"Can you still see the castle?"

"...guys?!"

··· -·-· ·- ·-· wandered around by himself, scared and timid.

"GUYS!!!" He called out.

The fog crept up on him and he gasped when he heard something move.

··· -·-· ·- ·-· ran forward, away from the fear.

The unknown.

The loneliness that desperately tried to grab him.

He ran as far as his feet could carry him through the forest.

Further

and further

and further

away from his friends

away from the place he once called home

away from his memories.

=̶̹͓̭͒͗̏≠̲̟̬̯̙̾͆͋̀͑̆͆́̑̏̀̏≠̟͎̥̗̳̗̇̈͜≠̬̤̖̺̆̈̃͆̾̑̃̈͋̋̚͜

Mumbo cleared his throat and nodded.

"Yes, well I assume we should split up in groups to try and do a search. Skizz, how big is the town?"

Skizz shrugged. "Not that big. You could bike around it in a day."

"Hold on, shouldn't we stick together though? How can we get in contact? Our communicators don't work here." Impulse said.

"Hmm...what do you think, Grian?" Mumbo asked, glancing up at his friend who had been quiet the past couple moments.

"I..." he fidgeted with the acorn in his pocket, wishing to have Scar's good luck. "I think we should split up."

Impulse snorted. "Are you serious? Something dangerous could happen."

"No, hang on." Skizz glanced over at the little ghosts following Grian around and a smirk formed on his face. "I trust his decisions. Don't you?"

His eyes flickered up at Bella, who was looming foggily over Grian.

"Yes, I do too." Mumbo nodded, not being able to see what Skizz seemed to mention.

"We'll be alright." Skizz said to Impulse, who seemed unsure. "I can show you that cartographer I know; he knows this whole place better than anyone."

"But then we should all go to- " Impulse got cut off as Skizz spoke.

"Relax!! I trust Grian and respect the decisions he's making. He's making all the right choices to make sure this goes well." Skizz smirked and he winked at Emmy before pressing his finger to his lips, signaling for them to be quiet.

He wrapped his arm around Impulse and glanced back down at Mumbo and Grian.

"We'll meet here tonight at sunset. Stay safe, alright? Oh and Grian."

Grian looked up at Skizz, who had a red glow in his eyes.

"Always follow your gut." He whispered before pulling Impulse away.

Grian gulped and he felt a cloud of doubt form over himself. Mumbo put his hand on his shoulder and his vision cleared a bit.

"Hey, you alright?" He whispered, his voice tender and soft.

Grian blushed a bit, his mind momentarily forgetting about Scar.

"Y-yeah, I'm alright. I just...sometimes I feel like I'm not really me? I- I don't know." Grian laughs it off. "Just trying to figure it out while this whole thing happened."

"We'll find that time for you to relax, come on, let's explore a bit."

Mumbo held Grian's hand as they walked through the alien town.

They passed a row of shops, their windows sparkling with goods Grian had never seen before. Colorful fabrics, gleaming tools, and glass bottles filled with strange, shimmering liquids.

He took it all in, his mind still spinning, but Mumbo's presence beside him made the chaos feel a little less overwhelming.

"How much has changed?" Grian whispered, "I don't even recognize it anymore."

Mumbo chuckled, his grip tightening a bit. "I guess that's what happens when time passes. Things grow, things change."

Grian's chest tightened a little, the weight of Mumbo's words settling on him. The Grian who had left here so long ago, and the one who had come back today were two different people, but each had that same goal.

Find the zero, the safe place.

As they wandered deeper into the town, the sound of a soft, familiar voice cut through the murmur of the crowd.

"Grian?"

Grian looked up and his eyes widened as he saw his old friend-

"Tim!"

Grian ran over and hugged him. Jimmy laughed and hugged back.

"Hey! What're you doing here? Jeez it seems like it's been years since I last saw you." He leaned on the counter of his market stall and Grian looked at his wares.

"Yeah it's been a while. What's this?" Grian held up some of the jewelry.

