"When I was a child, I didn't hear a single word you said.

The things I was afraid of, they were all confined beneath my bed.

But the years have been long and you have taught me well to hide away

The things that I believed in, you've taught me well to call them escapes.

I know who you are now, I know who you are. I know who you are now.

There before the threshold I saw a brighter world beyond myself,

And in my hour of weakness you were there to see my courage fail.

For the years have been long and you have taught me well to sit and wait,

Planning without acting, steadily becoming what I hate.

I know who you are now, I know who you are. I know who you are now.

I have always known you, you have always been there in my mind

But now I understand you and will not be part of your design.

I know who I am now, and all that you've made me.

I know who you are now, and I name you my enemy.

I know who I am now, I know who I want to be.

I want to be more than this devil inside of me."

Twelve days and eleven nights is how long Phil'za, the high king of the fae world, the most powerful man in their plane, stood with his dead child in his arms. Not even the mosses and fungus dared to touch the young corpse. Tommy laid in his fathers' arms, cold and dead, for eleven days. And with each passing day he looked the exact same. Vultures never took to the sky, bugs never crawled into his hair, nothing. There was a perfect serenity and quiet around him and his father and all the rest who stood vigil with him.

Technoblade, the most violent and bloodthirsty warrior the plane had seen in millennia, kneeled beside his brother and father's side for the entirety of the eleven days, never moving an inch except to clear the weepiness from his own eyes.

And Wilbur, who had only ever known the boy for three long weeks of travel, stood with them too. He was one of them now. He had eaten with them, sung with them, marched with them, fought for them, and now grieved with them too. For the loss of his young brother.

And Tubbo, who had been there since before the beginning. Tubbo who wore a red bandanna around his neck that matched Tommy's green one; gifts from Kristen way back at home, still eagerly awaiting her son's return. The gifts however could only keep the kids safe from the outside world, not from one another. Because known only to Tubbo and the gods above, it was he who felled Tommy, not the reanimated corpse's sword that he had used and blamed. But still, he sat in the grass weeping.

And that was the end of the journey. They had accomplished what they had set out to do, they had banished the evil once again as all good heroes do, but at a cost that they would only ever say in private. That the cost was not worth the reward.

On the fifth day of vigil, the fifth sunrise after Tommy's last, groups started to break off. The armies went home to their intact families in their intact homes, others started counting their losses, and members of the once good king Jordan's court scrambled to find someone to fill the now empty throne.

The rest of their party, their family, all those who had truly felt the loss of the young mortal prince stayed for some time after that, but by the eleventh day, it was just the four. Phil'za, high king. Techno, the great warrior. Wilbur, the poet, and Tubbo, three men's pity and one dead boy's pain.

When Phil'za finally let his son's corpse slip out of his arms and stood up, the world stood quiet beside him. His sons, none in blood but all in heart raised their eyes to him, kneeling below him watched as he rose and stretched his wings out, they waited for his command.

"It's time we go home."

--

It was found in his will that Jordan had wished for someone in the party to become king if he died. This seemed cruel and unusual but alas, Tubbo rose to the challenge. He and Tommy had admired the king for so long, he didn't want the king's kingdom to fall into disarray, or at least that's what he told Phil. And so he stayed. One traitor king for another.

And as for the rest, their venture home was quiet. There was no laughing and singing and skipping along and racing, just a steady and quiet pace home. They retraced their steps back to the port town and they were put onto their ship, but even as they sailed it was just the wind whooshing above them and the boards creaking below them. There were quiet conversations around dinner, but there was so much somber and stiffness amongst them it was hard to make a sound.

When they arrived at the ports in Minioplax, their party shrunk once again. It had been discussed through the thin walls of the ship and over the otherwise silence, everyone knew it would happen.

Techno made his decision with little hesitation. He had found a way to reunite with his blood brother, and after the death of one, the only person who Techno said would make him feel some semblance of whole again would be Simon. They had a lot to catch up on anyways, and it would give Techno some time away to figure out where to go from here. He had two paths ahead of him and they all knew he couldn't follow both as wholly as he wished he could.

Dream, Sapnap, George all also decided that Minioplax would be their final stop with their crew. They had found a new purpose with the party, they had finally gotten them out of the ports and away from their ship, and now was no time to stop. Bad agreed with them and decided he would join them too.

Big Q made the decision to travel on his own back to the tavern, maybe he'd stick around Miniplax for a while too to stay closer to his friends as well.

Skeppy had a hard decision in front of him, but Techno swore that since they were only a woodland nap away from one another, he should follow Bad and the rest, so that is what he did.

Phil and Wilbur had yet another teary goodbye, but Techno swore that he would send as many letters and visit when he found he could, and then there were two.

–

Phil'za, the high king, and Wilbur, the poet. They rode back through the snaking trails and leaped over logs and splashed through rivers. It was silent for the first night or so, but neither of them particularly enjoyed the silence. They were alone now, they had lost all the relationships they had built in a matter of days, but at least they had each other. That was something.

And Kristen, poor Kristen.

Phil had sent a crow back home before they departed from their final battlefield, he had a strong relationship with the avians of the continent and he knew the letter would arrive home before they would, Phil didn't think he could be the one to tell her.

She was waiting for them. Phil'Za and Wilbur stumbled into the spring palace, guards and servants rushed all around them, relieving their bags and supplies off of them and whatnot, but they all scattered as Kristen descended from the raised platform where the throne sat.

