It's only matter of Time...

Frozen

Everyone, exhausted as they are, settles in fairly quickly. A few homes are identified as specifically perfect to some people, like Philza, Wilbur, Fundy, and Niki, however they leave these places open to anyone else who wants them as well. Tubbo decides to hole up in a cavern that Scott explains belonged to an Enderian. Living with him is Skeppy and Ponk, at least until more houses are made. That's how most days are spent; either exploring their new home, or building places for everyone else. It's safe; Scott promises that, and Tubbo believes it. According to Dream, those massive mountains are impossible to climb, and with the strange nature of the tunnel they entered from, it wouldn't be easy to get in here anyway. Scott's also been nothing but kind and helpful the entire time; offering his advice or physical help wherever he can. He's Phil's friend, and they often spend time with each other, talking about who knows what.

Even so, Tubbo feels uneasy. Why would Scott be the only person in such a well-protected and environmentally diverse space? What happened to everyone else that must have lived here before? The buildings are in exceptionally good condition considering how long Scott has claimed to live here. And why does it seem like the Starborne recognizes some people and not others? Tubbo's been anxious and tense all week; it feels like walking in someone's house uninvited.

It's doing something to Wilbur, too. He's a major part of helping the SMP get set up, helping wherever and whenever he can, always trying to stay busy and make sure everyone's doing alright. However, when he's alone or in the darker hours of the day, he's very quiet, looking at buildings–especially one that floats on a solitary island in the sky–with a puzzled yet relieved, reminiscent expression. He won't explain anything when Tubbo asks if he's okay, which is admittedly a little frustrating. Right now, he's helping Puffy build one of the walls to her house alongside Hannah and Seapeekay. While Wilbur is engaging in regular conversations and being an active participant in the work getting done, he still seems distant, like his mind is elsewhere. Admittedly, Tubbo feels similarly–something warm and buzzy keeps trying to drag his attention away, which he'd only felt once he exited the caves to get here. Scott said there was something in them, but he isn't aware of what it might be. Is this it? Something to affect your mind? Trying to follow the feeling doesn't do anything, it just sits there in his head and stares at him, like it's waiting for him to do something. But if he doesn't know what it is or what it wants, how's he supposed to do anything about it?

One night, Tubbo gets impatient and decides to try and figure it out.

Slipping out of the cavern he's staying in, the goat Hybrid carefully picks his way down the mountain and identifies the one with the strange cave. It's about a two hour walk in any direction to reach the foot of the mountains from the middle of the valley, so he makes the journey in about three. But, it helps. The buzzing grows more insistent, almost coaxing. Tubbo's reminded of a mother urging her child to take their first steps, or the opened arms of a trusted friend beckoning him forward into a hug. Pulling out the torch he'd brought, Tubbo goes to light it, careful not to cut himself with the sharp metal.

"I wouldn't recommend going, at least not alone."

Tubbo manages to avoid a near bleat of surprise, but drops the flint and steel when he jumps. Scott is watching him from beside a nearby tree, though he doesn't seem mad. The Starborne steps into full view, the small gems floating around his head soaking up the moonlight. They glow faintly as a result, like a small, softly glowing halo of crystalline shards. "However, that's why I'm here. I'm not against your going into the caverns, I'm against the fact you may not come out again by yourself." He continues, smiling mischievously. Scott raises his hand to summon a small orb of light, only enough to mimic a lantern, then pauses. "...You are here to enter the cave, right?" He clarifies. Having recovered and scooped back up his firestarters, Tubbo nods. "Yes. How did you know I'd be here?" Scott's ear twitches a little as there's some animal that calls out in the background. "You feel it, I assume. Wilbur does. Not too distracting that you can't function, but enough that you can't leave it alone, either. A kind of...fizzy feeling that sits and waits for you." Scott answers, then nods in satisfaction when Tubbo confirms his suspicions. "I think the feeling of being beckoned and judged at the same time is the worst part." He adds with a laugh. Tubbo can't help but chuckle at this as well. "Are you ready to go in?" Tubbo nods, so the Starborne starts forward, entering the caves without any hesitation. It's as warm as it was last time, but the buzz is waking up, or at least is more active. It wants him to be here, for whatever reason. Normally, he wouldn't be going into weird, probably magical caves with strange Hybrids he doesn't know, but a lot has happened, so he'll make amendments just this once. Scott stops once they reach the 15 minute mark; inside a particularly large space with five different passages. "Does one in particular catch your attention?" He asks, moving back to let the goat Hybrid choose. Silently, Tubbo heads for the second passage to the right. As soon as his gaze caught it, he'd known whatever is driving him was sending him that way. "If you feel this too, then why do you need me to choose a path?" He wonders, turning to watch Scott catch up. "I don't think the feeling is as strong. I have it, I know I do, but...it only takes me to the caves, not through the tunnels. I'm hoping that if you're sensing directions, we can find out what's in here." He answers, keeping pace with ease. "How haven't you explored them all? You said you've been here for..." Tubbo hesitates. He surely can't be THAT old, no matter what he said. "Around 5,000 years." Scott supplies helpfully, and after blinking for a moment, Tubbo continues. "Right, so no matter how big these tunnels might be, wouldn't you have seen them all?" Scott shakes his head. "Not exactly. Sometimes there would be others here, for example. I'd stay for as long as their lives remained, then try again. But without some idea of which paths I need to take, I wander blindly and find myself back at the exit again." He says, waving vaguely at the tunnel behind them with his free hand. Will that happen to them now? What if it's some wild goose chase, and whatever this pull is, it isn't enough?

