Chapter Text
Red.
That's the first thing that pops into Dream's head as soon as the hole they're in extends way out. Giving them entrance to Niki's secret underground city that Dream had previously no idea about. How dare she It's impressive really.
Red.
The man-made cavern was big, and almost empty if it weren't for the sprawling red overgrowth that spanned nearly the entire cave and whatever structure that was within it. The growth and unnaturally red flora only stopped right before where Dream and the others were standing. A twisted garden of red plans that swayed as if there was wind within the cave. There wasn't. They moved on their own, there was a faint sound of whispers in the air that came from a few of the sanguine plants. It almost smelled sickeningly sweet, but there was a scent of iron and ash in the air.
There were vines that hung off the ceiling and the sides of unfinished buildings, too many groups of red flowers were growing together, some groups whispered among themselves. Scarlet mushrooms, different from their normal red originators, were on the walls- they almost looked like eyes. Crimson shrubs and leaves decorated the windows of Niki's buildings, and Dream could even see a couple of red trees here and there. Growing out of place, but holding flowers and vines off its branches.
The amount of unnatural red flora within the cave was almost nauseating to look at. Even George could see how unnaturally red everything was despite his Protan colorblindness. It was just that red- it was almost maddening.
Dream glanced at his best friend, just to see his reaction. Just to see how he was doing.
George is wide-eyed and pale, a look of pure shock and terror that Dream could easily see even with his goggles on. He jolts when Dream lays a comforting hand on his friend, squeezing his shoulder. George gives him a weak, shaky smile for the action but then he looks over to Technoblade, Theo and Toby. Dream does as well.
Technoblade certainly looked shocked as hell, whatever he was expecting from the 'Egg', it probably wasn't this. And honestly, Dream could relate. He hadn't expected this either. But then again he expected nothing that happened over the past week or so. Especially not the Egg. abomination
Dream almost shivered at the slight whispers in the back of his head. If there was one thing that could get both his fragments to agree was the fact that the Egg, the Crimson, was that it was an abomination and shouldn't exist. Especially not after it tried to take his tools friends away from him. Especially after it did just that in a fucked up future that Dream was determined to not let happen.
While the piglin hybrid looked shocked at the unexpected sight, the two time-travelers that came from the future weren't shocked at the sight of it at all. They...
They both looked bleak. Grim. Whatever you want to call it- there was a haunting weariness in Toby's eyes that Dream knew Theo had as well underneath his mask as they both looked upon the 'sea' of red that grew within the artificial cavern. Both of them were tightly gripping their weapons, a new found sense of steel in their spines as they straightened them.
This wasn't a new sight for them to see. Dream thinks somberly to himself.
This was something they had seen on the daily in their future.
A world of unnatural red that stained their Overworld, overtook it and kept taking. It threatened their lives, it took over his SMP- killed so many people like his friends.
Well, it wasn't going to do shit now.
"Theo." Theo turns to look at him, Toby as well- Dream cringes at the look of disdain on the man's face. "Are there any crimson plants we should be wary about?" Dream eyes the weird, eye-like mushrooms, the bulb-shaped flowers that Dream thinks are the Pop Flowers that Theo had told them about, the curling vines on the walls and ceiling and the small whispering flowers that were grouped together on the ground before them.
"Oh I don't know Dream, why not all of them?" Techno drawled his answer, motioning to the fucked up flora that filled the cave.
Dream frowned deeply at him, "Well yeah but- I'm talking about really wary about Technoblade. Shut up. There's exploding flowers in there in case you forgot but what else is in there? And where do you think Niki and the Egg are?" He retorted back at the hybrid. Annoyed by Technoblade's drawl, also he was still very much ticked by Techoblade's 'homeless' remarks earlier on.
He had a fucking home thanks very much.
Dream had to wonder if it was just a family trait at this point, to be a certain kind of annoying. Tommy was definitely annoying, Wilbur had been a type of annoying with his want for independence and now Technoblade was a different type of heckling annoyance.
At least Phil had been polite.
"Do you really think they're here?" George added his own question quietly, gripping his sword tightly in his hand and looking wearier and wearier as the minutes passed.
