Chapter Text
Karl's heart beats in tandem with the pounding on the doors. --- was here. If they lost now they lose forever. Karl turned toward the friend he had made during his time out of time. His friend looked at him earnestly searching his eyes. “Karl, I know you aren’t supposed to be here. Go back, find ---”
No, no he wasn't going to leave them, not like this. Not now. Not when they had a chance to stop this. But something in his friend's eyes burned and brokered no argument. “Wait, ---. How will I get them on my side? We both know that chronomancy is a forbidden magic, so I can’t tell them it’s the future and why would they trust me otherwise.” and besides this wasn't even suppose to happen. His mentor had always told him that by meddling in time you permanently alter two timelines. It was not to be used extraneously. It was a forbidden magic for good reason.
The pounding grew louder. His friend was looking more frantic. They didn't stand a chance and they both knew it. “Karl, we need to stop ---. This is the only way. Trust me Karl.” he would trust them, trust them with the world, trusted them with his past. The issue was he didn't trust himself.
“Help, he’s here.”
“Everyone get ready.”
“This is it, the last stand.”
“Give it everything boys.” it was over for them all. Karl should go. He was their best hope for erasing this future for his home timeline so that more didn't suffer the same.
“Karl go.” He looked to his friend one last time. After all the next time they saw each other they would be strangers meeting for the first time. Their history will have been swept clean.
“Okay ---.” He said as he started to feel magic hum beneath his fingertips. As the doors finally caved in, the chaos and fighting ensued.
Karl awoke in a panic as a gentle rain beat against the humble shelter he had found. He tried desperately to hold on to the image of his friend that he had seen. But it was fading fast.
His mentor had said that when you meddle with time without enough skill, there were side effects ranging from chronic headaches, memory loss, to literal death. His mentor had said if he could find one of the few remaining Elytrians they could help. But even his mentor had admitted it was a fruitless endeavor. He feels as if he should know an Elytrian though. He’s met one, he’s sure. In the end, he had been given several books from his mentor who said he needed to take this journey for himself. So he did. Now, he was here, trying to hang on to any thread he could remember, desperately trying to figure out where to go.
He pulled out a map and scanned the page. It was an older map, so L’manburg wasn’t even on it properly. He placed his finger on the ruins of Eltryia, someone was there he recalled. But there was also no shortage of useful information. He could start there. But he couldn’t stay there.
He was tempted to go straight to L'manburg and claim to be a prophet so he could warn them of the dangers to come, but he decided against it. He needed to be properly ready to see so many people that he knew were important that he knew he knew well. He also needed to remember who he was supposed to find.
He pulled out the notebook he was keeping as he thought he remembered something new. He needed to find someone. He needed to stop the mass manipulation. He needed to stop the traitor... or was it traitors? Either way, he remembered what had really been his downfall. It was the division of allies. If he could stop one thing it would be that.
He had everything he needed, every detail was locked in his head he just needed to find them again, and then, hopefully, he would know how to use it.
---
Ranboo ran, he can’t quite remember why he’s running, the adrenaline was enough to block out his thoughts in favor of his current task of getting away. For once his faulty memory had no part in his haze of memories and thoughts. He heard the sounds of barking dogs and the pounding of horse hooves behind him. They were yelling, trying to get their hands on him. They were going to take him back, take him back and kill him.
His lungs were burning as he desperately huffed in another breath as he was pushed past his limits. He wasn’t going to be able to keep this up. They were going to get him. He felt the tears build in his eyes; the minimal water content in them started to irritate his skin, his vision tinting red. The dogs were closing in, the harsh barks and thundering hooves mixed with the angry yells heralding the sound of his death.
He isn’t going to make it, his vision is getting worse and his legs are getting weaker and the sounds are getting louder.
His head starts to cloud over making it harder to think. In his desperation and slowly worsening condition, he runs into something.
“Woah mate you okay.” A pause as he tries to say anything through his labored breaths, the sounds of his pursuers pierce through the still forest. “Mate, do you need help?” The voice says as everything clicks into place from the last few seconds. Ranboo still struggling to breathe just nods.
Surprise and brief panic fill his chest as he feels himself being lifted off the ground, he grabs onto anything to keep his bearings when his red tear-stained vision leaves him stranded.
“Phil, what happened?” A new voice bellows, “It sounds like a hunting party is after us?”
“Pretty sure there is, except it’s not because of us.”
The voice goes silent and for some reason, that silence dims the noises of the surrounding threats, almost as if this new voice’s decision of Ranboo is more important than anyone else’s. “Run ahead, I'll hold them off. When I get back I want an explanation.”
“Got it, mate. Blood for the blood god.”
