Y/N - your name
E/C - eye color
H/C - hair color
H/L - hair length
S/C - skin color
F/C - favorite color

(Y/n)'s POV)

I quickly dodge the incoming attack from the giant water mute who held my friends captive as he was slowly draining their life force.

(**Cue Music**)

I didn't know what this thing was or how it came to be, but I did know one thing...

I had to stop it

(15 minutes earlier..)

"3,260, 3,261, 3,262. Ok, that's how many steps we are from our starting point. Three-thousand two-hundred sixty-two. Like, 3,262. A parsec." Kipo informed us as she continued on, "Let's do this. Let's look for clues from my dad." Ever since yesterday I felt like Kipo and Benson had been hiding something else from us that they didn't tell us from their trip to Ratland. "Duh, we go toward Proxima Centauri!" Kipo exclaimed as she went ahead of us. Now was my chance to talk to her.

"Hey, Kipo! You got a minute?" I asked her making my way next to her as we both stopped a little ahead of the rest of the gang. "Sure, what's up?" She said pulling up her arm jacket sleeve. I gently put my arm around her as I quietly whispered to her, "You know...if you ever want to talk to me about anything, anything at all, you let me know ok? I'm here for you if you ever want to get anything off your chest." Benson had overheard us and looked to Kipo who looked back at him and nodded at each other. I smiled warmly at her as she took a deep breath and was about to speak out something until Dave came out of his cocoon.

Baby Dave went and grabbed on to the fence, eyeing the water that was on the other side. Benson took hold of the cranky Dave as he sighed, "I can't take my eyes off you for a second." Looking at the crying Dave and to the water he spoke "Want some water?" "I'm thirsty, too." Kipo added, "Rule number 52 of the surface: standing water is a hard no." Wolf said as we all faced staring at the oddly dirty water. Kipo then went to these two water fountains, "If only that drinking fountain was working." She then pushed a button and immediately water came out. "Whoa! That's what that's for?" Benson questioned her seeing as how this was his first time using one. Wolf then took a lick from it, "It's safe." "Always thought those were tiny satellite dishes." He said thoughtfully as Kipo began drinking some more.

Kipo turned to me, "C'mon, (Y/n)! Come have a drink with us." I shook my head at her, "No, I'm fine. You guys drink up." She gave me a quick nod as she turned back to get more. Teenage Dave popped out and decided to drink from the smaller fountain, having trouble along  with it. Even Mandu drank some from the ground. Suddenly I hear a deep rumble beneath my feet and saw a big shadow cast over us. We all turned to see a giant water mute of sorts. The creature folded its hands together as he smiled down on us.

"Well this day just turned fantastic." He seemed to speak, but then I notice all my friends were acting aloof and looking tired almost. Hearing their groans that sounded uneasy to me I quickly snapped back to the water mute and pointed at him. "Who are you?! And what did you do to my friends?!" "I am a co-occupier of this planet, just like you, my friends. I'm a community of tardigrades." He then showed us on his hand a little version of himself, "Water-dwelling, microscopic water bears." He then went on land and presented himself with a hat, "But you can call me Tad Mulholland."

He went around us being in different forms of himself, "Some have referred to me as a guru, although, I don't like to think of myself that way." He stood by each of us, "I'm trained in different schools of visualization, meditation, warm stone massage." He then made a visual of a cake made of water in front of Dave. "I also make a really neat pineapple upside-down cake." He stood in front of us again, "Cause, heck, even Mulholland likes to mix it up a little. Mostly though, I'm a dream maker." Everyone started yawning as they were getting more sleepy.

I dashed forwards to Wolf's deathstalker and snatched it, pointing it at the mute Mulholland. "What do you mean, Dream Maker?" I gasped as he lifted everyone off the ground with his water. "Everyone thinks they've got a dream. But most don't know how big they're allowed to dream." I remain cautious as he explains more on what he does. "I reveal your best, biggest, most perfect dream to you. And then, I make that dream come true. Neat, huh?" He then moved himself and the others towards the water as I ran after him. "Wouldn't you like that?" "No! I wouldn't! And for your information, I'm the only one here who didn't drink you. So I'm gonna be the one to stop you." I yelled confidently at him as he hummed to himself, inspecting me carefully.

