Tommy stands in the hallway, waiting for his elemental companion to get finished with her conversation with the Air Elemental King. While Tommy is curious what Sneeg would have to discuss with Hetta, he knows how disrespectful it would be to eavesdrop on such an important, mystical figure. He has respect for Sneeg along with plenty of warm memories. Tommy trusts Sneeg not to do something untoward, though he carefully brushes against the mental string tying him to Hetta. Tommy will be the first to know if any harm befalls the young elemental. Tommy doesn't know how he's going to ward off an elemental king, but he will find a way to protect Hetta.

"Your highness," The western duke says, bowing to the prince. Tommy brings himself back into the present moment. The hallway outside of the discussion room is empty save for him, the duke, and dutiful Jack. He can see faint sunlight reaching into the hall from a distant window. The air is speckled with a few dust particles, but there are so few of them that Tommy is internally awed by the work of the maids.

"Duke Grace," Tommy responds, folding his arms behind his back.

"I wanted to express my gratitude for proposing the change in our laws about succession," Fern says. He sinks down even lower, crossing the barrier between respectful to genuinely thankful. Tommy is certain that he's one of the only people that has ever felled a duke like this. Tommy smiles bitterly. He wishes Theseus was here with him. What would the original prince say about this?

"While I wish I could accept your gratitude, we will need to wait for the tsar's decision. He may very well agree that the laws of succession are perfect as is. After all, it would allow the imperial family to acquire the assets of the western dukedom," Tommy reminds the duke. Tommy has never thought of Philza as ambitious, but he knows that anyone who is ruling over an empire must have a little greed in their hearts. The western lands have more than a few assets that anyone would be quick to accept should harm come to the duke and duchess. Tommy himself knows of a few influential businesses and quality mines that exist in the west that he wouldn't mind acquiring for himself.

"Your highness is very perceptive for his age," Fern admits. His stare is not suspicious but rather pleased. Tommy has no idea how intelligent he can be before the people around him start seeing him for who he actually is. The danger lessens as Tommy grows older, but Tommy doesn't think he's in the clear yet. "No matter what decision the tsar comes to, I will continue to be grateful that your highness decided to propose the change in the first place. It must have been difficult for your highness, but if I am permitted to say so, you did exceptionally."

"I fear I must get used to this," Tommy murmurs to himself. As much as he wants to reject the idea, he knows that it won't be long before people are campaigning for him to take the position as tsesarevich. Tommy himself knows that people need to promise a future ruler that will guide them into another age of prosperity. Tommy has difficulty believing he can do such a thing, but he doesn't have any other choice. Wilbur is dead, and Techno is gone. Tommy is the one left behind to carry the burden of an entire empire. Theseus is either laughing cruelly at him or seething with jealousy. Or maybe he's mourning his fallen brother, as well.

Tommy shakes his head. Why does he care what Theseus would do? As far as Tommy is aware, Theseus is as dead as Wilbur is. Perhaps they are getting along fetchingly in the afterlife.

Before Fern can respond, two figures step into the hallway from the doors that lead into the courtyard. Jack shifts his weight, but Tommy raises his hand up once he recognizes the figures. Rose's bright hair is easy to identify, and Prismarina's youthful gait brings a smile to Tommy's face. Rose's refractory smile at Prismarina's antics shifts immediately when she notices the third prince. She reaches out to take Prismarina's hand. The touch is comfortable, and Prismarina doesn't seem the least bit surprised. She leans into the touch, her eyes only widening when she also takes in the appearance of the prince. Tommy raises an eyebrow at her, and the two newcomers descend into curtsies. Tommy acknowledges that Prismarina's curtsey has gotten significantly better since their last meeting.

Prismarina lets go of Rose's hand. She shuffles forward, still bowed. She reaches into the pocket of her dress. Jack nudges Tommy back a few steps, but Prismarina does not bring a weapon out of her skirt. She holds a book. The binding is dark blue leather. There are golden stars etched into the surface, and the pages themselves are inked along the edges with gold-leaf. Prismarina lifts the journal up to Tommy. She presents it as if she were a waitress giving food. Tommy steps in front of Jack as he observes the light shining across the stars. "What is this?"

