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Techno tried, and failed, to hold back another sob, ignoring the way his tears dripped down his face and onto his tattered cape Wilbur had got him when they were 14. Instead, he focused on memories from his childhood.
When they were young, without a care in the world, only worrying about who would win the race to the old oak in the garden (Techno) and who could hold their breath the longest (Wilbur – but Techno was sure he cheated) But, one autumn afternoon when they were out hunting in the woods, they found a boy. A boy with matted blond hair and a permanent scowl. A boy that Wilbur decided was going to come home with them, despite Techno’s vehement protests that ‘he could be dangerous’ and ‘we can’t just take home a random child we found in the woods.’ And so, he came with them.
It took time for them to learn to love the boy (whose name they later found out was Tommy). It took time for them to learn to appreciate the boy for all he was. Tommy, with his loud personality and swearing that could rival a drunken sailor. Tommy, with his insistence to follow Wilbur around everywhere, and to only call Techno ‘The Blade’. Tommy, with his golden curls and smile that could brighten any room. Tommy, who was selfless to a point. They came to love him, and soon after, their family of two became a family of three. Life carried on. Techno dyed his hair pink to the amusement of both Wilbur and Tommy. Wilbur learnt to play the guitar after much encouragement from his brothers and many sleepless nights. But Tommy stayed the same (apart from the occasional growth spurt); he was their constant. Someone to rely on to cheer them up. Their brother.
However, there came a time when they didn’t need him anymore. (You did; you always needed him) and after months of growing apart, he and Wilbur had left – moved on to bigger things, like farming potatoes and starting a civil war. Leaving Tommy alone in the cabin in the woods. Occasionally they returned, bringing stories of far-off lands and exotic people. Tommy grew a little more distant each time – more unlike the Tommy they had known and loved. More unlike the Tommy that would laugh at their jokes and tease them endlessly when the opportunity arose. When they stopped travelling back to their childhood home, it wasn’t a surprise. Techno’s communicator no longer pinged with constant messages from Tommy asking him to come home ‘just for a couple of days’ (you should’ve listened – it’s all your fault). It wasn’t hard to forget once he had left – to forget someone who had never stopped hoping they would both return, never stopped hoping that they would remember what they had left behind.
It was mid-September and prime potato harvesting season. Techno had worked tirelessly to win a place amongst the most respected farmers, and he wasn’t going to let it go to waste now. He often went days without sleep surviving on nothing but caffeine and adrenaline. With meticulous planning, 14-hour workdays, and sheer brute force, he would no doubt become the number one potato farmer in the server after this year’s harvest.
It had been a while since Techno had got a message from Tommy and, even if he had, the potato war had taken up all his focus and attention since it had started 6 months ago, and he probably wouldn’t have seen it. It was only by chance that he happened to have his communicator out checking Squid-Kid’s stats when the message came through. When Techno clicked on the notification, he immediately knew something was wrong. It was two words. And those two words were all it took for a horrible feeling to grow in his stomach. For him to ask himself when he had last spoken to Tommy. For him to realise it had been more than 6 months since he had had a proper conversation with the boy (He was nearly a man now - you just never got to see him grow up). For Techno to decide to make an impromptu trip back home without a second thought, potato war or not. Something was wrong with Tommy, and he was going to find out.
The trip back home was uneventful. Carl galloped over fields and deserts without a protest and only slowed down an hour later {Just pretend Carl’s a superhorse or something and that it should take like five hours lol} when they finally reached the forest outside his childhood home. It was nearing dusk by the time Techno reached the end of the forest path that backed onto their garden. Fireflies flitted above his head as he dismounted Carl and led him through the flowerbeds that had long since become overgrown. Past the oak tree, and he finally caught a glimpse of the wooden cabin he hadn’t seen in nearly a year. {Time skip to when he enters the house cause idk what to write here :) }
When Techno pushed open the door of his childhood home, he was met deathly silence. And that was what scared him the most: Tommy was never silent. He stepped over the threshold.
At first, nothing seemed out of the ordinary, apart from the concerning number of dirty dishes in the sink and the layer of dust that seemed to cover most of the house. That was until Techno reached upstairs. The door to Tommy’s room (which still read ‘KEEP OUT WILBA’ from when he was 12 and in a particularly bad argument with Wilbur) was wide open, and as Techno entered, he was met with the sight of Tommy collapsed in a heap on the floor. Techno immediately rushed forward and manoeuvred Tommy so he was on the bed, his head in Techno’s lap. As he ran his fingers through Tommy’s tangled curls, he felt the boy stir and looked down at him with a worry filled gaze. Tommy would be ok. He had to be.
‘Tech?’ Tommy was confused. He hadn’t expected Techno to see the message, let alone come back and see him.
Oh well, it was too late now - the damage had already been done. It didn’t matter that Techno was a potions wizard, he couldn’t reverse the effects of a powerful poison. Tommy coughed, blood and spittle dribbling onto his chin. It hurt to move. It hurt to breathe. But Techno needed to know...
He felt Techno lean forward so he could hear the words that he choked out.
‘I’m sorry Tech, I love you.’
Tommy had never felt peace like in that moment. Techno’s fingers, scratching his scalp gently with Tommy’s head in his lap. The comforting sounds of his older brother’s steady breathing and gentle rainfall against the windowpane. And in that moment, with the ghost of a smile on his face, Tommy died. And another soul blinked out of existence.
Techno was half expecting Tommy to jump up, out of his arms and yell ‘surprise’ right in his ear. But as he waited, he realised that moment would never come. And for the first time in his life, Techno let himself cry.