Two Days Later. . . 

Tommy walked down familiar stairs, fingers grazing the stone walls as he descended down into the all too familiar ravine. Torches made the area glow, the ravine silent other than Tommy’s paced footsteps and breathing. Tommy looked around, unsure if he was dreaming or if this was real anymore. It all feels all too real to him. “Hello, Tommy.” He looked over, Wilbur staring back at him.

He looked as kind and calm as he did the last time he had seen him, his trenchcoat was dirty and ripped, his yellow sweater the same dull color he remembers it as. Tommy’s expression becomes bright seeing his brother. He ran forwards into the waiting arms, letting them engulf him as he inhaled the familiar smokey scent of his brother. He hugs the other back just as tight. 

“I’ve missed you.” A chuckle as slim fingers carded through his hair. 

“I’ve always been here.” Silence filled the ravine as the brothers hugged, Tommy refusing to let go for a long time before finally parting from the man. The teen looked at Wilbur with puzzled eyes, blue meeting soft brown. “Tommy?”

“Did you know?” Wilbur paused. He looked as if he was trying to decide what the best strategy would be in a moment like this. Tommy warmly smiled,  a sigh leaving his lips. “I won’t be mad. I just wanted to know.” Wilbur chuckled at that, running his fingers through his own wild hair before nodding. 

“Yes, yes I knew. I visited you as much as I could, I tried to force you to wake up a few times too.” Wilbur paused. “I was worried that maybe you wouldn’t wake up, actually.”

“Well, I did.” Tommy quietly said, sitting on a nearby chest. “I wish I hadn’t though.” Wilbur gave a sympathetic smile, himself sitting down next to Tommy. “I wis that it all was real, Wilbur. I wish that I had killed Dream, that I had blown up L’manburg, that you were back and not dead. I wish a lot of what my mind came up with was real, but now…” Before Tommy knew it tears rimmed his eyes, the blond forcing them back. Wilbur side hugged the younger brother, the avian willingly curling into Wilbur’s side. “I wish it would be like that.” 

“It can be.” Tommy looked up at the brunette puzzled. 

“Huh?” 

“It can be like that, like how it was in the dream. You just have to do what you did in reality.” Wilbur’s smile made Tommy almost believe him. “Of course no matter what you do, differences will be there. But you can still blow up L’manburg, you can still get your revenge on Dream, maybe even bring me back…” Wilbur’s eyes looked lost as he said the last part, his smile becoming softer then the huge grin that Tommy knew all too well. “You can make it happen if you put your mind to it.” Tommy was getting ready to pretest, brows creased together and unsure words ready to fly out of his mouth, but Wilbur shushed the other as he began to speak once again. “You can do it, Tommy. You’re the most stubborn, brave, and downright crazy risk-taker that this SMP needs to put it down into its place. You can stop the fighting, you can blow L’manburg to smithereens, you can finally kill Dream and stop this madness, you can bring me back, if you put your mind to it.” Tommy sat up, blue eyes finally letting those held-back tears run down his pale face. Wilbur only kindly smiled, whipping them away before bringing the blond into another tight hug. “You can do a lot more than you think you can, little bird, you just have to stop saying you can’t just because you found out all that was a dream and not something you actually did.” Tommy was crying, holding onto the brown trenchcoat as if his life depended on it. 

“I c-can’t do this without you, Wilbur!” Tommy said, holding back more tears so he wasn’t downright sobbing. “I’m so alone now that you’re gone! I have no one!” Wilbur hugged the other tighter, holding Tommy as if it would be the last time he would ever get to do so. 

“Oh Tommy, you’re never alone. I’m watching over you, Toms, remember? I’ve seen what happened after I died. I’ve tried to guide you, but I’m afraid I’m not the best at this whole dead thing yet.” A chuckle, only Wilbur was laughing. “I see how brave you’ve been, how you’ve tried to still be the hyper-happy child I remember. I see how you fight for what you think is right, and I’m very proud to call you my brother.” Tommy couldn’t hold back the ugly sobs anymore, curling in on himself as his older brother held him. “I’m proud of you, little bird. I’m proud of you for not giving up yet, I’m proud that even after being beaten down so much you still put up a fight when in the face of danger, I’m proud that even now you haven’t lost who you truly are and are still growing into a decent human being even though you’re on a horrid SMP like this one.” Fingers ran through the golden locks that Tommy hadn’t bothered to brush out since he woke up. “Don’t change, stay strong, and look ahead. Look at what you can do to change the SMP for the better, look at the impact you can have on this place, and never forget you’re not alone. Not truly.” Tommy sniffled, blue eyes tired and falling closed. “You still have techno and Phil, you have me, even if you can’t see or hear me, and you have all the support you’ll need from us.” 

