Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

   Clay packed his bag in silence. Clothes went into the bag. What else would he need. Weapons, food, potions. Who knew what kind of dangers they would face out there? Clay could feel electricity buzzing under his skin. He didn't know if it was anxiety or excitement. He was excited to see the world, learn more things firsthand, explore, adventure. That was what he had wanted for so long but...

    But the boys. He wanted to get them into school. He wanted their lives to be stable. They deserved it, especially Sam. The poor kid was an anxious mess. Then again, with Exdee gone, they wouldn't be able to have a stable life. The server would fall apart. 

   Clay knew enough about mythology and history to know what happened when a contract was broken. He shuddered just thinking about how bad things had been three years ago. 

   Bloody red feathers, spider venom, crushing crushing guilt. 

   He's dead he's dead he's dead he's dead. Your fault your fault your fault your fault.

   He shivered and shook his head before he stashed a sword into his inventory. He didn't want to think about that. He picked up the backpack and started trying to put it on. He was already anxious and putting his wings away right now wouldn't help him at all. 

   "Is there a reason you're doing it the hard way?" 

   Clay turned at the voice and gave a tired smile to his dad. He hadn't slept well, knowing they'd been leaving today. "You know me. Stubborn."

   Tommy stared at him for a moment, not believing Clay's poor attempt at hiding his feelings for a second. Still, he decided to humor the young man. He moved forward and took the backpack. "That you are. What's on your mind Birdie?" 

  Clay chewed his lip between his teeth, contemplating what to say. “Are you sure you can handle them and Shroud?” Clay asked softly as his dad strapped the backpack onto his back while avoiding his wings. 

   “Positive. You don’t gotta worry about us Clay.” Tommy reassured him. "It'll be fun. Good time to get to know my grandkids."

   "They're not- Whatever." Clay sighed and sat back onto his cot. His house had been swallowed by the earthquake a few days before. “It’s not you that I'm worried about…” He rubbed his temples with a dark look on his face. “It’s Sam. I know you can handle taking care of them but I don’t know if Sam can handle being here without me.”  

   “I see…” Tommy hummed, looking thoughtful. “Clay… Are you sure this is just about Sam? He’s been doing a lot better recently.”

   Clay looked up at his dad with a look that was a mix between pleading, and frustration. 

   Tommy backtracked. “Well, this is your first time being away from them right? Maybe your feelings are making you think that Sam needs you.” Tommy cringed. “Not that he doesn’t need you-” 

   “No, I get it… I did think of that. I’m just… What if when we find Exdee he takes them away?” Clay whispered, running his fingers through his hair. 

   “Oh Clay…” Tommy gave a soft croon and sighed. “I know it’s a horrible feeling but I know things will work out okay? Everything will be fine. You're the one that always wanted an adventure after all." He ruffled the younger man's hair.

   Clay laughed and took a deep breath. “Yeah, I know… Thanks, dad."

   “Of course, Birdie. Now, I'm pretty sure everyone is waiting.” Tommy pat his son's shoulder. "You better get a move on."

   The younger blond nodded and made his way out the door. People were moving in a daze trying to pick their lives back up. The ground was still split open like a raw wound that hadn’t even begun to heal. It didn’t even know how to begin. Even days after the event Clay could still feel the rumbling. When could he have an adventure that didn't involve disaster?

   He just wanted to know things. 

   Exdee would know how to fix this. They had to find out where it went. 

   “I have to get back to Shroud…”

   Clay nodded and folded his wings close. “Bye, dad.” This wasn't goodbye. Just a farewell. A bittersweet end to the now so he could move to the then. He wasn't leaving forever. Maybe when he got home that emptiness would be filled and he could be content finally. He wanted that content feeling. He wanted to come home to the boys a hero. He wanted to watch them grow up. He wanted to hear them call him dad and Tommy grandpa (though Tommy would probably throw a fit if he was ever actually called that). Maybe he'd get a cat. Or a dog. Or maybe a bird.

   Maybe he'd settle down, get a job and a house. Live the domestic life. 

   That would be nice. 

   Despite his closeness with his dad... He was pretty sure he was going to miss Sam and Alex the most. The boys had been such a constant in his life for the past several months. It would be strange without them.

   At least he'd have Michael. Some things never changed. 

   Tommy swallowed and pat his son's arm. “Goodbye Clay. You stay safe. Don’t-” He choked back a word and stared at his son through the silvery white strands in the front of his hair. “Come home safe.”

   Clay squeezed his dad's arm back once in reassurance and understanding. “I will. I swear on grandpa Phil's life.” 

   Tommy let out a wet laugh and rolled his eyes. "Fuck off kiddo." 

   "Language old man." Clay scolded

   "I love you birdie."

   Clay's chest tightened with worry. "Love you too dad..." He took a deep breath and headed in the direction of Snowchester. 

Chapter Text

   “Is everyone prepared?” Dream was bundled in a thick jacket with his wings wrapped around his shoulders to conserve warmth. Snowchester, very obviously, was usually cold but this… this was a different kind of chill. In the days since the earthquake, the weather had just gotten stranger and stranger. Honestly, the "super cold" was probably the most mild of the changes with the near flooding near Foolish's place that displaced houses and people and the sudden heatwave in Kinoko that made the plants wilt.

   When the oddities started occurring throughout the server, Clay was immediately wary and started watching the mobs closely but there seemed to be no change there. He hoped it would stay that way. The lack of sleep really wasn't doing him any favors. 

   He didn't want to come home to anyone... gone though. 

   Clay had been the last to arrive at the border. Besides the people Dream had named, Sapnap, Phil, and Ranboo had shown up to see the group off. 

   “Course we are.” Techno huffed. Even he was bundled in his thicker cape despite having lived in the cold for most of his life. That fact in itself was strange given he was a piglin hybrid. Techno was an oddity in and of himself though. There were few people that understood him, and even Tommy and Wilbur didn't know everything about where Techno came from. 

   “Let's get the hell out of here before my ass freezes off.” Wilbur hissed in an icy tone. He wrapped his arms around himself and ducked further into his fur-lined coat. “The sooner we get moving the better. I fucking hope the weather is better in Caplos."

   "Language..." Clay muttered under his breath, mostly out of habit. He momentarily wondered where said habit originated.

   Michael elbowed him lightly in response.

   Dream brushed the harsh comment off. He huffed and continued talking. “Fine. In that case. “ He pulled out a map and smoothed it across a nearby rock. “We’ll be heading into Caplos from here, which is where we are now, and crossing through the Egil and Esnos states. Our course takes us South East.”

   “Southeast-" Sapnap interrupted, squinting his eyes over Karl's shoulder at the map. He looked up and over at his friend. "Dream are you sure? Are you really going to go back there again?"

   “It's the only place I know I can get some information. With the war its going to be difficult terrain either way. I'd usually bypass Caplos and go straight to Hypixal by water, but with the flooding and the strange weather I don't want to risk it. Besides, Perhaps someone there will have more insight on the gods." 

   “It’s been a long time-”

   “It's fine.” Dream glanced up, sunlight glinting off his mask. A shadow passed over as clouds started to roll in. He put a quick end to the conversation. 

   Sapnap didn’t push further.

   Clay wondered what that was about. Something deep in his brain stirred and he subconsciously rubbed his left eye. He had enough sense to hold his tongue this time. 

   “Why do we need horses then?” Karl asked, looking over at the six horses they had gathered. 

   “Only two of us can fly.” Dream deadpanned. 

   Karl grinned sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck. “Oh… Right. Sorry, forgot.” 

   “Is this safe?” Ranboo asked, distrust in his voice. Ranboo was one of Dream's biggest opposition's when he had suddenly "shown up." In a lot of people's eyes, Clay was one thing and this Dream was another.

   “Of course. I plotted the safest course that avoids the major ravines and bandit hotspots.” Dream answered quickly, eager to smooth over the worries. “Look, the sooner we leave the sooner we can return. But there are some things you two need to know especially." H gestured to the youngest two in the group. "Caplos is a waring server like the SMP used to be. People aren't as "friendly" as they are here. Our goal is to get information since Caplos has also gone through a similar "loss" of their god. If we come across a battle we are not to get involved. A canon death in Caplos is permanent. No respawn."

   Ranboo narrowed his eyes but didn't ask anymore question. He pat his son's shoulder lightly. "You stay safe. Watch your back." 

   Wilbur huffed and turned to the side his steps crunching in the snow. He seemed very blasé to the concept of death at this point. Perhaps that was what caused his... mild insanity, for lack of a better word. “Don’t act like you’re in charge."

   "Wilbur," Techno warned.

   That, seemed like a good time to leave. Clay shuddered and turned to walk away. A permanent death. No redos. And no Exdee to bring them back... He had asked Dream about the revive book once before. It was gone. Probably for the best in the longrun, the old Dream had a lot of problems surrounding that book but... still. It could have been useful.

   He walked carefully through the snow, to where the horses were tied. He reached his hand up to pet one of the horses on the nose. His ears pricked as his companions said goodbye to their families. He tuned the words out. Despite the freezing temps, his blood was still hot under his skin. 

   Clay could feel Michael's eyes on him, and he knew it was Mike. No one else would be looking at him right now, okay maybe Phil would but he was distracted currently. Clay really needed to put some pep in his step before Michael started asking questions. 

   He had never left the GreaterSMP before. This was a great oppurtunity to up his knowledge on the other servers. He had read a lot of books and done a lot of studying on his own time but that was different than actually seeing it with his own eyes. It was exciting and yet... unnerving. He shook the shadowy thoughts out of his head again. He was the optimistic one for Exdee's sake! Besides, they were going to find Exdee and everything would be fine. Just as dad said. Everything was going to be fine. This would be fun! This was going to be fun...

Chapter Text

   “Does it stay this cold?” Clay asked with his teeth chattering. The bone-chilling cold from the SMP had dissipated, but Clay still wasn't one for cold. He missed the plains already. This is why he was glad when Michael finally moved away from Snowchester...

   “Through most of Egil and parts of Ecrax. We’ll meet spruce forest soon enough and then plains when we reach Esnos,” Dream called over his shoulder. “We should start looking for a place to camp soon though. The tundra here is riddled with strays at night and we got a pretty late start." 

   Clay huffed softly and watched his breath swirl in the air. The cold was less biting here than back at the GreaterSMP so he could appreciate that. He shuffled awkwardly on the horse. His wings pulled painfully at the coat wrapped around him. 

   The strangest part of this trip was probably the communicators. Outside the SMP they changed into a completely different style. This had to be how communicators looked in Caplos. He missed the familiar feel and weight of his normal communicator. 

   Michael pulled up alongside Clay, their horses trotting beside each other. “You doing alright?”

   “Pretty good. Cold.” Clay shrugged lightly, tugging the reigns of his horse to keep at Michael's pace. “You?”

   “I grew up in the snow. This is normal to me." Michael shrugged. 

   “That's weird don’t you think? You and Techno are both piglin hybrids. By nature, you’re supposed to appreciate hot weather, yet you both live in cold weather by choice.”

   “I guess? Are you sure you’re okay Clay?” Michael looked pretty concerned. 

   “I’m fine… just didn’t expect my next “big adventure” to be after such a disaster.” Clay sighed and pat the horse lightly to speed her up. “I miss the boys.”

   “Yeah…” Michael hummed. “It is weird being outside the SMP. Especially with all these guys. They’ve all been out here before in one way or another so I don’t quite feel qualified.”

   “I think he invited us because of our search to find him last time. That or my “relationship” with Exdee.”

   “That makes sense. But in that case, why didn’t he invite George? And why invite Wilbur at all with his… you know. No offense.”

   “None taken.” Clay knew his uncles were weird. “I’m pretty sure Dream and George are on weird terms. I know they were friends back before me but after all the time that’s passed… I think he invited Wilbur just because he knows Wilbur has some knowledge of other places.”

   “Why not Phil then?”

   “He didn’t want to leave any of the states down to many representatives.” 

   Michael didn't look entirely convinced. The argument wasn't... bad just kinda flimsy. “I guess that makes sense… You sure do know how he thinks.”

   “This is just how I would think.” Clay didn't really like the implications that sentence had, but he wasn't in the mood to think about it further. "If it wasn't so fricking cold I would enjoy this adventure a lot more."

   Michael hummed. “I know…”

   A horse turned from the four older expedition members and trotted back toward the two in back. Techno stopped just in front of them. “We’re settlin’ here for the night. Clay, tie the horses to those trees. Michael, you’re with me digging out the tunnels for camp. Wilbur Karl and Dream are gonna look over the maps and find out where to go after Esnos.” 

   Clay nodded and dismounted his horse taking all three by the reigns. He had learned the majority of his horse care from Techno, horses had honestly never been his thing. Clay much preferred his defense lessons with his uncle over the horseback riding ones.

   The wind picked up as the sun dipped lower on the horizon. He shivered. It was fucking cold…

   “Achoo.” 

   “Bless you,” Clay said absently not paying any mind to the sneeze… until he froze. Techno and Michael had already left. The other three were way over there. Who..?

   A small squeak sounded from nearby followed by the crunching of snow. 

   Clay tied the horses up and tossed blankest over their backs. “Who’s there?” At first, there was no response. Clay pulled out the diamond sword from his inventory. “I have a weapon. Come out now or I’ll-”

   “It’s me!” 

   “. . . Sam?”

   Slowly the potion effects wore off and Sam scuffed the snow as smoke poured from his mouth. “Mhmm…”

   “What in the world are you doing here? How did you get here?!” Clay frantically looked over the boy. He wasn’t wearing a coat or anything and he was shaking like a leaf. He quickly tugged off his outer layer and wrapped it around the boy. 

   “Invis potions…” 

   “Invis potions don't last that long. ” 

   “I filled my inventory.” 

   “So you’ve just been following on foot for 6 hours?” 

   “I’m a creeper… we’re fast.” Sam muttered, his foot scuffing the snow. 

   “Sammy do you know how dangerous that was?! What if we had been going too fast? If we had been galloping we would have lost you. What if you lost sight of us? You could have been hurt or worse!” Clay knelt to the boys' level. "Did you even tell anyone you were gone? Imagine how scared they are right now. Exdee I-" Clay sighed and scrubbed his face. Was this how his father had felt when he was a kid? 

   Sam let out a whine and more smoke poured from his mouth. He shrunk back and curled in on himself. “I’m sorry…”

   Clay took a deep breath, feeling guilty for scaring the boy. “It’s okay… it’s okay. I’m glad you're safe but that was still dangerous… Why did you follow us?"

   "I wanted to be with you... I've been on a trip by myself before, I didn't wanna lose you though." The boy whispered quietly. He kept his eyes trained on his feet and his tail swished anxiously behind him. Clay could see tears falling into the snow at the boys feet. 

   Clay's chest tightened painfully and he sighed. He put his hand on Sam's shoulder. "Okay. Now come on. Let’s figure out what to do with you…” He scooped the boy into his arms and went to head back to the group. 

Chapter Text

   In the end, the now group of seven huddled into the small snow fort. Dream had decided that turning around to take Sam back would be a waste of valuable time. Clay picked a small portion of the fort and settled down. He pulled the boy close to his chest and wrapped the blanket around them both. He was genuinely worried about Sam getting sick with how he had followed them. 

   Clay was nearly asleep when he heard a voice. 

   “Clay?”

   “Hmm?”

   “Are you still mad at me…?”

   Clay tried to ignore the pang in his heart at the tremble in the boy's voice. “No kiddo. I was just worried. But I do want you to understand how dangerous that was. XD, if I did that dad would have killed me. Hell, I thought he was gonna destroy me after I had Exdee bring him back to life.”

   Sam frowned at the bad word but blinked. “Back to life?”

   “I told you that story-” 

   “Mhmm mmm.” 

   “Really?” Clay hummed softly. “I coulda sworn I did.” 

   “Maybe… I don't 'member. Tell me again.” 

   Clay chuckled lightly and shuffled lightly to make himself comfortable for storytelling. “Well- It was just a couple years ago-” Clay told the watered-down version of how the mobs started to mutate and how bad everything got before Sam began to doze. Soon the creeper hybrid was fast asleep. 

   The blond smiled and pulled the blanket closer. He felt Michael shift slightly behind him and Clay stilled so he didn't wake anyone. 

   “You’re pretty good at that.” A voice spoke in the dark. 

   Clay jumped. He thought everyone was asleep. “Sorry for waking you.”

   “Nah it isn’t a big deal. I’m a light sleeper anyway kid.” Techno gave a slight smile. 

   “I still feel bad…” 

   “Don’t… So. What do you think of this trip? Do you think we'll find Exdee?" Techno asked, his voice turning serious.

   “I hope so. I did a lot of reading about the gods and other servers." Clay didn't mention that that was the only subject he really paid attention to in school. "The servers are all really different. Maybe some of the other patron gods would know something but I don't know. The gods aren't known for going missing like this... Usually. Caplos is a special case, not to mention Time and Space but... I don't know.”

   “Mhh. You aren’t wrong. A lot of the gods aren't too nice. The End Goddess for example, her real form is a dragon after all.” 

   “A dragon?” Clay perked up. Like the Ender Dragon? But there have been thousands of ender dragons!" 

   “Yup. The original Ender Dragon. Every dragon ever killed has been her creation. Some think that’s why she’s so protective of the End nowadays.” Techno propped himself up lightly. The movement made Wilbur groan and turn over.

   “Wow… Have you ever been?” Clay asked with wide eyes. He had only really heard tales of the third dimension. 

   “To the End? Oh yeah. Phil took me when I was real little. Years ago. We know where a portal is but Exdee made it unusable.”

   “Your old table?”

   Techno chuckled. “The very same.”

   Clay hummed and looked around their shelter for a long moment. Then he spoke again, “Do you miss home?”

   “Hmmm… That's a hard one kid. I do miss the SMP because that’s where my cabin is and I liked being settled down but I dunno if that constitutes as home. That’s where I retired, yeah, but my home will always be in Hypixal.”

   “Is it nice there?” Clay had never had his oldest uncle to himself for so long. It was cool hearing the stories from the Notorious Blade.  

   “Oh yeah. Loads of people. Won a war there once.” Techno smiled fondly at the memory. "I know lots of good people there." 

   “The potato war?” Clay chuckled. 

   “Yup.” Techno smirked looking back at the memories with fondness.

   “So how did you become the 'champion of the Blood God?'”

   “Well, that ties in with how I ended up stuck with Chat. Back in the arena." 

   “Oh?”

   “Yup. Chat are all the souls of people I’ve killed. Before Phil found me. I was the best of the best. Phil had come to the arena as a prisoner and he made this plan to escape. He wanted to take all of the kids there out. He enacted his plan and… I was the only kid he escaped with. So when people started hearing about how “The Angel of Death” had taken in The Blood God's champion they kinda left us alone. Didn’t stop us from causing chaos sometimes.”

   Clay hummed lightly. His uncle talked about it so nonchalantly but he thought that was horrible… Forcing people, especially kids, to kill each other is just… “Was it bad..?”

  Techno hesitated and sighed heavily. “Yeah. It sucked. You should get some sleep kid.”

   The blond sighed. “Yeah… You’re right. Goodnight.” He shuffled again to keep Sam covered up and get his wings in a comfy position. 

   “Night Clay.”

   And Clay was asleep before long. 

Chapter Text

   “It stopped snowing,” Sam chirped out from in front of Clay on the horse. 

   The group stopped to look up at the sky. There were no more clouds and the light flurries of snow had indeed stopped. The snow underfoot was slushier too, half melted. It was getting warmer. 

   Clay itched to get out of the snow completely. 

   “Yup. That means we’re getting close.”  Dream called out from the front, kicking his heels to start the horse moving again. “The Esnos border will be soon. We should be careful, there are a lot more settlements from here on out."

   “How much further after that?” Michael asked politely, trotting next to Clay and raising his voice so Dream could hear.

   “Only about two days travel. One if the weather permits.” 

   “Good. No offense but I am sick of you guys.” Wilbur huffed, adjusting his glasses. He flicked the reigns to get his horse to go ahead of the group. 

   “Why have we been avoiding towns?” Clay changed the subject. Dream had been pretty adament about avoiding towns, and he had just said they needed to be careful since they were getting into more populated areas. 

   “Caplos’ three states have been at war for decades since their admin died. The admin's sons are all fighting over the land and no one can seem to find the god.” Karl explained. "It's a wonder the server is still put together honestly." He mumbled under his breath. 

   “Karl's right. Most small towns and villages aren’t too well off. We’re unlikely to get information there. We’re headed to a bigger town in Esnos.” Dream hummed. 

   “How come we haven’t seen anyone around?”  Clay knew all of this. He knew about the war but this place still felt odd. Shouldn't there be checkpoints, or sentry stations, or army camps? For a server at war, this place was pretty quiet. 

   “A lot of the people have moved to different SMPs. Some of the immigrants up in the GreaterSMP are from Caplos.” 

   “Is there going to be more food?” Sam asked softly looking up at Clay. His stomach growled as if on cue.

   “Yeah kiddo. No more rations okay?” 

   “Well we did end up with an extra mouth to feed,” Michael teased. 

   Sam shrunk back and whimpered but didn’t start smoking. 

   Clay rolled his eyes. ‘He’s messing with you, Sammy. Ignore the mean man.”

   “I am hurt!” Micahel gave a mock insulted gesture and flipped his hair.

   “So Dream you're from Caplos, right? You seem to know a lot.” Clay heard Karl ask. He sped the horse up a bit to hear the answer. It wasn't eavesdropping!

   “I was. We’re actually going to my hometown.” Dream’s voice was guarded but at least he answered. He could have avoided the question altogether. Clay's wings fluffed up a bit in curiosity. 

   “That's cool! Sapnap is from this server too! How did you meet?”

   “I was heading north. Just happened to find Sapnap and Bad in Ecrax and they were also heading north. Bad didn’t want to leave me alone so we traveled together. We met up with George and crossed the border into what later became the DreamSMP and then the GreaterSMP.” Dream seemed a little more relaxed now as if he had expected a different question. 

   “Cool! So what about like… The other founders?”

   “Well, Sam and Callahan were already there, and when the SMP was created years later that's when we met up. Alyssa came after that from across the ocean.” 

   Alyssa was also from across the ocean… Interesting. Though Alyssa was a very secretive person in the SMP. She wasn’t one that many people talked to and she preferred to keep to herself. 

   “We’re about to cross into Esnos. We’ll make camp soon and then tomorrow we’ll reach the city.” Dream called to the rest of the group, effectively ending his conversation with Karl. 

   There was a chorus of responses before Clay fell back into his thoughts. Dream hadn’t said anything about before he left his hometown… Clay wondered what had been the final straw. He only had fuzzy memories of his... Dreams family. He remembered three people. A mom, if you could call her that, a dad, and an older sister. He couldn't remember any of their names. 

   Clay didn't want to ask Dream about it. It seemed like a pretty sore subject. Clay reached his hand up and ran his fingers across the light scar over his left eye. The skin was slightly raised and Clay couldn't for the life of him remember what had happened. It had something to do with her but he didn't know what. 

    "Clay..?"

   "Yeah bud?" 

    "They're leaving-" Sam pointed out. 

    Clay looked around and noted that he had fell back. Oops. "Thanks kiddo." He flicked the reigns and hurried to catch up. 

Chapter Text

   “Clay, Wilbur, Michael. You guys go get rooms for us. We three are going to get a stable for the horses and then check the library out.” Dream took the reigns from Clay and Michael. 

   Wilbur crossed his arms and scowled almost like a child. It was an expression that really confirmed that Tommy and Wilbur were siblings. Clay himself had never seen the look on his dad's face, but he had heard enough stories to know that it was nearly identical to his Uncle's expression. “You aren’t the boss of me.”

   “Come on Wilbur, do you really want to go to the library?” Techno huffed glancing around. The group was getting some… odd looks. Clay had a feeling Odd looks were going to be the norm until they returned home. Being out here already made him appreciate the SMP more. 

   That seemed to make Wilbur contemplate a little bit. He pushed his glasses up his nose and pointed forward. “. . . You’re right. Let's go children!”

   Michael rolled his eyes and scoffed at the offense. “I am 22 years old and definitely more mature than you.”

   “I do not care!” Wilbur marched forward, not turning to look if they were actually following him. 

   “Let's just go, Michael." Clay rolled his eyes at his friend's reaction. "Come on Sammy.” Clay held the boy's hand and followed after Wil.

    Michael grumbled under his breath and reluctantly followed them. 

   Clay took the chance to get a good survey of the city. There were guards posted on all the major streets and getting in through the walls had been a pain. The city was placed on a cliff with a large semi-circle shape, the outer wall was more residential and industrial and market, while the inner was apparently more military and luxury. It certainly did seem like a fortress. The walls felt almost suffocating, huge hulking stone buildings, nothing like the walls back home. Sure the ones in the SMP had been hastily constructed when the mobs were going crazy, but there had been a lot of work put into them afterward making them look... more aesthetic? These walls made the city look like a prison almost. 

   The people weren't much better. They all looked dejected in some way. They went about their days in a haze from what Clay could tell. There were a lot of humans mostly, but Clay could see a good number of Felines, a Caprinae family, and a lot of Demons. There must be some Avians as well, considering Dream was from here. It was odd seeing all the societal changes here, the buildings were a lot more squished together than in the SMP, and the streets were all hard stone under the foot. There was little foliage inside the city. 

   The group wandered the streets for a while until they came across a building that read Inn out front. 

   Wilbur pushed the door open and grinned at the jingle of the bell. “Good evening my good madam. We need some rooms!”

  Clay sighed and looked at the woman running the desk. The woman had started when Wilbur opened the door, dropping her book in the process. She looked in her mid-forties and had greying blond hair and green eyes behind her reading glasses. “I’m sorry ma’am. We just need three rooms with two beds each.”

   “Three rooms?”

   “There are three more people in our party.” 

   “I see. You’re an odd group, aren’t you? An avian a human and what else?” The woman smiled and started writing away in a little book on the desk.

   “Michael is a piglin hybrid, Zombified Tribe. Techno is also a piglin hybrid from the Crimson Tribe. Sammy here is a creeper and Karl is also a human. We've also got another Avian with us.”

   “Interesting.” She giggled softly, pushing her glasses up with the tips of her fingers. “My younger sister is an avian. She takes after our father. Can I get the name for the rooms?”

   Clay felt his feathers smooth out, this woman didn't seem too bad. Maybe Dream was wrong about this place. It had probably changed. “Just put them all under Dream.”

   The woman's pen stopped and she looked up with some unreadable expression. Her eyes flickered over Clay’s face and he felt very nervous suddenly.  “Dream? As in Dream Waztaken?”

   Clay’s wings stiffened again and the feathers ruffled uncomfortably. That didn’t sound good. Dream didn’t usually have the best reputation in the SMP and who knew what his rep was here where he had grown up. Clay had honestly had enough of dealing with Dream's reputation looming over his head. 

   “Why do you need to know?” Michael jumped in. His voice had a slight growl to it and he stepped in front of Clay and Sam to shield them in case something went bad.

   The doorbell jingled. More sets of feet walked in. Clay felt the air crackle suddenly. 

   “Oh, gods.”

   The woman looked over Clay’s shoulder. 

   Dream’s mask was half covering his face. Clay could see the way his wings trembled a bit. He glanced back at the woman and finally noticed the nametag on her shirt. Oh. Oh, now he understood. 

   The nametag read Diana Waztaken. 

Chapter Text

   Dream coughed to cover his words and completely pulled the mask over his face. His wings dissolved to make room in the small building. “Sorry… C-continue.”

   Clay’s eyes shot over to the woman again and he glanced over her face. Now that he knew… He had very vague old memories of a girl with blond hair and green eyes. This woman's hair was darker… and she had said she had a sister. Did Dream have more siblings? 

   The woman, Diana, frowned staring at the masked man. “You can’t be him… Dream would be almost 40 years old now.”

   Dream crossed his arms and turned his mask to the other side of the room. For a minute Clay thought he wasn’t going to answer. “It’s a long story.”

   “A long- You’ve been missing for over 30 years!” The woman turned… Angry suddenly. “Do you know what we thought?! Drista was so upset and Dylan… he was a baby Dream! You left your ten-year-old sister alone with a 5-year-old and an infant!” 

   “That wasn’t my fault and you know it!” Dream snapped back. 

   Clay stepped out of the fray there and pulled Sam with him. This was clearly between these two…

   “You never tried to come back! You never wrote! You never messaged us! We thought you were dead!” 

   “You know that's what she wanted!”

   “That isn’t what we wanted though!” Diana sighed and pulled her glasses off to rub her eyes. “She's gone.”

   Dream shifted awkwardly on his feet. “Di-”

   “Here are your keys. You better pray you’re gone before Drista and Dylan get back to town.” 

   “I-”

   “Go!”

   Dream swallowed and turned. “Come on guys… Karl, you’re with me, Techno you’re with Wilbur. Clay-”

   “I know,” Clay whispered softly. He took the key and hefted Sam, who was shaking and smoking from all the yelling, into his arms. “Let’s go find our room, Michael.” 

   “You alright Sammy?” Clay murmured into the boy's hair. 

   He shook his head still shaking. 

   “Poor kid…” Michael murmured rubbing the child's hair. He hesitated for a moment. “You good Clay?”

   “Yeah. Fine. It’s not really a big deal to me… I mean… I feel like it should be but it just… isn’t. I’m not related to them technically. I have a completely separate code from Dream now, after all.”  He appreciated it really. As far as he could tell, Ever since he had convinced Exdee he was his own person, he was biologically related to his dad. Still, he couldn't help the small connection he felt toward Dream. 

   “Do you think he’s okay?”

   Clay looked at his feet as he walked. He could hear heavy steps as the others made their way upstairs and through the halls to their own rooms. The tension was still thick even this far from the people who had the argument (was it really an argument?). He could hear the fluttering of Dream’s heart and his legs shake as he stepped. 

   “No. I don’t think so.”

   “Do you know who she was?”

   Clay’s first thought was of the front desk woman. That part should have been obvious but then it hit him. Michael didn't mean her. “Their mother.” 

   Michaels's good eye flitted to Clay's left eye and then away quickly. The small movement almost passed Clay by but he had been expecting it. 

   “Yeah. Her.”

   “You got that when you were three. Dream was with her a lot longer… what else do you think happened?”

   Clay opened to door and stepped inside. “I don’t know… But I’m gonna find out.”

   “No. No! I know that look. That's the “go on an adventure to find Exdee and almost get us both killed” look. Whatever you’re thinking, don’t!”

   Clay set the small boy down on one of the beds and chuckled. “Why Michael my dear friend, whatever do you take me for?” He blinked innocently. 

   Michael blinked and then sighed putting his head in his hands. “Why did I open my big mouth..?’

Chapter Text

   “We have to get an early start. Dream left early this morning, Karl and Techno are already at the library, and Wilbur is watching Sam right now. I want to talk to Diana before anyone gets back.” 

   Michael groaned into his pillow. “Is it smart to leave Sam with Wilbur?”

   “I know he’s a bit unhinged but he would never do anything that would hurt Sammy… on purpose.” Clay sighed. Maybe he wasn’t the best at making decisions honestly. “Oh well, it's done. Now, get up!”

 The blond tugged on a shirt and paused as he looked in the mirror. His eyes were still a greenish shade even though they seemed bluer than when he was young. His hair had lightened over time and his feathers were reddening as old ones fell out and new ones grew in. “Do I still look like him..?” He wasn’t exactly as afraid of where he came from anymore but this… mishap brought up old fears. 

   Michael lifted his head from the pillow sensing the unease in his friend's voice. “You look like you, Clay. And I like Dream, don’t get me wrong, but you are ten million times better. You’re my dumb, little, bird-brained, get-us-into-trouble best friend.” Despite his... lackluster words, he had a soft friendly smile. 

   “That was almost sweet until the end.”

   “Couldn’t let you get a big head.”

   “Oh shut up you grouch. Get out of bed.”

   “Ugh. I’m up.” He pushed himself to sit and glared at his roommate. “How do you know she’s gonna talk to you?”

   “I just know. I’m cool like that.”

   “Exdee, I said DON’T get a big head.” Michael rolled his eyes and pulled his own clothes on for the day. 

   Clay rolled his eyes and ran his fingers through his hair. “I’m gonna start by apologizing first of all. And I won’t bring up my relation to Dream unless she does it first."

   “Good call there.” Michael rolled his head around and the resounding cracks echoes in the room. “What happens if we don’t get to talk to her?”

   “Then we ask around town.”

   “About her, or the pantheon.” 

   “We’ll see.” He headed to the door and opened it and locked it behind them before pocketing the key. The Inn was pretty quiet for a town of this size. Most people were probably already out and about doing their daily tasks or moving on for the day. Dream had said it wasn't great to be in Caplos if you could avoid it.

   “Good morning!” Diana’s cheery voice greeted them as they exited the hall. “The rest of your party is already out in the town. Her eyes were tinged red and still puffy from last night. 

   “Good morning, thank you.” Clay smiled. “I just wanted to say, I’m sorry about last night…”

   Her face darkened a bit. “It’s okay. It wasn’t your fault. I’m sorry I caused such a scene in front of guests, Especially over something from so long ago.” 

   “It’s okay, I get it. I guess Dream never really made good decisions even back then.” Clay chuckled and earned a snort of laughter from Michael. 

   Diana’s lips twitched into a light smile. “You can say that again. He was always getting Drista and me into trouble.”

   “Sounds familiar,” Michael murmured only loud enough for Clay to hear. 

   “That sounds about right.” Clay sent the piglin hybrid a glare. 

   “Pardon me if this is too personal but, are you Dream’s son?”

   Michael snorted again and turned around with his shoulders shaking in laughter. 

   Clay sighed softly. He was hoping to avoid this conversation… oh well he asked for it. “No- That is a long story. You saw how Dream looked so young last night?” 

   She nodded. 

   “Well, I guess you could say that’s my fault? Dream, the original Dream who wasn’t that one… at least not yet, did a lot of really bad things and he ended up in prison. So one day, about 17 years ago, he escaped from prison, and Exdee, that's our patron er... the SMP's god, turned him into a kid. Tommy, one of Dreams… uh… old friends? Acquaintances? It’s complicated…”

   “No kidding,” Micahel scoffed. 

   “Shut up Michael. Anyway, Tommy took the kid in and raised him. But as the kid grew, he didn’t grow into Dream and he became a different person. This kinda messed things up because Dream was the Admin of the server. So there was this whole mess where the kid went back in time and med Dream before he did all those bad things and then that Dream accidentally got dragged back to the future and XD had to fix things and then there was the Dream that did bad things who doesn’t exist anymore, the Dream from the past who's a good guy but kinda a loner, and uh… me?”

   Diana blinked. Clay could see the bewilderment in her eyes. “That's… some story… How old are you then? How old is he?”

   “Dream is 27. I’m 20. Almost 21." 

   “Wow… So, in some twisted way, I’m your aunt?”

   Not what Clay expected. “Sorta?” He smiled. “I have tons of Uncles but I’ve never had an aunt.”

   Diana smiled and ruffled the younger’s hair. “Well then, I guess that's what I’ll have to be. I’m pretty sure you don’t wanna hang around here all day though. Not sure how the pink-haired one will react. He was already upset with the other two for dawdling.”

   Clay chuckled. “That sounds like Techno… Diana?”

   “Mhmm?”

   “Will you talk to Dream?”

   Her smile faded. “I don’t know…”

   The blond sighed. “Okay… Think about it?”

   “I will. You, kids, should go through, there's a festival in town today.” Diana gave a warm smile. 

   Instantly Clay’s thoughts shifted. “A festival? Why didn’t you say so!? Come on Michael!” He grabbed his friends arm and off they went.

Chapter Text

   Clay ended up grabbing Sam from his uncle before they left for the festival. “I promise it’ll be okay Sammy. It’s a festival, people go there to have fun and play games and win prizes. There's also usually some yummy food.” 

   “Okay… I thought we were going to ask about gods. To find XD?”

   “There's plenty of time kiddo. Besides, what better place to find people than a festival? It’ll be fun, Sammy.”

   “Okay…”

   “First things first, Breakfast. I want to find a good stall that sells chicken.” Michael hummed lightly.

   “Chicken isn’t a breakfast food.” 

   “Is too, chicken and waffles?”

   “That's not- That doesn’t count!” Clay huffed. 

   Sam giggled a little. “You look funny when you make that face dad.”

   Clay let out a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding. He hadn’t heard Sam call him that since before the earthquake. He was getting worried. Honestly, he didn’t see himself as a dad (he was more of a big brother) but if that made Sam and Alex feel better that he’d be fine… XD Clay missed Alex. 

   “Server to Clay! You in there man?”

   “Huh?”

   “You totally zoned out.” Michael crossed his arms and raised a brow with a slight smirk. 

   “Did I? Oops.” He chuckled. “Oh well. That looks like the entrance.” Clay pointed to a banner with several people filling under it. The festival looked like it had a good turn out and Clay could already smell some amazing smells. His shoulder bumped against another's. 

   The man hissed. "Watch where you're going! Stupid fucking... tourists. We have enough trouble without you idiots poking your nosed around."

   Oh yeah. Clay almost forgot the people here weren't supposed to be nice. He supposed that Diana was the only person from here that he had talked to so he really hadn't even thought about what Dream said before they left the SMP. He rolled his eyes and tried to brush the comment off. 

   "What a bastard."

   "Michael!"

   "What?! It's true."

   "Child!"

   "It's okay. I know not to say that." Sam whispered peeking out from behind Clay's leg. "What kind of games are they going to have?"

   "I dunno kiddo. Wanna go see?" He turned down the street that was lined with game booths. The outer wall of the city was so majestic. Clay hadn't yet had a chance to take the great walls in. There was a reason this city was so well off compared to the rest of the server. One wall surrounded the outer city and one the inner city. Clay hadn't been to the inner city yet but he assumed it was probably more elite than this. 

   "Can we play this one?"

   Clay looked at the booth the boy pointed out. It was a simple arrow shooting game that had duck plushies as the prizes. He had a feeling he knew why Sam picked this game. 
Sure bud. We can win a prize and take it home for Alex after our adventure."

   Sam's eyes brightened and he nodded. "That's what I was thinking! But... I can't shoot."

   "Well don't ask Michael. He's a horrible shot." He smirked at his friend.

   "I'm a damn good shot and you know it!"

   "Uh huh?"

   "I'll prove it! Come on Sam."

   Clay leaned against the wall of a building to watch. 

   The boy giggled and followed right behind Michaels's legs. Michael handed over two gold bars and took the bow and three arrows. The first shot hit the outer edge of the target. The second was on the innermost ring. The third was a bullseye. The older man running the stand gave a crinkly-eyed smile and handed the duck plush over to Sam. "There you go, son."

   Clay smiled. He guessed they weren't all bad here. Some people still had hope. He guessed this man was probably around before the war. He knew things could be better than this. 

   Sam turned around with one of the brightest grins Clay had ever seen on his face. "I got it!" Michael didn't bother to correct the boy.

   Clay was about to respond when a shudder ran up Clay’s spine and out the end of his feathers. A soft hissing sound came to his ears.

   Sam went still and the smile dropped instantly. The boy shook his head and more smoke poured from his mouth. “Bad… this is bad.”

   “We need to move-” Clay hissed. But it was too late. 

   The last thing he saw was Michael luging for Sam.

Kaboom. 

