Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

So, here’s the gist of whatever the fuck was happening right now:

Tommy Innit, the local traumatised minor of the Dream SMP, was just caught in a freak accident on his more recent travels to explore what he missed while he was too busy being dead and dealing with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder from said time being dead. The details of the accident; lost to the abyss of Tommy’s memory and honestly, Prime only knows if he’ll get them back. Prime only knows if he wanted them back!

He woke up about three minutes ago laying on the grass outside a large blackstone structure that was so eerily familiar it physically hurt… or maybe that was the wound in his side that he was bleeding from profusely. Fuck, when did that gash get there?

Upon closer inspection, the blackstone structure was actually the protective walls of what was now known as Old L’Manburg. Apparently, the earlier mentioned freak accident sent him travelling back in time several years to when L’Manburg was first created.

But Tommy didn’t figure that out immediately, because why would he? This is the first page of the first chapter! I never said it’d be that easy! No, all the blond teen manages to mutter is a weak,

“What the fuck?”

“Who’s there?” demanded a stern voice not too far from where Tommy lay prone, clutching his side with a bloody hand.

Shit. No time to think now. Gotta prepare for a fight. Or… something similar.

Tommy didn’t know why, but something in his gut told him to disguise himself. The future him would thank him for that, but we don’t need to worry about that. The teen had never been happier that today was the day all his iconic getups were out of commission and he’d resorted to wearing something else.

His dark brown coat had a hood so he flicked that up over his long, blond almost-curls. The green bandana Tubbo made for him recently in his attempts to re-learn how to embroider he pulled up to use as a mask. He still had by his ear the braid Ranboo had given him during one of his less Dream-infested enderwalks, tied neatly with a purple ribbon. On his wrist, he wore a braided piece of string with a gold loop in the centre, something Michael had insisted he have. The rest of his outfit was quite simple; a faded red shirt, equally faded brown pants, hikers boots. He looked like a common traveller.

Tommy began to stand as he turned to face the direction of the voice. To say he was surprised when someone eerily similar to Fundy rounded the corner would be an incredible understatement. Hell, this barely even looked like Fundy to begin with!

The younger one wore a colourful version of the L’Manburg uniform, except without the hat to make room for the pointy, orange fox ears on his head. His voice was higher pitched and more melodic. His hair was far longer than Tommy remembered it being. Except for before he transitioned… wait shit. What the fuck? Who the hell was this?

“You!” the Not-Fundy fox hybrid said sternly, pointing at the taller from across the forest. “State your name and- holy fuck! You’re bleeding!”

“Uh-” Tommy didn’t have much more time to respond before Not-Fundy grabbed him by the hand and started dragging him towards the way they came from. They? She? He? This person definitely looked female, but every fibre of his being told him he was misgendering them.

“Come, quick! Before you lose too much blood!” Not-Fundy urged. “Niki can help patch you up!”

The boy didn’t really have a choice as he was pulled around the front of the exact replica of what L’Manburg used to look like. What kind of sick game was this? The Old L’Manburg wall and now someone named Niki who was kind and caring enough to potentially patch up a complete stranger? What’s next?

Tubbo before his horns? Eret before they betrayed them? Tommy before his trauma? Wilbur before he died?

Ha! Yeah, right.

“Niki!” Not-Fundy called loudly as they entered… yep this was L’Manburg. This was exactly what L’Manburg used to look like. “Niki, come help! This man is injured!”

‘Niki’ came running out of the medical tent tucked in the corner of the wall and… she looked exactly how she used to look. Blonde hair tied up in slightly uneven space buns and a pale blue uniform, the hat forgotten simply to rock the hairstyle she’d chosen for the day. She wore a familiar look of worry and concern in her brown eyes as she rushed to them, instantly going to prop up Tommy’s injured side and quickly examine the wound as the two led him towards the tent.

“Oh, Prime,” she muttered as she set him down, with Not-Fundy’s help, on an empty bed in the medical tent. “What happened?”

“I honestly do not know,” Tommy almost laughed, voice hoarse and throat slightly sore.

“That’s okay! That’s okay,” Niki assured, turning to her friend. “Fundy, where did you find him?”

“Just outside the wall,” the fox answered. “He seemed really out of it.”

So that was Fundy? Wait so why did he look and sound like a girl? It was years ago that he transitioned. Surely he couldn’t be in the past!

Could he?

Oh, he could. But we’ll let him figure that out for himself, shall we?

Niki nodded, clipping back some stray strands of hair from her fringe using a pin she’d taken from a table by the bed. She started gathering medical supplies and motioned for the hooded blond to lie down, which he did without complaint. He knew how the older (younger?) girl operated.

