Ivory - xl ; Attachments II
Created: 01.01.23
Finished: 01.02.23
Edited: 02.13.23 / 02.18.23
Published: 02.19.23
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Trigger Warning: mentions of death, residual symptoms, hypothermia, burns, blood, wound, heated conversation, potential bob
Word Count: 4372
A/N: Practicing how to do cliffhangers properly, so the chapter ended up having 3 parts...haha I'm slightly fond of this chapter. Because finally, most answers are now revealed here. I do hope that it's not awful, or rushing or anything.
Thank you all for everything, and enjoy^^
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"It's been months since I've last seen you..where you been?" Tubbo asks while making some refreshments.
His visitor has been sitting on a random couch, admiring the gigantous building in Snowchester..Its far larger than any infrastructure he's ever been to,
"Here and there. Sorta stayed in my place for a long while when I knew Dream got out. Don't want to get involved with his bullshits too much."
Tubbo frowns, piling the hot choco and pastries on a tray, "I think we all have been. It's a shock that he got out.."
The bald man with red and blue glasses straightens his back, "What about you? How have you been?"
The goat blinks at his question and chuckles, "Erm..I'm doing alright..Just, living you know.."
His friend observes even further, "You look lonely, where're your friends?"
Sighing before sitting at the couch with his friend, he eyes Michael from time to time, who has been playing with toy blocks on the carpet, "Tommy's somewhere, Ranboo's..with him for today."
Disgust rises from his friend's throat, "They left you behind?"
Whereas the other gapes at his sudden conclusion, "No no no- It's- erm- They just had to do something together today. Don't worry, Ranboo will get home soon for Michael. It's already nighttime."
Unconvinced, the bald man sips his cup, "You can tell me what troubles you, you know. I'm here..should have been here sooner honestly.."
Tubbo looks away, "Jack, it's not-"
"Nope, don't give me that bullshit- Talk to me, talk to me- What has been happening in the past months? Tell me, tell me."
He ends up smiling from Jack's pushiness, he appreciates that. Anyone barely asks if he's okay or not, "I don't know..things are complicated now. Things were just..better back then."
Jack nods at that, "You know I would actually do anything to bring things back. 'Cuz life right now is just..fucking god I hate it-"
That made Tubbo laugh, "Yeah..like..thank the gods Michael's still here. He was kidnapped and I got him back. Ranboo..he was..He and I never really ended up going well, Jack..They were just..different, I don't know what to do with them.."
He takes a breath, "As for Tommy..well-"
"What? Did he hurt you or something?"
At this point, Tommy being an asshole isn't a surprise to Jack, revived or not he has always been, and he regrets sympathising with him.
He could never forgive him now,
"No- It's not that- He-"
Swoop.
Someone fell in front of the den near the door, which made both the two stand in fright, as well as Michael who peered close to see who it was.
The tiny zombie pigman snorts in wonder as he rushes close now that he knows who it was.
Tubbo's blood grows cold to see Ghostboo..bleeding? "What the fuck?.."
Jack cringes at the sight. It is a strange sight to behold. Why does he look dead? Is this what Tubbo meant different?
It's been forever since he has seen that hybrid, man he should come around often,
"You're bleeding, you're bleeding- uhh that doesn't make any sense uhhh-" Tubbo panics getting up to find a cloth and first aid kit, with an internal thought that those things might not work on them.
Jack, with initiative, heaves up Ghostboo, with a difficulty since their body tends to somehow slip from his grip. He doesn't understand why..must be an enderman thing.
Finally, he plasters them on the couch, staining it, "What the- You look like shit-"
That made the ghost chuckle, "It's alright. I don't die."
Their remark made Jack shudder, finding that odd to say.
Tubbo runs back and attempts to remove the cloth off of them but Ghostboo pulls it close so the other would let go, "I'll be fine, Bee..They'll soon fade."
The goat frowns, unconvinced, "Wha- what..what happened? Who hurt you?.."