Chapter Text

   Dream wasn’t a coward. He never considered himself a coward but he did consider himself to be good at running from his problems. Those two aspects should contradict each other but they didn’t. Dream liked the adrenaline of running, that's why he created the Manhunt game in the first place before the End became as exclusive as it is now. Dream was one of the bravest people in the GreaterSMP and he could face down five hunters at once and still win. He was intelligent and fast and quick-thinking. He was a lot of things, but a coward wasn’t one. 

   Dream wasn’t a fearless man. He feared things. He had a healthy dose of fear of XD, death, and in this case, the memory of his childhood. The past was one of Dream’s biggest fears. 

   Dream didn’t consider himself a coward, but he would rather run than face his sister again. He had a sinking feeling that that wasn’t an option… 

   He loved his sister. He loved all of his siblings. He missed them all the time after he left. He wanted to take them with him but… He couldn’t. The memory of what she did- Dream shook his head trying to get the image of gray wings he had known as well as his own out of his mind. 

   In Caplos, it was one and done. If you had a “canon” death (a death powerful or impactful enough to damage your code) you were gone. There was no second chance, there was no ghost, and there was no coming back. Product of the war. It had been going on since Clay was a baby so it was all he had ever known. He thought his father had gone to war. 

   His father had been a blacksmith. He made good money and worked with a lot of hybrids to make inclusive armor and weapons. His mother was a gold digger and was seeking the money his business made. She never wanted kids. With how busy his dad was, Dream and his siblings were always left with her. 

   The war wasn’t supposed to last long. Someone would find the god and the server would be peaceful again. Dream’s brother was born only a few months before things escalated. Ecrax had invaded Esnos. Dad told them he was going to war. 

   Dream didn’t think he ever made it to the frontlines…

   It was months later when their mother told them that their father died at war with the body gone and nothing to send back. Dream could still remember the way his heart fell. Their mother was out of the house that night. Diana did her best to keep Dylan calm… Drista cried into Dream’s shoulder. 

   Days later Dream went looking for his mother. He was the bravest of them, he would be the one to face her. Diana deserved a break anyway. They were hungry…

   He walked down to the cellar and froze. A pair of wings lay haphazard on a table, a set of chests to the side. The smell-

   “What are you doing here?”

   “I-I was just-” Dream teared up. “I didn’t-”

   “Get out.”

   “But- Is that?”

   “Boy, if you don’t want to end up like your father… you’ll do what’s best for you. Leave. Don’t talk to anyone. Don’t say anything. Leave.”

   Dream was shaking. He took off up the steps and down the cobblestone streets. He ran through the woods and plains and eventually to the snow. The cold bit at his face and his tears began to freeze as they fell. If there was one thing he was good at… it was running. 

   Dream shook himself out of the memories and stuffed his trembling hands into his pockets. His mask obscured his face still which he was grateful for. Once again he longed for the revive book. After he arrived in the future he destroyed the "gift" from Schlatt. It had been nothing but a curse on his former self so he got rid of it as soon as he reached the island he lived on for those three years of self-exile. 

   A fat lot of good that did him now. 

   Perhaps that wasn’t the smartest idea but… Oh well. He remembered part of it... Maybe it was enough. Maybe if push came to shove...

   “Dream?”

   Dream looked up. He hadn’t realized… He had walked all the way back to the inn when he was distracted by his memories. 

   Damn his rotten luck. 

   “Diana…”

   The woman frowned. Stress lines were pulling at her face and her blond hair had silvery streaks. She looked so much… older. It had been ten extra years for her compared to him. Diana looked like her.  

   She reached up. 

   Dream flinched back. 

   Diana paused and a sadness sank into her eyes. Her hand fell to her side. “You’re shaking.”

   Was he? Damn it. He used to be so good at this. He turned away, he needed to look anywhere but at her. “It’s fine. Just stress.”

   “Dream…”

   “What?” he huffed getting a bit annoyed. 

   She frowned and reached up again. Dream kept still as the mask was pulled away from his face. Her hand traced the scars across his face. “These are new.”

   “Not all of them are bad…” He murmured trying to change the subject. “Techno gave me this one.”

   “I see… This one…” Her fingers ran gently under his left eye. “What did she do?"

   Dream bit his lip and looked away. 

   “Dream… Why did you leave…? Please?” her eyes were pleading like a lost wolf pup. He hated that look. It was just his luck that she could still pull off the same look thirty-some-odd years later. 

   He let out a breath and his shoulders sagged… “It’s about dad…” 

Chapter Text

   Diana’s eyes were filled with tears. “I never knew… How could she- She threatened to kill you too?” Her voice trembled and the words sounded difficult to force out. “She killed dad..?”

   Dream nodded solemnly. His mask has been carefully set to the side as the two of them talked. 

   “Oh, my- Dream… I’m sorry- For last night and that you had to see that. You were just a kid…” She sniffled softly. 

   “I’m sorry I left. I should have come back to get you… You should have been here with her.”

   “It’s… it's fine. It wasn’t that bad. She got her money and she left. We didn’t see her again after that. We were put in the children's home with the other kids who lost their parents to the war. But at least we were together… you were alone.”

   “I wasn’t really- I had my friends. Bad practically raised me after that…” He sighed. “Diana I-” 

Kaboom!

   Dream jumped to his feet and strapped the mask to his face. “What the hell?!”

   Down the hall, a door slammed open and Wilbur stood at the opening with a wild look in his eyes. “What happened? There was an explosion? What's going on?”

   “That sounded like it came from the fairground!” Diana hurried out the door. 

   Wilbur paled even more than he already was. “That's where Clay, Sam, and Michael went!”

   “Fuck!” Dream swore, dragging his axe from his inventory and hurrying down the cobblestone streets. The run was a familiar feeling. Adrenaline pumped through him and he heard footsteps echo after him. 

   There was screaming. Buildings were on fire. People were injured. There was a smoking crater where the fair was next to the wall of the city. Soldiers were pouring in through the hole. 

   “Clay! Michael!” Dream shouted. “Where are you?!”

   Footsteps stopped next to him. “Dream! What happened?!” Techno and Karl were here now. Everyone was here. 

   “There was an explosion. I think it was a trap by one of the other states. Clay and Michael are here somewhere!” Dream started turning over pieces of rubble and searching. “Clay! Michael! Sam!”

   “Shit…” Karl whispered. “Sam! Michael! Clay!”

   Dream watched the soldiers swarm the city guards. This was clearly unexpected and the city was way under-armed and underprepared. Gunpowder stung Dream's nose and his wings flared out behind him. 

   “Clay!” Techno shouted before he stopped to look at all the other injured people. “There's no way we’ll find ‘em with all these bodies.”

   “We gotta get these people outta here- They’ll be killed!” Diana begged. “Dream-”

   Shit shit shit… Everyone was looking at him now. What to do what to do. You’re better than this Dream. The adrenaline in his blood made his head spin. THINK!

   “Karl! You and Diana start getting people out of here. Try to stay out of the fight. Diana take this.” He thrust an iron sword into her hands. “Techno you’re with me, we’re gonna help the guards. Wil, you look for Clay, Michael, and Sam.”

   “Got it.” Karl went to help a woman with a head wound and her two children out. Diana, still shaking, moved toward an older gentleman. 

   “Roger.” Techno charged forward with a grin on his face. No doubt the Blood God would be happy. 

   "Kay!" Wilbur turned and continued calling for the other members of their group. 

   The group dispersed and Clay shifted his grip on the axe. His entire life he’s been running from problems it seemed… Away from his mother, away from his friends, away from civilization. Away. 

   Maybe he was a coward. Maybe running away was synonymous with the word. Maybe he would never stop running...

   At least he’d die doing something he was good at. 

   He ran forward. 

Chapter Text

   His ears were ringing. Was he dreaming? He’s had this dream before. It was his first canon death, a recurring dream he had. The smoke, the gunpowder, the ringing. Nothing he wasn’t used to. 

   Damn, his head hurt. 

   Wait. 

   That’s not right. 

   He isn’t supposed to feel pain in dreams. 

   He sucked in a sharp breath and snapped his eyes open. The world blurred and muffled screams broke through the ringing. Smoke and dust kicked up across the ground from the crater. A banner lay on the ground burning. It looked like hell on the Overworld. People in armor were swarming. 

   Oh Exdee. The Festival. 

   He snapped upright just as the ringing dissipated. Sam and Michael weren't next to him anymore. “SAM! Sammy! Michael?!” He looked left and right and winced. There was blood dripping from a wound somewhere on his head. His hair was plastered to his forehead with the sticky redness. 

   “Clay! You’re alive!” A brunet ran over and threw his arms around the younger man. 

   It took Clay’s dazed mind a moment to process who this was. “Uncle Wil? Where's Sam?! Michael?”

   “I haven’t found them yet. C’mon we gotta hurry mate. Bad things going down. Tech and Dream are both fighting the soldiers who attacked. Things are just gonna get worse.” Wilbur tugged the blond to his feet. “Help me find ‘em.”

   Clay shook the dust from his head and looked around. They had been right next to him during the explosion… where could they have gone?! 

   “Dad!”

   A wave of relief washed over Clay. He ran over to the voice and pressed his hands against the cold stone and wood of the stall that had collapsed. “Sammy! Where are you kiddo?"

    “U-under here!"

   "Oh Exdee! Are you okay kiddo? Are you hurt? Can you get out?" Clay started examining the rubble for a way to get the boy out.

   "I'm okay! Michael saved me. We're both stuck in here." He could hear the boy shuffle inside the pocket of air under the rubble. "Michael? Michael..?" Clay felt a chill. "Dad- I-I think…”The boy’s voice trembled and the next words stopped Clay in his tracks. “He isn’t moving!”

   Any relief he had while finding Sam was gone in an instant when his blood turned to ice. “What..? Sammy just… stay put okay? We’ll get you out!” He turned trying to quell the trembling in his hands.  “Wilbur! They’re over here!”

   “You found them? Where?” Wilbur jogged over. He twitched lightly and jerked his head to the side. "Tell them to hurry the fuck up because we need to get out of here like now bud!" 

   “They’re under here. We have to be careful getting them out."

   “We don’t have time to be careful! They’re retreating to the inner walls of the city. We have to get them both out now!” Wilbur started throwing chunks of stone off the pile. The rubble shifted and a squeak sounded from inside. 

   “Stop! We have to be careful! You’ll crush them.” Clay started moving rocks and wood posts slower. He caught sight of bits of yellow fluff dancing in the wind around them. The duck prizes. In the heat of the moment, the brain thinks about strange things. At this moment, Clay was wondering what Alex had for lunch. “Sammy tell us when you think you can crawl out okay?” 

   “Okay-”

   Wilbur growled but went to help anyway. “Hurry-”

   “We’ll be fine!”

   “Techno and Dream can’t hold them off forever. Even those two have limits. And even with the help of those guards, I don't think we have long."

   “It’ll be fine!” Maybe Clay was in denial about the situation but someone needed to be the optimist right now. He was always the perfect choice for that job. “Sammy, can you feel Michael's breath?”

   There was a beat and a shuffle under the rubble again. “N-no!” 

   Wilbur’s protests went quiet. 

   “Damnit…” Clay hissed and dug into the pile faster. He finally caught sight of the boy. “Grab my hand kiddo!”

   Sam shifted and latched on. Clay pulled. Sam lurched out of the pile and the rubble tumbled away. 

   Michael was still. Thick almost black blood plastered his clothes to his chest and his hair to his face. He was on his side with his good eye facing up. It was closed. He didn’t react to the movement at all. 

   Clay bit back a sob. “Take Sam. Get to the wall.”

   “Clay he’s dead.”

   “Shut up! Get out of here!” Clay snapped. He prided himself on being a calm and optimistic person. He was sunshine and light and a good person. He was always supposed to be everything that the old Dream wasn’t…

   Wilbur’s face was blank. He took the boy into his arms and got up. He turned and yelled something toward the wall and he was gone. Clay didn’t bother to listen. 

   He turned to Michael and breathed lightly. He picked one arm up and slung it around his neck and then wedged his arm under the knees. Michael was heavy and he seemed like dead weight. Clay shook his head and spread his wings ignoring the sharp pain that shot through them. The wind from the wings kicked up a lot of dust…

   There was so much rubble and fire. Bodies littered the crater. Soldiers still poured in. He saw Dream and Techno duck into the gate. The guards there started to close it. 

   He made it just in time. The gate closed with a sense of finality to it. 

  It felt almost… quiet. The wind and the screams and the horrified whispers… he couldn’t hear any of it. Or maybe he heard it but it didn’t register… either way it was like it wasn’t there. 

   “Michael? Hey… Michael?” He shook his friend with a pleading smile. “Alright, we got away Mike. Time to get up and take a healing potion…”

   “Clay…” Someone (Techno?) started. 

   “SHUT UP!” He snapped. “Come on Michael this isn’t funny anymore!”

   He pressed his ear against Michael’s chest. 

   One moment. 

   Two moments. 

   Nothing…

   A sob bubbled in his throat. “Michael!”

   He pressed his forehead against his best friends still chest. “You asshole! You can’t be- You idiot! You knew how bad it would be if you died here! Why did you-?” His words were interrupted by another painful retching sob. “This was supposed to be fun!” He slammed his hands to the ground and trembled. He felt blood drip down his face and off his cheek. 

   “This was supposed to be fun…” 

   In the heat of the moment... Clay completely forgot the duck toy. 

Chapter Text

   Clay sat motionless against the wall with Sam asleep fitfully in his arms. His eyes burned as he stared at the wall... The stone was cold against his back but he didn’t care. 

   He felt… numb. 

   When his dad died he was at least at home. His whole family rallied. Michael was there by his side the whole time. 

   Michael was always the one by his side. Even when they were little and Michael struggled to speak the common language. He was always one step behind and complaining the whole way but there was always a smile on his face and a hand ready to help out with whatever the “adventure” was back then. 

   And he was gone. Just like that. No redos and no more lives. 

   Clay had blown up at Dream. 

   “THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT! YOU BROUGHT US HERE! YOU DESTROYED THE REVIVE BOOK! YOU GOT HIM KILLED! I’M GONNA-” His words failed him. He didn’t know what he would do yet but it would be bad. Clay got closer and jabbed his finger in the other blondes' chest. "I'M GONNA-!"

   Now, Clay was a pretty tall guy for his age. He was also pretty fit he liked to think but he was positive Dream could outrun him even in this crowd. Dream had a deer in the headlights look on his face and was almost like prey ready to bolt. But he stood his ground. Clay grit his teeth and grabbed Dream by the shirt. 

   And hands pulled him back. 

   “Clay. Clay that won’t do anything.” 

   “HE-”

   “He didn’t do anything. Did he set the TNT?”

   His feathers smoothed a little bit as he turned to see who grabbed him. Uncle Techno. Of course. Somehow the most violent one here was almost the calmest. 

   “No- But he!”

   “We all agreed to the plan…. Look, Clay… I know it hurts, I’m not tryin’ to say it doesn’t, but you can’t blame Dream.”

   “It was my fault.” A kid's voice whispered.

   Kid?

   Clay’s eyes shot down to the trembling figure of Sam. His anger melted away replaced by deep cavernous sorrow. “Oh, Sammy-” 

   “He saved me… He protected me and the stall c-crushed him! I killed him!” Sam curled in on himself and sobbed out loud. 

   “Sam-” Clay dropped to his knees. “That’s not- It isn’t… You didn’t kill him.”

   The boy didn’t reply. 

   That was hours ago. Now all the refugees from the outer circle were stashed away in a warehouse with almost no beds and little food and the only sound was crying and the battering of the inner wall by the troops outside. 

   There was a certain hollowness to the situation. Not just the… loss of Michael but the entire situation. They were trapped. The city was under siege. People in Caplos only had one life.

   “Why would they attack here?” Karl was the first to speak up after a while. 

   Clay pricked his ears to listen to the conversation but didn’t bother to move his head. 

   “This is one of the few surviving strongholds in Esnos.”

   “But still. Why attack a bunch of civilians during a festival? There's no logic to it! It shouldn’t have happened this way…” Karl frowned. “They wouldn’t attack civilians without a reason.”

   “They’re heartless bastards.” Wilbur huffed and shifted the glasses on his face. 

   “But still! It makes no sense! The brothers are fighting for the control of Caplos not the destruction of it!”

    “It doesn’t make sense…” Dream muttered. 

   “See!”

   “What do you mean Dream?” Diana spoke up. She had been the quietest, besides Clay, of the group. 

   “Karl is right. They shouldn’t have attacked citizens but they went straight for them. When was the last time anyone heard anything about the brothers?”

   “Uhm… Lord Esno had a monthly announcement a few days ago.”

   “What did it say?”

   “Uh…” Diana opened up her com and began to read. “Normal troop positions. Weather patterns. Uhm. ‘We continue to scour parts of the land for any trace of the god Cin to discover the true admin of Caplos.’”

   Dream frowned and scratched his head. 

   “That’s it!” Karl shouted. 

   Clay lifted his head to pay attention now. 

   “The brothers aren’t even part of the picture! They never were! Their father was the Admin but an admins rights aren’t passed by blood! They’re formed in a contract! Someone else has a contract with Cin!”

   “What? That’s impossible!” Wilbur huffed. 

   “No! The server would have fallen apart without an Admin and god contract! But it hasn’t! Whoever has the contract, wanted this war to continue.”

   “But… who would want to do something like that?” Techno frowned. 

   Dream stared at the ground with a haunted look. “I know.”

   All heads turned to him. Diana raised a hand to place it on her brother's shoulder. “Who?”

   “I think he means me.” All heads turned again. Diana gasped and Dream’s hands clenched into fists, his expression hidden behind the mask. 

   “Mother?”

Chapter Text

   The woman had a tight look on her face that was pulled by many age lines. A sneer looked to be permanently plastered onto her face. Her hair was tied up in a bun and her dark red eyes were chilling. 

   People began to scramble out of the way as the woman crossed the room. 

   Dream was on his feet first. “You-” 

   “Indeed. It’s been quite a while little runaway. Though I suppose more for me than you.” The woman shrugged. “I’ve been watching you.”

   “You’re supposed to be dead.” Dream brandished his axe.

   “Oh, how quaint. You think you’re threatening. You were right though. I did keep the war going on simply because I don’t want to rule the server. I just enjoy the power. Say, aren’t you missing someone? One two, three, four, five, six, where is the young piglin? Or have you replaced him with your sister?” Her lips quirked into a smirk as she turned her gaze from Dream to Clay. 

   Clay felt the fire in his blood ignite again. He shifted Sam off his lap and leaped to his feet. “Fuck you!”

   “Fiesty!” She turned back to her son again. “Well, Little Admin, I’ve been in a contract a lot longer than you. And my god isn’t missing. Cin, my dear?” She grinned and turned her head to the side. 

   A large figure appeared. Its pale face was empty save for the two pairs of eyes. Feathered growths sprouted from its head and it towered over the mortals. The figure turned its gaze to the woman and a hollow voice spoke filling the air and bouncing off the walls. 

    “Yes, Master?”

   “These 7 are in my way. I want them gone.”

   Cin turned its head to gaze over them. Clay could have sworn it looked… tired. The god wanted as little part in this war as anyone else. “I cannot.”

   “What!? Why?” The woman snarled. "I gave you an order!"

    “The Admin is protecting them. I have no control over another god's Admin.”

    She growled. “Fine.” She pulled out a netherite sword. “If I kill him you can kill the rest.”

   Wilbur pulled out his sword in retaliation. “Try it bitch! It's 7 against one!”

   Dream held out a hand. His wings were trembling but his hand was steady. “No. I’ve got this.”

   “But Dream-” Diana started grabbing her brother's arm. 

   “Let him be.” Techno pulled his brother and Diana back to the floor. “Dream’s got this.”

   Clay growled. He wanted the woman dead. It was her fault Michael was gone. He would-

   Techno grabbed his arm and shook his head. “Clay. This one isn’t your fight.”

   “But she-”

   “Dream can handle it.”

   “But-”

   “Clay.”

   Clay loosened his grip on the sword handle and stashed it back into his inventory. He stood back and watched the scene with a tense breath. “What if he doesn’t win?”

   “He will.”

   Clay didn’t know where his uncle got such blind faith in Dream but he would trust it. 

   Dream curled his fingers around the handle of the axe. He had won countless manhunts, gone toe to toe with the Blood Go himself and had grown much in the last six years alone. 

   He may have been a coward before… but he wasn’t going to be now. She killed far too many people he cared about.

   He spread his wings and leaped forward with the axe ready to swing.

Chapter Text

   Metal against metal. Sparks flashed in the dark of the warehouse. Purple glinted off the weapons as Dream practically ran circles around her.

   “You certainly have grown Little Admin.”

   “Don’t call me that. I am ten times the person and Admin you will ever be!”

    Despite her age, the old Admin was keeping up with the younger one too a moderate degree. She definitely had experience. Dream was more agile than his mother and he had the advantage of a younger body. He would likely win this. 

   She knew that. She needed some kind of leverage. CIn could hurt any of this party and she wouldn’t win this fight one-on-one. What the hell was she going to do? 

   She backed out of the way of the blade and growled as the swing stuck it in the floor. She could use this opportunity… No. He definitely had other weapons prepared. She wasn’t that stupid. She looked back over at the group.

   Then she had an idea.

   She ducked under Dream’s arm during his next swing and charged past the onlookers and grabbed the smallest member. 

   Sam had been awakened by the fight. He was still rubbing sleep from his eyes and trying to figure out what was going on when a sword was pressed to his throat. He froze. 

   “Put the weapon down and surrender or the little one dies too.”

   Clay immediately pulled out his sword. “If you hurt a single hair on his head there will be nothing left of you.”

   The group all brought their weapons to the ready... They were at a standoff. The Admin versus them. No one moved… no one barely breathed. 

   A sword glinted in the dim light. It raised high in the air and came down on the woman’s neck. Her eyes widened to the size of dinner plates and she turned to her killer. 

   The one that swung the sword was Diana. She was shaking like a leaf and had most likely never picked up a real sword in a fight before. She spent her life running an Inn and looking after her younger siblings. She wasn’t supposed to be a killer. 

   Her sword clanked on the stone floor. Sam dashed away from her and latched onto Clay. The woman gurgled lightly and she fell to the ground.

   For just a moment, it was silent.

   Clay threw his arms around the boy and tilted his head left and right in his hands. “Are you okay?! She didn’t hurt you did she?” 

   “I-I think so… Dad!” 

   “Oh kiddo. Oh XD…” Clay tucked his wings around the boy and buried his face in the green hair. “It’ll be okay.” He gave some small soothing chirps. 

    “You killed her.” 

    All heads turned. 

    “You killed the Admin.”

    “I- I didn’t-” Diana was trembling with fear. She hadn’t meant to. Or maybe she had? This woman had made her life hell… She definitely meant to. “I’m sorry-”

    “You freed me! Thank you!” Cin’s face split into a large smile! “That woman was never supposed to become the Admin. I came here years and years ago to find a blacksmith but when I arrived… Her knife still had blood on it.” 

   The thought made Dream shudder. Maybe if his father had become Admin… things would be different. 

    “How can I repay you?”

    “We don’t need payment. She was a bitch anyway.” Wilbur huffed. 

   Dream would have agreed… but he had an idea. “Actually. I do have a request.” He stepped forward close to the god. “May I?”

   Cin kneeled down to hear out the small Admins question. Its face softened into a gentle smile. “I can arrange that.” With that, the god began chanting. 

   It was a language Clay recognized. He looked up and clutched Sam close to his chest. His vision blurred and then went white. 

   It took several seconds to blink the spots away. When he did, a figure was standing next to the god. 

   His hair was messy and streaked with white and he stumbled forward at the suddenness of his appearance… But he was a person that Clay would recognize in his sleep. 

   “MICHAEL!” 

   Clay launched himself across the room and threw his arms around the man. “You’re alive!” The force of the hug threw both of them off balance and they fell to the floor. 

   “Ow!”

   “Fuck, I’m sorry! Are you okay?” Clay scrambled to his feet and offered a hand to the man on the ground. 

   Michael gave a bewildered look and eyed the hand suspiciously. “I must still be dead because I know that Clay didn’t just curse.”

   Clay twitched. “You idiot.” He kneeled down again and looked over his friend. “You… are alive right..?”

   Michael dropped the humor. “Yeah. I’m pretty sure…”

   Clay threw his arms around him again. “Thank XD… I thought I’d never see you again…” His voice broke near the end and tears spilled from his eyes. “Don’t do that again you idiot! Never again…”

   Michael returned the hug. “I won’t. Promise.”

   Clay buried his face in the fabric of Michael's shirt. “I missed you…”

   “Missed you too…”

    “If that's done, I must find a new Admin. One that will end this war finally.”

    “I actually have one more request Cin.”

    “Yes?”

   “We are looking for the god Exdee. It went missing several months ago and our server is suffering. Do you have any ideas where it may be?”

    “Places a god would go… I am not sure, but if it is information you seek, I would try the Hypixal archives and if you don’t find what you seek, you may have to travel to Continent A.”

    Dream was afraid of that… “Thank you very much. We will be leaving soon.”

    “I will grant you safe passage through the rest of Caplos. Rest now.” With that, the god disappeared. 

   There was a beat. 

   “Will someone tell me what the fuck happened?”

   “Language!”

   Michael smiled softly. “There’s the Clay I know. But seriously. W h a t  h a p p e n e d?”

Chapter Text

   A new admin had taken over by the time they left Caplos a week later. He was nice enough. He was also Dream’s brother. What kind of genes did that family have?

   “I’m just saying, I’m not the youngest anymore, AND, I’m the Admin now. I’m totally the boss of you.” Dylan smirked lightly. 

   Dream rolled his eyes. “Who would have thought you’d grow up so annoying… I think you forget I became an Admin long before you.”

   “You also lost track of your god. In the time since I became an Admin, I stopped a whole freaking war. What did you do? Start a couple?”

   “THOSE WERE NOT MY FAULT!”

   “They kinda were-”

   “You shut up Wilbur.”

   “How long are we gonna let this go on?” Clay turned to Techno. “We should be going now.”

   “I’ll stop it when it stops amusing chat.”

   Clay groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. They really didn’t have time for this…

   “You better write.” Exdee and Cin bless Diana.

   Dream turned to his older sister and softened some. “Yeah... Of course. Wouldn’t Dream of not writing.”

   “You better, you jerk. And don’t make stupid puns like that.” Dream’s younger sister, Drista, was probably the scariest person Clay had ever met and Clay knew the infamous Blood God. 

   Dream chuckled and went to hug all of them. “Thanks for traveling with us to the border.”

   “Of course. Have a safe trip through Ru’lei.” Diana ruffled his hair lightly. “Don’t die.”

   Clay flinched minutely and glanced over to where Sam and Michael were helping Karl get the horses ready to go. The topic of death wasn’t one he particularly liked… but he really shouldn’t be the one flinching. Michael should be the one messed up about this but he seemed… he seemed fine!

   Physically the only changes were a scar hidden under his bangs and the white streak in his hair that was a feature only shared by people who had been revived. He seemed the same as ever if a bit more tired…

   Clay was getting concerned. 

   Dream was walking toward them. 

   Clay snapped out of his thoughts. 

   “Time to go. Let's get to the horses.” Dream hummed. “Techno, you’re up front.”

   “Bruh-”

   “You know the quickest route to Hypixal and you and Wilbur are the only ones who have been in Ru’lei before but I don’t trust Wilbur to lead as far as I can throw him.” 

   “Hey!”

   Clay chuckled and headed over toward Michael and Sam. “Hey, Michael. Hi Sammy. We’re getting ready to go.”

   Michael hummed. “Good. No offense but I kinda hated this place.”

   “I really don’t blame you.” Clay chuckled dryly. “Re’lei and Hypixal are pretty peaceful servers. We should be pretty safe from now on. Maybe we’ll have some downtime.”

   Sam nodded a little and clutched onto Michael's leg, the boy had become a bit clingy after Michael's return. 

   Michael ruffled the boys hair. “I’m sure we’ll have some time off. And hopefully, we’ll find XD soon and we can go home.”

  Home. He really wanted to go home but the thought of going back without… doing something tugged his soul painfully. Instead of voicing this, Clay nodded and cracked a smile. “Eager to see your parents?”

   “Don’t start.”

   “I’m sure they’ll be so excited to hear about the festival!”

   “Okay, I get it. My parents are gonna kill me. Big deal. Get on the horse Clay.”

   Clay chuckled and put one foot in the stirrup and hefted himself onto the horse. He held his arms up and carefully took Sam from Michael and shifted to get situated on the horse. “There we go. Ready Sam?”

   “Yeah.”

   Clay was worried about Sam too. He was… different. He had always been a quiet and skittish kid but now he didn’t talk unless he was answering a question. He wished the boy had stayed home… He would have been safer there. 

   “Clay. They’re leaving.”

   “I know that!” Clay huffed and flicked the reigns. The horse stepped forward and then they were off. Leaving Caplos behind still left Clay with a hollow feeling. 

   Clay flicked the reigns again trying to keep up with the rest of the group. He felt... off. He knew someone else, Michael, had noticed. He just... Exdee he wanted a break.

   “You’re worrying me.”

   “Hmm?” Clay looked over to his friend. Then it registered what Michael has said. Of course. Called it. He forced out a chuckle. “Shouldn’t I be the one saying that? You did-” The word caught in his throat for a minute. He had an issue with the subject before but now… Deep breath. Force it out, Clay. “Die… after all.” He punctuated his sentence with another laugh and a pat on Sam’s head. 

   Michael made a face. “It’s not funny Clay. I’m serious. Just then with that stutter!”

   Clay huffed. “Can we not talk about this now?” He gestured to Sam sitting in front of him who had shifted lightly. 

   “Fine.” Michael kicked his heel lightly and the horse pulled ahead of Clay and Sam. 

   For a moment it was quiet. “Are you mad at him?”

   “What?” Clay was shocked by the question. With how quiet Sam had been recently he really didn’t expect it. “No Sammy. Course not. Why would I be?”

   Sam is quiet for another moment. “Are you mad at me..?”

   Clay let out a distressed chirp that made the horse jump. He took a breath and pat the horse to calm her and get her moving again. “Of course not! Sammy… what brought this on kiddo?”

   “You’ve been acting weird and I… I got worried.” 

   Damnit. “I’m sorry kid. It's not like that. I just… I don’t do well with death. It's hard to explain. I promise I’ll be better okay?”

   Sam looked up and nodded. “Okay. Where are we going now?”

   “Well, Dream and Wilbur plotted a course to take us through a couple of villages that Wilbur knows of to restock as we go. Then, once we get to Hypixal we’ll take the transit system to Hub. That's the capital. We’re going to look at the archives there to see if we can find any information about gods and then see where to go next.”

   “Okay. I hope we get to go home soon… I miss Alex. And Shroud. And the other kids.” Sam sighed. His voice sounded slightly hollow but at least he was talking again. He always seemed more comfortable around one or two people alone anyway. “It’s scary out here.”

   “I know kid.” It was good to hear Sam talk about the SMP fondly. It reminded Clay that things would be better when they got home. Peaceful. Relaxing. 

   “Can you tell me a story while we ride?” 

   “Sure. Anything you want to hear about?”

   “Did you have any more friends besides Michael as a kid?” Sam asked curiously. 

   “I did! I had a lot of friends in school. The SMP is a bit weird compared to other servers since it had so many wars in the early years but when I was about 7 the first school was opened up by someone from Thiace.”

   “Thiace?”

   “It’s an island nation. It's got lots of beaches and palm trees. I’ve heard it’s very beautiful. I think Mrs. Puffy has been there before. Foolish comes from there as well.”

   “Wow…”

   “Indeed. So Mx. Mathias is a cat hybrid.”

   “Like the guard at the prison?”

  “Indeed. Mx. Mathias opened up the school in the Badlands since it’s in the middle of the server. So my dad decided to send me there. There were a lot of other kids besides just me and Michael. Foolish’s kids Jr. and Finley went there, Fundy’s son Yogurt, and lots of other kids! They were all older than me. For the most part, it was just me and Michael. I was actually going to send you and Alex when the next school year started until… well until all of this happened.”

   “Wow… What did you learn there?” 

   “History of other servers, basic crafting, hybrid studies, combat. We went on some really cool mining field trips when I was a teenager.” Those had been just before the mutated mobs got bad. When the walls hadn’t been built around civilizations yet. Not that the walls were bad… just different. “This was all happening while the server was getting a better framework though. I’m sure it’s much better nowadays. The only subject I really listened to was history. Michael was the better student.”

   “I wanna go.”

   Clay smiled. “You will kiddo. Promise. And Michael can help you with your homework.”

   “I like that. Dad?”

   “Yeah?” 

   “Are… are we a family? You and me and Michael and Alexis?”

   Clay hummed lightly in thought. They weren’t a perfect family. Clay didn’t have much of a job. He relied on his father's fame as a committee member to get him through life. When he got home… he’d get a job. He could work at the school! Teach history… Take care of the kids. Build a new house maybe for him and Michael and the kids. His heart warmed at the idea. “Yeah kiddo. We are.”

   Sam smiled. “I like that.”

   “Me too Sammy.” Clay had longed for adventure. Now he longed for peace. For a happy ending. “Me too.”

Chapter Text

  Traveling across Ru’lei took a total of 8 days. It should have taken 5 but Wilbur insisted on stopping at places he remembered. Clay hadn’t seen his uncle so… calm in a long time though and he had a feeling the others hadn’t either and that's why they were going along with it. Ru’lei really was beautiful. It was one of the oldest servers and the third largest server on Continent B. 

   When they finally reached the border there was an instant change. They sold the horses because of the lack of need for them going on from here. Hypixal was the biggest populated server on both continents and had a vast system of trains and transports. There were people… everywhere. Even right at the border towns. 

   “This is Hypixal? It's so… full?” Clay was in awe of the entire place. Humans, hybrids, animals. Everywhere you looked something was happening. The SMP usually had something happening but this… this was a whole different level. 

   “It's humungous!” Sam gasped from Clay’s shoulders before he seemed to remember that he was timid in nature. He shrunk back a little. “There are so many different people… That one a creeper like me…” 

   “You never said it would be like this…” Michael muttered turning to Techno. “I’ve never seen so many people in my life.”

   “It is wonderful. I’m pretty sure I’ve been here before but it’s still very breathtaking.” Karl smiled looking around. “I can’t wait to see the archives.”

   Techno chuckled. “Yeah, it is pretty neat. Couldn’t let the surprise be ruined. But anyway, we should head over to the train. We can get to my estate faster that way.”

   Clay whipped his head around. “Estate!?”

   “Did I not mention that?”

   “NO??????”

   “Where did you think I stayed during the potato war???????”

   “YOU DIDN’T MENTION AN ESTATE!” Clay rubbed his temples. “You have an estate…”

   “Alright alright. Technoblade has an estate, blah blah, Technoblade never dies, blah blah, subscribe, can we move on now? It’s getting dark.”

   “Come on Clay. Let's go.” Michael pat his friend's shoulder and nudged him forward. 

   The estate was, for lack of a better word, huge. Actually, scratch that, Clay could think of a better word. It was magnificent. There were fields all around and a huge winding path from the train stop up to the literal MANSION on top of the hill. Someone greeted them at the gate. 

   “Evening Master Blade. Always a pleasure to have you back!” The man was dressed sharply with a smile on his face. 

   “Bruh… Cameron, you know my name is Techno. None of this Master stuff.”

   “Apologies Techno. It’s been a few years since you visited the estate. Plenty of time for me to develop bad habits. I got your message and prepared the estate for your guests ahead of time.” Cameron nodded lightly to the group behind Techno. 

   Clay broke out of his stupor. “YOU HAVE BUTLERS????”

   Cameron chuckled. “Lively one isn’t he? He reminds me of Thomas.”

   “Yeah. Kid’s just like his dad.” Techno hummed. “Guys this is Cameron, Cameron this is Clay, Michael, Sam, and Karl. You know Dream and Wilbur.”

   “Ah yes! Master Dream. It’s been a while, though it looks like less for you than for me.” Cameron hummed. “I remember cleaning up blood from yours and Techno’s matches still.”

   Dream chuckled softly. “That feels like a long time ago but for you, it must feel even longer.”

   “Indeed. It’s good to see you again.” Cameron hummed. “And you Wilbur. Welcome back. How’s your son?”

   Clay didn’t often see his uncle subdued but when he did it was usually about Fundy. 

   Wilbur’s ever-present unsettling smile faded and he almost flinched. “Oh well… We’re doing better! A little rough as always. He’s an adult so he’s got his own life. We’re better than we were when I first came back.”

   It was rare to see such a genuine response from Wilbur. It was nice. 

   “Of course. And you-” Cameron turned his head again to Clay. His eyes were a brilliant shade of midnight violet. “I’ve heard stories of you young man! Strong wings there. Remind me of your grandfather’s.”

   That was high praise. Grandpa Phil was well known for his beautiful and powerful wings. “Thank you. That’s high praise!”

   Cameron chuckled. “Alright Techno, shall we go to the house? We can talk about your stay while you’re there.”

   “Good idea. Alright, everyone, to the house!”

Chapter Text

   It was an hour later when dinner was served. 

   “Alright. That's it. I’ve died and gone to heaven.” Karl murmured over a mouthful of food. Even as he spoke he shoveled more in. 

   Clay tried to hide his wince. 

   “Yeah, that’s a pretty accurate representation of how people usually react.” Techno chuckled. “You should have seen Dream’s reaction.”

   “Don’t tell them about that!”

   “What’s that chat? Tell the story? You mean about the time Dream ugly cried because the food was so good and literally begged for another plate after he already had four?” Techno had a smug smile on his face. 

   Dream glared and took another bite off his plate. 

   Cameron took the opportunity to stop the fight before it began. “Will you be staying for the games?”

   Games? What games?

   Techno startled. “It’s already time for the games? Ain’t the games usually in July?”

   “It is July Techno.” Cameron hummed. 

   “Ah… Well, I dunno. The games are kinda a big deal and we’re pretty busy…”

   “What games?” Clay spoke up finally. 

   Techno glanced over. “The Hypixal MInigames. A week-long tournament where people from all over the server and continent come to compete in different contests. I was the champ of the sky battle game if you couldn’t tell from the trophy wall. I met Squid through the games actually.”

   So that's what those trophies were for. “What kind of games?” Clay leaned in curiously. “Sounds fun.”

   “Oh no. Not that look.” Michael frowned. “We do not have time for you to enter the games”

   “I wasn’t gonna!”

   “That's a lie and you know it.”

   “Okay fine I was thinking about it. But come on! Our last attempt at fun didn’t end so well-” Clay was glad he finished that sentence because his throat closed up at just the thought. 

   “I don’t see the harm in entering. Talking to other competitors could be a good way to get information if people really do come from all over the continent.” Dream hummed. “If I recall, the winners get a “wish” from the Admin as well right?”

   “Yup. Spent my wishes getting the estate to be this nice.” Techno hummed. “A wish from the admin could help us get information about where to look next.”

   Michael was still a bit prickly. “I… guess that's true. But what about deaths?”

   “Hypixal doesn’t have a canon death system. It’s auto-respawn here. Though the games do have an elimination on death system.” Techno shrugged. 

   “Psh. I was trained by THE Technoblade. You think I’ll lose?” Clay grinned. “Besides, I’ll have the best cheerleader of all right Sammy?”

   Sam was startled at the sudden mention of his name but a smile came to his face. “Yeah!”

   “See! I have to enter.”

   Michael sighed. “Okay. You enter then. Me and Sam can watch.”

   “Good idea!”