She spoke to the weirdly feminine Fundy, asking for a filled bucket of water, some health and regeneration potions, and some string just in case. The ginger nodded and quickly fled the tent, the fluffy, white and orange tail the last to leave out the entrance. Niki turned back to him, brows creased in concentration and eyes soft and welcoming.

“Is it okay if I cut open your shirt here?” Niki asked sweetly.

“What? Why?” Tommy said, a little taken aback.

“I need to be able to get to the wound in order to fix it. Is that okay with you?”

“Oh.” Tommy thought for a second, looking at his torso. Holy fuck, that was a lot of fucking blood! How big was this fucking wound? Holy shit! “Yeah, go for it, I guess. Holy shit. I’m not getting the blood out of this.”

Using a pair of surgical scissors, Niki tore through the drier sections of fabric, cutting a diamond-shaped hole in the shirt. She peeled it gently away from his skin, leaving the ugly gash open to the elements. Tommy could feel the cool air enter the wound and tickle some of his exposed nerves. He took in a sharp breath, biting down on his lip to keep him from crying out in pain.

“Oh shit,” Niki gasped. “That’s really bad. Okay.” She held up a cloth to the wound, applying pressure, but not enough to hurt or feel uncomfortable. “We’ll have to wait for Fundy. She’s gone to grab some water to help me clean the wound.”

“She?”

Fundy, who was apparently a girl, reentered the room as if on cue and placed a bucket of water and another one, which was only half full, by Niki’s feet. She put two glass bottles filled with glowing pink liquids on the table by the bed along with a roll of string and a needle. Niki nodded to her in thanks and wet a different cloth to begin cleaning the wound, receiving a wince from the masked Tommy.

As Niki worked to heal his wound, the teen let himself slip into thought. Just this morning, he’d been out exploring the lands outside the Dream SMP with Tubbo and Ranboo at his side. The moobloom hybrid had pointed out a set of buildings Tommy had yet to see, he thinks it was called Kinoko Kingdom, when… something happened and Tommy was… falling? But he was pretty sure he felt the ground against his back. So he just felt as if he was falling. That was extra strange.

The last thing he’d heard before his vision faded to black were the voices of his friends calling his name from a great distance away.

What had happened to him? Had whatever knocked him out really sent him back in time? Surely not, right? Right? That made no logical sense! Time travel wasn’t supposed to be possible! At least, he thought it wasn’t supposed to be. Then again, he did literally get struck by lightning just after the doomsday attack on L’Manburg. Twice. And he survived both times.

L’Manburg. The country he had watched get blown to the ground. Three times. Each more destructive than the last. The country that no longer existed.

Except it did. He was here. Lying in the chantilly-made medical tent Niki and Eret had put up in a hurry after discovering that the hto dog van had nowhere near enough room to help an incredibly bloody Tommy and Tubbo in the aftermath of some random fight against Dream. Fuck, he remembered it so clearly despite it being years ago.

Fuck.

He was in the past.

He’d fucking time travelled.

Chapter Text

It was odd, or at least Wilbur thought so.

From what Fundy had told him, the traveller didn’t seem to have any ill intent towards them, but you really can never be too sure. No one in L’Manburg had ever seen him before, at least not from what anyone could tell, what with the hood and bandana he wore as a mask. Then again, no one had ever seen Dream’s face. This could just straight up be Dream in his attempts to stop L’Manburg from gaining independence.

Still, Wilbur doubted it. The boy was too lanky, too tall, and sounded too young. Not to mention; Dream would never let his posture get that bad!

He currently stood in the medical tent, by the bed the newcomer lay on. Niki sat on a chair at the bedside, ready to help if anything went awry with his injuries. The boy was sat up on the once white sheets, a good portion of his torso covered in bandages. He was talking to Niki when Wilbur arrived.

“I hate to interrupt, but I don’t think we’ve had the pleasure of meeting,” Wilbur said, announcing his entrance.

Niki turned, her face lighting up when she noticed him. “Oh! Wil! Come meet the newcomer your daughter brought in!”

The boy’s reaction to the founder’s arrival was… strange. Unreadable, almost. What Wilbur could see of his face paled as if he’d seen a ghost and his eyes widened a little. He stiffened a bit at his presence, but he took a small breath, which seemed to help him centre himself. He gave Wilbur a small nod.

“We haven’t,” he said simply. “I only barely got to meet Niki and Fundy.”

“Well, I’m Wilbur.” Wilbur held out a hand for the boy to shake, which the boy took hesitantly. His grip was timid and firm at the same time, his hands littered with callousness. “Wilbur Soot.” He conveniently left out his father’s surname. “Founder of L’Manburg and leader of the revolution. And you are?”

“I’m, uh,” he paused for a second, as if debating something. “Theseus.”

