Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Pure white embarrassment ran through Tommy’s body, tears pricking his eyes. He clenched his fists to stop the shaking, tried to clear his mind of the mocking voices that surrounded him. He raised his head high and tried to listen to the voices once again hoping that he had heard wrong, he glared up at Wilbur, face screwed up to not let any tears fall.

Liar.

The massive shit he was about to take long forgotten, the only thing on his mind now were Wilbur’s deafening words said so carelessly. Everyone seemed so okay with the shit Wilbur was spewing, Tommy felt like he was the one going insane.

“Tommy aren't you excited for your brothers, in a few years you'll be going off to the Academy with them!” He heard his mother Kristen’s excited voice. “I can’t believe you guys are going to be all grown up so soon, I’m lucky I’ll still have Tommy to keep me company while the three of you ditch us.” 

There was no malice in Kristen’s teasing words, but Tommy felt the burn of betrayal wrapping around his body at the thought of being left behind. 

“You make it sound like we made the rules, you’d ask Dad if you really wanted to see us that bad.” Came Wilburs just as teasing reply. The laughter echoed in the room, it even caused Techno’s deadpan gaze to soften and his lips to twitch up.

“C’mon mate, it’s already stressful enough without you chaotic lot! I need to at least pretend I have some control, and no exceptions for you two.” Phil laughed out, hand on his chest to calm the hiccups of laughter. 

Tommy no longer felt the burn of betrayal, it had morphed into unfiltered bitter loathing. He stood up and stomped his way to the front door.

“Fuck you, Wilbur.” Tommy spat as he slammed the door, before he closed the door he heard Kristen’s gasp and saw all the laughter drain from their faces. 

Tommy heard someone call out to him but he went as fast as his legs could carry him, he didn't know where he was going but it didn't matter to him as long as he wasn't near his backstabbing brothers. 

Tommy felt a stitch on his side after his (not so) long run, when he finally caught his breath he noticed that he was outside a house. He knew the house, it was like a second grimy home for him, he walked across the flower-filled lawn and kicked away the empty bottles that blocked his path. He made it to a little window on the side of the house and began banging on it, he saw the little mound on the bed jump into the air and scramble around.

“TUBBO! WAKE! UP!” Tommy continued to bang on the window, and scream curses, as a delirious Tubbo opened said window. 

“Hey bossman not that I don't love your company, but what the fuck are you doing? I was having this crazy dream about this superrrr tall gu-” Tubbo tried to answer but Tommy was too fed up with his own pressing matters to deal with Tubbo’s hazy dream-filled babble. 

“Tubbo I’ve been replaced, and by a shit-head like Techno!” Tommy shouted as he crawled through the tiny window and pushed past Tubbo to continue his rant in the comfort of Tubbo’s bed, even if his legs were close to dangling off. 

“You already know that Wilbur PROMISED me that when he went to the Academy that I would be going as his weapon, and that we would be the strongest team in the world.” Tommy paused to make sure Tubbo was paying attention and giving him his sleepy nods of assurance.

“Well guess what he told ME in front of our whole family in MY OWN HOUSE!” Tommy shouted waving his hands, almost knocking Tubbo off his side of the bed.

“ I’m going to Techno’s meister and blah blah blah I’m a stupid stupid man who BREAKS PROMISES! ” Tommy said in a snotty high-pitched voice, Tubbo only nodded. He knew there was no point trying to go back to sleep with a worked-up Tommy screeching his ear off.

“Tubbo you're still a boy but let this be a lesson to you, ALL MEN DO IS LIE! Wilbur broke his promise and I hate him, for real this time I never want to see his stupid face again.” Tommy finished with a sniffle, trying to play it off as a cough, he couldn't cry in front of Tubbo, Tommy was the only man Tubbo could look up to; he had to stay strong in front of him. 

“Tommy I don't understand why you're so mad, even if Wilbur promised to be your meister you aren't even old enough to go to the academy. You're eight, which means you're still a kid.” Tubbo said trying to think through Tommy’s rant logically, but by the hurt look on Tommy’s face, it wasn't the best choice of words on his part.

“Tubbo I’ll let that child comment slide because you just woke up, don't forget I am a M A N! And secondly DID YOU MISS THE PART WHERE I SAID WILBUR LIED AND STABBED ME IN THE BACK, HUH?” Tommy explained to Tubbo again.

“Ya I heard you, but that doesn't change the fact that you are still eight years old. You can't even have a sharp blade consistently when you and Wilbur train, it’d be dumb if Wilbur chose you over Techno.” Tubbo calmly said laying his head back on the cool pillow, allowing the lull in conversation to continue while he let his eyes droop. 

“Tubbo you're right!” Tommy shouted, jumping up in the bed, he grabbed Tubbo by the shoulders and shook the exhausted boy. “The reason Wilbur didn't choose me was because he couldn't handle my power! That’s the reason why my blade is never sharp, Tubbo you're a genius!” Tommy said as he continued to shake the other boy, but Tubbo was too far gone in his sleep. He could almost see the boy he dreamt about before.

“Tubbo I’m only going to say this once, I think you are the closest man that can handle my power. Promise me Tubbo, you'll always be by my side and we’ll protect each other. Promise me you'll be my meister when we go to the Academy, and I’ll show Wilbur how stupid he was to ditch the most powerful weapon in the entire world! AND THEN KILL HIM!” Tommy finished looking at Tubbo with bright determined eyes that glinted like his silver blade. 

Tubbo was too tired to respond, so he simply nodded his head and went back to his dream. Tommy laid back down, too energized to even close his eyes, he was too caught up in his fantasies to hear the heavy footsteps that were marching to the bedroom door.

“TOMMY WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE SO LATE, YOUR DAD IS BLOWING MY ASS UP ASKING WHERE YOU ARE!” Tubbo’s father Schlatt barked at him. “GET YOUR ASS HOME, YOUR DAD IS OUTSIDE WAITING!”

Tommy scurried out of Tubbo’s bed, waving at his sleeping best friend, and jumping through the window. Tommy heard Schlatt’s screams of “NOT OUT THE WINDOW!” behind him as he rolled on the grass. 

He trudged his way to the front yard, and he stood in front of his father and oldest brother. He kept his eyes trained on the ground where two pots were sitting, one had lovely flowers blooming in a strange beautiful arrangement and the other was Tommy’s after Tubbo told him how to plant the seeds to get the arrangement he had. Not one of his seeds had sprouted yet.

He felt Phil’s eyes burning the top of his head, but he didn't say anything, just turned around and walked ahead. Tommy followed after him with Wilbur at his side, Tommy wondered if Techno was hidden among the trees.

“So… you want to tell me why you threw a tantrum today?” Wilbur calmly asked, looking at Tommy through the corner of his eyes.

“I don't need to talk to any scumbag lying men, y’know what you don't even deserve to be called a man!” Tommy said back, crossing his arms and trying to walk faster ahead. 

“I don't even need you, you can't handle my power. Tubbo promised to be my meister, and I am going to be so much more powerful than you and Techno!” Tommy continued, spinning around and pointing at Wilbur.

