It’s Only A Matter Of Time…

by LadyMordem

Summary:

IK THERES A BUNCH OF STUFF GOING ON IN THE DSMP COMMUNITY(specifically I know the whole Wilbur thing) AND I WILL SAY NOW I REMAIN SEPARATE AND NEUTRAL FROM IT ALL. ALL CHARACTERS ARE THEIR IN MINECRAFT PERSONAS SO IF YOU DONT LIKE WILBUR IN THIS FIC YOU DONT HAVE TO READ. THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION

 

Ok actual story time

 

Karl decides that it’s finally time for some answers. Things have been going well, and the book hasn’t done anything to him in weeks. So, he gathers a few of the people on the SMP to try and figure things out.

Instead, the lot of them are pulled to the past, full of familiar faces, wild twists, and most importantly, a war to be fought, and a disappearance to explain.

 

Or: I wrote this like three years ago and never went anywhere with it but I’m recovering from spinal surgery and literally have nothing better to do so why not try again

Chapter 1: Before we start

I made the first version of this on Wattpad a few years back and decided to pick it up again. Hopefully this time I can take it somewhere. 

this chapter is just some basic information that will help and be there in case you want to refer back to it if you want to 

Now, I said this in the summary but I’m going to clarify: I’m not a part of the DSMP fandom, I just wanted to write a fic. I recognize some of the people have some things going on and I want to make it clear: I don’t care. I’m neutral, don’t wanna be involved, and the fic is only for their DSMP canon characters anyway, not the real people themselves. Please don’t come after me or fill my comment section with anything negative involving this topic. If you don’t like the fact that Wilbur is a character in this book, I won’t hold it against you for leaving. Hope that’s understandable :)

 

Lore time!

 

 

Marquis: Enormous, feathered dragons often ridden by an ancient family. (In terms of movement or size, think Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon dragons)I will include colored images here. The earring was just a thing I did while drawing; not all of them have one.

 

 

 

Wyverns: Dragons with two legs and who use their wings as an extra set of arms, they can grip things with the claws on their wings but they would rather use their tails or jaws. They also typically have similar builds and features, though the colourings vary. (Also size and movement can be referenced to the dragons in GOT and HOTD)

 

 

Sky Dragons: Dragons made for storms and places with thinner air, their horns can act as lightning rods, and they have a line of white fur going down their back to their tails. The fur can conduct static electricity. They are masters of speed as well as very agile.

End Dragons: there is only ever one hatched in that Dragon's lifetime, so it is heavily guarded and protected until it hatches. They are rumoured to have the ability to teleport, though it has yet to be proven.

Sea Dragons: there is no definitive look for a Sea Dragon, there is always many different kinds of them. They can all breathe underwater, but only certain kinds of Sea Dragons can fly. They tend to be one of the more playful species, as well.

Fire Dragons: They are very common-looking dragons–red scales in all shades, fire-breathers, but some are also more complicated. Some can increase their body heat, set parts of them(or some their whole body) on fire, and some can swim through lava.

Ice Dragons: Basically IceWings but different bcs copyright.

Rock Dragons: Also called Stony Drakes, these dragons are flightless, but they have a special skin flap along their sides they can fan out to glide a bit. Their scales are very tough and hard to break, and that toughness is determined by their scale colouring. They are all colors of gems and minerals and such, and they have long, slender bodied to fit into gaps through caved-in boulders and they often aid in rescue missions, having a keen sense of where they are underground at any given time.

Gryphons: Gryphons. What else must I say? They're Gryphons.

Fire Lizards: In Enderian, they're called Dertíl aüde Anjaxiem, which when translated to Elvish is 'Messenger of Fire'. This description is accurate. They are small, like an abnormally large parrot, and actually you know what they're actually just the Fire Lizards from Dragonriders of Pern, specifically the ones on the cover of Dragonsong(there's several versions of the same book cover so it's the one where the girl's in the green dress and holding the pipes in her hand with the fire lizards around her), but I gave them more colors and yes. They are mostly used for swift communication among the Nejovik.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nejovik: pronounced "Nay-ho-vick"(yes, that's all you get bcs I don't wanna spoil it)

Cinna: The great, ancient hybrid city, before it was lost to time and memory.

The (main)Characters:

Karl Jacobs: Human(Time Traveller)

Sapnap: Pyro Elf

George: Forest Elf

Dream: Nobody knows...

Technoblade(o7): Piglin hybrid

Tubbo: Goat hybrid

Ranboo: Enderian(or at least half)

Tommy: Feral gremlin child(human)

Ph1LzA: Elytrian(crow)/Angel of Death 

Wilbur: Phantom/Avian/Elytrian hybrid(Prince of Death)

Awesamdude: Creeper/centaur hybrid

BadBoyHalo: Demon/Vampire hybrid

Punz: Human 

Quackity: Avian(Duck) hybrid

 

 

And that’s all :)

Chapter 2: Oh, fun…

Summary:

This one’s a bit rocky but trust me the longer I cook on this it’ll get better

 

*it does not in fact get better*

The last thing Karl remembers is that he’d been reaching for the book. 

He was walking around, making space for everyone, though Bad, Techno, and Sam were doing their best to take up as little space as possible, and glanced over when Tommy had spoken. "It reminds me of Ghostbur's handwriting..." He mused, tracing a few letters. Karl had paused, intrigued. "What's the difference between Ghostbur's and Wilbur's?" He'd asked. Tommy looked up at him for a moment, then replied. "Ghostbur's is a bit less neat. Still the same style, but not as much care put into the way it was written." Tommy sighed, carefully flipping the page as Ranboo stepped closer to peer over the boy’s shoulder. "It smells...strange." He offered. "It smells like a normal, old book to me." Sam pointed out, and the young Enderian had nodded, glancing at the warden for a moment. "It's not easy to pick up...as far as I can tell, it's the smell of Magic. Not many people can pick up on it, and even though I can smell it, the scent is very weak and hard to pick out." He explained. Sam grunted, shifting to let Sapnap get past him. "Makes sense, it's a Time Travel book. Assuming It really is one." Punz had offered, from his position near the wall. “You watch me set trees on fire and Wilbur come back from the dead, but Time Travel is where you draw the line?” Sapnap asked, leading to a conversation about how mythical a thing could be before it was simply ridiculous to believe. After, Ranboo had supplied a little more of what he could. "Well, Magic always smells strange, but I've never smelled this kind before–until you reached out to me, Karl. I assume I smell the…Time Magic on it? Probably something like that. It’s…familiar, though. I don’t know why." Karl had listened with interest, he knew very little about the Enderian boy who befriended Tommy and Tubbo, but had seen that he knows more than his shy demeanour let on. Very perceptive.

 

Then, Karl noticed there was a light coming from the book. His heart fluttered into his stomach as it skipped a beat and dropped at the same time. Panic set in, he swiftly made his way back over to Tommy, weaving past Bad and Sapnap as he did, and reached for the leather-bound journal. "Close the book!" He had cried, and that is when it went dark. 

 

He sits up abruptly, a moment of panic before he calms, and looks around. He's laying up against a tree, Tommy laying beside him as though he had suddenly collapsed into slumber. Ranboo is curled up by the boy's arm like a human-sized cat, and the great piglin warrior a mound covered by his red cape a few feet away. Looking around, Karl stands to orient himself–time travel could be rough, though he'd never passed out before...that was new. And not the kind of new he liked. Punz is on his side next to a bush of some kind, Bad luckily resting in a patch of shade. They’re in a clearing, sun warming the ground like Sapnap's hands after he'd used his flames for a while. Speaking of, Karl is glad to note he’s sleeping against a tree, like he had paused for a nap. Sam is in the middle of the sunny spot, looking content with his location of rest. For such a great, powerful hybrid, more combat-built than others of his species, he certainly doesn't look too threatening in his sleep. Moving on from this, Karl decides to climb the tree he had fallen asleep against.

 

"Going somewhere?" Karl jumps, turning to look at Technoblade, who has sat up and watching him. "Uh–yeah. I want to see where we are, get the lay of the land, you know." He always feels awkward around him. He doesn't know him well either, but he saw the scar he gave Quackity–a long, brutal thing that starts at his eyebrow, goes across his eye(which left him blind in that eye as well), and ends just below his lower lip. The healing of that scar left his mouth slightly deformed, and the entirety of his right side would remain in a sneer for life. Karl knows how dangerous Techno can be, both in the SMP and in other cases, but he forces himself to be open to acquainting himself with the warrior. At least here, they have no reason to be enemies. "Ah. Well, here. I can give you a boost up." Before Karl can assure the Piglin he is very well capable of climbing a tree, he has stood, strode over, and picked him up so he can easily climb into the thick branches to get higher. "Uh, thanks." He calls softly, and he nods. "Just be quick. They'll wonder where we are." Karl makes a face, but starts climbing. Once he reaches the top of the tree, he looks around. The view is stunning–trees, a massive forest, stretching as far as the eye can see in two directions, though to the north, he spots a mountain in the far distance. Maybe a three, possibly four day's walk from their location. To the south, about perhaps a 20 minute walk by comparison, is a field, smoke coming from the distance. A settlement of some sort? That's how his Time Travelling works, usually: a story set around people very much like the ones he knows. After a few moments of simply enjoying the view and watching a far, dark spot that was probably a bird fly around, he climbs back down. By then, Sapnap, Bad, Punz, and Ranboo are awake. Sam wakes up as he drops out of the tree, instantly on his feet, but he staggers for a moment. "Calm down, we're okay." Punz assures him. "Where are we? We were uh, we were in your house, weren't we...?" Ranboo asks, his ears pricked and responsive. He's smelling the air as he speaks. "The book. It...took us somewhere–the past or the future, I don't know." Karl admits. There's an unsettled silence that follows that statement, but Technoblade shrugs. "Well, Time Travel isn't usually my thing but let's go." Does he take everything in stride? Or is he familiar with it, too? Once everyone has woken up, Karl explains what he saw. "Our best bet would be to hide in the forest, but we'd have better luck knowing where we are if we went for the field, because that's probably a town, or a camp of some kind." Sam muses, pacing around the clearing. "We don't know where we are–WHEN we are. It's dangerous outside the SMP, for a reason." Sapnap points out, but Karl shakes his head. "There hasn't been any real evidence of hybrid issues wherever I went. Again, a lot of them looked very similar to you. And I was always supposed to be part of some group, so I suppose the sooner we find where we're supposed to be, the sooner we can get home." Sam grunts, snapping to a sharper attention and peering into the forest. "Well whatever we choose, we need to do it fast–I can smell something. People, I think." Ranboo stiffens, drawing closer to Technoblade, and while Tommy seems calm, he, too, moves for the comfort of the warrior. Punz steps forward, hands in his pockets. "We should play it safe–Karl and I can go and talk to them, maybe get them to leave peacefully. You guys hide." Tommy frowns. "I'm human too. I should come." Ranboo flicks his tail and lets his ears droop a little in what Karl thinks to be sympathy. "You don't know much English." He points out. "And Wilbur refuses to hear anyone speak it." Technoblade adds, a hidden meaning and a glance shared between the three ending the objection. "Go, hide. We'll figure out what they want and then we can go from there. Maybe they're just travellers." Karl urges.

 

It takes a few more moments to get them to hide, but it is done, and Punz looks around for the people Sam claimed to have smelled. "Oh! Hello!" He calls. Karl tracks his gaze, to where a group of maybe 10 people have paused to look at them. He notices that their clothes are distinctly more plain than theirs. They look almost medieval or of some like era. Regardless, Punz strides forward, all smiles and friendliness. "Who're you?" The one closest asks sharply, hand on the hilt of his sword. "We're travellers. Got lost. Who're you? Can you tell us where we are?" The man looks between the two of them, then indicates to his companions. "You aren't from around here, are you? We're hunters. Hybrid hunters. You know what a Hybrid is?” Punz nods. “Yeah–everyone does. We’re lucky we haven’t seen any, honestly.” The mood shifts palpably, all the men bristle and their leader narrows his eyes. “And everyone well knows about their filthy nest. These woods here? They're full of the things. So..." Karl does his best to stay calm as the man draws a crossbow and points it at them. "...either you two are idiots, or you're not even human, after all." Punz stiffens, then glances at Karl. His eyes change meaning, but only for a moment: play along. “I can assure you we're human. Look–no fangs, claws, and our ears are normal. We, uh, didn’t hear about any sort of nest." The man seems unconvinced, stepping forward. "You ever heard of that one man that sided with the beasts? Eyewitness accounts say he's with this scaly, flying lizard. He speaks their cursed languages, and whatever humanity he has is gone. He's as feral as those things are. Funny thing is? Well, he looks a lot like you." A lot happens within the span of a few seconds–Karl shoves Punz out of the way so that the arrow misses him and Sam roars, bellowing out a challenge as he leaps into sight to engage the now-proven hostiles, as does everyone else. But Karl has his attention drawn to something else–

He's been shot.

 

Chapter 3: The Hybrid

Summary:

This one’s also sorta bad but just bear with me I swear once we REALLY get into things it’s gonna start picking up a little bit

Karl staggers back, clutching the bolt sticking out of his gut. He’s been shot before, but the way this hurts is immediately different. Maybe it’s just been made different? "Karl!" Sapnap shouts, dashing to his side and helping him stay upright. The Pyro Elf promptly drags him away from the developing battle and sets him down against a tree, mindful of his surroundings. "Do you mind if I look?" He asks. Karl winces but manages a wry smile. "Go ahead." Sapnap delicately lifts his sweater to inspect the wound, then frowns when he realizes that the clothing gets stuck on the arrow after a certain point. "I can’t see it really well, but I also can't take it out. It's what's stopping you from bleeding to death...and I'd like to avoid cauterizing the wound if we still have more options." He admits after a moment. Karl nods in understanding, grimacing at a fresh wave of pain. As a Pyro Elf, Sapnap can create and control fire without running the risk of developing burns. This allows him to use his fire and cauterize a person's wounds, but it would still hurt. It’s not a fun experience for either person involved, so he avoids it as much as possible. Instead, the Elf snaps off the arrow shaft but leaves the arrowhead and whatever was left of the shaft in, then looks up and freezes. His ears flick, a tight look to his expression. "We've been beat." He hisses, then elaborates further, as Karl can’t see. "They have Tommy and Bad. Seems like that puts Ranboo and Technoblade out of the equation, but so have Sam and Punz.” Karl groans, but slowly gets to his feet. "They already know we're nearby...they want us to come out, don't they?" He asks. Sure enough, the one leading the group calls out for them to step into sight. "Yeah..." Sapnap hesitates, however it is momentarily, before he offers his arm to help Karl walk back over.

 

The one who shot Karl has a dark smile, as though he already knows he's won. The man in charge watches the two walk back over, moving to indicate Karl and Punz. "You two speak their demon tongues, don’t you? And this little one..." He turns to nod at two of his fellow men. These are the two holding Tommy, one to hold him in place by the shoulders and the other holding his head up, blade at his throat. The boy swallows nervously, trying to hide his still evident fear. "...is human, but doesn't know our words. A feral child. We usually kill them on sight, seeing as they’re too far gone to be saved.” The man returns his gaze to the Hybrids. “But he helps keep the brutes in check, so perhaps he'll be useful. Now, here's what's going to happen: we haven't enough men to properly restrain the lot of you, so using the feral kid, we will take you all back to our camp through submission. None of you will think of running off to tell anyone, and you won't try to escape. It would be a pain, but we'd do just as well without him. Tell the beasts that, and be quick about it." He orders. Punz grunts softly, gripping his sword with white knuckles, and Karl feels Sapnap's hand squeeze his a little tighter. "We can't do anything without risking Tommy." Ranboo says instantly, his tail lashing, eyes darting from the Hybrids to the Hunters, then to Tommy, anywhere else but one specific spot. Punz had been translating as the man spoke, though it was mostly for the benefit of Tommy, Sam, and BadBoyHalo. The dark Hybrid is avoiding the patch of sun nearest him and rubbing his hands as though he'd been burned. That is most likely what happened, after all–the long, leather coat and wraps around his arms help, but being half vampire means that the sun hurts him, much like with phantoms and undead monsters. "But we can't just concede, either!" Sam snarls, stomping the earth with his paw, the claws extending to create deep furrows in the soil. Technoblade stays quiet, expression unreadable.

 

Karl is about to reply, however he's stopped by someone darting forward, shoving him to his knees, then keeping him still with the threat of a primed crossbow. "You lot talk too much. I never learned that vile language, but I know you aren't about to surrender. I'm not a FOOL." They hiss in his ear. Sam growls back, silenced when they roughly dig the crossbow into Karl's neck. "So. You'll come quietly, or you won't come at all." The Hunter’s leader tells them, keeping eye contact with Sam the entire time. Punz continues to translate, but he’s much more curt about it. There's a standoffish, tense silence, before Technoblade snorts angrily, dropping his axe with a heavy thud. Following him, Ranboo slowly shrinks back, the tense posture being replaced with submission. Tommy tries to object, but falls silent when his captors dive the blade into his throat a little more. Punz puts down his own weapon, followed by Sapnap, then Sam, and Bad, who is immediately restrained by another few hunters. Their leader smiles, walking towards him. "We’ve seen another like this one. It's a demon, if the glowing eyes didn’t already confirm it. You'll let us take some necessary precautions." With a nod, the men shove the Hybrid to the ground, pinning him there as he twists and writhes. One sits on BadBoyHalo's chest, leaning forward and drawing out a knife. Ranboo inhales, ears dropping as he steps back. "We can't risk it casting its accursed spells, so we may as well prevent it from speaking at all." The Hunter continues, and the other one raises his knife. Bad pales in fear. Sam steps forward, hesitating when Tommy cries out involuntarily, and the crossbow digs deeper into Karl. "That's right, you'll sit nice and pretty while we do our job. Can't let the little boy get hurt, can we?" The Hunter gives a wicked smile, preparing to bring the blade down on the bucking Hybrid below him.

An arrow shoots into him.

