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Tommy stood looking over the edge of the tiny obsidian platform dangling dangerously over the bubbling lava pit below, Tubbo resting a hand on his shoulder. One of them was going to die. One of them was going to stay here and die, and the other would go free and live, if only for a few days longer; Dream and Punz were going to kill everyone. And Tommy knew they were capable of it, too; the men had practically become gods. If one of them died, the other would just bring them back, like a hydra sprouting two more heads where one was cut down. No matter who died, no matter who sacrificed themself for who, Tommy and Tubbo had lost. They had lost the second they went in to challenge Dream, the second they had trusted Punz and followed him down that tunnel, the second they had been cornered on that tower.
He turned his eyes to the pressure plate sitting just above the lava. They had said that when one of them jumped down there, a hole would open up elsewhere in the pit, and the other would jump down and survive. The one on the pressure plate, however… they would die and be trapped here in this hell, in this nightmare with two sadistic gods with power over life and death, people who had become monsters, monsters with far too much power.
“Tubbo, if what he says is true, then… no matter what happens, everyone on this server is about to die.” Tommy’s voice was low, defeated, as he slowly turned to look at Tubbo, his vision blurred by tears.
“I don’t think I could bear witness to that, I-”
“It’s gotta be me, look at me-”
“NO! No, no, no!” Tubbo shouted, looking at Tommy and squeezing his shoulder. “You look at me. I promised you I’d follow you to the ends of the earth, and everyone’s earth ends at a different time-”
“And mine has ended before. Listen, I’ve gone through Limbo. I know what it’s like, I know I can- I-” Tommy hesitated for a moment, remembering the horrible, agonizing pain of his Limbo, the void tearing him apart for all of eternity. “I- I know I can be there.”
Tubbo was looking at the pressure plate now, jumping away to the other side of the platform with a gasp. “Wait, Tommy, the food! The food- we can-”
“I- I threw the food in the lava, remember?”
“You- what? Why?”
“I wanted to- wait, hold on, stand back.” Tommy joined him in looking down at the pressure plate, an idea forming in his mind. Wooden pressure plate. Items can activate it.
The discs. I still have the discs.
“Oh no. Oh no, I- I know.”
“You know what? Talk to me, Tommy, because I don’t know- I’m not understanding you right now.”
“Tubbo, Dream- Dream thinks that Wilbur burned the discs.” Tommy pulled Cat and Mellohi from his inventory, holding them up for Tubbo to see. “I’ve had them the whole time. I said- I said I’d never put the discs before you again.” He took a deep breath, turning back to the pressure plate. “That’s- fuck, that’s a really hard shot- listen, Tubbo. Stand back. I’m going to throw these on the pressure plate. The second the hole opens up, jump down it. Don’t wait for me.”
Tubbo stood back, watching Tommy nervously. Tommy held Mellohi first, lining up his throw. This was it. Whether he missed or not, the discs would be gone; he wouldn’t be able to get them back, even if they both landed on the plate.
He threw the disc, sending it flying down towards the plate, into the lava pit.
It missed. Tommy stared, watching as the plastic burned and melted, smoke briefly drifting up through the air as the disc dissolved into nothing. His heart stopped. He only had one more shot, one more chance, or else… or else one of them was dying.
He looked at Cat for a moment, staring at the disc, memories flashing through his head. These discs were more than just discs. They weren’t just pieces of plastic; they represented everything. They represented wars, victories, losses; they represented pain, exile, survival and recovery; they represented Tommy, in a way, and everything that had happened to him in the past two years. And now he was about to just… throw it away. He already lost one of his discs, and now… now he would give up the other, for freedom, to save him and Tubbo. Or, well, at least Tubbo; Tommy wasn’t entirely sure he was going to be jumping down that pit with him, even if he landed this shot.
Tommy’s hands shook, and he threw Cat, sending it flying, sailing down, down, down… right into the lava. The lava hissed and bubbled as the disc caught on fire, the plastic melting and dissolving just like Tommy’s hope.