   “Indeed. Wonderful idea.” Cameron smiled. “It’s been so long since the games have had such excitement anyway. This is sure to be an exciting year. I look forward to watching you young Master Clay.” Cameron offered a hand.

   Clay pushed his fear (not fear. He wasn’t afraid of anything. Especially not… the D word.) down and smiled. He took the hand and winced at the tight handshake. “Thank you.”

Chapter Text

   “There are so many people here…” Clay whispered. His wings were tucked away both for ease of movement through the crowd and the rules against using hybrid advantages in the games. 

   “What did you expect? Techno told us these games were really popular even to people who didn’t participate.” Michael hummed. “You good up there Sammy?”

   Sam pat Michaels's head twice to say yes but didn’t speak. 

   “I know that but this is still insane.” Clay sighed. “I guess this is where competitors go. Make sure you two get good seats.” He smiled lightly ignoring the churning in his chest. 

   Michael just stared for a moment before he sighed and squeezed Clay’s shoulder tightly. “You’ll do great man.”

   Clay felt like throwing up. He smiled a little in thanks. 

  Michael shifted Sam on his shoulders and turned to head up to the stands. 

  Clay took a deep breath and headed inside where the rest of the competitors were. It was packed, like everything else on this server. But if there was one thing Clay was good at, it was people. He walked up to the counter and smiled. “Hello! I was hoping to sign up?”

   The woman glanced up from whatever she was doing and sighed. She shuffled under the desk and pulled out a paper. “Fill this out and sign below to ensure that if something goes wrong you won’t hold us responsible. The event  you’re participating in, full name and server of origin.”

   The dismissive attitude was a little off-putting. “Okay…” He took the paper and started filling it out. It wasn’t that difficult. Finally, he signed his name at the end and handed it back. 

   She looked just as blase as when she handed him the paper until she must have seen something. Her eyes widened to the size of saucers. “Your last name is Minecraft? Any relation to Technoblade Minecraft?” 

   Clay chuckled nervously. “Yeah, that's my uncle.”

   “OhmyPix! It’s an honor, sir!” She grinned brightly and shook Clay’s hand. “I grew up watching your uncle in the games. If you’re even half as good as he is you’ll do great!” 

   “Thank you? I appreciate the support.” Clay smiled softly. His shoulders relaxed a little. 

   “You can wait through that door with the rest of the sky battle participants.” She pointed. 

   “Thank you.” 

   Clay really hoped no one had seen that. He was already well known enough back home, he didn’t really want people treating him any different here. He eyed the other competitors in the room he was in now. 

   A lot of them looked like they knew each other. They must have been training for ages…

   “You’re new!”

   Clay nearly jumped out of his skin. His wings flew out of hiding and let loose a few dead feathers. “XD you’re quiet-”

   The boy chuckled. “Yeah I get that a lot. Being quiet helps with stealth in these games though. You might want to put those away.”

   Clay huffed softly and willed his wings back into hiding. “I know. It’s just been a while since I’ve hidden them for so long.”

   “I get that. You said XD right? Are you from the SMP?” He tilted his head. 

   “Yeah. My group and I are traveling a bit.”

   “I was about to ask what has you so far south.” He chuckled and stuck his hand out. “I’m Karlos. Karlos Fisher. You are?”

   “Clay Minecraft.”

   The boy's eyes flashed for a moment and his grin widened. “Nice to meet you, Mr. Minecraft!”

   “Please just Clay. Mr. Minecraft was my grandpa.” Clay smiled. 

   “Okie Doki! Are you sure you’re up for this? A lot of us have been training all year for these events.” 

   “I think I’ll manage. Probably not win but I think I can do good. I was trained by someone who’s pretty good.” Clay rubbed the back of his neck. 

   “The Blade?” The boy, Karlos, assumed. 

   Clay hissed softly. “That obvious?”

   “You should stop introducing yourself as a Minecraft. It puts a target on your back.” Karlos hummed. 

   “Oh.” He felt a little nervous now. “Got any tips.”

   Karlos hummed and looked to the side for a moment. “You know, You’re kinda silly. I might have a few but Being that it's my first year participating officially I don't have as many as the others. Last year I Watched the games and everyone who did well moved fast and struck hard.” A bell started to ring making Karlos’ smile fade. “The event starts soon. See you in the air. Good luck Clay.”  He waved and walked away. 

 Clay frowned a little. Something about that sounded strange. Karlos put emphasis on words that felt wrong. A message? What words did he emphasize? You’re. Being. And Watched. 

   A chill ran through Clay as he looked around the room. Was someone actually watching him? He turned to ask Karlos what he meant before the floor underneath him began to lift… No time…

   He knew he was probably overthinking it… but he had a bad feeling about this.

Chapter Text

   The stage was huge. The floor had separated each person, nearly 30, and set them into their own island floating in the sky. The wind ripped across the islands pulling at Clay’s hair and clothes. Which one was Karlos?

   Clay shook his head. He didn’t have time to think about that cryptic warning… besides. It could have just been a ploy to throw him off his game. He had to focus if he wanted to make it to the next round. Only 20 moved on.

    He stilled his breathing and glanced around the island noting the tree and cave entrance as well as the few scattered chests. He could do this. All he had to do was survive. He could play it safe this round…

   Somewhere he could hear the faint announcements of the game and the competitors as well as the previous game results and future times for the next rounds. He heard his name called. He wondered what the crowd reacted like. Did they have cameras on him?

   That was a dumb question. Of course, there were cameras. He just couldn’t see them…

   Ten. 

   Oh, the countdown was starting. What should he do? He definitely had to leave his island, it wouldn’t be becoming of a Minecraft to just stay on the spawn island. 

   Nine. 

   He could go to the ring of islands around the middle and hang out there. Maybe he’d pick off a few lagging participants. 

   Eight. 

   What materials did he need? What did he have? Armor hopefully. Blocks. A weapon, preferably a sword. He was good with a sword. Michael was better with the bow. 

   Seven. 

   He wished Michael was here. He always worked better with Michael. Was Michael watching like he said he would? Were Michael and Sam okay out there..?

   Six.

   Stop that! Focus Clay. He couldn’t worry about Michael right now. He had to focus. Besides, Hypixal was safe. Hypixal was an auto-respawn. No perma-death. 

   Five. 

   What if he didn’t do well in the game? What if he died? He had only had two non-canon deaths, one from heights and the other from a polar bear when he got too close to the cubs. Neither of those felt like much besides the rush of wind or the cold of ice. What would a death here feel like?

   Four.

   What if something went wrong with the respawn? What if he didn’t respawn at all?

   Three.

   What if that was what Karlos was talking about? Was someone sabotaging the games? Were they after him???

   Two.

   Clay felt his breath quicken in anxiety. He willed it to slow but it wouldn’t. His fears were all bubbling up and he really really wished Michael was here now. Maybe this was a bad idea…

   One. 

   And he was moving. He dashed to the chest and threw the lid open. Half a stack of cobblestone, chain legging and iron boots, a stone sword. Not bad but not good. He zipped to the other chest and grabbed the leather chest plate and single shiny ender pearl as a last resort. 

   After that, he went to the edge. Usually… he’d fly. But flying wasn’t allowed. His eyes scanned the area and saw a lot of the other players headed straight for the center. They wanted to put on a show for the spectators. 

   Clay would save his skills… he’d just ease through the first couple rounds and show off in the finale…. If he made it that far…

   He shook the thought away and threw a couple blocks down as he headed toward the inner ring of islands. There was another player on the one he was headed to. 

   Clay braced for a fight. 

   The other player swung first with a loud grunt. He was wielding a heavy iron axe and wearing only an iron helmet and leather pants. 

   Clay ducked out of the way and swiped at the other man's abdomen with his sword. It contacted. A stone sword was lighter than an iron or diamond one. It swung faster but didn’t hit as hard without the extra sharp blade of a higher-quality sword. 

   The other player jerked away and swung the axe horizontally this time. 

   Clay felt the metal connect with his shoulder. It hurt. This was really an interesting game if it dealt real injuries. Perhaps Hypixal was just used to the idea of playing with people’s lives. Were the gods that messed up? Was it like there everywhere? 

   Clay pulled himself out of his thoughts before the axe could strike again. He couldn’t kill this person. He couldn't stab him in this stupid life-or-death game. Why did he think this was a good idea???

   “Stop moving.” The other hissed aiming for the legs now.

   Clay jumped away and glanced behind him to make sure he had enough room on the island. The empty air dangled behind him. That’s it! He swiped his sword at the other player and stepped backward. “Why, can’t hit a moving target? Is your axe too heavy for you to lift?”

   The axe wielder's eyes glinted. “I have been training for years. There’s no way I’ll lose to a rookie.” He swung again with his full weight behind the axe. 

   Clay dodged to the side. 

   The axe continued with the weight of the wielder behind it. Clay kicked his leg out shoving the player off the island and into the void below. The other player didn’t even scream. 

   How many people were left? How long had he been fighting? Clay’s chest heaved a little with effort as he scanned the islands. There were a few fights still happening. What should he do?

   Three islands away he spotted a familiar face. Karlos. He had two other players cornering him and pushing him to the edge of the island. 

   Clay pulled out his blocks and made his way across the islands. His wings itched feeling the crisp wind and the empty air under them. Just a little more. His feet planted on the island. He sprinted across the island and sipped at the nearest player. 

    She reared back in surprise and tumbled off the island. 

   The other player turned to meet the new attacker. They were better geared… Full iron with a diamond sword and boots. 

   Clay was still in chain and leather with a stone sword. Maybe he wasn’t the smartest…

   Before the fight could continue the iron-clad player was sent over the edge as well. 

   Karlos and Clay locked eyes… and the buzzer sounded. 

   “Twenty players remain. These players will advance to the next round.”

Chapter Text

   Clay was glad it was over… His shoulder ached with the wound he had gotten from the axe… they’d heal him before the next round, right? When was the next round anyway? It had to be in a couple of hours so the players had time to rest right?

   He stepped off the lowered platform into the room from before and was immediately met with armed guards. He raised his hands into the air and saw every other player in the room was also getting searched. 

   “What’s going on?”

   “Quiet.”

   Clay shut his mouth and winced at the pokes and prods and shoves coming from the guards. What had happened? Was this normal? 

   The reactions from the other players told him that this was not in fact normal. Something was wrong. 

   “What happened?” Clay repeated again.

   “I said quiet before I have to detain you!” 

   The search continued for several more minutes and his mind spun with questions before the door slammed open. All heads turned. 

   The guards straightened into a formal salute. “Admin Simon!”

   The admin’s eyes swept the room coldly. “At ease. Leave the room at once. It was none of these players.”

   The guards shifted back into a normal position before they filed out of the room. 

   Clay was still very confused…

   “All of you are free to go to the infirmary to be patched up and then relax before the next round. The time will be announced shortly. Except you Minecraft.”

   Clay could feel all the eyes on him as the room emptied. Damnit, he was told not to go around revealing his name… There goes not putting a target on his back…

   The cold eyes swept back to Clay. “You’re Technoblade’s Nephew. Is he here?” 

   “Yes sir.”

   “I need to speak with him. Urgently. Fetch him and tell him Simon wishes to speak with him. He will know what to do from there.”

   “What happened?” Clay dared to whisper. “Is there something wrong? Why did you send everyone else out?”

   “Tch. Questions. Your uncle never asked stupid questions.” Simon rolled his eyes and gazed around the room as if searching for something. He was very very intimidating from his posture to his attire to his presence as a whole. 

   Clay grit his teeth. He didn’t like the implication that he was being called stupid. “My uncle is very busy. If this isn’t important enough to let me know then I won’t tell him anything.”

   The eyes landed on Clay again. “Is that so?”

   Clay stood his ground. Hypixal was a no-kill server. What was the admin going to do? Arrest him?

   Simon raised a hand and flicked two fingers. “Guards. Detain this player until further notice. He is not a suspect.”

   “What? But I didn’t do anything! I don’t even know what’s going on!!” Clay’s wings flew open and fluttered feathers across the room. The guards filed back in and grabbed his shoulders including the still-injured one. H struggled and flapped his wings but he was still exhausted from the game. 

   “If you won’t cooperate, perhaps your uncle will come to bail you out of prison.” He spun around the cape flaring behind him. 

   “Hey! You can’t do this!” Clay shouted after him. 

   . . . Why couldn’t he just have one good day..?

Chapter Text

   The jail was empty. It was eerie considering just how full the rest of the server had been. Clay paced the cell running his fingers through his hair. They had taken his communicator and everything he had left in the chest before he went into the game. He had nothing. 

   “ONE DAY!” He slammed his fist into the wall. “Just one day! Why can’t I ever get a break!?”

   “Quiet!”

   Clay glared off in the direction of the voice and sank down against the wall. This sucked. Life sucked. Everything sucked...

   “Clay?”

   Clay jerked and blinked blearily into the darkness. When had he fallen asleep? What the? He turned his head toward the entrance. 

   The door was open. Techno was standing there with a grim expression. “Time to go kid.”

   He pushed himself off the ground. He felt stiff and cold and his shoulder was still aching. There was dried blood on his ripped sleeve. Any questions he had he bit down until they were out of there…

   The two walked out of the building silently and down the people-filled streets. 

   “What happened?” Clay finally asked holding his arm close to his chest. “Where is everyone else? What’s going on? Did you talk to the Admin?”

   “Not here,” Techno grunted and made a beeline for the train station. 

   “Where are we-”

   “Back to the estate. Keep quiet.” Techno huffed. “Don’t draw any attention.”

   Clay shut his mouth and simply trailed after his uncle now. He was tired. Really tired and confused. The duo boarded the train in a separate empty car and took off. 

   Techno pulled a potion from his inventory and handed it over. "We can patch you up more when we get back."

   “This is fine.” Clay murmured uncorking the bottle and downing it. The relief was instant when the ache finally stopped. He felt the wound stitching itself back together. A sigh escaped as he leaned back against the seat. His mind eased into a warm lull. 

   “There's a problem.” 

   He fixed his eyes on his uncle. 

   “The game contestants aren’t respawning.” 

   Clay went cold. “What?”

   “Something is wrong with the code. Simon has talked to Pix and neither can figure out why. They think someone managed to hack the code.” Techno huffed. “They want my help to figure this out.”

   “How did they even know you were here?”

   “Hypixal is a busy place. There are cameras everywhere.”

   “But- Are you going to?”

   “I have to.” Techno grit his teeth. He was clearly hiding something. He knew something that Clay didn’t. 

   “Why..?”

   “Nothing you need to worry about. As long as the respawn mechanism is broken I want you to stay out of the games. Simon is going to postpone the fighting games as long as possible.” Techno huffed looking out the window. His hands were clenched into fists and shaking. 

   Clay could recognize the signs of anger in his uncle. Typically Techno would give into that anger. Why would he..?

   Oh. Simon had threatened him. Simon had threatened Clay and possibly the others. The Admin was blackmailing Techno by using everyone else as a hostage. 

   Clay fluffed his wings up and pulled them around himself. He didn’t argue with his uncle anymore. Instead… he spent the rest of the train ride thinking about the issue. 

   He should talk to Karlos. 

Chapter Text

   “Are you okay?!”

   Clay winced at the voice. “I’m fine. I feel fine. It wasn’t that big of a deal.”

   “That big a- YOU WERE ARRESTED!” Michael ran his fingers through his hair. “What happened? We were leaving the stands and we met back up with Techno and then Techno got a notification from the Admin himself! What did you do???”

   “I didn’t do anything!” Clay huffed crossing his arms. “They wanted to talk to me because they wanted me to contact Techno but they wouldn’t tell me what was happening so I refused and they arrested me!”

   “Why did you refuse?”

   Why did he refuse? Why did he get so testy and difficult with Simon and his guards back there? “I had a feeling…” 

   Michael paused. “Oh. Bad?”

   “Mhmm. Come with me. We have some stuff to do?”
  “What do you mean? Techno just brought you back!”

   “It’s important. Besides, Techno left to deal with the Admin again and the rest are still at the archive. I have a hunch about what’s going on.” Clay shrugged. 

   “What about Sam?” 

   What about Sam? “Where is Sammy?” Clay looked around the foyer. 

   “In the dining room with Cameron. He was kinda spooked when we got back and Cameron managed to calm him down. He’s got a snack right now,” Michael explained. 

   “Well that’s that then. Cameron can watch Sammy. It might be dangerous anyway so I don’t want to bring him along.” Clay grabbed his bag from beside the door and ducked down the hall toward the kitchen he turned over his shoulder back to Michael. “Go ahead and grab your stuff. I’ll be right back.”

   He walked into the kitchen and smiled seeing Sam easing a small piece of pie. “Sammy?”
  Sam snapped his head up and his eyes brightened. “You’re back! Are you okay..?”

   “I’m okay kiddo. Listen, Michael and I have to go back out. It’s really important but it might be dangerous. I’m gonna leave you here with Cameron okay? So it’s safe.”

   “But-”

   “No buts. I don’t want you getting hurt out there. I promise we’ll be back soon.” Clay hummed. “I love you okay?”

   Sam’s lip trembled a bit before he nodded. “Okay… be careful?”

   “Course kiddo. See you soon.” Clay ruffled his hair. He looked up when Cameron reentered the room. “Hey. Can I leave Sammy here? Michael and I have a lead I want to follow up on.”

   “Of course. What kind of lead?” Cameron set the glass he was holding on the table and slid it to the boy. 

   “Another contestant in the game I was in. He said something… weird that I want to check out.” Clay huffed. “Thanks for watching Sam.”

   “It’s my pleasure young master Clay.”

   Clay rubbed the back of his neck. “Just Clay, please. We’ll be back soon.”

   “Of course. Good luck figuring it out. Tell Techno that Simon’s been stressing out recently and that he should be careful with what he says.”

   The thought nearly made Clay laugh. Techno? Careful of what he says? Hilarious. “I will.” He headed back into the entrance foyer and sighed. “Ready?”

   Michael heaved his bag onto his shoulder and nodded. “Where are we going again?”
  Clay headed out the door. “So there was this guy in the game with me. He just walked up and started talking to me. He seemed normal enough at first but then it got… weird. He stared past me and started talking and he emphasized specific words. I think he was trying to give me a message. The words he emphasized said, “You’re being watched.” I want to find him and figure out what he saw.” 

   “Okay. Do you think we can trust him?”

   “I don’t know, but I hope so.”

   “Why is the admin harping on Techno..?” Michael lowered his voice as they headed out of the estate grounds and toward the train. 

   Clay’s brain screeched to a halt as he remembered. “We have to be really careful out here…” He started. “The respawn isn’t working.”

Chapter Text

   “What?!” Michael hissed looking around frantically. “What do you mean respawn isn’t working? How?”

   “I don’t know-” Clay sighed rubbing his eyes. “The people don’t know about it so we have to keep quiet about it.” 

   “Why does the Admin think Techno can help? How did he even get Techno to help? How do we keep getting wrapped into this???”

  “You’re asking me.” Clay sighed. “I think he threatened us but I don’t know for sure.”

   “Oh.” Michael huffed. “Damn.”

   “Yeah.”

   “Hey… you okay?” His friend asked softly. Clay stiffened at the question and geared up to say he was fine. “I saw the blow you took to the shoulder.”

   “Oh. I’m fine. The potion healed me up. It was sore while I was in the cell though.”

   “They didn’t give you the potion in the cell???”

   “No. Techno gave it to me.”

   Michael grit his teeth. “Damn. So much for “greatest server on continent B.” The higher up’s seem like assholes.”

   Clay barely stifled a laugh and gave his friend a light glare. “Michael. Language.”

   The elder rolled his eyes with a fond smile. “Oh hush you.” 

   It felt like old times. Clay found himself grinning before he caught sight of the white strands in Michael’s hair. His smile fell away. It was silent for a moment. “I’m sorry…”

   “What..?”

   Clay stared at his feet. “I’m sorry- For everything. I’ve been dragging you on my adventures since we were kids… And I got you hurt- I got you killed!” He didn’t want to say this. The words just slipped out and now- now he couldn’t stop the insecurities from spilling out of his mouth. 

   “Clay-”

   “I’m sorry! I’ve only caused trouble, haven’t I? It’s in my nature I guess! Silly little Clay Minecraft son of Tommyinnit and the afterimage of the horrible Dream. I was just doomed to cause problems and to make it worse I have a sense of adventure and a need to prove myself!” Clay laughed bitterly. Was he crying? His face felt wet… “And they entrusted me with children! I almost got Sammy killed too!” 

   “Clay no- That’s not true.”

   “It is! Look at your hair, Michael! You died because I wanted to go to a festival!” Clay snapped trembling. 

   Michael moved, finally recovering from the sudden outburst. He grabbed Clay by the shoulders. “Clay. That was me. I wanted to protect Sammy and I am okay with my decision. Yeah, it sucked, and yeah it hurt but overall I am okay. I would have been okay if I had stayed dead because I kept Sam safe. The only thing that would have upset me was the way you felt about it. I knew you’d feel like this…”

   “But-”

   “No buts. We’re basically kids Clay. I am 22 and you are 20. You’re gonna mess up. Half of those things weren’t your fault! Did you want to go to the past?”

   “. . . No?” Clay had just wanted to understand more. He always wanted to understand the past. History had been his favorite subject after all. 

   “Exactly. Did you mean to bring Dream back from the past?”

   “No…”

   “Did you kill your dad?”

   “No, but I wasn't-”

   “No! You were not responsible for that. Shroud was there, is he responsible?”

   “No-”

   “You see my point?”

   “Yeah…”

   “Good. Now, did you mean to get me killed?”

  “No. I didn’t.” Clay murmured. “I-”

   “No. No more. It wasn’t your fault.” Michael hummed softly squeezing Clay’s shoulders. “It was just… bad timing.” He gave a weak smile. 

   “Okay…”

   “Okay. Feel better..?”

   “Mhmm.” Clay leaned into the touch and pressed his forehead to Michael's chest. "Sorry for spiraling." He muttered.

   Michael pat his back lightly. "It's fine. Really. You could have chosen a better time though." He chuckled to make sure Clay knew it was a joke.

   Clay gave a short laugh and stood up to wipe his eyes. "I know. Thanks."

   Michael nodded and pat his friend's back “Course. Ready to keep moving?”

   “Yeah.”

Chapter Text

   Techno swished his cape as he left Simon’s office. How DARE he threaten Techno’s family? Especially when he knew what Techno was capable of. He could hear the voices chanting. 

   People were milling about without a care in the world. None of them knew. No one knew the danger they were in. One mistake and… 

    Blood for the Blood God. 

   Blood for the Blood God!

   Long live Technoblade, champion of the Blood God!

   Techno grit his teeth and started down the path to find the others. He had to fill them in on what was happening. This was too important.

   Technoblade had known Simon for a very very long time. They had met shortly after Techno first came to Hypixal. He had just come of age and was searching for a place to belong. His whole childhood had been spent fighting and then as an adolescent, he was stuck in one place with Phil and the rest of his family. He needed to experience things. 

   Maybe it was his own ego, his own need to prove himself. Maybe it was the voices. Maybe it was The Blood God. 

   The Blood God always called for more.

   Techno could recall the day he met the first Blood God…

   He was 4 years old, violently ripped from his family in… somewhere. He didn’t remember where he was from but he knew it wasn’t anywhere near where he ended up. He moved for a long time across blinding sand dunes and tall clay cliffs that cracked and crumbled threatening to send them, tumbling far below into the river. The Farlands weren’t the kindest place for a four-year-old…

   Techno often wondered how he ever made it to the arena in the first place. How did he survive the trip there?

   The arena wasn't very moral but then again… nothing was in the Farlands. It was a server of bandits and griefing and chaos. Djimon was the god. He was ruthless and cruel and held his admin under his thumb like a puppet to keep control of the lawless lands. 

   He was put in chains and thrown into a cell. It was loud. He could hear fighting and screaming. The wails of despair. Clanging and screeching of metal on stone… or was that bone? The air smelled sharply of dirt and iron. It was so cold. So cold… There was no familiar heat or warm orange light. Why was it so dark? Where was his mom..?

   He was moving again. The chains dragged him down pulling him closer to falling with each step. The men shoved him into a room and closed the bars behind him. There was a large door on one end and all manners of weapons hanging from the wall. Huge gleaming swords, masterfully crafted bows, all forms of arrows, and shields big enough to hide his whole body. 

   What was he supposed to do?

   The huge door rumbled and made Techno jump. Light crept under it as it raised. Techno felt his breath quicken. What’s happening? Oh, this felt bad. Very bad. The boy grabbed a sword with shaking hands and watched the door disappear into the ceiling. Something was coming at him-

   Instinct took over. It all went dark. When he came to it was loud. There were people cheering. He felt… sticky. His hands and clothes were covered in a bunch of red stuff. The boy turned staring wide-eyed into the crowd. So many people. So loud. His deep brown eyes met blood red. 

   The eyes gleamed. 

   Djimon was terrifying, especially to a child. He towered over Techno with glowing eyes and huge pairs of wings dripping with ink and ooze and teeth as big and sharp as dripstone. His voice was like nails on a chalkboard and chilled him straight to the bone. 

   “Well, aren’t you interesting.”

   Techno wanted to run. He wanted to run and never look back. Find mom. Go home to the familiar warmth. He didn’t like this. 

   “Such ferocity. Such intensity. I haven’t seen that much blood since my admins fought in the arena. How wonderful~” Djimon purred. “I have a proposition for you little one.”

   Techno didn’t know what a proposition was. The voice had chilled him to the bone but he seemed… nice? “What..?”

   “Become my champion. Share in my blood lust and I shall grant you a boon.”

   “A what?”

   “A gift. To make you special. My blessing.” 

   Techno did like gifts, especially shiny things. Would he get shiny things like gold and emeralds? “Do I get shiny things…?”

   “Anything you want little Blood God.” 

   From then on… Djimon, and his admin, weren’t seen anymore. Where they went, Techno didn't know. The Blood god's influence still hung over the land like a dark cloud when people watched Technoblade in the arena. He killed and killed and killed. He won countless battles and took countless lives and the voices- The voices... Techno hated them. He hated them so much when he was younger. 

   After time, he noticed the way he aged. Each kill seemed to slow time. The "blessing" he was granted seemed more like a curse... He didn't know how much time he spent at the arena killing and drowning in blood. So much time went by that people forgot Djimon and Techno himself became known as The Blood God. 

   He clawed at his head hoping to find wherever the voices were and tear them out. He pulled at his ears thinking that if he couldn't hear at all they had to go away. Nothing worked. He fell into a monotonous lull, fight, win, kill. Fight, win, kill. So much blood touched his hands. His once warm chocolate eyes turned into a cold red. This was all he was. The Blood God. 

   Then a strange man with feathery black wings showed up. Techno didn't have to kill as much. He grew. He lived. 

   Techno slammed open the door to the archive and paused. He couldn't see anyone and the walls, the books, the furniture…. Everything was absolutely coated in blood. 

Chapter Text

   Clay’s eyes were still slightly puffy when the duo reached Hub. Despite that, he seemed much more upbeat. Like the old Clay. The one before this journey. 

   The sight warmed Michael's heart. 

   “How are we gonna find this guy?”

   Clay… hadn’t honestly thought of that. He gave a nervous smile. “We’ll figure it out.”

   . . . Oh yeah. Just like the old Clay. Jump in head first without a plan, or strategy, or a single thought in his whole head. “You’re an idiot.”

   “Look I was in the middle of a mental breakdown! It has been a very hard couple of months…. Or years.” Clay sighed, rubbing his eyes lightly. 

   “I know. I was kidding.” Michael softened his voice. “Do you have any ideas?”

   “He seemed like he knew a lot about a lot. He has some kind of vantage point. Maybe he’ll find us?” It was honestly wishful thinking. Clay kinda deserved a little hope at this point. 

   “You know you’d actually be right about that one. Don’t look around. Look straight forward. Keep walking. I’ll direct you.” 

   Michael started to move his eyes darting to the side. Clay grabbed his arm and started forward. “You heard him. Look forward. Act casual.”

   “Good. Keep going. Turn left down the next alley.”

   Clay’s eyes darted to the alley and he carefully made his way across the street and down it.  “Now what?”

   “Keep going until the two of you see the blue door with the red markings. Go inside.”

   “That one.” Michael nodded his head to the left. The duo stopped at the door and Michael ducked closer to Clay’s ear. “Are you sure we can trust him? This rubs me the wrong way…” Michael whispered. 

   Clay understood that. This felt really off. “I think so.” He whispered back. 

   “Get inside now!”

   No time to argue. Clay pushed the door open and ducked inside. It was dark and quiet. The noise from outside was the only thing Clay could hear. The halls were crowded causing Clay to pull his wings close to his body. 

   Suddenly, there was someone in front of the two. “I don’t think you were seen.”

   “By who? How much do you know?” Michael started off. “Why are we being watched? We got here like two days ago!”

   “He’s been keeping tabs on your family for years. He’s got… a bit of a grudge against Technoblade.” Karlos sighed, rubbing his eyes and running his fingers through his hair. “He’s really been playing the long game.”

   “Who?” Clay tilted his head.

   “I don’t know. I’ve never known him. My father knew about him and that got him into trouble. I only have my father's notes.” Karlos’ face was grim. “My father used to work for the Blade at his estate. He was the head of house and security. Apparently he had reason to believe there was someone after the Blade. He left me those notes after... after he was killed three years ago.”

   “When all the mobs were being weird back home. Techno and Wilbur left the SMP to come here,” Clay murmured thinking back to the time. He hadn’t thought much of it because he and Michael were busy finding Dream.

   “Indeed. Techno was here. He gifted me the journals my father kept… what was left of them at least. That's when I started looking into it. I figured the person my father was researching killed him.”

   “How? Hypixal is a no-kill zone usually.” Michael frowned. “The error didn’t happen until recently right?” Part of him wondered if Karlos even knew about that.

   “That's just the point, I think this person can access code.”

   “How. Only Admins can do that right…?” Clay felt his blood chill. “Is Simon-”

   “No. I’m sure it isn’t him. He had no reason to hate Techno. It’s someone else but I can’t figure out who!”

   Clay went quiet in thought. Who would hate his uncle? Someone around for a long time, someone who the old head of house knew, someone who could possibly access code in some way. 

   A chill ran through him and out through his wingtips. 

   Someone who knew Techno was going to talk to Simon when Techno never went inside in the first place. Someone who had given bad vibes when Clay first arrived but he didn’t notice because of his mental state. Someone who was the new head of house. Someone who had his kid right now…

   “Cameron-” He breathed in horror. 

   Michael looked confused at first before his face twisted to one of panic. “No- Sam!” He turned on his heels and made a beeline for the door. 

   “Who? Do you know the hacker?” Karlos’ voice went grim.

   A choked half-chirp sound escaped Clay. “He’s gonna kill them! We have to- We won’t-” His feathers puffed up with anxiety. 

   A beep tugged Clay from his spiral. He grabbed his communicator and looked at the feed. He had a private message. From Cameron. 

    The Archives. 

   “The archives…” Clay read aloud to himself. “He isn’t at the estate!”

  “What?! Where is he? What are we supposed to do?!” Michael growled out. 

   “The archives. He’s at the archives.” Clay breathed out. “We need to hurry. Karlos. Do you have any weapons?”

   “Of course I do. On one condition.” Karlos huffed. 

   “Listen here-” Michael snarled before he was interrupted. 

   “I want to come. He killed my dad. I want to see him go down.” Karlos looked dangerous just then. 

   Clay realized just how easily he could have lost to the other during the game. “Fine. Weapons. We can’t go in unprepared.” 

   Karlos turned and opened a chest. He pulled out a gleaming netherite axe and stepped aside with an almost sinister grin. “Take your pick gentlemen.”

Chapter Text

   Sam could feel something wrong as soon as Cameron took him out of the house. Cameron had felt… wrong ever since Sam had met him. They left the house and then they were suddenly in the city. Sam felt sick- They weren’t supposed to be able to do that. How did they get here?

   “Where are we going..?” Sam asked softly, clutching his shirt with his free hand. 

   Cameron smiled but it wasn’t a very nice smile. It was a scary smile. “It’s a surprise. Your dad will meet us there.”

   A bit of smoke started pouring from Sam’s mouth as he clenched his teeth tight. “You’re lying to me!”

  Cameron turned to the boy with dark eyes. “Now why would I do that? Come along. We don’t want to be late Sammy.”

  Sam had no reason to believe he was lying. Sam had always been jumpy and he always had issues with trust. He was probably overreacting… But his mind still screamed at him that this was not someone he should be talking to anymore. 

   Cameron led him through the streets and eventually came to a big building. People walked out front but it didn’t look like anyone went inside. Cameron walked up the steps and opened the door. 

   It smelled wrong in here. Like when Michael was hurt. Metallic. The floor looked red and Sam was almost positive it wasn’t supposed to be that color. 

   The inner door opened and smoke poured from Sam’s mouth as his ears laid back in terror. Wilbur, Karl and Dream were all strung up from the ceiling. Blood coated the surfaces around him. In the center, Techno kneeled on the ground chains holding him down.

  He had to find dad.

  He yanked his arm away and took off back outside into the crowd. He could hear Cameron yell behind him but it was drowned out by the various voices around him. It was so loud. Everything was loud. How was he going to find his dad here?

    Calm down Sammy. It’s okay. It's going to be okay. You know what dad smells like. Just find him. He trembled lightly and walked through the crowd shakily. He couldn’t pick out any smells. There was too much going on. He was never going to find his dad!

   Arms wrapped around him and pulled him into an alley.

   Sam squeaked and sank his teeth into the arm holding him. He tasted blood. He couldn’t let anyone catch him. He had to find dad!

   "Ow!”

    He knew that voice- He released his grip on the arm and looked up shakily. “Michael..?”

   Michael smiled slightly, shaking his bleeding arm a bit. “You got one hell of a bite kiddo.”

   “Michael! How many times do I have to yell at you for cursing around Sam?!” 

   Sam turned his head and cried in relief. It was dad. He was going to be okay! He reached for Clay. “Dad-” 

   Clay looked at the boy and gave a small smile. He looked like he'd been crying recently too. “Hey kiddo.” He held his arms out and took Sam from Michael's arms looking over him carefully. “Are you okay Sammy?”

   “I’m okay. He didn’t hurt m-me….” The previous images burned into his mind again. The horrible tang of blood still swirled in his mind. “He has everyone else- Dad.” His voice was hard to get out. His eyes stung with tears.

  “Cameron..?” Clay asked softly like he already knew.

   Sam nodded a little blinking tears away. "How did you know...?"

   “My friend had some information." Clay looked to the side at the third person that Sam hadn't noticed before. "This is Karlos. He helped us figure it out. Where are they Sammy; the library?" 

  “Yes…” Sam responded looking back at his dad. “What are you going to do?”

   “It’s gonna be okay kiddo. We have a plan.”

Chapter Text

   Clay was very glad to know Sam was safe. That was one worry eased in his mind. He turned back to Karlos with Sam held tightly in his arms. “We were right. He’s at the Archives. He has Techno and the others.” He changed his focus back to the boy. “Alright kiddo. Tell me what you saw.”

   The boy looked down and nodded. “Dream and Wilbur and Karl were all hanging from the ceiling…” His voice shook so much that Clay wanted to tell him to stop. “Techno- Tech was in the middle… There was a lot of blood-” He trembled violently.

   “Okay kiddo. That's enough.” Clay pet his head gently. “It’s going to be okay.”

   Sam nodded and nuzzled close still shaking.

  “We can’t take him with us…” Michael whispered. “He could get hurt.”

  “I don’t know what else to do. There isn’t anyone to watch him.” Clay murmured. “We have to be very careful with what we do because he can hack the code.”

  “I can wait here.” Sam murmured. “I’m good at hiding.

  Clay and Michael shared a look. They didn’t like it. Not one bit. “Okay… Just to keep you out of the fight. Stay here.” Clay set Sam back down on the ground and pat his head. “Stay safe kiddo.”

  Sam nodded and sat down pulling his knees close to his chest. “Please be careful- Don’t die…”

  “I won’t. Promise.” Clay kissed his head and turned back to the other two. “We need to hurry. Before Cameron decides he’s done waiting.”

  Karlos nodded and looked out of the alley. “Streets look empty. There must be an event starting.”

  “Do you think he timed it like this on purpose?” Michael hummed.

  “I wouldn’t put it past him… We need to hurry.” Karlos went to leave the alley and hurry down the street.

  Clay tightened his grip on the sword and followed Karlos. The trio stopped in front of the Archives. He felt dizzy looking at the building. Michael moved first. He opened the door and walked into the lobby. Clay and Karlos followed behind. The three hovered in front of the second set of doors. 

   “This isn’t going to be easy…” Karlos muttered.

  “I know.” Clay sighed, swallowing down his rising fear. “It needs to be done.” He reached for the handle and pulled the door open.

  The figure inside turned at the sound and smirked. “Ah. Hello. I see you finally made it young Minecraft and Beloved. But no little Sammy.” He frowned and brandished a sword in the dim light. “What a shame.”

   Clay felt his fear turn to anger. “Don’t you talk about Sammy!”

   Cameron rolled his eyes. “How touchy. I wasn’t going to hurt him. After all, my target is right here.” He stepped out of the way revealing the scene Sam had described. Techno knelt on the ground with his head low and chains keeping him down.

   “Don’t you touch him!” Michael snarled. “Any of them!”

   “Tsk. I wasn’t planning on dragging anyone else into this but Technoblade is a hard man to trick. I had to give him some sort of stakes. I spent years planning and getting nowhere. I didn't have any way to even think about beating him, not to mention how hard it was going to be to get around Simon and Pix.” He hummed using the end of his sword to tilt Techno’s head up. “I honestly never thought I’d get him. Until I got an offer from a certain Blood god.”

   Clay swallowed thickly. “What are you talking about?”

   “Simple! I'm sure you know this, but The Blood God isn’t a man. He is an actual God! He granted Technoblade here his boon for the arena and Techno chose to leave. Naturally, the god was angry that his name was being used in a way he didn’t choose. So when I stumbled upon him with a wish to get revenge on Technoblade, he happily offered his aid!” 

   “Why do you want revenge anyway?” Michael hissed. “I get that Techno is well… him. He has enemies but what did he do to you?”

   “What did he DO? Hah… In the arena. During his escape with the Angel of Death, there were guards trying to stop them. One of those guards, Cameron Gallagher Sr. Dead. Felled by a child leaving behind his wife and 12-year-old son in the harsh society of the Wastelands.” Cameron hummed. “ When a child grows up without a father he goes through changes…” he smirked.

   “You sick bastard!” Karlos snarled, stepping in front of the other two. “You hypocrite!”

   Cameron blinked and raised his eyebrows letting Techno's head lull forward again. He pointed the tip of the blade at the trio again. “Oh? You brought a little friend. Who might this be?”

   “My name is Karlos Muñoz. Son of Alexander Muñoz. He used to work for Mr. Blade until you murdered him!”

   “Well, isn't this interesting~” He chuckled. “I remember him. Poor soul. Another unnecessary casualty.”

  “IF IT WAS UNNECESSARY WHY DID YOU DO IT?” Karlos dashed forward with his axe held high ready to strike.

Chapter Text

   Karlos brought the axe down with a heavy swing. Cameron barely managed to get out of the way leaving the axe stuck in a table.

  “You pest.” Cameron snarled.

  Clay ran forward with his sword poised to strike. Cameron turned to him, his attention pulled from Karlos. Clay faltered slightly which was a mistake. Cameron lunged and threw him against a nearby bookcase. 

   The shelf wobbled and then came crashing down showering Clay with books. 

