Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Tommy had grabbed Technoblade and run as soon as his disc was in Dream's hands, choosing to side with his brother. With Dream's exclamations about Tubbo's idiocy as their getaway track, they ran. Grabbing Ghostbur on their way out, Tommy and Techno retreated to their base.

A few weeks before, Techno had found a glitched text. It roughly translated, "Into the past once to correct the damages made. If all is done correctly, repairs will be done, and the mistakes will fade."

With Phil elsewhere - likely at one of the farms - the three brothers had the perfect chance to do this.

"And you're sure you want to do this?" Techno was asking. "If we go through with it, I don't think we're coming back."

Tommy took a deep breath, glancing at Ghostbur then back at the glitched-out text on the floor. He clenched his fists. "I am. I... I want my friends back, Technoblade. That's all I want."

He felt a cold hand on his shoulder and looked up to see Ghostbur's smiling face.

"It'll be great, Tommy!" Ghostbur said. "We can see L'Manburg like it is in my memories!"

Tommy nodded, then took both of his brothers' hands. With another deep breath from Tommy, the family stepped into the glitch.

There was no going back now.

Tommy blinked his eyes open and found himself staring at the ground, mouth moving. "Do I shoot him, Wil, or do I aim for the skies?"

And like Tommy remembered, Wilbur responded, "Tommy, I want you to do whatever your heart says you should do."

And then Dream was laying down the line that, despite L'Manburg's independence, it would still be part of the SMP's land as a whole.

"L'Manburg can be independent, but L'Mangburg can't be free."

And suddenly, Tommy was filled with pure, unbridled rage towards this man. This man who plotted against them; who helped push Wilbur to the brink of insanity. The man who banished Techno and exiled Tommy, who clipped their father's wings. The man who almost made Tommy kill himself.

This man hasn't done any of that. Yet. And maybe he wouldn't, all because of a second chance. Still, though, Dream had the potential to do it all again. If it wasn't one thing, it would be another.

Then Wilbur explained how the duel would work, voice hesitant and confused but no longer high-pitched. Tommy knew that his older brother was back to himself, at least partially.

And then, Wilbur was counting.

"...Eight. Nine. Ten paces, fire!"

In a flash, with the experience of a man who has fought in two wars, Tommy spun around. He released an arrow. Dream was still turned around. Before, Tommy had aimed slightly too high.

<Dream was shot by TommyInnit>

If it was the first time around, Tommy would have cheered and gloated. Now though, he just let out a sigh. His knees were weak, and his hands shook.

He had done it this time. Tommy won the duel, and L'Manburg was free.

Independent,  he corrected. L'Manburg would never be free. He needed to remember that this time.

Except... Fundy had said that Dream had acknowledged L'Manburg as an independent state after Tommy had been exiled. That meant that Tommy really was the only one in Dream's way.

The people on Dream's side were shocked into silence, and Tommy wondered what he had looked like at that moment. World hardened and dead-eyed, aiming towards Dream with a soldier's resolve.

Gentle hands cradled Tommy's face, and he was pulled out of his thoughts. Wilbur stood in front of him, a concerned smile on his face.

"Are you alright, Tommy?" His voice was soft, and there was no doubt that Wilbur was thinking about the few times Ghostbur had witnessed Tommy's depressive episodes.

Tommy pushed a cheek into Wilbur's hand, smiling softly. "I am. I'm better than okay." He pulled away from his brother, expression evening out as he looked over to where Dream was now collecting his things.

"I have to say, Tommy," Dream started, "I didn't expect that from you. You are truly full of surprises."

"Yeah..." Tommy said, thinking through all of the lies Dream had- will-  might tell him. Dream was his friend, but he also wasn't. No, Dream wasn't his friend. He never had been - Tommy was still wrapping his head around the fact that Dream manipulated him.

"Alright, then," Dream said, equipping his armor. "By rights of our agreement, L'Manburg can have its independence as long as you agree that it's part of the Dream Team SMP."

Wilbur looked over at Dream with a shining smile, and Tommy wondered what was going through his head.

"Thank you, Dream," Wilbur said, moving in front of Tommy subtly. "I am excited to see what the future has in store." He put a hand on Tommy's shoulder. "Come along, Tommy. We have another document to write."

On the walk back to L'Manburg, Tommy could see the gears turning in Wilbur's head. He gently nudged Wilbur in a silent question.

"That's not how it happened last time, right?" Wilbur asked, gaze foggy. "You lost, then you gave up your discs to get our independence."

"You remember?" Tommy said, surprised.

"Bits and pieces are coming back," Wilbur said. "I remember the van and Sapnap burning the forest down." His voice was quieter with the next part. "Eret betrayed us. They... said they were going to adopt Fundy, but... they betrayed us?"

"They did, Big Man," Tommy said, patting Wilbur's back gently. "But now we're here! I still have my discs, and we have our independence. And you're alive."

Wilbur nodded, more decisive now. "Techno will join us during a rebellion, I remember that. And Phil... Dad comes in..." He trailed off, looking at Tommy for reassurance.

"To stop you from blowing up L'Manburg," Tommy said quietly. "You asked him to kill you - do you remember?"

"I do. And Phil did kill me," Wilbur said. Then he furrowed his brow. "And I remember the TNT - putting it there and pressing the button. I didn't before, but I do now. It's fuzzy leading up to that point, but... Tommy, I wasn't happy leading up to my death, was I?"

"No, Wil, you weren't," Tommy said. "But we can change that now! You don't have to do it alone. I promise I'll go with what you want, this time."

"I don't want to do that again, Tommy," Wilbur said immediately, voice rougher than before. "Being happy to die... Well, I'm sure you would understand."

Tommy nodded, lips pressed into a thin line. His time in exile was dreadful. He wasn't going to let that happen again.

Then they reached L'Manburg, where Fundy and Tubbo were waiting, and Tommy was not prepared. Walking through the threshold of their land, seeing Tubbo not upset with him or blaming him or fighting him, for the first time in a long time... It shook something in Tommy's core. A million feelings whizzed through Tommy's head - betrayal, longing, fear, hurt, anger. He didn't know if he wanted to cry, or scream, or hit someone. He could barely hear his thoughts over his heart pounding in his ears.

The moment of pain ended as quickly as it started. Tubbo and Fundy ran towards Tommy and Wilbur, and Tommy could only raise his arms to catch Tubbo.

"You did it!" Tubbo exclaimed with happy tears in his eyes. "I can't believe it! I have to admit, I doubted you a bit."

"Tubbo!" Tommy gasped with mock hurt. "Ye of little faith - you didn't believe in me?"

"Well, I wouldn't say that ..." Tubbo said, voice teasing.

Tommy felt a pang of sorrow in his chest. He had missed his best friend - his unofficial brother. This time travel debacle gave him a chance to fix things with Tubbo, and he knew he couldn't mess it up.

Writing a new declaration went similarly to how it had gone before. Only, this time, there was less mocking. Both Tommy and Wilbur, the ones who typically had that behavior, were still sorting through their heads.

"Yo, suck it, green boy!"

Instead, Wilbur had a real statement to make. "I, Wilbur Soot, the President of L'Manburg, state that L'Manburg is its own independent country. The Dream SMP territory notwithstanding, L'Manburg is under the right and rule of its citizens. For life, liberty, and the pursuit of acknowledged freedom." He looked at Tommy. "My right-hand man..." He hesitated, as if unsure what to do. "Be my Vice President." Then he looked to Tubbo. "My Secretary of State." And finally, Wilbur turned to Fundy, expression soft. "And my son, Fundy, so undeniably precious to me. You are going to be the Treasury of State."

The book was passed around for the four of them to sign. Tommy had to think about how this was different before. He had been in Fundy's place, but now he was the Vice President. Wilbur had to have done that on purpose - Tommy was sure of it. They were already changing the course of history. All they needed was to figure out how to get Techno to the SMP.

Tommy took a deep breath. He couldn't go through Techno's betrayal and Wilbur's death again. His own exile had to be avoided. He had to succeed with this second chance.

A hand landed on his shoulder, and he looked over to see Tubbo. Tommy tried for a smile, but it came out as a grimace. Tubbo winced in sympathy.

"Are you doing okay?" Tubbo asked. "You did sort of just have a battle to the death."

"In complete honesty, no," Tommy sighed. "I'm really not. I..."  Just came from a future where you hated me, his mind gave him. "I guess I'm relieved? But I'm also worried. A lot is riding on this, and I have no idea if I'm going to mess it up or not."

"Yeah, felt that," Tubbo said, chuckling. "But don't worry, we'll get through it. Together."

Tommy smiled, leaning into Tubbo. For now, he could ignore the bitter, aching chasm of pain in his chest. He had his best friend back, and if things went according to plan, it'd stay that way.

"Yeah, together."

Chapter Text

It was strange being Wilbur again. His head was a jumbled mess of chaotic thoughts and painful memories, and it was confusing. Alivebur and Ghostbur had... merged, somehow. He didn't remember everything, but it was slowly coming back to him.

Of course, happy memories were easy to remember - they had been before, too. Writing the first declaration, making L'Manburg's song, creating Camar Van, and showing it to Tommy, among other things. The unpleasant things, however...

Ghostbur had forgotten those bits. Alivebur had suppressed them, maybe. But now, he remembered the bad memories - at least some of them. The start of the war with Sapnap burning the surrounding trees, the TNT cannon, and Dream's speech about surrendering had come back the easiest. Eret had betrayed them and planted explosives underneath L'Manburg. Wilbur didn't like the fact that he had paralleled Eret so much at his own end.

Wilbur was struggling to remember what happened after the war, though. There were several months between the revolution and the election, he knew. Things were distorted and unclear. Thinking about it too hard made Wilbur's head hurt.

At the moment, Wilbur stood on L'Manburg's walls, staring out at the land. They had cleared the cobblestone barrier, and Tommy exclaimed he wanted to build a tower with it. Tubbo had laughed and asked why.

"Intimidation tower," Tommy said, eyes shining in a way they hadn't in a long time. Wilbur vaguely remembered Tommy saying that before, and he had dug a hole to bedrock for the same reason.

Tubbo and Tommy had gone to do that, leaving Wilbur to his thoughts. He hoped Tommy would be able to work through some of his own feelings about Tubbo. Tommy's exile -  it was exile, not a vacation, damn it, Ghostbur  - had been at Tubbo's hand, even if Dream was the one behind it.

"Hey, Wilbur." Fundy's voice rang through the air, disturbing Wilbur's brooding. Wilbur looked over, a smile on his face.

"Hi, Fundy," he said. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, it's all fine," Fundy said. "I was just... You made me Treasury of State, and I was wondering why."

A disappointed Fundy flashed through Wilbur's head. 

Fundy had made a disgruntled, possibly embarrassed noise at Wilbur's indulgent and, admittedly fond, nicknames. Wilbur simply passed Fundy the book while Tommy and Tubbo were Treasury and Secretary of State. Fundy was only doted on by Wilbur, then made to sign.

Fundy hadn't liked it, and Wilbur now recognized that. He didn't want his son to feel that way. So he made Tommy his Vice President, and Fundy was the new Treasury of State.

Wilbur looked back towards where the sun was now setting. "I'm not sure. I wanted to make you feel special. You played a part in this revolution, too - you deserve it."

"You really trust me enough to give me that much responsibility?" Fundy asked hesitantly.

"Of course!" Wilbur said, beaming. He wrapped an arm around his son. "You're extremely capable, and I trust you. Besides, I made Tommy the Vice President, and I wouldn't exactly say the same of him."

Fundy snorted, leaning into Wilbur's embrace. "Fair enough."

Wilbur and Fundy joined Tommy and Tubbo the next morning. Three of them watched while the youngest of them built his tower.

"Are you still going to the MCU?" Fundy asked suddenly. "If you are, we could go together.

Tommy looked over at Fundy, brows furrowed. "What?"

"You know, MCU," Fundy said carefully. "Where a bunch of people get together and battle to the death on teams."

"You were talking about how Technoblade was going to be there," Tubbo continued.

"Oh, you're right," Tommy exclaimed, jumping down from the framework he was working on. His tower looked vaguely better than his old one. He turned to Wilbur with excitement in his eyes. "Wil, it's Techno! I have to go see him!"

Wilbur thought for a moment before nodding. "You definitely should." That way, they could regroup and go over their plan. They'd likely have to meet elsewhere - Techno had yet to be allowed in the Dream SMP. "You know what you should do when you see him, yeah?"

Tommy nodded, then glanced at Tubbo. He frowned slightly, eyes clouding over for a moment, before blinking and looking back at Wilbur. Tubbo also looked at Wilbur, expression confused.

Wilbur managed a slight smile. "Sorry, I'm sure Tommy is just tired. It is pretty early, after all, and you know Tommy likes to sleep in."

"Hey, don't make fun of me!" Tommy protested, pouting.

Wilbur and Fundy laughed, which made Tommy start giggling, too. Tubbo sighed and shook his head, a fond expression on his face.

That conversation led to Wilbur helping both Fundy and Tommy prepare for MCU over the next week. He talked through some things with Tommy - what to say to Techno, where they would meet up after the tournament, how the discussion might go down.

"Remember, it's still going to be Techno," Wilbur said, holding Tommy's shoulders. "He's still our brother, and if the glitch worked, he remembers everything, too."

Tommy nodded, a determined gleam in his eyes. "I know. I just... have to relax. Techno loves me - he adores me."

"He does, he does," Wilbur said, smile just shy of a grin. "And after we talk things out, we can get Phil - Dad."

"Yeah... Dad," Tommy said, expression falling slightly.

Fundy entered at that moment, and his eyes bounced between Tommy and Wilbur. "Am I... interrupting something?"

Tommy backed away from Wilbur, eyes now missing their shine. "No... No, it's- you're okay, Fundy. I need to finish getting ready. I'll see you both later."

Fundy watched Tommy go, brows furrowed. He looked at Wilbur. "Is Tommy okay?"

Wilbur looked after his brother. There were definitely unpleasant things from their past that Wilbur had yet to remember. They were clearly weighing Tommy down. Wilbur didn't know what to do about it, though. Tommy wasn't vocal with his feelings, and it usually took pushing him to a breaking point before he was.

"I... don't know," Wilbur said. "I honestly don't think he is. I'll have to ask him about it later." He turned to Fundy, a soft smile coming back to his face. He gently ruffled his son's hair, careful not to overstep. "Hello, Fundy. How're you?"

"F-fine," Fundy managed. He nearly preened at the careful affection, Wilbur could tell.

"Yeah?" Wilbur said, pulling his hand away. "Did you need something from me?"

"Yeah, uhm..." Fundy looked everywhere except for Wilbur. "I was just wondering... are you okay? You've been acting differently."

Wilbur frowned. He wasn't being too obvious, was he? "Different how?"

"It's not bad, I promise!" Fundy said. "You're just... being less affectionate, I suppose? Well, there's that, but you also have been letting me do more, you know? Like, with L'Manburg, but also in general."

"I'm... sorry?" Wilbur asked more than said, unsure how to respond to that. "If you don't like it, then-"

"No! No, there's no need for that," Fundy said. "I enjoy the trust you're giving me, and you're not being overbearing with the affection, which is nice. I'm an adult now, and I'm glad you're treating me like one. It's just- it's weird, Dad! You did a complete one-eighty. People don't really do that."

"Usually not, no," Wilbur said, excuses flying through his head with record-breaking speed. Instead of any of those excuses, though, something even worse came out of his mouth.

"That would be because of time travel."

Fundy stared. Wilbur stared back. Suddenly, Wilbur's hands were drenched in sweat.

"I'm sorry- because of what?!"

Wilbur immediately turned to run from the room as fast as possible. "Nothing, Fundy, see you later, have fun at your tournament!"

Tommy and Fundy had to leave later that day, thus prolonging Wilbur's imminent demise. Hopefully, Fundy wouldn't say anything to Tommy.

"Hey, Wilbur?"

Wilbur hummed questioningly, strumming at his guitar - it had been so long since he was able to play. Tubbo took it as an invitation to sit, which Wilbur was fine with.

"I was wondering... have you noticed Tommy's weird behavior?" Tubbo asked.

"Tommy's always acting weird, you know that," Wilbur said, glancing up at the teen.

"It's different from his usual strand of weird," Tubbo said. "He spaces out a lot, and sometimes, he'll make strange faces at me. It's almost like he doesn't see me. And he'll stare off the side of cliffs. I'm honestly kind of worried. He seemed okay during the revolution, but I think it took a greater toll on him than I thought. Hell, he  told  me he wasn't doing great right after the duel, but he's brushed me off since."

Wilbur sighed, setting his guitar aside gently. "I think he just has a lot going through his head right now. We just fought tooth and nail for L'Manburg. I'm a bit surprised  you're  doing as okay as you are."

"I don't think I've had time to process it yet," Tubbo said nervously. "We've been focusing on rebuilding and expanding, gaining new citizens. I haven't thought about it."

Wilbur smiled at Tubbo, suppressing the urge to offer him blue. "Maybe you need to take some time for yourself, yeah? Relax, blow off some steam - something. You  deserve  it, okay?"

Tubbo nodded and offered Wilbur a smile of his own. Wilbur patted Tubbo's shoulder, then picked his guitar back up. 

He started playing L'Manburg's anthem. "I heard there was a special place where men could go to emancipate the brutality and tyranny of their rulers."

Tubbo laughed before joining in, and Wilbur cussing about Eret surprised him back into giggles.

"Our L'Manburg, our L'Manburg. Our L'Manburg, our L'Manburg."

And Wilbur felt a bit more at peace with himself. He stood from the bench and stretched before looking at Tubbo. "Come on, it's getting late. We should rest."

Tubbo nodded before also standing and following Wilbur towards their newly built home in L'Manburg.

Chapter Text

Techno came to awareness with a pounding headache. Voices flitted in and out of his comprehension, and blood rushed through his ears.

"Quiet, quiet," he muttered, staggering where he stood. Near instantly, the voices went from a raging sea of chaos to a dull roar. He was surprised that worked.

Massaging his temples, Techno glanced around him. It seemed he had jumped back to when he was still on his private island in Hypixel.

TechnoLost, TechnoLost!

What the fuck?!

TechnoLost.

Time travel is hella pog.

Blood! New blood!

Old blood! Blood for the Blood God!

TechnoLost, haha!

E.

"Thank you, Chat, for your insightful opinion," Techno mumbled. He looked over his now-unfarmed potato farm, then glanced at the date. His eyes widened. If he remembered correctly, then today was the day of Tommy's bow duel - his first death.

DeadInnit. DeadInnit.

Blood!

E. E, E.

No, seriously, what the actual fuck?!

SMP time?

Techno shook his head, taking a deep breath. The voices were so loud. "Calm down. We'll get to the SMP eventually." He needed a way to quiet them - something to focus on.

Potatoes.

Potato war!

Blood of the potatoes!

Blood for the Potato God!

Techno chuckled, then got out his scythe. He farmed his whole potato field for the first time in months.

A few days later, it was brought to Techno's attention that Minecraft Ultimate was coming up. Calvin had come to Techno's Hypixel island unexpectedly and asked if Techno was ready. Techno was reminded of the chaos that had been MCU the last time and immediately said yes. They'd get all of their shit once they were there.

Technoplane! It's Technoplane!

Blood for the Blood God!

Return of Technoplane.

E E E.

Tommy's there, yeah?

Who cares - it's Technoplane!

Right, Tommy was part of MCU before. If Techno had any luck, Tommy would be there this time, too. Hopefully, he remembered everything.

Soon enough, it was the day for MCU. Techno, Nestor, and Calvin ended up decimating the other teams up until they ran into Tommy's team on the tree.