Toby frowned, "Technoblade's right. Just be careful with every red plant you see." He answered shortly and Dream wondered if he only answered that way because he was actually agreeing with Technoblade or because he didn't really want to answer Dream's question. It was probably a combination to both.
Arrogant.
Understandable.
Thankfully Theo was inclined to answer with a more thorough answer, "Those bulbs over there are Pop Flowers, be careful if you stab them with the enchantment. They'll blow up after a couple of seconds, use those seconds to get away or cushion the blow with water. With our armor on it won't be as bad. The vines will try to grab and either restraint you and or strangle you if you get close or you're distracted. Those flowers there are Whispering Riots, they'll try to tempt you to pick them up, ignore them. The eye-looking mushrooms are Vision Shrooms, or at least a prototype, doesn't look like they're the vision shrooms that Toby and I know yet. The flowers in the trees look like dewdroppers. They'll drop red sap if you get underneath them, it'll poison you. Everything else is just standard Crimson shit, they'll move and if you touch any of them you'll hear the Egg." He explained diligently. "There might be other plants here, but essentially yeah, you have to be careful with every red motherfucker you see growing out of somewhere."
He lifted his enchanted netherite axe, aiming for the patch of bright red flowers that was nearby them, "As for if the Egg and Niki... Let's find out." He swings it sideways, the blade of his axe cutting through the wriggling stems like butter and in the next second the flowers were set aflame.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
Just like that, there was the sound of screaming. A cacophony of screams that they all could hear. High-pitched and many, the screams came from the Whispering Riots and a few other plants that writhed. However, among the screaming, there was a familiar screech that Theo, George and Dream recognized paired with a feminine scream that they all sans Technoblade recognized as well.
"NOOO!!"
The Egg and Niki were here within the secret city after all.
Toby smiles a harsh and gloomy smile, a look of bloodlust in his building in his and Techno's eyes while Chat cackled and chanted in both of their heads, encouraging and fanning the internal flames for battle, blood and violence. "Found them."
Theo rolled his shoulders, gripping his axe in hand. "Stab and slice every plant you can, be careful with the pop flowers. We're burning everything to the ground."
George took in a deep breath, trying to calm the trembling in his body.
Dream squeezed his shoulder once before letting go.
Burn it all to protect what's yours.
Burn it all to protect your friends.
He couldn't agree more.
"Eww, what is this stuff?" Bad questioned with a grossed out face, examining the transparent red looking slime thing that was smeared on the wall. It looked both slimy and dry at the same time, which was very weird. "It smells nasty." It smelled like blood and faintly like rotten flesh that was set out in the sun to dry for months.
Skeppy shrugged, looking around the small pocket of space that had been mined out. "No idea Bad, but this place gives me the creeps. Let's get out of here." He said with a frown, eyeing the black charred outline of something that was on the ground. Looked like something had been burnt very badly, whatever it was, it was long.
The demon looked over to his human, tilting his head, "You were the one who wanted to check this place out Skeppy. You already wanna leave so badly?" He wasn't complaining or anything, he'd like to get out as well but Skeppy had been so curious about the coordinates that he'd badgered him into finding the area with him and checking it out.
They'd both been curious about the whole, 'stay away from this place exactly' that Dream, Sapnap and George had said to them. Not to mention Theo who they still haven't met yet. They both wanted to meet him- they had seen Toby in L'Manberg and wanted to meet him as well but whenever they were in L'Manberg they either missed him or he was busy with something else. They had yet to meet either of the time travelers.
When they asked the trio about Theo they'd been rebuffed and told that Theo currently didn't want to see anyone else at the moment.
<Dream> Some things came up okay? You can meet Theo another time, he's not feeling to see anyone else right now.
It was incredibly disappointing but Bad didn't want to be rude and demand to meet Theo, he even kept Skeppy from stubbornly asking about the man. It seemed that whatever happened was important because George, Sapnap and Dream pretty much disappeared for a few days after that. Only answering a few messages at the time.
The coordinates were something that Skeppy couldn't get out of his head and was too curious for his own good, which lead them to now. In a weird mine that seemed to had its fair share of mysterious adventures. There were tunnels that lead to nowhere, a couple of them connected to each other but that was it. In the not-really large open space, there was that smeared wall of something as well as the char shadow on the floor, all in all it was very creepy and Skeppy's curiosity was more than satisfied now.
