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Fundy looked at the crater in the ground and briefly wiped his eyes with his sleeve, not wanting anyone to notice how badly he was taking the whole situation. After all, others probably felt worse. Some people were hurt by the explosion, some almost died, he surely wasn't in as bad of a situation. He quickly shook his head before carefully starting to climb down into the hole. He was pretty sure he saw Quackity and Tubbo in there, and he'd rather talk to them about making repairs instead of suffering in silence. They had a lot of work to do...
At first, things were going great, Quackity seemed to have some sort of plan formed in his head, and listening to him plotting while cleaning up the remains of L'manburg was reassuring, in a way. It basically meant that they weren't defenseless and had an idea of where to go next. Even if some of the suggestions the man was making didn't seem the best, it was still something they could base their goals on. Trouble started only when Tubbo disagreed with them about what they should be doing about Technoblade and Quackity decided to use an argument which seemed somewhat logical, but still stung.
"Tubbo, and I know this is a sensitive topic, but I need you to realize this," he started, getting the new president's attention. "Fundy is an orphan," he stated.
Fundy felt his body tense up and he stopped working on removing the broken pieces of stone off the ground for a moment, taking a deep breath. That was true, he realized that, but still, it hurt to hear. It hurt to remember what happened the day earlier, and he didn't even accept it fully until this moment. He didn't want to say anything, hoping that they'd quickly move on, but his friend repeated his stance.
"Fundy is now an orphan, his dad literally died and he-" the man kept talking only for Fundy to cut him off.
"Okay, okay, listen-" he tried to argue back. Of course, there was no denying the truth, but he hoped he could at least get them to change the topic.
"Your dad died in the L'manburg explosion and it's-" Quackity still tried to make his point, but Fundy really wasn't in the mood to hear that.
"It's been less than 24 hours!" he snapped and finally, everyone went quiet. Trying to keep calm, he sighed before walking over to his friends. "Look, I came here to fix this place up, not to... to just break the last bit of courage I have, okay? I- I miss him, alright? I miss him. As much as he was crazy, just blowing this place up, he was also my dad. And- and we didn't get along all of the time, but still, I... I do miss him," he explained, doing his best to stop his voice from quivering. He was still conflicted about what he should think of his father after what happened, but he surely didn't need to hear bad things about him.
"Okay, Fundy, listen to me. I understand, your dad did some things and it must be hard, but listen to me. Let me make my point. Techno, he... he likes to call himself the 'second worst thing to happen to those orphans', you know? So that means that after the first thing happened, after your dad died, that means Techno is coming," Quackity concluded. Seeing where he was going with this argument didn't make it sting any less.
"I- I know," Fundy muttered, looking down and clenching his fists. He really didn't want to cry in front of them.
"I'm serious! You have nothing, and you're targeted by a literal God! And I don't think your dad could protect you from beyond the grave!" the man added. He was saying this with good intentions, he wanted to make sure his friend was aware of the danger he was in, but Fundy would appreciate just a brief warning much more.
"I fucking know that! I know!" he snapped, feeling his hands and feet start to tremble. "I know and- and I'm not happy about it!"
"Okay, but are you sure you do? It's for your own safety, the sooner you realize that your dad is... y'know, six feet under. That he kicked the bucket. That he's biting the dust and smelling flowers from below. That he's at the room's temperature-" the man kept naming and Fundy couldn't find it in himself to argue again, tears starting to blurry his vision.
"Quackity, that's too much, stop that!" Tubbo called out to them from behind a huge pile of stone he was trying to move. Before the man could continue, Fundy snapped at him again.
"I do realize that! Why are you telling me this?! To make me cry?! Is that what you want?! To see me just sit here and sob?! Is that what you're going for?! Because good news, you're really getting there!" he yelled, starting to shiver. After hearing that, everyone in the crater went silent.
"I'm sorry, I'm just trying to..." the man tried to explain himself, but couldn't find any justifications for what he just said. He realized how much he stepped out of line and looked at the shivering orphan just to freeze for a moment. Seeing who was behind Fundy mean that now he really needed a good explanation for himself. "I-I'm just pointing out that Techno could end up hurting you and I want to make sure you-" he stuttered.
