Chapter Text
Despite it being early in the morning, Dream felt wide awake as Phul and Punz directed the knights into position. They’d be walking in rows of four until they reached the castle ruins, in which they’d spread out.
Dream was directed to be in a row with Sapnap, Wilbur, and George near the front. The sun was finally starting to rise, making itself known by lighting everything in a fierce orange glow. Tommy and Tubbo stood at the castle doors, watching as everything was prepared.
He found it funny how different their personalities were at times, Tubbo seemed happy he wouldn’t be going and Tommy was plain on pouting. He huffed out a laugh at the two before directing his attention back to the king and head knight.
It looked like everything was finally being settled, each knight going to their assigned place. Dream took this as a sign to go and find his place as well; it was easy to pick out the large top hat in the crowd of knights and on-lookers. He made it to his friends easily enough, having to twist and turn through the groups of knights.
‘You ready?’ Sapnap raised an eyebrow, offering a smile.
‘Of course.’ Dream tried to say with false bravado.
It seemed that false confidence worked, no one doubted him or seemed to notice how nervous he actually was. Inside, Dream felt like he might just die; his heart was threatening to jump out of his chest.
Phil passed them, offering a quick wave before he was in the front of the group and mounting a white horse that had appeared out of nowhere. Punz got on a similar horse, the difference being black spots that dotted it’s legs.
One more shout from them had the knights jumping to formation; Dream doing so as well. He was pinned in the middle by George and Wilbur but didn’t complain.
Bad, Skeppy, and Zelk were closer to the front while Purpled trailed the party, making themselves known by their loud footsteps. Dream wanted to ride the dragon but got talked out of it by Phil, the king wanted Purpled to hide while they fought; only made-known when it was the worst-case scenario.
Apparently Purpled hated fighting, the dragon tried to avoid conflict when necessarily.
The hike to the castle ruins was quiet and tense, everyone stuck in their thoughts. There were multiple times where Dream considered stopping and walking back but knew it was too late to back down now.
It seemed like all Dream had to do was blink and they were there, spreading out like Phil and Punz had planned.
Looking at their make-shift battlefield, Dream’s breath was taken away. The walls to the castle were crumbled and worn, marking out a border for the fight. The floor was also broken but the tile could still be identified; it was a mix of black and white tiles, making it look like some kind of warped chess board.
In one of the corners of the border, a giant tower still managed to stand, barely. It looked like a strong wind would knock it down and just looking at it had shivers racking Dream’s frame.
Purpled had already hidden away, giving no inclination to their secret advantage.
It was mostly flat land around them, offering no shelter or protection. In the distance, Dream could see the Red Kingdom marching towards them, the sun rising behind them and making the army look as if it was on fire.
Phil noticed too, yelling out the Red Kingdom arrival and gently guiding his horse in front of the ranks of knights.
Dream stood in the front row, next to Skeppy and Bad, the small mouse sitting on the rabbit’s shoulder.
The sword he was given suddenly felt like it was weighing him down, along with the armor. It felt like he was drowning, losing a battle that was never in his favor.
Dream didn’t have time to dwell on the sinking of his gut, the Red army was there and taking a similar position opposite of them. The pig hybrids wore red armor and vicious snarls, holding axes tinted red.
Two figures pushed past the hybrids, wearing expensive-looking armor and smirks.
‘Techno.’ The white king nodded his head.
‘Phil. Still trying to get any form of high ground I see.’ The monotone voice said calmly.
Phil bowed his head and slid off the horse, Punz following suit. ‘Better?’
The Red King snorted. ‘It’ll only be better until all of Wonderland is under the Red Kingdoms rule.’
‘We can still resolve this, brother.’ Phil sounded desperate, grasping at straws.
A dark look crossed Techno features and suddenly the king was filled with rage, making Phil and Dream shrink back. ‘Don’t call me that! We have not been brothers for years!’
The White King only shook his head in response, taking a step back and raising his head a fraction.
A pause, until; ‘Good luck! The first to surrender this fight will also be the kingdom to surrender Wonderland to the other!’ Phil's voice took on a commanding tone.
‘May the battle commence… NOW!’