As Techno swooped in on his elytra, a mantra of blood, Techowin, Technoplane ran through his head. A very familiar scream pierced Techno's ears, however. He looked over to see Tommy's team running, along with the other group they had been talking to.

Techno paused as he landed, and Nestor rained arrows down on them. Techno pulled out his communicator.

<You whispered to TommyInnit: Come back, I need to talk to you.>

Tommy didn't respond, but Techno looked up to see Tommy carefully sprinting back, dodging arrows on his way.

"Nestor, don't shoot," Techno said.

"Wait, what? Why?" Nestor asked, which was echoed by Calvin.

"Trust me, I know what I'm doing," Techno said. With MCU's rules of not talking to people outside of your team in person, he pulled out his communicator again.

<Technoblade: Crossteam?>

<TommyInnit: You're already winning. Isn't Noah betting against you guys, anyway?>

<Technoblade: Is that a yes or no?>

Tommy looked back to where his teammates were. He wrinkled his nose, then went back to typing in his communicator.

<TommyInnit: As long as you don't report.>

Techno grinned. "Alright guys, they're on our side."

"Why do we need them?" Calvin said, fighting against a lone player on the ground.

"Why not?"

Techno's team ended up winning this time around, anyway. In the end, it turned into a 7v17, and Techno killed off Tommy's team to secure the win.

<TommyInnit: BETRAYAL.>

<Technoblade: WE WIN THESE!>

In the lobby after the tournament was finished, Techno met up with Tommy in a secluded corner. With the talking ban lifted, they no longer had to use the communicator.

"What the fuck was that, Techno?!" Tommy exclaimed. "You're my bro, my brotha, how could you do that to me?!"

Techno laughed, ruffling Tommy's hair. "Do what you got to do to win."

While Tommy pouted for a minute, the voices flooded Techno's head.

RacoonInnit. It's RacoonInnit, everybody.

Blood for the Blood God!

Technoplane, for the win!

E.

Yay! Techno won!

"You wanted to talk?" Techno asked, interrupting the stream of nonsense.

"Oh, yeah!" Tommy said, brightening up. Then he narrowed his eyes. "Do you know where we can talk a bit more... privately?" A glance around the lobby revealed that there were still plenty of people milling around.

"Yeah, I can think of a few places."

"I didn't think you meant your Hypixel island," Tommy deadpanned.

Techno hummed, setting the island to private. "It's the easiest to get to, at this point." He turned to Tommy. "So, what did you want to say?"

"First things first," Tommy said. "How do you feel about gapples?"

Techno let out a slow breath through his nose. "Tommy, I swear to god, if you chug my gapples again, I am going to  throttle  you."

"Good! You remember," Tommy said, grinning. "Also, no promises. Okay, so Wilbur and I were dumped right before my bow duel started. I won this time, of course, so we got L'Manburg, and I have my discs. And I know you don't like government, but please Techno. We have a second chance to fix everything! You can go back into retirement, we can get Phil and Kristen if she wants - it'll be perfect."

Techno hummed. "I mean, I lost all of my progress on the Dream SMP. All of my stuff is gone. All my withers, my base, my farms - everything's gone."

Haha, Technopoor!

I liked the turtles.

Technopoor, Technopoor!

"Techno, I swear, if you fucking betray us again, I'm going to lose my shit," Tommy said. "I know how you feel about governments, okay? If we had a choice, I probably would've gone back to before I even joined the SMP. But we didn't, so this is what we have to deal with. We came back so I could fix my mistakes, remember? Because, yes, everything was my fault! A good portion of every conflict was because I'm an absolute dumbass. But we're here to change that!"

Tommy's mad.

MadInnit.

Where's Ghostbur's blue when you need it?

E.

He's really upset about this. We need Phil.

Techno put his hands up placatingly. "Relax, Tommy." He put a hand on Tommy's head to ruffle his hair. "I promise not to go against you this time. If things go better. But like I've said before, the government is your enemy. The bad things that happened to you were because of the government - most of them, at least. Power corrupts absolutely. It happened with Wilbur, it happened to Tubbo, and it could happen to you, too."

"I'm not letting it happen to either of them this time, Techno," Tommy said. "I have my discs, and we can help Wilbur avoid that headspace. Just... please don't betray us again. Don't betray me again. If... if we finish our symphony, me and Wilbur, and you still don't agree with it then..." Tommy swallowed. "Then I'll go along with whatever you want."

Techno looked at the broken expression on Tommy's face. Those people had done this to his younger brother. The voices in his head surged in unison, calling for blood.

Pushing them down, Techno hugged Tommy with one arm briefly. "Okay, Tommy." After a moment, he pulled away, clearing his throat. "Other than getting on the SMP, what's our to-do list?"

"Wilbur wants the three of us to discuss our plans at the family home," Tommy said, letting out a breath. "He also... wanted to tell Dad."

"You seem unsure about that," Techno said.

Ooh, the drama!

AngstInnit, DepressedInnit.

Tommy waved Techno off. "It's nothing - I'm fine." At Techno's hard stare, Tommy rolled his eyes. "I promise nothing is going on. I am perfectly okay."

That's a lie.

LiarInnit.

Call his bullshit.

Techno gently put an arm around Tommy.

"Let's get Wilbur, alright?"

Damn it, Techno.

Tommy had gotten Wilbur from the Dream SMP land, and Wilbur had immediately hugged Techno.

"Tech, it's been ages!" Wilbur exclaimed.

"A week at most," Techno said, returning the hug with one arm.

Ghostbur!

It's Wilby.

Blood?

E E E E E E.

"How've you been, Techno?" Wilbur asked, completely ignoring Techno's deadpan statement. "It's been... interesting for me, personally."

"Boring, I guess," Techno said. "How's your memory?"

"Slowly coming back," Wilbur said. "I've managed to remember almost everything up to this point in the timeline. Oh! And I also remember the important bits in the future. Mostly, at least."

"Okay, okay, enough catching up," Tommy said, interrupting his brothers. "We should get going. Did you leave Fundy and Tubbo in charge?"

"I did, yes," Wilbur said. "Are you doubting me, Tommy?"

Tommy furrowed his brow. "No. Now come on."

With that, Tommy led the way to the family's lands. It was a long way to walk, but they managed to get there within a reasonable amount of time. They could see the house in the distance when a figure came running out from it.

Tommy was immediately captured in a hug by Phil, causing the teen to let out a screech. "Philza! What the fuck?!"

"Tommy, you're okay," Phil sighed in relief. He pulled away to hold Tommy's face. "I'm so glad you're here." He looked at Wilbur and Techno with a smile. "And you two, as well."

"Phil? Is everything alright?" Wilbur asked, furrowing his brow.

Dadza!

Dadza! It's Dadza!

More like Killza.

Blood for the Blood God!

Killza, Dadza!

Killza.

He's acting weird.

You think he knows?

"Yeah, I'm just..." Phil let out a breath. He inspected Tommy closely, then did a double-take at Wilbur. "You're... alive. Wilbur... you-"

"Yeah, I'm alive - why wouldn't I be?" Wilbur asked, laughing nervously.

Phil didn't respond, moving from examining Tommy to holding Wilbur's face. He let out a half-laugh. "You... you really are. I- I'm from the future. I'm not sure exactly what happened, but I was pulled into some kind of glitch. When I came back to myself, I was in my hardcore lands."

"We also came from the future," Wilbur said softly. "And yeah, I'm alive again. I won't make you kill me this time, Dad. I promise."

Phil nodded, expression serious with tears in his eyes. He pulled away and wiped his face before turning to Techno. "So I'm guessing the festival didn't go as planned."

Techno glanced at Tommy, causing the other two to look at him. "It really didn't. We were lucky to get away how we did."

"I'm becoming someone I don't want to be," Tommy said softly, looking at his hands. "I- I  fought  with Tubbo, and... I said the discs were worth more than he ever was. I told him to give Dream Mellohi. Dream called Tubbo an idiot. I- I was appalled with myself. So... so I just grabbed Techno and ran." He curled his hands into fists. "So much shit happened, and it was all my fault, and I just want to fix it."

"Come now, Tommy, surely not all of it was because of you," Phil said.

Tommy glared up at Phil. "That's easy for you to say. You weren't even there for most of it! You joined because Wilbur had gone insane and was going to destroy L'Manburg. And he did it anyway, and Techno helped! And then I was exiled, and you visited me one time. You only have eyes for your oldest sons, don't you?!

"You helped Techno with his entire base, and from what I heard, you spent a bunch of time with Ghostbur - after you killed him, I remind you," Tommy exclaimed. "You only started paying attention to me once Dream blew up Logstedshire! And even then, that was because we were all at Techno's base together. Techno has always been the best son to you. What does he have that I don't?!"

"Tommy, it isn't like that," Phil started.

"Isn't it?!"

Techno put a hand on Tommy's shoulder. "Tommy-"

"And you're even worse!" Tommy exclaimed, turning on his oldest brother. "You just... accepted the attention from him! You didn't seem to even hesitate - it took Wilbur going insane and dying for Phil to really start caring!" Tears were forming in the blond's eyes. "And to make it worse, you killed Tubbo at the orders of a corrupt government official - you know, those people you claim to hate? And you only visited me in exile to laugh at and make fun of me! And above all of that, you nearly sold me out to Dream, the man who manipulated and abused me! All over some stupid favor that he never even cashed in, in the end! I- I want to hate you so badly!"

Tommy shoved his hands into his hair and pulled on it. His voice broke, falling into a whisper. "I want to hate you. It's like you don't even care."

Wilbur carefully approached the teen. "Tommy?"

"A-and you're not any better, Wilbur," Tommy said, pulling harder. Techno gently pulled his hands away from the blond locks, but Tommy didn't even seem to notice. "You- you- you went insane in front of me, and I couldn't do anything to stop it. And Dream encouraged your actions. I- I don't know when it went wrong with you, Wilbur. And I don't know how to fix it."

Tommy pulled his hands away from Techno's to rub at his eyes. "You asked me if we were the bad guys. When I was unsure, you told me-"

"Let's be the bad guys," Wilbur said softly, voice distant.

"And I- I never wanted to be the bad guys, Wilbur," Tommy said. He looked at Techno. "I didn't want to be the hero either. I just... I wanted to have my friends and family, and I wanted to have my freedom. But... it never worked out that way." He glanced between his brothers. "You both put me on pedestals I never wanted to be on. You betrayed me - that's the bottom line. Just- just like everyone else."

In Techno's head, Chat was silent for the first time in a long while - Tommy had that effect, now and then. The air was hung with thick tension. Tommy's breath hitched in the quiet, and he sniffled.

"I-" He started, then stopped. He took a deep breath. "I need a minute. Just... go to the house, I'll be in soon." Biting his lip fiercely, Tommy turned and walked towards the treeline surrounding their fields.

In a few minutes, they'd go inside, tell Kristen what happened, and she would go after him. She was always better at helping Tommy through his emotions than the others.

For now, though, Phil, Techno, and Wilbur stood on the barely lit path. Guilt was rising in Techno's throat, and he had a feeling the other two felt it, too. After several moments, Wilbur spoke up.

"Maybe I should get him some blue."

Phil sighed. "I don't think that'll help much, Wil, but... Good work for trying." He took the twins by their shoulders. "Come on, let's get inside."

Chapter Text

Tommy found the clearing he had always hidden in as a kid without much difficulty. Whether it was because he was upset or hiding from his brothers, he would come here. It was a clearing with a small pond being fed into by a waterfall from an overcropping. Tommy liked to sit on the nearby rocks and think.

This time, though, his thoughts were racing through his head faster than he had time to process them. Tears flowed down his cheeks as he struggled to breathe around his sobs. He was glad he managed not to break down in front of his family. He wasn't sure if he could handle it.

So here Tommy was, settling himself in his clearing on rocks that were too small for him at this point. His mind threw other people's words in his face.

"I wanna see white flags outside your base by dawn, or you're dead!"

"... I'm gonna be a different man from the one Schlatt crossed. I can feel it."

"The only universal language is violence, and we've had that conversation."

"As long as I can't be the next Schlatt, you can't be the next Wilbur."

"That's true. You're never going to be president, Tommy."

"I will actually, genuinely kill you."

"Let me tell you a story, Tommy - a story of a man named Theseus."

"You had one job - you couldn't do one thing for me!"

"If we can't have Manburg, then no one, no one can have Manburg!"

"It's not your time to die yet, Tommy."

"If you want to be a hero, Tommy, then die like one!"

"Everyone who's claiming to be on our side - they're lying to us!"

"You messed this up for no one but yourself. Selfish."

"You're gonna come with me, or I'm gonna burn your disc."

"I am going to destroy L'Manberg. I am not going to rest until that entire country has been completely obliterated for what it did to us."

Tommy bit into his hand to stifle a scream of frustration and terror. The other hand pulled at his hair, and he could barely breathe. Around his own flesh, he whimpered, "Stop, stop, please. I don't want this. Make it stop. I never wanted any of this to happen."

"Tommy?" Kristen's voice rang out, making Tommy tense up. "Tommy, I can see you." Her voice was gentle as she moved closer. "Are you okay?"

Tommy moved his hands to his lap, holding them there. He took a deep breath to respond but only managed a hitched sob. Immediately, Kristen was at his side, pulling him into a hug.

"Bubba, what's wrong?"

"'M too old for that," Tommy managed in a whisper.

"You'll always be my little TomTom," Kristen said, running a hand through Tommy's hair. Her gentle, loving demeanor caused Tommy to start crying again in earnest. He clung onto her and started sobbing.

"I'm sorry, 'm sorry," Tommy cried. "I- I did a lot of bad stuff, Mum, an- and I hurt p-people. And I yelled at Dad and Wilby and Techie. And- and, I got into a war, and m-my friends and I all g-got hurt. It's my f-fault, I kn-know it is."

"Just let it all out, Tommy," Kristen said. She gently consoled Tommy as he continued to sob his heart out to her. A steady hand continued to run through his hair as she held him firmly.

Sometime later, after Tommy calmed down to sniffles and coughs, Kristen gently asked. "Do you feel a bit better, Toms?" Tommy nodded against her shoulder. "Do you think you want to go back to the house?" Another nod.

"Okay," Kristen said. She gently helped Tommy to his feet and, despite him being taller than her, let him lean on her for support.

The sun had gone completely down, Tommy realized when they reached the house. He slammed the door open, ignoring his puffy face and red eyes, and shouted, "What's up, bitches?!"

He was immediately tackled into a hug by Wilbur, who started fretting over him.

"I'm so, so sorry, Tommy," Wilbur said, gently running his thumbs over Tommy's sore cheeks. "I know a lot must have been going on, and I don't remember most of it. You had to deal with so much, Tommy. And the fact that I was part of your pain... it tears me up inside." He placed a kiss on the top of Tommy's head. "I'm so fucking sorry."

Techno approached once Wilbur pulled away. He put his hands on Tommy's shoulders, expression solemn. "I would also like to apologize, Tommy. We... I let meaningless things get between us in a way they shouldn't have. But I meant it when I said that you've proven yourself. You have, time and time again, and nobody has noticed it yet. So I'll be the first." A smile came onto Techno's face. "Tommy, you've done more than enough for your friends, your family, and for L'Manburg. It's about time you rest."

Tommy had to blink away the fresh wave of tears that came to his eyes at that. He managed a smile of his own before pulling both of his brothers into a hug. He held them as tight as he was able. When they pulled away, Phil came forward.

"Tommy, I know I haven't been the best father to you," Phil started, "but I promise I'll make it up to you. I'll stay by your side this time - all of us will. It's going to be hard, but we'll get history sorted out, mate."

Tommy found himself nodding as Phil pulled him in for a hug. He returned the hug firmly. "Thank you. All of you."

"Of course, Tommy."

"Anytime."

"We're family; it's what we're for."

"You deserve the best, Toms."

Tommy let out a light laugh as he got hair ruffles and back pats from several different hands. "Alright, alright, enough sappy shit. I haven't eaten in ages, and I'm starving!"

That caused laughter to erupt around him, and Tommy joined in. Kristen and Phil warmed up leftovers from their own dinner, and the five sat around the table to talk and eat.

It felt like his childhood again, and Tommy was relishing every second of it.

The next morning, Tommy woke up feeling groggy. He blinked his eyes open before immediately squinting them against the sun. How late was it?

He pushed his covers off, stood, then stretched. Letting out a yawn, Tommy left the bedroom he had once shared with Wilbur and Techno, then made his way towards the stairs. Quiet conversation drifted towards the upstairs.

"... need to figure out what to do," Phil was saying. "Do we know what happens next?"

Tommy cleared his throat as he came down the stairs. "I can be of help with that, I think."

Wilbur, Techno, and Phil were sitting at the table. Techno looked over with Tommy's entrance. "Ah, so he lives."

"You know it, bitch," Tommy exclaimed. He threw himself down into a chair. "So. Jack Manifold and Quackity are joining next. So does Karl, but before he joined, I had a bit of a... disagreement with Dream."

"What did you do?" Phil asked, raising a brow.

"I might have, maybe, run over Dream with a minecart," Tommy said. "But it wasn't on purpose! He couldn't hear me, so I ended up killing him on the tracks. We called it the Railway Skirmish. I tried to use his stuff to get my disc back from him - and I tried for the one he gave Skeppy - but it didn't work."

"Oh, I remember this!" Wilbur exclaimed. "It was during peacetime, and you called me to get me to help you with negotiating. It didn't work, and you were being dumb."

"Yes, Wilbur, I am aware," Tommy said, flicking Wilbur's elbow. "Anyway, I ended up getting the leather of his horse, Spirit. I thought it was leverage, but..." He shook his head, then looked between his family members. "The only thing Dream cares about is power. When he has my discs, he has authority over me because he knows that I'll do anything to get them back. He cared about Wilbur blowing up L'Manburg because that would give him control over its citizens. Giving L'Manburg its freedom, for real, gave Dream more power because he could threaten it if people stepped out of line."

"He helped me when I was executed," Techno said. "He led me to where I could find a Totem of Undying. You heard the conversation before we left the future, Tommy. He kept me alive so that I would be there to destroy L'Manburg for him."

Tommy nodded. "Yeah. Dream will do anything if it's in his best interest."

"Tommy," Wilbur started hesitantly, "how did you get such a good read on Dream?"

Tommy let out a hollow laugh. "You don't wanna know. You really, honestly don't." He let his elbows rest on the table, his hands covering his face. "So much happened to me while I was exiled, and you all just abandoned me until I actively sought Techno out."

"Tommy..." Phil said softly. "It's not that we meant to. Things just... happened. Techno was building his own base, I ended up under house arrest. Ghostbur-"

"I forgot," Wilbur said, reaching out to hold Tommy's arm gently. "You can call me Ghostbur if you want, but the fact is that I forgot about your pain. And it's awful - I forgot anything that I found unpleasant. I even forgot Fundy was my son for a short while there. I forgot about him growing up, and I hate it." He let out a laugh, similar to Tommy's. "I hate what I had become. But we have a chance to fix it, Tommy."

"That's right," Phil said, scooting his chair closer to Tommy's. "And we'll be with you the whole time. We're right here."

Techno laid a hand on Tommy's head. "What they said."

Tommy smiled softly behind his hands. Their little family still had some things to talk about and work on, but that could come later.

"Alright, so, planning," Tommy said awkwardly. He lowered his hands, and they found one of Wilbur's and another of Phil's. None of them mentioned it.

"We need to make sure you keep your discs," Wilbur said. "No handing them away as a symbol of trust this time. If Dream has no way of getting them, then he has no way of using them against you or us or L'Manburg."