"I wouldn't let that happen," came a stern voice from behind Fundy's back.
The man flinched and looked behind himself to find Dream standing behind him, looking at Quackaty with a displeased look. It was the first time he got to see him since L'manburg blew up and the first time he heard him speak instead of shouting orders or taunting his side since the war began. Tubbo's head popped up from behind the stones when he heard a new voice, and now the four were just all silent for a moment. Eventually, Dream lowered his gaze and looked at Fundy instead, his expression softening.
"...Can we speak, Fundy? Alone?" he asked, his voice significantly different than the one he spoke with while talking to Quackity.
"I... guess?" Fundy glanced towards his new president. "Can I go with him?" he asked.
"Yeah, sure," Tubbo answered with a nod. After getting permission, Fundy slowly approached Dream, wiping his eyes just like he did before entering the crater.
"Thanks. W-where do we go?" he asked, looking at Dream and trying to figure out what could he want.
"The gray house?" his fiance suggested, holding out his hand to him. It's been a long time since they last held hands...
"Sounds great," Fundy nodded, carefully taking it and letting Dream lead him. He was more than happy to be able to leave the orphan discussion behind.
Dream looked sad and guilty while leading him to the nearby building, but Fundy barely noticed. He was still focusing on holding back his tears and he let Dream help him out of the crater, walk into the gray house and take him into one of the corners before stopping and turning to look him in the eyes. For a moment they looked at each other in silence, both expecting to hear something from the other one first.
"How... are you doing?" Dream asked hesitantly, attempting to make the situation less awkward.
"How does it look like?" Fundy sighed, looking down and once again wiping his eyes. "My dad is gone, my home is gone, you were gone since it happened-"
"I'm sorry," Dream said before Fundy could add more. Even though he said it very quickly, it seemed sincere and honest. "I really am, Fundy. I'm sorry for everything," he added, gently squeezing Fundy's hand. "I never meant for things to go... like this."
"I know you didn't," Fundy sighed. He wasn't mad at Dream, he was just... he didn't know how to call that. Scared? Confused? Lonely?
"I promise, this will never happen again," Dream assured him. Hearing that, made him look up at his fiance's face. "Never. No matter what stupid war comes next, if any, I will be on your side. No matter what. I... I'd rather die than fight against you again. Even if it means losing everything else, I won't leave your side, I swear. Even if it'll be just the two of us against the world, I'll be here."
"...Really?" Fundy asked hesitantly. Hearing that was definitely reassuring, it meant that he wasn't entirely alone, but he wasn't sure who he could trust anymore.
"I swear on my life. And I'm sorry I wasn't here as soon as the explosion happened, I know I should've been... but I can't fix that now. All I can do is be there for you now. It's alright if you don't want me here, though, I know I messed up, but..." Dream didn't get to finish, because Fundy figured he heard enough. And if this was a lie, he figured he wouldn't regret falling for it anyway.
"...I love you," he said, smiling slightly as tears threatened his eyes again. After a moment of silence, Dream smiled back and opened his arms. Without hesitation, Fundy stepped closer and wrapped his arms around him only to feel Dream returning the gesture. It was the first hug he got in forever and he couldn't remember the last time he felt so secure.
"I love you too," his fiance answered, gently rubbing his back. "And I promise, I'll do all I can to make sure you're alright," he assured. Fundy's grip tightened slightly and a small sob escaped him.
"S-sorry," he muttered, but didn't want to pull away just yet.
"It's okay, Fundy. It's okay," Dream hushed him, gently rocking him to the sides. "You went through a lot... it's okay to cry," he promised.
After hearing that, Fundy just couldn't hold his tears back anymore and almost collapsed into Dream's arms. And his fiance just held him close, making him feel safer than he felt in forever and letting him cry for as long as he needed. Which, quite frankly, was ideal for the red-haired man. Just getting a moment to let all of his feeling out and not having to be alone through that. All he could ever ask for.
"T-thank you, Dream. F-for being here," he sobbed quietly into his fiance's shoulder.