"This was Shelby's from the academy. It was her private scholarly journal where she took notes on projects that interested her but weren't assignments. Because of the suddenness of her death, Shelby did not write a will. As her roommate, I was in charge of moving her belongings from our dorm to her parent's home. I found this among her possessions. I read through it, and I believe there are some... interesting projects Shelby was working on that the imperial needs to see. At the very least, I and Shelby's parents agree that the Imperial Mage deserves this book as she was Shelby's master," Prismarina explains. Tommy's lips part at the mention of his friend. When he lifts the book from Prismarina's hands, he does it with the utmost care. He brings the journal to his chest, trailing his fingers along the stars. He can imagine Shelby sitting at her desk, pouring over this very journal.

The fantasy makes his heart lurch, but a slow smile spreads across his face. He gives the duke, duchess, and Prismarina a respectful nod. "Thank you for this."

"It is no trouble to us. I love my daughter very much, but I can't understand anything inside that journal. It would be better for someone who does understand read so that they might continue what Shelby started," Rose cuts in, answering for Prismarina. The teenager steps back to stand slightly behind her adopted mother. Rose rises from her bow, looking at Tommy. "If your highness would excuse us, we must be getting back to our territory."

"Yes, it is not wise to stray too far from one's homeland," Tommy replies, waving his hand to dismiss them. He watches as they bow once more. Fern and Rose each take one of Prismarina's hands as they leave. Tommy can hear Prismarina giggle, her faint protests fading away with each step she takes away from Tommy. They create a lovely image, the three of them. It is all too easy for Tommy to slot Shelby in place of Prismarina, and once he does that, his eyes are once again burning, ready to pour forth.

"Where to now, your highness?" Jack asks, drawing Tommy away from his emotions. Tommy looks at Jack, taking in his questioning stare. He looks at the door leading back into the room where Sneeg and Hetta are talking, feeling nothing but calm from his elemental companion. The rest of the hallway is empty as all of the council members have returned to their homes or place of business. Tommy's attention finally falls down to the journal in his hands. He cautiously flips open the cover. He is met with Shelby's dignified calligraphy as she explains who owns this book and the reward for returning the journal to her. Tommy follows the swooping letters of her name with his index finger. As his finger shoots off the page from the tip of the 'y,' he closes the journal.

"I have some time before class. It would be beneficial to take this journal to Gemini immediately. If I know Shelby, whatever she was working on is too important for hesitation," Tommy tells Jack. He leaves the grand hall, stepping into the courtyard. Jack closes the door behind them, nodding at the guards stationed outside of the hall. Tommy goes down the steps, setting course for the minister's building.

It is not a dreadfully long walk. Tommy appreciates the exercise. The sunlight against his skin is satisfying even as the quiet cold of the inner area slides into the spaces between his clothes and skin. Tommy pulls his cloak tighter around him as he joins the stream of civil workers and servants walking through the breezeway. Everyone is far too busy to realize that their prince walks among them. They would never dare to suspect that Tommy would walk this way. As long as Jack remains close, Tommy doesn't mind if no one notices him.

Tommy slips into the ministry building with a group of mages quietly discussing recent gossip with themselves. As Tommy doesn't know anyone they are talking about nor does he particularly care who is sleeping with who behind the scenes, he lets their chattering fade into the background. He branches off of them when he notices Gemini and Fwhip standing near the wall between both of their ministry's halls. They are talking avidly about something with various hand motions. If Tommy watches long enough, he suspects he could decipher the wider strokes of their discussion. As Tommy doesn't have enough time for that, he walks right up to them.

"Ah, your highness," Fwhip says, since he is able to see anyone approaching first because of his angle. Gemini looks over her shoulder, meeting Tommy's eyes. The twins settle down into a bow, crossing an arm over their chests. "If I may, I wish to compliment your performance today in the council meeting."

Performance is an apt term. Tommy felt like he was putting on a show in order to get votes, and he knows that half of being a member of an imperial family is being an actor.

