<I'm so sorry for taking so long to update! I've been super sick lately, almost alarmingly so, so I haven't been able to get much writing done. Hopefully this was good enough for the wait, enjoy!>

10 days before the potion is ready.

I don't know why I'm doing this. To get my emotions out perhaps? Or maybe to document things? I honestly don't know, but I'm doing it no matter the reason.

The first day has come and gone, nothing really happened today. Mumbo and Iskall stayed where they've been staying, I think X got a message from then at some point but I can't remember. Doc has decided to stay in Grian's base until we get him back, Ren is staying with him naturally.

Everyone else went around doing the usual stuff, though they were more somber when doing stuff then normal. It's weird to see the server so dull. So sad. I don't think anyone realized how much we've come to love Grian, maybe Iskall and Mumbo have, but I don't think the rest of us did. Maybe Doc realized too, he did say Grian was like his brother.

Speaking of Grian, we really need to get him back. Not only because me, and everyone else wants, no, needs him back. But also because for every second he's with those people his chances of getting hurt rises.

When we fought him I noticed something. His movements are usually fluid and smooth, but now he doesn't move too much if he doesn't have too. And if he did make any sharp movements he would clutch his chest. Someone hurt him, and since there was no bleeding it must be semi-old. And if I know Alastor, he probably won't bother healing Grian. You know, like the good boyfriend he is.

I would write more but it's late, and I also don't really know how you do this. So I'm ending this here. See you tomorrow, new diary, I guess.

9 days before the potion is ready.

Today was spent much the same as yesterday. Though I did speak to the person in the yellow hoodie, Markus was his name I believe.

He's... Interesting, to say the least. Apparently he was here long before we were. EX and Grian just found one day and decided to take him in, ever since then he's been living with Grian. And not just anywhere, but in the poultry cave no less. Maybe he can finally make Grian confess once he's back.

When I asked him this he started to laugh loudly, for some reason. I tried to ask him what was so funny, but he just said it would all make sense one day.

He's one weird cookie, that's for sure. He also managed to befriend EX, so I suppose he's way more than just a weird cookie. So he's more of a weird cake than a cookie.

Oh! Mumbo and Iskall were seen briefly today. They were just quickly getting something from the shopping district, but we saw them! Hopefully they come out often, staying away will do them no good. It won't do anyone any good.

Goodness, these are short. Not short for me, but compared to what Joe writes this is a foot off his mile long text. Ok, maybe not that much, but you get what I mean! That man writes, and he writes a lot. He's been doing it even more since we got back from Glaelle. I'm a bit worried about him, but Cleo said she'll talk to him about it so I'm feeling a bit better about it.

I need to go. My boyfriend doesn't seem to understand getting shot with an arrow, even if the wound has mostly healed, means your stuck in bed for a few days. Thankfully I know exactly what to do to make him stay; Cuddles.

8 days before the potion is ready.

Iskall sent me a message today. He wanted to buy some redstone materials from me, for way more than I sell them at Cherry, well not anymore since it's closed.

This of course raised a lot of red flags in my mind. Firstly, Iskall was willing to pay me for more than I charge. Secondly, he texted me through private messages, which he had never done to me before. And those were all the flags, but still.

I don't think I really realized quite how much they'd been effected, if Iskall was willing to pay me for just a few, easy to gather, recourses.

We've arranged to meet later tonight, on Concorp land.

Yeah, it surprised me too. Cub didn't believe me when I told him, but I showed him the messages and he was just as worried as me. He's coming with me to maybe talk to Iskall and make him talk to us, not sure how well it will go.

7 days before the potion is ready.

It went horrible. We pressed to hard and he lashed out. I didn't expect him to just attack as soon as we brought Grian up, but here we are.

Cub managed to fight him off, letting me get away with just a slashed open arm.

He still took the redstone stuff. But at least he payed like he said he would.

Still can't believe he did that. I can't believe we thought bringing up Grian so soon was a good idea.

6 days before the potion is ready.

X came by today , he wanted to know what happened with Iskall. I told him the truth. And even though I could still see his face through his helmet, I couldn't see what his expression was.

I don't think I'll ever know, that man's a mystery.

He recommended that Cub and I stay away from Iskall for awhile. I really can't blame X for that, but I just feel so useless not being able to help out my friends.

