Chapter 17: Chapter 16
"I wonder whose blood that is." I murmur to myself, looking down at my white pants in my hands. I had changed out of my L'Manburg uniform and into a brown trench coat over dark clothes. And as I look down at my old clothes, nostalgia overtakes me.
A certain mud stain that never came out of my jacket reminds me of stomping around in the mud after washing Fungi with Niki and Fundy. Or a green tinge in the red sash that sat on my hips from running from Dream in the war and skidding on grass. Or the blood on my old pants, from someone suffering under my care.
I wanted to be back in my L'Manburg, my unfinished symphony.
I fold the clothes in a neat pile and lower them into a chest to be a memento, a part of history. But I keep my golden ring on my finger, from after we won the war. It was a little too close to my heart to stow away.
We have a door at the entrance of the cave now, covered in leaves for camouflage. The cave got cramped quickly and the limited space resulted in more fights between Tommy and me. So, Tommy had done one of the two things he was best at, he dug a hole down and kept the spare cobblestone for an assertive tower later on. The other thing he's good at is starting wars.
I had helped him with his downwards spiral staircase, putting up braces and supports so the ground wouldn't disappear underneath our feet. But one day the very thing I was afraid of happening, happened. I had been building further up the staircase and heard a high-pitched scream. I ran down, being as cautious as I could in my panicked state and found a Tommy Innit, on his back on the floor of an underground ravine right under the staircase.
"This is amazing!" I had exclaimed, this was the perfect secret base! I climbed down haphazardly and helped Tommy back up. He hadn't broken anything but if the ravine were a little deeper, I quite possibly could have been mourning a death. We crafted a staircase going into the wall of the ravine to get back up to the cave and I immediately started the 'beautification' process of the ravine.
I walk down the staircase, adjusting my beanie as I go. It had been a while since I'd had my 'signature' beanie on, I'd been wearing my L'Manburg hat for a long time. I reach the bottom of the spiral staircase and climb down the stairs carved into the wall. Looking around at the ravine I'm relieved to see that it looks a little less messy than when we found it. I've gone around, in the huge amount of free time I've had, and filled in holes and blocked of water sources and things like that to make it more like a home.
Tommy sits on the floor a way down the ravine, back in his red and white shirt and light brown cargo pants. He's staring into a furnace, orange light illuminating his features. The fire glimmers in his lidded eyes and for once the young man looks deep in thought.
I tip toe over to him, trying not to disturb his pondering, and sit near him on a ledge.
"Hey Will," Tommy says, looking over at me with watery eyes.
"Hey," I get up, reaching for him, "Are you ok? Are you crying?"
"What?" He shouts, wiping his eyes furiously, "No! My eyes are just watering from the heat! I don't cry, I'm a big man, you know!"
He swats my comforting gestures away and I grin at him.
"You are a big man. Much bigger than the child I asked to start of nation with me." I sigh, all my conversations end back at my L'Manburg.
"I- We've changed a lot." Tommy agrees, nodding sombrely. I take a seat next to him and lean forward, elbows on my knees.
"Yep, and we're still going." I say, now staring into the furnace myself. A piece of coal crumbles from heat, glowing bright white at its centre, "I'll be a very different man by the end of this."
A thoughtful silence fills the space between us and together we listen to the meat being cooked sizzle in the furnace. The aroma drifts towards me, making me acutely aware of my empty stomach. I open my mouth, about to ask if Tommy was going to eat all of the food when a noise draws our attention.
I look up at the stairs and my heart skips a beat as I realise that the noise is footsteps. Tommy stands up, hand on his swords hilt. Black shoes appear, followed by fancy black pants, a suit jacket and lastly a kind face. I relax and stand up as Tommy jogs up to greet Tubbo with a bone-breaking hug.
"Hi guys!" Tubbo calls as he walks down the last few steps, only to get bombarded by an antsy blonde.
"Tubbo! You're here!" Tommy cried, grabbing the young man by the shoulders, and practically yelling in his face. Tubbo looks over the moon, a grin splitting his face from ear to ear. "I can't believe you're here! Welcome to Pogtopia!" The name came from a mix of Mantopia, an original option instead of L'Manburg and POG, our political party.
We had asked Tubbo months ago to be our man on the inside. Schlatt had announced over the SMP wide broadcasting system a week after he was elected that L'Manburg was to be renamed Manburg, so that his people would take no more 'L's. Tommy and I were, and still are, furious that Schlatt had the audacity to change something so significant so we snuck into L'Manburg and talked to Tubbo.
I made it over to the two best friends and shook Tubbo's hand, grinning at the young man.
"I'm glad you could finally make it!" I said, "You look awful, by the way." Tubbo looks offended so I motion to his clothes. It's a suit, in the exact same fashion as Schlatt's.
"Yeah," He says sadly, spreading out his arms, almost in an effort to get away from the jacket. "Schlatt makes me wear it."
I smile sadly and Tommy gags, acting as if he is about the throw up. Tubbo laughs, but over his tinkling laughter I hear a familiar sound. I put a hand over Tubbo's mouth, and we all hear the wooden door above us, our front door, slam shut.
"Who-" Tommy begins.
"Were you followed?" I hiss at Tubbo. He shakes his head viciously. In the silence our breathing seems to shake the walls. It was imperative that we aren't caught and Tubbo not be caught with us, the consequences could be dire. Footsteps thump upstairs and a pair of thick, black boots appear at the top of the stairs.
Another step down reveals a red cape with fluffy white edging. It's a royal cape, so for a second I'm scared that Eret has found us and I was not trusting that man, not again. The person kept walking down, slowly as if they had nowhere important to be. The walk looks familiar and as I see their hands entrusted with gold and jewels a wave of familiarity hits me.
I slowly take my hand from Tubbo's face, looking at Tommy. Then look up to meet a pair of eyes looking through a boar skull mask.
"Techno?" I exclaim, surprise knocking the wind out of me. I grin like an idiot, it's really good to see him. Tommy whispers to me,
"Techno? Like Technoblade?" I nod slowly, not taking my eyes off the figure who is now almost down the stairs.
"Hello, brother." He drawls, grinning at me under the skull. I grasp his forearm and he grabs mine in a handshake. To touch my brother again feels odd and comforting.
"Brother!?" Tommy cries, not understanding what's going on at all.
"Twin, to be specific." I say, going to ruffle Techno's hair as he cleans his crown. He dodges me and puts his crown back on, removing his mask. He looks Tommy up and down then Tubbo.
Techno doesn't say much, but he didn't need to. His presence filled the room. I could see Tommy being nearly overwhelmed. I had grown up with this and living with a boy turned man who wanted it all is, in fact, overwhelming.
"Huh, blonde." Techno rumbles, squinting at Tommy. "You remind me of someone." Tommy squints back at him, they're about the same height but Techno, admittedly looks more intimidating.
"So, Techno," I say, interrupting the staring contest, "It's been years, where have you been?"
Techno looks up at me with no expression,
"Oh, you know," Techno deadpans, and I know what he's about to say, "Dropkicking orphans, conquering nations, the usual."
He hasn't changed since we were kids. I grin and slap his back and lead him over to the furnaces.
"Welcome to Pogtopia" I showcase the ravine, arm around the smaller man. "You hungry?"
"Why are you even here?" Tommy shrills at our backs. Techno turns his head towards me and smirks.
"I'm here to help."
And my heart drops slightly. When Techno marches in, claiming he wants something for everyone to share, it wasn't my L'Manburg. It was anarchy.
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