we can all learn things(just maybe in different ways.)

in which all hope is lost

(I know that lodestone compasses can only point to one set lodestone somewhere in the world shhh ignore that and pretend that a pair can point to each other no matter where they are in the world for plot convenience I swear I know at least some Minecraft mechanics please I promise I'm not completely stupid please don't leave I want clout please pl)

Techno's boots crunched in the snow, leading Tommy and Tubbo back, gripping the compass tightly in his hand. "It's so cold." Tommy complained. "Why did you have to wake me up before the fucking sun even rose?"

"I told you, we need to get back to Phil and Wilbur. The longer they're alone in the kingdom, the more vulnerable they'll be." Techno hissed.

"Tommy, you can literally fly. Why the hell are you complaining about having to travel long distances? We're stuck walking and you have fucking wings." Tubbo added.

"You're both slowasses, that's why." Tommy grumbled.

"Slowass isn't a word." Techno pointed out.

"It is now, bitch. Fuck you."

Techno flipped him off, glancing down at the compass again before frowning, confused. "Wait. Something isn't right."

Tubbo groaned. "Not again."

"The compass is moving." Techno hissed.

"What the fuck does that mean?" Tommy snapped. "Stop being all fuckin cryptic and shit."

"It means that either Phil's nearby... or someone else took his compass to track us." Techno growled, his other hand going to his axe handle.

Tommy's eyes widened. "Oh, for fucks sake, not him again!" He whined.

"It could just be Dad, right?" Tubbo pointed out.

Techno shook his head. "I don't think he's able to leave the kingdom right now. Even then, he wouldn't want to risk it. He's their most valuable blacksmith. If he left, there wouldn't be just one bounty hunter after us. There'd be armies."

"So it's Dream." Tommy narrowed his eyes.

"Either that, or something's disrupting the lodestone connection between the compasses." Techno nodded.

Tommy squinted. "I don't speak whatever language you just used."

Techno ignored him and started walking, the trees around him growing thicker and taller as he went.

"What are you doing? Why are you going towards him?" Tubbo asked, running to catch up with him, his curly hair bouncing in the wind.

"He's probably got a horse or something. If we leave, he can catch up easily. Plus he can track us anywhere we go in the world, even to the nether." Technoblade gritted his teeth. "The only way out is to fight."

"What?!" Tommy snapped. "No, dumbass, we can just run!"

"I literally just explained to you why that's a horrible idea."

"But-"

"Shhh." Techno hissed, pulling them both down into a crouch. The compass was going crazy now, almost pulling him towards its partner, down the hill into the clearing, maybe a tree's length wide, surrounded by tall pines and covered in snow. Techno squinted against the cold.

There he was. There he fucking was, crouching next to yet another goddamn horse(how the fuck did he keep finding the horses? It was the middle of winter) with the pearly white smiling mask he had come to hate so much, with the stupid armor-plated cloak and the hood still covering his hair and ears and the brooch clasped to the right side of his chest. Just at the mere sight of him Techno felt livid, scorching bolts of lightning-hot anger crackling through his limbs.