Before we begin, I would like to give a huge thank you to my friend Solar for all the help with this AU so far! Go check out their stories!

(sorry idk how to tag people very well lmao.)

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POV: Grian

Iskall, Mumbo, and I were all crumpled on the floor laughing when Xisuma and Scar came rushing in. They both looked worried, but Xisumas anger replaced his fear when he saw Mumbo and Iskall. We were all hanging out in Stresses base, where they had, uh, left me. But I was back to normal now, and I was lonely. So I invited Mumbo and Iskall over. 

"Grian, why in the good world are they here!" X yelled, Scar looking over at me with soft eyes. Mumbo and Iskall got up, now looking confused. 

"Well, jeez, X, why are you so mad? Gri was just lonely..." Iskall said in his Swedish accent. I nodded. Sure, I had told them about the snake-lady. What was her name? I think it might have been Viper. Meh. 

"Yeah, I was just lonely!" I protested. Scar nodded. 

"X, you didn't tell Grian he couldn't have friends over-" Scar started. Mumbo and Iskall nodded before Mumbo spoke. 

"So whats this about a snake lady? Gri told us all about it," Mumbo said with a nod from Iskall. I shrunk a bit when X stared at me with disapproval. X was about to say something when she walked in. She was holding a red mug with something in it, either hot chocolate or coffee. And she had something around each of her fingers. Was it tape? Yeah- it was tape. 

Scar sighed. Viper's eyes were wide and she slowly started backing up. 

"Well, sorry to bust in on yall's party," She started, gripping her mug tighter. Iskall looked really, really mad. Scar looked from me to Iskall, and back to me. I knew he saw Iskall's anger. 

"Im just gonna, ya know, head back," She said quietly, backing up still. Iskall let out a angry growl, and took a step towards her. I knew he was going to be reckless if he wasn't careful. But at the same time, she kinda deserved it. I knew Mumbo was scared of snakes, so he stood there quietly. That was before Iskall punched Viper in the jaw. She hissed as her mug hit the floor and shattered.

"Hey, chill dude! That was my hot chocolate!" She said, surprisingly calm. Iskall looked confused, but shrugged it off. 

"Iskall-" X said in an angered tone, warning the Swede. Viper was sitting on the floor now, picking up pieces of the now shattered mug. She was weird, I had to admit. Like, tape fingers? Shapeshifting? Weird. 

"Grian, uh, Tango is having some issues," Scar started, walking over to me, so I stood up to meet him. 

"Uh oh," I whispered. I saw the fear in Mumbo's eyes grow even more when he heard what Scar had said. 

"Tango can shapeshift now," He whispered. "But he cant control it. So be careful, alright?" I nodded. Apparently, Scar's effort to make sure only I could hear didnt work. Because Iskall heard. Iskall's eyes burned with the fire of hate, and I saw Viper looked fearful. I mean, Iskall definitely looked intimidating when he was mad. And he was. She stood up, pieces of the mug still in her hands, and Iskall tried to punch her. But he missed. In the blink of an eye, she was a few feet away from him. X tried to hold Iskall back, but to no avail. He threw another punch at her, and this time, she wasn't fast enough. It hit her in the arm, and she hissed. She was very small compared to Iskall. I mean, I was the smallest hermit, and she was still bigger than me. But she was skinny. Iskall loomed a few inches taller than her, and she suddenly looked small. So she punched him. In the gut. Then, before he could react, she was a snake darting across the room. Then she was out the door. I sighed as Iskall followed her, X and Scar doing the same. Mumbo and I followed more slowly behind. 

I heard a yell, a Swedish accent ringing in the air. "DONT YOU DARE HURT GRIAN EVER AGAIN-" Iskall yelled before I heard a scream, and an even louder hiss. Then nothing. Me and Mumbo caught up to all the others, and I saw an unconscious Viper on the ground next to a very mad Iskall. I mean, she kind of deserved it, right? 

