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It was done. It was all done.
Dream was gone and the SMP seemed to fall into complete peace as if the green being was the reason that all of the wrongs had been happening. Disguising his meddling and promotion of chaotic tendencies as concern and authority. He had never wanted good to come of his own land, he only wanted chaos. Peace was boring, fighting and death were fun, that’s what Dream had thought.
No longer.
After Techno had finally slain him, the being taking all but one of his final lives, it was clear that he truly had no one left on his side as there was no outcry. No wars. It was like everyone just… breathed a breath of relief.
Techno remembered the immediate aftermath, the way his body felt so frail after losing almost all his lives in quick succession, his body screaming for rest now the adrenaline was wearing off. He leaned all of his weight onto his sword, nearly falling as footsteps ran up to him. When he finally lost his balance, two people were there to catch him. Philza he’d expected, but Tommy…
He’d hugged him. “You did it. I knew you would.” The blonde kid said, voice muffled by his chest as he held on tighter. Had there been tears in his eyes? Techno looked up and saw the soft expressions of his other brother and his father. He hadn’t felt this sense of family in so long. Carefully he rested his hand on his head to ruffle Tommy’s hair and the kid sniffled. “Thank you, Blade.”
Together, Philza and Tommy helped carry Techno out of the arena, Wilbur floating close behind since he couldn’t exactly help in his state.
What Techno remembered the most about that day though… was that the voices had stopped. Had he finally silenced them? Was that it? Was the blood of a being that was practically god enough to settle them? To settle the blood god?
First thing on the agenda after that was bringing Wilbur, the real Wilbur, back. They hadn’t been planning to, after all, that would be getting rid of Ghostbur and as much as they missed the old Wilbur they weren’t going to get rid of the man that had taken his place just because they were selfish, but Ghostbur himself had brought it up.
“I want him back.” He’d said one night out of the blue. “I see you three together as a happy family and… Those were his memories and I hardly even remember them.”
“Wilbur-”
“No, dad, I’m not Wilbur… But I want to be. I want you to bring him back. I’ve been thinking about it a lot, don’t worry. This is what I want.”
So that’s what they did. All four of them. Working day and night as they lived in Ghostbur’s little sewer home, hardly sleeping as they got together all the ingredients needed to bring Wilbur back.
The last thing necessary was an enchanted god apple and Techno suggested one of his without any hesitation.
“Techno… you only have so little.”
“I won’t need them. I’m putting my fighting ways behind me. You could have all of them if you asked.”
After that, the potion was complete and the ceremony was done. Their brother was back. Their family was officially back together and Techno had never felt so much like he… belonged since he was 15 years old again. There was Philza, telling them not to roughhouse too hard, and Wilbur, Tommy, and Techno pushing each other around like they weren’t old enough to know better.
Since Tubbo had given them all back entry to New L’Manburg, even giving them plots to live in, Techno had expected his family to stay there when he returned back to his Tundra cabin. It wasn’t his place to live in New L’Manburg. It had never been his home, he’d never lived there for even a moment, whereas the rest of his family had.
He was surprised when the day came for him to leave and his family packed their bags too.
“Where are you going?” He had asked, face showing his confusion. Wilbur had snickered, Philza had shaken his head with a fond smile, and Tommy grinned, stealing an all too familiar compass from Philza’s hand.
“Home!” He exclaimed before taking off ahead with a run. “Beat you there! I’m going to touch all your stuff!”
Techno’s eyes widened and he leapt on his horse to chase after the boy. “Oh no, you’re not! Get back here you little asshole!” He exclaimed, catching up with him easily on Carl and grabbing Tommy by his backpack to stop him. He picked him up, despite his protests, and settled him so he sat in front of him on the saddle with a grin. “There. Now I can keep an eye on you.”
It was clear Tommy only pretended to be grumpy about being so close to his eldest brother.
Techno turned back to smile at Phil and Wilbur, making sure they were following behind, before getting Carl to move again, but at a slow pace this time so the rest of their family could keep up.
Home.
They were going home.
It was a bit of a squeeze fitting in everyone’s beds. In the end, Philza slept upstairs in the attic and all three boys slept in the main room, beds pressed together. Techno slept every night for the first time in a long while, in the middle of his brothers. They both complained if he wasn’t at least lying with them as they slept… so of course, he had to do it just for them, right?
