Down with the King- Dream SMP

6- Tubbo

WARNING: Mild alcohol usage

"We need a plan," Tubbo said as they made camp in a cave. After evacuating Niki's hideout, they'd tunneled underground until they came out in a desert made of dark sand that clung to their legs as they walked. It had taken them hours to cross the desert and when they finally did, they found themselves back in the Wastes of the Nether. Exhausted from their hike, they had set up camp in the first shelter they'd found.

"I agree," Schlatt said. "We can't survive forever in the Nether."

"But how do we get out?" Niki asked. "Dream and his guards will surely be waiting for us back at the portal."

"We could try to fight them," Fundy said. "Perhaps if we had the element of surprise?"

"There's no way," Schlatt shook his head. "That portal is out in the middle of nothing, they'd see us coming from a mile away."

"So we're stuck here, is that it then?" Fundy asked, clearly getting frustrated.

"Maybe not," Tubbo said suddenly. "There might be another way. Tommy once told me that Dream had his own personal Nether portal in the castle, in his own room."

"Another portal?" Niki asked dubiously. "In Dream's castle?"

"Tubbo, even if we found that portal and got back, we'd still be in enemy territory," Fundy said. "We'd be right back at square one."

"No, he's onto something," Schlatt said. "Listen, if this portal really is in Dream's room, then we would have access to his stuff. I'm willing to bet that he has a lot of valuables in there-"

"-including materials to build another Nether portal!" Tubbo finished. "We could make our own portal and escape!"

"It's so crazy, it just might work!" Fundy grinned.

"But we still don't know where this other portal would be," Niki pointed out. "For this plan of yours to even work, we have to find Dream's personal portal."

"The Nether Fortress!" Tubbo exclaimed. "I remember seeing it when we first came through the portal."

"It would make sense for it to be there," Schlatt mused. "Good work, son."

Tubbo grinned from ear to ear, pleased with their scheme. It was one thing to wander the Nether aimlessly, but another to wander with a plan in place. It put his mind at ease to have a goal in sight and helped him gain control of at least a few things in his life.

They decided to spend some time in the cave before backtracking their way to the Nether Fortress and set up watches, still wary of the guards that could be hot on their trail. The Nether had sucked all the energy from them and Tubbo was more than happy to close his eyes for just a minute.

---

"Wake up, son."

Tubbo wearily opened his eyes to see Schlatt gently shaking him awake.

"It's your watch."

"Right," Tubbo nodded, stifling a yawn. His body hurt from sleeping on netherrack, but at least he'd been able to fall asleep. He looked to the corner where Niki was staring blankly into the fire, silently crying.

He was grateful that his sleep had been dreamless. Tubbo didn't want to stop and think about the failed assassination attempt; it was too painful for him.

"How are you holding up?" Schlatt asked him as he sat down at the mouth of the cave.

"Alright," he lied as Schlatt took a swig from his canteen. "Is that water?"

"Better," Schlatt grinned, handing the canteen to Tubbo. Confused, he took a sip and immediately gagged.

"Oh my god, Schlatt!"

Schlatt cackled, taking back his canteen and taking another long swig. "I figured you wouldn't like it. To be honest, I don't like the taste much either, but the feeling you get... it helps you forget."

"What would you want to forget?"

"A lot of things," Schlatt sighed. "Aren't there some things that you'd like to forget, Tubbo?"

"Yeah..." he said quietly, memories from the other day overwhelming him. Wordlessly, he held his hand out and Schlatt passed him the canteen. Tilting his head back, he took another drink, relishing the sensation of alcohol burning his throat on the way down. Together, they looked out over the bleak and dreary wastes of the Nether, feeling just as hollow on the inside.