"Iskall, just leave! Mumbo, Grian, just go somewhere else! Ya'll go play a card game or something, but leave!" X yelled, his voice harsh. Mumbo, Iskall, and I shot off into the sky. 

"Lets go to my Omega Tree," Iskall suggested. Mumbo and I nodded, so thats where we went.

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POV: Xisuma

I sighed, watching Iskall, Mumbo, and Grian take off in the sky. Scar looked at me, sadness in his brown eyes. 

"Things aren't going back to normal anytime soon, X." He said sadly, shaking his head slowly. 

"Yeah, I know, Scar. But lets try and make the best of it," I say as I picked up Viper. She let out a soft hiss, making me and Scar jump a little bit. Scar was taking the tape off of his fingers as we walked back. 

"What was the Graylands like?" I asked quietly. 

"Just barren and gray. Music. Weird animals. Viper," He told me. I nodded.

"Any other people?" 

"No, not that I saw." 

"She was talking about someone."

"Oh. Who?"

"A guy named Ruvio. Didn't say who he was. And a person named Shard." I say, and Viper let out a louder hiss. We were nearing Scar's village. He nodded. 

"She must know them from the Graylands. One of her animals visited. Boom, is what she called him," He said, laughing quietly. We were almost at the enterance when Viper woke up. She let out an ear-piercing scream and an even louder hiss. Ah, right. She didn't like it when people touched her. I set her down and she stood up and kicked me in the shin. 

"Ow," I mumble. "Jeez." 

"Sorry, X," She apologized. Scar laughed a little bit. She started walking back like nothing had happened, despite just being knocked out after being in a swordfight. Finally having time, I took the tape off my fingers. 

"Hey, Viper?" Scar asked quietly. She turned and looked at him questioningly. 

"Who are Ruvio and Shard?" He asked, and I nodded. She turned away and muttered something neither Scar or I could hear. Scar and I went into the village house, Viper staying outside. Scar brought out her flute at her request, and I headed back to my base for the night. Maybe we could talk to Joe in the morning hes good at this kind of stuff. 

I flopped onto my bed, and in seconds was asleep. 

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POV: Ruvio

Shard and I sat in a flower field, making flower crowns when Sylvester, Boom, and Archer came from the direction on Viper's tree. 

I turned to Shard.

"What do you think this is all about?" I asked. Shard just shrugged. 

"No idea," They replied. 

Viper had been missing for a few days. I think. I had lost track. 

Boom came running as fast as he could. Tearing across the gray grass, he looked like a furry brown snake. Sylvester also started running. Well, hopping. Archer just flew ahead. 

Archer let out little meows of distress when he touched his paws down in the grass infront of me and Shard. 

"Viper can understand them. We can't," Shard said after a little bit. Sylvester and Boom were now with us, and I realized Boom had a piece of paper, an envelope, and a pen. The little cat dropped them in my lap and curled up in Shard's lap. 

"Maybe they want us to write to her?" I suggested, and Shard nodded. 

I uncapped the pen, took the piece of paper and wrote. 

Viper, 

Shard and I are unaware of your whereabouts. If they somehow manage to find you, come back home, please. We miss you. You've been gone for days. We cant understand what Sylvy, Archer, and Boom are trying to tell us. But please, come home. 

Nobody has seen you, not even when you're shifted. Shard and I have flown around trying to find you. No sign. Come home. 

-Ruvio and Shard. 

Shard nodded, and I folded the paper. Putting it in the envelope along with the pen, I closed it and put it on the ground. Boom got up from Shard's lap and took the envelope. Then the animals raced off and were gone. 

"She'll come home," Shard tells me, placing their flower crown on my head. 

I place mine of their head and nod. "Yeah."

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Thats it folks! Two chapters in one day! Hope you enjoyed! 

I wont be doing Ruvio/Shard POV's very often, but this was important for the story! Unfortunately, G's exciting part did not come this chapter, but it will soon! As i said last chapter-

heh.