When the world appeared beneath my feet, I fell to my knees, my breathing heavy. My head felt foggy and muffled. How did I get here?

I was in a small stone cave, but it was well lit with torches as if it had been explored. Behind me, there was a burst of green and purple light, disappearing after a moment.

Wait ... I had seen that green light, when-

-when Karl had been stabbed.

I whipped my head around quickly, searching for my friend. My dress was replaced by my regular clothes once more, and the weight of my sword had returned, but where was Karl?

He was nowhere to be found and everything came rushing back to me.

A sticky feeling on my left hand made me look down. I bit down on a scream from what I saw.

Blood, Karl's blood, covered my hand from where I had reached for him before we teleported away. The image was still so clear in my mind, the sword slicing through my friend's heart, the blinding green light.

After a moment, the blood faded away, leaving my hand completely clean.

Tears came hot and quick with the image. I stood, choking on a sob as I looked around. "Karl! Where are you?!"

My yells rebounded off the walls, sounding rough and scratchy. They echoed down the corner, past where I couldn't see.

There was no response.

Panic was beginning to flood my mind, the worst-case scenario gripping me. Karl was out there somewhere, alone, and possibly dying.

The blinding light had thrown me out at the end of the tunnel, maybe he had already left the cave. I began to walk towards the turn, my hand supporting me on the wall.

Crack!

My body snapped back around towards the sound. A green and purple light was fading away, leaving behind a person, leaning over their knees.

Before the person could even catch their breath, I raced over, wrapping my arms around them.

Karl stumbled a bit from my sudden embrace, but ultimately caught himself and hugged me back. My face pressed against his shoulder, my tears dripping onto his hoodie.

"It's alright, y/n. We're safe." He whispered, sounding just as scared as I felt.

I pulled back, quickly inspecting his hoodie. There was no gash or blood blooming from his chest, thankfully.

I wiped my tears away, my voice wobbly as I spoke, "You got stabbed! In the heart! How are you here?"

He held his hands on my shoulders. "The wounds from the places I time travel don't carry over. Even if I had died in there, I would've just been spit out here with not even a scratch."

So that's how he wasn't hurt when I found him after the Inbetween a while ago.

Now that I knew he was safe, my mind began reeling, trying to understand what had just happened. There was a dull ache in between my eyes from when the egg's voices were screaming.

Karl grasped my hand, pulling me towards the curve of the tunnel. "C'mon, let's get out of here, and then I'll explain everything." As we walked, he cast me a worried glance. "Are you alright? Can you remember everything?"

"Yeah, I'm alright. What do you mean remember everything?"

He quickly looked away, averting his eyes. "Just making sure you didn't hurt your head or anything." His voice sounded nervous.

"I can remember everything," I answered, carefully. It was a strange question to ask me, but I didn't push him on it.

A ladder appeared in front of us, Karl gesturing for me to go up. I climbed up it, stepping out into a small room filled with books, journals, and pictures. The carpet was in a green and purple swirl.

Karl came up behind me as I walked over to one of the journals which was set on a table below a picture of a group of men in swim attire on a beach. When I squinted at the picture, I could faintly see Karl and Dream amongst the group.

Dream's mask was still in place and he looked like he hadn't aged. His immortality kept him looking as if he were in his early twenties, yet he was centuries years old.

This picture was before Dream even thought about chasing after godlike power and control. It broke my heart to know he was a completely different person now.

"That's when we went looking for treasure," Karl said, walking towards an empty journal on my right. "Of course I wasn't surprised when I found Dream there, I had seen him multiple times before that."

His face saddened and he looked away towards the journal so I couldn't see his face. "He always hated when I left him. But I had to, I couldn't stay in that time period with him. I would've aged and he would've stayed young." He was still for a moment before opening the journal and writing.

I stayed quiet, glancing back at the picture. Indeed, Karl and Dream stood with their arms slung across each other's shoulders with smiles on their faces, looking like brothers.

Karl's quiet scribbling filled the silence as I walked around, looking at each of the pictures. Dream was in two of the pictures out of the four, wearing a pilgrim-like outfit and a swimsuit. I laughed at the first picture, seeing Dream wearing old clothing.

"That was the first time I saw Dream in one of my travels. He gave himself the name Cornelius."

I turned back to my friend, seeing him smile sadly at the picture. The journal was back in its place on the table, a picture now above it.

I had no idea when Karl took the picture, but the shot was taken before the murders had started. I was in the shot, talking happily with Liaria. The rest of the group was chatting with each other, our faces hidden behind the masks.

"Was he different back then?" I asked Karl.

"Totally different." He nodded. "I don't know what happened to him."

A dark, angry feeling rose up in me. "Greed and desire for control are what happened."

We were silent for a moment, my words sinking into each of our minds. It was the truth, he had turned for the worse.

Only a crumb of hope was left to save him.

Yet, I clung to that hope.