"That means that he will stop at nothing to get them, though," Phil said. "Are you sure you can handle that?"

Tommy took a deep breath, then nodded. "I have to. There's no other way." He shook his head. "Anyway, we can avoid the Railway Skirmish entirely if I don't build a track. Then there was the Pet War, where Sapnap killed Niki's fox, Fungi, and one of my cows." He then jumped up. "Oh my god, my cows! They're still alive - I can go see them!"

"Sit down," Techno said, pushing Tommy back into his seat. "You can do that when you return to the SMP. I swear, it's like you have ants in your pants. What happened after that?"

"I stole Sapnap's fish in retaliation for killing Harold," Tommy said. "Then we got an apology from Sapnap, and I think I gave him the fish back. I'm not sure."

"You're not sure?" Phil said. "How can you not be sure?"

"I may have, at a later date, released a fish into the ocean," Tommy said. "But that was a long time ago. And it hasn't even happened yet! I have no idea how we're going to stop the Pet War from happening since Sapnap started it."

"We could try telling Sapnap not to," Wilbur said. "I'm not sure if it would work, but we could try."

"The only way he'd listen is if we had something of his or if we started it," Tommy said. "And I don't want to do that. We're trying to stop that shit from happening." He sighed. "The only problem with the Pet War is that it drove wedges between people. Punz and Fundy, then Sapnap and Niki. Sapnap kind of made himself an enemy during the Pet War."

"Maybe we can get to the pets first," Phil said. "To try and protect them."

"But how can we do that without making everyone mad at us?" Tommy asked.

"We just tell them that we're protecting the pets," Techno said. "Easy."

Tommy frowned, considering it. "Yeah, I get that, but how?"

"We could set up a pet daycare!" Wilbur exclaimed, grinning. "It'll be a lot of fun! And we have to make sure that the pets don't hurt each other, of course. It can't be on L'Manburg territory, or people will suspect that something is up. I think it'll work!"

"Okay, then we... have a plan," Tommy said. "For now, at least. I don't know how we're going to tackle the election. But... we'll cross that bridge when we get there."

Quiet settled between them for a few moments before Kristen walked into the room. She blinked tiredly before looking at Phil.

"Have you made breakfast yet?"

"No, we were busy talking," Phil said sheepishly.

Kristen shook her head, sighing fondly. "What am I to do with you?" She smiled at the three brothers. "Good morning. What sounds good for breakfast?"

"Literally anything, I'm starving," Tommy said.

"If you make it, it'll taste great," Wilbur agreed. Techno simply hummed.

Kristen laughed before heading into the kitchen. Soon, breakfast was made, served, and eaten, and later that day, Kristen saw the four to the edges of the family land.

"Be safe, and try not to get into too much trouble," Kristen said, hugging each one in turn.

"We'll try," Techno said.

Then they set out. And then, the four reached Dream SMP lands.

"You two ready?" Wilbur asked. "Hacked in and everything?"

"Yup," Techno said.

"All set here," Phil agreed.

Tommy and Wilbur entered the realm. Then, their communicators buzzed as the other two followed.

<Technoblade as joined the game.>

<Ph1LzA has joined the game.>

<Tubbo_: what>

<The_Eret: WTF>

<ItsFundy: Philza?>

<BadBoyHalo: WHAT THE FREAK>

<Dream: welcome to the SMP>

They had made it in. It was time to really start changing shit.

Chapter Text

Phil had never seen the SMP this early on. It was strange seeing L'Manburg with its walls. His joining before hadn't been in the best circumstances. Everything that happened after had derailed any hopes of returning L'Manburg to its former glory.

Everyone in the SMP's lands had flocked to Techno and Phil when they joined, curious and confused.

"You didn't tell us you were bringing Phil and Techno," Tubbo had exclaimed.

"We forgot to warn you in advance," Wilbur said.

Phil looked around and spotted Fundy. The little fox cub hybrid Wilbur had brought to him, pleading for help, was now an adult. Even more so than before, with Phil's rushed and drama-filled entrance, he could see the man Fundy had grown into. Yet he held an innocence to him that he hadn't had by the time Phil had seen him. War and betrayal did that to a person, Phil supposed.

"Phil, it's so nice to see you again," Fundy said, amazed. "I can't believe you're here."

"I am indeed here," Phil said, vaguely gesturing to himself.

"Yeah! I just-  wow. " Fundy let out a soft breath.

Phil laughed lightly, ruffling the fur on the top of Fundy's head. "It's great seeing you, too, kid. Glad to be here."

Tubbo then exclaimed about a tour before leading the group away from the central area of the realm. Phil had been shown around before, but there had been much more built. He glanced at Techno - his eldest had never been given a proper tour of L'Manburg and the surrounding area, to his knowledge. This was the perfect time for Techno to become comfortable. They had a long road ahead of them, after all.

When the tour was finished, Tubbo turned to Phil and Techno. "Alright, so there are a few ground rules. Most of them are ignored half the time, but I thought I might tell you anyway. One: no killing without a valid reason. Two: no griefing or stealing unless provoked. Three: no excessive villager trading. Four: no flying - Phil, you might need to talk to Dream about that one. And five; no attempting to go to The End."

"Sounds reasonable enough," Phil said, mind already drifting to Dream's repeated sessions of cutting his flight feathers.

Tommy grabbed onto Tubbo's arm. "Enough boring shit, I'm gonna go say hi to my cows then do something fun with Tubbo. I'll see you losers later."

Then Tommy ran off, dragging Tubbo with him and leaving Phil and Techno with Wilbur.

Wilbur shook his head, sighing, before giving Techno and Phil a smile. "Come on, we should make a home for you guys. We'll have to decide where it is, of course, but that isn't too difficult."

"I was thinking of going off on my own again," Techno said. "Lone ranger style. Maybe people will leave me alone this time."

"Try not to blow shit up, then maybe," Wilbur teased. "I'm sure the only reason they didn't hunt me down was because I was already dead."

Techno shrugged noncomittally. "If you say so. I'll try to stay close by in case you guys need my help, though."

"I'll make a house in L'Manburg, sure," Phil said. "Just make sure they don't put me on house arrest this time, and we'll be fine."

Wilbur nodded. "At this point, we're looking to keep the peace." He paused, mulling over his thoughts. "Hey, Techno, I have a question for you."

"Shoot."

"You had a conversation one on one with Tommy, right?" Wilbur asked. At Techno's nod, he continued, "Did he... ever agree with blowing up L'Manburg?"

"Yeah... he did, in a round-about way," Techno said carefully. "Did he do that with you, too?"

Wilbur nodded with a frown. "Between his ranting back at home and that, I'm kind of worried about him."

Phil put a hand on one of each of his sons' shoulders. "I'm sure he's just stressed, you two. He has a lot of shit goin' on in his head that he needs to work through."

"I don't know, Phil," Wilbur said. "Things got really hard for him during his exile. He got really close to killing himself several times." Wilbur put his hands to his face. "I can't believe I forgot about Tommy. He was going through so much, and I just forgot. I left him to deal with it on his own. How did he ever do it?"

"Clearly, it wasn't easy," Techno said. "He came to me with literally nothing except the rags on his back and the stuff he stole from me."

Phil hummed, letting himself frown. Tommy definitely had a lot going on, and now wasn't the time to let him deal with it alone. Phil had barely visited when Tommy was in exile. Not all of it was entirely his fault, but that shouldn't have stopped him. He needed to make it up to his youngest.

With a hardened resolve, Phil nodded minutely. "Alright, I'll talk to him, see what I can do."

"Alright, but be careful," Wilbur said. "He's... fragile, right now." He shook his head. "I never wanted to think of Tommy as fragile."

"Our Theseus, right?" Techno proposed. Wilbur nodded.

Phil took a breath. "I'll help him, I promise."

Phil later found Tommy sitting on his bench, long after his disc had stopped playing and the sun had gone down. There weren't signs of crying on his face, but his eyes were distant. Clearly, Tommy's mind was elsewhere.

"You mind if I sit here?" Phil asked.

Tommy blinked as if Phil had knocked him out of a trance. He blinked twice more, then moved to give Phil space. Silence sat between them for several seconds.

"Tommy," Phil started, "I wanted to ask how you were doing."

Tommy shrugged. "I kind of yelled all my feelings out already at you and the others. For now, I think I'm... almost okay."

"Almost?"

"Yeah," Tommy sighed. "It's just... in exile, Dream manipulated me. I meant that. He would make me blow up my items - my hard-earned armor and tools. He would tell me that it was better that way. He- he said he was my friend, but friends don't do that to each other. In the end, he only visited to keep an eye on me."

Phil moved closer, wrapping an arm around Tommy. The teen leaned into Phil as he kept talking.

"Dream warped my sense of thinking. I was so close to doing something awful, Phil. Sometimes, I wonder if I should've." Tommy fell silent, trying to breathe, before continuing, "People visited me while I was asleep or out mining. They left gifts - maybe it was out of pity, I don't know. But... Ranboo and I talked through letters. He visited me a lot. I think... he might have been my one  true  friend that whole time."

Phil let out a sigh. "Yeah, Toms, I know. It must've been hard, and I'm sorry I wasn't there for you more." He squeezed Tommy a bit firmer. "But I'm here now, and I'm going to help you from here on out. If anything happens, or if you think anything like this again, I'm here for you. So are Techno and Wil. We can and will help you. I promise."

Tommy nodded. "Thank you, Dad. I'm so,  so  fucking glad you're here. And I know I yelled at you, and I'm sorry for that, but-"

"Don't be," Phil interrupted. "Even if it wasn't the way you wanted it to come out, I'm glad you told us. We can't know you're hurting unless you say something."

Tommy fell silent after that. Phil was content to keep holding him for as long as he needed. Soon, though, Phil realized how late it was getting. As he made to say something, though, he noticed that Tommy had fallen asleep. Chuckling softly, Phil pulled Tommy into his arms and carried him toward his home.

"Alright, boys, I got a pep in me step," Tommy exclaimed, bouncing around next to Tubbo. "Let's get some shit done! We should start with expanding L'Manburg today, don't you think?"

"That sounds good," Wilbur said. "Dream had agreed that we could, seeing as we're still technically part of the SMP. What did you have in mind?"

"Okay, this is gonna sound crazy, but hear me out," Tommy said. "We should take down the walls."

" What?  Tommy, are you alright?" Tubbo asked. "You've been acting really weird - you would never want to take down the walls."

"Pshhh, I'm fine," Tommy said. "I just think that, since we're in peaceful times now, there's no need for the walls. We have nothing to hide from, and there's no reason to keep our defense up. It'll help establish trust between L'Manburg and the rest of the SMP."

"Now hold on, Tommy," Tubbo said carefully. "Don't you think it could give the citizens the wrong message? They stand for so much - all that we fought for, all that we lost."

"I think Tommy has a bit of a point," Phil refuted. "I don't mean to speak out of line, but that war is over. You've fought and won, and there's no need to defend L'Manburg with such intensity anymore. If people are against it, we can explain why we're doing it, okay? And if enough people don't want to, then we won't."

Tubbo paused for a moment, thinking. Then, he slowly nodded. "Alright, I suppose. That makes sense."

"See?" Tommy asked rhetorically. "Plus, it'll make expansion much simpler. We'll meet up with Fundy and Jack Manifold, and they can help us."

"Once the walls are down, we can start moving more people into L'Manburg," Wilbur said. "We can make Phil's house first."

"We could rebuild the Camar Van," Tubbo proposed. "It was sort of destroyed by Eret."

"Sounds like a good deal!" Tommy exclaimed. "Time to get to work, boys."

With that, the group started taking down L'Manburg's walls. Phil had joined after the walls were already gone, removed at Schlatt's command. Fundy and Jack Manifold questioned why, and Wilbur gave the explanation of expansion.

"As Phil told Tubbo earlier, we've won our war, and we want to encourage relationships with the Greater Dream SMP," he had said. He gave Fundy a questioning look. "Unless you want to keep the walls. After we decide how far to expand, we can put them back up."

"Try not to tread on Eret's toes," Tommy said from atop the wall. "I don't think they'd be happy about that. I know they were a dick before, betraying us and all, but having good relationships include them."

Wilbur hummed, nodding. He looked toward Fundy and Jack Manifold. "So? What do you think?"

"I think it's worth trying for the moment," Fundy said carefully, eying his father. "We can see what happens after that, and that'll determine whether or not we should rebuild the walls elsewhere."

Wilbur smiled, reaching out to hold Fundy's shoulder. "Alright. Thank you, Fundy."

Phil echoed Wilbur's expression. Things were working out, slowly but surely.

Chapter Text

Techno let out a breath, admiring his house from a distance. He had built it on a mountain not too far from the SMP. It looked nearly the same as his old one - only the materials were different.

Techno turned to look at the landscape. He could just barely see a few towers on the Dream SMP lands from where he was. There was an abundance of space he could use for any farms. The mountain would be easy to build another vault into - just in case. They would need Withers if shit hit the fan.

In the distance, Techno could see two figures - a tall blond and a shorter brunet. Tommy and Tubbo, most likely. Tubbo wanted to make sure Techno was settling in well, apparently. Tommy was accompanying him to show him where Techno had made his house.

The gremlins are coming.

Tommy and Tubbo friends again?

Hella pog.

Gremlin Gang!

"Yo, Big T!" Tommy shouted when they got to the base of the mountain. "We're here, bruv!"

"I can see that," Techno called back, voice echoing across the landscape. He climbed down the mountain using the path he had made. When he came face-to-face with the two teens, he raised a brow. "Why are you pouting, Tommy?"

"He was complaining about having to walk the whole way," Tubbo said. "I told him to make a railway or something instead, and he started fighting me on it. I made several valid points, and now Tommy is upset about it."

Techno hummed, thinking about the next event in the timeline, the Railway Skirmish. He shrugged. "I mean, do whatever you want. I'll probably stay out here the whole time either way."

"Yeah, but the point is that I'll be visiting," Tommy whined. "You chose a place that's so far."

"Better than in the Antarctic, isn't it?" Techno smirked, raising a brow.

Tommy pressed his lips into a thin line, staring at Techno. A moment later, he shook his head. "I guess. But still, there has to be something better than a minecart track." He let out a sigh.

Tubbo laughed lightly. "Just admit that you might as well just make a railway. You can connect it to the vacation home you're building."

"But that's all the way on the other side of the SMP," Tommy groaned. "That's like, so much iron. I'd have mine for a whole week to get that much, even with all that I already have."

"Aw, don't worry about it, Toms," Tubbo grinned, patting Tommy's back. "I'll help you."

Kill Dream.

Run him over! TrainInnit!

Get rid of the homeless green man.

E E E.

Riot! Anarchy!

Kill the green man!

Blood for the Blood God!

E!

Tommy pouted again. "I really don't want to build a railway."

"Sorry, Tommy, but elytras aren't allowed, so it's the only way to move quickly," Tubbo said. He smiled at Techno. "Sorry, I completely forgot why we came. How're you settling in?"

"Fine enough, I suppose," Techno said, resolutely ignoring the growing chants in his head. "My house is fully built now, and I'm making plans for farms. It's the best it can be for now." He eyed the two teens. "How's the wall situation going?"

"Better," Tubbo said. "Niki wasn't entirely pleased, but once Wilbur explained and said that should anything happen, the walls would go back up, she agreed. We built Phil's house, too - that was fun."

"Sounds like we've all been busy," Techno said. He looked at Tommy. "I think that maybe you should build a railway. Just try not to run anyone over."

Tommy frowned further, letting out a whine. "Okay, okay, fine. I'll build a railway, but the second things go south, I'm done with it."

Tubbo gave Tommy a confused look. "What makes you think that?"

"Just... a hunch," Tommy said evasively.

"Okay then..." Tubbo said, drawing out the vowels. "Time to get started on the tracks, then."

"Let me know when you guys are done," Techno said. "I'm gonna go start my farm."

"Alright, have fun, Techno," Tommy said. Techno turned to go back up the mountain while the two teens started discussing how to build the railway.

Techno watched Tommy place down the last few rails. It had taken about two days to finish the track, and it led from Techno's base to Tommy's house just outside L'Manburg. From Tommy's main house, it went to his vacation home. A good portion of the rail was underground, but some of it was above ground, too. That was what seemed to make Tommy nervous.

Tommy turned to Techno. "Alright, time to test this bitch out. Wanna share a minecart?"

"Tommy, you know that we are both too tall-" Techno sighed. "Nevermind. Sure, we can try."

Tommy nodded, then placed down the minecart. Techno got in first, then Tommy squeezed into the space in front of him.

"Ready?" Techno said, hand hovering over the button.

"Yeah," Tommy said, gripping onto the front of the cart. He had his pickaxe ready to be used at any moment.

Technotrain!

Choo-choo, motherfuckers.

This will end horribly.

Run over the homeless green man!

E.

Did you know that nearly 1,000 people die in railroad accidents every year?

I'm in my bro's minecart, choo-choo.

Ignoring the voices, Techno pressed the button. With the power of an excessive amount of powered rails, the minecart went speeding down the track. Tommy let out a scream that tapered into laughter as they went, and Techno barked out a laugh of his own.

The cart raced through the tunnel Tommy dug out underground, and the sounds echoed around them. It gave Techno an exciting thrill to be going at this speed. He couldn't stop the manic grin that came onto his face.

Soon, they ran into the end of the track at Tommy's dirt hut. Tommy moved the cart from one rail to the other, a block in place to stop anyone going from Techno's base to Tommy's vacation house if they didn't want to.

With the minecart moved, the two brothers squeezed back in, Techno pushed them off, and they went flying along the track. The cart raced through a tunnel before breaking out into open space again. The rails followed along the ground closely for a while. At some point, though, it crossed a zig-zagging bridge that happened to be over water. And there, in his green hoodie and porcelain smile mask, stood Dream. He seemed to be doing something in his inventory, wholly unaware of his impending doom.

500 points to hit the green man!

Revenge! Chaos, anarchy!

Kill the homeless green blob!

Blood for the Blood God!

Run 'im over!

In contrast to the voices screaming for Dream's death, Tommy tensed between Techno's knees. He shoved the pickaxe through the rail and block in front of them. The cobblestone broke. The minecart was sent careening towards the water, taking Techno and Tommy with it. Tommy screeched rather loudly, and Techno gripped the sides of the car, bracing for impact.

Holy shit!

Divebomb!

Protect Tommy.

Get him to land.

Go back up there and beat the green bastard senseless.

Get the gremlin boy!

He's like a drowned raccoon.

Yeah, like a bullied squirrel.

Electing to ignore the voices with the current circumstances, Techno pushed himself out of the minecart as it hit the water. He wrapped his arms around Tommy's torso to pull him to the surface. Once they broke it, Techno took in a large gasp of air, Tommy following suit after a few coughs.

It didn't escape Techno's notice how Tommy was clinging to him, shaking. He held onto the blond a little tighter.

"Techno, Tommy, why are you in the water?"

Techno sent Dream half of a glare. "Because you started spacing out on a freaking railway! Have a bit of spatial recognition, dude."

"T-Techno..?" Tommy whispered.

"Yeah, it's me, Toms," Techno said quietly. He started swimming them back to shore. Halfway there, Tommy began kicking his legs to help them go faster.

Once they were on the bank, Tommy flopped onto the sand, taking Techno down with him. Techno took the time to soothe Tommy, sitting them both up carefully.

"Are you doing okay, Tommy?" Techno asked.

