watchers as a whole.

One problem at a time.

Was Beef alive?

That was the problem they were focusing on right now.

This is far too many problems for my taste.

I should be used to that by now.

I can't believe I lost him...

It's still not processing.

I still expect him to open a door and laugh that laugh.

I still hope to turn around and see him there.

But that won't happen.

Because he's gone.

And there's nothing I can do about it.

"I guess the rest of the server needs to know about this," Mumbo murmured, snapping Etho out of his thoughts.

"You're right," Bdubs mumbled. "I'll go tell Xisuma."

"Erm, I wouldn't try Xisuma," Mumbo intervened, before telling Doc and Bdubs how Xisuma had bolted out of the room not ten minutes ago.

"Oh," was the only thing Bdubs said. 

"That's... weird," Doc offered, obviously unsure of what to say.

It is pretty weird.

I wonder-

One problem at a time.

Or have we already moved on?

That's not possible.

Realization hit Etho, slapping him across the face.

There's too much going on to properly mourn.

Too many other problems to take this one at a time.

Why is that so scary?

Xanthus, Xisuma, Grian.

They're all living people.

I don't know if I agree with these priorities.

"We need to go back for Xay," the words were tumbling out of Etho's mouth. "He helped me get here. Grian wouldn't be alive if it weren't for him. He's done so much, only to be left behind? I won't allow it."

"We don't even know this guy," Doc pointed out. "How do we know he'll help?"

"That's all he's done so far," Etho flashed back. "Help. And maybe Grian, I don't know, swapped places with me? Maybe he's there, in the End."

"No," Xisuma's voice rang out from the doorway.

"We are not going to save Xanthus."

Uh oh, Xisuuuma! *shakes head dramatically*

-Storm