“Theseus? Like the hero from the story?” He left out the part in which Technoblade taught him that story. Best not scare off the new face by telling him he knew the Blood God personally.

“Yeah, yeah. Crazy, I know, but it’s my name.”

“You have a last name? Or is it just Theseus?”

“Uh, just Theseus for now.”

“That’s completely fair. You needn’t feel pressured here.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Theseus,” Niki chimed in to the conversation.

“Yes,” Wilbur agreed. “It is. It’s a pleasure. I hope you enjoy your stay in our fine nation.” He had turned to leave before Theseus stopped him.

“Your nation?” he asked. “Lah Man what’s its face? What’s it called?”

“L’Manburg.”

“L’Manburg,” he repeated. “That sounds very European. Whoever came up with that name is clearly very intelligent.”

Wilbur laughed, the fond memory of his and Tommy’s naming conversation coming to mind. “It was a joint effort,” he said with a smile.

“Well, I’d love you to show me around Wilbur,” Theseus said. “It sounds like you really love this place.”

“I will, but maybe you should change out of that shirt first.” The traveller looked down at his attire. Niki presumably had to cut into it to get to the wound and a lot of it was still covered in blood. Some of the fraying fabric had half-dried stuck to his skin and would have to be peeled off. The already stained bandages the medic had wrapped around him were visible through the gaping hole. All in all, it just looked really uncomfortable to wear.

Theseus nodded, seeming to agree with the notion. “Yeah, that’s probably a good idea,” he said before trailing off. “I don’t have anything to change into. Do you happen to have something that might fit me?”

“Maybe. I’ll have a look.” On Wilbur’s way out, he found Tommy, Tubbo, and Fundy at the door of the tent, listening in on the conversation he was just having with the newcomer. The trio looked like deer in headlights as the founder emerged, spotting them immediately. He raised an eyebrow, giving them a questioning look. They scrambled to get up from their positions and hurry to explain themselves.

“Wilbur! Hey!” Tommy said loudly at the same time Fundy said “Hi Dad!” in the same tone of voice. The trio all gave him a guilty smile, each fiddling with something. Prime these three were terrible at hiding stuff.

“What were you three doing?” Wilbur asked, switching his voice into Dad Mode™.

“Nothing!” Tubbo shouted defensively. Wilbur only sighed.

“Okay, well, not nothing Tubbo,” Tommy attempted to reason. “Fundy came crashing into the drug van looking for healing potions saying there was an injured traveller so Tubbo and I were, naturally, very interested.”

“So you decided to eavesdrop on our conversation?”

“Perhaps.”

“Tommy, how many times do I have to say this? If you’re gonna spy on someone; don’t get caught.”

“I wouldn’t call it spying,” Fundy piped up.

“I need to grab a spare shirt for Theseus.” Wilbur changed the subject. “Maybe wait until he’s dressed properly to meet him.”

“Is he naked?” Tubbo asked. Fundy giggled, Tommy cackled.

“No. What? Tubbo, why would- Okay. No. Niki just had to cut open his shirt.”

“Why?”

“To heal his wound? Y’know what, I’m just gonna go now.”

The tall brunet set off to their shared barracks to fetch a shirt of his that he thought might fit the traveller. Theseus looked roughly his size; smaller and a bit thinner, but everyone else would probably be too small for him. Except for maybe Eret, but Wilbur had yet to see him today and didn’t want to take from her without their permission.

Speaking of Eret, she should’ve been back by now. He’d mentioned last night that he wouldn’t be there most of the day, but it was mid afternoon. Surely whatever errands she was running wouldn’t take that long.

But I’m sure you know what those errands are, dear reader. I’m sure you at least have an idea.

---

Seeing Wilbur again made Tommy feel simultaneously over the moon with joy, and so incredibly uncomfortable and afraid that he wanted to peel off his skin and use it as a blanket as he curled up and cried about his trauma.

Tommy, or Theseus now I suppose, didn’t have the greatest last memories with his older friend. The man basically went insane in Pogtopia, taking the younger down with him. First they lost the election, something that was already putting a lot of stress on him mentally, then they were exiled. And as they schemed together a way to get their country back, an idea wormed its way into his mind. The idea that they were the villains this time around.

It was his obsession over this idea that paved the way for his fall.

Theseus supposed that, in a lot of ways, Wilbur’s madness, and eventual death, had set the SMP up for a lot of the future events. If you squint, Wilbur was the reason Tubbo exiled him.

So, seeing him here, standing proud and tall even as he was concerned over the condition of a complete stranger, that determined spark in his eyes; you can tell that would really do a number on Theseus.