“Philza?” Tommy says quietly. 

“Yes, Philza.” A pause. “Trust him, you don’t have to forgive him or be friends with him, but trust him. He’ll be there when the time is needed.” Tommy was silent, a pit of darkness eating away at him. He never wanted to think he’d have to ever depend on Philza being there for him, had hoped he could just ignore the man altogether, but it seemed that just like in his dream he’d have to stick around the old bird a little longer. Before Tommy could speak Wilbur began to talk again, a sad look on his face. “We’ll talk again soon, ok?” Tommy shook his head, holding onto the dead man tighter. 

“No, no I don’t want to wake up yet!” Wilbur only ran his fingers through the teen's hair, a sad and pained look on his face. Even though the avian protested against waking up, like every other time he’d reenter the real world everything faded into darkness.

Tommy opened his eyes slowly, dull blue eyes staring at the wooden ceiling in silence. His hands balled into fists as he sat quietly, tears beginning to crawl down his face after so long just laying down. Why did the world torture him so? Letting him see his dead brother in dreams and force him to wake up? He didn’t even know if it was actually his brother or just his brain making up things again. A small sniffle left him, the boy sitting up and wiping away any evidence of his pathetic crying.

He’d been crying a lot recently, he had to bite that in the ass before it became a problem. Crying was a form of weakness, and weakness wasn’t allowed to be shown in an SMP like this. They’d exploit it, use it to their advantage until you had nothing left to give. It was the sad truth that Tommy learned at a young age, when he still had those stupid discs. 

They controlled him for so long, giving Dream full reign as Tommy was scared he’d never see those circular objects again. He fought for them, let them decide what he did, and how he paved his path. But no more. He couldn’t be so foolish any longer, he couldn’t let others decide his fate, where he ended up, and what he did with his own life. Tommy looked out his window, seeing snow softly falling.

The cabin was peaceful, silent most of the time with just normal conversations and filled with chores that needed to get done. A simple life, one that Tommy was happy with but knew would be interrupted eventually. Well, if I don’t get up and out of this room Technoblade’s gonna come in here and see what I’m doing. Might as well save him the trip. With a sigh Tommy got out of his comfortable bed, making his way towards the bedroom door.      

Later that Day. . . 

Water sloshed around in the kitchen sink as Tommy grabbed a new plate to wash, eyes looking distant as he thought of his dream with Wilbur. How he had told him he could still destroy L’manburg and kill Dream. He had said he could be revived, did that mean Dream actually had a revival book? Tommy was doing a few random chores that Techno had given the other to keep busy, he had already cleaned the bathroom, which was another easy chore the older brother had given him. The teen snapped his head towards the entrance to the kitchen and the cabin’s entrance door opened and closed.

He decided to Ignore it assuming it was Techno coming back inside after taking care of the animals. Just as fast as he had left his thoughts he sunk back into his mind once again, this time letting himself think of the dream that he had sworn was real only days ago. He had thought he died, that Tubbo had apologized for the wrongs he had committed, that they all were real, that L’manburg was gone, blown up by his own doing, that Wilbur… was alive. He had thought all that was real, and now knowing it wasn’t only slowly ate away at the teen. 

He snapped out of it when a hand met his shoulder, eyes shooting towards his side to see a softly smiling Philza there. Guess it wasn’t Techno coming home after all. Tommy frowned, shaking the hand off and continuing to clean the plate he had in his grip. Philza had been watching over Tommy since he woke up. It was only now more annoying as he always forced him out of bed and into the living room or dining room after his last outburst of admitting to the want of joining lady death in limbo.

Now he even tried to strike up conversations more, and he obviously couldn’t get the hint the teen didn’t want to talk. “Hey mate, Techno’s got you doing chores already?” Tommy only shrugs. 

“Says I need something to do, that and I’m pretty much healed up and it shouldn’t mess me up to do some.” Tommy says, his voice cold and daring the other to speak to him again. And dare he did, to Tommy’s irritation. 

