Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Scratching, scratching, scratching my life down. The quill rested comfortably in my palm as I dragged it against the small, handmade book. The emotion I’ve spilled in the other books residing in the basement is immeasurable. They were stories of my life, stories of fantasy; there was one about hunting in the woods and one about the king and the traitor. Of the two years I’ve spent holed away in my winter cabin, I found myself enjoying the comforts of the trees and the snow. They welcomed me, and they bothered me.

I slammed my book on the table. I blinked, rubbed my eyes, and felt exhaustion sweep over me. Standing, I stretched out my limbs and hobbled to the door to get more wood. I chopped it for a reason after all. I wrapped my worn cloak around myself and shuffled outside down the small steps of my porch. I reluctantly unwrapped my cloak enough to grab a few pieces of wood. I was just about ready to rush back into the warmth of my cabin, but I saw something dark in the snow a few paces away. Was that blood? My gaze swept across the tree line. An animal maybe? I finally locked onto a much darker lump in the snow. There was red soaked snow around it.

Haphazardly, I tossed the wood into the front door and approached the figure. I was almost confident it was an animal until I noticed arms and legs of a person. I quickened my pace and shook his shoulders. When he didn’t flinch, I knew it was bad. I peered up at the snowy trees. There was nothing.

With a grunt, I pulled one arm up around my shoulder and hauled his body up onto my back as best as I could. I could feel his short breaths on my neck; he was alive. Getting him inside was more than a nightmare, I stumbled on the steps, and I almost rolled my ankle on the wood I threw in earlier. Eventually, I got him on the bed, stripped his huge cloak off, and unbuttoned his shirt to assess the extent of the damages.

“Shit,” I mumbled out. He was still bleeding and the stab wound looked infected. I ran over to the stairs, vaulted over the railing, and landed on the basement floor. I cursed myself for being so unorganized and rummaged through the chest under the stairs. Invisibility, strength, fire resistance, here we go. With two bottles in hand, I ran back up the stairs and nearly tripped on the wood spread out across the floor again. Cursing again, I kicked the wood toward the fireplace and focused back on the task of making sure the stranger didn’t die in my bed. I removed the boar skull mask from his face. It was broken and smeared with blood, but I had no right to toss it. I quickly, and gently, applied some of the potion to the cuts on his face and poured most of it onto his chest wounds.

I left the empty bottle and the full bottle on the table, some spilling onto my book. Opening the chest next to the bed, I found some old shirts and decided they were the best bandages I had on hand. I knew there were some bandages downstairs somewhere, but I didn’t have time to spend searching for them. I ripped them up, and wrapped what I could around his injuries. A few of the small cuts would have to be out in the open, but he would survive. I sighed, breathing hard and finally noticing the chill that surrounded me. I turned my attention away from the man and toward the dying fire to rekindle the flame. I picked up the scattered pieces of wood and tossed them into the fireplace, prodding them with my axe to add oxygen to fire that licked at the new pieces.

Once I was satisfied, I walked over to the man, removed his boots, and covered him in blankets. I was surprised he didn’t die of hypothermia outside. I wondered where he came from and why he was so injured.

I couldn’t risk sleeping now, with a stranger in my house. I removed my cloak and boots and settled back into my chair. The flames held my attention for a while. I couldn’t reason in my mind why I decided to save him. I didn’t want a dead body as lawn decor, and animals would swarm too. I knew that these weren’t the real reasons, but feeling empathy for him felt shameful. My gaze shifted to the mess I made trying to help him. Unbeknownst to me, my empathy became sympathy in that moment. And then guilt.

I turned away and picked up my book; I wanted to write again. I couldn’t trust this man yet, but I was desperate for company. I let my mind wander until sunrise, scratching down thoughts every so often and poking at the fire to stay warm. I was beyond exhausted, but I’d sleep when I could trust him. Eventually, as my emotions settled and thoughts drifted away, light peeked in through the window. Its presence woke me up and sobered my mind enough to form more coherent thoughts.

I got up, shaking off my fears, and grabbed the stranger’s cloak. It was much thicker and warmer than my own. And besides, I saved his life, I deserved a little compensation for my efforts. That compensation just happened to be a warm cloak to hunt it––its red color reminded me of my asshole ex-boss. I flung it around my shoulders on instinct, grabbed my crossbow, and left without the color being so much as an afterthought. The forest awaited me outside, the animals waking from their slumber. The snow crunched beneath my feet, and I loaded the crossbow in hopes of finding tonight's meal. Patience was something I held in high virtue, and the exhaustion made it easier to uphold. The cold helped me wake up a bit more, but I knew I needed to sleep when I got home.

I held still as soon as my eyes caught a small movement in a nearby bush. I moved my crossbow up, aiming at the rabbit. I let out a sigh, my breath warming my hands, and I pulled the trigger. It was too late for the poor thing, the arrow struck through its body. I picked it up and pulled the arrow out. I whispered thanks to the creature and tied its body to my belt.

After two more unlucky bunnies, I found myself distracted and wandering. The sun was at high noon now, but the cold continued to linger; it always did. I wasn’t focusing anymore. I haven’t pulled all-nighters like this since––

“Found anything?” A voice echoed through the trees. It caught my attention in a second, but it wasn’t soon enough because a horse followed right after it.

“He’s here! George!” The man yelled. My adrenaline spiked. I clutched the red cloak in my hand, realization flooding over me, turned on my heel, and took off. The crunch of the snow and dead brush sounded through the trees and I heard another shout behind me. The horse made more noise than I did, but it was fast, gaining on me in the second I started running. My feet pounded the ground below me and I swerved through the trees in an attempt to get them off my scent.

The horse was faster, but I knew the forest much better. I carefully led them away from my cabin, but I was running low on stamina and my prey was heavy. My brain was working overtime...wait...The Drop! Okay, I just had to get to the cliffside. It was steep enough that a horse wouldn’t follow.

The equestrian shouted again, “He’s getting away! George get your horse under control!”

“Ugh! Fuck, fuck, it’s right there,” I muttered under my breath, the words warming my lips. I picked up what little speed I could and saw the dip and the deadly fall before me. I could do that.

Right?

There was no going back now. It was either a harsh tumble down the mountainside or death from the rider back there. I decided that a good roll in the snow would do wonders for my complexion and dove off the side. I felt my body hit the ground, but everything went numb fast. I missed all the trees skidding down the snow, but I wasn’t so lucky at the bottom. My upper back slammed hard into a huge spruce trunk, snow falling down onto my crumpled body.

More snow tumbled down the slope, most likely from the man stopping his horse at the peak. I wasted no time getting to my feet and bearing the hike back home. I was going to be so fucking sore in the morning.

The trees mocked me as I passed and the cold air froze a good chunk of my hair together. I scanned my surroundings again, just to be sure the equestrians didn’t follow me down. But there were no horses, no intimidating enemies, and, best of all, no rivers. If I had to wade through one more, I would stay and drown; they left me numb and freezing all over.

Soon enough, I caught the smell of smoke and knew I was close. The smoke was hard to see over the clouded sky, but living in this winter wonderland for so long made me better at recognizing it. With the little strength left in me, I jogged up to the house, rabbits intact and breath caught. I swung it open, trudged inside, and closed it behind me. Before I could get another step inside, a blade thudded into the wood next to my head.

“Shit.”

I locked eyes with those of the stranger. I’m glad I decided not to sleep while he recovered in my home because he woke up and chose violence. Neither one of us moved until he spoke up.

“Who are you?”

“The owner of the house,” I narrowed my eyes at him, “And the person who thought it would be a good idea to save your life.”

He pulled the sword from the wood and backed off. He looked to be in the process of buttoning his shirt back up; he must’ve just woken up. Behind the stained fabric, I could see the remnants of the makeshift bandage peeling and falling off.

“So, who are you?” I questioned him this time. He moved to finish buttoning his shirt and eyed the cloak around my shoulders. He didn't answer. He just pointed to the cloak until I unclasped it, handing it back to him, “I killed some rabbits. We can eat when I’ve skinned them.”

“I’m a guy who hates governments and is willing to do the dirty work,” He spoke after a minute. He didn’t elaborate, and I didn’t ask him to. He just moved to sit down on the bed and fiddled with the books I had on the table. When I didn’t stop him, he opened one to read and subtly glanced up every so often to see what I was doing.

“You’re not even gonna tell me your name?” I turned to face him.

“Unimportant,” He avoided my question again, and this time I left it alone.

It didn’t bother me that he refused to answer, but it still piqued my curiosity. The few pieces of information that he did share intrigued me. Where was he running from? And who? I returned to my work and let him sit in silence; he didn’t want to tell me, and I could live with that.

I stared down at the rabbits. I didn’t know how to use the skins, but once they were completely skinned, I set the meat over the fire to cook. The stranger continued to watch me as I did this; he was wary of my actions and I understood that type of survival instinct.

“You’re probably going to be bedridden for a while so get comfortable. If you're bored, there are more books downstairs. Read what you want.”

He acknowledged me, and I turned away to watch the meat roast over the flames, turning it every so often to make sure it didn’t burn. After a few weeks of eating from dried meat reserves, I couldn’t risk burning the fresh meat. Fresh meat was always better, but I used the excuse of company to actually hunt.

“Your wounds are bad,” I commented, “I almost thought you wouldn’t make it.”

He smiled to himself, “Yeah, well, it’s a side effect of treason.”

I only snorted and didn’t push the topic any further. When the meat was done, I took it off the flames and handed the plate to him. He took it from me, but he wasn't in a rush to start eating. He was watching me.

“If I wanted you dead, I would’ve left you outside to bleed out.”

He considered my point, but still waited for me to eat first. He seemed grateful, so it didn’t bother me that he didn’t offer that gratitude to me. I realized how thin he was; he had been on the run for a long time and game was always scarce in this never-ending winter wonderland. How long had he been out there?

“You can stay in my bed again tonight until I can set you up somewhere downstairs tomorrow.” He didn’t say anything so I continued, “Let me change those before you go to sleep,” I pointed to his shirt.

He frowned, but he still began the tedious process of unbuttoning it again. He laid down and let me pour more of the health potion on his wounds. I found the proper bandages this time and wrapped the wounds with the clean and safer material.

“I might tell you my name if you don’t die trying to keep me alive.” And that was all I heard from him that night. He curled up into the blankets and was out like a light.

I silently wished that I could fall asleep that fast, then made my way down into the basement. Walking over to the far wall, I let my hand drift over my old armor, the dust collecting on my fingertips. I thought that I’d never touch it again, but here I was, debating whether or not I wanted to fight to save this complete stranger’s life. I decided he probably wasn’t worth it. Just a bandit on the run. I knew of many. All the ones I was forced to hunt down and kill. I didn’t end up killing any of them, though––unless they deserved it. Just forced them to skip town.

I moved over to the right wall and dragged my hand across an old painting. Once I reached the edge, I pulled it away from the wall to uncover a secret room. I stepped inside and pulled the painting closed behind me. The short hallway expanded into a square room lined with bookshelves and an enchantment table sat in the center. I moved behind the leftmost bookshelves until I hit the back of the room. A small chest was hidden in the corner. I opened it and pulled out an old notebook. I had tied in more and more blank pages and had to replace the cover several times because of its growing size. Inside these pages lie my life story. From the day I was born, to my childhood intricacies, my schooling, friends, and favorite things.

I wrote about my family and the time I spent training with the village blacksmith. She taught me how to make tools and weapons. Her technique was faultless when it came to fighting and crafting. She remains my first and best teacher. I missed her whenever I read the worn and wrinkled pages about her.

I wrote about my acceptance into the royal guard and how I excelled in mercenary work. I was the first mercenary to be hired by the kingdom’s royal family, let alone the many noble families around the capital. To cowardly to defend themselves.

This notebook was far more detailed than those in my library. It was my prized possession; the only thing that helped me retain my sanity. So I sat in that corner and wrote about everything up to today, falling asleep before I could finish.

When I woke up, I found myself huddled against the cold wood of the chest, my notebook curled in my arms. I quickly finished off my notes and placed it back into the chest. My body thanked me for finally sleeping and I left the little room behind the painting.

The house was empty again. It took me an embarrassingly long time to realize that the stranger wasn’t here and my crossbow was missing. I set a pot of water over a new fire and slumped into my chair. If he really did leave for good, then I guess I could respect the fact that he only took the crossbow to defend himself and NOT my entire food supply. But another part of me knew he wasn’t gone for good. Sure, maybe he was out doing something he didn’t want me to get involved in, but he needed a place to stay and I wasn’t kicking him out.

I poured myself some coffee. I stared down into the mug until I got an idea, ripped a piece of paper from the notebook sitting on the table, and scratched out a note. It basically read that I needed more supplies for the upcoming blizzard on the horizon, and I was going to make a trip to the village north of the cabin.

I left an empty mug on top of the paper, finished off my coffee, and got ready to leave. The stranger had taken his cloak, so I was stuck with my thin piece of fabric. I pulled my boots on, flipped the hood over my eyes, and covered my face with a scarf to reduce windburn. I hooked my axe onto my belt in case anyone thought I was an easy target and headed out. I didn’t have a lot of money, but the villagers traded some of my stories and the dried meat I hunted myself. There was also a good chance I'd get to trade the rabbit skins I had from last night.

It was never a fun walk, but I always made it safe and sound and wasn’t worried. I crossed the bridge over the river like always and headed farther northeast to the village. The trees were calm in the morning; there were no predators I needed to defend myself from. I entertained myself with old folk songs my mother used to sing to me. I missed her, but I couldn’t go back when I was wanted in that corrupt kingdom.

Some of the birds would sing with me too. Their chips were rarely on tune, though. I smiled when the path began to fan out. Eventually, I spotted the end of the trees and broke out into the clearing where the village was located. I heard it used to be abandoned a long time ago, but settlers found it and brought it back to life. That story would explain the broken portal nearby I supposed. The village elders would always tell stories about it--the nether. I’d been there a long time ago, but I had forgotten most of the place. I only remembered that it was hot and smelled awful.

I trudged onto the streets and found a lot of vendors I usually traded with. Many of them sold clothing, food, and cheap trinkets. I stopped by the farmer first; He didn’t like to kill his animals, so he always traded me eggs for whatever dried meat I had brought that day. He was grateful for anything, so I always traded with him first. He even padded the bag with feathers and sheep wool to keep the eggs from breaking on bumpy trips. I thanked him and continued my stroll around the other stalls.

Chapter Text

I strapped my bag tightly against my waist and sent a smile to the vendor. There was no way in hell I was losing these coffee beans; I practically lived on the stuff. Once secured, I thanked the librarian and the farmer and prepared to head back home.

"He has pink hair? You're telling me you haven't seen a guy with a red cloak and pink hair?" I heard a familiar voice. My eyes widened, and I turned to see a man in a bright green cloak, adorned with various pieces of armor on his biceps and chest. There were two other men with him. One with goggles and a guy with a bandana. Greenie turned to find me staring, and I locked eyes with the smiley mask on his face. If his anger wasn't so amusing, I'd probably find the beady eyes and crooked smile creepy.

He nudged Gogy behind him and they made their way over to me. Bandana Boy seemed distracted; he was flirting with the girl selling woven cloth and other clothing items. Or, actually, I think he was seriously looking to buy something?

"Excuse us. You don't look like you live here. Have you by chance seen a man with a red cloak and pink hair around these woods?"

I thought for a minute; I could lie and play dumb, or I could tell half of the truth, lead them off the scent, and have a little bit of fun. They did try to kill me after all.

"I have, actually, but I'm pretty exhausted from my travels. If you got a horse, I'd be more than happy to show you where I spotted him," I offered. They stared at each other. Probably in surprise if I were to guess, but I couldn't see either of their eyes.

"Sapnap? C'mon, we got a lead," He called out to Bandana Boy, or Sapnap, "We do have horses. Over here."

He gestured over to the well where three horse were tied to the posts. I gave him a pleasant smile and followed him over to the mighty steads. They all mounted and Greenie held out his hand.

"I can ride up front," I said taking his hand and putting one foot in the stirrup. He chuckled at my boldness and pulled me up in front of him. I was sure he going to force me to sit behind him, but this turned out better than I hoped. I gripped the reins in my hands and decided to just get lost in the trees. One of his hands rested on my waist, the other was probably on the edge of the saddle. I didn't have any other thoughts other than potentially knocking him off the horse.

"Hyah!" I called out and laughed as the horse startled; it lifted up its front legs from the ground and that's when Greenie completely wrapped his arms around me to stay on as the horse took off into the trees. My laughs rang out as I swerved the poor horse in between the trees. Looking back, I realized that I successfully lost Greenie's friends. They couldn't keep up in the endless, white terrain.

I whipped the reins again and turned the horse into low-hanging branches, ducking, and hoping that Greenie would get caught on one. Not only would that get them off my trail, but I would also get a free horse out of the deal. This fact made me laugh again. The only problem with my plan, however, was that it seemed Greenie was a better equestrian. He had managed to grab the reins and lean back enough in time to dodge the branch and slow the horse down all without falling off. If he wasn't intimidating as hell with that move, I would've been impressed.

