Jimmy, Tango and Mumbo were chatting outside.

The sculk attacked through the ground.

Tango pulled Jimmy out the way.

The sculk took Mumbo.

It doesn't matter how many times it's explained, I can't accept it. Mumbo can't be gone. Jimmy can't be to blame.

Jimmy, who's only here because I let him onto the server.

'This is ALL YOUR FAULT TIM!' I scream, slamming the door of the hut we've escaped into. Joe saw the sculk creeping through the hole. Cub realised Pearl could hear through it. The argument between me and Doc wasn't going to find an amicable conclusion. So we split ways. And Jimmy Solidarity, the walking disaster, who just got my best friend taken by Sculk, followed me. He now sits in the corner of the new hut next to sculk-tower, where Pix has taken permanent residence as he works.

'I KNOW!' Jimmy sobs back. Tango, who's been hugging him since the incident, glares at me.

'He didn't know the sculk could do that! You can't blame him for walking! It's the sculk's fault.' But it's not. If Jimmy hasn't been so stubborn about coming here... or if I hadn't given in to his pleading...

'If he'd stayed on New Life and not decided to be a big hero and come onto the server, Mumbo would still be here.'

'I'm so sorry... Grian...'

'Just SHUT UP TIM! You'll probably summon the sculk by talking and it'll take... I don't know.' I try running through my closest friends still on the server, coming up with nothing. 'It'll... it'll take Martyn, or teleport to whatever world BigB's in and take him!'

'It's alright. We'll get them back.' Tango tries to sooth me. Or Jimmy, who's close to crying. 

'What's going on here?'

Martyn's voice behind. My wing shoots out, yelling with the sudden pain. 

'Oh my goodness I'm so, so sorry... Grian, are you alright?' He runs to my side as I'm left bend over forwards, trying to recover. 

'You can't- don't shock me. Please. It's...' I turn, seeing Cub awkward behind. 'It's...' But Martyn understands without me saying, as does Cub, slipping out again. 

'I'm so sorry... I didn't realise it was this bad...'

'I'm recovering.' I try to appease his worry by replying 'I'm fine.'

'Grian...'

'Jimmy, I'm fine. It's just... constant.' Martyn helps me sit down on a barrel in the corner,

'I've got some potions to numb pain in my base.' Cub mumbles from the entrance. I glance up. 'If... that'd help.'

For a moment I don't reply. But the side that's recovered from his possession nods. 

'Yeah. Thanks.'

He takes to the air. I stare at the floor for a moment, in a strange way glad for the physical pain distracting me from Mumbo. What could be happening to him right now... I shake off the thoughts.

'Grian...?'

'I'm not upset.' I lie. My throat hurts from sobbing and screaming at Doc. 'I'm fine. I'm... I'm recovering. We'll get him back.'

Jimmy nods, silent too. Fireworks outside, before Cub enters again, holding a small potion bottle. 

'You won't need much. It's pretty strong stuff...' I snatch it from him, gulping down half immediately. The pain numbs completely. 

'Thanks.' Cub backs away again, careful to keep where I can see he's harmless. I know he's been avoiding me, remembering my first reaction to him. I know I overreacted. I know I need to apologise. But too much happened since. First Scar. Now Mumbo. And we all know the Sculk won't stop with them. 

'So...' Martyn's first to break the awkward silence. 'What's... everyone's...'

'We're not answering icebreaker questions to solve our awkwardness.' I snap. 'We need to think about getting to the sculk world.'

'Land of Souls.'

'What?' All faces turn to Cub.

'The High Evoker... vexling leader... said it's called the Land of Souls. It's a different dimension, like the nether, not a different world. But... only the sculk or those possessed by it can create cracks through to it.'

'Great. We have no way to get back our friends.' Tango realises first. 

'We're not thinking like that.' Martyn shoots back 'There's got to be a way through... wait, could we travel through the cracks it's already made? In the tower, or now outside?'

'Surely Pix and Joe would've researched that.'

'Or we can convince the Sculk to let us in?'

'I'm sure THAT will go well... oh, hey evil Sculk, can we enter your world and rescue our friends?'

'SERIOUSLY Tango! We need to think optimistically!'

'WHY?! 2 of my BEST FRIENDS have been killed by the Sculk! And more than that, it made ME do it. Intentionally chose ME, because it knows I was friends with them, it knew how much it would hurt when I was unpossessed... if it does let us through it'll be to let Scar murder Cub or something.'

'Tango just shut up.' Cub demands, staring at the ceiling. Tears shine in his eyes. 

'You KNOW I'm not wrong! The Sculk's more of a jerk than the Watchers! Because at least the Watchers have some moral limits!'

'Tango, it's ok...' Jimmy hugs his rancher closer. 'Everything will be fine...'

'HOW will it be fine, Jimmy? I killed Skizz and Zedaph. I- I...' He breaks down in tears. I glance over at Martyn. Cub's sunk to the ground, eyes closed, probably thinking about Scar. I fight thoughts that the Sculk's killed Mumbo and Ren, but know it probably has. Unless it's done what it did to Zedaph and... 

'We need to get to the Sculk world... the Land of Souls... whatever it takes.' I decide 'If Pix doesn't find a way today, I'm going to the Watchers and demanding they help us. And Cub will demand for the Vexes to help. And Martyn will demand for the Listeners to help and we're going to get our friends back before the Sculk does any...'

A scream.

I fall silent. Memories from the Sculk return. I can't move.

'The tower,' Martyn whispers, pulling me back to reality. 'We need to help.'

Jimmy stays with Tango as me, Martyn and Cub sprint from the room... if something's happened to Pix now... the door's shut. Without even trying to open it, Martyn smashes it in with an axe. 

I freeze.

Blood covers the ground, pooling around a broken figure lying there.

Joe. 

And another stands above, staring down emotionless, covered in sculk, eyes pure black.

Pixlriffs.

:)

Woops