Ghostboo clenches the cloth tighter; green and red trickling out of their body, "Ambush..the cabin..They're in danger..Got hurt..Couldn't teleport as much as I used to..Took me forever to get home-"
Tubbo stands up, almost on the verge of a hyperventilation, "Ambush..Tommy."
A crow flies inside, soared through the windows, cawing loudly to get everyone's attention,
"It's Phil's.." Ghostboo rasps, trying to stop the bleeding on their own.
Tubbo races towards the crow and notices the scroll attached to it. Swiftly, he takes it and skims to read the content although doing so makes everything look so twisted and gibberish.
But reading those last lines, he froze,
"Tubbo? Tubbo, what did it say? Tubbo tell me what's going o-"
"Tommy's missing."
Was all he could say, losing his strength to hold onto the scroll as it floats down, touching the floor.
Ghostboo widens their eyes, Michael tilts his head, ignorant as to what's going on.
Tommy's missing. Again.
oOo
"Heaven and hell, gods above and below, do you loathe me that much to cause a snowstorm out of nowhere!?-" Techno roars in the middle of the arctic storm.
Although he's from the nether, years past he has gone used to the cold levels of his home.
He doesn't need a coat, he needs to find his friend. Tommy.
Phil comes by with a pant, lantern on hold, the other hand lifting his robes, "The snow is rising, should we be concerned?" He asks, as Techno ponders,
"If this lasts for hours, I can't risk you staying out here any longer." He stomps against the snow, raising his bandaged arm where he holds his own light,
"If the hounds are right, Tommy is just around the arctic..his scent never left our land. I trust the hounds, as well as the gods."
Phil sighs, covering his face from the snow smacking his wrinkled image, "I am worried for him, Techno.. I..I don't know if I can handle living on knowing he has died because of me."
Techno frowns at his words, "Never blame yourself. Whatever happened to Tommy will never be your fault." He takes a breath, and exhales it. Cold air releases from his mouth brimmed with tusks, "If Dream has a bit of heart, he'll spare him..for now."
For some reason, a vague memory pops into his head about the time when he was stuck in prison with Dream for months.
He does have a heart somewhere..right?
His ear twitches, the voices erratic, "Someone's here." He releases his trident, and aims at where he heard that noise.
Phil takes out his cane as well, and prepares for the upcoming intruder.
Through the blizzard, a familiar pink haired woman surrounded with a cotton coat walks out of nowhere, calling their names,
"Niki! We're over here!"
Niki looks around and smiles, relieved seeing the two as she runs closer to them, with difficulty but surely, "I came here as soon as I can..I could barely see anything from the weather."
Techno frowns, as much as he wishes to continue searching, she is right,
"It might be best to get inside for now, and hope for the best the fall would cease soon." Phil suggests,
"As much as I prefer not to waste any more time, we can't risk anyone to get hypothermia." The piglin sighs in defeat.
Niki nods, clutching Wilbur's coat tighter. It smells like him, giving her both dread and comfort,
"Tell me what you have gathered as we get there."
As the three trudge back, Techno and Phil exchange in explaining to Niki what has happened:
An ambush, and through it all..Tommy was taken.
Surprisingly, according to the hounds, Tommy's body somewhere in their area. Hopefully for the best, he hasn't left and gone anywhere closer to the Greater SMP where Dream is.
The scent isn't enough to confirm Tommy is dead or alive though, the hounds can only assure that his body is near.
Niki nods at the information taking in, "Did you send help from others besides me?"
Phil nods, "As much as I didn't want him to know, I sent a crow for Tubbo. Of course, Quackity and Sam were notified as well, but we ordered them to look in the Greater SMP instead to watch for any suspicious mishaps, and if by chance, they'd find him."
Breathing in, Niki opens the door for them, "Tubbo, most certainly would not like the fact that you guys-"
"Yeah, I am deeply enraged." Tubbo stares at the three of them, lowering a picture frame that holds a lily.
Phil's wings ruffle, but then composes himself. He's bound to know what happened after all. There's no use in keeping it as secret.
