#tea au

Image: a silver coloured spoon resting on loose coffee-beans; the inscription on the spoon states: Mom I love you A Latte.

There was too much going on right now but too little at the same time. Tommy’s stomach ached from hunger, his throat was raw from yelling for his brothers in vain and tears stained his cheeks below puffy eyes. Even his muscles were screaming as he couldn’t do much more then slouch, the box too narrow to sit in but too small for him to stand straight. But at the same, there was nothing. The obsidian blocked all light and almost all sound except for that fucking egg. He had no way of tracking the time outside, no way of keeping entertained, no way of escaping his thoughts but sleep. He tried humming Mellohi or Cat to keep him focused only to realize, to his horror, he was loosing their melodies. 

He tried focusing on the good in his life, tried to remember what he was fighting for in the first place, but each time it would be shot down by something. Sitting on his bench with Tubbo was overshadowed by the knowledge that he didn’t have that anymore. Happy memories of Wilbur raising him were soured when he remembered why Wilbur had to in the first place. The sense of pride he felt when he looked back on L’Manburg’s independence was drowned out by the feelings of betrayal, of an arrow through his chest, of why he hated small dark rooms in the first place. 

Tommy

The teen froze, barely breathing. The egg had talked to him before but it had been garbled nonsense. it had never made sense, why was it making sense?

“S-Shut up...” His voice came out ragged, scraping out of his tired throat.

Tommy, It’s going to be fine. I’m here for you, you’ll be safe with me. 

“You’re trying to-”

Protect you. I’m trying to protect you, little one. 

Tommy flinched at that. “I’m not a weak child.”

I never said you were. You are, without a doubt, one of the strongest fighters that has been brought before me. A mighty warrior indeed. Your family must be proud.

For one of the first times in his life, Tommy couldn’t find the words to respond. Wilbur...Wilbur was proud, he said he was. Wilbur defiantly was. The traitorous part of his mind whispered that Wilbur wasn’t a fighter, Wilbur didn’t understand.

Your silence is enough. Though it saddens me to see why you are so experienced. As brave as you are, no one deserves what you’ve been through. I’m sorry for my followers actions towards you, I do not have as much control as I’d like over them. 

“Schlatt said you talked to him.”

JSchlatt says many things. We both know he likes to sell lies and deceit. I am not a being of empty promises, Tommy. I can offer you the security you crave, the stability you long for. I can even promise that I won’t hurt your family. 

“You...you won’t? Not even Tubbo?” 

Especially not Tubbo. They will be safe from me, you have my word. I just want one thing in return. 

“You want me.” Tommy says quietly to himself. If the egg could laugh, it probably would have 

Clever boy. 

Tommy bites his lip, thinking it over. Him for his friends and family sounded fair. After all, they hadn’t come for him, had they? So they could fight this thing without him. They didn’t need him but he needed them. 

“Fine.” He could practically hear the metaphorical smile in the egg’s mental voice. His eyelids felt heavy and, god, he felt so tired. He was so tired of fighting...

Sleep, little soldier. You’re safe now. 

“So you’ve come into the lion’s den, huh?” Wilbur whipped around to notice Schlatt, hands behind his back with Punz and Quackity by his side, weapons drawn. “No armor to protect you, no potions or apples to regen, no pearls to escape…” His lips turned up into a smirk. “What exactly do you think you’re doing, Wilbur?”

“Shut up, Schlatt. I’m here to see Tommy.” Wilbur threw over his shoulder. Wilbur could hear Schlatt’s chilling laugh echo throughout the cave walls. He jumped down as he walked beside him, waving Punz and Quackity away with a flick of his hand. “Tommy, huh? This’ll be too good to miss.”

Wilbur knew, logically, that there was no way to tell if it could work - from what he’d heard, talking with him in this state did little to help, even angered him more. But that doesn’t mean Wilbur wasn’t willing to try. He’d try anything, do anything for him. Despite what Technoblade and Fundy insisted he wouldn’t give up on him when the kid stood by him and helped him during the darkest days of his entire life. Wilbur loved Tommy and cared for him so much, nothing, absolutely nothing could stand in the way between them that Wilbur wouldn’t conquer, wouldn’t cheat and bribe and fight his way through inch by inch.

Tommy, the kid whose laugh and smile could light up an entire room. Tommy, who stole the most random objects from everyone just because he could. Tommy, who was so loyal and always ready for a fight. Tommy, who loved his friends and family and most of all, L’manburg.

