Chapter Text
"What now Tommy? l'manburg is gone, Ghostbur wants to come back (to life) and Dream has fled" Tubbo says.
"What we do now is get our discs back"
"How would we do that, Dream has them and Dream is gone" Tubbo says with a low voice, as if he was unsure about saying anything.
"Yes I know that Tubbo, it's what started all this in the first place, our home is gone.”
"Everyone is gone… They have all left us- they all left L'manburg" Tubbo says in disperse.
Tommy puts his arm around Tubbo and pulls him closer to him, "Well that's ok, because all we need right now is each other, and for as long as we have that... we will be ok." Tommy says and then gives Tubbo a soft smile, with hope in his eyes.
Tubbo looks up at Tommy and smiles, just knowing that he had his best friend back made him happy. Tommy gets up and takes out the disc from his jukebox and places it back in his Enderchest. As Tommy puts it back in his chest he sees the disc Techno gave him “wait” , his stomach filled with butterflies.
“I still have this?” Tommy says to himself.
Tommy gets up and walks towards Tubbo. "I have to go do something, I'll be back soon" Tommy says to Tubbo. "Okay, be safe, please"
Tommy looks back at Tubbo and smiles softly "I'll try"
With a straight face Tommy walks away, Tubbo watches him and his shadow slowly fades away out of render distance. As he walks away down the prime path; which like Tommy and Tubbo, has been there since the very beginning. Tommy walks down with his heart racing out of his chest frantically knowing that what he is about to do is very risky. He walks into the nether portal and walks out to the other side.
He breathes in the smells of lava, ashes and fresh soot. He starts to walk down the obby path he had made himself when he was sent into-... exile. Tommy tried to push all thoughts of exile out of his mind, but the sound of lava around him wasn't helping at all. As he walked down the path he felt as if the sound of the lava was getting closer to him; but how? He was way above it, he starts to tremble a bit as he can feel his arms move up on instinct to cover his ears and block out the sound. It helps him a bit and he walks the rest of the way, down the path.
Sweat dripped down his face as he reached the end of the path, and, Tommy, is stood staring at the portal that will take him to the overworld-
But most importantly to the place that he had once called... "Home” Tommy says, allowed. He wasn't sure if he was ready for this. Tommy stood still just staring at the portal, as if time had stopped. The way it shimmered and the way the purple swirls still glowed so bright in such a dull environment. It made Tommy wonder.
“How do you manage to stay so bright..” Tommy says in a whisper as he reaches out to the portal, the purple reflecting in his still somewhat grey eyes. Tommy snaps back to reality and proceeds to ( try) brush the little bits of soot that had landed on his blue long sleeved fleece that Ranboo had given him while in exile. Tommy was determined not to wear it in exile no matter how cold it would get as the season started to change to winter. Sure, it was a beach but it would still get relatively cold because of the tundra biome next to his exile base. Tommy didn't want to seem weak. But was that the real reason why you didn't wear it? Tommy shook his head as an attempt to stop his thoughts, but they were right as always. It's because you knew Dream would question where you got it, you knew dream would burn it. You would have felt bad if Dream had destroyed it, pity gift or not, it was from Ranboo, the only person who attempted to visit him.
Without noticing, Tommy's hand was clutching onto the blue fleece, it was soft, it was like it was hugging him. Tommy struggled with the sense of warmth ever since exile.
Tommy clenched his fist and walked into the portal. No matter how many times he walked into a portal, he would never be used to the nauseous feeling it would give him. Tommy popped out on the other side and was greeted by the smell of fresh untouched snow. He opens his eyes and looks around knowing that he couldn't turn back now.
He takes a deep breath and starts to walk, the sound of crunching snow beneath Tommy’s feet fills the empty silence. Faster and faster his heart races as he Inches closer and closer and closer to the house he once called "home"... The one that had once kept him safe from Dream when he had finally come to his senses about what Dream was doing to him. The one that had welcomed him with warmth when he was on the brink of death from the injuries he had sustained from Dream. The name still sent shivers down his spine, as if his name was killing him without him even being there. Technos house finally comes into view. He looks, and stares at it for a minute knowing this could go one of two ways.
"Good or bad" he says. “Eh, i'll take my chances” he tries to sound sure. He wasn't.