 

The man falls immediately, dead. Ranboo flinches, glancing around and smelling the air, though he seems more puzzled than scared. Both human and Hybrid are on edge, now looking for the attacker, when another arrow is fired. This time, it hits one of the people restraining Tommy through the chest, forcefully enough to shove them backwards. The other one lets go as the boy takes advantage of the opportunity to punch him, hitting the side of his jaw. At the same time, something leaps into view. The Hunters seem to recognize it and run, so the being simply roars at their retreating backs. The overpowering smell of sulfur and smoke fills Karl’s nose, much more than Sam gives off with his mask. Looking at the new figure, he realizes that they actually look like Sam: same mottled green coat, pointed ears, and sharp, glowing green pupils. His mask is different, however. It’s made of a strange mixture of metals, not technologically advanced but complex nonetheless. Most prominently, his centaur side is not a lion-like build but that of a genuine centaur. He also has no armour on other than a netherite chest plate, carefully crafted and glimmering with enchantment at the edges. He snorts, satisfied they're gone, and turns to face the group, black eyes locking on Karl and Punz before they blaze with anger. "Why are they still here?" The Hybrid demands, speaking sharply to Sam. "They're our friends." He replies slowly, flicking his tail. Karl wonders what Sam’s feeling. Last they were aware, he was one of maybe two left, after all. However shocking it is to the others, it probably pales in comparison to Sam’s. "Humans are not friends to Hybrids." The Creeper-centaur states coldly, stepping forward. "They have no heart and no mercy." Recollecting himself, Sam stiffens, bristling with a warning growl which the other responds to in kind. Sapnap tenses too, keeping Karl within arm's reach. Meanwhile, Ranboo's still by Technoblade's side, who's gone to make sure Tommy's alright, while BadBoyHalo comes over, wary but intrigued. He's still nervous, glancing around every so often to make sure the Hunters aren't coming back. "But they ARE! Look, Karl's been shot. They shot him. Why would they shoot a fellow human if they were on the same side?" He points out. The Hybrid walks closer, inspecting Karl closely, before reaching out to lift his sweater, inspecting the injury for himself. When it pulls on what’s left of the arrow, Karl groans, though the Creepertaur makes no mention of it. "He needs help with that wound." He states simply, flicking his tail. There is no emotion in his voice, only facts. "Well, can you help him, then?" Techno asks, shifting to accept Tommy against his side. Ranboo had pulled him close, as though to keep him from being taken away again. "I can't. Not well, anyway." The Hybrid answers, sighing heavily. He releases a cloud of smoke and raises his arm. There's an awkward moment of silence where nothing happens, before something chitters, landing on his outstretched forearm, wrapping its long tail around the limb for balance. It's a small beast, around the size of a large parrot, but scaly, like a lizard. It has big, smooth eyes, which whirl different colors as it swivels its head to view them all. However, that's not the oddest thing. This creature has thin bat-like wings that fold to its side, which grants it flight.

 

It's like a small Dragon. 

 

Actually, it IS a small Dragon. Except the only Dragons are the one in the End, and they're huge. This thing's small enough to be a mouthful for it by comparison. And it's the wrong color. This one has scales of greens and blues, allowing it to hide in the surrounding foliage with ease, so long as it doesn't do...whatever its eyes are doing. "What is that?" Tommy breathes, eyes wide and awestruck. He can barely speak, which is surprising, given the boy's energy. "A Fire Lizard." The Hybrid explains, reaching up to stroke the little beast's head, to which it responds to with a trill and closing its eyes, leaning into the touch. He murmurs to it quietly, before it opens its eyes again, squawks, and jumps back into the air, disappearing as fast as it had arrived.

 

"So what's the small Dragon for?" Technoblade inquires, shifting his posture a bit. The Hybrid stares at him for a moment before replying carefully. "I sent her ahead, to inform of your arrival. I still need to make sure this one won't die of infection." He indicates to Karl, never breaking eye contact with the great warrior. "And where is that, then? That it's–she’s–announcing us to." Punz inquires, the green centaur turning his full attention to him. He holds his ground as he approaches, eyes watering a bit from the acrid, sulphuric scent the gunpowder gives off. "A place you should be beyond grateful to be going. You may walk with Hybrids and speak Elvish, but do not think for a second that means I trust you." He answers. Sapnap, Bad, and Karl glance at each other, but Technoblade and Sam seem unbothered, staying quiet to watch. "But…there is someone like you already there. If he can be trusted, maybe so can you." He finishes, finally turning to approach Karl and pull a vial out of a bag strapped to his chest. "Take this. Drink it, and apply it directly to the wound. It will not fix it, but it should last long enough to get you to the city." The potion closely resembles a potion of instant regeneration, but when it catches the light, has hints of a simple potion of healing in it. Karl drinks a mouthful, mumbling a thank-you in his increasingly tired state, before Sapnap takes it from him. He takes the strip of fabric BadBoyHalo offers him, and applying it to the wound, wrapping it around the arrow shaft and tying it together.

 

The Hybrid grunts as though satisfied, stomping the ground. "That will do. Now listen closely. Head north for three days. You'll come across the city. Aim for the tallest mountain, and if you are stopped, explain that Sam has sent you, and you're seeking the Angel. That is the closest thing to true safety you will find. Whatever else happens is up to the Will of Ethrys." Sapnap nods, as do the rest of them, though Sam shifts when he realizes they share the same name. Ranboo pricks up at the mention of 'Ethrys', though he remains silent about it. Other Sam makes a motion, pointing them in the direction of the mountains Karl had seen earlier. "Now go. I have nothing more for you." He turns and gallops away, disappearing into the foliage surprisingly quickly. Everyone looks at one another, then Sapnap takes a deep breath, exhaling slowly. "Alright, let's go."

Chapter 4: Scales and Stone

Summary:

Hey guys this one’s also sorta cringe

The walk is normal, at least at first. The further in they go, the thicker the trees seem to grow, however they spread out a little again after a few hours on the second day. Tommy keeps up regular conversations throughout, but not much is truly said. Nobody really has much to say except when to rest or confirmation they’re going in the right direction, and by some unspoken agreement they refuse to bring up anything that’s going on or what happened. Sapnap insists they pause to keep an eye on Karl’s wound, too. The potion does its work well...for a while. By the time the third day rolls around, Karl becomes increasingly tired, he feels hot, and overall suspects infection might be taking hold. He tries to hide it though, reasoning that when they get to this city, he can probably ask for help there. Not like they'd be able to do much about it right now, anyway.

 

"Did you hear that?" Ranboo asks, posture sharp and ear lifting as he glances around, eyeing the canopy around them with unease. "You're hearing things again. Nobody else can hear it." Tommy sighs, having had to assure the boy that he was only hearing various animals multiple times, now. "No, I heard it too...a roar, right?" Sam confirms, and that sets the rest of them on edge. "Could have been a Hybrid. Maybe...other Sam." Karl offers, struggling to find a name for the other Creepertaur. "No. This wasn't the sound of a person. This was a beast. It was catlike but deep, echoed like they had a massive chest. It GROWLED." Ranboo elaborates, punctuated with a nervous warble. "It sounded far away, though...so I doubt we'll meet whatever made it, if we keep this pace." Sam assures them, but they do pick it up a little.

 

A little later, both Sam and Ranboo prick up at the same time. “Something’s coming.” Sam states, then puts out a hand as the group draws out their weapons. “No it’s…we need to hide. Quickly!” He snaps, bounding into an especially thick layer of bushes while Bad and Punz get into a tree. Ranboo ducks into some bushes of his own, while Sapnap and Karl take refuge at the base of a tree. They wait in silence, anticipating whatever threat the warden had detected. Nothing moves into the area around them, however nobody moves. Suddenly, an enormous shadow falls over the ground, along with a savage rush of wind and violent reactions from the trees. Karl meets the Pyro Elf’s eyes, a silent scream of confusion shared between them. “It’s gone, I think.” Ranboo announces, cautiously standing up. “What the fuck was that?!” Tommy exclaims, displaying the most of everyone else’s thoughts: terror, crazed excitement, and surprise. “I don’t know. Nothing that big flies in the Overworld.” Bad answers breathlessly. “Wait–there was that little Dragon thing…do you think there’s big ones?” Sapnap points out. “I’d have hoped the guy would tell us that!” Punz replies, looking back up at the sky. “But there can’t be dragons in the Overworld. Even with the End Dragon, there’s only one!” Tommy objects, turning to Ranboo as if to confirm. The tall boy stays silent, flicking his tail. “You said this could be future or past, right? Maybe it’s some kind of time where there’s more of them. Or maybe it was a machine?” Technoblade muses, to which Karl shrugs. “It‘s hard to tell when is when. Sometimes I worry they aren’t even our timelines. But that’s–that’s not something to be getting into here. Once we get to the city, maybe we’ll get some clues.” He answers, and they warily move on.

 

It takes another day, but finally, the trees thin out, spitting them out on a hilltop, and they freeze, staring ahead.

 

It's a massive territory, covering so much land that it would dwarf the entirety of the SMP back home. There's a huge, rolling meadow before them, next to flat, long plains, mountains riddled with sharp peaks and caves or sheer cliffs. There’s all sorts of forests, from sparse spruce to dense, lush jungle, an entire section looking out over an expanse of sea. There are floating islands dotting the air above the middle of what surely must be the city Other Sam mentioned, which has small collections of buildings and structures here and there, which then cluster closer and closer together into the middle of the place. A massive tree with pink vines hanging down is the main feature of the city’s heart, and overlooking it all, the enormous mountains Karl had seen when they first arrived here, wherever–and WHENever–here is. They rise up like sharp fangs, higher than the clouds as though attempting to stab the sun. Surrounding it all is Hybrids. There’s giants who live in towering cottages and look up to the sky on occasion, packs of wolves and what may be werewolves visiting or wrestling one another near the trees, herds of bovine and ungulate Hybrids that graze and run about, and more that can’t be identified just yet. There is so, so, so many more.

 

"Oh, it's beautiful!" Bad exclaims, the first to find his voice. This shakes everyone back into focus, and Technoblade shrugs, starting forward. "Well, it's pretty big, but that means that we just have a bigger challenge of finding this Angel." He points out, and Sam nods in agreement, cantering to catch up. "You doing okay?" Sapnap asks, and Karl looks at him. His head feels sluggish. "You seemed a bit weary, and I've noticed you start to sweat a bit more." He explains. "I'm fine...just tired, is all." Karl smiles assuringly. The truth is, he is far from okay. He wants to collapse and pull darkness over his eyes to sleep. His wound has begun to throb, and that sick feeling has done nothing but increase. Sapnap watches him a moment longer, before accepting this and the two of them jogging to rejoin the group. As they get closer, Karl continues take notice of the Hybrids to keep himself alert and focused. There's any number of them around, from centaurs to satyrs, ungulates and bovines, insect Hybrids of any size and even a pride of lion Hybrids, laying around one another and enjoying the warm sun. Anyone who sees them pauses to look, some closer ones moving away to collect and murmur of their passing, their own group drawing a little closer in their shared unease.

 

They begin to enter the inner part of the city, where the buildings are closer and the streets cramped despite their sizes. The group clumps together, moving as a unit to press through the crowds. It's loud, shouts and calls not just in Elvish but other languages, ones that they thought were dead, and native tongues of Hybrid species. Overhead flit by tiny fairies and moths or Avians with massive wingspans, though they take care not to disturb the Hybrids below. A pair of piglin Hybrids, one lean yet muscular, the other hulking and intimidating, pass by, speaking about something Karl can't pick out. The lean one has wraps of cloth around her torso, and they both wear some sort of pants that end by their calves, and a fashion of clothing Karl doesn't know the specific name for: it's like a skirt, connected to a belt around their waist lined with various teeth and claws, but open in front, and over their arms and chests are markings in white paint. Whorls and spottings, like Nether Quartz ore. They appear to be eating a baked treat resembling a scone. They glance at Technoblade, put their hand over their chest while making a fist before moving on. Ranboo especially stays close to the great warrior's side, many of the Hybrids have begun to stare at him. The sparse Enderians they pass give reactions that range from staticky growls to shocked warbles, outright avoiding him. Slowly, they make it through the city without trouble, seeing as nobody will speak to them directly.

 

They somehow manage to reach the bottom of the mountain around mid afternoon, the heat treating none of them well. "So...uh, where’s the path? I'm seeing a distinct lack of path, here." Technoblade speculates, leaning back and shielding his eyes from the sun as he attempts to look for the peak. By now, Karl's clearly struggling, he's slumped against Sapnap, drenched in sweat, and his vision swimming in front of him. "Whatever the case, Karl's clearly in need of help, that wound must be acting up again. Should we just try to climb it?" Punz wonders, just as a shadow covers them all, followed by a deafening sound like thunder rolling, but draconic. Tommy and Ranboo duck and hide at Techno's side, and Sapnap and Punz draw their blades. Sam growls, although he's hesitant, pawing the ground indecisively, while BadBoyHalo just watches, eyes wide and openmouthed. From what Karl can see, a massive beast has landed before them, scaly with jagged features, dark, faded green scales covering it and yellow eyes that seem to glow. Sliding from its back is a face they all recognize. 

 

Dream.

 

"Who are you?" He demands, striding forward. The beast behind him growls deep and low, coiling its long tail in front of it as it watches them all. 

 

It's a Dragon, too. But unlike the tiny Fire-Lizard, this one is large enough for someone to ride on its back. In this case, Dream.

 

But it is not the Ender Dragon. 

 

This one has two legs, which means it uses its wings to hold the front part of its weight, it has a long and lizardlike body, dark horns and pale underbelly and throat. Its wings are big and translucent, tipped by three claws that appear at least semi-dexterous. "Y'know, I don't exactly understand what's going on here, but I figured you'd recognize me, Dream." At Technoblade's reply, Dream turns sharply to him, walking forward. "How do you–Technoblade? You’re–no, what is this? You aren't him." The confusion seeps into his fierce tone, the Dragon's threatening noises turning to various snarls and hisses. Evidently, they both recognize the piglin Hybrid, but that may not be enough to convince him. The Dragon seethes suddenly, and Dream cocks his head to the side. He then turns back to the beast, who in turn shifts its gaze directly to Karl, moving closer, baring its teeth when Sapnap, Sam, and Punz bristle. Dream pushes the trio out of the Dragon's way, allowing it to come so close that Karl can feel it breathing, inhaling his scent and nudging him. It holds him upright and purrs at Dream; Karl can feel the vibrations through the scales. "He says you're hurt?" Dream asks in English, and lifts his sweater without asking, making that the second time someone's done so. Both Dream and the Dragon hiss when they see the wound. There's black lines branching out from it now, like someone spilled ink and let it flow through little cracks across his body. "By all the–you're dying. You should have led with that, human or not!!" He exclaims, releasing his hand on the fabric and turning to face the others. "I'll come back and deal with you lot properly later. Don't. Move." He instructs, before skillfully hauling himself up onto the creature, who roars, spreading its wings to create space, and Karl sinks to the ground. Everything seems distant and echoey, but he does know for certain that it grabs him in its talons, lifting off the ground, and the others give outcry, trying to get him back. The last thing he sees is Sapnap shouting his name.

 

As Karl gradually wakes up, the first thing he coherently identifies is that he's lying down. There's some sort of fabric over him, as well as something soft beneath him. It's also a little cold, and there's the faint smell of herbal mixes, earth, and stone. Finally, he opens his eyes a bit. The lights are dim, which feels nice–however, they’re glowshrooms…shouldn’t they be brighter? The ceiling is rough, grey stone, and when he lifts his head, Karl realizes he's in a bed. He attempts to sit up, but winces when his side angrily objects. His sweater and shirt have been taken off, leaving his chest bare, however this allows him to see the wrappings of cloth around his injury. They're fresh, and not the ones BadBoyHalo gave him. Decidedly not in immediate danger he turns to the question of where is he? Looking around a bit more, there's several more beds in the room. It’s a hollowed-out cavern, with two rows of beds and a circular hole covered in strips of fabric to act as a door near the opposite side of Karl.

 

He hears rough scrapes and taps outside, and a shadow appears outside the door. A scaly white snout pokes the fabrics aside as it enters, giving way to a lanky creature. It has pearly white scales with little lapis-blue flecks trailing down the neck and chest, long, slender limbs and build, but no wings. It's like a strange lizard that's also the size of a horse. Its eyes scan the room, before stopping on Karl. It fully enters, walking forward with its head lowered as though trying to seem non-threatening. Once it raises its head again to peer at him, Karl notices the thin, almost invisible golden streaks throughout its scales, barely visible in the dim light. It purrs, sniffing his wrappings and flicking its ear, then turns, moving over to a group of baskets. It sniffs them and places some items on a tray, which, as it was placed on a hook, allows the lizard to slip its neck through the rope suspending it. With evident practice, it places the tray on Karl's lap, then sits back and growls at him. Its eyes are a pale blue, watching him expectantly. It had placed a piece of bread, an apple, and a bowl of some green substance. Not a single drop had been spilled, an impressive feat and it even gave him a spoon. Carefully, he starts to eat, and once he's finished the strange soup(which tasted like a mixture of herbs and cinnamon), it huffs as though content. Using its tail to pick the tray back up, the massive lizard creature cleans it off and returns it to its hook. Then, it leaves, and Karl grows drowsy. So he gives in, laying back and closing his eyes.

 

This time, he wakes suddenly. He had been drifting in and out for a while to a tall, dark shape, or a white one, sometimes growls or hisses or low words he can barely discern, but nothing that he can pin down and identify. There's someone in the corner of his vision–a man in blue, with dark hair and something glittering by his eyes. "Are you well?" They ask. The man looks like Skeppy, if Skeppy were to wear a sort of light blue robe, the sleeves ending just above his elbows, leather bands around his wrists. Karl also notices the diamonds embedded in his body are bigger, more pronounced. "Think so..." Karl sits up, discovering his wound no longer hurts. "You were lucky to have arrived when you did. This poison is one of their worst. You tried to heal yourself, but it only delayed the process." The diamond Hybrid steps forward, holding something up in his hand. "Their arrows are hollow. When they hit a target, the point snaps off, releasing the concoction into the bloodstream. Removing the arrowhead and seeking trace amounts of the poison is the best way to identify how best to fight it." He's holding up the arrowhead, the tip gone, and looks like it's been cleaned. "I never knew people could do that." Karl says, genuinely surprised. "Humans know very little, but it was your people who made this. Wasn't it?" The Hybrid inquires. Karl tilts his head, not understanding the question. Skeppy seems to pick up on this and alters the question. "Did your humans not use arrows like this, before you left your village?" Karl shakes his head. "No. We dip them into potions, or attach little vials to them so they'll shatter on impact." He explains, Skeppy nodding, though he seems intrigued. "You are quite the strange human." He states finally. "Thanks...?" Karl's unsure if that's a good thing or not. "Now, you will have to stay here for two more days, to make sure we didn't miss anything, but after that, you are free to leave. Your friends are worried about you. But they are still strangers, and we don't let visitors into the recovery rooms." Karl tilts his head. "How long have I been here?" Time is always an important thing. He could have missed so much, sitting in here for however long. And what about the others? None of them really understand what's going on, and who knows what sort of trouble they might be getting into? "About 3 days, now. Ebira took care of you, mostly. You probably met her when you first woke up." Skeppy answers. "Who?" He only remembers the giant lizard. Did it have a name? "She’s the Stony Drake who cared for you. We find that she's sometimes more…patient with patients than Hybrids would be." Skeppy explains. "I don't know what a Stony Drake is." Karl tells him slowly. This catches the Hybrid's attention in full, if he didn't have it already. "The piglin warrior with you did say you had come from very far. Perhaps there were no stories of our home out so far?" So Techno gave out a cover story. Good idea. "Yeah, probably." He agrees. Skeppy smiles, sitting down on the empty bed to his right. "Allow me to explain, then..."

Chapter 5: The Angel

Summary:

Ok we’re gonna get a little bit better now

It's another two days before Skeppy deems Karl well enough to leave the room. In that time, he officially meets Ebira, whom he's intrigued by. A medical Dragon? And a Dragon without wings? He now understands that’s the nature of her kind–Stony Drakes, but it’s still very strange. She doesn't speak, other than the various draconic growls, clicks, and purrs she can make, but she knows quite well how to get her intents and points across, quick-thinking and strong. And quite beautiful. According to the diamond Hybrid, Stony Drakes are supposed to have gem-like scales, like rare treasures you would find deep underground, or far below the sea level. Apparently, their scales are as durable and as hard as the gemstones their scales are the color of. Skeppy quizzes him often on his knowledge of customs and the Elvish language after swiftly learning he knows only that one, and explains to him of all the Dragons found in Cinna(the name of their city). Karl didn't know so many beasts could–or did–exist!