This wasn’t the man who blew up L’Manburg. This wasn’t the man who died by the blade of his own father. This wasn’t the man who played competitive solitaire with him for weeks on end in limbo.

This was President Wilbur Soot-Minecraft, his brother in arms and by choice, a wordsmith and poet, the noblest man he’d ever met.

Hearing his own voice outside shattered his train of thought and brought him back to reality. He tuned in to what seemed to be a conversation that was already half over.

“… s’posed to figure out what his deal is, Niki?” Tommy’s voice whined outside the tent. Theseus physically cringed at how high-pitched it sounded compared to him now. He couldn’t recall ever sounding like that!

“What do you mean by that?” Niki’s soothing voice asked. He hadn’t even noticed she left the room. He must’ve been deep in thought.

“What I mean is; can we really trust him?” Tommy explained. “I mean, Fundy only just brought this guy in this morning! He could be a drug dealer or something!” Theseus almost chuckled aloud.

“Yeah!” Tubbo’s voice agreed. “Like, I get that he’s injured and stuff, but we really don’t know his intentions. What if he’s working for Dream?”

“Yeah that’s entirely possible,” Fundy’s somewhat unfamiliar voice said next. “I didn’t think about it when I brought him in. Sorry about that.”

Right as Niki was about to tell her not to worry about it, Tubbo cut her off. “Wait, what if he is Dream?”

A pause. Theseus guessed they were giving the boy a confused look.

“Tubbo, are you okay?” Tommy said after a bit.

“No, think about it! Okay? We’ve never seen Dream’s face. Not even George has seen it! Right? So what if he just took off the mask, put on a different one, and just changed his accent. So he stabs himself, yeah? And pretends to be an injured traveller knowing that someone would find him and fix him up! And BAM! We’re completely destroyed from the inside out! Trojan horse style! Murder death trap or unsuspecting traveller? We wouldn’t know the difference!”

Tubbo wasn’t stupid. He had a good head on his shoulders. Tommy, both of them, had learned this in the years they were friends, even before L’Manburg. The kid had brilliant ideas and was an excellent problem solver. He’d acquired so many skills over the years, both useful and not (seriously, who needs to know how to make jewellery) so he had everything required to achieve any goal he had. He just had no idea how to efficiently communicate those ideas, often going on tangents and talking so fast nothing makes sense to anyone but him and maybe Tommy.

The younger Tommy outside translated Tubbo’s rant for the others.

“That’s actually a good point,” Fundy said quietly.

“See? What I tell ya?” Tubbo said.

“Well what should we do?”

“Fuckin’ stab ‘im again and throw ‘im out!” Tommy stage whispered. “If he’s Dream, I do not want him here!”

“We’ll talk to Wilbur,” Niki reasoned. “Right now, we don’t really have much of a reason to believe he’s Dream. But I do think we should be wary of him. We should definitely talk to Wilbur before we do anything.”

“Talk to me about what?”

The younger four explained their concerns to their President. Was he President yet? No. No, he only became President after they gained their independence. Shit this was too confusing already.

“Interesting, interesting,” Wilbur pondered. “That would be one way to throw a wrench in our plans, but would Dream stoop that low? He seems to be quite the honourable fighter.” Oh you fuckin’ wish, Soot Man. Green bitch basically lost all honour after the duel.

“That’s the question we’re all asking,” Tubbo said in a half-agreeing manner.

“Thank you for your concerns, everyone,” Wilbur said. “I think it’s best we let him stay for the moment, figure out what his intentions are before we accuse him of anything.”

There were mumbles of agreement from the four teenagers. Wilbur re-entered a moment later carrying a couple shirts over his arm. He seemed to come to a realisation half a second later.

“Hey Theseus,” he began, a short pause following as mumbling was heard from outside. “How much of that conversation did you hear?” The mumbling stopped.

Theseus gave him a deadpan look. “This is a tent, Wilbur Soot.” He swung his legs so they were hanging off the side of the bed and started bouncing his right leg absent-mindedly. “The walls are paper thin. I can hear everything you and your friends are saying out there.”

“Fuck,” came the voice of the other Tommy.

“Probably should’ve thought of that, eh?” He chuckled at the guilty look on the founder’s face. “Not to worry though. I’ve heard of Dream and what he’s been able to accomplish. I am nowhere near his level of skill, even with all my experience. No one really is. The only person who could stand a chance against that green bastard is The Blade himself!” A sort of inside joke with himself. The duel had yet to happen. No one but him knew who won, and even then, they’re still both very evenly matched.

“Alright, uh,” Wilbur stammered a bit, trying to find his footing. “I brought you a couple shirts to try. Um, take your pick. I’ll be outside waiting for you when you’re ready.”

