"Alright, we can talk now."

I settled into my place on the ground in front of Techno's fireplace with a wool blanket draped across my aching legs. Patches spun in a circle once before settling on my lap and beginning to purr.

Ghost laid with many other wolves near Techno, who sat across from me against a chest, and nestled his white head against the red cape. He had instantly warmed up to the other wolves but quickly got jealous of Techno's attention on them.

Nyx on the other hand had already known the Wolf Army and paid no attention to them, instead, curling up next to me and acting like the princess she was by taking most of my affection.

After making sure Tommy and Tubbo were stable enough, I found Ranboo near the obsidian room where my pets were, staring blankly. When I placed my hand on his shoulder, he snapped out of it and helped me get my pets out.

"Ranboo, are you sure I can leave you alone?" I asked, placing one hand on Ash's damp neck.

He gave me a cheerful smile, but his red and green eyes stayed off mine. "Yes, go on home. You need some rest. I thought I just saw something but it must've been the rain."

Something told me that he wasn't alright but Ranboo persisted, helping me mount and taking the lead to guide Ash towards the Nether portal with Ghost trailing beside us.

And once I arrived back home, placing Ash in her warm and straw-filled pen, I noticed that the roof had been patched to stop the incoming snowstorm. Phil had fixed it earlier in the day before heading into his house and turning out the lights.

Now, Techno and I sat across from each other, equally as tired and struggling to keep our eyes pried open. Our hair remained damp from the earlier storm but our clothes were dry and our pained limbs resting.

Techno gave me a patient look with guilt still lingering in his brown eyes. No crimson or black strayed in thick pools thankfully.

I idly skimmed my now clean palm over Patches' tawny fur, earning an appreciative purr. It was time to pull the Nether incident back up to the surface.

It had been more than a month but I still felt a phantom throb across my stomach as I explained what Dream had done to me.

I stayed away from telling Techno about Tommy's experience in exile, instead, giving him every detail from my perspective, including the moment where I hit the shit out of Dream's mask.

Tommy was the one who needed to tell his big brother about what happened to him. It wasn't my place to spew his secrets after our long and bloodied friendship that felt more like family.

"It's good to know that even in your dying moments, your aim and temper never fail," Techno hummed once I was done.

Halfway through my retelling, Techno had moved next to me so that he slightly had his back to me but could still feel the fire. This way I could undo his braid while continuing to talk.

With one final gentle tug, his pink hair became untangled and cascaded down his white button-up. It curled at the ends in big swoops from the dampness of it.

"After everything I just told you, you're focused on my aim?" I asked with a quiet laugh. I carefully placed his polished crown back onto his loose hair and then relaxed back into my spot.

"I'm always concerned with your aim. It constantly needs improving."

I lightly punched him in the arm, making him chuckle. He continued, turning so he could look at me with amusement, "See, that wasn't bad but it could've been better."

"You're the one who taught me!" I said, a smile lighting up my face. "Even with a healing out-of-place arm, I can hit right."

His face dipped slightly, the exhaust and concern showing through with a frown and averted eyes. Little lines appeared on his forehead in the shape of wrinkles of worry.

"How did your arm get dislocated?" He asked almost silently.

My own face fell, the sleeves of my purple hoodie getting tugged over my hands. I hadn't told him about the war yet and I hadn't meant to but it slipped.

"It came out of place when I caught myself on a L'manberg flag as I was falling into the pit." Shame crept into my words. "A wither blasted me into it and I lost control of my magic so I couldn't catch myself."

Techno was silent for a moment, staring into the fire at his side. Nyx crawled over my lap, earning a mean look from Patches, and placed herself on Techno's fidgeting hands to be pet.

Guilt, even stronger than earlier, poured out of Techno like a glass of water being tipped upside down. His mind was reeling and thrashing to get away from the emotion.

Breaking the silence, he said, "I'm sorry, y/n. For siding with Dream, for almost killing you-"

I quickly stopped his overthought apologies by placing a hand on his shoulder. He looked up at me, his eyes clouded over with shame and betrayal of his family.

"Tech, you didn't know about Dream and what happened in the Nether. That's my fault for not telling you before. And even if I did, well, the darkness would've joined Dream either way."

Because the god controlling Dream controls the darkness, the all too familiar voice whispered.

I brushed it off like a bug, continuing, "And like I said earlier, we're even now. How about we just forget about it and focus on other things? Like what the hell we're going to do with all these wolves."

