#100h

It’s been around 6 months to a year since last life for hermitcraft time. Maybe the hermits are staying in the empires world while they wait for Xisuma to find them a new one. I like to think Grian is against the watchers, despite being one, and is trying to figure them out. He tries to get back to the last life world, since it was run by the watchers. There are a lot of magical objects in empires, so somehow he manages to find his way in.

My original hc for last life was that time passes very differently in that world - they spent a month or two there, but when they died they went back to whatever world they were from with barely half an hour having passed. Therefor, I think that when Grian gets back to last life, a lot of time has passed.

So much time has passed that the landscape has completely changed. It’s no longer recognizable - the watchers abandoned it a long time ago, everything has crumbled into the earth, the trees have changed, pretty much everything has changed. There’s no longer a world border, and barely any hint of any building that ever took place there.

Grian thinks he’s alone for a long time. He’s looking for something, some hint of how the watchers are able to create and bypass world laws so quickly, and of how they managed to destroy Hermitcraft (via moon). Until, that is, he finds Joel. and Scar. And they’ve both followed him through whatever kind of temporary portal he made, and Grian is suddenly realizing that in this world he has nothing, no wings, no armour, no magic powers. The laws of the world are still the same from when it was created. The same laws that equate that if you die, you die for good. The watchers don’t care for the life system anymore, since it’s not a game.

The first task, of course, is to go say hi to his wonderful friends and clothes donors. His armor feels a tad chipped, but Grian’s always willing to offer some extra. Well. His open chests are, atleast. His wheelchair scrapes along the floor with a sound that suggested it needed greasing. But that’s a problem for tomorrow scar. It’d get through the day. Jumping out his fun little plank, he hit the water, pulled out a rickety boat and climbed in. There’s. There’s not supposed to be that many holes in boats, Scar thinks. But his friends are waiting for him! He’s got to go. Surely, they’re just dying and overflowing with riches to give to their amazing comrade.

Turning the first bend of the river, he catches his first sight of Grian’s- house? That’s odd. All of his crops are wilted. Barely edible anymore, really. His plants are overgrown- dear god Grian, you don’t like doing the interior but keep the exterior somewhat pleasant. This looks like a ghost town! Scar should start a gardening service, he thinks. Not that he particularly wants to garden. Maybe he can force some farming villagers to do it for him. Grian, your roof too? It’s a good thing moss can thrive on its own, but that looks like a tad too less roof and a tad too much moss. To each their own, I suppose. He calls out. “Grian? Ya here?”

That’s odd. No response. He must be out resource gathering, or something- maybe Joel’s at home. He scampers over to- Joel. That was not that big the last time he saw it. No one builds a megabase that inhumanly fast, and he’d well know about not quite being human. Joel. And speak of the devil- footsteps came up behind him, and he turned around to see Joel in netherite and wings in full splendor, munching on a golden carrot as he climbed towards his castle.

And then- following past, laughing alongside- Grian.

Scar wouldn’t quite admit it, but a little bit of relief washed over him. So he opened his mouth to say hello-

“Why do you have a mustache?”

Close enough.

Joel grinned. “Scar, let me introduce you. This is Grien.”

Looking at Scar’s befuddled expression, Grien elaborated: “Scar, I died!”

What?

“Really badly, to a vindicator in a woodland mansion.”

Scar blinked. Well. He was under the impression they had only one life, but Grian’s always been a bit special. Whatever. He could process this later. He was a man on a mission! With slightly empty pockets! And of course this needed to be remedied immediately.

“Aw, I’ve used my last rocket. I was wondering, if maybe, you could lend me a couple?”

Joel rolled his eyes and Grian scoffed, but they both handed him a good handful. Scar clapped his hands together. “Awwww.”

Grian looked him up and down, and then threw him something else as well- “Here’s a golden carrot.” Well! He didn’t even need to ask! Grian knew him so well.

“And some diamonds? Or some netherite?” Ah. That seemed to be pushing his luck. “Can I put on your netherite helmet pleeease? Just for a moment?” Grian hesitated, and then looked at him again. And then took off his helmet and handed it to him. Really, Grian was being extra specially nice to him today. Maybe someone’d scratched his feathers or something.

“Oh, this is good! Oh, look at it, the craftsmanship, look, look, look, thanks, look-”

“He’s gonna fly off with it now, isn’t he?”

Joel knew him so well. He turned around and leaped off the cliff, and his wings opened with a crack! behind him. Maybe his wheelchair wasn’t the only thing that needed oiling. He wasn’t asleep for that long, was he?

“Goodbye! Have a great time!” He laughed as he flew faster, ignoring the pop from behind him. He shot towards his canyon, aiming for his bridge, then swirling around it- and then Snap. He plummeted. The river- it was so close- it was-

Crunch.