"I'm sorry, you what?"

"I joined him," Ren repeated. The other man did not look happy at all, but Ren didn't care as long as Doc was happy.

Bdubs stared at him in disbelief. "Why?" he exclaimed, voice filled with confusion. "Why on Earth would you join him? This is the complete opposite of what we agreed on!"

"He was happy with what he was doing," Ren weakly argued. The look on Doc's face as he had agreed to join him was something that he would never forget.

"You're only encouraging him with his craziness!"

"I really don't see how the Goat is making him crazy, my dude," Ren denied. "Pretty sure you're the one doing it."

"ME?!" he stared at him, hand on his chest. "Fine, I'll do it by myself then. You'll see, you'll both see!" And with that, Bdubs left.

-.-

Ren debated not telling Doc about what Bdubs and Keralis potentially had planned. But he didn't have to think about it for too long, to know what he was going to do.

"Hey Doc?"

"Yes, Ren?" Doc had been working on some of his redstone up on his castle in the sky when Ren had found him.

"I'm pretty sure Bdubs and Keralis have plans to blow up Goat mountain, I'm not entirely sure though."

Doc looked pissed, stopping what he was doing. "Why? What'd the Goat do to them! It did nothing!" He growled, turning away from his redstone.

Ren stood near him, letting him release some anger out.

"And just when I thought things were calming down between us. When I get my hands on them, I'll-" he gritted his teeth, just looking even angrier than Ren had expected.

Ren places a hand on his left shoulder. "Doc," he says, stopping his rant.

The other glances over, eyebrows raised and mouth gaping slightly. He wasn't expecting that.

"We need to focus on stopping them from blowing up the mountain first before anything else. Besides, it isn't even a guarantee they'll do it," he spoke in a calm manner.

Doc breathes out with a nod, calming down a bit, which was a good sign. "Right, protecting the Goat comes first," he paused. "Then we get our revenge." Or not.

"Uh yeah," Ren says unsurely, drawing the words out. "Goat first, dude, we'll think about that later."

-.-

Ren is sat on his bed, body slumped over with his face buried in his hands.

It was hard pretending everything was fine. He was happy to see the hermits awake again, but there were times he'd think he'd just wake up and realize that everything had just been a dream again.

Then when they didn't remember anything? And acted as if he were insane? And no one believed him?

It was hard on him.

-.-

"You tattle-tale," Bdubs glares at Ren the next time they meet.

Ren flinches at Bdubs outburst. He catches himself before his face could visibly react. "You were going to blow up the Goat!" Ren argues.

"And Doc killed me and Keralis because of it! That friggin hurt!"

"You shouldn't have been griefing him, then!"

Bdubs gasped. "We weren't griefing," he argued. "We were gonna make Doc grief himself!"

"Pretty sure that's still griefing, dude."

"Doesn't matter! Point is, you're clearly not on my side anymore," Bdubs says. "I can't trust you anymore."

"Dude!" Ren says. "If I didn't tell Doc about it, you would've blown up the mountain, and he would have been after you! I'm on both of your sides." He didn't like seeing his friend fight, nor did he like it when they hated him.

Bdubs still had his arms crossed, slowly getting used to the idea, but still didn't look him in the eyes. "Still don't know if I can trust you," he says in a childish manner, very softly.

"Fine, what do you want me to tell you for you to trust me?"

"First, tell me why are you so invested in me and Doc's argument?"

"Because you two are friends."

Bdubs scoffed. "Hah! Friends. I've been arguing with him the day we became neighbors."

"What are you two even arguing about in the first place?" Ren asked curiously.

"Are you kidding me? He-!" Bdubs stopped. "I-" he hesitated, looking deep in thought, calming down a little. "He settled in the area I wanted and he-" Bdubs stopped again, trying to think.

Ren stared at him, eyebrows raised. Bdubs didn't remember why, did he?

"How did we end up with half of the same house again?" Bdubs mutters to himself. He stopped again. "Is it even the same house?"

Ren remembered Doc complaining to him long ago, back in the other world, the one the other hermits lost memories of.

"Damn Bdubs, he screwed me out of 10 diamonds!"

Ren had stared at Doc who looked angry. "We have way more than that, why are you so angry?"