He pulled himself up with the reins and grabbed my waist again before the horse kicked its front legs up again. He grabbed my cloak and the back of my shirt and yanked me off the horse.

"What the hell was that?!" He shouted, but I was too busy laughing to take him seriously, "Are you trying to get me killed?!"

"Not," I wheezed out my last laugh, "Not kill you, but maybe concuss you."

I got to my feet when he dismounted, still smiling to myself at the exchange. I only began to stiffen up when he approached me, aware that I might need to defend myself.

"So do you know where he is, or did you just lie for the joyride," He asked, still getting closer.

I felt myself instinctively take a step back, but I answered with the same amount of sass as before, "I did, but you threw me off the horse before we could get there."

He looked back at the horse then faced me again. He didn't speak for a moment. I couldn't see his face under the mask, but I took a wild guess and assumed he was anything but happy and relaxed. I was aware of his hiked up shoulders and the way he stood one step away from an offensive stance. My eyes followed his hand as it rested on the hilt of the sword hanging from his side. It wasn't a joke anymore.

I wasn't sure what he noticed on me in our little stare down, but he finally spoke up, "You're lying."

I was shocked; I knew my mannerisms were sarcastic and I was acting like a jackass, but I thought that because the words were technically true my body wouldn't give it away.

"Technically, I'm not," I smiled despite the nervousness flowing through me. He must've took that as a challenge because he continued to approach. I didn't realized that I was backing up until my back hit a tree. My hand moved to the axe secured in my belt. He stopped when I made this move; he wasn't blind.

"You know where he is," He stopped, "You're leading us away."

Holy shit. Either he's good at reading people, or I'm more than just a shitty liar.

"You lost Sap and George on purpose to confuse us. Where is he?" Greenie approached again.

"Not here. And for your information, I only found him in the forest," I prepared to run, "Why would I have any reason to hide him?"

"Why wouldn't you? He's wanted for treason you know," Greenie asked, ignoring what I had to say.

Before I could answer, two horses broke through the tree-line, catching Greenie's attention long enough for me to sidestep away from the tree and away from him.

"Dream!" Snapmap––or whatever––hopped off his horse, "I thought we'd find you knocked out on the forest floor or something!"

"Please, Sapnap, he's not that stupid." Gogy said and turned to Dream and me.

"Where is he? I'm not going to ask again," Dream threatened and actually unsheathed his blade. I assumed that he was more confident with his friends around, but he caught Gogy's attention fast with that move.

"I. Don't. Know. I'm not gonna tell you again," I mocked him against my better judgment. I didn't know if I was stupid or just an idiot.

Gogy watched us stare down from a distance, but Sapnap was having a hard time letting the standoff continue, "For fuck sake, Dream, put your sword away. And You. We'll just interrogate you back at camp 'cause I'm done freezing out here."

Despite how it sounded, I figured that I just became some kind of prisoner. I didn't respond to him.

"Fine. Sapnap, the liar rides with you."

"What?! Dream!" He shouted. Dream ignored him, but I could here him laugh a little to himself as he walked away. Ah, so he wasn't completely stone-faced then.

"If you even think about hijacking my horse––" He started.

"Nah," I laughed, "Greenie over there might actually put his sword through me if I tried anything. I'll go quietly, officer." I mockingly raised my hands up.

He rolled his eyes, but that didn't seem to put him at ease in the slightest. He got on and helped me up behind him, "If you even touch the reins, I'm pushing you off this horse."

"It would be your fault anyway for saying that you should take me back to your camp," I pointed out.

He groaned and followed behind Dream and Gogy. I decided that Sapnap didn't deserve a quiet ride and repeatedly prodded his shoulder.

"So why are you guys after Pinkie?" I asked.

"Pinkie?"

"Y'know? The guy with the pink hair?"

"Oh, you mean Techno? He committed treason against The Crown. George wanted to go after him himself," He nodded toward Gogy. He turned to me, "Do you actually know where he is?"

"Nope," I popped the p. Technically, I didn't. He wasn't at my cabin. He didn't seem to believe me–-probably because Dream sure didn't--but he didn't try to get anything out of me either. I poked at him more just to be annoying, but he didn't talk to me much after that. I spent most of the ride peering over his shoulder at the trees and trying to eavesdrop into Dream's and George's conversation. I didn't get much. They talked about what I might know and why I would be hiding Techno, but they started riding too far ahead to make out their words.

"Where are we going exactly, Snapmap?" I kicked one leg over the side of the horse and moved around so that my back was up against his.

"Don't call me that, and we're almost there," He elbowed my side for moving too much.

"I could totally just jump off the horse right now and just sprint away. You guys don't know the forest like I do," I laughed.

"Hah! I got a bow for a reason," And that was all he said. I decided that if they were working for The Crown, they probably knew how to fight. Dream intimidated me enough, so I refused to underestimate Sapnap and his threats.

"You said George wanted to go after Pinkie himself, what did you mean by that?" I asked. I honestly didn't think he was aware how much I was prying for information, but to him it probably seem unimportant.

"I guess you aren't from around the kingdom, so you wouldn't know. George is the Crown Prince of Notfoundom."

My breath hitched. How did I not recognize him? Then again, He didn't recognize me either. I turned around on the horse again to look at the prince. I stared at the back of his head like it was the most interesting thing in the forest, scolding myself for being so unobservant. If he recognized me, I would be dead where I stand. Techno wasn't the only one with treason hanging over his head.

"Get off." I snapped out of my trance. I slid off the horse I stared up at Dream.

"I'm surprised you didn't run," George commented from behind Dream.

"I just wanna see how this plays out," I smiled and strolled over to the fire pit. I was still lying; I felt very threatened. Tall guy with a sword, broad shouldered guy with bow––and from the insignia on his shirt, probably flaming arrows––and the crown prince who could probably list out all my crimes if he recognized me and try to cut me down himself. However, from an outsiders point of view, there would be no way they'd guess I was a prisoner. I made myself comfortable too quickly; the three just stared at me.

"We'll let you go if you tell us where he is," Dream negotiated. I just chuckled to myself.

"You guys aren't even threatening me with torture. There's not much of a reason to share."

"So you do know then?" George said, walking over to where I was sitting. I just smiled again. He sneered and stormed into the closest tent.

Sapnap lit the fire and Dream stood behind me. His presence was probably the only thing that made me uneasy, and his silence was suffocating. No one broke that silence; I was checking on my eggs––only to find that all of them were broken and soaked through the bottom of the bag,--Dream seemed to be continuing statue-standing practice, and Sapnap was cooking some sort of soup over the lit flames. The orange hue that surrounded his face looked so natural; it reminded me of the blazes in the Nether.

"I'll take some to George," Sapnap broke the silence, meeting Dream eyes. He stood up with two bowls and headed into the tent. Dream took his place by the fire and served himself some of the soup. He offered me the ladle, but I raised my hand to signal 'no thanks.' I let my gaze return to the fire; the red and orange burned into my mind. Embers and heat clouded my thoughts.

"Why are you helping him? He betrayed us, and tried to assassinate the king," Dream said. I hummed.

"The king?" I turned to face him. I ran my eyes around his mask again. I laughed and turned to stare back into the fire, "Good."

Dream didn't say anything. He didn't agree, he didn't defend the king, he didn't even ask why I would say that (I wasn't from around the kingdom in his mind I assumed). He just pulled his mask to the side of his face and ate quietly. I looked over at him. The light illuminated the scattered freckles across the bridge of his nose and the two scars on his face: one down the left side of his jaw and one slashed down on the left side of his lips. I returned my gaze to the fire for the last time.

"Techno was respectable when I knew him. Strong fighter, and the only one willing to challenge me. But he has no moral compass. He wants complete freedom--nothing less," Dream spoke up, looking at me.

"That may be true, I don't know him at all," I remembered how he avoided my questions, "But the wretched king has to go. George should rule in his place."

Dream stopped eating, he looked shocked, "What?"

"Techno didn't tell me his story, though it seemed like he wanted to. He didn't even tell me his name, but in this case, his morals don't seem so gray. The King of Notfoundom is corrupt."

"How would you know," Dream looked down at his bowl.

"Heh, I used to work for the old bastard," I let out a dark chuckle, "He ordered me to kill. People who have committed serious crimes. People who spoke ill of his name. People who didn't deserve it. Some of them didn't even act against him, Dream. Some of them just said they didn't like his choice for a minister. He had my family killed because of it."

Dream sighed. I left out the part about my crimes against him.

"I know."

This was something I didn't expect. He knew and still wanted to avenge the king?

"Then why are you chasing him? Techno, I mean."

"It's for George. I'm doing it for him," I could see the sadness in his eyes, "My family was harmed too, but George saved me. I will return the favor."

We sat in silence for awhile. A depressing tone flowed among the waves of heat from the fire.

"Then help us," I pleaded, my cockiness evaporating with the mood, "Help me."

He locked eyes with me. I haven't read emotions or even talked to a person in so long, but I could see the fear and despair in his look. He turned away. He didn't speak for a long time. Finally, he stood up, sureness in his shoulders, and walked towards the trees, disappearing into the dark wood. That's when I realized he was only agreeing to let me go. I smiled at the sweet irony and brushed myself off. I stomped out the fire as a sign of respect and left the camp grounds. Dream has made his loyalty very clear, but he gave me a silent permission to do what needed to be done. And Techno was going to help me.

He did make one thing clear, he wasn't on my side. I could guarantee they were going to chase.

* * *

It was below zero, and I was beyond freezing. My body was far more used to the cold than anything, but that didn't make it any better. The darkness of night made the woods terrifying, and I was worried that I was going to get lost. The moon was bright, though: my saving grace. I caught sight of the river and knew I had to travel east, toward the bridge.

Carefully, step by step, I finally found my front door. The warmth that radiated from the wooden walls was as welcoming as it's always been. I stepped inside to find Techno sharpening one of my blades. He looked up when I walked in.

"You've been gone a while. Thought you died," He spoke.

"Met your buddies. Real charmers," I joked, but still checked the out the door before I closed it, "So how do you feel about finishing the job?"

"I always finish the job," He stood up and looked over the sword, "They follow you?"

"Most likely. And glad you got comfy, but we're gonna need to grab some shit and get out. Georgie's not very happy," I warned and the nodded toward the blade, "And keep that if you want, you're gonna need it," And then I headed down to the basement.

Chapter Text

I threw a small bag at Techno, "Grab the potions and whatever else you think is necessary. Dream might've let me go, but he stays loyal to the Prince. We need to get out of here," I headed down to the basement.

Techno followed me downstairs and watched me open several chests. I pointed to the ones I wanted him to look through and had him start with potions. While he was packing, I pried the painting from the wall in search of my notebook and my old blade. The only thing that got me through the Kingdom of Notfoundom for the first time. I pulled the sword off the stand adjacent to the enchantment table and decided that it was best to leave my life story tucked away. Who knows who could use that against me.

When I exited, I found Techno standing around with a full bag hanging from his hip. He was peering into the room. He didn't say anything about it, so I didn't bother to explain either.

"I'd prefer to do it alone," Techno said as we headed upstairs.

"So would I, but with George after you, our shared point of interest might just save your ass. Don't forget that I found you half dead on my porch," I said, opening another chest to bag whatever food was stored in there, "Grab the notebook on the table, will you?"

"Shared?"

"The King of Notfoundom is the asshole who ruined my life," I crossed my arms, "Who wouldn't want him dead."

Techno stared at me. I stared back, then I rolled my eyes, "I worked for him, hated my life, and then I robbed him," I finished.

"Ah," He commented, "Wish I'd thought of that."

"How'd you mess up assassinating him anyway? That guy is so lazy, I didn't think it'd be hard."

"He has a lot of mistresses. The one thing I didn't take into consideration," He groaned.

"Pfft, you got caught by a mistress? That's hilarious, he's literally KNOWN for having so many," I tried my best to hold in my giggles, "You almost died because of a gold digger, HAH!"

"Yeah, and you're gonna die if you keep laughing. I should've just killed all of them," He glared at me.

"So you DO have a moral compass," I stopped giggling for a minute, "Noble. Despite you trying to kill the king."

He scoffed and stuffed the notebook into his bag.

"Now c'mon, the farther we get from this forest, the better," I opened the door to a strong gust of wind. I'd forgotten about the approaching storm. My brain brought me back to the flame at George's camp. I was cold.

"There's a house here!" I heard a voice through the wind. You had to be joking.

"FUCK off, Dream!" I yelled into the wind, unsure exactly where he was through the trees.

I moved down the steps, but stayed close to the house, Techno moved by my side so we wouldn't lose each other if the blizzard picked up. A full minute passed before the three musketeers came into view.

"You WERE hiding him!" George pointed his sword at me and dismounted. He was really swinging that thing around, wasn't he?

Before I could draw my own sword, Techno took a defensive stance in front of me, sword up to meet George's. Techno didn't make any active moves to attack, and my respect for him skyrocketed. He wasn't threatened, but he was more prepared to defend himself (and me) than I was.

"George, hold on," Dream jumped off his horse and moved to his side, pushing George's hand down and lowering the sword, "Techno, you're being arrested on the grounds that you have committed treason against The Crown. Anything you say or do will be held against you as addressed by The Crown. Come quietly or we will resort to more serious measures."

Techno snorted, then laughed in his face, "First off, I don't think it matters 'cause I'll just be executed anyway. Second, 'serious measures?' Who was it who stabbed me again? I'm starting to regret not making arson my first assassination method."

"That's it, c'mon Dream, we can take 'em," Sapnap butted in, lighting an arrowhead on fire.

"Last chance, Techno," Dream warned, and George pulled his wrist from Dream's grasp, pouting like a child. George raised his blade again. I didn't like our odds, but Techno just had to be a cocky asshole. I was one to talk.

"Listen, Dream, if I found you threatening, I would've let you kill me back at the ravine. I'm not interested in listening to the resident hobo of Notfoundom," Techno shot back.

"I'M NOT HOMELESS!" Dream shouted and turned on Sapnap when he laughed. Even I was trying to hold in a laugh.

"That's it, I'm killing him," George grumbled and lunged. Techno barely had time to block the attack, "If you think I'd let you get away with attempted murder, you're dead wrong, dirty swine."

I moved to help, but an arrow flew past my face, forcing me back, "I'd stay out of it if I were you," Sapnap threatened, nocking another arrow. I mockingly scrunched up my nose but didn't move from my spot.

"He deserves to die," Techno growled.

"He's a good king!" George yelled. I saw Dream hesitate.

"Sure, if you hate your subjects."

"He does what he has to for our kingdom."

"By acting like a toddler when someone insults his name? Sounds real kingly to me."

"Our name means more than your existence ever will!" George shouted. I could see the rage in his eyes; he was going blind from it.

"George!" Dream cut in, "Techno is right."

The change in atmosphere was suffocating. Sapnap fumbled with his arrow, nearly hitting me, and George jumped back, away from Techno. It was quiet. I pointed my sword toward Sapnap and backed up beside Techno, who remained where he was, sword extended from the force of George's blade leaving the exchange. George stared at Dream and flicked his eyes over to Sapnap, afraid they were both against him. He looked pathetic, untrusting, and in pain.

"You're agreeing with him," George moved away from Dream as he approached, "I trusted you."

Dream tried to move closer, but George threatened him with his blade and backed up toward Sapnap. He made eye contact with Sapnap again, and I could see the uncertainty in his steps. Techno was staring at the pair, analyzing their every move.

"The king is...corrupt, George. It's time for you to rule," Dream tried to reason with him again.

"Won't work, Dream. He's just like his father," Techno narrowed his eyes.

"You're a TRAITOR!" George ignored Techno in favor of attacking Dream.

Dream blocked his swing with ease, "You're not listening, George! YOU are the king that we need." Techno sneered at Dream's comment.

"I'm not going to listen to a traitor. Were you ever on my side?" George sneered. Like a wounded lion, he attacked whatever moved.

"I've spent years by your side! A gaurd, a mentor, a friend. I'm doing this FOR you. I always do it for you," Dream yelled back.

I watched the tension grow between them. George was silent, but his face projected all his important emotions. Resentment and anger radiated off of him. He jumped back and swung again, connecting with Dream's blade. Sparks flew as metal struck against metal. Techno wasn't watching the fight. His eyes were on Sapnap and his loaded bow. I trusted his instinct. Sapnap was the only threat to us right now despite how often he would stare over at his friends with worry screwed up in his eyebrows. I let Techno stare him down and kept my attention trained on Dream and George.

"...and just stand here and watch you kill my father!?'

"I had to watch him kill MY family! What's the difference?" Dream was barely holding up. George went silent again, "I'm not doing it for revenge, I'm doing it because the kingdom is dying under his rule, George. Which one is better off gone? The kingdom? Or the king?"

"An ultimatum?" George trailed off, "I hate you."

He lunged again.

Dream turned, "RUN, I'll hold him off!"

