BTW this book is probably going to have to be 32 chapters, not 30, because I can't fit everything left into 3 chapters

Skizz frowned as he looked around. Unarmed, unprotected, unprepared for whatever was going on except Tango hadn't been seen for too long and Impulse had revealed that there was something very bad afoot. 

The place was in ruins. Fires burnt and TNT craters surrounded him... what would've been a lovely spawn arena had quickly become a battlefield and the longer Skizz stayed there the more undefended he felt. 

ImpulseSV whispered to you: GET AWAY FROM SPAWN NOW 

ImpulseSV whispered to you: DON'T DIE TO A MOB

ImpulseSV whispered to you: GRIAN'S COMING OVER WITH ELYTRA NOW

The panic in Impulse's tone tripled Skizz's. So dying to a mob was bad but... surely that alone wouldn't cause a crisis on this scale. Why just dying to a mob? What had happened?!'

'Skizz- you're there.' He jumped at the sound of Grian's voice, turning. 

'What happened? Is Impulse alright?'

'Me and him are the only ones who are...' He handed over an elytra and a stack of fireworks. 'Come on. I'll explain when we get there.' 

He obeyed willingly, and it didn't take long to reach what must've been Impulse's base, landing. 

'Impy?' Skizz called, running in. Grian followed after. 'You there, buddy?' 

'Skizz!' The two collided into a hug, but before Impulse could lie that everything was fine, he started crying, sobbing into his friend's shirt. Skizz held him, comforting him though the constant questions.

'It's ok... it'll all be ok...'

'I don't know if it will.' Grian grimaced. 'When you get killed by a mob you turn into it. Ren hacked the spawning because he wanted to control everyone and stop the resistance... but the resistance has only grown, they got everyone from Empires, and now me and Impulse are the only people who are left. Oh, also we adopted Sausage and Joel's child because they were forced to join Ren...' Grian added as Hermes entered. The child waved, confused by how Skizz was now here. Impulse stepped away, picking him up.

'This is Hermes. Only person we've successfully saved. And Hermes, this is Skizz. He's my best friend.' 

'Hey there, little buddy.' 

'Hello.' He waved back, giving an adorable smile.'

'Skizz, thanks for coming but... there's really nothing you can do to help. You're only going to end up hurt, and that's the last thing I want.' 

'I don't care if I get hurt saving you.'

'Well I do!' Impulse blinked, tears in his eyes. 'I watched Tango and Zedaph die because I didn't stop them from being stupid and I'm not going to let the same happen to you! Leave this place and never come back. There are too many monsters here to fight.' 

'Impulse...'

'I'm sorry, but you need to go.'

'If we're going to stop Ren and Pearl, we need all the help we can get.' Countered Grian. 'And Skizz is willing to help.'

'Skizz isn't dying for my sake, Grian. Not if I can help it.'

'Then he stays here with Hermes and we find more people to help us... Cub and Scar are on our side... Mumbo's... somewhere. BigB too. Wilbur or Tommy would want to fight for me...' Grian paced as he tried to figure it all out. 'Anyone else?'

'Grian, seriously. We're never going to find enough people to outdo Ren and Pearl's armies. We need to think smarter... one of us sneaks into Ren's base to stop him, and one of us sneaks into Pearl's base to stop him. Skizz can look after Hermes, and we have no need for Cub, Scar or anyone else.'

'We need people to be distractions too.'

'Someone distracts, someone places the TNT and blows up the crastle. Pearl then shouldn't be a huge problem, because she's only fighting against Ren and if Ren surrenders... she's won. Pearl can be in charge, and we still only need two people. It makes sense.'

Grian paused. 

'Maybe I just miss Mumbo and Scar and want to see them again before we do something this crazy.' Tears shone in Grian's eyes as he blinked. 'I don't want Mumbo to remember me as whatever I'll become if this doesn't work. If I...'

'...become like them...' Impulse answered for him. After a moment, Grian nodded, starting to cry. 

'The last time me and Scar spoke as friends he ended by saying see you later, not goodbye... and we never did. He flew to his base and got killed by a vex and it was never the same again. I want to be friends again, work together for just one thing...'

'You've just been so... you've just kept your emotions together this whole time I guess I forgot how much you'll be missing people too. And you had to face Empires too. And watching so much of the worst...' 

'Whatever happens, it's never going to be the same after...'

'Then go and find your friends and I'll spend time with Skizz.' Impulse decided. 'And then we can plan this properly.' 

Grian nodded, summoning a portal to season 6, and stepped through.

Grian joined the game

Grian: Scar, where are you?

GoodTimeWithScar: Concorp

It took a moment to orient himself and even figure out he was in his own base, but took off, out the top, in the direction of the central island. He didn't know how far he had to go, but while finding a portal would be easiest, he still wanted the nostalgia of seeing everything again... there was Sahara, as big and partially useless as always. And the rest of the shopping district. Scar's biome shop, as much fun to fly through the rain as always. From there the server faded into people's bases and a hope that he'd find the right one at some point... False's base... the tag tower... there, the grey gates of Concorp appeared in front of him, flags fluttering as he glided over, landing. He'd never seen it truly finished before, with all the buildings and villagers, and was glad to walk around as he searched for his friend.

'Grian!' Scar ran over, dressed in old Concorp merch, apparently embracing the vexishness, with a genuine smile on his face. 

'Scar!' The two hugged, as Cub appeared, seeming even more at home than Scar was. 

'What happened?'

'Me and Impulse are planning how to stop Ren.' He explained. 'And we needed a bit of extra help.'

The Convex didn't reply, looking between each other.

'We've... kind of settled down here. But tell us when you win.'

'Scar, me and Impulse can't do it alone. Not easily. We need someone to look after Hermes.'

'Hermes?'

'We adopted Joel's child.'

'Ohh... well he can come here. And you and Impulse can stop Ren without us coming back and... being under their control again.'

'Ren will be too distracted by us blowing up the Crastle to stop you two.'

'It's not Ren we're worried about. It's the vexes wanting us to take control again.' Cub explained. 'Which they accept we've done here, and are happy to leave us alone.'

Grian stepped away, trying to think of any good reason other than his own loneliness. 

'Fine.' He tried to hold his emotions together. 'Fine. Yeah. That makes sense.' He didn't want to go. He wanted to stay where he was. Hide back where everything was better with Scar. Ignore the weight of what he was trying to do. Let Impulse and Skizz be happy together. 'I'll tell you when it's over.' 

'Grian... I don't think it will ever be over for me and Cub.' Scar stepped closer, tears in his own eyes. 'We're staying here... or going to season 5 when it gets boring. Or going to the vex lands. But... we can't come back to Hermitcraft without bringing this back too. Ever.' 

Grian and Scar hugged again, both crying. Cub watched, on the verge of breaking down too. 

'Come back... come... come back to visit us when it's over. Please.' Scar finally stepped away. 'Please.'

'I will.' Grian promised. 'Bye Scar. Bye Cub.'

'Bye Grian.' 

Tears blurred his vision as he tried to summon a portal back to season 9. 

'Cub, you keep Scar safe for me, ok? Don't let him end up dead. And... give Jellie lots of cuddles from me until I come back.' Grian stepped in, watching as the world - and his friends - faded from view for what could've been the last time.

I left whether Cub and Scar returned completely to whatever worked and ended up this this angst-fest. 

You see, I don't always try to make the angst, but it just happens anyway.