 

Finally, the healer decides he is well enough to leave. Ebira offers her neck, allowing Karl to hold on to it as she helps pull him to his feet. From there, he manages to walk on his own, although slowly. The slender Dragon follows him closely, seeing as while healed well, Karl’s injury is still sore and sensitive. "We have your friends sleeping in the nearest barracks, as that was the best place we could think of at the time." Skeppy explains, leading him through the maze of tunnels. They're well-carved, smooth with years and years of use, and every opening to a new tunnel or cavern has a door, from simple strips of cloth to beautifully crafted and carved wooden doors, markings and symbols and creatures clearly displayed. Skeppy pauses in front of one with cloth in front of it, like the room Karl had been in. He moves it aside to offer Karl entry. Stepping inside, the cave isn't exactly massive, but it's plenty enough to fit Karl's friends, Ebira, and Skeppy. Sam notices them first; he was standing just beside the doorway, always the sentry. Sapnap surprise attacks Karl with a hug, mindful of his wound, but still holding onto him tightly nonetheless. The diamond Hybrid usess the chance to deliver his instructions to those listening, specifically to BadBoyHalo. "He is well, and you are all together once more, as promised. I will request you stay here for the night, and then I will send for you to be taken to the Angel in the morning. From there, he will decide how to proceed with you." Skeppy takes his leave, as does Ebira, and the others come to greet their friend. "They wouldn't let us see you! Are you okay?" Sapnap asks, to which Karl nods. "I'm fine. What about you guys?" Sam flicks his tail in the direction of the door. "They left us unguarded, but they somehow know whenever we try to leave. Dream and Skeppy have come by with food on occasion and ask questions, but leave soon after." He explains, which doesn't provide much as to what these people want with them. "What did you tell them? What sort of questions did they ask?" They all sit down, ignoring the chairs that were in the room as well. "Mostly simple things: what are your names, where are you from, how did you find this place, et cetera, et cetera. Then, they started asking more detailed questions." Sapnap starts, pausing to take a breath. "They asked us why we had you, Punz, and Tommy with us, and even Ranboo." When his name is mentioned, the Enderian hybrid's ears lower a bit and his tail curls a little closer around him. Tommy seems peeved about this fact. "They think Ranboo's cursed or some shit!" He says, which is actually a good reason to be upset. Karl can understand their issues with human beings, but towards the very people who live in their city? Admittedly, nobody has seen a Hybrid exactly like Ranboo, but he's still a Hybrid, and Enderian at that. Not only are they a scarce population nowadays, but they're extremely in–tune with the cultures and histories of other Hybrid species, an intricate societal structure built upon it. He supposes perhaps genetic defects would give explanation to the 'blame it on a curse' idea, though. Besides, nothing Ranboo's done seems to have had inherently bad effects, as far as Karl knows. "It's, um, some sort of legend, apparently…long story short, I'm supposedly descended from a bad guy? There's someone born like me every 50 or so years, depending how long the hybrid lives." Ranboo elaborates, sounding a lot calmer than Karl would be if someone told him he's apparently cursed. "Well, for what it's worth, I don't think you're cursed." He offers a smile, which the boy returns, although shyly.

 

"So far, they just think we came from some really far–off place, and the fact we know people like them, and they know people like us, is just a fluke." Technoblade finishes, shrugging lightly. "And until further notice, we'll keep it that way. The last thing we need is to tell these people we're from another time. They have enough to try and wrap their heads around right now…and so do we." Sam adds from his position, that being the furthest from Karl in the circle. "We should go to sleep, we won't be doing much else tonight." BadBoyHalo suggests, rising to his feet. Whether through being the demon-vampire Hybrid he is, or some special skill he'd developed, Bad always had an uncanny ability for what time of day it was, so it's most likely nighttime if he's suggesting they sleep. The barracks have identical beds, two smooth, carved-out hollows full of mosses and leaves with a blanket of furs for extra warmth, near a wall lined with actual beds. Sam takes one of the hovels, clearly meant for the hybrids who couldn't sleep in the actual beds, while the others take the ones on the wall. Karl's bed, again, like everyone else's, has what feels to be wool inside the pillows, but with tiny holes where some moths must have started chewing away at it, clearly pointing out that this place has been here a while. Nonetheless, it's comfortable, and warm, so despite everything happening, Karl falls asleep quickly.

 

When he wakes up, it's gradually, quiet nods of greeting from Sapnap, Sam, Ranboo, and Punz, who are the only other people awake at the moment. He still feels a little tired, he either woke up early, or that bed was quite comfortable, or perhaps both. Probably both. Yawning, he sits down beside Sapnap, who's absentmindedly watching a small flame bounce around his hands. "Any bets who this Angel we're going to meet is?" Punz asks quietly, either to break the silence and make conversation or out of genuine curiosity. "Well, we've seen Sam, Dream, and Skeppy look-alikes, and Philza's known as the, as the Angel of Death, right? I'm guessing it's him." Ranboo offers, a logical observation. "Makes sense. And Phil's a reasonable guy. I'm sure whatever happens, he'll help us." Technoblade adds, joining the group, and Karl nods. "Remember, though, this isn't OUR time, anymore, and these aren't OUR friends. They're the same people in the sense they exist as practically identical replicas, but they're not exactly the same, the life they lived here is far different from ours, so they might react differently to things." He warns, remembering how Ranbob, who was undoubtedly a descendant of Ranboo, tried to kill everyone in one of his earlier adventures. Just because they look like they're related or the same, does not mean they actually are. "What, so they're like clones?" Tommy asks, having woken up while they were talking, and come over to sit beside Ranboo. "Kind of. There's a whole Theory about this, one I'm not exactly the most familiar with, but I know a bit." Karl admits, personally not wanting to get into it all right now. Character Continuum Theory isn't something that you sit down and casually discuss over breakfast. Ranboo moves to offer the blond boy space. "A kind of reincarnation, then?" He supplies, and Karl considers. He wouldn't exactly call it reincarnation, that suggests the Soul would live on in a new body. The Soul goes to Lady Death when someone dies, according to almost all cultures' beliefs. But it's the same name, (mostly) same body, just a different time and different world. People hope to be reincarnated as something or somebody else, whereas this is just you being reused in a sort of cycle. It's difficult to explain. The closest Karl has come is that it's standing on both sides of the 'is reincarnation' and 'is not reincarnation' line. "Sort of? Yes and no. I'm not exactly sure." Karl sighs, still hoping not to talk about it.

 

Luckily, though, Bad wakes up at last, which is when this time’s Dream enters the cave. "I'm here to take you to the Angel. Glad to see you're alright." Dream notifies them, momentarily glancing over at Karl to acknowledge his survival. "Thanks?" If the Dragon rider heard, he doesn't reply to that, instead beckoning for them to follow and starting off down the tunnels. Tommy reacts first, on his feet and bounding after the man, which motivates Ranboo, Sam, and Techno to follow, as do the rest of them. The tunnels are pretty spacious, Sam and Techno can walk side by side at a casual pace, and when the taller members of their group stand to their full height, their heads don't touch the ceiling, a clearance of about a foot between their heads and the stone. Passing through the tunnels at various times are the small, winged creatures called Fire Lizards. They apparently deliver messages, small bits of paper or items tied to their legs. They appear as blurs of bright colors, fast and adept at maneuvering around people to keep on their path. Occasionally, the ground will shake, and there'll be a faint sound, like a grumble or someone yelling, or a metal gate creaking far away. Those are what Skeppy described to be the dragons. Karl wonders if he'll meet any, and if he actually even wants to, for that matter.

 

Finally, Dream stops in front of tall, dark oak doors, carved with intricate symbols: wolves, birds, skulls, what appears to be the sun. Small emeralds glint from the torch and lantern-light, like tiny green eyes scattered through the wood. Dream opens the double doors, bringing them into a massive space beyond–a library, rows and rows of levels going up and down, a circular hole in the middle to look out over, and utterly STUFFED with books, to the point it even helps mask the scent of Sam's gunpowder smoke. Crows call out and fly around, a vast swarm of them flocked around something on a lower level. That's where Dream is heading; down a staircase, and then down a couple more. Ranboo is looking wistfully at all of the books, seeming far more at ease and comfortable in the great library. His usually semi-hunched shoulders are relaxed and loose, he's stood up a little straighter, and the nervousness has left his expression, replaced with awe and excitement. Sapnap looks similar, but not for the same reason. "How long do you think it took to make this?" He whispers, indicating to the bookshelves. They're connected to each level through the stone, like support beams. This may have been a genuine cave at some point, but it's also been carved out by Hybrids for decades, at least. The swarm of crows moves, cawing incessantly at the newcomers and the being they flock around, who looks up to see them. It's indeed Philza, sharp blue eyes and in his normal robe-like outfit and hat. This time, he has more feathers than Karl remembers, just under his eyes and poking out behind where his ears would he, and on his arms, which turn into dexterous talons. Dream makes a bowing gesture, which is repeated after an amused snort by Technoblade, then Ranboo and Sapnap, before everyone else awkwardly tries to copy them. Other than the crows, everything is silent, Karl unsure of who'll speak first. "Well, I don't know what to say." Philza starts, laughing a little. "It's not every day such an eclectic group arrives in the city, some of whom look strangely identical to people you know. What are your names; let's start easy." He seemed so imposing and sounded like a figure of great authority, Karl wasn't expecting such a calm, laid-back response. "Well, I'm Technoblade, and apparently you already have a Technoblade here, so I'm going to assume from the evidence that whoever you recognize in our group probably has the same name as the other guy who’s here." The piglin warrior offers, pointing to himself, then sweeping an arm to indicate their rabble. Philza winces as the crows burst out into intense calls, a good group of them moving to flock around Techno, before a sharp caw from the winged man brings them back. Karl remembers the Elytrian was able to speak to a murder of crows back home–ones that don't seem too keen on ever leaving him alone, or having a moment's peace, by the looks of it. "Shhh, Chat, let them speak." He murmurs, waiting until the chattering has subsided. "So, you're also called Technoblade?" He clarifies, tilting his head slightly. "Yeah." Philza takes this in, thinking hard. "Then you're Punz, Sapnap, Sam, and BadBoyHalo. I don't recognize the rest of you, though." Makes sense he would recognize more Hybrids than humans, but why Punz and not Ranboo or Tommy? "Well, I'm TommyInnit. This here's my friend Ranboo." Tommy states, motioning to himself and the young Enderian, who's trying really hard to face in Philza's direction, but keeps looking at crows and bookshelves. "It's been a while since I've seen an Enderian like you. You're quite lucky to be here." Philza informs Ranboo, not in the slightest perturbed about how fluent Tommy's Elvish is. Having been mostly raised by Philza, Wilbur, and Techno, Tommy forgot his kind's language, and instead speaks solely Elvish, leading to him being more fluent than Karl or Punz are at times. "And who are you?" Philza inquires, looking at Karl. "My name's Karl." He replies, seemingly satisfying the Angel's wishes. "My name's Philza, but everyone keeps calling me 'the Angel'." He glances pointedly at Dream, who only tilts his head slightly in response. "Now, how, or why, are you here?" He asks, motioning for them to sit down in any of the numerous chairs strewn about. There's long, dark oak tables, completely covered in maps, scrolls, books, and papers, as is portions of the ground, presumably where some of the items fell off. "We're travellers, and just happened to find ourselves here. We didn't exactly mean to come here." Sapnap starts, which is pretty much the truth. They just travelled through Time instead of across the land. "I see. And do you have a place in mind you wish to go? Or are you wandering for safety?" Karl shifts at this. He's assuming this is the place they're meant to be, though he could be wrong. It seems dangerous to leave, though. "We're just looking for a safe place." He answers, for lack of a better explanation. The black-winged Hybrid nods sympathetically. "I understand." A crow squawks at him, met with a loud chorus of perhaps agreement, and Philza nods again. "Would it interest you to stay here? You would be well protected, given homes that would suit each of your unique needs and preferences, and be with plenty of others like you. And, we will provide safe harbour for those of you who are human, as well." Dream steps forward, having done and said nothing since the beginning of the interaction. "Wilbur won't be pleased. How will we handle that? Or more accurately, him?" He points out. Philza sighs. "He'll have to deal with it. He did it before." Dream glances from the group to the Angel. "Barely. And he was different." He hisses, getting an annoyed glance. "We don't have any better options." He states, a note of finality clear in his voice.

 

"Get rid of the humans. There's your other choice." A new voice spits, appearing from the dark. The main source of light comes from lanterns hung on chains around the cavern, and a skylight, far above them. Now, a new, faint light is added: a turquoise blue and glowing, divided by small slits. When they come closer, it's apparent the speaker was Wilbur, though he doesn't look like the Wilbur Karl remembers. His skin is a sort of sickly gray-brown, the sclera of his eyes pitch black, and a pair of wings are partially opened behind him. The feathers are a rich golden-yellow colour, but the bones that outline them are visible, grey, and even slightly shiny. A tail slithers behind him as well–deep blue, with the same grey spines running down the length of it, ending in a fan of feathers that sweep the floor. Every time his tail moves, the spines make tapping and clicking noises. Karl hasn't seen Wilbur since before his revival, but from what he heard, he did not look like this. Even Tommy, who looked up to the once-president and was a close friend, seems unnerved at the very least, staying close to Techno's side. "Can we, um, not do that? They're not so bad, they're our, uh, they're our friends." Ranboo offers timidly, not even looking at the man stalking towards them, but he does raise his voice a little to make sure he's heard. "Nobody asked for your opinion, boy." Wilbur hisses scathingly, glowering at him. Ranboo holds his ground, but refuses to make eye contact. Karl doesn't blame him, even without his kind's aversion to eye contact, Wilbur's gaze is not one he wants to be scrutinized under. "He isn't wrong, we've been through a lot with these people." Sapnap confirms, brave enough to wholly face the Hybrid. The Hybrid stops, rearing back slightly in some mix of confusion and anger. "What is this? You aren't Sapnap. Why do you look like him?" Wilbur demands, tail lashing a bit faster. When he receives no answer, he turns to Philza. "What is this?" He repeats. "These travellers came from a far place. They coincidentally look like our friends, and I believe that they have a strong friendship with these humans, who are staying with us." There's another note of finality in his voice, blue gaze even and calm, but one that suggests you don't want to challenge him. "Don't you notice it?" Wilbur growls, stepping forward. He then points at Karl. "He smells of the Old Magics. One of them, anyway. Utterly reeks of it." He turns back to Karl's group, clearly not pleased of what he's going to say next. "They aren't from anywhere. Not here, at least. They're from another time." A stunned silence fills them before the crowd erupt into cries of shock and disbelief. While the corvids flit around like leaves in a storm, Wilbur keeps his eyes directly upon Karl. He wasn't expecting him to piece it all together so quickly–if at all. It appears even Dream is struggling to grasp this idea. In addition, Ranboo mentioned being able to smell a Magic on the journal.

 

Can Wilbur do the same thing? 

Chapter 6: Meanwhile…

Summary:

This gives a bit better explanation I think than another chapter with Karl would have.

Also I wanted more appearances of Chat ok

Tubbo hasn't seen Ranboo in a little over a week, and quite frankly, he's concerned. 

 

Sure, the young Enderian does go sleepwalking at night, and he has disappeared before, but the longest time he'd ever been gone was about 4 days. 

 

This has been well over 4 days.

 

Tubbo has half a mind to look for him, but he's still got to look after their son. At least Philza's offered to help by means of his crows, but it’s not been of much help yet. All he can really do is wait, so he does. In front of him, Michael plays in the frosted field, wheat and grass growing with a shiny layer of ice that adds a small crunch to each step. The little boy snorts happily, crouching down to admire a flower he'd found. An allium. Ranboo did plant a bunch of them in places all around Snowchester after Tommy had died; this may have been one. He hasn’t shown up anywhere for a few days, either. That’s…also concerning.

 

Tubbo suddenly feels the presence of eyes watching him, and looks up to survey the area. Maybe this is Tommy, finally coming to visit angain. Instead, he finds it's Dream, hands in pockets, staring at him near the tree line. Tubbo’s ears lay back a little, wary, and he turns back to Michael, who thankfully hasn't noticed the man yet. "Michael, it's time to head back." He says, getting a small 'oink' in reply. They set off at a semi brisk pace, not a jog, but a little faster than a casual stroll. Once they manage to reach the house, Tubbo locks the door, puts Michael in his room, and draws a sword. He's sure Dream followed them, he doesn't just show himself like that for no reason. But what is that reason? What does he want? Sure enough, there's the crunching of snow, creaking of wood, and then a knock on his door. "Tubbo? I know you're in there. Don't make me break down this door, it's a nice one." Dream calls, tone oddly casual. Usually there's a more malevolent note to his voice, but this is different. It doesn't mean anything, though, Tommy's made him well aware of the man's tricks. "And why would I do that?" He replies, gripping his sword tightly. "Because I'm looking for Ranboo. He's missing, isn't he?" Tubbo freezes. Dream shifts in the silence. "I didn't do anything to him, if that's what you're wondering. And in fact, he isn't the only one missing. Sam, Sapnap, Bad, Karl, Punz, Techno, and even Tommy are missing, too." Tubbo furrows his brows. Are they really? He hasn't seen any of them in the past couple of days, too, after all.

 

"I'll take your silence as a good thing…can you open the door, now?" Tubbo hesitates, then grits his teeth. "I'm making a horrible mistake..." He mutters, opening the door and pointing the sword at Dream so he backs away. This allows Tubbo to step out and close the door behind him again. "Alright. What do you want with me, then?" He demands, keeping his sword between them. Likely wouldn’t do much if Dream actually attacked, but it’s a slight comfort in his hands if nothing else. Dream nods, shifting his stance and rubbing his hands together to warm up. Unlike Tubbo, the speedrunner is very unprepared for the cold climate. "Right. So, as I was saying, there's a whole group missing. And looking at who’s in that group, I don’t think it’s normal for them all to get together. But they did. I…managed to speak with Quackity a few days ago, and he admitted that Karl had asked him to come and see him the day they were last seen. Something about a 'gathering he was making to get some answers', was how he put it. He had decided not to go, else I bet he would have disappeared as well. You know much about Karl?" Tubbo thinks. He doesn't actively close to the man, but he knows a little about him. "Not too much." He answers finally, not entirely trusting whatever scheme–believable as it is(though aren’t they all?)–Dream's planning. "Okay. So, apparently, he's found a book, and it's allowed him to see things. From what I could gather, I think he's seeing different realities, maybe different timelines. So I think..." He pauses to inhale and take a breath. He’d spoken in such a rush Tubbo has wondered how much air he’d had left. "They used the book. Why, I'm not exactly sure. Maybe to help Karl get those 'answers'. But we don't know where, or, if they did go through time, when they are. Which is where you are going to help me." Tubbo regards him warily; surely it won't be good. "What do you expect I'll do? I'm not saying yes, but what is it you think you're going to get me to do?" The Hybrid questions. Dream makes a sort of calming gesture with his hands, putting them out and in front of himself. "Whatever you're thinking, stop thinking it. It's nothing too bad…I just need you to keep Wilbur from killing me. I'm going to ask Philza if I can sneak a look at his books, and see if I can find anything in the histories. Didn't Ranboo like books, too? He always seemed to have one with him." Dream asks suddenly, switching lanes so abruptly it takes the goat Hybrid a few seconds to understand. "Uh...yes?" Dream nods once almost triumphantly, then rubs his hands together some more. "You're clearly cold, why didn't you bring a warmer jacket? Phil's place is colder than Snowchester." Tubbo inquires, twitching his ear a little. "Honestly, I didn't think of it." The speedrunner admits. It's strange to him, how this man is the same one who was laughing as he chased Tommy around, trying to kill him, the one who had tried to control the server, exiled Tommy and taken his last canon life, and yet here he stands, making conversations and being so casual. Yeah, Dream has friends, they have fun, but he and Tubbo weren't buddy-buddy either. The opposite, actually. Everything is telling him to say no and make this man leave before he can do anything, but he also knows more than Tubbo does about what's happened, and he knows this may be the best way to get his friends back. Tubbo sighs, lowering his sword. "Wait here." He stomps back inside, grabbing the spare coat that Tommy often forgets. It’ll be small, but maybe it only needs to go over his shoulders like a cape. When he returns, Tubbo shoves it into Dream, who accepts it gratefully. At least he thinks. With the mask and how he can poise himself, it's almost impossible to tell what Dream is and isn't feeling. "Thanks." He says, moving to let Tubbo pass him and head down the steps. "Don't thank me yet. If you want me to keep Wilbur from killing you, we're going to need a whole lot of luck." 

