Work Text:
Tommy knows too much. Has known too much for quite some time.
He likes to think he is quite mature for his age.
He does not know what age he is anymore. He supposes technically he stopped aging some time ago.
He remembers it like it was yesterday. Was it yesterday...?
He had gone adventuring in the woods. Wilbur was busy with some project. Phil and Techno were on adventures like always. He runs off, farther than he has gone before. He remembers that Wilbur told him to stay within earshot. He does not listen.
He had fallen down. Fallen down and down and down and—nothing.
He was gone. He knew he was gone. Gone like their poor dog.
Then why was he still awake?
There is a kind women there. Like the lady in his dreams. The Lady who pet his hair and sang him pretty songs and felt like home. Clara.
She weeps over his broken body. He knows bodies aren't supposed to look like that. Knows that the red stuff is supposed to stay inside. Wilby said so.
He doesn't know why he is able to look at his body. Why he is able to look at all. He should be gone.
Clara notices him and her tears seem to fall faster.
She explains that he has been chosen. The next form of Leannan.
He will be the next God of Childhood, and of Protection. A cloak to shield those who are suffering. To distract from the pain of the world. She explains that he will be immortal. That he will live until another is chosen. Then he may rest. Learns that he may call Champions or muses, people he may bring with him to immortality, people to help him fulfill his duties. Clara is fading, and she is weeping as she apologizes and proclaims her love for him, for all her charges. She has faded and she is gone and Tommy is different now. Does he still go by Tommy? He doesn't know.
He does not know how long he is there.
He only knows that Wilbur is there and Wilbur is screaming and crying over his body. Tommy walks past his body and gives him a hug. Wilbur's eyes meet his and he knows Wilbur can tell that his heart is no longer beating as Wilbur lets out another cry and presses him to his chest.
Tommy is eight when his heart stops beating and he is ageless when he takes up the mantle of Leannan.
Wilbur buries his former body on a cliff overlooking the sea by their house. He liked to sit there and watch the sunset in the morning when he couldn't sleep.
He tells Wilbur of his new mantle. Wilbur weeps for him and holds him close.
He is 8 when he is Tommy. He is ageless when he is Leannan.
He takes his first charge. A child named Clay. They meet in a clearing south of his home. His form is 13 when he is Clay's friend. He plays with Clay when Clay is covered with bruises. Tells him jokes when Clay is weeping because of his home. He is Clay's friend until Clay turns 14 and decides that he will make his life better himself. Leannan knows his purpose is fulfilled when he does not feel the pull of Clay's anguish anymore. He had cloaked the boy in kindness and humor while he was hurting, and now Clay was shedding that cloak to better himself. He couldn't be more proud.
His next charge was different. His name was Toby and he was 9. Like Tommy should be if he had not become Leannan. Toby is hurting and he is lonely. He finds Toby in a box, alone. Abandoned on the main road into town. He does not hesitate to bring Toby home because Toby needs shelter from more than just the hurt he was full of. Wilbur's eyes were understanding as he gazed at the boy. Toby quickly became part of their family. His father and brother still have not returned. He knows Wilbur has not told them that he will not age anymore. He is still here, there is no need to.
Some part of him realizes something at this moment. He will not know what it is until later, when he has become jaded, used to seeing the hurt borne by children.
He takes on many other charges, though none quite like Toby, now Tubbo or Clay. Most of his charges he meets in his dreams. Dreams he filled with joy and laughter to distract from the pain. He begins to understand why Clara seemed so motherly, a mother is what some children need. Tommy is a friend to lean on instead.
His form, his main form based off his original body is 16 now.
Wilbur had left 2 years ago to chase adventure. He knew Tommy would care for Toby.
They go through adventure after adventure. They meet the Business Bay, some of his former charges. They form a country, fight a God. Tommy and Tubbo are invited to an SMP. Dream, a legendary figure and one so achingly familiar to Tommy, owns it.
They are quick to accept the invite.
Tommy is glad to play games with his first charge again.
He battles with him, all play fights. He ensures Toby stays safe throughout, he must protect his charge.
That all changes when Wilbur moves into the SMP after them.
At first it was fun, being with his older brother. He had missed him after all.
Then it was less fun when Wilbur would argue with Dream.
Then it was dangerous when Wilbur started a war.
It would be fine, Tommy could not die. He would be fine. Tubbo is quick to follow him. Wilbur brings another child into the fray, another charge of his. Fundy is his nephew and he aches to know that his nephew was in such agony that his soul had called out to him.
If he took blows for both Tubbo and Fundy no one would know.
He couldn't die, he would be fine. He needed to protect the children while he could.
His whole being aches with the agony rolling off of Tubbo and Fundy in the final control room. He does his best to cloak them in the warmth he could provide as they die.
