Wake Up

Part 3

Ren felt like he could collapse at any moment. His heart was racing, chest tight, feeling very hot and sweaty from the thought of telling Xisuma of what was going on through his mind. If it weren't for Doc, he would have fainted long ago.

"You can do this, Ren," Doc says in a reassuring voice, holding his hand as the other held him with a bone-crushing grip.

"I'm scared, Doc," he says softly. "What if he thinks I'm crazy, like everyone else did?"

"Xisuma is a very understanding person. He wouldn't make you feel less of a person for things," Doc tells him. "And if he does it without realizing it, he'll make sure that he'll make it up to you."

Ren silently took that all in. He took a deep breath before looking up at the nether portal. "Okay, I think I'm ready."

They step through, looking throughout his base. They find him at his bee farm, restocking the bottles and shears. He doesn't notice them at first.

Ren and Doc stand a few feet away from him. He opens his mouth to call out his name but it falls short. Doc stands next to him, rubbing his back in comfort, muttering soft reassurances.

The last proper time he had faced Xisuma was back in the other world, the day before he fell to the curse like everyone else had.

"It's going to be okay, right X?"

Ren doesn't have long before Xisuma turns, seeing them standing there. "Ren, Doc! Hello, I didn't see you there." His focus turns to Ren. "Oh jeez, Ren, are you alright? You don't look so good."

Ren chokes on his words, struggling to come out with it.

Doc didn't say anything, still holding him close.

"It's alright, Ren, take your time."

"Do you want me to tell him?" Doc asked softly.

Ren shook his head. "X, do you-" he says quietly slowly. "-believe in other worlds?"

Xisuma doesn't say anything at first. "Can you explain to me what you mean by that?" he asks carefully.

"Before this one," Ren continues, trying to stop his voice from shaking. "Before we were all here, we were all in a different world."

"Ren-"

"I am not crazy, Xisuma-" Ren snaps, refusing for yet another person to think negatively of him. "I'm tired of people telling me that I'm insane and looking at me with-"

"Ren," Xisuma places his hands on his shoulders, gaining his attention. "You are not crazy."

Ren stares with wide eyes, caught off guard at his reaction.

"You're not crazy, Ren," he repeated calmly. "Because I remember it all too."

"You do?" Ren said softly.

"I do."

"The stock exchange, Grian head hunt, demise?" he asks a little desperately. Maybe he finally had someone who understood.

Xisuma nodded. "I remember how you and Doc worked for ages on that thing, how False won the scavenger hunt, how you lost first in Demise, everything."

Ren felt tears. He wasn't crazy after all! Everyone else had been wrong about him, there was another world before this one.

"I am so sorry, Ren," Xisuma was sincere. "You've been through a lot, and I know me saying "sorry" doesn't change things, but you weren't supposed to remember."

Ren stared at him in disbelief. He couldn't believe his ears.

"What do you mean he wasn't supposed to remember?" Doc had voiced the question that was on both of their minds.