Of course, it was raining the morning of the day all hell broke loose.

The grey clouds painted the sky above a black obsidian grid that had appeared overnight from thin air. It defied gravity, looming over L'manberg like death itself was built into the blocks.

L'manberg's flags were still with wet rain and the lack of a breeze. They sat dead against the houses and poles they hung from around the nation.

And as I stood on Ranboo's doorstep, I could sense the silence in the world. It was as if the nation was holding its breath, waiting for its destroyers to arrive.

I could feel it in the worried glances the army passed to each other and in the unmoving banners. It was also inside of me, a bubble anxiously waiting to burst.

Last night, after riding quick and hard through the Nether on Ash, Ranboo had kindly taken me into his home and taken care of the gash in my arm.

There were no questions asked, not even as he pulled splinter after splinter from the wound with tweezers and wrapped gauze under my sweatshirt.

Not even after he wordlessly showed me to a small obsidian room on the coast past L'manberg, where a haunting feeling was etched into the signs of encouragement and security. Here is where I left my pets, to be safe from the destruction today would bring.

The air buzzed with activity, the army and their leaders working late into the night. Supplies had been collected, armor made, and weapons sharpened.

Yet, I still didn't think it would be enough now that they weren't fighting, not one, but two gods.

I didn't allow myself to grieve or feel a single drop of despair about Techno. The Blood God was strong enough to defeat a measly amount of darkness.

I was so sure of it that when I fell asleep last night on the cot Ranboo had got me, my sleep was dreamless and lacking the memories of the past few hours.

"Y/n, do you have the healing and regeneration potions ready?"

My thoughts scattered as my gaze focused once more, landing on the great mass in the sky and then on the person standing in front of me.

Sapnap, wearing full netherite armor that gleamed in the weak light, was standing at the bottom of the steps. His clothes were drier than those out in the rain, thanks to his unnaturally heated blood.

"Yeah, I do." I patted the potions at my hip. They clinked against one another, bright liquids sloshing around in the glass bottles.

I peered past Sapnap's dark head, out to where the army was still running around with Tommy and Tubbo as their leaders. Each was equally as soaked but neither seemed to mind, not with their attention on war.

Again, for what felt like the millionth time, I realized just how young they were.

Barely sixteen and seventeen and they were already fighting for not only their nation but for loved ones and their own lives. Blood coated the past year of their lives, trauma and pain interlaced.

I looked back down at Sapnap's calm gaze, seeing that he was watching the nation floating behind L'manberg.

He too still seemed like a boy, but I knew better than that.

There was as much pain in his story as Tommy and Tubbo's, but he had built walls around it made of fire and lava. Those walls wouldn't be breached, not until we had Dream back.

"Sapnap, is Karl and George up there?"

He came up the steps, leaning on Ranboo's door next to me. The owner of the house was currently out with the rest of the army, safe from the rain thanks to a strange potion.

"Yeah, Quackity and I didn't want either to fight today. Not after Karl's incident and George's lingering pain," Sapnap said, running a hand through his black hair, sending droplets flying.

Even if his composure remained calm, traces of anxiety and worry were there. Along with the thirst and excitement for a battle, adrenaline thrumming in his veins.

"Good. But even if they aren't down here to fight, I'm sure they'll hear the war."

I assumed the obsidian grid was built to drop explosives on L'manberg, after all, the nation seemed to always go out with a bang.

And I knew for a fact that the darkness in Techno would eagerly snatch up the withers from his vault and let them loose here. If I thought three withers from before were bad, I couldn't imagine how today would end.

"Have you ever used your fire in the rain before?" I switched topics, drawing my eyes away from the shadow in the clouds.

Sapnap nodded, his white bandana bouncing. "It works just the same as it would without the rain. I'll use it if I need to, but I'm not sure how much hand-to-hand combat there will be."

He had a point. The small army was facing only three people, Phil, Techno, and Dream. All three would be high in the sky on the grid or darting around to bring withers to life.

"Just make sure you don't burn out quickly," I advised, knowing how a burnout in magic could leave you defenseless and weak. "Use it as a last result."

Silence followed my words and his nod, making the bubble inside me expand and shiver with the adrenaline. Thunder rolled across the land, only adding to the ominous and solemn mood.

"Do you think we'll get Dream back soon?" Sapnap asked quietly, taking me by surprise.

I opened my mouth to respond but no reassurances or words rose to my tongue. How could I tell Sapnap yes if I didn't even know myself?

Soon, sooner than you think.

Foolish's words replaced the lack of mine, bringing me some comfort. "Soon, Sapnap, soon."