A small chuckle escapes the second person before the new voice responds, “Skulls for the skull throne.”
The sounds slowly dim as Phil(?) continues to run. “Think you can run on your own again?”
Ranboo lets his eyes focus on the man in front of him as he stutters out a shaky “y-yeah”
“Great,” Phil(?), he’s just going with Phil for now, says as he drops Ranboo. Not expecting or prepared for the sudden change he stumbles. Phil grabs his arm and pulls him along.
“W-will he, be-be okay?” He huffs out.
“Oh him, yeah he’ll be fine. Come on, we're almost there.” Ranboo listens to the sound of a fight far in the distance. He was gone. He had gotten away. Phil pulls him into a cave.
After a few moments of labored breathing, Ranboo does his best to wipe his treacherous tears from his eyes. The red in his vision starts to recede and he finally takes in the man before him. The black cloak draped around his shoulders, the blonde hair with a tiny braid behind his ear. The wide-brimmed hat with two feathers stuck into it, but more than that, the brilliant blue of his eyes. His breathing calms down and his vision starts to grey out. He wipes at his eyes again trying to rid whatever new thing is impeding his vision.
“Alright, explanation time. Who are you, and why were they after you?” Phil interrogates as he turns his gaze back to Ranboo.
“Oh uhm, I, I'm Ranboo, and they wanted to capture me and execute me for a crime I didn’t commit.” He replies as his brain starts to get fuzzy. “Thanks, thanks for saving me.”
“Of course Ranboo.” The cold stone was far from comfortable but the peace of safety finally allowed his exhaustion to take over. His brain finally resting after the panic.
Ranboo heard a voice in his head as he stood in a black room with scribbles on the wall he couldn’t quite read. “Ranboo, why did you run?”
“Because they were hunting me.” He says as he turns to try and address a speaker who isn’t there.
“Because of a crime you committed.”
“But I didn’t do it.” He cries, whipping around as the voice comes from behind him. Only to see nothing again.
“But only guilty people run.” But that couldn’t be right, Ranboo didn’t do it. He knows he didn’t do it. “Guess you're even a traitor to yourself.”
“I'm not a traitor though.” He says, feeling smaller than he ever has before.
“Phil, we simply don’t know a thing about him.”
“We just saved him and you want to hand him back to the wolves?”
“Phil, that’s not what I meant. We already have enough people after us, can we afford more?”
“What’s a dozen more when you already have hundreds? Besides, did you forget how we even met?” Ranboo shuffled his thoughts and got his head back in order as he slowly processed the words being said about him.
“Phil, you're my dearest friend, I would never forget.”
“I'm your only friend.” Ranboo let his eyes focus on the cave again as he slowly realized a cloak had been draped on him and a fire had been made creating the only light since the entrance to the cave was now dark. He gathered his courage and looked at the second person here. He had to bite his tongue to stop from gasping. In front of him stood a Piglin (at least that is what he recalls from his textbooks) with more scars than even the most battle-worn of D’neer. He had jewelry hanging from his ears and a fur-lined red cloak covering what Ranboo can only describe as noble attire. And in his hand was a bloody sword that complemented his blood-stained features. The Piglin turns his eyes on Ranboo, and Ranboo fights his instinct to look away.
“How long have you been listening?” the imposing figure that was the Piglin asks.
Silence. “Ranboo, we need to talk.” Phil offers far more gently.
Ranboo hesitantly sits up. “Answer my question.” the Piglin demands.
“Somewhere towards the end… please don’t let them kill me.”
The Piglin looked to Phil who simply raised his eyebrows questioningly. The Piglin tilted his head towards Ranboo as Phil smiled, the Piglin added, “I reserve my right to judgment.”
“Alright mate, fair enough,” Phil says as the Piglin moves to lean against the wall near the entrance of the cave. “So Ranboo, I don’t think we ever finished our conversation.”
“Ah, yeah, right.”
“First off I need to know and I'm sorry if this is offensive but, eyelids?” Phil asks, seeming to internally wince at how rude it might be.
“Don’t have them.” He answers, “It’s a weird mutation that my father and I both have that no one can seem to explain.”
“Okay right, that’s gonna be weird to get used to. So I guess that leads into my next question. Who is your family?”
Ranboo feels a cold fear run up his spine. “Why do you ask?”
Phil looks at him, tilting his head. “It’s just your clothes, they don't strike me as that of anyone less than noble.”
“Oh yeah, uhm I grew up in the royal court of D’neer.” He says, rubbing his neck as the Piglin glares at him from the corner.
“Huh, what did you do that they were hunting you down like that?”
“They said I destroyed the building that stores all knowledge of our history.”
