The lies behind their masks - A(nother) Hermitcraft and Evo AU fanfiction.

Chapter 16

Taurtis stared at Grian, the two unblinking. Scar tried to hide. Xisuma and Xamphe glared at each other. 

'What is going on?!' Tango asked, looking around the group. 'Why does everyone else seem to know who these weirdos are?!'

'This is Xamphe. Though you might know him as Evil X.' Xisuma sighed. 

'EX?! Get away from me!' Tango drew his sword, backing away and tripping over Scar, who was continually shuffling away. 

'I'm not going to hurt you.' Xamphe muttered. 'That was only a rumour that SOMEONE started.' He glared at his brother. Xisuma looked at the ground. 

'I'm sorry.'

'You should be...'

'And Grian? Who's your friend?'

The builder broke out of his trance. 

'I thought you were dead.' He tried not to look at Taurtis. 'I THOUGHT THEY'D KILLED YOU!'

'I'm sorry! There was no way to talk to you. I tried to get here. And I'm here now!' He smiled obliviously, confused at why tears were spilling down Grian's face. 

'It's been years.'

'Years?'

'It's been 3 YEARS since I last saw you. WHERE. WERE. YOU?!'

'I was... the watchers had got me... But I didn't think it had been 3 years.'

'WELL IT HAS. AND I THOUGHT YOU'D DIED LIKE THE REST OF THEM!'

'I'm sorry! Grian, I'm truly sorry! I would've found you sooner... I had no way to get out, until Xamphe and Scar helped me.

'Scar?'

'Yeah, Scar... I used the psychic watcher link thing to talk to him, and then Xamphe broke into the code, and got us in. I wanted to talk to you, but I ended up speaking to him instead.'

Grian turned to where the mayor was, seeing his eyes peeking sheepishly over the stairs.

'Why didn't you tell anyone?! Why didn't you tell ME?'

'I thought we had enough going on with, you know, our friends DYING!'

'Grian? What's been going on.'

'Scar, you've been talking with people you don't know, conspiring with them to break them into our already-doomed server, and you refused to tell anyone!' Grian ignored Taurtis's question. 

'It just another reason for everyone to hate me, isn't it?! I've given up on trying to say I'm innocent! I'm just accepting that everything's my fault now!'

'GRIAN! What's going on?!' Taurtis snapped. Grian looked back at the former Evolutioner. 'Why are you talking like this world isn't amazing? Because it is!'

'Because the watchers are destroying it. They're killing off other hermits, and leaving Scar to take the blame.'

'Likely story!' Tango scoffed. 'Scar's obviously the one killing us all! How many crime scenes has he been the only suspect at? Impy, Mumbo, Cub, and now TFC.'

'TFC's dead?!'

'Yeah. It's where the blood on your arms came from.'

'No, it isn't.'

'I don't believe it... Hermitcraft would never get targeted by the watchers.' Taurtis muttered to himself. Xamphe was staring at Scar, with a look of what seemed to be empathy. Xisuma glanced up at him again.

'Look. I'm sorry for what I did.'

'Good.' 

'I was young, an' I was scared I'd take the blame...'

'So you gave it to me instead. I never wanted to be the villain. I took your guilt for you, because I pitied you, and the situation you were in. And then you just used me to get more popular. Who doesn't like the perfect brother?'

'I shouldn't have done it. And every time I made you out be the villain. But you still attacked Hermitcraft.'

'I was angry. And jealous. And even when I tried to apologise, you just banned me. Then I got kidnapped by the watchers. And you didn't even realise.'

'I said that I was sorry... Xamphe...'

'I need some time to think. Sorry.' 

Xamphe walked back to where Taurtis was standing, staring at the ground.

'You ok?'

'You never told me you were banned from Hermitcraft.' 

'I didn't want to disappoint you... and it was hard talking about it without getting angry.'

'I thought you were one of them. And now it seems like this place I've been dreaming of since I knew Grian was here is... broken... and Scar's the one who did it... and nothing is as I expected... and I wish I'd never got here.'

'Taurtis! Don't say that...'

'But it's true. Did you know what the Watchers were doing here?'

'No... But I don't think Scar did it.'

'That's what everyone's saying. You don't know what's been going on here. Unless you've been spying, and you've betrayed me too.'

'No! Come on, Taurtis... you don't know what's been happening either. Scar seems like a nice person...' He looked over to where their rescuer was still screaming at Tango and Grian, that he wasn't to blame, that he didn't know what was going on. That of course he was the bad guy...

'I know what it's like to be blamed for everything.' Xamphe whispered. 'I know what he's feeling right now.'

'Come on, Scar! We all know you did this! You just appeared here, covered in blood, just as I found someone dead. Where else would the blood come from?' Tango groaned, furious at Scar's continual denial. 'And since you've opened a link to another world, let's just send you through it and hope you die there.' 

'No! Please! I didn't do this!'

'Then why are you're arms red with blood?!' 

Scar pulled up his sleeves, revealing deep gashes. 

'I did them myself.' He spat. 'I thought maybe it was time I made you happy, and punish myself. One for every death.'

'Scar! Why would you do this?!' Grian rushed to his friend's side. Scar stepped pointedly away. 

'Because, according to Tango, it's what I deserve.'

'No! It's not! Scar, why would you hurt yourself?'

'And they're never going to disappear. I made sure of that.' Scar let a hint of pride into his voice. 'So I can remember it forever. Now, I'm going to go away. See you when you blame me for the next dead hermit...'

Scar flew away. Grian turned on Tango.

'You caused this.'

'He killed Impulse and Bdubs.' He shrugged. 'It's only what he deserves.' Grian shoved him.

'I hope you die next.' He snarled, as Xisuma swore loudly behind them.

'Language, brother.' Xamphe called over spitefully. 

'When I tell you what's going on, I'm sure you'll be quick to stop telling me off for swearing. The watchers can now get in.'

'They've been getting in anyway, if we're believing Scar's lies.' Tango shot back, 

'Only temporarily. They return to their own world soon enough. But you two coming in broke the security. The watchers can come here, and stay here, and destroy us quicker.'

'You're not saying...'

'It's been nice, friends. But this is the end.' Xisuma pulled off his helmet. Tango and Grian gawped at the sight of their admin's real face, just as a watcher appeared behind him, and stabbed him in the chest.

:)