"Just a jewelry making business before I can buy a train ticket and hike outta here. Heard there's this new bridge that opened up far from here called The Great Bridge. Some archeologist found it and said it's an opportunity to start on new land, thinking about giving it a shot."

"Oh, guess we're both leaving..."

"Yeah." Jimmy shrugged before sighing. "So what're you doing here?"

"Looking for a new member called Joel." Mumbo said, stepping over.

"Joel? Joel Beans?" Jimmy raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, do you know him?" Mumbo asked, hopeful.

"Yeah, he's my sister's boyfriend." Jimmy. nodded. "Do you want me to take you to him?"

Grian thought about it for a long time when Mumbo cut in.

"That'd be great, thanks."

Grian looked up at Mumbo, a bit surprised he spoke so quickly, but happy since he didn't have to make all the decisions.

1) Ä̸̖̬̓͒̽͐̐̐̿́̅̉̄́̀̊̾͊̓͛̋̿̒͊̇̈́̍̅̀̄͌͐̂̊̕̕ḻ̵̬̰̠̰͍̤͔͇͕͕̦̹̲͇͚̞̬̼̞͓̪̰̪̆͊́̈́̒̾̔̅̀̆̈́͗̑́̋̓̆͊̐̿̾̆̍͋̂̈́͌̃͋̀͊͘͝͠͝ẅ̵̛̛̱̗̗͔̣̖́͒̽̌̔̽͒̈́́͊̕͘͝a̴̡̛̛̤̭̭̲̞̦̲̳̭̪̞̠̻͕͚͈̘̤̫̖̩̲͓͖̪͖̺̞̙̤̗̪̾͒̇̒̉͊̾͌̂͒̍̑̇̈́̇͂͒̉̋́̌̽̿̅̂̍̒̃̀̕͘̚͝y̴̭̭̮̺̭̬̪̙͉̬̠̮͔̺͉͇̥̰̍̓͋̓̄͆̉̅̀̄͗̋̂̈́̋́̓̃͂͆͂̂̚̕̕͠s̷̟͊͐̉̃̓̈́̈́̏͊̏̽̇̊̾̿̍͆͐̐̌̆̀̾̚͘̕̕͠ ̷̡̱̪̬͈̰̰͙͎̻̳̲͍̙̤͕̇͋̒̀̈̓̾̒̚͘͜͝͠c̶̢̡̡͙̺̠̬̙̯͖͔̯̣̠̫͔͓̉̀͛̍̃̓͒͒̇̎́ò̷̢̡̠͍̩͚͓͇͔̻̩̤̼̯̜̅͋̈́̊̓̑̇̐͋̃͒̍̓̒̇̚͘n̴̛̛͎̠̓̅̾̐́̔͑͌̓͆̃̇̐͂̔̕̕ţ̶̳̣̻̖͇̩̩̼̪̠͍͔̹̙͖̩͚̙̞̰̟͔̞̠̰͒̈́̏̉̋͋͛̍̋̏̀̅̾̈́͂͑͆̕͜i̷̘͕͒̍̈́̾̓̿̍͋̈̽̋̈́̇͒̓̓̐̈͑̆̂͌͜n̵̨̗̖̜̟͉̘̮̝͉̪̪͔̙̟̹̼̜͖̞͕̼̫̜̪̘̦͗̓͊̈̔̍̿̅̎̾͛̇͐̿̄̈̊̈́͒͂̃̿̕̕͜ͅų̶̨̧̡̨̨̛̭̼͖͚̬͚̗͕͍̥̮̮̺͍͙̞̼͉̼̹̣͎̻̣̥͚̻̤̺͕͓̀̒̒͒̋̎́̍̅̍̿̒̄̔̇̍̄̔͘̕̚͠͝͝e̴̡̢̼̟͍͓̭̬̗̤̞̅̋̒̓͐̈́̓̉̚͝ ̸̡̢̖̹̝͉̮̟̞̼̥̪͈̾́͐̈́̀̏̌͛̌̀͝ḁ̸̢̢̧̹̰͍̮̻̬̜͙̙̙̯̅͌̓̑͐̌̔̅͊͆͊̍̚̚͜͠l̴̢̢̜̤̫̪͕͎̻̫̹̟͔̖̣̜̲̳͙͙͙̻͋̎̔́̔̑̒́̃̎͑͑̒̈́̂̆̆͜͜͝͝ͅͅẁ̴͖̯̩̻̟̝̄͊̏͌̄̀ą̴̨̨͕̞̰͔̳̰͍̼̭̗͕̥̥̬͇̪͎̪̘̦̱̦̮͔͌́̃͂̑̌͆̿̈́̓͗̅̇̀̈́͑̇͌̉̂́̌̀͠y̴̨̨̨̛̳̭̻̠͖͚̺̮͈̰̒̑̎̂̔͑̊͂́͒̓̏̚̕͘͠ş̴̨̢̢̢̛̺̼̻̞̠̤͖͉͖̪͙͙̳̲̘̭̳͍̥̥̥͕̰̥͖̥͈̙̟̑̄̽̿̀̀̔̿̅̏̔͒͑̅̍̋̂̇́́̊̌́̚͠ ̴̨̧̨̛͎̣̟̘͙̮̦͇̰͙̱̣̲̥͔̲̩̠̤̟͈̬̻͇̝̲̻̼̣͎̇̾͐̋̑́͗̅́̚͠c̵̡̧̢̡̛͎̹͓͖̪͖͍̬͎̤̹̘̙̝̤͖̻͓̼͓͙͔̝̺̥̳̹̻͆̀̽̂̄̐̌̎̆̈͒͋̀̾̌̉̃̎́̄͊̀́͐̇̐̚̚͘͜͠ͅǫ̴̛̛̰̬̦̯̯͉̩͚͈͔̠̩̝̙̱̗̭͉̖̭̤͙̜̗̟͐̉̊̋