Wilbur, you had ONE job
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In which you eavesdrop for the hundredth time in this
story, and it nearly becomes the death of Wilbur
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-tickyicky on twitter

The following nights you woke up several times, heart pandering and your body soaked in cold sweat. Sometimes you would have nightmares about those weird vines that your mind seemed to be obsessed with and other times you would just wake up to the feeling of falling. The feeling would never really go away, even when you were awake, so you couldn't continue sleeping. It was first after a few hours the feeling would fade, only to come back the next night.

Even though they were just dreams, you saw the scenarios so vividly it was scary. And it would always be the same. It was strange, really. You've never dreamt about anything like it before, and now you couldn't stop dreaming about it. Manburg being covered in red - what was that even about? Did it have some kind of meaning?

It was also getting harder to keep up your act. It was getting tiring to keep on faking a smile, especially since the festival would take place soon and you knew you would be forced to meet Schlatt. You would spend all of your wake hours being angry at him, and when you were asleep, you would have these weird dreams. Your mind was getting exhausted.

The days were like any others too. When you didn't zone out, visualizing how you'd kill Schlatt, you would distract yourself by training in the woods. You didn't really see much to Wilbur - he was always on little trips and refused to tell you where to. Actually, Techno would go out a lot as well, leaving you and Tommy alone in Pogtobia.

And Dream? You hadn't seen anything to the green guy ever since he left a week ago. No one had - not even in Manburg. You weren't worried, but you'd like to see how he was doing. Was he gonna show up at the festival? Would you see him then?

And regarding the festival... You continued counting down the days to it. You were pretty nervous, to say the least. Either the days would go by very slowly or it would be over in the blink of an eye - there were no in-betweens.

Sometimes Tubbo would come and visit. He gave you updates on what Schlatt was doing, and how far they had come with the preparations. He also talked about the speech he would be giving at the festival. One time, he brought Niki with him and the two of you would have endless talks while Tommy and Tubbo were playing around in the tunnels. She was a very sweet girl, and it was very nice to talk with a fellow female now that you've been surrounded by men for such a long time. The two of you enjoyed each other's company a lot.

But as said, the majority of the time, it would just be you and Tommy. You would sometimes help him expand Pogtopia, and sometimes you would take him out in the forest to help him practice his bow skills. Tommy never admitted it, but you were far better than him at fighting, so he gladly participated in your little lessons. Today, you were out looking for ingredients so you could make his favorite dinner. The festival was tomorrow and you noticed that Tommy was a little tense.

It wasn't because he wasn't ready - he had spent the whole week preparing for all different scenarios, and he had practiced a lot with the crossbow Dream had given him. You were pretty sure, he was nervous because he simply didn't know what to expect - none of you knew how the situation would play out tomorrow. The only plan you had, was for you and Techno to attend the festival and listen to what Schlatt had to say, while Wilbur and Tommy would be hiding somewhere.

You had assured Tommy many times that you were sure everything was going to be okay. And even though Tommy would brush it off and say things like 'well, obviously', you could tell the whole situation really bugged him.

"Hey, (Y/n)?" He suddenly asked, making you stop in the act of plucking mushrooms. You could hear it in the way he talked - his voice was soft, vulnerable. He was about to ask you something that craved your full attention.

The boy looked at the ground, an empty look on his face. "Do you... Do you think everything will go back to how it once was?"

So that was what he was thinking about. Of course.

The sudden change of topic caught you so much off guard, you nearly dropped the basket you were holding. It was a rare occasion that Tommy opened up, even just a little. It broke the prideful and cocky persona he was always holding up.

"Go back to what?" You tried making him elaborate. To when he wasn't banished from Manburg? That was your best guess, but you needed to be sure.

He looked at you with a sad smile. "You know, when L'manburg was standing strong. When we still had the possibility of getting independence. When we were a unity with a common goal - to fight Dream and his friends. Where you were there and Fundy and Eret hadn't betrayed us yet. When Schlatt wasn't around and when Wilbur and I weren't banished. When Tubbo and I could see each other all the time, and when... when Wilbur was... sane."

You bit your lip, a frown tugging in the corner of your mouth. You've always felt bad for Tommy. Felt bad that he and Tubbo at such a young age, would fight in a literal war. They've both died and lost many of their most valuable possessions. The only true comfort the boys had was in each other, and now they had gotten separated too. Tommy had been banished from his home and Tubbo was practically being held hostage.

You really hoped that their future would at least be brighter.

You didn't want to lie. You didn't want him to be disappointed if things didn't turn out the way he wanted them to. But he was still in need of comfort. "Tommy, even if it's not gonna go back to how it used to be, it will get better. I promise. We'll do everything in our power to get Manburg back, and I'm sure Wilbur will come to his senses eventually."