An angry mix of shouts and grunts were heard as knights and pig hybrids charged at each other. Dream was about to follow but got cut off by Sapnap, he didn’t notice the crazed man had sneaked up next to him. Dream looked at Sapnap questioningly, the only response being a shake of the head as the clang of sword meeting axe rang out throughout the clearing.
After a few more moments, Sapnap finally let him go; disappearing into the crowd of fighting bodies after doing so. Dream shook his head and charged forward, ducking as an axe swung where his head was a second before.
The pig hybrid snarled angrily as the axe missed, backing up and tilting its head at Dream, who was still in shock from the near death experience. He didn’t get time to dwell on it; the hybrid had lunged at him again.
Dream dodged, swinging his sword low and clipping the hybrid's legs. It squealed in pain and desperately swung its axe, Dream easily dodging that as well.
The green armoured man lunged his sword forward without hesitation, swiftly pushing it through the hybrid’s heart and killing it.
Red filled his vision; all consuming, all encompassing. Dream blinked and suddenly green overtook red as he caught sight of his armour.
He couldn’t stop now, he had a world to save.
Turning around, Dream locked onto another hybrid to fight. He walked a couple of steps and held up his sword as the hybrid noticed him and lunged. The two were locked together, axe stuck on sword and Dream looked into the hybrids beady eyes.
An evilness dwelled there, something dark and wicked that Dream knew he never wanted to see again. With a grunt, Dream pushed with all his might and sent the pig flying backwards, axe clanging onto the ground.
Before the hybrid could get back up, Dream lunged forward and quickly ended its life by a sword in the heart.
Sweat was starting to gather on his brow and the armor felt like it was weighing him down more and more by the second. Time had flown, the sun already high in the sky.
The blonde haired man looked around, seeing multiple knights locked in combat while others lay on the ground, unmoving.
He couldn’t identify any of his friends and Dream desperately hoped they were all okay. He stalked forward, trying to find any stray hybrids that weren’t already fighting.
‘Dream!’ The voice had him whipping his head to the side so fast he wondered how he didn’t get whiplash.
George hopped over corpse after corpse, puffing when he reached Dream. He looked around, making sure no hybrids were trying to ambush them before kneeling down and waiting for George to catch his breath.
‘What is it George?’
The white rabbit looked at him with fear. ‘It’s Phil..’
Dream’s heart stopped.
‘What happened? Where is he?’ Dream already stood up, looking around for the king.
George pointed towards the tower, where the fighting thinned out.
Nothing else was said, Dream was already sprinting off. He blocked an axe and quickly shoved the hybrid to another knight, trying to get to where Phil was as fast as possible.
The fighting thinned out to nothing and the noise of the battle died down as Dream focus shifted to Phil, who lay on the ground unconscious. Dread filled him and he lunged forward, intending to make sure he was alive and tend to the king's injuries. A sword stopped him in his tracks, the owner belonging to Eret.
‘Going somewhere?’ They said with a smirk.
Dream snarled, taking a step back and pointing his own sword at the red knight.
‘You know, I’m glad I get to kill you..’ The words faded out, all of Dream’s attention focusing on the small piece of red fabric he had seen heading towards the tower.
It was unmistakably Techno’s, but why was the Red King on the crumbling tower?
‘If you’re looking for a fight so bad, why don't you and me go at it Eret?’ Sapnap’s voice cut through his thoughts.
Eret wore a snarl as Sapnap stood next to Dream, a smirk on the crazy man’s lips. Red stained his black and white armor, his giant top hat also gaining a red hue but still stood proudly on its owners head.
‘I always wanted to kill you, too!’ Eret let out another yell before he lunged at Sapnap, who expertly dodged and blocked the knave of heart’s sword.
Dream stood there, debating what to do before Sapnap helped him make up his mind. The black-haired man mouthed at him “Techno” before getting interrupted by Eret’s swinging sword.
Dream very badly wanted to check on Phil but one look at the unconscious king told him Bad was handling it, the mouse always seemed like a good medic. He had no idea where the mouse had come from but didn’t dwell on it.
He rushed past, sprinting towards the tower and running up its cracked stairs. The tower still had three in-tact floors and Dream found the Red King on the top one.
Techno didn’t flinch at his arrival and Dream didn’t lunge at him, only stood still as the crazy king continued to fiddle with what looked like three mounds of sand.