"Oh...I see, you're not like the others here, are you? But don't you see? I see this more of a service we provide. And your little friends just drank us. Isn't that a surprise?" He said to me with that weird smile of him. I watched as all my friends then lay on the water, all drifting off into their sleep. "To complete this journey of ours, your friends become a part of me. They live in a fantasy forever, and I live off their brain energy."

What..NO!

He's gonna feed off them!

I have to stop this!

"You can't do that! I'm not gonna let you just feed off of MY friends, you Water Bear! And I'm gonna stop you..." I spin the deathstalker and got in a fighting stance as I took a deep breath. "One way or another..!" Mulholland got in his stance as I started charging at him. He shot his water beams at me as I quickly dodged left to right and right to left. I sliced through some of them as I circle my way around him, dodging his attacks with flips and duck slides. I looked at Wolf who was starting to stir in her sleep.

I have to get her out first

Mulholland finally noticed Wolf's fidgeting, "Uh-oh, that's not alright." With him being distracted I used the chance to cut his ties with Wolf's as I shouted at her to wake up. I carried her away as she suddenly woke up from her dream. "Wolf! Thank god! Here, we need to save the others! I'll distract him while you help everyone else!" I watched as she coughed up the last of his water bear and took the stick from me as she nodded her head. Wolf then tries to head for Kipo first and I called out Mulholland on the other side, but he made a tidal wave towards Wolf that pushed her back.

Seeing the others behind him while he talked to Wolf was the perfect distraction for me to free them all. I ran up to Benson and Dave and yelled at them to wake up, that this was wasn't real. I then turn to see Mulholland had made a buffer version of Wolf and watched the two go at it as she quickly slid under the legs and tried to get to Kipo. The due suddenly gasped as they woke up at the same time. "Benson, you ok?!" Dave asked him, "I was five minutes ago. Can we go back?" "We were so popular!" Dave complained out loud. I slap the two of them across the face to make them face reality.

"You were going to DIE! Wake up Mandu while me and Wolf take care of this mute." I ran back to Wolf who shouted "Kipo!" I look to see Mulholland had held her high in the air. "I don't think so my little pups. Her fantasy is my best work yet." I then see him transform into..

Wait....it's Song!

Oh...poor Kipo..

I'm sure she misses her mother dearly..

"I had her mom come back to life." He then changed back, "I made her feel strong in the face of adversity." I looked at my hands.

I knew I should've told her sooner

When this is all over I WILL tell her..!

Mulholland then prepared himself as he turned into a giant ram head. Wolf and I took our stance, "You may have tried to control our fantasies, Water Bear..." We both dived through him as we escaped and landed on Kipo. I raised my arm, "But you will not control their realities!" Using my enhanced strength I sliced the water that surrounded Kipo as we dropped to the ground. Wolf kept calling out to her trying to wake her up. "I know how to find your dad." I looked up at her questionably.

How does she know..?

Kipo then woke up screaming as we helped her make it out of the water. All soaked and worn out, but not before Mulholland appeared behind us again as we all huddled together. "Wait a second. So, you're all happier to be here, instead of the perfect world I created for you?" We all nodded our heads at him. "I was supposed to take you on a journey, and you guys took me on one instead..."

He dropped his arms down, "I'm starting to think this isn't the best way to get my nutrients. I'm gonna take time to do some thinking at the mountains." He slowly got back in the water as he spins, "And also at the sea. And maybe outer spaaaace..." And just like that he was gone.

(Some time later..)

We all had made camp as it got dark, everyone tried to dry up. But let me tell ya, it was a bit awkward. "Well, that's gotta be the weirdest mute I've ever come across." He chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. Alas, no one smiled or laughed at that. It seems some of their dreams really got to them. Just then Wolf suddenly spoke up "Kipo?" They both turned to look at one another, "I need to tell you something." "Is it about finding my dad? I thought I heard you say something like that in my dream." Ahh, so it comes back to this. I wonder what did she mean by that.

