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"Stay away from him, Schlatt! Our footsteps can't lead their path."
A small chuckle. A grin. "But they already are."
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"Sally! Stay in that form, don't morph back into a human until it's guaranteed your safe. I will take care of him."
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"Schlatt, this war needs to end with us."
"Oh but the kids are already walking in our wake."
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"We have carved a trail so large, it's only their destiny that the two will follow."
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"Their friendship shouldn't fall apart to end something we started. Their friendship can't end because of ours."
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"Back away from Tubbo, Schlatt. Stay away from both of them."
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"For what, Wilbur? For what reason do you think they want to follow you?"
"Tommy is my brother, leave them alone!"
"But Tubbo isn't. He can follow me, not you. Friendships don't last, Wilbur, we both learned that from what we saw with ours."
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"Let me tell you a story, does that sounds okay, little foxy?"
The scent of cinnamon and fresh baking had filled the air with its lovely aroma. It mixed with the salty hint of an ocean's breeze, an on going reminder of his father's love tucked safely at the bottom of the ocean nearby.
A younger me nodded, intoxicated by the entrancing and soothing voice that only belonged to my father. I was thirteen when I was told, only three years ago.
"There were once two best friends...
A stream could be heard crackling in the distance. The rush of water flowing down a small path as the two boys frolicked through the once-then lush forest. The trees' branches sways quietly, whispering amongst the wisps of wind.
"They were closer than brothers... They did everything together. They were so close...
The same to boys climbed a huge tree, trusting each other the whole way up to get to the top.
"But something came up between them. An interruption you could say. It pushed them apart, like two birds in a nest who must find their own way.
The two boys made their way down the tree, but each took a different side.
"One became corrupt. One went insane.
One of the boys went down a side that had branches curling up, black as the night with leaves so cruelly twisted, it wasn't even beautiful. Not a single speck of color found its way onto that side.
The other boy went down the tree on a side of branches so turned and bent, the leaves had trouble perching. There were splotches of color, but they were hidden in the hectic branches.
"They grew apart further and further. One day, something-someone will settle their ties.
The sides of the tree fought in a ruthless battle as each boy walked away in opposite directions. Their paths equally as dark, leaving a dark tree fighting amongst its own branches.
"But they forget that everyone leaves a legacy, purposely or on accident."
A shadowed man, unknown to all brought an axe down upon the trunk of the tree, and it faded away along with the boys still walking their own ways.
In rapid succession, the sun went round and round over the horizon so many times. To a lack of luck, the stump left from the formerly standing tree grew and grew. It started beautiful, but slowly transformed into a darker way. Yet another two boys climbed the tree. The same way as the last two. The branches slowly darkened, but it stopped there. The growing unfinished and unknown to how it might've ended. The boys still stayed, neither going down and their story untold. Unfinished.
My father then sat still in the rocker, and I watched him form my place on the chair next to him. He stared directly into the fire and his gaze never strayed...
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"Schlatt...
"It's inevitable, but if only it could be put back. They shouldn't have to fall into our ways."
"Wilbur, once upon a time it was you and me against the world. But the world hated us so much, it was so strong, it pushed us apart. The world is not friendly. They can enjoy their peace for now, but they will have the same fate.
"Take away anything and anyone you care about. If you don't, it will get caught in the crossfire. We can afford no mercy. I'll see you in afterlife old friend, we'll be together one day..."
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I stand in horror as I watch Tubbo. "Wha-" I begin, but I'm talked over. I stand somewhat away, also on the wall as we all watch Tubbo and Dream in horror. Tommy never deserved this. They were growing apart, they were going down different paths. They were taking my father's and the former president's path. Please, not again...
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Young. They were so young. Yet...
"Since when have we ever argued like this? Why is our friendship breaking, Wil?"
"Not everything is perfect. Maybe you just don't realize that our views are different on this world."
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"Since when, since when, since when. That's all you ever ask! I might as well be asking you since when did you want to run against me in my own nation to be president?"
"It's no one's nation but the citizens. You weren't rightly elected, but this vote will settle it-"
"And why did you take Tubbo! You shouldn't have done that, you are just trying to drift them apart. I told you to stop, but you just won't listen will you? You need to get away. When I win this vote, I won't banish you, but you better beg to hellfire that you can leave quick enough.
"Don't talk to Tubbo again after this. You'll only break him more."
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He stood at the edge of the overlook, where the podium would stand at announcements. They decor was down, in was a semi-barren area now. How did he lose the election, he'd never know. And the only reason he'd lost it was to Schlatt's hidden ace.
Somewhat heavy footsteps could be heard behind him. He knew who is was. There was no question.
"You won't push me, I know you won't. We should've been standing here together earlier today, ruling together and not one without the other."
He spoke in a soft voice for once. It sounded off in his husky tone, but it was calming for once, "But we aren't in our perfect story book.
"I know what you have planned Wilbur."
He turns to look. "I know what you have planned, and I won't stop you. I don't know what means you'll take to achieve it, but I know.
"You're sick of this. I know you too well, it's driving you insane. You want to go down by destroying what has become of your creation with you. But you want me to go down with you as well. Believe me, I will. But I'll do it on my own account, and you'll be there to watch.
"L'manberg was your symphony, Wil. It was the song you'd play to your kid, is the song you play to your kid, and it's what you'd die listening to as a leader if you could."
Silence. "But it remains unfinished. It was my L'manberg, but it's no longer mine. L'manberg was mine, not this. So it stays as it was, it was my L'manberg, my great and unfinished symphony, but now it stays forever unfinished and into what this is now."
"I know. But at the end of the day, all anyone chooses is war. I would tell you to not let what's going to happen soon break you. You know who I've recruited for this, but you don't know what I gave in return. You'll know one day, and it just might save us both."
He watched as the other walked away from where he stood at the edge of the outlook. He didn't stop him, he didn't respond. He simply watched. They really would go down how they wanted. Together.
Together but apart they would fall. Together for one event's occurrence yet apart on opposing sides.
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Standing in horror, I can't do anything besides watch it all unfold. It's not what we planned, not what we planned. No...
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I sit down with the huff of a sigh. Sharpening stone in one hand, axe in the other, I swipe methodically to shape the blade to perfection. How cruelly ironic that the only way to take down 'The Blade' was by using our own blades.
Maybe it wasn't our best idea, but the pig needed to be punished for his own crimes. For what he'd done.
He wasn't following in my father's footsteps, nor his former friend's. He was following in Dream's footsteps actually it seemed.
He was an anarchist. He was becoming too independent, too unattached. He was too powerful and too feared. He was beginning to play the game as the player and no longer just a neutral playing piece. An enemy, per say. He was becoming too dangerous.