Oh yes, this is a newer story set in a confusing world. A world inside of a world I believe? I was told this was written for a "fandom" called the "DSMP". If you know what that is, I guess you might enjoy this. Be warned, this story contains themes of suicide, so please read with caution. I highly recommend listening to the song Youth by Daughter while reading this.

Hm? Oh, I think the author wanted me to tell you that if this breaks you, she is very sorry and originally intended this to have a happy ending, but it's too late now.

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Youth

(Written in 2022-2023)

As Tommy stares at the rubble of what was once his home, he decides one thing.

He's done.

He's done waking up every day and working on his to-do list. He's done waiting for Dream to show up and tell him lies. He's done watching all his hard work get destroyed by the one who he thought was his friend. And now that Dream's blown everything up, he's done trying to fix things.

Tommy wanders for what feels like hours, collecting bits of the remains of his house. Then he begins to climb.

He jumps, then places a block under his feet. He climbs up, and up, and up until the trees below look like specks.

Shadows settle on the place that you left

Our minds are troubled by the emptiness

Tommy stares down at the wreckage below him, wondering if anyone will miss him. Will Ghostbur? Tubbo?

Destroy the middle it's a waste of time

Tubbo. The reason he's here. He should probably be angry at Tubbo, but to be honest, he just misses him. He misses his best friend.

From the perfect start to the finish line

Tommy sat down on top of his tower and stared down at the ground below. The breeze is warm, but all Tommy feels is numb.

From the top of the tower, he can see his wrecked home. The beach where he attempted to throw a party, the chairs and umbrella still set up. And in the distance, he can see the glow of a city, miles away.

And if you're still breathing you're the lucky ones

He misses that city.

'Cause most of us are heaving through corrupted lungs

Tommy stands up. The height makes his stomach lurch. To his right, there's a lake, behind him, the ocean, and to his left, nothing but solid ground.

Setting fire to our insides for fun

He jumps.

Collecting names of the lovers that went wrong

He falls.

The lovers that went wrong

* * *

Tubbo feels like he's jumping off a diving board, a little scared, a little excited. He stares down at the compass as he walks, grinning like a madman. Tubbo misses his best friend, and he's done cowering. His backpack is heavy with food, and some iron. Knowing Tommy, he's probably already got an entire base made of iron, but it still seems like a nice gesture.

We are the reckless we are the wild youth

The path Tubbo follows isn't very well-worn. He isn't even sure it's a trail, but it's going in the right direction, which is good enough.

Chasing visions of our futures

One day we'll reveal the truth

After a while, Tubbo decides to stop to eat. He sits next to a tree and pulls out a bit of food. As he's happily eating, Tubbo notices something. Just barely peeking out of the trees is a tower, made of assorted blocks. Tubbo jumps to his feet, snack forgotten.

That one will die before he gets there

He's close, he has to be. The tower is probably a landmark that Tommy built so he wouldn't get lost while adventuring. Tubbo half jogs half runs towards the tower.

As Tubbo finally makes it out of the trees, his stomach twists. This doesn't make any sense. On his right, is what looks like the rubble of a building, and behind that is the tower.

And if you're still bleeding, you're the lucky one

"Tommy?" Tubbo calls out, walking towards the rubble. What happened here?

'Cause most of our feelings, they are dead, they are gone

He walks up to what was probably once a house. Only one wall seems mostly intact. Tubbo carefully weaves his way through the rubble, over to the wall. On the wall, is a single sign with a list:

To-Do:

Get coal

Get food

Get wood

Make a new pickaxe

Make a new axe

Get stone

Tubbo frowns. These are very simple tasks, things Tubbo doesn't even have to worry about anymore. Why doesn't he already have these things? Where's the nether portal? The stash of diamonds?

Tubbo pulls out the compass again and moves it around, but no matter how he moves it, the compass points to here. He turns and looks at the tower again, and things finally begin to click in his brain.

We're setting fires to our insides for fun

"Tommy!" Tubbo screams, climbing his way out of the rubble. He continues to call out his friend's name, as he frantically looks around. "Tommy, this isn't funny!" He runs over to the tower and stops in his tracks.

To the right of the tower, is a pile of items: Assorted blocks, a shovel, a cracked pickaxe, and a compass.

Collecting pictures from a flood that wrecked our home

Tubbo drops to his knees and grabs the compass with shaky hands. On the back of the compass, are the words "your Tubbo".

It was a flood that wrecked this home

Tears begin to slide down his face, morphing into sobs.

Tubbo's mind is screaming.

And you caused it

And you caused it

And you caused it

Tubbo can't stand, so he just sits.

Well I've lost it all, I'm just a silhouette

As his tears stop, he leans against the side of the tower, mind still screaming. Silently, he counts.

The control room with Dream, one.

I'm a lifeless face that you'll soon forget

The duel with Dream, two.

And my eyes are damp from the words you left

And now...

Ringing in my head, when you broke my chest

Ringing in my head, when you broke my chest

He stands up and walks over to the rubble. Tubbo touches one of the bits of rubble, and as he pulls his hand away, his hand is covered in ash and soot.

And if you're in love, then you are the lucky one

Dream did this.

'Cause most of us are bitter over someone

Tubbo grips his bag and walks away from the rubble. 

Setting fire to our insides for fun

Tubbo pulls out Tommy's compass, which points to Tubbo's home. It hurts to see it, but right now he needs to get home.

To distract our hearts from ever missing them

He wants to finish what Tommy started.

But I'm forever missing him

As he marches home, Tubbo whispers a silent apology into the sky. If he dies killing Dream, at least he'll be with his best friend again.

And you caused it

And you caused it

And you caused it