After Tommy’s declaration, the rest of the walk was silent, Tommy ran to his room once they arrived (not wanting to get scolded for cursing at his brother). He heard his parents' soft murmurs outside of his bedroom, but they soon faded to his relief.

Tommy was finally feeling the adrenaline wear off and let sleep tug his eyes down. Tommy fell into a soft slumber, his face smooth and peaceful with no trace of the angry wrinkles that plagued his face that night.

Chapter Text

Tommy did his best to avoid his brothers for the rest of the summer, but he wasn't lucky enough to avoid the scolding he got for cursing and running away. The scolding only fueled Tommy’s determination when he heard Wilburs snickers, he was ready to train every day and night.

Tubbo on the other hand did not share his enthusiasm, he would have much rather spent his summer tending to his garden, but with Tommy’s consistent pressure on the need to train by the time he was finally able to fall into bed his dreams had become more vivid.

“Tommy I’m tired, we've already trained enough.” Tubbo sighed, arms aching from the grueling regiment Tommy had over them. 

“No, how do you think I will be able to beat Wilbur and Techno if you don't feel like training?” Tommy replied with a roll of his eyes, truth be told he was at his breaking point as well. Tommy crouched down and looked at the moon that was smiling down at him, Tubbo was right if they didn't call it a night soon his mother would come and hunt them down.

“Ya well it’s not my fault that you are still hellbent on throwing a tantrum.” Tubbo said under his breath with a roll of his eyes. 

Tommy jumped to his feet and glared down at Tubbo. “What did you say?” Tommy said, grabbing the smaller boy by the collar of his shirt. 

~Pop~

Before the boys argument could escalate, Tommy felt a shot hit the back of his head and dropped Tubbo to run around while cradling his head.

“What are you two still doing out so late? You better have not been being mean to Toby, Tommy.” Kristen called out, walking towards the boys, her finger still in the form of a gun barrel with smoke circling around it.  

“WHY’D YOU SHOOT ME! AND DON’T CALL HIM THAT, HIS NAMES TUBBO!” Tommy cried out, still rubbing his sore head, kicking the little pumpkin bullet that had struck him. Tubbo laid on the ground giggling as he watched Tommy run in circles.

“Sorry, Tubbo, I forgot about the nicknames! Anyways it’s late, why don't you guys come home and eat dinner, but since you two took so long it's already cold.” Kristen said with an apologetic grin, the walk home was filled with soft laughter and the fight long forgotten. 

“PHIL! WILBUR! HOW ARE YOU TWO STILL NOT PACKED? TECHNO AND TOMMY ARE ALREADY IN THE CAR, HURRY UP!” Kristen shouted into the house, she stormed back out and slammed the car door shut. “Tommy, swear to me that you will never be like your father.” Kristen said, glaring back at Tommy.

“Yes, ma’am.” Tommy said with a crack in his voice, even Techno sank down in his seat to avoid their mother’s glare.

Before they could start their journey to the academy Kristen had to go back in to rush them one more, when they finally got to the car Phil had a bright red mark suspiciously pumpkin shaped and Wilbur trembled as he sat next to Tommy.

When they arrived Tommy was awestruck, the academy was a grand building it was basically a palace. He felt the jealous pang in his gut again knowing that his brothers would be enjoying this without him, but he reminded himself that the minute he got home he and Tubbo would start training again.

“Let me get a picture of all of you together, we can take one for every year!” Kristen said as she took her camera out of the car.

“Mummm, I don't want to take a picture with them!” Tommy groaned, standing an arms length away from his brothers and father.

“Tommy, sweetheart, I am on my last straw. If you don't take the picture you will not live to see the day when you come here yourself.” Kristen said with a forced smile on her face, Tommy swiftly hurried into his fathers outstretched arm.

“Aw, look how grown up you two look.” This time her smile was much more genuine, eyes beginning to water.

“Y’know that you could come and teach here, then you wouldn't have to be so far away all the time.” Phil said as he came back to hug Kristen.

“Ya, and who'd take care of Tommy?” Kristen laughed back, it was much nicer now that she wasn't upset with them. 

The light chatter that surrounded them bored Tommy, but he entertained himself with looking around the academy grounds. He thought of all the missions he would get to go on once he was finally able to come for himself.

“GOGY” 

Tommy was startled out of his thoughts when he heard Wilbur shout and start running at full speed at a short brunet guy.

“Wait, Wilbur, my arm!” The boy tried to shout out, but Wilbur was already jumping at the boy not noticing the bandages going up their arms. 

Before Wilbur could jump on the injured boy another guy jumped between them, getting crushed by the others weight.

“You aren't my Gogy?” Wilbur said as he looked at the blond boy he was smothering, he stood and helped the boy he tackled up.

“Ya I’m not, but you were about to hurt my meister.” The blond boy replied, rolling his eyes, he dusted himself off and looked back at the shorter boy to make sure nothing had happened to him.

“Sorry about that Gogs, I didn't even know that you got hurt. What happened to your arms?” Wilbur curiously asked, now fully looking at the bandages.

“Um, I don't know, I was just playing around and got hurt. And don't call me Gogy, just call me George. ” Came George’s vague reply. “Anyway this is Dream, he’s my partner.” 

“Ah already changed your name I see, George you should change yours to Gogy!” Wilbur said with a wide grin. 

Tommy watched his older brother talk with ease with the two boys, he looked to his left where Techno was still standing. Techno looked like he hadn't noticed their brother ran off, his head was in the clouds as always.

“Hey, don't you want to go talk with Wilbur and make some new friends?” Kristen asked, bumping Techno on the shoulder to ease him out of his daydream. 

“Not really. I rather find the office, I want to make the name change official. Do you mind taking me, uh, Philza?” Techno said, Kristen only ruffled his hair.

“Alright, just say bye to your mother and Tommy, you won’t be seeing them for awhile. And you don't have to call me that, but if you want you can.” Phil said, he began walking towards Wilbur to tell him the same thing. 

“Bye, make sure to call or send a letter every now and then, and make sure Wilbur doesn't get into too much trouble.” Kristen sighed, giving him a small hug and smile. Techno gave a simple nod, he turned to Tommy and waved his good-bye.

“Don’t forget I’m going to kill you and Wilbur.” Tommy quickly added before Techno walked off, Techno paused and turned back to Tommy. 

“Deal.” Was all Techno said before he walked away following their father into the academy, Tommy felt a swell of pride at being recognized by Techno.

 Wilbur was much more affectionate with his good-byes, jumping into their mothers arms and grabbing Tommy to spin him around. Tommy would never admit it but he always enjoyed it when his brothers did childish things with him.

The ride back home was silent, the lull of the car and Kristen's occasional running her hand through his hair caused his eyes to become heavier and heavier. He tried his hardest to fight the sleep that was washing over him, he couldn't skip a day of training with Tubbo!

“Tommy just take a nap, I’ll wake you up when we get home” Kristen said smiling down at her son.