The brunet was quick to get himself out of there. There were sounds of harsh whispers as he told his younger companions to vacate. Theseus almost cackled.

Making sure to check no one else would be coming into the room, he flicked off the hood of his coat. He ran a hand through his hair, tugging at some of the knots he’d left there for probably far too long. Some hairs pulled out in the process that he flicked carelessly on the ground. He was, however, incredibly careful that he didn’t disturb the braid by his ear.

He tried on the first of Wilbur’s shirts. It was a simple black pullover with a high neck. The style was obviously made to be oversized and despite how much Theseus had grown since this time, the future President was still a bit bigger than him, so the shirt nearly swamped his almost skin-and-bones form. He never really did recover from exile, did he?

The second shirt was a plain yellow sweater. Theseus completely skipped trying this one on. He felt almost as if he was disturbing something supernatural deep in his conscience. Like it was harming the friendly ghost he’d come to love. A ghost who didn’t even exist and, if he had any say in it, never will. That thought made him oddly a little sad.

The third was a simple button-up similar to the one worn under the L’Manburg revolutionary uniform. Long sleeved, a ruffled tie around the neck, a little form-fitting to allow space for the coat to sit comfortably over the top. It fit Theseus like a regular button-down, so he went with it.

The boy tied his hair up in a small ponytail, donned his hooded brown coat once again, and left the tent, the other shirts in hand. Wilbur, as he said he would, was waiting outside the tent. He’d managed to shoo away the younger versions of everyone in the process.

“Found one?” he asked. “I like that one on you. Fits nicely.”

“Thanks,” Theseus replied, handing the other shirts back to him. In a flash of golden-yellow particles, they were stored away in his inventory. He clapped his hands together, giving the accidental time traveller a smile.

“Well?” he said. “Ready for a quick tour of the country before sundown?”

Theseus nodded his head excitedly. “Fuck yeah, man! I’d love to see the place!”

Of course, he knew the place already. He’s seen it in every iteration, from the beginning to the end. He saw it under every President there was and he’d fallen into the earth every time it was made a crater. And yet, Theseus cherished every second of that tour.

It was as he re-met the early citizens of the country, sitting on oak log seats around a crackling fire as the sky grew dark, that he came to a conclusion for himself:

He was going to prevent a war.

And not even the gods could stop him now.

Chapter Text

The next day when Tommy woke, he was shocked to feel the warmth of someone else in his bed with him. That is until he blinked the sleep from his eyes and saw the messy brown mop of hair that belonged to Tubbo.

Oh that’s right! Some new dipshit called Theseus had stolen Tubbo’s room for a night while Wilbur got one of the spares ready for him to use! I mean, it’s definitely not the first time Tubbo’s ended up sleeping in his room, but still. It’s a bit annoying. Definitely not a way for Tommy to feel less touch starved. Nope! Tommy was a Big Man! He wasn’t clingy at all!

Still though, Big Men are allowed to curl up closer to their best friends when they wake up in the morning and have no motivation to get up just yet. Gee, we gotta normalize platonic cuddling.

Tommy could tell Tubbo was awake too because when he pulled the smaller boy in closer, he felt his head press up against his chest and an arm wrap around his torso. They probably could’ve stayed like this for hours, if he’s being totally honest. Even if Tubbo wasn’t quite used to the tiny stumps growing out of his skull and they were kinda uncomfortable against his ribs, but that was fine. They didn’t hurt, and he was happy.

Until Wilbur basically kicked open the door to wish them a good morning.

“Rise and shine, mother fuckers!” he yelled. “Camarvan in exactly six minutes and 48 seconds! We’ve got shit to discuss!”

“Fuck off, man,” Tommy groaned.

“No,” Wilbur responded simply. “You’ve got exactly six minutes and 35 seconds. Hurry up!”

The boys groaned again, but Wilbur was already off, presumably to wake up the other L’Manburgians. So, they got up and got themselves ready for the day quickly, or, as quickly as they could given neither of them were morning people and they literally just woke up.

Tommy helped Tubbo get his hat on securely over his horns. He’d told him he was a bit self-conscious about them; no one knew about them except him. The taller boy wasn’t sure why he felt that way. To him, having horns growing out of his head sounded cool as fuck! But, at the end of the day, it was Tubbo’s body, so it was his decision whether or not to hide them.

Blue and red coats shrugged on over their shoulders, boots tied tightly around their feet, and hats resting proudly on their heads, they left the barracks and headed for the camarvan in the centre of the country. Exactly one second late, specifically to piss Wilbur off.