As he is about to turn the corner to the stairs that would lead him to the front door, a netherite sword comes out of nowhere and pins him to the wall with the sword aimed at his neck. In shock Tommy puts his hands up and drops his Enderchest. Had I been carrying that in my hand the whole time?? What the fuck- The sound of him breathing uncontrollably filled the empty air. He was so anxious, Tommy stood in pure silence in fear of losing his last and only life. It was like this for a good minute or two till finally; Techno spoke up.
"What are you doing here Tommy, you're not welcome here with us."
Us? Just then Tommy hears two more voices in the distance coming closer. He is thinking, Techno, even though he can't see Tommy’s face knows he is trying to process whose voice he just heard.
"Hey Techno, we just finished the outline of the new dog kennel, Ranboo wants to know if you got any extra glowstone-"
Philza stops talking as if he just saw a ghost. But he didn't, Tommy said in his head, ``He paused because he saw me pinned to a wall with a sword to my neck…
No-
That's not it, he is not in shock because he saw the sword, he's in shock because he saw ME! Tommy tells himself. He could feel his heart drop, what a precarious situation to be in. Tommy looks down and away in shame, he can see his Enderchest staring right back at him. Glowing with purpose… Like a grey cloud carrying a strong storm; silence set in. Tommy could feel all the mixed emotions filling the air around them. But not just from Phli because Tommy saw him as a father figure, no, from Ranboo too, the Enderman that hated eye contact was staring right at him. Tommy could feel Ranboo’s eyes looking him over and tracing his back, but it wasn't in a harsh way at all.
Tommy was still looking down at his glowing Enderchest, he felt too ashamed to look up. He wanted to hide and for Ranboo and Phil to stop looking at him. Tommy, calm down. He didn't know how but Techno could tell that he was uncomfortable about the situation:
“What's going on Techno, why is he here, of all people” Phil said.
“Nothing really, I seem to have an uninvited visitor” These words spooked Tommy to the core, it sounded as if Techno was planning on killing him. Tommy wouldn't be surprised if he did honestly. “You guys can check my chests, I might have some glowstone, not sure” He looked down at Tommy with concern.
“Tommy you need to breath, i’m not going to hurt you or anything, sheesh”
Tommy didn't even notice that he wasn't breathing but as soon as techno brought it up he could feel himself getting light headed, he took a deep breath and cold air sharply filled his lungs. It quickly turned into a coughing fit. This was painful for him, breathing was never the same after exile with Dream. He hasn't told anyone but Techno about it, but even then Tommy never told him the whole truth because of the fear that Dream would kill him for it.
“Sorry” Tommy said after finally catching his breath, he was rubbing his throat, he could still feel the scar after all this time. He didn't notice that Techno’s sword had left his neck. Good . He slid down the wall against the house and sat down, knees to his chest.
“Well?” Techno said, sounding very impatient and unhappy. He already knew this thought, in exile he would have read Dream's mood by only his small actions, Dream was so confusing to read. Tommy never dared to test the waters though, Tommy learned quickly not to question anything because that would lead to a “lesson”... And those weren't fun at all. They would always end with Tommy on the ground holding back screams of pain and agony while blood dripped from the really small cut’s scattered across his body that Dream would put in him with his fire aspect sword. God how Tommy hated that sword. But what Tommy hated most of all is how quickly he would bend to Dream. “I’m uh… here to return something, that belongs to you” Then Tommy quickly remembered something else ; “Two things actually” “or was it three?” Tommy thought aloud.
“Tommy” Techno said unimpressed on how bad Tommy was at remembering things, but Techno was slightly amused by this as he did say Tommys name with a smirk in his voice. Tommy laughed a bit at it too, this made him happy. Yeah… this was nice, to laugh with his brother.
“Let me cut to the chase, because I know you don't want me around here much longer. I've come to-'' Tommy picks up the Enderchest and places to the right of him, Techno moves his sword in caution. “Relax Tech, its not a bomb” Tommy tells his with a weak laugh, He pulls out two items and places it into his inventory carefully. “Wait” and “The Axe of Peace''. Tommy stands up facing Technos direction, he looks up at him but only just at his snout, Tommy doesn't have the confidence to look him in the eyes, not yet at least.
“- I've come to say-” Why is this so hard? Why am I afraid? “I've come to apologise!” Tommy blurts out, not meaning to shout.
Techno is taken a-back but this, he is shocked “I’m sorry, for everything, I really am, you have been nothing but kind and welcoming to me ever since we met. And I'm sorry for not choosing your side, but even if we went back in time and I had the chance to re-choose, I still couldn't have taken your side Techno. Even if I really wanted to, which I did.”