Chapter Text

Tommy leaned back in his chair wishing for the dull school day to finally end, it was already the end of the year and all he could think of was showing his brothers that his blade had become increasingly sharper (and if they had gotten him a gift for missing his ninth birthday). He let his finger form into a blade to inspect the sharpness, he let it glide against his wooden desk creating shallow cuts on it. 

“Tommy, stop, you know the rules, and if you keep cutting the desks you're going to have to pay for a new one.” His school teacher said with a stern look in their eyes.

“If you wouldn't mind, I'd like to continue teaching my class.” The teacher said as they walked up to the board, Tommy flipped them off, he let out a quiet giggle and turned to look at Tubbo to see if he had noticed what he did. He was disappointed when he saw that Tubbo had been looking down and writing in a tiny journal, Tommy rolled his eyes a bit sour that he was ignored for a piece of paper.

Tommy was jolted out of his daydream by the ringing of the school bell, he looked around the class for Tubbo as he gathered his supplies into his bag. He tried to wave the shorter boy down, but once he had all his stuff packed, Tubbo was already gone.

Tommy rushed out of the classroom, he scanned the sea of heads in search of his future meister. Once Tommy caught sight of Tubbo he ran to catch up to him.

“Tubbo wait up!” Tommy shouted out to his friend, but Tubbo kept walking forward with his head held down. Tubbo was no match for Tommy’s long legs and Tommy easily caught up.

“Hey you didn't hear me calling your name, why didn't you wait up for me? Tommy asked as he fell into step with Tubbo.

“Sorry, I wasn't paying attention.” Tubbo quietly said Tommy felt the pressure of the awkward atmosphere.

“Anyways… are you ready to train bossman! Wilbur and Techno are coming home soon, I can't wait to show them how much better I’ve gotten.” Tommy said, his excitement overflowing in his words, Tubbo stiffened slightly.

“I don't think I can do today Tommy, sorry.” Tubbo apologized, his gaze glued to the ground not wanting to see how Tommy would react. 

“Tubbo, mate, what's been up with you lately? This is like the thousandth time you've bailed on training, and you've been all weird. Not in the normal way at least.” Tommy groaned, standing in front of Tubbo to stop him from continuing further.

“It’s nothing, and even if there was it doesn't concern you. I’m just tired.” Tubbo sighed out, rubbing his forehead to ease his headache from forming into a migraine. Tommy paused and took a good look at his friend, deep eye bags surrounded his cold eyes. It was strange to see his bubbly friend look so dull and unlike himself, when had this change happened?

“Jeez, I’m sorry I didn't know turning ten was that hard.” Tommy said trying to get a small smile out of his friend, but the joke fell flat when Tubbo started walking away from him. 

Tommy was about to run after him to keep questioning the personality change, but Tubbo had already vanished into the wooded trail to his home.

“Tommy what's up, you haven't even touched your dino nuggets!” Kristen exclaimed as she sat next to Tommy to eat their lunch. 

“I don't know, Tubbo’s been acting strange, and it sucks because now I have no one to train with! Wilbur and Techno are going to get back and laugh at me for not training.”  Tommy grumbled to his mother, letting his anger out on the chicken dinosaurs by drowning them in ketchup.

“Well, it might be because his dad, Phil told me that Schlatt’s been feeling ill. So maybe Tubbo’s been taking care of him?” Kristen tried to reason, a slight grimace when she saw the mess on Tommy's plate.

“That’s so dumb! If Tubbo can go to school then Schlatt can wait a bit longer so we can train, it’s been weeks since we’ve last trained!” Tommy continued whining, pushing away his messy plate. Even his beloved coke looked about as appetizing as black tar.

“Tommy don't be like that, you should be kinder to Tubbo. How about I make some soup and you can take it over to them tomorrow, it could take some stress off of Tubbo, and then maybe he can train.” Kristen said with a smile and a clap of her hands. “Schlatt’s probably sick from how much he drinks, I bet he doesn't even remember what food tastes like…” Kristen mumbled, smiling at Tommy when he gave her a confused look.

“Okay? Well, I’m going to go train by myself then. I’ll be home later.” Tommy said sliding out of his chair.

“Alright, be safe!” Kristen called back out to him, she walked out to the backyard garden to gather the ingredients for the soup. As she picked the vegetables she felt uneasy like someone was watching her, she looked across the land behind her home. Her eyes hardened when they landed on the forest, she couldn't be sure but the thought of witches crossed her mind. She shook her head and told herself she was being paranoid, it wasn't possible that a witch could get this close, it would be suicide to get this close to town. The town was quite large and had many well-known meister and weapon families living in it, if worse came to worse one measly witch was no match for an entire town of skilled meisters and their weapons. 

Tommy on the other hand did not feel anything besides pride in himself as he repeatedly stabbed into his training tree, his blade was the sharpest it had ever been! He didn't hear the creeping footsteps, he couldn't feel the glowing eyes burning into him, or see the little purple particles floating from the forest reaching out to him.

“TOMMY!” He nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard Kristen shout out his name.

“WHAT, I TOLD YOU I WOULD BE TRAINING!” Tommy shouted back, when he turned around to face his mother he noticed that she wasn't wearing her usual smile, her eyes were serious.

“Let’s cut training short tonight, you need to come to help me with cutting the vegetables for the soup tomorrow. You can show me how sharp your blades got.” Kristen said, pulling Tommy closer to her. While Tommy may have not noticed the particles, Kristen sure did, she would have to call Phil soon to tell him of the strange things she had seen.

After they got home Kristen sent Tommy to the kitchen to start cutting up the vegetables, while he was busy she began writing the letter to Phil and a few others in their close circle about the things she saw.

“Mum, I cut them up! Can I go now?” Tommy called out, already frustrated that both his partner had ditched him and his training time got cut in half.

“Okay let me check your chopping skills!” Kristen said as she walked back to the kitchen, letters now hidden so she could send them out the next morning.

“Tommy… what did you do to my vegetables?” Kristen asked wide-eyed, her perfect vegetables were chopped into oblivion, now they were just mush on the counter.

“I did a good job, didn't I! I made sure to cut them up extra well so you wouldn't taste the vegetables.” Tommy said with a proud smile on his face, Kristen could only blame herself for leaving him unsupervised.

“Well, it looks like we will be having a thin soup, but yes very good job!” She giggled, giving Tommy a hug and kiss on the head. Laughing even harder when Tommy pushed her away saying he was a man.

Tommy woke up the next morning when he heard someone rustling around the house, he got up in a sleepy haze to see what was happening. 

“Mum, where are you going?” Tommy asked while rubbing the sleep from his eyes, Kristen quickly hid the pumpkins that she was putting the letters into.

“Aw I’m sorry I didn't mean to wake you, I’m just going out for an errand I don't know when I’ll be back. Go back to sleep, for now, I already set up the soup basket so whenever you're ready take it over to them.” Kristen said as she guided Tommy back to his bed, tucking him in.

Kristen had already put the pumpkin letter meant for Schlatt in the basket, they were like her usual bullets but instead, they could fit letters inside, they were very delicate and if opened incorrectly they would pop burning whatever was inside. 