He is forced to use some of his powers to fake his own death. He knows Sapnap notices.
He couldn't die but he could hurt.
It is only when he is shot off a boardwalk into water for a country his family cared so much about, that he realizes the irony in his godhood. Understands why Clara had wept when she saw he was chosen. Understood why she was familiar to him.
He is the God of what he lacks.
He had lost his childhood the day his father and brother had left for the last time. He was not protected by a brother who couldn't raise a child while he himself was one, by a father with wings to touch the sky, nor a brother with long hair and deep tones to soothe him to sleep.
He is Leannan, the God of Childhood and Protection and he realizes as he sinks deeper into the water that those are some of the only things he had lacked.
He gives up his discs, pieces of the Tommy that had died. The Tommy with a family who loved him and spent time with him. He gives them to his first charge for a country he had sacrificed and fought for. He hopes he can make it a place where children will be safe and protected. Where they can have a happy childhood. It is ironic , he thinks. He had always played those discs with Clay.
Sapnap comes to visit him after the war.
Sapnap recognizes him for what he is.
Sapnap is Gilmore, God of Loyalty and of Justice.
It almost makes sense. Sapnap was always so quick to switch sides in their mock fights before L'Manburg. Sapnap had always escalated things beyond control in their fights.
He asks Sapnap how he had become Gilmore.
Sapnap tells a tale of betrayal. Someone he trusted had killed him, left him bleeding alone because of someone else's actions.
He hears the bitterness in Sapnap's tone. Sapnap knows the irony of Godhood. He had died with no one loyal to him, failed by justice who turned a blind eye to the crime committed.
They leave the other with an understanding.
Years come and go. L'Manburg flourishes, Fundy is almost an adult. Toby is almost an adult. He does not know why he is still there. Toby should be safe from the agony and the hurt within L'Manburg. Fundy should be safe from the neglect and the insults within L'Manburg. Some part of him screams for him to stay and so he does.
The election happens, and he understands why he was called to stay. He thanks the Keondre for their assistance as he and Wilbur are chased from the country they built.
He comforts both Tubbo and Fundy through dreams of flower fields after the days incidents. He had seen the flag burn. Had heard the pressure put on Tubbo. They needed him more than ever.
Pogtopia is draining.
His brother, long absent brother is there. There to help them bring L'Manburg back. He wonders if his brother has noticed that his heart had stopped beating. Noticed that he never sleeps.
He hears the echoes of the Keondre in his brother's footfalls. Feels the claim of a foreign God on him. He wonders who had chosen his brother as their champion as he helps the man plant potatoes.
Wilbur is going insane, he tries to cloak him from the hurt the way he would his charges. His gifts only work on those who still had hope. They fizzle out the moment he tries to touch Wilbur.
He finds the meeting between Dream and Wilbur. Hears Wilbur speak "Let's be the Bad Guys"
Wilbur has forgotten his other duty. Protection.
He does his best to dissuade him from destroying L'Manburg, Fundy and Tubbo's home.
He does his best to help Tubbo after the festival, even dueling his brother to try to get the man to understand—
He does his best to help Fundy when his father accuses the child of being a traitor, tries to comfort him and shield him from the hurt.
L'Manburg is won and Wilbur is gone and he should've expected this. Should've expected Wilbur to use his Godhood against him. The pressure thrown onto Tubbo causing him to be distracted with trying to shield Tubbo from the weight as Wilbur slips away. He is angrier when L'Manburg is blown up. He is angrier when Technoblade reveals the Withers and betrays them. He is angrier when his father murders his brother in front of him.
He mourns for Wilbur's childhood that he hadn't gotten to protect.
He reaches out as Wilbur lives his last moments and lays a claim. Wilbur had always been a great older brother to him. Children need an older brother sometimes.
He recognizes the look in Niki's eyes when Technoblade yells about the Blood God and he knows she recognizes the look in his as he tries to shield Tubbo and Fundy from the hurt of grief and betrayal.
He visits Niki after the war.
He knows who Niki is. He sees how she tries to deny it. That is not how it works. He knows that is why she has chosen Technoblade as her champion, so she could get the peace she longed for. She does not realize how much it is harming him.
Niki is Baran the God of Blood and Sacrifice.
It makes sense, Niki was always quick to sacrifice time for others. She always knew how to clean up a bloody wound. She may be the God of Blood and Sacrifice but that does not have to mean violence despite the voices that call for it.
He asks Niki how she had become Baran.
She tells a tale of a broken child, a child who had been alone since birth. A child who had been burned alive for her kindness, for her peace.
Niki is aware of the irony of Godhood. She had died because she would not cry for blood like the others. She had died because she was the only one to sacrifice. She was the sacrifice.
Niki leaves with spite in her voice. She would not sink to the instincts of her title.