At the same time, Tubbo should keep his hands to himself.
Ghostboo seems peachy, but still they muster a smile, "Hello, everyone. I am well."
After what Phil witnessed, he isn't sure what the ghost even is anymore, "Err..hello, mate."
Aimsey feels awkward being surrounded by people star doesn't really know. Still star tries to be nice and presentable, "Hello, I am Aimsey. Uhm, I would like to partake in finding Tommy. He's my friend."
Techno and Niki don't find star familiar, yet Phil smiles for star, "Hello, I have heard about you in these parts. I am Phil, and my these friends: Technoblade and Nihachu..but you can just call them Techno and Niki. Thank you for giving us a hand. We quite need it for these troubling times."
Tubbo almost fumes, did this man just start some introduce yourself before the start of class? "Alright- You know you guys' names- Now can all of you tell me what you know by far of the situation?"
After telling Tubbo, Ghostboo, and Aimsey everything, the remaining people of the Syndicate were waiting for Tubbo's imitation of a nuke explosion.
But as always, it only fuses for now, and will explode later, "How are we going to fucking find him in the middle of this storm? If he went out on his own, he'd die of hypothermia right now.."
Remembering how he almost succumbed to it, he purses his lips, repressing the memory,
"Tommy was most likely taken than went out on his own." Phil murmurs, grabbing Tubbo's attention,
"There were no footsteps. He was with someone that pearled away along with the rest of the intruders. The perpetrator didn't get to leave the arctic, not with Tommy tagging along. They must have sensed this heavy snowfalling, it's dangerous to get far, so they sheltered somewhere.." He inhales, "In one of the caves."
Niki, for some reason, begins to feel cold, more so than usual. She doesn't want anyone to notice it so she keeps herself silent,
"I also presume that Tommy's around here somewhere. Even now, the hounds are inspecting every speck of his scent, and the conclusion is that he never left our territory." Techno adds to the information, his natural voice silencing the whole cabin, "The only issue is that his scent seemed scattered, must be because of the storm."
Or because he's no longer- Well..
"Great, just great." Tubbo inhales.
Aimsey attempts to raise stars voice, "So Tommy's just out there, in one of the caves."
Phil nods, "Thankfully the field of our search is small, but with how crazy the snowstorm is getting. It's tricky for us to navigate our way, let alone survive the cold."
Techno nods as well, "With our count, we can get to say..If we divide ourselves by two..three groups..three caves..twelve caves in total. With no certain location, and with how much caves out there lying around, there is still a low chance in finding Tommy."
Ghostboo soon notices how pale Niki has gone, and how quiet she has gone as well. Is she alright?
"Is it just me or I have a hunch that Dream would take Tommy to the same place he tortured him? Seems like him." Tubbo murmurs in thought.
Aimsey frowns at that, "Wouldn't that had been a bit too obvious?"
Techno growls a bit in thinking, agreeing with star, "She's right..It would be too obvious, he'd probably sense that we get to that conclusion. He probably went to a random cave-"
"He's in there."
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Everyone stares at Niki, who they finally notice how white she has gone, "Are you alright, Niki?" Phil asks softly and holds her hand.
He has noticed her shallow breathing, and her eyes indicating confusion, "You're cold..You shouldn't have stayed in the snow too much. How long were you looking for us? Techno get something to warm her up."
The piglin nods and rushes off with a bolt.
Tubbo frowns at her state, "Is Niki not used to the snow? She shouldn't have come by-"
Niki shakes her head, "Ich be fine..Nur ein bisschen lightheaded-"
"Don't shake your head like that, keep your body still." Phil orders her, getting up, "Going to make you tea real quick." He says before he leaves.
Aimsey removes stars coat and wraps it around Niki,
"You're going to get cold soon enough too if you do that-"
"I'll last..Niki needs my coat more than me." Star interrupts before Tubbo finish his sentence.
Niki flickers her eyes for a bit, seeing the cabin, then seeing something else.