 

The walk is an awkward one, for the most part. At first, Tubbo has his senses on high alert, waiting for absolutely anything to happen. But after nothing does, he slowly relaxes a little bit. That's where they are now, but physically? Somewhere in the forest, just past the tundra of Snowchester. "Does Ranboo get severely affected by the temperatures?" Dream wonders aloud, hands in his pockets and body leaned back in nonchalance. "Hm? Oh...well, he doesn't act like it, not too often. He does get cold, his ears and paws especially, he says, but he doesn't seem to do too bad. He told me once about Endermen having some kind of internal temperature regulation system, and we think he may have something similar." Tubbo replies, not that he knows much about that either. Ranboo had wanted to know more about his kind, and Tubbo mostly entertained the conversations because he wanted to know, more or less, what the Boss Man was up to. "He's probably right. Endermen and Enderians have special systems to help them cope with and mitigate extreme temperatures. And he has issues with water and burns, right? I've discovered that Endermen will seek out slimes below ground, and huddle up with them to treat their water burns…Have you tried using normal slime? It works the same way magma cream does for fire-related burns. Or so I've seen. It'd be unfortunate if he was only able to receive the burns, not heal them." This little nugget of information is more helpful than Dream may ever know. For months, nearing on a year now, the two boys, even Tommy and Philza, had been trying to figure out ways to help the young Enderian with his aversion to liquid, and while that may not allow him to swim, it'll be far easier and more efficient for him to heal when he does get hurt. From there, Tubbo finds himself relaxing a little, engaging in more conversation with Dream, which passes the time far quicker. By the time they get into Philza's area, the two are having speculation about the Forest Elf's need for sunlight to gain energy, and why it causes George to be so sleepy all of the time.

 

Dream stops, taking the goat Hybrid by surprise, and shoves him into the snow. Momentarily disoriented, Tubbo tries to get back to his feet, only to find Wilbur with a blade to Dream's neck, pinning him to the ground. Tubbo has directly avoided talking to Wilbur since his revival, something about him wasn't right. Even Tommy felt so. The wings and tail, the strange spines down his back, they still seem so unnatural for him, but at the same time, like he was always meant to have them–like he always did have them. "Why are you here?" He growls, slowly lashing his tail, making the spines rattle softly. "We wanted answers, and we think Phil can help us." Wilbur stops. "'We'?" He echoes, looking around, finally spotting Tubbo. "Hi." The goat Hyrbid says. What else is he supposed to say? “Um, don’t kill him.” Wilbur seems confused, looking between the two before tightening his hold on Dream and raising his wings a little. "What did he threaten from you?" Tubbo raises his hands, Dream shifting slightly like he wants to say something, then wisely deciding against it."He hasn't done anything, Wilbur. He's just trying to find out what happened to his friends, and ours." Tubbo explains carefully. Wilbur pauses. "Tommy's not the only one missing." He realizes, posture slacking from aggressive to understanding instantly, moving his blade away and standing. His vibrant blue eyes still track each and every move Dream makes, but he's clearly not as aggressive anymore. "That's right. And if I'm right, I might know how we can start looking for them." Dream confirms, and Wilbur sheathes his weapon. "Who else is missing?" He queries. "Sapnap, Karl, Techno, Ranboo, Punz, BadBoyHalo, and Sam. So…eight people." Dream answers, listing each off on a finger. Wilbur remains silent, mulling over this information. "Fine. Come on, then." He sighs, heading off towards the small clearing in the woods. It's still out of sight, they've got a half hour left to go. Sharing a confused glance, Tubbo and Dream head off to follow the ex-president.

 

 

Once they reach the house, they're greeted by a trio of crows cawing curiously, having squawked their initial surprise and calmed down. They land on Wilbur, who tells them something, before they caw and fly off again. Clearly intending for the people to follow them, the corvids lead them inside and down to a lower level of the house, before stopping at a set of carved oak doors. These doors have symbols and specific things carved into them, though the wood is extremely old, and two or three small emeralds glinting in the lanternlight. Wilbur pushes past them, opening the doors to reveal a vast cavern. The crows call out, zipping past and diving into the circular hole in the middle of the room. Some of it looks collapsed, either from natural means or something else, Tubbo is unsure. There's a skylight that allows sunlight, and after Tubbo walks over and cranes his head up to look at it, sees there's no glass. Oddly, the room remains a comfortable, warm temperature as though heated by some internal force. "I haven't seen this place in...well, it feels like seeing something you've seen in a dream: so unknown, but so familiar at the same time." Dream observes, crouching to pick up a book. The leather is old, but clearly not the first replacement of the original, pages also incredibly ancient and worn. Dream opens it, handling the tome with extreme care, before closing it reverently and placing it on one of the shelves, which are carved into the stone floor and ceiling like pillars to double as shelves. Wilbur appears from the shadows, materializing suddenly enough to startle even Dream, though it's only barely. "You wanted to come here, so come show me why." He tells Dream, nodding to a staircase leading down. Following it a few levels, they reach the ground floor, half collapsed on the other side so it looks more like a semicircle than the rest of it. There stands Philza, trying to settle his murder(of crows) before addressing his guests. "Hello. How can I help you? Chat said you wanted something." Dream nods, stepping forward, semi glancing at Wilbur's blue gaze staring at him. The loss of Tommy appears to have hit him hard, and he'd most likely assumed Dream had some part to play, considering his open and frank hostility. The two were always very close, and Tubbo can understand, or so he hopes, the feelings the man is experiencing. He's very anxious to know what happened to his friends, too. "Yeah. I'm trying to see if I can figure out where Tommy and the others are." Dream quickly fills the Elytrian in on the situation. Philza glances sympathetically at Tubbo as he nods, shooing a crow away from the paper he’d been looking at. "Yeah, I heard...what about that brought you here?" Dream indicates to the books piled on the table. "Well, I did some narrowing down suspects. Can't be hunters–Sam, Techno, and Sapnap especially help to rule that one out. They all went to Karl's, but I don't think Karl's the kidnapping type, besides, he's missing too, and so my theory is that they all went somewhere in Time, maybe Reality. I want to make sure we don't have to try and get them out of the past or something. If they made an impact on the past, I'd bet you'd have proof of it here somewhere. Technoblade's the Blood God, surely he's pretty important." He reasons. Philza nods, the crows erupting into a cacophony once again. "Yes, Chat, shhh..." Philza mumbles, reaching back to grab the thickest book of his stack, flipping through the pages and muttering. "Yeah. Yes, yes...well how am I going to tell them if you guys don't let me?" Finally finding what he was looking for, he motions for the other three to come see. On the left page is a sort of picture, depicting 8 very familiar people, but with serpentine and scaly beasts behind and around them. "There they are." He says brightly, as though the revelation of seeing their friends in a book wasn't crazy enough. "You didn't see fit to tell me this before?" Wilbur hisses, looking at the Crow Hybrid, who looks at him gravely. "No." There's a certain gravity to that, a hidden meaning, but whatever it is, it keeps Wilbur quiet. In the depiction, their friends look almost the same as the would normally, except Ranboo is no longer wearing a suit and Sapnap has a sword on fire that Tubbo doesn't recognize. "The 8 heroes of Cinna." Dream reads, more focused on the text on the next page. "Nobody is quite sure where they came from, but they showed up in a time of need and saved this ancient city, but when the heroes disappeared, the city was soon to follow, as was its legacy." Tubbo frowns. "Disappear?" He echoes. "What, like they went back through time to return, or...?" Dream shrugs. "I don't know. Hopefully the former." He sighs. "But at least we know they're about…7,489 years in the past. Now, we just need to figure out if we need to get to them, or if they'll come to us."

Chapter 7: Bonding and Binding

Summary:

*gasps* A chapter that isn’t absolutely awful?? No way! Somehow, God smiled upon me and I managed to actually be competent so this one sucks a bit less lmao hope you like it

After the revelation, Wilbur leaves without any further comments–disappearing into the shadows exactly how he’d made his entry. Philza sighs and looks away, flipping through a book. "Is it true?" Dream asks, not accusatory but curious and sincere. They all look at one another, but Karl decides to step forward and come clean. "Yes." He sighs. Wilbur would most likely prove it eventually. "Where from?" Dream questions. There’s a note of perplexity in his voice. "The future." Technoblade replies, arms crossed. “…We think.” Karl clarifies, although the piglin Hybrid is probably correct. "I think it'd be best we avoid that topic, then. I may not be a god of Time or an expert, but even I can tell that is not something to be trifled with unnecessarily." Philza suggests, closing the book and cawing something to his crows, one of which replies in a more authoritative manner than the rest. "That would be for the best." Karl agrees, feeling a bit of tension leave his body. Trying to explain everything would be difficult. "Either way, you'll be living here until whatever brought you here sends you back to whence you came, or you accomplish whatever task it is you have here...that also means that it's probably for the best if you learn how to live like one of us. From what Skeppy said, you lead a different life from ours." The Elytrian continues. Ranboo nods, twitching his tail, but doesn't elaborate. "That being said, finding housing for you may be…diffi–"  

 

A low, resonant hum reaches them, slightly vibrating the ground beneath their feet. The mass of crows takes off, flying up and through the skylight in a mess of excited chatters and cries as everyone looks around. Philza and Dream are alert and looking at each other, the others suspicious of some sort of threat. "That was convenient. Wasn't it tomorrow?!" Dream hisses to Philza, who shrugs. "Whatever the case, it's happening now. You, come. You'd best see this if you want to understand this place." With a sense of anticipation and urgency, they all follow the Angel back into the tunnels and through the passageways until they reach a massive cavern with holes leading out through the sides and bottom, spires of rock and hovels where scaly beasts and gryphons perch and/or lay. The hum is so intense that it shakes Karl’s bones, an odd feeling that’s both uncomfortable and soothing. He realizes it’s coming from the dragons, most with half-closed eyes and lifted heads. Certain Hybrids dash past them clicking or whistling, whooping or barking to catch the beast’s attentions. Philza makes a cawing sound of his own, answered by a draconic yowl. A massive, gorgeous and black-feathered beast lands in front of them, mewing similar to a cat, staring intently at Philza. Its head is slightly taller and the Elytrian, from the bottom of its jaw to its forehead. "This is Crowza. He'll be helping take some of you where we are going. Dream, how many can Nightmare carry?" The warrior shrugs. "He can manage about four." He answers, just as the green, rough-scaled Wyvern he first appeared on comes into view. "Very well." After a quick debate, they figure out who goes with who: Sam is apparently not a species meant to ride, so he'll be carried by Crowza, but Ranboo, Tommy, BadBoyHalo, and Technoblade will ride with the Elytrian. Karl, Sapnap, and Punz will ride with Dream on Nightmare. Dream climbs onto the beast’s back first in order to help the others and show them how to get up. The scales are smooth, though its features would have suggested otherwise, and cool to the touch. Once they're all set, Dream makes a sharp whistle, urging Nightmare forward, the dragon crawling with frightening speed over to the hole in the cave floor and diving into it, which opens out into space overlooking the hybrid's city. Sapnap makes a loud 'whoop' noise as Nightmare banks to head for a massive amphitheatre in between the massive lake and the pink tree.

 

The seats are filling with Hybrids, and the space in the middle is full of sand, a collection of small objects nearest the far side. Nightmare dives, landing outside a dark tunnel. Dream facilitates everyone's sliding off, and leads the group into the tunnel. There’s a sense of urgency, and the thrumming has not left. It may have gotten worse, in fact–an insistent buzzing that never wanes. The Angel and Crowza arrive shortly after, catching up quickly to deposit their haul.

 

At the end of the passageway, they stop, hiding in the shadows and dark. Had they gone further, they would have entered out onto the sands, where Karl can now identify big eggs, most about the size of a person's head, though some are a bit smaller or larger. "What are those?" He asks, having to raise his voice over the intense buzz, still coming from the dragons themselves as they intently watch the eggs. "Dragon eggs. This is a very important ritual to the people here in Cinna. We call it a Hatching. The eggs laid are collected into a group, and when they are ready to hatch, we send candidates to go forth and obtain a dragon. It's a very special connection they forge, and to this day, remains a mystery as to how it exactly works." Philza answers, leaning to pat his own beast proudly. Crowza purrs in reply and leans into the touch, but doesn't break eye contact with the eggs. As crowds of inhuman species and Hybrids continue to stream in, Tommy suddenly gives an exclamation and grabs Ranboo's arm. "Look!" He says, pointing at the stands. It takes a few moments of Ranboo narrowing his eyes and searching, but then his eyes widen and he steps back. "It's us!" This catches Karl's interest. He had assumed the young boy had seen something that caught his eye, but he found himself? Given the fact they’ve already found Skeppy, Dream, and Philza, as well as confirmed recognition of several others, it’s not that unbelievable, but still. "Where?" Dream inquires sharply, also scanning the crowd. "Uh...near the top left, about five rows from the top." Ranboo answers, still watching his replica, if Karl had to guess. Curiously, he looks for them too. Granted, Ranboo's eyes are far sharper than Karl's human ones, but if Tommy had spotted them, he gives himself a fighting chance. Sure enough, he manages to pick out a black and white figure, in plain, simple clothes, staying close to a winged boy with blonde hair and a goat with four arms and long, dragonfly-shaped wings. The similarities are impressive. Occasionally, there can be some differences to a person in between their appearances in the world, but it's still unnerving to see them at all. A shadow sweeps over the stadium, a blue version of Crowza landing on a rocky outcropping near the eggs. It's a bit smaller, with a slim, lean figure, but still just as gorgeous. The feathers are a rich, deep blue, and it's eyes are golden. Sliding from its back is Wilbur, wearing a big, elegant hat and clothes that must help protect him from the sun, somehow.

 

After about an hour, the stadium is packed, and the humming ceases. A group of 30 young hybrids walk out onto the sands, probably between the ages of 13-19, if Karl had to guess. Silence is thick, like the air itself is holding its breath and waiting for something to happen. Something Karl doesn't see makes the hybrids in the arena perk up, shuffling closer to the collection of eggs. He hears the sound of something, almost like a rough, scratchy bird's cry, but still high-pitched before he catches a glimpse of wings, a tail, and small claws. One of the Hybrids, a female fox, crouches down as the others step back. A few more moments later, the onlookers erupt into cheers and applause, the fox stepping away, proudly cradling a small creature about the size of her torso: a Dragon. "Oh.” Ranboo says suddenly, catching Dream’s attention specifically. “I–I remember something about this, actually...a sort of tradition I read about. The people chosen by a Dragon would join a special rank of soldiers known as the Nejovik. Dragonriders, put simply. You would’ve thought that being here would have made me remember that sooner, but…" Ranboo says quietly, watching with extreme interest. Something still seems to be bothering the young Enderian, but whatever is on his mind, he doesn't share it. And whatever intrigue he’d had before, Dream says nothing, either.

 

While initially exciting, it's a repetitive process, and Karl loses interest shortly. Instead, he starts looking at the crowds. There's a stunning amount of Hybrids here, more than Karl suspects live anywhere near the Dream SMP, at the very least. There's even some Hybrids he thought were long gone: Axolotl, Chameleon, Giant, even Avian, to name a few. They all share seats side by side, uncaring of species or abilities. The same thing they'd attempted in the Dream SMP. Of course, that didn't work exactly as intended, but at the very least, they're safe from Hunters, like these people are. Karl wonders what caused this city to disappear, considering the fact there's no such place back in their own timeline anymore. Not one that anyone knows about, anyway. Did they finally get overrun? Or did they just leave? Maybe he'll find out.

 

A startled cry and an angry yowl draw his attention back to the sands. A trio of Dragons, two Marquis(the feathery ones like Crowza) and what looks like a miniature Ender Dragon, are trying to climb a set of stairs, nipping and screeching at anyone who tries to intervene, slowly making their way up to wherever they're going. Eventually, they come to a stop in front of Tommy and his friend's past selves. The two boys look at eachother, and Sapnap shares a glance with Karl. Hesitantly, the boys pick up a Dragon each, met with silence and shock by those closest around them. Philza and Dream seem unbothered, the Elytrian even starting to smile. Meanwhile, Wilbur has flown up to land behind them, and while Karl can't see his lips move, he can still tell when he speaks by the way the three boys' shoulders tense up. The man leads Tommy and his friends down the steps again with their Dragons, and to the sands, where there are a few shocked stares and jealous frowns. "Is that...does that happen...often?" Ranboo inquires, turning to Philza. "Not always, but it's not the person choosing the Dragon, mind you. It's the Dragon choosing the person. These bonds cannot be forced or manipulated. They either happen or they don't. So while not everyone may agree, those three were meant to have those dragons. Their bonds were not falsified; it was the Will of Ethrys." He explains quietly, as though expecting Wilbur to overhear them were he to speak any louder. Which he might; Karl is unsure of what this version of the ex-president is capable of. As Wilbur is leading them to the line of other candidates with their Dragons, a new one hatches. This time, Karl sees her perfectly. She has scales a sort of copper and amber color, two legs and a pale, pinkish-cream underbelly. She snaps at the horse hybrid reaching for her, and clambers out of her shell, confident and sure of herself. Strong and beautiful. Floundering a little as she figures out how to travel on the sands, she starts dragging herself forwards. Towards the tunnel.

 

Towards him.