"He took half the house I wanted to get for us!"

Ren stopped. That's right.

He had forgotten that Doc was going to buy it for them. They already had a place together but it was something new, something they hadn't really done before, an actual house instead of a base-like-building.

His heart hurt, thinking about him and Doc like that again. The times where they joked and poked fun at each other, comforted each other in their times in need, and just kept the other company in times of silence.

"Doesn't matter," Bdubs continued, snapping Ren out of his memories. "He still settled in the same exact area I wanted to settle in!"

"Didn't you move to a new area?"

"Yea- wait, how'd you know that?" Bdubs looked at him.

"You told me, remember?"

"Dang it," he cursed under his breath. Bdubs sighed. "You really are stubborn, aren't you, Ren?"

"So are you, dude," Ren paused. "So, are you two gonna make up or what?"

"God-! Fine," Bdubs agreed with a huff. "You go talk to him first and I'll see him tomorrow. And you better be there too! Otherwise, he'll just kill me again, and then you can forget us making up!"

"I'll be there, don't worry."

-.-

Ren watches as Doc works on something in front of Goat mountain. He sits to the side, watching as Doc places redstone, not wanting to interrupt him. He sits, thinking back on the times where he'd look over from his building and watch Doc work. He was alright at redstone, but Doc was amazing at it, and it never ceases to amaze him.

He's not sure how long he's there before Doc finishes and finally notices him. "Ren?" he says, dusting his hands on his pants of the redstone that collected over the Goat Mountain project.

"Doc! Hey," he pushes himself onto his feet, meeting him halfway.

"Hey, what are you doing here? It's certainly a surprise, but a welcome one."

"I just heard a rumor."

"Oh?" he asked, sounding very curious.

"It's about Bdubs."

"What is he up to now?" he said in a defeated tone.

"Actually, I heard he's looking to stop the fighting between you two."

Doc let out a laugh. "I doubt it! Where'd you hear that?"

"Around," he says. "But what if it were true?"

"Then I'll eat my diamond boots."

Ren laughed. "I'll hold you to that!"

"Except it's never gonna happen."

"Hey, you never know!"

Doc smirked, taking a step closer to him. "Oh yeah, what do I get if I'm right?"

"Then-" Ren hesitated, wondering what to say. He knew Bdubs was going to see him tomorrow, so he could say anything and not have to do it. "I'll do anything you want for a week."

Doc grinned. "Clear your schedule Ren, because there's no way Bdubs wants to make up."

"In your dreams, Doc."

Ren waits at Doc's place the next day as promised. He watches as Bdubs boats from the harbor. He waves a greeting as he gets out of the boat, approaching him.

"Is Doc here?"

"Yeah, down in his villager breeder, working on some stuff."

"And you talked with him already?"

"I did, I'm pretty sure he won't attack you."

"Only pretty sure?" he asked, a worried expression on his face.

"Hey, I did all I could, dude."

Bdubs sighs, looking at it. "Well, wish me luck, Ren."

"You're not gonna die," Ren promises.

"You sure about that?" Bdubs looked at him with an unsure look before looking back. "Well, here I go." He steps forward, making his way to the metal door.

Ren sits back, he wasn't really worried about him. They'd be just fine.

-.-

After Bdubs and Doc made up, with Doc's reluctant acceptance, and Ren's reassurance that he didn't actually have to eat his boots, he left to go back to work on his island. Upon his return, he sees signs sitting on the coast. With a curious look on his face, he gets out of the boat and walks toward it.

His heart drops.

"If you want to see Pamela, pay me 100 diamonds by the end of the week or else she'll be steak and leather, IJevin," Ren aloud.

"No, Pam!" he sobbed aloud.

He'd been too focused on himself and helping out Doc to realize that Pamela had disappeared. She may have been a mooshroom, but she was still his friend. She was the listening ear that he needed when no one was around. Pam was the one that he ranted to, allowing him to process everything and get his head back on straight.

He didn't have 100 diamonds, he barely had his diamond tools and armor, there was just no way that he'd be able to get all that.

Ren had to make a deal with Jevin, because there was no way he could get that many diamonds.