Is this what Fallacy wants? To split us up from the inside? Knock down one domino and make the rest fall after it? They seem to forget that we are the Hermits. If something gets destroyed we build it up again, better than before.

5 days before the potion is ready.

Joe disappeared today. Cleo was going to talk to him again, and he was nowhere to be found. He isn't answering anyone's calls. All his stuff is gone too.

Was he also taken?

Everything is looking more and more like when Grian disappeared. But none of Grian's stuff disappeared, so we think Joe is hiding somewhere.

We don't know why. But we have an idea.

Cleo found a pile of crumpled papers with weird words and scribbles, they looked like spells, potions and rituals that had been aggressively drawn over. Had Alastor done something so that Joe would join Fallacy too? And if so, had Joe tried to stop it?

We have no clue, and we won't get an answer until we find him.

I didn't expect the next big server group project would be finding Joe. But here we are.

4 days before the potion is ready.

We found him. He was in Grian's infinity room.

And I just ask one question; what happened to him?

He had gotten rid of the chairs that used to be in the room, leaving it all completely white and bright.

Joe had been furiously writing away in a new book. When had he finished the old one? Last time I saw him he wasn't even halfway done with the other one.

He jumped sky high when Cleo called his name, eyes wide and bloodshot. Had he not been sleeping? And had he been crying on top of that? It was all just so weird to see, so unnerving.

Joe didn't want to leave, talking crazy about "if he didn't have a shadow it couldn't hurt anyone anymore! And then he wouldn't need to hear Grian beg for the pain to stop"

We ended up having to knock him out cold. I left before they got done.

I couldn't stay.

I couldn't watch my friends suffer knowing I could do nothing to help.

No one knows what Joe was talking about, since he has not yet woken up.

I don't want to know. I don't want to know because I just know he wasn't just speaking random things, I think he was actually seeing something happened to Grian.

I don't ever want to hear what he was talking about. Because I know I won't like what he has to say.

3 days before the potion is ready.

I'll kill them all. Fallacy, Alastor, those people who were with Grian on that day, and that shadow version of Joe. I'll kill them all.

They DARE hurt Grian like that, and it's like they aren't even trying to hide it! They didn't block Joe from seeing what his shadow counterpart was doing to Grian!

And don't even get me started on what that monster was doing to Grian. I wanted to leave the room when Joe was telling us, I really did, but I just couldn't. So I stayed, stayed and listened. And I'm now happy to announce that I'll soon publish a book called "101 possible ways to kill your enemies in the most painful ways possible"! None of them have been tested, yet, but it's still a proud achievement!

......

Alright I took a little break to cool off, I was getting quite out of hand.

I still agree with what a few hours ago I was saying. Though I probably will never say those things out loud again. Or at least I hope I won't.

Joe's doing a bit better now, though he's still not fully ok.

We have found that holding him helps ground him and keep those thoughts out of his mind, so we now take turns being with him and cuddling. Cleo, Bdubs, Zedaph and surprisingly EX tend to be the ones cuddling him the most.

At least something is going better. Iskall and Mumbo still won't leave the place they are staying at.

They'll come out eventually. I just hope that's soon.

2 days before the potion is ready.

Cub is finally not on bedrest orders anymore. Which means we can now go do things together again!

The first thing we did was go visit Joe. We stayed and talked with him for a bit, Cleo was on cuddling at the moment but she was away getting breakfast ready for Joe.

He was happy to talk to us, and we were happy to talk to him too. Unfortunately we had to leave after awhile, though we did see Cleo on our way out.

We then headed back to Concorp for a quiet picnic date that I had prepared earlier.

The picnic date was a success! Cub really liked it, and since he was really happy So was I.

And now I'm here, writing in my diary.

1 days before the potion is ready.

One more day. One more day and then it's done. Then we can go save Grian.

I'm nervous and excited at the same time. We have seen that our Grian is still in there, so we just have to pull that Grian to the front and thab kick some snake butt!

I mean, we'll have two entire servers against them! Who could they possibly win?

I mean, lies may be powerful but the truth always deals the final blow after all. So we already have a one-up on Fallacy!

I do wish Death would be able to help us, they would make everything so much quicker. But I suppose I can't ask for everything.

0 days before the potion is ready.