“But you didn’t?”
“I don’t remember if I did but I didn’t. I wouldn’t.” He wouldn’t right? He pulls his knees to his chest in a vain attempt to try and comfort himself. That is when he realizes the notebook he kept with him at his waist was gone. “Where’s my notebook?”
“Notebook?” Phil asks picking up on Ranboo’s panic.
“You mean this notebook?” The Piglin holds up a notebook worn down with time and covered in dirt from the chase. “I found it on my way back, you must have dropped it.”
“Did, did you read it?”
“No, didn’t have the time, why what is it?”
“It’s, well my…”
“Memory book?” the pig asks.
“...yeah, how did you?”
“Next question. Memory book? Care to explain.” The Piglin asks, almost accusingly.
“I have memory loss, I've always had it, or at least I think I have. So I started writing down everything I want, or need to remember in it.”
The Piglin observes it with fascination. “I see. I have one last question.” Ranboo hates the pause as he waits, “Ever heard of Technoblade?”
“Isn’t he the Slayer of Kings, Bringer of Chaos? Yeah, I've heard of him, he’s been quiet for a while now, people think he might have gone into hiding or died.”
“What do you think of him?” Phil asked.
“I mean, I'm scared of him, he has a name forged in blood. Why? Do you know him?”
“You could say that we know him, right Phil?” The Piglin asks coyly.
Phil laughs, “yeah mate we could.”
“What’s so funny?” Ranboo asks as he begins to fear his saviors.
“Ranboo” the pause isn’t long but it’s long enough to strike panic racing through Ranboo’s skin. Phil smiles, “He is Techno.” Phil finishes with a lazy gesture towards the other person, watching Ranboo’s face as his eyes widen taking in the boarish figure of the myth he hadn’t even realized had been talking to him. His appearance took on a whole new meaning. The King of Death. Looming over him. Blood for the blood god. Phil had said that to Techno and in a moment of pure adrenaline, Ranboo hadn’t thought twice about it. Now, now it took on a whole new meaning.
“Well Ranboo, want to start running?” Technoblade asks.
“Techno enough. He’s joking.” Phil says, trying to comfort Ranboo.
“Only for you Phil.” He looks at the book in his hand again and Ranboo feels the fear get caught in his throat. “So this has all your memories? Important information that could easily be used against you.”
“Uh yes.” Technoblade tosses the book to Ranboo.
“Keep better track of it from here on out,” he says as Ranboo fumbles with the book. “Phil I'm going hunting since daytime is looking more dangerous by the second and we need food.”
“Alright Mate. Good luck." Phil smiled as Technoblade grabbed his things and left. Phil fed the flame in front of them. After a moment of companionable silence, Ranboo allows himself to relax. Phil asked, "Be honest with me Ranboo, are you royalty?" and just like that Ranboo is on edge again.
The truth would get out eventually, better to be honest here. "Yeah."
"Prince?"
"Yeah."
"Figured. Techno is great at cataloging details. Not great at recognizing what they mean. The gold band 'round your head could be mistaken for fashion or maybe a symbol of nobility. Normally I'd think the same but there is a purple gem. Nobility rarely ever wear the color purple, what with how rare the color is. Granted there was a chance I would be wrong but I wanted to get a direct answer." Phil glances at him, his gaze lingering just a moment too long, making note of his features. "I would tell Techno. But tell him when you're ready. He is the kind of person who respects secrecy until that secrecy involves him and his safety."
"What? I would have thought…"
"Mate I haven't told Techno everything about me. He hasn't told me everything about him. Major things on both sides. Neither of us talk about our past or our state. And that's okay. As many secrets as we have from each other, we have thousands more to the rest of the world. Point being. Unless you're walking away from your country forever you should tell him what you're going back to.” Ranboo watched as Phil gazes into the dancing flames and mauled over that thought, that Phil had secrets from Technoblade.
They were mysteries to each other. But no matter how mysterious they were to each other they were exponentially more mysterious to Ranboo.
“Ranboo, would you want to travel with us? Knowing who we are and what we are capable of?” Phil looks at Ranboo with such a gentle gaze Ranboo finds it hard to believe that he is the only friend of Technoblade.
“I mean you just admitted that I don’t know you, and you guys don’t know me, but I think I'd like to stay.”
“Alright mate, I'll talk to Techno, but get some rest, we leave in the morning.
---
Wilbur stared at the gathered humans. His friends and allies. Clay had warned them the world was reaching a dark age that would see L'manburg as an easy target. They needed to be ready for when they attacked. “Tommy, come here we need to prepare. Eret get Niki and Tubbo and meet us in the conference room.”