He sets out immediately, he has no time to waste. He needed to get Pamela back. He takes him awhile to find IJevin's place, considering he'd never been there and he hadn't talked to him since before he woke up in this world.

"Jevin?" he says, once he approaches him.

"Ren," he greeted with a smirk. "Here for Pamela, I see?"

Ren nodded. "Listen man, I don't have 100 diamonds."

"You still have a few days to get them."

"Come on man, maybe we can work out some kind of deal?" He couldn't lose Pamela, he just couldn't.

Jevin raised his eyebrows at him. "What could be worth more than 100 diamonds?"

Ren tried to come up with something on the spot. "Maybe, uh, wrestling federation?" He knew Jevin was into things like that, maybe he'd be interested in that. "If you win, you keep Pamela, and if I win, I get Pamela."

Jevin thought about it. "Has to be more than that Ren, I already have Pamela. Though, the wrestling thing sounds interesting."

"Okay, how about you also permanently get a cut of the profits?"

"Deal."

Ren let out a breath of relief. "How about we make it a four v four?"

"Alright, see you next week, Mad Dog."

-.-

Ren now needed three more people on his team. The first person he had in mind would surely help, right?

"Doc," he says, standing before the other man, who had put a suit on for this specific meeting. "Goat father," he says a moment after. "I have a request."

"Anything for family."

Ren doesn't comment on that, unsure what to think about that, but Pam came first, so he'd just brush that comment to the side for now. "Jevin took Pam from me," he says.

Doc looked at him, eyebrows slightly raised. His lips in a firm line. "Pam?" he says softly.

"My mooshroom cow, Pamela," Ren explains.

Doc nodded slowly. "I see."

"Jevin took her from me. We agreed on a wrestling match in a team of four v four, and I was wondering if you could be on my team?"

Doc looked at him with a firm gaze. "You know the Goat Father doesn't get his hands dirty."

Ren visibly deflated. Looks like he'd need to go to someone else for help.

"But I do have something for you." Doc places a few glass bottles onto the table, sliding it over.

Ren picks them all up, observing the glowing liquid. "What is it?"

"Goat Juice."

Ren eyes it curiously, slightly judging the name Doc had given it.

"It's a guaranteed win if you take it."

Was Doc suggesting he cheat? He fiddled with the potion bottles, thinking it over.

"I can also get Etho for you on your team, he's a very talented man."

Ren still didn't know who Etho was, but if Doc said he was good, then he trusted his judgement. As for the other two, he already had some people in mind.

Ren goes to find False before Jevin does. He knew she was the best at pvp out of all the hermits. She agreed as long as he owed her a favor. He now had three people on his team, so he just needed one more.

But he only had a few days left and he still needed to train up. He was running out of both time and people to ask, because many hermits that weren't on a team, still thought he was out of his mind. He really only had one person to ask.

"Bdubs," Ren stands before the man who was still in the middle of packing his stuff away.

"Me?" Bdubs asked, shock on his face. "You're asking me?"

"I had no one else to ask-"

"Oh of course," Bdubs mutters under his breath as Ren continued. "That's why."

"And I needed your help."

"So? What'd you need me for?"

"A wrestling tourna-"

"PVP?" Bdubs interrupted him. "Come on, you know I'm not good at that kinda stuff."

"It's not technically PVP," Ren attempts to convince me.

"It's still battling!" Bdubs says. "Listen, if you're that desperate to ask me, me of all people, then I'll help you out."

"Thank you, Bdubs!"

"But," he says pointedly. "Only as a last resort. If you really can't find anyone, I'll join your team."

"You're a lifesaver, thank you! I can get Pamela back!"

"Pam- who?"

"My mooshroom cow friend."

Bdubs stared at him blankly. "You have been on your own way too much."

-.-

Ren stands in the middle of his newly built HWF arena, wearing a coat over his wrestling clothes. The tournament was that day and he was just getting some last minute workouts and trying to calm himself down before it started. He was in the middle of a work out when he heard his name.

"Ren."

He stops, turning to see Doc standing before him, wearing the same suit from before. "Doc."

"Etho should be here soon, did you manage to find two more teammates?"

"Yeah, they're over there," he motioned over to False and Bdubs who was warming up.

