Chapter Text
Sometimes, Fundy thinks, he wishes he had stayed in Cogchamp. Away from the DSMP, away from war, away from conflict, away from heartbreak. Wilbur had sent him there when fundy was able to walk, not wanting to deal with a child in the midst of a revolution. So, away he went, to a land full of machines and inventions that l’manburg could only dream of.
Raised by strangers who gifted Fundy intelligence to understand these big machines. Raised to ask questions. Raised to want to learn more. His childhood was never with his father, or l’manburg. He received letters from his father as some sort of attempt to make it look like his father did care for him, but they were always short and never really felt like it came from family. Nevertheless, Fundy still replied with enthusiasm, explaining how much he has learned and the contraptions he has built even when the only response his father ever gave him was ‘that's nice’ or ‘how interesting’.
So to say those two had a close family bond would be far from the truth. So, when a letter came on his twelfth birthday telling him to return home as soon as possible, Fundy had been more than confused as to why.
“You don’t have to leave, you can stay! He can’t just- just force you to leave without so much of a warning! He’s miles away from here, hell, you don’t even call him your father! He shouldn’t have a say on whether or not you can leave or not!” 5up shouted, trying to make Fundy stay. He's heard of what’s been happening at the DSMP, the war that’s been raging on. 5up would be damned if he let his best friend go over there without at least trying to stop him.
“I- I know but, its- its not a request, Five. Wilbur said I have to and if I don’t he’ll send people here to just take me! I don’t want to leave, you know that. I don’t want to leave you but I don’t want to disrupt the peace here. If some random men just come here in probably armor and just drag me away then- well I’m sure you can imagine what might happen to the people here. Who knows, maybe he just wants to see how his son is doing? A check up and then he’ll send me back on my merry way.”
“He’s never even come to visit you in the last 10 years! Why would he want you to return now of all the times he could have!” Fundy flinched at this, causing Five to quickly slap his hand over his mouth. Silence seeping into the room.
“Fundy, I- I’m so sorry that was too far I didn’t mean to say that. I’m just- I don’t want you to go Fundy. Please, stay here, in Cogchamp. Stay with me.” Five said, breaking the silence, moving towards Fundy, enveloping in a hug.
“You know I can’t. An order from Wilbur is absolute, no questions asked.” Fundy said, barely above a whisper as they both hung off of each other, neither wanting to let go.
A small sob escaped Fives lips. “I know.”
-
When the day finally came for Fundy to leave and begin his ride to l’manburg there hadn’t been many tears of goodbye. Having already wept those tears just days ago.
“You better write to me everyday you hear me Fundy? And not like how Wilbur writes to you, because I swear I will go and storm l’manburg, war or not.”
Fundy laughed at that, “I swear to you, I’ll write to you every day. You better reply to me everyday as well! Once Wilbur is done with me I’ll come back, I promise.”
They both stared at one another still not wanting to part ways, but when the bell rang signaling the time to board the train they knew they could no longer stall.
“I guess this is goodbye. Take care, Five.”
“Yeah, I guess it really is goodbye. I’m not the one going towards a war, so you’re the one who should take care. We only come back three times after all. See you seen, hopefully.”
A small chuckle passed through Fundys lips at the small comment Five made, giving him a small wave goodbye before he boarded the train.
-
Never having met your father in basically twelve years would make one assume that it would probably be awkward when they first met after all the years, and you’d be correct. Fundy was not looking forward to this meeting at all, especially when you take into consideration that his father was a general of a war that he technically started. He expected for the meeting to be stiff, with his father not really knowing how to approach him.
So when he felt arms embracing him into a hug he wasn’t really sure how to react, going rigid immediately.
“Fundy! Its so good to see you, welcome to L’manburg! I hope your travel was well. The walk mustn’t have been pleasant. We don’t have trains like you do in Cogchamp. How have you been?” The man began rambling, spewing so many words that Fundy could barely keep up. The man knew his name, knew he was from Cogchamp, and knew the passage to even meet up with Fundy, so Fundy’s best guess had to be that this man was his father.
The man, Wilbur, still had him in a tight bond, still talking (something about Fundy technically being the first born citizen of L’manburg and how happy he was to see him). Fundy gently lifted his paw in an effort for the man to pause even if it was for just a few seconds.
Thankfully, he got the signal.
“A-ah sorry about that kiddo, your old mans just really excited to m- see you after all these years.” A small slip of the tongue that Fundy caught.
Meet.
