Chapter Text
The lengthy slender tunnels, the dripping in puddles off in deep cave caverns, the lanterns that sounded with the slightest breeze, and the gentle vwoops of a distant Nether portal made Techno feel slightly less at home than he had in the Empire only a few years prior. He worked tirelessly, making sure his lifelong friend's son had enough supplies for a war he was fighting. The Piglin hybrid didn’t exactly care for the war, but he felt like it was part of his responsibility as one of Phil’s closest confidants to keep his sons safe.
Hence why he found himself pouring hour after hour into making supplies he wouldn’t even get to use.
“Two months into this senseless war and Wilbur hasn’t even given you guys an enchantment room?” Techno turned away from one of his hidden chests, handing Tommy a few stacks of supplies. Books, wood, an enchanting table, and some lapis slotted into Tommy’s mostly empty inventory and the blonde sighed.
“He’s trying, but Dream keeps breaking into L’Manburg and stealing or blowing up our stuff!” Tommy checked the supplies over, making sure Techno had given the minimum he’d asked for, and then he dropped a few gold blocks down for Techno as payment. It was much less than he’d usually accept, but Phil was also paying him on the side to help.
“Sounds about right.” Techno hauled himself back up to his full height and cracked his neck, “do you need help getting back to L’Manburg, or did you and Tubbo finally finish the paths?”
“The paths should be finished!” Tommy grins, rocking back and forth on his feet as he idly twirls the bandana on his wrist. Techno simply nods, a hand reaching up to mimic Tommy’s motion but on his glasses golden chain instead.
“Then get back swift and secure, aight?” Techno steps forward to ruffle Tommy’s hair, “we don’t need ‘cha gettin’ questioned by Dream and his goons.”
“Yeah yeah, I’ll be fine! I’ll fight them off like the big man I am and then I’ll-” The teens gloating is stopped by a loud beep, which causes him to shriek, and if Techno heard the noise he let out the Piglin didn’t say anything about it. The ping was sourced from Tommy’s communicator, which he quickly tore out of his pocket.
‘Come back to L’Manburg, now. And bring Techno.’ The message from Tubbo reads; and with a quick sputter, Tommy grabs Techno by his sleeve and begins to run.
“Heh? Tommy!” Techno shouted, nearly tripping on the start of the wooden paths as he was dragged along.
“Tubbo needs us, now!” The boy shouted over his shoulder, and Techno couldn’t help the way he felt a streak of fear through his stomach.
The walls of L’Manburg stood towering and grand, glistening against the late day sun. The multicolored leaves fell into muddled masses trampled by the frequent passages of the family that lived inside. Now, however, the puddles of mud and leaves soaked into the knees of those who just wanted to live peacefully.
“Please Dream, this wasn’t part of the deal.” Eret pleaded, a sword pressing sharply against their jugular. The white-eyed person recoiled as the blade nicked the front of their throat and they stared down the man who held the sword, Dream.
“Shut the hell up, Eret.” Dream snapped, looking side to side at his correspondents. Sapnap held a loaded bow of fireworks at the citizens of L’Manburg while George stood on the other side with his longbow trained directly at Wilbur’s head. The huddled group watched each other with trepidation, Wilbur’s eyes flicking between his son, his adoptive brother, and his best friends. Fundy stared down Dream, biting back insults while Tubbo and Jack sat on opposite sides of Niki. Jack murmured gentle reassurances to her, watching her shaking hands posed in the air, and Tubbo stared towards his communicator which was thrown back at Tubbo’s knees by Punz, who scoffed.
“He read the message.” The stoic man said, leaning on the walls built to keep their citizens safe. It felt like he was taunting them.
“Well, he better hurry before I cut Eret’s head off Marie Antionette style.” Dream muttered, pushing his blade further and causing Eret to let out a distressed cry.
“Stop it!” Wilbur roared from his knelt position, lifting his head so quick his tricorne hat blew off his head of curly hair, “You’re going to kill them!”
“And?” Dream grinned, but he was cut off by a rustling in the bushes that drew his attention and made his green eyes flicker away from the L'Manburgians for just a second.
“Dream! Leave them all alone!” Tommy shouted as he left the safety of the tree line, Techno staying back for a few seconds to load his crossbow before he stepped up behind Tommy.
“Ah! Tommyinnit!” Dream grinned, dropping his sword to switch to a bow. Tommy bites the inside of his mouth as he inches forward, Techno behind him keeping his eyes trained on the older man. Dream shifted his mask, making sure it covered his face before he spoke again, “Tommy, I need you to give up your freedom. I have your whole nation on it’s knees. C’mon Tommy, be the big kid here… the only thing that’s going to make me stop fighting your nation is a surrender.”