Tommy sniffed and wiped his nose with his sleeve. "And what if we never get the chance to get revenge? What if Schlatt is simply too good?"

This was so unlike Tommy - to question his own abilities. To doubt himself. It was weird seeing him like this.

You were about to say that you'd get revenge on Schlatt no matter what it took of you - but he wouldn't know where you were coming from, so you just smiled. "Well if that's the case, we just sit and wait until karma fucks him up."

A laugh escaped his dry lips. "Or we could remove all of Manburg's warning signs and let the problem solve itself out."

You both broke out into laughter and you were glad you managed to cheer Tommy a bit up. He knew the conversation had been unlike him, and he quickly returned to his normal, cocky self.

The two of you began walking back to Pogtopia not so long after. You had gathered enough ingredients for the dinner and Tommy had gotten something off his shoulders - the trip had been a success.

"You know, (Y/n)... For a woman, you're not so bad." Tommy spoke up as you walked down the spiral staircase.

You didn't know if you should take that as an insult on behalf of all the women, or take it as a compliment. You just decided to do the latter. "I'm glad you think so."

"You should be."

You were about to tell him that despite him being a child he wasn't so bad himself, when you heard Wilbur and Techno talk from inside the kitchen. You and Tommy had been heading there as well to make dinner, so it wasn't like you had intended to eavesdrop but when you heard the word 'TNT' being mentioned it happened naturally. You stopped up, holding an arm out to stop a confused Tommy as well.

"Are you sure it's everywhere?" You heard Techno ask from behind the stone wall.

"Positive. I planted it myself, it covers all of Manburg. But as I've said, I'll only press the button if Tubbo says the cue."

And that was all you needed to hear. Tommy's eyes widened when he realized what they were talking about - and that you weren't supposed to know. He tried to hold you back as you made a dramatic entrance.

Techno and Wilbur stood face to face with crossed arms, and both of them stiffened when they saw you.

Oh, this wasn't happening. This just wasn't happening. You stepped further into the room, a furious expression on your face. Just like that, your good mood had dropped to its lowest point. "Please tell me, I misheard you guys. Please tell me, you haven't actually planted the TNT without telling me."

"You misheard us." Techno simply said, but Wilbur rose his hand, telling him that he would take this one.

"(Y/n), I can explain-"

"I can't believe you! Wilbur, we made an agreement! You said it would only be as a last resort, and that you wouldn't plant it without telling me! And now you've involved Tubbo in it? What, does Tommy know about this too?" You turned to look at Tommy, who looked everywhere but you. And that answered your question.

An angry and dry laugh escaped your lips. "Great, just great. I guess I was the only one who didn't know about it?"

None of them said anything, which confirmed your statement. You shook your head, feeling both angry and disappointed. It explained everything - why Techno and Wilbur would keep disappearing mysteriously. They had gone on secret trips to Manburg, to plant the TNT all along. You bet that was what Techno had been doing the day you had gone with him, too. He had been walking without a purpose, looking around. He had searched for good spots to place it. They've gone behind your back all this time.

"It is as a last resort," Wilbur assured. "Tubbo will only say the cue depending on Schlatt's behavior at the festival. It isn't all that bad, (Y/n). Manburg will be completely destroyed, and in its ashes, a new empire will rise - in which Tommy and I aren't banished anymore."

"But you're fighting fire with fire! This isn't the right way to do it! What about all the innocent people? And you, Wilbur, you have one life left! You wouldn't be able to make it out in time, you'll die! For good!"

"Some things are worth dying for! If I can't have Manburg then no one can!" Wilbur's words were drowning in the very same madness that was swallowing him whole. He walked over to you and placed his hands on your shoulders. You looked up at him, pain in your eyes. "(Y/n), when something is destined to happen, you can only try and stop it. But it'll only end up dragging you down with it. We can't avoid people dying. It's fate."

"Oh yeah?" You spat. "And then, who cares if Tommy ends up dying too."

Wilbur fell silent.

"He's on his last life, Wilbur. Just like you. What if the explosion covers a much larger area than first assumed and he gets caught in the explosion? He won't get away in time. Is that fate too, Wilbur?" You shoved his hands off of you and began walking towards the exit.

"(Y/n), the festival is tomorrow, you can't-"

"Because if it is, you're not the man I want to follow anymore. I'm not gonna be a part of this, I'm not helping you on your suicide mission. I'm not gonna be the cause of people's death."

You were just about to leave, ignoring Tommy's attempts to make your stay. But then Techno said something that made your whole body freeze and made your mind go 'oh no, he didn't'

"That's bold, coming from someone who's planning to murder someone herself." Techno's voice echoed. "(Y/n), if you leave Pogtopia now, you won't ever get your revenge. If I were you, I'd stick around."