“Where did it go? Did- you didn’t miss both of them, did you?”
Tommy slowly turned back to Tubbo, a tear rolling down his face as he gave his friend a sad, broken smile. Tubbo’s face turned to one of hopelessness as he stared at Tommy. “I- I did, Tubbo. They’re- they’re gone. We’re gonna have to- I’m going to jump down there, and you-”
“No, no, Tommy, I’ll- let me do it!”
“No, Tubbo. Listen, you’ve- you’ve done enough for me. And I’m the reason we’re in this mess. I’m the one who dragged you along with me to fight Dream. I’m the one who’s always been reckless, who’s always caused problems. You- you deserve to go out there and live your life, Tubbo.”
“But so do you!” Tubbo cried, walking back over to Tommy. “Listen, I’ve- I’ve fucked up too, alright? I sent you to exile, I banished you, I-”
“I was the reason you had to exile me.”
“No- that doesn’t matter, Tommy! You don’t deserve to die- you say I should go out there and live, but- but so should you! Come on, Tommy, don’t do it. Let- let me do it, and you go out there, and fix your hotel- go find Sam Nook! Go- just go live! You have so much left to do, Tommy, you’re only 18-”
“Tubbo.” Tommy wrapped his arms around Tubbo, his best friend, pulling him into a hug as he broke down into sobs. “Tubbo, listen. Thank you- thank you for being my friend. And I’m sorry I pulled you into this mess, and I’m sorry for everything that’s happened. Go out there, go run far, far away from here, alright? Go find Sam Nook- round up everyone in the server, and take them all far away from here, and- go somewhere Dream and Punz can’t find and kill you guys, go somewhere no one has ever gone before, and go start a nation. Call it Tommyberg, in my name. Go live your life, Tubbo.”
Tubbo sobbed, crying into Tommy’s shoulder. “Please- don’t go, Tommy. Don’t- just let me do it. I don’t want you to die.”
Tommy patted him on the back, pulling away and smiling at Tubbo even as rivers of tears fell down his face. “It’s my time to die, Tubbo. Go.” He pushed Tubbo back towards the opposite side of the platform, still smiling sadly at him.
“But- what am I without you?” Tubbo asked through sobs, staring at Tommy and reaching his hand out.
“Yourself.” Tommy replied. “Goodbye, Tubbo. Go live your life. Gather up everyone and get the hell out of here. Make a nation and live in peace, be happy, do everything- do everything I never got to do for me, alright? And before you go, take that flag in L’manberg’s crater and put it up high, right on the obsidian grid, and let it fly in the wind, alright? And- don’t forget me, Tubbo. You’ll always be my best friend.”
He turned back towards the lava, taking a shaky breath, and jumped, hearing Tubbo scream and call after him. The pressure plate clicked below him as he landed, wincing as pain shot up his legs. “Run, Tubbo!” Tommy yelled up at the platform, watching the lava descend.
He saw Tubbo fall down the opposite side of the pit, into the hole that had opened up just as Dream had said, and then lifted his head back up to the falling lava. A sense of peace washed over him as he watched the burning liquid slowly fall.
So, this is how it ends, Tommy thought, sobbing. Two years of pain, of constant fighting, and this is it. I lost. But at least it’s over now. At least I don’t have to fight anymore.
He knew Dream would probably revive him soon; he knew the man didn’t want Tommy to stay dead forever. But there was nothing he could do to stop him, and if Tubbo did what Tommy told him to and ran away with everyone, then… then no one would be able to save him, either. This was it, a life of pain and torture, a neverending cycle. He would be immortal now alongside Dream and Punz, whether he wanted to or not.
This was the end. He had lost.
The lava hissed as it fell over his head. There was a minute of blinding, searing pain as his flesh and bones burned and melted away, and then there was nothing. Then it was over, just like that.