Tommy pushes that particularly thought back down as he presents the journal to Gemini. She raises an eyebrow, waiting for an explanation before taking it. "A compliment is unnecessary. I did not come for praise. I came to deliver this to the Imperial Mage. It was a journal written by your favored student. The Grace family thought it would be best if it was placed into your hands. Their adopted daughter, Prismarina, was a fellow student at the academy and a very close friend to Shelby. It is her opinion that something in this book is important enough that the imperial family themselves should know about it. I will leave it to you to confirm or deny Prismarina's humble opinion."

Gemini takes the journal with the same caution Tommy used to hold it. Gemini's face falls into a frown, blatantly showing the grief that continues to linger in her heart. Gemini opens the book. She does not remain on the first page, instead thumbing through the entire contents. Gemini's tense expression slowly lifts. There is even an edge to wonder in her eyes as a slow smile spreads across her face. Gemini stops on one particular page. She places her palm against the page, eyes narrowing. She shakes her head with a soft sigh, muttering to herself, "Shelby... you genius."

Tommy opens his mouth to ask how, specifically, Shelby was a genius (though he wouldn't refute that she was), but Gemini darts away from them. She rushes toward her private workshop without another word, taking the journal with her. Tommy blinks in blatant surprise, unused to people just fleeing his presence. Fwhip, on the other hand, rushes to wave his hands, his cheeks turning as red as his hair. "I am so sorry about that, your highness. Please do not take offense to it. Gem has been this way since we were kids. The moment something intrigues her, she forgets herself. She really didn't mean any disrespect."

"Do not fret. I am well aware," Tommy explains with a soft laugh. He meets Fwhip's eyes, remembering what little The Ender Prince had about Gemini. Supposedly, she didn't stop working even when she learned of Ponk's death and her brother's accident at Theseus' hands. Tommy realizes that this was probably a biased account since The Ender Prince was in Ranboo's perspective, and the Gemini from Tommy's life has shown that she cares about people. "We should follow her. She might tell us what has caught her fancy."

"Knowing her..." Fwhip starts, shrugging his shoulders. Jack snorts behind Tommy.

The prince waves his hand. "I would still like to try."

"Very well," Fwhip nods. He gestures towards Gemini's workshop. Tommy, as the prince, goes first. Jack follows directly behind Tommy to keep him safe. Fwhip sidles up to Jack. Although neither of them speak, Tommy can hear the sounds of their clothing moving. When he looks over his shoulder, they quickly drop their hands as if they hadn't been doing anything. Tommy rolls his eyes, returning his attention to the walk. He supposes it wouldn't be terrible for him if Jack made friends.

Tommy, Jack, and Fwhip come up to the open door of Gemini's workshop. She has the journal on a stand, opened to one of the pages. Her earth elemental, Kurthran, is stretching its cat-like body on the stand. Gemini is dropping crystals onto a desk she's pulled out underneath the nexus hanging from the roof. Gemini flips the page in the journal, snapping at Kurthran. The crystalline cat turns to look at the desk, and the gems begin to pulsate faintly with energy. Gemini turns to face the people at the doorway when she notices she has an audience. Gemini smiles widely at them. "Shelby was studying the resonance between crystals. She was also looking into the branches of magic that stretch across the continent from the World Tree. More specifically, she was looking into a way to combine these so that she could find a way to traverse them. She was on the cusp of success based on her notes. If she could have succeeded, we would have long-distance teleportation."

"Fascinating," Tommy says quietly. Long-distance teleportation is fascinating in and of itself. It would lead to many developments that would truly bring the empire into an age of prosperity. Depending on the range, it could even lead to better diplomatic relations.

The other, arguably more fascinating part is that long-distance teleportation never existed in The Ender Prince. Ranboo's ability to teleport makes him extremely powerful, inviting both allies and enemies alike. Tommy thinks Shelby was able to crack teleportation in the book, but she was a very powerful mage enhanced by the plague spreading throughout the Badlands in the fifth arc of the book. There was no one else in the book that could teleport as far as Tommy remembers. Even if there was, it was exceedingly rare.

This long-distance teleportation is, ironically, the closest Tommy has ever been to really breaking fate. At least, he assumes partial responsibility for it since he was the one that put Shelby on the path of becoming Gemini's apprentice. Shelby in The Ender Prince focused entirely on nature and weather, so her conclusion to study gemstones could have only come from her master's primary magic being those same gemstones.