Ghostboo could only eye her state..with a face that holds fascination.
Aimsey places stars cane on the ground, and begins to rub stars hands harshly and holds Niki's, "I hope this helps, Niki.." Star whispers at her, as Niki gets in and out of consciousness, muttering soft words,
"Tommy..Dark..Gefangen..Alleine..Nein..Not alleine.." Aimsey furrows stars brows at her murmurs,
"What are they saying, Aimsey?" Tubbo asks, almost like a demand,
"She's talking about Tommy..and some weird language..uhh..I don't know..must be her words going loopy?"
Tubbo isn't sure that it's just nothing.
Unfortunately, the snow keeps on rising, they're definitely losing time.
But at least if the snowstorm keeps going, Tommy can't leave the place either.
Unless the kidnapper's willing to bring Tommy out of the place while getting frostbit.
Soon enough, Phil and Techno return with blankets, a heater, and a cup of tea, "Tubbo, Aimsey..make her sit upright."
The other two nod and pull Niki up to refrain herself from falling, "Niki, are you still with us?..Hold the tea.."
Niki shivers as she grabs hold of the tea, "T-Tommy..G-Get Tommy already.." She musters to say, Phil wonders about her state.
Must be her head being fuzzy from the cold. That's probably it..right?
Niki has been in the snow with them long enough for her to get used to it. Is her city's environment different from up here? Could be..maybe,
"Tommy and his captor are most likely in a similar situation as us..Once the storm dies, we can get hi-"
"Nein nein nein- He's not gonna make it..not on his own.." Niki tries to stand after she cuts off Phil, but the old man's hold is firm..keeping her steady and down,
Tubbo narrows his eyes, "How do you know?"
Niki tries to stare at Tubbo,
"How do you know he's not gonna make it? Is he going to die?"
She attempts to understand what he said, "No..but a part of him will.."
Everyone stops what they're doing,
"What..what are you fucking saying?" He grabs Niki's shoulders as she flinches.
His touch burns, it burns!
"Tubbo, don't-"
"What do you know about him? Do you know where he is?! What are you not telling us?!"
Niki shakes her head, she's almost losing her sight,
"Tubbo get off her, she's in pain-" Aimsey cries, pulling him off.
Tubbo didn't budge, and holds onto her,
"Are you seeing things like him too?.." He whispers, leaning close to her.
Phil and Techno frown, "She probably does." The avian murmurs, speaking up from the silence, "She had an episode with Tommy when she visited here. We didn't realise it's got involved with Tommy much until..now."
Tubbo purses his lips, "What are you guys talking about?"
Techno narrows his eyes, "I thought we have decided Tommy's not part as to what happened to Nik-"
"What if he does? Everything makes sense if he does. Better than to conclude that Niki was only seeing things that day. Dream never targeted her, yet she claimed that she was burnt, cut and stabbed with a burnt knife to death."
Tubbo and Aimsey grow quiet at that. Niki keeps her ground as she holds the cup, but slowly, she's losing it,
"Niki is not losing her mind, Tommy's symptoms are affecting her-"
"Since when did Tommy's symptoms become contagious-?" Tubbo interjects, fuming,
"Selective people can only experience this..That's why none of us are affected..except Niki..and my son."
Techno narrows his eyes, "You didn't tell me all about this?"
Phil chuckles, "I was having doubts too..then I began to find sense of it all. Wilbur's nightmares..Niki's episode..I thought it was just a coincidence..and that's when I noticed something."
"Has any of us ever died or been revived?"
Everyone blinks at the question,
"Well I died.." Aimsey speaks up with discomfort.
Tubbo flusters in shame of what he did to star, "I died too."
Ghostboo rolls their eyes, "Clearly, I am perfectly dead."
Phil nods, "I died as well- so is Techno-"
"Heh??? No Technoblade never dies-"
"You did..once..somehow." Techno doesn't recall ever dying, but still..he trusts Phil,
"What's your point though?" Tubbo brings Phil back to the question, as the other scrunches his look,
"Just like what Tommy said..She never died yet."