Karl walked towards a corner, pressing his hand to a button I hadn't noticed. He walked out, closing the door after I stepped out after him. We were now in his small house he had built near El Rapids.

He took a seat on the cozy couch, scooting over for me to fit. I plopped down next to him, glancing out the window.

It was still dark, only a small amount of time has passed while we spent a full night away.

"Do you know what the egg is?" Karl's warm eyes questioned, yet there was a seriousness in his tone.

"Well, I know it was the thing that Billiam just tried to feed us to." I paused, then remembered. "Oh, and I think it tried to reach me the other day, in whispers. The voice sounded exactly like the one that was at the masquerade."

Concern tugged at the corners of Karl's lips, pulling them into a thin line. "That's not good. I'm not surprised it tried to reach you though."

"What even is the egg?"

"It's this clump of red vines, known as blood vines, that grow from a massive crimson egg, without explanation. I tried to ask Bad about it, but he just told me that it wants peace and that I should join it."

"Bad knows about it?"

"He's the one that cares about the weird thing. He even called it pretty and his baby. It's like the things infesting his mind."

Shock rippled through me. I had just seen Bad not that long ago and he seemed fine. I needed to see him soon.

"So why is it trying to get to me? I've already dealt with gods trying to use me as their toy, I don't want this dumb egg to do the same." I waved my hand around, annoyed.

Karl shrugged, saying, "My guess is it's because of how strong you are. It knows about your powers and how you're basically a goddess."

That was my guess too, after all, my powers did make me stronger than almost everyone. And on top of that, I had enough training to kill without my magic. I had even been in contact with a goddess.

"Okay, then why was it back at the mansion, years ago?"

"I don't really know. I thought the trip there would help, but it kind of just made things more confusing. I don't think any of the ancestors there have connections to it now."

I thought of Techno, how similar he and Billiam looked. Even if they were related, they were completely different, internally. The egg drove Billiam to sacrifice blood for the egg, but Techno only needed blood because of his voices.

"I agree, but I think the egg has an influence on those around it. The party guests were persuaded to kill, and so was Billiam. Do you know where the egg is being kept?"

"It's in Skeppy and Bad's basement."

I continued on, his statement confirming my thoughts. "And since the egg is literally in his home, Bad is getting brainwashed."

Karl had a stunned look on his face, staring at me. "How did you just figure that all out?"

I shrugged, "It's just a thought. I could be wrong. We can investigate Bad and watch if Skeppy also gets possessed."

"It's a darn good thought." He laughed softly, his eyes drooping slightly.

"Hey, why don't you get some sleep? We did just attend a murder mystery." I smiled at him, encouragingly.

I stood, letting him lay down on the couch. His eyes were already closed when I made it to the door. "Thanks for going with me, y/n."

"Of course. Let me know if you need anything." I opened the door, stepping halfway across the threshold. "Oh, and Karl? If you ever need a buddy on your trips, I'm here."

He smiled, waving lazily. Time-traveling seemed to really take a lot out of the boy. I just hoped he wouldn't overexert himself, or else there would most likely be consequences.

The sun was beginning to rise in the distance behind the east side of L'manberg. I walked towards the nation, in hopes that Ranboo would be awake. He tended to be awake at odd hours, I had learned.

But as I got closer, I noticed from a distance that two people were talking. They were standing on top of the highest platform, surrounded by new chairs.

I crept closer, hiding behind one of the stands to get a closer look. If it was who I thought it was, I needed to be very careful.

What were they doing up this early?

Tubbo laughed cheerfully at something the other person said. I could only see him from where I was hiding so I scooted forward a little bit to see the other.

My eyes widened when they fell on him.

He was wearing his normal green hoodie, and the mask was in place, tufts of blonde hair poking out over it. The netherite ax was held loosely in one hand, the other thrown casually in his hoodie pocket.

Dream's sweet smile that he wore seemed fake, but Tubbo fell for it, believing this man was actually trying to be his friend. He said something and the boy laughed again.

Aggression began to pool inside of me like hot lava. My magic snapped and cracked quietly around me, longing to be unleashed.

I was about to step out and walk over to the man when I remembered Sam's words.

"Have you ever fought Dream?"

The truth was, I've never fought Dream outside of training. I've never had to. And in training, we would hold back, my magic and his skills held on a leash.

I wasn't scared to fight him, but maybe now wasn't the best time. Not when my head was still spinning with the thoughts of the egg and murders.

A loud snap emitted from my magic, drawing Dream's attention. I quickly pressed myself to the floor, quieting my magic.

Their conversation paused, most likely looking around for the cause of the noise. If I didn't have Dream's attention before with the sense of my magic, he would likely sense it soon.

I glanced around, trying to think of a way to hide my magic. My eyes snagged on a lantern that sat on the ground next to my hiding spot.

It was made of copper, most lanterns here were. So I grasped the two handles, as quietly as I could, slipping them off the clasp that kept them in place.