“Well, that’s good to hear! We’re running out of food so I was gonna head out and see what I could catch around here, if you’re up to it you could help?” Tommy dropped the plate and washcloth into the soapy water in the sink before facing the blond man. He was angry, his one wing bristling at the other. He wouldn’t be surprised if he hissed at the other again, he couldn’t get the hint that Tommy wanted nothing to do with him. 

“No, I’d rather fucking die than willingly spend any fucking time with you.” Philza’s smile turned into a frown.  

“Wh-” Tommy didn’t want Philza to speak, to try and make him feel back for his words. He didn’t want to talk to the man period, but here he was. Speaking to the very person he wanted to get away from as fast as possible. 

“You don’t get to walk back into my fucking life after not being there for more than ten years. You left me and Wilbur to fend for ourselves, and we both paid for your fucking decision.” Tommy’s one wing flared open, eyes hardening towards the other. “Wilbur didn’t deserve any of that shit, being left behind to take care of a fucking child in your place. He shouldn’t have had to grow up for my sake so we wouldn’t live on the fucking streets. I shouldn’t have had to live knowing that my father wasn’t there and somewhere out in the world, maybe dead, and had left two of his sons for dead, and only taken one along with him. Who, may I add, just happened to be the one he seemed to favor over the other two.” Philza’s face was stone cold, wings still laying flat even though the other avian seemed ready to attack him. 

“I had my reasons to do what I did, Thomas.” Tommy hissed, seeing red the avian finally lunged for the other. Philza was quick to push the other off, trying to hit anywhere but where the teen was already hurt. Tommy’s blue eyes blazed with fury toward his father.   

“There is no reason to abandon your fucking kids!” Tommy jumped forwards again, this time managing to dig his nails into the other avian and draw blood. Philza squawked in surprise, yanking his arm back and giving Tommy an in to tackle the man to the ground. “What was it then? What was the reason huh? What was the stupid fucking reason for abandoning some fucking kids!” Tommy grabbed hold of the man’s collar, blue eyes crazed and angry. Philza’s own eyes blew wide, already trying to shove the younger avian off. Tommy only held onto the other harder, hissing loudly at the other. “Were we both just such disappointments that you wanted nothing to do with us? Did we disappoint you that badly, Philza Minecraft? Were we such horrid kids that you saw us unfit to be raised by you or some shit? WHY!” Tommy Punched the other just as he was thrown off of the older man, who now held his cheek as he stared at the feral teen that was already scrambling back to his feet. 

“It was for Techno, Tommy!” A pause, Tommy’s heaving breath being the only thing that filled the tense air that surrounded them. “It was for Techno.” The man hung his head. “He was out of control, Tommy. He was going to hurt you two if I didn’t get him out of the house. His voices were getting worse, and almost every day he was killing random animals that surrounded the house… the attacks getting more and more violent as the voices did.” His voice began to grow smaller. “He had attacked Wilbur only days before we left, and I didn’t think we’d be gone for so long! I thought, I thought…” Tears landed on the floor below Philza, and Tommy slowly calmed down at that realization. “I didn’t want you two getting hurt, I thought it was for the best at the time. Getting Technoblade away from you two and helping him control his voices where he couldn’t hurt anyone. Iwanted to get him away from you two so he couldn’t hurt you. Now I know I was wrong. I…I should have stayed. Found a better solution… But…” His words halted, neither speaking for a long time. Philza looked up towards the towering figure before him, icy blue eyes only watching the man. “We came back, but when we did you guys were gone. We searched, but we could never figure out where you guys were.” Tommy only stared down at the man, his eyes cold as he took in the information presented to him. Slowly the teen turned back towards the dishes, grabbing the washcloth and a dish to clean. 

“Just go, leave me be.” It was an easy sentence, and lucky for Philza (because at this point Tomy doesn’t know if he could stop himself from trying to actually fucking kill the man at this point) he listened and left. Now sitting in silence Tommy contemplated and try and understand why Philza had left, and the fact that they came back for them. What would Wilbur say if he heard that? Would he forgive them? Would he be even madder at Philza and Technoblade for leaving? Neutral? He wished the man was here with him, but he knew that wasn’t possible in the slightest. His dream could make up a scenario where Wilbur was revived by a mystical book, but it would never truly happen. Dream didn't hold such a power, he just couldn’t. Knowing Dream he'd be flashing the book around, threatening people with it if he did. No matter what the avian wanted to make up, he’d never get to see Wilbur Soot alive again. 