‘Well, if it isn’t the knight who “saved” Wonderland.’ The monotone voice calmly said as Techno continued to fiddle with the sand.
Has he known about the prophecy this whole time?
‘Come to kill me off?’
‘Something like that.’ Dream took a step forward but stopped when Techno turned and tilted his head.
‘I wouldn’t come any closer, Dream.’
‘Why’s that?’ Dream’s heart beats faster and faster, like a never-ending drum.
‘I have a very powerful weapon right here, and if you walk even an inch closer, I’ll unleash it.’
‘What is it?’
Techno smirked, facing the sand again. ‘A being you wouldn’t and can’t understand.’
‘Won’t even give me a chance?’ Dream huffed at his own joke.
‘You’ll lose this fight Dream. Wonderland will be mine.’
‘That’s not how this works.’
Techno stood, turning once again so his back faced the sand. ‘You could’ve ruled by my side. I’ve always wanted to replace Eret and who better to do that than you, knight.’
Dream frowned. ‘You knew?’
The Red King snorted. ‘Of course I knew.’
Dream didn’t know what to say, too many thoughts raced around his head for him to form a coherent response.
‘Now. Stay there like a good little knight while this spell takes effect.’
That snapped Dream back to the present and suddenly his body lurched forward, mind short circuiting. All Techno managed was a disappointed sigh before metal clanged with metal.
‘I’m kinda known for my fighting skills, you aren’t gonna win.’ Dream scuttled backwards as the king talked.
‘We’ll see about that.’ Techno lunged forward first, the pair parrying back and forth in a warped form of a dance.
In the corner of his eye, Dream could see the mounds of sand were starting to glow and panic took over everything.
Whatever Techno had done, it wasn’t good. Glowing and now, floating sand was never a good sign.
He ducked as Techno swinged at him, pushing his own sword forward in hopes of striking anything. The sword only swiped through air, Techno expertly leaping out of the way and offering a vicious smile.
Dream’s body protested at the movement, tired and sore from the previous battles.
The two swords locked onto each other, Dream and Techno both trying to take control of the fight. His arms felt weak, his body was giving up and before Dream could do anything, his sword was flung across the floor and he was on his knees. Techno stood above him, sword pointed straight at his neck.
He wasn’t scared, oddly enough. For once, Dream’s nervousness and self-doubt left; the blonde haired man lifted his head a little higher, looking death in the face bravely.
The Red King cackled before retracting his sword. The Green Knight looked at the king in confusion.
‘You lost.’ Techno voice was filled with emotion, no longer the same monotone king as before. ‘YOU LOST!’ He laughed maniacally and turned dramatically, fully showing the glowing sand.
Dream blinked and suddenly a figure was being formed from the sand, it was huge and only grew in size.
Before Dream could react, the figure was almost fully formed and terror overtook his newfound confidence. It was the monster from his dreams, the three heads and the skeletal-like body.
They let out a roar that shook the tower and Dream could imagine the walls giving out. The Green Knight looked with fear as Techno cackled manically.
‘You lost! YOU LOST!’ The Red King yelled out over and over as the skeletal feature started glowing.
‘The Wither will destroy you all!’ Suddenly Techno ran, booking it down the stairs and leaving Dream with The Wither creature.
Every fiber in his being wanted to run but Dream knew defeating this monster was on him. This was his prophecy.
He sighed and took a couple steps backwards as the Wither exploded. Knocking Dream off his feet and onto his back, taking the breath out of his lungs.
Before he could react, the Wither saw him and hissed, the three heads all staring into his souls. He managed to find his feet, lunging for his sword and holding it out threateningly.
His body already ached and threatened to collapse any moment, the Green Knight had no idea if he’d be able to defeat this monster, especially with his failing body.
The Wither didn’t touch the ground, floating on nothing as it slowly made its way towards him. Before it could fully approach, Dream sprinted forward and forced his body to use all its strength to jump, swinging his sword through the bottom-half of it’s skeletal feature.
The bottom part of its body fell off, turning to sand as it impacted the ground. A smile found it’s way on Dream’s face.
Maybe I can defeat this…
The smile turned to a frown seconds later when it’s body started re-growing, glowing sand appearing out of nowhere and regenerating the figure.
I’m so fucked.
