technically, y'all don't need to know this but also, i want y'all to know that nia, my beloved, is actually asian. specifically vietnamese bc i said so

She and the Trix have spent several months inside the stronghold besides the occasional trips for resources and so. This was one of the times Nia headed out to get more food and materials. She spurs her horse forward, heading toward the mountain that hides the now-activated portal to the Trix base.

"Nia!" A voice Nia hasn't heard in months calls after her, and she turns around almost immediately, watching Dream in his bright, lime green hoodie running through the pure white snow, which makes him stand out ridiculously.

His hoodie and mask are both off. Nia notes that he looks quite tired as he runs in her direction. She raises an eyebrow at him, her head tilted to the side.

"Dream," she says, surprised to see him.

"I've been looking for you for days," Dream claims, stopping by Nia's black horse. She named him Darkling after having taken care of him for months.

"It shows," says Nia crassly, and Dream chuckles in response. He's glad he gets to hear Nia's straight forward comments again. She smiles at him, also delighted to see him. Though she remains partly taken aback by the fact Dream found her. He nearly found the Trix base.

Shaking his head, Dream, unbeknownst to him, puts himself in the way between the mountain and her horse. They stare at each other for a while, taking in the slight changes in appearance for them both. While Dream looks worn out and tired, Nia is full of vitality.

She's been practicing her healing abilities on the villagers in the village she usually goes to acquire food to, for being their healer gets her the supplies she and the Trix need for free. It's a win-win situation for her.

"So, what are you doing here, Dream?" Nia asks with a furrowed brow, eyeing the boy who looks like he's aged at least a decade within the year. She wonders what he's been doing if it's taking such a toll on him.

"Right, yeah," Dream mumbles to himself, running a hand through his hair. He was blankly staring at Nia, and she knew that he merely zoned out. "Did you know Technoblade lives, like, three miles away from here?" he asks, and Nia is sure that is not why Dream went looking for her.

"I did not," she replies anyway, shaking her head. "How is he—"

"Yeah, that's why I'm here," Dream doesn't let Nia finish her question. "Technoblade's kinda in trouble," he says. "I mean, like, L'Manberg has been rebuilt and Techno is the number one enemy, so they're coming after him kind of trouble."

"That is a very specific kind of trouble." Nia nods. "But I don't believe that they rebuilt L'Manberg again," she says dubiously. "Not after everything that happened. They must've learned, right?"

Dream gives Nia a lopsided smirk, amused by the naivety of her statement.

"L'Manburg is very much rebuilt," Dream repeats. "And the butcher army is coming after Technoblade. They want to execute him for his crimes against the country."

"What did he do?"

"Nothing really. I heard Techno retired." Dream shrugs.

"Then why the fuck are they coming after him? What even is this butcher army?" Nia questions all at once, demanding immediate answers that Dream is willing to give as he knows it will get Nia involved in the drama at the Dream SMP again, meaning she will come back.

"They're coming after him as a precaution," Dream answers the first question, watching Nia's face contort in distaste for the current L'Manberg government. "And the butcher army are a bunch of L'Manburgians led by Tubbo, Quackity, Fundy and Ranboo."

"Who the fuck is Ranboo?"

"He's new." Dream shrugs, a sinister glint in his eye as he speaks of the boy. "Half-enderman, half-something that he doesn't wanna tell anyone. He's as tall as Stela, but I don't think he can teleport."

"You talk to him?" Nia asks.

"You could say that," Dream smirks. "But what do you think? Wanna help me stop the execution?"

"Techno can take care of himself," says Nia confidently, huffing. "Even if it's the four of them against him, he can easily overpower them in battle."

A frown appears on Dream's face, seemingly because Nia's slowly destroying the plans he's had. Whatever his intentions are around getting Nia to L'Manberg and help him stop Technoblade's execution, she's not falling for it all that easily. Besides, she might have to go to the Dream SMP anyway. She's merely teasing the green man at this point.

Nia's been thinking about it. And if the god directly connected to the Book of Revival is indeed DreamXD, she wonders if it doesn't have something to do with Dream as well. Surely, the god must be millennia older than the man that stands before her, but still . . . there is a possibility of fate intertwining their stories, for the Revival Book may have always been meant to be in Dream's possession.

If he has it.

Somehow, Nia is convinced Dream would rather sacrifice his life than give away the book. After all, bringing people back from the dead is a god-like power that could possibly strengthen his grip over everybody in the Dream SMP. If he's the only person capable of beating death itself, nobody would dare touch him. He'd give that away only over his dead body. Ironically enough.

"Don't you at least want to come back and try to bring the country down?" Dream questions, grasping at anything that could peak Nia's interest. Almost like the mere mention of Technoblade doesn't have her full, undivided attention.

She has to choke down her amused laughs, gazing at the exasperated expression across Dream's features. "I think they'll find out over time that rebuilding L'Manberg was a mistake," she says. Though she would love doing everything in her power to accelerate that process.

"You—" Dream clenches his fists and jaw, glaring at Nia because the conversation isn't going his way. Eventually, he gives up, shaking his head. "I want you to come back, Nia," he tells her honestly.

The princess would be lying if she said it didn't make her heart melt at the spot. She smiles at Dream. His candor might have many different reasons than simply the fact Dream misses a friend of his (like manipulating her into going), but she still feels touched by it.

"I will come to L'Manberg with you, Dream. Just tell me one thing," she says, taking the opportunity in Dream, dropping his act, standing before her as himself; no facades and no defences. "Do you happen to be in possession of the Revival Book, Dream?"

Nia can almost feel the skip in his heartbeat at the mention of the book, every piece of the figurative armor she stripped him off moments ago being back.

"What's that?" he obviously lies, despite challengingly staring back at the princess. He plays with the rubber strip of his mask, and that's how she knows he's not being truthful. Nia smiles with a shake of her head.

Dream has the Revival Book.