Tommy took a deep breath and continued what he was saying.
“L’ Manberg was my home, on which me and Wilbur built, just me and Wilbur. And that place, L’ Manberg, was the only thing I had left of him, he put so much hard work into it and so did I. I lost two of my lives for that place and for me to turn my back on it when it needed me most…” “I couldn't do that…” Tommy was crying and he didn't even notice, shit when did I start crying?? Tommy quickly wiped his eyes off.
“And even then I couldn't team with Dream, because-” Tommy scoffed “Well he’s Dream, he’s just a dick all-round yeah know?.” That got a smirk and a light smile out of Techno. Before he could do anything, he was being hugged. It was so warm, and…- welcoming… It was nothing like when Dream hugged him in exile, no not all. Tommy leaned into it and hugged Techno back.
“That's understandable, but I did what I had to do yesterday, that is something I won't apologise for Tommy”
Tommy let go of Techno and nodded, he knew, L’ Manberg wasn't the same place as it used to be. When it was just Wilbur, Tubbo, Eret, Niki, Fundy and him, it was nice. Yesterday's
L’ Manberg was run by people who only wanted power .
“Oh right! I also have this for you-” Techno tilted his head to the side a bit in question. Tommy pulls out “Wait” and “ The Axe of Peace” from his inventory, Techno is surprised by this, but not in a bad way. “I believe this belongs to you” Tommy held both items out in front of him and Techno, the axe had a beautiful purple glow due to its enchantments. Techno took the axe out of Tommys hand and looked at it.
“I thought it had been destroyed while we were-” “Blowing up your government” Techno said
“Yeah well it took me a quick minute to find after all that fighting and stuff haha, you know with the amount of piled up rocks and debris”
Techno ran his hooved hand along the groves of the axe and smiled before handing it back to Tommy; “Keep it, I still believe you earned it Tommy” He stood in shock, that meant a lot to him. “And now for that disc” Techno took “Wait” out of Tommy’s right hand and presided to walk up the steps that lead to his front door.
Techno looked back at Tommy “Well come on, don't just stand there Tommy, its freezing cold out here and your not even wearing a proper jacket”
“You want me to go into your house with you??”
Techno only glared at him with the side of eye. “Ok, ok, i'm coming in, no need to look intense big man” Tommy followed him up the stairs, but before they got to open the door they could hear Ranboo and Phil scrambling from behind it. Both Tommy and Techno looked at each other with a confused look. Then Techno opens the door to find Ranboo and Phil trying their best to look busy.
“You were listening weren't you” Techno says with a straight face, no emotion at all how the hell does he do that .
“Maybe.” Ranboo says. Tommy could tell he was lying because he was holding a grass block just out of view. He was stressed, he was definitely listening to our conversation. Techno continued to walk into the house as if nothing even happened, Tommy followed behind very closely; “Did you find the glowstone you needed?”
“Hm? Oh yes! We did, I've got that and now that we do, I think it will be best that we carry on our way right Ranboo? Phild said in a sort of panic, of course he would panic, he was just caught eavesdropping .
“Right…” Tommy had a bit of a disappointed look on his face, but he was still smiling. As soon as both Ranboo and Phil left the house Techno and Tommy broke out laughing. Doing this sent Tommy into an unintentional coughing fit, with Techno rubbing his back as an attempt to help Tommy even out his breathing. It was simple times like this Tommy would cherish forever.
“What should I name it?
“Pardon?” Tommy looked over at Techno and to his surprise Techno had the disc on an anvil with a carving tool in hand. Tommy felt a warm sensation in his stomach, butterflies were forming. “Im uh, not quite sure”
…
“What does it remind you of then?”
Tommy had to think about that for a second, “It reminds me of comfort and warmth in a cold place”
…
“I'll call it ‘Warmth in Cold’ then”
Tommy was astonished, “I really like the sound of that” he smiled. He could hear the sound of the tool chipping the name into the disc, and before he knew it, Techno was done. He handed the disc to Tommy, all he could do was smile, he was so happy.
“Thank you, Techno” “I really mean it.”
“Don't mention it Tommy, you earned it.”
Tommy opened the door and headed outside to his Enderchest, down the steps as he almost tripped because he was still staring at the disc that was now carved with the name ‘Warmth in Cold’. He caught himself luckily before proporaly falling. But just as he did, he caught a glimpse of what he thought was a lime green hoodie from along the side of the forest… His heart skipped a beat as he shook his head and looked again at the same spot;
Gone…