When they arrived at the drug van, which is totally not used to make and sell drugs, everyone else was already there. Fundy and Niki were in the back corner by the storage room, talking about whatever girls talk about over their breakfast. Eret was stood by Wilbur, who’d set his own plate on the table in the centre and was looking rather concentrated as he poured over maps and other papers on the table in front of him. A crow was perched on his left shoulder, appearing to be reading and understanding the papers as well. Prime, Philza’s crows were confusing. The tall nonbinary was holding four plates of pancakes along their arm, and eating casually from one of them. Now this is the reason Tommy feared nonbinaries.

Eret smiled at them warmly as he noticed the boys enter, handing them each a plate of pancakes, which they happily accepted. She dusted sugar off their hand onto the black skirt they’d decided to sport under the coat and turned to Wilbur expectantly. He was shaking his head with mock disappointment.

“How dare you be one second late to my meeting,” he said. “I expected better of you Tommy Innit. Tubbo Underscore.”

“Well, there was your first mistake, Wilbur Soot,” Tommy joked back.

“I hope I’m not interrupting anything important.”

The voice was unexpected and made all of them jump in shock. Tommy turned to see their guest, Theseus, leaning in the doorway of the camarvan, arms crossed and probably smirking. He was wearing a bandana around his mouth! How the hell was Tommy supposed to know?

“Theseus,” Wilbur said, surprise clear in his tone. “I didn’t think you’d be up yet.” Tommy was suddenly thankful he’d decided not to use Wilbur’s full name.

“I wasn’t, but then someone started yelling and suddenly I was, so here I am.” He stepped further into the room. From his tone of voice, he clearly didn’t have any hard feelings. If anything, he was trying to joke it off. “Besides, no one calls a meeting at sunrise unless there’s something important happening. I figured you could use some extra hands on deck.”

“No fuck o-”

“Thank you,” Wilbur said gratefully, cutting Tommy off before he could finish his sentence. “We greatly appreciate your kindness.” He shot the blond a glare.

Eret stepped past the two boys to hand Theseus the last plate of pancakes. “Here you go, Theseus,” they said. “I made them this morning. They’re not as good as anything Niki makes, but I tried.”

“Thanks, man. I appreciate it.” He paused. “Are you alright with me calling you ‘man’?”

“Yeah, sure! I’m perfectly fine with that!”

“Pog. Just wanted to make sure.” The traveller walked around to stand at the table in the centre of the van, taking a bite out of his pancakes. He didn’t seem to notice, or care, that everyone was watching him. He turned to Wilbur. “What have you got for us, Wilbur? What are we up against?”

“Well…” Wilbur turned the map around so everyone else could see it better. Fundy and Niki joined the boys, and Eret, around the table. “I should probably explain our situation so Theseus is up to speed.

“L’Manburg proclaimed its independence from the Greater SMP two months ago, however, its leader, Dream, didn’t like that. The day after I had the declaration delivered, I received a declaration of war.

“Since then, our citizens have been attacked, as have our borders, and our nation itself. We built the walls to protect us. They’ve been working thus far, but I frankly don’t think they’ll hold for much longer. A portion of the surrounding forest has been burned and Eret nearly lost a life when they weren’t doing anything wrong.

“There’s yet to be an all-out battle, but I believe that will come soon. Do you have any questions, Theseus?”

The man shook his head. He had a look of determination in his eyes. A look hardened by witnessing years of bloodshed and war. Tommy silently wondered if he’d have that look in his eyes when this was all over.

“Alright.” Wilbur continued. “I’ve just received word back from the crow I sent to Jack Manifold. He’s in Oakstown as of yesterday and will be here in a week to help us with our cause.”

“Oakstown?” Tubbo voiced up, shocked. “He’s travelling through the Nether?”

Wilbur nodded. “He is. If there was anything I could do to stop him, I would. But I also wouldn’t, because we kinda need him here as soon as possible. And I would definitely do the same, so.” He earned a chuckle from everyone at that.

“Jack’ll bring his own weapons and tools, but he won’t have armour when he gets here. Which is fine, no amour is L’Manburg’s whole thing, but should we be battling the Greater SMP, he’ll need some. I’d like someone to gather the materials and get to work on making that.”

Tubbo and Theseus volunteered. Tubbo was assigned to the task for his efficiency, Theseus was set to help, but he was needed elsewhere for the moment. Fundy also volunteered, but Wilbur just ignored her. It seemed he didn’t want his daughter endangered, even if it was just gathering items.

“Niki, Eret. I want you two to keep an eye on Dream and Co. If he’s planning an attack, I want to know about it so we can be prepared.”

The pair nodded. Fundy seemed a little disheartened. Tommy couldn’t help but feel for her. Stealth was something she was really good at!

“Tommy. I want you to keep a keen eye on L’Manburg. Dream’s a smart man. It’s very likely he’ll find a way to take us out from the inside. Search the place for any possible secret entrances and any possible places to trap easily. If you see something suspicious, get rid of it. No surprises.”

