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“So Tubbo, what have you decided?” Dream says as he stands on the platform in L’manberg. His netherite armor shining in the moonlight due to the enchantments on the metal.
“I – I, I don’t know.” Tubbo nervously says as he shifts from foot to foot. His suit is feeling particularly tight right now. He’s not sure if he’s getting enough oxygen considering how lightheaded he feels.
Dream’s eyes are hidden behind the mask, but his mouth is visibly pressed into a line. He can tell that Dream is not pleased with his indecisiveness.
“Well your time is up, and you know that I’ll make good on my promise.” Dream’s hand is suddenly holding a stack of obsidian. Tubbo flinches a little, knowing that Dream does not seem to want to waste any more time. He tried to hide it though, a president shouldn’t show fear like that to Dream. Lord knows the green hunter would find a way to use that to his advantage.
Tommy, sputtering in outrage, shouts, “Tubbo! How is this even a choice? How could you even actually think about exiling me? We’re friends, Tubbo, best friends. Its always been us. Always.”
Tubbo’s gaze swings over to Tommy. His best friend. Tubbo can see the anger burning in his eyes. His gut starts churning even more thinking about how this could play out. He could cave to Dream and exile Tommy, but that option seems impossible. How could he do that to Tommy? They’ve done everything together. He loves Tommy. How could he side with Dream and hurt his blonde friend? His other option would be to refuse Dream’s demands. Refuse, let Tommy stay, and watch as Dream boxes L’manberg in and makes it nothing more than a prison for the citizens. Dream swore that if Tommy was not exiled he’d make sure anyone who tried to step outside the obsidian walls would be slain. Not only would that screw over him and Tommy, but Fundy and Quackity and Phil and everyone else that lived in these walls.
Thinking about them made his gaze swing over. Fundy was watching the display with fear visible in his eyes. His fox ears were tucked low to his head and he kept fidgeting. Tubbo thought it was strange to think that Fundy and Dream were to get married later today considering everything Dream had done to this country. He then looked over to Quackity. Big Q appeared calm, although the slight twitch to his yellow wings give his nerves away. Quackity was surely just as nervous about what Tubbo would decide as everyone else was. Quackity noticed Tubbo’s eyes on him and gave him a grimace that was probably supposed to be smile. It didn’t fill Tubbo with much warmth, his conflicting thoughts not allowing him any comfort.
After pausing and thinking about what to he sighed and said, “Tommy it’s about more than just us now. I’m the president of L’manberg, Tommy. I have a responsibility to this country! I know we’re best friends and I love you so much, but this is all your fault and I have to keep this country in mind. I have to keep all the people who live here in mind Tommy. This country, mind you, that we fought for and died for! Dream is going to make this place a prison Tommy. Its not just us. Not anymore. I wish it was just us.” He mumbled out the last part. His wish that could never be fulfilled now. His plead for those simpler times when they would sit on the bench and talk about who they’d prank next, not how they would survive the next war or how they’d get out of a diplomatic incident.
“Well then just, just give it up.”
Tubbo’s head snapped back to Tommy, meeting his sharp blue gaze.
“Give it up? What do you mean?”
“I mean give it up! Give up the power, say fuck it, make Quackity president, or Fundy I don’t care, just give it up. We can leave! We could just leave this place! We started this with Wilbur and he’s dead now, so who cares. We’ve only ever cared about the disks Tubbo. Lets just go. Dream doesn’t even have the last disk. Skeppy has it. We can just get it from Skeppy somehow. Dream can do whatever the fuck he wants, but if we leave then it won’t matter anymore. I can’t even believe that this is something you have to even think about Tubbo! How could this country mean more to you than I do? If the situation were reversed, if I was the president then I wouldn’t even be considering this!” Tommy was pleading with him at this point. Part of Tubbo agreed. If he just gave his power away, then him and Tommy could just be kids again. They could go and leave all this stress and trauma behind them. He felt his eyes start to burn but pulled that back. Now was not the time for tears.
But if Tubbo did that it would mean admitting that he didn’t care about this place. And he does. He loves this nation. He practically built it from nothing. If he gave it all up and left then everything that happened to him would have been for nothing. Techno blowing him up with those damned rockets would have meant nothing. The pain of dying, of feeling his skin burn off, would have no meaning. Everything they’d ever done for this place would have been for nothing and there’s no way that Tubbo could ever believe that.
Sighing again, Tubbo said, “Tommy it doesn’t matter what you think you’d do if you were the president. It doesn’t matter because you’re not the president. I am. I’m the president and I’m not just going to abandon this nation. I built this place up from the crater that Wilber and Techno left it as. You may not care about this nation Tommy, but I do. I can’t just leave everyone here at the mercy of Dream, Tommy.”