He supposed that would be right, they may be blood related but they barely even knew each other, other than what Fundy’s heard of Wilbur and what he wrote to him.
Fundy laughed trying to shake off the odd feeling he got. “I’m glad to see you too dad.”
Dad. What a foriegn word to Fundy.
“You're probably tired, come, let me take you home. We’re still fighting a war so excuse us if its not the best looking place. Welcome back, my little champion.”
Something in Fundy felt a twinge with the nickname. Wilbur barely knew him and yet he started dotting on him as though he was always with him. Nobody dotted on Fundy back at Cogchamp, maybe the feeling was because he just wasn’t used to it.”
He really hopes the dotting will die off soon, hes not a small child after all.
-
Erets betrayal stung, it hurt. Eret had been one of the first to talk to him when he had arrived here two years ago. Eret had been the first to show him around while everyone was skittish around him. Eret had been his first friend when Fundy arrived on a strangers land. He listened to Fundys rambles about Cogchamp when everyone else scoffed and told him that lying wasn’t a good quality to have.
Eret believed and trusted Fundy, and Fundy thought he was able to believe and trust in him.
Turns out he couldn’t.
His father screamed and yelled about this betrayal, calling Eret a traitor. Fundy didn’t want to believe Wilbur. He wanted to believe that his friend didn’t want to kill him since the beginning. That this man, this Dream, had manipulated him and forced him to do it.
Fundy wanted to talk to someone, anyone. But his father barely even looked at him and Fundy didn’t really wish to talk to him. Everyone was still hurting over this betrayal and they already had someone for them but Fundy felt so alone.
So, he picked up a quill, grabbed a piece of paper and wrote. Wrote to his first friend, to the person who still talked to him, the one who still hoped for him.
He did not write about the betrayal, about his first almost death. Instead he wrote about the plans Wilbur had been making for the war. About the small redstone contraptions he had built because these people weren’t as advanced as Cogchamp was. Telling him how he felt, the loneliness he felt still being here and not at Cogchamp. Telling him about someone new he met, hoping that he could be able to befriend her so he wouldn’t feel alone. And if his friend noticed that Fundy didn’t bring up Eret in this letter he knew not to mention it.
He wrote how much he yearned to go back home.
-
Fundy wanted to write. He wanted to write so badly. He hasn’t written in months as the war began to pick up speed. He barely had time to be alone. So if he snuck out in the middle of the night to the forest under his fathers nose, who could blame him?
He gently sighed as he laid himself by a willow tree. He was so tired.
He gently opened his notebook and stared. There were barely any resources that weren’t being used for the war, so any ink available was being prioritized for the generals. The same went for quills.
Bringing up his finger he began drawing out the letters as though he had his ink and quill. Writing an imaginary letter for someone who would never receive it. He wondered if Five still waited for his letters. He wondered if Five still waited for him.
Another sigh escaped him only to be interrupted with the sound of bushes rustling. Immediately he was on edge, quickly closing his book and picking up his sword. Rising quietly from his spot to not alert whoever was in the bush.
He stared at the bush, waiting for whatever there to expose itself. Fundy expected that perhaps it had been Wilbur to emerge and drag him back, perhaps Tommy telling him how many favors he’d owed him to not tell Wilbur, or maybe another soldier on his father's request to bring him back. So when what emerged had been a rabbit he was both relieved and slightly confused.
“I didn’t know there were rabbits here.” He wondered out loud.
“There aren’t.” A voice spoke behind him.
Fundy turned quickly, raising his sword towards the voice.
“Woah there,” The man said, raising his hands up, “I mean no harm, I’m just here for some quiet, probably like you, unless of course you're here to hunt. If so then you just let that rabbit go.”
He didn’t bring his sword down, eyeing the man just in case. He didn’t seem to be armed, perhaps he had his weapons hidden. As he scanned the man he noticed a mask placed on the man's face.
A mask? Didn’t Wilbur warn him about someone in a mask? He couldn’t remember, he was tired and didn’t want to fight. Not in the forest when this was meant to be his escape. He slowly dropped his sword down.
“Who are you?” Fundy questioned. At this the man seemed surprised.
“You don’t recognise me? I’m pretty sure I’m pretty infamous over on your side of this war.” The masked man replied.
“I’m too tired to care honestly. You haven’t killed me yet so I couldn’t care less on what side you're on or who you are.”
“Thats.. Fair. Then, you may call me Clay, fox boy.” He said, sitting under the tree patting the spot in front of him in an attempt to incite Fundy to sit as well.
