The Nether's Child

Tommy's Back..?

Tommy asked Ranboo what they were going to do about Dream. Ranboo answered by saying that they would do nothing unless provoked. But from what Tommy has heard he doesn't think they will be.

Ranboo asked if Tommy would be alright back in the overworld, you know with the temperature difference. Tommy said that his body heat was now naturally the same as the Nether so he would have no problems even in the mountains. Tommy also said that he had a type of aura around him that helped keep him warmer. Ranboo smiled knowing that Tommy would be ok.

Suddenly Ranboo asked, "Are you ready to go? Do you need to grab anything before we leave?" Tommy shook his head, "Nah. I don't need anything. But I do need to make sure Cherry is ok before we go." "Cherry?" "Yeah. Since my hair is like fire now I have a baby strider that sits in my hair, I named her Cherry and she usually sits in the middle of my crown." "Aww that's sweet." "I think Cherry should be ok when we go, so I won't take her off. But if something does happen here's a bucket of lava. Take her and put her in there. She should be ok, but just in case I want you to have this so you can grab her and have you both get out." Tommy smiled.

Ranboo smiled back. "So we're ready to go?" "Yeah. Here let's leave though the main portal." "K, but aren't we a little far?" "Nah. It'll be quicker to go through the Nether." "Ok." Tommy grabbed Ranboo and started to run out. He shouted to the piglins on the sides that he was taking a trip so he would be gone for a little while. The piglins nodded back. Tommy kept going. Ranboo saw the soul sand and tried to slow Tommy down. But Tommy was barreling straight towards it. Ranboo was stunned. The moment Tommy had touched the soul sand they had shot forward, towards  the main portal. Ranboo was shocked, how did Tommy know where the portals were?

"I know where they are because I'm connected to the Nether. I can feel everything in the Nether, from piglins, portals, to the other players!" Ranboo realized he must have said that out loud, but he was more confused on why Tommy could feel those things and Ranboo couldn't. Ranboo realized he must have said that one too because Tommy started talking, "It's because you're a keeper and I'm a King, although you're pretty close to being a King anyway. The difference between a King and a keeper is how connected you are with your dimension. The reason is because the only keepers that can become Kings are the dimension keepers. And they have to be accepted by that dimension before they can become one. Meaning the Kings are like a human embodiment of that dimension and as so are connected so they can feel everything in that dimension. From what leaves and joins to even what is built! It's pretty cool and you get a crown to go with the title. I think that if you go to the End one more time you can become a King too!"

"Really?" "Yeah! Oh and one more thing, you know about how you can hear souls?" "mhm." "Well as a keeper you have to listen a bit but they're there, however as a King you don't even have to try! Of course you can tune them out, but you can hear the souls on command. And it's an even bigger radius!" "Wha-" "Yeah I know it sounds a bit sketchy, but here we are!"

And true to Tommy's word, the main nether portal was right in front of them. Ranboo shook off his shock and dragged Tommy into the portal, "Let's go then!" Tommy and Ranboo laughed as they went through the portal.

On the other side of the portal Quackity was right next to it when he started to hear laughing, it sounded like Ranboo and someone else. But he couldn't put a finger on who it could be. Suddenly the portal whooshed and Ranboo was stepping out with an unfamiliar man. They were both laughing. Quackity stood there frozen.

Ranboo stopped laughing and noticed Quackity stood there. He said to Tommy, "Oops, looks like you might be seeing everyone sooner than I thought." Tommy laughed again, "Looks like it." Ranboo turned and asked Quackity, "Hey can you get everyone here? I want to introduce them."

Quackity nodded and ran off. Tommy started to laugh again, "Oh his face! It was priceless!" "It really was." Ranboo spoke through giggles. They were both still laughing when Quackity came back with literally everyone in L'manburg.

Tommy stopped and looked around, "Well looks like Quackity brought everyone." "It looks like it." "H-how do you know my name?" Quackity stuttered. Tommy laughed, "I guess I really must've changed, huh?" "You really did, Tommy."

Everyone froze. Tubbo stepped up, "Tommy? Is it really you?" "Yeah! You guys can't hug me though. I might burn you." Tommy sighed. "What?" Fundy asked. "Yeah, I mean look at me! Oh, Ranboo do they know about keepers?" Tommy turned around. "Wait. You're a keeper?" Dream stepped up from the back. "I was, but not anymore! I'm a King!" "B-but that means-" Ranboo cut in, "That's right. You're looking at the King of the Nether and the keeper of the End."

"Hello overworld keeper." Tommy spoke. Everyone else was looking at them confused, but Techno stepped up from the back. "I should have known. With how you always looked at Nether portals and how much time you spent in the Nether as a kid." Tommy sighed, "You're fine Techno, I love it in the Nether. However, I see you understand what it means to be the Nether King."

"I do. But how did it get so bad?" "I was a keeper at age 4, I guess it's always been pretty bad." Tommy smiled. "That long! H-how- I- you- your soul. How?" "I guess it just got worse with the wars. But the Nether is really fun! I love speeding across the soul sand and swimming in lava!"

"What!?" Was the collective response from the group. Tommy fell back on a laughing Ranboo as he burst into laughter too. "D-do you guys really not know what a keeper is?" "No! What is it!" Fundy yelled.

Tommy laughed harder at that, having fallen down on the floor and clinging to a hunched over Ranboo. They both were laughing so hard that they almost started to choke.

After they calmed down enough to speak Tommy started, "A keeper is someone that reigns over a specific item, element, race, animal, or dimension. They are immune to any negative effects from what they keep and are actively able to communicate with it." "What..?" Fundy asked weakly. "Yeah. Oh and they are able to partially embody some of the elements of whatever they keep too. But a King is able to embody all of that dimension." "Why did you say dimension there?" Tubbo asked. "That's because only keepers of dimensions are able to become Kings, but that only happens when the dimension fully accepts you."

Ranboo nodded along with Tommy as he spoke. Then Ranboo jumped in, "And they have to share the same pain as the dimension or creatures of that dimension to be fully accepted. It's shown in the way your soul cries." It was Tommy's turn to nod along with Ranboo.

Dream looked on practically horrified as Niki asked, "Your soul?"

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