Dream, apparently fed up with this argument, decided to drive harder into the wedge that was beginning to become more apparent between Tommy and Tubbo by saying, “Hey Tubbo, do you remember what I said earlier? Do you remember what I said that Tommy didn’t contest earlier? When he was trying to threaten me a couple days ago. Do you remember what he said?”
Tubbo’s eyes were drawn to Dream as he spoke. He noticed that Dream was smirking, which filled him with unease. Tubbo knew that Dream being pleased was never going to mean good things for him.
“What does that mean Dream? What are you talking about? What didn’t I contest?” Tommy’s accusing voice spoke.
Tubbo though about when Tommy was threatening Dream with the pelt of his old horse. Tubbo knew that that had been a terrible idea, but with Tommy, Quackity, and Fundy shouting about making Dream their bitch no one could hear his protests.
He was trying to figure out what Dream meant though. He furrowed his brows, trying to remember what specifically Dream was talking about.
Then it clicked. When Dream was yelling at Tommy, he referenced that he didn’t care what happened to Spirit, he cared about the disks, same as Tommy. He said that Tommy only cared about the disks. That nothing mattered to him on the server, except for those disks. At the time Tubbo wasn’t bothered by the statement. He was more stunned that Dream was really and truly yelling at them. Thinking about that though, Tommy really did care about those disks a lot. Too much. He felt unsure when considering whether Tommy would pick him over the disks if that was offered to him. It made him feel sick to think that Tommy might consider picking the disks over him.
“I – I . . . yes, I do. Tommy, maybe if the roles were reversed you wouldn’t consider exiling me, but don’t say that you would pick me no matter what. Dream is talking about when he said that the only thing that matters to you on this server were those disks, and you know what, he’s right. Dream is right. I bet you would pick those damn disks over me.”
He decided that he should just get that the answer now. Thinking about it would eat him alive, but this could solve that. He could probably also solve this problem with Dream if Tommy picked him. Everything would be okay if Tommy meant what he said about them. If Tommy really did care about him more, if they really were best friends surely Tommy wouldn’t mind this deal.
He spun to fully face Dream, wanting to see his reaction to this proposition. “Dream, if Tommy gave you his disks would you leave L’manberg alone? Would you take down those walls and just leave us alone?”
Dream inhaled sharply, likely in shock. He probably wasn’t expecting that. He answered exactly the way Tubbo wanted him to, “Yes, absolutely. All I want are those disks.”
The hand that used to be holding the obsidian was then placed on his hip as Dream’s mask turned to face Tommy. His mouth stretched into a lazy smile. Tubbo turned back to face Tommy on the platform. His blond friend’s eyes were wide and mouth gaping.
“Well then Tommy, lets have you make a decision now. You say you would pick me, then do it. Pick me. Pick us.” Tubbo said with conviction. He knew that this could be it. This is how he could get out of this shitty deal with Dream. If Tommy just made the right choice, then this would be over.
Finally coming to his senses, Tommy’s voice cracked a little as he asked, “Do it? Do what? Tubbo, what are you asking?”
“Give Dream your disk. I’ll give Dream Mellohai, and then everything will be solved. Everything will be fine. He’ll leave, and we can stay, you can stay. Give him your disk, they’re just fucking disks man. Give them to him, and we can stay here. Prove to me that our friendship matters more than those disks. Please Tommy.”
“Tubbo. . . what? Give him my disk? Are you serious?”
“Yes Tommy. Show me we matter more than those stupid disks.”
“I – I. Tubbo. Those disks . . . everything I’ve done has been for them. To get them back. Everything we’ve done has been to get them back from that green bastard. I could never give them to him.”
Tommy began chuckling with no real humor in his voice, “That would be the worst idea. Tubbo this may be your worst idea yet.”
Tubbo felt his heart shatter a little bit with this. Tommy wouldn’t give up the disks. Of course. How could Tubbo be so stupid as to assume that Tommy would give the stupid things away. Tubbo’s nerves were no where to be seen. When Tommy said that, it was like something reached in and sucked up all the emotion from him. He just felt empty. Tubbo didn’t even notice as tears started dripping down his face. He turned shakily; his body did not seem to want to cooperate with him.
“Wait, where are you going? Tubbo, what are you doing?”
Tubbo walked toward the enderchest that was placed next to Dream. The green hoodied man must have placed it down at some point during the talks. He opened the black box and pulled out Mellohai. The thing that Tommy really cared about.
He walked back to where he was standing before, across from Dream with Tommy on his right. He slowly breathed out and mumbled, “Okay, okay. I see. I see it all now. What an idiot I’ve been. I’d say I can’t believe this, but I think I always knew this, just, just didn’t want to see it.”