“On it Wilbur,” Eret replies as he travels further into their camp to find the two people.
“Wilbur, what’s going on?”
Wilbur wanted to know himself, all he knows is Clay sent a message sealed with a black seal. Meaning it was serious. “Clay sent a code black message.”
“Code black? Wha- But we’ve never had a code black anything before.” Tommy said, already speeding up to outpace Wilbur so he could look at Wilbur as they talked.
“Tommy I know; that’s why I'm calling this meeting.” They entered the conference room in a hurry.
“Dad,” Fundy turned to Wilbur, and Wilbur was incredibly mad at the world that his son had to grow up in a time of chaos with war looming over the horizon. “Can we go fishing today?”
“Sorry Fundy, but it might be pushed back indefinitely. We got a code black message today.”
“A code black. Oh, I see.” Fundy visibly drooped, as his tail stopped wagging and his ears fell. In hindsight, it was incorrect to say this was a human settlement when outcasts often sought refuge here. Including Fundy’s mother, a beautiful nature spirit taking the form of a fish. Fundy had gotten her transformative ability, and Wilbur's complete lack of magic and knowledge meant fundy had never learned how to control it.
“I'm sorry Fundy, but tonight I can sing for you, your choice.”
“Okay Dad,” Fundy said as he left, leaving him and Tommy alone in the conference room.
“You really shouldn’t keep brushing him off like this, he needs you,” Tommy says in one of his few moments of wisdom. When he got like this it was easy to forget how young he was.
“I'm doing the best I can Tommy. But I won’t be able to be there for him at all if I can’t protect him.” Not that he would know how to be a father even if he was there, his own father was gone, a mystery to him. Eret walked in, Niki and Tubbo trailing behind him.
“Wilbur, what’s this about?” Niki asked, “you pulled me away from rush hour.”
“I'm sorry Niki, I know you are passionate about your bakery but you're still a part of this.” He said, holding up the sealed letter.
“A code black. Holy cow this is serious.” Tubbo says, stating the obvious.
“Tubbo, close the door.” Tommy tells his friend, “We don’t want to get interrupted.”
“Okay, Tommy.” When the doors were shut and everyone was seated Wilbur finally slipped his finger under the seal and broke it. He unfolded it as he read aloud the contents.
To those of L’manberg it may concern,
The world has never been more dangerous, Technoblade is about due to strike off another head. There are now several sightings of Elytrians wandering the world who I can only imagine are bitter. With the kingdoms in disarray, for one reason or another, they are prime sources of rogues. In addition to this, a D’neeren accused of several crimes escaped punishment.
Though on a lighter note if you encounter the D’neeren who is called Ranboo, attempt to capture him as the Queen is offering a reward to the person able to catch him. We can use that reward to further our goals.
Let Schlatt know to be careful who he trusts now more than ever. Traitors are bound to arise for the right price.
-Clay
Wilbur finished reading. They all served the army under Schlatt. Schlatt had always been impulsive and if he decided to get rid of any threat chances are he and Tommy would be the first to go, meaning no one would be left to protect the people. Protect Fundy. Tommy placed his hand on Wilbur’s arm drawing the man’s attention to how tightly he was gripping the paper.
“What do we do now?” asked Tubbo. “I mean what can we do?”
“We do what we can, we pray for the best, and prepare for the worst. We need to prepare a backup base of operations and a safe zone if our defenses are ever breached. It will be our last line of defense.” Wilbur started pacing as he started thinking. They couldn’t rely on Clay and his overwhelming skill and power when he was busy in foreign kingdoms. That also meant he would need to use everyone else’s strengths. “Tubbo, work on your machines, I don’t understand them but if they can help we need them.”
Tubbo nods, excitement filling him despite the dire situation. “On it.”
“Eret, start working on improving our defenses and finding a place to retreat to.”
“I can do that.”
“Niki, I know this is asking a lot, but can I put you in charge of building up a food storage in case we are forced into hiding?” Wilbur hesitantly asks, knowing Niki was already the busiest out of all of them.
“Wilbur, if it needs to be done I can do it,” Niki says with a determination he has only seen in her.
“Tommy, I need you to come with me. We need to gather information so we know what we are working on. We also need to talk to Schlatt about this new information."
“Okay, Wilbur.”
Wilbur and Tommy left the room with everyone else and they all went their separate ways. Wilbur knew he needed to head to Schlatt first as it was his duty but he was genuinely afraid that maybe Schlatt would be quick to act and make a decision that would risk everyone’s safety. So instead he went to the library first. He would admit he didn’t know much about D’neer and it seemed vital to know about it now.
