wc: 1801

tw: threats

i'm not very happy with scar's part but here ya go! *throws chapter at your face*

"He's back."

Xayla froze, mind racing as she struggled to comprehend all of the separate he's she knew until her mind finally untied itself.

Grian.

She bolted upright, grabbing her spear and slapping her mask onto her face, a determined grimace set onto her mouth.

"Where?" Xayla asked, quickly making her way out of the room, the other Listener following behind quickly.

"In the prison cells," he replied. "Same one."

Xayla tensed. "Okay. Can we do our typical plan of extraction?"

"We don't know," said the Listener. Xali, maybe it was. She couldn't remember. "Xeluph's excited, but he doesn't seem to have any real intention to hurt Grian, so maybe we should go a little more careful."

"Any signals?" Xayla replied, and Xali shook his head.

They rounded the corner of the hallway, entering the meeting room, where several Listeners sat talking quietly.

One turned and noticed the mask on Xayla's face. "Going out?" she asked.

"Grian's back," she said shortly. "I'm going to see how security is."

All of the Listeners in the room were paying attention, so she turned to address them all. "Once we get Grian back, we'll discuss a plan of action for the rebellion."

She turned and marched up the stairs towards the exit, emerging into too-neat city of identical buildings and identical people. Everybody walked on either side of the clean, gray paths, holdings bags and mouths set in grim lines. Xayla joined the group headed towards the direction of the buildings where the Leaders and Elders worked, keeping her cloak wrapped closely around herself. Despite the circumstances and despite the fear that hovered in the air like fog, she was satisfied.

Grian was coming back. And with him would come freedom.

~~~

Scar tumbled out of the portal rather ungracefully, purple swirls still dancing in his eyes as he sat up. His fist clenched around soft bedsheets, and once the dizziness from the teleportation faded, he could tell that he was in his base.

Everything was quiet. He held his breath, but all he could hear was birds and the rustling of leaves. A sudden change from the chaotic atmosphere of Third Life. Scar squeezed his eyes shut, trying to think.

After Grian and Mumbo had gone in...

Scar had pushed as many people as he could into the portal back. He'd been the one who was the least shocked about the reveal, so he'd taken initiative. Besides, it was always Grian who'd taken a leadership role. So the entire server had fallen in (some reluctantly) and now...

...they were here.

Plan, plan, chanted Scar's brain as he ran out of his base, rocketing out into the sky. His elytra opened, catching the wind with a whoosh.

It was all green trees and green grass, wind rushing around him like a reminder that times running out, times running out

And Scar knew that it was time for his magic to return. And he hadn't used it in years, but something told him that it was necessary.

His arrival at Xisuma's base was loud. He stumbled to the ground, tripping and crashing in front of the door before slamming his hands on it. The door opened almost immediately.

"Scar?" Xisuma's voice said, and he quickly scrambled to his feet, wiping off dust and smiling sheepishly. "You're okay??"

"Yes, yes, but Grian and Mumbo aren't," Scar rushed, pushing Xisuma back into the base and closing the door. "They went into a Watcher portal, Grian willingly and Mumbo unwillingly, and they're not safe. We need to rescue them."

XIsuma blinked. "I didn't quite follow. Can you..." He groaned loudly and sat heavily in a chair. "Fill me in. The others are just... confused."

Scar nodded grimly. "To be honest, I'm not 100% sure, but we were in this world called Last Life, and some crazy stuff happened, but the gist is that it was apparently 'cause of the Watchers, and Grian went... back to let us go back home. But Mumbo went in by accident- he was dead, by the way, that was a whole thing- and then I got everybody into the portal. And now we're here, losing our minds."

Xisuma thunked his head onto a table.

"But, uh..." Scar cleared his throat. "I know it's gonna take some magic to get them back, and..." He scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "You know how when I got here I said I was part Faerie?"

"Yes?" Xisuma replied wearily.

"I'm actually all the way Faerie," he admitted.

Xisuma just put his head back down on the table.

~~~

When a guard opened the door, Grian flinched back. However, instead of yelling or bringing out a weapon, he only grabbed him by the arm and shoved him towards the door, linking a chain between the cuffs on his wrists.

Grian was hauled along, mouth obediently shut as he moved down the hallway, the cuffs digging into his wrists a reminder that he was not in control. The guard finally pushed him into a room and closed the door behind him. Somehow, Grian didn't fall, instead leaning heavily on the chair that happened to be in front of him.

Surprisingly, the room did not symbolize depression. It was dim, but the flickering lights were held in decorated torch holders, and there was a couple of chairs around a table. There was even a window, which peeked outside, showing an endless endstone and chorus fruit landscape.