   "Clay!" Michael cried. He growled and drew his bow back to shoot at Cameron. Cameron deflected the arrow easily. 

   Karlos yanked his axe from the wood and turned back to the madman. “You’re insane.”

  “Please. We have the same goal, wouldn’t that make you insane as well?” He scoffed.

  While he was distracted, Michael ran over to the fallen shelf. “Clay? Can you hear me?” He braced himself and tried to shove the shelf off.

  “Stop! I’m okay…” He felt a little dizzy but he didn’t think any of his wounds were serious. He tried to shift the books out of the way hoping to find a way out. He couldn't seem to escape. “You should focus on the fight! I can get out of here on my own!”

   Michael still tried vainly to move the shelf listening to the clashing of blades behind him. “I can’t leave you here!” 

   Clay shifted, pushing some books out of the way. He hissed sharply as pain ran up his side. He moved his hand to the source and felt wetness and the tip of a blade. His sword had been wedged into his side when the bookcase fell. Oh no… “You have to help Karlos and everyone else out! I’ll find my way out.”

   “What was that hiss? Are you hurt?” Michael felt cold. “Clay?!”

   “I’m okay! The books are heavy is all. Go fight him!”

   Michael didn’t like it… He had a very bad feeling about this. Nevertheless he trusted Clay, he picked his bow back up off the ground and grabbed an arrow from the quiver on his back. He drew the string back and fired while Cameron still had his back turned. 

   The arrow found its mark in Cameron’s left shoulder. He stumbled, almost losing grip on his weapon. Karlos rushed forward and pushed his axe into the wound. Cameron screamed, drawing his head back and slamming it forward into Karlos’. Karlos fell backwards and his axe clattered to the floor. 

   Cameron looked down at the shaft protruding from his shoulder. It was a clean wound from back to front. He reached to his back and yanked the arrow out watching the blood flow out heavier. He turned to look at Michael with a growl. "Alright. Now you've made me angry."

   Michael readier another arrow. “Well then. You’re about to get a lot angrier.” 

   “You’ll pay for mocking me.” He snarled, charging at the piglin hybrid.

    Michael let the other arrow loose but it whizzed by Cameron’s head missing its target. He frowned and shouldered the bow preparing to defend himself. 

   Karlos sat up in a daze. Damn his head hurt. He saw Cameron moving toward Michael and grit his teeth. He pushed himself to his feet and scooped his axe up off the ground before charging after Cameron. He had to stop him before he could hurt anyone else.

   Karlos was faster than him. He slammed into Cameron, knocking the older man away from Michael. He swung his axe but missed narrowly. He grimaced, gritted his teeth and tried again before Cameron could get his balance. This time he got lucky with the swing. His axe connected with Cameron's ribs.

   Cameron grunted and staggered back. He caught his balance and shoved Karlos away. His back was bleeding badly now from the arrow wound and the new axe one. "ENOUGH!" He roared swiping with his sword desperately. 

   Karlos stood his ground avoiding the sword. He had practiced for Skybattle for years. He knew the other man couldn't win with his injury. Karlos wanted to end this quickly. He glared at Cameron holding his bloody axe ready to strike. “Any last words?”

   The old butler laughed bitterly. “None for you.” He ducked under the axe and made for the center of the room. Towards Techno. Towards his goal. 

   “NO!” Michael cried fumbling to draw his bow and try to stop him before he reached Techno.

   There was a loud snap. The chains holding Techno crumbled. He stood slowly towering above Cameron who stopped short and stumbled back. 

   “You aren’t… You shouldn’t be awake!” Cameron snarled. 

   Techno glowered and reached forward gripping Cameron by the throat. He lifted him off the ground with one hand. “You dare touch my family?”

  Cameron glared, keeping his grip on the sword. He swung aiming for the head.

  Techno caught the sword with his free hand and shattered it. He snorted in anger.

  Now Cameron looked nervous. “Master Technoblade… Can we talk about this?”

  Techno snorted again and threw him to the ground at Karlos’ feet. Cameron gasped for breath. “He’s all yours kid.” Techno huffed.

   Karlos glared down at the old man who took everything from him. He didn’t hesitate as he brought his axe down. There was a gurgle of blood… Then the body was gone. 

   That was it. The battle was over. Michael lowered his bow and then remembered. He threw his weapon and knelt down by the fallen shelf again. “Clay?!”

  Techno crossed the room in big strides. He threw the shelf off. The two piglin hybrids dug through the books to uncover the Avian. 

   Clay laid on the ground battered and wounded. The sword moved as all the books shifted and eventually fell out and laid on the ground allowing more blood to flow from the wound and into the puddle on the ground staining his wings red with blood. His eyes were closed. 

   Michael felt cold. Was this what Clay felt when he had been killed? No. Clay wasn't dead. He couldn't be. Michael pressed his fingers to his friend's neck to check a pulse. It was there, but very weak. He sighed shakily in relief. "We have to get him help!"

   "You go. I'll help everyone here." Techno said quickly.

   "But Sam-"

   "I can get him. Make sure he gets help." Karlos said running outside to go get the kid.

   Michael nodded and scooped Clay into his arms. He pressed a hand to the stab wound and held pressure there to prevent any more blood loss. Clay was limp and pale in his hold. Michael only prayed he could get him help in time…

Chapter Text

   Clay felt fuzzy and warm like he was under the effects of a potion. He wanted to sleep. It felt so nice and comfy but something told him he needed to wake up. He opened his eyes and hissed at the bright light. 

   "Clay?" Michael asked softly. 

   "What... where-?" Clay croaked, sitting upright. His head hurt and it took several blinks before he could focus on anything. He definitely had potion effects. Probably regeneration from the sickeningly sweet taste in his mouth. 

   Michael sat next to him on the bed looking concerned. "How are you feeling?"

   Clay rubbed his face with both hands. "I don't know." He paused, then held out one hand. "Can I have some water please? I can still taste the potion..."

   Michael brought him a glass and Clay drank gratefully. He pulled the glass back and sighed in relief. "That's better." 

   Michael grinned and reached over and gave Clay a tight hug. "You scared the shit out of me."

   For once Clay didn't feel the need to scold him on the language. "Sorry... What happened?"

   "We beat Cameron. Techno apparently talked to the admin and got things sorted out. Respawn is working again but they couldn't find Cameron. He must have slipped away whenever respawn started up." Michael pulled back and settled for holding his friend's hand and rubbing his thumb against Clay's knuckles. He really must have been worried…

   "That's good. Everyone else? Sammy?"

   "The kids okay. So is everyone else. They want to know if you want to go home." Michael still had worry in his gaze. "We could go back. Take Sammy with us. The other four are planning to go across the ocean to Continent A."

   Clay thought about it. He wanted that. It would be safer. No death and Sammy and Alex could go to school... But he still felt the need to move forward. To find Exdee. He wanted to complete the mission. "No. I want to go."

   "Are you-"

   "Yes I'm sure." Clay said firmly. He squeezed Michael's hand. "I'll be fine. We'll be okay. I want to finish what we started."

   The older sighed heavily. "Okay. I'll follow you."

   Clay nodded and leaned against the wall wanting to soak in the peace for a little longer. The trip across the ocean would be hard... Everything he had read about Continent A had been bad or at the least not good. "Sam and I had an idea."

   "Yeah?"

   "When we go back to the SMP we were going to build a house. I was going to get a job at the school and sent the kids there. Live a peaceful life." 

   "That sounds nice Clay."

   He nodded remembering the plans he had started on the way to Hypixal. The peaceful life he had imagined. "Sam wants you there."

   Michael hummed at that with a soft smile. "That sounds nice."

   Clay went to get out of the bed and stretch. "We should go tell everyone I'm not... you know." He shrugged. Even though he had talked a bit more about his fear, the concept of death still terrified him. He really didn't want to think that much about what happened in the Archive. 

   Luckily Michael seemed to understand. He stood up as well. "Sure."

   The two men walked down the hall and back into the lobby of the infirmary. Wilbur, Karl, Sam, and Karlos sat there. Techno and Dream were nowhere to be seen. 

   Wilbur spoke up first as he crossed the room to hug his nephew. "Clay! Holy crap kid you scared us all to death!"

   Clay smiled and hugged him back. "Sorry Uncle Wilbur.  Are you guys okay? Is everyone here?"

   Sam latched onto Clay's leg tightly. "Everyone's good." He whispered. "What about you?"

   "I'm okay Sammy. Promise." Clay leaned down to lift the boy into his arms despite Karl's protests about his injuries and the lingering potion effects. "Are you okay?"

   The boy nodded and nuzzled close. 

   "He's mad at you for getting hurt when he told you not to," Michael ruffled Clay's hair. 

   Clay laughed softly and just held Sam tight. "Where's Uncle Techno and Dream?"

   "Talking to Simon." Karl answered that one. "Something about jail and a boat."

   Clay had nearly forgotten about the jail. Just this morning he had been participating in the games and now... Today had been a really long day. "How long was I out anyway?"

   "Just a few hours. Though it is pretty late now." Michael hummed looking out the window at the night sky. 

   "Listen Clay. We were all talking and... if you want to go home-" Karl started. 

   "Michael already asked me. I want to see this through." Clay cut the older man off. 

   Karl looked hesitant but nodded. "Okay. Dream says we'll probably leave the day after tomorrow. That way we get a break after all this."

   "That's good." Clay hummed. "Karlos? Are you gonna be okay..? I heard he got away."

   Karlos blinked at being addressed. "Yeah. I'll be alright. The last three years has been all about this... The Blade said he needs a new head out house that he can trust. I think I might take that."

   Clay smiled. "That'll be good for you." 

   Karlos nodded and pulled something from his inventory. The sword Clay had used in the fight. It was heavily enchanted and much better than the regular one that was with his things at his uncle's estate. "I want you to have this. As a thank you and a way to remember me when you leave."

   Clay shifted his arms noticing that Sam had fallen asleep and took the sword. There was a carving in the handle. 'The Battle of the Archives memorial. -Karlos.' "Thanks." He put the sword away. 

   Michael produced the bow from his inventory. "I got one too."

   The avian smiled and wrapped his wings around the boy in his arms. "Sweet."

   The door to the lobby opened and three people walked in. Simon was in the middle with Dream and Techno on either side of him. The room went quiet. 

   Simon walked forward and dipped his head. "I want to apologize for everything earlier. And thank you and your friends for all the help."

   "He's giving us a boat so we can get to Continent A." Dream hummed. 

  "He better be sorry..." Michael grumbled under his breath. 

   Clay elbowed his friend in the side and nodded. "Thank you."

   "It's the least I could do after you fixed the respawn problem." With that Simon turned and left.

   "I take it he said no to going home?" Techno asked gruffly. There were indents on his wrists where the chains had held him earlier. 

   "Of course he did. Have you met our nephew." Wilbur rolled his eyes. "Hey, can we get back to the estate? I'm exhausted." 

   "That sounds like a good idea." Clay murmured heading out with the rest of his group.

Chapter Text

“I think I miss the horses-” Karl muttered, leaning over the edge of the boat with the threat of losing the contents of his stomach. 

   Clay really couldn't understand how people could get sea sick. The rocking of the boat didn't really affect him though he supposed that's because he was so used to flying. Boats definitely weren't his first method of travel but for a group of 7 where only 2 members had wings it was the best option to travel the ocean.

   They had barely left Hypixal a day ago and this already sucked. All around them was water. There would be no land in sight for at least another week, most likely two weeks. 

   Clay pat Karl's back lightly and then left him there to go find Michael. This trip wasn't exactly what Clay had expected after leaving Caplos.

   Michael was standing on the deck with his arms crossed and frowning down into the waves. The wind blew his hair into his face but he didn’t seem to care. 

   "Hey, you okay?" Clay asked him softly.

   Michael turned to look at him and sighed. "Yeah. Homesick, believe it or not." He chuckled bitterly. "I miss my dads. And Alex. It feels like it's been forever since I've seen them."

   Clay nodded leaning against the rails and staring into the water. It had only been a little over 3 weeks but it felt like ages since they left home. "Yeah. I get that."

   "Do you think we'll find what we need in Quantum Bedrock?" Michael asked, changing the topic.

   Clay shrugged, "Depends on how much trouble they give us when we get there. Every place we've been, something bad has happened." 

   "Stop, you're supposed to be the optimist." Michael teased shoving Clay playfully.

   Clay gave Michael a playful shove back. "Shove off Mike."

   Michael laughed softly. "Where's Sam?" 

   "With Dream. He's learning to steer, apparently." Clay shrugged. 

   "That's so weird to think about. Our opinions of Dream changed so much in the last three years. Our dads used to tell us horror stories about him and now he's got your kid and it's no big deal." 

   "And he's leading this mission. It's baffling, especially considering how much my dad hated Dream." Clay chuckled. 

   "I know right? But at the same time if he hadn't come along I don't think we'd have made it out of Caplos alive." 

   "I mean technically you didn't-" Clay teased. His chest felt tight making the joke but he didn’t trip over the words. 

   " Technically I did." Michael cut him off laughing.

   "What do you think happened to Exdee?" Clay asked, staring at the horizon. 

   "I don't know... He left that Shulker Box. Maybe it has something to do with the End?"

   "Maybe. He's been messing with code and time a lot. Maybe something happened..." Clay was getting sick of Exdee's "adventures."

   Michael sighed and looked down at the water. "I think I'm gonna go find Techno."

   "Alright." Clay watched Michael walk away. He really missed his dad and Alex. He couldn't wait for this stupid mission to be over. He wanted to go home. He wanted to send the boys to school and he wanted to get a job. He wanted a normal life. Maybe that was maturing. Leaving the adventuring behind him and living a peaceful life.

   He hoped it wouldn't take too long to find what they needed in Quantum Bedrock.

Chapter Text

   Clay held Sam close to his chest as the boat rocked and shook. The rain pounded against the sides of the boat. The wind howled outside. The waves were choppy and the ship tossed violently.

   Sam curled tighter into Clay's arms trying to keep warm. He had never liked storms and being on the boat rocking left and right didn't help. His small body seemed to shake and tremble.

   "It's okay, buddy," Clay whispered, holding onto the young boy. "You're safe."

   Clay pulled the blanket closer around them both. 

   The door opened revealing a soaked Michael. He plopped down on the other bed. "It's pretty bad up there.”

   "How bad?" Clay asked, looking up at Michael.

   "Bad." He sighed, running his fingers through his soaking wet hair. "The guys are trying to keep the ship steady. They're doing their best... but we just gotta ride it out."

   Clay nodded and pressed a kiss to Sam's head. "We'll be fine." Clay reassured the boy. "Just hold on tight to me. We're going to make it." 

   "Let's hope so." Michael said, sitting up. He reached into his pocket pulling out some chocolate bars. He handed one to Sam. "Here."

   Sam lit up a bit. "Where did you get this?"

   "I stole it from the kitchen." Michael winked.

   "Oh! You shouldn't do that!" Sam exclaimed.

   Michael gave him a look, "I'm not worried about it kiddo." 

   The ship rocked again dangerously and Clay could hear crashing on the deck overhead. "Do you think this thing will sink?"

   "I hope not." Michael swallowed hard. "But we should probably stay ready."

   "Right." Clay nodded. 

   Sam nibbled on his candy clearly trying to ignore what the adults were talking about. The idea of water made him nervous. He wasn't a very strong swimmer. "What happens if we do sink...?"

   "Well first off, I'm pretty sure we can swim." Michael smiled. "Second, I've got a ton of life jackets."

   "Okay..." Sam whispered quietly, nuzzling closer to Clay's chest.

   They sat together in silence as the storm raged. The ship shuddered and creaked threatening them with the harsh waves. Waves sloshed against the sides of the boats. The sound of splintering wood echoed throughout the room. 

   There were frantic steps down the stairs. The door slammed open. Wilbur stood there looking frantic. "Get to deck. Get to deck right now!"

   Clay jumped up grabbing Sam and Michael. The three ran down the narrow spiral staircase to the main deck. The rain was pelting down on them hard. It stung and burned at their skin. Clay's wings were soaked and heavy in an instant

  “What happened?” Michael has to scream to be heard over the wind and rain. 

   “We hit something!” Techno called back, throwing life vests at the three. “We need to get ready for the ship to sink!”

   Everyone grabbed life vests and strapped themselves in. Wilbur clipped his own as well. "Stay together!" he shouted.

   The ship tilted dangerously. Clay braced himself as the ship rolled and he sank into the cold dark water.

  He was drowning. He was sure of it. He wondered what happened when someone died outside of a server's borders. Would he get another life? Would he be dead for good? Wouldn’t that be a way to go out? He made it so far only to die by drowning.

  The waves tugged at his wings and clothes dragging him down and down. The currents swept past him. The ship was breaking, he could hear the wood splintering over the roar of the wind and waves.

  He fought his way to the surface and looked around. “Michael? Sam!?” He looked around, churning in the dark water. Rain slapped across his face stinging his eyes. His mouth tasted like salt. He couldn’t see anyone. “Michael!! Sammy! Dream, Techno, anyone!?” 

   The waves flipped again. Clay turned and saw a huge piece of the boat heading for him. He didn’t have time to move. The wood slammed into him and sank into the water.

Chapter Text

  Clay woke slowly. The sun was beating down on him and waves crashed against rocks nearby. The storm was over… Clay sat up slowly, his head pounding. His hair was stuck to his forehead with saltwater and blood. That piece of wreckage must have hit him harder than he thought.

   He was alive. Where was he…?

   On a beach. He was on a beach. There was wood and metal scattered around from what was left of the boat. And people.

  Clay’s mind snapped back into focus. He scrambled up kicking sand behind him and ran over to the nearest person. “Uncle Wilbur!” He shook his uncle. “Wil! Wil wake up!”

   The brunet groaned softly and opened one eye. “Tommy…?”

   Clay sighed in relief seeing his uncle was alive. “No. It’s Clay.”

   Wilbur groaned and sat up rubbing his head. He hissed lightly, spitting out sea water and sand. “What happened?” 

   “The boat hit something and then it rolled over. I don’t know where everyone else is-” Clay felt panicked before he even finished the sentence. He looked to the ocean panic threatening to choke him. Where was Sammy? And Michael? And Dream and Techno and Karl-

   “I’m over here-” Speak of the devil.

   Clay turned his head to see Karl. 

   He was standing near the treeline. “We washed up north of Quantum Bedrock. On the Avia and Elytria island.”

  “How do you know?” Wilbur asked, pushing himself to his feet and brushing the sand off of his still damp clothes.

  “The sand. Quantum Bedrock has black sand beaches.” Karl hummed moving down the beach to the water line. He examined the water for a moment and then looked up. “Judging by the currents, the rest of the group probably washed up south east of us. In that direction.” He pointed.

   “How did we survive that?” Clay asked, rubbing the wound on his head. It was sticky still but not bleeding. It would probably get infected. “Does anyone have a health pot..?"

  Wilbur checked his inventory. “Storm messed with our inventories.” He dragged a potion out of a bag and tossed it over. “I don’t have a lot.”

  Clay downed the potion and sighed relieved when the wound began to close. He checked his own inventory and noticed a lot of what he had was gone. He still had the sword from Karlos and a few books he had brought along. 

   His books were waterlogged and the ink smudged. He had so many notes written in those books... Was this whole “adventure” pointless? What if they never found Exdee? Would the SMP be… gone? Everything Clay had ever known and loved. The people would have to flee and the land would reset itself, preparing for the next contract. 

   “We shouldn’t go there.” Karl huffed looking down the shore. “The others probably crashed on the Elytria side of the border.”

  Clay was dragged out of his thoughts. “Why can’t we go there?”

  “Elytria isn’t very kind to humans like myself and Wilbur. Its patron is Dragoon. We’re lucky we didn’t wash up there.” Wilbur huffed. “Dad told me that the tensions between Avia and Elytria go back to when he was little. And that was a long fucking time ago.”

   Clay shivered a little, remembering the talk he and Techno had had weeks ago, back when they first started this journey. Dragoon didn't like anyone really it seemed.“But everyone else-”

   “Chill out Clay. We’ll get them back. Right now we need to get off this beach and make sure we don’t die.” Wilbur huffed. “Karl. Which way is the best direction to go?”

  Karl looked away from the water seemingly snapping out of a trance. “Oh. Uh. Any direction away from Elytria really.”

  “Not very helpful but okay! This way.” Wilbur shook his curls out and started forward towards the forest. “We should find food first. And civilization.”

  “That might be difficult. This island isn’t very nice to people so there aren’t a lot of settlements.” Karl huffed following after.

  Clay stared down the beach for a moment before he hurried to catch up with the brunets. “How are we going to get to Quantum Bedrock now?”

   “We’ll find a way Clay. Don't worry your pretty little head kid.” Wilbur ruffled his hair. 

   Clay huffed and fixed his hair. “I don’t know if you noticed, but Sammy is with the other group. I have a right to be concerned.”

  “He didn’t mean it like that Clay. I get that you’re worried but we do need to stay calm.” Karl picked his way over a tree root. 

   He growled and took a deep breath. “Yeah I know…”

  “Man, I miss home.” Wilbur huffed. “Phil would totally know how to navigate this place better.”

  “Did you say Phil? As in Philza Minecraft?” A voice spoke from the jungle. 

  The trio stopped and looked around. The tension went through the roof immediately. Clay drew his sword and spun in circles, panic flaring in his blood. He really didn't want to get involved in another fight... “Who’s there?!”

  “Oh gosh. You are absolutely related to him. I can tell. You look just like Thomas. And those wings-”

  “Who are you!” Wilbur snapped out pulling his own weapon and stepping in front of his companions.

  “Oh. Little Wilbur... You’ve grown so much since last time I saw you!” A woman appeared in front of the three. “My apologies. It makes sense that you do not remember me. My name is Kristin. I’m the goddess death and patron of this server and Phil, your father, is my husband.”

  There was a beat. “WILBUR IS PART GOD????”

Chapter Text

   “Michael- Michael! Mike- Wake up! Please-” 

   Michael felt himself being pulled from the hold sleep, or rather unconsciousness, had on him. He groaned lightly when he realized he was being shaken. “Go away Clay-”

   “It’s Sam!”

   Sam?

   . . .Sam!

   Michael bolted upright and looked around. That’s right, the ship had crashed. Michael spat trying to clear his mouth of the salty taste. He checked his inventory. It was nearly empty save for the bow he had received as a gift a few days before. “Sammy?”

   Sam was shaking a little but he looked unhurt. “Are you okay…?"

   "I'm fine. I'm fine." He coughed, spitting up water. "Where's everyone else? Where's Clay?" Michael looked around panicked.

   "They aren't here." 

   Michael turned at the sound and caught sight of Dream and Techno. Dream was watching the sea, his wings bundled close to his back with bandages. Techno was gathering what was left of the ship wreckage. "What happened?"

   Techno shrugged. "We tried to avoid the rocks like we planned but we hit one anyway. The storm was too hard to steer against."

   Dream nodded in agreement. "Ship shattered. Everyone was blown into the sea. I think we're north of where we wanted to be. On the Avia/Elytria island."

   "What do we do now?" Michael asked, taking Sam into his arms and petting the boy's head gently. "Are the others okay?"

   "Probably. If we ended up making it out alive they probably did too. They probably got caught in a different current and dragged to a different place." Techno huffed dropping the last bits of wood that could prove useful.

   "So you're saying we have no clue where they are?!" Michael huffed standing up. "We have to find them!"

   "We can't. We've lost a lot of our inventories in the storm. We're lucky to be alive ourselves." Dream huffed. "We need to take care of ourselves before we find them."

   "But Clay's out there!" Michael hissed. "We can't just leave them out there! They could be hurt or worse-" He swallowed trying to calm himself. "I'll find them myself."

   "Kid- I get that you're worried. My brother and my nephew are out there but Dream is right. If we go out there right now we're basically inviting death." Techno huffed. "We have barely any potions, no weapons, and no food."

   Michael cringed at the mention of food. The last thing he had eaten was the chocolate the night before. His stomach growled. "Fine. You two stay here then. I'm going to find them. Come on Sammy."

   "Michael!" Dream called jogging over to grab his arm. He had a firm expression. "You can't go out there. Especially not with Sam."

   Michael wrenched his arm away and glared pushing Sam in front of him carefully. "Don't touch me. I'm going to find Clay and the others." He started off toward the forest keeping a hand on Sam's shoulder. 

   Sam whimpered and leaned against Michael's leg. "They're okay right...? Daddy is gonna be okay...? He’s gotta be okay! He promised we’d go home together and… and build a house. And I could go to school.” The boy was trying hard not to cry. 

   Michael sighed, rubbing his face to get rid of the tension. "Yeah kiddo. Of course." He lifted the kid up and onto his shoulders. "We'll find them and then yell at Clay for getting lost. Sound good?"

   The boy giggled quietly and nuzzled into Michael's hair to hide. "Okay."

   “I’m real proud of you kiddo. You’re being so brave. You’ve grown so much over this trip Sam.” Michael hummed with a warm smile. “I'm sure Clay is proud too.”

   Sam smiled a bit wider. “You think so?”

   “I know so! I know everything kiddo.”

   The two of them reached the treeline and Michael felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up. He carefully pulled his bow out of his inventory and drew an arrow back on it staring into the trees. He lifted the weapon and aimed into the darkness. “Show yourself.” He called. 

   “Michael!” Dream called from farther down the beach. There was a new panic in his voice. 

   Michael heard metal clashing against metal coming from behind him… and then a spear was pointed at Michael's neck. He tensed and dropped his weapon. He held his hands up on instinct. Piercing green eyes stared out from the trees, and then he was surrounded. 

Chapter Text

   “Get your hands off of me.” Michael snarled, struggling against the masked warriors that were holding him. “Let me go!” 

   “Mike! Mikey!” 

   Michal jerked against the spear pressed against the back of his neck. He tried to crane his neck to get a look at the boy. “Sammy! Stay calm! It’s gonna be okay, promise.” Michael called backwards to where he thought the cry came from. “I’ll get us out of here kiddo!” Michael could hear Sam crying and farther back Techno struggling and snarling. 

   Dream and Techno had put up a fight, because of course they did. They were Dream and Techno. But there were so many... Too many. Dream was knocked out and Techno was overrun. Even those two couldn’t put up a fight against this many trained warriors.

   The group pushed through trees and underbrush. The humidity was making Michael sweat. He didn’t know the terrain well so he was stumbling as their captors pulled him along. 

   Michael growled again. "If you hurt any of them I'll kill you. I swear!" He pulled and struggled more against the ropes holding him from all angles. "Don't hurt them!"

   "Quiet."

   Michael was stunned. None of them had spoken up until now. They were coming into a clearing with large stone walls, reminiscent of the ones built during the mutant monster era back home. Michael had a very bad feeling about this. "Where the hell are you taking us? Who are you? What do you even want with us?" 

   "I said quiet! Kneel before the admin." The one nearest to Michael kicked him in the back of the knee. 

   Michael grimaced and collapsed to his knees. He lifted his head to see a woman. Her features were... familiar. An ender hybrid! Now that he thought about it... Their captors were all tall and lanky. They had dark hair... and those green eyes. And the masks. 

   There was a small cry as Sam was forced down next to him. 

   "Sammy!" Michael tried to move toward him. "Are you okay?"

   Sam looked up with teary eyes. "I'm okay..." He whispered, shaking violently. Despite his fear he wasn't giving off smoke like usual. "I'm scared." 

   "I know. I told you it's gonna be okay." Michael glared ahead, noticing Dream and Techno being forced down next to him. Dream was slightly limp and bleeding from a wound on the side of his head. 

   In front of them was a large alter-like formation. The woman from before stood atop of it with a stony cold face. "Trespassers of Elytria. State your purpose here or face death.."

   Michael's eyes darted over to look at Techno, who looked like he was trying not to murder everyone in the immediate area. Dream was still injured... that left it up to Michael. “We’re from Continent B! We just want to find our companions and get out of here. But then your warriors attacked us.” He snarled, pulling against the ropes.”

  A guard nearby slammed her staff against Michael's head and made an angry screech sound that Michael had heard his father make once before. “SILENCE! You will not speak to her majesty that way!”

  Michael winced at the pain that cracked against the back of his head. He turned his head to glare at the woman who had hit him. He opened his mouth to speak before he heard the woman on the throne speaking in Endarian to her servants. Michael quickly turned back to her and cleared his throat. 

   "⋔⊬ ⋏⏃⋔⟒ ⟟⌇ ⋔⟟☊⊑⏃⟒⌰ ⏚⟒⌰⍜⎐⟒⎅-"

   The woman cut him off shifting in her throne-like seat. She spoke in English again with a furious tone. "Beloved? Impossible! Beloved is an Endarian name! How do you know our language?"

   Michael winced. Maybe that was a bad idea... "Uh- My dad is Endarian."

   The woman was silent as she turned to the side whispering to one of the servants near her throne. Finally she turned back to Michael and the rest of his group. "Are you Ranboo's son..?" She said after a moment. 

   He blinked in surprise. “Yes. That's my dad’s name.”

   The woman waved her hand quickly. “Release them.”

   The guard nearest to Michael quickly went to untie the ropes holding his hands. Michael turned quickly and scooped Sam into his arms. He glanced over at Techno, who was standing up and holding the still passed out Dream. He still looked furious.

  The woman from before, she had to be the admin of this server one of the gods had said so, stood from her throne and walked down the steps of the altar. “Come young Michael Beloved. Bring your companions to our healer. He can fix your injuries and I believe he will be interested in hearing about his lost brother and new nephew.” The woman smiled gently with a warmer look in her eyes. 

   “What?” Michael asked, still on edge and holding Sam close to him. 

   “Our healer is Ran Beloved. He was your fathers elder brother. You may call me Jun. You are welcome here young Beloved.” Jun started down a path deeper into the village. 

   Michael shared a look with Techno, who shrugged and started following the Admin with the injured Dream. Michael sighed and went to follow. 

   “I apologize for your rough treatment. We are a strike first, ask questions later type of people. We can never be too careful with who comes into our server. You said you are looking for your companions?” Jun asked. “I assume your boat crashed in the cyclone. Where are you headed this far away from your home?”

   “Yeah that's right.” Michael nodded, feeling dull pain from where the staff hit him before. “We were trying to get to Quantum Bedrock. There are three missing from our group. Dream… Uh, that's the one that's knocked out, says he thinks they crashed  farther north of where your people found us.”

   Jun stopped walking and turned toward Michael with a serious look. Her jewelry cracked against itself as she moved. “If they crashed there, they are already dead.”

Chapter Text

   “Okay… So you’re telling me. Grandpa Phil is an Admin and he never told anyone. And that he’s over a hundred years old and so are uncle Wilbur and my dad… Somehow. AND that grandpa Phil is married to a goddess? How did that happen?” Clay tried desperately to wrap his head around the ideas. 

   “It doesn’t matter!” Wilbur cut in. “This is crazy! Like- Insane!” He paced across the jungle floor. “You’re my mother?! Why didn’t Phil tell us about this? How is this even possible! I’m in my forties!” 

   “I asked him not to. After all, he took you kids away from here a long time ago,” Kirsten hummed. “Back when things started getting really bad between Dragoon and myself.”

   “That was a century ago! There’s no way- Tommy is in his 30’s!” Wilbur huffed, turning to face his mother. 

   “Well. I am a goddess. And you two are my children.” Kirsten smiled softly.

  “What about Techno? How does that make sense? Phil has had Techno since I was a little kid! And he ages normally! … Ish. He’s my older brother.”

  “Phil took you two to Continent B ages ago, Wilbur. I haven’t seen him since then…”

   “But- But I remember being a kid not that long ago! I mean… pretty long ago but definitely not that long! The timeline doesn’t match up!” Wilbur growled, pulling on his hair. 

   “I mean- Uncle Wil I’ve been back in time so I wouldn’t exactly count on time to make sense for us.” Clay put in gently chewing on the bread Kir… his grandma offered. 

   “Exactly. Time isn’t a very stable force.” Karl hummed lightly scribbling in the journal that Kirsten graciously provided. “It doesn’t appreciate being messed with though.”

   “Wil, you should calm down,” Kirsten said gently, “Your father has my blessing. His life is extended by much more than the average person. I suspect that and my being a goddess is to blame for time being… strange around you.”

   Wilbur stared at the group and huffed taking a seat. “Fine. We’ll talk about this later… Phil has a lot of fucking explaining to do.”

   “Language.” Clay said automatically. “So… Back to the problem at hand. How do we get the rest of our group back?”

   “That could be difficult. If they crashed in Elytria then it's going to be a very delicate situation. Especially for you two.” Kirsten hummed looking between Wilbur and Karl. 

   “Why us?” Wilbur asked, raising a brow. 

   “Dragoon doesn’t like humans. She typically only works with hybrids.”  Kirsten tapped her chin. 

   Clay felt slightly more at ease. “They’re all hybrids so they’ll be okay right… Right?”

  “Most likely.” Kirsten responded, making Clay relax. Then she continued. “That being said, we should try to retrieve them quickly. If Dragoon were to find out their relation to you and by extension me, they could be in danger.” 

   “How big of a danger..?” Clay asked quietly. 

   “I don’t know for sure.” She sighed. “But since you’re an Avian we might be able to send you in. But we’d have to get you across the border without being seen. The problem with that is the jungle. If you go over the trees you’ll be spotted. If you go under you’ll probably be heard. The only other option would be… The gorge.”

   Karl looked up from his notes. “Gorge?”

   Kirsten looked grim. “The crack in the island spanning hundreds of kilometers. It’s the most defining border between Avia and Elytria. It happened about a hundred years ago. Right before Phil took you boys and left.” She nodded to Wilbur. “Dragoon’s people usually won’t come near it. We could probably get you across it.”

   Clay nodded lightly. “How far away is it?”

   “It’s about 3 miles east of here.” Kirsten turned in that direction, her large hat casting a dark shadow despite the already dim lighting under the canopy.

   “What are we waiting for then?” Clay asked, turning and trudging through the undergrowth.

   “Woah, kid.” Wilbur caught his shoulder. “We have no clue what we’d be sending you into. You'd basically be going in blind!"

   “The rest of our team is over there. Sam and Michael.” He pulled his arm away. “We don’t have time to plan. They could be hurt or in danger! The faster I get over there, the faster we can ALL get out of here and go home.” 

   “He is right. It is imperative that we get your friends out of there.” Kirsten hummed, moving to follow Clay. 

   The other two sighed and followed behind.

  They reached the edge of the treeline rather quickly. The sun was beginning to dip below the horizon. Past the edge of the trees Clay could see a dip in the ground and a cliff in the distance. Beyond the cliff was the other side of the jungle. 

   Clay stretched his wings and cracked his neck. He hadn’t flown in  while, instead making sure to stay with the group. 

   “Clay. Remember. Get in, find them, and get out.” Wilbur huffed.

  “I know. I will.” Clay nodded, testing his wings for a moment and then leaving the jungle. He flew across the open stretch of ground and watched the ground disappear into a giant canyon. He couldn’t see the bottom. He turned his head again and trained his eyes on the other side of the gorge and the jungle beyond. 

   He landed at the edge of the jungle and peered in cautiously. He didn’t… see anything. Still, better to be safe than sorry. He pulled his sword out and held it at the ready. He walked inside carefully climbing over roots. He was so focused on watching for other people that he forgot about mobs. 

   The skeleton’s first arrow lodged into his left wing. Clay grimaced in pain and spun around. There were two skeletons nearby. Okay. He could take them. He started to move forward until he heard a hissing sound. The hair on the back of his neck raised. He scrambled away from the noise right toward the skeletons. 

   A second arrow whizzed past him and Clay blocked a third. He saw the creeper clambering toward him over the jungle floor. Clay lifted his sword only to have it knocked out of his hand by one of the skeletons' arrows. Blood dripped from the wound in his wing. Shit. Bail. 

   Clay turned and bolted back toward the treeline. He crashed out of the trees and threw himself into the air. His injured wing burned with pain but he managed to make it across the gorge. He rolled onto the ground and hissed in pain.

   “Clay! What happened?” Karl rushed out first.

   “Skeletons and a creeper. I’m fine.” He muttered, tugging the arrow out of his wing and wincing as blood gushed out of it. “We should wait until morning.” he muttered watching the last of the sunlight slip away. “I can retrieve my sword and continue then.” 

   Wilbur and Kirsten came out of the trees as well. “I told you so.” Wilbur huffed, looking rather pleased with himself. “No one ever listened to me.”

  Karl rolled his eyes and helped Clay off the ground. “It’s okay. They’ll be alright for one night. Dream and Techno are with them. We'll get them back later." 

  Clay glanced over the gorge with a worried expression but he nodded and gave in. “Okay.”

Chapter Text

  “They can’t be dead,” Michael repeated for the fifth time. “They’re better than that.”

   “Michael-” 

   “No!” I don’t care what you say! Clay and the others wouldn’t just let themselves be killed like that.” He growled. They couldn’t be dead. They were too smart and capable for that. Michael wouldn’t even consider the alternative.

   Jun sighed seemingly giving up on the conversation for now. The group had moved to the healer's building to get Dream’s head wound treated. “We can discuss this later.” 

   Michael growled ready to object before he caught Techno’s gaze. The older hybrid shook his head. Michael grit his teeth and dropped it for now. He adjusted Sam on his shoulders and lifted his head a bit to look at the boy. “How you doing up there Kiddo?”

   "I'm okay... Dad and the others are okay right?" He whispered. 

   "Yeah, course they are Sammy. They're not stupid enough to get themselves killed. Remember what we talked about earlier? After we get all fixed up and get some more supplies we'll go find them." Michael smiled encouragingly. "You trust me, right? I promise to take good care of you until we see them again."

   "Okay," Sam nodded, looking down to hide the tears welling up in his eyes. He buried his face in Michael's hair. and held onto his neck tighter. 

   Michael sighed and turned to talk to Techno, who seemed to have calmed down now. "Is Dream alright?" 

   "As far as I know." Techno shrugged. "I don't know what's taking so long though. They've got weird potions here so his body might be reacting to the healing weirdly." Techno scratched the back of his head.

   "What about you?" Michael sat down keeping an eye on Jun. He was glad that the Endarians weren't holding them captive anymore, but he still didn't trust them, and he knew Techno didn't trust them either.

   Techno grunted. "I don't like it. Something feels off here. The voices don't like it either." Techno grumbled. "They keep talking about a war or something. They don't want to tell us what it is, saying that it will make more sense if we figure it out ourselves. Ugh, I hate when they do that." He growled leaning back against the wall.

   Michael felt his stomach tighten. "A war sounds really bad," he said quietly. The two sat in silence for a while before Michael spoke up again. "Do you think Clay and the others are okay...? With how easily these guys found us and rendered our fighting useless... They aren't really dead do you think?" 

   Techno looked over sharply. "Of course they're alive. Wilbur is probably trying to find us right now. Karl knows a lot of helpful information and you know how Clay is. They'll be fine over there until we get back together." Techno huffed. "It's the last thing I would worry about. I want to get Dream healed and get out of here as fast as possible."

   Michael bit his tongue on the next comment he thought of. His uncle was apparently the healer here. He would have liked to talk to him... but Techno was right. They had to get out of here as soon as possible. Find the others, and then get back to the mission. If they were dealing with a war like Techno's voices said, the last thing they needed was to stay here. 

   Michael shivered. All around him there was noise. He could hear the Endarians outside going about their day. He heard footsteps and murmuring from the other rooms. The room they were in was quiet except for the occasional clicks from Jun's jewelry. Michael closed his eyes and tried to block out the world. He took deep breaths, concentrating on relaxing his muscles. His mind wandered and he eventually fell asleep.