"Of course," he smiled slightly, running a hand through Fundy's hair. "Do you need me to do anything for you?" he asked. Fundy thought about it for a moment before hesitantly pulling away from the hug.
"D-do you think you could help us fix up the crater?" he asked hesitantly. Dream was quick to nod.
"Yes, of course. Do you want to go now, or wait here for a moment longer?" he asked after agreeing.
"...I think I'd rather stay for a bit more," Fundy decided after thinking about it for a moment. With another nod, Dream reached out and gently took his hand again.
"That's alright, we'll go when you're ready."
And so they stayed in the Gray House for some more time while Fundy tried to calm himself down. It took him some time, but eventually, he didn't need to keep wiping his eyes. When that happened, he gave Dream a small nod and the two of them slowly left the building and started walking down into the crater again. It was starting to get dark at this point, and they were surprised that Tubbo and Quackity weren't looking for them yet. It actually took the two a moment to find them, but they finally spotted them near the button room. When they were approaching, they heard a weirdly dear sound... a guitar playing? The tune seemed so familiar...
"Uhh... We're back?" Fundy called out and got Tubbo's and Quackity's attention.
"You won't believe what we saw!" Quackity yelled back, even though the two were getting very close.
"What he saw. I wasn't here..." Tubbo admitted when they finally were all together.
"I swear you'll see it soon too!" the man assured. Dream looked around in confusion.
"Where is the music coming from?" he asked when he couldn't find its source.
"I have no idea," Tubbo shrugged, looking around as well.
"He could be playing that. I didn't see him holding a guitar, but who knows what he can do," Quackity muttered to himself.
"Who?" Fundy asked simply.
"Uhh... Okay, so this is going to sound like a terrible joke, especially with how I was just calling you an orphan moments ago, but, uhh..." Quackity hesitated. Hearing this beginning of the statement made Fundy tense up, but Dream's hand gently holding his was at least a bit reassuring.
"Big Q thinks he saw your dad here," Tubbo explained with a sigh. "I don't see him anywhere, though..."
"What?!" Fundy asked, even tenser. That couldn't be... it wasn't possible, Wilbur was long gone. He hated whatever joke they were playing so much...
"I did, I swear!" Quackity yelped, slightly stepping away from Dream just in case. Just then, the music was cut short and silence filled the air.
"He's not lying," came a voice from behind. Immediately, everyone spun around and watched in complete shock.
...There he was. The man who destroyed L'manburg. He didn't look like back when it happened, though. His skin was gray like ash, his hair black, and almost every single thing about him was desaturated and drained of color. The only thing still colored - his pastel-orange sweater. It's been so long since he last wore it. It was possible to see right through him, but there was no doubt he was there. He had a slight smile on his face and he looked to finally be at peace after doing what he promised himself to do. Still, seeing him was more than disturbing.
"Oh my..." Tubbo gasped, stepping back. Fundy stayed frozen, too shocked to properly react, and Dream stepped in front of him just in case.
"How are you doing, boys?" Wilbur asked casually. For a moment, no one dared to answer him.
"Well, we're currently cleaning up your mess. With your Orphaned Child," Quackity pointed out before taking one more step away from Dream, again just in case.
"Oh, yeah. Sorry about that," the ghost sighed, but the smile didn't leave his face.
"S-sorry about that?!" Fundy repeated hesitantly. Wilbur nodded quickly.
"Yeah. Oops. My bad. Silly me," he answered. Taken aback, Fundy didn't say much more and instead moved slightly to hide behind Dream more. "Oh, Dream! I'm surprised to see you there! Did you like the explosion?"
"No," Dream answered strictly and stared at the ghost, unsure what emotions he felt while looking at him.
"I thought this is what you wanted? Well, doesn't matter now, I suppose... I can't just take that back, can I?" Wilbur hummed, walking around and admiring his work. "How's your presidency going, Tubbo?" he asked once he got closer to the young ruler.
"I-it's alright, I suppose?" the boy answered hesitantly.
"Good! Good for you! I'm sure once you fix this hole up you'll manage to make a country here! And if you're lucky, it'll last longer than a day!" Wilbur said cheerfully, even though the second part sounded rather threatening.
