{Page 28}

Chapter 27
Mourning

, a loud explosion rang between the entirety of the city.
Much more powerful than the rest.

An indication that they must hurry.

To Run.

"You idiot! Lets go back already!"
Tubbo steps away, realising that the guards are now within reach of the two.

Tubbos eyes darted between the chaos of the city,
Shrouded with fire and destruction.

His eyes turned to the guards charging at them,

And finally, to Tommy blissfully looking at Tubbo.

Instead of a loud noise, it was quiet.

A swift shot, of an arrow.

With a minute passing, Tommy collapsed to the ground.

The butterfly had flew too far to realise what had happened.

The world had stopped moving.

It became silent.

Every passing second was slower than Tubbo imagined.

The small 'CLUNK' from the sword that Tubbo dropped was the only noticeable sound that he recognised.

His heart was also loud.

Has it always been so noisy in this world?

Tubbo had to recall what had just happened.

In another view, in another point of view must he know what was going on.

—-

Tommy side eyed the arrow that was approaching him at a vast speed.
He knew this was the end.

He didn't want it to end.

He wanted to live, wanted to see another vision of something positive.
He wanted to remember something joyful.

Ah. He knows one.

The meeting of Tubbo.

Tommy smiled slightly at the memory, remembering how the shorter one was slightly nervous and stiff when they first met.
And how he, the social butterfly was able to become friends with him.

Tommy opened his eyes to see Tubbo.

Wide-eyed, terrified yet brave boy who was stuck by him with this journey.
Tommy felt the arrow getting closer, his mind always thinks so fast, yet he can't structure a sentence for his final words.

He knew the perfect word to say, just as a sharp tip of metal came in contact with his chest.

Pain.

He continued to smile at Tubbo, not wanting his life to be complete misery.

His strength faded so quickly when he parted his lips to speak, now feeling his body leaving him.
Never in eternity did he think these would be his words.

"You're...a good friend Tubs.."
He allowed the final word drain his energy.

It was all he thought about, it was all he could say.

It was what he could be in the moment, support.

———-

Tubbo forced his eyes open to see the arrow properly shot, aiming for Tommys chest.

Tubbo wasn't all too good at expressing himself properly, however things have changed.

"..you're...a good friend Tubs.."
Tubbo heard the blonde weakly whisper.

That stabbed a wound to Tubbos heart mentally.

And to Tubbos horror, he saw the body fall to the ground quickly.

Tubbo acknowledged his breathing, acknowledged what happened.

,soon anger took over him.

He couldn't exactly recall what happened to the guards, but with blind rage he picked up once Tommys sword, and eagerly slashed both of them on their chests.

"PIECE.."
Tubbo swung the sword again at the one who shot Tommy, stabbing him in the chest.
The brunette glared at the now dead guard, but didn't stop and held the sword high for another blow.

"OF.."
Tubbo repeatably stabbed the man. It was gruesome, it was terrifying and blood continued to pour out of the body.

"..shit.."
Tubbo mumbles out the final word, dropping the sword and turning to Tommy who wasn't moving.

No.

He's still alive.

Ignoring the blood on his hands, Tubbo rushed to Tommys side and checked his pulse.

Nothing.

This is staged. He can't be dead.

Tubbo had a tantrum, not wanting to leave his friend.

He screamed at the world endlessly.

Tears pouring down his face and punching the ground as if it was the culprit to blame.

Tubbo weakly tried to check his friends heart, his pulse, anything to try prove that Tommy is alive.

Tubbo continued to scream and cry, now holding Tommys corpse close to him. Tubbo tried to quiet himself down by singing to himself a small song the two had made up.

It only made his sanity worse.

Tubbo shifted in his place and continued to sob.
He must bring Tommy to a safe place.

Tubbo weakly dragged the body with him, always attempting to carry it and in sometimes he successfully does.

The boy dragged his feel along the pavement floor, very close to the forest.
With all his might, he ran into the forest and nearly tripped when Tommys body almost fell out of his grasp.

With sorrow, Tubbo gently laid down the body in a patch of grass.
Now realising how much blood he accidentally spread onto Tommy.

"..you don't deserve this.."
Tubbo whispers, ruffling with Tommys hair only to realise how wrong that seemed.

"..you don't.."
Tubbo sobbed aloud, punching the grass floor and screaming the words,
'You don't deserve this.'

Tubbo weakly stood up after a few minutes and noticed flowers nearby, perfect.

Quickly, Tubbo dashed to the flowers and picked all of them up in one swoop, still crying to himself realising these were his favourite.

Tubbo went back to the now dead corpse that laid on the grass peacefully.
He couldn't help but stare emptily at his friend.

Gracefully and trying to hold his never ending tears, he placed the batch of flowers he collected on Tommys chest. Attempting to try cover the wound the arrow had stabbed.

Weakly, he sat down beside Tommy, holding his cold hand and placing it to act as if Tommy was holding the flowers.

Tubbo the held high the sword and stabbed it into the earth, a symbol that his time had come.

After he completed this action, Tubbo resumed to quietly sobbing to himself, now controlling his screaming.

He softly fell to the ground, admiring his once before friends face.
This all went too fast. It was just a blink of the eye did Tubbo remember Tommy first meeting him.

However, it seemed his earlier screams had attracted some sort of attention.

The bushes ruffled between the tall barren trees, making Tubbo flinch and quickly stand up defensively.

He will do anything to protect Tommy's now dead body.

He will protect him.

Even though he failed to.

Out of the bushes, emerged a confused looking Wilbur and Techno who looked much more better than before.
Techno had bandages wrapped all around his body, Wilbur seemed to be the same as before only much more energetic.