He didn't have to tell me twice. I took off and hoped Techno was on my heels. I weaved through the trees. Shouting in the distance. Ice on my face. I didn't look back.

"One gave chase," Techno huffed from beside me.

I glanced back to see Sapnap trying to navigate through the trees on his horse. My eyes widened when I saw him load his bow, the flaming tip aimed directly at me. I dove off to the right to see the arrow fly through the air above me.

"Techno! Bridge!" I called and scrambled to my feet. He nodded to show me he heard and weaved through the trees to the left. I only spotted the red of his cloak here and there through the snowy branches, but I knew he was following me. He was kinda good at this not getting caught stuff. Our swerving and dodging away from each other successfully confused the marksman behind us and guaranteed that we would reach the bridge without him catching up.

Techno stopped in the middle of the bridge until I crossed, lighting the ropes on fire. As Sapnap approached the supports snapped and landed in the icy water below. Techno knocked me to the ground, into the cover of trees, and another arrow thudded into the tree above us. He grabbed my hand and pulled me off the ground. I heard a yell from across the river, but I didn't stick around to see where Sapnap was.

We continued through the trees, the village just ahead. To think I'd take this path again today. When we broke out into the clearing, I headed directly toward the village. I could feel a cold, numb feeling creep up my fingers and dig into my cheeks. I wished I was back at home by the fire, scratching in that stupid notebook. Why did I think helping a dying stranger would be a good idea?

Warmth.

"Shit," I whispered to myself, "Techno! The portal! The portal!" I wheezed, completely out of breath and trying to process the eighty thoughts circulating my brain. I followed as he lead me to the old portal. He dug around in the bag and dropped a few pieces of obsidian at my feet. My face lit up.

I went to grab them only for an arrow to land right where my hand was about to be. My head shot up and I saw Sapnap; he was missing a horse and he looked frostbitten, but he was there, eyes ablaze. He was hunched over, panting from exhaustion, but it didn't stop him from nocking his bow.

"Cover me, I'll fix it," I picked up the obsidian pieces and watched Techno unsheathe his blade, knocking the next arrow out of the air.

I worked as fast as a could under the barrage of arrow, but crying obsidian was tedious to break and replace. Techno was blocking as many arrows as he could, and I knew Sapnap was getting closer because his shots were gettin too accurate for my liking.

"Ok, I got it. I got it...but uh...we don't have anything to light it with?" I hesitantly looked up to Techno. He narrowed his eyes at me and took a few steps back until he was next to me. He pushed me backward with his arm, and I caught Sapnap's gaze. He looked angry as hell aiming his next shot at me. Its trajectory was unstoppable at the point. I wanted to move, but the fire was captivating. A proper way for a fighter to go out, right? I was satisfied.

With one swing, Techno landed a successful hit on the arrow, sending it directly toward the portal. The flaming tip lit the portal in seconds.

"Holy shit, that was the coolest thing I've ever seen," I stared at the purple hues of the gateway. I turned to stare at Techno.

"Yep, I know, admire me from inside the portal, please." He walked past me into the next world.

I shot one more glance at Sapnap. He'd be able to follow us in. My thoughts were interrupted when a bright green blob burst out from the tree line. Dream sprinted toward Sapnap and hit the back of his head with the hilt of his blade. Sapnap collapsed, but Dream didn't stop his sprint toward me. He finally skidded to a stop, panting.

"I," He sucked in a breath, "got TNT. Blow up...portal," He gasped for another breath of air, but I stopped him.

"Yup, got it," I nodded. I was still in shock from almost dying and forced myself to move into the portal. The other side was unlike anything I expected. The intense heat released my body from the shock and I nearly collapsed at the severe climate change. Ironically enough, it almost kicked me back into shock. I shed my cloak and cut at the sleeves of my shirt. Techno was leaning against the side of the portal and admiring the blade I gave him. I patted my own to confirm it was still there.

Dream came through a minute later, falling to his knees and panting.

"What made you change your mind?" I asked helping him up.

"I don't even know your name," He stopped to breathe, "But it's probably because I know I should fight. I don't have to do it alone."

"It's Y/n," I smiled, "And a noble answer from a noble knight. What about you, Techno? Why'd you even want the king dead in the first place?"

"Mainly anarchy, but I was hired."

"Of course that's your reason," Dream said.

"What? Got a problem hobo? You don't have the luxury to care anymore. You just got fired," Techno sneered at Dream and turned back to me, "It would still be better if I did this alone."

"Great, glad we're all getting along. We should start roaming if we're going to find the king's portal," I broke up their argument.

"Right," Dream said and followed behind me. Techno scoffed, but pushed himself off the wall to trail after us.

Chapter Text

"You'd be dead if I hadn't changed my mind."

"And there's still a chance that I'll kill now if you keep talking to me."

"You haven't killed me because you can't."

"I'd be more than happy to change your mind now if you insist."

"Maybe this time you'll take to the stab wound and die."

We had stopped walking a while ago, but the two idiots were too focused on their cat fight to realize. I wasn't focusing on them much anymore; their back-and-forth was headache-inducing and became white noise in minutes. Instead, I peered around the environment, keeping an eye out for any type of landmark I could use to navigate this hell-scape.

Across a lava canal, I spotted what looked like a blue, fungal forest. Blue and red and...walking pigs?

I glanced back at Dream and Techno about to kill each other; Techno's sword was drawn and I was pretty sure Dream was growling like a feral animal. I rose an eyebrow, then sighed. I made my way back over to them. I grabbed the strap of Dream's mask and snapped him in the back of the head. I elbowed Techno in the center of his chest, right below the sternum, watching him double over. Dream moved his mask to the side of his head to glare at me and Techno used his sword to push himself back up.

"If you're done being idiots for two seconds, what are we gonna do about them?" I nodded across the way toward the pigs. The boys stared at them for a moment.

"Easy, they like gold," Techno moved toward the lava bank. Dream and I watched him study the environment, but we weren't prepared or expecting him to throw an ender pearl across the way. He landed further inland and moved toward one of the pigs.

Dream sprinted over to the spot Techno disappeared from, "I knew we couldn't trust him!"

I grabbed his collar and pulled him away from the edge, "Hold on a second, will you?" We watched as Techno approached the pig-like creatures. I could've sworn I heard him growl at one. Whatever he did, or said, it must've been threatening enough because the pig handed over its crossbow and ran back toward its herd. I guess that explained Techno's boar-like features: folded ears and small tusks.

"Back up!" Techno called and aimed the crossbow up. I snapped my chin up and noticed the gravel above. Dream caught my wrist and pulled me out of the way when Techno shot it. In less than a minute, the ceiling began to fall and made a clear enough path for Dream and I to parkour across.

"Did you just talk to that thing?" I asked once I reached Techno's side.

"Yeah, but they're not friendly unless you have gold on you," He held up a few nuggets, "Also, there's a bastion over there."

Dream and I gave each other curious looks, but neither of us asked questions. We followed him into the trees, spotting the giant fortress-thing through the trees.

"Careful, they like to stab orphans," Techno glared at Dream. Dream was about to bark back, but I elbowed his side. We all unsheathed our blades, and I let Techno take the lead. He seemed more familiar with all aspects of the nether than I was. We entered through small hole in the wall; the architecture of the building shitty. There were barely any supports, and there were more holes than wall from what I could see. The place was also swarming with the pig-monsters. I continued to follow as they led me further inside. I felt pretty uncomfortable, mainly because I had no idea what these pigs were capable of doing, and I drew my blade.

"Y/n, let's head up, Techno can get the gold down here," Dream broke off from Techno and climbed up to the next floor. He offered his hand to me, and I grabbed it so that he could help me up another level. I didn't linger because I caught sight of a chest. I nudged Dream, and he opened it while I peered around for any hostiles. He pulled out some gold and a crossbow, and we moved on.

The pig snorts and growls echoed off the walls and made the whole place feel eery. Dream looked around the next corner, then moved to open a second chest. I stood behind him to see what was in the chest, but I regretted not being a cautious as before. A brute swung his axe from around the corner, and I barely managed to parry his blow. His strength still caught me off guard, overpowering me and sending me tumbling off the edge of the third floor.

"Shit!" I called, make several attempts to latch on to anything that stuck out enough to reach. Why was I always doomed to die by fire? This is why I moved to the tundra. The irony in my fascination for flames.

I heard a squeal and clatter below me, but my trajectory made it hard to turn my body. Before I could react, a body crashed into mine mid-air sending me flying toward the ground. I braced as the two of us rolled to a stop on the first floor, the breath knocked out of me and my ears ringing. The ground did little to cradle my back or cushion the fall, and one of my arms was pinned uncomfortably to my side. I blinked my eyes open and met dark eyes; Techno had one hand under my head and the other braced above me to keep him half upright. We stayed in the position for an awkward, tense moment. Seeing his face this close was, in a word, enlightening. I notice a small scar on his cheek--the one I treated--and I noticed the detail of the sharp tusks on his bottom jaw.

It didn't last much longer, though. Neither of us said anything until Techno had pushed himself to his feet and pulled me to mine.

"Trying to get yourself killed?" He asked and let go of my arm.

"Something like that," I sucked in a breath to remind myself I wasn't dead just yet.

"Y/N!" Dream called from above us, the body of the piggish brute falling to the ground in front of Techno and I.

"I'm fine!" I called back, and saw that Techno had cut down a different pig to get to me.

Techno led me into the center of the bastion. The four corners of the room were drowned in lava, and the platform that floated in the middle was drowning under something a little different. There were a few huge blocks of gold and three chests to accompany them. I'm sure they were also filled with precious metals, too. I watched Techno pick up a golden axe from one of the chests. He stared at it for a while; I wondered what he was thinking about. I grabbed what I could, keeping one eye on Techno.

I turned to him, curiously laced on my tongue, "If you can speak to the pigs, and I can't understand the grunts and growls, does that make you part pig?"

"They're called piglins, and I'm half. No more questions," He continued to rummage through the chests.

"Mom's side or dad's?"

"I said no more questions."

I frowned in defeat and turned back to the stacks of gold. We didn't grab a lot, stocking up on mainly weapons. Techno explained that it was best to hang onto gold with piglins around, and I didn't question him.

We ended up ditching the place as soon as Dream made his way down to us. I didn't bother grabbing any new weapons, but I did agree to carrying a few nuggets of gold. Side-by-side, we abandoned the building in hopes of finding the portal. I stared at them as we walked; they were so different, yet so alike. And I relied on them more than I wanted to. I relied on them like I would rely on family. That kind of trust wasn't easy to cross. I've only known them for two days.

It was too late to return to my life in the wild. It was too late to go back to being alone and liking it. It was too late to regret pissing off the Crown. Right now, the only thing I had in mind was to finish what Techno started. To finish what I started. First item on the agenda: figure out where the fuck we are.

It didn't take much more walking before Dream and Techno were at it again, bickering like a married couple. I made myself laugh. They were two entirely different people; Dream was level-headed and wanted what was best for his friends at any cost, and Techno was aggressive and stuck to his own rules, fixing what he found to be broken. They were both loyal as dogs, though, and they were protective and strong in more ways that one. They were not as different as they thought they were.

"What are you gonna do? Turn me in to the royal guard? Oh, wait, you're wanted too."

"Listen, Techno, I don't want to work with you either. Suck it up, or let's duel."

"How formal. I don't play by dueling rules. They're counterintuitive."

I sighed. I don't know what I expected. They fought at every chance they got. I was about to break up their fight again, but I spotted a fortress built into the cavern wall across another lava lake. That would be the perfect landmark to start looking for any sign of the king's portal. I glanced back to see Dream and Techno clashing blades. Idiots.

I forged ahead and climbed to higher ground. There was a pathetically small bridge attached to the fortress higher up. Someone has been here. I made my way up a little higher until I could reach the bridge. I started across it carefully, the wood creaking from the heat. I was surprised is hadn't caught on fire with all the lava lurking below. I figured it still might, so I quickened my pace. At this point, I doubted that Techno or Dream were behind me. They seemed adamant on settling things, and I could handle myself--ignoring the fact that I almost fell to my death earlier.

Reaching the other end, I noticed the deep red hue of the bricks below me. They looked sturdy enough, and my comfort of being on something other that a rickety, wooden bridge returned. I wasn't completely safe though; I read about blazes and wither skeletons, and I was tired of all my near death experiences. I drew my blade. Sure, I've been here before, but never close enough to have to fight the monsters here.

I walked down the hallway, eager to get away from the edge of the fortress, and made my way into the dark hallways of the palace. Its structure was built into the netherrack walls which caused a lack of light and a lot of echo. I would hear continuous noises in the distance; the occasional cry of a ghast and the cracking of the blazes were nothing short of creepy. I didn't startle until I heard bones rattling from down a different hallway. The wither skeletons were known to be dangerous to the touch, sucking the life out of you if you got too close. It was something out of a horror story, or maybe the stories were just based on those beings. I crept past the hallway. Being alone in the abandoned fortress made every sound and sight stick out. Soon enough, I began to hear the bubbling of lava that was probably beneath me, and the less-advanced group of pigmen--Techno made sure I knew the difference between them--that surrounded the walls.

I was starting to panic. My unfamiliarity of this place had me hiked up on adrenaline, and the strange monsters had me on edge. I tried to take in deep breaths. If I could handle the zombies and skeletons and spiders that wandered the forest at night, I could handle the ones in here too.

"Why are we here again? They probably died from the piglins. It would be stupid to come here of all places," Voices echoed around me. I pushed myself against the wall, feeling the hard brick at my side. There was nowhere to hide.

"This is the first place they would go. It's big and obvious, and it stands out against the netherrack," A different voice replied. The regret of saving Techno returned tenfold as a heavy feeling in my stomach. Dread. I should've known joining him would be my downfall.

They were definitely approaching. The voices were getting louder with each passing second. I turned back the way I came and retraced my steps down the hallway. I just barely swept around the next corner when they turned down the hallway I was in. I needed to get back onto the straight path, but they were headed this way.

"Blaze!" One of them called. A ball of fire flew down the adjacent hall. I glanced around the corner to see two soldiers fighting the flaming monster. I moved into the hallway when their backs were turned and sprinted back toward the bridge. If I could get back to Dream and Techno, we could fight them together and force them to tell us where the king's portal was. I skidded to a halt at the edge of the walkway confused. The bridge was supposed to be right here. Did I take a wrong turn? No, I went in a straight line. Uh oh.

I turned around to see the two soldiers staring at me like they've seen a ghost. I took a step back with a nervous chuckle, but the brick my foot hit dislodged itself and fell to its lava-y grave below.

I looked back up at the two; one of them called out a name, and they continued to approach. I recognized the crest of the kingdom, but listening to their earlier conversation, I already knew that they were working for the King of Notfoundom. George and Sapnap got word back faster than I expected.

"Heh, you guys wouldn't happen to know where the nearest exit is, would you?" I clutched my sword tighter. Two more soldiers swung around the corner, spotting us.

"You're joking right? We know you're one of the fugitives. Where are the other two?" The one in blue questioned.

"I don't know where they are, we split up," I glanced between the two of them, ready to attack, "I'll consider fighting you, but only one-on-one because it's fair," I smiled again. They looked stupid enough to fall for that.

"Yeah, that does sound fair," The one in the black hood commented, "I don't see why not."

The one in blue whacked the other guy's arm, "Bad! We're supposed to WIN the fight! One-on-one is a terrible idea against a mercenary."

The other two knights approached cautiously. The one with the green cape spoke up, "Bad, Skeppy? What happened? Who's this?"

"It's one of the fugitives, Ant," Skeppy replied. The four stared at me for a minute; I gave an awkward wave. They were...odd for royal guardsmen. I remember the guards being more like Dream; sticks up their asses and strict as hell. That was the whole reason I chose to do freelance work in the first place.

"Let's fight, mercenary!" The last one shouted, smiling like an idiot and drawing his sword. I parried his first swing, ducking to the right, and forced myself in between Bad and Skeppy. I maneuvered so that I was behind them, far from the lava pit.

"Quackity, we have to do this as a team!" Bad shouted. They were hilariously uncoordinated. I let out an awkward laugh.

Then I turned tail and ran. The shouts of alarm behind me made me laugh again. Getting attacked and chased happened far too often for my liking, but it was starting to grow on me. Anything to let off a little bit of steam.

I honestly thought I lost them, but as it turned out, I was the one who was lost. This place was a maze, and it just HAD to be built into the wall. There was nothing to do but wander until I found a way out. I crept around again, desperate to remain hidden. I carefully, and silently, roamed around the halls. I peered around each corner, holding my breath and listening out for footsteps of breathing. If I was lucky, I could pick them off one by one.

Unfortunately, I was not.

I rounded a corner and came face to face with Bad and Skeppy. They both had their swords and shields prepared for battle, and they completely blocked my path. I turned to find Ant and Quackity behind me. I was trapped. Shit, I guess I would have to fight four on one.