Snowball fights happened when it snowed, followed by a fussy Philza heating them all up by the fire. On clear days they started building up the new nation they had decided to start together around Techno’s home. At least once a week they would visit New L’Manburg to trade and see friends, they were all doing great and Wilbur’s relationship with his son was now improving. Everything had just… fallen in place for the family. For Techno.
It was all going so well until it wasn’t.
The voices… they came back…
It started in the night. Nightmares. They’d whisper something but be gone by morning, so he reckoned it didn’t matter. Soon, though… they got worse. Got stronger. They started showing up whenever Techno daydreamed, then when he just was alone, and then finally they were always there in the background. Talking to him like before he killed Dream.
It seemed like the blood of a literal god had only been enough to quell them for half a year.
He didn’t get any more than that…
They were growing stronger and stronger.
“Blade, are you alright?” His little brother asked, voice full of concern as the half piglin had seemingly just… stopped after being hit with a snowball. He hadn’t even been playing with them, he’d been playing with them less in recent weeks and refused to spar with them at all. He said he didn’t want to hurt them.
Techno looked up, blinking himself out of the voices that had felt like they were screaming in his ears. “Fine.” He said stiffly before pulling out his sword. “I'll be in the mine. Don’t follow me.” Mobs didn’t spill the blood they wanted, but the violence helped.
Nights passed by and Techno had stopped sleeping, staring at the ceiling in his bed between his brothers until the screams of ‘murder them’ ‘spill their blood’ ‘redredredred’ ‘blood for the blood god’ became too strong and he got out of bed. He grabbed his sword and went to open the door.
“Techno?” A groggy Wilbur asked.
“The zombies are moaning too loud.” He lied. “Go back to sleep, I’m just going to kill a few and come back.” He stayed out all night.
Time passed, the voices got louder. He was out hunting, but harming animals did nothing to stop his thirst for blood to please the voices. He stopped going to New L’Manburg with the others, he was a danger to them all at this point. He wouldn’t harm his family, but he might harm his friends. He stood over a cow. He’d defaced it with his blade so much, he wasn’t even sure if it was edible anymore. He breathed heavily, grasping his sword tightly.
“Son-”
Techno turned in an instant, sword to the voices throat before he saw who it was and lowered his sword. “Phil… Don’t sneak up on me like that.” He let out a breath of relief despite the voices being angry that he didn’t carry the act through. “I thought you’d gone back to New L’Manburg with Wilbur and Tommy.”
Philza smiled softly despite the threat to his life. “I did… we’re back now.”
“Huh-”
“The sun is starting to set, Techno. Have you been out all day? Come now… Back inside and to the warm fire.” He guided his son away from the mutilated animal, only glancing at it in concern once. He made sure most of his attention was on a numb looking Techno.
Had so much time really passed?
The voices screamed louder than ever that night. Techno tossed and turned, hands over his ears, before suddenly they quietened. He sat up, eyes wide. He knew what he had to do. He got out of bed and grabbed his sword, a routine he’d developed during the time he should be asleep, but instead of leaving to fight monsters he instead climbed the ladder into the attic.
There… Philza slept soundly, not even noticing his presence as he stood over him. The winged man hummed in his sleep and turned. Whatever he was dreaming of… it seemed nice. Without thinking, Techno raised his sword just over him. The voices got louder again.
‘Do it’
‘Kill him’
‘Spill his blood’
‘It would feel so good’
“Blood for the blood god.”
Philza’s eyes opened as if he had some sixth sense over what was going to happen. Or maybe Techno had said that last thought out loud. He watched as Philza didn’t scream or try and run, but instead just looked at him in scared acceptance. He closed his eyes, smiled, and turned his head away.
‘ NOW’
The voices screamed. But he couldn’t. He didn’t. Not to Phil. Not to anyone ever again. He stopped his sword as the realisation came over him. He and the voices would never be separate. No one could ever be safe living with him. It was him.
He was the blood god.
“Oh god.” He cried, dropping to his knees as he started to sob. He couldn’t do it any longer. He couldn’t do any of this anymore. He just wanted the voices to stop. He just wanted to stop. He was now a danger to his family, a danger to everyone he loved. He couldn’t live like this anymore.