 

Dream realizes this in the same moment, motioning for the others to back away, Nightmare growling in mild confusion. Seeing as he's smaller than Crowza, he's huddled himself just below and in front of the great Marquis, who observes everything with a blue eye. When he turns back to see the small Wyvern, she's just a few feet away from him. Somehow, he knows that she's female. It feels right. Slowly, Karl crouches, not wanting to scare the little thing. The little Dragon chirrups, blinking at him. She watches as he offers his hand, sniffs it, then presses her head into his palm, crooning. The emotion that fills him isn't one he has the words for. It's like finding the right partner, the absolute perfect one, but not for a romantic relationship. This is something far stronger. A connection surpassing that of any social connections somebody could make, a way to complete oneself: he is the only one ever for her, and she is the only one ever for him. She comes closer, allowing him to carefully pick her up, coiling her tail around his arm. She's sort of heavy, like the Ender Dragon’s egg. Maybe a little smaller. Looking at her, that makes sense–the Dragon inside would probably make up at least a good part of the weight. Karl hasn't felt such a sense of peace, but now that he has, he would do anything to protect this small, winged creature. So fascinated is he by this experience that he barely realizes there's more little Dragons coming over: three Marquis, another Wyvern like Karl's dragon, as well as a Sky Dragon and a Fire Dragon, if Karl has identified them correctly. Each of them attaches themselves to someone, leaving only Sam. "There will be Gryphons. If all of you have a dragon, I do not doubt he'll be getting a gryphon and a couple of Fire Lizards." Dream assures them. "Now come on. Wilbur may not like it, but you're part of this now. This will help you be closer to our cultures and ways, anyhow." Dream strides forward, leading the confused rabble out into the scorchingly bright sunlight. Upon Karl, Tommy, and Punz's entrance, they're met with cries of shock or disbelief, as well as open hostility. Sapnap stays close to Karl, and Sam remains on high alert, while Ranboo sticks by the blond boy. However, Tommy being Tommy, the boy glares right back at the people scowling at them. Wilbur's eyes are narrowed and his gaze cold, tail lashing slowly. Even Tommy won't look directly at him, which must mean he's furious. When Tommy and Ranboo spot their replicas, they sort of just stare, but the two Enderians avoid the eye contact by looking at something beyond one another. The other Hybrids are just as confused, some apprehensive. "These people are new travellers! They have come to seek refuge in Cinna, where they will be safe! While there are humans among them, they are our friends! We hope you will treat them as you would any of your fellow Hybrids. Now, give praise to our new Nejoviks!" Dream calls, somehow loud beeping that his voice undoubtedly echoes through the stadium. There's several beats of silence, before the crowds burst into cheers and calls of appreciation, disturbing Karl's little Dragon, so he strokes her until she settles again. The Hybrids without Dragons scowl at Karl and the other Tommy, Ranboo, and Tubbo, who seem just as confused and unexpectedly happy as Karl feels himself. 

 

Once that is over, they're again dragged into the tunnel, though Philza has left them to direct the other Hybrids with their Dragons(and those without) on where to go. Wilbur stomps over, clearly angry. "What the FUCK was that?!" He snarls, looming over Dream intimidatingly. "A Hatching." He answers calmly, unperturbed. "You knew? You knew they would be chosen?" Wilbur accuses, but Dream shakes his head. "You know that isn't how it works, Wilbur." The Hybrid hisses, glowering at them all before turning back to Dream. "They are outsiders. They consort with HUMANS. The ENEMY." He spits, tail scraping along the floor. The spines and quills sound like metal, Karl swears he even sees a spark or two. "Yes, but they aren't the ones what killed her, are they?" Dream points out. Evidently, this was a poor choice of words, as Wilbur puts a little dagger to the speedeunner's throat, and Nightmare growls warningly, head lowered and eyes narrowed. Nobody moves, nor dares to breathe. "Keep them out of my way." He growls finally, then sheathes his weapon and stalks back outside. "He's a nice guy, I swear." Dream assures them wryly, a grunt from Nightmare questioning the validity of his claim. "Now, there's a path up to the mountain agin, we should probably get going, because it takes a few hours to get up it." He adds, motioning for them to follow. This experience continues to get stranger and stranger, far more complex than Karl expected. His question now is, where does it go?

Chapter 8: Danger

Summary:

This one’s short but I couldn’t lengthen it much more without putting too much there so ye we get short chapter I guess

"Okay, so...wait, let me get this straight...they're in the past, and we can't go get them because that 'disrupts the Story’, so all we have to do is hope they come back??" Tubbo sighs, running a hand over his face and letting his head rest in his palm for a few moments. Dream tilts his own head to one side a little, watching the younger man. "Unfortunately." He confirms, glancing over at Wilbur and Philza, who're having some sort of intense discussion in low voices in a darker corner of the room. The crows have left, mostly, shooed off by the Elytrian, giving some quiet. Despite their typically talkative behaviours, the ones that are here have fallen silent, as if they don't dare disturb whatever the father and son are discussing. "Great–I don't like this." Tubbo mutters, mostly to himself. The tome apparently said they help face some sort of evil; 'a war waged and won', but then they just...disappear, alongside Dragons they apparently had? Tubbo never knew there was ever more Dragons than the End Dragon. He hopes that disappearance means his friends survive,  but he also can't help but feel a nagging worry at the back of his mind for their safety. "I don't think any of us do. Usually, there's some sort of solution to all this, but for now, all we can do is...wait." Dream sighs, shifting positions and casually stroking a crow that's come to look for some affection.  "Any idea what they're talking about?" Tubbo inquires, eager to find a way to distract himself as he indicates to Wilbur and Philza. "Well, I may not be supposed to admit this, but I think Phil somehow knew about what was going to happen, and therefore could have helped alleviate some of Wilbur's anxiety over Tommy's disappearance." Dream answers quietly, and at that moment, Wilbur says something incoherent but clearly venomous and leaves, walking straight through a wall. Apparently, sleep a thing he can do, now. The great Crow Hybrid sighs, looking over at the two with a wry, rueful smile, and comes back over.

 

"Sorry. Wilbur's a little...upset right now." He explains, glancing back at the wall. Resettling his wings, Philza continues. "He'll be fine. Now, about our friends–"  Out of nowhere, the enormous murder of crows returns, each one cawing in a shrill, panicked cacophony. They swarm around the Crow Hybrid, however without landing and heavily distressed. Some are moving so fast they even crash into the table. Dream stiffens slightly, most noticeable in his fingers, then gently scoops one up. It's injured, a dark substance leaking onto its glossy feathers from under its wing: blood.

 

"They're saying hunters found the house." Philza explains, having to shout over his distressed horde. "They...killed some of my Chat." Tubbo's ears droop a little, sympathizing with the older man. These crows are very special to him, and he's had a connection with them his whole life, so he's said. "If Wilbur's still around, he'll need to know about this." Dream states, standing up. "I bet he already does." Philza assures him, spreading his wings. "We'll meet you outside, you go on ahead." With a curt nod, the Elytrian takes off, followed by his massive flock, and the room falls silent. "Come on. This hasn't happened in a while, and I'm not willing to let it start now, because if ONE hunting party gets through, then they'll all start coming." Dream motions for Tubbo to follow him, charging up the stairs and shoving the oak doors open, though he does pause to ensure the younger Hybrid is keeping up and makes it past the doors as well. Tubbo can understand this urgency–not only because these people are a threat to Philza's home or his crows, but because these men want to get rid of ALL the Hybrids. In groups of typically 12 or 15, they seek Hybrids out, capturing them or killing them to get whatever valuable qualities they possess–be it feathers, blood, horns, teeth, or other things. The Dream SMP is supposed to be a safe place, despite the conflicts and wars within, which is why nobody truly leaves. They can't. Arguably, they COULD, but it's far more dangerous. Once they reach the main house level, they can hear the battle outside. Most of it is various sounds of shrieks and caws, but scattered throughout are the sounds of actual people, too. Dream doesn't hesitate to go outside, hopping over the fence and onto the ground to confront the attackers, while Tubbo pauses to take a moment to see what's going on. Wilbur is in the thick of it, taking on three men at once, and very clearly holding his own. While he's good with a sword, he favors a set of daggers, allowing him swift, decisive movements. Philza is taking on two over to the left, his crows darting in to distract his opponents and giving him an opening to go on offence. When one of the hunters tries to land a blow on him, he puts his wings in front of himself, the blade sliding off harmlessly, a strange, grating noise accompanying it. Dream's doing...whatever it is he does. He has impressive speed and combat skill, but even as Tubbo observes, the speedrunner throws a man away from him hard enough he slams into a tree and doesn't get up again. And interestingly, he makes a deliberate effort to ensure no attacks or actions dislodge or reach his mask. That’s a thing he’s always done in a fight, however. Realizing he's been standing there for a few seconds, the goat Hybrid draws his own sword and runs over to join the fight. While Tubbo's not met a Hunter before, he knows very well that they don't care about the welfare of the creatures they hunt, making it a fight for survival. Barreling into one, he rolls back onto his feet, the man snorting contemptuously at his small size and lack of threatening features. The scar may be awful, but it doesn't serve much of a purpose; goat Hybrids aren't meant to be exactly scary. Like their woolen counterparts, they’re often docile and easily pushed over. Tubbo exhales a deep breath, getting into a fighting stance. He knows better than to let that define him–he ran a country, once.

 

Surely he can handle just another fight.

Chapter 9: Her Name is Tourniquet

Summary:

Wilbur’s a bit of a jerk here but he means well

…To the Hybrids lmao

"Tourniquet." Karl murmurs, stroking his little Dragon along her back. She croons and arches, clearly enjoying the affection. "She says her name is Tourniquet." Sitting on his shoulders, he has two Fire Lizards that creel and demand the same affection. Karl does his best, however he only has so many hands. One of the little creatures is green, small red flecks scattered and hidden across her throat and underbelly. The other one is brown, with shades of amber and silver on his neck and wings. Small, little things that grow to the size of a large parrot, but loyal, fierce companions. After the Hatching, Dream had brought them to a place where the ones left unchosen or unable to fly with a Dragon nestled in the base of the mountain. There, Sam managed to gain a gryphon and four fire lizards. Everyone else got two or three, and Karl has named his green one Anjax, after the Enderian word the Fire Lizards are referred to as, and the brown one is Rykk. "After a few hours, your Dragons will tell you their names, which then solidifies the connection between Dragon and Rider. Then, that begins what we call the Tethering, where you grow a closer relationship with your Dragon. They won't truly speak to you again, not until this process has progressed by quite a while." Dream explains, walking a few feet ahead of their group. "Is there like, a sort of time frame this happens in?" Punz inquires, and Dream slows his gait momentarily to think. "Sometime between 2 to 3 years." He answers, and Bad glances at the others for a moment. "As much as I love it here, shouldn't we be focused on getting home...?" He asks, the Wyvern he’s bonded to balancing on his arm, tail loosely coiled around his neck (in case he overbalances) chirruping at him as if agreeing. "Well, yes, but there isn't much we can truly DO to speed that up. Usually, I'm supposed to follow a certain set of events, and when that's all over, THEN I come back home. This…is a bit of a special case. For one, it's only ever been me doing the Time Travelling, and it's never been like...this. There's been an underlying issue, a story or theme, if you will, but this is more complex in that I can't wholly figure it out yet. We're guests here, sure, but for the most part, there isn't any big problem." Karl replies, half talking to himself. "If I may cut in, in this time and era, we are at war with the humans, fighting to keep Cinna and the Hybrids safe. Perhaps you have some part in all of that? You’ve been here for only a matter of days and now you have dragons, after all. Clearly, the Will of Ethrys has use for you." Dream offers, moving to look at Karl while he speaks. "You keep mentioning this 'Will of Ethrys' thing. What is it?" Technoblade asks, and while the question is directed at Dream, it's Ranboo who answers him. "Uh, well, Ethrys is supposedly a goddess, according to Enderian legend. The Lady of Light, and credited with making the tie between Enderian language and Elvish magic and spells. Not only that, but it's said that she created Time Magic itself, and linked it to all other Magics involved. So the 'Will of Ethrys' is basically just a fancy term for 'Fate' or 'As It's Meant To Be'." He explains, sounding more sure of himself as he continues the explanation, though still looks very shy and unwilling. "You sure know your history, Enderian. Who taught you?" Dream comments, and the younger Hybrid twitches his tail. "I uh, read a lot of old stories." He admits, and from everything Karl has come to understand and know of the boy, makes plenty of sense. "That may be useful...we're here, though, so we'll have to talk later." Dream has led them to a set of massive doors, birch wood instead of the dark oak of the library's, with golden patterns of dragons engraved within the surface. The man opens them, and leads them into what is obviously a dining hall. There's a long, spruce table in the middle of the room, a set of slightly grey-tinted windows that stretch from the floor to the ceiling, and shroomlights carefully carved and formed into chandeliers to give plenty of light, but still not too much. "It is traditional to hold a feast of sorts after a Hatching, so that the older Nejovik can meet the newer ones, and vice versa. Besides, your Dragons–and gryphon–must be hungry." Dream states, and in confirmation, Tourniquet chitters, expressing her empty belly's woes. The masked man motions towards the table. "Come, sit. The others will arrive shortly."

 

After about an hour, the other Nejovik come in, the newly hatched Dragons and gryphons having been led off to eat, and as the new Hybrids come in, Sapnap gets Karl's attention with a light shoulder tap. With no more than a slight shift of the head, the Pyro Elf indicates to a trio walking in. One is a woman, graceful and pretty, with blue scales scattered across her body and golden eyes, pink streaks in her hair. It's this place's Niki; she must be an aquatic Hybrid of some sort. Speaking to her is Wilbur, looking far more relaxed and at ease, at least until he spots the group. He scowls slightly, but continues speaking to Niki. The third, however, is a man almost identical to Punz, except he has a scar running up the left side of his face and his clothes are different, more suiting the natural or cultural themes of clothes here. But regardless, he is clearly human, which is perplexing.

 

From another entrance, the other BadBoyHalo and Skeppy are leading the younger Hybrids into the room, the demon-vampire Hybrid making motions and figures with his hands rather than simply speaking. Instead, Skeppy is speaking for him, which is what clues Karl in that this version of Bad must be mute for some reason; he's using sign language. The present(or future?) version of the healer has noticed this too, and watches in confusion. "Why can't I talk?" Bad wonders quietly, only loud enough for his friends to hear. "He was cornered by a Hunting Party and rendered mute. His vocal cords were cut, due to their belief he could utter curses and spells. He's lucky to have survived the experience. Now, Skeppy speaks for him." Dream answers, having been walking past them when Bad asked the question. The poor Hybrid's eyes widen, a small tremor running through his hands, and a stunned silence forms around the group, though the smell of gunpowder grows a little heavier in the air as Sam tries to keep his anger in check. Hunters are horrible, but they don't do things like THAT. They just kill the Hybrids, or sometimes sell them off if they're paid enough. That's practically torture. It's not brought up again throughout the whole meal, some friendly and clearly strained polite conversation made, before Dream gets up and motions for Karl and his friends to follow him. Collecting their Dragons, they are once again led through a series of tunnels and corridors before reaching a circular entrance to a new cavern.

 

This one is bigger and taller, again lit with shroomlights. The furthest wall has a row of indents, big enough to fit a person, and two divots in the ground with moss and leaves for bigger Hybrids. There's also a pool, clearly hand-carved, for any aquatic species if they needed a space to sleep comfortably. "You will have to spend the rest of your night here. Get as much rest as you can, tomorrow, you're going to have to learn how to be a Nejovik." Bidding them farewell, the man leaves, and they set out to decide which beds they want. Ranboo instantly climbs up into one of the higher indents, leaving only some of his tail hanging over the edge. "So...we just not gonna talk about how messed up the Hunters are here?" Techno asks, sitting on the edge of a nearby hovel, his little Marquis sleeping soundly, bundled in his arms. "Clearly, they changed in the past...however long it's been from this time to ours. There's far less Hybrids in our time than there are now, which might have contributed to this." Sapnap offers, and while he seems calm, the way his eyes have a slight glow betray the anger and distress he's feeling. "I can only use a few Elvish spells. I don't...it doesn't make sense." BadBoyHalo notes, shaking his head. His little Wyvern growls, rubbing his cheek with the side of its pale head comfortingly. "The stereotype for demons is that they can use dark spells and curse people, which is wildly inaccurate. Demons just take advantage of the powers available to them, like Elvish and probably Enderian, and derive from Chaos. They can't create their own spells." Ranboo states, poking his head over the side to contribute to the conversation. "And you're also half-vampire, as is the other you. You're more likely to have shapeshifter powers than spells. Vampire-demon Hybrids are also well–known for that." He adds, mostly as an afterthought. "Humans are just arrogant and blind. Most of them." Sam agrees, correcting himself with a glance at Tommy. The boy still seems disbelieving. "Are they really all so...murder-y?" The boy asks. He'd been found by Philza, so Karl had heard, when he was still too young to have been warned about Hybrids, kept safe and hidden for his whole life. He's never spoken to another human being, aside from Punz, Ponk, and Karl. "Hunters were employed out of fear. They took it further, turning it into hate. Most people are just scared, because Hybrids are different, and as is a common theme among different cultures and people, they want to either control it and feel safe, or just get rid of it altogether." Punz explains, and Tommy thinks for a moment. "If people are just scared, why don't we just prove you're not dangerous? Show them that they're wrong." Sapnap shrugs. "We could certainly TRY, but I don't know how we would do that. People would either flee, or send hunters after us. At least, I don't think it'd work in THIS time. But maybe we can talk about it back in our time." The Pyro Elf suggests, before yawning and stretching. "I think I'm ready to go to sleep." The comment causes a ripple of agreement, so they decide to continue talking tomorrow. Choosing one of the hollows and crawling in, Karl makes sure Anjax, Rykk, and Tourniquet have enough space to sleep comfortably. Today was a big day, one full of revelations and turns he didn't expect. Tomorrow's bound to be the same.

 

He wakes up to a bolt of alarm surging through his head, Tourniquet alert and bristled, while his two Fire Lizards quietly hum in confusion and anxiety. Groggily rolling over, he jolts back in surprise at Wilbur's face inches from his own. Seeing two blue eyes which slightly illuminate the rest of someone's face is not the most pleasant thing to wake up to. Wilbur brings his hand up to cover Karl's mouth, shushing him. "Don't scream. Get up. Meet me outside the cave in 5 minutes or I will leave you behind." He hisses, then disappears, reappearing out of the shadows of the doorway as he exits. Taking a few moments to calm down his rapid heartbeat, Karl climbs out of the indent and makes his way out of the cave, followed by his scaly companions. Wilbur is leaning against the wall, slowly lashing the tip of his tail. Tommy's there, too–not the one Karl knows, but the Avian one, with fiery wings and a grey-brown Marquis with vibrant orange flecks on the tips of its wings in his arms. He tenses slightly when he sees Karl, but doesn't say anything. "Come on." Wilbur growls, stomping off. The two share a glance before following after the Hybrid. A triple Hybrid, according to Tommy: Phantom, Avian, and Elytrian. The Phantom part is clear, with the long, deep blue tail, sickly skin color, and strange eyes, and the Avian part in his golden-blonde feathers. The Elytrian part is a little harder to distinguish, if you're not aware. According to Dream, Elytrians have a metal aspect about them: Philza's feathers are slightly metallic, allowing him to use his wings as a shield, and for Wilbur, it appears his bones share this metallic appearance. The bones of his wings are visible, another Phantom trait, but they're a dull grey, as well as the spines running down his back and tail, acting as the quills to his tail feathers. In Karl's time, Wilbur never mentioned any of these things, albeit nor the fact he was a Hybrid at all. As far as anyone knew, he was human.