Even if Tommy is not responsible at all, he can reap the benefits.

"It certainly will be if I can make this work," Gemini agrees with a breathless smile spanning across her face. She throws her hand to the side. Violet, the dragon familiar made from an Enderian shard, pops into existence. Violet's tail flicks out, forcing the three men to stumble out of Gemini's workshop. The last thing Tommy sees is Gemini picking up a purple gemstone as the doors slam shut.

"She's going to be there for a while," Fwhip remarks, laughing hard enough that he has to grab his sides to keep himself upright. Jack lifts a gloved hand up to his mouth to hide his chuckling. Tommy huffs in amusement. He shakes his head, looking back at the closed door. He really hopes Gemini succeeds.

"What are we laughing about?" A voice calls out, approaching the group of three. Tommy's breath is stolen from his lungs as he turns away from the door to the entrance of the hallway. Tubbo is walking towards them, his eyes focused on his master. Tubbo stops in his tracks when he meets Tommy's eyes. Tommy, too, feels himself freeze. It has been weeks since he's last seen his friend. Tommy has been unintentionally avoiding him. He could never find the courage to seek his friend out, and he has been unable to gain the energy to write anyone letters. He can barely make himself read the letters. The ones from Tubbo never fail to make Tommy want to curl up in his bed, losing himself back into the waves of sadness like he did when he first learned Wilbur and Shelby were dead.

Fwhip and Jack share a look with one another. Jack nods, and Fwhip shrugs. The Imperial Artificer steps toward his apprentice. Fwhip puts a hand on Tubbo's shoulder, drawing the brunette's attention momentarily. "You can have some free time today. We've been working hard these past few days. I'll just be cleaning up the workshop. You can come by if you want."

Fwhip walks away, not even waiting for Tubbo's nod. Jack meets Tommy's eyes. "If you promise to stay where there are other guards, I'll go talk to the marchioness."

Right, Tommy has class. Tommy hopes Kara won't mind him being late today.

"I promise," Tommy whispers to his knight. Jack nods with a hopeful smile. As Jack passes Tubbo, he nods respectfully to the duke's son. Jack doesn't stick around for longer than that. He's immediately heading off to contact Kara. In the empty hallway, Tommy meets Tubbo's eyes. He has a feeling they could stand here in silence for hours. Tommy breaks the silence first. "Would you like to go on a walk with me?"

"I would be honored to," Tubbo responds, shifting his body to gesture towards the doorway. As the prince, Tommy has to go first. Tommy walks toward the end of the hallway. Instead of passing Tubbo, he swings his arm between Tubbo's arm and side. Tommy locks their elbows together. He drags his friend beside him as they walk. Tubbo's eyes widen, but he's smiling by the time his feet start moving to follow Tommy's initiative.

Even though they are walking side by side, Tommy and Tubbo do not speak another word as they subconsciously head toward the gardens. Tommy only notices where they've gone when the weather suddenly veers into oppressive warmth. Tommy untangles his arm with Tubbo's only to pull his cloak off his shoulders. He folds it over his forearm with a tight expression. His eyes slide away from the blue of his cloak to the fresh greenery that continues to grow despite the rest of the empire experiencing an eternal winter. Tommy reaches a hesitant hand out to touch one of the flower buds, the softness of the petals familiar. It strikes Tommy as ironic that he spends so much of his time in the garden when Theseus barely spent a moment, even going so far as to criticize the garden.

"How are you doing?" Tubbo asks. Tommy pulls his hands away from the flowers, letting them both rest against his chest. He feels his heart beat slowly against his fingertips even through the thickness of his shirt. It strikes Tommy as odd to be holding his heart, but he knows that Tubbo would never judge him for something as inconsequential as this.

"My condition is still poor, but it is fairer than it once was," Tommy admits, saying the truth to Tubbo because Tommy is unable to lie to his comfort character. Maybe that was the real reason Tommy didn't seek Tubbo's company these past few weeks. Tubbo would see through Tommy's facade, cutting through all of the bullshit to get straight to the emotional core. He would shatter Tommy, completely and thoroughly, and Tommy would never be able to resent his friend for doing so. The mere fact that it was Tubbo would be enough for Tommy to forgive any transgression, even ones detrimental to his reputation and supposed destiny. "How are you?"