Both men's eyes laid on the corpse on the ground.

It took both of them to realise who's body it was.

In a flash, Techno grabbed the sword that Tubbo had stabbed into the earth and pressed it against his throat.
Techno pinned him to the ground, spitting out his demand.

"You have 5 seconds to explain what you did."
Techno spat, edging the sword closer to Tubbos throat.

Tubbo tried to push the older man away weakly, but it made the situation worse when Techno had almost put the sword in his throat.

"I didn't do it!"
Tubbo screamed out, still trying to push away Techno who frowned at his actions.

"..Tubbo tell the truth now-"

"Techno."
Wilbur cut him off. The two turned to Wilbur who was staring emptily at Tommys body which laid peacefully on the grass.

"Tommy wouldn't want it."
Wilbur replies, approaching Techno and taking the sword from his swiftly.
Techno stood up in protest, trying to take the sword from Wilbur.

"Wilbur, I don't know if you can see what happened. But Tubbo KILLED TOMMY-"
Techno shouts near the end, roughly pushing his brother in a threatening way to get the sword.

Tubbo shook his head miserably, he can mourn Tommys death later on.

"Tubbo would never. And I read his emotion, he didn't."
Wilbur says, placing the sword down beside Tommy and staring at Techno emptily.

Wilbur faced Tubbo who was still sitting on the ground miserably.
"Tubbo, we need to get a move on."

"I'm not leaving him."
Tubbo protests, quickly standing up and running to Tommys side.

Both Wilbur and Techno glanced at each other then at Tubbo.
"Don't make this hard..please.."

Wilburs voice cracked, Tubbo immediately noted that Wilbur was about to cry at any second.
"..fine.."

"Camp isn't far."
Techno informs briefly, on the verge of hitting a nearby tree.

With that, the three marched off, worried on how they will explain this to the others.

~~~

Tubbo stayed hidden in his own tent, staring at the food he had been given.
Mushroom stew.

He heard the various shouts from outside his tent, and slowly tried to cover his ears with his hands.
He's exhausted.

It was generous of Wilbur to offer for Tubbo to stay in and rest whilst him and Techno inform what had happened to the others.

Tubbo realised the noise has died down, and heard quiet sobs.
They had successfully told everyone.

Tubbo ignored these noises however and  rocked in his place.
Tommys final words repeated in his head.

'You're a good friend Tubs'

Tubbo scoffed at his own thought, he? A good friend?
Unbelievable.

Their final moments with each other were fighting, bickering with each other.
Tubbo felt something hot stream down his face.

He's crying again.

With shame, Tubbo messed with his hair.
'It isn't my fault.'

After time and time, over analysing what had happened earlier.

'It is my fault'

If it hadn't been for Tubbos outbreaks, they would've escaped much earlier than anticipated.

Without Tubbo taking the sword from Tommy, there could've been a slight chance on Tommy still being here.

'If it hadn't been for me, Tommy could still be alive.'

Tubbo curled into a ball and screamed at himself, blaming himself for everything.

The boy cursed at himself, screamed and cried, wanting to rip his hair out.
He didn't care if he was being loud, Tubbo was angry at himself.

Tubbo continued to cry and kicked in his spot, nearly spilling the mushroom stew.

"..hey, hey.."
Tubbo paused with his screaming, hair pulling and kicking, but didn't stop crying.

Glancing upwards, he saw Niki smiling gently at Tubbo and holding his mushroom stew.
"...you want to talk about it?"

She asks gently, urging the mushroom stew towards Tubbo who pushed it back with resent.

Slightly frowning, Niki placed the stew outside the tent, then closing it for the two to have privacy.
"..Tubbo?"

"..I..I don't..I don't want to talk.."
Tubbo hiccuped, still sobbing. He could see the pity in Nikis eyes as she extended her arms to offer a hug.

Tubbo only pushed back, still crying and covering himself with his arms.

Niki paused for a moment and her eyes lit up with an idea.
"I'll be right back ok?"

She zipped open the tent door and left, leaving a confused Tubbo on his own.
Outside, he saw a guilty looking Eret and Sapnap who both tried to contain their fair share of tears.

Niki came running back into the tent, closing it and handed Tubbo his journal.
From her bag, she pulled out ink and a quill for Tubbo to write with.
"I heard you enjoyed writing your experiences."

She says softly, careful with her words and gently pushing the journal towards him.

Tubbo stared at Niki in the eyes gratefully.

He took the journal, ink and quill and flipped to a random page. An empty one.
"..could you...could you leave..please?"

Tubbo sniffled, now much more calmer and continuing to stare at the page.
Niki politely nodded and gave one last smile to Tubbo, she zipped open the tent and exited.

She gave one last glance at Tubbo and finally closed the tent.

•~~~•

"How is he?"
Wilbur approached Niki carefully after a few seconds closing Tubbos tent.

"He didn't want to talk...poor Tubbo is a mess.."
Niki replies guilty, taking the mushroom stew she left outside Tubbo tent and walking towards the campfire.

Wilbur followed from behind, unsure of what to say.

"Everyone, please gather round."
Philza announced, watching Niki carefully as she took her respected seat near the camp-fire.

"..since..due to the death of Tommy..we need to decide what our next step is."
Everyone fell silent, Philza even looked upset on saying Tommy is now officially dead.

"Why do we need to decide?"
Fundy speaks up, others also curious on why they should make a certain decision.

"Tommy was the one who wanted to complete this mission. And now..."
Philzas voice cracked and shook his head firmly.
Niki frowned at the man, and nudged at Wilbur to try offer some support.

~<END>~