I swept my hand around at the room laden with wolves bigger than Ghost, who was already a full-size white wolf adult. They lounged in every space they could and it wasn't even all of them.

More were in Phil's heated basement and some even sleeping with the winged-man himself.

Most of the remorse washed out of Techno as he laughed and rubbed the back of his neck, looking around at his army of brave wolves. In the fight, they had looked ruthless and vicious, but now all I could see were puppies wanting attention.

"Phil said he would build them an enclosed and heated pen soon," Techno said, peering out at the dark windows. Snow fell heavily outside, blanketing the ground in blinding white. "He just has to wait until the blizzard is over."

"How did Phil manage to get you back while you were half-awake and all these wolves? You had to cross the ocean."

"To be honest, I have no clue. I passed out in the boat and woke up here with ten wolves trying to lick my face."

I laughed, imagining a grumpy and confused Techno waking up to a horde of dogs trying to sniff his cape for treats and lick his face with kisses.

A comfortable silence fell as I laid my head on Techno's shoulder, my eyes starting to close with the beckoning call of sleep and the warmth of the crackling fire. Despite the earlier war, my heart felt calm and steady.

Just give in to the sleep, your body needs it. Especially for upcoming events.

There it was, that same voice. It didn't sound like Noemi's sweet tone but it wasn't cold like the darkness.

Instead, it was just ... normal.

Well duh, I'm normal, not every voice in your head is some weirdo.

I visibly scrunched my brows, stiffening a bit. What the hell?

Techno's eyes were closed but he opened them at my sudden rigidness. "What is it?"

I was about to shake my head in dismissal, but something stopped me.

Techno had grown up and lived for years with voices in his head and he had learned them like a book. He knew what would trigger them and what they did to him, but did he know where they came from?

"Tech, this sounds like a bizarre question, but do any of the voices in your head sound normal?" I asked, keeping my eyes on Patches.

He placed a hand to his chin, zoning out in thought. "Most of them are just blood-thirsty screams but there is one that is normal. It's usually pushed to the back when the other voices are drawn out."

My interest caught, thoughts and theories tripping over one another in my mind. Instantly, speculations floated around my head in clouds.

Techno's face fell a tad and the wrinkles returned ever so slightly. "Why do you ask, y/n?"

I picked an invisible piece of lint off the blanket, trying to keep my hands busy. As I spoke I attempted to keep my voice nonchalant, "I have a voice in my head."

He went as stiff as a board, instantly snapping his head towards mine.

"What does it say to you?"

I suppressed my smile over his concern and looked up at him. "Don't worry, it's not begging for blood or anything bad. It's actually a ... good voice."

His bunched shoulders relaxed slightly at the confirmation that I wouldn't have a future like Techno's whole life of ushering the urges for blood into a dark corner until the Blood God was ready.

So I continued, thinking back on how familiar the voice sounded, "It actually was encouraging me up the flag and trying to get me to sleep a few minutes ago. I have a feeling that it isn't bad and my magic hasn't warned me about it."

In fact, the magic has stayed quiet during its rest. It was unbothered by the sudden appearance of a stranger's voice.

Except, it didn't feel like a stranger.

Techno hummed in response, quickly falling back into thought. "Well, it could be like the one I have, that I mentioned earlier."

I stayed quiet, waiting for him to elaborate.

He absent-mindedly ran his hand along Nyx's black fur, carrying on, "There's a voice that is unlike any of the others. It doesn't call for blood or violence, instead, it guides and encourages me. And it feels familiar, like someone I've heard before."

"That's how mine sounds," I said. "But I can't explain it. It just came around but it feels like it's been in my head for much longer."

Techno nodded in agreement, saying, "I've never been able to figure out what it is either but it only started speaking before a certain event."

"What event?"

His eyes darkened slightly and darted away from mine in a flash. Discomfort radiated in the air but so did a sense of power.

"It started speaking before I fully gave in to the voices for the first time." His voice sounded far away like he was lost in a memory. "Before I learned about how I was practically invincible and I had god-like strength."

I was quickly starting to understand what this voice was.

Or, who this voice was.

I didn't push Techno for more on the event, understanding that the memory was one that was kept behind locked doors and guarded hearts. The scent of thick blood lingered beyond it.

If I was right about who was speaking in our heads, it would change the course of the next few days.