I started to take them seriously because I was a little rusty with a sword and the odds were stacked against me. I kicked Ant's shield into his chest because he was probably the lightest and easiest to maneuver to my will, and I needed anything to bring up my chances of survival. With him off his feet, I had room to block Quackity, and I swerved around so that Bad was stuck against Quackity's back and the brick wall. I started loosing track of their names as they continued to advance. All I knew was that I needed to fight for my life.

One hit me up against the wall with his shield, pinning me and causing me to drop my sword. I barely managed to dodge the hilt of a sword swung at my face. I kicked at his legs until one buckled, and I rolled to the side once his shield was off me. I dodged another sword as I got up off the ground.

"We don't want to kill you!" One shouted.

"Sure, but the––" I was knocked off my feet from another ramming shield. A heavy weight crushed my chest, knocking the breath out of me. A sword came down, and I found Ant staring down at me and holding the blade to my throat. I glared at him, "––the king does."

He didn't move his blade until Bad and Skeppy secured both of my arms behind my back with rope. Neither of them let go even after that.

"You're being arrested under orders of the king––"

"And I lost all my rights, yes, I got it. Let's get this over with," I snapped.

Ant took the lead, Bad and Skeppy were glued to my sides, and Quackity made up the rear. Despite the loss of my freedom, I felt a morbid sense of importance having four guards taking me down instead of one.

Then I remembered that the king probably sent four guards to take down three people. Speaking of which, I thought about Dream and Techno. Two things crossed my mind. One: Have they finally realized I was gone? And two: How were they going to follow me without the bridge to the fortress?

After a bit of walking, we finally emerged on the other side of the wall. A much larger bridge loomed over the lake toward a different portal. An intricate gazebo-looking thing surrounded it, and a huge guard sat to its side. He was far more intimidating than the ones that currently held me hostage.

"The other two are still at large," Bad told the man, "Break the portal after us and watch out for them." The guy nodded as Ant and Quackity entered the portal.

"They're gonna kick your ass," I laughed at him. Bad and Skeppy practically dragged me into the portal. I knew I was fucked the moment purple caressed and enveloped me. Time to see the jolly ole king.

Chapter Text

With discarded bags and Techno's cloak, the two stared each other down. Techno knew that he could overpower Dream easily, especially with his new axe. On the other hand, Dream was faster and much more agile. They agreed on a duel, and so they stood, weapons drawn, hoping to kill each other. Techno was done listening to Y/n; either Dream was going to let him do what he wanted, or the masked-man was going to spend the rest of his days here, bleeding to death if he was lucky.

Dream was thinking along similar lines. He wanted to prove his strength against the infamous assassin, but he also wanted Y/n to agree with his thought-out plans rather than Techno's impulsive ones.

Techno lunged first, but Dream was more than prepared for his aggressive attack. He side-stepped and held his blade to his side, letting the axe slide past against the metal. Techno planted his feet again and changed his grip on the axe. Dream loosened up, preparing for another attack. Techno charged, and Dream dodged. He wasn't stupid enough to try and block the axe attacks. He also knew that he couldn't keep dodging; he needed to outsmart the pig because he sure wasn't going to overwhelm Techno.

Techno was getting annoyed quickly. Dream was the one who proposed the duel, and now he was running away? Funny. He lunged, barely missing Dream's side, the blade grazing his skin.

"Wow, you really are trying to kill me," Dream muttered and used his sword to lead Techno's axe sing away from his body. He didn't hesitate to continue on the offense, swinging his sword at Techno's face. Techno moved back, but he wasn't quick enough; the blade's swing hit the bridge of his nose.

It was an understatement to say Techno was pissed, "You're one to talk." He sneered as Dream moved backed up a few steps after landing the hit. Techno was just about ready to throw the axe in Dream's direction, but he stopped himself. He gripped it tighter. It would be stupid to miss and lose his only weapon. Just as he was about to strike again, Dream cut him short.

"Is that Y/n?" He pointed into the distance. Techno was hesitant to believe him and merely flicked his eyes in the direction. He kept Dream in his peripheral vision to ensure he wasn't going to make any sudden movements. He saw Y/n running across what looked like the unsafest bridge in history.

They made eye contact. Techno scoffed and Dream audibly groaned.

"We're finishing this after I kill the king," Techno grumbled.

"Deal."

Techno wiped the blood dripping down his cheek and gabbed the bag and his cloak. The clinking of the potions insides reminded him of the reason he was still alive. The fireplace wasn't nearly as warm as the host of the house. He tossed his cloak over his shoulders and let the heat consume him. This place was technically his home. The threat of a heat stoke was oddly comforting.

Dream had grabbed his satchel; he didn't travel with much. He really only carried water and food, but he couldn't even drink the stuff without it evaporating the moment he opened the canteen. He would have to wait until they reached the surface, but he couldn't do that with the group constantly splitting up.

They stared toward the lava bank underneath the fortress. They knew what lie in its walls. Dream moved his gaze up toward the bridge. He remembered that the king's portal was near a fortress. With a man-made bridge, this must be the one. That was good news, but bad news now that Y/n was sprinting directly into danger.

It was an easy climb up toward the bridge, but it wasn't worth the effort it took. A huge chunk of the bridge was on fire from a blaze attack. If they even tried to move across, it would snap under their weight.

"Shit, look," Techno pointed across at the fortress. Dream looked all the way across. Y/n was being tailed by four knights. They disappeared into the fortress's dark halls. He was about to sprint across, but Techno grabbed his arm, "It's fine, they'll chase for awhile. We need to worry about how we're going to get across now."

Dream scoffed despite knowing Techno was right. Y/n was strong; it was going to be alright.

"What's your plan then?" Dream stared at him.

Techno shrugged and led the way back down to the edge of the lava lake. He stared across the lava toward the fortress's supports, thinking to himself. Dream didn't wait for an answer. He took a running start and flung himself toward a tiny island in the middle of the lava. Techno didn't bat an eye as his traveling companion flung himself to his death, but he himself would never make that jump.

Dream laughed, "I made it!"

"You took that jump without knowing you would make it? You're stupider than I thought," Techno responded.

"At least I'm making progress."

Techno moved closer to the edge, peering into the bubbling liquid. The orange bubbles reminded him of the potions. He dug through the bag nearly spilling out its contents. He pulled out an orange potion and smashed it on the ground below him.

He looked up to Dream and smirked. He took and slow step into the lava, and, instead of burning to death, the caress of the liquid felt like he was being grabbed all around his legs. It was awkward, but he only needed to get to the fortress's supports. He watched Dream make his second jump, latching onto the nether bricks, and losing his grip with his left hand. He watched the brick fall in front of him, but didn't bother to check if Dream was fine. Techno continued wading through the viscus lava worried about how long the potion effects were.

He pulled himself free of the lava's grip once he reached the support and didn't hesitate to start climbing. Dream was about halfway up now, but Techno quickened his pace in an attempt to catch up. The fear of falling wasn't even a thought in their minds. Instead, they were thinking about how to find Y/n, and how the three of them were going to knock down an entire army to get to the king. Techno's solution was fire.

Techno pulled himself over the ledge and onto solid ground just in time to spot Dream turning the corner down the corridor. He didn't hurry to follow, instead, stretching out his arms checking the cut on his face to see if it was still bleeding. With an angry scowl and crusted blood across his nose, Techno reluctantly followed after the masked man.

Dream already had his sword drawn, prepared to cut down anyone in his path. He turned another corner, nothing. His eyes wandered across the wall for any sign or life. The echos and bubbling lava below him were misleading. He was straining to find anything. He was confident he would find the guards that chased Y/n cowering in fear of the vicious mercenary, but there was no evidence of anything of the sort around the empty hallways.

Dream barely even acknowledged Techno's presence when he caught up either. He was focused on his search. Techno wasn't as worried. He merely trailed behind flipping through the notebook he grabbed from the table in the cabin. He read carefully. It wasn't like a diary. And It wasn't a story either. The more he read, the more he learned about the lonely mercenary. Inside the pages held precious information about what lie behind Notfoundom's walls. Maps, guard positions, meal schedules, maid schedules, forbidden rooms, and mission information.

He rammed into Dream's back. He looked up to see why Dream stopped; a lone sword, discarded by its owner, blocked their path. Techno stared down at the evidence of their fugitive partner's disappearance.

"Great, exactly what we wanted, another detour," Techno picking up the sword and tucking in his waistband next to his axe.

"Not a detour if it's where we need to go," Dream countered, bushing past Techno and continuing down the hall.

Techno started after him, "Wait."

Dream turned to acknowledge him. Techno didn't say anything; he handed the notebook to Dream and walked past. Dream stared at the book, confused, then he opened it. He scanned the pages curiously.

"Is this Y/n's?" He asked, waving the book.

Techno didn't even bother looking back, "Yep."

Dream stared back down at the book. It was all right. Y/n hadn't been to the kingdom in three years, how could all this information be correct? He stuffed the book into his pocket. He would find out when they found Y/n. He hurried after Techno. He knew the contents would be valuable.

They broke out into the cavern, another bridge awaiting them. Dream and Techno stared across to the other side at the troll-like soldier standing guard. They gripped their weapons and began to move across.

The huge guard stepped in front of the bridge; he knew who they were, and he wasn't about to let what that little runt said scare him. Passing was impossible. Dream and Techno looked at each other. Through silent communication and Dream's nod toward the right side of the bridge, there was a plan. They both charged at the troll, weapons threatening. The guard swung his mace in turn, attempting to knock them into each other and throw them off the side of the bridge. Dream didn't waste a moment, jumping on top of the heavy weapon and letting the swing propel him off the right side of the bridge.

Techno used his distraction to strike the side of the mace with his axe. The guard tumbled due to the weight of his weapon yanking his body down, and Techno slid past him off the bridge. He rammed his foot into the giant's back, but it didn't do much more than irritate him. He turned and swung his mace at Techno again. The axe would do nothing against the guard's mace, so Techno jumped back, landing with awkward footing.

Dream, on the other hand, was barely holding onto the cliffside. His sword was buried deep into the wall to ensure he didn't fall to his death. He scrambled to find footing and finally pulled his sword from the netherrack. He clawed the rest of the way up. The sounds of weapons clashing above him was alarming, but Dream knew Techno would be fine for another minute or so.

"What are you gonna do without your friend," The giant taunted.

"Friend is a strong word," Techno countered, ducking under the mace and swinging his axe at the giant's legs.

He managed to hit the troll, but his armor took the brunt of the attack. It probably didn't do more than bruise his shin. Techno growled and rolled away from the soldiers next swing.

With no warning, a bright green mass shot up from behind the troll and landed squarely between his shoulders. It didn't quite take him off his feet, but he fumbled his mace and stumbled. He grabbed pathetically behind him, but Dream stayed just out of his reach, holding on for dear life.

"Little help!" He shouted. Techno approached the giant with his axe ready. He wasn't sure what he was going to do to help, but maybe swinging at him would work. Before he could get close enough to attack, the troll grabbed Dream by the collar and chucked him off his back. Dream slammed into Techno and they rolled to a stop a few feet away.

"Nice going," Techno shoved Dream off of him and rummaged through the bag. He pulled out a strength potion and smashed it below them. Dream got up and stood next to Techno. They watched the troll pick up his mace, but it didn't matter; the two could already feel the effects of the potion begin to seep into their veins. The surge of power was enlightening. Techno moved toward the troll, Dream right on his heels. When the troll swung his mace, Techno merely grabbed it at the top of the handle and ripped it from his grasp. The troll backed away, terrified without his weapon. Dream approached with a threatening look.

Dream swept the troll off his feet and stepped on his chest. He leaned down, "Where does the portal lead?"

The soldier gasped for air, "Court...room," He finally coughed out. Dream moved away from the guard and slammed his sword into the netherrack below him. He watched a crack shoot along toward the edge of the cliff. Dream turned away from the soldier, and Techno moved closer to stared at the troll.

"You should've let us pass," He growled and stomped on the crack. The crack grew, and before the soldier could move, the edge of the cliff started to slide. Techno watched him fall, but Dream turned his back. They didn't make a move until his screams died off. They did what they had to.

They stood in silence for a moment. Techno sheathed his axe, letting the effect of the potion leave his body.

"Let's go get Y/n," He said, turning away from the cliff to fix the portal. Dream looked back; there was only lava below. He lowered his head. Whether it was guilt or respect didn't matter. He made his choice when he fought George. No one else would have to die if the king stepped down.

Techno had the portal fixed by the time Dream finished mourning the loss of a past brother in arms. They stepped in together, unsure of where it would lead. Once the purple cleared from their vision, they found themselves in the castle. Unfortunately, they were not alone. At least ten guards surrounded the portal, swords drawn.

"Nice of you to join us," One of them mocked. All eyes were on Techno and Dream. They bumped shoulders, then turned. Back to back.

Dream smiled, "Ready, friend?"

"If you make it out alive, I'll consider friendship."

Dream smirked. Then, the soldiers charged.

Chapter Text

My vision cleared, and I was shoved to the marble floor. With my hands tied, I couldn't catch myself and landed heavily on my shoulder.

"Skeppy! Be careful! Are you okay?" Bad called down to me.

"Ugh, no, I'm dead," I grumbled. I looked around at the guards surrounding the portal. As the two pulled me back up to my feet, I noticed one of them staring at me, wide-eyed. The other five were focused on the portal like something was going to come through any second, but he was just staring at me. It kind of looked like he was scared. I kept his gaze until we left through the only door into the throne room.

To my joy, the king was perched menacingly upon his throne, sentencing a man to execution. The man in question was laughing maniacally at the king; his unkempt facial hair made him more intimidating that he probably was, and the horns that wrapped around his head were aged but held no wisdom. I watched him spit at the king's feet.

"You're dead, motherfucker! They might hate me, but they hate you more! HAHA--" He was cut off with a firm whack to the base of his skull. What a nutcase. Despite his borderline insanity, I did feel remorse. Whether it was because he didn't deserve it, or if he genuinely needed to be medicated wasn't important to me. He would be gone by morning, so I hung my head in silence for him. Someone had to.

After they dragged his unconscious body away, I was shoved into the king's view and pushed to my knees in front of him. George and Sapnap were next to him, staring down at me. Sapnap looked alarmed; I couldn't guess why. Ant was already addressing the situation, and Quackity was trying hard to look serious, glancing between Sapnap and the king.

King Notfound didn't take his eyes off me as Ant explained the situation. He looked so different; his eyes were dead, and he didn't move a muscle through Ant's explanation. I held his stare because this was one fight I didn't have the luxury to back down from.

"I never thought you would have the nerve to come back, Y/n," He leaned forward.

"I only have nerve," I countered, giving him a cocky smile.

He merely narrowed his eyes at me and leaned in toward George. I watched them whisper back and forth for a while, gathering that it was about nothing good when Sapnap scrunched his brow at what he heard. He controlled his expression when he realized but still flinched every now and then from behind George's throne.

With a final nod, George got up and moved down the steps toward me. Sapnap followed reluctantly, probably because he knew what George was doing. Ant and Quackity stepped to the side, but Bad and Skeppy stayed glued to my sides in case I tried something. George shooed them away, and Sapnap bumped shoulders with Quackity.

"Where," George glared down at me; his voice was venomous. He was mad. The calm kind of mad. The mad that reminded me of the eye of a storm. It was fine for now, but I'd be thrown into the storm soon enough. I didn't know how to answer. Technically, I didn't know, but that wasn't going to fly.

"The nether," I deadpanned, earning a swift kick to my ribcage. I was knocked on my side, and I slid across the floor, scrunching into a small ball.

"You know Techno. He's visiting family because he's sensitive and wouldn't hurt a fly," I groaned out, refusing to let him get to me. He kicked me in the gut this time. I coughed up all the air in my lungs and curled into a fetal position to block my stomach.

After another cough, I locked eyes with George, "Dream told me to tell you something."

He narrowed his eyes and stepped closer, "Why would he want to say anything to me? His words are empty and traitorous. They will be returned with hatred."

He didn't move, though. He wanted to hear more. His respect and trust in Dream would never leave despite the harsh words he spat out. He was lying through his teeth, and it would be easy to take advantage of him. I didn't want to, but he needed to open his eyes. He needed to see that his heart was strong enough to love his kingdom and strong enough to take criticism. I'm sorry George, but it's not my time to die yet.

"I suppose what happened to him isn't important, but he is sorry," I finished.

George stared down at me, "Dungeon." And he turned his back. He hesitated for a moment but walked back to the king, chin held high and pride circulating through his blood. I smiled.

"Don't worry, Georgie! He might come back!" I shouted at his turned back while Bad and Skeppy tried to drag me to my feet.

He glanced back as I was being dragged to the stairwell entrance to the dungeon. I stopped smiling when he caught my eyes. I couldn't keep making it a joke because when I saw his eyes, I could only feel remorse. It wasn't anger, it was worry. He was worried about Dream because he still cared about him. I could see now that Dream was right about George. It didn't matter that George put up a strong front; his heart was warm. He held love and respect and fear for others. He was a king fit for the throne because he cared about those he ruled over. His father had drilled into him lessons of anger and tyranny, but George had learned patience and respect from Dream and Sapnap. The two meant more to him than just guards. I thought he was like his father, but now I had hope. I needed to talk to him before that hope was gone.

