Broken Together (MCYT au)

Chapter 1: The map

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Arc 1: Crystal Caverns

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The Kingdom of Minilus is a place of power, mystery, and chaos. There is a large range between the inhabitants of the kingdom, but you must be proficient in one area to survive, fluent in many to thrive. There are those who make their names known through their words, others through their actions. Actions... do speak louder than words. But in this world, power is dangerous. Too much of it... can kill.

It takes years and years of work to rise in the ranks of the kingdom but only one second to break their career. A small ember can start a fire as a bad rumor can ruin even the greatest warriors. Many will settle for their life among their rank but there are always the few that strive to be better, not only better... the best.

The highest title that can be bestowed upon a citizen of Minilus, the medallion of End. Made of crystals harvested from the pillars of obsidian, hardly anyone gets to put on the symbol of power, intelligence, and strength. Only one has ever won this prestigious award while many are determined to get it.

The fellow receiver is nothing but a legend... and it's been decades since the royals have found someone worthy of the title. But with power, many pray it doesn't go to their head, that they stay alive. The legend of the first medallion recipient, nobody knows his name. Acted with heroism until they found them in the crystal caverns of Minilus, once normal eyes a solid white. Harming anyone in their way. Nobody knows what happened and everybody prays to not fall to the ghost with solid white eyes.

~

The training area was filled with the high-pitched shriek sounding of a child, followed by some maniacal laughter. Two men practice their skills bright and early. As the early morning sun rose in the sky, the yelling didn't seem to stop and flocks of the geese from the nearby pond desperately tried to rid themselves of the noise.

"DREAM! HAVE A HEART!"

"Ha-ha, what you going to do now, George?" Dream smirked, hitting his partner with the wooden practice sword lightly. "I win again~" he laughed before helping George off the ground.

"You're too good at this," George rolled his eyes, accepting his defeat. Every single day for the past week, they got up early to practice. More so give Dream a partner because their other friends were too lazy to get up at the time they did.

Dream smiled and returned the mask to his face before patting his much smaller friend on the head. "Still not the best," he sighed recollecting the memories of the duel he had in the village square with the other strong warrior who shall not be named. He was good, just not the best. Strong, but not the strongest. Smart, just not the smartest and to regain his ego, fighting others that would give him a fight.

The two sat on the steps of the training area, George tossing a bottle of water and Dream catching it easily. They both sighed before watching the sky turn from the colors of sunrise, to the bright blue morning. They did this every day, neither minded getting up early to play around with wooden swords.

The pair continued to do so until the sun reached its peak at noon; Dream hardly ever lost a match. The taller of the two held the door open as they walked out to be greeted by the lively village. Walking along the dirt road and waving to whoever they knew. This is the life of a warrior in Minilus. Train to be the best and come only a little bit short.

Continue looking around, trade their artifacts for coins, coins for better weapons, and then hunt monsters for better artifacts. A process that happens every single day. While dream traded some of their rotten flesh and other mob drops, George watched as two people made a deal with bamboo and some other useless stuff. The trader gladly accepted their trade, offering to repair Dream's axe with the price of nothing but a few extra arrows.

"I can't wait to get home, I'm starving~"

"You should've eaten before we left, Dream."

"Shut up!" He smiled before the two laughed as they returned home. Their bond was special, best friends who would do anything for each other, but anything... that is what scared him. What if something happened? Would it be his fault?

~

"It's about time you two got back from your date," Sapnap laughed before getting something thrown at him by the smaller of the duo. "Dudes chill, Bad found something you might want to see," said before gesturing to the very excited Badboyhalo. They walked in as Dream took off the mask he wore out. It was silly, but he felt safer with it on. More protected... but there was no need for a shield with his brothers.

"You won't believe this. It's better than muffins!" He bounced up and down before laying an ancient looking map on the large crafting table placed in the middle of their main room. One of those complicated maps covering territory nobody has ever seen before. The map of parchment, ink relatively old and dry.

The four guys just looked at the map, a map leading to a cave system. Dark and mysterious, describing crystals of violet hanging from the ceiling. Unlike the other caves with ores such as iron, this had gemstones none has ever seen with their eyes. It was mystical and beautiful to even think about, let alone actually go.

"Where did you find this?" Dream asked, keeping his eyes fixed on the map. Something about it was magical, hypnotizing... powerful. He found himself continuing to lock his emerald eyes at the end of the cave system. A cavern with crystals and riches. Unexplored territory would bring the group fame if they were to go and map it out. So much opportunity in this map and-

"Are you even listening?" George laughed a bit, getting his friend out of the trance. It was strange, nobody else felt the strength of the map, it was just a map of a special abandoned cave system. That was all, right? Dream nodded as he continued looking at the map. To go or to not go, risk it all for a life worth it all, that was the question.

To explore adventure or stay safe above the surface. At this point, going to the cave seemed more dangerous than the Nether. For it was unknown, it could be as dangerous as the fortresses or as safe as their local village. Whether they should take that risk... that was the question in all their minds.

"I say we go, what's the risk?"

"We could die!"

"We could become rich though-"

"I agree with Bad, nobody's ever been here, what if it's like the Wither accident?" George mentioned it and they were haunted with memories of the past. It was necessary for overpopulation; but the deaths... those were not.

Nadia!

"What if there's something there that could bring her back?"

Silence rang through the room and he immediately regretted what he said. Having the power of life and death. Magic like that was evil... evokers tortured to get that power; what was he thinking? Suddenly, the picture of their caretaker lying in that crater in the ground flashed in his memory. Her once bright clothes were covered in ash and blood as her body lay in the rubble.

Hey... sweetheart-

"George, I didn't mean it like that, I just-" Dream tried to string together words to produce an explanation, but nothing came other than what did. His bright green hoodie suddenly seemed dull as he slipped his mask back on to hide the emotion.

Shhh... you will be okay. Please be okay.

George looked around, his glasses down to hide his own eyes. He glanced at the map one more time before heading towards his room. "We go tomorrow, right at dawn and no later than that."

Nadia?

The others gave a nod, not daring to say a word. Nobody was upset... but more haunted by what happened. There was no need for pain and if this had any chance of doing what Dream had suggested, it was worth everything. For once in a very long time... the house was silent, and they returned to that stage of mourning they went in many years ago.