   Michael woke up feeling groggy and uncomfortable. He yawned loudly and stretched out his arms. He opened his eyes and looked around. Techno was still sleeping, the same with Sam who was curled right next to Michael. Jun was sitting across the room. 

   "Your friend is healed now," Jun spoke. 

   Michael sat up and rubbed his hands over his face. "Thanks," he mumbled. "How long have I been out?"

   "Since yesterday. You must have needed some sleep. It is late still." Jun stood up and walked over to the window, staring out into the village below. Michael followed behind her, gazing out too.

   The sun was starting to set. The sky was a bright pink and orange. The light danced over the buildings and trees making everything glow. People were walking by, chatting to each other, and laughing. Some were carrying goods and others were running errands. They all moved with purpose as if they had somewhere to go.

   "This place is nice," Michael said, nodding. "You have a good view of the sunset."

   Jun smiled and glanced at him and nodded. "We call this city the City of Lights. Dragoon blessed this place long long ago."

   "Dragoon," Michael mumbled. "Who is that? Is that your god in this server?" 

   "Yes. She had made contracts with my family for generations." Jun hummed. "Our traditions dictate that when the next admin reaches maturity they are to take the life of the previous and make a contract with Dragoon over the body. My son will do that to me one day."

   Michael shivered. It seemed barbaric to him but that was the way it was done here... like it or not. He looked out the window again and noticed people moving up the hill toward the healer's hut they were in.

   "My scouts." She hummed turning to the door to go meet them. 

   Michael found himself following out of curiosity. 

   When the scouts reached the front of the healer's hut they dipped their heads in respect to Jun. "Lady Jun. We were scouting near the gorge when we found something." One of the men spoke up looking up at Jun. 

   "What?" 

   "Signs of a struggle. A fight occurred on our land. We found blood and feathers." The lead scout explained. "I believe the opposition attacked someone on our land M'lady."

   Michael felt himself go stiff. The feathers part stuck out to him. Clay? No. No/ Clay was fine. He wasn't in this server. He was farther northwest. They had this conversation earlier.

But what if Clay had tried to find them and he was attacked? Clay had always been impulsive even now that he was starting to realize the consequences. 

   "We also found this." One of the other scouts produced something from his inventory and held it up to Jun. 

   Michael had to stand on his toes to see over Jun's shoulder. His heart nearly stopped. He let out a cry of anguish and felt his knees go weak. It was a sword. Clay's new sword. The one with a feather and the saying inscribed on the handle. Michael's lungs burned as he struggled to breathe. No. There had to be a logical explanation. Clay was fine. He was fine. HE WAS FINE!

Michael could barely pay attention to the rest of the conversation. 

   "Where did you find this?" Jun asked, her voice cracking.

   "It was lying in the middle of the area we scouted. Its wielder was nowhere to be found."

   "Dead?" 

   "Certainly. There was a lot of blood and evidence of an explosion." 

   Michael felt dizzy. The word rang in his head. Dead. Dead dead dead. Clay was dead. Michael pushed past Jun and took the sword. It couldn't be true. Maybe it was the wrong sword? 

No this was Clay's sword. The sword was a matching pair with Michael's bow. It was unmistakable. Michael dropped to his knees and cradled the weapon in his arms. It was so cold. It felt like ice against his skin.

   The world went fuzzy around him. He could feel Jun pulling him up gently and helping him walk into the healer's hut. Her words sounded distant and muffled. He collapsed back to the chair holding the sword tight. He could feel tears sliding down his cheeks. 

Clay couldn't be dead... he just couldn't.

Chapter Text

  “Wilbur? Why aren’t you resting?” Kirsten asked quietly, walking out onto the balcony where Wilbur was standing. 

   Wilbur tsked softly. He had come out here to be alone. His thoughts had been scrambled, more scrambled than usual, in the time he’s been on this island. After so long in limbo his mind has somewhat… melted. Not really, he could form real thoughts, just couldn’t filter them, and he had so many different thoughts at one time. It was hard to keep track. FOCUS WILBUR! Talk to Kirsten. “I’m not tired.” 

   “I find that hard to believe, my child.” Kirsten walked to the edge where Wilbur was standing and leaned against the railing. “Something on your mind?”

   “Something is always on my mind.” Wilbur rolled his eyes not turning to look at her. He didn’t care about her. He didn’t even know if he believed her about being his mother. He didn’t know if he believed anything this woman said. Had she done anything to prove it? If he didn’t believe her, why did he trust her? Why didn’t he just blow the place sky high?

   No. Bad Wilbur. No blowing things up anymore, no matter how much easier it would make things. You’ve hurt too many people that way. Tommy, Clay, . . . Fundy.

   Besides, he didn’t have any tnt anyway. He didn’t have shit and he couldn't do ANYTHING!

   He put his head in his hands and grumbled under his breath. Damn, lost his train of thought again. What the hell was he thinking about? Something about his mom and blowing things up and… And Fundy had crossed his mind right?

   His mind always slowed a bit when it came to Fundy. He didn't know why, honestly. Perhaps it was the guilt that ate at him when he thought about his son. It wasn't fair... Wilbur had been young when Fundy was born, just a teen himself. And Sally had been just a fling, Wilbur was new to the freedom he had on his own. He made stupid decisions and thought nothing of it. But then Sally had dropped Fundy off.

   Wilbur had panicked. He ran back home but the family had changed since he left. Techno had apparently left shortly after him apparently and he was now in Hypixal doing some sort of "war". Home just wasn't the same, Tommy was becoming restless and Phil impatient. 

   Wilbur remembered thinking that he had to suck it up. He wouldn't get any help here. So he left again. He didn't exactly plan on Tommy following him. He didn’t know why he let him stay either, he had a baby and a younger teen to care for now? He was a real idiot back then. They had run into Dream years later, as an accident. In Caplos. 

   Dream knew of them apparently, knew their names. He was some kind of friend of Techno’s from Hypixal. He invited them to his new server. Maybe the other man had felt pity. Wilbur didn’t care. He took the little help he could get, and then he immediately took it for granted. 

   The van, and L’manburg and Wilbur grew distant and then… and then everything fell apart. Fire, Phil, train tracks, blue, Fundy’s anger, Tommy’s pain, war, hatred, death, killing, explosions, explosions, explosions. 

   A hand was on his shoulder. “Wilbur!? Wilbur are you alright?”

   Wilbur snapped back to the present and jolted. He swallowed and looked around. When had he sat down? What was he thinking about? Explosions… The thoughts were already slipping through his fingers. No, no no no. He was finally on one train of thought. How had he spaced out so bad in the first place? 

    Fuck his brain hurt. Where was Techno, or Tommy, or dad? Someone to help him come back down, someone to make his brain stop. Someone to help! He wanted dad, he wanted Phil. He wanted Phil so bad. 

   A woman was kneeling in front of him, her hat discarded on the ground next to her. “Are you okay?” The concern looked familiar… Something his brain remembered from long long ago. It felt safe. 

    Wilbur’s words felt like fire in his throat. “Mum- Can’t think. Hurts. I want Phil-” He choked the words out desperately. He just wanted it to stop! 

      "Wilbur-!" The woman's voice rose in volume, but the tone held a softness that made Wilbur feel better. She was yelling, but it wasn't angry. Her face was close to his. He could see the worry there, and confusion. "Wilbur, love, can I touch you?"

   "Yes." He nodded.

   She put her hands on his shoulders and he breathed in sharply as the warmth flowed through his body. He felt his head clear slightly. He let his head drop to her shoulder as if he was a child again and not a crazy old man who's been to hell and back. He sank into the hold more and his suspicions about her started to fray.

   He found himself crying. He didn't know what for, and didn't really care. It felt good to cry and he hadn't cried for a long time. When was the last time he cried? He couldn't recall. Before limbo probably. Before his mind started to slip. He wondered if this was how he used to be. He honestly couldn't remember himself before the madness set in.

   Her arms tightened around him and she hummed softly. "There, there. Let it all out," she cooed as if consoling a small child. "I've got you."

   "This is all my fault."

   "Oh Wilbur, No."

   The old Dream had blamed Tommy because it was easy. Because Tommy wasn't as charismatic as Wilbur. Because Wilbur had started to lose it. But it wasn't Tommy. It was never Tommy. 

   It was all Wilbur. 

   "Yes! All because of that stupid country of mine. My symphony that I never finished. I could have listened to Dream's rules back then and- And-" He could have prevented Tommy's anguish. Prevented Phil's injury. Prevented so much pain... But he would have erased Clay, and Sammy, and meeting Kirsten, and so many good things.

   "Wilbur. Look at me," Kirsten whispered. "This is the result of me not being there for your upbringing. Your "madness", It was the godly blood in you, you never had the proper understanding of it. I am so sorry, my son. I owe you much better."

    "No, mum. You have nothing to apologize for. It was all me." He pulled back using his palm to rub the tears out of his eyes. His mind felt fuzzy, but not as busy as usual. 

   "You should never have gone through that alone. We can fix this together." Kirsten put her forehead to his. "I can help you. If you'll let me. I can bring you back to you."

   Wilbur closed his eyes and let out a sigh. His mind stilled, leaving nothing but the sound of leaves rustling in the wind. "It's so quiet..."

   "I can help you. After what's done is done. You can come back here." Kirsten whispered to her son softly. "If you wish."

   Wilbur let his shoulders sag. "Yeah. Okay."

Chapter Text

  Clay woke up to thunder. Fitting that a storm was to roll in today. It was like the gods knew something was going to happen. 

   He sat up, wing still aching. Every fiber of his body screamed at him. Something was going to happen today. Something big. He reached into his inventory for his sword and grasped air. 

  Right. He dropped it yesterday. When he fought the skeleton. And the creeper. Shit. Damn. He'd have to make do with a replacement today. He'd make sure to get it later. When the whole group was back together. When he got Michael back.

   He got out of the cot that Kirsten had provided and went over to the balcony, careful not to wake anyone else. He stepped outside of the tree-house and hummed. He could smell the rain and see the dark clouds gathering over the horizon where the sun was struggling to rise. He hadn't seen rain since he left the SMP and then suddenly as soon as they left continent B there were two huge storms.

   How long ago had they left the SMP? Two weeks? Three? What was everyone doing? Did they know Sam was okay? He wondered how rebuilding was going. 

   Clay had lost track of time with all the craziness they'd been through. The festival in Caplos and then the beef with Dreams mom. The games in Hypixal and the problem with Cameron. And now this whole mess with the group separated and this centuries old war between goddesses. Couldn't they ever catch a break?

   "What are you doing up so early?" Wilbur poked his head out of the doorway.

   "Thunder woke me up," Clay answered simply, turning around to face his uncle. He paused. Wilbur's eyes were puffy, like he had been crying recently. Clay hadn't seen Wilbur upset like that since the mutant monsters... "You okay Uncle Wil?"

   Wilbur blinked and chuckled. "Yeah. Yeah, just… thought about some stuff." He shrugged and pat Clay's shoulder. "You don't look so good yourself. How's your wing?"

   "Hurts." Clay said, rubbing his own right wing absently. "Not the worst wing injury I've had though." He gave a crooked grin, laughing at his own trauma to make it hurt less.

   They both laughed and then fell silent. "You thinking about Michael, still?" Wilbur asked. 

   "Yeah, I guess. Why wouldn't I?" He sighed, looking out at the sky. Thunder rumbled again and the wind picked up. The storm would be here before noon. "I just want to find him. I want them all to be okay."

   Wilbur put an arm around his nephew. "Remember what I said, they're tough. They've got Techno and Dream too. I'm sure they're fine kiddo. We'll find them today." 

   Clay nodded and looked out across the jungle in the direction of the gorge. He tried to push the bad feeling away as he watched the dark clouds roll in.

      Michael woke up dazed. His back was to the wall of the healers hut. There was a crick in his neck from the way he slept. His head pounded and his good eye burned. The sword lay across his lap. A sore reminder of the fact that Clay was dead. Killed by a war that they had no stakes in. What a horrible way to end this adventure. No revive book, no respawn, and no kind god that owed them a favor. 

   Clay was gone. 

   Michael leaned his head back and stared forward blankly. His eyes watered and he clenched his jaw hard enough to cut off his air supply. He wanted to scream.

   He wanted to kill. Someone had to pay for this. Killing his friend. 

   Michael shoved the sword into his inventory and pressed his hands against his face. He squeezed his eyes shut trying not to think about anything. He was going to hate whoever had killed Clay. It didn't matter who it was. He would find them, and make them pay. 

   A soft knock sounded on the door.

   "Come in." He said hoarsely.

   A face poked into the doorway and Michael's heart skipped for just a moment. Then he noticed the differences. Tanner skin, more scars, darker hair. It wasn't Clay. 

   Dream gave a tight smile. He had bandages around his head still from the injury he had sustained the day before. Had it really only been one day? It felt like time had slowed to a crawl... "Hey. You doing alright kid?"

   Michael shrugged. "You're out of bed."

   "Yeah. The healers did good work." His smile fell. "Techno told me what happened. Sam's with the other kids of the village."

   Sam. Shit. Michael had nearly forgotten about the boy. "Is he okay?"

   "We haven't told him yet." Dream crossed the room and sat near Michael. "Jun is planning a march against Avia. She says that since you and Clay were so close that this was basically a direct attack on Endarian blood." 

   Michael nodded numbly. "I'm going with her." 

   "Michael-"

   Michael gave a stern glare. "I'm going. I'm gonna find the person who killed Clay."

   Dream was silent. He sat there looking at Michael for a long moment with a look in his eyes that Michael didn't want to decipher. Finally the elder sighed. "It's your decision Michael, but I don't want you getting yourself killed over revenge. You don't even know who did it." 

   "I'll find them." 

   "And then what?" Dream asked. 

   "I'll kill them." Michael pushed himself to his feet and walked out of the room and into the main area of the healing hut. He stared out the window and saw clouds gathering in the sky. A storm. 

   Jun was outside with a few other Endarians and Techno.

   "Michael," she called when she spotted him. She pulled something out of her inventory and held it out to him. "You'll need this for the march."

   Michael walked over and took the item she had. It was a mask. The same kind the Endarian tribe wore. He looked down at the mask and noted the markings. End glyphs and a carving of the Dragon.

   "You already knew I was going to ask to come?" He asked looking up at the admin. 

   "It is only right for one to get revenge for a lost companion. ⏃⋏ ⟒⊬⟒ ⎎⍜⍀ ⏃⋏ ⟒⊬⟒." She smiled. "We leave when the sun reaches its peak. Noon." She glanced overhead. "The storm will arrive with us."

   Michael turned to look at Techno. Techno's face was expressionless, but his eyes held a blood lust stronger than the usual one. He had his own version of the tribal mask strapped to the side of his head. The elder hybrid gave a nod. 

   Michael turned his gaze back to the mask in his hands. His hands shook slightly as he slipped it on. It fit perfectly and felt natural. He didn't have to adjust it or try to make it smaller. It was made for him.

   He drew Clay's sword from his inventory. "I'm ready." 

Chapter Text

     Clay was nervous. His hands shook just lightly as he tugged his boots on. He tsked and turned his head to the side. He was sitting near a window so he could see the way the branches swayed in the wind with the oncoming storm. He prayed they could find the rest of the group before the storm hit. That was unlikely though. The clouds were covering more and more of the sky as he watched and he could barely see the sun peak through the clouds above. It was starting to near noon. The sky continued to darken with heavy clouds. The rain was imminent. 

   The more Clay looked, the more he could see. He had a good vantage point from this high in the trees. He could see several other tree-houses in the other taller trees dotting the jungle. He hadn't noticed those yesterday. With his Avian vision he could see other winged hybrids flitting through the trees, preparing for the storm. Avians. 

   It hadn't even dawned on him that this was the homeland of Avians. Grandpa Phil was born here. Of course there would be other Avians. A whole slew of questions entered his mind. 

   "Clay. Are you alright dear?" 

   Clay snapped out of his thoughts and looked up to see Kirsten. "Oh- Yeah, fine just thinking." He shrugged and willed his hands to stop shaking so he could tie his laces. 

   "About what?" Kirsten sat down next to her grandson. 

   "Nothing really important honestly." He muttered tugging his other boot on and tying the laces on that one. 

   "I'm sure whatever you were thinking about is important, love." She smiled warmly. Clay could see why Grandpa Phil liked her. 

   "Just wondering a few things about the server honestly... I had a couple questions." He sat back and turned away from the window. Looking around the room like he was now, he could see that it was clearly built with an Avian in mind. Wide doorways for wings, high up, the large balconies for landings. 

   "Ask away." 

    "Well... How come we haven't spoken to any of the server residents?" He tilted his head. 

   "Avians aren't usually very sociable, unlike other races. They have their flocks but other than that they don't typically interact much." Kirsten explained. 

   That did make sense... Grandpa Phil likes living away from the main settlements. That's why he and Techno lived in the arctic. "Okay. Well then... You said Grandpa Phil had your... blessing?" 

   "Yes. We gods have different designations besides just being the patrons of the servers we represent, for example, your god Exdee is the god of chaos. We can also grant blessings or boons to someone. I am the goddess of death so I granted Phil with my blessing of..." She hesitated as if searching for the right word. "Semi-immortality, you could call it." 

   "I see. Well if you're a goddess why do you look like..." He rubbed the back of his neck not wanting to seem rude. "This," He finished lamely. He was kinda... What was the opposite of info-dumping? Info-soaking? Whatever. He did that when he was nervous. Besides, this would be great to write down at some point. "Sorry- That sounded better in my head. I've just seen Exdee and other gods and they looked less... human."

   She laughed softly. "Don't apologize. I take that as a compliment Clay. It's another thing we gods and goddesses can do. We have our godly forms in which we usually appear, and we can take on other forms if we wish. I took this form when I met Phil and it just stuck." She smiled. 

   "That makes sense." He nodded and stood up. He was sure more questions would come to him later, after all, how often do you get the chance to just sit and talk to a goddess. It was still slightly jarring to know that she was related to him. "Thanks for that. That's all I really wanted to know."

   "Of course. Clay, anytime." She stood and smoothed her dress out lightly. "Wilbur and your other friend are getting ready to leave at the base of the tree." 

   Clay nodded and grabbed the spare sword he was going to use for the day. Just until he got his back. He hesitated for a moment over the bow he had been offered. He was never too good with archery, that was more Michael’s thing. On instinct, he grabbed the bow and stashed both weapons in his inventory. He then went to head down the ladder to the ground, not wanting to strain his injured wing. It wasn't too bad but he didn't want to push it. When he reached the bottom he saw the two men waiting for him. It was dark on the jungle floor, with the branches above and the clouds even higher. 

   "Someone decided to join us. Did you forget how to tie your shoe laces Clay?" Wilbur teased lightly. He seemed to be in a much better mood than yesterday. Clay was thankful for that at least. 

  "I was just talking to Kirsten. Sorry I got distracted." He rubbed the back of his neck as he dropped the last foot to the ground. 

   "Weren't you the one trying to rush us yesterday?" Karl raised a brow. 

   "Okay I get it. I spaced out, I do that when I'm nervous sometimes. Can we go now?" Clay crossed his arms. 

   Wilbur snickered but then put on a serious face. "Alright so we wanna hurry with this. This is hostile territory for me and Karl and there's the storm to worry about. We're gonna try and travel along the beach and see if we can find where they washed up and then track them from that point." 

   That was a good plan. Why didn't they do that before? . . . Wait it was because of Clay wasn't it? Exdee he was an idiot. "That sounds good to me." 

   Kirsten finally descended the ladder and stood next to the group. "When you find them you're welcome back here to regroup before you leave." 

   Wilbur gave a soft smile and nodded. "Thanks mum."

   "What are we waiting for, lets-" Clay was cut off. 

   Boots landed in the dirt and the man stumbled forward until he was in front of Kirsten. His wing was bloodied with a wound similar to Clay's. An arrow. The wound was green around the edges. That wasn't a mob arrow, it had been tipped. "Your grace! You're grace- The Endarian's are attacking! They've come across the gorge and they're coming into the jungle!" The injured Avian spat. 

   Silent split the clearing, a different expression of shock or terror on everyone's face. And then, the storm broke. Lightning flashed across the sky, illuminating the jungle floor for a split second, thunder boomed after. The raindrops started to pelt down.

Chapter Text

   Clay and the others were soaked through in seconds. The rain pelted down on them, making it hard to see. The ground was slick with mud, and the wind was blowing their hair and clothes everywhere.

   Boots pounded in the slick mud, leaves and branches tearing at clothing and skin in the frantic race to the apparent attack. Clay had pulled on an Avian cloak in some attempt to keep dry. But it didn't help that much. Clay could hear frantic wing-beats above. Avians, come to stop this attack before it reached their homes and flocks. 

   He sprinted alongside the group, keeping pace with Karl and Wilbur. His wings, injured as one was, itched for him to fly but he stuck on the ground so he didn't separate the group even more. He was starting to regret doing so, but he didn't want to risk the safety of the rest of the group. And then his ears started to pick up the sound of battle. 

   There were shouts and screams, some fighting against the attackers, others fleeing. Metal against metal as weapons clashed. Clay could hear the clash of swords and shields. All around the sounds of combat echoed.

   Finally, they came upon the scene. It was a mess. There were dead bodies scattered throughout the jungle floor, both Avian and Endarian attackers alike. Blood was soaking into the muddied ground. 

   Clay froze at the sight of the clearing. He could see the glint of shiny black masks on all the attackers and the frayed feathers of the defenders. Wilbur was the first to rush in with his sword drawn, then Karl ran in with shield in hand. Clay stood there frozen watching the carnage. Blood roared in his ears, the storm making it hard to make anyone out. He felt his heart start racing. Now was not the time to panic like this. 

   Lightning lit up the sky as it streaked from the clouds and struck a tree. The electricity shot through the trunk and flashed to other nearby trees, leaving scorch marks and a dangerous crackle of static in the air. The first tree that was hit creaked dangerously. Clay turned and saw the cracks forming along the trunk. The sight somehow snapped him out of his panic. He needed to act. 

   He pulled out the bow from his inventory and strung an arrow. He watched the battle in front of him and aimed for one of the attackers with the shiny metal masks. He loosed the arrow and saw it strike the attacker in the arm. The man fell to the ground clutching it.

   Two more arrows followed, but Clay couldn't tell if they hit anything. The storm was too loud and the lightning was blinding. He quickly drew another arrow and fired it at another attacker. The arrow missed, flying high over his target's head.

   Then something, or someone, crashed into him. Clay lost his balance, falling to the side and tumbling to the mud. He caught the glint of a blade, illuminated by another bolt of lightning. He rolled out of the way, staining his face with mud. He leapt to his feet right as the blade swung and missed where he had just been. Clay dropped the bow and pulled out the sword. He spun around, blocking the next blow from the attacker.

   This attacker was slightly shorter than the Endarians, broader too. Definitely not one of them, but judging by the mask on his face he was on their side. Clay blocked the next swing, then kicked the attacker in the ribs. The man grunted, the pain causing him to stumble back. Clay lunged forward, slashing with his weapon only to have his swing blocked. This warrior was good. 

   Clay swung again, connecting with the man's leg and making his opponent cry out. 

   The two circled each other, looking for an opening. The rain and the flashing light made it impossible to get a clear look, and the loud noise was making it difficult to hear. Clay could feel sweat and mud coating his face. The two men were evenly matched, neither gaining the upper hand.

   The enemy was attacking wildly, almost feral. Nothing like the precise movements of the Endarians. Clay ducked under another slash, taking in the sight of the battlefield. It was chaos. For a split second, Clay wondered if this was what his dad felt during the L'manburg wars...

   "You monsters killed him!" The masked man snarled, wielding his sword heavily as he swung. "I'll kill you for that!"

   "I didn't kill anybody!" Clay snarled back. He parried a swing, then leaped back, narrowly avoiding a slice to his torso. His opponent stepped back, raising his sword high overhead. Clay tried to block the blow, but the force was too strong. He went flying backward, landing hard as his head connected with a tree trunk. 

   His vision blurred. Everything was spinning. He grit his teeth and watched his opponent stalk closer. Clay took a deep breath, and then leaped to his feet, swinging his sword at the man, aiming somewhere the wound wouldn't be fatal. The edge of his sword connected with the man's leg, sending him stumbling. That wound would make movement hard. 

   Clay swung again, aiming for the man's sword arm, but it was blocked. Clay twisted away, looking for an opportunity to attack. And then he heard wood beginning to snap.

   The tree that was struck earlier was cracking further in the wind and was beginning to lean. The battling forces began to scramble out of the way of the huge trunk. They scrambled onto the forest floor and hopped over the fallen trees, trying to avoid the deadly terrain threats. 

   Clay poised on his toes, ready to leave before he caught sight of his opponent. The wound Clay had given him was starting to affect him now, meaning he had trouble moving. He wasn't going to be able to make it out of the way of the falling tree.

   The wood splintered, and then the tree was falling. Clay moved before he could think, dropping his weapon and tackling his opponent out of the way of the falling tree. The two tumbled down the muddy hillside. The ground was slick and Clay's weight carried him off balance. Clay landed on top of the man, forcing him to the ground as the giant trunk shook the ground when it landed.

   Clay rolled over and looked up, seeing the enormous tree fall to the ground. The sound of it hitting the earth made his ears ring, but he hadn't been crushed or even injured. He snapped his eyes back to his opponent as the other man started to recover. 

   Then he noticed his attacker's mask had been ripped off during their tumble. Clay's breath caught in his throat.  "Michael?" He asked, his voice catching. 

   Michael looked up, his hair hanging damply in front of his eyes. He looked dazed for a moment from the tumble before anger returned to his eyes. He numbly reached for the sword he had dropped. 

   Clay kicked the sword out of the way. "Mike- It's me." He knelt down and gripped Michael's shoulders hard. He shivered from the way mud seeped through his clothes. 

   Michael glared and finally looked up to meet Clay's eyes. His face changed in a second, his mouth falling open and his eye blowing wide. He swallowed thickly and opened his mouth again, his lips trembling. "Clay?" His voice was but a whisper in the roaring wind and pouring rain.

   Clay let the tension melt away, this fight was over. He gave a tired smile and wrapped his arms around Michael's neck. "I found you... Exdee, I was so worried."

   The elder returned the embrace immediately, holding onto Clay like his life depended on it. "You were dead- " Michael croaked out, his voice shaking with emotion. "They said you'd been attacked. There was blood and an explosion and your feathers- They had your sword!" 

   Oh. Clay tightened his grip and shook his head, pressing his forehead into Michael's shoulder. "I'm okay. It was just some mobs. Some skeletons and a creeper. I dropped my sword when I ran away."

   "I thought-" Michael trailed off, holding Clay tightly. He let out a breathy chuckle and put his face in Clay's hair. "Holy shit! Don't scare me like that man! I thought I'd lost you for good this time..." His voice trailed to a whisper at the end.

   Clay laughed lightly and let the hug continue for a while longer. He didn't care that they were both soaking wet and sitting in mud and both bleeding. He didn't care that there was thunder overhead and frantic battle noises in the distance. He didn't care about anything for just one moment.

   And then his mind came back to him. He pulled back to stare at Michael's face. "Wheres Sam?! And Dream and Techno?"

   "Sam is back at the village. Dream and Techno are-" Michael didn't finish as his eyes went wide again. 

   They both knew the rest of that sentence. Dream and Techno were fighting, just like Wilbur and Karl. And they were on different sides.

   "We have to stop this! Jun only ordered the attack on my behalf! We have to stop this before more people die!" Michael tried to push himself up but winced as he put weight on his injured leg. "Fuck-"

   "Language," Clay hissed as he scrambled to his feet ignoring the throbbing from his head wound. He slung Michael's arm around his shoulders and scooped up the sword Michael had been using. It was his sword, he realized how. 

   "Is now really the time?" Michael huffed and shot a glare at Clay. He kept his arm around Clay as the two climbed the hill they had tumbled down and clambered over the fallen tree. 

   Once at the top, the two looked down at the massacre. There were fighters and bodies littering the area, mud and branches making the terrain rough. It was impossible to tell where the rest of their friends were. How were they going to stop this..? 

   "Look!" Michael pointed up. 

   A huge dark shadow flew over top of the trees. There was an ear splitting roar that drowned out even the thunder. A dragon, the dragon, lightened on the jungle canopy. The fighting froze as all warriors stared up at the goddess in either reverence or terror.

   There was a flash of lightning, and then there was another figure in the canopy, opposite of Dragoon. Clay didn't recognize the form but he knew who she was. Kirsten. The goddesses had met face to face.

Chapter Text

  Clay stared up through the pouring rain and saw the dragon shift and change, turning into a form that looked very similar to Kirsten's goddess form. And then he heard a familiar voice pierce the storm. 

   "Dragoon. This massacre needs to end!" Kirsten called.

   "Of course you would say that Kirsten. You've always been far too soft." Dragoon sneered. Her voice sent shards of ice into Clay's blood. This was going to be bad. 

   "Being compassionate isn't soft! The humans aren't your enemy."

   "Aren't they? The humans have been killing my children for centuries, not to mention their flawed creation. I am done mourning losses that were unnecessary. I will no longer tolerate your protection of them!"

   "I am only keeping the necessary order of the universe!" Kirsten called. "Besides, what of my Avians? Are they your enemies?" Kirsten growled in a tone Clay hadn't heard her use yet. 

   "You made them my enemy when you tried to stop me. You're lucky I didn't order the blond one that came with young Beloved killed when my admin told me of him." Dragoon sneered. Clay figured she was probably talking about Dream.

   "Leave Clay's friends out of this." 

   At the sound of his name Clay's focus on the two was broken. He snapped his head away from the Goddesses and turned to Michael. "We have to get everyone out of here. Last time those two fought, that huge gorge was made!" 

   "Fuck." Michael hissed. He pulled his arm free of Clay’s grip and darted into action. He slid down the hill, seemingly forgetting his severe leg wound. "Everyone move! We have to get out of here!"

   Clay watched Michael’s form go for a moment, seeing double a little. Damn head wound… He shook off a little bit and went after Michael. "Language." Clay called as he slid to a stop next to the other.

   "Clay!" Michael scolded right back, helping an Endarian to her feet. He shifted his focus quickly "You, find Jun and tell her to get the tribe to safety. This fight isn't going to be good." 

    The Endarian glanced nervously up through the branches at the two arguing goddesses. She nodded quickly and took off across the battleground to find the admin. Good. Maybe that would get some people away from this area.

   There was so much to do still… "We have to find Techno and Wilbur and the others, someone has to go get Sammy, we have to get all these wounded people out of here-"

   "Clay-" Michael gripped his shoulder tightly. "You need to calm down. We can't do anything if you freak out on me. You focus on getting people out of here, I'll find the others." 

   "But you're injured-"

   Michael pulled out a healing potion and downed it. The wound stitched itself up a bit leaving a much smaller cut in the skin, it must have only been a weak potion but it would do for now. 

   Clay hesitated a moment longer before he gave a nod and turned away from Michael. 

   The first crash sounded above, as the goddesses finally engaged each other. The blast shook the very ground Clay stood on. He stumbled and barely managed to keep on his feet. His vision was blurring from the pain in his head and he could feel the blood dripping down his face from his ear.

    He was going to have to move fast if he wanted to get out with his life and save as many as possible. He wasn't sure if he could get the survivors to safety... But he had to try.

With that decided Clay raced down the muddy slope, searching for the biggest group of survivors he could find. He rounded a bend in the hill, and there was a small horde of villagers huddled together, trying to protect themselves from the rain and lightning. They were also staring up into the canopy where Kirsten and Dragoon were locked in combat.

   Clay skidded to a stop in the slick mud. "You need to get out of here! Fast! Go back to your homes and get your families and keep going as far west as you can. The farther away from her the better!"

   The ground shook again, reminding Clay of that day only a few weeks before when the ground split open back home. He prayed that didn't happen here. 

   Clay rushed forward and grabbed a younger Endarian by the arm. The kid couldn't be older than 16... "C'mon. I'll get you away from the battle."

   "What's going on?" He croaked, shaking violently. "Why are you helping me?" He was soaked to the bone, his clothes clinging to his body and caked with mud.

   "It's the right thing to do. This war has gone on long enough. It's going to be okay, I promise." Clay knew he shouldn't be promising things he couldn't follow through on. He didn't say much else as he weaved through trees and got a little ways out. He stopped and turned to the boy. "Keep going. As fast as you can."

   The boy nodded frantically and took off running, leaving Clay alone in the jungle. He stared up at the dark sky for a moment, wondering how today would end. In destruction of both servers or just one? Clay prayed it didn't get worse than it already was. So many lives lost...

   He turned and darted back toward the battlefield. It looked like most of the survivors were clearing out. Without the fighting, Clay could see the toll the fight had taken. Bodies littered the ground, from both sides of the conflict. Some of them moved slightly, as if they weren't fully dead yet. 

   The rain continued to sting at Clay's face as he looked at the carnage. 

   "Clay!" 

   Clay jolted and turned toward the voice. "How's it going?"

   "The Endarians are retreating back to their village. Techno went with them to go get Sam. Dream and Karl are looking for Wilbur right now. Almost all the survivors are gone." Michael huffed out, doubling over with heavy breaths. 

   "Good." At least that way only Clay and his friends were in the worst zone. He flinched as the ground rumbled again at the pair of goddesses duel. The two of them were higher now, no longer hovering above the trees, instead a ways above them now. 

   "Do you think we can stop this?" Michael asked, his voice sounding distant. Clay felt dazed, unsure of where to go from here. They should probably try to get away, or help find Wilbur. They needed to get out of here but even if they left now they might not make it in time. They could probably find a way to lessen the effects of the fight going on overhead, but…

   “No.”

   “No?” 

   "We should retreat," Clay clarified. "We need to regroup. They're so far up there and so powerful that I don't think any of us could stand a chance, not even Dream."

Michael looked mildly surprised at the answer but nodded. He glanced at the sky again, his body poising ready to run off until he froze. 

   Clay noticed the stiffness and turned his head to follow his gaze. 

There, at the top of one of the huge jungle trees, was Wilbur.

Chapter Text

   "He's going to get himself killed up there!" Michael snapped, wiping at the raindrops that pelted his face. "What the hell is he thinking?"

   Clay froze, helplessly staring up through the shaking canopy at his uncle in the tree. "I don't know..." His voice shook. 

   Wilbur was a stubborn old man. He had been since Clay could remember. He did things his way and had an unhinged way of thinking. Whatever plan he had cemented in his brain, he was going to carry it out or die trying, after all he had already done that once. 

   Clay watched as the tree swayed back and forth in a heavy wind and rain. He began to wonder if it would hold up to the force of the goddesses fighting in the sky. One of the trees had already been struck by lightning, there was a number of things that could go wrong with Wilbur up there. 

   "What's he going to do anyway? It's not like he can fucking get up to them anyway! Even if he could, what is he going to do to stop them? TnT doesn't exactly work on gods Clay!" Michael snapped, tugging at the ends of his hair nervously. 

   "Kirsten will listen to him, if he can get her attention..." Clay muttered, keeping his eyes fixed on Wilbur. 

   "Kirsten? Who the hell-"

   "The goddess. She's Wil's Mom."

   "W H A T?" 

   The conversation was halted in its tracks by a voice. 

   "You can't keep fighting like this!" Wilbur cried over the raging storm, pleading with the two goddesses in the sky. "If you two keep at it, you'll wipe this island off the map!"

   Clay had known Wilbur was good at speaking, after all, before the madness set in, his uncle had founded and led a rebellion. Wilbur definitely had the capabilities to be a very charismatic man, but Clay had never heard him sound like that before. 

   Dragoon threw Kirsten away, sending the younger goddess crashing to the ground. She hovered in the air, her large wings reminiscent of the stories of dragons that dad used to tell Clay when he was young. Lightning illuminated the jungle, crackling and seemingly reflecting the anger in Dragoon's eyes. "Do not lecture me Mortal. I know the atrocities your kind commit. Senseless killing, fighting among yourself for power; any creature with human blood is unclean."

   Kirsten shot off the ground again and into the air, leaving an indent at the place she had just been. "What of your own people? The Endarians have human blood!" 

   "Do not attempt to twist my words. They are not above the filth of humanity. I support the Endarians because they share my realms blood and they work to rise above their human roots! Humanity will pay for all the things they stole from me." Dragoon growled. 

   Kristen and Dragoon once again grappled in the air, though both seemed somewhat hesitant. it appeared that even in their fight they were conscious of their power.

   "The humans you despise are long gone! The End has been closed off for over a century! Anyone who has committed any sins against you is dead by now!" Wilbur called, defiant as always. 

   Dragoon roared with rage as the battle in the air continued. "All humans have sinned against me simply by existing! IT'S YOUR FAULT THEY'RE GONE!" She broke apart from Kristen. 

   Clay didn't have time to process any meaning behind that. He watched, transfixed as Dragoon reared back and opened her mouth wide. Clay could feel the air dull, as if life was being sucked straight from everything around him. He watched as a ball of purple light gathered in front of Dragoon, and he knew. He knew what she was planning. He had read plenty of books about The End when he was in school. He knew about the breath attacks. He knew this would be bad. 

Kirsten stiffened up in the air and lifted her hands to protect herself. A smaller ball of light formed in her. 

   In the next few moments, a lot of things happened. Wilbur screamed something, Clay's wings flew open and he pushed off the ground ignoring the lingering soreness from yesterday's wound, lightning flashed across the sky: illuminating the two goddesses. 

   The energy Dragoon had pulled reached its breaking point. It shot away from her, streaking across the sky, straight towards Kirsten. Kirsten pushed her arms out sending her own powerful beam of light toward Dragoon. 

   Wilbur moved faster than Clay, large dark majestic wings propelling him into the air at speeds Clay couldn't imagine. He wasn't heading toward Kirsten. He was aiming to intercept the beam.

   "WILBUR!"

   The beams collided, and Wilbur disappeared from view.

Chapter Text

   Clay hovered in the air, his wings keeping him aloft. He threw his hands up in front of his face to shield his eyes from the blinding light and shock wave of energy the two beams shot out. The intensity was like standing near a forest fire. The sound echoed and rang in his ears. 

   After a moment, the light and noise subsided. There was dead silence. 

   Clay opened his eyes. 

   The rain was gone. The sky had been cleared, not a cloud in sight. The sun was slowly sinking toward the horizon, showing just how much of the day had been spent on this battlefield. There was still a faint tingle of electricity in the air leftover from the storm.

   Clay blinked several times to clear his vision, letting his eyes focus on the scene below him. It looked almost like a scene out of those old war books he used to read. His throat closed up at the sight. He had known it was a massacre, but this was worse than he imagined. The bodies of soldiers littered the jungle floor from both sides. Most of them were moving feebly, some were still clutching their weapons, others were simply lying there.

   Wilbur.

   Clay snapped his head back to the sky. Both goddesses were just hovering, as if in shock at what just happened. They had been so focused on each other that neither of them had seen Wilbur's actions.

   Wilbur was nowhere to be seen. 

   Clay looked back to the ground, panic filling him. He scanned the damaged jungle below looking for any sign of his uncle. But nothing. There was no trace. 

   He was just gone. Disintegrated. Reduced to... nothing. 

   The realization hit Clay hard. He knew that Wilbur wasn’t invincible but… he had always seemed so capable, despite his unhinged mind. But this... This was beyond anything Wilbur would ever have been capable of. 

