It Was Never the End DreamNotFound

Before we get to today's chapter, huge thank you to my amazing friend Leo Leo! They did the gorgeous cover art that I cannot stop staring at. Seriously. Omg, Leo Leo, I FUCKING LOVE YOU SO MUCH! THANK YOU! Check out my extremely talented friend's twitter for more of their amazing art! 

https://twitter.com/MikairiA 

Dream POV

A shriek tore through the still night air, startling both George and Dream. 

Dream was on his feet in an instant, tugging on his boots at lightning speed. George handed him his mask, which he slipped over his face right away. The familiar sensation of concealing his face helped calm Dream's nerves. 

Dream was about to ask George to stay put when the brunette banged open the door of their cabin and raced out. Dream hurried after him, overtaking George with his longer strides. Members of the Sleepy Bois were rushing from their own quarters, everyone heading to the entrance. 

The sight that met them was horrific. Sapnap and Technoblade were carrying a body between them, a trail of blood marking their steps. Puffy was behind the two men, covering her mouth with a hand. Dream assumed she was the one who screamed. 

Niki was already kneeling beside the body, but it was obvious even before she shook her head that Ponk was dead. Torches lit the dark night just enough to reveal the deep gashes that tore open the man's stomach, his entrails hanging loosely. Thick trails of blood covered Ponk's body in scarlet webs.

George's pale skin tinted green, stumbling backwards. Dream moved in front of the brunette, blocking his view. He felt George grab his arm, squeezing hard.

"What happened?" Philza strode to the front of the crowd, his eyes flashing darkly as he took in bloody scene. 

Techno and Sapnap lowered Ponk's body carefully to the ground. Niki and Puffy gently adjusted his body, as though the man were still alive to feel uncomfortable. Niki removed her pink sweater, covering Ponk's open wounds respectfully. Techno straightened up, his jaw clenched. 

"Six monsters at once." Techno's clothes were splattered with blood of varying colors. Red, purple, even bluish-gray. "One of them came from the sky and got Ponk." 

"It was like a fucking pterodactyl-dragon mix. It picked him right up." Sapnap pressed a palm to his bleeding shoulder. Niki walked over to bandage the gash.

"How did you get his body back?" Philza looked pained. Dream got the feeling the man thought of all the members of the Sleepy Bois as his children. 

"Threw my sword at it." Technoblade explained. "It embedded in the monster's leg and is still there. The thing dropped Ponk and flew off." 

Philza closed his eyes. "Was Ponk already...?"

"No." Techno's voice somehow got even deeper. "He left us on the way back."

The camp grew silent, knowing Ponk's final moments must have been filled with agony. 

"It has been a long time since anyone got killed keeping guard." Philza's voice was grave. "We've been so careful with traps and killing on sight, not letting the monsters pile up." 

Techno nodded. His shoulders slouched. He barely seemed to notice as Niki approached to treat his wounds. She had already wrapped Sapnap's injuries and examined Puffy.

He blames himself, Dream realized. After all, Techno was the one who chose Ponk for guard duty that night, and he was there when it happened. This wasn't likely something the pink-haired man would forget anytime soon.