Kristen hoped Tommy would go to Schlatt’s as soon as he woke, he would be able to protect him while she delivered all the pumpkins. Kristen felt something evil brewing.

Tommy did not go to Schlatt’s when he woke up, since he had missed training time the night before he decided to make up for the time lost by training before he went. He trained for hours wondering when his mother would get home, and about how his brothers and father would be coming home sometime next week.

“Aw shit, I forgot about the soup!” Tommy said to himself when he noticed that the sun had begun to set. He rushed home to get the basket when he noticed that it was only four in the afternoon, he felt a brief moment of confusion but he pushed it to the back of his mind, he was already in a rush to get to Tubbo’s house.

On the way there Tommy noticed the cold wind nipping at his arms, even the sun was frowning at him in confusion as well. The closer he got to his friend's home the worse he felt, his legs were as heavy as lead and he could feel the rising terror in his body. He didn't understand what was happening to his body, he thought of running home but that thought was quickly let go off when he told himself that a man wouldn't run away.

Tommy dropped the basket and gasped in horror when he saw Tubbo’s home, his feet anchored in place he couldn't run from what he saw. The once beautiful flowers had withered away, the trees bare of any leaves rattled as they hit one another, but what had terrified Tommy the most was the purple particles that were swarming the house. The grimy house he had played in for so many years was unrecognizable, the wood was rotting and black, where the front door had once been was blasted away with black and white fire spreading around it. 

“Tu-tub..” Tommy tried to shout out, the terror squeezed any breath out of his throat, he was shaking too much to even take a step forward. Tears began leaking from his eyes, he wanted to be back at the safety of his home with his mother holding him close.

“TOMMY! GET OUT OF HERE, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!” Tommy was snapped out of his fear-induced daze by Schlatt’s scream, he was holding a limp Tubbo in his arms. Schlatt threw Tubbo’s body as hard as he could towards Tommy, Tommy fell to the ground to pull Tubbo’s unconscious body closer to him. 

“TOMMY ARE YOU FUCKING LISTENING, TAKE HIM AND GET OUT OF HERE!” Schlatt screamed out again, it only terrified Tommy more. He couldn't believe one of the strongest meisters he knew was struggling to stay standing, battered and bruised, blood gushing down his face. 

Before Tommy could even think of getting up a long black slender hand emerged from the house and snatched Schlatt and held him in a razor-sharp grip, Schlatt cried out in pain gasping out for air. 

Tommy watched as a woman walked out of the house with a sharp smirk, she twirled a rose between her fingers and dragged it against Schlatt’s bloodied head.

She snapped her fingers, it was a sign for the slender hand, Schlatt’s body was raised into the air and slammed to the ground. The particles swarmed his body when he hit the ground, his agonizing screams were loud and clear. The woman snapped her fingers once more, this time the hand slid back into the house and the particles dispersed. The woman frowned down at Schlatt’s body, she put her hand out into the house, and when she pulled her hand back out with a sleek black gun. She didn't even blink when she shot into Schlatt’s body, her smile returning once she was satisfied.

She began walking down the path where Tommy was seated, she dropped the bloodied rose onto Tubbo’s body and ran her hand through Tommy’s hair. Tommy’s blood ran cold, he waited for the women to shoot him next, he had never felt the emptiness of true terror.

Tommy sat there for hours holding Tubbo, he didn't hear his mother's screams for him till he felt himself be surrounded by people. A hand reached to grab Tubbo, and in that moment Tommy felt himself break down. He let out a blood-chilling scream, he sobbed and shoved the hands that tried to touch him and Tubbo.

Kristen clutched her hands to her chest at the sight of the two boys, Phil, who had come as soon as he received the pumpkin, walked past her to Schlatt’s body. Schlatt had been left in a bed of roses, all signs of abuse gone from his skin, but Phil knew he was gone.

Tommy screamed and cried till his throat was raw, the exhaustion of his sobs caught up to him in the end though, he couldn't find the strength to fight the arms that pick him and Tubbo up. The last thing he felt was the rage of what happened, the rage for himself, the rage for the cruel woman.

Chapter Text

The excitement for Wilbur and Techno’s return had been overshadowed by the untimely events that had brought them home early. The welcome home party Kristen had been thinking of throwing was replaced by Schlatt’s funeral.

Because of this Tubbo had been staying with Tommy in his bedroom, Tommy not wanting to admit that he was too scared to be alone after his home had been destroyed. Kristen and Phil had tried to talk to the boys about what had happened, but Tubbo could barely remember and Tommy would shut down anytime it was mentioned.

The only time Tommy was separated from Tubbo was when he was pulled away into funeral talk, which Tommy avoided like the plague, Tommy would see Tubbo sit amongst and listening to the adult's whispers before hiding in the comfort of his bedroom. 

The days leading up to the funeral brought many new faces, Tommy recognized few by face and more by the fame that surrounded their name. He recognized the two boys Wilbur had spoken to from the Academy, it had turned out that the one named Dream’s mother was Schlatt’s sister.

She was a short woman with fluffy white hair and the same weird accent that Schlatt had, that introduced herself as Captain Puffy, and she had arrived with her three children. It had been a bit awkward for Tubbo when she first arrived with her family considering they hadn't seen each other in years, it was a very painful sight to see the uncomfortable hug between himself and his aunt and cousins.

It was strange to talk to a family that he could barely remember, the last that he had seen them had been over five years ago. Tubbo could recognize the two eldest brothers, the oldest who was seventeen was more of a mystery to him; he had never known his real name only the one he had changed to after entering the academy which was XD, and the fact that he never spoke made it harder to get to know him. He was familiar with the second brother who was twelve, he had also recently changed his name after joining the academy to Dream, and from what Tubbo remembered much more fun to play with than XD. Then finally was the youngest of them who was seven introduced herself as Drista, before her mother could say her given name, Tubbo remembered the least about her considering she was only a babbling two year old the time that he had seen her.

The three siblings all looked relatively the same, they were all tall and had long golden blonde hair. It was a bit funny to see how opposite Tubbo was from his cousins with his short stature and brown hair, the only trait that connected them was their shared green eyes. Their eyes were the mark of their family, they were from the family that had developed the ability to see souls, while the ability was much more common now their eyes still held the ability to see witch souls.

Tommy chose to stay away from Tubbo’s family at Kristen’s advice to let Tubbo mourn with family, but he did sneak around to spy on the other families that were arriving. 

The boy that Wilbur had called Gogy and his family arrived shortly after Puffy, his father was a tall man with short green hair who was called Sam, or better known as Awesamdude the name he had given himself as a kid in the academy. He also had a wild younger brother named Quackity with dark hair under a blue beanie that his father couldn't force off of him. Their family was known for being skilled meisters, not a single person from the family had ever been born a weapon. Sam was also accompanied by Ponk, his demon weapon, and much to Sam’s disdain and embarrassment the man Quackity kept calling Daddy Ponky.

The final family to arrive was a man named BadBoyHalo, who was well known for being one of the strongest demon swords in the world, and his adopted son named Sapnap who was a lantern weapon.