I went silent and practically immobile when they pulled me into the stairwell down. I put on my show, but there was no need to act anymore. It didn't matter to me if Skeppy and Bad knew that. It only mattered if George did. He would be down here soon. He needed to know about Dream.

The dreary air of the dungeons was pungent and uninviting. I scrunched up my nose at the smell and glanced back and forth between the cells as we passed to see who I was going to be locked up with. Most of them were packed with old lords and general drunkards who pissed off the king somehow. But there were a few cells that contained only a single prisoner each. They were probably the more serious threats to the throne.

I couldn't plan much of an escape before I was tossed into an open cell and cuffed to a bar connected to the wall. I massaged my free wrist and frowned at the rope burns that ran up and down my forearms. As quickly as they dropped me off, Bad and Skeppy left; it was far from silent after their eager escape, though. Many of the men were proposing stupid ideas for some type of escape.

I looked across the corridor to an occupied cell. The boy inside looked slightly younger than me. He looked bored, tossing a rock at the wall until it bounced back toward him.

I leaned toward the bars, resting my head on the rusty surface, "Hey, baldy," I called over, catching his attention. "How long have you been here for?"

"First of all, rude. And probably like a week or two. My idiot of a friend fucked up our plan and landed me in here," I grabbed the bar as I listened, "He was like 'Watch Manifold, they'll take the bait.' They sure didn't. Of course he didn't get caught." He threw the rock at the wall again.

"I think it was my fault I got arrested," I mumbled, thinking back to the nether. Yep, definitely my fault.

"What did you do?"

"Well, about three years ago, I stole the crown," I laughed at the memory, "But recently, I threatened the king's life and recruited the crown prince's personal guard to help. Oh, and the assassin that attempted the king's life."

He blinked, then laughed. I didn't know if he thought I was joking, but I laughed along too. I figured I'd end up in here, so there was no point being mad about it.

"Does that make you the king's first and last trusted mercenary? I've heard the stories."

"Bingo. I hope my infamy never dies," I leaned away from the bars, recalling the times I spent in these castle walls. We talked for a little while after that. He was interested in the stories of my travels and how I ended up in here. I didn't hesitate to explain the way I would tear the king from his throne with Dream and Techno. Sadly, my story was interrupted when the door to the dungeon slammed open, and a very angry George stormed down the hallway. Sapnap followed behind with a serious face; he was probably worried about Dream too.

I moved away from the bars because George slammed those open too. He didn't give me a chance to say much of anything before he grabbed my shirt and shoved me into the rock wall I was chained to.

"What the hell happened to Dream?!"

I winced at the rocks stabbing my back, but it was probably a subconscious reaction to his anger, too, "Look, I know you're mad, but I only said that because I needed to talk to you."

He glared, then dropped my shirt, "We're done here."

"Wait, wait!" I called, "Dream really did say he was sorry. And I didn't agree with him about you taking over the throne until I saw how you reacted when I talked about him."

He stopped and turned to hear me out.

I continued, "I know your heart isn't as cold as you father's. I also know that you put too much trust in Dream to give up on him. You still give a shit about him, and you want his loyalty back. I'm not stupid."

Sapnap sucked in a breath,

"He made his choice," George spat, "I...I can't trust him, and I don't care that he left." He held his chin up again. What the hell was he trying to prove?

"But you do, and you need to admit it. I'm sorry I lied, but if you didn't care you wouldn't be here right now. I'm sure as hell not sorry about wanting to change this godforsaken place. The downfall of this kingdom is not worth the pride of the shitty old man upon his throne."

I looked over to Sapnap, but he refused to meet my gaze when George exited the cell.

"You're not going to kill my father," He said, locking the cell back up.

I watched them leave. I hoped he'd figure it out soon; what he chose to do would carry the fate of the kingdom with it. I groaned aloud and slid down the wall. I brought my knees to my chest and rested my head down to calm myself. I didn't not want to punch the rock walls and break my hand.

"Harsh, ain't he?" Manifold murmured.

"His choice. If he doesn't want the tyrant gone, he'll have to go too. I don't want that. He's done nothing wrong, and he's fit to rule. Just an idiot," I sighed and lifted my head to face him. He merely gave me a small shrug.

We both jumped at another loud bang. Someone was sprinting toward our cell block, panting and stumbling over himself. I grabbed the bars thinking it was Dream or Techno. I wasn't necessarily disappointed when I didn't see them, but it was a shock to see who slid to a stop in front of my cell. The guard threw a key through the bars and hastily unlocked the cell door. He pried off his helmet, and then I finally recognized the mask underneath.

"Ponk?! What are you doing here?" I asked.

"Saw you at the portal. Listen, there's no time. You have to find Dream and the pink guy." He opened the cell door and shoved a dagger into my arms. He didn't say anything after that, shoving me toward the dungeon exit. He nodded and took off down the hall in the other direction. I watched him turn the corner and looked to Manifold.

He grabbed the bars, choosing not to be confused at the hasty escape, and leaned closer, "Find Tommy and Phil, they'll help you. Yell at Tommy for me. Tell 'em Manifold sent you."

I nodded and headed the way Ponk shoved me, "Good luck, Baldy." I waved back as I walked. Tommy and Phil, Tommy and Phil. I chanted the names in my head and peered around the corner. I continued until I reached the stairs. I was putting a lot trust in Manifold, but then again, I was putting trust into a lot of strangers. I barely knew Dream and Techno, but I'd risk my life for theirs. I trusted George to make the right decision despite him trying to kill me. Now I was putting trust in Ponk to save my ass and in Manifold for recruitment. I didn't know if that made me willing to take risks or just an idiot.

I focused back on the environment. I exited the stairwell into the deep castle halls. It's been so long since I last roamed this place, but the memories have haunted me for years; I don't want to remember it like this anymore. I needed to focus on my escape. These walls could hold something new when the kingdom was reformed. I could worry about reforming it when I met back up with Dream and Techno and recruited more help.

I skidded to a stop at an intersection. I glanced left out of instinct, but apparently my instinct was terrible and unreliable.

"Y/n!" Someone called from behind me, "Heard you were back in town," I swung around to meet a pair of blue eyes.

"Punz?" I smiled at my old friend, "Never thought I'd see your ugly mug again."

"As much as I would love to catch up, I'm on a tight schedule, and I would really love to get paid a bonus."

"Ah," My face dropped, "I should've remembered where your loyalty lies."

"Unless you can make a better deal, this is your last stop." Punz was hard to recruit due to his expensive rates and untrustworthiness. We worked together in the last few months of my stay with the king. He even helped me steal the crown.

"I did have diamonds, but I kinda got attacked and chased out of my home. I also almost died three times. It's been a rough few days."

"Sorry, Y/n. You know we're still friends right? I'll visit your grave," He offered. I couldn't do much before he lunged forward. I fumbled for the dagger Ponk gave me. This kingdom was a fucking nightmare of traitors and trust issues.

All I could do was duck under his sword's jab. I grabbed his ankle and yanked him off his feet in order to give myself time to handle the dagger. He was quick to catch himself with a handspring back to his fighting stance. I blinked, shocked at his movement, and clutched the dagger tightly in my hand.

I narrowed my eyes, "You're lucky I don't have my sword," I parried his next swing and tried to twist the sword from his grasp. I failed miserably. He landed a punch to the side of my jaw and slashed his sword down my arm. I groaned and flipped the dagger into a more comfortable position in my hand. I wasn't going to deny how good he was as a fighter, so I had to make this little battle quick before I lost too much energy.

I charged only for him to block my next attacks. We continued this back and forth for too long; I didn't want to run again, but Dream and Techno were here. I needed to find them before reinforcements came. I spat out a mix of saliva and blood from my lip onto the ground in front of him. He knew I was weaker; I hadn't fought in so long. Before I could attack again, we were interrupted by an explosion coming from down the hall. When he turned his head, I took my opportunity to book it and escape. He didn't waste more than a second to chase after me. He was fast, but my adrenaline had me walking on air.

I kicked open the double doors at the end of the hallway and tumbled to the ground, unable to catch myself. I barely managed to roll away when Punz's sword came down where my body was. I stumbled to my feet and caught Techno's gaze. He looked stunned, but I didn't have time to acknowledge him and the five guards surrounding him. I blocked Punz's next attack. My arms were heavy and I felt like I was dying.

I couldn't. I made this bullshit journey because I was going to save this kingdom. I would be pissed if I didn't survive to see a new dawn.

Chapter Text

I was barely standing upright at this point. After I left the kingdom for the first time, Punz remained to train and hone his fighting skills. All I did was sit around and write.

I nearly collapsed trying to block his next attack. His swing knocked the dagger out of my hands, and I forced my body to jump out of the range of his second swing. He was going to come after me again, but how could I defend myself in hand-to-sword combat when my body was exhausted and uncooperative? If I didn't hurry up and come up with a plan, I was going to lose more than just a few fingers.

Punz snickered at my current helplessness. I guess he wasn't used to seeing me lose. I took in a deep breath; I wasn't helpless. I needed to stop acting like I needed help. I've spent too much of this journey relying on others' help, and we'd never be able to take down the king if I was constantly in need of someone to save my ass.

"Y/N!" Techno yelled from across the room. He was completely swarmed with soldiers. He yelled in frustration and sent some poor guy into the nearest wall. We locked eyes, and I nodded that I was okay. I didn't think I'd ever see him show emotion, but even now, I didn't expect him to be worried about me. I turned back to Punz and calmed my swarming mind. Techno didn't have to worry; I'd take care of this.

"You're weaker than I remember," Punz commented and swung his sword menacingly in front of me.

"You try fighting after traveling through hell and getting the shit beat out of you," I growled.

He laughed and jabbed his sword toward me. I side-stepped to stay closer and threw a hard punch to his jaw. He stumbled, but it didn't take him long to recover and wink at me. I ducked under the blade and used all the momentum in my knees and ankles to send an uppercut directly into his solar plexus. It knocked him back a few feet, but I made a mistake. He heaved for an ounce of air and stared at me wide-eyed.

I was back in range of his sword. He jabbed at me again before he finished taking in his breath. The will to survive kept him from resting for even a second. I didn't move fast enough and his blade caught my shoulder. I cried out and fell to my knee. He was panting, now, finally able to breathe after knocking the air from his lungs. Before I could give him the chance to swing, I planted my hand on the ground, turned, and swung my leg around. I hooked my knee around his wrist, breaking his grip on the sword and pulling him toward the ground. His sword clattered across the room, but that didn't stop him from catching himself and yanking my leg down instead. Once I was completely on the ground he lunged for my neck, wrapping his fingers around it and pushing me further into the floor.

I clawed and scratched at his hands, fighting with all the anger and resentment flooding my veins.

"Just die!" He yelled. His entire body weight across my abdomen and neck. I could hear Techno shouting and I knew he saw me. I thought about how I wanted Techno to survive as my vision began to blur and blacken. The ringing was so loud. No. You can't kill me. I can't die. They need me. I need THEM. Please...

I sucked in air so fast, I thought my lungs would pop from the pressure. The ceiling was swirling around my head, and the light was blinding. The second breath was worse. I felt like I swallowed a cup full of razorblades and washed it down with alcohol. Oxygen tasted like blood, and the smell of smoke burned throughout my body. But I was breathing. Why could I breathe?

The smell continued to infect my senses as I gulped down every breath my lungs would allow. My brain wouldn't tell me anything, but I liked fire. I always have. Reminded me of the cabin.

I reached for my neck despite the heaviness the weighed me down. It hurt.

"Get up!"

I was alive, so that was good. I knew because being dead wasn't supposed to hurt this much. Is Techno okay? Where's Dream? Where did Punz go? Is he getting the sword?

"GET UP!"

The smoke didn't smell good anymore. Something gross was burning. I didn't like it.

"GET UP!" Someone grabbed my injured arm, and I yelped like a wounded puppy. They didn't let go; they just yanked me to my feet. The room spun faster, and my body was as stable toddler learning to walk. My ability to walk didn't matter, though; I was pulled in the direction of what looked like a door, but it could've been a horse with the shit job my brain was doing to comprehend much of anything. I vomited.

I didn't argue when the person dragged me into the hall, sat me down, and lifted my head to help me drink water. I was swallowing razorblades again. I accidentally coughed up all the water.

"Drink it, c'mon, we don't have time for this," They poured more water in my mouth. I tried my best to swallow what I could, but I ended up coughing up half of it. By focusing on the water, my brain didn't have to take in much more visual stimuli.

I swatted the hand away after a few decent gulps and held my head in my hands. They tried to pull me to my feet, but I grabbed their wrist and sent a glare at the figure. I squinted to try to make out who it was.

"S-hap...n...?" I rasped out, wincing at the pain that rumbled through my vocal cords. It hurt so bad. I blinked a few more times until the room was stable enough and the blurred lines cleared. My brain told me about the fire. He saved me.

"Whhhaaa," I wheezed. He seemed to understand what I was asking,

"Karl would never forgive me if I didn't save you. He hates the king," He looked guilty, "I love him more than my position as a knight. But I can't leave George. And I'm scared Quackity will feel betrayed." He added.

"If he changes his mind, I might not have to pick a side," He was conflicted. I watched him stand up, trying to catch his eyes and talk him into helping, but he avoided my gaze. I took in a slow breath as I watched him leave. Morally, I understood his problem, but it was cowardly.

I pulled myself to my feet despite the pain in my head and my feet. I turned and punched the wall. I focused on the pain that swallowed my knuckles, and my vision sharpened. I let out another shaky breath. It didn't erase the dizziness, but it helped enough to get me moving. Now I just had to help Techno.

I dragged my feet toward the door, my hand trailing the wall and keeping me upright. I stumbled a few times and cursed my body for not cooperating. I was more than just exhausted. Fighting for my life, traveling through the Nether, nearly dying; I needed sleep. The kingdom would still be standing if I slept for just a few hours. No! Techno first.

I approached the door and stumbled through the intricately carved frame. I spotted Techno fighting three guards; the other two were down for the count and scattered around the floor. I spotted Punz on the other side of the room. He was propped up against the wall holding his shoulder. I stared at the arrow pierced directly above his ribcage under his arm. It was completely limp.

I walked over to him, picking up his discarded sword on the way. When I got close enough, I sliced off the end of the arrow, "Don't...pull." He yelped and cowered closer to the wall. I knelt down to stare him in the eyes, "You...owe...him."

I left him to lie in pain and moved toward Techno's fight. I was getting more stable the more I walked, but I didn't know if I was strong enough to do much. I chuckled the sword like a javelin toward the knight trying to attack Techno from behind. It didn't do much more that shock him, but it gave me enough time to grab Techno's hand and pull him toward the doors Punz chased me through. I was barely able to run, but I forced myself to keep going.

"I wasn't done kicking their asses," Techno complained, when I slammed the door shut behind us. Techno helped me block it with a decorative cabinet, and I took a moment to suck in a breath. He grabbed my wrist and used his other hand to tilt my chin up. He eyed the bruises, and I noticed a scabbed slash across the bridge of his nose. He scrunched up his nose. I knew he wanted to pretend like I didn't almost die, and I was grateful for that. Little did I know about the guilt he felt watch Punz attack me.

He moved his grip from my wrist back to my palm and nodded his head to let me know to lead the way. The slam against the barricaded door was enough of a warning anyway. We made our way down the hallway, and I retraced my steps toward the dungeons. I had to find Ponk; he could help.

Before I could round the next corner, I felt Techno tighten his grip on my hand. He yanked me into his chest as a sword came flying around the bend. He swung his axe down, shattering the blade and leaving the guard to run away in fear.

"Heh, idiot." He mumbled to himself. I felt his chest rumble when he chuckled and nearly forgot where we were going. I gained my composure and tugged his hand a little. He let me drag him down the next hall but stopped when I headed toward the stairs.

"Why are we going down? We'll get cornered," He wouldn't budge. I rolled my eyes and gestured to my fucked up--and swollen, if I might add--throat, and yanked his hand again. I only let go when I was sure he was behind me.

"You're lucky I trust you," He groaned and followed me down the stairs. I pulled him past the rows of cells filled with yelling drunkards and such until I spotted Manifold sitting against the wall where I left him. He looked up as we approached.

"You're back! Wait, you're back? Why?" He asked, peering around.

I elbowed Techno and pointed to the lock. He looked down at me, confused, "You want me to break him out? Is that the only reason we came down here?" He glanced back the way we came.

"Yes...and no." I rasped out.

He hesitated but slipped his axe between the door and the bars, swinging it hard enough to break the lock. Jack exited the cell, much to the dismay of the other prisoners, but we ignored them. We would save them eventually.

"You can call me Jack," I shook his hand, but Techno crossed his arms and stared down the poor kid. Jack chuckled nervously, pulled his hand back, and turned to me, "So I guess I'll show you where they are."

That caught Techno's attention, "Who?" He met my gaze first. I nodded to Jack to encourage him to explain. He was both too intimidated to explain and too afraid of what Techno would do if he didn't. He mumbled out a mention of a rebel group who would help and continued to follow me further into dark halls.