As Wilbur slowly approached closer to the Egg, he knew immediately that this wasn’t his Tommy. His eyes were angered, pained, the mischievous spark that would always land him in trouble completely gone. His hair was oddly neat and combed instead of his messy blonde mop, his green bandana that hung around his neck gone. The black gloves Wilbur gave him so long ago to stop the teen from building calluses with how tightly he gripped his sword disappeared. Even the scratches and scars that adorned his face were gone, the stories and funny memories and battles all lost with an instant health potion. A dark cloak with crimson red stitches around the edges, a white T-Shirt with jeans tainted red. Tommy’s eyes glowed a deep crimson red that sent silent threats over toward Wilbur as he slowly moved closer.

The one thing that was so wrong about Tommy that bothered Wilbur the most - his mouth always set in a thin line. Wilbur can’t remember the last time he saw Tommy smile since he was taken. Wilbur missed seeing Tommy smile and laugh and throw curse words back and forth while he tried to act so much older and puff his chest out with overconfidence. Tommy’s voice was slightly angered. “Don’t take another step.”

“Tommy, it’s me. It’s Wilbur. Your brother.”

“I don’t have a brother,” Tommy said, sword still up and ready for battle.

“I’m your family.”

“Manburg is my family now.” Tommy insisted, pointing his sword threateningly at Wilbur. “And you’re nothing more than a traitor.”

“No, Tommy, please-” Wilbur said, holding up his hands in a sort of surrender as he stepped closer, only for Tommy to charge and quickly strike his side. Wilbur’s breath hitched in pain as he doubled over, catching himself before he fell. “I won’t fight you.”

“Then you’re weak.” Tommy spat like venom. Tommy quickly moved toward the side for another strike, and Wilbur’s pain whimpers echoed throughout the cavern. “A ruler who’s too much of a pussy to strike a blow against the enemy. Someone who always cared more about the country than the people in it.” He growled, and Wilbur’s heart sank.

“I get it, Tommy. You’re mad.” Wilbur said through pained breaths. “I made some really stupid mistakes, I know I fucked up.” A few tears trickled down Wilbur’s cheeks. “I messed up and you didn’t deserve that and I’m sorry, I’m so so sorry. But I love you so much, Tommy, I love you too much to leave you, not like this.”

Tommy hesitated for a moment at Wilbur’s words, the red in his eyes fading for a second before they became darker. “I’ll kill you…” Tears of emotion spilled down Tommy’s cheeks. “I’ll fucking kill you!” He leaped toward Wilbur as Wilbur just closed his eyes, bracing for impact. But it never came. He opened his eyes to find Ranboo and Tubbo pinning Tommy’s arms to the ground as he kicked and struggled, eyes filled with rage as tears streamed down his cheeks. “Let go of me, let me kill him! He deserves to die!”

Fundy was at Wilbur’s side, letting Wilbur lean on him for support. “Dad, we need to get out of here. Come on.”

Wilbur’s body struggled to stand, his legs getting weaker. He looked over to Tommy, yelling, almost screaming with tears streaming down his cheeks. The sight utterly broke Wilbur’s heart. Right at that moment, Wilbur knew what Tommy needed more than anything. “No. Guys, let him go.”

“Wilbur, no. Are you crazy?!” Tubbo shouted, panicked.

“Please, Tubbo.”

Fundy looked over at him in concern, and Wilbur rubbed his thumb over his son’s paw in a bit of comfort. “He just needs to smile.” He said, moving slowly, pushing through the pain to move toward Tommy. Tubbo and Ranboo eventually lost their grip as Tommy picked up his abandoned sword, rushing towards Wilbur, tears in his eyes. “I hate you!” He yelled, his sword spearing through Wilbur’s chest. Wilbur wrapped his arms around Tommy, pulling him into a hug that Tommy quickly tried to get away from, struggling against Wilbur’s grip. “I hate you, I hate you, I…” Tommy couldn’t seem to find the words anymore as he sobbed. Wilbur just pulled him closer, ignoring the pain.

“You… you just need to smile.” Wilbur managed, his hands finding themselves in Tommy’s hair as Wilbur clung to him and held him closely. Tommy’s sword dropped to the floor with a clang as Wilbur rubbed his back in comfort. “It’s okay, Tommy. It’s okay, shhh…”

For a few moments, all that could be heard was sobbing and Wilbur’s loving reassurances. Then, Wilbur heard Tommy’s voice, raw and hurt and scared, oh so scared. “W-Wilbur…?”

“Tommy...” Wilbur said in relief, his eyes welling up with tears. He felt his body go limp as his adrenaline wore off, his world fading to black as he fell backward, Tommy struggling to catch Wilbur as he fell to the floor. A pool of blood was beginning to form as Tommy looked down to notice the multiple deep stab wounds and cuts littering Wilbur’s chest, wounds he made, hurt he caused.