"Yeah, yeah," Tommy managed. "I'm doing okay. I just... would wake up in the water sometimes in exile. That, compared with Dream right there, I think I panicked a bit." He took a deep breath before giving Techno a shaky grin. "The track turned out pretty great if I do say so myself. Other than that mishap."

Techno ruffled Tommy's hair. "That's good." He pushed himself to his feet, frowning at the wet state of himself. "We'll have to go dry off."

"That's fine," Tommy said, trying to stop sand from sticking to him. He also stood. "After we do that, we-" He cut himself off suddenly, staring at something over Techno's shoulder, eyes wide. "D-Dream, hi."

Techno turned around to see the masked man himself. The green-clad figure was frowning where Techno could see his face.

"Are you two alright? You took quite the fall."

"We're fine, thanks," Techno said tersely.

He ain't got no home!

Don't listen to him, Techno.

Punch him! Violence is the answer!

Remember when he tried to take Tommy?

Yikes.

"I'm sorry I made you two fall," Dream said cooly, a slight frown on his face. "Is there anything I could do to help?"

A hand curled into the back of Techno's shirt - Tommy, no doubt - as the elder piglin hybrid shook his head. "It's alright, Dream. We can manage." He turned to take Tommy by the shoulder. "C'mon, Toms."

Tommy's shoulders were shaking, and Techno wasn't sure if he could pinpoint why.

"Let's go see how Wilbur is doing," Techno said softly.

Tommy nodded.

"So, how exactly is this supposed to work?" Phil asked.

"Basically, people check in their pets here, and then the pets are allowed to either play inside or outside," Wilbur said, directing his brothers and father around. "Niki helped set everything up. She was really excited to help out with this."

"Considering how unsure she was with the walls, I was worried she wouldn't come around," Tommy said.

Wilbur shrugged. "It is how it is, sometimes. Have you already got your cows in the back?"

"Yeah, they seemed interested in everything," Tommy said.

"So... we just let everyone know that it's open for business?" Techno said.

"Pretty much," Wilbur said. "I was a bit worried about how much to charge - or if I should do it at all. Niki said it might be best to make it free."

"Good on her," Phil said. "We'll seem more open to people that way."

Wilbur pulled out his communicator and typed out a message. Techno's own device buzzed in his pocket.

<WilburSoot: The Dream SMP pet daycare is officially open for business!>

<ItsFundy: Awesome>

<Tubbo_: That's so cool!>

<Nihachu: I'll be by in a bit, Wil!>

<awesamdude: sounds like fun>

"Now we just have to wait," Wilbur said.

"I hope Sapnap isn't a dumbass this time," Tommy muttered.

"Well, it's on us if anything happens, now," Techno pointed out. "Since the pets are under our protection."

Tommy groaned. "Fuck."

Phil laughed. "It'll be fine, Tommy."

As the voices shouted about the pet daycare, Techno looked at his family. He had denied them being related to him before. With a complete rewrite of history, maybe he wouldn't have to do that this time.

Chapter Text

Wilbur jolted awake with a gasp, explosions ringing in his ears and gunpowder burning his nose. His breaths came quick and shallow, and he was shaking where he was gripping sheets. Sitting up, Wilbur took several deep breaths. With a glance around, he remembered he was staying in Phil's newly-built house.

Wilbur pushed away his covers and stood. The sun was just barely peeking over the horizon. Sleeping on the other bed in the room was Fundy. Seeing him made Wilbur smile softly. His son looked so fragile like this. He still carried a semblance of innocence, without the betrayal and pain of the future. Shaking his head, Wilbur left the room, promising to himself not to let Fundy become damaged.

Wilbur crept down the stairs, habitually stepping over a stair that always squeaked in their childhood home. When he got to the bottom, he wasn't exactly surprised to see Phil up and making breakfast.

"Good morning, Phil," Wilbur said softly.

Phil looked up and smiled. "Morning, Wil. You're up surprisingly early."

Half-forgotten memories flashed through Wilbur's head. He tried for a smile, but it was closer to a grimace. Phil winced in sympathy.

"Yeah, I understand," Phil said. "Go ahead and take a seat. I made sure to make enough for the three of us."

"I was thinking of cleaning up a bit before eating," Wilbur said hesitantly. "We are officially taking in pets today, after all. I want to be presentable.

Phil laughed at that. "Alright, sure. You know where the shower is."

Wilbur nodded his thanks, smiling easier now, before heading to the bathroom. Making sure to grab some clean clothes, he entered the room quietly. Stripping off the pajamas, Wilbur stared at himself in the mirror. A hand ran across his chest where a gaping wound should have been. A scar was missing from his side. There was a scar that marred the smooth skin of his stomach, though.

Three canon deaths, a voice that wasn't his whispered.

He had gone insane, another mocked.

Be nice, he doesn't remember.

Wilbur looked around frantically. No one else was there. "Phil?!"

"Yeah?"

"Did you hear anything?!"

"No. Why?"

The voices were gone as soon as they appeared. Wilbur sighed, shaking his head. "No reason, just wondering!" He went about his shower, dismissing what had happened as a trick of his tired mind.

He would later figure out that maybe he shouldn't have.

"And you're sure they'll be okay?" Tubbo asked, handing his beehive to Wilbur.

"Absolutely," Wilbur said, smiling. "We'll make sure none of them are harmed and that they stay at the daycare."

"Make sure they stay separated from Punz's bees," Tubbo said. "They might attack if they feel threatened."

"Of course, of course," Wilbur said. "They're in safe hands, I promise. Niki and I will protect them."

Tubbo grinned, giving Wilbur a brief hug. "Thank you so much, Wil!" When he pulled back, he ran out of the daycare to where Tommy was waiting. Hopefully, the two boys wouldn't get into too much trouble.

Wilbur got Tubbo's bees situated in one of the glass domes set up before returning to Niki. She was introducing Fungi to some of the dogs. After an initial bump, the animals hit it off and were soon playing together. They darted around the enclosure, chasing each other and running under Harold and Henry's hooves. Henry snuffed Fungi away, flicking his tail.

Niki smiled at Wilbur as he came up beside her. "This was a great idea, Wil. It went surprisingly well, and everyone loves it. Even Ponk brought a couple of cats."

"I had help from Tommy, in complete honesty," Wilbur said. "With the idea, at least. Phil helped me build it."

"I should thank them, then," Niki said, watching the pets play. "I was wanting to open a bakery soon. I could use some sweets to do it."

Wilbur nodded. A moment later, his communicator buzzed. He pulled it out to see a message from Tommy telling him to go to spawn. He smiled sheepishly at Niki. "Tommy just messaged me. He said he needs me for something. Do you think you can hold down the fort?"

"Of course, Wilbur," Niki said. "I'll keep everything under control."

"Thank you so much," Wilbur said, pulling Niki into a hug. "I owe you for this."

"It's no big deal," Niki said. "Go see Tommy."

Wilbur nodded again, then left the daycare to meet Tommy. When he got there, he was met with confusion from both teens.

"You're..." Tommy trailed off, something unpleasant entering his gaze.

"You're not wearing the L'Manburg uniform," Tubbo said.

Wilbur looked down. He was in Ghostbur's signature yellow sweater - well, it was his before it was Ghostbur's - and had a beanie on. In contrast, the two in front of him were still in their revolutionary garb. "Yeah. Figured it was time for a change. You know, we won our independence! We've proven our point."

"Yeah..." Tommy said softly, holding himself. His expression was haunted, and he made to speak before stopping. Tommy straightened, shaking his head. "Anyway, I called you out here because Quackity is joining today. He messaged me to meet him. You remember Big Q, right?"

"You... did some kind of drug operation with him recently, right?" Wilbur said. "You called him, and it was you, Tubbo, and Jack."

Tubbo nodded, grinning. "Yeah! We got Dream's permission to let him on the server."

"Sounds like fun," Wilbur said slowly. "Why do you need me here?"

Tommy and Tubbo shared a glance, and Wilbur had a feeling they had managed to learn how to speak without actually speaking. After a moment, Tubbo nodded. Tommy sighed.

"Quackity becomes power-hungry after you blow up L'Manburg," Tommy stated firmly. "Dream said that he was more of a president than Tubbo. Apparently, there was some kind of plot to bring Schlatt back? Or something? I'm not sure - I was in exile when it all went down. Phil had only heard about it."

"Okay..." Wilbur said carefully. "So we should try to tamp down on that."

Tommy shook his head. "No. If L'Manburg is blown up again, then we let it die. Dream was going to destroy it in the future we left. Eret said it was never meant to be, and I'm starting to think that they were right. Quackity needs his own country to run."

"If I may," Tubbo interrupted quietly, "but if I know Quackity, then he might not know what he wants right away. We have to make him realize what he wants."

Wilbur blinked. He fixed Tommy with a half glare. "Why does Tubbo know what we're talking about?"

"I... may have told him some stuff," Tommy said, slipping behind his friend. "Okay, I told him everything. But I promise he hasn't told anyone!"

"The secret is safe with me," Tubbo said, grinning, and an image of Tubbo as a spy flashes through Wilbur's head.

Child soldiers, something whispers.

Forced to fight, all they know is violence.

He just wanted to help! Another voice was yelling.

"Tommy told me everything that happened - will happen," Tubbo said, pulling Wilbur out of his head. "I... may or may not have cornered him and made him tell me, though."

"He cried and apologized and everything," Tommy said. He rolled his eyes, but a smile graced his lips. "So clingy."

"Says you!" Tubbo laughed, gently pushing Tommy. In response, the blond screeched and lunged at Tubbo.

"Boys, boys," Wilbur said, also smiling now. He gently separated the two. "Okay, so what's the gameplan with Quackity?"

"Keep him on our side," Tommy said. "He's a force to be reckoned with."

"We can put Quackity in the cabinet?" Tubbo suggested. "It'll help him realize that he wants power."

Wilbur hummed, thinking. "He ended up making El'Rapids in the original timeline. If I'm remembering correctly, that is. We should let him make his own country and support him. Should we just... tell him to make a country?"

Tommy let out a groan. "This is making my brain hurt. Why is everything so complicated?"

Tubbo laughed, patting Tommy's shoulder. He looked at Wilbur. "If I'm being entirely honest, I think we need to let Quackity do his own thing for a bit. We can see if the changes you've already made will do anything."

"I suppose you're right," Wilbur sighed. This was going to be more difficult than he thought. "Did you guys need anything else?"

"No, that's all," Tommy said, waving Wilbur off. "Go back to flirting with Niki."

"I do not flirt with Niki," Wilbur exclaimed, cheeks flushing. Tommy raised a brow, smirking, causing Wilbur to roll his eyes. "Whatever. See if I come the next time you call for help.

"I know you, Wil, cause we're like brothers," Tommy said, grinning.

"I will cry," Wilbur said, mostly joking. He flicked Tommy's ear before making his way to Phil's house. When he arrived, he found Phil and Fundy in the kitchen.

"Alright, you wanna set your timer for about 35 minutes," Phil was saying. "That way, you won't burn your cake."

"I'm not interrupting or anything, am I?" Wilbur asked, poking his head into the room.

"Not at all," Phil said, turning to smile at Wilbur. "Is there something you needed?"

Before Wilbur could respond, Fundy was speaking. "Actually, Grandpa, can I talk to Dad alone? Just for a few minutes."

Phil glanced between the two before nodding. He left the room, slipping past Wilbur. Fundy moved to the table, sitting down and gesturing for Wilbur to do the same. He did, anxious.

"Is... everything alright, Fundy?"

Fundy smiled, nodding. "Yeah, it's great. Phil's here, Tommy's been surprisingly patient recently, and you're being a good dad."

Wilbur winced, chuckling awkwardly. "Yeah... sorry for my past mistakes. I'm trying my best, Fundy."

"I know," Fundy said, reaching out to hold Wilbur's hand. "I know you are, and I couldn't be happier. But... I have a couple of things I wanted to ask."

"Go ahead."

"First, a bit ago, you said something about... being from the future?" Fundy said, tone unsure. "What's up with that?"

"It's... a long story," Wilbur sighed. "In all honesty, I don't remember much of anything involving... that." He looked up, thinking about Tubbo. Tommy had trusted him. Maybe Wilbur could trust Fundy. "Can you keep a secret?" At Fundy's nod, Wilbur took a deep breath. "Fundy, what I said was true. I am from the future. So are Tommy, Techno, and Phil. I don't know a lot that happened, because I died but... I do know I had gone insane and blew up L'Manburg. It was awful. I- I hurt you, and I h-hurt Tommy an-and-" He cut himself off, his breath hitching.

"Dad..." Fundy said softly. He squeezed Wilbur's hand a bit tighter. "I can't say I entirely believe you, but... it makes sense - in some weird way." He looked deep into Wilbur's eyes. "What about me?"

"I... I wasn't the greatest then," Wilbur said. "I patronized you, really - treated you like a child, and you're not. You denounced me as your father several times, and I can't blame you." He took another deep breath. "I'm sorry, Fundy."

Fundy smiled. He stood and moved to hug Wilbur. Wilbur took in a shaky breath, tears welling in his eyes. "It's okay, Dad. I forgive you."

And if Wilbur sobbed into his son's arms until he was exhausted, Phil would later reject having heard anything.

Chapter Text

"Okay, when Big Q joins, we greet him enthusiastically and like we weren't just plotting to fix his wrong-doings," Tommy said firmly.

Tubbo nodded. "Got it."

The two had a few more moments before their communicators buzzed in unison.

<Quackity has joined the game.>

"Epic," Tubbo said quietly, making Tommy snort.

Once he spotted Quackity's blue jacket - along with the small brown and white wings that always stayed hidden after Schlatt - Tommy grinned. "Oi, Big Q! How're you? It's been ages!"

"Tomás!" Quackity exclaimed, turning. "It's been a week. I'm doing great! How's the drug business going?"

Tommy wheezed out a laugh, punching Quackity's arm. "Shut up, that went horribly, and you know it."

Quackity laughed along before looking at Tubbo. "Hey, it's the Tubster! Keepin' this brat in line?"

"Yeah," Tubbo said, grinning. Tommy let out an exclamation of protest, which made all three burst into laughter again. Tubbo continued, "We should give you the tour, Big Q! It'll be fun!"

"Okay, yeah," Quackity said. "That sounds like a good idea!"

Tommy started leading the way toward the Community House. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!"

"Don't have to tell me twice!"

After a tour filled with chaos, the trio ended up at Techno's house. Several farms were made, including one for potatoes. Tommy rolled his eyes at seeing it.

"Talking pig obsessed with potatoes," he muttered under his breath, grinning slightly and choosing to ignore the fact that he could also be considering a "talking pig."

"Hm? Did you say something, Toms?" Tubbo asked.

Tommy shook his head. "Nothing important." He looked at Quackity. "Ready to meet Techno?"

"Wait, Techno?" Quackity stopped in his tracks. "The Technoblade?" At Tommy's nod, Quackity smiled nervously. "On second thought, I think I'm good. I'll go do something else. Thank you for the tour - it was great! Lots of fun, a blast. I'll see you two later."

Tommy grabbed onto Quackity's shoulders. "Now, hold on, Big Q. What's the problem?"

Quackity chuckled nervously. "What problem? No problem with me. Everything's perfectly okay! I just realized that meeting Techno isn't as interesting as I thought it'd be."

"Relax, Quackity, it'll be fine," Tubbo said, smiling gently. "He won't hurt you, I promise."

And Tommy's mind is filled with the image of Tubbo clinging to him, exclaiming that Wilbur had said Technoblade wouldn't hurt him. A sudden, burning dislike for both of his brothers welled up in Tommy's chest, and he found himself agreeing with Quackity.

"Tommy, Quackity, come on," Tubbo said, whining slightly. "Techno really isn't all that bad."

"I agree with Tubbo."

Tommy jumped, whipping around to find Techno standing there with a basket full of vegetables. He was missing his red cloak and wore a pair of glasses. Quackity let out a screech despite Techno's casual appearance and dove behind Tommy. Techno sighed softly, rolling his eyes.

"Good afternoon, you three," Techno said. "What brings you here?"

Quackity squeaked softly. "Oh, nothing. Just... walking around."

"We're showing Big Q around the server," Tubbo said. "Your cottage was the last place."

Tommy scowled at Techno. "And now you've seen each other. Tubbo, can we go yet?"

"No, stay for a bit," Techno said, moving past them. "I have something I should probably do with Quackity." He gave the trio a tusked grin. "He needs to get over the fear from Minecraft Mondays."

"Techno, I swear to god," Quackity started, "I'm going to freak out. Tommy, I'm freaking out - please don't make me do this."

"Calm down, Big Q, it'll be fine!" Tubbo answered for Tommy.

"Yeah, it'll be fun," Techno said. "Practice for real fights, right?"

Ten minutes later, Techno was chasing after Quackity with a sword, taunting him all the while. Tubbo watched nervously. Tommy was barely paying attention, lost in his thoughts and anger towards Techno forgotten.

"Hey, Tubbo?"

Tubbo looked over, momentarily distracted from their friends. "Yeah?"

Tommy managed a smile. "Thank you for literally everything you've done for me since I got here."

"Of course, Tommy," Tubbo said, smiling back. "What are friends for?"

Tommy nodded, looking at Techno and Quackity again. Hopefully, things would turn out okay. His thoughts drifted, and his conversation telling Tubbo about everything came to mind.

It had been a few nights before the day Quackity arrived. Tubbo and Tommy were heading to L'Manburg after working on Tommy's tower when Tubbo posed the question.

"Tommy, you've been acting strangely as of late. Are you okay?"

Tommy froze at that, a million thoughts running through his head. What was he supposed to say to that?! It wasn't like he could just give up his secret. But... Tubbo was his best friend, and he hadn't done any of the horrible things yet - neither of them had. Maybe..?

While Tommy was debating what to respond, Tubbo kept talking.

"I mean, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to," he was saying, "but I'm worried. You seem... really depressed? And you're quieter, and you wince more. I kind of expected it a bit after the war, and I'm sure I do it, too, but... Tommy, you're really different. I talked to Wilbur about it a while ago, and he pretty much told me you would talk about it when you were ready."

Tommy took a shaky breath, stopping. He looked at the wood of the Prime Path beneath his feet. "Tubbo, there is so much I want to tell you. Things that haven't happened yet, arguments we've had, actions that had consequences." He looked up to see Tubbo staring at him, confused. He smiled brokenly. "I want to tell you everything, Tubbo. But... it's a long story."

Tubbo put a hand on Tommy's shoulder, smiling softly. "We have time."

"We should get inside, first," Tommy said, taking Tubbo's hand. "Mobs will start coming for us if we don't."

Once they were situated in Tubbo's house with some hot chocolate for each of them, Tommy told Tubbo about everything. From the smallest things like the original Railway Skirmish to the larger events like his exile.

"Dream did such awful things to me after you exiled me," Tommy said, feeling numb. In contrast, Tubbo had tears silently rolling down his face. "He blew up my things, he manipulated me, he- he lied to me! Ghostbur gave you a compass leading to me, and he told me you threw it into a fire purposefully. I was later informed that it was blown up by a charged creeper, but the fact that he said that is... awful.

"I eventually ran away from Logsteadshire and started living with Techno for a while," Tommy continued. "I was with him for, like, a month before the Green Festival happened. I think the plan was that you and everyone left in L'Manburg were going to kill Dream, I don't know. It didn't work, though. The Community House was blown up, and Dream tried to pin it on me. You and I got into a fight. I told you- I said that the discs were worth more than you ever were, and-"

He cut himself off, taking a deep, shaking breath. "And I am so sorry, Tubbo. I never meant for any of it to happen. I just- I wanted my discs back. I needed to put an end to all of it. In the end, you gave Dream the disc that I had given you, that you had exiled me to keep. Because, at first, before I decided to be a complete idiot, Dream said it was either banish me or give him the discs. I had a lot of time to think, and I regret what I did. I ruined everything you were trying to build, Tubbo. Neither of us was ready for what we were made to do."

