Laughter echoed through a school hallway, the sound sounding like a group of children having a wonderful time together. But as the sound got closer, it aged up, and for a long time it remained happy and carefree. Then the shadows on the walls showed up, one on each wall, and one the floor, and the laughter changed. The once unified sounds of joy were cut into thirds, each laugh changing as the shadows grew. The loudest grew crazed, wicked and uncontrolled, it sent shivers of fear down Rook's spine. One turned into grieving sobs, like the person who was crying had lost someone they cared deeply about. The last one was peculiar, as it remained happy and child-like yet it sounded hollow, fake, it was nothing but play pretend.

Rook stood still as the shadows formed into people, transparent and ghost like. The one with the crazed laughter, a white bunny hybrid, walked by first, red eyes glinting with insanity and glee, knife in hand. The dragon braced himself, for what he dared not to think, but the teen just walked through him. Following behind was a teen in blue, tears coloring his cheeks with darkened crescents, and he recognized him as one of the people he was once fighting against (once he says, not even a day wasn't that far away). By instinct he reached out for the teen, but his clawed hand just slipped through his ghostly form. A giggle caught his attention, a pair of violet eyes shining at him though the darkness. A pair of very familiar violet eyes. Xelqua's/Grian's/His (it was a lot of things he was called) eyes.

"What is this?" He asked, sweeping his arms around the hallway.

But the other him just laughed on, a grin on his face as he walked out of the shadows. And Rook balked in shock at the sight of the other him. Because deposit his happy face and laugh, he was a bloody and bruised mess. Only a few scattered parts of his face was unblemished, but it did not stop him from laughing as if he'd been told the best joke in history. It agitated Rook beyond belief.

"What's with you? Why are you laughing! This isn't funny!"

The ghost-like teen's laughs slowed into giggles as he regarded Rook, "Oh my! I really should have gone into the acting business!"

Rook's tail swished behind him in agitation, "What?"

"Oh yes I really should have!" Other-him nodded to himself, a smile on his face, "I mean look at how good I am! I even fooled myself into believing lies!" His eyes suddenly turned cooled, dead, as all traces of happiness faded from his face. "And just like an actor, my life will be nothing but an act."

With a crack the vision shattered, the hallway falling apart like glass, revealing a world of the old times where it had fallen. People were all gathered at one point in the world, laughing and talking to themselves, and among them he stood, though now he looked older. The group then soon split up, all heading off in different directions, but the air of happiness was still there. In flashes he was shown many different things, some of which sparked some locked up memories, and some he knew straight away. Like how some of these builds were in the Red Moon as well. But he was also shown how everyone interacted with each other, he saw people caring for one another so very deeply. So unlike what he had been given.

The vision froze, faded into the background, as he got lost in his thoughts. Has anyone he knew when he was with Fallacy actually cared about him? Fallacy had claimed they cared about him, at least he thought they had, but where was the action to back the words up? Nowhere, not a single place was there love for him from these people. Shaking his head he cast those thoughts away, they were for another time.

The vision flashed up again, this time of them all sitting around and talking. A bush baby hybrid stood up and raised her hand, a drink in it, "I call for a toast, for us, for Grian, and for all his and our futures may hold!" Her call was answered by happy cries of the people around her, all equally as happy as she was. "To Grian, and to the EVO family! Long may we last, loved may we be!"

Rook wrenched himself away from the vision with a roar, hands flexing as he stumbled away. His breathing was coming out in short breaths, head pounding as he stumbled around. What the hell was going on? Why did these happy visions causing him so much harm? Weren't they supposed to be happy?! He shook his head with a growl, eyes glowing with pain as he staggered around, clawed feet stomping on the nonexistent ground.

He panted as he calmed down, tail still swishing behind him in agitation. And his eyes no longer showed his pain, so he was no longer in as much pain as before. Sure he still ached but he wasn't suffering anymore. Out of the corner of his eyes he saw a door appear 'HC' carved into the front of it. He cautiously placed a hand on the door, but nothing happened to him. Weighing his option he finally decided to open it, but only a tiny bit to start.

