Chapter Text
There's a loud ringing in my ear. I can barely see, but it's bright. I'm sweating; it's very hot. Where am I? Where is everybody? Are they okay? I need to get up and find them.
I open my eyes and they adjust to the bursting flames around me. That's all I can see, a forest engulfed in flames, with me in the middle. How did I get here? I can't remember. Doesn't matter, I need to find someone, ANYONE and make sure they're okay. I won't die without knowing.
"Big Q!?"
"Wilbur!?"
"Niki!?"
I got no response from anywhere.
"Tubbo.." Tears fill my eyes. My best friend is lost, I can't find him, and there is fire around me. He can't be dead, we're too young to die! We were supposed to run away and live in the safe haven we built together! Away from all the wars! How did this happen?
Wilbur blew it up, didn't he? I failed at stopping him and he blew Manberg up. He thought we were losing. But how could he? We were about to beat Dream and Schlatt, how did he think we were losing?
"Tommy, I'm right here!"
I perk up and turn my head. Right behind me, in the patch of unburned grass I'm in, is Tubbo. Somehow, he's unharmed. He's sitting with his legs crossed looking at me with a smile.
"You alright, big man?"
I run toward him and hug him. I hug him as tight as I can, I'm not losing him again.
"Thank the queen you're alright! I thought I lost you!" I said, out of breath.
"Of course I'm alright, why wouldn't I be?"
"That's a relief. Where is everyone? Surely they're okay too, I mean we are standing here perfectly fine so they must be off somewhere else fine waiting for us! Right?"
No response from Tubbo, he just stared at me.
"Right Tubbo?" I sound more panicked now, shaking him a bit.
"Tubbo, are they alright?" Still no response.
"TUBBO!? ANSWER ME-"
"Tommy, they're dead."
I froze and stared at him. No, this can't be right. Something's off. Tubbo isn't changing his expression.
"You're joking, right? This is another one of your dumb pranks!' I backed away and yelled at him to stop joking. He just sat there staring at my feet.
"ANSWER ME TUBBO!"
"Tommy... they're all dead." He stands up. The fires burned brighter by the second. I'm starting to have a hard time breathing.
"Then... how are we here Tubbo?" I'm in shock. How are they dead and not us? Why them?
"Remember when I suggested we run away... that we could leave and never look back?" Tubbo is starting to scare me now. There's something wrong, but I don't know what. He grabbed my shoulder.
"We can finally do that Tommy! I have the discs right here big man! Just like you wanted? Me, you, and the discs, living in peace? Let's leave this place, Tommy!" He smiled at me, holding up the music discs that caused many wars in our lives, the discs that Tubbo and I went hunting for, the discs that I sacrificed for our independence, the discs that have been floating around in other people's hands for a very long time so that they could have leverage over me. Tubbo had the originals, the ones we had been chasing for ages. I stare at him in horror for what I was about to ask him, I'm scared of what the response will be.
"Tubbo... are you the traitor? Did you blow up Manberg?" I ask him in a shaky voice.
"I guess I am, aren't I?' He replies, still keeping that smile.
"But, why?"
"Tommy, do you not remember? Wilbur has gone completely insane, Schlatt has become senile and arrogant, they were gonna destroy both Manberg and Pogtopia. This was inevitable. Tommy, this was the only way to end it all-"
"NO, IT WASN'T! THERE WAS ANOTHER WAY TUBBO! We could've figured out a different route! This is no way to end a war Tubbo!" I start crying and back off him.
"WHAT GOOD IS THAT ROUTE IF WE BOTH DIE?" He yells at me. I freeze and stare at him, scared as hell. He's never yelled at anyone before, much less me. He's lost it.
"Tommy, Wilbur and Schlatt wanted us all DEAD!" The fire is getting bigger around us. It's getting brighter and louder. Tears are clouding my eyes now as I look at him. He grabs me by the shoulders again.
"Tommy, remember what you said? Stick together. Right?" He looked at me as he said this, smile returned. I'm not looking at my best friend anymore. I don't know who I'm looking at, but this isn't the Tubbo I know. He's joined Wilbur in insanity. Am I the only sane person left?