Alternate Battle for Dream Island

ABFDIA 17b: Welcome

At first, they couldn't help but wonder if they've just been struck by yet *another* disappointment.

It was a running gag at this point, a joke that has been stretched far, *far* beyond what is considered reasonable, considered normal. They linger and languish in the fields (both metaphorical and literal), wandering and wondering if *anything* of note, whether positive or negative, will ever come by and give them something to do; it didn't matter whether or not it was bad for them, just so long as it was *something* to keep them preoccupied, something to stave off the fact that they're just burning daylight, wasting time, spitting on the bountiful gift that is existence. Then, after 2,763 years (give or take) of waiting around, something *does* end up appearing, claiming and promising to finally take them out of this horrific cycle of misery and mundane moments, gets them all excited and filled with energy... and then it's over. It leaves as quickly as it arrives, and they're once again left to wonder just what exactly it was, what any of it meant, and when something like it could happen again. It was the exact same thing each and every time. Again, and again, and again, and *again*.

It had gotten to such an absurd degree, such a level of ridiculousness, that even pointing out how this is such a tired trope had become a trope of its own; even being self-aware and addressing that fact head-on had started to grow tiring. If anything, trying to solve it on their own seemed to make things *more* difficult, more straining. How is that possible? *Why* can't they just find something to distract them, even for just a little bit, from all the horror and whatnot of the outside world?

Wait, wasn't existing out in the green grasslands *supposed* to be that answer? *What* is happening?

After going up quite a few flights of stairs, they finally came across it: a singular trapdoor, similar to the one that Firey and friends had found so long ago, the one that led them to this horrific narrative. Surely, *surely*, it could also lead them out of it, right?

Everyone just stared at it for a little while, in awe that escape, a refuge from all this madness, was now within arm's reach. "So, uh..." The flame spoke up after an uncomfortably awkward period of time. "Who's gonna open it?" "Isn't it obvious?" Snowball asked rhetorically. "TD's the one who found it, so *she* should be the one to open it!" Flower scoffed. "Well, why won't she? Because she's a wimp!" Bubble gave her an angry look. "Flower, be noice!" She'd demand. "She's clearly just toiking her toime to moike sure it's soife." The flame nodded in agreement. "Yeah, that makes sense." He'd reply. "Remember: the whole reason we're here in the first place is *because* we opened one of those without thinking." "Well, it couldn't *possibly* hurt her to think faster, would it?" The one with the petals replied.

And so, a brief peace would emerge within the crowd; they all watched in stunned silence as Teardrop continued to ponder her options, wondering if she should kick it open, or perhaps just do it normally. Was there gonna any long-lasting effects for doing either one, anything that actually makes it worth *any* consideration? Who knows? That's the magic of the Battle for Dream Island, of existing in this strange world; absolutely everything can be questioned, and the only thing anyone knows for certain is that it's gonna *suck*.

Eventually, *eventually*, TD made up her mind and decided to just open it the regular way; after looking for the handle for a brief moment, she'd start to gently push it upward. After opening it by just a little, she decided to look through the tiny viewpoint, see if there *was* anything to worry about.

Initial observations... weren't great. There weren't 2,763 opponents they had to fight, or whatever, but what she ended up seeing seemed to be worse. Instead of immediately flooding the place with the glorious wonder that is sunlight, it looked like there was just... more of the same. Yet another dull, dark, depressing place, with nothing to look forward to other than yet more corridors and hallways.