"...Thanks?" the young president answered awkwardly.
"You're welcome. And Fundy, how are you doing?" the ghost asked, turning to face his son again. Fundy just flinched and stayed quiet. While he missed Wilbur in a way, this didn't feel like him, and he really didn't want to speak to him.
"Stop that," Dream said, stepping between the two again before looking at Tubbo. "Can we just get back to cleaning this mess up? I'm here to help."
"Aw, isn't it sweet of you, Dream? You never were on L'manburg's side and yet you're here to-"
"Please?" the man said, cutting off Wilbur's sentence.
"Y-yeah, sure," Tubbo agreed, clearly not too comfortable with this new version of Wilbur either.
"Oh. Alright, do as you please, it's no longer my country after all. I'll just sit here and play. Not having to work is actually one of the many benefits of being dead! Not that you'd all care," Wilbur pouted and suddenly, there was a guitar in his hands. Without a moment of hesitation, he started to play the same tune as before.
"Come on," Dream half-whispered, pulling Fundy away from where there once was a podium and getting him away further from the ghost.
"...What the hell is happening? It- It doesn't feel like him. And he's just so..." Fundy muttered, his hands starting to tremble until Dream stopped and gently pulled him closer. Without hesitation, Fundy hid in his arms again. "I-is he really there? D-did you see him too?"
"I... I did. But you don't have to talk to him if you don't want to," Dream assured him. Fundy nodded against his shoulder. "We'll figure it out together, okay?"
"Okay," Fundy agreed, pulling away again. "Let's just... move those stones from here. That's what we've been doing so far," he explained, pointing to a pile of broken stone.
"Sounds great," Dream nodded.
They worked for quite some time, with music in the background. For some reason, everyone tried to just not acknowledge Wilbur's ghost, probably because the concept of speaking to him again was too hard to wrap their minds about. There was something off about him, too, he looked so cheerful and calm despite being dead, his expressions were overexaggerated, and the way he spoke was just off. He became so careless once L'manburg was not his responsibility or interest anymore... He tried to get their attention a couple of times, but to no avail, all he managed to do was make them shiver and move somewhere else. There was more than enough work to do around the crater anyway, it didn't matter where they tried.
"Oh, look at this fool!" Wilbur's voice rang out once again. A couple of people glanced to see him laughing at a spider approaching him. "I'm dead, you clown! There's nothing you can do!" he grinned and carelessly approached the monster. And then, it attacked him and it clearly hurt. His expression quickly changed from his disturbing cheerfulness to genuine fear. "Ah! No! Help! Stop that! I don't want to go again, I don't want to-" he begged, trying to back away.
Despite the fact that he did nothing but scared, disturbed, and annoyed the people working around the crater, Dream pulled out his crossbow and aimed it at the spider. He wanted to ask Fundy if he should actually attack the beast, but he felt like there was no time for that. Figuring that in the worst-case's scenario, there will be plenty of occasions to feed Wilbur to the spiders, he shot an arrow, and just like that, the monster was gone. Wilbur seemed to relax, but didn't try to show off again. Apparently, learning that he could die again was a bit heavy on his mind. Dream put his weapon away and looked back at his fiance. Fundy pretty obviously saw what happened, but he had a grateful look in his eyes. Even if this ghost felt like a different person, he couldn't help but hope that maybe somehow, he'd become his old self again.
"...T-thank you for doing that," he said quietly. Relieved that he did the right thing, Dream nodded.
"Hey, guys!" Tubbo called out from the other side of the crater. "Come here, it's getting really late so I and Big Q are making a campfire!" he informed. The two looked at each other and without exchanging any words just nodded.
"We're on our way!" Dream called out to them before taking Fundy's hand and starting to walk with him.
Soon enough, they reached the campfire. It was just a small fire with a couple of logs to sit on around it. With all the bare stone around them, they didn't even have to bother with putting rocks around it to stop it from spreading. Fundy noticed a log longer than the others and carefully pulled Dream towards it. Just as he assumed, they both could sit next to each other on it with enough space left to feel comfortable. Tubbo was cooking some food over the fire, and Quackity was looking around while catching his breath.