Black void had consumed her figure. A black lace fell from her head and all the way back behind her. It was mourning attire. Yet even still, she kept her head up and stared directly at her husband, who seemed to barely be able to meet her eyes, glossy and red.

But he swept forward and embraced her, for he didn't know what else to do. How can you apologize for killing their child, he did not know. So, instead he relished in the fact that she was still here and breathing and warm, and that he was too.

When Phil finally released his grasp around his wife, she looked back around them and with the flick of her hand, dismissed the court. Kristen looked back down at Philza, then to Wilbur, then back to Phil.

"We have much to discuss," She stated with a brave face, and turned. The sweeping of her trail swooshed through the room and Philza and Wilbur followed.

–

And now thousands of years have passed, and now Tubbo is lying on his deathbed. He served as a valiant king century and century, and eventually his son took over and he became somewhat of a recluse.

Of course, some rumors spiraled around during his rule. They accused him of murdering the fae prince Tommy'Za, who is considered a demi-god of sorts. No one is truly sure if the prince ever existed as all those who remember his ventures are either dead or are unreachable to the average man, but they joyously retell his tale now as the hero who cut down armies with a stick and led his party without fear.

Of course, Tubbo laughed whenever he heard any of this, it was all false! Of course! That was not who Tommy was, and when Tubbo turns away from the crowds he grimaces.

But none of that matters now, as he is dying. High king Phil'za is here by his bed, carefully stroking Tubbo's aged and wrinkled hands. Of course, he has barely aged a day in the thousands of years Tubbo has ruled, but Tubbo does not resent him for it. He doesn't know how Phil has the will to stay around as long as he has. At some point, boredom sets in for good, yet Phil still springs around and enjoys life, that is what Tubbo resents him for.

But he is in no place to say anything like that. He is dying.

Deo returned to Tubbo soon after he had taken his spot on the throne. Deo figured out what truly happened however, he knew that he and his brothers were not what the prophecy were talking about of course when it happened, but when Deo had learned of the details... well Deo is not a dull man.

Deo returned to Tubbo's side, but as an advisor. He was able to get himself such a position through blackmail of course. Deo didn't forgive Tubbo, but he would take his opportunities as they came.

Tubbo didn't mind his return either. Even if they never spoke of it, the fact that someone knew what he had done, yet would never tell tickled Tubbo. No one was a saint in a world like this.

And that makes two immortals watching Tubbo's silent demise. Tubbo never heard much from Jack or Eret, sure he would see the three brothers chatting and meandering, but it was only ever once in a blue moon and they steered way clear of the king. It was clear to him what they all thought of him.

As for the rest, they were mostly dead now. None of the rest of them were gods of course, so why should they get to? Dream had gone missing centuries ago, and as such Sapnap, George, Bad, and Skeppy all faded into almost-obscurity except for of course their party adventure and a few local tales.

Tubbo figured Big Q was still out there somewhere, he was of course not a living being; maybe he had a soul but it would never be able to ascend past his false skin.

Wilbur, though taken under the wings of gods, never was able to obtain such a rank. He became much closer to Phil and Kristen over time and was just as much of their son and Techno and Tommy ever were, but alas, a mortal.

And Techno, Techno had outlived his brother and watched as his entire line dried out. It was just him now, he was getting older but he is still yet to die. He guides Hypixel and Minioplax now and they were the first cities that had opened the world gates. He never really left his cities much now.

So, Tubbo, Phil'za, and Deo sit in silence in a high tower in the pale castle.

"Do you regret it?" Deo asked, breaking the stillness. Tubbo could see that Phil gave him a confused look

Tubbo knew exactly what he was talking about, but something bad within him wanted it to be said to him one more time, "What."

Deo stayed silent and glared at him. But when he realized that Tubbo barely had enough breath in him to breathe, much less speak further, he fell into the question.

"Do you regret killing Tommy?"

Phil'za yanked his hand back from where it was resting with Tubbo's. It saddened Tubbo because it was comforting to have someone there, but alas, he deserved it he guessed.

"What?" Phil hissed, glaring back at Deo.

If Tubbo could laugh he would have, but alas, the world was fading and getting quiet around him.

Do you know the worst part about killing someone whose time was not up yet? When you were close enough to make an impact on their life?

They haunt you. Literally. For thousands of years, Tubbo had spent every single day in paranoia. In the darkness of his vision, when he closed his eyes, and when he first opened them in the mornings. When Deo came in and knew the truth, when Tubbo was officially crowned, when his son was born. Tubbo could feel his old friend around him, watching him.

They hated each other for centuries, but at some point Tommy gave up. And it reminded Tubbo that they really were friends. Best friend, he might say. And Tubbo would never have a friend like Tommy again, so eventually, they were back to the casualties of accompanyship.

They were both petty then, and Tubbo still was now. That was why Tommy was still here, the only face he could still clearly see. He didn't say anything, he didn't do too much of that anymore, Tubbo guessed he had run out of things to say.

But now nothing mattered, all are equal in death as they say. Tubbo wondered if he never told Deo that he was sorry because he didn't want his last friend to go, or if he really was just never sorry.

Their attention was back at Tubbo, Deo must have explained what he knew because Phil was looking at him differently than he was originally.

"Well, Tubbo? Do you?"

And for the first time, Tubbo wasn't sure.

–

The End.

You don't have to forgive everyone who asks.

Unless you killed your best friend, in which you probably should.

If you have any questions, please drop them! I'll probably do a FaQ/QnA if I get enough. Otherwise, thank you all for reading. I hope you enjoyed. -Achillies