“Here. Take it.” Tubbo’s voice was stronger as he realized what he had to do now. There wasn’t going to be a happy ending to this day. He knew that now. He’s not sure why he thought that there could have been in the first place.
“What? Tubbo. Are you giving Mellohai back to me? Why? I gave it to you to show that I trusted you.” The kid’s blonde eyebrows where pinched, confusion evident on his face. Tubbo realized that Tommy didn’t get it. He didn’t understand what Tubbo was implying.
“Well you obviously want those disks more than you want to stay in L’manberg with me. So take it. Go.”
“Go? What do you mean go?”
“Leave Tommy.”
“What? Tubbo, no don’t , don’t do this. Tubbo please. Keep my disk, we can take on Dream. We don’t have to give in.”
The emptiness in Tubbo shifted to a burning anger. It was a bitter heat in his core that he couldn’t contain. He felt so betrayed. “GO TOMMY! I AM EXILING YOU FROM L’MANBRUG! You’re exiled from ever entering this nation again. If you ever step foot in here again. . . you’ll be killed on sight.” As he finished his statement to Tommy his voice softened. Tubbo heard his voice shake as he said that last part. His chest felt tight. He couldn’t identify the emotion that was swirling in his gut as he said Tommy would be killed, and almost regretted saying it at all.
Tommy was screaming at him, “Tubbo! No! Don’t do this! Don’t do what Dream wants! This is what he wants. . . don’t you see? This is what Dream wants! Don’t do it Tubbo!” His voice sounded so desperate to Tubbo. Too bad the negative emotions were coiled too tightly around his heart for it to matter.
“It’s too late Tommy I already did it. Its done. Go.”
“No, no Tubbo. I’m not leaving. I’m not just going to leave. I won’t.”
As he spoke, his voice rose again as the anger burned inside him again. “You already have what you really wanted. Just leave. Go. TOMMY GO! LEAVE NOW! I DON’T EVER WANT TO SEE YOU AGAIN!” Tubbo was breathing heavily now, struggling to contain himself. He felt like he was going to explode, and he wasn’t sure what would happen when he did.
Dream, finally speaking up with that lazy smile on his face, calmly spoke to the group, “I’ll escort him off L’manberg grounds.”
“Shut the fuck up Dream! You won’t do shit! I’m not leaving!”
“Tommy, I’ll just kill you if you don’t start moving, and we both know you’re on your last life.” Dream’s smug voice was only serving to piss Tommy off more.
Tommy took a step towards Tubbo dodging Dream as he approached, “Tubbo. . . please.” He pleaded. Tubbo just stared at him. His eyes were glassy, and everything was blurry. He could barely even see the pain in Tommy’s blue eyes.
“Move.” Dream said as he swung his axe off his back and into his dominant hand. The threat clear in his voice as he took another step toward Tommy.
Tommy, seeing that Tubbo was not going to stop this, turned sharply on his heel. His words were heartbroken, “Okay, okay, FINE I’M MOVING, I’M MOVING, STOP DREAM!”
Dream had grabbed the back of Tommy’s white and red T-shirt and had attempted to just drag the kid. Dream let him go as it was apparent that Tommy was going to walk on his own.
Tubbo watched them retreat to the walls. He could hear Tommy sobbing quietly as they left the platform. Tubbo and the two others in his cabinet watched the smug green man escort the old VP out of the nation’s land. As they passed through the small exit in the obsidian, Dream turned and gave them a salute.
It felt as though a part of himself left with them. Hearing Tommy’s heart break as he left was the last straw for him. He felt worse than before. It was like someone had reached into his cheat and removed his heart. One hand came up to his mouth as a sob that he didn’t know was there burst out.
He didn’t notice Fundy move, but felt his hand grip his shoulder. The fox said to him, “You made the right choice.”
Tubbo’s brow’s furrowed. Did he? Was this the right choice? Could there have been a better outcome? What if Tommy had been about to pick Tubbo? What if he just didn’t give him enough time to decide?
He removed his hand from his mouth and whispered to them, “I certainly don’t feel like I did. But I’m going to have to live with it now. I can’t exactly take that back.”
He blinked through more tears and shook off Fundy’s hand. Tubbo took a step back from him.
Quackity finally spoke up, “You picked L’manberg. You picked your people, that was the right choice, Tubbo, you saved us.”
“Please don’t guys. Don’t comfort me. I think I want to be alone now.”
Tubbo turned and walked off, his heart in pieces. He may have saved the people of L’manberg from Dream, but he just destroyed himself and his best friend.