̈́͒̎́͑̄́͂̎̈́̋͘͘̚͠n̸̯͛t̷̢̧̧̧̛̛̹̹̹̳̮̯̰͔̘̫̩̙̦̱̣̳̰̥̟̪̺͉͍͇̳͚̖͇̲͓̔̏̂́͌͂́̇̋̅̅̋̐̅̓͋̽͆͂͑̾͐͌̄̑͒̾̉͆͋͛͘̚͘̚͜͝ǐ̷̧̖̮̺͉̱̪̳̼̩̗̹̅̈́̎̅̀͆͒̒̄̀̌̂͐̀̋͆̀̓̿͆̈́͑̽̓̀̊̇̚̕̚͜͜n̴̢̢͚͔̻̤̭̬̱̠̻̪̮̭͍̪͎͇͚͈͍̰̩̦̱͇̰̼̞̰̰̪͐͆̈̌̾̽͌̉́̀̉͜͝͠ͅͅu̷̢̦̺̻͚͍̙̟̲̮̫̞͇̩̖̻̹̰͍̤͐̾̔̅́͗͆̀̽̀́̍̆͋̉̚͜͠ͅe̷̛̛͇̝̣͕̦̻̲̖̪͔̗͈͕͂̓̅͒̂̆̾́̈̋͋͗̈́͌͂͊͂̂͌̿͋́̌͐̏̏̐͂̓̈́̒̏̕̕͝͝ͅ ̴̡̢̛̛̳̜̥̪̤̝̼̺͎̓͑̏͛̾̓̊̎̉̽̀͗̍͒͗͒̅̕̕͜͝͝ͅa̴̡̡̛̙̤͉̦̣̺̞͇̖͉̩̿̏͌̀̓̎́̾̀̂͛̑͊͋͐̿̎́̾̅̈́̊̓̌͘͘͝͝ļ̶̢̢̹̗̻͙̞͔̱͈̫̟͎̜̗̻̃̃͆́̏̊͗͌͑͐̓̌̑͆͌͒̉̊̀̊̚͝͠ẇ̷̨̧̡̻̦͈̱̫̘̣̦̘̣̥̞͔̃̃̇̅̈́̂̍͌́͌̾̽̓̿̂̎͛͆͆̓͊̾̓͒͒̂͘̚̕̚̕̚͠͝ͅa̶̢̡̧̛̲͙͕̲͕̝̙͍̭̺̜̫͚̰̋̃̆̀̍́́̐͋̉͒y̴̨̨̙̱̬̱̥̩̭̯̞̟͙̮͛̃̍̂̐͆̈́̈́̇̏͘͝ͅs̴̨̡̝̼͇̜̺̖̯̩͚̼̯͔̥͙̬̘̬͇̫̻͕̱͉̮͓͚̯̆̍̏̉͋̓̕͜͝ͅ ̵̢̨̞̼̣͇̺̻̗̫͉̻̯̫̚ͅc̶̨͚̱̙͉͎̪̱̪̹̮̹̠͚͙̩̫͉̅̃̊̑̐͑̐̍̏͐͗ọ̵̢̢̨̥͕̹̬͎̥̥͈̻̜̱̣͓̮̫͈̺̣̪͈̥͎͓̪̰̮̩̉̏̊͑̎̍̎͘̕͠ͅͅn̴̢̢̨̧̼̘̙̫̥͓̤̺̭̥͍͍̮͔̙̠̜̻̒̇̌͛̓͛̀̾̒̈̑̈́͛̿́́̉̀̌̑̄͊͗͋̀̑̀͐̆̑̕͘̚̚͠t̶̡̢̨̡͎͉̮̭̤̦̥̞͉͙̘͓̭̜̲̪̖̝̯͎̱͋̀̓͐͊̿͐͆̉̂̇̉̏̾̃͜͝ͅį̴̨̨̨̗̼̱̮͇̰͉̭̦̘͙̰̞͈͕̜̣̘̖̰̥̖̮̊̀͌͆̈́̇̉̈́̈́̐͋̾̅̓͘͠ͅͅͅn̷̡̢̖̲̙̩̝̺̻̜͙̟͎͉̟̼̫̋̍̃̉͋͆̏̆̑̈́͑̇̇̏̎̆͒̓͘͜͠͝͝ư̷̧̧̨̡̧͖̟̯̖̗̞̩̦̻̞̥̳̝̦͈͔̘̜͕͓̹͙̘̮̹͐̀̌̆̅́̔͌̆̎͆̈́̾̍̄̎̈́̔̉̕͝͠͝ͅḙ̶̡̨̩̰̯͍̙̖͙͚͕̳̬̲͇͙͈̔͂̈́͂̆͂̄̆̆̋̍́