It's strange that everyone has actually touched the hands of death..felt her touch and guide as they were given another chance to live..everyone except Niki,
"Alright alright- so what if we have died- whatever, and Niki hasn't, what is this got something to do with Tommy?"
Phil clicks his fingers together, "You know how we forget something, and we tend to review things in order to get it back? Do things all over again in hopes that the thing we forgot would resurface again? We can remember by triggering ourselves with things that has connections to it.
"In order for Tommy to get memories, to know and remember people, at least to my theory, he has to get it using the hard way, and that is to trigger himself. It's involved with people that have died before. With that connection, Tommy is able to know us in some way, some way except Niki."
Aimsey bubble mouths in confusion, "What do you mean?"
Phil smiles, "I asked Tommy if he remembers something about Niki, and still, he doesn't know anything about her. How it works is that every time he gets triggered by this person, he earns a memory about them. But he didn't get anything from Niki, but instead..Niki was triggered, and earned a memory from Tommy, ergo-"
"Her episode in Ranboo's house."
Phil nods at Techno's answer, "Exactly- Instead of Tommy having a panic attack, flashback, whatever- Niki was the one who experienced it. Her indirect experience with death? It wasn't her memory, but 'twas Tommy's."
Tubbo gulps, "So that's how he remembered me. When he heard my voice, he knew it was me.." The way he called him his name, the first time they got each other back..The way Tommy, at first looked at him like a stranger, but then, his eyes..for a moment it shifted from grey to blue, "So..Dream..burnt Tommy..everything, like you said..All of it?"
Phil painfully nods, "Yeah..he did. Niki knows it too."
Techno hums, "Tommy has also admitted something to me..Like..he gets memories that he doesn't think it's his-?"
"Yeah I believe he mentioned it to me too, but he was reluctant in spilling it."
Tubbo, barely taking any info in, could only keep asking questions, "What kind of memories?"
Phil ponders in order to make it sound simpler and more understandable, "Basically saying, not just he's getting memories from people in order to know about them, he sometimes gets to reexperience how any of them died."
Techno growls, "From fireworks."
Phil adds, "Slain by a beast."
"Pushed off the bridge."
"Fell..from a great height."
"Reaped what they sowed."
"..From sickness."
Techno blinks, "When you think about it, they were not hallucinations, nightmares of his, were they?"
Phil shakes his head, "They weren't. Well, at first, they seemed meaningless..then..The moment he told how I- I mean, I knew now..that they were from people that he knew that had died. Per say I..I fell from the skies."
Tubbo recalls the list mentioned before he inhales then exhales, "I was killed by Techno using fireworks during the festival..wait- I mean my excecution." Although it wasn't a bitter tone, but a lament,
"Tubbo killed me by pushing me off the bridge. I couldn't walk right since then." Despite Aimsey not sounding like it was an ill statement, surely star didn't have to mention the last one right?
"What about me? How did I die?" Techno chuckles to take away the tense atmosphere.
Phil ends up smacking him, "You'll learn soon."
After all this, Tubbo is in disbelief. How did he not know all this?
Did..Tommy not tell him? "Well- That's that..He remembers people by hurting himself and he basically has the power to know how people died-"
Then something wasn't adding up, "But then Wilbur died..How was he affected like Niki?"
That made Phil hum once more in thinking, "None of us got in touch by the revival book. I returned but through something else, as well as Techno, and I don't think any of your lives were fully taken to be dead, then revived...except Wilbur."
Techno blinks, "So Tommy can form a connection to any people..but it doesn't work the same way to the people that hasn't died yet, and got involved with the Revival Book. Stretchy theory but alright."
Tubbo sighs, trying to form a conclusion as well, "So Tommy can get hold of people who never died, and has connections to the revival book. Which is from us, it'd be Wilbur..and Niki.."
"..Yea I just said that."
"Wh- No you didn't."