"I must agree with you, Theseus. Poor but doing better," Tubbo responds. Tommy's movements jerk, almost stopping but not fully letting himself. Tommy grimaces as he keeps walking. He feels like a terrible person and an even worse friend for somehow forgetting that Tubbo lost his friends, too. Wilbur and Shelby were just as important to Tubbo as they were to Tommy, and the blonde wasn't there to reach out, to soothe his friend's grief. Tommy acknowledges that he would have made pitiful company and wouldn't have been able to do a thing to ease Tubbo's suffering, but he could have tried. He could have made an effort instead of building up his identity as the remaining prince, pushing down his own grief, and caring for a stupid tree. Tommy even had the audacity to make amends with other people and make a new friend before he even thought about reaching out to Tubbo, even if it was just a letter.

Tommy finally stops when he feels Tubbo's hand on his own. Tommy turns to find Tubbo staring at him with teary eyes. Tommy bites the inside of his cheek, holding back his own tears. Tubbo is the very image of hesitation, but there is a silent spark in his blue-green eyes. "I miss my friend."

It's Tubbo, so of course Tommy breaks. Tommy practically falls forward as he shoves his forehead on Tubbo's shoulder. He squeezes Tubbo's hand, finding the other one easily. Tommy does not sob, but there are tears sliding down his face as he closes his eyes. "I miss my friend, too."

Tubbo releases Tommy's hands to wrap them around Tommy's shoulders. Tubbo holds Tommy close, rubbing his back in a way that feels oddly like Tommy is Tubbo's pet. Tommy doesn't care what Tubbo does to achieve his own comfort. He would even be okay with Tubbo slapping him around a few times for leaving him alone, but Tubbo, unbearably kind and generous Tubbo, is hugging Tommy instead of shoving him away. He's even talking to Tommy, explaining what has happened to him since he last saw Tommy. "I've mainly been working with Fwhip in the workshop. We've been working on redstone, and I really think we're getting somewhere. My father came... funeral, and I stayed with him. We talked for almost the entire... I missed him, even though... I thought to myself... fascinating, really..."

Tommy's eyebrows pull together as Tubbo's voice starts to fade in places. It eventually becomes so staticky Tommy can't understand a single word. It feels like Tubbo is trying to talk to him from underwater, but they aren't underwater. Tommy lifts his forehead up from Tubbo's shoulder to apologize, ready to ask Tubbo to repeat himself.

Tubbo isn't there. Tommy's eyes widen, looking around. He isn't in the garden anymore. He's in a rather small room. The walls are relatively bare, only sporting an ugly, peeling wallpaper. There is a desk underneath a compact window, revealing an expensive and modern cityscape. The desk sports an open but asleep laptop plugged into a nearby outlet. A bed is situated beside the wall adjacent to the desk. There is someone sleeping in the bed, a thin blanket wrapped around her body. Her dirty blonde hair pools around her on the pillow.

There is someone standing beside the bed. They turn their attention to Tommy with a reminiscent expression on their face. Tommy stumbles back as a wave of familiarity washes over him, dragging him under. He doesn't know the figure looking at him right now with their gray eyes and onyx skin, but he feels like he should. He feels like if he navigates his brain thoroughly enough, he'll find traces of the figure wearing a light blue tunic with soft pink accents and pink flowers in their gray-black hair. The figure's smile grows sadder as they reach a hand out toward Tommy. Even their voice is familiar as they speak, "Oh, Zero, you aren't supposed to be this far in the past. The three of us should have already moved on, no? You should keep looking toward the future. That's where you're needed... It's okay... you can leave me."

The figure's words hit Tommy directly in the gut. He stumbles back right as the girl's eyes open, and he's sent somewhere else.

He's back in the inner courtyard of the white palace. The purple-and-green man that was here originally is gone, replaced by a woman standing directly beside the tree. She has fair pink skin with red hair cascading down her back to her heels, intertwined with green vines. She wears a flowing dress decorated with many plants, each one blossoming as beautifully as they would if their roots were in the soil instead of the fabric of her dress. Her eyes are consumed with a bright green light without an iris or a pupil. She is staring at the roots of the World Tree with a vase in her hands. She tilts the vase over onto the roots, dumping starlight of many different noble colors onto the roots. The vase seems to carry a lot more than it should, but then again, Tommy doesn't know how light as a water source works.