2)Ä̸̖̬̓͒̽͐̐̐̿́̅̉̄́̀̊̾͊̓͛̋̿̒͊̇̈́̍̅̀̄͌͐̂̊̕̕ḻ̵̬̰̠̰͍̤͔͇͕͕̦̹̲͇͚̞̬̼̞͓̪̰̪̆͊́̈́̒̾̔̅̀̆̈́͗̑́̋̓̆͊̐̿̾̆̍͋̂̈́͌̃͋̀͊͘͝͠͝ẅ̵̛̛̱̗̗͔̣̖́͒̽̌̔̽͒̈́́͊̕͘͝a̴̡̛̛̤̭̭̲̞̦̲̳̭̪̞̠̻͕͚͈̘̤̫̖̩̲͓͖̪͖̺̞̙̤̗̪̾͒̇̒̉͊̾͌̂͒̍̑̇̈́̇͂͒̉̋́̌̽̿̅̂̍̒̃̀̕͘̚͝y̴̭̭̮̺̭̬̪̙͉̬̠̮͔̺͉͇̥̰̍̓͋̓̄͆̉̅̀̄͗̋̂̈́̋́̓̃͂͆͂̂̚̕̕͠s̷̟͊͐̉̃̓̈́̈́̏͊̏̽̇̊̾̿̍͆͐̐̌̆̀̾̚͘̕̕͠ ̷̡̱̪̬͈̰̰͙͎̻̳̲͍̙̤͕̇͋̒̀̈̓̾̒̚͘͜͝͠c̶̢̡̡͙̺̠̬̙̯͖͔̯̣̠̫͔͓̉̀͛̍̃̓͒͒̇̎́ò̷̢̡̠͍̩͚͓͇͔̻̩̤̼̯̜̅͋̈́̊̓̑̇̐͋̃͒̍̓̒̇̚͘n̴̛̛͎̠̓̅̾̐́̔͑͌̓͆̃̇̐͂̔̕̕ţ̶̳̣̻̖͇̩̩̼̪̠͍͔̹̙͖̩͚̙̞̰̟͔̞̠̰͒̈́̏̉̋͋͛̍̋̏̀̅̾̈́͂͑͆̕͜i̷̘͕͒̍̈́̾̓̿̍͋̈̽̋̈́̇͒̓̓̐̈͑̆̂͌͜n̵̨̗̖̜̟͉̘̮̝͉̪̪͔̙̟̹̼̜͖̞͕̼̫̜̪̘̦͗̓͊̈̔̍̿̅̎̾͛̇͐̿̄̈̊̈́͒͂̃̿̕̕͜ͅų̶̨̧̡̨̨̛̭̼͖͚̬͚̗͕͍̥̮̮̺͍͙̞̼͉̼̹̣͎̻̣̥͚̻̤̺͕͓̀̒̒͒̋̎́̍̅̍̿̒̄̔̇̍̄̔͘̕̚͠͝͝e̴̡̢̼̟͍͓̭̬̗̤̞̅̋̒̓͐̈́̓̉̚͝ ̸̡̢̖̹̝͉̮̟̞̼̥̪͈̾́͐̈́̀̏̌͛̌̀͝ḁ̸̢̢̧̹̰͍̮̻̬̜͙̙̙̯̅͌̓̑͐̌̔̅͊͆͊̍̚̚͜͠l̴̢̢̜̤̫̪͕͎̻̫̹̟͔̖̣̜̲̳͙͙͙̻͋̎̔́̔̑̒́̃̎͑͑̒̈́̂̆̆͜͜͝͝ͅͅẁ̴͖̯̩̻̟̝̄͊̏͌̄̀ą̴̨̨͕̞̰͔̳̰͍̼̭̗͕̥̥̬͇̪͎̪̘̦̱̦̮͔͌́̃͂̑̌͆̿̈́̓͗̅̇̀̈́͑̇͌̉̂́̌̀͠y̴̨̨̨̛̳̭̻̠͖͚̺̮͈̰̒̑̎̂̔͑̊͂́͒̓̏̚̕͘͠ş̴̨̢̢̢̛̺̼̻̞̠̤͖͉͖̪͙͙̳̲̘̭̳͍̥̥̥͕̰̥͖̥͈̙̟̑̄̽̿̀̀̔̿̅̏̔͒͑̅̍̋̂̇́́̊̌́̚͠ ̴̨̧̨̛͎̣̟̘͙̮̦͇̰͙̱̣̲̥͔̲̩̠̤̟͈̬̻͇̝̲̻̼̣͎̇̾͐̋̑́͗̅́̚͠c̵̡̧̢̡̛͎̹͓͖̪͖͍̬͎̤̹̘̙̝̤͖̻͓̼͓͙͔̝̺̥̳̹̻͆̀̽̂̄̐̌̎̆̈͒͋̀̾̌̉̃̎́̄͊̀́͐̇̐̚̚͘͜͠ͅǫ̴̛̛̰̬̦̯̯͉̩͚͈͔̠̩̝̙̱̗̭͉̖̭̤͙̜̗̟͐̉̊̋̈́͒̎́͑̄́͂̎̈́̋͘͘̚͠n̸̯͛t̷̢̧̧̧̛̛̹̹̹̳̮̯̰͔̘̫̩̙̦̱̣̳̰̥̟̪̺͉͍͇̳͚̖͇̲͓̔̏̂́͌͂́̇̋̅̅̋̐̅̓͋̽͆͂͑̾͐͌̄̑͒̾̉͆͋͛͘̚͘̚͜͝ǐ̷̧̖̮̺͉̱̪̳̼̩̗̹̅̈́̎̅̀͆͒̒̄̀̌̂͐̀̋͆̀̓̿͆̈́͑̽̓̀̊̇̚̕̚͜͜n̴̢̢͚͔̻̤̭̬̱̠̻̪̮̭͍̪͎͇͚͈͍̰̩̦̱͇̰̼̞̰̰̪͐͆̈̌̾̽͌̉́̀̉͜͝͠ͅͅu̷̢̦̺̻͚͍̙̟̲̮̫̞͇̩̖̻̹̰͍̤͐̾̔̅́͗͆̀̽̀́̍̆͋̉̚͜͠ͅe̷̛̛͇̝̣͕̦̻̲̖̪͔̗͈͕͂̓̅͒̂̆̾́̈̋͋͗̈́͌͂͊͂̂͌̿͋́̌͐̏̏̐͂̓̈́̒̏̕̕͝͝ͅ ̴̡̢̛̛̳̜̥̪̤̝̼̺͎̓͑̏͛̾̓̊̎̉̽̀͗̍͒͗͒̅̕̕͜͝͝ͅa̴̡̡̛̙̤͉̦̣̺̞͇̖͉̩̿̏͌̀̓̎́̾̀̂͛̑͊͋͐̿̎́̾̅̈́̊̓̌͘͘͝͝ļ̶̢̢̹̗̻͙̞͔̱͈̫̟͎̜̗̻̃̃͆́̏̊͗͌͑͐̓̌̑͆͌͒̉̊̀̊̚͝͠ẇ̷̨̧̡̻̦͈̱̫̘̣̦̘̣̥̞͔̃̃̇̅̈́̂̍͌́͌̾̽̓̿̂̎͛͆͆̓͊̾̓͒͒̂͘̚̕̚̕̚͠͝ͅa̶̢̡̧̛̲͙͕̲͕̝̙͍̭̺̜̫͚̰̋̃̆̀̍́́̐͋̉͒y̴̨̨̙̱̬̱̥̩̭̯̞̟͙̮͛̃̍̂̐͆̈́̈́̇̏͘͝ͅs̴̨̡̝̼͇̜̺̖̯̩͚̼̯͔̥͙̬̘̬͇̫̻͕̱͉̮͓͚̯̆̍̏̉͋̓̕͜͝ͅ ̵̢̨̞̼̣͇̺̻̗̫͉̻̯̫̚ͅc̶̨͚̱̙͉͎̪̱̪̹̮̹̠͚͙̩̫͉̅̃̊̑̐͑̐̍̏͐͗ọ̵̢̢̨̥͕̹̬͎̥̥͈̻̜̱̣͓̮̫͈̺̣̪͈̥͎͓̪̰̮̩̉̏̊͑̎̍̎͘̕͠ͅͅn̴̢̢̨̧̼̘̙̫̥͓̤̺̭̥͍͍̮͔̙̠̜̻̒̇̌͛̓͛̀̾̒̈̑̈́͛̿́́̉̀̌̑̄͊͗͋̀̑̀͐̆̑̕͘̚̚͠t̶̡̢̨̡͎͉̮̭̤̦̥̞͉͙̘͓̭̜̲̪̖̝̯͎̱͋̀̓͐͊̿͐͆̉̂̇̉̏̾̃͜͝ͅį̴̨̨̨̗̼̱̮͇̰͉̭̦̘͙̰̞͈͕̜̣̘̖̰̥̖̮̊̀͌͆̈́̇̉̈́̈́̐͋̾̅̓͘͠ͅͅͅn̷̡̢̖̲̙̩̝̺̻̜͙̟͎͉̟̼̫̋̍̃̉͋͆̏̆̑̈́͑̇̇̏̎̆͒̓͘͜͠͝͝ư̷̧̧̨̡̧͖̟̯̖̗̞̩̦̻̞̥̳̝̦͈͔̘̜͕͓̹͙̘̮̹͐̀̌̆̅́̔͌̆̎͆̈́̾̍̄̎̈́̔̉̕͝͠͝ͅḙ̶̡̨̩̰̯͍̙̖͙͚͕̳̬̲͇͙͈̔͂̈́͂̆͂̄̆̆̋̍́

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