"Guys, do you think we should invite... you-know-who here?" he asked once he finally felt rested well enough. Everyone slowly looked at Fundy, feeling like he should be the one to decide.
"...Yeah, I guess? I- I don't mind," he answered after a moment of hesitation. He wondered if since his father realized he wasn't immortal or something, he'd act a bit more normal.
"I don't think it's a bad idea either. We even have Dream here, so it's not like he shouldn't be allowed to join us," Tubbo nodded.
"Hey, don't compare them," Fundy crossed his arms, bur Dream shook his head.
"It's alright, I get it. I'll go and tell him that he can come," he offered. After receiving a couple of nods, he got up and walked towards the button room.
It took him a moment to find Wilbur, since he was no longer carelessly playing and tried hiding from the monsters instead. The near-(2nd)death experience clearly shook him up quite a bit and made him change his approach. But eventually, he spotted the ghost behind some rocks and carefully approached him. Their eyes met and for a moment, they watched each other in silence.
"Do you want to join us by the campfire?" Dream asked, trying to sound as casual as possible. He still wasn't sure if it was a good idea, but he trusted Fundy's judgment.
"...Can I?" the ghost questioned hesitantly.
"The others agreed. You should be safer there," Dream answered with a short nod. Wilbur glanced around before leaving his hiding.
"I think I will, then," he decided. Before they went back, though, Dream blocked his way.
"Just don't try anything stupid. You destroyed enough already, didn't you?" he said. He just wanted to make sure that this meeting wouldn't be too hard on his fiance. Wilbur nodded and chuckled sadly.
"Understood."
When they got back to the campfire, the food Tubbo was making was partially ready and handed out. Dream quickly got back to the log he shared with Fundy, where he received a bit of food the fox figured he could save for him, while Wilbur hesitantly sat down on an unused log and watched the other four in silence. He wasn't sure what to do now that he was here.
"So... how is the afterlife, Wilbur?" Quackity asked eventually, breaking the silence.
"It's okay, I suppose. Has fewer benefits than I thought and could be less empty, but alright," the ghost shrugged.
"Mhm. And how did you get back here?" the man asked another question. For this one, Wilbur had no answer, just a shrug. Honestly, he was wondering about that as well. "Alright," he nodded when he didn't receive any answers.
"Hey, Tubbo, did you pick an anthem for your country yet?" the ghost asked. The young president looked up at him before shaking his head.
"No, not yet. I was wondering if we could rewrite your version of it, actually," he answered.
"Of course you can. I can teach you how to play the notes and all," Wilbur offered, and just like that he had a guitar in his hands again.
"Oh, that'd be nice!" Tubbo smiled.
"...I- I was wondering, do you think we could sing the old one once?" Fundy asked hesitantly.
"That sounds great!" Quackity agreed quickly.
"Am I allowed to sing it? I'm not exactly..." Dream tried to ask, but wasn't sure how to form the question without making it sound bad.
"Of course you can!" Tubbo agreed without hesitation.
"Alright, here we go..." Wilbur sighed before starting to play the exact same tune he played before. It was surprising how only then everyone realized why it was so familiar.
I heard there was a special place,
where men could go and emancipate...
...
My L'manburg, my L'manburg,
my L'manburg, my L'manburg...
In the end, they didn't sing it once, but repeated it. There was this strange feeling they experienced while singing this song, which now felt like it was centuries old. It wasn't too accurate either, Eret was no longer treated as a monster, there were new people on their side, L'manburg was, in fact, blown up, and probably some more inaccuracies, but they didn't care. They just sang it, as a way of remembering where they came from and what they were heading towards.
Eventually, Dream felt a weight on his shoulder and noticed Fundy leaning against it, half asleep. By the time they were done singing, his fiance was asleep already. With a sigh, Dream shifted and carefully helped him to rest his head more comfortably, pulling him into a hug to keep him warm, too. Fundy moved slightly and leaned into his fiance's touch before his mind once again drifted off. It was a long day full of strange happenings, and Dream was more than happy about this small moment of comfort they could share. Even if by the dawn new dangers would emerge, he was happy to spend the night by the fire with Fundy in his arms.