The night before the funeral was to take place all the adults had put them in the basement of Tommy’s home while they spoke about “last-minute funeral plans” upstairs, Tommy was curious about what they would be discussing but the thought of hearing about the attack on Schlatt still made him feel like he wanted to vomit.

“I don’t get it, how come XD can be a part of the meeting? I’m already in the academy too, this is something I should know about!” Tommy heard Dream try to argue with his mother that was walking up the stairs to join the rest of the adults.

“Dream, not right now, please. You know why he’s allowed to listen, you're still too young and inexperienced to even know what’s going on.” Was her sharp reply, her eyes softened when she saw her son's upset face, “Look this is way bigger than you think, you're in over your head.” she finished before she clicked the door shut.

Dream looked like he was about to start pounding on the door, but before he could, George grabbed the back of his shirt and dragged him down the basement stairs to the rest of the kids.

Tommy sat with Tubbo on the bean bags right by the stairs, he looked over at Drista who was sprawled out on one of the couches in the center of the room, Quackity and Sapnap had claimed the floor behind the sofa Drista was snoozing on and throwing old toy blocks at each other, Techno had been laying in the hammock at the very back of the room even before they were sentenced to wait in the basement probably to nap as well, and Wilbur was sitting on the other couch that George flopped on after letting go of Dream. 

“This is so unfair! We should at least be able to listen in on what they're talking about, we’re members of the academy already!” Dream groaned as he paced in front of the sofa where George laid.

“Maybe if you didn't whine about it they would have let you join.” Wilbur said with a joking smile.

“Shut up, you're such an idiot. Don't act like you don't want to be up there just as much as I do.” Dream snapped back.

“I never said I didn't want to be up there, I agree with you but your execution is the reason we are stuck down here. But even if you sucked up I bet they would say no, I mean Dadza himself said no to Techno when he asked for us to be allowed to listen.” Wilbur said in a matter-of-fact tone.

 Tommy looked over at what he thought was a napping Techno in confusion at how he had asked to listen before the adults had even said they would be talking. To his surprise Techno was wide awake and listening to what Dream and Wilbur were saying, Tommy hadn't even noticed that Tubbo had stopped talking to him to listen as well. Tommy finally felt the shift in the room, he looked at Drista, who had also been pretending to be asleep, sharp eyes follow her brother as he ranted, and the two boys on the floor had stopped playing around to listen as well.   

“I don't even understand why you care so much, you never talked about your uncle anyways. Why do you care that he died so much?” George's disinterested voice piped in.

“It’s not because of who he was, I want to know what the fuck happened in the first place, and who was behind it. I couldn't care less that the guy was my uncle, ya it sucked that he died but why is his death so special.” Dream explained, “Meisters die every day, it comes with the job, so why was this attack so insane that Philza called all of our parents here?”

“Shut up…” 

Tommy surprised himself when he realized he was the one who told the others to shut up, everyone's eyes were trained on Tommy to see what he said next.

“Stop talking about Schlatt, you don't know what happened, and even if you did you still wouldn't be able to do anything.” Tommy said, looking at his twiddling fingers to avoid everyone's scrutinizing eyes.

“Well, we could know what’s going on and figure out how we can take whoever is behind this down, but since Tubbo can't remember anything and you don't feel like telling anyone what happened. We could've probably found whoever killed Schlatt by now, you're letting him die in vain.” Dream shot back immediately.

“I TOLD YOU TO SHUT UP ABOUT SCHLATT! Even if I told everyone what happened it wouldn't make a difference,  just give it up now.” Tommy shouted tears welled up in his eyes.

“Tommy, when did you get so useless?” Wilbur said before Dream could argue back, the only noise was Techno’s small whistle and Quackity’s ouch at what Wilbur had said.

Tommy felt a sharp pang in his heart at Wilbur’s unexpected and cruel words, before Tommy could even begin to try and defend himself. Wilbur continued.

“Everyone is wasting their time gathered here, they're all being nice and trying to get you to talk whenever you're ready but you're holding the investigation behind. They're frustrated up there, there's a witch out on the run that killed a high-level meister, and they have no leads because they don't want to pressure you.” Wilbur said as he stretched out on the couch, making George grumble as he had to scoot to make room for Wilbur.

“How do you plan on beating Technoblade and me if you're so useless that you can’t even do the most basic thing and tell us what happened?” Wilbur sighed out, “Hey, Tech when did Tommy get so weak?” Was the final thing Wilbur chuckled out, but the silence in the room continued.

Tommy felt like he’d been doused in ice water, he had never been on the receiving end of one of his brother's soul-crushing berates. Tommy was already filled with frustration and rage at himself for not being able to stop the attack on Schlatt, about not being able to talk about what had happened without his legs wanting to give out from below him.

After the adults gave them the clear to come back upstairs to get ready to go back to their hotels, Tommy felt the weight of Wilbur's gaze on him, watching if Tommy would tell someone about what he had seen during the attack. Tommy willed himself to say anything, but the words kept getting caught in his throat, Wilbur only shook his head as he walked to his bedroom.

The dreaded day of the funeral brought sunny skies and the warm breeze of the coming summer, the heat causing Tommy’s suit to get all stiff and sweaty. They had created a small grave for Schlatt by a pond that he used to take him and Tubbo to when the weather got warm enough, Tommy knew that Tubbo’s destroyed home was just beyond the wooded area that surrounded the pond. 

Not a single tear was shed throughout the ceremony, the adults already hardened by the loss of other comrades, and the children already knew that with the path they were heading down that this would be a normal occurrence. 

At the end of the ceremony, Tubbo gave out little pouches filled with seeds to everyone, one by one everyone dropped their seeds onto the soil that covered the casket.

Tubbo had avoided the adult's watchful eyes, especially his aunt Puffy’s eyes, but finally, his aunt had pulled him aside to go on a quick walk around the woods.

The path was beautiful with wildflowers and tall trees that waved down on them that let the occasional warm beam of sunlight hit them, but they both knew it would lead to the lifeless home. When they had finally arrived at the desolate area Puffy sat on one of the charred rocking chairs with Tubbo sitting on one of the porch stairs in silence, not even the soft buzzing of a bee or a chirp of a bird was heard.

“Y’know I lied about not remembering, maybe a bit at first but I remember everything before I passed out.” Tubbo confessed to Puffy who continued to rock as she listened to him.

“I guessed as much, but I didn’t want to pressure you to talk if you didn't want to.” Puffy replied.

“Ha, I’m fine, honestly, I was waiting to see if Tommy would say anything. This hurt Tommy more than it hurt me, I’m just waiting for him to snap out of it and tell everyone what happened.” Tubbo laughed.

“What happens if he doesn't ‘snap out of it’, will you tell us what you remember?” Puffy asked as she stopped rocking the chair.

“Don't underestimate Tommy, he just needs a little time, and maybe a little push.” Tubbo said as he stood up from the porch stair. Puffy jumped up and put her hand on Tubbo’s shoulder.

