The sun rose over Helenguard, just as it had done the previous morning, but Tommy had been up long since the sun had. He would never admit it to anyone but after Tubbo had left his room late the previous night, Tommy had barely been able to fall into even the lightest and most uncomfortable snoozes. He guessed it was the mix of anticipation and dread that was building up in his stomach and throat like vile.

So, Tommy just waited. He waited until the hazy sunlight started filtering through his balcony doors and he could hear the songbirds start their melodic tunes and until he heard steps, familiar ones that no doubt belonged to Tubbo, though he didn't even miss a beat as he passed by Tommy's door, then Tommy decided it was a decent enough time for his to be awake.

And so Tommy began his daily routine, which admittedly was made much easier by the implementation of running water as amused to stagnant pond water. Tommy has come upon the belief that if he ever has to bathe himself in stagnant pond water again-- actually he doesn't know what he'll do, but he definitely won't like it.

Tommy ran his head under the faucet in his bathroom and scrubbed his scalp and hair, like Kristin had done when he had first arrived in their palace, until he deemed himself fit, then when he pulled his head out from the sink he shook his hair out like a dog. Now, Kristin wouldn't let him do that, but he might as well hold onto the freedom while it lasted. Plus it wasn't like Kristin washed his hair nowadays anyways, he could dry his hair however he pleased.

After he managed to sling water across the entirety of his bathroom, oops, he went ahead and thoroughly washed his face before walking back into his room to grab what he had been taught to wear under the heavy armor that he knew would accompany him throughout the day, so that he would be more agile and less sweaty by the end of the day.

By the time Tommy had wiggled his way into the easier bits of his armor and laced his boots up tight, making sure to knot them well so they wouldn't come loose in the heat of battle- that would be embarrassing. Dying because your shoes are untied? Sad. Anyways, by the time he had finished all he could on his own, sunlight had started to stream in onto the floor and refracted all throughout the room as it bounced off of mirrors and crystalline decorations alike. Tommy really didn't want to leave his room, it was safe and warm and there were no dead bodies littering the floor, but alas, he would be a coward to run now.

As so, Tommy turned towards his door and slung it open with pride, but let out a sudden- and definitely manly- yelp as a mindless, human servant stood at the door with a hot pot of tea and tea set carefully sat across a tray in her hands. For a moment, all Tommy could do was stare at her, as deep as he could into her almost lifeless eyes. It was like looking into a shallow pool, a puddle even, there was nothing there for him to grab onto. She just stared with an eerily pleasant smile at him.

Tommy didn't understand why any lord in the fae world keeps humans as their handmaids and servants, but it especially sat wrong with Tommy in this case, how could the good captain, a mortal himself, do that to one just like him? It made Tommy sick, but still, he politely took the tray out of the woman's hands and gave her a little wave as she mechanically walked off, same expression stuck to her face.

Tommy looked down at his reflection in the poured cup of dark tea. It wasn't like hers, was it? He was capable of thoughts and capable of making his own moves and he guessed, capable of philosophizing the morality of it all. She could not. None of them could. Tommy had long ago sworn to himself that when his day came, he would help as many as he could, if they could be helped that is.

Tommy shook his head to clear the thoughts and picked up the fine porcelain he had been given and shot down the cup in one quick gulp. It was a little cup anyways, Tommy always thought that little cups like that were stupid.

He felt bad about leaving the rest of the tea in the pot, but he figured he would come back to it in the evening, then he could finish it. Tommy had nothing against cold tea, was just cool, nothing horrendous. Just in case someone came through to clean out his room though, Tommy put it underneath his bed so that no one would take it.

After getting up from putting the pot and tea set under his bed frame, Tommy rushed out unto the winding corridors, off to find Techno or Phil or anyone, just so they knew that he's around and that he was ready- or he would be ready once one of them helped him with the rest of his armor.

But instead, the first person Tommy ran into was Tubbo, which was of course a welcome surprise. Tommy had finally followed the right corridors, or at least one that led into a room Tommy recognized, where Tubbo stood around, pacing from one end of a fireplace to the other, then back and forth again.

"Hey Big Man, you alright?" Tommy asked, looking around the room, which was probably a study of some sort if he had the guess, and picking up a sweet-looking apple out of a basket. He tossed it between his hands easily as he turned his attention back to Tubbo, waiting on his answer.

And Tubbo of course nodded, though Tommy could see that something was eating him up. And it was probably the same feelings that were eating Tommy up inside as well. "Well, I can tell something is up, spill what's on your mind Tubso," Tommy pushed.

Tubbo sighed and flopped down onto the little couch that was sat neatly in front of the fireplace, scooting it down the sleek marble floors a few inches. "I dunno man, guess I'm just nervous," Tubbo admitted.