Doc stared at them, eyebrows raised before looking back at him. "False, I understand, but Bdubs?"

"I was desperate, okay? I didn't have anyone else to ask, and he agreed to do it for me."

Doc glanced over at Bdubs again before looking back at Ren. "Fine, I'll do it then."

"But you told me-"

"It's a guaranteed loss if he does it," Doc says firmly. "It's a good thing I prepared."

Ren watches as Doc removes his lab coat, placing it on a bench, followed by his pants, revealing black trunks with a white stripe on it. It was a sight he was used to, but not in public and definitely not the wrestling trunks either.

"You're joining my team?" Ren asks, forcing himself to look up at his eyes.

Doc grinned. "Of course I am."

The tournament goes on with Doc, False, and Etho on the side of Ren, and Cub, Impulse, and XbCrafted on the side of Jevin. Ren doesn't forget to drink the Goat Juice Doc had given him toward the end of the battle, allowing him to defeat the last two on Jevin's team.

"Ren's team wins!" Grian declared.

Ren beams, eyes tearing up as he rushed over to Pamela. He had gotten her back. "Pam!" he says, grinning widely. He embraces her as the others talk about how fun the tournament had been. He ignores them for now as he takes in the fact that he had Pam back.

As some of them clear up, he turns, seeing Doc, False, and Etho standing there.

"Doc! Thank you," he says smiling, he tackles him into a hug, holding on tight. "Thank you, I have Pamela back now."

"You're welcome, Ren," he says, placing his hands around him and embracing him.

"Glad you have your mooshroom back, Ren," False calls over before leaving.

"I don't get a hug?" Etho asks from the side.

Before Ren could say anything, Doc answers, "No," before pulling him closer.

-.-

Ren wakes up, feeling lips pressed against his forehead, fingers brushing his hair to the side. He sleepily opens his eyes, groaning, "Lemme sleep."

"I let you sleep long enough, Ren," Doc says softly, chuckling as he stares down at him.

"Mrph," Ren held onto him, closing his eyes again and resting his head against his chest.

Doc chuckled again, holding Ren in his arms. "Come on, man," he rubbed his back, smiling at him. "I'd be up by now, if it wasn't for you."

"What would you do without me," Ren said sleepily.

"Get things done."

Ren laughed into his chest, looking up at Doc. He gently pushes him, as Doc laughed with him. "You know you love me, Doc."

"I do."

Ren wakes up in tears, he misses mornings like that with Doc. He wonders if he's ever going to have that again.

He doubts it.

-.-

It'd been a while since he had been in the other world; the stock exchange, the hippies versus area 77 battle, and demise, it felt so far away. They were things he vividly experienced, and now they just felt like far away memories. He barely remembered any of them, he felt like he was forgetting many of the times then.

He was in this new world, interacting with everyone in new ways vastly different before. They were all convinced someone was one way and had certain memories while he had thoughts that people acted a different way.

Ren started to doubt whether or not this "other world" truly existed. He had this view of the world, of the hermits, that only he had.

Were they all right about him? Had he been dreaming it all? Was he crazy?

-.-

Ren had no memories of Etho, other than meeting him at the HWF. Nor did he have any memories of Beef and Hypno. He barely had a face to their names.

The whole time he was there, he hadn't seen Python, Jessassin, Wels Knight, or Biffa. He just didn't understand. He knew them but not Etho, Beef, or Hypno. Why?

If this "other world" wasn't actually real like all the other hermits were telling him, then why did he have memories and knowledge of four people he had never met? And why not three people that he supposedly knew for the longest time?

But everyone else knew Etho, Beef, and Hypno, they all treated them as if they were here this whole time. Maybe they were?

Ren felt frustrated.

Everything he felt like he knew, conflicted with what he was seeing, with what he was experiencing.

According to Scar, he wasn't with everyone in the beginning. Maybe he hit his head? It would explain why he wasn't there in the first place, and why his memory was so fuzzy.

He started to doubt whether or not the memories in his head were real.

Ren reached out, placing his hand on his quadro-chopper. He felt the rough texture of the wooden pillars, reminding himself that he was then and there.