 

Wilbur leads them to the place where just yesterday, everyone was climbing up to ride a Dragon, and lets out a shriek, similar to one a real phantom would make. The blue Marquis Karl saw him riding during the Hatching lands in front of him, smaller than Crowza and slimmer in stature, but graceful and still just as beautiful. It mews at Wilbur, lowering its head to nuzzle him affectionately. "This is Friend. She is my Dragon, and my closest companion. She's going to help me teach you how to develop the bond with your own Dragons." Wilbur states, turning to face Karl and the boy. "And before you get confused, I will make it clear: I am teaching you to ensure you learn correctly. You are human, and I will never fully trust you, but you are a Nejovik now, and if you deal with Time Magic and are friends with hybrids, maybe you aren't so bad. Maybe." He adds, flicking his tail at Karl. Tourniquet, who apparently took it as a threat, sits on her partner's shoulder, spreading her wings and hissing, emulated by the Fire Lizards. Wilbur narrows his eyes, then turns to Friend. "Come on, time is wasting." He helps Tommy and Karl climb onto the Dragon's back, showing them how to hold on correctly, and settles himself in front, then Friend moves, lurching them forward as she dives through one of the big holes in the floor. Karl's Fire Lizards squawk, forced into the air(they’re capable of flight from the moment they leave the egg, thankfully) while Tourniquet has the advantage of having climbed into his sweater. Friend banks, aiming for the sea, and allowing Karl a view of the city below. Even as early as it is, it's still busy–nocturnal Hybrids going to retire for the day, and early risers heading off to do whatever. There's the massive tree, which looks like a willow tree with cherry blossoms, looming over a side of the mountain, big enough to make into an elaborate home with multiple levels. Beside it, a lake, deep and dark save for the lights at the bottom, looking much like some palace for aquatic Hybrids. Soon, though, it is all replaced by water, reflecting the sun as it rises. Karl could get used to this–it's exhilarating and stunning, and makes him all the more curious as to what happened to change all of this so drastically from his own time.

 

After about three hours, they find an island, landing on it. It's a fair size, with cliffs and a forest and overall is quite peaceful, but something feels strange the moment Karl sets foot on the sands. "Do you feel it, Time Traveller?" Wilbur inquires, sliding down beside him. "That is the Magic of this place. In Enderian, it's called Iemt Innvïe, but in Elvish, it translates to Time's Irrelevance. Time doesn't function as it would back for the rest of the world, which gives us plenty of time, while wasting no time at all." He explains, helping Tommy down. "There is a hut in the middle of the island. That is where we will stay." Wilbur hauls himself up onto Friend again. "I expect to see you there by sundown." With that, he flies away, leaving the two to fend for themselves with their companions, and no idea where they're going, or what dangers might be waiting for them.

 

Seems there would be no introduction; Wilbur's teachings have already begun. 

Chapter 10: Depart

Summary:

I had a really brilliant reason for doing this but now my mind has gone and forgotten it so we’re gonna make a new one later! Yay!

"Get out of here!" Dream yells, voice strained and hoarse as he tries to keep the man atop him from pressing a sword into his neck. Wilbur yanks Tubbo back, spinning to shove him away to relative safety and parry another opponent. If it wasn’t clear, the battle is not going well. A good amount of Philza's crows lay dead in the snow, which has prompted the Elytrian to make the birds retreat, and none of them are without numerous injuries. "What about you?!" Philza calls back, kicking up snow with his wing to blind the Hunter in front of him. "I'll catch up. The three of you, get out of here, NOW! Tell everyone to gather at–" Dream grunts, blocking an attack to his side with a pickaxe, then uses it to wrench the weapon out of his adversary's hand. There are only two dead out of the Hunter’s group, and there's something Tubbo can't place that feels off about these men. They don't seem...normal, not that he's entirely sure what 'normal' for a human is. "To gather at Prime. I'll meet you there." Wilbur pauses, then nods, grabbing Tubbo and flaring his wings, hissing at the three men approaching them. It makes them pause for a moment, which is enough for the hybrid to leap into the sky, hauling Tubbo along with him. Philza follows soon after, calling out to his no-longer-so-vast murder, which soon envelops them in a dark cloud of small bodies, all chattering anxiously. "He wants us to go to Prime?" Wilbur confirms, and Tubbo nods. "Call the others. Phil and I will focus on getting there." The goat pulls out his communicator, a device that resembles a watch, and coincidentally hides the number of canon lives he has as he types in the message and ensures it’ll ping everyone. Ignoring the confused responses, he puts the device away, and realizes they're already almost there. Landing just inside the border, Wilbur carefully releases him and they head inside, the crows filling space with ease, restless and distraught. Philza attempts to comfort them, murmuring to the closest birds in soothing tones and mimicking certain chirps and warbles. A few minutes go by, before Niki runs in, still soaking wet. She must've run out of the water when she saw the message. "What is it?" She asks. "I'm not explaining this multiple times, and I don't even know." Tubbo answers tiredly. She accepts this and instead comes forward to help tend to Wilbur and the crows, the two being the most injured. Shortly following come Purpled, Ponk, Skeppy, CaptainPuffy, and Eret. After that, the rest of them trickle in, the final person to arrive other than Dream being Quackity, observing the scene and either scowling or hiding his confusion. "What the hell's all this for?" He demands, folding his wings in and definitely scowling at Wilbur, who makes a point of ignoring his gaze. "I don't know. Dream told me to bring you all here. We were attacked by Hunters." Tubbo answers, catching their attention if he hadn't already. "So? It's not like they're THAT big of an issue. Is he finally losing his edge?" Quackity scoffs, unbothered.

 

"These are not normal Hunters." Tubbo lays his ears back, shocked. Dream staggers in, Quackity moving to get out of his way and watch him pass by, unscarred side of his face clearly expressing his surprise. Not only is the speedrunner's sweater dirty, bloody and torn, a good chunk of his mask is missing, revealing dark skin and a green eye underneath. There is stunned silence. It is a well-known fact that nobody, nobody, can beat him this bad except perhaps Technoblade or that one Avian he claims now carries the title of ‘Dreamslayer’. Not when he's at his normal self, which he had been…right? "They're not just coming to finish a job, they're almost energetic about it, like it's a fun task for them. Overall, far more dangerous than what we've seen before." The duck Hybrid snorts. "Then we'll find some other way to get rid of them. Still not sure what the problem is. They're just humans. Sorry, Ponk." The man shrugs, unperturbed. "No. Didn't any of you see what they did to Philza? To Wilbur? Or Tubbo? Phil's lost at LEAST 100 crows, which shouldn't be an easy feat. No, we can't fight them. I called you all here for a reason, and that reason is this: I think we may finally need to leave." Tubbo and several other people can't suppress the gasp this announcement brings. "What? You want to run? We live here! This is our home, and I'll be damned if I don't fight for it." Quackity objects, flaring his wings. Dream shakes his head. "I know. I really, really do. But if we all want to stay safe, this is the best option right now. I made this place to protect Hybrids. I'm sure you can understand wanting to protect someone." He continues. Quackity glowers, but stays silent and looks away. "But, wait...what about Tommy? Ranboo? Everyone else?" Tubbo asks, and Dream turns to look at him. With part of his mask broken, his gaze seems almost gentle. "We'll have to hope we find them. Trust me, this option isn't ideal, but I swear, it's better than staying here." He replies. There's a sort of intensity behind his words, only multiplied by how he stares the goat down. Slowly, Tubbo nods. "Even if we did leave, where would we go?" George asks, pushing the brim of his mushroom hat up to see better. "I don't know. We'd be picking a direction and just…going. Hope to find a place to lay low." Dream sits down, removing the hand from his side. There's a big bloodstain around it and his hand, the shaft of an arrow still visible. "I say we go." Niki declares, coming forward with Skeppy to offer assistance with Dream’s injury. "Do we have any other choice?" Eret agrees, as do Philza and Wilbur. "If we're leaving, we'll have to go soon. I want to put as much distance between us and these people as possible." Tubbo offers, though that rebellious part of him still wants to stay, to hold out for their friends to come back before leaving. What if they get caught or killed? Either way, his statement prompts everyone else to give muttered and mumbled answers of 'yes', leaving only Quackity. "I don't like this." He spits, arms crossed. After a few more moments, he sighs and drops his arms. "It's a cowardly move, but if the rest of you are going, I'm coming too." Waiting patiently for Skeppy and Niki to be done with a quick dressing of the injury, Dream thanks them and stands. "Then let's go. Eret, will your gloves be enough or do you need another pair?" Eret grins, holding up her hands. "They'll be fine." Dream nods and turns to Niki. "And we'll bring some water buckets for you, just in case." He promises. "So that's it? We're really leaving?" George asks, moving to follow his friend back outside. "Yeah, guess so." Tubbo agrees. He never expected something like this would ever happen, and he can't help but wonder, what's going to happen next?

 

And where are his friends?

Chapter 11: New Purpose

Summary:

Hey remember when I said I knew almost nothing if anything at all about Karen’s Time Travel lore? Yeah, that’s my only excuse for this

 

Welp here’s where my wholly indulgent headcanons about Enderian culture come in😌 I was cringe and made a Pinterest board for this story so if someone wants me to for some reason, I can put the link up. Only if it’s asked for tho, otherwise I won’t bother thinking someone would care that much

Two years later, Karl is heading back to Cinna.

 

Well, for him, at least. And Tommy, Wilbur, the Fire Lizards, and the Dragons. As Wilbur had explained when they first arrived, Time doesn't function the same way on that island as it does for everyone else, so they can spend years there while maybe only a matter of days or even hours have passed for the rest of the world. In addition, the three didn't age, but their Dragons did. Tourniquet is a little smaller than Friend and Ashcroft( that being what the young Avian named his Marquis) is only slightly bigger than Tourniquet. That being said, Tourniquet is clearly faster, agile and quick. Wilbur's lessons were harsh, but valuable, from learning how to set up camp with little to no tools, taking advantage of his Fire Lizard's flight and better eyesight to help hunt, forage, and track things, to better forms of combat, and most importantly, to do his best to be in tune with his Dragon. That, and the times he'd pull Karl away while Tommy would sleep, explaining the customs and traditions, rituals and beliefs of the Hybrids, anything he didn't know about, and ask him about Time Magic. He has a very good grasp on it, Karl thinks, having been surprised as to how swiftly he accepted the whole 'Story' Theory. When it comes to Time Magic and what is known about it, Karl doesn't use concrete terms. A Theory is something that has been tested and presently, is true, but it could still change if something new challenges its validity. Both men left that island with a better understanding of one another…or so he hopes. Wilbur may have been a harsh teacher, but he was smart, taking new variables into account. He will understand. Tourniquet assures him, beating her wings to stay at the height she's set herself at. Her scales, still that gorgeous copper and amber, glint in the light, catching the sun resting over the Nejovik Temple.

 

There, Karl can see some other Nejovik, maybe some of his own friends, flying into the Roost, which he’s learned is the cave where the Dragons rest when their riders need to go in the mountain. According to the rites they go through, all the new Nejovik will gather in the Temple, then be sent off one at a time to undergo a final ritual before being official riders. It's not like they can't become riders if they don't partake in the ritual, but it's heavily frowned upon. Wilbur explained how it works: The Nejovik and their Dragon will land in front of a small pool about a 30 minute's flight into the forest border, a sacred place protected by this time's Sam and a few other Creepertaurs, and pledge themselves to the gods and goddesses. If they approve of your loyalty, they'll appear to bless you. Often, it's Lady Death, Ethrys, or DreamXD that appear. Tourniquet dives down, then suddenly shoots back up, landing inside the Roost with the precision and skill Karl knows of her. While she had taken Karl by surprise, she knows better than to actually do something that would risk him falling, especially given the fact Karl doesn't have actual riding gear yet. Inside the Roost, Dragons and riders are meeting with old friends, such as Tommy(both Tommys, actually) and  Ranboo(both Ranboos, too)'s Marquis and Ender Dragon meeting one another and chirruping in curiosity.

 

"She's pretty." Sapnap calls, striding over. Following close behind is a red Dragon with silver slits on his neck and snout, an orange glow in between and under his scales to show his status as a Fire Dragon; fitting for a Pyro Elf. "So, did you get dragged off by someone, too?" Karl asks, slipping down to the ground and urging Tourniquet to make some friends. "Yeah. I got me–er...other, me." Karl makes a face. "I got Wilbur." The Elf raises an eyebrow, impressed. "And he didn't try to kill you? No? Huh. Last time he saw you, he looked ready to rip you apart." Karl shrugs, smiling as he senses his Dragon meeting another she likes. "He said something about how the fact I deal with Time Magic means I'm not so bad, if I remember. It's…been a few years." Sapnap nods in understanding. "Oh, yeah, I get it. We may not have aged, but it still feels like time has passed, because it still has, and we have all these new memories. Time is weird." He sighs, then turns to greet Sam, the lion-like Creepertaur padding over with his four Fire Lizards clinging to his shoulders and gryphon staying close to his side. He seems a little bit different, now: the way he holds himself is less like that of a guard and more of an "I'm relaxed but still alert" type of posture, the mane of fur trailing down his back and tail are thicker  and messy, and his paws seem to be well adjusted to the earth below him. "I trust you all had good experiences?" He asks. "Yeah, mine was...definitely interesting." Karl confirms, Sapnap nodding. "How about you?" Sam flicks his tail, flexing his hands. The gloves he often wears to prevent his claws from hurting people are different, they must have been damaged and stitched back together in that time period. "This time’s version of me is very interesting. There's many things that we've forgotten, and I'm glad to have them back." Sam pauses a moment. “I’m glad to have seen more of my kind, too.” He explains how his past self helped him to accurately control and use his explosions, a trick involving using his forked tongue to direct the blast where he wants, some new combative tactics that take advantage of his lion-like half, and various other little things that he can use to survive in the wild. During this, the rest of their group gather together, exchanging greetings and sharing experiences.

 

Finally, a hush falls over them, even the Dragons falling silent as Crowza flaps his great wings and the Angel of Death stands atop his head, speaking loudly and clear so that everyone can hear him. "Another year, another set of promising Nejovik. We're all proud and grateful to have you with us, but before we welcome you in full, there is one last thing you must do. Pledge yourself before the gods, devote yourselves to protecting our sacred, great city, and earn their blessing." A few hoots of enthusiasm pop up, and the Elytrian smiles. "There is no order as to who will go first or after. We will call names and send you at random. That is all for now." The chatter starts up again, a little more excited this time. They all know what to say when they arrive, part of their teaching was about this dedication. The first sent out is an owl Hybrid with a pale white Ice-Sky Dragon, from the looks of it. She leaves, disappearing into the sky and blending in with the clouds. They wait, making small conversation to pass the time, before she returns, grinning proudly. The Hybrids cheer, the Dragons calling out bugles of triumph and welcome. When Karl first arrived, he'd never have been able to accurately understand what the great beasts intended or felt. But now that he has Tourniquet, it seems as easy as identifying emotions on another person. The rest of the Hybrid's turns pass, and finally, it's Karl's. By some unspoken agreement, he and the others have decided to talk about what they experienced in greater detail later. They need rest; the past few years were grueling in numerous ways.

 

Touriquet dives out of the cave and banks over to the path flown by the other Dragons, swiftly passing over the tree line and allowing Karl to appreciate just how thick and dense the forestry is. It goes on for three to four days in any direction, and Sam's kind is supposedly the ancient protectors of this barrier. He wonders what happened to the trees. Did people just come in and cut them all down when the Hybrids left? Is that why they disappeared?Could Karl find any hint of this place in his own time one day? Perhaps... Tourniquet offers supportively. She understands his strange situation, and while she is heavily against knowing he'll leave eventually, she can respect the fickle way that Time works. Dragons are intensely complex, after all. "If we're lucky, maybe you'd come with me. I sure hope so." Karl speculates, stroking her neck. Beating her wings, Tourniquet suddenly changes the subject. I believe I see it. This looks like what Friend showed me. Diving, she lands on the outskirts of the clearing she'd spotted. At the end farthest to them, there is a small waterfall, feeding into a clear, shiny pool of water. There's a bit of mist from the waterfall dancing on the top, but stays close to its source. Karl slips down and approaches the water, drawing out the coin he had been given. It's got the mark of a crow, a wolf, and a Fire Lizard on one side, the other inscribed with a message in Enderian Karl can't yet understand. Even here, Enderian isn't the most common language, only practiced by Enderians or those needing their words for certain kinds of Magic. He tosses the coin into the water, mutters a kind of prayer, and crouches with his head bowed. Behind him, Tourniquet also dips her head, so close to the ground that it almost touches. After a minute, nothing seems to happen, so he stands back up. The coin is still at the bottom of the pool, though he was told it would disappear. "Did they not accept me?" He wonders, a little worried. I don't need ancient entities to accept you. I accept you. Touriquet replies, lifting her head, then stiffening and bunching up as the spines along her back rise with a hiss. Look!

 

Twisting back around, Karl's eyes widen. Standing in the middle of the mist is a tall, semi-transparent Enderian. He's covered in a cloak, leaving only his head visible. He has golden eyes, and two sets of horns protruding from his head to help allow a crown to stay on his head. It's almost impossible to see any depth to him, his skin and hair blend perfectly. Karl can see the small white dots scattered across him like stars, however. That clues him in. Wilbur talked a lot about Enderian culture, seeing as it's one of the oldest, next to that of the Starborn. "You're Whitrys...Lady Ethrys' brother." Karl states warily, and the Enderian nods. "I am." He confirms. He not only looks incredibly similar to, he also sounds exactly like Ranboo, too, which he must admit is a little disconcerting. "I'm here to offer you my blessing. I have seen you, watched your adventures. I've already sent my blessing on to my descendants, but you're a special case." Tourniquet whickers a little, flicking her tail. She's as wary as he is, and her first instinct is to scoop the man up and keep him away from the apparition. The stories surrounding this entity aren't supposed to be the brightest. "And why's that?" Whitrys's tail curls around his clawed feet, which hover just above the surface of the water. "You have my book." He holds up his hand, which appears from his cloak, and a copy of Karl's Journal manifests. "I'm not often credited with this, and I prefer that is stays that way, but the reason I'd actually left my people, my sister, and my home was to create those bonds between Enderian and Elven Magic. It's due to me that a thing must have an Enderian name before it can be translated into Elvish and used in a spell. The name gives it power to hold magical potential. I also used that experience to create the laws of Time and the ways you travel through it as you do. The spells and history recorded in this book are used to ensure that this process does not unravel, and that events happen as they aught to. That is what you are doing here. Follow the Path, and you will succeed. That is my blessing: Luck, and the ability to follow the correct storyline. You are the protector of this timeline, now, as those who came before you were. That is why the Character Continuum Theory, as you call it, exists. I have passed similar blessings to my kin. They will help as I have instructed, so you are not alone. Good luck." Whitrys explains, then Karl's attention is drawn away from something in the woods. Tourniquet deduces it's nothing, but when they turn back, Whitrys and the coin are gone. "Well, now what?" Karl asks, returning to the Wyvern's back. We speak nothing of it. She decides. Not for the time being, anyway. We should see if there's anything else we may have missed or overlooked about Whitrys and Lady Ethrys. The Angel and Ranboo know about old histories, right? Nodding and half-distracted by his thoughts, Karl gets ready to leave the clearing and return to Cinna. Now that he has a slight idea of why they're here, that makes things a bit simpler, however raises more questions, such as why he wasn't made aware of this before. Why only now is this coming up?? Is this what he’s been doing for the other Time Travelling periods? Couldn't this have helped him earlier, when he was trying to understand what the Journal was? Tourniquet snorts, hauling herself back into the sky with ease.

 

Gods never give linear answers, anyway. 

