PHOENIX

Chapter Sixty One: Dragon

"Woah," I move away slightly, keeping my eyes away from his.

"Ranboo, you hate that she controls you like this," Tubbo moves forward, standing right behind me. "You told me yourself".

Ranboo blinks, more tears pouring down his face.

"Don't let her get in your head," Tubbo pleads, taking another step around me.

"Tubbo, careful," I warn, noticing Ranboo's sword shaking.

"You won't let her hurt your friends," Tubbo takes another step, and reaches up, wiping away a tear before it can roll down Ranboo's face and inflict more pain.

For a second, Ranboo's eyes flash, then settle back into the purple haze.

"Listen to me," Tubbo demands. "You're coming back with me after all this is done, and we're gonna build a new nation, just for us. No more war, or conflict. I know you hate it as much as I do. I need you there".

Something within those words shake Ranboo, as just as his sword swings towards Tubbo, Ranboo's eyes snap back into red and green. He stops his sword inches away from Tubbo's neck, and drops it onto the ground. Shaking, Ranboo backs away, realizing how close he came to killing Tubbo.

"I-I didn't mean to," Ranboo swallows, "I'm so sorry".

Tubbo doesn't hesitate to run forward and embrace Ranboo, making a look of surprise flash across Ranboo's face.

"It's not your fault," Tubbo's muffled voice replies. "Just don't do that again".

"Okay," Ranboo nods, squeezing Tubbo back. "I promise".

"Sorry to break up a wholesome moment," Wilbur appears next to me. "But I think she's landing".

My head snaps around, searching for the goddess. Right above the bedrock podium in the center, the dragon begins to lower herself, spraying purple fire around her.

"Start looking for a way into the middle," I instruct, running over to the group of people taking out End Crystals with arrows.

"How many crystals are left?" I ask, taking out my own bow and aiming for the dragon.

"Two more," Sapnap responds, just as George takes out one. "Scratch that".

"Now is the time to have perfect aim George," I encourage.

"This is a lot of pressure!" George yells back.

"The rest of you," I address the group. "It's either Endermen or Dragon!"

The group turns to chaos, everyone killing Endermen or running towards the currently grounded dragon. I watch as Sapnap leaps over a ball of fire, yelling as he brings his axe down and lands a strong hit on the dragon's hide. Puffy joins him, her cutlass-like sword stabbing through the tail. Punz is close behind, his trident raised.

I hear a final explosion above me, and then George's voice yelling a victory cry. Ten crystals down. Running into the fray, I see Karl on a small tower of cobble, swatting at an Enderman with the help of Quackity on the ground. Only a few steps away, Foolish, Sam, Skeppy, and Bad are hitting stray Endermen off the edges of the island and into the void. Eret hits an Enderman directly towards Antfrost, who kills it with a swing of his sword. Looking to my other side, Hbomb, takes a water bucket and pours it over a group of Endermen, while Ponk and Purpled throw potions onto the damp Endermen, killing them off. A group of people I had recently learnt the names of, Conner, Vikkstar, and Lazarbeam were running from a group of Endermen as Fundy, Jack, and the slime covered Charlie, try to kill the creatures, telling the other three to slow down. Near one of the obsidian towers, Niki, Callahan and Alyssa team up and kill an Enderman, Niki using a flint and steel to light it on fire while Callahan and Alyssa land the kill. They high five, proud of their work. At the edge of the void, Lani swipes at an Enderman, barely hitting it as Drista and Dream swoop in, killing the screeching beast. Drista picks up the head of the Enderman, running around and using it to scare other Endermen away, all the while screaming curses at the poor creatures. Facing forward again, Techno and Phil each land a hit against the dragon, Techno using his trident and Phil taking a sword to its side. Wilbur runs out from underneath the dragon, Tommy in toe, a flint and steel in their hands.

"Warning, TNT!" Wilbur shouts.

"She's gonna blow up," Tommy shouts, "And act like she don't know nobody!"

Everyone runs back, watching as the explosion from beneath the dragon causes her to roar and fly away from the center.

"Great job guys!" I shout, my voice starting to go raw from the yelling. "Let's gather up and-"

I feel an arm push me out of the way, throwing me across the rocky terrain. Whipping my head around, I watch as a fireball hits where I was just standing, directly where Dream now lays flat on the ground, purple acid tearing through his armor.

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Author's Notes:

I'm so bad at having a consistent writing schedule! So um, shit's getting real! Wooooo! Everyone hold onto yourselves because these next few chapters are fucking wild. Hope everyone's having a luminous day!