Today's the day! The potion is done and the Evolutionists will soon start to arrive.

We are so prepared for this, we've been preparing all week after all.

We have the best armor we can have, same for our weapons. We have tons of potions and golden apples too. We also have teamwork and the willingness to do anything for each other. So all in all we're pretty much unbeatable! Of course we still have to be careful, but we got this in the bag.

We will use the potion in about an hour since the EVO guys are just now arriving, they need to be briefed in all our plans and strategies after all!

It will be good to get Grian back. Sure both will every full be the same again, but it will be more normal than now.

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Scar closed the book with a pleased smile on his face. That was hopefully his last entry that was made when Grian wasn't on the server, since they would change Grian's location of residence today.

A warm body pressed into his back, strong arms wrapping around him, "What are you thinking about darling?"

"How today's the day we get Grian back, and how good it will be to have him back."

Cub hummed in acknowledgement, hands massaging Scar's shoulders, "It will be good to see him again. He made this place a better place."

The brunette didn't answer him and chose to instead burrow himself in Cub's arms. And the taller was content with that, arms holding the other more securely.

Over in a corner was EX and X, the two brothers watching over everyone.

"They're all very confident we'll win." Observed Xeres, red eyes hidden behind his mask looking over everyone, "Don't you ever fear that some day they'll take on something they can't beat?"

"I do worry about that. But you must realize something," started X, "Having confidence and being cocky aren't the same thing. We aren't cocky, just confident."

EX scoffed at his brother, "When will you realize that when put in the same situation, those two things tend to give the same results?"

X gave him a side eyed glare, "Are saying we'll lose?"

"No. I'm just saying we're expecting less then we'll get."

Xisuma let out a deep breath, "We just have to be careful, and be ready for anything. This is the only chance we have of getting Grian back, I'm not giving up on it."

"I wouldn't expect you too, nor anyone else for that matter."

The two stayed in a comfortable silence together after that. Waiting for the time to be right. And as soon as time was up they stepped up, "Everyone, we are now ready to leave. We hard going their to get Grian back and make the people who hurt him hurt more." EX picked up after his brother, "We will be going to a place we're you can't respawn, so keep your totems on you at all times! And remember, we're there to get Grian and nothing else. Don't stray from the objective."

Nods and murmured acknowledgments met their statements. Even NPG and Markus looked dead serious, and they weren't even going!

Xisuma took charge and took the potion from Markus before splashing it onto the Nether portal. The purple portal soon turned a deep red color, a cool breeze drifting out from it. The admin took a step forwards, now standing just one step away from going in. Before he stepped in he turned around, "This can go multiple different ways. There are so many different ways this can go I can't even think of even naming half. But what we want is for everyone to live. So look out for each other, we're going to be the only help we can get. For Grian!"

At the agreeing cries of his friends the admin stepped in, everyone else following close behind him. As soon as the last person was through Markus quickly put on some armor and rushed after them. Though he was stopped by Rodger before he could get very far, "Rodger! Let me go! I want to help them!"

"Help them? All you'll do if you join them is become a human meat shield. And that means you'll get killed, and that won't help them." Scolded Rodgers, tone and posture unmoving.

"Then what am I supposed to do?" Huffed Markus, arms crossed over his chest.

"Well you can help me for one, and whilst you do that you stay away from joining everyone else, if you even step a foot through that portal you'll be grounded until there is no ground to be grounded on."

Markus sighed but didn't fight it, he knows he'd lose, "Okay, what do you need help with?"

Rodger smiled down at the mahogany haired teen with and encouraging smile, "We're going to fix NPG's voice box. It's been stuck on shouting for years now."

"THAT'S TRUE." Agreed NPG, nodding his head along to the other robots words, "GRIAN WASN'T THE BEST WITH SOUNDS BACK IN TEH DAY, SO MINE IS OLD AND EVEN GRIAN DOESN'T KNOW HOW TO FIX IT."

With that the two, three of you count NPG, set off to gather things needed to give the robotic demon a proper voice.

And whilst they fixed that, the Hermits and Evolutionists walked out of the portal into the place Grian was in.

<This is now moving quicker the I expected, chapter wise that is. I thought this would be 40 or something, but look now! Our heroes are almost there! Now since that was all I had to say, I'll go to bed now. Have a wonderful time everyone!>