"We're just kids," Tubbo said softly, sniffling. "Child soldiers, and child presidents, in the future." He wiped his tears. "I'm sorry, Tommy. I haven't done those things yet, but... I could. And that's honestly terrifying. So... I'm sorry." He took Tommy's hand. "I'm going to help you. We can do it together."

Tommy smiled weakly, tears finally coming to his eyes. "Yeah, together."

Tommy was pulled out of his musing by Quackity barreling into him. He didn't move much, considering how much shorter Quackity was than him, which made him laugh.

"Hello, Big Q," he said. "Can I help you?"

"Tommy, make Techno stop!" Quackity whined.

Tommy laughed again, looking up to where Techno was standing. He had an amused expression on his face. "Alright, Tech, you've had your fun. Leave the poor man alone."

Techno rolled his eyes, sheathing his sword. "I didn't even kill him!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Tommy said, turning around. "See ya later, Techno! Family dinner at Phil's tomorrow night!"

"I know," Techno called.

Tommy then led Tubbo and Quackity away from the mountain. "Did you have fun, Big Q?"

"No! It was awful, and I'm never doing it again," Quackity said, the smallest of smiles gracing his face.

"Mhm, sure," Tubbo grinned. "You keep telling yourself that." 

"Anyway, where do you think you'll make your house, Quackity?" Tommy asked.

Quackity shrugged. "I'll figure it out, I guess. I can room with one of you two if you don't mind."

"Yeah, let's be roomies!" Tubbo exclaimed excitedly. "But, wait- would that make you a L'Maburg citizen?"

"I mean, am I allowed to be a citizen?" Quackity asked.

Tommy's rejection of Quackity's request the first time around flashed through Tommy's head. It had strained their relationship for a long time, up until Quackity joined Pogtopia.

"I'll have to ask Wilbur later," Tommy said.

"Looks like you can ask him now." Tubbo gestured to the figure running towards them as they stepped onto the Prime Path.

"Tommy! Good, I found you!" Wilbur said, slightly out of breath. "I've been looking everywhere. Oh, good, you have Tubbo with you. And Quackity! It's a pleasure meeting you properly."

"Same to you," Quackity said, nodding.

"What did you need us for?" Tubbo asked.

"Well, I know how important you two are to each other," Wilbur started. "I mean, you've barely left each other's side since Phil adopted Tubbo. So, I decided to make you two these compasses!" He presented one compass to Tommy and another to Tubbo. They were exactly like the ones from before - maybe Wilbur had more Ghost in him than Tommy had initially thought.

"And here are the lodestones for them," Wilbur continued. He gave one lodestone to each teen, causing the compasses to point towards each other. "You kind of lost them, didn't you?"

Tommy sighed, sparing Quackity and Tubbo a glance. "Yeah, something like that." He looked down at the engravings on his compass. "Your Tubbo." He gave Wilbur a soft smile. "Thank you, Wil."

"Of course, Tommy," Wilbur said, ruffling Tommy's hair. "Anything for you."

"Not to interrupt this touching moment, but Wilbur, do you think I could become a citizen of L'Manburg?" Quackity asked.

Wilbur furrowed his brow, and Tommy could see the moment memories popped into his head. He clenched his fists when Wilbur was silent for a moment too long and was about to explain before Wilbur responded.

"Sure," Wilbur said. "If you really want to. We don't exactly have a citizenship process, though, so you might have to wait for that. I see no problem with that, though."

"Nice!" Quackity exclaimed, fist-pumping the air. "Can't wait to be a L'Manburgian."

Tommy snorted. "It's really not all that, but go off, I guess."

Quackity proceeded to do a bit of a dance in place before stopping suddenly. "Wait, did you say family dinner to Technoblade?! And what do you mean Tubbo was adopted by Philza?! What the fuck are all of you on about?!"

"Was it not obvious?" Tommy looked at Tubbo, then at Wilbur. He looked back at Quackity. "Wilbur and Techno are my brothers. Tubbo was found by Phil when I was like, ten."

"It very much was not obvious!" Quackity exclaimed. "If anything, I would think you were the adopted one! And Techno looks nothing like you or Wilbur!"

Wilbur laughed. "That's because he dyes his hair! And I shave down my tusks. Tommy and I are as much piglin as Techno is. In fact, Technoblade and I are twins."

Quackity groaned, clutching his head. "Ugh, my brain! I thought I knew you all. I thought we were friends!"

Tommy wheezed out a laugh, leaning on Tubbo, who was giggling. As Quackity continued to sputter and Wilbur attempted to explain through his laughs, Tommy grinned, calming down from his laughing fit.

Things were going to be okay. At least, he hoped so.

Chapter Text

Techno wasn't expecting many things when he woke up that morning. All he had wanted to do was tend to his crops, take care of his animals, and slowly start rebuilding his arsenal. Months of work had gone down the drain with the time jump, and he wanted to get it back.

However, the absolute last thing he was expecting was for Niki Nihachu to show up on his doorstep at 7 AM.

It's Niki!

Niki Nihachu! Fancy seeing you here!

The woman. Wow.

Technoflirt?

No. Bad.

Bad Chat.

Imagine being sprayed with a fake water bottle.

"Can I... help you?" Techno said warily, ignoring Chat. He and Niki were friends before he went through time, but that friendship only started forming during Pogtopia. Niki was quite the force to be reckoned with.

"Good morning, Techno!" Niki said, smiling softly. "I'm opening my bakery today, and I was hoping you could help with a bit of the heavy lifting. I still have a few tables to set up and boxes to move."

Techno looked Niki up and down. She was not someone he wanted as an enemy. "Sure. Just give me a bit to check on my animals. Then we can get going."

"Of course," Niki said, nodding.

Thirty minutes later, the two used Tommy's railway to get back to the SMP. Techno helped Niki out of the minecart.

"So, where is your bakery, exactly?"

"We actually have to get things set up with the pet daycare first," Niki said, smiling. "Wilbur and Fundy should be meeting us there. They might come with us to the bakery, I'll have to ask.

Techno narrowed his eyes, following Niki out of Tommy's dirt hut. "Why d'you need me if you have them?"

"You're secluded, Techno," Niki said, smiling. "It seems depressing, in my opinion."

Techno wrinkled his nose. "So you're saying that I'm being forced to...  socialize ."

Haha, Technosuffer.

Ew. Conversation.

E E.

I hate this. Can we go home?

Niki laughed. "Come now, Techno, it's not all bad. Wilbur's your brother, right? Which makes Fundy your nephew. It shouldn't be too difficult."

Techno winced. He didn't know Fundy that well, in complete honesty. He had already been adventuring by the time Wilbur brought Fundy around. Even when he was home, it wasn't for long. After that, his absences became longer, and then Phil joined him. Hell, Tommy was a better uncle to Fundy, and Fundy, in physicality and maturity, was older than him.

Hit a nerve there.

UncleTechno? Pog?

UncleTechno, lesgo!

This is big pog.

Much poggers.

"Let's just say that we aren't exactly close," Techno said awkwardly. Niki smiled sympathetically but didn't say anything further as they reached the daycare.

When they approached, Techno heard... shouting?

"... and this is the last time I'm going to say it! You can't just go around causing chaos!"

Was that Wilbur?

Explody boi!

Time for war, I guess.

Not poggers.

"Things are just so slow nowadays, Wilbur! What else am I supposed to do?!"

Sapnap?

Flame bean, too.

Blaze bitch, more like, am I right?

Up high!

We're not real.

E.

"I don't know, go burn down a forest or something!"

Techno sighed. Things were never dull on this server. As he and Niki got closer, Techno cleared his throat aggressively.

"I'm sorry, but what the fuck is going on?"

Wilbur huffed out a breath, massaged the bridge of his nose. "Sapnap is trying to make a mess of things. He keeps insisting about the pets - I'm not sure."

"Sapnap," Niki started softly, "you remember what we talked about, right?"

Sapnap groaned loudly. "Yeah. I'll go harass George or something. You're still lame for this, though, Wilbur." 

As Sapnap ran off, Wilbur rolled his eyes. "Fuckin' prick." He turned to Techno. "I'm surprised to see you out of your hovel."

"It is not a hovel, Wilbur," Techno said. "My house is far more dignified than a hovel. Educate yourself."

Boom, roasted.

Your insults are lacking, Techno.

Yikes, bruv.

I dunno. Techno's popping off.

Wilbur scoffed. "Yeah, okay."

"And besides, Niki forced me to come all the way out here," Techno said.

When Wilbur looked at Niki, she smiled sheepishly. "In my defense, everyone thinks he's a hermit. Hardly anyone has seen him around, and, judging from Quackity, people are scared of him."

"Sapnap left?" Fundy poked his head out of the daycare, interrupting anything Wilbur would've said. "Awesome. That means we can actually get shit done."

Pets!

Animals! Doggies, kitties, pog!

Adorable.

Techno let out a long-suffering sigh, and not even an hour later and Techno was fed up with life. Niki and Wilbur had gone to take care of the business side of things, leaving Techno and Fundy with the pets.

"So... pets, huh?" Techno offered awkwardly.

"Yeah, I guess," Fundy replied, just as unsure.

This is painful.

Yeah, even I'm better at socialization.

Techno rolled his eyes at Chat, crouching down to pet one of the dogs. They reminded him of his hound army before leaping through time. Maybe he should invest in dogs again - just in case.

"You know, you're pretty good with animals," Fundy said, setting up the feeding stations.

"Oh, thanks," Techno said, looking over.

"Yeah, it's not something I expected from you, Techno," Fundy said, eying Techno carefully. "Almost as if it's a sudden, random character trait. But that's crazy, isn't it." It wasn't phrased as a question.

Do you think he knows?

Oh, he knows.

Mission abort! Abort!

Time to perish.

People don't just ask things like that for no reason.

Divert his attention Techno!

Techno narrowed his eyes back. He slowly stood. "It's not exactly like you know me."

"Yeah, sure, that could be it," Fundy said, shrugging dismissively.

The tension was thick in the air. Fundy's accusations made the already awkward situation even worse. After a moment, Fundy turned back to the feeders, setting everything up for the day. Techno stared for a few more moments before shaking his head. Whatever.

Weirdchamp.

He knows something.

Someone said something.

Wilbur did, no doubt.

Techno went back to entertaining the pets until Wilbur and Niki were ready to leave. The strange tension continued to hang in the air until the group was exiting the daycare, leaving Sam in charge for the day. Wilbur and Niki filled the silence.

"So we're heading to your bakery, right, Niki?"

"Yeah!" Niki exclaimed happily. "Mostly just setting up tables and things, but I need help baking, too."

"Oh, that should be fun!" Wilbur exclaimed. "You should definitely get Techno to help you with that bit. He's quite the cook, I'll have you know."

Niki shot Techno a smile. "I'm looking forward to seeing it."

Techno shrugged. "Tubbo is better at baking than I am. I deal in proper food. Mostly potato-oriented."

Talking pig obsessed with potatoes!

Tommy said that once.

Wonder if we'll see the gremlin child today?

The likely answer is yes.

"Either way," Wilbur said, waving his hand, "it's something to take into consideration."

"Wilbur! Techno!"

"Niki and Fundy, too!"

The group turned to see Tommy and Tubbo sprinting towards them. Both were grinning, probably up to no good.

In his usual excited greeting, Tubbo headbutted Wilbur's chest, bowling them both over. Meanwhile, Tommy smacked foreheads with Techno - Techno had a feeling it wasn't entirely a kind greeting, despite Piglin customs.

"Technoblade! Boy, do I have news for you!" Tommy was shouting as Techno nursed his aching forehead.

GremlinInnit!

Is this why we're here?

Just to suffer?

His head is so hard, it hurts.

Remember how he always greeted us like that when we first taught him? He was so cute.

"What's this news?" Niki asked.

Tommy opened his mouth, then immediately closed it, face screwing up. He made several more aborted attempts at speaking before Fundy laughed.

"There is no news, is there?" Fundy asked. "You just wanted to talk to Techno."

Tommy squawked. "That is not true!"

"Yes, it is," Tubbo piped up, getting up from the ground. He helped Wilbur up, who was laughing.

"You're a fuckin' riot, Tubbo," he said, brushing dirt off of himself. He looked between the two teens. "Any reason for this brand of greeting?"

"Mostly surprised to see you," Tubbo said, smiling sheepishly. "I expected you to be with the pets."

"We left Sam in charge today," Niki said joyfully. "He, along with a few others, are rotating who watches them. We did have to chase Sapnap off, but it went smoothly."

Tommy hummed, face shifting minutely. "So what are you guys doing?"

"Heading to Niki's bakery," Wilbur said. "She needed some help."

Tommy looked towards Technoblade. "And Techno is out and about because..?"

"Niki dragged me out here," Techno said, rolling his eyes.

"Can we tag along?" Tubbo asked, smiling.

"Yeah, if you want," Niki said. "I'll be putting you to work, though."

"Wouldn't expect anything else," Tommy muttered, but there was a small smile on his face.

"Alright, if that's all, let's keep going," Wilbur said.

The group made it to the bakery without any more delay. Wilbur and Fundy set about setting up tables and the counter, dragging Tommy along with them. Niki, meanwhile, pulled Techno and Tubbo into the kitchen. On the way in, Techno saw Tommy glaring at him. They'd have to have a proper talk sometime soon.

In the kitchen, Niki grabbed utensils and a couple of large bowls. "Alright. I'm going to teach the two of you how to bake cookies."

Ooh, cookies.

Cookies for the Blood God!

This is gonna be great.

#LetTubboHaveAChildhood2k21

Aren't we too intimidating to be baking cookies?

You worry too much.

"Tubbo, will you grab the dry ingredients? We'll need flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt," Niki had continued. "And Techno, I need you to go get a couple of eggs from the chickens out back."

Techno pressed his lips into a thin line, nodded, then left the kitchen to get the eggs. When he came back, he found Niki showing Tubbo how to measure out ingredients.

"I think I get it," Tubbo said. With Niki's careful guidance, he combined the dry, then sifted it together.

Techno cleared his throat. "I have the eggs."

Niki looked at him with a grin. "Great. Go ahead and set them down, and I'll show you how to combine the wet ingredients."

Soon, Niki was instructing both boys on what to do to get proper cookie dough. "And remember, you have to do it in this order, or else the dough could turn out too wet or dry."

Tubbo nodded eagerly, and Techno had to admit the boy was almost adorable, as happy as he was here. "This was a lot of fun, Niki! We should do it again!"

Niki smiled. "Of course. Anytime you feel up to baking, I'll be right here." She looked between Techno and Tubbo. "Alright, for the final step. Taste-testing the dough!"

But raw eggs.

Salmonella pog!

Who cares? It's cookie dough!

Time to eat!

Techno hesitantly took a small piece of the dough and popped it into his mouth. He had to admit, it was good.

"Wow, this is amazing!" Tubbo exclaimed. "I'm gonna be honest, I wasn't sure about how it was going to turn out. But I like how it did!"

Techno nodded in agreement, and Niki clapped.

"Alright, now we put them on the pans and wait for them to bake!"

The group taste-tested the cookies after everything was set up. Soon, though, the bakery was completed, and Niki was shooing them all out.

"Alright, that's all I have for today," she was saying. "I'll be opening it to the public sometime next week, so feel free to come and visit!"

Pog!

We're definitely coming back.

The cookies were the best part.

E.

Wilbur dragged Tommy and Tubbo away with a brief farewell, stating something about L'Manburg business. Once they were gone, Niki turned to Techno.

"I have one favor to ask of you, Techno," she said. "I was hoping you could teach me how to fight?"

"I thought we were gonna go hang out with Eret!" Fundy exclaimed.

"I know, Fundy," Niki said, smiling apologetically. "I promise we will, but it's been pointed out to me that I don't know how to fight other people. Mobs, yes, but..." She trailed off, looking at Techno.

"You could just ask Eret," Techno said hesitantly. This had happened before - Niki was concerned with her abilities, or lack thereof, and approached Techno. He had accepted then, but he also hadn't had to deal with a whole group of people before.

You should do it!

Teacherblade.

It'll be fun!

Niki pog.

"Please, Techno?" Niki looked at him with pleading eyes.

Techno let out a sigh, looking between the two people in front of him. Fundy was glaring at him, seeming unsure as to what he should think. Niki had a hopeful look on her face.

"Fine," Techno said, just short of groaning. "But we need a good place to fight."

"Eret's castle has a spacious courtyard," Fundy offered, still glaring.

Techno nodded. "I'll shoot them a message."

<Technoblade: Hey, Eret. Can Niki and I use your courtyard?>

<Its_Eret: Sure, just come to the castle.>

The walk over was a bit tense, but Niki managed to calm Fundy's irritation. Techno and Fundy talked a bit, and Fundy reluctantly said that he didn't mind Techno.

When the group reached the castle, Techno gave Niki a spare sword and shield. "I'm mostly going to be going over the basics and places you can improve. If you enjoy it enough, then I might make it a usual thing."

Fighting pog!

Teacherblade, Teacherblade!

E.

This'll either be a disaster or the best thing ever.

Niki nodded, getting into position. Techno readied himself across the courtyard. Fundy counted down, and at zero, Techno lunged.

Niki was quick to raise her shield. Techno's sword bounced off the wood. Niki pressed forward, slashing out. Techno parried and jumped back before thrusting his sword forward. This time, when Niki tried to copy Techno's parry, he twisted the weapon from her grasp.

Blood for the Blood God!

Kill her!

Stab, stab, stab.

Blood!

We won, bitches.

Chat, calm down.

Techno let out a breath, lowering his sword. "You did well keeping up with me. Though, you were too impatient to disarm me, which led me to do it to you. That was good for a first try. Now that I know what you do and don't know, we can go from there."

Niki nodded, her eyes shining.

Several hours later, Eret brought the pair inside for lunch, Fundy having already gone in after getting bored. The king was kind to all of them, allowing them to eat their fill. When they were done, Eret turned to Techno.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you," they said.

"The same to you," Techno replied. "It's been a bit since I've been out of my cottage. Speaking of which, I should get back before it gets dark."

"That sounds like a good idea," Eret said, smiling. "I'll make sure Fundy and Niki make it home safe. You go ahead and go."

Techno nodded. "Thank you for allowing us to use your courtyard. Is the same time next week okay?"

"Of course," Eret said. "Now, you best get going."

"Right. See you later."

Eret nodded. They stayed at the castle's door until Techno was out of sight.

Chapter Text

Karl blinked his eyes open to a large expanse of white. The Inbetween. He was still here. Or had he just arrived? Time ran strangely here - past, present, and future was all the same. He had no clue what to make of anything.

He was stood in the courtyard with countless other versions of himself running about. Echoes of familiar, heartbreaking voices ran out. Helga, James, Sir Billiam, John John, Ranbob. So many different names ran through his head. Who were they? Were they important to him? And why did they mean so much and yet so little? He could barely match names to faces. There were too many people.

Karl let out a soft groan as a wave of pain crashed into his head. He raised a hand to put on his face and found a book instead. Strange, it didn't seem to be there before.

He examined it, seeing no title on the front. A strange feeling welled up in his gut. Ignoring it, he opened the book.

You've done well getting this far. You only have a few more steps before you reclaim your memories. With that, you can return to your past and correct your mistakes. Look for others that were sent back. They will help you.