Tommy nodded and scooted around to sit beside his friend on the couch, staring into the cold soot and char that sat in the fireplace. "Yeah, I know how you're feeling," He nodded solemnly, "But it'll be fine, I'm sure of it- Like, I don't know, give me something good you know. Some good news."

Tubbo sat up, "Uhh, well, Jordan offered me a spot in his council once this is all over with, like it's nothing too grand but-"

"OH MY GOD!" Tommy exclaimed, cutting Tubbo off abruptly, looking over at his friend with such excitement and enthusiasm that it made Tubbo smile. "Tubbo, that's insane! That's crazy! How did you manage that?"

Tubbo laughed, "Well after we split up last night, I made a quick detour and ended up speaking to him for a while, then this morning- actually right before I came into here, he told me about it."

"I can't believe your brooding and sulking after news like that Tubbo!" Tommy told him, yanking his friend off the couch and pulling him into a tight hug. Tommy knew that Tubbo had, for a long time, looked up the Jordan and had even sent letters to the man, Tommy of course assumed that he was much too busy to read them, let alone write back, but maybe he was wrong.

"I know, I know," Tubbo said, pulling away from Tommy's embrace and rubbing the back of his neck. "But you know, we've still got a war to win before now and then."

"Guess I'll just have to make sure you get out of it alive," Tommy said.

"I'm pretty sure we would be reversing roles there," Tubbo reminded him.

"Oh yeah, yeah. I forgot, you, the one who couldn't hit a target if it was two feet in front of you are to protect me, the battle-ready and glorious son of the high fae king-"

Tommy will admit, Tubbo packs a mean gut punch when he wants to. They didn't mention it to anyone though as Tommy chased his friend down the halls in search of revenge.

--

Tommy was in fact, not battle-ready anyways. He knows that now; Jordan, the same Jordan who had given his best friend a spot on his court, the same Jordan who gave them a splendid ball and wonderful lodging, the same Jordan who had been someone Tommy to look up to all of his life, someone like him, that same Jordan had just attempted to kill Tommy's own father and now was leading an army of undead against them.

No, Tommy didn't like this at all.

In a moment, Tommy was being dragged up the side of the valley by Tubbo and Bad. He hadn't been listening to what whoever was giving commands was saying so he idly followed those who drug him up the slope, only slowing down to lay eyes on his brothers and father, who were splitting up amongst themselves as well.

As they tumbled over the lip of the hill, the king's army- the king's old army? Tommy was still shell-shocked by it all and he couldn't make the words make sense in his mind, but whoever they were, they didn't kill them on sight, so they were the good guys, Tommy evaluated.

It didn't take much to get the army on their feet, they just had to explain to them that their beloved king was actually an incredibly evil and cruel tyrant who wanted to be the cause of their entire realm's downfall, which does sound pretty suspicious and like you're trying to get them to betray their leader, but a great point to rival that would be the army of the dead that their old king was wielding. Ah yes, what a normal day.

Well, back off to battle.

--

Tommy honestly couldn't believe what he was watching! The fighting had been grizzly and tiresome and Tommy wasn't sure if he even saw an end in sight-- Until he saw Phil, his Phil! His dad! Soaring up into the sky with his hands full with the familiar glint of potion glasses.

He and Tubbo finally got a moment of peace, they had slowly been pushed further and further away from everyone else and now they were far enough away that the bodies didn't seem to be in range to reanimate, so it was just he and Tubbo and a ring of corpses. The perfect place to watch what was about to unfold.

He pointed it out to Tubbo, getting right up beside his best friend and making him follow his arm out to where his finger was pointing towards the sky-bound king, just in time too! He dropped the shining bottles onto the raging army as well, Tommy assumed it was where Jordan was with how dense the crowd was.

Tommy took a few exited skips closer, he had his sword and shield still held tightly in his hands just in case any of the bodies below him had the wrong idea. Tommy crept down the hill as the potions hit, fire!

They were Sapnap's fire potions! Tommy couldn't help but laugh as they landed. The fire must catch on the tall grass cause the whole area got caught up in a blaze, then another, then another.

Tommy knew Tubbo was behind him, he went to turn around to see what his friend thought of it but-

But something was wrong.

Something seriously wrong. It felt like one of those potions had hit Tommy. Hot, searing pain roared through his chest, then his entire being, the pain took so much out of him he couldn't even scream.

Tommy felt his strength and adrenaline pour out of him with the blood he felt gushing down his body under his chestplate, he fell to his knees as he looked down.

It was a sword. Lodged through his chest. It looked like a sword of one of the undead soldiers- but they were all down, right? Oh Gods where was Tubbo-

The sword slid out of his chest. It pulled Tommy with it and now he was looking up towards the ultramarine sky, but his vision was almost gone.

The last thing he saw before the last of his life flooded out into the floor was Tubbo. Tubbo standing above him, a bloody sword over his shoulder, and a job completed.