The echos grew louder as the voices of the prisoners died down. My head was still pounding, but I ignored it in hopes of getting rest soon. Ponk had to be around here; he didn't leave after he helped me.

Techno and Jack had gone silent a few minutes ago, and the silence was distracting. I just wanted to lie down and sleep. My mind was just about gone at this point, and my body felt ready to shut down. I nearly snapped upright when I turned the next corner and spotted Ponk standing at attention. He saw me, peered around, then practically swallowed me in a hug.

"I'm glad you're alive," He mumbled into my shoulder and I patted his head. Techno did not seem happy at this development and pried him off me, holding him up by his chest plate. I grabbed Techno's arm and shook my head. He challenged my stare but finally dropped him and crossed his arms again.

"We need...help," I struggled to speak. He glanced between my eyes and my neck a few times until I finished. He didn't bring it up but nodded.

"Where's Dream?" He asked, peering around me at Jack and Techno.

"With the prince," Techno answered for me, "It's like he's asking to be killed."

Ponk hummed to himself then waved for us to follow him. He led us toward the far wall where there was only a barred drain separating the dungeons from the outside of the kingdom walls. He motioned to the hole and flipped a lever hidden beneath a cracked, worn table. We watched the bars lift up.

"I know you'll be back. Find this wall. I'm stationed here for the next few nights. Now hurry, Sam will be back soon. The explosions won't keep his attention for much longer." Ponk pushed us toward the exit.

It was a small drop down onto the muddied ground, but the small stream of dirty water made it more than inconvenient. Techno jumped first and helped me down afterward. Jack dropped down next to me, and we watched Ponk close the grate behind us.

"Dream?" I managed to ask, gesturing to the castle that towered above us.

"We can't wait for him if we don't know where he is," Techno commented, not bothering to look back. I stared at its layered walls and huge, intricate windows. That place held a corrupt king, a confused prince, some old memories, and an idiot of a knight. I looked down and then nodded to Jack; we would have to find him later. Jack smiled at my go-ahead and began explaining that his friends were hidden in a part of the nearby forest. He wasn't exactly sure of the route from this side of the trees, but he reassured us that he would figure it out.

I flinched at another explosion behind me. I turned to see a green ghost-like figure flying out the fucking window at least seven stories above us. Arrows flew over him, and I watched Dream land on the tip of the tallest pine closest to the kingdom walls. It bent under his weight, but he only needed it to jump to the next tree.

"Let's hurry," Jack yelled, headed into the trees, "We can't let them follow us!" His voiced echoed, and Techno and I followed after him. Guess we didn't have to look for Dream after all.

He led us deeper into the brush, while I kept my eye out from Dream. He really had to escape with style, didn't he? I rolled my eyes at his flare for the dramatics, but I still smiled. Gotta show 'em who's boss, right?

I saw him land on the ground finally, and he took off faster than I expected him to. He nearly tackled Jack when he made it to a tiny clearing, but Techno grabbed his mask's strap before he could get close enough to do anything stupid.

"Dream," I rasped out. He turned to see Techno and me.

"Oh, I thought he was a guard," He scratched the back of his head and turned to Jack, "Sorry."

"He's," Techno sighed, "gonna help us."

Dream peered behind us, "We should hurry then. Just a bit further."

Jack gave a sheepish smile and started through the trees, "It's probably about a days walk from here, so we'll need to make camp for the night."

"Further...first," I said, following Jack.

I could've sworn I heard him mumble something about not stopping the "Manifold grind," but I didn't bother asking him about it. He said he friends would help, so his friends would help.

We got about a mile and a half further when, eventually, we stopped walking when I completely collapsed from exhaustion. Who would've thought that being unable to breathe would inhibit stamina? I barely had time to catch myself on a tree and lower myself down. Dream was by my side in a second. He handed me his canteen of water and moved his mask out of his face. He eyed my neck and spoke up.

"Who did that?" He lightly touched the bruised skin. I grabbed his wrist before he could trace the finger-shaped bruises. I didn't answer him.

"The one in white. Blondie." Techno spoke up. He didn't make eye contact with me.

“Pun..z,” I muttered.

"Punz?" He asked. I didn't say anything; I just drank from the canteen and avoided his eyes.

"What is Punz?" He repeated. He looked mad now.

"Doesn't...matter. I'm not...dead," I hesitated to add the word "yet" to the end of that sentence.

"Let's make camp," Jack changed the subject. Techno walked off with his axe to get wood, but Dream stayed by my side. He was fidgeting with his sleeves and the sling across his chest.

"George," He started, cracking his knuckles and staring at the dirt that lined the forest floor. I nodded for him to continue, that I was listening, but when he didn't say anything, I started to think he called me that on accident.

"What did you say to him? He's mad at me," He finally finished.

"No...shit. He was...mad at you...before," I mumbled. I brought my hand up to massage the bruises on my neck. It wasn't getting easier to talk because the swelling was getting worse. I held the canteen up to my neck to at least cool it down a little.

"He said you lied about me."

"Kinda."

"I barely got three words in before he tried to kill me."

"So...jumping...out the...window—" I paused to breathe-- "was your...solution?"

He shrugged. I watched him get up, stretch, and climb up the tree I was lying against. "I'll keep watch," He called down.

I let myself relax, and I closed my eyes to the sound of the woods surrounding me. It wasn't cold like back home, but it was enough of a reminder to put my beating heart at ease. The constant stress I've been under for the past few days couldn't be good for my health. I let the sounds lull me into enough security to drift into sleep.

Chapter Text

“Mrs. Puffy?” I asked wandering through her home. I heard a clang from the kitchen, and peered through the open door. A knight stood over her with an ugly scowl. He had stabbed her, and she looked more intimidating than I’ve ever seen her. The man was bruised and bleeding, proving that she put up a fight. Her eyes shone with determination. She only looked scared when she spotted me across the room.

“RUN, CHILD!” She yelled at me. I didn’t hesitate to turn and sprint out of the house. She would be okay; she was the best fighter I knew. I pushed through her front door and found myself stumbling into the King’s throne room. I looked down at my hands and saw them covered in blood. The king was looking down at me from his throne, proud. How did I get here? The memories flooded back. I shut my eyes, discouraging tears.

I opened them to a black void. An empty place for such an empty soul. I looked around anxiously. I could still feel the tears on my face, they stung with a warning.

“Y/n.” I turned to meet the voice, but I couldn’t see anyone or anything. The endless darkness consumed all but the voice.

“You can call me Foolish,” I turned to meet the owner of the voice. My eyes finally found a man made of gold; even the darkness couldn't dim his bright shine. He was smiling. It was so calming just looking at him.

“We have protected you thus far, but we can’t any longer,” Another voice rang out. I peered around and found Dream. He looked different, but it had to be him. Panic flooded through me, and I knew this place was more dangerous than it seemed.

“I’m not Dream,” The one in Green said, “We are different. He is mortal; he is flawed.”

“Why am I here? Are you real?” Questions swarmed my head.

“Because you are not meant to die yet. Your journey is not over,” Foolish answered.

“It does not matter if we are real. What matters is your survival. You’re bigger than you realize.” Dream continued.

“Protect them, Y/n, and they will protect you,” Foolish smiled.

“We’ll watch over you, but we can’t help you anymore,” Dream took my hand. He placed an emerald in my palm and curled my fingers over it, "You'll know what to do."

“Good luck!” Foolish laughed.

“Good luck.” Dream said.

***

I finally stirred from my sleep. I figured that it was late at night when I came to; the moon hung softly above, and I heard an owl call from above. I must’ve slept though the entire next day because we weren't at the same camp anymore. Did they carry me? I peered over at Techno, who was asleep with his arms crossed and his axe held loosely in his grasp. Jack was snoring close to the fire, out cold. I looked around for Dream, but he wasn't anywhere near the fire or above in the trees. I figured he was close by patrolling, so I didn't bother looking for him. Instead, I found myself wandering from the camp in search of running water. I was thirsty.

I swallowed my spit and realized that my neck didn't hurt anymore. I reached up to touch under my jaw, but the bruising was gone and there wasn't even a trace of swelling. I almost re-bruised myself frantically grabbing and poking around my throat. I was healed. I lifted up my other hand. The emerald was still in my palm and it radiated with heat. I pocketed it carefully, taking vague-Dream's words seriously. The emerald and my healed throat pointed me to the conclusion that the two strangers I met in my dream were real. I bit the inside of my cheek. I was definitely awake.

I kept my footsteps light and soft as I traversed the trees. My dream was real, the emerald was real, and that couldn’t have been Dream. What kind of drug trip was my brain on? I squeezed my eyes shut, focusing on the sounds around me and ignoring the swarming thoughts. I walked, listening to the sounds of the leaves underfoot and the crickets singing from tree branches and dark, bramble bushes. I listened to the owls and their threats, and I whispered my mother's song to myself until finally, I could hear the trickling of water running through a small stream. I knelt down by the creek and cupped my hands in the water. I drank what I could and washed my face of whatever dirt and blood remained. I stared at my watery reflection and dragged my fingers across my neck; there wasn't even a mark or any evidence whatsoever that I had been injured.

I sat down on the bank and stared up at the sky. I relished the breaths I could now take. I relished my freedom. The nocturnal birds above sung their praise, and the small aura of life that surrounded me reminded me of what I was doing here. The forest breathed with me, like the kingdom I once roamed with. The Kingdom of Notfoundom was dying; it did not breathe like the forest, it moaned and creaked with contempt and threatened to swallow the people whole. The King was at its heart, constricting its growth and hoping it would be weak in his grasp. We would not let him consume it.

I looked back toward the camp. I had to protect them.

The soft sounds that surrounded me had distracted my mind for long enough. I let them show me back to camp, stepping lightly along the path I made. I found my way back to the campsite with the things Foolish said running through my mind. He saved me? I was so lost in thought that I almost didn’t notice Dream standing over the spot in which I slept earlier. He looked up when I shuffled through the bushes.

“Scared me,” He mumbled and adjusted his mask.

“I had a bad dream,” I said, and I heard him chuckle, “Wanna train?”

“Like, fight you?”

“I realized some things. Now c’mon,” I nodded toward the trees. Dream matched his pace with mine and followed me into the forest.

“I didn’t think you were going to make it. You were out for so long.”

“I’ve had so many near-death experiences that you should know I can’t die by now,” I shot him a smile. He shrugged.

“Do you recognize this?” I changed the subject and pulled the emerald the other Dream gave me.

“No. Why?” He went to grab it, but I closed my hand. It meant something, I just didn't know what yet.

“Never mind then,” I threw him a smile, “Do you wanna spar or not?”

“You’re much more energetic today,” He commented.

“Getting choked half to death is just as traumatizing as it sounds, but it really gets the blood pumping.” I smiled, flexing my arms.

"Doesn't it do the exact opposite?" He stopped, “Wait, where did your bruises go?” He moved closer and lifted my chin to look at my neck. He was so close, I was basically standing on his toes. He moved my head back and forth for any signs or marks of what happened. The only reason I let him fawn over me was because I knew he was angry hearing about Punz.

“I don’t know. Does it matter how? I’m just happy I can breathe again.” I mumbled, nervous about how close he was. I shivered when his cold fingers lightly ran over my throat. That was when I swatted him away and made eye contact with the nearest tree.

“Why do you want to spar, anyway?” He asked, completely unaware of my nervousness.

“I don’t think I’ve won a single fight since I met you,” I thought back to all the shit I went through. Granted, the fight against Sapnap was pretty unfair cause he had a bow and a horse and fire and I’d barely slept in three days. I fought one against four in the nether. And Punz had a weapon and I did not.

I smiled. Despite the unfair circumstances, I still fought for my life. There was something so satisfying about surviving with the world pinned against me. That was why I couldn’t give up.

“I’m surprised. You were cocky as hell when I met you.”

“I used to be feared. What can I say? It fills the ego. But seriously, I was a fighter. It was all anyone saw me as. Now? I’m nothing like who I use to be. I haven’t picked up a sword in three years, yet here I am, trying to win a war against an entire kingdom. I’m not saying I miss it, but I’m too rusty to do anything help,” I stared at my hands again. That dream was only a reminder of why I left.

“I would disagree,” Dream said and waved a note book in front of me.

I had forgotten about it. I made Techno grab it when we left the cabin. I took it from Dream’s hands and flipped to the back. This was the old book I used to remember my way around the kingdom. The only reason I was writing in it the day I found Techno was because a traveler came to the village. He told stories of Notfoundom knights traveling through the forest a few miles west.

“The notes are pretty accurate, when did you write it?” He asked. I flipped through the book again. The king never changed guard rounds?

“The king is an idiot,” I laughed, “I wrote this back when I was learned the castle layout.”

“Wow, so you’re telling me he hasn’t changed much of anything in the past three years? I guess if it's not broke, don't fix it.”

“Guess not. We can use that to our advantage then.”

“The only difference is that the king has extra guards around him at all times. After Techno’s assassination attempt, he wasn’t taking any chances.”

I nodded. It made sense. Techno wasn’t the only one who hated the king, and it would also explain the packed dungeon cells. The king was scared. Scared and stupid.

“So,” Dream propped his sword up on the nearest tree, “Gonna fight me or what?”

He bounced on the balls of his feet and threw a few taunting jabs into the air. I stretched and dropped the notebook next to his sword. He had pushed his mask to the side so half his face was visible; he was smiling underneath, and his green eyes shined with mischief.

“If I think you’re going easy, Dream, I’ll break your nose.”

“I feel like that’s your goal either way,” He chuckled.

I shrugged at his comment and threw the first punch, fast and hard, just like my mentor taught me. He was light on his feet, though, and ducked under my arm to jab me in the stomach. I used my other arm to block his strike and grabbed behind his neck, using his momentum to shove him past me. He caught his balance quickly and swung around to face me.

We circled, face to face, until he shot forward. I relaxed, letting my weight fall on the balls of my feet, and when he threw a jab, I slammed my forearm into his, knocking his arm to the side, and missing its target. I swung a hook at his face immediately after. He moved his left arm up to block, and as soon as I made contact he wrapped his hand around my wrist.

I didn’t have time to break his grasp. He stepped across my legs, put his right arm around my waist, and flipped my over his hip. I landed completely on my back with Dream still holding my wrist. He leaned over me with a cocky smirk, but I grabbed his arm and rolled. It didn’t take long for him to come toppling down next to me. Before he could get up, I pressed my knee to his diaphragm.

He attempt to escape, but with all my weight on top of his center of mass, he couldn't do much.

“Ugh, okay, okay,” He groaned tapping out, “We’re doing that again.”

“Alright. I don’t mind beating you again,” I stood up and offered him a hand. He accepted it, dusted himself off, and took off his mask. He dropped it by his sword.

It was honestly sad how fast he got the upper hand. I was almost sure that the first time we fought was his way of determining my fighting style. He blocked my punches effortlessly and figured out my blindspots and weaknesses in minutes.

I panted, eyeing Dream carefully. He hadn’t even broken a sweat yet. I had to think on my feet. Fighting against Dream taught me one thing: the enemy was expecting everything. I knew he was observational, but I wondered if I could lose him in the trees for a sneak attack. We circled for another minute before I decided it would be fun either way, so I sprinted deeper into the trees.

He definitely wasn’t expecting that, but in a real fight, I’d have to do whatever I could to stay alive. I weaved through the trees, dodging branches, leaping over rocks and bushes, and staying ahead at all costs. I looked back to see where he was but found that he wasn’t on my tail. I skidded to a halt and looked around cautiously. Expect anything, right? A shaking branch alerted me to the left, but it was only a squirrel jumping out from clump of leaves. I let out a breath. Maybe I did actually lose Dream in the trees.

I headed back to retrace my steps, but before I could get back under the cover of trees, a body came flying down from the tree next me, knocking my to the ground. It was a short tumble across the dirt, but when we finally slid to a stop, Dream was staring down at me a cocky smirk painted on his face. I went for his shoulder, but he grabbed my wrists and pinned me down.

“Of course you were in the trees,” I mumbled, not wanted to meet his eyes. I should’ve guessed he would ambush me from above. He did jump out of a seven story tall window yesterday as an alternative to fighting George and probably Sapnap.

I attempted to roll over again, but he laughed at my sad attempt to escape. My heart hadn’t raced this fast in a long time. I wasn’t even this anxious when I was fighting for my life.

“Hey, you’re going red. Are you okay?” Dream was still smirking down at me. Damn his adorable puppy-like self.

“Well, I did say that I’d break your nose if you went easy on me. Still, you can get off me now,” I mumbled out.

“Heh, are you embarrassed?” He leaned closer and laughed teasingly. My brain was betraying me, and my thoughts were out of control. I felt his grip loosen as he laughed, and my embarrassment flooded out of me. Quickly, I pulled my arm in, holding his hand close to my chest and tucked one of my legs over his. Using all my strength, I rolled my whole body over like an alligator until he was the one pinned underneath me.