Tommy looked down at the scene, at what he’d done, and screamed Wilbur’s name, dropping to his knees, his body shaking, tears running down his cheeks. Shit... shit shit shit, what have I done?! Fundy quickly moved to his side, shouting orders as Ranboo searched his inventory for potions and Tubbo ripped off bits of his coat to make some makeshift bandages. He looked so pale, he wasn’t moving. No, nononononono NO-!

Suddenly, a glitched voice cut through his thoughts as he backed up, beginning to panic until his back hit the Egg, and a familiar static began to fill his head that sent chills down his spine.

Fundy was cornered, and he hated it. He always hated being trapped and cornered, even before his first and cramped death by betrayal. Maybe that's why he was so on board with the first plans that Schlatt made, tearing down the walls and burning the flag (Niki and Eret were so upset, and maybe he was upset too, at his nation, at his founders, at his fath-). And maybe he just wanted to free himself, from the burdens and meanings of being a founder of this mess of a country.

But, oh, how things have changed and changed so quickly. Fundy was just trying to find where Tubbo had gone (probably to Pogtopia to rely things in his obvious mole bit, it was both infuriating and a relief for him since it was so obvious to make him want to growl and it takes the light off him for his work), asking around a bit, his first tip away of something else from normal is happening was the reaction of Quackity, at first something akin to fury flashed briefly, but it was enough to make the fur in his nape stand up, and then a conspiratory smile settled and something dark glinted in his eyes.

Fundy thought that they finally found out Tubbo was a mole, and now he wished that that happened instead of followed.

Quackity was the one leading him to it, Fundy was half listening and half worrying about the sudden change of energy, both in the vice-president and in the air of the tunnel they were entering, it was vaguely familiar in one time he and Bad were exploring under the SMP lands, but they never have gone this deep, and he knew modified natural structures when he saw it. But he keep going, replying to the one sided conversation Quackity was going on about power and sides and how could they help and better L’m- Manburg from whatever Wilbur first envisioned (Fundy thought they would, the new flag and taken down of suffocating walls were signs of change, but now he questioned what he was messing with). Then he saw the first vine, it looked so alive in a wrong way only the nether could feel that he stepped back, now Fundy was fully listening to Quackity gushing about how pretty it was and how well it was growing, and of course the fox questioned whatever this was, but no answer was given, just a simple but chilling “let’s keep going”, Fundy still could not muster how his normally funny and comedian friend could sound so malevolent and malicious, and the same glint was in his eyes, and even in the dark place the fox could make something red in then, so different than the normal dark brown almost black colour.

When they arrived at the end of the stairs, Fundy didn't even knew where to look in the underground room, it was crowded by the same vinas, but it was different too, they were on the floor, walls and he could barely see some dangling from the ceiling, they looked tougher than the ones by the entrance. He wasn’t going to admit, but the room unnerved him to his core, and its resemblance to the hellish neighbor dimension was the worse, there they meet up with Schlatt, his eyes definitely red and looking like he was drunken, but no bottle was in line of sight, so he could only guess. 

Again he was turning out on the conversation besides him, suffering from the suddenly pressure in his head and the familiar energy that he wouldn't know from where he encountered before, but both hands on his shoulders were enough to grab his attention, a grouchy Schlatt and a eager Quackity greeted him, but even the brand different expressions carried something so akin that it crawled behind his skin. Finally it dawned for Fundy the situation and the things they were saying, about expreding “the egg” and making it Manburg’s brand and making everybody like it so they were the one in power and with that Manburg would prosper, and even though all the signs that would not be a good thing, Fundy asked one more time about Tubbo.

The noticeable sourness in both faces and even hatred was enough to Fundy, enough to backtrack and start inventing things, about he was just preoccupied about this and if he wouldn’t come around the plan. The mirroed grims were when his panic really settled in, and it was increase when he heard about locking people down there, soon anything was spilling from his mouth to get away from there, and for the looks of both mans was telling that they knew too, Schlatt still dispensed him and Quackity still bit his farewell to him as he was again in the tunnel, this time alone, but Fundy would not be convinced that it was really true until he was in his tower looking at the sky.

Fundy knew he had to tell the others, knew he had to get Tubbo and skedaddle away from Manburg, but just for a moment between him and the star above, he wandered when this became something other than the political battle that L’manburg always tried to be, where in the first war with the first betrayal? When Schlatt was first of the rails and scripts? When the “blood god” entered this realm? Or just everything went downhill so fast just discovering this unnatural entity?

Well… if this is becoming just a magical war world like many others, what even is a use of a political spy keeping a little diary with every document he can? What is the use of the things he made?

The fox isn’t sure, but it's certain that he will soon face it all and more, but like many other nights, he’s alone with just the night sky, many thoughts and worries into his head and no song to fall asleep to.

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Part Two

Inspired by The Egg Administration au from @dreamsmp-au-ideas