“This is too much for you, you are too young to be going through something like this alone!” Puffy said trying to reason with Tubbo.

“Actually that’s what I wanted to talk about, I’m moving down here to be closer. You can rely on me, you can live with us. Or if it’s too much too soon Philza said he would keep you for as long as you want.” Puffy sounded desperate now, trying to get Tubbo to open up and talk to her.

Tubbo knew what Puffy was trying to do, he knew that Phil had ordered those who had come to the funeral to change post to be closer to him and the academy from the hushed whispers he would listen in on. From those hushed whispers, he also knew that someone would be coming soon to take him to an orphanage a town over if Tubbo chose not to be adopted by Puffy his only living relative. While Tubbo hated the idea of leaving Tommy alone he hated the idea of being under the constant surveillance of Puffy even more, and there was investigating he needed to do on his own. 

“I’ll think about it.” Tubbo said gently, already knowing there wasn't a chance in hell that he would be staying, but he let Puffy have a bit of peace of mind.

Tubbo began walking back to the others, deciding on taking the scenic route to enjoy his brief amount of silence he was given. When he finally felt alone in the safety of the trees he calmed his mind and focused all his attention on his closed eyes, when he opened them the green had turned to a ghastly yellow. It still hurt to use his new ability for long but Tubbo already knew what he was looking for, there was a black and white soul far off in the distance that was split down the middle with a purple aura surrounding it. 

“TUBBO?” 

Tubbo snapped his eyes shut and when he opened them their original green color had returned, he ran back down the path to the others assuring them that he had just gotten a bit lost on his walk.

Chapter Text

Tubbo knew that when he finally had to tell Tommy that he would be moving to the orphanage it wouldn't go down well, so while it wasn't a surprise it didn't make Tommy's wails and kicks hurt any less.

Tommy wasn't the only one who was upset about Tubbo choosing to leave, his aunt Puffy had continued to try to convince him to stay and Phil had even used Tommy’s tantrum as a way to try and pressure him into staying.

The man who had come to talk to him about the orphanage looked scary at first, he was tall and had sharp teeth that looked like they belonged to a shark. Any intimidation Tubbo felt vanished the moment the other man spoke, he was very giggly and would joke back with him. The man’s name was Foolish, which Tubbo thought suited him quite well.

When the day finally came for Foolish to pick him up and take him to the orphanage it did make his heart clench at the thought of leaving Tommy behind, but he knew it was the only option if he wanted to do his own investigating on the split soul. 

Tubbo didn't have anything to pack, all he had was an old green button-up shirt that his father let him use while he gardened, so the only thing he had to do before leaving his old home was say goodbye to everyone. 

The only real goodbye he gave was to Tommy, even if Tommy was still upset, he had gotten a big hug from him and a promise that he would find a way to get to him. He had also made more of an effort when saying goodbye to Kristen, she had been the least overbearing to him, he gave her a quick hug and thanked her for letting him stay with them for so long. Saying goodbye to his Aunt Puffy and cousins was easier on him, all he had to do was give them a quick wave and handshake on his way out to Foolish’s car. 

Once Tubbo was sat in the car he watched the trees whirl past and he held onto a small bag of snacks and treats Kristen had made for him in case he got hungry on his hour drive, most of the ride was Foolish telling him about the orphanage and him stealing the pumpkin cookies that Kristen had baked from Tubbo’s goodie bag. 

The further away they got from the secluded homes in the forest the closer they got to the much more urban town, instead of lush trees the town had tall buildings stacked alongside each other and hundreds of people crowded the streets. Tubbo much preferred the atmosphere of his old home but he could deal with the stuffiness of the town, and it was too late to turn back.

When they had finally arrived at the orphanage Tubbo was surprised by it, he had expected a grim old building where children were sent away but he was surprised when it looked like a cozy little home. It reminded him of his home before it got destroyed, its wooden exterior stood out next to all the stone buildings around it. 

The orphanage was fenced off from the street and had a stone path leading in, the front lawn was mainly dirt with a few patches of dry grass and droopy flowers. The building itself was a two-story home that looked much more like an old cottage, and it had a chimney on top with smoke swirling out of it.

Tubbo continued to analyze the building as he followed a humming Foolish into his new home.

“Oh by the way the other kids can be pretty crazy sometimes, but they are really nice!” Foolish said with a big grin before he opened the door, Tubbo nodded at the warning and waited for Foolish to unlock the door.

“OI, FUNDY I KNOW YOU STOLE MY GLASSES YOU FUCKING FOX!” A bald boy had shouted as he chased after a crying boy with red hair and a cap on who pushed Tubbo and Foolish aside as he ran out the door, “I DIDN’T, I SWEAR!” The red-headed boy shouted back.

Tubbo looked out the door to see the bald boy chase the other around the front yard and out of sight to the backyard, he looked up at Foolish who looked just as confused as he did. Then Tubbo heard a giggle as a boy with fluffy brown hair and a girl with light pink hair ran towards the door as well.

“Karl why’d you take his glasses, Fundy didn't even steal them this time and now they're fighting!” The girl said with a disapproving tone, “that's not nice, give them back to Jack.”

The boy continued to giggle and put a pair of red and blue lensed glasses on, instead of following after the two other boys they ran back deeper into the house. 

“What the heck was that?” Foolish laughed out, he continued to walk deeper into the house so Tubbo followed wondering where the boy and girl had run off to. They walked past the stairs leading to the second floor and a living room that had puzzle pieces scattered around and forgotten books left open on the couches. Foolish had led him to a cramped kitchen that had a small dining table that was being occupied by someone with a box on their head and someone with dark sunglasses putting a bird on the box head. The kitchen was at the back of the house and had large windows and a door that lead to the backyard, from what Tubbo could see, and hear, the boy with the cap had climbed up a lone tree to get away from the bald boy and was screaming for help. The girl was trying to calm the bald boy down and pointing at the boy who had stolen the glasses who was doubled over on the ground laughing, the stolen glasses had fallen to the ground but went unnoticed by the bald boy in his rage.

“Uh Tubbo I’ll give you a tour, but I think I need to break them up before it gets messy,” Foolish said as he jogged out to the screaming children, completely passing the glasses which only made the boy on the ground laugh harder.

“Wow, he didn't even say anything about us having the bird in the kitchen.” The kid with the dark sunglasses said to the box head who was giggling on the table, Tubbo stiffened when both of the other kids' heads turned on him.

“You're the new kid whose dad got killed right?” The one with the dark sunglasses asked.

“Ya that's me, and my name is Tubbo,” Tubbo said with an awkward smile.

“Cool, my name is Alastair but I’d rather you called me Eret.” They said standing up to shake Tubbo’s hand, they had thick black boots that made them even taller and had strawberry pins holding their wavy brown hair back. “And this is Crumb and her bird.”

The girl with the box head nodded enthusiastically making the bird squawk, the box had black beady eyes that stared into the depths of Tubbo’s soul and cat ears on top.

“She doesn't talk much so don't get offended if she doesn't verbally respond,” Eret said when Crumb hadn't introduced herself.