Others? Did that mean other time travelers?

On the next several pages, there will be instructions. You must follow them to the letter. If you stray from the path, the consequences will be dire.

Karl reread the page. His memories? He... needed those. He had been here too long - he had forgotten everything except... A blaze hybrid obsessed with fire, and a man with wings and a crude sense of humor. They were... valuable to him. He knew they were special. He needed his memories back.

The first step is to find the main hall. If you have intent, you will make it there. There is a mantle centered on the staircase. You will find a picture. Behind it is a door. Go through and take the path going down.

When you reach the bottom, you will find a series of levers and coordinating colors. Yellow, pink, green, and red. You need to flick the levers in the following sequence:

Red. Yellow. Pink. Green.

A portal should open up if you have done it correctly. It is unlike the ones you are used to. It will be in the form of a glitch. Go through the portal. If all goes well, you needn't come here again. However, if you do find yourself back here, it means that something has gone wrong. You will need to try again, in that case.

Find those who will help you. You will know who they are.

Make haste, Karl Jacobs, and good luck.

Karl let out a breath. That was mostly straightforward - a surprise for the Inbetween.

Karl held the book close to himself and started his journey through the hallways. He found himself in the main hall with ease. The grand staircase split in the middle, framing a picture of Karl himself, only distorted. It made him uncomfortable to look at.

He took a deep breath, trying to push it from his mind. He moved forward and removed the painting from the wall. With the picture gone, he could see the narrow passageway. He squeezed himself in, not bothering with trying to cover it back up. He wouldn't need to, not if he did this correctly.

The passage was a tight fit, and it quickly became dark. Karl had to squint to see. He came upon a wall. Figuring he'd have to get through, he felt around for a switch. His hand caught on a small lever. He pushed it, and the wall opened with a screech. He winced at the echoing sound.

When the door was open, he pushed into the room. Across from him was a blank space framed by the levers. Glancing at the book, he flipped the levers in the correct sequence. There was a strange sound, and then the portal lit up.

As the book had said, the look of it glitched about, and there were missing particles. Karl looked at it warily, watching parts of it phase in and out of existence.

Shaking his head and steeling himself, Karl stepped through the portal.

Karl blinked his eyes open, then immediately had to shut them again at the bright sun. Slower this time, he opened his eyes and looked around. He was at the spawn of the SMP.

Karl had only a few moments to gather his bearings before being hit by all of his memories.

Quackity and Sapnap, his fiances. All of his friends. Every war. L'Manburg's rise and fall. El'Rapids. Everything.

Karl's breath was pushed from his lungs. He physically stumbled, unable to process it. After several moments, he rebalanced himself. He inhaled deeply, then pulled out his communicator.

<Karl Jacobs has joined the game.>

<The_Eret: Hello Karl!>

<Punz: Karl Jacobs!>

<Ph1LzA: Good to see you here.>

Karl furrowed his brow at the last message - Phil shouldn't be on the server yet. The book had said that there would be other time-travelers. Maybe Phil was one of them? He had to find him.

First, though, he needed to search for his fiances. They wouldn't remember him - at least, he didn't think they would. He half-hoped they didn't. They needed a chance to start over, let go of everything that had held them down.

Part of him was sad, though. He would need to start over with them - learn about them, build up trust. It was going to be hard.

Karl glanced around himself, then made his way toward the community house. When he got there, he was almost immediately bowled over by Tommy and Tubbo. The latter took a moment to steady Karl, while the former shouted an apology further along the path.

Wait, those two were somewhat close to Phil, right?

"Tommy, Tubbo, good to see you," Karl said, smiling.

Tommy nodded while Tubbo's face contorted. Tubbo looked at Tommy. "Do we know him?"

Karl stiffened, seemingly at the same time as Tommy. The blond teen's face paled, and he fixed Karl with a look.

"Yeah, come to think of it, you just joined, right?" Tommy said more than asked.

"Uhm, maybe?" Karl could feel his hands shaking. He had already messed up. There was no way Tommy or Tubbo could know him. He couldn't remember his initial reason for joining the Dream SMP anymore. It might have been Quackity, but...

"Karl, I have an important question for you." Tommy interrupted Karl's train of thought, coming closer. "What happens in the L'Manburg election? I want specifics."

Karl's eyes widened. Searching through his memories, he quietly said, "Uh... You and Wilbur create a group called POG2020, and the opposing party is headed by Quackity and George, called SWAG2020. You and Wilbur try to call in Schlatt as an endorsement, but he creates his own party called Schlatt2020. After POG2020 wins the election, the other two parties join in a coalition electoral vote. After Schlatt is made president, he exiles you and Wilbur."

Tubbo let out a breath. "Well then. That is..."

"Exactly what happened," Tommy finished. He took Karl's arm. "Okay, time traveler?"

"Yeah," Karl said. "You too?"

Tommy nodded. "Phil, Techno, Wilbur, and I all traveled back in time. Tubbo just knows about everything since I've told him."

The Inbetween said that other travelers would help Karl. Surely that meant Tommy? And it seemed that Karl's hunch about Phil was correct.

Karl glanced around. "So... when are we?"

"Late August or early September," Tommy said, shrugging. "Days blur together at this point."

"So before the election."

"Yeah," Tommy said. "I'm not sure if we're doing an election this time around - we've done our best to ensure L'Manburg's citizens are happy." He fixed Karl with a sad smile. "Sorry about everything before, Karl. I know I wasn't exactly the best to you - I wasn't great towards most people, honestly."

Karl shrugged. "You're a kid, and you have a lot of energy. It'd be a bit more worrying if you weren't rambunctious."

"Okay, this is all great and everything, but we should probably get out of the open," Tubbo said. "We don't exactly want everyone to know our secret."

"Ah, good idea," Karl said. "Do you guys know where Phil is? Or Quackity or Sapnap. I need to talk to them."

"Phil's probably in his house," Tubbo said. "It's in L'Manburg. Quackity might be hanging around there, too. Sapnap, I'm not sure about, try finding George or Dream."

Karl nodded. "Thanks, you've both been a great help."

"See ya around, Karl!" Tommy exclaimed before dragging Tubbo towards the nether portal. "Have fun!"

Karl waved goodbye before sighing. Yeah, fun.

Finding Quackity was surprisingly easy. The moment Quackity saw Karl, he let out an exclamation then sprinted toward him, completely disregarding the conversation he was having with BadBoyHalo.

Quackity tackled Karl in a hug, and it was only Karl's stumbling that kept them from falling. "Eyy, Karl, my man! It's good to see you! I saw the message when you joined, but when I went by spawn, you were gone."

"I left looking for you," Karl said, a grin finding its way onto his face. "Sorry I didn't stick around."

Quackity shook his head. "It's alright - I'm just glad you're here now. Have you met Bad?"

"I don't think so," Karl said, brow furrowing in thought. If he was right, then he hadn't met anyone on the SMP yet, with a few exceptions. Which, knowing that it would make it hard to explain wanting to meet up with Sapnap. This was going to be more complicated than Karl had thought.

After several brief introductions, along with getting dragged around the SMP by Quackity - not finding Sapnap anywhere - the two ended up in L'Manburg. The sun was just setting, and Quackity was leading Karl into a wood and stone house.

"This is Phil's house," Quackity said, knocking on the door. "You said before you needed to talk to him, right?"

"Did I?" Karl muttered.

"Yeah, at some point," Quackity said. "Don't know why you do, but he's mostly chill."

Karl hummed. The door opened to Wilbur, who seemed surprised at seeing Karl and Quackity.

"Big Q! Good to see you," Wilbur said. His gaze drifted to Karl. "And your friend as well."

"Karl. Jacobs," Karl stammered. Wilbur was also a time traveler, right? At least, according to Tommy, he was. Maybe his time as Ghostbur had messed with his memories - like Karl had been dealing with.

Something close to recognition flashed in Wilbur's eyes before it was gone, and the man was smiling instead. "Nice to meet you. Ah, come in. We just finished dinner, but it's still warm."

"We ate with Eret," Karl said softly. "They gave me a tour, along with Quackity. Thank you, though."

Wilbur nodded, moving out of the way to let the two inside. Fundy and Phil were seated at the table. The latter looked up at the entrance of Karl and Quackity.

"Good to see you, mate," Phil said, nodding at Quackity.

"This is Karl," Quackity said, gesturing to his fiance friend. They were just friends. Karl needed to remember that. "Karl, that's Fundy and Phil. Oh, and the guy who answered the door is Wilbur."

"Nice of you to remember me, Quackity," Wilbur joked, gently punching Quackity's arm.

Karl waved awkwardly. "Nice to meet you all."

Phil seemed to notice his discomfort. He stood. "Karl, can you help me with something in the kitchen?"

"I can help, Phil," Fundy immediately offered, to which Phil shook his head. Fundy frowned before looking at Wilbur.

Karl took the chance to escape. It wasn't exactly the best circumstance, and he was still with someone he was unsure about, but he did need to talk to Phil.

The two entered the kitchen, and Phil started getting their leftovers put away. Karl quietly started to help him. Quackity and Fundy's bickering drifted into the kitchen, making Karl smile. At least Quackity was having fun.

Soon, however, the stillness of the room made Karl's skin start to crawl.

"So... Tommy told me something interesting earlier today," Karl started.

"Ah, so you've met Tommy, have you," Phil said. "And what was it he told you?"

"Oh, you know - time travel," Karl continued casually, "but it's okay. I traveled, too. A lot, actually. I never had control over it - eventually, it started taking my memories." Why was Karl telling Phil this? It wasn't like they had ever been exactly close.

Phil had stopped what he was doing to stare at Karl. "You really did? That... would make another one - five of us, now. This is my first time traveling through time, though."

Karl nodded. "I guess it opens up the possibilities. I was warned of other travelers being here, and I had assumed it was all of you-"

"But there's the chance there could be more, now," Phil said softly. He smiled at Karl, putting a hand on his shoulder. "We'll figure it out together, I promise."

Karl nodded. That sounded nice. He hadn't had people to rely on before. He let himself smile back at Phil. "Looking forward to it, then."

Chapter Text

"You have to have an election."

Wilbur choked on air. "I'm sorry, what?"

Dream shrugged. "Well, you're a self-imposed president. Sounds a bit more like a dictator to me."

Wilbur furrowed his brow, thinking it over. While Dream was correct, the election had gone horribly the first time around. Schlatt was brought onto the server. Wilbur and Tommy lost the election to him and were exiled. Then...

Wilbur shook the thought away. He still had trouble remembering what happened after that. Tommy called Techno in, Wilbur started his plans to blow up L'Manburg. There was something with Dream as well, but that was even harder to recall.

Things were different this time, though. Wilbur and Tommy had been listening to their citizens, taking their opinions into account.

"Well, at least think about it," Dream said after a prolonged silence from Wilbur. "I'll give you a week to make your decision. I'd hate to see what happens if you go against my advice, though."

Wilbur hummed, reeling a bit. Dream gave a proper farewell before leaving.

Wilbur tried to keep Dream's demand on the down-low, but the stress was clearly shown on his face and in his posture. It took all of an hour with Tommy, Tubbo, and Fundy - his cabinet; they were setting up their new checks and balances system - before someone noticed.

Most surprising was the fact that it was Tubbo.

"Hey, big man," Tubbo said, gently touching Wilbur's arm, "you look stressed. What's up?"

Wilbur chuckled nervously as Tommy and Fundy redirected their attention to him. "Nothing! Everything is fine."

"I doubt that," Fundy said, crossing his arms. "Did something happen?"

Tommy stayed silent, but his fearful gaze said more than words ever could. Dream did something.

Wilbur chewed on his lip. This was his family - and his presidential cabinet - they deserved to know. However, he had been hoping to deal with this on his own.

Trust them.

They'll help you!

Honestly, fuck Dream, am I right?

Those voices again - they were steadily growing in number, but they were inconsistent.

Tell them what happened, Wil!

Wilbur sighed softly as the voices faded from his mind. He glanced between the three near-children around him. "Okay. Yes. Something happened." He settled himself into one of the chairs heavily. "Dream... is becoming a bit of an issue. He demanded we have an election, or else he'll do something to L'Manburg."

"Probably blow it up," Tubbo said, voice too cheerful for the topic of conversation.

Tommy wrapped his arms around himself tightly, gaze distant. "B-but it's not like last time! We're establishing a checks and balances system and listening to our people! Dream can't-"

"He can," Wilbur said grimly. "I know that we're changing things, and everything is so much better, but we don't have the manpower to refuse. With the fragility of our nation, we can't risk another war."

"But we shouldn't just give in to him!" Fundy exclaimed.

Silence settled over the group, the tension so thick it could choke you. It was Tommy who broke the silence.

"Maybe we don't have to take it lying down." His expression was determined now, and it was a good look on him. That confidence had been missing for a while. "Last time, Quackity ran against us because we tried to rig it in our favor by closing the ballot. Then when Schlatt joined, he made his own party instead of simply being an endorsement for us." He looked at Fundy. "You also made your own party - you and Niki."

Tubbo let out a soft sound of understanding. "Quackity can be a party again, and Fundy and Niki can make theirs. That would be three out of four places held."

"That... makes sense," Wilbur said slowly. "Well, sort of. How do you expect to explain it, though?"

"Well, for Big Q, we can get Karl to tell him," Tubbo suggested. 

"Okay, but what about the fourth spot?" Fundy asked.

"I could run," Tubbo offered.

Tommy shook his head vehemently. "No. Not again - it tore us apart before. I'm not letting Dream play us like his puppets."

"We have to hope that there isn't another candidate," Wilbur said, putting a hand on Tommy's shoulder. "I don't want to close the ballot early and risk being ridiculed because of it." At least, not again.

"We need to set up rules," Tommy said, "so that not just anyone can be a candidate."

Wilbur nodded. "I'll work on that." He stood back up. "For now, let's get this check and balances system set in place."

Finding Karl was easy. However, telling him about the plans was a bit harder - at least with the fact that he was hanging around Sapnap and Quackity a bit too much for Wilbur's liking.

"Hey, Karl," Wilbur greeted, casually walking up to the three. "Quackity, Sapnap, do you mind if I borrow Karl for a moment?"

Sapnap raised a brow. "I mean, sure. If you want."

Quackity nodded, turning to Sapnap to continue their conversation as Wilbur pulled Karl to the side.

"What's up?" Karl asked.

"Okay, so, how do I put this..." Wilbur hummed, trying to think of what to say. "Dream is forcing my hand. He told me that we have to have an election. I was hoping if you and possibly Quackity would be one of the running parties."

Karl pressed his mouth into a thin line. "I mean, we could try. How would we even do it, though? How would it stop bad things from happening? If you're not careful, you could end up exiled again."

"Well, here's to hoping that whichever one of us wins doesn't do that," Wilbur said softly. He glanced over at Quackity. "I know you two have something deeper going on between you, but you can't let him lose himself in power. That's why I want you to be head of the party."

"I don't want him to lose himself either," Karl said absentmindedly. His right hand found his left ring finger as if there would be something there. He looked at Wilbur. "Okay, I'll help you. I don't know if I would be a good leader, though."

Wilbur smiled. "That's okay. You'll be able to elect people to help you."

Karl nodded. He gave Wilbur a quiet farewell before returning to Sapnap and Quackity. Wilbur's expression fell.

That's kinda sus.

Be nice to Karl! He's been through a lot!

So has Wilbur.

They all need a break - leave them alone, homeless teletubby.

Wilbur shook his head, trying to get rid of the voices. He called after Karl, "Oh, and ask Niki about the checks and balances!"

"Sure thing, Wil!" Karl shouted back.

-----

"Stop pacing, Wil," Phil said, carefully shooing the crows that had gathered. "The murder says everything is fine."

"But what if Quackity refuses?" Wilbur fretted. "What if Dream catches wind of what we're up to? What do we do if everything fucks up?"

"As far as I can tell, you're preparing for it just fine," Techno said, sipping his tea. "Worst case scenario, Dream manages to sabotage you - we still have two other people on our side here."

"But he can still do something to me!" Wilbur exclaimed. "Or to Tommy or one of you." He let out a harsh breath. "Dream has more power than us - he always has. Sure, he has less control over us without Tommy's discs, but he has been and always will be a threat. He wants to get rid of L'Manburg, just like you do, Techno, but you can't side with him."

Techno made an unpleasant expression. "With how weird he's been acting lately, I'm not sure that even getting rid of a government would make me want to side with him."

"Weird?" Phil questioned. "How so?"

"He's been hanging around my base," Techno said, frowning. "It's like he's looking for something."

"Is there something there he would want?"

Techno glanced away briefly. "I'm building my vault back up. It's not located anywhere near my base, but I suspect that he knows what I'm up to."

"Which is..?" Wilbur prompted.

"Getting supplied," Techno replied vaguely.

Wilbur scoffed. "Great. That's so much help, Techno."

"It will be in the event of another revolution," Techno said, finally meeting Wilbur's gaze. "Because if I recall correctly, it was you and Tommy who came crawling to me for help last time."

The twins stared at each other for several more moments before Phil cleared his throat.

"Alright, that's enough, you two," their father said. "No more political talk. It's time for dinner. Tech, come help me in the kitchen. Wil, can you set the table, then go find your brothers?"

There was a tense silence for several moments before Wilbur and Techno moved to do as asked.

A few days later, the week-long time limit was up. The checks and balances system was up and running, headed by Niki. She was there to ensure Wilbur didn't step out of line and correct any laws he wanted to enact.

With how close their friendship was, everyone hoped it would go smoothly.

Here they were, however, in front of Dream. Wilbur and his cabinet had made a decision.

"Alright, we agree to have an election," Wilbur started. "There is one caveat:  we  get to decide the terms."

Dream nodded. Wilbur looked to Tommy, who took a deep breath before stepping forward, hands shaking.

"First, there will only be four parties on the ballot," Tommy began. "Second, the presidential candidate has to be a L'Manburg citizen. Third, you cannot call in anyone from outside the server - messages and letters are okay, but they cannot come in person."

Dream hummed. "Okay, that seems fair." He tilted his head. "Is that all then?"

Tommy nodded.

"Alright, good luck then. I expect the registration ballot to be open soon."

With that, the green-clad man left, leaving the presidential cabinet to let out a collective sigh of relief.

Tommy turned to Wilbur with a grin. "Did you see that? I told him what for!"

"I did see," Wilbur said, ruffling Tommy's hair. "Good job." He turned to Fundy. "Get your presidential campaign together - decide your terms, what you stand for, your slogan. Try to have everything done by the time the ballot goes up."

"Yessir," Fundy said, vibrating with excitement.

Wilbur grinned. "Let's do this."

Chapter Text

"So, how have you been doing, Techno?" Phil asked, pouring some tea for the both of them.

"Oh, you know, same old same old," Techno said, shrugging. "Expanding my base, building my vault, preparing for the worst - you know how it is."

Phil hummed and sat down. "That I do. Have you heard anything about Wilbur's election?"

"The ballot is up," Techno said. "Wilbur and Tommy are already registered as a party, along with Fundy and Niki. As far as I'm aware, they're still trying to convince Quackity to not go in guns blazing - but he is on board. There is still the final spot open."

"Maybe we should run," Phil joked, grinning.

Techno snorted. "Yeah, right. The two anarchists on the server run a country. That would be quite the day."

"Well, we have before," Phil said softly.

"That was a long time ago."

Phil was strolling through L'Manburg's main square, eying the election posters and propaganda, when Dream entered, flanked by George and Sapnap. Those milling around looked to the SMP's creator as he came into the plaza. He was quickly followed by a flustered Tubbo and an anxious, furious Tommy.