Not a second later, Xeluph appeared in front of him with a flurry of purple particles, sitting down neatly in the chair across from Grian.

"So!" he said, a grin on his face and his hands clasping in front of him. "How're your accommodations? Satisfied with our service?" His tone dripped with amusement as he leaned forward. "I could improve it. I'd like to strike a deal with you."

Grian maneuvered himself into the chair, settling on it with a thump. "I'm listening." Xeluph may have been a snake and an in general jerk, but he did keep his word.

Xeluph's expression turned serious. "I'm sure you know that the Watchers' magic has been fading exponentially." Grian hummed in response. "So I have a plan!" He leaned forward. "And you're gonna be the most important part of it."

"Go on," Grian said quietly. Guilt bubbled in his chest for being so complacent, but he was of better use to his friends alive rather than dead.

"The people hate the Elders and the Leaders," Xeluph said bluntly. "But they love you. I've walked the streets and heard some much gossip, Xelqua. Do you think Xelqua will come back? Do you think they'll get rid of this horrible system? I hope Xelqua will save us! This and that."

A pressure sank in Grian's chest.

"But I don't have a bad plan of reform," Xeluph continued. "When we took Faerie and Vex magic, the people hated it! But the didn't mention how much magic we got! So this is my plan."

He rose from his chair and started to pace, hands moving wildly. "If you become our- our spokesperson- the people will do anything!" He flung his hands in the air. "Of course, if you publicly join the Elders, the people will turn their back on you." Xeluph turned, cloak fluttering behind him. "If we orchestrate a- a fake escape- then you can talk. And you will talk. And the people will believe every. Single. Piece. Of Garbage that falls out of your mouth."

"What's your plan?" Grian said softly, softly. He didn't want to poke the beast's soft, exposed underbelly.

"Magic Manifesters." Xeluph whispered, and Grian could tell that his eyes were gleaming. "They exist, you're an example. And if we keep that information from the people- if we get our hands on a couple- imagine the magic we could churn out!"

"How do you know I'm a- a Magic Manifester?" Grian asked, tripping over his words.

Xeluph clucked his tongue. "You don't remember, I wiped your memory. But when I first found you, there was a bit of magic in there. I thought it was admin magic, and I wanted to extract it. Two revelations there- when I extracted the magic, it wasn't admin, and later, it came back."

"What- kind of magic was it?" came tumbling from Grian's mouth. Xeluph only shrugged in response, a smile turning up the corners of his lips.

"So what do you say?" he whispered, leaning in close. "We change the world. Together. Both of our names will go down in the history books, we'll save the Watchers."

A clock ticked somewhere. Each tick sent a shiver down Grian's spine. "What do I get out of this?"

"Your friends will be spared. And most of all, you will be spared." Xeluph spread out his hands, an offer. "What do you say?"

What do you say? whispered Grian's conscience. You'll be spared. That's all you've wanted, isn't it? People make you out to be this hero, but all you want is to live, right? Take it. Take it.

"No," Grian said, voice small at first. At Xeluph's startled expression, he straightened up. "No. You're being a- a fool. You have no idea-"

"Xelqua," Xeluph growled.

"Don't you understand the role of a leader?" Grian's voice grew. "You can't just think of the future. What about the people now? If everyone else is gone, and it's just the Watchers with magic that isn't theirs, we're going to die out anyway! Magic manifesters won't be in supply forever! And three won't support this entire population!"

"You keep your opinions to yourself!" Xeluph roared.

"You want glory?" Grian rose, staring straight into Xeluph's polished mask. "Well, it depends on the people of today to give you it! But they aren't dumb! The people aren't stupid. They'll see through it! You put the people as- as dogs! Meant to obey, meant to be trained to do your bidding? Well, you know what'll happen?"

"Shut up!" Xeluph screamed. "Shut up!"

"They'll bite you in the back!" Grian shouted back. "They'll bite you in the back! And we'll all be dead, and when the people look back, they'll laugh at us! Do you want that?"

A hand came up fast. Smack.

Grian's cheek stung, but something satisfied purred inside of him. His chest heaved with the effort of the screaming match.

"You really think you had a choice?" came Xeluph's low growl.

The satisfaction quickly dissipated. Xeluph's hand gripped his shoulder, the other brushing his tightly bound wings. "You escaped on these, didn't you? You must be quite fond of them! Such a shame, such a shame." A finger traced where the wing touched Grian's back, and he flinched. "Such a shame that we'll have to get rid of them."

Grian's breath caught in his throat.

things not lookin great for grain

thank you for reading! have a good day or night, wherever you are!!

-Ete