How could he defeat something that kept re-growing? Dread pooled in his stomach as Dream realized he wouldn't be able to defeat this monster.
He’d doomed Wonderland.
The Wither continued to approach him, not slowing it’s pace as its bottom part of it’s figure regrew.
Terror gripped his heart and he barely managed to hold onto his sword as the creature filled his vision. He couldn’t defeat this.. this… monster.
Dream swung his sword again, nicking the bottom part of its body but not breaking it this time. The middle head opened its mouth soundlessly and a blue orb started to grow inside its mouth.
Dream had no idea what was happening but rushed out of the way regardless, staring horror as the orb shot out of its mouth and blew up the area where Dream had just been.
It turned towards the blonde man and started forming the orb again.
Suddenly a shadow overtook both of them and he looked up, wondering what could be above them.
A loud roar and the sight of a huge purplish-black dragon greeted him. Dream laughed out loud with the biggest smile he’d ever had.
Purpled lunged towards the Wither pushing it back and out of the castle’s remains. The two creatures were now both in the air and Dream realized this was no longer his fight.
He rushed down the crumbling stairs and saw Techno at the bottom, face full of burning rage as he watched Purpled fight the Wither.
‘Doesn’t seem like we’re losing.’ He tried to say as confidently as he could.
Techno spun around and growled, pulling out his sword. Without a second to spare, Techno launched towards Dream and once again they were stuck parrying each other.
In the background, Dream could hear Purpled’s angry roars and the explosions of the Wither.
Techno was relentless, their two swords clanging together in an endless symphony. Dream was already exhausted and he knew he wouldn’t be able to keep this up. Desperation clung to his bones and Dream had no other options.
Techno was about to swing again but instead of countering it like before, Dream dropped bonelessly to the ground.
He heard a grunt of surprise but he remained still, he heard instead of saw Techno’s footsteps and that’s when he struck.
The hilt of his sword struck Techno straight in the head, hard enough for the king to yelp and fall unconscious.
You may be evil but you're still Phil’s brother.
He shakily stood up, looking down at Techno and sighing in exasperation at how innocence the red king looked unconscious.
There was a scream above him that broke Dream out of his thoughts and had him quickly looking up.
Just as he did, the Wither burst into flames as Purpled flew around it; shooting fire at the monster relentlessly.
With one last screech, the Wither disappeared and mounds of sand fell to the floor. Cheers were heard all around as Dream finally noticed that Techno’s army had been defeated, most of the piglins unconscious or dead.
Purpled landed with a thud and suddenly all Dream wanted to do was collapse but he had a much more important job, he had to check on Phil.
Phil was sitting up when he raced over and Dream sighed in relief. Sapnap was standing next to him, one hand firmly on the shoulder of Eret, who was knelt on the ground with cuffs on.
‘Phil! You’re okay!’ Dream laughed happily.
Phil had his own smile and was about to reply when his face darkened with worry and sadness.
‘Techno…’
‘Is alive.’ Dream interrupted. ‘I knocked him unconscious over there.’ He pointed to where he’d just been.
Punz walked up to the group and bowed, some chains held in his hands. ‘I’ll deal with him, your majesty.’
Phil smiled in relief. ‘Thank you Punz.’
For a moment the group stayed silent as they gathered, more and more white knights forming a circle around them and waiting for the king’s command.
Phil finally managed to stand up on shaky legs and looked around. Then with the most joy-filled voice in all of Wonderland he yelled louder than Dream had ever heard.
‘WE WON!’
-
Dream had ended up staying three more days at the castle while the kingdom teemed with life. Now that the white kingdom was the only kingdom in Wonderland, there was a lot of work to be done.
Phil would be leaving for the Red Castle in a couple of days, along with Sapnap, Zelk, Bad, and Skeppy. Techno and Eret were locked away in a secret location, Phil would visit them every week to make sure they were still there and behaving.
Punz would be left in charge of the White Castle with Tommy and Tubbo.
The others would go back to their everyday lives, no longer having to fear the Red King. It had been three days of bonding and partying for their win but the third day also marked the end of Dream’s adventure in Wonderland.
The group gathered at the front of the castle as Dream looked around, sadness hung in the air but something else gathered as well, hope. Hope for a new future for Wonderland.