“Wilbur? Shouldn’t we be going to talk to Schlatt first?” Tommy asked, walking just slightly ahead of him. So Wilbur couldn’t ignore his question.
“Tommy we will but I think the more information we have to present to him, the better off the meeting will go.”
Tommy frowned, he didn’t believe Wilbur. Tommy was the only one able to read him like that. “Wilbur do you think this is the right thing to do? And I don’t mean the order in which we tell Schlatt things. I'm talking about making enemies?”
“Tommy we aren’t making enemies if we are simply defending ourselves against people looking for conflict.”
“I guess but how do we know we can trust Clay?”
“Tommy I know you haven’t met him but he was genuine when he said he wanted to help us.”
“But why would he even want to help us, what does he have to gain?”
“Do people always need to gain something?”
“No but people don’t usually do things for no reason, and everything that I've heard and all the letters everything Clay does is calculated. So what’s the motive here?”
“Tommy you're just paranoid,” Wilbur said although Tommy always seemed to know things about people that he simply didn’t. So maybe he should be more cautious of Clay. He shook that thought away, Clay had been nothing but helpful to them so far.
They walked into the library and looked for the book that would have the desired information. Wilbur's fingers traced over the dusty spines before landing on one and pulling it out. He looked briefly at the table of contents, noting how short the section he wanted to look at was compared to others, before flipping open to the page he needed. Tommy wandered around, never one to sit still if he didn't have to.
‘Alright,’ Wilbur thought to himself, ‘what is there to know?’
D'neer is a secluded kingdom founded by the god Ruimte, god of space. The D'neerens, more colloquially known as Endermen, have never really let anyone into their walls. Very few have been lucky enough to do so, and all of them refuse to say a word on the subject out of respect to the people inside. The only reason we know anything at all are the few Endermen who were not content to remain sedentary for the rest of their lives.
D'neer is a heavily forested, heavily caved land as the residents are harmed by water. Endermen are known best for their natural gift and inclination towards telekinetic powers including moving objects and teleporting, in the most gifted cases Endermen can put objects into a pocketed dimension.
Wil looked at the map on the next page simply showing it in relation to other kingdoms and very little concerning what was inside the walls. Well, this didn’t really offer a whole lot of information since the following information was mostly mythology relating to Ruimete. He closed the book that helped so very little. Well, that made what Clay did all the more impressive.
He put the book back on the shelf. “Alright, Tommy we need to go talk to Schlatt.”
“Cool, let’s go,” Tommy said, already out the door waiting impatiently for Wilbur to catch up. Wilbur wished he was as excited as Tommy was to leave the library.
They walked down the hallway, the heels of their boots clicking against the stone floor of the hallway.
Wilbur politely knocked on the door before Tommy just pushed the door open, “Wilbur, Tommy,” Schlatt greets them bombastically, “To what do I owe this visit.” He says as his voice takes on a dark tone. And Wil can’t tell if maybe Schlatt already knows?
“We received word from Clay about upcoming circumstances that could endanger the people here.”
“That sounds like it’s part of your job. Why are you telling me?” Schlatt says confused, “I put you in charge because I didn’t want to have to deal with it.”
“Schlatt, it was a code black message from Clay telling us to inform you that it is possible traitors will arise in the upcoming conflicts.”
“Alright, and should I be concerned about either of you? Because if not that sounds like your job.”
“No sir. We have everything under control.” Tommy jumps in with more enthusiasm than Wilbur would dare, “Although if you have any concerns regarding any of our procedures please feel free to ask, since Wilbur is paranoid you hate him and are looking for an excuse to get rid of him at every possible moment.”
Schlatt laughs, “This guy really thinks I'm going to get rid of him and find someone to replace him. He’s dumber than he looks. Maybe I shouldn’t have promoted him.”
“Yeah, maybe I should have been given the position.”
“Yeah sure, Tommy’s in charge now.” He composes himself, “What do you think I'm stupid Tommy, you’re going to declare war on someone and get us all killed without even trying. Wilbur stays in charge.”
“Ugh fine.” Tommy bemoans, “Let’s go Wil.”
“Thank you sir for your time,” Wil says bowing ever so slightly before following after Tommy.
“And don’t waste it ever again,” Schlatt calls out as the door closes. Wilbur lets out a sigh of relief before smacking Tommy upside the head.
“Ow, what the hell was that for?”
“What were you thinking, show him respect. He’s our superior.” Wilbur says
“So’s Tubbo, but you don’t go smacking me about how I talk with him.”
Wilbur freezes for a moment because Tommy is right and yet, no, he shakes his head, Schlatt gave them everything they had right now. “Just don’t be so casual with Schlatt.”
Tommy deflates, “Fine.”