They keep walking, mostly in silence as neither has much to say, and Tubbo is busy trying to follow the buzzy thing. Scott's got an impeccable sense of time, confirming that they've been walking longer than Scott has by himself before being sent back to the entrance to Origin. The space around them is growing hotter again, but actually hot–not the strange warmth they'd felt before. The walls have also begun to lose their shape, rougher and with sharp edges instead of the smooth surfaces. Whatever it is, they're very close. Tubbo feels like his skull is vibrating at this point, humming with insistent energy and alluring as ever. If Scott feels any different, he doesn't show it, though his face is as flushed as Tubbo's sure his own is. The heat has caused them both to remove their respective coats, which unfortunately didn't do much anyway. The goat Hybrid wonders where they are now. Are they still under the mountain? Below the ground? How many hours have they been walking? The caves are messing with their communicators, meaning if they've been declared missing, they will have no idea until they get back. If they get back.

As the passages grow into more normal cave shapes, they became increasingly transparent, like looking through thick tinted glass. Or maybe it's a trick of the light. Either way, it shows dark shapes, massive and often jagged, but with the warping of the crystalline walls, it's impossible to tell what they are. "I don't think it's shadows. Look–they're different shapes, different sizes, and look at the gaps–see that one there, it looks like a neck, and that'd be the arm..." Scott moves up to one of the walls, tracing the lines into the rough shape of some massive creature. "Nothing grows to that size, though. Not even the End Dragon." Tubbo muses, wiping his forehead. The Starborne grunts in agreement, but they continue forward–standing around and speculating on what they see isn't the answer to the buzz, after all. The next cavern they come across opens up into a space full of crystallized formations, like they've walked inside a geode. Scott makes his light grow, then sends it ahead of them to see the room better. The crystals are white at the edges and transition to a sky blue in the middle, yet still appear orderly. Scott's light source shows the pathway provided, so after a quick glance at one another, they continue ever onward. This has to be the place; the air is tight and oppressive, even hard to breathe. If it gets any worse, Tubbo won't go any farther, motivating brain hums be damned. Luckily, there doesn't seem to be any more path than what's directly in front of them, and up a flight of shallow steps. There isn't any pedestal or other object on the ground, but the wall directly opposite of him and Scott is flat.

Just like choosing the tunnels, as soon as Tubbo looks at the wall, he's certain it's what he's been looking for. The hum silences immediately, a calm smoothing out in his mind like he's just taken a breath out. Scott splits the light in half, then directs it to have one on each side. In the middle of the wall is another dark shape. Unlike all the other ones, Tubbo can see it clearly–a head. "Well, either someone is an incredibly talented artist, or that's real." Scott observes, walking forward slowly. It's turned to the side, eye closed. Did the crystal preserve it? Is it even alive anymore? Or is it the reason everything's so hot? The closer the goat Hybrid gets to it, the more details he notices. For example, it's serpentine, maybe even draconic in appearance, covered in scales of various sizes. They're a dark, dull shade of green, or they look like they are. The underside of its throat and mouth is smooth and more grey, and there's jagged edges up its head and neck, as well as around its lower jaw. "Tubbo." Scott hisses, calling his attention to something to his right. "Look." Curiously, he moves over, making sense of the shape presented. It's a limb, but not like a normal one–bent at odd angles, three claws at a prominent curve, as well as longer ones connected to a thin layer of something or other. Below it, tucked against the thing's side and difficult to see even with such clear sight, are odd, oval-shaped lumps. The goat Hybrid doesn't exactly know what to make of it, though it feels familiar to something. It's almost...

Tubbo exhales sharply(either to curse or exclaim in surprise) and takes several steps back.

"That's a wing." He states, tracing the curve of it with his eyes.

And the strange, lumpy things partially obscured by it are eggs.

They've found a Dragon.