Sapnap stood at the bottom of the stairs, George by his side. They would be Dream’s guide to Jschlatt, who supposedly knew how to get Dream home.
As Dream slowly made his way down the stairs, his newfound friends came and said their goodbyes.
Tommy and Tubbo hugged him tightly, silently begging him not to go but knowing there was no other option.
Punz patted his back good naturedly, offering a smile.
Skeppy and Bad tearfully waved goodbye and hugged his legs.
Zelk and his family barked and howled in honor, running around his feet.
Purpled sat farther away and merely bowed, looking at him meaningfully. No words had to be passed to know what the dragon meant.
At the bottom of the stairs, Phil looked at him with pride that resembled a father looking at a son. They hugged tightly, a few whispered words falling into Dream’s ear, causing the young man to blush and smile brighter than the sun.
Dream turned and waved goodbye one last time, pushing down the lump in his throat.
He turned and let Sapnap and George lead him down the now familiar path to Jschlatt, he promptly ignored the tears trailing his cheeks.
It seemed the walk was the fastest trip Dream had ever taken before he stood in front of the tree that led him into this mess.
He took his time to memorize every sign, not ever wanting to forget it. Sapnap and George waited patiently, snickering quietly as Dream paused and gasped.
On one of the branches, Wilbur watched him amusedly, smirk firmly in place. ‘Seems this is where I say goodbye.’
‘I’m afraid so. It’s time I returned home.’ A stray tear made its way down his face.
Wilbur’s smile turned bitter for a moment. ‘Don’t be upset dear friend, I have a feeling we’ll see eachother again one day.’ With that, the striped cat disappeared.
Dream turned to Sapnap and George, nodding at them to continue. The walk was comfortingly silent, and Dream took in every giant mushroom and plant he could.
In front of him, Sapnap stopped abruptly and turned around so they were facing. George followed suit and he scrunched up his face in confusion.
‘What’s going on?’
‘This is where we part ways, Dream.’ George said sadly.
His mouth formed an ‘O’ and he nodded jerkily, not wanting their time to be up quite yet.
With a deep sigh, Sapnap stepped forward and gave him a hug. They stayed like that for a moment before breaking apart, tears glistening in the crazed man’s eyes.
George hopped forward and hugged his leg quickly. He shakily put his paw in his front pocket and pushed an item towards Dream. It was covered in cloth and he hastily took it, unfolding the cloth to find George’s pocket watch. It ticked away happily, not knowing that its owner was no longer in possession of it anymore.
‘George…’
‘Take it. To remember us by.’
The lump in Dream’s throat grew bigger and he barely managed to croak out a thank you. He gently placed the pocket watch in one of his pockets.
He wasn’t wearing his treasured green waist-coat, it somehow got lost in the chaos of preparing for the battle.
He nodded to them once more before walking past them, trying to hold his head as high as he could. Dream managed a couple steps before a hand on his shoulder stopped him.
Dream turned to see Sapnap, mouth open as if he wanted to say more.
‘I-I, don’t lose your adventure, okay?’
It was such a simple request and it caused Dream’s heart stutter. He nodded silently and it seemed like enough for Sapnap, who let go of his shoulder and cleared his throat, straightening his top hat nervously.
Dream turned back around and continued to walk, a small part of him hoping he was stopped again.
Don’t turn around. Don't turn around!
Dream didn’t turn around, instead he made it to Jchlatt who was no longer the same. The caterpillar hung upside down, half his body encapsulated in a green cocoon. Half his suit was engulfed in the cocoon as well, staying in place firmly.
‘Hello Dream.’
‘J-Jchlatt… your.. Your..’
‘Turning into my next phase of life? Yes. Yes, I am.’
The caterpillar nodded towards a mushroom where a glass vial sat. ‘That’s what you're looking for, Dream. It will take you back home.’
Dream hesitated, looking at Jschlatt silently. The caterpillar sighed and offered a small smile.
‘Don’t be afraid. A lot has changed. You have changed and yet you're still exactly the same.’
Dream wanted to question what that meant but remained silent as Jschlatt continued.
‘Embrace the future and the next phase of your life happily Dream, you’ll never forget this place.’
‘But what if I do?’
‘But you won’t.’ Jschlatt said it with such assurance that Dream started to believe this as well.
