'Cub?' I land on the balcony of the pyramid, fighting my rising worries about his reaction. Will he want to forgive me? Is he even here? The entrance is empty. I try to spot any sign of inhabitants... Any spectral arrows... or...

A click. I only have a second to look down, confused by the line of pressure plates, before I'm deposited into a hole, landing hard on my back, unable to get out.

'Hello?!' I call again, louder. 'Is anyone there?'

Movement. I wince with pain as try to stand, looking over as...

'It's you.' Cub lowers his bow, eyes narrowed. 'I thought another zombie had activated my traps.'

He starts walking away again. Panic fills me.

'Cub! Wait!' The footsteps stop.

'Why?'

'Because... I'm your friend?'

'Get Bad-times to help you. I'm busy.' The blow hits harder than it should.

'I made a mistake, Cub. I'm sorry.'

'Yeah. You did.' I hear the anger in his voice from here. But I also hear the hurt. And what I hope is regret.

'Please... You don't know how hard it is to refuse Bad-'

'I DON'T CARE ABOUT THAT!' It's the first time I've ever heard Cub lose his temper. 'I was there for you that entire time when EX was trying to fix your communicator. You had every chance to tell me and you didn't. You just kept it a secret like you didn't even care about what we'd gone through with them...'

'Of course I care, Cub. I just couldn't find the right time to tell you... I- I thought you'd care more about my magic being back than...'

'Than what?' Cub interrupts. 'Than our friendship?'

'No!' I burst out. 'You're the most important person in my life! You're my best friend... Please believe me...'

A click of a lever. The trapped platform I'm on shifts back to the surface. I lose my balance, falling over.

'Go back to your base, Scar. I want to be alone.'

I scramble to my feet as he walks away, running over, grabbing his arm.

'Cub, please!' He turns, wrenching his way free from my grip. For a moment our eyes meet and I see all his anger, betrayal, confusion, how torn he is between what I did and the friendship we've always had. Then he blinks, turning away again.

'Scar, there are a lot of other traps in this base a lot more deadly than that one if you insist in staying.'

'And when they kill me and I don't respawn, maybe you'll know how much I still wanted to be your friend.'

He doesn't move. I try to hold back my tears, the growing emotion.

'Please...'

He ignores and walks away. For a moment I just watch him as he glides down into the main central area of the pyramid. But then I follow, silent, only watching from afar as he starts sorting through the few shulker boxes of stuff there. My mind runs through everything I should've said that would make it better, every single way I messed up again, completely lost on what to do now.

But after a few moments, Cub just slumps down on one of the shulkers, head down. I don't move, guilt stabbing me as I realise he's crying.

There's nothing I can do but glide down, landing as quietly as I can behind him.

'I'm sorry.' He looks up, clearly surprised. 'I messed up so much and I understand if... If you don't want to be my friend any more. But... But I want to be your friend. You're the best person I know, Cub. You've always been there for me and... and... I'm sorry.'

I wait for his reply, standing there, trying not to cry. All he does is shuffle to the side. Years with Cub let me know exactly what he's trying to say.

I don't want to talk, but I'm fine with your company

I sit down in the space he's provided, staying silent. He doesn't speak, or even cry, just sits there. Discomfort fills me at the awkwardness.

'Scar?' I blink as he speaks, not looking at me.

'Yeah?'

'What... How did... They get your magic back?'

I sigh, trying to remember.

'Well... A mix of potions and... weird magic plants. Skulk. That thing Vex is obsessed with. It... Counteracts the effect of magic. And... They just told me to drink this potion until... I felt the magic come back.'

He doesn't reply, thinking through. I don't tell Cub the details. He doesn't need to know how painful it actually was. How much time I spent locked in my office fighting screams of agony... Trying to convince people coming in it was ok...

'That's... That's when I tried to get in.' Recalls Cub, tone unreadable. 'Why didn't you tell me then?'

'Because you would've tried to find Bad-times and Vex and try to kill them without knowing the full story if you saw.'

Cub freezes. I've said too much.

'Why?'

I don't reply.

'What happened to you? What did they do?'

'Nothing! It was just Skulk and potions but... it was painful.' I mumble, but I know he heard.

Cub doesn't answer. I can't look at him.

'I don't regret it. I regret not telling you but... not that I did it.' Still nothing.

Then he hugs me. I hug back. Cub just holds onto me like I'd disappear if he ever let go, never saying a word. There's nothing I can do except hug back as he starts sobbing.

'It's ok.' I whisper back. But even as I do I realise Cub not just feeling sadness.

But... Guilt?

I spot a pile of books over his shoulder.

Vexling magic

Watcher magic and how to fight it

Magical ailments and simple cures

Wars of magic

'You... You were trying to figure out too.' I mumble. Guilt washes through me. 'Oh notch I... I didn't know...'

'Because I never told you... In case I couldn't find anything and I got your hopes up... But... I found a solution.' He pauses, giving only a sad laugh. 'That's the worst part. I was going to tell you after EX finished with your communicator for the day but... That was the day Grian came...'

More and more guilt. Cub's emotions now make my perfect sense. His anger. The betrayal. And... his own guilt that he didn't tell me and I had Bad-times and Vex help me instead. I feel the emotions bubble over again, and I sob. Both of us just sit there, hugging each other, crying, never wanting to let each other go again.

Convex.