Chapter 16: Chapter 15
As I read the slip of paper something inside me snaps.
"Now, coming in fourth, with six votes is the COCONUT Party!" Niki and Fundy smile and wave politely and then go down to the audience.
"And coming in first by one singular point is the POG Party," I say, wishing I could leave it at that. I hear Tommy and some L'Manburgians cheer, but they're drowned out by my voice through the microphone. "But, because of a previously established plan the combined points of the SWAG and SCHLATT party add up to 10 votes, beating POG by 2."
I looked around at the faces of the Dream SMP.
"Meaning that Schlatt and Quackity are president and vice-president of L'Manburg."
Faces in the audience rush up to meet me and I feel dizzy. Schlatt cackles deafeningly,
"Mr. J Schlatt, please give your inauguration speech." I said deadpan, the soul had been ripped from me. I start to walk off the stage, to sit in the seats dedicated for citizens, some of which are happy and some very, very sad.
"What? Wilbur, are you sure –" Tommy stammers, waving his hands around frantically.
"Tommy," Schlatt turns from the mic stand, speaking in a low tone and slowly. "Get off my stage."
Tommy stares at the man with wide eyes and looks at me for reassurance. I nod and continue to walk until I reach one of the seats in the back row. Tommy follows slowly, eyes to the ground.
"Well, that was pretty easy." Schlatt drawls into the mic. He looks bored yet clear-minded, not the senile old man he was just the other day. "You know, when I was let back into the Dream SMP I said, 'things are going to change'. I looked every citizen of L'Manburg in the eyes and assured you all that starting with my inauguration things would be a lot different tomorrow."
A fire rumbled in me, that should be me, an actual L'Manburgian who fought for this nation, not a man who conned his way into power.
"And to start the ball rolling I would like to give my first decree, as the president of L'Manburg." Schlatt booms, rocking me to my core. "My first decree is to REVOKE THE CITIZENSHIP OF WILBUR SOOT AND TOMMY INNIT."
Cheers of excitement, as well as screams of panic roar in my ears, but I subconsciously focus in on one thing,
"Wilbur?" Tommy's voice echoes into my head, voice high and wobbling. "Wilbur, what do we do?" I looked at him, not processing anything new except for the fact that we had just been exiled.
"GET OUT OF HERE! YOU'RE NOT WELCOME ANYMORE!" Schlatt's voice pops the bubble of shock and everything comes rushing in at once. Niki's crying out for me, Quackity is laughing manically and I look over at a man with a crown on in the distance. Eret stands there, stone-faced and for a split second I wonder who I hate more, Schlatt or Eret.
"Tommy! Run!" I shake my head and scramble out of my seat as George loads an arrow into his bow and lets it fly. It grazes my leg, stinging and Tommy cries out to me. As we run, me shouting at Tommy and sprinting away from the only home I know Schlatt speaks.
"Wilbur Soot and Tommy Innit are but a mere memory, a reminder of a dark past." Schlatt says lowly, "Now Tubbo? Is Tubbo here? Get up here, Tubbo! Come here, my Secretary of State!"
"Wait me?" Tubbo asks timidly.
"Well, I'm not going to fire you! You're Tubbo" Schlatt booms with unusual kindness. And as I turn around, I see Tubbo up on stage with Schlatt, shaking hands. "My right hand man."
And I continue to run into a forest nearby, dragging a shocked Tommy behind me.
~~~~~
"Why wouldn't Tubbo come with us…" Tommy whimpers, as he had a million times on this trip. We are deep in a forest, next to a mound of a hill that had a rudimentary hole in the side. We were banished from the Dream SMP and we were banished from L'Manburg, so we need somewhere to emancipate.
"I," I murmur, "I don't know, Tommy."
Tommy goes and sits cross-legged in the hole and sighs,
"We've been reduced to nothing." Tommy says, looking up at me. I'm surprised to see anger in the eyes of the worn-out young man. "All because YOU wanted to call a vote, to show YOUR power! And now look at us!"
"Quackity joined the ballot and ruined it…" I say lamely. I look at Tommy and clamber down next to him.
"We've lost everyone." He whispers, "Tubbo, Niki, your son." I lean my head against the dirt wall, looking up and away from my dirty L'Manburg uniform. I open my mouth to comfort Tommy somehow when a three-note set of dings cuts me off.
"Is it- ok go," Dreams familiar voice floats on the wind. I flinch and start to get up, afraid that someone's close.
"Ok, Hello citizens of L'Manburg, and others I suppose, this is a nation-wide broadcast from your president. I've been thinking and for my next decree I'm going to tear down the walls." I gasp and immediately bolt out of the cave, towards L'Manburg. As I continue the run, leaving Tommy behind, I listen to the rest of Schlatt's broadcast, that I can't seem to escape.
"Every citizen of L'Manburg is required to aid the DESTRUCTION of the ugly walls. Thank you."
He ends the broadcast kindly and abruptly and the silence is a weight on me, I almost don't want to see L'Manburg when I get there.
As I clamber over yet another hill I freeze at the summit. I look down on tall black walls that are too familiar to me and see it slowly being eaten away, as if by ants. I look closer at the hideous sight and see a pastel L'Manburg uniform with a pickaxe, hacking away at the wall.
My own son is tearing down the walls.
I collapse onto my hands and knees, digging my fingers into the ground until they ache.
The walls I built to keep him safe.
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