‘One day, we’ll meet again; but for now, you have a new adventure waiting for you at home.’ The caterpillar nodded towards the vial once more. ‘Go.’
Dream swallowed and walked towards the glass, uncapping at it and closing his eyes, He took a breath and gulped the drink down.
He opened his eyes and coughed at the disgusting taste. He looked towards Jschlatt accusingly but found he could no longer see the caterpillar.
The colors of the world started to mix together and suddenly the world was spinning around him. He felt dizzy and sick.
Maybe if I just… lay… lay down.. Just for a moment…
Dream collapsed to the ground, closing his eyes and letting darkness overtake him.
-
The sounds of birds had Dream groggily opening his eyes and pushing himself up. Bright green grass innocently glowed beneath him as sunlight lit everything around him up.
He quickly looked up and around in amazement. He was in the middle of the forest, not the Wonderland kind of forest; the real-world kind of forest.
He fully stood up and noticed he was back in his green waist-coat. The one he had lost. It was in the best condition, not a piece of mud or grass on it.
Dream turned and gasped. He was in front of the tree that had started all of this, the one that held the rabbit hole.
It wasn’t like before, dead and sickly looking. Instead, bright flowers and green leaves budded from it; the bark a health brown. He tumbled towards it and noticed the rabbit hold was no longer there, only solid dirt covered the ground.
How… what?
He turned again, hoping to see George somewhere in the distance but figured he was alone when all he was met with was the constant bird-song.
A flash of white caught his vision and Dream lunged towards it. It was a little ways away and on the ground, Dream had no idea what it could be and doubled his speed.
His body stopped rigidly when he finally caught full sight of it.
It was his white mask, fully intact and smiling up at him. It was solid and seemed to be made out of clay.
There was also a sturdy strap on it and he put it on, pushing it to the side of his face so he could see.
He moved his hands up and down his body, making sure everything was in working order. That’s how he stumbled into finding an object in his front pocket.
Pulling it out quickly, tears formed in his eyes when George’s pocket watch ticked solidly against his hands.
Part of him still thought he was crazy but a bigger part of him knew; this was all real.
Taking one last moment to look around the clearing, Dream sprinted back towards his home.
His family must be worried about him, he’d been gone for quite some time! He thought about his poor sisters and how upset they must be!
After running for what felt like hours, Dream finally caught sight of his house and pushed himself to keep running.
He’d missed his family so much! He couldn’t wait to tell them everything and how surprised they’d be! They’d probably think he was-
Dream stopped dead in his tracks, the familiar gardens around him doing nothing to calm his beating heart.
-crazy.
A little ways away, men and women of all kinds were talking and rushing around. Seats were abandoned as everyone continued to talk in a frenzy, fancy-looking men sending nasty looks towards his father and his family.
In front of the neatly lined chairs stood a worried looking girl, who held the most beautiful bouquet and wore the most beautiful white dress.
He took a breath and realized that his many days in Wonderland had only been a couple hours here.
A hundred different situations popped into his head. A hundred different actions occurred.
Dream decided to take the action that his heart screamed at him to take.
He straightened his waist-coat and held his head high, walking past the shocked faces of old men and women.
His father looked livid charging towards him but Dream ignored him.
He also ignored his sister's shocked faces and worried looks.
Before he knew what was happening, Dream was standing on the gazebo, the Pastor looking at him like he was mad.
The red haired girl looked at him in confusion. ‘Dream? Where have you been?’
Dream cleared his throat and offered the most genuine smile he could, ignoring everyone else but the red-haired girl in front of him.
‘Fundy, you are the nicest and most beautiful girl I have ever met.’
Fundy blushed, ducking her head.
‘But.’
Fundy looked up quickly with alarm.
‘I can’t marry you. There’s so much I haven’t done. So much I need to do. So many more adventures I want to take.’
Dream prepared himself for tears and yelling from the poor girl. What he didn’t expect was to hear a sigh of relief and laughter.
‘Oh, Dream! You are lovely but I’m not really ready to marry yet, as well.’
Dream laughed as Fundy thanked him, giving him a quick hug and walking off the gazebo towards her outraged family.
He ignored the angry shouts from the two families and stood there, smiling.
Oh, he couldn’t wait for all the adventures he’d partake on.
George's pocket watch happily ticked away in his front pocket.