Ink Stains (MCYT Oneshots)

[R] Withering (Tommy-centric)

(A/N: request as a pic. I couldn't include everything in here, but I hope this is good enough :D!)

There was a certain place in the Dream SMP that everyone was explicitly forbidden to go to. It was a field full of wither flowers, with multiple endermen and wither skeletons guarding the area, and whenever someone went near it they had the chance to be attacked by the mobs, as well as get the wither effect.

For that reason, whenever people went out to get resources, they actively avoided that area. Not only because of the above reasons, but because the noises that the mobs would make were... well, unsettling and unpleasant were understatements when it came to describing how it sounded like.

At least, that was what the others had told him.

Personally, Tommy never heard those sorts of screeching, agonising noises. In fact, they were rather pleasant. They sounded like twinkling bells and soft drums, mixed with voices that Tommy couldn't and didn't dare to decipher, not when he had the big risk of getting attacked and dying in a pretty painful way.

For a long time, he avoided that area. The others were more than happy to let him do so, with the older people usually being the ones to collect resources from the areas nearer to the field, while he got to do the simpler tasks that were future away from the field.

A summer day changed all of that.

The SMP was having a picnic. The atmosphere was happy and calm, and Tommy had fun with Wilbur before the other was distracted by something Fundy was asking him about. Tommy spotted the wither field as he was wandering around for someone to talk to.

He had always been curious about it, and with nobody paying attention to him — which was quite a rare thing — he slipped away, silent as the shadows as he walked towards the wither field.

As he walked nervously closer and closer to the field, he started to notice a few things. The mobs were all starting to notice him, and they stared at him as he neared. Instinctively, Tommy wanted to bolt back, but he noticed that they weren't taking out their weapons or getting agitated or aggressive, like they normally would with the others. The wither flowers seemed to glow, too.

Slowly, Tommy was able to start hearing the pleasant noises and voices. As he walked even closer, the words started to... make sense.

Come with us!
Come back home, our liege.
You belong with us!
They have stolen you away, please come back!
Come home!
Your rightful place is waiting for you, our king.

Tommy couldn't understand anything of what they were saying. Were they referring to him as their king? That didn't make sense at all. Still, he couldn't deny that their sweet voices and the nice melody was soothing, and the field seemed to beckon him towards it, feeling almost welcoming in a way.

The endermen and the wither skeletons had started to move closer, too. They had their hands open, and despite making eye contact with some of the endermen, none of them moved to attack him, only wincing a little. That was weird. Then again, everything about this situation was.

Tommy stopped just a few feet away from the border that separated the normal areas, and the wither field. Mobs crowded around the area that was in front of him. They looked almost hopeful to see him, making excited noises. Tommy felt his lips pulling up hesitantly, and he was smiling awkwardly in front of probable danger.

"Do... do you want me to cross over?" he asked quietly. He received affirming noises back.

Tommy took another look at the picnic area, where everyone looked like they were still having fun. It wouldn't hurt them if he just decided to... visit the field for a little, right?

Come with us!
Come home.
Home is a few steps away, you can do this.
Come back home, our liege.

Home... that sounded nice. Tommy liked the sound of that. He took a step closer.

Would it be that bad if he just followed them a little? He took another step closer. And another. And another...

"Tommy!"

Tommy turned around, eyes widening as he spotted Phil flying towards him, worry and terror etched in his face. But before Tommy could do anything else, he let out a startled cry as he was hefted up by the mobs, who were all making comforting noises, and the last thing he saw was his father's helpless face as he was led away.