I Had Strings, But Now I'm Free (Dream SMP)

A Haunting Sunny Day

tw: swearing

All Tommy heard was the pounding of his feet on dirt and grass as he tore his way through the woods. His trainers were kicking up dust in his wake as he sprinted to catch up with Niki.
She was very fast for a woman.

Tommy kept throwing glances behind him, terrified that Punz or Sapnap would be charging after him, sword in hand.
But there was nobody following him.
He felt uneasy, Dream had let them go so easily.

Why?

He glanced in front of him to see Niki's form slowly fading into sight. He sped up, her form slowly getting bigger as he approached.
"Niki!" He shouted, his lungs screaming. He was shouting over their footsteps, ripping plants from the soil as they ran. Sunshine was dripping through the leaves above, staining the ground in it's light.The girl turned and gasped when she saw Tommy, thinking for a second it was someone else.
"We're not being followed! Slow down for a minute will ya?!" He cried.

Niki skidded, almost losing her footing and planting her shield down in front of her to come to a stop fully. Tommy skewered his sword into the earth, holding on to it to stop his momentum from dragging him along. The two of them stood firm and gasped, breathing in massive amounts of air. They leaned over their respective equipment, their muscles aching from having raced for so long.

They were so out of breath. Glancing back, sweat-soaked, they looked out at the forest they had cut through to the border. Niki put her shield back in her inventory, Tommy sliding his sword back into the sheath around his waist. They glanced up at the sunshine streaming in above, like it knew the Rain was gone.

"Techno's gonna fucking kill me." Tommy said. Niki snorted before frantically agreeing. "Yeah... he really is."
The two of them stood quietly for a moment, silently listening to the sounds of the woods.

"Who's gonna tell him?" Niki asked.
"Not it!
"Not i- Damn it!"

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The two of them broke the tree-line like bats out of a mineshaft, sprinting down the rest of the hill to the mound concealing the entrance to the underground ravine. Tommy and Niki spied the guard outside, leaning against the dirt lazily. Tommy watched as his pointed ears pricked, his head turning quickly to see them. The gold earrings he was wearing jingled quietly. Tommy skidded to a halt in front of him, Niki running past them both.
Techno turned around in confusion, his lemonade-pink hair whipping around him.
Tommy peered past him to see Niki furiously carving away at the entrance with a shovel she had miraculously procured out of fucking nowhere.
"Wait, what the-" Techno began. Niki turned her head mid-swing and smiled past him at Tommy.
"You lost the 'not-it' Tommy, I'll talk to Wilbur!" She shouted, breaking into Pogtopia and flying down the spiral stairway.

Techno pivoted back to Tommy, there was distinct confusion in his eyes.
"Ok, what the hell going on...wait." Techno glanced behind Tommy, scanning the hillside and the trees they had run from.
Tommy knew what he was looking for, and it pained him that he couldn't find it. He felt Technoblade's eyes lock on his smaller frame, glancing back up to see his pale eyes going bloodshot already. Tommy's blood ran cold.

"Where's Rain? Tommy, where's my sister?" Techno asked, gripping Tommy by his shoulders. Tommy held his hands up and gripped the taller man's, practically feeling the worry pouring off him in heavy waves. He gently removed his grip.
"B-Blade..." Tommy stuttered, "Something happened while we were out..."
"Tommy you'd better start making sense or I'm gonna have to stab you-"
"They took Rain, Ok?!" Tommy screamed. Techno's brow flew up as Tommy's head dropped to the floor. "They fought us at the border..." he squeaked. Techno's gaze narrowed, the hairs on his neck rising.
"Who?"
"Sapnap, Punz and Dream. They- They fought us, pinned me and Niki down, and grabbed Rain. Dream wouldn't let her go, told us that if we didn't give up, he'd kill her." Tommy explained, pain flashing through his gaze. Techno glanced frantically between Tommy's eyes, his pale eyes turning redder by the second.