A Crown of Broken Runes (ACOBR)

[a very sad] Epilogue

It had been a few weeks since the move. The new smp, titled "3rd life," was about to begin, Scar had gotten back a Jellie, and their "new" hermits were adjusting well. They had even invited in some extras, at the suggestion of the Watchers. Pearl and Gem had joined them this season, and they seemed like wonderful additions to their community.

Apparently, more people had survived the destruction of Evo than he had thought.

The alternate hermits that they had retrieved through the use of the rift did have some changes for them to grow accustomed to, however. The most notable was Bdubs. His eyes were now always wide, reminding them of Keralis, and he was constantly smiling. It wasn't a bad change, it would just take some getting used to.

Ren's skin was grey and waxen, and he now wore blue glasses, but otherwise, seemed unchanged.

Jevin's slime had changed to a brilliant emerald green rather than blue, and it had confused them at first, mistaking him for a regular slime.

Lastly was Joe, whose hair was now bright green in colour.

Now, they had all gathered at spawn to welcome in the newest hermits.

Xisuma typed into his communicator a few times, and they all looked down into the small central dip in the stone at spawn.

Two people flickered into existence, one after another. First was Gem, her orange hair glinting brightly in the sun. She smiled, and waved at the other hermits. Second came Pearl, with her moth-wing cloak and fluffy hood. She looked up, and recognized Grian.

Upon seeing Pearl, he was struck by a wave of nostalgia. She had raced forwards, laughing and embracing him in a hug, sputtering on about how she'd thought he was lost to the Watchers forever.

They all welcomed the new members; smiling, shaking hands, and playfully punching each other.

After a bit, they sat at the rocky seaside, chatting quietly with one another as the sun began to set. The talk had quieted, as they now sat in awe of this fresh, untouched world, just begging to be explored.

"Looks like we've got a lot of work to do, huh? Brand new world..." Muttered Xisuma.

"Yeah..." Grian agreed.

Scar approached behind him, punching him jovially in the shoulder. Grian laughed, punching Scar back. Mumbo sat beside the two sparring hermits, bemusedly watching them battle. By the end, they were both tired and bruised, neither of them having won against the other. They both plopped down, and Mumbo handed them some food. The fresh steak was an interesting change of pace after eating golden carrots for so long.

They all sat on the grassy hilltop, silhouetted by the vibrantly orange sky. Grian smiled, and took in a deep breath of fresh air. The wind blew through his hair, toying with it playfully as his friends surrounded him, laughing and chattering. The shining sun lay upon the horizon like a sphere of molten gold, and cast long shadows along the ground.

He looked into the sky, watching the stars begin to blink into existence, little pinpricks of light in the vast darkness of space. He raised a hand, unmarked by the Watchers, and gazed at it.
The chattering had quieted down now, the hermits lying down to watch the night sky.

He looked to his sides, seeing Scar's smiling face on one, and Mumbo's bushy one on the other.

His thoughts still raced even now, weeks after receiving his memories, and he was reminded of a time the Evolutionists had also laid like this at spawn, looking up at a similarly beautiful night sky.

He could remember everything now.

The friendships.

The betrayals.

The good times.

The bad times.

The guilt of what he had done.

The grief for those he had lost.

So many memories, his memories.

But now, with his friends gathered around him.

He could let them go.

...

Ride's over folks, you may now disembark.