He seemed too shocked to say much. Once I caught sight of his face, I let out a victorious laugh. I let go of his hands and moved off him to the side. This time, his face was the one painted pink. He let out a dazed chuckle, and we sat around smiling like idiots for a little while. The night had almost passed completely while we were talking and sparring.

He got up and offered his hand. I took it, and he yanked me to me feet.

“Thanks for fighting me. Practice makes permanent,” I let out a few last laughs.

“My mom always used to say that,” He smiled.

We walked silently back to our things and headed back to the camp after, breaking the silence to discuss the flaws in out techniques. He was convinced he would be able to beat me if he fought me three years ago. I promised him, he wouldn't have been able to. Eventually, he offered a few jokes in response, and his wheezing laugh was contagious.

When we got back to the camp, the sun was finally rising up, and the smell of dew was refreshing on my healed lungs. You don’t miss breathing until you can’t.

Techno was already up, stomping out the remaining logs in the fire pit. He dispersed the smoke enough, but it remained slightly visible above the trees. He looked up as we approached, curious, but he didn’t say anything. Dream moved to wake up Jack, and Techno approached to talk to me.

“Your neck,” He said, staring down at me.

“I don’t know what happened. It was my dream.”

He raised an eyebrow, “Heh?”

“Doesn’t really matter,” I smiled, “At least I can breathe now.”

He merely stared down at me like he was expecting a better explanation. When I didn't give one, he pulled a sword from his belt, offering it to me, “You dropped this.”

I took it from his hands and looked over the shiny blade. I had forgotten about it in the ruckus and chaos. I smiled at it, “Thank you.”

This blade meant more to me than nearly anything else; I was glad it came back to me in one piece. His timing couldn't have been better either; something rustled in the bushes around us. Techno stared up.

“The smoke,” He said flatly and drew his axe.

Four people jumped out at us, threatening us with pointed blades and a drawn bow. We drew ours in defense and stared down the assailants.

Chapter Text

“Tommy, you bastard!” Jack shouted, taking the tall blond one to the ground. Tommy screamed a slew of curses on the way down, and everyone hesitatingly relaxed after that. These must be the rebels Jack was leading us to find. I watched them fall to the ground, confused, but I didn’t intervene.

“These are the people you wanted me to find?” I relaxed my fighting stance, peering around at the boys surrounding us. Jack didn’t answer, but he didn’t need to. They acted like frightened dogs, and I would bet they fought tooth and nail to keep the pack safe. I sheathed my sword and made eye contact with the short one. He glanced at the one with the bow—curly hair and an impractical trench coat.

Techno looked shocked; he moved around me and approached the older one, “Phil?”

I watched Techno pull him into a hug. Small world? I stood by Dream, and we watched everyone else in uncomfortable silence. He finally sheathed his blade, but continued to eye them all cautiously, fingers wrapped around his sword’s handle like he would die if he let go. I wasn’t too worried considering the fact that two of the four looked too young to do much damage.

“I thought they killed you?” Techno said, breaking the silence around the campsite. I turned to listen to their conversation, hoping for some clue about what was going on.

“Tommy came running when Jack got sent to prison. It was enough of a warning to get out of there,” He shook the massive wings behind him, and chuckled a little a Techno’s surprise, “They can’t kill me that easy.”

I blinked, staring at his massive wings. I wondered if he could actually fly with those things or if he was just an oversized chicken. He caught me staring and tucked his wings further behind him, making them look small and unthreatening.

“You can call me Phil,” He held out his hand. I shook it in silence. When I didn’t respond, he continued, “That’s Wilbur,” He moved toward the curly haired one, then the short one, “Tubbo.”

“And the one on the ground is Tommy?” I concluded. He nodded.

“I’m Y/n, by the way. That’s Dream,” I pointed behind me.

“Dream as in the prince’s guard dog, Dream?” Wilbur butted in.

“Ex-guard,” Dream corrected. Wilbur only hummed. He had lowered his bow a while ago, but he still had an arrow drawn back.

“Get off me already!” Tommy pushed Jack off, “What are you lookin’ at?” He threatened me with his blade.

“A child,” Wilbur laughed.

The focus was chaotic, and I wasn’t sure who to look at. Techno had pulled Phil to the side to talk about something, Tommy was going feral at Wilbur, and the short one—I forgot his name already—was talking to Jack. I left Dream’s side to speak to the ladder group.

“So this group is the rebels trying to take over the throne?” I asked Jack as I approached.

“Trust me, they are far more professional on the battle ground. Talk to Tubbo for me, yeah? I’ve got to talk to Tom,” He patted my arm and left me with shorty.

“Do you like bees? They look cute and fuzzy, but they will stab you with no hesitation," He peered up at me with curious and piecing eyes. He looked down a second after, "I’m sure you can relate.”

“Are you callin’ me cute?”

“I’m calling you stabby,” He mumbled as a matter of fact.

“Hmm, I like you already. So where’s your camp?”

“Due north, Phil will show you,” He pointed toward the Phil, and started in his direction. I trailed behind, until our presence cut Techno off.

“Tubbo?” Phil started.

“We should head back, the smoke is still here,” He pointed up to the sky at the remaining smoke hovering, taunting us. Phil nodded in agreement, mumbled something to Techno, and rounded up the rest of the group. Wil and Dream had made fast frenemies, and Tommy was cursing out Jack for one reason or another. It was far more noise than I was used to, but I’m sure I’d find a way to keep the peace.

We were on the road in a mere few minutes; none of us were particularly desperate to stay cooped up in the makeshift campsite, and most of the group was complaining about being hungry. I hadn’t eaten in a good while, too, so I was hoping the rebels had food stashed away at whatever camp they were taking us to.

The walk wasn’t too bad; I stuck by Dream’s side for most of it, and Techno was still bugging some explanation out of Phil. The younger boys were terrorizing Wilbur, but he looked happy despite that. I was mesmerized. Family was a vaguely familiar concept to me, but the years in isolation have taught me self-reliance. As this little group grew, so did my confidence. And the realization that being lonely sucked had weighed my heart down.

It wasn’t a long walk as I expected; they wouldn’t been able to get to the smoke as fast as they did if it was. The camp was worn. I figured they lived here for a long time after assessing the scorch marks around the fire pit and the heavily traversed paths that led into the trees. I peered around as Phil made quick work lighting the fire. I could see the routine in their steps when Tubbo dump some fire wood on the kindling Phil set up. I caught sight of Tommy and Jack fumbling with a pot full of water, and Wilbur came out of one of the tents with a pink haired girl at his heels. She was holding some more food, and was cooking up a storm in no time.

Dream disappeared into one of trees bordering the camp, and Techno kept his distance a little, arms crossed, and watching the camp buzz. Wilbur sidled up to me after a minute, his bow was slung over his shoulder now.

“You can sit by the fire y’know, we don’t bite,” He sent me a smirk.

“Company makes me uneasy.”

“But you still helped Manifold,” Wilbur nodded over to the boy sharpening a sword.

“He sent me your way anyway. I would’ve felt bad,” I finally met his eyes.

“Wanna drink?” He changed the subject. It had been awhile since the last time I drank. I got…competitive.

“Only a little,” I agreed tentatively. I figured at least Techno or Dream would stay sober if worst came to worst, so I followed Wilbur to the fire and he brought back a bunch of mead. Phil and Techno both took some, and I hesitantly grabbed a mug. It was sweeter than I thought it would be.

“Can I have some alcohol, Wil?” Tommy sidled up to him, and Jack knocked him upside the head.

“I’ll think about it,” Wilbur teased, and gave a mug to the pink haired girl.

I continued to sip it down, until the mug was empty and I was feeling relaxed enough to hold a proper conversation.

“Here,” I looked up to see the girl offering me a bowl. I took it gently and placed the mug on the ground. After one bite, I was in heaven.

“You are the best cook I’ve ever encountered,” I said with no hesitation.

She giggled a little, flattered, “I’m Niki.”

I took her hand and told her my name through a mouthful of broth. I gulped it down, “Sorry, Y/n,” I repeated.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Y/n. I’m going to apologize for Wilbur in advance; he gets a little too friendly sometimes. And Tommy. He’s just…loud,” She laughed a little to herself and started to pick at her food too.

My nerves vanished with every word out of her mouth. Her general presence was relaxing, and she was mother-like in the best ways. It was after the second mug and Wilbur’s unnecessary comments in our conversation that got me wanted to arm wrestle him into the ninth circle of the nether.

With obnoxious laughs from the both of us and chanting from Tommy and Jack, Niki was slowly coxed into reffing the match. I gripped Wil’s hand tight. Narrowing his eyes, he smirked and gripped back just as hard. I nearly laughed again when Niki picked up her hand and signaled the start. I gripped the fragile wooden table with my left hand and fought against Wilbur’s tight grip. Our hands shook with effort atop the table and his glove was leaving marks in the webbing between my thumb and fingers. The glint in his eye was determined; I could see the fighter in him. Resilient and witty, and I felt my trust in him grow.

I could feel the third drink bubble in my stomach, and confidence shot through my arm. I could’ve sworn his grip would splinter the table as his hand dropped lower toward the wood. My cockiness grew, but Wilbur held fast; digging his elbow into the wood and pushing with all his strength. At this time, Phil and Techno peered into the ruckus to watch our legendary battle. Part of me knew Dream was watching too.

He managed to push us back to the start, but it didn’t last long. My arm was tired, and Wilbur got the best of me in seconds. My shoulder pounded and I could practically feel the wood underneath the back of my hand. He let out a bellowing laugh and my hand hit the table. I dramatically fell over onto the table with his momentum and admitted my defeat. I was partly tired from the battle, but I was also strangely content. It was definitely a loss to mark down in my record, but it felt good to be able to lose in the best way: against a friend. I lifted my head from the table.

“Oh, worthy opponent, you have bested me and wounded my pride. You win…nothing,” I gave him a smile built upon liquor and held out my hand in a gesture of goodwill. He clapped his hand into mine and shook it with enough force to make me stumble a bit.

“I win dignity and bragging rights,” He replied.

The sky trickled in sun kissed light, gleaming upon us. The end of our battle loomed high above our heads, reminding us of our insignificance in the world. We would prove this fact wrong. The battle was over, but we would rage hell in the war.

Chapter Text

“C’mon, up and at ‘em.”

I blinked my eyes open and squinted up at Phil. I stood up, slipped on my boots, and took the coffee that Phil offered. He left the tent to give me a bit of privacy and to wake up a little bit more. It was tough with the pounding in my skull, but I managed to stretch out and blink the blurriness from my vision. I looked around a bit, barely recognizing my surroundings. I could’ve sworn that I was sharing the tent with Niki and Tubbo. They must be up already. I downed the cup and gathered my things up.

Slipping out of the tent, I spotted Techno waving me toward the much bigger tent on the edge of the campsite, hidden under the cover of tree leaves and low-hanging branches. He lifted the flap for me, and I slipped inside to find everyone standing around a center table.

“Looks like I missed the party,” I commented out of pure awkwardness.

“You were the party,” Wilbur chuckled. Phil changed the subject.

“Now that we have everyone present, and an actual team to work with,” Phil spread a rough sketch of the kingdom’s corridors across the center table, “We can plan a real attack on the kingdom. They have a few weak spots in their defense we’ve seen so far: here and here.”

“And here,” I noted, pointing to a spot just outside the walls. The place Ponk was stationed.

“Sam roams there, though,” Dream spoke up in warning.

“Ponk will make slipping into the castle easier. We’re more likely to stay unnoticed that way,” I pointed out, and his nod showed that he agreed.

“Inside the castle, there are a few secret passages in the walls. It’s hard to map them out,” Dream gestured to the majority of the map, “It’s not detailed enough.”

“Well, we were lucky to pull this much of it together,” Phil muttered. He didn’t seem annoyed at how we took over the conversation, but he did seem frustrated. With what, I wasn't sure.

Dream looked over to me, moved to my side, and pulled the notebook from the belt. He dropped it on the table in front of Phil. Phil looked to me for confirmation he could read it, and when I nodded, he flipped through its contents. He stopped at one page, brows furrowed as he read. Carefully he picked up a pencil and scratched down countless marks onto his makeshift map. The group watched him work in silence.

He closed the book when he was done, sliding it across the table back over to me. I gave the book to Dream, I didn’t really want to look at it. Instead, I watched Phil; He didn’t take his eyes off the map, tapping the pencil to his chin a few times.

“Okay. What if we split up into three groups? We could cover more ground, and we’re more likely to catch the knights inside off guard.” Phil looked up as he suggested the plan.

“It would be more efficient to fight our way through as a group. Strength in numbers, Phil. We can’t afford to lose any one group,” Techno stated.

“I’ve trained with those guards. We’re better off all sneaking in or taking the guards out silently,” Dream proposed, butting heads.

Wilbur began to look far more serious, “I agree with Techno. Especially with what happened to Jack.”

“Tommy’s fault,” Jack muttered.

“Wil’s right.” Tommy took his side.

Techno looked at the three and shot Dream a glare.

“We’ve talked about this Techno, numbers are important, but so is keeping everyone safe,” Phil reasoned, “Dream knows more about their strengths, and he has a point.”

“What? Phil, you can’t be serious,” Techno slammed a palm down on the table.

“They outnumber us anyway, it would be smarter to stay unnoticed,” Niki butt in, finally expressing her opinion on the matter. Tubbo nodded his approval by her side, shouting a small “Yeah!”

I flicked my eyes between both sides of the table. I was the deciding vote? Seriously? I eyed the map, ignoring the heated debate surrounding me. Phil’s original point held up; If I got to Ponk, we could get a few of us in undetected while the rest posed a distraction on opposite ends of the kingdom. It would confuse the guards and hopefully cause a panic. We weren’t much of a threat, but if we could take down the king while his guards were busy, there’s a good chance we could win.

“Guys,” I muttered. I only caught three pairs of eyes, “Guys!” I shouted.

Once everyone turned to face me and shut up, I explained the plan.

“Phil’s first idea could work better than whatever you’re all arguing about. Listen, if we split up into three groups we could cover more ground, and there’s a higher chance that we win,” I pointed to one of the spots Phil said there was a weak point, “Phil, Tommy, and Jack move in this way. You have to cause whatever kind of distraction possible. It doesn’t matter if that includes fighting or not. As long as you get the guards to leave their posts.

“Wil, Techno, Dream, you three move in this way. Distraction or not, cause havoc. If you manage to get inside, get to the throne room. The king’s bound to have guards by him and we’re going to need backup. Tubbo, Niki, and I will go through the dungeon. With Ponk on guard, we will get in without much of a fight. From there, we’ll take the secret passages to find and attack the king. Any questions?”

“Yeah, these groups are terrible,” Techno butt in.

I shot him a glare, “We need to create a fight, and you two can handle yourselves well. That is unless you want to go in alone.”

“I wouldn’t mind that,” He grumbled to himself. He seemed to stand down, so I swept my gaze across the rest of the table.

“Any other concerns?”

“How can we trust this ‘Ponk’ fellow? None of us have heard of him,” Tubbo spoke up. I didn’t think he would have much of an opinion, but I assumed he wanted to know because he would be the one to meet him.

“He’s an old friend. He owes me some favors, and he doesn’t like our friendly ruler either.”

“I have a concern,” Phil crossed his arms after my explanation, “I agree that splitting up is a good tactic, but with such small groups, being outnumbered might become a problem. I don’t doubt anyone’s skill as a fighter, but none of us will be much good against five soldiers each.”

I pondered his words. This was true; without much of an army, we couldn’t do much damage or survive for that matter.

“What can we do to fix that?” I muttered. It was mostly rhetorical, but I was almost positive Phil already had an answer for me. He seemed well versed in war plans, and he must’ve thought it through.

“I think we should keep the small group to the dungeon. Dream should go with instead of Niki. He knows the secret passages well, it seems," Dream nodded in confirmation, “Niki, I need you to gather more people. If something goes wrong, we’ll need more people to fall back on. I’ll trust you to pick well.

“We’ll–“ Phil gestured to him, Tommy, and Jack– “create a diversion. Wilbur and Techno can take them out that way. We will meet you inside.”

“Yell if anything goes wrong. That place echoes more than an empty cavern,” Dream spoke up, “Meet up back here, and make sure not to be followed. The guard doesn’t know the forests well enough to guess where camp is.”

And that was it. Our plan was confirmed and set in motion. All that was left to do was prepare.

Phil and Wilbur prepared the weapons. They confirmed what everyone used and even sharpened our weapons in the meantime. We had all day to prepare, but when night fell, we would strike.

Tommy, Tubbo, and Jack were sent to get armor for everyone. They bugged me for twenty minutes, having me try on different chestplates and arm guards until they found ones that fit well. They relatively left me alone afterwards. Niki caught my attention to ask if I knew anyone who would fight with us. I told her about a few soldiers who worked for the kingdom that would most likely help, but I didn’t know many people after that. She didn’t seem upset that I couldn’t help her, and she left with a soft smile.