"C'mon Bad let's get out of here." Skeppy insisted, grabbing the demon's hand and tugging. He really didn't want to stick around anymore. There was just... something off about this place. He really, really didn't want to stay any longer than they've already had.
"Okay okay! Calm down Geppy, we're going." Bad soothed, squeezing his hand comfortingly as they both ascended through the only entrance and exit. "Are you okay?" He asked, worried for his bonded human and platonic soulmate.
Skeppy shrugged, glancing back to the weird mine and then up forwards where they were heading. "Yeah- I just- Yeah, it's just really weird okay? I don't like that place. My curiosity's satisfied, I'm good, let's just go and never come back." It was weird, and Skeppy kind of felt embarrassed for feeling that way but being around that area just... It sets him off, triggers him in a way that he finds very uncomfortable.
It was like he was expecting something there, which was weird and disturbing but he and Bad hadn't really found anything which was even more weird and disturbing.
It was a complicated feeling and he'd rather forget it entirely now.
"Okay, we're not going back down there ever again." The demon agreed, smiling reassuringly at his diamond-loving human. He too, felt like something was off. He doesn't know what or why, but he definitely felt like he'd been expecting to find something there. Maybe something important? It didn't really matter now, what mattered was that his precious human was feeling off and seemed to need his comfort. Bad was more than willing to give it, he cared for Skeppy and loved him with all his being.
Skeppy sighed in relief, smiling back at Bad. He felt better now. Actually he felt even more better the moment they weren't underground anymore. "Whew." He stretched slightly, giving Bad one of his usual happy smiles. "Okay! Now that that's done, where do we go now? Should we head back home?" He hadn't really thought on what to do after they checked out the coordinates.
Bad hummed in thought, "Maybe? Oh! We could stop by L'Manberg to buy a few things, I'm craving a bit for Niki's cookies." He admitted, smiling widely.
"Oh! Oh! And her cake! Yeah! I hope she's there this time." Skeppy replied, thinking back to when he and Bad had visited her bakery a couple of days ago. She hadn't been there and the shop had been closed unfortunately, it had been strange but Niki must have been out doing something important. Hopefully though, she was there now and they could get some of her baked goods to go.
With that said, the demon-human pair set of towards L'Manberg.
The nation had been quite nice so far despite the war that had happened for its independence just months ago. Also the drama seemed to have mostly disappeared now that the elections were done. It was actually a somewhat peaceful time that Bad and Skeppy were starting to enjoy, minus the whole, travelers from the future and the time traveling debacle.
It was certainly interesting and both wanted to know more at some point but ultimately, it wasn't entirely their business now was it?
On their way to L'Manberg however, they ran into something interesting.
Someone interesting.
Two someones actually.
Soul-fire was an interesting type of fire.
Only attainable by setting fire to soul sand or soil.
The blue flame acted like normal fire, however it had several attributes that not a lot of people knew of.
The most common attribute that most people knew however, was that piglins stayed away from Soul-Fire. Torches and lanterns made with soul sand or soil, that burned with the light blue flame were effective ways to keep piglins away and piglins rarely ever went or were even seen by Soul Sand Valleys.
Piglin hybrids were wary about the flame, but not to the extent of their fully piglin brethren.
That was common knowledge.
What wasn't common knowledge was the reason why they avoided the soul fire like the plague. Running away the moment the flame appeared via torch, lantern or just a block of soul sand or soil set aflame.
They knew the true dangers it held, this hauntingly beautiful blue flame that only made by the soil and sand made of souls.
And instinctively, so did the Egg. The Crimson.
Surrounding Theo was a landscape of blue fire mixed with screaming crimson flora. The plants writhed in clear agony, trying to put themselves out from the harmful flame that was killing them all. The Whispering Riots were certainly living the last part of their name, rioting and no longer whispering, screeching just like the Egg now. The red grass underneath him contorted underneath his netherite boots. No doubt if Theo hadn't had his boots on, they'd sharpen into literal blades if they could.
Or maybe the Egg hadn't learned to do that just yet.
It was young, it had no idea what it was actually doing yet. And the thought made Theo smile.