   "Wilbur-" The word was strangled and full of so much anguish Clay thought his heart would burst. He tilted his head to face Kirsten, the one who had spoken. The goddess. The mother, who had just seen her son disappear before her very eyes.

   She was looking down, tears streaming down her face. Her wings were spread wide and her arms outstretched as if she were trying to reach Wilbur and stop him.

   "I'm sorry," she said, her voice cracking. "I'm so sorry."

   "Why do you care so much for someone so beneath you?" Dragoon sneered. 

   Kirsten stiffened. She lifted her head so fast the hat flew off of her head and floated down to the tree tops below. Anger and despair flickered across her face. " He was my son. "

   "So you believe," Dragoon spat. "But you are no mother to him and he is no kin to you. You abandoned your children when you sent them away."

   "I sent them away to protect them from you!" Kirsten growled. 

   "Abandonment is the same no matter how you view it. When a parent isn't there for a child, when a parent lets their child down..." Dragoon's voice lowered, the angry edge fading, "There is no coming back from either side of that equation. No matter how hard you try to prove yourself to your parent, no matter how you try to find them. And no matter how hard you try to avenge a child you have failed."

   Kirsten bit her lip, the tears falling from her eyes. "You know nothing of what you speak."

   Dragoon held firm, her stance not faltering as she hovered in the sky high above the canopy. "No, I know everything. I have experienced this from both sides, Kirsten."

   The confession hung in the air, heavy as the humidity around them. 

   And then a voice cut through it. "Have you ever thought that humans experience the same? Mortals aren't so different from you as you may believe." 

   Clay's heart jumped into his throat. He looked up. Further above the goddesses, hovered a pair of figures, one holding the other tight. The one being held had spoken and the one flying had a large pair of black wings. A pair that Clay would recognize with his eyes closed. A pair that had raced him several times as a teenager. A pair that never lost.

   "Grandpa Phil..." He breathed.

   Kirsten lit up with relief and joy. 

   Phil settled down into the treetops and set Wilbur down where he had been standing before. He looked just as relieved and shaken as Clay felt. How had he gotten here? How did he know?

Wilbur stepped forward keeping his focus on Dragoon. "This war separates families and ruins lives. Look how many people have died because of your idiotic hatred and sense of selfishness."

   "Do not lecture me on selfishness, mortal. I have-"

   "Your time in this world means nothing to me!" Wilbur raised his voice, standing his ground and interrupting Dragoon as she spoke. "I understand your pain though. I too have been on both sides of the equation. I grew up not knowing Kirsten, I failed to meet my son's needs, I too got angry and lashed out in a vain attempt to make myself feel better. But that reaction only served as a way to hurt other people. That is the definition of selfishness! I do not care how you try to justify yourself because I know that this war will do nothing to fill whatever void you think you have to satisfy." 

   Dragoon's face twisted into an expression of disgust. "You do not know me."

   "Don't worry," Wilbur spoke up, a smile falling onto his face, not like the old, crooked, unhinged smiles. A real smile. "I am sure you'll be able to explain it to me later."

   Dragoon huffed. She started to say something but stopped. Her eyes scanned the ground below, flitting over the fallen warriors. Fallen not by her hand but for her war.

   The silence hung for a long time, no one daring to move. 

   Then Dragoon started to sink in the sky. She passed through the canopy and landed with a soft thud on the muddy ground below. She stared at the dead Endarian at her feet. Her form melted away, more to that of a usual Endarian. 

   "I am done with this." She said, her tone bitter.

   Wilbur was first to approach her, a solemn look on his face. "You can't abandon your people. They'll need your help, now more than ever."

   She snorted. "My help? What help could I give them now? It's my fault so many of them are lying here dead."

   Wilbur didn't respond. 

   Kirsten spoke up. "You can't blame yourself for their deaths. The ones who died today, they were fighting to protect their homes and family. They died nobly. And they will all have a peaceful afterlife, free from fear and pain."

   Dragoon turned her gaze to Kirsten with narrowed eyes. "Why would you promise me that after all I've done?"

   Kirsten gave a sad smile. "Because I more than anyone else here know why you're angry. And I bear part of the guilt of Space and Time on my own shoulders." She offered a hand to the other goddess. "Let's work together now to ensure no one else is in pain." 

   Dragoon stared at the hand for a long moment before taking it. "Fine."

Chapter Text

   Clay slowly descended to the ground. He felt exhausted, physically, mentally, and emotionally. He stepped quickly over to Wilbur. "Are you alright?!"

   Wilbur chuckled and ruffled Clay's soaking wet hair. The group had moved downhill from the battlefield so they could rest and get their bearings before whatever happened next. "I'm fine, kid. Phil swooped in at the perfect time."

   That was another thing. Clay turned quickly to face his grandfather. "How did you get here? How did you even know? Why did you never tell anyone about this?" He made a vague gesture at everything. 

   Phil gave a small chuckle as Clay bombarded him with questions. "One, I flew. Three, no one ever asked." 

   "But that's over four thousand kilometers! That would be like four and a half hours of flying straight! And this storm-" Clay spat out. "How-"

   "Clay, have you ever seen me tire of flying?" Phil asked a sense of amusement in his tone.

Clay paused but then shook his head. "I guess I can imagine you flying all the way across the Space sea..."

   "What about Two?" Michael asked, limping over clearly favoring his uninjured leg. 

   Phil's face fell. "I was having these... recurring dreams since you left. About this fight. And about Wilbur flying between those attacks and... dying." He finished, the words clearly hard for him to get out.

   Michael stood next to Clay, leaning against him to take the weight of his leg. "Oh, man... That must have been awful."

   Phil shrugged. "It's fine. I thought it was just a dream. But I couldn't shake it. I woke up this morning with my heart racing and I just... took off. Even if it didn't happen I would have felt better having come for no reason than not have come and losing Wilbur again."

Clay nodded in understanding. He probably would have done the same. "How are things back home?"

   "Reconstruction is progressing as best it can. The weather has still been weird since the tremors. Parts of Prime and Las Nevadas are underwater since the currents started acting strange. The council has kept everyone in high spirits though," Phil explained. 

   "And my dad and Alex?"

   "I take the fact that you didn't mention Sam means he did find you?" 

   Clay scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. "Yeah. He's with us."

   Phil nodded with pursed lips. "Uh huh. Well Tommy nearly had a heart attack when he found the note Sam left. We tried to find him but he was already gone by then. Alex is a three-year-old so he doesn't understand much. Shroud likes playing with him. I'd say things are going well."

Clay nodded in relief.  

   "Phil? . . . I have a feeling I missed something." Techno slid down the hill with Sam bundled in his arms. "We left as soon as we saw the storm clear."

   Clay booked it toward Techno, slipping in the mud a bit. "Sammy!"

Sam reached for Clay quickly, his eyes watering. "You're okay!" His voice shook softly. "I thought- Mike said-"

   Clay took Sam into his arms and squeezed the boy. "I'm okay kid. It's okay. We're all okay. Its over now." 

   Sam clutched Clay's shirt tightly and tucked his head under his chin. "I was scared..."

   "I know, kid. You did really good though. Bet you were real brave." Clay whispered, watching Techno slip away to go talk to Phil and Wilbur.

   Sam nodded and sniffled quietly. "Did we win?" 

   Clay thought of all the people who had lost their lives that day, but then he thought of all the people who wouldn't have to lose their lives in the future. "Yeah buddy. We won."

   Clay sat against the wall in the Endarian hut with Sam curled up asleep against his chest. Wilbur stood nearby, talking to Phil and Jun, the latter not looking happy about this situation but also not arguing. Dream and Karl sat on the other side of the room, discussing where they were heading next. 

   Outside, the Endarians were getting their dead ready for their version of a funeral. The Avian bodies had been taken by their flocks to be properly buried. Both sides seemed rather... hesitant to accept the sudden peace. Clay couldn't blame them. He doubted any of them wanted to think about peace with the people who murdered their friends and family. 

   Michael took a seat next to Clay. His leg was fully healed now, thanks to the Endarian potions. "Phil and Jun are having peace talks. Figuring out how to help each other and all that. Dream Techno and Karl are making lists of what we need to head south to Quantum Bedrock." 

   Clay nodded his mind elsewhere. "Do you think Phil and Wilbur are going to stay here?"

   Michael was silent for a while, then he shrugged "Phil probably. He is the admin and he hasn't been able to be with his wife in so long. Wilbur though... I dunno. His home has always been over on Continent B."

   "You think he'll go back?"

   "No idea. Maybe. It's still pretty early to tell." Michael replied.

   Clay nodded and dropped the conversation. He was tired. He hadn't slept since the battle and it was nearing morning of the next day. His body ached and his mind was full of thoughts. Thoughts he really needed to sort through. He yawned, stretching his neck from side to side. Sam stirred but went right back to sleep. Clay sighed and leaned his head against the wall.

   A shadow passed over the three. 

   Clay looked up to see his grandfather and both uncles. 

   Michael shifted to stand up. "Well?"

   "Jun is going to supply us with enough to get us to Quantum Bedrock. Dream is talking to her about the specifics. We'll go to Port Abella and then make our way to the capital from there." Techno explained. "If we don't find what we need, We go further West, to Cloud Cliffs." 

   Clay sighed, slightly dreading the idea of having to continue this journey even more. He got to his feet, careful not to jostle Sam too much. He turned his head to look at his grandfather. "And you?" 

   "I'm going back to the SMP to gather my things to move here." Phil started. "I'm the Admin of Avia and I've already been away for far too long. I should be here to help with the peace efforts."

Clay figured that was coming... He turned to look at Wilbur last. 

   "I'm coming with the rest of you to QB. Until we find Exdee and get the SMP back to normal. Well, SMP levels of normal. After that... Kristen offered to teach me here. I want to find out how I did the whole flying thing earlier before Phil saved me." Wilbur hummed. 

   "I honestly expected something like that," Michael muttered, crossing his arms. He turned to Phil again. "How are you going to tell everyone back home? I mean– You're one of the council members."

   "Your parents are the real members from Snowchester. Tech and I were just there to smooth things out." Phil hummed. "As for telling everyone, I think I'll be fine."

   Clay listened to the conversation for a while and looked down at Sammy who was sleeping. He furrowed his brows in thought. "Grandpa Phil?" 

   "Hmm?" Phil looked over from his conversation. 

   "Can you take Sammy with you? Back to the SMP?"

   Phil cocked his head to the side. "Why?"

   "He's seen enough out here with us. I don't want that for him. I want him somewhere safe. With people I can trust." Clay ran his fingers through the sleeping boy's hair gently.

Phil was quiet for a bit, his eyes flitting across his grandson's face. He sighed in resignation. "I'll take him with me." 

   "Thanks," Clay murmured. "When are you planning on leaving?" 

   "Tomorrow morning." 

   Clay nodded. "In that case. I'm going to get some rest." He nodded for Michael to follow him. 

Michael took the lead and led Clay through the village somewhere secluded away from the mourning Endarians. He ducked into the hut and settled down

   Clay carefully laid Sam on a cot, settled against the wall beside him, and pulled out his journal. 

   "Haven't seen you write in that in a while," Michael commented.

   Clay glanced up. "I haven't. But I have a lot of stuff I need to get out."

   Michael made a hum of acknowledgment and settled into his own cot. "Hey, Clay."

   "Hmm?"

   "Happy birthday." 

   Clay stared at the page for a moment and then looked up to the ceiling as he mentally counted the days. Had they really been on this trip that long already? They left early in July... Then Caplos and the journey through Ru'lei and Hypixal and then this. Huh... It had been that long. 

   The big 21 and he celebrated with a battle. Such a great birthday. 

   Still. It made him happy to know Michael remembered even with all this chaos. He smiled softly and tiredly at his friend. "Thanks."

   Michael hummed and rolled over in the cot. "Make sure you get some sleep."

   "Yeah. Got it." Clay turned his attention back to the journal and went to jot his thoughts down. 

It was far into the day before he finally dozed off.

Chapter Text

   Clay didn't realize how hard it would be to say goodbye to Sam. In retrospect, he really should have known better. He knew he was more than attached and he had already had issues when they were first leaving on this journey. Now that they had been through so much, it was even harder.

   The little guy clung to him tightly, trying to hold on to all the time they'd spent together. Clay held him close, speaking softly to him, letting him know that everything would be okay. "You should go home and take care of Alex for me. I'll see you again when we get back to the SMP."

   Sam nodded, clinging tighter to his shirt. He sniffled lightly. "Promise?"

   Clay sighed, squeezing him just a little tighter. He wished he could feel more confident in his words. Given their track record, Quantum Bedrock wouldn't be very kind to them either, a man could dream though. "I promise kid. I'll see you soon."

   Sam pulled back, wiping his eyes and whimpering lightly. "That's what my mom said too..." 

   He stiffened a little at the soft words. Sam didn't talk about his mom or anything about his past a lot so the words somewhat came out of the blue. Clay could imagine what migth have happened given where Sam was from... Not to mention that the old Sam had been alone when the SMP was founded. "Kiddo..."

   Michael threw an arm around Clay's shoulder with a soft grin. "Don't worry about it kiddo. I'll make sure he stays out of trouble. That's my job after all." He winked lightly. His more playful and soft side came out around the kid a lot. 

   Sam giggled a little bit and nuzzled into Clay's chest. "I'll miss you..."

   Clay rolled his eyes at Michael's words and hugged Sam tight. "Me too Sammy. Mike and I will be home soon. I swear to you." 

   "Love you kiddo." Michael ruffled the boy's hair lightly. "St art picking out some materials for our house when we get home okay?"

   Sam smiled and his eyes brightened a bit. "Okay."

   Clay nodded in agreement and somberly passed the kid over to Phil. "Take care of him for me Grandpa Phil. Tell Dad that we're doing okay. " He whispered.

   Phil nodded, taking Sam into his arms and strapping him into a harness so he wouldn't fall during the flight across the ocean. "I'll make sure he gets home safe. You make sure you get home safe too Clay."

   The two shared a quick hug and then turned to watch as Sam was lifted up into the air by Phil. He waved once and then disappeared behind the clouds. Clay watched until he couldn't see him anymore and then turned to Michael. He took a heavy breath.

   "Let's get moving."

   Nobody in the group really liked the fact that they were on a boat again but it was the only way for the whole group to get from Avia to Quantum. Kirsten had offered to teleport them, but Wilbur had refused, saying she'd need her power for the reconstruction and peace efforts. The distance was a lot shorter between Avian and QB though, it was unlikely that they'd get into another cyclone like the one in the Space Sea. 

   Right now Dream Techno and Wilbur were taking shifts at the wheel. Clay was pretty sure Dream was there when he came to the deck but it could be someone else now. He didn't know how long he'd been out here. Karl was in his quarters compiling all the information they had collected on the gods. He might be asleep at this point. Clay would have loved to look at the information honestly, but this entire journey he had been pretty out of it... Michael was in their shared quarters resting last Clay had seen. 

   Clay looked over the edge of the boat with his lips in a tight line. The water below was dark, reflecting the little bit of starlight that showed through the clouds above. He wondered if Phil and Sam had gotten back to the SMP yet...

   "Can't sleep?" A voice cut into Clay's thoughts.

   Clay looked up, his wings puffing as he startled. He relaxed when he saw it was just Karl. He shrugged lightly in response and looked back over the railing into the waves below. "Not really."

   Karl crossed the deck and stood next to Clay by the railing. "That's okay. Me neither. I've got this weird feeling that I can't shake." He sighed and leaned against the railing, peering out across the horizon. After a moment he turned to look at Clay. "What about you kid? What’s got you up at this unruly hour of the night?"

    Clay shrugged again. He should be sleeping. Michael had tried to get him to go to bed a while ago. He had promised to join him soon and Michael had left... His friend must have fallen asleep because he hadn't been back to scold him yet. He was tired, but his mind wouldn't stop going. "I thought you were doing research about all the pantheon information we gathered so we could find Exdee."

   "I was. Needed to stretch a bit. Homesick?"

   The waves rocked the ship gently. Clay sighed and hung his head. "Yeah. I miss Sam. And Alex. And everyone else. I know we're so close to finishing the mission, I can feel it, but... Part of me wishes I had taken that offer back in Hypixal. I could be home right now instead of in the middle of an ocean."

   "I get it. I miss home too. And Sap. It feels like its been forever since I've seen him but it's only been a little over a month. Time sure does fly by when you're facing mortal terror and war everywhere you go." He laughed. it's

   Clay snorted at the truth in the statement. "Yeah. You got that right."

   "Mhmm. Point is, it's okay to be homesick Clay. But you heard Phil, everyone back in the SMP is doing okay more or less. We're gonna find Exdee and get back to them. We'll be home before you know it." Karl gave a reassuring grin as starlight sparkled off of his ring. 

   Clay rolled his eyes at the goofy grin but couldn’t stop himself from smiling. Karl’s attitude was really contagious at times.The words did help ease the tight feeling in his chest a bit. Clay gave a small smile. "Thanks. That makes me feel better…"

   "No problem!" The two stood in silence for a while before Karl spoke again. "You know, I don't have the whole system you have kid. It's just me and Sap. And George and Dream are our friends of course, but I don't have the big family you do. I think it's really sweet how much you care for your family. And just a word of advice, when you reach the time where you want to settle down and really have your family, find yourself someone who loves them as much as you do." Karl winked. "If you get what I mean." He added and turned to head back below deck. 

Clay watched him go, feeling slightly bewildered. What did he mean by that..? Clay shrugged it off, deeming himself too tired to decipher the meaning. 

   He looked back over the railing toward the horizon. The moon was beginning to sink in the sky. It was time to get some rest. He turned away from the railing and headed below deck to his and Michael's sleeping quarters.

Chapter Text

   It was morning when the boat reached Quantum. The sun rose over the ocean and cast a golden glow over the waves as the boat approached Port Abella. As Clay watched, he felt a weight lift from his shoulders. He left the deck and headed to the bridge to talk with everyone else. 

   Wilbur was at the wheel, despite that his ear was still pricked toward the main conversation that was going on behind him. They didn't have an actual table on the ship so they were using a crate and some other boxes as a table and chairs. Clay didn't bother grabbing something to sit on and instead stepped closer to the makeshift table and glanced over Techno's shoulder. 

   "Okay. We're landing here in Port Abella. The capital is way over here in Quantum City. The entire eastern portion of the server is pretty empty so we're going to take the river route down to Bolette and from there we should be able to catch the trains to the city." Dream pointed out dragging his finger across the map. "Sound good?" He asked looking up and around at the group. 

   "It makes sense to me," Techno hummed, sitting back. 

   Dream nodded in response and rolled up the map, stashing it in his inventory. He and techno stood and headed over to talk to Wilbur about docking the boat and what to do after they docked. 

   "You'd think a server known for being futuristic would have more means of fast travel around the whole place," Michael mumbled under his breath. 

   "They used to." Karl chimed in. "A lot of the train systems were destroyed by something a long time ago."

   Clay perked up a little in curiosity. "By what?"

   Michael shot his friend a slightly exasperated look but he didn't say anything. He turned to look at Karl for the answer as well. 

   "No one knows." Karl shrugged. "There are actually a lot of mysteries surrounding the server. Barely anyone goes in or out despite the reputation QB holds."

   "Are there any theories?" 

   "A few. Some think it could have been a war, but there are no records of a war involving QB. Others think maybe the tracks were left unfinished in the first place. QB is theorized to be one of the oldest servers, so perhaps there was record of what happened but it was just lost to time."  Karl hummed. 

   "How weird." Clay crossed his arms, currently distracted by the mysteries of what could have happened to the server. A lot of things didn't seem to add up honestly. 

   "You're making that face again."

   Clay blinked owlishly at Michael and then rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Am I?"

   "What face?" Karl asked with a confused expression.

   "His "curiosity killed the Avian" face. I know it well." Michael smiled to show he didn't mean any malice. 

   "Oh whatever Mike, I'm not going to do anything stupid. I just want to get this done and go home." Clay rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. 

   Michael frowned softly. That wasn't the response he had expected. He knew Clay had been having a hard time on this journey but... that big of a change in his demeanor was jarring. 

   The boat jerked suddenly, sending the crate and unoccupied box-chairs tumbling. Karl slapped a hand over his mouth to keep himself from losing his lunch. 

   "Sorry!" 

   Karl shot a weak glare at Wilbur and leaned back a bit. "I hate boats. I can't wait to get back on land..." 

   "There's a good chance we'll have to take a boat to get back home, you know that right? Not to mention if we have to go somewhere else to try and find Exdee." 

   "Quiet you." Clay smacked Michael on the back of the head. 

   "Hey! Traumatic fatal head injury only a few weeks ago remember???" 

   Clay managed to suppress the flinch. "You're fine."

   Karl watched the two with a small smile until the boat lurched again and stopped moving. Dream and Techno headed to deck and tossed a line to shore. 

   Clay patted Karl's shoulder comfortingly before he headed to deck as well. He took a deep breath in and exhaled softly. Soon. They'd find Exdee soon. He could feel it. 

   He stretched his wings and hopped over the railing, letting his wings help him glide to the dock. There were people milling about in surprisingly clean-looking workers' clothing. The houses here were all rounded and made of smooth white material that reflected light. It was so bright it hurt his eyes but he supposed it would probably look better at dark. Further into the city were taller buildings. Despite being disconnected from the rest of the server, Port Abella still seemed to live up to the futuristic reputation. 

   He landed on the dock and folded his wings back behind him. He looked around curiously. He could feel eyes on him. Usually, he was okay with being noticed, but these stares somewhat unsettled him. There was something in the air that made him uneasy. Maybe it was just him being paranoid... He subconsciously checked his inventory to make sure he had his sword handy. 

   He turned and watched Techno and Dream lower the board to the dock. Honestly, their ship looked very out of place compared to the rest of the city. There were a lot more fancier ships docked along the pier. Most of them were sleek and silver, with many of them sporting multiple sails.

   Techno headed down to where Clay was first, followed by Dream and Michael. Karl turned around to wait for Wilbur to finish securing the bridge.

   Clay had his eyes on the rest of the group as he looked around. He saw Wilbur finally appear. He saw Michael and Dream and Techno coming closer. He saw Karl start down the ramp from the boat to the dock. He saw all these things and didn't think a second thought. After a moment, he turned fully to the group nearing them. He could see Karl nearing the end of the ramp.

   As soon as his foot touched the dock, he collapsed.

Chapter Text

   Wilbur darted forward down the ramp and caught Karl before he tumbled off into the water. "Karl- Karl!" He gasped. 

   "What the hell happened? Is he okay?!" Dream asked running back over.

   "I don't know! He just collapsed." Wilbur put his hand on the other man's forehead quickly to check for fever. "He's out cold." He knelt to the ground, lowering Karl carefully with him. 

   Clay hurried over. "Is he alright?" 

   "I don't know," Wilbur repeated, worry creeping into his voice, masked by annoyance. He shook Karl gently to try and wake him. But nothing happened. 

   Dream knelt beside the two and frowned as he glanced at Karl's unconscious form. "Karl. Hey, come on Karl." He tried gently. Still nothing. "Shit. Techno. Can you pick him up? We need to get him to a hospital." 

   Techno nodded gruffly and hauled Karl into his arms with ease. 

   Dream got up and pulled Wilbur to his feet as well. "Let's go. The sooner we find the hospital, the better."

   Michael finally ran over, joining the group. "Hospitals that way." He pointed. "I asked one of the locals. We should hurry!" 

The group nodded and went to follow Michael in the direction he had pointed out.

   The hospital here reminded Clay a lot of the infirmary back in Hypixal. Overall it seemed that this part of QB and Hypixal were very similar in a lot of ways. It was very crowded. Clay didn't know a lot about QB, which was odd considering history and geography were the only subjects he excelled in. Honestly, from what Clay could tell, no one outside of QB knew a lot about the server.

 Karl seemed to know a bit more than the average person but he did live in a library. He was going to be their guide.

   He couldn't exactly guide with the state he was in now. 

   The healers had been working all day and into the night to try and figure out what was wrong.

Clay and the group were in the waiting area. Techno and Dream were asleep in their respective seats leaving only Clay, Michael, and Wilbur awake. They were getting quite a few stares from the healers and nurses, but Clay was starting to block them out. He sighed heavily and sank down in his seat. 

   "So..." Michael started, dragging the word out, "I guess we can add "mysterious passing out" to the list of weird shit that's happened on this journey." The attempt at humor was poor but it still pulled a small laugh from Wilbur.

   Clay snorted softly, a yawn interrupting the laugh. "Language."

   Wilbur rolled his eyes after he finished laughing. "Where the hell did that come from anyway? It sure didn't come from Tommy. He swears like a sailor. Not to mention I've heard your younger brother swear a handful of times. What is up with you?" 

   "You know I really don't know." Clay lifted his head to answer. "I've just always kinda been like this? Petty strange innit? Maybe it's something from Dream and I's shared years that didn't keep in Dream's life but it did in mine? Not sure why. We both have enough trauma to kill a horse." 

   Dream snorted a bit, showing that either he had just woken up, or he had been awake the whole time. He yawned softly and sat up straight. "That's probably a carryover from my dad."

   Clay blinked and straightened in his seat, curiosity filling him. "Oh?" He didn't have a lot of memories of their shared history, given that he was only three when their pasts diverged. "What was he like?"

   Dream shifted uncomfortably, pulling his mask a bit more onto his face. "He was kind. He was always busy though. When he wasn't he would tell m and my siblings stories. Sometimes he and my mom would fight over how she treated us. I kinda... blocked a lot of the stuff I remembered about him out when I ran away." 

   Clay was quiet for a moment, absorbing the knowledge.

   "Well. I see what you mean about the boatloads of trauma." Michael muttered. 

   That snapped Clay out of it. He rolled his eyes at his friend. "Shut up Mike."

   Dream laughed softly and stretched to get his limbs to wake up. "Any idea what time it is?"

   "Sometime after 1 I think," Wilbur muttered. "My clock isn't matching with the QB ones."

   Dream hummed a little and stood up to stretch his legs. Clay didn't blame him, these seats were very uncomfortable. "Any news?" He asked as he looked around the quiet hospital. 

   There was faint music playing from somewhere. Clay would recognize the song anywhere. It was his dad's favorite, Mellohi. Part of it sounded off, but the tune was familiar. Not as familiar as his favorite song, Cat, but still familiar. Clay's heart ached just a little for that familiarity. 

   "Nothing." Michael sighed. "Maybe we should find an inn or a hotel."

   "Maybe.” Dream looked contemplative before his shoulders slumped in resignation. “We all need rest. We can discuss what to do in the morning. I'll give the nurse my communicator ID so she can get ahold of us. Wilbur, wake up your brother for us." Dream went over to the nurse's station. 

   Wilbur shot a glare after him at being given the job of waking up Techno but he did it anyway, earning himself a painful kick to the groin, but getting the job done. 

   Clay sighed and went to stand up and stretch. He wondered what they were going to do if Karl didn't wake up. Would they have to go on without him..?

   "Hey. I can hear you thinking from down here." Michael muttered from his seat, ignoring Wilbur's moans of pain and Techno scolding him for waking people up. He stood up and rolled his shoulders. "Don't worry about it okay? We'll figure something out in the morning. Things always seem to work out even when they seem bleak." 

   Clay was a little lifted by the words. "You're right, like always."

Dream called to the group from near the front entrance. He nodded his head and then went out. 

Clay started to head in that direction. Michael was right, but that didn't help Clay's nerves...

Chapter Text

   Clay slept fitfully, despite the very comfortable beds in their hotel. His mind kept wandering back to Karl's strange collapse. It was so sudden... He had been fine the whole time when they were on the ship, why did he suddenly collapse after reaching land? 

   He tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Finally, just after 6 according to his clock, he decided to go for a little walk. Maybe that would help him relax. He crept past Michael's sleeping form in the other bed and opened the door with a soft creak. He closed it as quietly as possible.

   When this was all over, he would probably sleep for a month. 

   He wandered the hallways, enjoying the quiet. When he reached the lobby, he was surprised to find Dream already there. He was sitting in one of the chairs, looking slightly tense.

    Clay walked over quietly. The rest of the lobby was empty, save for the worker behind the desk, who looked bored out of their mind. He noted the way Dream's head turned slightly as he got closer. Sometimes he forgot how well trained the man was. He pulled out the chair across from the man and took a seat. "You can't sleep either?" 

    Dream looked at him for a long moment. "No. It's not that. I'm worried about Karl. If something happens to him it's on me. I'm the one that dragged all of you out here. It was already too close when Michael died. Fixing that mess was just luck. I don't even want to know what Tommy would have done to me if you had died back in Hypixal." 

   Clay hummed and looked down at the table. He hadn't thought of it like that. He felt a little bad about snapping at Dream back in Caplos, especially considering what Dream must have been going through with his family and stuff. Clay always tried to be open-minded when it came to Dream. "I'm sorry..."

   "What for?" 

   "For snapping at you when we got back to Caplos. It wasn't your fault that Michael... that he got hurt. And we are all lucky to still have you in our group."

   Dream cracked a soft smile despite the bags under his eyes. "Thanks. I don't blame you though. I don't know what I would have done if I saw Sap or George die like that." He sighed and his smile fell. "You're really lucky, kid. I'm pretty sure I lost my chance for having something like what you and Michael had. Well, the first version of me did at least." He hunched over. 

   Clay's smile fell as well. He didn’t really think of how Dream dealt with well… Dream’s legacy. Dream was still Dream . Of course Clay had to prove that he was his own person but he had had years of being well... himself. Dream had just been thrust into a time he didn't belong in and he had to prove that he wouldn't go rogue like the Dream that everyone had known. Everyone in that time was wary of him and knew of what Dream had done. 

    Now that Clay thought about it, this journey was probably Dream's attempt at proving himself. He probably thought that if he found Exdee and brought him back to stop what was happening to the SMP that people would trust him. That he wasn't the Dream that had gone insane and manipulated the entire server so bad that he had to be thrown in prison. 

   "Have you noticed how much we've started to differ from each other?" Dream said suddenly, drawing the subject in a different direction. His shoulders were tense and he was visibly uncomfortable with the conversation. He pulled his mask to the side, showing his face. “I’ve noticed a lot of little things that make us different.

   Clay let him have the change. He leaned back in his chair and raised a brow. "How so?"

   "Your hair and eyes first of all. They're both lighter than mine and your hair is curlier. And your freckles are much more prominent. You've also gotten taller and your shoulders are broader. I'm built more for agility and speed." Dream pointed out his observations. "I doubt anyone has really noticed considering how slow the changes have been happening. I'm almost positive that it has to do with your whole..." He made a vague hand gesture, "Deal with Exdee."

   Clay didn't say anything for a minute. It was true. He had changed a lot in the past 3 or so years. His hair and eye color had changed subtly, and he had a few inches on Dream now. He had noticed back in Caplos but... he had been somewhat preoccupied back then. "Is it that noticeable?"

    Dream shook his head. "No, it's not a big deal, I'm just observant. And you know what else? Your voice. It's softer than mine. Not to mention the accent." He let the quiet hang for a moment. "You know who you look like?"

   Clay looked at him quizzically. 

   "You look like Tommy." 

   "Really?" Clay blinked, his wings puffing behind him with happiness.

   Dream chuckled. "You've got his mannerisms too. I have a feeling the wingmanship comes from Phil though."

   Clay laughed at that, pride welling in his chest. "I don't think we can really determine how different we look. Of course we're going to think we look different."

   "True. But I know that I am myself and you are yourself." Dream shrugged and leaned back. "We should try to get some sleep. We're going to have a long day tomorrow."

   Clay nodded and yawned. "Yeah, maybe. Goodnight Dream."

   Dream smiled at him, then put his mask back on. "Goodnight Clay."

   The morning came far too soon. Clay was woken up by a gentle push on his shoulder. He slapped Michael's hand away and curled up under the blankets.

   "C'mon sleepyhead. Get up." Michael nudged him again. "Dream wants to talk to all of us. He's got something important to say I'm pretty sure." 

   "Nngh. Fine." He grumbled, rolling over and throwing off the covers. His wings were ruffled from the fitful sleep he got.

   Michael scoffed out a soft laugh and shoved Clay playfully. "You're a mess! Come on!"

   Clay grabbed his stuff and followed Michael with a soft grumble. When he got to the lobby, Dream was already waiting. He looked like he had slept as little as Clay. His eyes were puffy from lack of sleep and his hair was messy.

   "Morning guys." He said quietly. "I know that a lot of you are tired and worn down. So I'll keep this short. Karl is fine, as far as they can tell. They can't figure out why he's asleep like this but they assume it's some kind of reaction." 

   "Reaction?" Wilbur raised a brow. "What kind of reaction?"

   "They don't know. This only happened when Karl came to QB so perhaps its something to do with the server. My point is, I want someone to stay here and watch over Karl while the rest of us continue on and scout ahead in the server." Dream explained. 

   "You sure that's smart?" Techno asked. 

   "QB is a peaceful server. We'll still be able to communicate and if something happens, Clay or I can get back here quickly."

   "So Clay is going with you. Who exactly are you expecting to stay behind?" Michael huffed with crossed arms. "I go where Clay goes."

   Dream pursed his lips. That left him with either the violent one who heard voices or the not-so-violent one anymore who used to have a thing for TNT. He turned to Wilbur. "Wilbur. Do you think you can handle it here by yourself?"

   Wilbur looked mildly shocked at being addressed, not to mention trusted by Dream. "Me?"

   "You managed to smooth over what was happening back in Avia. I trust you can watch Karl and keep a look out for any information here."

   Wilbur eyed Dream warily but nodded. "Yes. I think I can do that. What happens later then? Either when you find what we're looking for, or you don't."

   "If we find Exdee we'll bring him back here and then take Karl home. If not, we'll get a message back to the SMP and have someone pick him up while we continue." Dream sighed, running his fingers through his hair. "The situation isn't ideal but we have to make due. Is everyone okay with this plan?"

   There was an awkward silence as they all pondered the consequences. Clay sighed and spoke first. "It sounds okay to me."

   Techno nodded. "I agree."

   Wilbur looked like he wanted to object but he didn't. "I'll stay. I can handle it."

   Michael sighed and gave in. "Yeah. I agree."

   "Okay. Then the four of us will leave tomorrow after we rest up here for a bit longer."

Chapter Text

   The four who were leaving set out down the river the next day. They bought seats on a ferry that would take them all the way downstream. Clay had suggested just flying since there were only four of them now and Clay and Dream could each carry one person, but Dream objected saying that his wings weren't used to the strain. 

   Clay settled back in his seat with a heavy sigh. It was going to be a long ride. "I am so sick of boats. I'm starting to think they give us bad luck. First the storm, then what happened with Karl. What this time?"

   "Don't say that. You're going to jinx us." Michael huffed, crossing his arms. 

   "Why can't you ever just take a joke?" Clay huffed, with a playful smile.

   "Shut up." Michael shoved him gently. 

   "You two argue like children." Techno snorted. 

   "Be nice." Dream elbowed him. 

   Clay rolled his eyes and looked out the window in their compartment. The sun was shining brightly today and the water was calm. It was a beautiful day. Clouds gathered at the edges of the sky and Clay hoped the weather would hold until they got to the end of the river.

   "Hey Dream, how long will it take to get to the bottom of the river?"

   "About a day. We should reach the end by nightfall."

   Clay let himself go quiet for a while. He felt the boat rock gently as it cut through the water. The water was crystal clear, shining almost like chrome, and the fish that swam around the boat came in all colors. He focused on one for a few moments before it dove beneath the surface. The shores were peaceful and colorful. There were tall grasses and trees, small bushes, and flowers. It was very beautiful here. 

   "I'm going to go talk to the captain." Dream muttered, folding his map and standing. "I want a better estimate of what cities we'll pass through and any stops we can expect to make." He opened the door to their compartment and left. 

   "I'm going to nap," Techno muttered gruffly, slumping in his seat and pulling his cape close. 

   He turned his head and craned his neck, watching the trail the boat left. It was a bright white trail, bubbles frothing the water as the boat moved forward. He tried to picture the world without Exdee and the SMP, and how it might have been. 

   A breeze blew in the open window, ruffling Clay's curls and sending him back to reality. He took a deep breath and relaxed. He would focus on the beauty of his surroundings instead of the things that haunted his mind.  This ferry ride felt eerily calming, like a glimpse into a simpler, slower-paced life, one that Clay found himself yearning for more and more with each passing day.

   It was strange, feeling the rocking of a boat and not smelling salt in the air. Clay had grown used to the smell of the sea. He closed his eyes, letting the serenity of the moment wash over him. He imagined the river as a thread connecting the past to the present, its waters carrying the stories of those who had traveled its course before him. With each passing second, he felt a deeper connection to the history and untamed mystery of this server. 

   "It really is beautiful here." He whispered, his eyes fixed on the way ahead now.

   "Yes, it is," Michael responded softly. He was staring out the window as well, his chin resting in his hand.

   Clay turned his head at the soft response and watched his friend for a moment. He couldn't help but smile at the sight. He hadn't seen Michael so peaceful in a long time. He leaned over as well and looked down at the water. A school of the colorful fish swam alongside the boat as if they were chasing them.

   "Do you think we'll go home soon?"

   Michael lifted his head and stared at the water as if seeing it for the first time. "I hope so."

   Clay felt like a broken record, thinking once again about the promise he made to Sammy. He leaned his head on the window seal and let his forehead rest against the glass. It had only been a few days, but Clay missed him so much. He wondered if he would have felt the same way if Sam hadn't followed them. Would he have felt the same longing to be home, if he knew Sam had been home the whole time? Would he have taken the chance to go home back in Hypixal?

   Sometimes, he thought too much, Clay realized. He was always focusing on the past when it came to his interests, and on the future when it came to his family. Why couldn't he just live in the now?

   Clay didn't remember falling asleep. 

   When he woke up, he was curled up under the blanket with his wings pressed tightly to his body. He felt another gentle nudge, like the one that had first pulled him from sleep. 

   "We're pulling into the Bolette canals," Michael informed him, looking like he too had just woken up.

   "I'm awake." He pushed himself up straight and stretched out his wings the best he could in their small space. They were stiff and sore. His face was red where it had been pressed against the wall. 

    He took a moment to look around the compartment. Techno was awake, looking disgruntled at being woken, and Dream had hair plastered to his forehead from sleep still. Looks like they had all napped. 

   He turned his head to the window again and took in the scenery. The river was narrower now, channeling into the canals that flowed through Bolette. Clay took in the large buildings lining the canals, they went high into the sky and Clay couldn't see all of them from the small view through the window. Many people were walking along the narrow walkways that connected the buildings and the boats floating in the canals.

   There was music playing somewhere, Clay thought he recognized the tune, though he wasn't sure. It sounded different than what he knew. Bolette was very different from the port. The port had been what Clay was expecting, a city, almost like in Hypixal but more high-tech. Here though, it was insane. The buildings were different, still high tech though, the canals ran through the entire city, not just the port area. There was less light, through Clay could see golden sunlight sparkling off the water behind them. The entire city seemed to be in shadow. 

   Within a few minutes, the ferry docked and passengers were allowed to disembark. Clay and the others stood and stretched. They filed out of their compartment, and onto the deck. 

Clay gawked. 

   The buildings were shaped like mushrooms. They stretched high into the sky, fanning out above and blotting out the sky. Cracks of sunlight broke through in small patches, but the large coverings hid most of the sky from view. Walkways crisscrossed above through the various buildings,  and Clay could see the paths the canals took through the rest of the city. 