He wanted to go to Grian and ask if he remembers Hippie-Land or go to False and ask if she remembered being neighbors together in the fantasy district. But he could already vividly picture the confused expression on their faces without needing to ask.

Grian and False didn't know what that was, none of them knew.

But Ren did. He could picture it, living those experiences with everyone. He was sure that it happened.

He was pretty sure, it did.

Ren stops, breathing in and out to calm himself down.

Of course it happened.

-.-

He doesn't go to see anyone for a while, needing to stay by himself. Everything was getting too overwhelming for him. Trying to figure out what was real and what wasn't, it was too much for him.

He sat in a field, fiddling with some flowers. He was sure he had made flower crowns before, back when he and Grian were hippies fighting against area 77. Ren made them pretty often so he was quite familiar with the process of making it, he practically could do it blindfolded.

So why didn't he remember how to do it?

Ren drops the flowers he had been fiddling with out of frustration, eyes watering. He used to be so good at this, he doesn't know what's wrong with him. Maybe he hadn't made them before, after all?

"What'd those flowers do to you?"

Ren stops, hearing a familiar voice. He looks up, seeing Doc staring right down at him.

"I'm just trying to make a flower crown," Ren muttered, staring back down at the flowers with a frown on his face. "I can't remember how to do them." His fists were clenched tight on his pants, glaring down at the many failed attempts at a crown.

It was silent for a bit.

Then Doc sighs, and he takes a seat next to him. "What's really wrong, Ren, this isn't like you."

Ren bit his lip, not wanting to say anything. Everyone else he told thought he was crazy, Doc would just say the same thing. Ren didn't want him to think negatively of him, it'd break him if Doc thought of him that way.

"Ren," he places his hand on his shoulder. "Come on man, you can trust me."

Ren didn't say anything, refusing to meet his eyes. "No one else believed me," he said softly.

"I'll believe you."

Ren felt tears in his eyes, thankful for Doc. "It happened so long ago," he starts to say. "I'm starting to think it never happened." No one else remembered the world before, if it were ever a thing. He hesitates, "I remember a world before this, where we all lived in different districts."

Doc sat silently, letting him talk.

"I don't know who Etho, Beef, or Hypno are, they weren't there," Ren felt a tear run down his face. "I don't have any memories of them. And Python, Jessassin, Wels Knight, and Biffa are missing, I haven't seen them the entire time we were here, no one remembers them, only I do!"

Doc rubbed his hand on his back in comfort.

"Things are different here," Ren continued. "Too different. No one else remembers what happened, not even what happened at the end."

"What happened at the end?"

"They wouldn't wake up, Doc. One by one, everyone stopped waking up, and then it was just me," Ren cried. "I don't know how long I was alone for," Doc pulled him into a hug. "I tried to wake everyone up, I hoped someone woke up, just so I wouldn't be alone anymore," Ren held onto his lab coat, burying his head in his chest as he didn't hold back. "I lost you when about half of the hermits were gone, then you didn't remember me, no one did. They all think I'm crazy."

Doc held him tighter. "If you remember it, then that's all that matters, you're not crazy for feeling what you feel."

Ren cried. That's what he needed for such a long time, for someone to hold him and tell him that everything was okay.

-.-

Ren didn't know when he fell asleep, but it wasn't like any other time. He felt warm, unlike every other night where it was cold and lonely. Slowly, his eyes open, and he soon realizes that he's laying on someone, their arms wrapped around them.

He looks up, seeing Doc staring straight at him.

At first, he thinks he's back in the other world. "Doc?" It reminded him of back then, when every night since they moved in with each other.

"Good sleep?"

Ren smiles. "Yeah, I missed this," leans back onto Doc, cuddling into him.

Doc held him closer, slowly rubbing his back.

He lays there for a bit, just enjoying the moment. It takes a moment for Ren to realize that it wasn't the same world, and Doc didn't like him the same way as he did before. He pushes himself up, catching Doc off guard, "Sorry," he sits up, breaking away from his embrace. "I didn't mean to fall asleep on you."

"No, no," Doc says, sitting up from where he was leaning against a tree. "You've been through a lot, Ren, you needed it." He hesitated. "And I didn't really mind it, you know?"