Wolf put her hand behind her back, "When we split up to find birthday presents..." she took out an envelope as she looked at it sadly. "Dave and I found this." She then handed it to her. We watched Kipo open it and began reading some of it to us. "There's a backup burrow? I had no idea there was a failsafe. That must be where my people are headed." She looked at us hopefully.

But, wait...why didn't Wolf give this to her..if she's had it...?

"Only this says we were going in the wrong direction. And...you knew?" She faced Wolf, clearly upset she hid it from her. "Kipo, I'm so sorry." "My dad left me a note. And you hid it from me.." Kipo stood up now. I was afraid to butt in, as was Benson and everyone else. "I'm sorry-" "How could you?" She yelled, and I could see Wolf was starting to cry as she suddenly bursted out in tears. "I was afraid of losing you! I was afraid because when you go back underground, that will be it! All this, us, we'll be over!"

Oh no....so that's why she hid it...

She turned her back on Kipo as she continued, "We'll all go our...our separate ways." Kipo walked up to her and gave her the hug she needed letting her know that she and the rest of us weren't going anywhere. Mandu got in on the love as she rubbed Wolf's leg. Of course, the moment was ruined when Dave suddenly remembered about the envelope, telling us everything that literally had just happened. I looked at the sky for a moment before getting everyone's attention. They all sat back down as they stared in my direction.

"I...also have something to say." I fiddled with my hands as I grew nervous about what I was about to say. I inhaled very deeply as I exhaled, closing my eyes I start speaking. "I've noticed how I never really told y'all about my past, only bits and pieces of it. Well, here's how it all started..."

I told them nearly everything, how my parents died while I was left alone on the surface, how I met Liam as we went to Ratland, his death at the hands of his evil sister which I didn't say her name(I didn't feel to sure if I should've revealed her), how she took me in to her burrow, how I met Kipo's parents, and the monkey friend I made along the way. I couldn't say the rest, it was too painful for me still...

"That's why I was never able to go back to Ratland...it would only bring painful memories of..him. Me and him were actually the reason they made Ratland a place for humans as well, we were the first.." I smiled at myself as I hear Kipo and Benson talk over one another to me. "Wow! That's incredible, (Y/n)!" "That's so cool that you guys were the first!" Wolf who was silent coughed so that everyone else would quiet down. She turned me, her eyes feeling so remorse for me as she said quietly "I'm sorry you had to go through all that, (Y/n). I can't imagine having to live through that for the rest of your life.."

We both smiled sadly at each other until I thought of something. "Ya know what we need? A group hug!" I stand up as the rest of them eventually did too, Kipo had that bright smile on her face again. "Yeah! C'mon everyone! Family hug!" Everyone of us squeezed tightly for a couple of seconds as we let go afterwards. Tired from the day we had we all started to lay down and head to sleep. Mandu, Dave and Benson were on the left side, me and Kipo were on the right while Wolf was in the middle.

Feeling a gentle poke on my back I turn on my right side to face Kipo who gave me an apologetic look as she whispered quietly to me "Um..(Y/n)? Do you mind if I ask you just one thing from your story?" "Of course, Kipo. Ask away." I whispered back to her as I gave her a warm smile. "Can you tell me more about...my mom? What was she like?" I turned on my back as I looked at the stars shining brightly in the night sky. "She was an amazing person, Kipo. She was always so nice and thoughtful towards me. I even considered her like a mother as well. From the moment she said she was pregnant I knew she would make a wonderful mother to a lovingly, sweet daughter like you, Kipo." I turn my head to see her as she smiled at me with teary eyes.

I cradled her as she hugged me while we laid on the ground, silent as we continued to think about our conversation. "We'll find your dad..I know we will."

And with that, we slowly drifted off to sleep, awaiting for the next day to come. Awaiting for our journey to continue on...

(WARNING ⚠️ WARNING! Next chapter will be the last you get to be with the gang!!!( for now...) After that, the Reader WILL get kidnapped, so get ready to say your goodbyes!!! Our time is almost upon us dear Readers! The moment you all been waiting for is around the corner! Till next time~💜)