Chapter 12: Origin

Summary:

We meet an old friend

After rushed but very careful round of deliberation, Dream manages to convince the rest of the SMP that the best way to put the most distance between them and these Hunters is to go across the sea. "They'll have to look through the entire SMP, and if we're lucky, they'll not come out this way at all." He reasoned, so once they'd made some boats, they set out. During all the boat-making, Tubbo takes a moment to think of what happens if Ranboo, Tommy, and the others return. He needs some way to make sure that they don’t get caught and maybe can find their way back to the rest of them. He writes a book and leaves it in a chest beside one of the more prominently used Nether Portals. It’s the best he can do, or at least the best he can think of at the time. Then, it’s time to leave, and Tubbo sets his sights to what appears to be endless sea before them.

 

They spend several weeks at sea this way, stopping on islands to rest and collect food. Philza and the crows, Wilbur, and Niki will often take those times to scout the surrounding areas for land, Hunters, settlements, or any other useful things. Luckily, they run into little trouble, save for a couple storms that caught them by surprise or were simply unavoidable. 

 

About two months into the seafaring, Wilbur suddenly drops onto Dream's boat, coming with news: "There's a mountain range. Absolutely massive, and inside, there's a valley. It looks used, but not human. With luck, we could probably stay there until...this...is over. Phil stayed to check further." He announces, a murmur of hope spreading through the tired Hybrids. They’ve rested on small islands, but an actual place to stay would be wonderful. "How far away is it?" Dream asks. Wilbur cocks his head, looking back the way he’d come. "About...40 minutes ahead." He replies. Dream dips his head, then rolls his shoulders. "Then let's go."

 

Sure enough, they catch sight of the enormous peaks within the hour. They’re taller than the clouds in some places, unwelcoming and steeply inclined everywhere else. "Okay, so we're here. Now how do we get up there? We sure as hell can’t climb that." Quackity asks, wading out of the water to start pulling boats ashore. "We'll rest for a few days, or until something happens. I'm going to go climb up and see what  it looks like." Dream answers, then leaves them there. Wilbur stays to help them set up a sort of temporary camp, which basically means a few boats used to make miniature shelters, a few campfires, and a set area. Two days later, Tubbo helps get wood and goes out to look for any food, as does Fundy, Eret, and Ponk. They rest for the night, then rouse in the mid-morning to the arrival of Philza and his flock. "Dream's saying it looks safe enough, we just need a way around the mountain. It's not easily climbed." He explains, just as a bright light pierces the area. There's cries of confusion and objection, Philza using his wings to shield his eyes and Puffy's, seeing as she was closest to him. "What are you doing here?" A voice demands, stern but more urgent than angry. "Hello?" Phil responds, slowly lowering his wings as the light dims. Tubbo blinks rapidly, rubbing away the strange effects it left on his own eyes. It was like staring directly at the sun. As his vision corrects itself, Tubbo manages to identify the speaker’s features. A man stands several feet away, hair purple and silver, ears pointed and long, and wearing a light blue robe with golden lines in strange patterns. On the inside, there's a deep purple background with more silver spots, like the silver in his hair. They both shine like stars. In his hands, he's holding miniature balls of pure light, or so it looks like. They blink out of existence after a moment. There's something formal and wise about him, yet ancient and lonely. His gaze is transfixed upon the Elytrian, though it does flicker to other people when they move to see him better. "Scott??" The crow Hybrid says, his flock taking a moment to catch on to whatever this means before positively swarming the man. He instantly spreads his arms, letting multiple crows perch on him. Some simply caw, others go so far as to rub against him as they would an old friend. Whatever he's saying is lost in the birds’ excitement. Philza smiles, wings losing any and all tension as he turns to the onlooking Hybrids. "Don't worry, he's a friend. This is Scott, a Starborne." He explains, slowly encouraging the rest of the SMP to lower their weapons. What’s a Starborne? The name sounds familiar, but the goat Hybrid’s unsure why it is. “Why are you–what’s happened? It’s been so long…” Philza shifts uneasily, glancing around before saying something too quiet to be picked up. Whatever he says, Scott nods and looks at the group. His gaze softens as he appears to come to a decision. “I understand you come from someplace far…you’re fleeing something?” Tubbo nods. “Hunters.” He confirms. The Starborne turns to him, something strange in his gaze, but it seems to be what he wanted to know. “I see. Normally, I wouldn’t be willing to harbour such a large group, especially on such short notice, but I will help you.” He points to the towering mountains, scattering a few crows that had been perched on his arm. “I live past those peaks. Are you well enough to follow me there?” He inquires, met by varied murmurs of hesitancy or wariness. “We just met you! Philza might trust you, but I don’t. Why should we follow you anywhere?” Quackity challenges, meeting the Hybrid’s gaze with mistrust. Scott doesn’t change his expression, instead he simply folds his hands together calmly. “I have known Philza for far more years than you all have been alive. If he needs my help, I’m not about to turn him away. In addition, for how few Hybrids there are nowadays, I think we ought to take care of one another.” He explains, getting a nod from the Elytrian. Wilbur’s been silent, still appearing to be shocked by the sight of the man. Quackity grunts but subsides as nobody else brings up any other questions.

 

Philza arranges for a crow to retrieve Dream, and the rest of the SMP packs up what little they have, leaving the boats behind to make their loads lighter. Upon arriving at the foot of the mountain a day later, they find Dream already waiting, stalking outside of a cave. “You’re–no way!” Dream exclaims, sharpening at the sight of Scott. “I thought all of you had left!” He continues, turning to Philza, who offers a smirk. “We did, but I chose to hope and stay behind. And, well, there was this.” Scott indicates to the passageway behind the green-clad man. The entrance is pretty big, however not dwarfing that of many things back home. It’s also smooth, carved and molded into shape by clear intention. It’s not natural. Wilbur’s already almost inside, running his hand along the ground and slowly curling his tail. “There’s a sharp difference in temperature. It’s incredibly warm in here.” He observes, getting a nod from Scott. “Yes, it’s…very sultry.” Will that pose an issue to anyone?” The Starborne inquires, mostly looking at the slime boy, who shrugs cheerfully. Tubbo turns to Niki. Despite being physically human on land, she’s still a merling and they don’t take too kindly to extreme heat or dry environments. “We have water buckets…I’ll be fine.” She promises, mostly looking at CaptainPuffy. “If you’re sure. The walk isn’t too long, but it is confusing. Make sure you stay close, and stay close to me.” With that, Scott enters the cave and raises a hand. He summons a ball of light, the carvern walls attempting to swallow it inside their crystal surfaces. They’re incredibly smooth, and like Wilbur noted, warm. It’s somewhere between soothing and stifling, an uneasy balance between pure bliss and discomfort. “What are the walls made of?” Eret wonders, looking up at the ceiling. Even the ceiling is made of the rock–and that rests easily several feet taller than Ranboo or Bad. “I would almost say it’s sapphire, but sapphire doesn’t hold the heat like this. It’s more like fulgurites, I think. Uh–sand that turns to glass under intense heat, like lightning strikes.” The Starborne answers, adding the last part when Philza nudges him with a wing. “Is it valuable?” Fundy inquires, but Scott shakes his head. “I don’t know. To some people, maybe, but in all my years of being here, I’ve never seen a piece that’s come loose or anything that can affect it enough to take out chunks, so good luck finding a way to mine it.” He answers. The fox hybrid huffs a little, but accepts this as they continue on. 

The air only gets warmer the further in they go, though it never gets uncomfortable in full. Meanwhile, the cavernous maze of tunnels gets much larger. Tubbo knows he isn’t exactly the largest person ever, but the tunnels are so large that they seem almost meant for Giants at this point, not people. They no doubt would have gotten lost ages ago, with so many directions and how each corridor or split looks the same: a triangular hole in the wall, gently curved at each point. Occasionally, they pause to let Niki douse herself in some water, but for the most part, she simply dips her hands in the liquid and spreads it on her arms to try and take the edge off. Tubbo suspects they’ve been walking for about an hour and a half, which is when they reach the smaller cavern, and Scott pauses. “We’re almost there. Now, are any of you aware of Hybrid cities?” When they say no, Scott nods. “Just as well. I think I should tell you, this is a very small one, and it held a select few Hybrids. It will suit plenty of needs, but it doesn’t accommodate everyone perfectly. I hope that’s alright.” Dream puts his hands into his pockets, having refused to remove the lime green hoodie. Does the heat not feel worse with it on? “We’ll manage.” He promises, so the Starborne moves on.

 

And then they’re out.

 

The sun returns, revealing they’ve passed through the mountain and into a valley. There’s forests immediately ahead of them all, a stream flanking them to the right. Further down is an enormous lake, feeding into various rivers and brooks that wind through fields until reaching the snowy mountains and grey cliffs. There’s even a floating island that feeds its own source of water into the lake. Dotted across the land are structures in various states of ruin or wellbeing. Scott sweeps a hand to indicate to it all, clearly proud of the SMP’s stunned silence. “This is my home. I hope you’ll accept it as yours, as well. Welcome to Origin.” 

Notes:

OSMP Scott my beloved, whoooo

 

*passes out*

Chapter 13: One step forward, two steps back

Summary:

Did I make up a bunch of lore? Yes, yes I did

Karl gets the letter two weeks after his blessing from Whitrys. 

He’d spent most hours he had alone–well, never alone, seeing as Tourniquet would never be able to truly leave him–trying to figure out what he’s supposed to do next. Wilbur said they’d be doing tasks with more experienced Nejovik at first, then slowly given more independence as they gained actual experience. He’s not been told what that ‘experience’ is, but he’s certain it’s not light. The others are busy with their own affairs, for example Tommy has convinced Ranboo to help track down their past selves, and Sam has gone off to join the guard that his people serve at the borders of Cinna. Sapnap and Bad have been out more than the rest of them otherwise, however Technoblade, Ranboo, and Tommy are often called aside by Philza or Dream for whatever reason.

 

He gets the letter while he’s with Tourniquet, the copper-scaled Wyvern lying still as he leans against her side. She has a wing positioned to shield him from the sun, yet leaves her wholly exposed to it at the same time. A little purple Fire Lizard appears, landing on the arm Karl offers out to it. It chirps, eyes whirling jade and gold as it waits for him to take the scroll. Karl gently does so, then nods to tell the small creature it can fly off again. Anjax and Rykk have woken from their naps at the arrival, chirruping their welcomes and getting up to greet the other Fire Lizard. Leaving them to it, Karl reads the note. “Ranboo wants to talk to me…it seems urgent.” He informs his Dragon, who immediately begins to stand. Where does he want to meet? She inquires, accompanied by an elaborate yawn. To anyone else, he’s certain it’d seem terrifying. Her teeth are long and sharp, snout half as long as he is tall–but Karl thinks she’s beautiful. Tourniquet growls, nudging him gently in appreciation and pride. “Over by the edge of the Greensea.” He answers, already hoisting himself up to his spot upon her back. Nejovik are allowed to fly anywhere, even new ones, however so long as they don’t leave the boundaries of Cinna. The enormous forest known as the Greensea counts as one of those borders. Luckily, a black and white feathery Dragon isn’t hard to miss. 

 

It doesn’t end up being a black and white feathery Dragon. Instead, Karl finds the End Dragon, raised on her haunches and wings spread as she calls to them. She’s requesting I land. This isn’t your friend, though…? Tourniquet muses, however they do as asked anyway. The other Ranboo is hiding at his Dragon’s side, watching him slide from Tourniquet’s shoulder to the ground. Karl puts his hands in his pockets, trying not to make the boy any more anxious than he already is. “You wanted to speak with me?” He asks, and Ranboo nods, flicking his tail and stepping forward. His Dragon lowers herself back onto four legs again, staying close but letting him take the lead. “Um–yeah. I was, uh…at the ceremony, where we gain our blessings by the pool…I saw someone? He told me I was supposed to help you, and since then, I’ve been…seeing things. From your time.” Tourniquet whickers, drawing her head back in surprise. “What sort of things?” Karl wonders, trying to stay calm. Whatever the boy wants to say sounds important; he’s noticeably restless. “Men. Hunters. They’re…attacking people–Dream, Philza, Wilbur, and someone who looks like my friend, Tubbo. But he’s…more of a satyr than bee and goat?” The Enderian answers, closing his eyes as if to draw the memory to the forefront of his mind. Or can he see it as they speak? “Anything else?” Karl prompts. If something’s going to happen, or is happening, he’d like to know. “Water. There’s…lots and lots of water. A group is swimming in boats or pulling rafts, and they look tired. It’s…got the same people from before, and a few more I recognize. They look different to how I know them, though. And…” 

 

The boy sharpens, and his Dragon does the same, coiling her tail over her claws and humming with mild alarm. “There’s a…he isn’t an Elf, but he’s…close, I think. He can hold stars in his hands, and there’s a cavern that’s always warm. Your Tubbo is mystified by it, I think. And it’s…glossy? Made from some sort of crystal. It feels important, but I don’t know why.” When he opens his red and green eyes again, Ranboo finds Karl deep in thought, a small frown forming as he considers this. This must be happening in the same time frame as the events here, but trying to understand them is difficult. Clearly, Hunters attacked them, and they fled, but where did they go? They haven’t left the SMP since Dream made it, and Karl has never heard of an elf that can hold stars. Yes, you have–the Starborne, remember? Before they left. They could manipulate light and heat, like miniature stars. Tourniquet reminds him. While that is helpful, it simply adds another layer of complexity—what’s a Starborne doing in his time, why are they there, and who is it? “Thank you for telling me about this. Is there anything else you wanted to tell me?” Ranboo considers, then shakes his head. “Okay. If you see anything else, let me know.” Karl requests, then gets back on Tourniquet’s back. “Right. Um, sure. What are you going to do?” He pauses. “I don’t know yet. I might start looking for any kind of star holding Elves, though. Any idea where to start?” The End Dragon rumbles softly, and the boy nods eagerly. “The Angel has a library! Ah–I’m not sure if you’d be allowed entry, but I was told no knowledge is forbidden, so I assume you’d be able to go. I could help you out, actually–I um, I like books.” He offers brightly. Karl nods, going so far as to pat him on the shoulder. “Great! You ready to start now?”

* * *

Apparently, Philza is more than happy to let them into his library–he’s intrigued and willing to help their search. “What’re you looking for?” He asks, the crows perki no up and chattering in chorus as if egging them on. “Um, we wanted to see if we could get anything on the Starborne…?” Philza pauses, even his crows shut up for a moment before murmuring quietly. It’s almost conspiratorial, but the Elytrian nods, flicking his wings agreeably. “Of course. Anything in particular? Cultures, history, abilities…?” Ranboo flicks his ear, moving carefully so as not to disturb the corvid perched on his shoulder. “Um…history, maybe even people, specifically?” He suggests. The Elytrian nods easily, then flaps off to retrieve a set of scrolls and asks a moth Hybrid to get some other volumes as well. Once they have all the literature, Philza starts with one of the smaller scrolls. It looks very old, however still in good condition and well-cared for. 

“The Starborne are possibly the closest to aliens we’ve had. That, or they’re from a far earlier time that we haven’t yet discovered. As far as we’re aware, they came down from the stars, a curious race of travellers that were fascinated by what they found. It’s rumoured they brought us Dragons, as some Starborne were already of the like. They were beautiful people, filled with Elven grace and traditions as complex as the Enderian. They shared all their knowledge, taught people how to read the stars, and even extended their kindness and eager, scholarly attitude towards humans. For a time, it seemed to be a positive experience, and things were calm.” He starts, lightly trailing his talons over the illustrations depicting his tale. Or maybe he was paraphrasing, it feels too personally explained to have been written down. The scroll depicts a figure bathed in light with a star in–or maybe on?–their chest, raised above various Hybrids. It also has white, serpentine shapes coiled in the background, reminiscent of the Stony Drakes, if they were more like Ice Dragons. There’s images of them sharing what appears to be books or maps, as well as with people. Then, there’s some sort of pouch depicted, a trail leading to what appears to be the burst of a firework above it, and then people in battle. In the background are cages. “They were rumoured to live as long as the stars themselves, and had many abilities. An innate understanding of the stars, illusionary powers, the ability to shift constellations, the ability to summon and manipulate light and heat, even float. But one of their most memorable may be their ability to naturally produce a highly combustible powder. It was far more powerful than TNT or Creeperfire, and was deadly if used as a weapon. They collected it in order to ensure the safety of others, though offered small quantities to use as display. It was beautiful as it was dangerous, but the humans had decided to rally and take advantage of it. Some other accounts say they killed a Starborne and discovered the powder’s effect that way, others claim the humans always had intentions to start this war, but it’s not truly known what happened. What did happen was that people tried to cage Starborne and farm the powder, and they tried to resolve the issue peacefully. It was unsuccessful, and they were hunted in excess. Eventually, they fled back to the stars, and nobody’s seen them since. Rumours insist there’s one still here, one that was left behind by his people and unable to flee, but if it’s true, I know not.” Philza sighs, pausing on the image of a Starborne looking up at the stars. “How long ago did the Starborne leave?” Ranboo asks, already reading one of the books provided. “About…300 years ago, if I remember correctly.” Ranboo makes a small noise, like a growly ‘hm’ and continues reading as Karl relays the information to Tourniquet. That Starborne is surely alive, then? If they live as long as the stars themselves, then they would surpass this time to yours, right? She points out. “Is there anything else on that last Starborne? Like, what else do these rumours say?” Karl inquires, just as Wilbur appears from the shadows. It’s still just as surprising as it was the first time, but at least he isn’t the focus of the Hybrid’s gaze. “Father, we’re to fly with the–oh. Am I interrupting something?” He says, not exactly angry, but clearly displeased nonetheless. “Yes, I remember. I’ll be right there. As for you two, I’d suggest you keep reading up through these. That’ll at least send you in the right direction to whatever you’re looking for.” The Elytrian bids them goodbye, then leaves the library with the majority of his crows. A few stay behind, apparently more interested in whatever they’re doing than Phil’s matters. “Well, that’ll help. I’m assuming that final Starborne is the one you saw, so all we have to do now is find them.” Karl states, taking one of the leather volumes for himself. Ranboo nods, turning the page as he does. “He is mentioned pretty often, at least in this one–they call him the Lonely Star, or Last Light.” Ranboo falls silent as he reads something, then looks up at Karl for a moment. “And then, there’s this.” He sighs. Putting down his book, Karl comes over. He can’t read Enderian as quickly as the young Hybrid can, but he doesn’t think he needs to. There’s a map shown on one of the pages, marked with inscriptions he doesn’t know. Ranboo indicates to it, tapping his finger over what looks like the Hybrid City.

 

“Wherever he is, he isn’t in Cinna.” 

Chapter 14: Should I Stay or Should I go?

Summary:

The world expands…

Karl brings up the new discovery when he has a chance to see everyone again.