"You can't just do that, Dream!" Tommy was shouting. "It goes against the guidelines we set up!"

"Technically, L'Manburg is a province of the SMP, under the agreement we had during the bow duel," Tubbo said, glaring at Dream's back. "There's a loophole there we didn't account for."

"Exactly," Dream said, sounding smug.

Phil quickly approached, a disarming smile on his face. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but what is going on here?"

"I'm running for president of L'Manburg," Dream said simply. "George is my running mate. We're on our way to register now. We even have all of our terms drafter up already."

Phil furrowed his brow, smile still present. "I... see. Good luck then." He looked at Tommy and Tubbo sternly. With a slight nod of his head, the two teenagers moved to stand behind him, grumbling the whole way. Phil looked back at Dream. "Sorry about them. I'll straighten them out."

"See that you do."

With a slight flourish, Dream and his friends left the three standing in the town square. 

Phil sighed, turning to Tommy and Tubbo. Before he could say anything, Tommy started shouting.

"He can't just do that! It's not allowed! We made rules so that he  couldn't  mess around with anything this time. What the fuck is his deal?!"

Tubbo put a hand on Tommy's shoulder. "He technically can, Tommy. As I said, L'Manburg is a province of the Dream SMP. That makes all L'Manburg citizens technically SMP citizens and vice versa. We can't really do anything to stop him at this point anyway - not without making us out to be the bad guys."

Tommy crossed his arms, cussing Dream out under his breath. "He's a wrong'un. Something's up with him, I'm telling you."

Phil put a hand on Tommy's shoulder, trying to calm him down. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

Tommy paused for a moment, considering. After a look shared with Tubbo, he nodded. "Vote for Pog 2020. Well, I guess you could vote for any party except for Dream's, but..." His gaze drifted over toward Wilbur's house, not finishing his thought.

"Sure, mate," Phil said. "I'll spread the word."

Tommy and Tubbo grinned. Phil found himself with his arms full of teenagers before both ran off to convince people to vote for Wilbur.

"What am I supposed to do, Phil?" Wilbur asked hopelessly. "Dream is running! I have no clue if we're even going to be able to win."

"Well, you sort of rigged it, didn't you?" Techno asked, glancing up from his book.

"No one asked you, Techno," Wilbur said, glaring at his twin.

"Tech has a point. Three of the four runners are on our side," Tommy said, writing down their party's terms. "How are we feeling about Sapnap this time?"

"He didn't go on a pet-killing spree, so I'd say leave him off," Wilbur replied. He turned to Phil. "Phil, you have to help me."

"That's fair, but didn't you say that some people only voted for you because of the 'we hate Sapnap' stance?" Fundy asked, leaning over Tommy's shoulder. Wilbur gave him a considering look.

Phil sighed, scratching one of his crows' chins. "Mate, I have no idea how I'm supposed to help you."

"We should've been more specific with our rules," Tommy grumbled, scribbling down more terms. "Fuckin' Dream, man."

"Well, we don't have to worry about any of Sapnap's friends voting for us - since they'll definitely vote for Dream," Tubbo said. "I say we put that we don't like Sapnap in there."

Tommy let out a groan, rubbing his face with his free hand. "This is too stressful. I have no idea what to put." He stood from the chair, letting out a put-upon sigh, and rounded the table.

"Where are you going?" Wilbur asked, tone tight. Tommy froze before he could even get two paces away from the table.

Phil furrowed his brow, glancing between his sons. "Everything alright, mate? Wilbur, why can't Tommy go?"

"Because he'll leave me! For good this time!" Wilbur exclaimed, rounding on Phil. There was a crazed look in his eyes - one that Phil had only seen briefly before.

"What do you mean 'this time?'" Techno asked, putting his book down and slowly standing. "Wilbur, what does that mean?"

"He left! He got trapped and- Dream, he- he- I-" Wilbur glanced between them, a haze entering his expression. His voice lilted into something light, like Ghostbur. "Something... happened. Tommy was there, and then I was gone. But I was still half here? Then-"

"Dad, I think you should get some rest," Fundy said, carefully approaching. "Right, Techno?"

"Ah, yeah," Techno stammered, clumsily nodding. He moved to Wilbur's side, and both he and Fundy helped Wilbur up the stairs.

Phil looked at Tommy, who was shaking now. Tubbo was at his side, quietly comforting him. Phil couldn't quite make out what was being said, but it seemed like a private moment anyway. He gave the boys a minute before moving to their side.

"Tommy, everything okay?" Phil looked up to see Tommy's face determined, despite his quivering form.

"Yeah, I'm... fine," Tommy said. "Wilbur was- he just sounded like Alivebur, for a minute there. You know. Wilbur from  before ."

In Pogtopia, he meant. Phil didn't know Wil while his sons hid in the shitty ravine they had to call him. He had changed, according to Tommy - grown distrustful, became controlling, and he was damn near abusive. At least verbally. In all honesty, Phil was surprised that Tommy looked so confident after that.

"Are you sure?" Phil pressed.

Tommy nodded, breaking out into a grin. "It means that there's still time to save him. I can help him - but I need to go talk to someone first." He gave Tubbo a brief hug. "Thanks for the comfort, Tubster. Doin' loads better now." Then, he grinned at Phil. "I'll be a bit, don't come after me."

Phil gave him a skeptical look but nodded. "Just be safe, Tommy. It's supposed to rain tonight."

"Yeah, yeah, you keep your old jointed massaged or whatever," Tommy said, waving Phil off and already moving to the door. "I'll see you both later. Oh, and let me know how Wil is doing."

With that, the teen was out the door. Phil shook his head, sigh exasperatedly before smiling at Tubbo. "Let's go check on Wilbur then, yeah?"

~~

Tommy poked his head through the entryway of the castle, looking around. If he remembered correctly, then the throne room was somewhere to the left. Or... was it the right?

The blond stood there, looking back and forth before starting off to the left. Tommy would just go with his gut instinct, then loop around if he's wrong. Easy.

Tommy never got past the entrance. Eret rounded the corner, saw him, then grimaced before hiding it with a small smile.

"Tommy, good to see you," they began. "How are you holding up?"

"I'm doing okay, I think," Tommy said. He still didn't entirely  trust  Eret, but they offered Tommy and Wilbur sanctuary after losing the original election. Granted, the brothers had rejected, but in hindsight, Tommy was thankful that Eret was still a good person, regardless of what they'd done before.

So, Tommy didn't know how he felt about Eret. That was fine - Tommy didn't know how he felt about  anyone  anymore. It was sort of his thing. Exile was rough on him, and that battle in the community house right before they left was worse. Too many half-healed wounds were opened then. It sucked.

Tommy, at least, knew this, though: Eret needed to stay at the ruler of the SMP.

Eret cleared their throat. "Tommy, you okay?"

"Ah, yeah, sorry!" Tommy exclaimed, voice cracking. "I was lost in thought. Anyway, I came here because I needed to talk to you."

"I see," Eret said, brow furrowing. "Is everything... okay?"

"For now? Mostly?" Tommy said. "L'Manburg is having an election soon. The ballot closes in a few days, but the spots are all taken. That's not what I wanted to tell you about." He took a deep breath. "No matter what happens, you can't take any sides. You can vote as you want. I don't care about that - and hopefully, no one else does either - but in the aftermath, you have to stay here. You can't offer help, and you can't take sides in any possible hostile government takeover.

"Please don't do anything unless someone has forced your hand," Tommy pleaded. "We need you to stay here, as the ruler of the SMP. That's what is most important, Eret. Please."

Eret sized Tommy up before smiling softly. "You've grown so much in these past couple of months, Tommy. I'm honestly proud of you." They cleared their throat. "I'll listen to you - and I'm glad you've trusted me with this - but I can't promise that fully. If you guys need help, I'm just a message away."

"Thank you," Tommy said, grinning now. "Seriously, you have no idea how much that means to me."

Thunder cracked through the castle then, lightning no doubt striking somewhere outside. The booming sound shook the foundations, causing Tommy to jump.

Eret peered out a nearby window. "Huh, the rain's a bit earlier than we thought." They offered Tommy a sheepish expression. "You can stay here for the night if you like."

Tommy laughed lightly before nodding. "That sounds wonderful, actually. Thank you."

Chapter Text

Tommy took the hot chocolate Eret offered him, smiling gratefully. "Thank you again. You didn't have to let me stay."

Eret shrugged. "I feel like I owe it to you - all of you - to make up for what I did."

"I'll admit that I'm still... not completely over what happened," Tommy said hesitantly. It wasn't a complete lie - Tommy still woke up in a cold sweat, plagued by Eret's words and actions, even nearly a year later. There were other things, too, that bothered Tommy's dreams. Thankfully, Eret had been trying to be better - for a long time, now. They were due for someone to act that way. "Besides, I was hoping we could start over? Maybe? I don't know - things are... confusing, at best. It's better if we all get along, innit? No more wars, no more petty arguments." Tommy gave Eret a hopeful look. "Don't you think so, Eret?"

Eret seemed surprised for a moment before nodding. "Yeah, that... that would be nice." They sat on the couch with their own warm beverage, running their thumb across the mug. "It's just... this castle is so empty. I betrayed my friends - you, Wilbur, Tubbo, and Fundy - and this is what I got. A meaningless title, a vacant castle, and heartache."

They smiled at Tommy sadly. "I'm glad that you have your brothers and dad with you, though. I imagine that they make everything much easier."

"They do," Tommy said quietly. He gave Eret a look before staring into his hot chocolate. "I... I know how hard it can be, being alone - more than I can say - so... I think I'd like to be friends again, Eret." He smiled back up at the monarch. "What do you say?"

Eret blinked, then smiled back. "Of course, Tommy. I wouldn't want anything else."

Tommy grinned, finishing off his hot cocoa. The two stayed up and talked for an hour or so more - apologizing, catching up, telling each other secrets. By 1 AM, though, Tommy felt his eyes drooping, sleep desperately dragging him down into its depths.

Eret chuckled after the third time Tommy lurched sideways. "I think it's about time we get to bed."

Tommy blinked before nodding. Eret bid him a good night, leaving Tommy to curl up on the couch with the endless supply of pillows and blankets Eret brought him.

For once, Tommy fell asleep and stayed asleep through the night.

"Thank you for taking care of him, Eret," Wilbur said, a hand on Tommy's shoulder. Tommy couldn't help tensing up at the possessive nature.

"It's no problem, Wilbur," Eret said. "He's surprisingly pleasant to be around after you get past the rough exterior."

"Oi!" Tommy protested. "I'm a gift from Prime!"

"Of course, Tommy," Wilbur said. He nodded at Eret. "We'll be going now."

As they exited Eret's walls, Tommy waving farewell, Wilbur's hand tightened on his shoulder. Tommy slowly looked at Wilbur, scared of what he would find. What he didn't expect, however, was the horrified expression on Wilbur's face.

"Tommy," the elder began, voice suspiciously high-pitched, "what- what's going on? Why do I feel like I'm going to lose you? Why do I not trust Eret? I- I don't understand." He looked over at Tommy for the first time since leaving. "Tommy, what do I do?"

Tommy felt dizzy. His vision was far away, and he didn't quite comprehend what he was hearing. It wasn't like Pogtopia - not like he'd thought the night before. Wil sounded like Ghostbur. The night before, he was full of bitterness and rage. Now he seemed lost.

Tommy took Wilbur's hand in, halting. "I don't know, Wil. A lot of things are complicated right now. I know that we can trust Eret - they tried really hard to fix their wrongs before, and they'll try again." He squeezed Wilbur's hand tightly. "I don't know how to reassure you that I won't leave you, but I won't, I promise. I'll stay with you until the end." 

And didn't that feel undeniably bitter. Tommy had tried to do that before, but Wilbur himself made it nearly impossible.

"I... I believe you, Tommy," Wilbur said softly, squeezing Tommy's hand back. He smiled softly, sounding more like himself. "Thank you. I'm sorry that I've been all over the place recently. Everything is messed up in my head."

"It's alright, Big Dubs," Tommy said, grinning. "I'll be here to bring you back every time."

"Guys!"

Tommy and Wilbur looked over, past the church grounds, to see Jack Manifold running toward them. When he reached the area, he stopped for a moment to catch his breath.

"Sorry, give- gimme a moment," Jack panted. After a moment, he straightened. "We've been looking for you two everywhere. Today is the day to close the ballot and announce the parties. Kind of hard to do that without our main runners."

Tommy grinned just a bit brighter. "'Course, Manifold. Sorry about that, we were busy." He hesitated before adding, "Do you mind bringing Eret? I think they should be in the know, just in case."

Jack raised a brow and nodded, bumping Tommy's shoulder playfully, before continuing past and to Eret's castle.

Wilbur turned to Tommy, smiling with clear eyes. "Shall we?"

"We shall."

"Are we all here?" Tubbo asked, looking at the crowd, then the four parties on the stage. "Alright, then the first presidential debate shall commence! In this session, we will be introducing the running parties, along with their policies. They will each be electing one person as their go-betweens." He looked at Wilbur, stepping away from the mic.

Wilbur moved up to the plate, waving as the crowd clapped. "Good afternoon, everyone. How are we all doing?" A couple of cheers, some more clapping. One person booed, making Wilbur chuckle. "That's good to hear. My name is Wilbur Soot, and I'm heading the POG2020 party.

Wilbur listed off the policies, then looked to Tommy. "My running mate is TommyInnit. Tommy?"

Tommy nodded, stepping up to the mic. "If it pleases the event runners, we would also like to share our endorsements."

"Ah, fine," Tubbo said, waving Tommy off. "You'd probably do it anyway."

That spurred laughter from the crowd. Tommy cleared his throat before grinning. "Technoblade, Philza, if you would make your way up to the podium."

The two warriors stood from their place in the audience, and whispers broke out almost immediately. They made their way up to a smug-looking Wilbur and an excited Tommy.

Techno tapped the mic, silencing the crowd. "I, Technoblade, endorse POG2020. Good luck. If it doesn't work... L." The spectators laughed, and Techno stepped back, allowing Phil to take his place.

"I, Philza Minecraft, also endorse POG2020. Good luck, boys," Phil said, smiling at his middle and youngest child. "I couldn't be more proud."

Phil and Techno returned to their seats, and Tommy grinned down at the audience. "As our go-between, we would like to elect Jack Manifold." The man blinked before jumping up and joining the other two members of POG2020. "He helped us rebuild and strengthen our nation, and we believe that he can help us succeed in our endeavors."

Tommy stepped away, joining Wilbur and now Jack Manifold in their area. The crowd clapped, and Tubbo returned to the mic. He smiled at Tommy, pride in his gaze, before saying, "Thank you, POG2020. Next, we have SWAG2020."

Karl and Quackity stepped forward, Karl leading.

"Hi, I'm Karl Jacobs, I'm twenty-two, and I'm addicted to Monster Energy drinks," Karl said.

Quackity cackled, along with several members of the audience. "Karl, that's not what this conference is for."

"Is it not?" Karl muttered. He blinked at the crowd before going, "Oh! Right! Sorry, wrong meeting. We are the SWAG2020 party." He listed their party's policies before continuing, "My running man is Quackity. Our endorsement is BadBoyHalo."

Once Bad was on stage, he awkwardly shuffled around the other people to get to the microphone. "Hello, everyone, I'm BadBoyHalo. I'm endorsing SWAG2020 because I want to see them do well. That is all."

The spectators politely clapped as Bad returned to his seat, and Quackity took over the speech. "For our go-between - Sapnap, get up here!"

Sapnap furrowed his brow, and he looked over to Dream. Tommy followed his gaze and was unsurprised to find the man completely unphased. Figures that he wouldn't care for his friends, even this far back. Maybe at some point, he had, but... Tommy knew better. He had dealt with Dream and his manipulations for far too long to give in to any act of Dream's.

Sapnap seemed to see it, too, as his face fell before he plastered on a huge grin. He put on some bravado, waving and blowing kisses to the crowd as they clapped and whistled. Tommy was suddenly reminded of a conversation he had with Sapnap just before exile. The man had pleaded with Tommy, asking if Dream still cared about him. Tommy hadn't been able to give Sapnap an answer - he didn't know if he could now.

"Thank you, thank you, you're too kind, really," Sapnap said, making his way to the podium and pulling Tommy from his thoughts.

Tubbo shook his head at their antics, grinning slightly. "Alright, alright, settle down. Next is COCONUT2020. Fundy, Niki? The floor is yours."

Fundy grinned, waving at the audience. "Hello, everyone! It's Fundy, and this is Niki! We're COCONUT2020. We don't have many policies, but we do promise free cookies for each person who votes for us. We... also forgot to secure an endorsement, but our in-between is Eret!" He looked down at the monarch. "Eret, if you will?"

Eret blinked, surprised, before hesitantly standing. There were a few scattered claps along with a cough, but it was mostly awkward. Eret made eye contact with Tommy, askance in their gaze, to which Tommy nodded. If it was anyone other than Wilbur, it should be okay. Eret could go back to their business after the election - no big deal.

Tommy glanced over at Dream, feeling smug at taking most of his cards. The masked man's shoulders were tense, but that was the only sign he was affected. That was fine - Tommy could tell.

Tubbo nodded at Fundy's group as he stepped back up to the microphone. "Alright, last, but most certainly not least, we have DREAM2020." He looked at Dream and George, moving to give them space.

"Good morning, everyone," Dream said, voice smooth. "We are DREAM2020. I know my admittance was a bit of a surprise for you all. I mean no harm, I promise. Not this time."

Yeah, right.

"George and I simply want to make L'Manburg more unified. I know that this country is still regaining strength after the revolution, and I want to help with that. I mean, it was my fault you all are struggling right now anyway, right?" Dream's head swiveled from one side of the audience to the other. "Help me to help you. I promise I won't let you down."

There was stunned silence. Then, a raucous applaud rang through the field. Tommy blanched, exchanging a panicked look with a manic-looking Wilbur. Dream waited for it to calm down before he continued.

"We'd like to elect Sam as our in-between," he said. As Sam made his way up, Dream added, "I know none of us are L'Manburgians, but we are strong, and we know how to govern lands. Follow us, give us a chance, and we'll show how we can help."

Dream backed away, leaving a stunned Tubbo to take his place. "Wow. Okay, I was not expecting that." He shook his head. "Anyway, with those introductory speeches out of the way, let's continue to the debate. Each party will be given two minutes to answer a question before moving onto the next group. Those with the best-received answers will move on to the next round of questioning. Understand?"

Unanimous nods.

Tubbo smiled. "Then let us begin."

"Holy shit," Tommy breathed, pulling on his hair. "How the fuck are we supposed to win against him?! Dream is pulling out every stop to ensure he wins."

"Don't worry, it was only the first debate," Tubbo said. "There's like, three more - you guys will have a chance. Besides, you guys got second."

"It's more than that, Tubbo," Wilbur said, face in his hands. "He knows every word to say, every empty promise to give, to make sure our people think that he's the best option. We have a slight advantage, yes, with multiple parties against him, along with what we've done for L'Manburg, but I don't know if we can win this."

"We- we have to try," Tommy whispered. "We can't take it lying down - not again." He hardened his expression, meeting Wilbur's gaze. "We have to believe we can do it. If we fail, then... what hope is there?"

Wilbur let out a hollow laugh. "I think it might be too late, Tommy."

" No! " Tommy shouted, throwing a hand out. "We aren't going to just let Dream do this to us! Not again! You don't remember everything but-"

"But I'm starting to," Wilbur said quietly. "Things are so messed up, Tommy. Right is wrong, but wrong is... is-" He took a deep breath. "I hurt you in Pogtopia. Maybe not physically, but emotionally... I sided with Dream, and I brushed away your concerns. That... that could easily happen again."