   This city was very much not what Clay had been expecting. The number of people here was much more reminiscent of Hypixal. The streets were crowded, and the roads were busy with traffic. People walked in every direction.

   "Wow." Michael breathed, looking around in awe.

   Even Techno, who had lived in Hypixal for a good portion of his life and was used to busy cities, looked surprised at the marvel that was the city.

   "Looks like we're staying here for the night." Dream said, his voice sounding tired and stressed. He had wanted to get moving as fast as possible but in this place... He didn't know where to begin.

Chapter Text

   The group walked along the canals, searching for an inn or a hotel. The sun had fully disappeared, and with its departure came the lighting of the city. There were huge hanging lights from the highest layer that Clay hadn't noticed before. Not only those, but there were all kinds of lights among the buildings and pathways. Occasionally a boat passed them on the canal. 

   Clay stuck close to Michael, not wanting to lose the group in this crowd. He turned his head this way and that, looking at  all the buildings. This place was certainly impressive. There were balconies jutting out from the main buildings in various places. The whole place looked as if someone had taken a mushroom forest and made it a city instead. 

   Even if it was late, the crowds didn't seem to dwindle. Clay had hidden his wings to make this easier, the discomfort prickling up his back and across his shoulders. He felt strange, not only from the discomfort of having his wings hidden, but he also felt like he was being watched. 

   He glimpsed people they passed staring at the group. The hair on the back of his neck stood up. Were all outsiders treated like this? Maybe this was why QB was seen as such a mystery from the outside world. Clay's usual curiosity about new things felt smothered by the stares. He wanted to know more about the architecture, the history, everything, but he felt like even if he asked, he wouldn't really get answers. 

   "This way." 

   Clay jerked a little and tugged Michael with him so they didn't lose Dream when he darted through the crowd and ducked onto a side path. Crowds, Clay had discovered on this trip, were something he very much did not like. Back home in the SMP, there were never huge crowds like this. 

   He was relieved when they finally left the huge throngs of people. 

   "Why are we going this way?" Techno's voice sounded far away with the constant noise of the city. 

   Clay could have sworn he heard someone hiss at them...

   "I saw a sign that said Inn," Dream responded. 

   He felt suffocated. The air was stale and hot and humid. 

   "If we get lost it's on you," Techno muttered.

   His back itched and ached from having his wings cooped up. 

   "I'd like to not sleep on the streets if you two would stop bickering." Michael cut in.

   Someone shouldered past Clay. Where their arms brushed felt like fire. 

   "We won't sleep on the streets. I know what I saw. Stop doubting me." Dream sounded irritated. 

   Oh. Clay was having a panic attack. His breath hitched and his vision seemed to tunnel. He didn't usually have panic attacks like this. Usually it was dea... Losing someone that caused them. This would probably not be very good if he was this freaked out just being in Bolette. Quantum City was supposed to be even bigger than Bolette was. If he was this freaked out here what was it going to be like when they got to the capital?

   "Clay!"

   The name pulled Clay out of it. He snapped his eyes up to meet Michael's. "What?"

   "Are you okay?"

   Clay shook his head, trying to clear the fog that had settled in his brain. "Yeah, sorry. I'm fine."

   "You don't sound fine. Are you sure you're not sick?"

   "No, it's just..." Clay trailed off.

   It was odd. It felt as if someone else was talking, not him. He could hear his words coming out of their mouth, but he didn't feel like they were his own. It was like he was watching himself speak.

   "It's nothing to worry about, just keep walking."

   Clay nodded and tried to force his thoughts back to his current reality. He was in Bolette. It was just a city. 

   But something felt wrong. Wrong wrong wrong. The prickling feeling ran up his spine again and he was once again aware of eyes on them. His skin crawled.

   "I told you I saw an inn!" Dream called out over the sounds. 

   The group shuffled through the waves of people again and made their way into a building. The air was cool and crisp. Clay sucked in a real breath. 

   "Clay. Sit down. You need to calm yourself." Michael reached out to touch his shoulder.

   Clay opened his mouth, but no words came out. All he could make was a chirp. 

   "Sit!" Michael repeated, his voice firm. 

   Clay obeyed. He slumped down onto the bench and buried his face in his hands. He felt Michael's hand rest on his back but the touch felt far away. His brain seemed like it was full of cotton. 

   He felt the pressure of someone sitting next to him, and then a wing draped over his shoulders. 

Clay chirped lightly in response to the weight. 

   He got a soft coo in response. Not the familiar twittering sound of dad or Phil or even the high peeps and quacks from Alex, but the sound was comforting either way. 

His wings. 

   He felt the pressure release as he let go of the concentration keeping them hidden. The usual weight settled over his back and he sucked in a sharp breath he didn't know he needed. It was like his mind suddenly slammed back into his body. 

   Exdee, he had a headache. 

   "You okay?" Michael asked, kneeling down to be eye level with Clay on the bench. 

Clay let out a shaky sigh. "Yeah. I'm good... That was weird."

   Dream pulled his wing away and stood up. "What happened?"

   Clay could only shrug. "Some kind of panic attack? Dunno. Felt weird..." He shook his head a little to clear out the fuzzy feeling. "I'm alright." He stood up. "I see we found the inn."

   Dream watched him for a long moment before he nodded. "Lets go get checked in okay?"

   Clay nodded and went to follow him, choosing to ignore the way he felt Michael looking at him. He stared at the ground, half listening to Dream talking to the inn-keeper. He felt... fine now. A little fuzzy but otherwise okay. What in the world was that? 

   Movement caught his eye. He looked up and saw two men walk in wearing some kind of uniform and something that vaguely resembled netherite armor. 

   A pit grew in Clay's stomach. 

   The uniformed men, some kind of law enforcement or guards, scanned the room and seemed to lock onto the group. They walked forward and Clay stood straighter, preparing for the worst. The men walked right past Clay, and straight to Techno. "Sir. You're under arrest for suspicion of treason."

Chapter Text

   "Treason? I've only been in the server for less than 4 days." Techno crossed his arms defiantly. "All I've done is hung around cities. I just got here on the ferry like 20 minutes ago!" 

   One of the guards, the one who hadn't spoken before, pulled out a device. It looked somewhat like the communicators of this server, the weight of the device making itself known in Clay's pocket. The guard held the device up to Techno and frowned. "Our scans confirm your connection to Djimon." 

   Techno stiffened a bit. His eyes flickered between the two guards and his hand slowly inched toward the blade hilted on his belt. 

   Dream sighed to himself and prepared to grab his axe and jump in to defend. Clay did the same, his wings ruffling with discomfort. If they had to fight their way out, so be it. 

   Michael noticed and crossed the room quickly. "Bad idea."

   "Get outta my way kid." Techno hissed, keeping his eyes trained on the guards, who were also drawing their weapons, fancy-looking metal crossbows. 

   Michael grabbed Techno's arm. "We will not make it out of here. I know how capable you are, but we will not make it out of here if you engage."

   "I haven't done anything," Techno growled. 

   "I know. We'll figure something out. Look around." He nodded his head toward the windows. 

   Techno stole a glance out the windows and noticed similarly armored guards dotted through the paths. He snarled to himself and dropped his hand away from the sword.

   Michael stepped back away from Techno. 

   The guards put their weapons away and stepped forward, cuffing Techno's wrists behind his back. "We appreciate your cooperation."

   "Screw you." Techno snarled.

   Clay watched the scene unfold with a sinking heart. He dropped his hand as well and watched the guards lead Techno out of the building and away. He turned to Michael. "What the hell?"

   "Clay. If we ended up attacking them, we would have ended up surrounded." Michael crossed his arms. "I don't like it either, but we couldn't risk it. We'll figure out a way to get him out. Right Dream?"

   Dream sighed and dropped his head into his hands. The group was dwindling more and more. "Just let me think. 

   "We're just going to let them take him?" Clay huffed. "Thats ridiculous. He didn't- We haven't-" He growled in frustration, his wings fluffing more with anger. 

   "We'll figure something out, Clay. We know he's innocent so it's only a matter of time before we get him back." Michael assured him. 

   Clay clenched his jaw and nodded. He didn't trust himself to speak. He took a deep breath and shook his head, forcing his anger down. Exdee, why couldn't they just have a break? 

   He sank back down onto a bench to think. 

   Djimon. 

   The Blood God. 

   The patron of the Farlands. 

   Clay numbly remembered what Techno had told him about the god and what he knew off the top of his head. Apparently, after giving his blessing to Techno, he and his admin disappeared. Then Clay thought about Cameron, who had apparently been offered a deal by Djimon.

   What did Quantum have to do with Djimon? QB was all the way across the Overworld from The Farlands. How could the two servers have any kind of connection? If something had happened between the servers, like the supposed war that no one could find information on, how did no one know? Perhaps it was something between the gods. There have been disagreements between gods before like the legend of Prime when Time and Space fought and what was going on with Dragoon's anger, and whatever had caused Exdee to go missing. 

   Despite how much Clay knew about the gods and the history of The Overworld, he still knew so little. 

   Come to think of it, who was QB's patron? And the admin? Clay swore he should know that at least about the server. 

   "We need a place to think and figure out what to do" Dream finally spoke. He snatched the key to their room off the desk. "Let's go." 

   Clay stood up, ignoring the way everyone in the lobby was staring at them still. He kept his eyes trained on the ground as he tried to wrap his brain around the mystery in QB. 

   He followed Dream and Michael quietly through the lobby and up the stairs. 

   There weren't that many options for QB to have as a patron, a lot of the pantheon was already taken, and no one had seen and heard of Space of Time in eons, even the other gods some sources say. Clay wished he had more time to ask Dragoon about the argument between the two creators. 

   "It's your fault they're gone." 

   Dragoon's words echoed in Clay's head, trailed by the sound of thunder. Did she mean Space and Time when she said that? Maybe. It would align with the legend pretty well.

    Damnit. Clay's mind was getting off track. He still felt a little fuzzy from his panic attack, so maybe now wasn't the best time to figure everything out. He stepped into the room after Michael and walked over to the window to look out. 

   Below, he could still see the armored guards filtering through the pathways. It seemed like their room was in one of those jutted-out pieces of the buildings. From up here, he could get a good view of the city. He made a mental note of everything he could see. 

   Tomorrow. 

   Tomorrow they would get Techno and then be back on track. It wasn’t their job to unravel the mystery of Quantum Bedrock, or figure out what was going on between the gods. It wasn’t their job to stop wars or save entire servers. It wasn’t supposed to be their job. 

   “I’ll locate the prison and go see what I can do in the morning.” Dream decided after a while. “You two work on finding us a way to the capital.” It seemed like he wanted to say more, but he bit his tongue. 

   “Alright.” Clay heard Michael agree for the both of them. 

   He wanted to go home…

Chapter Text

   Clay dreamed of rain. 

   The long grass brushed against his knees in the wind. Thunder rumbled somewhere far away and the steady patter of rain continued. The drops were large and frequent but not painful against his skin. 

   Suddenly, little by little, a city sprouted around him. It was small at first, a few houses appearing, then stores, and then walls. And then the city grew. Up and up, huge skyscrapers and towers. The rain pittered against the glass and metal and stone, soaking the roads. The sky was dark with clouds, but in a peaceful way. 

   Lightning cracked against the sky. Thunder rumbled like a monster in the sky. The clouds turned red. The smell of fire and ash burned his nose. And blood. He could smell blood. The walls crumbled. The wind roared and pulled him this way and that, ripping at his hair and clothes and wings. 

   His back hit a building. 

   He watched a figure dart by. 

   The figure was chased by a huge hulking monster, dripping dark ooze as it passed. Clay felt cold. The monster paused its chase and turned, its eyes, blood red, trained on him. The rain turned red and hot, soaking his hair and clothes, making them stick to his body. 

   Everything smelled like... like-

   Like blood.

   And Clay woke up. 

   His heart raced, and his mind screamed at him with panic. He bolted upright and blinked, looking around the room disoriented. He rubbed his eyes, trying to get used to the bright light. Already the details of the dream were fading. There was a field, and a figure, and... red rain? 

   He shook his head, unable to recall the rest. He really thought he was done having weird dreams.

   He sat up, pushing the blankets off his legs and putting his feet on the ground. He stretched out his wings and opened his mouth in a wide yawn. He glanced around the room and noticed that Michael was stirring in the other bed, and Dream was nowhere to be seen. Honestly, did that man ever rest? 

   Clay yawned and rolled out of bed, stretching his arms over his head and cracking his neck. He frowned softly and rubbed his face. What was that… noise.

   He tilted his head to listen more. 

   Ticking.
  He could hear ticking. 

   Clay turned to stare at the clock on the wall. It was a different color than the ones back home, purple instead of the usual golden color. The time read 5 til noon. He looked out the window and saw the lights were still on across the city and golden sunlight was still streaming through the trunk parts of the mushroom buildings. 

   It must be broken. Still, that ticking was annoying… He shook his head again to clear it. Exdee he was really losing it. 

   “Where's Dream?” Michael muttered as he sat up. 

   “No clue,” Clay broke his thoughts with a chuckle, “Doesn’t this feel familiar. Dream left us alone in a familiar, probably hostile place.”

   “Good morning to you too.” The elder glared and stood up to stretch more. 

   “He’s probably gone to find the jail, relax.” 

   “A heads up would be nice.” Michael went to grab his shirt and slip it over his head. 

   Clay shrugged and tried to clear the infernal ticking from his mind. “Let's get our stuff together. He’ll probably want to-”

   The door opened.

   “Well speak of the devil,” Michael shot to the eldest member of the trio. 

   Dream looked like he hadn’t slept. He glared weakly at Michael and ran his fingers through his long hair. “It's been a long night.” He sank down on the chair  in the corner. 

   “Where have you been?” Clay asked, walking over. “Also, you look awful.”
  “Yeah you look like shit.”

   Clay side-glanced at Michael and rolled his eyes but focused on Dream again for a response. 

   "Went to see Techno. He's okay by the way, just annoyed. They won't tell him anything about why he's been arrested. I could barely get any info from them either. Something about a demon."

   "Djimon." Clay corrected. 

   "What?"

   Figures, someone who grew up in a warring server and ran away as a child wouldn't know much about gods he didn't have contact with. It made sense, given that Djimon tended to be an... uncomfortable subject to anyone, even experienced Prime Pantheon scholars. 

   "The Blood God. The one that Techno's the champion of." Clay clarified. "I don't know why Quantum has such a problem with him though. He's the patron of the Farlands which is clear across the Overworld."

   "Alright... Anyway I don't know how long it's going to take to get him out. It could be weeks, it could be months." Dream sighed, rubbing a hand over his face again, clearly distressed about the situation. "We can't wait that long. I don't think the SMP has much time left honestly, given what Phil told us of the damage already." 

   Clay felt stiff. "What are you saying?"

   "He's staying behind. We're continuing on the mission." Michael said with his lips pressed in a tight line. "That's what you're about to suggest right?" 

   Dream stared at Michael but nodded. "I'll give you the map and we'll talk about what to do when in the capital. While I was out I asked about private messaging in this server. We can set up a channel between us so you two can contact me. If I get Techno out early we'll follow you two and meet you in Quantum City."

   Clay didn't like it. This felt like a bad idea. Images of crumbling walls and red rain scratched the back of his mind. Despite that, he agreed. "We'll do it." 

   "Clay-"

   "Mike. We have to. The SMP- Sam and Alex are counting on us to find Exdee. It’ll be fine.” Clay wasn’t sure he believed his own words. 

   From the looks of it, Michael didn’t believe them either. He pursed his lips and crossed his arms. “I don’t like it.”

   “Michael-”

   “I didn’t say no.” He gave a heavy sigh. “I’ll do it.”

   “Good. Let’s talk about what to do then so you two can set off as quick as possible.”

Chapter Text

    The next morning, it was cold. There was a dampness to the air signaling that it had rained the night before. Clay's blood felt electric as they left the canals at the edge of the city. There was a train station there. 

   Dream had prepaid for their tickets to Quantum City so all they had to do was show their Com's and they'd be able to board. Clay had thought about suggesting they fly there, but then he remembered how hard Michael was to carry over long distances. Avians were a lot leaner than piglin's and typically Avians only carried young during long flights. It wasn't the most viable travel option no matter how much Clay wished it was. 

   So the train it was.

   The pair walked up to the counter and offered their communicators to be scanned. The scanner grazed both devices and flashed green. The station clerk looked at them with a raised eyebrow. "Where are you guys headed?"

   "Quantum City," Clay answered.

   The clerk waved his hand and said, "Go on. Train will be here any minute."

   They had been sitting on the platform for a good ten minutes when the train finally showed up. It was a massive beast of a machine, shaped like a bullet, with a single high-speed tunnel running its length. It was loud enough to make conversation difficult.

   When it reached them Clay and Michael climbed on and found seats near the front of the cart. After everyone else had boarded Clay closed his eyes, ignoring the sounds of chatter and laughter, and rested his head back. The noise seemed to dull and the world slowed. 

   He fell asleep

   A few hours later he woke up. He opened his eyes to see he had fallen to rest on his friend's shoulder. Michael looked over him, looking somewhat concerned. "Are you alright?"

   Clay groaned and sat up before he stretched, "Yeah, I'm fine. That was a nice nap actually." Somehow Clay had managed to sleep better while on a moving vehicle than any other time on this trip. "Are we there yet?"

   Michael looked out the window, then back at Clay. "No. Not quite. We've passed through a few other cities though."

   Clay sighed and rubbed his eyes. "Mmm. How are you feeling?"

   Michael grimaced and rolled his eyes. "Like shit, but I think that's normal for me these days."

Clay huffed. If he looked close enough, under Michael's bangs, he could see a faint scar  poking out of his hairline. The sight made his stomach twist. 

   "Clay. The time up there keeps changing." Michael pointed to the clock above the door to the train car. 

   "Mike. That's how time works. It's always changing." Clay deadpanned, still somewhat groggy from sleep. "You're the smart one. You should know that." 

   "That's not what I meant." Michael huffed. "It changes to a completely different time randomly. Like, five minutes ago it was nine o'clock, now it says three."

   Clay felt a sense of dread pool in his gut. He turned his head to watch the clock closely. It ticked normally, like a clock would, counting the seconds and minutes past 3:30. He blinked and suddenly it read 12:14. 

   The sudden change was jarring. 

   "See." Michael said, pointing to the clock.

   Clay was silent.

   "Clay. Look at mine. My communicator says 1:42. Judging by the shadows out the window I think mine is right." Michael said.

   Clay took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. This wasn't the first time he had noticed these oddities here... He pulled out his communicator. "Mine also says 1:42. This isn't the first time I've noticed something weird with the clocks. Something really weird is going on in this server."

Michael frowned and looked around. "This place gives me the creeps. Everything is going wrong here. First Karl. Then Techno gets arrested. And the clocks are all funny. I don't like this place at all."

   Clay nodded. "Me neither." He debated on telling Michael about his dream, but last time he had weird dreams like that, it was back when the mobs were mutated and the SMP was dying. If his weird dreams here meant the same...

   "What?" Michael was looking at him expectantly. "What aren't you telling me?"

   "What?" Clay tried to act innocent. 

   "Clay. I know you. You have that look on your face. What happened? What do you know?" Michael frowned. "No secrets. I need to know everything if we're going to be prepared."

   Clay sighed. He was caught. No use in trying to play it off now that Michael had it in his mind. He bit his lip and took a deep breath. "I had a dream." 

   Michael tensed, showing that he too remembered the last time that Clay was having 'dreams.' "Okay?" He kept his voice calm as he listened. 

   Clay shifted and grabbed his bag from under his seat, pulling out his journal from within. "I wrote it down yesterday. What I could remember at least. There was a big field, and then a city grew around me. Some... figure ran through the city being chased by a monster. And then it started raining, but the rain was red." Like blood, his brain helpfully supplied. 

   "That's not ominous at all." Michael hissed. 

   "Mhmmm." Clay stared at the words he had written. He made a point to write about the ticking the clock had made when he woke up. "I wrote about the clock in the room when we woke up. It was broken too." 

   "So this is a server wide thing here. Something really strange is going on. Maybe what Karl was saying about that war a long time ago was right." Michael shrugged. 

   Clay's thoughts immediately jumped back to the monster and the crumbling city. That certainly could have been a battle. But why would there be no record of it..? "We need to get out of here. As soon as possible. I really don't like it here."

   "I agree. Let’s just get to the admin and ask them to release Techno so we can leave. Exdee probably isn't here anyway." Michael suggested.

   "Yeah." Clay muttered. He put his journal back in the bag and stored it under his seat again. He leaned back just in time to see the clock change again. 

It said twelve on the dot. 

Chapter Text

   The pair reached Quantum City just after their com's read 6 o'clock. It seemed like a normal city, save for the tall buildings that weren't present in any other servers. It was beautiful. The lights shimmered and danced among the buildings in a way that made the area feel alive.

   There were huge walls surrounding the city, a normal sight. But unlike the walls of the other cities, these walls were lined with a series of turrets. Clay could tell from the distance that they were loaded with cannons. The sight didn't exactly help with his nerves. He and Michael shared a look. 

   This really added to the war theory.

   "I bet the admin is up there," Michael muttered, pointing at the tallest building.

   Clay had to agree. 

   Eventually, the train went through the large central gate and pulled up to a station. The city was less busy than Bolette and Clay could see the sky so he liked it so much more here. They exited the train and began making their way toward the exit.

   A group of guards stood at a checkpoint, blocking their path. "ID?" The man asked politely.

   Michael dug into his pocket and handed over his Com. 

   The man hummed as he scanned the com, making polite conversation until the scan went through. His face dimmed lightly. "You're from out of server?" 

   "Yes sir. We're from Continent B," Clay put in. "The GreaterSMP."

   "Mmm. Yes. I think I've heard of that one. Thought it fell a while ago but I guess not." The guard huffed handing the com back to Michael and moving to scan Clay's. 

   "Fell, sir?" Clay raised a brow with confusion. 

   "Mmm. As far as I was aware, most of Continent B was lost. I thought Hypixal was all that was left." The guard huffed. 

   "Left from what?" Michael scrunched his brows together. 

   The guard looked at the two like they were crazy but handed Clay his com back. "The war with The Farlands obviously."

   "Oh. Mhm. Yeah. That's actually why we left the SMP." Clay lied, trying to keep the mood light and gather information at the same time. QB had a war with the Farlands? When? How? That would explain some of the animosity toward Techno, given his history with Djimon. 

   But the GreaterSMP had only existed for a little over 25 years. There had been no, cross-server wars in that time, even with the SMP's own problems, surely there couldn't have been a whole secret war. Techno had grown up in the Farlands as well and there wasn't a war during that time either. 

   Something didn't add up. 

   "That's understandable, it's safer to be here for a young couple such as yourselves. Quantum Bedrock is one of the last sanctuaries during the war, our god and admin work non-stop to protect us." 

   Clay nodded absently until his brain caught up. "We aren't a couple." 

   The guard looked confused. "You aren't?"

   "We're just friends," Michael said gruffly.

   The guard looked back at Clay. "I'm sorry, I jumped to conclusions."

   Clay changed the subject. "Do you know where we can read more about the war?"

    The guard looked puzzled about the request. 

   'That probably sounded really suspicious Clay.' Clay scolded himself mentally. "I mean, back in the SMP It's hard to get accurate information. I'd rather not spread rumors or misinformation. We want to find out what really happened."

   "Ah. Well, you could probably try the archives. They're downtown, near the base of the admin tower." The guard pointed down a street in the direction of the tall building. "You can go down this road and it will take you to the base of the admin tower. Take two lefts and a right and you should find the archives."

   "Thank you." Clay nodded his head and tugged Michael behind him. "Let's get to the archives."

They walked along the main road, watching the street signs carefully. The buildings were all tall and beautiful with bright glowing neon lights like glow squid. This city was a lot different from Bolette, but no less impressive. The streets were clean and there were people walking around everywhere. Being able to see the sky above made it feel less smothering than Bolette had. 

   "That was weird." Michael started. 

   "It was. That basically confirmed what Karl was saying about the war and it explains why Techno might have gotten arrested, but the timeline really doesn't match up." Clay huffed. Every extra hour he spent here made him feel more uneasy. 

   "Oh. That's not what I was talking about but that is true as well." Michael hummed. 

   "What were you talking about?" Clay asked, furrowing his brows as he looked at his friend. 

   "The way that guard thought we were a couple. It's weird." Michael shrugged putting his hands in his pockets. "I guess I focused on the wrong thing in that conversation."

   Clay stared at his friend for a moment. "Yeah. Just a bit Mike."

   "Right. Anyway, about the war thing. What exactly are you hoping to learn?"

Clay dropped the subject and ran his fingers through his hair. "I don't know. Something tells me that if we knew what happened, we would know what is happening now. And maybe we could solve this whole mystery and save Techno from the jail cell."

   "Is this another Dream chase feeling?" 

   "Yeah." 

   "Hmm. Then we should be careful. We can't exactly expect anyone to come save us this time, we're on our own." Michael pat Clay's shoulder. "This is the admin tower isn't it?"

   "Yeah. Which way did that guard say to go from here?" Clay looked around. All the buildings towered high above them, making Clay feel slightly dizzy and ill to his stomach. He was going to be so happy when they finally left Quantum.

   "I think he said a left and two rights." Michael hummed, taking a left at the base of the tower and walking in that direction.

   Clay followed close behind. They took a right at the next turn. And then another right. They weren't at the archives. 

   "We messed up." Clay huffed. "It was a left and two rights, right?"

   Michael scrunched his brows together and looked up at the buildings. "Maybe. I don't know. All these buildings look the same from down here." He turned his head, looking up and down the streets in the waning light. 

   Clay hummed. "Let's go this way." He tugged Michael along by his arm again. He'd gone a few blocks before he turned to Michael. "We're lost."

   "Shit."

   "Language."

   "Shut up Clay." Michael huffed. "How do we get back to the admin tower?" 

   "I don't know. I think its back that direction." Clay shrugged. He looked up and down the street again. Up ahead was a large building with a clock on top of it. A large clock that said seven o'clock.

   Clay's com read 8:30. He was starting to get used to the odd times. 

   A shrill sound pierced the air making Clay and Michael both cover their ears and alarming several other people on the streets. The sound cut off shortly after it started and Clay found himself searching for the source. 

   Near an alley, a small boy crouched in the road, his hands clasped over his ears. 

   Clay forgot all about finding the archives and pushed his way to the child. He knelt down, the stone digging into his knees, and touched the boy gently. 

   The boy flinched and stared up at Clay with wide golden eyes and his hands still held firmly over his ears. 

   Clay looked around for what could have caused the distress until he saw a pair of ear muffs on the ground a few feet away. He reached over and snatched them up before securing them over the boy's ears. 

   The boy eased up immediately, body going limp. 

   "Are you okay?" Clay asked, holding out his hand to help the child up.

   The boy nodded and accepted the help after a moment. 

   "Are you alone?" Michael knelt down to the boy's level. 

   The boy nodded again. 

   "Where are your parents?" Clay looked around for anyone who could possibly be looking for a missing child. The kid couldn't be any older than Sam.

   The boy shook his head.

   "No parents?" Michael assumed.

   The boy nodded again. 

   Michael and Clay shared a look and Michael turned back to the boy. "What's your name?"

   No response, just another head shake. 

   "Can you talk?" Clay asked with furrowed brows. 

   The boy once again shook his head. 

   "Mute." Michael deduced. "How old are you?" 

   The boy shrugged at that one and then tugged at Michael's hand and Clay's sleeve. 

   "You want us to follow you?" Clay raised a brow. 

   He nodded again and tugged at the two men again. Michael and Clay shared another look as Michael got to his feet.

    Clay let out a sigh and followed the boy, following the path he'd taken. The streets were alive with chatter as they walked. The boy moved fluidly, weaving in and out of the crowds like it was nothing. Eventually, he stopped. He stood in front of a large, dark door.

   Michael looked up at the door and saw a sign reading "Archives." His eyes widened in surprise. "Hey you-" He started, looking down where the boy had been standing until he noticed the boy was gone. He looked around quickly and saw no sign of him. 

   "Clay. Clay the kid is gone." Michael turned to his friend and noticed the blond was staring in the opposite direction with wide eyes. "Clay...? What's wrong?" 

   "This is it. This is where my dream was," Clay whispered. 

Chapter Text

"What dream?" Michael turned to his friend, forgetting about the random kid for now. "The one with the red rain?" 

   "Yes. I was standing right here." Clay looked around the area, taking in more than what he could in the dream. He could focus on the buildings now. They were better put together than in the dream, which made sense, given that the dream depicted the city during some kind of attack. "I watched this city be built. From this spot. I remember." 

   "Okay. That's... Okay." Michael nodded, not sure what else to say.

   "It’s important." Clay said quietly. "I need to know what happened. Why I dreamed about this. It feels important Michael." He scanned the path he saw the figure and the monster take through the city. Now that he looked, they had been running from the outer walls, toward the admin tower. 

   "So you're thinking there's something in the archives that'll tell you about this dream?" Michael asked.

   "Yes. I'm certain the dream was related to the war but I don't know how. The city looks pretty intact but we have no idea how long it's been since the war." Clay was starting to get frustrated with how annoying and confusing this entire situation was. "Exdee, none of this makes sense!"

   "We'll figure it out. That's like our job, fixing other people's problems." Michael snorted to himself. "Lets go inside and see what we can find okay? I think you're right though. There's got to be something in the archives that can help us."

   Clay nodded and followed Michael into the library. 

   "Excuse me, where would we find historical records?" Clay asked, trying to keep his voice calm despite how off he felt. 

   "Those are on the 5th floor." The librarian answered. "The stairs are over there." 

   "Thank you miss." Clay dragged his friend off and up the flights of stairs. They walked past a large glass window, looking out onto the city. The sun was setting and the sky was turning from pale blue to purple and pink. The buildings glowed and the sky reflected off the water on one side of the city. A lake. 

   "Wow." Michael breathed.

   Clay looked over at his friend, not surprised to see the man enthralled in the view. Clay saw views like this all the time when he flew. He didn't feel the same awe or wonder as Michael did, but he could appreciate the beauty of it. "It is pretty isn't it?"

   Michael shot a glance at his friend before looking back at the view. "Yeah. It's beautiful." He cleared his throat and turned back to Clay. "Hope that kid is okay..."

   Clay had nearly forgotten. He stared out the window to the streets below. "Yeah... Me too." He murmured before he looked up the rest of the staircase. "Let's keep going."

   Michael nodded in agreement and pulled away from the window. 

   After two more floors, the pair reached the designated floor and pushed the doors open to go inside. 

   There were rooms for each category of historical record. War, art, music, hybrids, technology, and mythology. Each room had its own doors and signs directing them to the proper section.

   "I've never seen a place like this before. Even the Hypixal archives can't compare." Michael whispered. "Look how organized it is. You could spend days in here and never run out of things to read." There was a bit of glee in his eyes. 

   "Well, that depends on what you want to read." Clay usually wasn't one for learning, but he enjoyed history, so he could agree with Michael on this one at least. "War is what we're looking for." He made a mental note to look through the mythology files if he ever had the chance.

   They stopped at the first door, marked "war."

   "Alright. Let's see what we have here." Clay pushed the door open and stepped inside. The room was large, with rows of desks near the door and then several bookshelves behind them. There was a large map in the center of the room, hanging on the wall with various pins stuck to the area. 

   Clay walked slowly down the aisle, scanning everything and taking in the sights. "Pull out anything that pertains to the Farlands."

   Michael nodded and went to start at the other end of the room. He picked up a book and flipped through it, looking for anything that might be useful to the duo.

   Clay continued to walk the aisle, stopping and looking at whatever caught his eye. Books on battles and wars, weapons, maps, and even the history of Quantum. He stopped at one particular book that seemed to interest him.

   Clay sat down at the desk by the door, opened the book, and began to read. 

  𝘋𝘫𝘪𝘮𝘰𝘯, 𝘣𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘨𝘰𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘍𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘉, 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘢𝘳 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘺 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘘𝘶𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘶𝘮 𝘉𝘦𝘥𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘬'𝘴 𝘦𝘹𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦. 𝘉𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘯 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘈, 𝘛𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘈𝘥𝘮𝘪𝘯 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘰𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘥. 𝘞𝘢𝘳 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘭𝘭. 

   𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘳 𝘪𝘯 𝘉 𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘶𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘦𝘳. 𝘞𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘪𝘵, 𝘋𝘫𝘪𝘮𝘰𝘯 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘳𝘦 𝘌𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥. 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥? 

   𝘐𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘍𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘖𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘢 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘌𝘭𝘺𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘢. 

   𝘈𝘷𝘪𝘢 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘢𝘭𝘭, 𝘯𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘣𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘴. 𝘖𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘪𝘯 𝘱𝘶𝘵 𝘶𝘱 𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘧𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯'𝘵 𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘴𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘩 𝘨𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘶𝘱 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘳𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘢𝘥𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘴 𝘧𝘭𝘦𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘨𝘰𝘥𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘊𝘭𝘰𝘶𝘥 𝘊𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘧'𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘳𝘺. 

   𝘘𝘶𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘶𝘮 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘣𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴. 𝘋𝘫𝘪𝘮𝘰𝘯'𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘱𝘶𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘴𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘦𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘦𝘳. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘪𝘨𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘯.

   Horror swirled in Clay's gut. This was impossible, literally impossible. All of the servers in Continent B still stood. They had just left Avia a week ago! And Dragoon... sure she had been angry but she wasn't allied with Djimon right? Had she been fooling them? 

   How could any of this be possible?

   "Clay! I found something!"

   Clay snapped the book closed and slid it under his arm as he headed across the room to the other side where Michael was sifting through a box of papers. "What did you find?" His voice shook slightly. 

   "Look at the date." Michael held one up, his face slightly pale. 

   "The date? Why is that-" Clay's words died in his throat as he stared at the numbers printed. "That's-"

   "Impossible? I know." Michael gripped the paper tight. "They all say something like that." 

   There, on the top of the page, was the date July 5th, 3032. 

   Over 1000 years into the future. 

Chapter Text

   "How- I mean how? This shouldn't be- one thousand years? That's crazy- Its' like they're from the-" Clay stumbled over his words, staring at the paper in his hands. 

   "The future." Michael muttered. 

   "But that's-"

   "Clay. You've been to the past before." Michael pointed out. "Think about it. The patron for QB is Time isn't it? He's one of the original creators!"

   Clay swallowed. He had to admit, what Michael was saying made sense... And if Exdee, who wasn't literally the god of time itself, could mess with time enough to send someone several years into the past and drag that same person back to the present along with someone else, who knew what Time could do. Was he powerful enough to bring the entire server to the past?

   "It... makes sense." Clay muttered. 

   "Yeah. So this war never happened. That's why there's no record of it outside of this server. It happens centuries in the future! This could also make up the whole clock problem!" Michael continued, his eyes glittering with joy as he solved the mystery. He seemed to realize the situation and cleared his throat. "Not really something to be excited about." 

   "Just a bit Mike." Clay sighed running his fingers through his hair and giving his friend a fond yet exasperated look. "I found this. It gives a bit of an overview of what happened during the war." He pulled the book he was holding out from under his arm.

   Michael snatched it, flipping through pages. His face fell as he looked at the book. "But we changed Dragoon's mind. Wilbur was able to convince her to stop before she and Kirsten continued that fight."

   "Exactly." Clay huffed. "Which is why this doesn't make any sense."

Michael hummed in thought. "Well what if, Wilbur didn't stop Kirsten in this timeline." Michael tapped the book. "Maybe when QB left the future and came back here, it changed things and this future won't happen anymore." 

   Clay didn't feel too confident. Djimon didn't seem like the reasonable type. He shuddered, remembering the lengths Cameron had gone to get revenge on Techno with Djimon's help. "Maybe you're right." 

   Michael closed the book, looking over his friend's face seriously for a moment. "We should get some rest. Find somewhere to sleep for the night. We can try and talk to the admin tomorrow and get some stuff sorted out." 

   Clay nodded, feeling tired. He took the book from Michael and returned it to its original place. "I don't think we should tell Dream about this. This feels like something way out of our depths. We barely scraped by in the last few disasters we've been in..." He wanted to figure this out, really he did, but he wasn't going to risk anyone else's lives, especially not Michael's again. 

   "I don't think that's a good idea." Michael shuffled the papers around to put them back where he found them. "We should let him know so he knows what we're dealing with."

   "I don't want to be dragged into this more than we already are. All we need to do is get Techno out and then Dream can find Exdee and we can go home," Clay huffed. 

   "Clay what's gotten into you?" Michael asked in surprise. "You used to be so much braver. You were always ready for a fight. Now you're just trying to run away."

   "Run away? From what?!" Clay sputtered, his face flushing red with anger and his wings flaring out. "I am not running away! I am just being careful. Isn't that what you always wanted?" He tried to keep his voice calm, but it felt like it was rattling off his tongue. He didn't normally get worked up like this.

   Michael grimaced, trying to push down the anger threatening to take him. "Not like this! You're acting..." He searched desperately for the right word, "Defeated. I don't like it."

   "Why don't you like me being careful?" Clay demanded.

   "You're not like this. You'd want to figure out what was causing this. You'd want to figure out some way to help! You're not the type to just give up like this!" Michael grabbed Clay's shoulders tightly. 

   Clay shrugged the touch off. "Every time I do act like that, you get annoyed at me for being reckless! I'm tired Michael! I'm sick of having to do things that hurt the people I care about! All I've ever done is get us into trouble. This is all my fault in the first place!"

   "Clay, that's not true!" Michael shouted, grabbing onto Clay's arms. "This is not your fault! You didn't ask for any of this to happen!"

   "You're lying! Michael, you died because I chose to go to a festival instead of looking for Exdee. Now that I want to do what we actually set out to do, you're trying to stop me!" Clay spat, trying desperately to hold back his angry tears.

   "I already told you that it was on me for dying!" Michael snapped back. "I don't blame you for anything!"

   "Michael, you're always there for me! You're the fucking smart one. Like I said, I'm the one that gets us into trouble. Why won't you let me stop that?"

   "Because this isn't you!" Michael snapped again, dropping his grip on Clay's arm and frantically wiping away angry tears. "Damnit-"

   Clay's anger faded away in an instant. It was so rare that he saw Michael cry... "Mike-"

   "Don't." Michael huffed. He wiped his eyes again and met Clay's gaze with a determined expression. "You're Clay. You're my best friend who doesn't think but is the bravest person I know and who always wants to help people even when people don't trust you. You're a good person, the best person. I hate seeing you like this. Ever since we left Caplos, you've been so tired and defeated. I miss your energy and determination and brashness. I miss you ."

   Clay's throat tightened at the words. He wanted to respond, but he couldn't find the words. He had never imagined Michael thought that about him. 

   Michael had always been so... stoic almost. The rock. He was the annoyed person who followed Clay around to keep him out of trouble. He had been the one to comfort Clay when he got hurt and support him when he was feeling dejected. But now... 

   "So help me." Michael said softly, his eyes burning. "Help me fix this. Do what you do best okay? When everything is fixed we can go home and live that life you want. But I know you won't be happy unless we fix this."

   He was right. Clay loved adventure. He loved excitement and danger. It was in his blood, sure he wanted a safe place to live and raise Sam and Alex, but Sam and Alex wouldn't be safe if what happened in the future happened again. They did need to get to the bottom of this. They had to fix this. 

   "You're right. Fuck you're right. I've been stupid. I've gotten into my own head about things. I've been trying to act like what I thought you wanted me to be..." 

   "I never wanted you to be anything but yourself." Michael's voice was soft, his eyes tinged slightly red with tears still. "All those times I told you to be more careful, that was just me looking out for you. Even when you aren't careful I'll back you up. We're in this together. Always."