I wasn’t sure what I could do to help. They seemed to have all the bases covered. My best bet was to bother Dream for another sparring match, but when I couldn’t find him, I went to Techno instead.

“Will you spar with me?” I asked him as I approached. He was leaning against a tree, arms crossed and eyes following Phil across the green. He met my eyes with a surprisingly soft gaze. I didn’t know how to read it.

He didn’t answer me either. He just pushed off the tree and started into the woods. I took it as an invitation and followed him. Even if it wasn’t, I figured he wanted the company despite his unfriendly demeanor.

He eventually stopped without a word, and he just stood there. I didn’t stop behind him; I moved to his side and eyed his face carefully through the pink strands of his hair. I moved my gaze up to the trees to find what he was staring at. I noticed a bright green blob through the leaves and recognized Dream immediately. I took it that we weren’t going to spar, and I crossed my arms in disappointment.

Dream knew we had spotted him and relaxed on the branch, swinging his legs down and leaning against the tree trunk. He peeled his mask off and watched us below him. He didn’t have much to say about the campsite and was quiet around the others. It was unlike him in nearly every way how serious he was; it had unnerved me since last night. He didn’t stick around long enough for me to ask about it––I doubted he would even answer if I did. Part of me knew it was about George; he felt like he was betraying himself, especially now that we were so close. He dropped down to the ground, glared at Techno and me, and stalked off through the trees. I watched him pull his mask down again. He couldn’t hide the look I saw, though.

I wondered if Techno could tell something was wrong. They antagonized each other constantly, so I doubted that he even knew that Dream could smile. Then I wondered if Techno could.

“What were you talking to Phil about? Yesterday?” I pried, unsure of what to say to start a conversation.

“Do you have family?” He asked back.

“I did. They were…killed.” I answered, confused.

“I was asking him about mine. Granted, Phil is probably close enough to be considered family too, but I meant blood-related family.”

I always thought his family was from the nether, but he did say he was only HALF piglin. He sighed and leaned against a tree. Dramatic much. I plopped down onto the ground and tilted my chin up to the sky. The sunlight caught my face at a warm, albeit bright, angle. I closed my eyes to soak in the last bit of calm before the storm.

“You can talk to me, y’know. We stuck by each other for a good while. I’ve put a lot of trust in you,” I glanced over to him. He was staring at me with the most neutral face he’s ever worn.

“Trust me?” He thought for a minute, “I do tolerate you like I tolerate Phil. And I trust him.”

He didn’t have to say much more for me to understand. I bit my lip to keep from smiling, but I couldn’t help it. We had to be friends at least. I pushed myself up to my feet and shot that smile toward Techno. I flicked a rock at him and watched it bounce harmlessly off his arm. He didn’t move at that action, but he did follow me as I drifted through the trees.

He caught my arm and pushed me into a tree, studying my face.

“I don’t understand you,” He stared through my eyes into my soul. He was bent over to my height so that his face was level with mine. My face felt hot from the proximity, but I stayed still to let him try to figure me out. Eventually, he straightened up, towering over me once again. I was still shocked, but I didn’t fight back against his grip on my wrist.

“Your hair's undone,” I mumbled out, glancing to the side to get his eyes off me. He looked down at the loose strands and moved to fix them. I caught his wrist, “Let me.”

He considered my offer for a moment but soon accepted. I led him over to a tree trunk where he sat and gave me access to his messy hair. He had it in a braid before, but without brushing through it much, it was a disaster. I undid what was left and ran my fingers from his scalp down to the tips of his hair. It wasn't a vibrant pink; it was muted and soft and bordered on white or blonde. He sighed after I finally pulled out the knots and ran my fingers through his hair a few times.

“Do you ever let anyone do your hair?”

“You would be the first,” He mumbled. I felt a surge of pride through my heart and smiled to myself. I quickly plaited it loosely, tying it off with the string he had in it before. It definitely looked neater, and it was missing the twigs and leaves caught in it earlier. I smirked at my handiwork and moved around the stump. Techno pulled the plait onto his shoulder to inspect it and smiled in approval. My heart almost stopped from beating so hard. It was so soft I barely noticed, but his lip curled up and his boar-like teeth peeked out a little bit.

It was gone as soon as it appeared, but I savored the memory.

We walked silently back to the camp together where the others waited. Well, "waited" was the wrong word; Tommy was stuffing his face and Dream was still nowhere to be found. We took our place around the fire and took a portion of what was over the flame. I decided not to drink any alcohol tonight, but I still shared laughs with the others. Our last night of calm.

Chapter Text

We split up at the path leading up to the kingdom’s gates. I didn’t feel quite ready to leave the comforts of our camp residence yet, but if I wanted permanent peace, this had to be done. I stared up at the massive kingdom walls, and the entrance gates that loomed above. This kingdom never used to be so closed off and isolated; when I was here as a child, the gates were open to anyone and there was constant foot-traffic going in and out to the neighboring villages. Now, it was barren. Few people entered and even fewer left.

I glanced around at our small group. Tommy made a joke about flinging himself dramatically into Phil’s arms, and I cracked what little smile I could manage. Wilbur, Techno, and Jack followed after him, waving and saying their “good luck”s and “see you later”s. I trusted that they could take care of themselves. Tommy wished Tubbo luck before he took off with the rest of them, and Techno gave me a curt nod and bumped his shoulder against mine softly as he passed.

We watched them enter through the gates; Phil using his status to get by the guards. Dream nudged my shoulder, and I wondered if he was ready to pull that stick out of his ass and actually work together. He’s been quiet and a general pain to be around for the past few days. I was worried, but now he needed to grow up for long enough to bring down King Notfound. He probably needed a good talking to, but, for now, we had to find Ponk.

I took up the lead, sticking just behind the trees to avoid any unwanted attention and scanning the outside walls for the grate Ponk should still be guarding. There were several lining the walls, but I didn’t spot any out of place that would determine his position. I only halted when I spotted two silhouettes casted in the grass from a flickering torch light behind one of the grates. I elbowed Dream, catching Tubbo’s attention too, and made a gesture to stay silent.

I watched the figures cautiously as I approached, trying to make out their features; one of them had to be Ponk. He said he would wait for me. I motioned to stay low and crept toward the grate above. It was open? I glanced inside. One of the guards was lounging on a chair, and the other stood stiff, nervous; it was Ponk. He didn’t mention that he would be stationed with someone else.

I hesitated to climb up, but knowing Ponk was on our side, we could take down the second guard if he became a problem. I pulled myself up to the grate and made eye contact with the stranger. He didn’t even flinch back at my sudden appearance.

“Friends of yours?” He asked Ponk, but Ponk only tensed up further in response.

The second guard’s relaxed position was off-putting. His post was basically getting ambushed and he couldn’t care less. I eyes him warily until Dream climbed up beside me, pulling Tubbo up by the back of his chest-plate. Tubbo swatted at his hand insisting he could pull himself up.

“It would be wise to let us through,” I started, my hand resting threateningly over my blade. He glanced between Ponk and me. I watched him remove his helmet and met his purple eyes. How curious.

“Or we could make a deal. Got anything of worth to trade? The king pays me well you know.”

“What kinda Punz rip-off—“ I started, then sighed, “Fine.”

Dream moved to my side and sent him a glare, grabbing my arm, “It would be easier to just take you out. You’re outnumbered.” Dream looked ready to fight.

“That may be true, but the Warden is making his rounds tonight. It would be a real shame if,” He paused and put his arm around Ponk’s shoulders, “he found his favorite little guard with my dead body.” The guard responded, confident that his words would scare us off. Dream’s grip tightened around my forearm, and Ponk swung around to face him.

“He is? Shit, guys––“ Ponk glanced toward me.

“—I know. Bad news,” Dream cut him off. Our odds were looking bleak. I moved my gaze back over to our problematic guard. He didn’t break eye contact. I almost felt respect toward him for being so confident. I scoffed, digging into my pocket, and pulling out the huge emerald chunk––the one from my dream. His eyes flicked down, and he seemed satisfied with what I offered.

He held his hand out toward me, “Purpled, pleased to work with you,” he introduced himself, not taking his eyes off the gem.

I rolled my eyes and dropped it into his palm. I had no use for it anyway.

Dream put himself between me and Purpled, and we made our way through the dungeon after Ponk’s many warnings to watch out for the Warden.

“Warden’s new,” I prompted Dream. It had been a pretty short time since I’ve been gone, but it seems King Notfound has taken extra precautions to continue to protect his name.

“Sam. He’s a menace, and Ponk is right, avoid him at all costs.”

“Please,” Tubbo smiled and interjected himself in between us, “I’m sure the three of us could take him.”

“No way,” Dream said, “Not without leaving us out of commission, and surrounded by his guards.”

We started heading towards the dungeon’s exit, but I caught sight of a massive guard covered head to toe in netherite. He pulled a weighty axe up to rest on one shoulder and was patrolling down the hall toward us. Dream yanked me back around the corner to avoid being seen. I could hear the guard’s footsteps as he approached. My breath caught in my throat when I met Dream’s eyes. He held a finger to the mouth on his mask and pointed toward an empty cell. Tubbo and I followed after him. I watched as he pulled a brick out of part of the wall, and reached into the hole. He pulled open a secret door and ushered us inside.

He replace the brick and pulled to door closed as silently as possible.

“THAT was the warden,” Dream whispered, backing away from the door.

He sucked in a breath and hesitated, but he soon turned away from us and started up the stairs. Tubbo and I followed him down the passage way, trusting that he knew where to go. Why were they so scared of the warden? He couldn’t be that menacing for one man, could he? I kept my eyes trained on Dream’s shoulders as I walked. I had to trust that there was a good reason.

The stairway got less steep as we ascended, but I felt like the walls were hugging my shoulders a little to close. The wooden beams that supported the stone roof repeatedly caught my shoulders in the same spot, leaving bruises, and I was tempted to start moving sideways. With the way the hallway closed in on us, we might have to.

Eventually, as we wandered in the dark, I rammed into Dream’s back when he stopped walking and, consequently, Tubbo ran into me. With a hand on Dream’s back, I could feel him moving his arms and felt his back muscles stretching and rippling under his cloak. I tried peaking around him to see what he was doing, but it was too dark and cramped to see much of anything. With a loud creak, light flooded into the corridor, blinding the three of us. Dream moved out first, dropping off a short ledge and peering around the empty corridor. I followed after shortly, landing next to him, and making sure Tubbo was right behind me. Dream slid the door back into place.

“There should be another passage behind one of these paintings…” Dream mumbled to himself. The hallway stretched off to the left leading to an intersection. To the right was a large set of double doors that I was almost confident lead to the war room. The three of us split up to look around. Dream was knocking on the picture frames he passed, seemingly unsatisfied with what he found. I looked up at the portrait in front of me.

The painting was at least 8 feet tall, and the frame nearly reached the ceiling and floor. As my eyes traveled around its contents, they met with blank and bleak ones. The man stared down at me––more accurately, he stared through me. He was dressed in traditional royal clothing with a blood red cape swooping over one shoulder. A crown sat on his head made of solid gold with sapphire and blue topaz inlay. Looking around, many of the other paintings held a similar status. Portraits of Kings and Queens lined the corridor.

I took a step closer and knocked on the frame, hoping to find something Dream hadn’t yet. I was shocked to hear a hollow sound; the wood looked like mahogany and was not typically made to be hollowed out. There was no way these frames weren’t made of solid wood or metal. I knocked again to hear the same echo back. As curiosity tended to control my actions, I didn’t hesitate to pull the frame away from the wall. The painting swung out like a door with a squeal, allowing us to enter a much wider hallway than the first secret passage.

Dream made his way over to me quickly after the ruckus I made, “This it?” I asked.

Tubbo laughed a little when he saw how I swung open the painting. Dream and I glanced over to see him with his sword slashed halfway through one of the portraits.

“Whoops,” He slowly sheathed his sword with a sheepish smile.

I raised an eyebrow at his choice, but lost my train of thought as Dream brushed shoulders with me. Despite how his masked hid all his features, I still turned my head and stared at what Could see of his jawline. His head was tilted upward into the dark cavern behind the painting and I saw him gulp out of the corner of my eye. Tubbo was less hesitant and climbed into the darkness willingly. Dream turned to watch me stare at him, and I could only nod. I followed after Tubbo so I could pretend like he wasn’t staring after me.

We were enclosed in darkness when Dream pulled the frame back in place. I held my hands out to feel the walls as we walked. Dream was almost too close on my back and I had no gauge of where Tubbo was in front of me. I blinked rapidly as I walked to try to adjust my vision, but there was no chance I would be able to see. I tried to listen for their footsteps as I walked. I almost reached out for Tubbo too, when my hand hit a wall in front of me, and Dream ran into my back.

“I’m never doing this shit again,” I muttered, rubbing my nose after Dream slammed me into the wall. It was honestly embarrassing how badly we navigated the secret tunnels.

“Ugh, usually there are torches everywhere, but nobody uses these tunnels anymore.” Dream scoffed, using an arm to prop himself against the wall in front of me, unintentionally pinning me to the wall and making it impossible for me to continue to the right to follow Tubbo. I turned around so I was chest-to-chest with Dream and put a hand on his outstretched arm trying to figure out his position in the dark.

“Don’t you know where to go?” I asked, mocking him for not bringing a light.

“Heh, no, but I do know you just ran into a wall,” He responded. I could hear him smirking.

I lightly tapped my other fist to his chest as if I was punching him and smiled to myself.

“Glad you finally stopped sulking,” I laughed, “I noticed you seemed pretty angry lately. Thanks for still helping. I know you didn’t want to.”

“What? I…” He goes silent for a little bit, “I did–I DO…want to help. It’s just, well, y’know, like, I um…” Dream stumbled over his words frantically and completely stopped speaking. He pulled his arm back from the wall and stepped back enough so that my hand fell from its place on his chest. I had no idea how far back he was. I almost reached out. Almost.

“I don’t want to hurt him anymore,” Dream finally got out. His words echoed against the walls. I had weighed my morals long before I got here, but Dream was falling apart; it feels like he hadn’t chosen a side yet. Either way he would lose in the end. Revenge for his family or the love of his old friends––it was an ultimatum.

After a few swings in the dark, my hand hit his collar. I traced his arm down to grab his hand and held it in both of mine. I tried to get him to focus on my words, “It’s your decision. I won’t fight you if you don’t want to do this anymore. I don’t want to fight you. But the damage is done. He only feels betrayed. I’m not saying you can’t fix it, but I don’t think it’s as easy as talking to him.”

He tensed when I said “betrayed,” but stood straighter and muttered out his acknowledgment of my words.

He sighed, “Let’s just get this over with then. Maybe then he’ll see.”

I kept hold of his hand as we continued into the dark. After a second turn, there was enough light from a few cracks in the wall for me to see Tubbo peaking out through one.

“Whatcha see, Tubbo?” I asked as we got closer.

“Well, it’s not the King’s chambers like we planned. I think it’s… a dining hall?” He responded, offering the peaking hole to me.

I peered through the crack to see a long room completely decorated with detailed wallpaper and gilded trim along the walls and floors. The table stretched across most of the room and held over forty chairs. There was no food, but the table was far from empty. Candles and silverware and plates sat in front of every chair. Decorative bowls filled with fruits and nuts and cheeses and bread sat along a thin blue table runner that didn’t reach the width of the table. It was likely made of silk with golden thread patterns, matching the royal blue color of the velvet chairs and complex tapestries that lined the dining hall.

Truly a palace fit for a king.

Dream dropped my hand and pulled a lever in the wall, unlocking the mechanism to open the secret door. The three of us slipped out into the open, the bright lights forcing me to squint to see anything.

Dream started toward the double door exit. He swung the doors open and scanned the hallway. As I walked up next to him, he grabbed my arm.

“Let’s make this count,” He moved his mask to say. I caught his eye. He held my gaze strong and that was all I needed from him.

We exited the dining room into the hall. I wasn’t completely sure where we were going, but as we kept walking I found myself getting more and more familiar with my surroundings.

We came up on a long hallway ending in a set of massive doors. Finally Dream spoke up again.

“Okay, last hallway. Let’s end this—“

“There they are! Intruders!” Shouts echoed from in front of us. Unrecognizable soldiers were on us in a moments notice. The three of us stumbled over our on feet to turn and get the hell out of there.

After turning back around the corner and retracing our steps, Ponk and a few others got the jump on us. He took me by the shoulders and pushed me up against the nearest wall.

I grabbed his arms and tried to kick him off. How could he do this? I thought we trusted each other. We are friends. Ponk, you can’t do this to me. Please.

Chapter Text

So yall, be honest with me here.

I feel like continuing this is in total bad taste. For super obvious reasons. so uhm…should i finish?? I still have all my outlines lmfao.

Idk how many people have this bookmarked in hopes. it totally feels so so weird finishing but i could change the ending?

hmm anyway, i want to have a temporary poll just to see. because i am NOT here to judge considering i was the one writing this in the first place lol.

so like here

https://forms.gle/EgaBZjQwxAqwJDoU8

i know you can’t really have links but try your best to help me out here!