Tommy respects her a little more for that.
Tommy is exiled by his charge, his Tubbo, his Toby. All for something he had done for his newest charge, a kind hybrid boy named Ranboo. He wonders when his precious charge had grown past the need for him. When his charge had decided that he did not need the cloak. When his charge had decided his childhood has ended.
Fundy watches from the sidelines. Fundy has no need for his protection anymore. Eret puts a hand on Fundy's shoulder and Fundy smiles. He is glad that Fundy is no longer in such agony.
Tommy leaves with Dream. It will be alright. His only remaining personal charge will be fine. He will make sure of it.
Exile is simply time spent taking care of the charges he watches in his dreams. Exile is also spent teaching the shade of his brother about his role, about his powers. He smiles when Ghostbur offers blue and carefully and skillfully defuses arguments through faked ignorance.
He builds himself a tower to the sky after Ghostbur's home is blown up. He always liked heights. He gets himself down and marches over to his only alive brother's home. His brother will help him protect his charge.
It is ironic that he finds out Tubbo had mourned him. It is ironic that his former charge had assumed he had fallen to his death. He had already done that years ago. There was no one to mourn him then.
Ranboo, his only remaining personal charge is conflicted. He sees a shadow of the Keondre clinging to his shoulder.
He hears news of Sapnap's greatest Loyalty betraying him. He mourns for his friend.
He knows when he returns to the cottage that something has happened to his charge. Technoblade ignores his scramble out the door.
He find his charge looking over his own body. The boy had fallen, so similar to him. He knows their fates had been interwoven by the Keondre years ago. He did not think it would be in this way. Tommy weeps for him. Weeps for the boy he could not protect. Ranboo looks confused at his agony.
When he calms, he asks Ranboo if he knows his name.
Ranboo is Airleas, the God of Stories and Oaths.
Ranboo does not know the irony of godhood yet. He has time to figure out. But privately, Tommy mourns for the boy who could not have stories because he could not remember them. For the boy who had so much promise, who had promised so much to people but had always been betrayed.
He finds it Ironic that the boy who was known for his black and white appearance had a black and white Godhood. Stories are beautiful lies and Truth is an Oath to those around you.
When Ranboo coincidentally ends up with the same charges as him, he does not mind. Children love stories and pinky promises are a specialty of his.
He does not hesitate to leave his brother when he feels the pull towards his former charge. Tubbo needed him to shield him from the weight of presidency, from the feeling of failure, of weakness.
He knows his brother is feeling betrayed. His brother still had not noticed that he was gone. He does not feel bad.
He does feel bad when L'Manburg is a crater. He had wanted to save it if he could. His father and brother had teamed up with his first charge, his Clay to destroy it.
He is done.
He takes his godly form. He goes from 6'3 to 8'3 and dons a cloak lined with warm velvet. He knows his entire being radiates fun. His face is covered in colorful band aids, his belt is full of water balloons, his shield hangs from his hip. He knows the people of L'Manburg are shocked.
Ranboo is not shocked when Tommy gestures for him to do the same. Ranboo also grows in height, growing a tail, horns, and having his usual suit change to contrast his split-colored skin.
Ghostbur floats over to them. He pulls Tubbo into his cloak. Laying his claim over the young boy as he hides him in the velvet lining.
"If that is all you have, we will be going now,"
He sees Sapnap and knows he will stay, Gilmore was loyal to those he cared for. Karl, Quackity, George, Bad.
He sees Nikki and sees the rage in her being, he knows she has given into her instincts. Knows she has claimed Fundy as another champion to try to alleviate the overwhelming bloodlust. He sighs and turns back to his father and brother.
"Tommy...what are you?" Phil is the one to ask. He knows Technoblade recognizes his aura. He has met a God before. Seen their true form too most likely. One cannot continuously sacrifice for the Blood God and not truly see them. He wonders if Technoblade recognizes the Blood God in their current form.
Tommy tilts his head
"I am not Tommy. I am Leannan, God of Childhood and Protection,"
"What happened to you Tommy?" Technoblade does not know how one reaches Godhood.
He take his old form. The form he had when he became Leannan.
"I died, and was called to Godhood," He hears his Father choke on a sob. Hears L'Manburg begin to mourn.
"Now, since this place is clearly not good for my calling, I will take my champions and my partner and go,"
He does not give them time to mourn before he leaves.
He has too much to do.
There are too many children who are lacking a childhood.
Too many children who must be shielded from the hurt of the world.
He is glad he has his champions to help.
Tommy and Tubbo build a dream world with Ranboo. They bring the children who hurt into their home. Tommy and Tubbo play games with them, Ranboo tells stories and makes promises, Wilbur sings for them and they shield those children until they are ready.
Godhood is ironic, but it is necessary.
Children deserve a Childhood.