He couldn’t live at all.
He felt Philza’s arms wrap around him, the older man knelt on the floor next to him. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” He repeated over and over again, barely stopping to breathe as the man rocked him backwards and forwards until he stopped. He passed out there, curled up in a ball in Philza’s arms.
The next morning he sat on the edge of a tall mountain, sword in his hands as his cloak and crown were discarded without care behind him. He wouldn't be needing them soon anyway and he didn’t deserve the comfort that they brought him in these final moments. He never deserved it.
Even now, as his hands bled from holding his blade too firmly, the voices wouldn’t stop. In fact, they were louder than ever. Screaming over each other the same five words. Over and over and over again.
Blood for the Blood God.
Blood for the Blood God.
Blood for the Blood God.
Blood dripped down his arms slowly from his hands. The sight of it just made the frenzy in his head worse. It stained the snow.
“TECHNO! WAIT!” Came the yell of Phil behind him. He smiled. Perfect.
Techno stood shakily, both due to the cold and just… the adrenaline running through him. “Phil… I was hoping you’d come.”
“Don’t do it! You have so much to live for, I don’t blame you for last night. You were just sleeping walking-”
“I wasn't.” He said firmly. “I’ve never had a clearer mind in my life. Last night when I decided to kill you, the voices were quiet. For once they were quiet.”
Phil’s face fell. “The voices came back…”
“Yes. Yes, and you knew they would. You knew they already had. You’ve always known. Philza, you know me better than I do. You know what I am. You always have!” Techno started to get louder and louder. “I was supposed to die! All those years ago, I was supposed to die! But I didn’t! YOU DIDN’T LET ME! WHY DIDN’T YOU LET ME PHIL?!”
“Son-”
“Kill me.” Techno’s voice went from booming, angry, to silent in mere seconds. The piglin threw his netherite sword to the ground in front of Phil. In front of his father figure. “I was never supposed to live. I was never supposed to grow into this. We both know it. You were the one who stopped that happening, so you have to end it.”
“Techno… Techno, you know I- I can’t-”
“You killed Wilbur. Why can’t you kill me?”
There was silence between them for a long moment before Phil let out a sigh and picked up Techno’s sword with his own shaky hands. However, instead of using it like Techno wanted him to, he forced it into the snow and dirt upright.
“Phil-”
“No Techno.” His words were firm and shut the other up immediately, making him feel like a little kid despite the way that the hybrid man loomed over his father figure. Instead, he unsheathed his own sword.
Only that sword wasn’t his usual. It was a diamond sword that shimmered with magic. It was stained with old blood.
“If we’re doing this. We’re doing this right.”
“Is that-?”
“It’s the sword I used to kill Wilbur, yes.”
That meant Phil had come up here with the intention of… That sword was kept hidden away in Phil’s ender chest, he had to have chosen to grab it before coming up here. He had to have known what was going to happen. Phil always knew he supposed...
Techno walked over to Phil, holding his arms out in a welcoming manner. He closed his eyes. “Do it.”
Blood for the blood god.Blood for the blood god.Blood for the blood god.Blood for the blood god.Blood for the blood god.Blood for the blood god.Blood for the blood god.Blood for the blood god.Blood for the blood god.Blood for the blood god.Blood for the blood god.Blood for the blood god.Blood for the blood god.Blood for the blood god.Blood for the blood god.Blood for the blood god.Blood for the blood god.Blood for the blood god.Blood for the blood god.Blood for the blood-
“DO IT.”
Techno gasped in surprise like he didn’t actually think his father would, and stumbled forward. His arms wrapped around Phil automatically. His body was so hot. It felt like he was on fire. It felt… Good.
Maybe that was the piglin part of him?
His father held him as they fell to their knees together. It was like a warm hug. More comfort than he had let himself be in years.
“Ph-” He cut himself off, his mouth tasting of copper. “ Dad…” He said instead.
“Oh, my son…” His father sobbed into his hair. Why was he crying? This was what needed to happen. “My boy… I’m so sorry. This is my fault. I’m so sorry.”
Techno wanted to thank him, but his mouth wouldn’t cooperate. Instead, he died with a smile on his face.
The voices were finally gone for good.
It was done. It was all done.