 

The map clearly showed several other cities just like Cinna, but as to how far away they were, they gave no indication. Past Ranboo had managed to sketch a copy for him, basic but detailed landmarks to show where places of interest were. After that, they’d continued looking for any clues to where or who this Starborne was, with little luck. Karl thanked the boy for his help and left, staying in the Roost with Tourniquet for a few hours to mull things over. She offered what insight she could, but both agreed that unless they sought these cities out, how were they to ever truly find this Hybrid? And what would they even say if they found him? We need to inform him of your people’s plight. Tourniquet suggests, claws curling on the stone. If he is in your time still, then perhaps he will be able to ensure their safety, and inform them that you’re safe. “Yes, well, I can’t spend several years searching for him, either.” He groans, scrubbing a hand over his face. Rykk croons comfortingly, pressing his small, slender head against Karl’s cheek. He makes much more pleased warbles when Karl strokes under his head. If you have no other choice, you may have to. I understand the welfare of your friends is very important. And perhaps he can help us here? You haven’t an idea what it is you’re meant to accomplish here, either. Karl considers that. Help how? What would a lost Starborne be able to tell them about his reason for being here, or what to do in order to help them get home? Then again, maybe he does know something. Such a strange race, with so much information to be learned from them, as Ranboo had commented. Maybe there is some sort of old teaching that could help you? Whitrys said that he would have his descendants aid you, and it sounds as though this one has a future sight. If you came via that book, a volume associated with time, then perhaps this is Whitrys’ assistance through them? It must mean something of great importance however we look at it. Tourniquet continues, growling in greeting to the arrival of this time’s Tubbo and his Marquis. Elsye, if he remembers correctly. The white Marquis vocalizes her response, a draconic mew that rings with high whines. Tubbo gives a curt nod and heads off into the Temple, so Elsye climbs into one of the rocky holes to rest. “Would we even be allowed to travel for that long? What if something happened here that I’m meant to do?” Tourniquet flicks the tip of her tail, startling Anjax, who gives a screech of objection, then sets about fussing on the Dragon’s head in an indignant scolding before settling down again. Eventually we must be, right? Although, she adds as a musing afterthought, I cannot say for certain. Perhaps I could ask Friend or Frulle. Karl leans his head against her sun-warm scales, and they continue to ponder until BadBoyHalo arrives with Ghost, his Wyvern.

 

A half hour later, he’s sitting in a room meant for small gatherings(as many rooms were; unless given some other use). Having just finished explaining everything he’s discovered, he sits back to let the others take the information in. Punz shifts in his seat, leaning forward to stoke the fire they’d set. “Well, I’m not against a journey, but you’re right–would we be allowed? I don’t think these people would take too kindly if we just up and left.” Technoblade nods, shrugging off his cape. There had been tailors that worked on it, so as to help tell between the two men. His cape has embroidered gold on it, the shape of a sun and dragon wings spread across its length.

 

Everyone’s long since updated their attire–Bad has a new, simpler jacket with more pockets, Sam’s left his armour for the lighter, more comfortable-looking armour common to his people. Ranboo’s in more casual clothes; they appear to be easier to move in than his suit did, and are riddled with black and white feathers. In addition, there are leather wraps around his feet. Tommy looks mostly like himself, though his shirt has a few holes, there’s some stitching and his hair has a feather of black in it–one shed from his Dragon, Karl assumes. Tourniquet shed scales aplenty as she grew, which some people turn into armour; Sapnap is one. His chestplate has red and silver scales trailing down the sides, reminiscent of the glow beneath his Dragon’s own. He’s traded his clothes for ones more durable to heat and flames, and there’s a slim, golden ring around one of his horns. Techno has a small one around one of his tusks, as well as a few hints of it in the white feathers around the ruff of his cape. Punz has pale blue scales in the leather of his riding gauntlets; those also being lined by fur to help keep his hands warm in cold places and high altitudes. In addition, he’s gotten a strange mark on his face; curling and twisting like a tattoo of fire. He explained this marks him as a human friend, bold in color but not something that would distract him otherwise. Karl himself has made changes–Wilbur required he ditch the sweater and find something more useable so that he could stay warmer. He’d explained that with the nature of Wyverns being that they have sharp points, he didn’t want Karl’s clothes to be unnecessarily damaged. And it had reduced the amount of tears he’d gotten. He still has the sweater with him, along with the book, but those remain packed away.

 

“It’d be sort of rude–hey, we’ve been with you for a little over two years, thanks for teaching us all your traditions and letting us have Dragons, now off we go! Although, I’m all for another adventure. We should at least talk to Phil or Dream about it. I don’t remember no Starborne, but Phil knew lots of people. Might be we find one of his friends?” Technoblade suggests. Ranboo nods, then turns to Sam. “But Sam…you can’t fly. That’s…a bit of an issue.” The Enderian points out. The Warden of Pandora’s Vault sighs, stretching out his forelegs and the claws that come with them. “It might be that either you carry me, or I just stay here…I wouldn’t mind either way. Maybe we can stay in touch. Fire Lizards are supposedly capable of sending messages across distances that’d take a Nejovik days to cross in a matter of hours.” Karl hadn’t even thought about that–Sam might not be able to come with them. “I feel it’d be best we all stay together, however there’s…a lot to think about, as you said.” BadBoyHalo offers, turning to Karl. “Right, so–I say we plan out what to make of this before we approach another Nejovik about it. Just to be extra sure we know what we’re talking about.” Punz suggests, and all the others murmur their agreement. “So. Other Ranboo says he saw the future, where our friends were attacked and forced to flee from Hunters…abandoning the SMP. They were out at sea, so at least we have an idea which direction they’d went in, and came across an Elf-like man who could manipulate light. You,” Tommy points at Karl, not accusatory, but to affirm who he’s speaking to. “then went with him and into the Angel’s library to find out more about this ‘Starborne’. And that’s when you found the map.” He’d calmed down considerably, much more rational than impulsive, though that side of him still existed in full. It’s still a bit strange to see how much calmer the boy had grown, just as it was strange to see Ranboo looking much more confident in himself, no longer always dodging looks or hiding beside Technoblade. He sits up straight and attentive, offering his piece when he feels it’s helpful. “Yeah, the other Ranboo drew it for me, and translated some of the words.” Karl agrees, pulling out the paper. There’s at least 5 cities on it, not counting Cinna. Karl passes it around for the others to inspect. “If there’s other cities, then there might be more people who know what we’re supposed to be doing here. It was my hope they could help find this Starborne, and hopefully that’d give a clue.” Sapnap nods thoughtfully, coaxing the fire into healthy flames as he does so. “It makes sense–it’s been some time already, and nothing has happened. Maybe we’re needed elsewhere and this was just the first step.” He muses, and as Karl goes to respond, Tourniquet speaks. Frulle and Nightmare say that nobody’s made deliberate excursions in over 10 years…the last was a duck Avian that has yet to return. But they are very interested in this debate, and wish to help however they can. The Nejovik will be made aware and we will try to tip the odds in our favor that they’ll say yes. Karl relays the message to the others, and Technoblade grunts softly. “So it sounds like we’re decided on at least trying to go.” He clarifies, looking at the group. They all nod to some degree, and so the Hybrid stands. “Alright. Well, at least we got one thing down. Now, my next question is where do we start?” As the map makes its way back to Karl, he regards it in consideration. “The closest city, right? Which would be…” he narrows his eyes a little to read the neat, small writing. “…Hieri.” He looks up at them. “Any idea how far that would be?” Ranboo inquires lightly. “No.” He admits, folding the map back up and pocketing it. “But it’s a place to start, isn’t it?” Ranboo dips his head, moving his tail away from a few stray sparks. “Fair enough.”

 

They continue trying to figure out how to go about this plan, however finally they reach a point where until they get to speak with another Nejovik, there will not be any reason to continue the conversation. They decide to sleep on it, then approach Dream or Philza in the morning.

 

Karl wakes up to creeling of hunger from his Fire Lizards, nudging his fingers to nuzzle his palm with their heads. He sits up and takes the little creatures in his arms, carrying them over to a bin full of meat. Anywhere a Nejovik can sleep has one; a way to feed the Fire Lizards without travelling unreasonable distances. Opening the lid, Karl pulls out a handful of meat and sits down to feed them. The others have gotten up to do the same with their own, save for Punz, Bad, and Ranboo. Nightmare says that Dream is willing to talk with you all, if you’re ready. Tourniquet informs him, just as a distant roar shakes the ground. Karl waits until everyone is awake and alert, then confirms they’re ready to talk to Dream before relaying it to his Dragon. Ten minutes later, the masked man strides in. “Nightmare says you’ve found something important?” He asks, sitting down and waiting for the others to join him. “Uh–yes. We’ve been trying to figure out why we’re here, as you know. And, we think we may have found a clue.” Sapnap nods to Karl, letting him explain as best he can. Dream tilts his head when he mentions the Starborne, clearly interested. He politely waits for Karl and the others to finish explaining, though. “I’ve heard of this Lost Star. Never looked for him or sought out information on him, but I do know that he’s been sighted every so often. We keep contact with the other cities sometimes, and Hybrids that make their way into Cinna will bring in tales. It’d…definitely be an interesting adventure.” He comments, then inhales deeply. “Well, all I know is that you’re from another Time, you’re not sure why you’re here, and now things aren’t looking good. I’m personally inclined to let you go on this journey, but I doubt Wilbur would be thrilled to have eight Nejovik–young Nejovik–leave…” Dream shrugs. “We have considered the option that not all of us would go.” Ranboo adds, stroking a red and black Fire Lizard on his shoulder. Dream sits back nodding. “That might make things a bit easier–do you know who would be going?” Sapnap points at Karl. “Karl for certain, but I’d like to go as well…everyone else has offered to come, but it sounds like most likely we would have Tommy, Ranboo, and Technoblade with us.” The Pyro Elf explains, indicating to each in turn. “A smaller group would be more manageable, and I’m well aware you three aren’t to be easily separated. However, the older Nejovik laid claim to you when we had that dinner after the Hatching, deciding which of you we wanted to teach and be responsible for. Call it a sort of protective urge, but we aren’t very comfortable leaving our charges to do their own thing. This is very sudden. Yet, if that’s your decision, I can talk to the Angel and see what he thinks.” Dream stands up, slipping hands into his pockets. “Thank you for this, and I’ll let you know when I get an answer.” With that, he leaves, and after an awkward silence, they leave to go do various things.

 

Karl decides to go fly around the city.

Chapter 15: Frozen

Summary:

Two mysteries unfolding at the same time but in different timelines get more complicated, and complicate each other.

If I do it right, everything will all make sense in the end.

Knowing me, it probably won’t

Everyone, exhausted as they are, settles in fairly quickly. A few homes are identified as specifically perfect to some people, like Philza, Wilbur, Fundy, and Niki, however they leave these places open to anyone else who wants them as well. Tubbo decides to hole up in a cavern that Scott explains belonged to an Enderian. Living with him is Skeppy and Ponk, at least until more houses are made. That’s how most days are spent; either exploring their new home, or building places for everyone else. It’s safe; Scott promises that, and Tubbo believes it. According to Dream, those massive mountains are impossible to climb, and with the strange nature of the tunnel they entered from, it wouldn’t be easy to get in here anyway. Scott’s also been nothing but kind and helpful the entire time; offering his advice or physical help wherever he can. He’s Phil’s friend, and they often spend time with each other, talking about who knows what. 

 

Even so, Tubbo feels uneasy. Why would Scott be the only person in such a well-protected and environmentally diverse space? What happened to everyone else that must have lived here before? The buildings are in exceptionally good condition considering how long Scott has claimed to live here. And why does it seem like the Starborne recognizes some people and not others? Tubbo’s been anxious and tense all week; it feels like walking in someone’s house uninvited. 

 

It’s doing something to Wilbur, too. He’s a major part of helping the SMP get set up, helping wherever and whenever he can, always trying to stay busy and make sure everyone’s doing alright. However, when he’s alone or in the darker hours of the day, he’s very quiet, looking at buildings–especially one that floats on a solitary island in the sky–with a puzzled yet relieved, reminiscent expression. He won’t explain anything when Tubbo asks if he’s okay, which is admittedly a little frustrating. Right now, he’s helping Puffy build one of the walls to her house alongside Hannah and Seapeekay. While Wilbur is engaging in regular conversations and being an active participant in the work getting done, he still seems distant, like his mind is elsewhere. Admittedly, Tubbo feels similarly–something warm and buzzy keeps trying to drag his attention away, which he’d only felt once he exited the caves to get here. Scott said there was something in them, but he isn’t aware of what it might be. Is this it? Something to affect your mind? Trying to follow the feeling doesn’t do anything, it just sits there in his head and stares at him, like it’s waiting for him to do something. But if he doesn’t know what it is or what it wants, how’s he supposed to do anything about it? 

 

One night, Tubbo gets impatient and decides to try and figure it out. 

 

Slipping out of the cavern he’s staying in, the goat Hybrid carefully picks his way down the mountain and identifies the one with the strange cave. It’s about a two hour walk in any direction to reach the foot of the mountains from the middle of the valley, so he makes the journey in about three. But, it helps. The buzzing grows more insistent, almost coaxing. Tubbo’s reminded of a mother urging her child to take their first steps, or the opened arms of a trusted friend beckoning him forward into a hug. Pulling out the torch he’d brought, Tubbo goes to light it, careful not to cut himself with the sharp metal. 

 

“I wouldn’t recommend going, at least not alone.” 

 

Tubbo manages to avoid a near bleat of surprise, but drops the flint and steel when he jumps. Scott is watching him from beside a nearby tree, though he doesn’t seem mad. The Starborne steps into full view, the small gems floating around his head soaking up the moonlight. They glow faintly as a result, like a small, softly glowing halo of crystalline shards. “However, that’s why I’m here. I’m not against your going into the caverns, I’m against the fact you may not come out again by yourself.” He continues, smiling mischievously. Scott raises his hand to summon a small orb of light, only enough to mimic a lantern, then pauses. “…You are here to enter the cave, right?” He clarifies. Having recovered and scooped back up his firestarters, Tubbo nods. “Yes. How did you know I’d be here?” Scott’s ear twitches a little as there’s some animal that calls out in the background. “You feel it, I assume. Wilbur does. Not too distracting that you can’t function, but enough that you can’t leave it alone, either. A kind of…fizzy feeling that sits and waits for you.” Scott answers, then nods in satisfaction when Tubbo confirms his suspicions. “I think the feeling of being beckoned and judged at the same time is the worst part.” He adds with a laugh. Tubbo can’t help but chuckle at this as well. “Are you ready to go in?” Tubbo nods, so the Starborne starts forward, entering the caves without any hesitation. It’s as warm as it was last time, but the buzz is waking up, or at least is more active. It wants him to be here, for whatever reason. Normally, he wouldn’t be going into weird, probably magical caves with strange Hybrids he doesn’t know, but a lot has happened, so he’ll make amendments just this once. Scott stops once they reach the 15 minute mark; inside a particularly large space with five different passages. “Does one in particular catch your attention?” He asks, moving back to let the goat Hybrid choose. Silently, Tubbo heads for the second passage to the right. As soon as his gaze caught it, he’d known whatever is driving him was sending him that way. “If you feel this too, then why do you need me to choose a path?” He wonders, turning to watch Scott catch up. “I don’t think the feeling is as strong. I have it, I know I do, but…it only takes me to the caves, not through the tunnels. I’m hoping that if you’re sensing directions, we can find out what’s in here.” He answers, keeping pace with ease. “How haven’t you explored them all? You said you’ve been here for…” Tubbo hesitates. He surely can’t be THAT old, no matter what he said. “Around 5,000 years.” Scott supplies helpfully, and after blinking for a moment, Tubbo continues. “Right, so no matter how big these tunnels might be, wouldn’t you have seen them all?” Scott shakes his head. “Not exactly. Sometimes there would be others here, for example. I’d stay for as long as their lives remained, then try again. But without some idea of which paths I need to take, I wander blindly and find myself back at the exit again.” He says, waving vaguely at the tunnel behind them with his free hand. Will that happen to them now? What if it’s some wild goose chase, and whatever this pull is, it isn’t enough? 

 

They keep walking, mostly in silence as neither has much to say, and Tubbo is busy trying to follow the buzzy thing. Scott’s got an impeccable sense of time, confirming that they’ve been walking longer than Scott has by himself before being sent back to the entrance to Origin. The space around them is growing hotter again, but actually hot–not the strange warmth they’d felt before. The walls have also begun to lose their shape, rougher and with sharp edges instead of the smooth surfaces. Whatever it is, they’re very close. Tubbo feels like his skull is vibrating at this point, humming with insistent energy and alluring as ever. If Scott feels any different, he doesn’t show it, though his face is as flushed as Tubbo’s sure his own is. The heat has caused them both to remove their respective coats, which unfortunately didn’t do much anyway. The goat Hybrid wonders where they are now. Are they still under the mountain? Below the ground? How many hours have they been walking? The caves are messing with their communicators, meaning if they’ve been declared missing, they will have no idea until they get back. If they get back. 

 

As the passages grow into more normal cave shapes, they became increasingly transparent, like looking through thick tinted glass. Or maybe it’s a trick of the light. Either way, it shows dark shapes, massive and often jagged, but with the warping of the crystalline walls, it’s impossible to tell what they are. “I don’t think it’s shadows. Look–they’re different shapes, different sizes, and look at the gaps–see that one there, it looks like a neck, and that’d be the arm…” Scott moves up to one of the walls, tracing the lines into the rough shape of some massive creature.  “Nothing grows to that size, though. Not even the End Dragon.” Tubbo muses, wiping his forehead. The Starborne grunts in agreement, but they continue forward–standing around and speculating on what they see isn’t the answer to the buzz, after all. The next cavern they come across opens up into a space full of crystallized formations, like they’ve walked inside a geode. Scott makes his light grow, then sends it ahead of them to see the room better. The crystals are white at the edges and transition to a sky blue in the middle, yet still appear orderly. Scott’s light source shows the pathway provided, so after a quick glance at one another, they continue ever onward. This has to be the place; the air is tight and oppressive, even hard to breathe. If it gets any worse, Tubbo won’t go any farther, motivating brain hums be damned. Luckily, there doesn’t seem to be any more path than what’s directly in front of them, and up a flight of shallow steps. There isn’t any pedestal or other object on the ground, but the wall directly opposite of him and Scott is flat. 

 

Just like choosing the tunnels, as soon as Tubbo looks at the wall, he’s certain it’s what he’s been looking for. The hum silences immediately, a calm smoothing out in his mind like he’s just taken a breath out. Scott splits the light in half, then directs it to have one on each side. In the middle of the wall is another dark shape. Unlike all the other ones, Tubbo can see it clearly–a head. “Well, either someone is an incredibly talented artist, or that’s real.” Scott observes, walking forward slowly. It’s turned to the side, eye closed. Did the crystal preserve it? Is it even alive anymore? Or is it the reason everything’s so hot? The closer the goat Hybrid gets to it, the more details he notices. For example, it’s serpentine, maybe even draconic in appearance, covered in scales of various sizes. They’re a dark, dull shade of green, or they look like they are. The underside of its throat and mouth is smooth and more grey, and there’s jagged edges up its head and neck, as well as around its lower jaw. “Tubbo.” Scott hisses, calling his attention to something to his right. “Look.” Curiously, he moves over, making sense of the shape presented. It’s a limb, but not like a normal one–bent at odd angles, three claws at a prominent curve, as well as longer ones connected to a thin layer of something or other. Below it, tucked against the thing’s side and difficult to see even with such clear sight, are odd, oval-shaped lumps. The goat Hybrid doesn’t exactly know what to make of it, though it feels familiar to something. It’s almost… 

 

Tubbo exhales sharply(either to curse or exclaim in surprise) and takes several steps back.

 

“That’s a wing.” He states, tracing the curve of it with his eyes. 

 

And the strange, lumpy things partially obscured by it are eggs.

 

They’ve found a Dragon.