Ren tinged red, not knowing what to say. He didn't want to bring his hopes up and be brought down again. It happened so many times already that he was already used to it. "I'll keep that in mind."

"Seriously Ren," Doc continues. "I'm here if you need someone to talk to."

"Thank you Doc."

-.-

Ren feels a little better after talking to Doc.

He'd been so worried about what Doc would think of him. That maybe he'd think he was crazy like everyone else had or even shun him away, but Doc was accepting of him. He understood and let him let it all out. He no longer felt like he was alone, he finally had someone on his side.

Yet, he still couldn't help but worry that everything will go wrong.

Ren felt like he was drowning. He struggled to get the surface of the cloudy water. The waves weren't rough, yet they were just enough to make him struggle. He could faintly see a figure in the distance. He recognized them, and called out to them.

"Doc!" he yelled out, desperately hoping he'd hear him.

But the other didn't. No matter how much he shouted, Doc never noticed.

Ren jerked awake, gasping for breath. His hands went to his chest, clutching tightly. He felt panicked, taking deep breaths in and out.

-.-

"Ren."

Ren stops, hearing Doc's voice. He looks up, seeing a nervous look on his face, his hands behind his back. "Doc, hi."

"I got you something," he stands before him.

Ren looked at him curiously. "What is it?"

"I uh," Doc removed his hands from behind his back, revealing a flower crown made of white, pink, and red flowers. "Asked Stressmonster how to make this," he raised it up to him. "I made it for you. I think I remember enough to teach you how to make it."

Ren teared up, smiling brightly. "Thank you, Doc," he moves to hug him. Doc wrapped an arm around him, as Ren hugged him tight. "This means a lot to me."

Ren leaned away a little, looking up at him.

Doc smiled back. "Here," he takes the crown in both of his hands, placing it on his head.

Ren brushes his hand against the flower crown.

"I uh, can teach you how to make it, if you want?"

"If you have the time."

"I'd always have time for you."

-.-

Ren doesn't dream that night.

He thought that after talking with Doc, it'd help him through the nights better, but it looked like it just made it worse.

-.-

Ren just worked throughout the day, and throughout the night. He didn't want to sleep anymore. It just seemed to be getting worse and worse for him.

He was dead tired, but he refused to sleep, and instead, worked on anything else, just to get his mind off things.

"You look tired."

Ren barely registered someone talking to him and continued working.

"Ren," a hand moves to his shoulder, forcing him to look over to the person who spoke to him.

"Huh?" he glances up.

"When was the last time you slept?" Doc stared at him with concern.

Ren says nothing, avoiding his gaze.

"You haven't been sleeping, have you?" he says with a sigh. "What's wrong Ren?" Doc was still met with silence. "I told you I'm here if you needed someone to talk to."

"I've just been having trouble sleeping, that's all, it's nothing to worry about."

Doc stared at him, a look of disbelief on his face.

"I can't hide anything from you, can I, Doc?" Ren says softly. "It's- I wasn't lying, I do have trouble sleeping," he looked off to the side, staring blankly. "I just get nightmares, that's all, it's stupid, I know," he shook his head with a sigh, waving it off.

"It's not stupid, Ren."

Ren stops, finally looking up at Doc.

"You've been through a lot, anyone else would be feeling what you did had they been through it all."

"But would they really?"

"Of course, Ren," he pauses. "Can I hug you? It seems like you need it."

Ren nods and takes a step forward, accepting Doc's embrace. "Thank you."

"I think you need to go to an expert on this."

"No," he said without hesitation. "Everyone else I told didn't believe me, they just thought I was crazy." Telling someone would just make it worse.

"Xisuma and Joe wouldn't judge you like that," Doc says. "But you don't have to if you don't want to. I just think it'd be better if you see someone about it. Xisuma might know what's going on, he's the admin afterall."

Ren thinks it over.

"If you're not ready to tell anyone else yet, then you don't have to."

"No, you're right Doc. It's just," he clutches onto the back of his torn lab coat, clenching his jaw. "What if they reject me too? Everyone else did."

"You have me," Doc reassures him. "I'll knock some sense into them."

Ren chuckled. "Thanks Doc, I knew I could depend on you."