~+~   

Dream sat before the cabinet and president of L’manburg, watching their faces contort and fill with sorrow from the man’s words alone. “What do you mean, Tommy is dead?” Tubbo asked, voice quiet and green eyes glowing with anger. He stood from his chair, the few that sat next to him watching the goat hybrid with their own angry eyes. “You were in charge of him Dream. You said he wouldn’t get hurt, Dream.” 

“I know-” Tubbo slammed a fist down onto the table separating them, Dream’s eyes narrowed at the other, fingers twitching ready to summon a weapon if needed. 

“THEN WHY IS HE DEAD?” A few of the cabin members flinched at the scream, some bowing their heads and wiping away tears. Tubbo looked pained, angry, and confused as he stared at Dream’s mask, tearful green eyes searching for an answer. And an answer Dream gave.

“Technoblade, he came and attacked. I tried to save Tommy, I really did, but there was only so much I could do without putting myself in danger too.” Dream started. The room grew tense at the mention of Technoblade, the anarchist was still something that the country feared would come back and finish off what he started. They called themselves lucky he hadn’t tried to yet, but still worry that one day he’d come back and destroy what they built. “He killed Tommy in front of me, blew up exile, and with it Tommy… I… I couldn’t stop him.” Tubbo slumped back into his seat, holding his head in his hands. “I wasn’t able to find Tommy’s body after he left, I wasn’t able to properly bury him because of Technoblade.” 

“I want him dead.” Tubbo’s cold voice said, all heads turning to the goat hybrid that still sat slumped over. “I want him fucking dead, I don’t care how or when, I WANT HIM DEAD!” Tubbo looked up, sitting up straighter to allow the others in the room to view his face. He had tear’s running down his face, an angry snarl covering his expression, and his eyes glowed a toxic green as if daring the others that surrounded him to try and argue with him. 

“I think this man deserves a public execution, wouldn’t you say?” It was Quackity’s voice, blue eyes dark as he stared at nothing but the wooden table he sat behind. 

“I-I don’t understand though!” Fundy sniffled out, wiping more tears away from his face. It’s no lie that he and Tommy had been close, almost like brothers since they were raised by the same person. Wilbur Soot, Fundy’s father, had been a big role model for both Tommy and Fundy for a long time. It was no surprise that Fundy was practically sobbing after hearing the teen was dead. “Why would he kill Tommy? They were brothers! They were blood!” 

“All the more reason to kill him!” Quackity yelled, glaring at the other male. “He’s willing to do horrid things to get to us! First, it was destroying our country, and now it’s killing one of our own! His own brother! It’s only a matter of time before he does something else, something more drastic.” 

“We need to make a plan of action as soon as possible.” Tubbo announced, the cabin quickly beginning to talk about some sort of execution. Dream smirked under his mask seeing the scene before him, the whole cabinet losing their minds over one death. It was perfect, with Technoblade out of the way it will be easier to get Tommy and finish the job. Though he still had some loose ends to tie up still, he has a feeling everything would go to plan if he played the long game. And the long game he is prepared to play. 

“Well, I’ll be leaving you guys now, I have to get back to my own Country.” Tubo only glared at him, giving a quick nod before facing his cabin members once again. Dream made his way out of the room, a sick smile on his face as he did so. 

~+~

Dream found Ghostbur sitting in a field not too far away from L’manburg. The Ghost seemed to never leave L’manburg unless the ghost had to, something that Dream found curious. He only remembers Ghostbur visiting Tommy, and once Dream told him that Tommy didn’t want to see him anymore he hadn’t left L’manburg since. Friend, Ghostbur’s pet sheep, was grazing close by to where the dead man sat making a flower crown out of random flowers he found in the field.w

He looked calm, like nothing mattered in the world at that very moment. Dream walked up behind the ghost, green eyes staring at the back of the man’s head, an axe in his dominant hand with a book in the other. “It’s a nice day, isn’t it Ghostbur?”

“It’s a very nice day! I don’t remember the last time that the sky was so clear like this.” The Ghost said, still not looking back at the man. 

“Is that for Tommy?”  the cheerful ghost nodded, finally looking back and stopping when he noticed the axe in the blond’s hand. The already dead man paled even more. Ghostbur stood and turned to face the masked man, flower crown forgotten and blue eyes watching the other man. 

“What are you doing, Dream?” Dream began to walk forwards, the ghost backing up just as fast. 

“Tieing up some loose ends.” he raised his axe and at the same time blue eyes widened and tripped on their feet, falling back onto the green grass below him. A screech echoed through the area, and then silence.