“That’s bullshit! I’m not surrendering to you, I’ll never surrender! You’ll have to kill me!” Tommy’s grip on his bow tightened. One hand hovered near the top of his shirt, ready to grab an arrow from his quiver, and behind him, Techno adjusted his grip on his rocket-loaded crossbow.
“Fair enough, how about a duel then? Me and you.” Dream grinned, his hand flicking out to reveal an arrow he had been concealing.
“Fine! If I win, L’Manburg is free to run as their independent country!” Tommy said, grabbing an arrow from his quiver and inspecting it with shaking hands.
“Wait!” Wilbur shouted, standing up to face Dream, “he’s just a child and you’re going to duel him? This is ludicrous!”
“Shut the hell up, he wants to.” Dream motioned with his head and George stepped closer, aiming at Wilbur’s throat. The president didn’t flinch at the approach of his enemies, he kept his ground.
“As president of the land you stand on, I refuse to let you duel him. Take me with you, to somewhere private and we can discuss the terms of freedom for my nation, I don't want any more bloodshed.” Wilbur kept his voice level, glancing to his side to see Tommy’s hands shaking harshly. He wouldn’t be able to fire a bow in that state, he’d die. Wilbur had to stop the duel.
“And why should I let you talk to me? Huh? I could kill you all right now.” Dream draws an arrow in his bow and points it at Wilbur, his instincts tell him to rip his wings out and body slam his attackers with them but he breathes slowly, keeping himself calm.
“Because I’m a man of diplomacy. There are two ways this discussion will go, either I’ll surrender L’Manburg to you or you’ll let my people go.” Wilbur stepped closer to George as he spoke, using one hand to push his bow down to point at the muddy grass as the drizzle of rain grew to a pour. Mother was probably crying.
“Hmm… fine. Sapnap, grab him, and bring him to the courthouse. Punz and George, you two follow them.” Dream lowered his bow and watched as his group followed his commands like clockwork.
“If you surrender I’ll stop following you into the dark, Soot!” Niki calls from where she’s kneeled and Wilbur smiles as his wrist is roughly grabbed by Sapnap.
“You won’t have to follow me anymore.” He nods and the people he leads watch helplessly as their fearless leader and drug away from them and into a world where he can only help himself.
“May the goddess bless him.” Techno whispers, rubbing his thumb along a dark-colored stone.
Sapnap clicked the second cuff shut as soon as they’d gotten to the top of the ladder that led to the floating courthouse. He let his black hair fall into his eyes as he grabbed Wilbur by the arm, he didn’t want to do this at all but Dream’s word was his law, so he pulled Wilbur into the courthouse and out of the rain. George stood off to the side with a notebook, gently writing something down as Sapnap brought Wilbur into the middle of the room.
“Thanks, Sap, you can leave now.” Dream idly rolls his wrist, a small dagger held in his hand.
“Are you sure?” Sapnap asked, letting go of Wilbur and the chain that held his restraints.
“Mhm.” Dream nods and Sapnap nods back, he makes his way out and turns to look at Wilbur one last time before the door shuts with a soft bang. Before Wilbur can even say anything the chain to his cuffs is grasped and yanked forward, the surprise of the motion causing Wilbur to stumble and fall onto his knees roughly. Dream steps closer, almost hovering above the president.
“I know you’re hiding something from me, Soot. I know it’s not Techno, I know it’s not Pogtopia… there's something more.” Dream grins, lowering his body in a sharp bending motion as he grabs Wilbur’s jaw and digs his black claws into the president’s cheeks with a sickening grin. The curly-haired revolutionary doesn’t flinch, eyes trained on Dream’s cocking of his head as the green jacketed man tugs harder on Wilburs wrist cuffs. This time is enough to cut the skin by his hands; Wilbur can’t hold back a flinch this time.
“I’m a man of countless mysteries.” He opts for instead of the truth, of the runes that cover his back and the mass of black feathers he binds to his skin every day. Something Tommy and Techno know of, out of the necessity of childhoods, but they know better than to spill. Dream wheezed, almost allowing the touch persona crack before he let go of Wilbur’s jaw and replaced the harsh grip with a harsh hit directly to his chin. Wilbur’s head snapped back, allowing some of the runes to peek out of his jacket by his neck. If Dream saw them, he kept quiet.
The chains are pulled tighter, forcing Wilbur to sit on his knees and pull his body close to Dream’s. The distance between them is small, and Wilbur narrows his eyes to stare down the dark circles on Dream’s mask.
“You want me to believe the son of one of the most powerful elementals didn’t inherit anything from his bloodline?” The server owner hums with an audible grin.
“I didn’t get shit from my dad, I got it all from my mother.” Wilbur’s not lying, necessarily. He got her dark brown hair and dark eyes, as well as her puffy cheeks and way with words. Tommy got the most from dad, the blonde hair, the blue eyes, the fighter's spirit.
