Only One [hermitcraft au]

Chapter 1

They were going nowhere. 

No matter how much they campaigned, no matter how much they tried, they were still last in the mayoral race.

Mumbo had almost completely given up on the whole campaign, dropping the iconic 'Mumbo For Mayor' t-shirt. He didn't see the point in competing against anyone, when he was getting nowhere.

Grian, on the other hand, wouldn't quit. Mumbo had tried to convince him to give it up, to no avail. Grian had started the campaign, and he was going to finish it.

Or, so he thought.

It wasn't long before he too began to have doubts. As the weeks passed, their numbers, if anything, only went down, whilst everyone else seemed to be racing ahead. Grian told himself that they'd catch up eventually, but it all seemed like a lost cause.

As Grian was sat outside his base in the middle of the night, trying to think of one last campaign idea, he heard the sound of firework rockets in the distance. Standing up to look around, he noticed Mumbo gliding towards him from the direction of his base. As he tried to catch his breath, Grian's moustached friend landed on the ground in front of him with a slight stumble.

"So, what's your next 'big plan'?" Mumbo asked. Grian ignored his sarcastic tone and looked up at him.

"I was thinking...what if we sold diamonds?"

Mumbo laughed. "Sold diamonds? Do I even want to ask?"

"I don't know," Grian looked at the ground. "I just really wanna get somewhere."

Mumbo sat next to his friend and looked up at the midnight sky. It was a clear night, the stars creating a soft glow over the quiet jungle.

"I don't mind, you know," Mumbo said. "In fact, I wasn't even going to run for mayor until you put those posters up everywhere!"

"I know. It was worth a shot."

When Grian woke up the next day, it was already late in the morning. The sun was beaming in the sky in front of him, and he had to shade his eyes from the intense light. Taking a deep breath, he pulled out his rockets and took off toward the shopping district.

After restocking the barge for the third time that week, he walked out to see Mumbo waiting for him, with a diamond in his hand.

"Wanna go talk to Grumbot?" Mumbo asked. Grian was surprised; was Mumbo rejoining the campaign?

"Uh..yeah sure! You coming?"

The pair flew off towards the ocean. The silhouette of their AI companion soon came into view, and the two glided down to perch on their end rods. At least, Grian made a smooth landing; Mumbo slipped a little and almost fell off the rod completely.

"Just one last-minute plan..." Grian said, looking up at the robot in front of them.  "What should we ask?"

Mumbo shrugged and tossed Grian the diamond, almost sending it smashing onto the ground. Just about catching it in his hands, Grian headed over to the anvil to ask one final question.

"We're dead last. Have you got a plan?"

Pretty vague, but it should do the trick, he thought.

Mumbo, who was stood beside him as Grian named the diamond, pushed all four buttons then stepped backwards. Grian, though, waited right next to the dispenser until an answer came drifting towards him. 

He looked at the paper that had just landed in his hands.

What?

Mumbo headed over to his friend. "Is everything okay?"

Grian tried to make sense of the words written on the paper. What was Grumbot implying? Did he have to follow through with what he says?

"Grian?"

Grian was already assuming the worst. Could Grumbot really mean-

"Grian!!"

He turned around quickly, facing Mumbo with the paper still clutched in his hands. 

"Oh...uh..." Grian began, not knowing what to say. "Uh...it was blank..."

Mumbo looked sceptical but seemed to let it slide, as he got out his rockets once again and equipped his elytra. 

"Huh... well I'd best be going. Good luck with the campaign I guess."

And with that, Mumbo took off into the sky.

Grian looked back down at the paper.

"There can be only one." It read.

 The words... somehow he knew what they meant. He knew what Grumbot wanted him to do next. It was like his thoughts were corrupted for a split second, like they weren't his. It was like a stray thought that had wandered into his mind, telling him exactly what it all meant.

But would he? Would he go that far for the campaign? 

Grian pushes the idea aside. Who in their right mind would murder their friends for something like that?

Though the idea made him feel uneasy. It made him feel like maybe, just maybe, he wasn't in control anymore.