“Well it was nice to meet you guys, I’m not good with meeting new people. Could you tell me who everyone is? Tubbo asked, not wanting to wait for Foolish to introduce him to everyone.

“Of course, the one screaming on the tree is my partner, his name is Fundy. He's a weapon and a very good thief so I’d be careful with my stuff around him. The bald guy that chased him up there is Jack, he thinks Fundy stole his glasses again. The girl with pink hair is Niki, she’s really sweet and sometimes bakes us stuff. The guy laughing is Karl, he’s also really sweet, but he can be pretty chaotic. Lastly, there is another new kid upstairs, they don't talk either.” Eret finished listing off all the residents of the orphanage.

“RAINBOW!” Crumb shouted out, it made Tubbo jump a bit. Crumb had a surprisingly high-pitched voice.

“Uh ya that’s what Crumb’s been calling them, they haven't said what their name is to us so we’ve been calling them Rainbow,” Eret explained, before Tubbo could continue asking questions a loud clang caught all their attention.

The boy named Jack had grown increasingly more furious and had transformed his hand into a metal glove that had lightning crackling around it, he had attempted to smash the tree Fundy was hiding in. Foolish saved the tree from being smashed by transforming his hand into his weapon form, his arm now a golden trident that blocked the metal glove.

Everyone had gone silent, even Karl stopped giggling and stood up.

“EVERYONE GET INSIDE RIGHT NOW, I DON’T CARE ABOUT WHO STOLE WHAT. WE ARE HAVING FAMILY DINNER RIGHT NOW!” Foolish screamed, he had a very shrill scream that scared Tubbo into sitting down. Everyone that had been outside came rushing back in, before Foolish walked back in Crumb shoved the bird up her boxed head.

All the children sat in silence as Foolish prepared the meal they were about to have, Tubbo thought it was still way too early to be having dinner but kept his mouth shut. He looked across the table where a still very mad Jack sat and a slightly guilty-looking Karl sat beside him.

Niki sat beside Karl and elbowed him and gave him a pointed look. Karl had a small grimace on his face not wanting to face the consequence of his prank. He eventually slid the colorful glasses to Jack with a sheepish smile and a nervous giggle.

“Hehe sorry, I think I forgot I had them,” Karl said with a nervous laugh.

“What the hell man! I chased Fundy around thinking he stole from me again,” Jack also laughed, he put the glasses back on with a grin.

“WHAT! YOU CHASE ME AROUND AND TRY TO KILL ME, BUT LET KARL GET AWAY WITH IT!” Fundy shouted and slammed his hands onto the table in shocked disbelief.

“Well, I wouldn't have chased you if you didn't usually steal my stuff.” Jack shot back at Fundy with a roll of his eyes.

“Fundy shut up, just stop stealing stuff and this won't happen,” Eret said before Fundy could argue with Jack, Fundy slumped in his chair with a pout.

Tubbo was surprised that such a huge fight had been resolved so quickly, he had expected Foolish to come back still upset at them for the fight that had happened but he set the different plates of food in front of everyone and began humming again. Crumb lowered the bird from under the box onto the table and let it eat from her plate.

Tubbo remained silent for most of their meal, listening to the others talk and introduce themselves. He did notice that the seat by him was left unoccupied, he assumed that the other new kid would come down and join but they never did.

After the meal, Foolish put Karl, Jack, and a whining Fundy to clean the dishes and table, he then fixed up another plate of food and sent Crumb upstairs with it. After that he continued with Tubbo’s tour around the downstairs, often getting distracted by the other children wanting to help with the tour.

While Tubbo had been getting his tour, Niki had begun making chocolate chip cookies, which brought everyone back into the tiny kitchen once more. This time Crumb kept the bird far away from the cookies on her plate.

Tubbo finally felt the effects of his long day and felt himself growing drowsier at the lively table, his eyes snapped open as Crumb tugged at his sleeve. She held a plate of cookies in one hand and pulled Tubbo with the other, she dragged him up the stairs and pulled him through one of the four doors. Inside was a pretty basic room. There were three desks, two dressers, and a bunk bed in one corner of the room and a single on the other side of the room with a lump underneath the covers.

Crumb walked over to the bed and began aggressively shaking the lump, “RAINBOW WAKE UP!”

The lump under the covers only curled tighter into a ball wanting to be left undisturbed, Crumb set the plate of cookies on top of the lump and crawled up to sit on the top bunk. Tubbo looked down at the bottom bunk and noticed the small goodie bag Kristen had given him, he assumed that Fundy had probably taken it and ate them already.

“Foolish said you'd be our new roomie,” Crumb said, her voice still surprising him.

“He didn't tell me where I was staying, but I’ll take your word for it.” Tubbo smiled at Crumb, he liked Crumb. She was funny and had a bird.

Tubbo laid down on the bottom bunk and chatted with Crumb about the other people in the orphanage, Crumb was very energetic and excited to talk to Tubbo. Tubbo was also excited to talk with her, but he felt his body sink into the bed and his eyes drift shut. 

Before his eyes closed he saw the lump slowly rise, a boy with black and white hair rose from the blankets. They had sharp grey eyes that bore into him, but he continued to pretend to be asleep. It seemed to trick them because they turned back around and ate some of the cookies off of the plate, he heard them thank Crumb and sink back under the covers.

Tubbo tried to muster all the energy he had left to activate the new power to see how close he was to the soul, but it was no use he still couldn't use it again. It had strained his eyes too much the first time he did it, he felt frustration creeping up him at not being able to activate his eyes. 

After trying unsuccessfully once again he finally let himself rest his eyes, he had a lot of investigating to get started on.

Chapter Text

Tubbo had spent the next few weeks adjusting to his new home. Foolish had given him new clothes that were a bit big on him and had permitted him to make a flower garden with Crumb in the yard.  

He had also gotten to know the other children better, he liked to sit with Crumb and Eret to chat while Niki baked. He would join Karl and Fundy if he was in a mischievous mood and pull little pranks, their target, usually Jack, wasn't very fond of these moods. 

Tubbo enjoyed the lively home and the company it gave, but the downside was that it gave no allowance for privacy. There was no way to be in a single room for more than a few minutes without someone running in, and Crumb had begun to start following him like a shadow wanting to play. The only place he could be without getting bothered was his shared bedroom, it was a bit of an unspoken rule for nobody but Crumb and Tubbo to go into the room. 

Tubbo missed his privacy but what troubled him more was the fact that he could no longer use his eyes properly, his bedroom would be perfect but it would be too risky with “Rainbow” in there. He was too careless on his first night, he didn't need Foolish telling Phil about his newfound ability.

He had no other options but to wait, he couldn't be reckless and get caught using an ability he didn't even fully understand. He couldn't turn back to Phil and Kristen, as much as he appreciated them they wouldn't understand his eyes. The only person that could begin to understand would maybe be Puffy, but even then it would be a stretch. And of course, there was the woman who changed him in the first place, but even if he was fool enough to want to ask her he had no way of finding her. 