Tommy opened his mouth to argue, but Theseus, as weird as it was, shot him a look, almost as if he knew he was going to object. He stopped, mouth hanging slightly agape, breath caught in his throat as the two made eye contact. Wilbur was still talking about plans, but none of the words were registering in his head. Something in the way he looked at him told him to shut up and take the job, like it was important he did, like the fate of the country hung in the balance. But how? Wouldn’t the fate of the country be in defeating Dream? How was protecting an inanimate place going to help their fight? Were Theseus’ eyes that blue a second ago?

“Theseus?” At Wilbur’s mention of his name, the traveller broke their prolonged eye contact. Tommy sucked in a deep breath of air.

“Yes?”

“May I talk to you outside for a second?”

“You may.”

The two left the camarvan, leaving the rest of the country’s citizens to talk amongst themselves. Tommy felt a hand on his shoulder.

“You alright, Big Man?” Tubbo asked him. Tommy shook his head of his dizziness.

“Yeah,” he said. But his voice sounded weak, so he said it again. “Yeah. I’m good. I just… It’s nothing. Just stress.”

He wasn’t sure who he was trying to convince: Tubbo, or himself.

---

Theseus was a mystery to Tubbo.

I mean, he seemed simultaneously so familiar and so foreign. He had a look about him that painted him out to be a veteran adventurer. He appeared battle-worn and experienced. There was something about Theseus that felt… outlandish... peculiar... odd.

Tubbo may or may not have peaked into the medical tent while he was changing. Not for anything weird! Just curiosity. His back was to him at the time, but the boy didn’t miss the several scars that covered his torso. Or how thin he was.

Oh, and he was kinda cute.

Okay, no, look, listen. Hear me out. Yes, he was probably too old for him. And yes, he was probably straight. And yes, this is a problematic notion to write. But he’d always kinda had a thing for tall, mysterious guys.

That was fine though. But right now, Tommy was breathing heavily and had an incredibly panicked look in his eyes. Tubbo set down his now empty plate and brought a hand to his friend’s shoulder.

“You alright, Big Man?” he asked. Tommy shook his head subtly as if clearing it.

“Yeah,” he said quietly. “Yeah. I’m good. I just… It’s nothing. Just stress.” He nodded confirmingly after that statement.

Tubbo frowned, but muttered a quiet “Okay, if you’re sure.” He’d be there for him when he was ready to talk about it.

“What do you guys make of this Theseus character?” Eret asked, coming over to the pair.

“He’s alright,” Tubbo said. “A bit mysterious. I wonder what his story is.”

“He freaks me out a bit,” Tommy admitted. The other two gave him a bit of a look.

“Why? He seems rather friendly to me,” Tubbo said.

“I’m not- I don’t know. He just feels… off to me.”

“I suppose that’s fair,” Eret reasoned. “He’s new to all of us. None of us know how he operates or what he’s capable of. There’s no telling what he could be hiding.”

“Are we talking about the new guy?” Fundy chimed in, jumping up to sit on the table in the centre of the room. “He seems so badass! I wanna know what his deal is!”

“So do I!” Tubbo agreed. “He has this massive ass scar on his back and I really wanna know what happened to him to get that!”

“How do you know he has a scar on his back?” Niki asked, coming up to stand beside Eret.

“Uh…” Tommy started snickering behind him. “That’s for me to know and you to never find out, Niki!” Tommy started laughing harder, prompting the young moobloom to hit him in the arm, hissing a “Shut up.” in his direction.

“I noticed he had a lot of scars when I was patching him up,” Niki admitted. “One of them definitely took a life, I’m sure of it.”

“What was it?” Fundy leaned forward curiously, swinging her dangling legs back and forth.

“It looked small. Like an arrow or dagger or something. But it was right over his heart, so I’m sure it killed him.” She gestured to where it was, using her own body as a diagram.

“Are you suggesting he died because of a skeleton?” Tommy joked.

“I’m sure it was more than a skeleton, Tommy,” Eret defended with a laugh.

“What else did you notice, Niki?” Tubbo asked. “You were the one who got closest to him!”

“I mean, I noticed he was bleeding out,” she offered.

“Yeah, besides that! What else did you notice?”

She thought for a bit, trying to remember. “He has a white streak in his hair?” she said after a while.

“He does?” Fundy asked, reaching up to grab a fistful of her own long orange curls, catching a few white strands among it. “Like mine?”

“Not quite,” Niki explained. “There’s only one near the front of his hair from what I could tell. It didn’t look dyed, but it didn’t seem entirely natural either.”