His eyes darted to his boots, a flash of sorrow on his face. Then it was gone, a witty and cocky smile substituting the sadness as he pushed off the door.

"Bet you can't kill as many withers as I can," He quipped, stepping back into the downpour.

I just rolled my eyes, finding a smile on my own face. Sapnap never failed to lighten the worst situations with his own firelight.

"Even if I'm just a healer today, I could probably still bring a few down." I shrugged, my confidence biting at the challenge.

The competitiveness that I hadn't seen since Dream was still around blended into Sapnap's dark eyes like a stray ember catching onto dry grass.

"Sure, sure. Whatever you say, my elemental princess," He taunted me teasingly with the old nickname.

When he saw my smile widen, he turned and ran towards where the group circled around its two leaders, one golden-haired and the other with horns.

I cupped my hands around my mouth, calling after Sapnap, "I'm just a healer!"

His shoulders shook with laughter, becoming distant as he merged with the group. It was then that I realized just how little the ensemble was.

I picked out Quackity's blue beanie and Puffy's black pirate hat with a feather towards the front of the group, Ponk and Sam standing close together at the back. Other than them, I counted there to be about five others without the leaders.

Tommy was waving his hands around, his shoulders straight with pride. Tubbo listened contently next to him, already back at ease with his friend.

Ranboo's tall head appeared behind them, close to the new bee apiary. His crown glistened with raindrops, and even from here, I could see blue particles floating off of him.

The potion he had drunk would last him for several hours, leaving the old threat of rain meaningless and unwanted. It couldn't hurt him and now was just a nuisance to his suit below his chest plate.

I made my way over to him, walking past the group and instantly feeling rain seep through my hoodie where my armor didn't cover it.

The armor's clanking and weight eased some of my anxiety. It felt like a second skin after being worn so many times to protect my vulnerabilities on the inside.

Ranboo had just made it under the lip of the bee roof when I reached him. His face was taut with fear and an instinct told me that he wasn't just afraid of what would happen to his friends and nation.

No, he was also scared to see Dream. The one who accused him of treachery and betrayal after Ranboo had tried to help Tommy and Techno by just being a good friend.

Dream was the one who was pulling on the strings behind the curtain, making Ranboo his marionette through stages of being asleep but awake at the same time.

His face softened just a tad when he caught sight of me, moving over to let me under the safety of the overhang. "The L'mantree is safe. Hopefully whatever they have planned won't breach our defenses around it."

I looked past Ranboo, seeing the obsidian walls and the top of a tree just barely visible over the grassy hill.

Somewhere in the chaos of collecting supplies, Tommy had said that the L'mantree, the last physical piece of the first L'manberg, was to be protected with the safest and hardest material.

"Did anyone help you build the walls?" I asked, trying to make light conversation.

"No, but that's okay. I needed to be alone and have my hands working to distract my mind."

I placed my hand on the sleeve of Ranboo's suit. "Don't worry, Ran. I'll be right here with you."

We had discussed late into the night last night as the army continued to scramble outside Ranboo's home, working only with faint torchlight and the stars.

Ranboo spilled his plan to stay neutral, despite being a citizen of L'manberg, because he didn't want to pick a side.

Like me, he was sick of picking sides.

"As soon as this is all over, I'll buy you something from Niki's bakery-"

My sentence was cut short by a long and vicious howl that sent a jolt of realization through my limbs. The sound was blood-curdling, especially after more wolves joined in.

The sky seemed to be even darker, going from a light grey to almost black, lighting up with lightning that I wasn't calling.

But even in the dark, I could make out the three shapes and the dozens of smaller ones once they came over the crest of the hill.

Techno with his red cape, Phil with his battered wings, and Dream with his split mask all stood with wolves surrounding them, staring down at L'manberg like it was just an obstacle in their way.

The bubble burst.

-

It wasn't long after that Tommy started shouting orders and the army rushed Techno and Phil. Dream disappeared in an instant, vanishing in the blink of an eye.

Techno just smirked as they ran to him, opening an ender chest and handing a bag of something to Phil, to which he ran towards the North side of L'manberg.

Then, faster than I could inhale, two withers came to life with silent screams and the whirring of life in their soul sand ribs. Blue fire erupted from their eyes in the stormy light, explosions already happening around us.

The ground quaked under our feet, and my mind was spurred into action. I may just be a healer, but that didn't mean I would just stand by the sidelines.

I grasped Ranboo's hand and ran like hell towards the disheveled camarvan. Someone had tried to fix it, but it still crumbled and broke as Ranboo and I climbed to the top of it, grasping at the rubble for a grip.

