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“And one last thing before we all get started, we have a new hermit this season!” excited whispers broke out among the hermits for a moment, before they quieted down again to let Ren introduce him.
“Everyone please welcome Grian!” and as Grian finally jumped up from behind the hill he made eye contact with Pearl, a single tear rolling down her cheek, and Grian thought that perhaps he’d made a mistake. It’d been years since he and Pearl had seen each other, and he never had said goodbye.
“It’s really you. I, I thought you were dead!” and as Pearl slowly walked towards him, cautious as if he could disappear at any second, Grian felt a guilt rush through his heart that he’d made one of his oldest and closest friends cry.
Grian didn’t say anything. He knew that the second he tried to talk he would break down, and that nothing he could tell Pearl would be good enough. He’d left and Pearl couldn’t know why, and as long as it was his secret to keep, then it would stay that way.
And eventually Pearl decided that he was real and wouldn’t disappear, and hugged him as tightly as she could. Gran didn’t waste a single second and immediately returned the hug with just as much force, but it didn’t last. For as soon as Pearl felt the cold metal that had replaced his left arm she pulled away. Not far, just enough so that she could lift his arm and roll back the sleeve of his soft red sweater, revealing the intricately designed metal prosthetic.
It had been a pain in the ass to make when Grian didn’t know a thing about redstone, especially as he hadn’t kept up with the changes made as updates passed. But they were able to get it done in the end, it was light weight, and while sometimes it rubbed uncomfortably against what was left of his arm, it worked perfectly.
“Grian, what- what happened?” and as Pearl searched his eyes for answers, her own shimmering with more unshed tears, Grian finally broke. She couldn’t know everything, but he didn’t have to keep her entirely in the dark.
“I… I didn’t die, but, Pearl it was a damn near thing,” he sobbed out, finally letting the tears run down his cheeks, and he found himself in Pearl's arms again. Grian couldn’t tell Pearl everything, but she had her brother back, and that was enough for her.