So I spilled my theory to Techno, carefully laying out my thoughts and suspicions so I didn't sound crazy.

It was a long shot that I was right, but Techno agreed with me. His face lit up with pride for me and the relief of knowing who the voice was.

By the time I was done theorizing, my eyes were closing and my head plopped onto Techno's shoulder, sleep already tugging me under.

-

And just like I wanted, sand was everywhere around me when I opened my eyes.

I quickly ran through the great sandstone pillars and entrance of the Egyptian temple with the dark sky above me and bunches of stars following my back. Glowstone lights spilled over my steps.

The Pharaoh's eyes hauntingly followed me as I made my way into the huge staircased temple. A beacon shot from inside the building, slicing through the sky in a bright green streak.

As I suspected, Foolish was inside, leaning over a table. Maps and ink were sprawled across the entire dark wood desk, feather pens dipped in the inky bottles.

The golden stone-like tint of Foolish's skin glowed in the enchanting floor lighting. The inside of the pyramid was elaborate and historically beautiful. It must've taken him ages to build this.

He looked up as I approached, setting one of his pens back into its square bottle. No fatigue or sleep was under his eyes in deep bags, immortality flowing through his unnatural body.

"Y/n?"

I came to a halt in front of the desk with the question on the tip of my tongue.

"Foolish, you've been around for a long time, right?" I asked, bouncing on my heels.

He nodded, confusion decorating his face like Christmas lights in his illuminated eyes. "I'm immortal. I can't recall what the year was when I even came around."

"So, you've had your god powers for as long as you could remember?"

He crossed his arms, coming around the desk so he was on the same side as me. "Yes, why are you asking me all of these questions after randomly showing up? Aren't you supposed to be preparing for your fight with DreamXD?"

I raised my hand for him to wait, continuing with my own agenda, "Do you have a voice in your head that sounds familiar but you can't pinpoint who it sounds like?"

Shock settled in his eyes and he unfolded his arms. "Yes, but how did you know? You shouldn't be hearing that voice yet."

There it was. Foolish had confirmed my hypothesis without even realizing I had one that needed confirming.

When he saw the look on my face, his shock wavered and flooded the air. "You do hear that voice?"

I nodded. "And I think I know who that voice is. But I need to know, did your voice come around right before you fully delved into your power's wells for the first time?"

Now his jaw dropped and his shoulders slackened. "Yes! Are you reading my thoughts or something?" He began putting his hands to his temples.

I laughed, shaking my head. "No, I've just figured it out. Techno has a voice too like ours and his came around before he fully gave in to the voices. Yours came around right before giving in to your godliness."

He jutted his head out and spread his hands to say, so?

"So, that means these voices are ourselves."

Silence followed my words, the two of us staring at each other.

Then Foolish broke it, waving his hands around. "How did you get from point A to point B?!"

I stifled my laugh and pressed my excitement into a little bottle. We could celebrate our knowledge once Foolish understood.

"Both of your voices came around right before you fully dove into your magic. What do I have to do to free Dream and destroy the darkness?"

"You have to fully..." He trailed off, his eyes sparking like the beginning of fireworks. "That means the fight is sooner than we think?"

I nodded, my hands almost shaking with the edge of accomplishment. "That voice in my head is the goddess part of myself trying to prepare my human body and mind for the fight. It's my magic speaking to me. It's always been there, like an old friend."

"That's why it sounds familiar?"

"Yes, it stayed sleeping until it was needed. Until it needed to wake up and protect its closest ally, me and you."

More silence blanketed the air between the two of us. It was like the sand all around us sucked up the sound and stole our breaths.

So I raised my chin and let power run quickly through my veins. "I need you to teach me how to do something, Foolish. Something ... godly."

He caught on, his face hardening with determination and focus.

We worked the rest of the night on my request and trained until I had the mental steps memorized. The sun rose and the beacon's green light dimmed in pale morning streaks.

I waved Foolish goodbye after he wished me luck and hugged me like it was the last time I would see him, and I let my mind tug me back to Techno's house.

~~~~

YO WE ONLY HAVE A FEW PARTS LEFT :(((

so what's gonna happen is the final few parts and then it will be the main ending. And to peoples' requests, I will have two parts for an alternate ending. So there will be two parts for each ending lol.

ANYWAYS, have an amazing day and remember you are loved and that you are needed! I love you all so much and make sure to drink som water or I WILL PLAY FALLING DOWN