Looking through the crack he was met with the sight of a bunch of people -who he once again recognized from the Red Moon- gathered in one place, talking and laughing. Something about the sight made him take the rest of the steps and walk in, eyes roaming all over.

Shops of all kinds, all mismatched and random, surrounded them, so this must be the place for shops then. Taking a closer look at the gathered people he saw Iskall and the red eyed man standing close by, only a small person standing in between them. A person, who it turns out, was him. Rook watched with interest as he stood between the two other men, face bright with a smile. Was this really him? It couldn't be, this man was far too happy, and carefree, to be him. But it was, no doubt about it.

Iskall leaned down and planted a kiss on the top of Grian's (because as he was now he wasn't Grian) head, hand ruffled into the dirty blond curls. The red eyed man, his name starting with M Rook was sure, smiled down at the two, eyes shining with love. So they were together. No wonder he reacted so badly to Iskall being hurt.

The wolf hybrid stood up on a small stage, clearly built just for this sole event, a wide smile on his face, "People of Hermitcraft, and anything listening in, today is a wonderful day! And no it is not just the weather, it's more!" He looked down at the trio, eyes silently questioning them if it was okay for him to tell anyone, and once he had permission his eyes were back to the crowd, "Hermitcraft has been blessed with yet another dance of love, so big congratulations to the Architechs!"

The Hermits cheered for their friends, which made the three smile wider. Grian grinned up at Ren, happy with the announcement.

"Now this budding love can unfortunately not grant them first place in the couples costume department," Iskall did a fake upset 'dammit!' as people laughed at his antics, "And Grian you just barely missed first place. So none of you have won! But the real winners are me and Doc-"

"Yeah for the sole reason of you getting him into that outfit of Red riding hood!" Was called out, earning some laughs.

"- for the couples costume, our lovely ConVex in second place and the girls in third." Ren continued on as if he hadn't been interrupted, "And the winner for the solo costume is none other than Zedaph! Congrats man! And then it's Grian False." He raised his hand, which Rook now noticed had a place in it, and called out, "To Halloween!" And as he drank it in one shot Tango called out, "To Hermitcraft!" earning cries of agreement from the others around him.

Rook saw the vision end with a smile. That one was really nice, plus it added some context to who these people were to him, so it was his favorite one yet. And it didn't give him headaches, well at least not bad ones, which was just amazing.

Suddenly the door slammed open again, a pale red glow growing from within it. "The moon." He whispered in horror, eyes wide as he watched the glow grow. And worse than whiplash he was thrown into the next vision.

The Red Moon hung high in the dark sky, and builds were already there, even though they all looked like nothing but mirages. In a snap Grian appred, still dead to the world, and they all faded away even more. Out of nowhere Fallacy arrived, eyes shining with merit as they watched him sleep. They then headed off, leaving too god knows where.

As he watched Rook saw more and more weird things, people who looked like shadows through a red filter, builds that were there, yet not. But it all came to an end when Grian refused, and got a scar instead. You see Rook had always thought it was something else -even as Grian back then, he'd assumed it to be magic- so this was like yet another slap to the face.

Because standing over him, invisible to the hurt man but very much visible to Rook, was Fallacy. Clawed hand covered in Grian's blood.

At the sight of the deity something snapped in his mind, like a fragile bone under pressure. He screwed his eyes close in pain, hands clawing at his head as it twisted and turned. And as the pain settled it was not Rook who opened his eyes.

It was Grian.

<Look who's back :3 It's the gremlin boy! Eh I don't really have much more to add here other than this little drawing of Xenagoras (I redesigned him!) so enjoy!

(Also yes it's a bit chibi esc, but I still like it)

Stay safe and have a wonderful time everyone!>