Surrounded by a mystical flame that came from his and everyone else's weapons, by blue consuming red- Theo felt satisfied by the burning destruction of one of the most dangerous things to ever exist.
He's been waiting for a moment like this for a long time.
The Crimson in the future was so much stronger than the Crimson and Egg right now. It had felt pain with each burnt plant but it hadn't fallen apart like it was right now, it had powered through the pain, focused on its mission of consuming the world. It had the capability of putting out the fire itself with some of its flora, it would never be totally immune to Soul-Fire but it had manifested and grew ways to make sure it could put out its weakness. Not to mention its infected and controlled servants.
But right now, with the Egg young and inexperienced. It was so fucking small and weak. It couldn't infect anyone and only had Niki under its direct control right now. It was learning fast sure but it would mean nothing if they got to it first and burnt the fucker down to smoldering smithereens.
Theo could feel a hope growing in his chest, and for once he was hesitant to crush it.
Nonetheless, he does because he reminds himself that it wasn't over until the Egg itself was burnt to hell and back.
He stabs the ground with the tip of his sword, watching calmly as the red grass shriveled and turned black underneath the Soul-Fire enchantment of his sword. He steps back, switches from his sword back to his axe and swings- cutting the red vines on a nearby wall. Dodging the trembling and now fiery tendrils that attempted to reach out towards him.
He turns and throws his sword into a pile of Pop Flowers. Watching the bulbs expand and explode. The explosion is large, but he has a water bucket ready for himself and his armor is more than ready to protect him.
"You- really seem to be enjoying yourself." George comments from the side, him and Dream sticking by- Toby and Techno had gone another direction, trying to find Niki while spreading the Soul-Fire as well. Theo looks over to George, he seemed very pale and though he's been setting fire to a few plants, it was clear that the plants' screaming was really getting to him. Dream kept close to George's side because of that, and thus Theo did the same.
Theo nodded, "You have no idea how happy I am right now, seeing everything like this." He says with a smirk, arms wide and open as he gestured to the blue fire that surrounded them- they had no fear for the fire. Their armor was more than enough to deal with Soul-Fire, and Theo of course had fire resistance potions. He sets his arms down as he steps a bit closer to George and Dream, "Are you two okay? George, how's your head?"
George smiled weakly, pressing a hand against his forehead. "Filled with the screams. I- Ender, I'm going to have nightmares." He shivered, flinching as he heard a new set of screams and screeches within his mind. The clawing, desperate please that he tries to ignore - HELP ME HELP HURTS HURTS PAIN AAAAAA HUNGRY OBEY HELP HURTS BAD BAD HELP PAIN PAIN PAIN- to the best of his abilities.
"Better to have nightmares instead of being eaten or controlled." Dream joked, it was weak but it was enough for George who snorted at it.
Dream and Theo could ignore the noise easily. Theo with practice and the static that surrounded his head and Dream with his fragments who aggressively protected his state of mind- if anything was going to influence Dream's head, it would be them at the very least. Toby and Techno had Chat who drowned out the screams with their own.
George was the only one vulnerable to the screams, and though he was capable of ignoring them, he could hear them clearly in his head.
Actually, scratch that.
There was one other person who was vulnerable to the screams.
"HOW DARE YOU?!"
The three men's head snapped up to see Niki on top of one of the unfinished buildings. Cradling the Egg in her hold, streams of tears going down her face with a manic look in her red-flecked eyes. She looked haggard and pained, entirely effected by the Egg and Crimson's screaming in her head and ears.
Theo smiled underneath his mask.
"Finally, took you long enough to get out of hiding bitch."
The Egg writhed in Niki's hold, affected by the intense flames that was killing off the garden it made. Tentacle vines flailing about, mouths open and -AAAAAAAAAAAA PAIN PAIN HUNGRY HELP HELP BAD HURTS SO MUCH HELP ME HELP ME FRIEND HELP HURTS HURTS SO BADLY- screeching.
"There she is!"
From the side, Toby and Techno came, apparently having followed Chat's directions to find them all.
Five men stood on the ground of a burning secret underground city, a woman holding a monstrous Egg stands atop one of the burning buildings.
It was time to end this. Once in for all.