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"What's the point? Any of us could go straight to hypothermia with this blizzard..and we have no idea where Tommy truly is."
Phil inhales in realisation, "We don't..but..Niki.." He looks at her, "Niki might." He notices that she remains conscious, but fully out of it,
"What I find strange is that, Niki has been with us long enough to get used to the snow. Either her body had a hard time adjusting with the sudden environment, or she's..experiencing Tommy's symptoms once more. One of the effects of Tommy's attempted connection? Or it's another out of this world theory that Techno can smack me about it?"
Tubbo crosses his arms, "It's not like we got much options anyway- If that were to be true- how is she going to know where Tommy is though?" He could hardly look at her state, "It's not like she's in a well condition to talk some sense."
With an idea strikes in his mind, Phil reveals his cane, "Techno, you may kill me for what I am about to do- Kristin's been waiting for so long anyway so I give you my gratitude-"
Techno raises a brow, "What are you-"
A gash of blood spreads on Niki's coat.
The rest takes a few seconds to react from Phil's swift aim of stabbing her shoulder, before they completely pin him down on the floor,
"What the fuck, Phil!?"
"Oh gods, she's bleeding she's bleeding!"
"You're senile, you're fucking senile now you old hag!"
"..She can't feel it."
Everyone stares at Ghostboo who is looking at Niki, "She has truly taken Ivory's symptoms. How remarkable! Phil, it's working-"
"Boo, stop being fucking creepy- And also- Whatever the fuck you just did..How is this going to help us find Tomm-!?"
"Dream.." Niki finally lets out a voice, a whisper, staring at nothing although she has fallen from her seat and been to the floor.
Everyone shudders hearing his name, "Wie are you?..you bist hier.."
"Where- Get the fuck off me Techno- Where are you, Niki? Talk to us."
It takes a while but surely, Niki opens her mouth once more, "Die bodies..Tommy..Ich sees Tommy..Nein- Dream-"
Phil inhales, whispers an internal prayer before holding her hand, "May the goddess watch us. Tell us, Niki..was siehst du?"
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Es is dark.
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Ich bin incomplete.
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..Ist das was Tommy feels?
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Constantly zerschlagen?
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Und alone?
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Niki opens her eyes once more, seeing nothing but dark.
Memories are hazy but she can hear someone somewhere, and she trusts that voice, "Tommy."
She can see him across the cave, and so she tries to get close to him.
But the body is like her prison, everything hurts and stiff. She could hardly move anything in her, not even her legs. She has no choice but to crawl towards him.
The stench of death is getting under her nose as she tries her best not to retch from the reek,
"Ich can see Tommy..mit ihm..Se sind..they're talking.." She whispers out loud as she keeps crawling, hoping the voice, whoever it is, is still there,
"Worüber reden sie?" Relief washes over her as the voice responds before leaning close to hear what they're saying.
If ever, the man standing was the one talking more as the boy listened quietly, his eyes wide, gazing back against the one who took him, his mouth slightly agape,
"Tommy.." Niki reaches out a hand to grab his attention, "Ich kann nicht..I can't hear what he's saying.." She musters to say in the voice, reaching close to Tommy.
The boy lifts his hands to his ears, and with an arch of his back, he shrieks at the sight in front of him.
Then everything hurts.
She covers her ears from the unfamiliar loud noise, it's like a siren..a noise almost similar to having tinnitus..It hurts, it hurts her,
"Tommy-" Someone grabs her that lead her to scream in fright, as she tries to get the hands off of her. There were hands..so many hands pulling her hair, skin, and clothes. Everything on her, they keep pulling her, as they strive to rip her apart,
"Niki!"
"Wake her up, wake her up already!"
"Niki! Kansst du uns hor-"
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In the end, she can see nothing but fire.
Fire that burns; a life that ablazes.
She can only compose her trembling breathing as she can see the masked man in front of her.
With a blow, the fire goes out.
Niki goes limp.
Her amber eyes that once glimmer has darkened..empty..lifeless.
Dead.