The silence made my ears ring, making the sound of the slight clinks of metal seem even louder. They probably couldn't hear what I was doing from where they were standing but I still made an extra effort to be quiet.

I raised my arms out of my purple cloak, pushing the copper rings onto my wrists. The bruises from the nightmare had faded, but there were still light bruises. The rings weren't heavy enough to harm them.

I clamped down on the sickening familiarity of the rings on my wrists. They felt like the cuffs, trapping my magic somewhere I couldn't get it.

As the feeling of my magic washed away, I heard their quiet conversation continue. Without my heightened senses, I couldn't hear exactly what they were saying.

A moment later, I heard the conversation stop once more, followed by footsteps and a door closing. One set of footsteps was coming closer to me, sending a drop of fear through my blood.

I pressed myself further into the stall, basically now under it. Hopefully, my dark clothing would blend with the shadows enough to let Dream pass without him seeing me.

My breath caught in my throat as the footsteps went right past me. I peered out at Dream's back while he moved away from L'manberg, completely oblivious to me.

The copper rings had worked.

His form moved further away, disappearing out of sight at the top of the stairs. I waited a few more seconds and then pushed myself out from under the stand, running after the man.

Even without my magic, my steps were almost completely silent. I had trained enough to learn how to move in a cat-like way and make myself become invisible. It was one of the first things Dream had trained me to do.

I stayed hidden in the shadows of the buildings I passed, tracking Dream's movements. He moved quickly, yet at the same time, he seemed to be relaxed. A soft, cheerful tune followed him as he moved towards the Nether portal, humming.

My steps came to a halt when he stopped. At first, I couldn't see why he had paused. Maybe he knew I was behind him.

But then, Ghostbur appeared from within the Community House, floating over to the masked man. The ghost was talking animatedly, drawing Dream's attention.

The masked man kept glancing at the Nether portal, becoming more urgent. Ghostbur just kept talking though, pinning Dream to the spot.

My curiosity got the best of me, pulling me from my hiding spot. Thankfully, neither Ghostbur nor Dream saw me slip past them into the portal.

Despite wearing a t-shirt and a very thin cloak, I was instantly sweating in the other dimension. Usually, my magic soothed a bit of the heat due to my fire powers, but without it, the heat was a hundred times worse.

I didn't know how much time I had so I pulled off the copper rings, and shoved them into my pocket while I walked towards one of the bridges.

When I came around the corner, I gasped.

There was Tommy, looking disheveled, staring out at the world below the bridge. His clothes were ripped in several places, his shoes dirty, and his hair looking a bit dull.

His feet were dangerously close to the edge of the blackstone, the tips of his toes hanging off. If someone tapped his shoulder, he would've fallen forwards into the lava far below.

His head whipped towards me, his blue eyes widening. "Y/n?" He instantly took a step backward, away from the edge.

I took a step towards him, my mouth hanging open. "Tommy, what-"

Before I could finish, the quiet whooshing sounds of the portal began to increase in volume. Someone was about to come through.

I darted towards the boy, who was still in shock, chucking the copper rings into the bubbling lava. Gripping his shoulders, I spoke quickly, "I'm about to do something really stupid, to keep you safe. If Dream sees me here with you, I don't think it would end well for either of us."

He nodded quickly. Now that I was closer, I noticed how washed-out Tommy's blue eyes seemed. They no longer were vibrant and electric with energy.

"I promise you, Tommy, I will get you out. For now, hang in there." I was about to pull him into a hug, but instead, I turned towards the edge.

I gave Tommy a reassuring smile and threw myself off the edge.

Tommy gasped and the sound of footsteps came a second later. Before Dream could see me, I let my wind catch my falling figure, dragging me below the bridge. The wind was hot, cutting me from the Nether air.

Once I was close enough, I clung to the small dips in the blackstone on the bottom of the bridge. My magic fell away, pushing into the depths of my mind, trying to hide its presence.

While I hung freely above the lava pool, I heard Tommy talking to Dream. My arms burned with the effort, but I clung on for dear life.

"Dream, can't I just go back? I want to go home to my friends."

Dream's voice shot anger through me, the way he spoke to my best friend. "Tommy, they don't want you. I'm your friend now!"

I had to fight, again, to stop myself from beating the shit out of the man.

Dream continued, "Your home is Logstedshire, L'manberg is better off without you. Hey, get away from the edge. It isn't your time to die, yet, Tommy."

There was some shuffling, and my arms were beginning to feel like they were on fire. I was strong, but not strong enough to hold out against gravity for forever.

I heard the two begin to move, walking away. As they did, Tommy mumbled, "It's never my time to die."

~~~~

broooo poor tommy :( DREAMS SO MANIPULATIVE

also, one of my headcanons is that time traveling makes Karl rly tired, so he sleeps for a long time when he comes back and Sapnap doesn't know why Karl's so tired, so they nap together 🥺

anyway, have an amazing day and make sure to drink water