   For a few seconds, Clay couldn't find the words to respond. Finally, he managed to choke out, "You're a better person than I am."

   "No I'm not." Michael laughed weakly. "I just have to be smarter than you."

   Clay chuckled, wrapping his arms around Michael's shoulders. "Come on, let's go grab some dinner and then we can figure this shit out."

   "Ooh, that's number two within five minutes. You going for a swearing record Mr. Potty Mouth?" Michael chuckled.

   "Shut up." Clay scolded. 

   Michael could only laugh. "Well this has been uncomfortable and emotionally charged. I think it's time to go find somewhere to sleep."

   "Good call." Clay agreed, pulling away from the hug. "We should tell Dream what we found out." 

   Michael nodded and went to lead the way out of the history file rooms and back to the staircase. The large window they passed on the third floor was fully dark now. It looked like the sun had already set. The sky was getting darker quickly and the buildings were shining with neon glow lights. 

   "It's not as pretty when it's dark." Clay mumbled, trying to ease the mood. He felt lighter now, the weight that had been sitting on his chest since Caplos was easier to bear now. 

   "Oh I don't know." Michael muttered, gazing at his friend as they descended the stairs, leaving the window behind. "I think it's just as pretty."

   The next morning, the two headed back to the admin tower, without getting lost this time, and went into the front desk. The woman sitting there looked less than pleased. "Can I help you boys?"

   "Hello, we need to speak to the admin." Clay started. 

   Now the woman just looked annoyed. "On what matters?" 

   "We need to speak to him about getting our friend out of one of your prisons." Michael huffed, keeping that their main topic so they didn't cause any panic. 

   "Our admin is too busy to bother with trivial matters. He won't meet with you today." She huffed. "Leave now."

   Clay was taken aback by the blatant rudeness. "Excuse me? It really is urgent that we meet with him. My uncle is innocent. He did nothing wrong when your people arrested him."

   "I do not care. Our admin is far too busy dealing with the war to worry about prisons. Leave, before I have you escorted out." She narrowed her eyes. 

   "Why I-" Michael started.

   Clay took that as the sign to do what she said. He grabbed Michael's arm and pulled him outside. Once they got outside, he turned to glare at his friend. "You can't be starting fights."

   "But she just-"

   "I know! I'm not exactly happy either, but we can't be causing problems if we want to find a way to meet with the admin. Look, we know the admin isn't really busy with the war, so they must be doing something else." Clay huffed. "We have to find some way to meet with them."

   Michael grumbled and crossed his arms, looking off to the side. His expression eased up. "Clay look!"

   Clay turned his head and blinked in surprise. "Is that the kid from yesterday?"

   "I think so." Michael pushed his way through the crowd and over to the kid. "Hey. Kiddo."

   The boy turned around and tilted his head up to look at the two men as they walked over. He tilted his head slightly at them. He blinked with wide eyes. 

   Clay knelt down. "You're still out here alone kiddo?"

   The boy shrugged and peered over Clay's shoulder. He pointed at the tower. 

   Clay looked over his shoulder and frowned lightly. "What about the tower buddy?"

   The boy squirmed between the two men and grabbed their hands. He started walking forward leaving Clay and Michael to just trail after the child in confusion. The boy led the men inside the tower and straight past the woman at the desk. 

   She looked up and seemed to glower at the pair before she saw the boy and looked back down at whatever paper she was working with.

   "Where are we going?" Clay asked the child who kept moving through the corridors.

   The boy released Michael's hand and pointed up before grabbing the hand again and leading the two to a set of doors. The doors opened and the boy pulled both of them inside. 

   Michael looked at Clay suspiciously for a moment. "How did-"

   "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth Michael." Clay muttered. 

   Michael huffed. Extremely trusting, probably dangerous and impulsive decisions, leading Michael around like it was his job. All checks. This was more like the normal Clay. Michael had to hide his smile behind his free hand. 

   The elevator jolted slightly and then moved upwards. The ride was quiet, both Clay and Michael feeling a sense of unease. The clock in the small room was spinning at a rapid pace. 

   Finally, the elevator stopped and the boy waited for the doors to open before leading the both of them out. They walked into a large office. 

   There was a desk, surrounded by large floor to ceiling windows, showing the sky and the other buildings in the city. Clay also caught sight of a couch and what looked like a kitchen past an open door in one corner of the room. 

   The desk chair started to spin. "Minute, how many times must I tell you, I'm-" The chair stopped spinning. There was a man sitting there with dark scalera and pale cloudy blue iris'. He had sandy colored hair and teal horns sprouting from the sides of his head as well as white freckles dotting his pale face. He was some kind of hybrid that Clay had never seen before. "You've brought guests Minute." 

   The boy let go of Clay and Michael's hands and walked across the room, hopping up on the desk and sitting with his feet dangling off. He gestured for the strange hybrid to lean closer. When the admin did as told, the boy cupped his ear and whispered something that even Clay's avian ears couldn't pick up. 

   The man nodded simply.

  The boy seemed satisfied with whatever conclusion they had met. Then he slid off the desk and walked out of the room. The admin watched Minute leave and sat up straighter. His eyes focused back on Clay and Michael. "I am Waylen, Admin of Quantum Bedrock. Sit. Let's talk."

Chapter Text

   Karl felt like he was floating. His head felt fuzzy, almost like there was an internal buzzing. Or ticking. It sounded like ticking. It almost felt like his ears were filled with cotton and someone was holding a clock to his head. 

   He opened his eyes to nothingness. The black void of space was all he could see. It felt... familiar somehow. Like it was a place he had been before. Karl tried to move, but his arms and legs weren't responding to his commands. He tried to scream, but no sound came out.

   Suddenly, a warm light appeared in the void.

   And there was a figure. The figure lifted its head. It was almost as if a piece of space itself had taken form and gained life. He looked around quietly, eyes sparkling with the light of stars not yet made. The figure's eyes glazed right over Karl, showing that the figure couldn't see Karl or at least didn't acknowledge Karl's presence. 

   "Hello?" The figure called, voice echoing into nothingness. 

   There was no response. 

   The figure (Space, somehow Karl knew that was his name) looked around more, spinning in the void.

   "Is anyone there?" Space called out.

Still no response.

   "Why am I here?"

   Silence.

   Space looked around, a pitiful expression on his face as he curled into a ball, drawing his knees close. "Hello?" He called again, voice growing soft. 

   The buzzing, ticking, grew louder in Karl's ears. His vision tunneled in on Space, and then it was like a layer of static had peen placed over his eyes. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to clear the vision. When he opened them, he could tell the scene had changed. Karl didn't know how much time had passed, he just knew it had been a long, long time. 

   Eons, in the blink of an eye. 

   There were stars now. Dots of light, spanning the vast emptiness. Space had rings now, little bits of dust that reflected light. One around his head, and one around each of his wrists and ankles. The ring around his head was pulsing, and the others were moving slowly.

   Space was fiddling with something in his hands, another ball of light. It didn't look like a star. It was taking shape. 

   Chimes of a clock tower rang through Karl's head as he watched Space work. 

   One. 

   Space pinched the ball of lights sides, drawing them out into limbs. 

   Two. 

   Space's features were twisted into an expression of concentration. 

   Three. 

   The creation was beginning to take form.

   Four.

   A figure was forming.

   Five.

   It was humanoid, much like Space.

   Six.

   A head.

   Seven.

   Those limbs were arms now.

   Eight.

   Legs. The ball of light, a creature born from star had legs now

   Nine.

   The body was complete, Space moved his hands, carving features into the figure's face. 

   Ten.

   Space was smiling. Karl didn't know how he could tell, but it's eyes were shining bright as the creature in its hands formed.

   Eleven.

   The creature was finished. He, it was a he, definitely a he, opened its eyes and stared up at Space. 

   Twelve.

   Space held the creature in his arms, cradling him like a baby. "Hello there little one... I'm Space. And you, you shall be Time."

   The figure in Space's arms reached up with one arm, stretching his hand towards Space. He touched Space's cheek, and cooed in a soft tone. 

   Space smiled warmly, a sadness in his eyes. "It’s just the two of us. You and me. Forever." He let out a small laugh that turned into a sob. "Just you and me little brother."

   Karl's eyes burned as stardust poured into them. He squinted, trying to watch the scene as long as possible, before his eyes closed again. 

   The next time he opened them, Time was taller than Space. Many years had passed once again. He had grown a lot since the last scene. His eyes looked like clock faces, clocks which had not yet been invented or even thought of. 

   Space was focused on what was in his hands. Another two balls of light, much like Time had been in the last scene Karl had watched. 

   Karl wondered numbly why he was seeing all of these things. What did they have to do with him? He watched, silent as always, as Space crafted two new beings. And they were created. Two perfect little beings. "What shall we name our new siblings brother?" 

   Time blinked. "This will be Dragoon. And this Azar." 

   "Those are wonderful names." Space agreed. 

   Karl blinked again. More time had passed. He watched as the universe grew and aged. And eventually the Nether and End were created. 

   Karl watched as Time made his own Creation, Aspen. He watched as Aspen grew and created the Overworld. He watched as Space and Time created the links between the three realms and the god of the moon Callisto and goddess of the sun Elia to assist Aspen in the care of the Overworld. 

   Karl watched eons of creations in mere minutes. 

   He blinked again and opened his eyes. A sense of dread pooled in his stomach. He wasn't in the void of space anymore. He was on the Overworld. 

   Karl watched Space, who was hunched over a workbench, crafting something that Karl couldn't see. He looked around the limited area he could see from where he was stuck. There were so many creatures. Creatures Karl recognized. Animals and mobs alike. 

   Karl's throat felt tight. 

   Then Time walked in."Space–" He started then paused in awe as he looked around at all the creatures. "What are all these?" Time asked his brother. 

   Space looked up, his eyes shining with a slightly mad glee. "Oh. Hello little brother." It moved to one of the creatures. "That one is a sheep. It will go in the Overworld. This one is a blaze, it will go in the Nether. And these two," he moved to what he was currently working on, "These are the new gods. Kirsten of death, and Aukai of life. They will oversee the cycle of these creatures. And this," Space held up a small tiny creature, it resembled the gods in some ways; two legs, two arms, and a head. "This is a human. They can think like us. They can create. They will do amazing things." 

   Time had to admit that he was amazed and dumbfounded. What was death? What was life? How had Space created these creatures? But Time didn't come here for these questions. He came here for answers. "The others worry for you. They have not seen you in centuries."

 Space frowned and set the human down. "I have been busy. Can't you see that?"

   "Too busy for your family?" Time crossed his arms, upset and frustration crossing his features. 

   "You see my creations do you not?" Space's tone was getting defensive. 

   "Your creations are consuming you, brother. You should take a break." Time took a step closer and rested a hand on his brother’s shoulder. 

   Space jerked and shrugged the touch off. "I'm not done yet! I have to fill the emptiness!"

   Time's face shifted to concern. "Space, this isn't very healthy for you. You have us, your family. What more do you need?"

   "What more do I need?" Space echoed. "What gives you the right to determine what is good for me?" It lashed out, catching its brother on the face with a hand. 

   Karl watched with a numb horror as the two brothers fought. Each blow made the ticking in his ears grow louder.His eyes burned and watered as he tried to keep them open, to see how it ended. It was hard. He squinted, trying desperately to hold onto the scene. 

   Space had Time pinned down. 

   Karl's eyes closed, and the scene was gone. 

   The ticking stopped.

   He opened his eyes again, back in the empty void. Now stars. No Space. No Time. No anything. 

   He was alone. 

   Karl's eyes scanned the emptiness, the numb cold from watching the fight spreading to the rest of his body. He couldn't see anything. There was nothing here, or anywhere. 

   He really was alone.

   Is this what Space had felt like, in the eons before he created Time?

   Finally, Karl's eyes latched onto something. 

   A boy, not floating in the void like Karl was. He was walking, feet stepping across the endless nothingness as he came closer to Karl. He stopped just short of Karl and looked up at him. 

   The boy was rather ordinary looking. Brown hair, golden eyes, plain clothing. Karl recognized the clothing, though he didn't know why. It didn't look like any clothing he had seen in the SMP. Still, the style was familiar to Karl. The boy’s ears were covered by a set of ear muffs. 

   He tilted his head.  "Hello."

   Karl blinked in surprise as the boy addressed him. 

   "Do you mind if I sit here?" He gestured to the space next to him.

   Karl found he could move. He stretched his hand out in front of him and looked at it for a moment before he looked back at the boy and shook his head. 

   The boy sat. "It’s been a long time since I saw these memories." He spoke, his voice sounding seasoned despite his small stature.

   Karl nodded.

   The boy seemed to study him, his eyes wandering over Karl. He seemed to be waiting for something. "I've been waiting for you." He said, finally.

   Karl gave a start. "Me?" His voice came as a surprise to himself but not the boy it seemed.

   "Yes, you." 

   Karl's heart thundered in his chest. He wasn't sure what that meant but he couldn't stop staring at the boy's eyes. They had clock faces. "Are you Time?"

   The boy smiled, "No. I am called Minute. I am only a piece of Time. A holder of his memory. An anchor, if you will, something to tether his server in place until the time where he is returned."

   "Returned? Did his fight with Space do something to him?" Karl asked with confusion. 

   Minute shook his head. "His fight with Space did nothing to him in the long run. That is not the issue. He recovered from that fight, but Space was nowhere to be found afterward. Time went far into the future in an attempt to find his brother. He didn't find a very bright future." 

   "Why are you telling me all this?"

   Minute gave a sad smile. "Because you won't remember it any other way, and I cannot let you forget any longer."

   Karl opened his mouth to speak, but Minute reached up and touched him on the forehead. "I'm sorry to do this, but Time must return." He closed his eyes. 

   Karl's head exploded with memories.

   Karl's eyes snapped open. He was in an infirmary. He looked up, blinking blearily at the ceiling. There was a faint ticking from somewhere outside of himself. His head hurt .

   Then everything clicked back into place. He sat up, throwing the sheets off his body and stumbling from the bed. He had to go. Now. 

  A man that Karl hadn't noticed before startled awake, standing abruptly. "Karl! You're awake! What's-?" Wilbur stopped and stared. Karl looked different. His ears were pointed, his hair streaked with a misty purple, and his eyes had changed. They were rich gold with clock faces. "What-" He tried again. 

   "No time Wilbur." Karl snapped, his voice sounding different. More sure that Wilbur or anyone from the SMP had ever heard. "We have to go."

Chapter Text

   Clay stared for a long moment, confused as to what just happened. He turned back to where Minute had disappeared and then looked at Waylen again. "You... you're the admin?"

   "I am." 

   Clay stood for another moment before he took a seat on the other side of the desk from Waylen. Michael pulled a chair out and sat beside him.

   Waylen leaned back in his chair and crossed his legs, folding his hands over his stomach. "Minute seems to think you two are important enough to get an audience, so here you go." 

   "I- Who's Minute?" Clay asked dumbly.

   "The boy. Time's anchor here in the server." Waylen explained. 

   "Time isn't here? But... But he's the patron isn't he?" Clay spat out, confusion swirling in his mind. "He created this place! He-" Damnit. Clay was getting really sick of missing gods and fucked up servers. "Is that why this server is back in time?"

   Waylen's eyes narrowed dangerously and his voice pitched down. "How do you know about that?" 

   "You know?" He blurted out, but then shrunk back. Clay got the feeling he wasn't supposed to say that. The admin looked very intimidating and... rather harsh. Clay looked away and fidgeted uncomfortably. "I mean- We-"

   "We figured that out by ourselves. No one else besides the people in our group know. None of your citizens have been told." Michael cut in, saving Clay from the conversation. 

   Waylen relaxed a little bit. "Good. I'd like to keep it that way. Am I understood?"

   Michael narrowed his eyes, not liking the threatening tone. "Crystal."

   "Yes sir. We understand." Clay elbowed Michael in the ribs. The room was silent for a long moment, Clay searching for what to say. "Is it... Was it during the siege?" 

   The admin stared at both of the young men, looking contemplative. Finally he sighed, resigned. "Yes. The war wasn't going well. Djimon was going to win. Time came up with a plan to go back in time to before Djimon started the war. He was in the process of finding a way to keep all the people safe when Djimon launched the attack on the city. This caused Time to have to change plans."

   Clay's mind flashed back to the dream. Walls, crumbling from an attack. A figure, running through the streets. A huge monster chasing after him. "Djimon was after Time..."

   "Indeed. Time had to act fast. He started going back in time, aiming just before Djimon recruited Dragoon to his cause. Because of the situation, he overshot it. By nearly two centuries. That's very little compared to the life of the gods, but none of the modern servers existed yet. And because of the strain and disruption of the actual plan, Time was... broken." Waylen sighed. 

   "Broken..?" Michael echoed, furrowing his brows in confusion. "How so?"

   "He managed to bring all the people back with them, and set up a sort of "time bubble" across the server which basically keeps the server in a near constant loop of the same year prior to Djimon's invasion. It disrupts our clocks, keeps people from taking records outside of our borders, makes it near impossible for our inhabitants to leave. Sure the people are safe, but they aren't free. Without Time's other part, the server will be stuck in this loop forever. But we have yet to find Minute's other half." Waylen crossed his arms with a heavy sigh. "Myself and Minute are the only ones aware of the loop inside the server. We've been keeping the server running to the best of our ability for the past two centuries while we wait for the other half to return." 

   "How has the server not started to crumble? You'd think it would, like other servers that have problems between gods and admins." Clay muttered. 

   "Apparently Minute is enough for the contract to stay stable. We can only hope Time returns soon, or the timeline may be irrepressibly damaged." Waylen's face looked grim as he spoke. He shook himself off. "This is, however, none of your concern outsiders. You shouldn't be involved in our dilemma. What is your real need right now?"

   Clay and Michael shared a look. "We need to get Clay's uncle out of jail first. He was arrested, we think, due to the fact that he used to be a fighter in Djimon's arena." Michael started. 

   "He doesn't work for Djimon though!" Clay added in quickly. "Djimon was manipulating him."

   "I see." Waylen huffed, sounding somewhat suspicious. "I can understand my forces reacting like that to Djimon's aura though. I will put in a word for him to be released." 

   "Well that's good news at least," Michael muttered under his breath. 

   "Is there anything else?" Waylen raised a brow. 

   "Yes actually." Clay sighed, "We're looking for our patron god. It's been missing. Exdee." 

Waylen's eyes flashed and he sat back in his chair, examining his nails. "How peculiar. Any idea why it would have gone missing?" 

   "There were a lot of... problems with our server recently. A lot of them had to do with me but they weren't really my fault." Clay started. "Exdee likes to meddle. A long time ago the server was called DreamSMP instead of GreaterSMP. The admin, Dream, turned out to make some pretty bad decisions and he got put in prison. Then he escaped and Exdee decided to punish him by turning him into a kid.... Uh. That's me." 

   Waylen listened, his eyes darkening as the story went on. 

   "So Exdee gave him the choice of staying a kid or going back to normal and he chose to become me. But I was a bit of a chaotic child so I was never satisfied with the answers I got about Dream so Exdee sent me to the past where I died. Then I had to prove that I was my own person and that kind of caused a paradox and Exdee had to take Dream from the past back to the present with me and-" 

   Waylen's chair screeched on the floor and he stood up, towering over both of the young men. " What? " 

   Clay stopped talking abruptly. His wings puffed up with anxiety, and he reflexively reached to grab Michael’s arm. He was in fight or flight mode, and all his senses were screaming at him to go flight. 

   "Your god has been messing with the fabric of time?" Waylen sounded furious. "And you were involved?" 

   "Clay, we should go." Michael said fast. 

   Clay stood up ready to make and escape. 

   Waylen reached out and grabbed Clay's arm. "Oh no. You're not going anywhere. You've meddled with time itself, that is unforgivable." Waylen growled, squeezing Clay's wrist hard enough to bruise.

   Michael snarled, drawing his bow and pointing it at the admin. "I suggest you let go of him."

   "I think not." Waylen tightened his grip.

   Clay grabbed his sword out of his inventory with his free hand, preparing to defend himself to get out of this situation. 

   "Then you'll die." Michael hissed, fingers loosening on the arrow. 

   Before Michael could let go of the arrow, the window shattered. Glass shards shot through the room towards the three. Clay twisted out of Waylen's grasp, which had loosened in the confusion, and threw himself at Michael. The two landed hard on the floor, Clay's wings going around them to protect them. Glass dug into the sensitive flesh but it was better than losing an eye or cutting a major vessel. 

   Clay risked a glance up and froze. 

   There, standing amidst the broken glass with the sun shining behind him, was Karl. His eyes were golden, shining with power and he stood with purpose. Behind him was Wilbur, brown feathers dancing in the air as the only reminder of the way he had flown to catch up. 

   Waylen's eyes were wide with surprise. He fell to a knee and dipped his head. "Time. You've returned."

Chapter Text

   Clay lifted his head more, getting off of Michael and sitting back with awe and confusion. "K-Karl?"

   "Yes." Karl replied simply, his gaze locked with that of Waylen before he turned his golden gaze on Clay and Michael. "Well. Kind of." He gave a small smile. "Long story." 

   "You... You're Time?" Michael asked incredulously, pushing himself up to sit. "But... How is that possible?"

   "Quiet. How dare you question-"

   "Waylen." Karl said simply, turning his gaze back to the admin. "That's enough. You can leave these two alone now. I can vouch for their character."

   Waylen seemed to deflate under Karl's gaze. "I apologize, sir." 

   "Please, don't call me sir. I spent far too long, and somehow not long enough, not knowing who I was to be called that. I know who I am. Just Karl is fine." Karl gave a small smile. "I do appreciate the care you've given the server after my blunder." 

   Wilbur crossed the room, kneeling next to Clay and Michael. "What the fuck is going on?" He whispered. 

   "I wish I fucking knew." Michael responded, head swirling with confusion. 

   Clay was too awestruck to reprimand them.

   Karl (Time?) turned back to his friends. "I'm sorry for freaking all of you out. Returning to this server took a large toll on my mortal form. Luckily, Minute was able to draw me out of it."

   "Minute?" Clay repeated slowly. "The boy?"

   "Yes. Near the end of Djimon's siege on the city, I was trying to find a way to escape to the past without losing the server. When the walls finally fell, I had to speed up my plans."

   "The dream-" Clay sputtered, leaping to his feet at the sudden realization. "My dream. The figure running and the monster chasing him-"

   "Yes. That was me." Karl smiled sadly. "I was in the process of finding a way to keep everyone safe when Djimon launched the attack on the city. Djimon chased me through the city while I tried to make my way back to the admin tower. I panicked and tried to send the city back in time. Because I didn't have everything prepared, I was split. Part of me became Minute, the thing keeping Quantum alive and stuck in a way, and Karl the physical strength and time abilities. Despite my obvious lack of control over them." He laughed awkwardly. "Not to mention the memory problems."

   "I..." Clay was still processing this information. "I'm... What does this mean for the server?"

   "It means that I have unfinished business to attend to. Djimon clearly hasn't begun his takeover yet which means there's still time to fix things." Karl replied evenly. "I'm sure you have questions."

   "Uh... yes!" Clay blurted, unable to contain himself. "I have a million. Oh my gosh- Sorry you're Time! The Time! Oh my gosh I've been traveling with you for months- I've known you practically my whole life! I don't even- I don't know what to say- I need to sit down." He shuffled backwards until he hit the wall. 

   Michael was off the ground. He moved instantly to Clay's side to lower him to the ground. "Breathe."

  "Michael! He's Time!" Clay exclaimed, voice cracking again with delight.

   "I can hear, Clay. I know."

   Clay leaned his head back trying to wrap his head around it. "But I- Hold on. I've been back in time before. Exdee sent me. What?"

   Karl's face changed then. His eyes darkened. "Ah. Yes. I nearly forgot about It." He sighed. "It likes to meddle. Always poking it's nose in even in the other timeline. I don't know what my brother was thinking when he created that god. Don't worry, I know where it is."

   "You do?" Michael said fast.

   "You mean the prison?" Waylen chimed in softly, still in awe or shock or reverence. Whichever one.

   "Prison?" Wilbur huffed. "How can you put a god in prison?"

   "It was something Minute and Waylen created to be a last ditch protection in case Djimon managed to follow QB into the past." Karl explained. "It was meant to capture any "time-meddling" entity other than myself that passed through QB. It seems that Exdee got itself caught."

   "Wait. So- Wait." Michael interrupted. "So, you're telling me that Exdee is in time jail and that's where this dickhead was going to take Clay?"

   "Michael-" Clay started. 

   "Yeah yeah I know. Language." Michael rolled his eyes. "I stand by that point though. Time jail. He was going to throw you into time jail!"

   "Rest assured. That will not be happening," Karl said with a pointed look at his admin. "And I will release Exdee from the prison as well as letting Techno out."

   Clay let out a relieved sigh. All of their problems sorted themselves out. Well now that he doesn't have to worry about that... "You're Time!" He said again. 

   Michael rolled his eyes and sat down. 

   Karl laughed softly. "Yes. That's been established."

   "Like. THE Time. The second oldest god in existence! Wow I just- There's so much I want to know! Is it true that you only created three gods of the pantheon yourself? The rest were made by Space right?"

   Karl's expression turned pained for a moment before he hid it. "That is right. I made Aspen, Elia-"

   "And Callisto!" Clay finished. "Oh my Exdee, I want to know everything. This is like my dream to be able to actually talk to a god and ask them things. I would have done it with Exdee but he's kinda weird and also young compared to the rest of the pantheon but I know you and there's so much you can tell me-" 

   "Clay. You're rambling." Wilbur cut in. 

   Clay clicked his mouth shut and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Sorry-"

   "Don't apologize. I'd rather you be excited than nervous, especially with your new knowledge of me."

   "Oh." Clay said quietly. "I'm sorry. I guess I am a little overwhelmed. I mean- You were our companion and now you're..." He trailed off. 

   "I don't want you to think of me any differently. None of you. Okay?" Karl said gently, looking at his three companions in the room. 

   "Okay." Clay agreed after a moment of hesitation.

   "Good. Now we need to get to work. There's a lot that needs to be done."

Chapter Text

   "So you're telling me Karl, our Karl, is Time, an ancient god older than the Overworld itself?" Dream asked incredulously. "And also, he has Exdee in a... time jail?"

   "Yes." Clay nodded. 

   "And. He's from the future, where Djimon has taken over the world." Techno added. "And that's why I was thrown in jail?"

   "Yes." Michael confirmed.

   Dream fixed the rest of the group with a deadpan look. "I- What???"

   "RIGHT!?" Wilbur screeched, throwing his hands in the air. "That's how I felt!"

   "I'm honestly just glad that our communicators finally match the clocks." Clay shrugged. "Karl finally fixed the weird time bubble over QB."

   "That's what you're stuck on!?"

   "Okay chill out. On this trip alone I died, we found out Dream's family is like, destined to be admins, Techno's butler tried to kill us all by hacking a server, Wilbur turned out to be a demigod, and somehow the war in the future is the freaky part?" Michael exclaimed.

   "I mean to be fair those other things aren't really related to the fate of the world-" Karl added quickly.

   Michael's eye twitched. "Whatever. Can we go home now?"

   "Yes I second that. Home sounds wonderful." Clay chimed in. 

   "Right. So uh... Do we call you Time now?" Dream asked.

   "Karl is fine. No reason to change names." Karl replied.

   "Okay good. So what are you going to do now? Are you going to be staying here? Sapnap..." Dream trailed off, not wanting to finish that. 

   "I'll come back with you. I have some things I need to finish there. Besides, QB will need a new admin since Waylen is retiring. I don't blame him, he spent years keeping the server going for me." Karl smiled faintly. 

   "Alright. So. Are you going to release Exdee so we can go back to the SMP?" Wilbur asked.

   "Ah. Yes. Let me do that before I forget." Karl rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. He waved his hand to the side with a loud bell sound, like a clock tower.

   A crackling sound filled the room followed by a huge flash of white light. And then a familiar figure with wings and a mask stood in the middle of the tiled floor. Despite the familiarity, it was a lot... different than any of the SMP group remembered the god being. 

   For one it was much shorter than usual, standing just shy of Dream's height, its mask actually looked like a mask instead of some scary face, and its wings were a much more normal span. It looked like Exdee had taken a more human form like Kristen or Karl. 

   Exdee stretched its arms above its head and spread its wings wide. "Took you long enough." It cracked its neck and then its back. "Being in that... thing... has been uncomfortable."

   "It's your own fault for messing with time." Karl hissed out with narrowed eyes. He seemed a bit salty…

   Exdee turned its head to look at Karl. It seemed to study him for a long moment, looking contemplative. "Space spoke of you. I had my doubts." It chuckled and rested its arms behind its head.

   "I'll take that as a compliment." Karl said dryly.

   "He did speak highly of you." Exdee added.

   "Speaking of, how is Space?" Karl's voice took on a more concerned tone as the topic shifted.

   "Dunno. Haven't seen him in a couple centuries." Exdee shrugged. "I'm pretty sure I'm the last thing it created before The Blood God. I went to investigate after it happened and there was a whole island split from the mainland. Space was nowhere to be seen."

   Karl paled a bit. 

   Clay didn't like the sound of that. Exdee was most likely talking about when Thaice supposedly split from mainland Farlands. If that was true then it could mean that Djimon and Space had some kind of fight when Djimon was created...

   No one dared to speak while the two gods were conversing. 

   "I see." Karl finally said. He seemed to push back whatever he felt about hearing that Space was still MIA. "Well now that I'm back, I expect some discipline with the other gods. No more meddling with the timelines. It only causes problems... No offense you two." Karl added, looking at Dream and Clay.

   "None taken." Dream shrugged. 

   "No, yeah. I'm with you." Clay agreed.

   "Good." Karl nodded and turned back to Exdee. "Do you understand?"

   Exdee huffed, Clay could practically hear it rolling its eyes, and crossed his arms. "Fine. I won't mess around in time anymore. I can figure out other things to do."

   "Good. In that case, we should head back to the SMP. Are you all ready?" He asked, turning to the rest of the group.

   They all nodded. "Ready as we'll ever be." Dream said quietly.

   "Then let's go."

   Clay could cry. He stumbled slightly as his feet hit the ground again. He looked around slightly dazed. Underfoot, was the prime path. There were buildings surrounding them, still in various states of distress from the quakes. Still, they looked much more put together than when Clay had seen them last. 

   They were home.

   "DAD!"

   Clay whipped around just in time for Sam to barrel into him. He grinned widely and scooped the boy into his arms. "Sammy!"

   "I missed you so much." Sam whispered into Clay's shoulder.

   "I missed you too." Clay said, feeling tears threatening to fall.

   "Are you okay?" Sam asked worriedly. "Did you find Exdee?"

   Clay sniffled, "Yeah. I'm fine. We found him kiddo."

   Michael came up behind Clay and ruffled Sam's hair. "Hey kiddo. Good to see you again."

   "Clay!"

   Clay looked up at the new voice and saw his dad running toward him. He quickly passed Sam to Michael and went to meet his father halfway.

   Tommy wrapped his son in his arms and squeezed. "You're okay." He whispered.

   "Yeah, I'm good. Just tired." Clay said, smiling weakly as he leaned into his fathers touch. 

   "We missed you so much." Tommy sighed and pulled back. He held Clay out at arm's length and looked him over carefully. "Alex has missed you. And Sam. Speaking of, he gave us all a heart attack when he disappeared."

   "Oh I can imagine." Clay laughed. "I scolded him when he revealed himself. Thanks for taking care of Alex for me though."

   Tommy smiled and ruffled his son's hair again. "Of course. He followed Shroud around like a duckling most of the time."

   "Where are they?" Clay looked over his dad's shoulder as if expecting his brother and Alex to show up any second. "Are they here?"

   "No. They're back home but you'll get to see them soon." Tommy said with a smile. "You'll have to tell us all about it. Did you find-"

   "Yes. We found Exdee," Clay said. "It was a long story, dad." 

   "I'm sure. You look tired, Clay. Phil told us what you told him but I have a feeling you didn't tell him everything." Tommy gave a sad smile. 

   "It's been a long journey," Clay admitted. 

   "We're all glad to be home." Michael added, nudging Clay with his elbow as he situated Sam better in his arms. "A lot of stuff happened while we were gone."

   "I can see that." Tommy's gaze was focused on the white strands in Michael's hair. "I hope to Exdee that that's a fashion statement and not what I think it is."

   Sam pressed his face into Michael's neck at the memory. 

   Michael's smile faded a bit and he glanced up through his bangs, his eye darkening. Clay made a mental note to actually get Michael to talk about how he felt about the whole thing. "I nearly forgot about that honestly. It's been a while since then."

   "What happened?" Tommy asked.

   "The war in Caplos. I was... I protected Sammy." Michael explained, trying to seem nonchalant but seeming just slightly too stiff to pull it off properly. "Didn't intend to get myself killed, it just kinda happened."

   "It happens to the best of us." Tommy said with a small laugh. "How'd you get back..?" 

   "Cin. It gave us a wish after we helped end the war there in Caplos." Clay hummed. 

   "Wow. You guys really did do a lot." Tommy hummed thinly masking his worry for his son and Michael. "What are you going to do now?"

   "Now? Well, I'm gonna take a nap." Clay yawned. He glanced to the side, noting that the rest of the group had arrived safely. They could explain everything that was going on. Right now Clay wanted to see his boys and rest. 

   Michael snorted and passed Sam back over to Clay. "Nap sounds good. We can talk about everything later." 

   Clay nodded in complete agreement and situated Sam in his arms before made his way toward his childhood home. Finally they had a chance to relax.

Chapter Text

   "Don't worry kiddo, we'll be back to pick you and your brother up later today." Clay said, picking a bit of fuzz off of Alex's wings. "Sam is really excited to go to school." Clay was really proud at how far Sam had come in the last few months. Alex was usually really good about new things but the 4 year old was so scared about getting into school. "What's got your feathers all twisted duckling?"

   "School is scary." Alex muttered. "There's so many other kids."

   "Really? I thought you were excited about making friends." Clay teased, cuffing him over the head with a wing

   Alex rolled his eyes dramatically and puffed up his wings. "I am! But I'm scared!"

   Clay laughed. "Alex, you'll be fine. I promise. You'll make lots of friends."

   Alex frowned and looked down at his toes.

   "Come on kiddo, you gotta stand up tall and face your fears." Michael cut in, kneeling to the boys level. "There's no reason to be nervous. It's only for a couple hours."

   Alex looked up at Michael and then at Clay. He was quiet for a moment before he finally gave a nod and stood up straight. He looked down at the ground then looked back up at Michael. "I'll go."

   "Alright kiddo. Come on, let's go drop you off." Michael took Alex's hand and led him into the classroom.

   "Bye Alex," Clay said as he watched them leave. He went to pop in on Sam's class. He saw the eight year old with a bright smile as he listened to the teacher talk. He watched for a moment before he left and headed out front of the school. 

   The SMP was looking much better. Reconstruction had gone amazing since Exdee's return. The buildings here in the Badlands were looking pretty good now. The school had to skip the fall semester due to rebuilding, but now that it was mid January, they were back in session. 

   Since returning to the SMP, Clay, Michael, and the boys had been staying with Tommy and Shroud. They'd been working on building their new house and they were pretty far along. They still had to finish with the roof in some places and the house was bare of decor and furniture but they'd be ready to move in soon.

   Karl had left to go back to QB taking Sapnap with him, Wilbur and Phil were back in Avia, Dream was working really hard to make the SMP better, and Techno was planning on heading back to his estate in Hypixal soon. The server was a bit chaotic at the moment, with a few of the states lacking representatives. Things were looking better though. The committee was planning a meeting soon to start discussions on what to do now that reconstruction was further along. 

   Michael joined Clay outside a few minutes later. "He seems alright."

   "He will be." Clay nodded. "I think he's just overwhelmed by everything."

   "I guess he's never experienced anything like this before." Michael mused aloud, starting to walk off. 

   Clay automatically trailed after him. "No, it makes sense that he wouldn't. This is all new to him. He's just a kid. I was pretty nervous when I first started school."

   "Oh way back in the day." Michael rolled his eyes and nudged Clay with his arm. "You make it seem like that was so long ago."

   Clay laughed and swatted Michael on the arm. "I was like 9 back then. It feels like a long time ago." 

   "It was 12 years ago. You're not old Clay." Michael teased.

   "Whatever." Clay smirked and shoved Michael to the side. "It's a really nice day today."

   Michael chuckled and they walked along in silence for a moment. It really was a beautiful day. The sun was shining high above, the sky was clear and it was warm for the middle of winter. "Clay?"

   "Yeah?" Clay turned to his friend and his smile faded at the serious and somewhat nervous expression on Michael's face. "What's up..?"

   Michael stopped walking and just stared at Clay with an unreadable expression. "You know I'd do anything for you right? I support you. No matter what. You've got my back and I've got yours. We're a pair."

   "Yeah of course I know that. Michael, are you alright?" Clay felt nerves building a pit in his stomach. 

   Michael chuckled weakly. "I'm fine. I just... I wanted to tell you something. Something I've been meaning to say for a while now honestly. After everything that happened outside the SMP, with me dying and us getting separated in Avia and everything that happened in Hypixal and QB, I realized something. I really can't imagine a world without you. I mean, I don't want to. You're my best friend." He trailed off for a minute. "This is a lot harder to say than I thought it would be."

   "You're my best friend too... Mike, what are you trying to say?" Clay asked softly, feeling like he was watching the slow breaking of a dam.

   Michael huffed in frustration. "For fuck's sake-" He moved and grabbed Clay's shoulders, pulling him forward and slamming their lips together.

   Clay's eyes went wide with shock. He had no idea that Michael felt like this... That Michael had feelings for him this strong. His mind was a blur of confusion and surprise. He couldn't even bring himself to kiss back for a moment. He just stood there wide-eyed with shock. 

   Michael pulled back just slightly and hovered there, not daring to move. His voice shook when he spoke. "I love you." He breathed against Clay's lips.

   Clay let out a shaky breath. He was suddenly hit with every moment that Michael had been at his side, helping him and supporting him in his insane endeavors. Every time they'd talked or argued or laughed. It all came rushing back to him. All those times that they'd talked and laughed and fought. 

   All the time they'd spent together. So much time that Clay hadn't even noticed it.

And all the time they'd spent apart. When Clay was sure he had lost Michael forever back in Caplos, when they were separated in Avia. Clay felt a lump forming in his throat. 

   He wanted to stay with Michael forever. He wanted to raise Sam and Alex alongside him. He wanted to build a house for them and find jobs and just live life with Michael by his side. 

Michael started to pull away. "I had to tell you. Even if nothing happens I had to-"

   Clay panicked and reached to grab Michael by the collar and bring him back in. Their lips met again. Michael seemed shocked before he quickly kissed back. Clay pulled away after a moment. 

   "I love you too." Clay admitted.

   Michael's face split into a grin and he threw his arms around Clay's waist, squeezing him tight. "I've always loved you, you idiot."

   "No need to be mean about it." Clay pouted.

   They both laughed and Clay wrapped an arm around Michael's shoulder. They stayed like that for a while and then Clay pulled back.  "I'm kind of hungry. Do you want to go get something to eat?"

   "Clay Minecraft, are you asking me on a date?" Michael teased, his voice full of mirth. 

   Clay snorted and shoved Michael away. "Just shut up. Let's go get some food."

   Michael laughed, the sound warming Clay's heart. "Yeah. Sounds good to me."

Chapter Text

Book 8 is out! (Adding this not just in case)