“Way to state the obvious. Very original.” Its been awhile since he was able to do playful banter. He’s missed it. God, hes so tired. Fighting a war would do that to you though wouldn’t?
Taking up the man’s offer, sitting in front of him.
“Then what should I call you? You haven’t exactly introduced yourself yet.”
“Aren’t we enemies? I don’t think I should be telling you this.”
“I told you mine, fair is fair.”
“I truly doubt that Clay is your real name. If you really are someone that even Wildbur worries about then you’d real stupid to give up your name that easily.”
“You're pretty smart for someone chatting to the enemy like we’re friends.”
“I’ll fight you on the battlefield, not here. Here is where I can run away from the war and relax. Even if it is just for a moment. So I would rather not tarnish that.” Fundy turned towards the sky, staring at the stars and moon. He wonders when the last time he was able to just breathe it all in.
The masked man stared at him for a while, Fundy didn’t falter under it. He had many stares back in L’manberg. There weren’t many hybrids here like there were in Cogchamp so he stood out like a sore thumb when he had first arrived. Not so much now, there were perks to be a shapeshifter after all.
“Yeah,” Clay spoke, “I guess you’re right. It is a rather beautiful night as well.”
His gaze lingered just a second more before turning towards the stars.
A comfortable silence took over. A nice calm, almost letting him forget about the raging war. Maybe he could spend more time with this person
“Fundy. My name's Fundy.”
-
The second war came and went. Barely felt like a blink. This war didn’t last as long as the other did, everyone already immediately helping Wilbur and Tommy the moment they had been exiled.
He's been here for years.
He was twelve and joining a war that had nothing to do with him just days ago and now he's turning 20 in a few weeks.
And now his father was dead and an anemic ghost, his friends (could he really call them that? He doubted they saw him as a friend anymore) didn’t trust him, and he hasn’t seen Dream in weeks. His supposed lover was out on missions to protect the new king he crowned, George.
He's felt alone before, but now he feels as though he has no one.
‘Maybe there's hope’, he thinks, ‘Maybe the letter wasn’t in vain. Maybe it did reach him.’
A letter he wrote for the first time in years to a friend who may want nothing to do with him (wouldn't be the first to give up on him) or maybe the friend has forgotten about him after all the years that came without ever receiving a letter.
He wants to run back to his real home, but he knows he can’t. He's not done yet. He can’t just run away like his coward of a father does when he makes mistakes.
He thinks of the blueprints he's made over the years in hopes of when he returned home he would be able to begin working on them. Maybe he only made all those plans because he was afraid of forgetting. Maybe that's why he still makes blueprints for inventions he can’t even make here. So he doesn’t forget what the strangers that felt more family then his father taught him. He wonders if they would still recognise him. Once, he was taught to speak, ask, and learn. Now he is quiet and watches in fear of being used.
Then he hears whispers. Whispers of a strange traveller who arrived just a day ago. Of a plant hybrid with similar claims that Fundy once talked about so many years ago. Fundy felt his breath go short. His hopes were high, he shouldn’t be so hopeful for what could be disappointment.
But that description reminded him of someone he loved. Someone he cherished after all the years. So when he learned that the stranger was in the town hall he couldn’t help but run as soon as he found out. He ran faster then he has in years because damn it if there was a chance that it was him then he had to take it.
“Wha- Fundy! Where do you think you're going? You can’t just walk in there!” He heard someone shout, something in the back of his head told him it was Niki, but he didn’t have time. He had to go see the traveller.
He slammed open the doors to find a man with a helmet that covered his face, with a scarf wrapped tightly around their neck. The man turned towards him and they stared at one another. Both eying each other. And then Fundy saw a small stem protruding out of the helmet.
A laugh escaped his lips as he felt tears begin to fall.
God, he's changed so much. Yet so has Fundy. They both look nothing like when they were children.
Neither bodies moved, neither spoke, still taking the sight of each other in.
“What are you doing here! You know your not allowed in here! Only officials are allowed in-” The scolding voice stops as they take in the atmosphere within the room. They take a look towards Fundy, shocked and so confused. “Are- are you alright? Whats going on?”
The voice goes ignored as Fundy takes a sharp inhale walking towards the plant hybrid before he breathes out a small whisper, “Hi Five”
Silence over takes them before Five finally speaks out with a shaky laugh, “Hey there Fundy, been a while, hasn’t?”
Both breaking down catching each other holding one another so tightly. Let cries and tears fall freely as they both clung onto each other, afraid that the other would disappear should they lessen their hold for even a second.
Its been so long.