“Hm. Let’s prove that.” Dream smiles and lets go of Wilbur’s shackles. The brunette doesn’t have time to snap back before someone kicks him onto his chest. He immediately falls into autopilot, swinging his legs out and watching as George faceplants beside him. Without much trouble, Wilbur forces himself up to his knees again before there's a sword at his throat and he pauses his fight so he doesn’t end up slicing his throat. Dream grins, feeling the power of his perceived surrender, the glint of his enchanted Netherite sword catching Wilbur’s dark-eyed gaze.
“Not so fast, Soot.” Dream smiles and before the president can determine where George has gone, it happens. He feels cold air hit his back and he shrieks at the feeling of his wings being ripped out of their careful twine.
“Ah! There we are… runes, wings-- black wings at that…” Dream marvels at the sight of his enemy completely out on display, vulnerable appendages wide open for him.
“Let go of me!” Wilbur cries, forcing his feet under him and ripping himself up to his feet and out of the grasp of his attackers. He manages to check Dream with his elbow, knocking the green-clad man’s balance off enough for him to drop his sword and back up to collect the fallen item. George scrambles to grab Wilbur but is swiped away by the force of Wilbur’s massive wings and slammed against the cobble wall of the courthouse.
“George!” Dream shouts as his friend is flung, quickly preparing to attack as the runes Wilbur dons start to glow and hum a brilliant silver color. Across the room, George gasps, grabbing at his throat and coughing.
“George?!” Dream questions with an obvious twinge of fear and then turns back to Wilbur, whose wings flap gently and stretch out.
“Let L’Manburg go independent, full liberation from your SMP, or I’ll take the breath from your nation and force you to comply.” Wilbur’s hand is in a fist, slowly curling tighter and causing George to grow more frantic at the lack of air. There’s a glint in his eyes, dark and powerful, something Dream’s never seen from the mostly pacifistic president.
“I-I- You! You can’t do this!” Dream shouts, drawing his sword and Wilbur smiles.
“I’m an Air Elementalist, Dream.” He closes his fist, “I can do what I fucking want. You have ten seconds until he suffocates, pick now. Your friends' lives are on the line.”
Dream hesitates and Wilbur grins, slowly counting as he rolls his closed fist around as if taunting his enemy. He has the one up in this situation, even if the use of this high level of magic is draining him substantially.
“Ten.”
Dream looks at the book Wilbur has resting inside his satchel bag, he knows it's the declaration of independence. He doesn’t want to sign the war away as a loss.
“Nine.”
George staggers over, wordlessly pleading with Dream to just sign the book. The two lock eyes with fear resting heavily between the two of them.
“Eight.”
George gasps again, collapsing to his knees, and now the lack of air starts to affect Dream as well. In a panic, he steps away from George, who's now turning red. The realization of what he has to do finally clicks in his mind.
“Seven--”
“Fine! Fine! L’Manburg can be free, give me a fucking book to sign but don’t hurt them any more!” HE says and Wilbur grins, immediately releasing his clenched hand and watching to ensure the air around George is replaced. As it is, George hacks and sputters, laying flat on the ground as he heaves. Wilbur opens his satchel bag with a flick of his wrist and reaches in to grab the aforementioned book. Dream hastily opens the book and scribbles his signature on the bottom before handing it back over to Wilbur, the man smiles and shuts the book with a thump.
“Pleasure doing business gentlemen.” He says, stepping back towards one of the doors and bowing before falling backward through it. A few seconds later, he shoots up above the courthouse in the sky, his wings flexing as they carry him through the air. Dream curses under his breath for being so weak. He has to make a deal, a deal for power.
Dear Father,
I hope this letter finds you well, as I hope all of mine have. Today was a memorable day, so much so I figured I’d skip the past week just to tell you about it. I hope you don't mind missing the monotonous and endless details of a week spent fighting small skirmishes for our own homes. Regardless, I and delighted to report that, a s of today L’Manburg is officially independent! I have taken my role as president and Tommy as my VP. It’s been a tumultuous few months, our rations being exploded, homes burned and ransacked, equipment dropped and stolen, but now we are finally free! Free to be our own nation.
Now, I know you’re wondering if I just butchered the man (like you and Technoblade urged me to do) but I didn’t. I told you I could use words to end this war and I did! It took hours of negotiations and rewriting of laws and past rules but I was able to diplomatically bring L’Manburg into a new era, a peaceful era. Dream also had full cooperation once I was able to level our playing fields through speaking, so take that! Hah!
Nothing has changed with my elementals markings and wings, still hidden away, which I am mentioning so you and mother won’t worry. I’m very busy helping us regroup so this letter has to be short, I will write to you again soon as always.
Love,
Your eldest son, President Wilbur Soot
(P.S; tell Mother I planted some peonies for her and Tommy has stitched yarrow onto the edges of my uniform as per her request. He misses you both as much as I do.)