In the end, Tubbo decided to stay hidden for a while longer in the orphanage, he had two years before he would leave for the academy so he had time to find a place to practice using his eyes. He had time to train his eyes to the best of his ability, but what he was most worried about was whether the split soul would still be there and if he would even be able to face it.

-

“Tubbooo, where are you?” An eerie voice called for him, he held his breath and pushed further behind the bookshelf he was hidden behind.

It was a dark and silent night, the only sound was his shallow breath and the creak of the wood as it was being walked over. He could see the faint candle glow as the figure got closer to the stairs.

“I already got Niki, now it’s your turn!” The figure’s shrill giggles echoed down the stairs, Tubbo felt the sweat dripping down his brow.

He looked through the gaps in the books and saw Eret hiding under a tiny table that was against the wall of the stairs, they were pulling their legs closer to their body to make sure they were hidden.

Tubbo watched as the figure got to the stairs, the candle illuminated the box head and created a terrifying shadow behind it. He held his breath and scooted closer to the wall, not wanting to get caught.

Tubbo watched as Crumb’s box looked around the room, he felt his heart drop when her beady eyes made contact with his. He watched as she took her first step down as he tried to think of a way to get out from behind the shelf and run away without getting caught. When he heard her shriek, he looked again and saw her tumbling down the stairs.

He couldn't help the laughter that erupted as he squeezed out of his hiding spot to see Crumb’s disheveled state, her box was on backwards and the candle had smushed on top of the box and its wax hardened.
 
“I’M BLIND!” Crumb screamed, her hands waved around frantically. Tubbo could barely breathe as he laughed even harder at Crumb, he clutched his sides as Niki ran down to fix Crumb’s head and Eret jumped up to turn the lights on.

“Oh, I can see'' Crumb let out a sigh of relief as her box was facing the right way, she looked down at her legs and screamed again, “I’M A PIRATE!”.

Tubbo, who had been calming down, was sent into a fit of giggles once again at Crumb’s shouts, Eret was trying to calm Crumb down and Niki was hiding her giggles behind her hand.

The shouts had awoken the rest of the house and they were all running to the stairs to see what had happened. Karl, Jack, and Fundy ran down the stairs and crowded around Crumb asking questions, they all quickly began screaming at one another trying to explain what happened. A groggy Foolish stumbled down the stairs making the screams die down.

“What’s going on?” Foolish sleepily asked, rubbing his eyes and putting his glasses on.

“I’m a pirate, my leg fell off!” Crumb cried out.

“What?” Foolish asked, looking at Eret for clarification.
 
“Her leg didn't fall off, it just transformed I think.” Eret calmly explained as Crumb babbled about needing an eyepatch.

Foolish looked down at Crumb’s leg, or lack thereof, and in its place was a brown wooden handle. 

“WHAT DO I DO? ALL OF YOU GUYS ALREADY KNEW IF YOU WERE A WEAPON, CRUMB ARE YOU OKAY? DOES IT HURT? CAN YOU GO BACK?” Foolish bombarded Crumb with questions as he freaked out.

His shouts caused the rest of them to begin shouting as well, the shouting went on for a while not even Eret could calm them all down. They only calmed down after a white flash and Crumb’s normal leg appeared. 

Foolish went back up the stairs clutching his heart and telling them to go to bed, Tubbo felt relieved that he didn't tell Foolish about his eyes after seeing how he reacted with Crumb transforming.

-

While Tubbo got ready for bed he saw Crumb jump onto the other bed, she sat on top of the lump that was “Rainbow”. She was telling the lump about her day and how she had transformed for the first time into a pirate, Crumb would do this every day and Tubbo always wondered if the lump ever responded to her. 

As Tubbo was getting comfortable in his bed he remembered the letters Tommy had sent him, Foolish had given them on the dining table that morning for him. He grumbled as he got up to go retrieve the letters, ignoring Crumb’s questioning box tilt. 

Tubbo trudged down the stairs, smirking at the thought of Crumb falling down them again. When he made it to the dining room he was surprised that the neat pile of pumpkins was still there, he would have expected someone to knock them over or in Fundy’s case steal them. 

Eret was sitting at the table drinking from a mug, he gave a small nod of acknowledgment to Tubbo when he entered.

There were three little pumpkins, one for each week he had been at the orphanage, he had known that Tommy was sending them but hadn't had the time to check them and write back. It would have gone on longer if Foolish hadn't told him he would throw them away if he didn't respond. 

The letters were all the same messy handwriting that looked like Tommy had scribbled it in one go, which made it harder for Tubbo to read. 

“Eret can you read this?” Tubbo asked as he passed one of the letters to Eret, the words too jumbled for his sleepy brain.

“Ask Karl, I can’t read that.” Eret chuckled, squinting at the letter Tubbo handed to him. He folded them up so he could ask Karl to read them to him the next day and bid goodnight to Eret.

As he walked back up the stairs his body felt heavy with sleep, he hoped Crumb was already in bed and wouldn't want to keep Tubbo up with midnight chatter.

Before he opened the door he heard Crumb giggling and to his surprise another voice, at first he thought it was Eret, the voice had the same deep tone. But it couldn't have been them Tubbo had just been speaking to them in the dining room, he knew it was a bit of an invasion of privacy but he put his ear to the door to try and listen in. 

“Rainbow, you need to get up! Now we can train with each other and beat people up, and you smell really bad.” He heard Crumb’s insulting encouragement, and she was right the stench was getting out of hand.

“What the heck Crumb, and no I’m not going to.” the grumbling voice responded.

“You’re going to crumble into dust from the smelliness. Why won’t you train with us? If Tubbo likes you, maybe you can help with the garden!” Crumb said, “WE COULD ADD YOU TO THE BUNK BED!”

Tubbo grinned at Crumb’s excited voice, he felt guilty about listening in but he didn't want to interrupt the conversation. His curiosity about “Rainbow” definitely didn't influence him to keep on listening in.

“I’ll take a shower, but you can’t convince me to say yes to the other stuff.” “Rainbow” replied in a softer joking tone, Tubbo hoped he stayed true to the shower part.

“Crumb it’s getting late and Tubbo is probably on his way back, you know I don't want to talk to other people. Go back to your bed.” “Rainbow” said before Crumb could interrupt and try to force them to combine beds.

Once Tubbo heard Crumb scramble up to her bunk he gave it a few seconds to finally enter the room. The lump was in its usual spot and Crumb was wrapped up in her blanket like nothing was out of the ordinary.

He tiptoed to his bed and laid his letters on the bedside table, a bit paranoid that the others knew that he was being nosy.

Once Tubbo was in the safety of his bed he mustered up the courage to look over at the lump across the room, he still felt a bit guilty about listening in but his curiosity took over. Even if “Rainbow” was a bit smelly Crumb seemed to like them, he wanted to know more about the smelly lump, and hearing them speak only fueled his intrigue. 

As Tubbo fell asleep he tried to think of a plan to ask Crumb to get “Rainbow” to talk more without exposing himself.

On the other side of the room the smelly lump nicknamed “Rainbow” was having a similar dilemma.