TOMMYINNIT'S POV

Wilbur jerked awake, blinking rapidly and scrambling to his feet. "What's going on?"

Tommy turned to Wilbur. "Tubbo just came and visited; he's our spy now. He actually just left." Tommy smiled slightly, pointing towards the direction Tubbo left. "You fell asleep halfway through, but we let you sleep since you looked like a walking zombie."

Wilbur rubbed his eyes. "Where did Tubbo go?"

Tommy frowned. "Back...? To L'Manberg...?" He replied, the answer coming out more like a question.

"We need to visit Manberg." Wilbur stated hurriedly, stumbling as he tried to gather himself.

Tommy noticed the usage of 'Manberg' instead of 'L'Manberg', and narrowed his eyes slightly. "Why?"

"Just, just trust me." Wilbur hesitated, eyes wild and darting around the place, before relenting the answer. "I want to see my son."

Tommy sighed. "Wilbur, Fundy's changed. They're gonna kill you if they see you."

"But... But Tubbo! He'll protect us."

"No, that's not how it works, Tubbo needs to work undercover, and that means gaining Schlatt's trust. He can't just barge out there and tell everyone to not kill us without a valid reason."

Wilbur pressed his lips into a straight line. "We'll keep hidden, we won't let them see us." His eyes hardened. "Besides, I don't have to ask you for permission. We're going."

Tommy grimaced, then finally agreed to go, only to protect and restrain Wilbur from leaping out there and announcing his presence before getting promptly killed.

Wilbur and Tommy made sure to bring adequate supplies, although they kept their armor off so they could walk quickly and stealthily without the armor banging around, weighing them down, and making noise. Tommy made sure to bring a bit of food and weapons to use just in case. Finally, as the sun began to rise, they advanced quietly towards Manberg, approaching from the Dream SMP side of the nation. In the distance, they could just barely hear whoops and cries, and Tommy could've sworn he smelled a bit of smoke. The pair exchanged worried and confused glances, and moved towards the commotion.

As they moved closer, Tommy started to see the flag of L'Manberg come into sight, the brighter colors of the flag standing out against the still dark morning sky. Coming closer, he could make out the faint outlines of a person standing on an elevated platform near the flag, who seemed to be bending over to speak to someone on the ground. Even closer, Tommy could make out the slender outline of Fundy. Wilbur seemed to shake slightly beside him, and Tommy put a hand on Wilbur's shoulder.

They hid behind a bush, still able to see Fundy and the rest of the crowd, individual faces which Tommy could now recognize and separate, but still hidden so the citizens of Manberg could not see them. The person on the ground Fundy had been speaking to fiddled with something, and then suddenly a flame roared up. The person on the ground, who Tommy guessed to be Tubbo, the thought of which made Tommy slightly nauseous, passed the roaring fire, which Tommy could now make out was on a stick, up to Fundy, who straightened up slowly.

Tommy's heart dropped into his stomach as soon as he realized what they were going to do.

Please no. Please no. Please-

Fundy stood up straight, puffing out his chest and staring down at the crowd. He raised the torch seemingly in a toast.

"To Manberg!" Fundy roared over the crowd. Wilbur whimpered.

Tommy watched, horrified, but still unable to tear his eyes away, as Fundy lowered the torch to the corner of the flag, and then it just barely touched...

The fire was small at first, merely tickling the flag as it stood strong, flying in the still dark sky. But then it spread, increasing in speed as it progressively ate up the flag, the flag that once represented a place of peace, prosperity, and freedom. Wilbur buried his head in the collar of his uniform, unable to watch, but Tommy's eyes seemed stuck to the flag as it was slowly, achingly slowly consumed by the fire. The flames danced across vibrant colors and the stripes and the crosses, seeming to tease everyone with it's turtle pace. Tommy's breath caught in his throat, and he suddenly felt like he was choking. His eyes widened as the flames finally ate away the last shreds of the original cloth that Tommy and Wilbur and Tubbo and Fundy had once waved in happiness, as a celebration of their newly found freedom.

Now, it existed only in the ashes that drifted slowly over the crowd. Fundy leaped down to the ground with a victory yell and splashed down into a pool of water.

Wilbur let out a wail, but it was drowned out by the equal cheers and boos of the crowd. Schlatt stepped forwards, his outline illuminated by the now rising sun, giving him a sort of halo. He spoke some words that Tommy couldn't quite catch, and his eyes seemed to lock with Tommy's as an evil smirk spread across his face.

Yet Schlatt said nothing. Tommy, feeling a sense of unease enter his veins, tugged on Wilbur's arm. Wilbur was crouched, hunched and despondent and he rocked back and forth in shock. Somehow, Tommy managed to tug Wilbur up, and they sped-walked away, turning their backs to the now burnt flag, which was beginning to be replaced already. The sun was now rising, it's brilliant colors streaking the sky. But the brightness of the sun could not wipe away the image of their flag, in flames, lit by the founder's son himself, which seemed to be permanently burnt into his eyeballs.

So they fled. They fled from Manberg, the place they once called their home, all thoughts of visiting Fundy gone.

That night, when Tommy went back and cleared any evidence of their presence earlier, he couldn't help to remember Wilbur's shaken, broken stance, and he felt a pang of worry.

How are we going to win back a broken country if Wilbur's already so broken?