The woman turns her attention to Tommy. A frown descends across her face, and the air picks up like a storm is brewing. Tommy wraps his arms around his torso, realizing belatedly that he's wearing the same hoodie and jean ensemble he wore when the other man brought Tommy here. He feels entirely out of place next to the regality of the woman who's full attention is making him want to crumple to the ground.

The woman speaks, but it doesn't sound like a voice. It sounds like rock tumbling down a cliffside. It sounds like lightning striking in the distance. It sounds like a hurricane and a faint breeze. It sounds like the cawing of birds and the roaring of lions. It sounds like a flower blooming and a heavy fruit dropping to the ground. "You are not who you are meant to be... I suppose my saintess was right."

"Are you the goddess of agriculture?" Tommy whispers. He lands on his knees, feeling like he could never pay this woman enough respect. Although there aren't any sunflowers on her body, he can only compare her with the goddess in the stories Orion told him. The goddess was the one that originally cursed the dragon, and she appeared vicariously through her saintess and later her paladin.

"That silly dragon is confused," The woman at the World Tree's roots laughs. It sounds like a river surging through a quiet forest. It sounds like a rabbit leaping in the air and a snake striking its prey. It sounds like a pinecone dropping down onto the needles and leaves swirling in the wind.

The woman's laughter stops all of a sudden. Tommy flinches at how abrupt it is. Her face grows somber, dangerously so, and Tommy fears for his very soul. She steps away from the roots of the World Tree, getting closer to Tommy. "Not all who are powerful are divine... Not all who bear the name 'god' are a deity."

Tommy presses his lips together. The woman is standing right in front of him. Unadulterated power spins all around her body like a tornado or a shooting star streaking across the heavens. She reaches a hand out, touching Tommy's cheek. He expects pain, but he instead feels rejuvenated. He feels like he's connected with something far more profound than he's ever going to be. He lets a single breath fall from his lips as the woman smiles pleasantly at him. He wants to keep her smiling, he thinks, especially when her smile drops away again. "You have spent too long here, child of the sky."

She takes a step away from him, her hand leaving his cheek. He feels something turbulent grow inside his body. She wears a despondent expression as she whispers, "If you want to be the Fatebreaker, you need to leave now."

—

"Was there someone here?" She asks groggily, pushing up on her elbows in her bed. She stares out across the room, feeling incredibly certain there was just a figure standing in her room. Well, another figure, a different one from the one she's used to.

"Momentarily. He wasn't supposed to be here," The shadowy figure at the edges of her vision says. She doesn't know what it is. She thought it was a sleep paralysis demon, at first. She considered it a hallucination for a long time. Even though she made the deal with it in her dream, she was never entirely sure that any of it was real and that she wasn't insane.

"Why wasn't he supposed to be here?" She asks, swinging her legs over the side of her bed. She stretches her limbs even though a cursory glance out the window tells her it is far, far too early to be awake right now.

"He is not of this time," The shadowy figure informs her. It always strikes her as odd how informative her supposed demon is. As long as she asks the right questions, she can get answers about anything she wants. The tricky part is figuring out what the right questions are, but she can manage for now. "He's from a time in the future where you have what you want."

"What you promised me," She whispers, proclaiming the other name for what she wants. She can still remember the deal she struck with the shadowy figure. She had been reluctant to make a deal with what she could only assume was the devil, but once it told her what it could do for her and how simple her task would be, she didn't care which ring of hell the body of shadows came from. "You aren't going back on our promise, right?"

"I will assure you as many times as you need assurances that I will never go back on our deal, not unless you do first," The figure states simply. She huffs. For a devil, it is surprisingly altruistic. It asks for one thing- one measly, easily accomplished thing- and in return, it promises her the one thing she's always wanted, the one thing she would sacrifice the entire world for.

"Maybe you are an angel," She laughs to herself.

"Trust me, I am no angel. I'm not a devil, either," The figure replies, complete sincerity in their words. "I am just a person who wants to fulfill a promise I made a long time ago."