"I won't let it," Tommy said firmly. "I don't care what he does. Dream isn't taking you away from me - not again. I'll kill him myself if I have to - he's already lost one life."

Wilbur sighed hopelessly. "I... need some time, Tommy. Please. I need to think for a bit."

Tommy frowned. "... okay. But we'll be back." He looked at his friend. "C'mon, Tubbo. Techno is cooking tonight."

Tubbo gave Wilbur a considering glance before nodding at Tommy. The two teens left the room, leaving a world-weary Wilbur in their trail. By morning, Tommy will wish he hadn't left.

Chapter Text

Wilbur sighed, running a hand down his face. He was exhausted from the day's events and couldn't wait to finish here and get home to sleep. If only the voices would shut up.

Haha, loser.

Sad Wil hours.

This is boring - can we get some lasagna?

I'm tired of Dream's shit.

Honestly, yeah.

"Please, be quiet," Wilbur muttered, pressing his palms into his eyes.

The swarm of voices soothed down at that, now a dull roar. Wilbur let out a sigh of relief.

Oh, but if they're quiet, then there's us, a voice that was suspiciously close to Wilbur's responded. Alivebur, no doubt. Remember your conversation with Quackity about power? About how desire turns into greed turns into madness. It happened to you, you know; to me - to us.

Stop it, Ghostbur said. I don't like this.

You don't like anything, you pussy, Alivebur sneered.

"Please, both of you," Wilbur sighed, pushing away from his desk. He turned to look out the window of his office. "Can you be reasonable for one goddamned moment?"

I could, if I wanted, Alivebur said. But that'd be boring. Why not talk about something interesting? Like how you won't win against Dream. Or Eret's betrayal - or us blowing up L'Manburg. Oh, I know! How about Tommy being beaten to death by-

"Shut up!" Wilbur shouted, slamming his hand on the window. It cracked under the force but did not shatter. "Just shut up. That never happened."

You know it did, Alivebur pressed, tone sober. Or, it would have, had you not left when you did. 

Flashes of a beaten Tommy cycled through Wilbur's head. His skin was pale, and his eyes were gray. He was sporting a new white streak in his hair, much like Wilbur was. Deadbur - whatever.

The Void exists outside of time. Mexican Dream won't show up, and neither will Schlatt, Alivebur continued. Or if they do, they won't remember. You know that. I know that you know that. Do I know what happens after we're revived? No, but we don't need to. All I need you to do is blow L'Manburg sky high again. That will set everything in order again. Tubbo will become president, Tommy will be exiled, and everything will be torn apart. It'll be just like it's supposed to be.

I don't like that, though, Ghostbur said softly. I- That's not good, Alivebur. We came back so that we could stop that from happening. I- I won't let you do anything like that. We deserve to live! Tommy deserves to be happy, and everyone deserves a home.

Yeah, yeah, you keep spouting out your arse, Alivebur said before going silent.

Wilbur sighed a breath of relief. He ran his fingers along the crack in the window, looking down at his country.

I'm sorry about him, Ghostbur said. I know what happened was sudden, but we didn't mean to. It just... came out that way.

"I know," Wilbur whispered. And god, what an image he would be - talking to himself in his office and punching windows. They'd think he was going insane again.

"I know that, and I know we can stop it, but it seems so... impossible," Wilbur continued. "How are we going to pull this off?"

I... I don't know, Ghostbur said quietly. I want to help you. I just don't know how, and I'm not sure how to learn. But... you should trust Tommy - he's a good, smart kid. And trust Tubbo, too. They would never betray you, no matter what anyone else says.

And then Ghostbur was gone, too.

And Wilbur was alone.

Again.

Then, something shifted.

Wilbur groaned as he slowly came into consciousness. He blinked at the harsh light coming in through his office window.

"Wilbur? Why are you on the floor?"

Wilbur looked up and saw Tommy and Tubbo standing above him. He squinted. "What the fuck? Why are you two in here? Don't you have more important shit to do?"

"You never went home last night, according to Phil," Tubbo explained. "We were worried.

"I'm fine," Wilbur said harshly, and suddenly, he felt like he wasn't in control of himself. He got to his feet, roughly straightening his uniform. "Perfectly, bloody fine. What do you two want?"

Tommy flinched slightly, and a part of Wilbur hurt at that. The more in-control part didn't care.

"The second round of the election debate is today," Tubbo said. "Did you forget?"

Apparently, he had. Wilbur shook his head. "No, no. I just have a headache. Let's get going, then."

Wilbur left the office with Tubbo and Tommy trailing after him, expressions grim.

"What's the plan?" Tommy asked.

Wilbur scowled. "Beat Dream at his own game."

If it's any consolation, I hated Tommy being hurt, Alivebur said during a break in the debate.

Wilbur frowned. What was he supposed to do with that?  It's not like they could have stopped it from happening.

Pogtopia, what we did, what Dream did - it hurt me to see him hurt, even if we weren't sane at the time, Alivebur continued. I don't know if I regret it, though.

Wilbur shook his head to clear Alivebur from his head. It didn't quite work, but there wasn't time to dwell on it.

The debate was back in session.

Alivebur scoffed, though he sounded further away now. You need help with this, Wilbur. Let me help you.

"You'll only hurt them," Wilbur muttered.

"What was that, Wil?" Tommy asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

Wilbur waved him off even as Alivebur continued, drowning out Tubbo's proceedings. You can't win on your own. I'm more experienced than you - I know more about it than you. Let me help you, Wil.

Sharp pain split through Wilbur's skull. The last thing he heard was Alivebur's quiet promise.

I won't hurt them.

When Wilbur came to, his head was pounding, and he had no idea where he was. All he could really make out was Tommy prattling off about something next to him.

"Tommy, please," he murmured, holding his head. "My head is killing me."

Tommy immediately quieted. "Sorry. Do you need me to get anything? A potion? Some water?"

"Water would be nice," Wilbur managed.

The moment Tommy was gone, a cacophony of voices erupted in his head, making Wil's headache ten times worse.

Alivebur gone?

Pog!

E?

No, stop that.

Alivebur gone!

Ghostbur is gone, too, tho.

Sadge.

You all are incorrigible.

We're not gone, you numbskulls. A stronger voice resonated above the rest. We were just suppressed for a bit.

"What, so I was on autopilot?" Wil asked quietly. "What the hell happened?!"

Well, I took you over and ensured that we had the best argument for the debates! Alivebur said. Simple.

That's not very simple, Ghostbur chimed in. That's actually complex. And dangerous. You can't do it again! What if you combined us or forced one of us out?! What if Wilbur hadn't come back? What would we do then?

Live, I guess?

Probably die, actually.

Possession is not pog.

Yes, it is.

You all are dumb - I'm out of here.

No, you're not.

... Yeah, I'm not.

Wilbur sighed, massaging his temples. Prime, what he wouldn't wish for all of the voices to be gone.

Tommy came back into the living room with some water. His brows were furrowed, and he was frowning when Wil looked up. Wilbur managed a half-smile and a few words of thanks, taking the water.

Tommy gave him another weird look before sighing. "Well, that was the final debate. Now, all we have to do is wait for the poll results."

Wilbur choked on his water - to Tommy's immediate alarm.

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention, Alivebur started. I was in control for the rest of the election. Sorry, I forgot to mention!

Yeah, that's kind of important! Wilbur thought, breathing around his lungful of water. Aloud, he said, "I'm fine, Tommy. Just went down the wrong pipe. What are you expecting from the elections?"

"Honestly, not much," Tommy said slowly. "I can say we'll get at least second? But Dream's arguments were solid - I have no idea if we can do this. He wants to unify the SMP, whatever that means, and I'm worried that he'll be able to do it. I... Wil, if he wins, I'm not sure we'll be able to do what we did last time. Dream isn't a terrible ruler, and that's why-"

"Tommy, look at me," Wilbur said, setting down his water. He turned to Tommy, putting his hands on the blond's shoulders. "We can win this, I promise. And if we don't, there's always the next election. I  promise  that I won't let you down."

Tommy smiled sadly. "Wilbur, you could never let me down."

Yeah, cause we already have, Ghostbur said quietly.  He doesn't hold us up on a pedestal anymore.

And that's a good thing,  Alivebur said.  Because now we won't have a child hindering us in our plan.

Plan?

What plan?

Ooh! A plan!

Can't wait to go boom again.

Wilbur brought Tommy in for a hug, ignoring the voices. Wilbur wouldn't do what they said. He was his own person - and he wouldn't let anyone take his younger brother away from him again. Not Dream - not even himself.

Chapter Text

Karl had noticed something was different with Wilbur after the first two debates. It wasn't anything concrete, but it was concerning, nonetheless. The man had been offstanding from his party, preferring to do more on his own: answering the questions, making claims, deciding on choices. He stopped deferring to Tommy or Jack, and it was rubbing Karl the wrong way.

The day before the election results were revealed, Karl confronted Wilbur about it.

"Is everything okay, Wil?" Karl asked.

Wilbur frowned, looking up from the paper he was reading. He quickly set it aside, folding his fingers on top of his desk. "Yes. Why?"

"Well, you were acting... strange," Karl said slowly. "During the election debates. Granted, I don't know you very well, so maybe I was just reading you wrong, but something felt... off? I guess?"

"Karl," Wilbur said slowly, his expression hardening. "Everything is fine. I appreciate the concern, but I am perfectly okay."

"I mean, you say that, but last time-"

"Don't!" Wilbur interrupted, slamming a hand on the table. His eyes widened in realization, and he leaned back in his chair. Taking a deep breath, he continued, "I'm sorry for the outburst. But really, I'm okay. I'm just stressed right now. We have a lot riding on tomorrow's results, and I have no idea what to do if it doesn't work out."

Karl nodded. "I understand that. Sorry for disturbing you. But Wilbur, if you need someone to talk to or anything, I'm here. I don't know many of you very well, but I've been doing this time travel thing for a while. Things get messed up in your head - I still have trouble remembering things, sometimes."

"Yeah, thanks," Wilbur replied, softer than before. Something similar to realization sparked in his eyes. He bit his lip, then said, his voice lighter in tone, "I've just been struggling with a few things - voices and whatnot. I think they showed up last time, too."

"Voices are a thing Technoblade deals with, right?" Karl asked rhetorically. "Maybe you should talk to him - get his opinion."

"Yeah, I... I think I might," Wilbur said. He smiled at Karl. "Thank you again."

Karl nodded back a bit awkwardly before leaving the president's office. Quackity and Sapnap were outside to meet him.

"What was that about?" Quackity asked.

Karl waved him off. "Nothing major - I just had a few questions about the election."

"You sure that was it? Cause I heard Wilbur shout," Sapnap said, giving the door a look.

"Yes, that's it," Karl insisted, ushering his fiances- friends out of the building.

For the next day, waiting for the election results, Karl found his conversation with Wilbur drifting further and further away from him. By the time the meeting was called to declare the results, Karl had forgotten completely. It was seeing Wilbur again that reminded him.

Wilbur was looking, in all honesty, better today. His hair was better kempt than it had been, and the bags under his eyes were much lighter. Karl hoped that meant that Wilbur had taken his advice seriously.

Karl quickly shook those thoughts away. He had to focus on the moment at hand - the election results.

Tubbo was stood at the microphone, the different parties surrounding him. An envelope was in his hand.

"Good day, everyone!" Tubbo started. "Today is the day we announce election results. I hope everyone got their votes in last night because there's no going back now!"

Clearing his throat and opening the envelope, Tubbo continued. "In fourth place, with 17%, is COCONUT2020! Sorry, Fundy and Niki, maybe next election?"

Fundy's ears fell a bit, but Karl caught Niki rubbing Fundy's arm gently. Eret ruffled the redhead's hair, and Wilbur shot his son a small smile with pride in his eyes. That, at least, was better than last time.

Tubbo nodded. "Alright, moving on the third place! With 26% of the votes is SWAG2020." He looked over to Karl, Sapnap, and Quackity with an apologetic smile. "You guys did really well! I'm looking forward to seeing you three together."

Karl's face immediately went red, and he knew that Tubbo knew what he said. "T-Tubbo!"

Quackity spluttered next to Karl, and if the heat from behind them was any indication, Sapnap wasn't doing much better.

Tubbo smirked before he kept going. "And first place, beating second by a percentage is..." His expression fell for the barest moment before picking back up.

"DREAM2020, with 29% of the votes!" Tubbo turned to Dream carefully. "Congratulations on the win. Would you like to address your countrymen?"

Dream nodded, already making his way over to the microphone. There was a smug air about him - as if he already knew he was going to win. 

Karl risked a glance at Tommy and Wilbur. Their faces were filled with dread. Tommy's hand had found Wilbur's, and they were holding each other tightly. Karl couldn't even begin to imagine what they were going through - considering what Dream had done.

... What had Dream done?

Manipulated Wilbur. Abused Tommy. Refused L'Manburg's freedom. Blew L'Manburg to bedrock.

Dream had ruined this server for everyone.

Karl needed to remember that. He couldn't afford to forget - even if he lost everything else, knowing what Dream was, was crucial.

Would letting Dream win the election constitute Karl going back to the In-Between? He hoped not - that place freaked him out more than he'd like to admit. Still, the note said that anything done wrong would result in Karl being back there.

So lost in his thoughts, Karl didn't realize Dream was still talking.

"...and I would like to make one thing clear," Dream said carefully. "I will not be doing anything that will lead L'Manburg to conflict. Not with itself and not with the Greater SMP." He smiled. "Thank you again for trusting me with this privilege. I won't let any of you down."

The crowd went wild.

"How did it fail?!" Wilbur exclaimed, pacing. "It was stacked against him! How the fuck did Dream win?! Was there voter fraud? There had to have been, right?! There was last time!"

Tubbo crossed his arms, expression tight. "There was, but it was all for Fundy and Niki - as far as I could tell."

"But we didn't do anything like that!" Fundy exclaimed. He gave Wilbur a pleading look. "You have to believe me - Niki and I were entirely honest."

Wilbur stopped in his movement, taking a deep breath. Tommy tensed from next to Karl, and Karl winced himself.

"Fundy, I believe you, I promise," Wilbur said, turning to face his son. Instantly, Tommy, Fundy, and Karl relaxed. "There probably was more fraud. Things... are just complicated. It's hard to measure what is and is not valid."

"It's possible Dream leveled it against you," Karl piped in. "To create diffusion between us. He had to have known what our plan was and worked around it." He hesitated momentarily. "Have you considered that he is also from the future?"

Tommy froze at Karl's side, slowly turning to him with a pale face. "Karl, you've got to be joking. There's no way Dream of all people traveled back, too."

"It- it makes sense," Karl said slowly. "He knows what we're thinking, and he's always one step ahead. His goal has always been to either eliminate or unify L'Manburg. This election was just one way to get to that."

"No, I can't-" Tommy stopped himself. "Just. No, that isn't possible."

Karl opened his mouth before deciding against it. "Okay. But it still stands that something was skewed."

"Okay, but the election has already been decided," Tubbo said. "Now, we just have to wait until the next one."

"Or we could stage a coup," Wilbur proposed.

Tommy scowled at that, pallor still concerningly light. "No, we are not doing that. The first time we tried, you died, Wil. You went crazy, and no one who could help you would."

"Except now we have more people on our side," Wilbur said. His expression was slowly warping into a manic one. He took a step closer to the teen. "We can win, Tommy! Things can be done so much-"

"No, Wilbur," Karl said, moving to stand in front of a now-shaking Tommy. Tubbo moved to comfort the blond. "We'll figure out something else - or at least do it better than before. But before we do any of that, you need to get some help. Please."

Wilbur blinked, seemingly coming back to himself. He frowned, putting a hand up to his face. Fundy put a hand on his arm, concerned. The man waved him off with a smile before looking back at Karl. "Yeah, you're... you're right. I need- I need to- go. I'll- be around."

Karl watched as Wilbur left, frowning slightly. That was more than concerning.

"I'll go after him," Fundy said. Karl nodded, and the fox hybrid ran after his father.

Karl turned to Tubbo and Tommy. He carefully put a hand on Tommy's bicep. "Hey, why don't you go check on Henry and the other pets? I'm sure that'll cheer you up."

Tommy nodded slowly, seemingly coming back to himself. Tubbo gave Karl a grateful smile before gently guiding his friend from the meeting room.

Karl collapsed against the nearby wall, knees shaking. Why was it all so complex?

He was running through endless white corridors. Up was down, and down was up. He had no idea where he was going, and something was after him. He couldn't let them capture him. Who knew what would happen if it did.

He had to find the portal - he would be able to get out of here. God, he needed out.

Twisting staircases, grand entryways, glistening fountains - it all blurred in his mind. Then, he came to a previously barred room. In the center stood a purple, obsidian rimmed portal. It was like a nether portal. Somehow, he knew it wouldn't take him to the nether.

He immediately bolted for the portal just as something was about to grab him.

Then-

Karl woke up with a gasp, hands flying out to grasp for people who weren't there.

His palms met cold sheets. Immediately, he burst into tears. Sobs tore from his throat, and he couldn't help curling up hopelessly.

Karl missed his partners desperately. Maybe... he should fix that. He knew he could - especially now that the election was over.

Tears still flowing down his cheeks, Karl sat up and reached into his bedside table. He felt around until he found three velvet boxes. He just hoped they would say yes.

"You wanted to talk with us, Karl?" Sapnap asked.

"Uh, yeah, sorry if it's a bad time," Karl said stutteringly.

Quackity shook his head. "It's not a problem - we'd always make time for you."

"What Q said," Sapnap said, nodding. He took one of Karl's hands. "What's up?"

Karl took a deep breath, reaching into his pocket. He thumbed one of the boxes resting there. "Alright, so, uhm. I- don't really know how to put this, but... I want to leave. Not the SMP, or anything-" he had no idea how that would work out, "-just move somewhere else. We can make a life and return whenever we want."

Sapnap exchanged a look with Quackity. "What spurred this on?"

"I've been thinking about it since- well, since I came here, really," Karl said. "I just... felt like it was right. I can't really describe it." There was no way he could tell these two about the time travel. At least, not yet. "So... yeah. If you'll have me, Sapnap and Quackity."

Quackity grinned. "Sure. It was getting boring here anyway."

"Yeah," Sapnap said, his smile soft. "As long as we're still available if we're needed."

"Of course!" Karl insisted. He pulled out two of the boxes and handed one to each of his friends. "But you'll need this."

Quackity took his and opened it. Immediately, he gasped. "Karl! Are you proposing?!"

Karl grinned. "Maybe."

Sapnap pulled Karl in to kiss his forehead. "Yes. It's always going to be yes for you."

Karl giggled, grabbing his own box. He helped his fiances - finally, they were fiances again - put their rings on before putting on his own. Grinning so hard his cheeks hurt, he pulled both his fiances in for a hug.

"Thank you both," he said. "So,  so  much."

"Of course, Karl."

"It's nothing - really."

And sure, Karl was sure that they'd have to work through Quackity's possession issues, and Sapnap no doubt felt abandoned by Dream, but they were together again. They could do anything now. Karl finally had them back in his arms, and he wasn't going to let them go if he could help it.

Karl took a deep breath, pulling back from the hug a bit. "There a large plot of land, far to the east, past Eret's castle. It's  perfect  for anything we want to do."

"Anything for you, Karl," Sapnap said.

"You lead the way!" Quackity affirmed.

Karl grinned, kissing both of their cheeks. He missed these two so much.