More and more withers sprung to life at the hands of Phil and Techno, who danced out of the army's way. Wolves formed a shield around their master, growling and snapping at anyone that drew near.

Just like every war before this, craters were forming in the ground from multiple explosions. Even with the people fighting the withers and stabbing at them, the monsters managed to create too much destruction.

"Y/n, duck!" Ranboo shouted, pulling me onto our stomachs.

Inches above my head, a wither skull shot past in a blaze of blue glow. When I looked up, a wither was dead set on us, flying towards us at a fast speed.

"Shit, shit, shit," I muttered, pulling myself onto my knees.

"What do we do?" Ranboo yelled over the explosions and screaming.

Despite the fear that gripped me moments ago, it all washed out as I took a deep breath and raised my hands to the sky. I didn't take my eyes off the wither blazing towards us as I spoke to Ranboo.

"Stay calm and keep your head down."

Everything began to slow down. Rain droplets sliding off Ranboo's face almost froze in the air and the wither's fast movement slowed.

Magic burned at my fingertips, the familiarity of electricity beginning to race towards me from the ever-present thunderstorm. There was a reason I had warned Ranboo to keep his head down.

Just as fast as the world slowed, it sped up as lightning streaked from every direction towards me. One arched right where Ranboo's head had been, the buzzing loud in my ears.

"Y/n!" Ranboo shouted in warning.

The wither was a couple of feet away when I released the lightning on it.

If it could show expressions, its eyes would've widened and its jaw snapped even wider.

White streaks shot into its body, curling around its ribs and up into its eyes. It froze for a moment before spazzing and becoming a frenzy of stressed movements.

The lightning was frying it from the inside out, the cracking louder than I could ever imagine. Adrenaline shot through me like a high, making my head spin with power.

"That was awesome!" Ranboo grasped my arm, staring at the withering monster.

I would've celebrated with him, but my magic was at a high, sensing the movement of the wither before it happened.

"It's not over yet!" I screamed, grabbing onto Ranboo and flinging the two of us off of the van.

We landed against the van's tires just as another head shot where we had been, sending rubble raining down on us. Ranboo and I placed our arms over our heads to protect ourselves from the debris.

The shot was the wither's final stand, collapsing onto the ground in a dead heap. It went still, the sand dissolving into a pile and the fire going out in its eyes.

Then there were hands pulling at the bits of the van on Ranboo and I's head. Dust was everywhere, in my eyes and lungs.

I blinked the stuff out of my eyes, being pulled into a standing position by someone. When the fog disappeared from my brain, I recognized the person.

"Are you guys okay?" Tommy shouted, holding onto my shoulders.

His face was covered in dirt and dust, but he still remained unharmed aside from a few scratches. There was a gleam of thrill that only came with war in his tundra blue eyes, the grip on his new sword tight.

I nodded, Ranboo doing the same. Tubbo stood at his side, grasping at the enderman's sleeve to stop his swaying.

"That was bloody amazing!" Tommy said once we confirmed our health. He glanced at my hip, seeing that all the potions were still unbroken. "Healer, my ass! Could you help us out with the withers instead?"

I opened my mouth to respond when someone came running up. We all turned to see Big Q panting with his heavy netherite armor, stopping just before his leaders.

"Two withers-" He saw the dead one near us, correcting himself, "Three withers are down but Techno and Phil keep spawning more. When we got close enough, there seemed to be something wrong with Techno's eyes."

Tommy nodded, his soaked, blonde hair illuminating with a streak of lightning above. "Just keep fighting, it's all we can do. And for Techno's eyes, don't engage him. There's darkness in him."

I had told Tommy early this morning about last night, but he seemed unbothered. We both knew the Blood God was stronger than that.

Quackity dipped his head like a soldier, but froze, seeing something behind us.

The look of fear and shock in his eye made me turn, the same look soon taking place on my face. Blood drained from my cheeks, the rain suddenly cold.

Up on the grid high above, Dream loomed like a dark shadow in the almost night-like light. There was something clutched in his hand but he was too far away to see what it was.

He placed whatever it was down, and then the world seemed to unravel at its seems.

TnT began falling from the grid, red streaks from how fast they dropped and the amount that fell.

The withers' explosions were nothing compared to what happened next.

~~~~

war chapters are always so fun to write

I'm on a school trip this weekend so I will see you all on Monday or Tuesday with the next part of Doomsday >:) prepare for a bit of angst

as always, have a wonderful day homies and stay safe