----| Mumbo's POV |----

Mumbo was too stunned to move. What in the world was going on? Where was Grian?

Luckily, he didn't have to wonder for long.

A few seconds later, Grian reappeared. The biggest change, which Mumbo noticed immediately, was his wings. They were back to their colorful, feathered former state. Grian's skin was still pale, and he still looked sick, but he was definitely much better. 

Grian let out a breath, and sunk into the bed, seeming at peace for the first time in two months.

Mumbo and Xisuma looked at each other.

"Well, looks like it worked," Xisuma said, his voice full of relief. "I didn't ask before, but... did the thing in the portal tell you why Grian was cursed?"

Mumbo thought back to his experience in the portal.

"Actually, I think it did, when it went in my head and hurt me," Mumbo realized. "Apparently, this was all a test."

"A test! Grian almost died for a test?" Xisuma asked. "By who?"

"Not sure, but I remember the word Watchers, which seemed important somehow," Mumbo answered.

Xisuma didn't reply. It was impossible to tell what he was thinking beneath his helmet, since he had once again withdrawn.

Mumbo set aside his thoughts of the portal and turned to wait for Grian to wake up.

----| Grian's POV |----

The things were gone.

It was an abrupt change, but an obvious one, as it had been chasing Grian for weeks.

He let out a sigh of relief and let himself sleep.

Grian awoke to a small, unfamiliar room, empty save for the bed he was lying on and one familiar tall figure...

"M-Mum-mbo," Grian whispered, unsurprised to find he couldn't use his voice very well. It had been a very long month.

Mumbo was instantly across the room and hugging Grian.

"Ow!" Grian yelped in pain. "T-too tight, Mum-mbo!"

Mumbo released the small hermit.

"J-jeez, I think you could crush b-bedrock with that hug, M-Mumbo," Grian told his friend.

Mumbo's face lit up.

"You're you again, Grian," he said, hugging Grian again, lighter this time.

"So, u-um... where am I?" Grian asked once Mumbo had released him.

"Oh, right. We're in X's base. I think he built this room specifically for you," Mumbo answered.

Specifically for me? How much had happened?

"Mumbo, can you tell me what's happened in the last month? I know I was there, but I wasn't really there, if you know..." Grian trailed off.

"Alright, well, I haven't gotten much done, but Scar's village-" Mumbo began.

"N-Not on Hermitcraft, Mumbo! With m-me, I mean!" Grian interrupted him playfully.

"Oh, right, of course you'd-"Mumbo grinned sheepishly. "Well, basically..."

(Timeskip!!)

Wow was all Grian could think once Mumbo had finished telling him what had happened.

"So.. I fell out of the sky.. three times?" Grian asked.

"Guess your flying wasn't exactly up to your standard, huh?" Mumbo teased.

"I was kinda hallucinating, Mumbo."

Mumbo went quiet.

Grian laughed. "Come on, it's that easy? You know I'm not that sensitive."

Mumbo smiled once more. "Okay, you got me," he chuckled. "Guess I'm a little shaken from the last few weeks."

"Mumbo, why.. what happened to me? I mean, why did I get sick?"

Grian noticed that Mumbo hesitated for the slightest second before replying, "We don't know, Xisuma and I, I mean. Maybe one of the other hermits was messing with some experiment-" Grian's mind went to Scar and Doc, and he inwardly laughed thinking what they might have gotten up to, "and you just reacted to it badly?"

Grian could tell there was something Mumbo wasn't telling him, but before he could ask, he felt a wave of exhaustion wash over him and he fell asleep.