“Maybe there’s a scar there?” Eret pointed out. “Your hair can turn white if you scar your scalp, I’ve read. That could be what happened to Theseus.”

“Maybe.”

There was a moment of silence. Tubbo glanced out the window, noticing Wilbur and Theseus having an intense-looking discussion on the grass by where they had the campfire set up the night before. He couldn’t really tell who was intimidating who at this point.

“I wonder what they’re talking about out there,” he muttered aloud. Everyone else in the van turned to look out the window too.

“I’m not sure,” Eret muttered under their breath. “Maybe Wil thinks he might betray us.”

“Y’know, I don’t think he will.”

“You don’t? Tubbo, didn’t you literally suggest that he could be Dream yesterday?” Tommy questioned.

“Yes, but I have since gained enough information to change my judgement.”

“And you definitely don’t just think that because you find him cute.”

“Tommy!”

The van burst out with laughter at that. Tubbo stood there, blushing both out of anger and embarrassment. He huffed and continued looking out the window as the others laughed behind him. He locked eyes with Theseus and his breath caught in his throat, and not because he was cute.

Tubbo knew for a fact he’d seen those eyes before.

Those were Tommy’s eyes.

Chapter Text

“Have you seen anything yet?”

The sudden appearance of the small brunet next to them made Eret almost jump out of his skin.

“Tubbo!” they whisper-shouted. “Prime, you scared me!”

Tubbo merely giggled in response, muttering a quiet “Sorry” through a smile. He joined her as they crouched on the stone bricks of a tower by the community house. Eret wasn’t actually quite sure who built this or why it was here, but it made for a convenient spot to spy on what Sapnap and George were doing just outside the building over the lake.

“Nothing yet,” Eret said truthfully. “They’ve been here for twenty minutes. I think they’re waiting for someone. They’d never stay still for that long.”

Sure enough, after the pair waited for another five minutes, the man in green himself came sauntering down the path.

Dream greeted his friends happily, at least Eret assumed it was happily, but appeared to get down to business immediately. The other two were listening intently, nodding their heads along with whatever he was saying and occasionally putting in input of their own. This was when Eret was happy she knew how to read lips.

“Surely they couldn’t see this coming,” was among what Sapnap was saying.

George had his back facing partially towards them, so he was harder to read, but they did manage to catch “… surprised they were… work with us.”

That was when it dawned on them: they were talking about him!

Prime, it was a good thing Tubbo couldn’t lip read.

“I’m not sure how you expected to hear what they were saying from here, Big Man,” Tubbo whispered jokingly. Eret shushed him.

Dream handed Sapnap half a stack of TNT and gave the other half to George. Eret noticed the way their hands lingered there for a moment too long. The demon hybrid cleared his throat loudly.

“We’ll get this to him as soon as possible,” he said. A pause, followed by “Promise.”

“Now… hope he doesn’t… us,” George said.

The trio split, going off in separate directions. Tubbo turned his head back to the white-eyed nonbinary.

“Oh, that’s right! You can lip read!” he announced in a hushed voice, leaning forward. “What did they say?”

Okay, how could he say this without incriminating herself? Could he pin the blame on someone else? Theseus maybe. He was new so it’d be more likely. But he seemed so nice so far! Eret didn’t want to put him down like that!

“They didn’t say anything specific about their plans,” Eret began, thinking incredibly hard about what they were saying. “I’m sure they plan to blow up L’Manburg somehow. I mean Dream just gave them TNT. I’m not sure what else they’d be using it for.”

They paused again, playing with a strand of hair that was poking out from under their hat. “George said something about someone working for them. I couldn’t quite make that one out, but it’s pretty clear that it’s not someone already on their side.”

“Do you think there could be a traitor?”

Damn Tubbo and his being too clever for his own good!

“I didn’t say that, but now you mention it, it could be likely.”

“We have to go tell Wilbur! Now! C’mon! Let’s go!”

---

Theseus had forgotten how much of the area around L’Manburg was forest before the original war for independence.

The time traveller was simply enjoying his time wandering through the greenery, reminiscing on the times he’d spent here in his youth. The time before he lost his first and second lives to a war he was too young to be in. Before he realised how horrible the world could truly be. Before he was swept up in politics he couldn’t understand. Before he started to lose faith in his mentor and friend.

It was sad to know that this would all be burned down eventually. He wasn’t quite sure how to stop that from happening. To think of all the wildlife that would lose their homes.

Right now he was sitting under a tree, humming the tune of a song Wilbur used to play. It was just some generic bard song you usually heard in taverns during late-night rush, but Wilbur’s voice always brought something different to any song he sang. Theseus could never emulate that himself, but the nostalgia was there all the same. Everything was nostalgic to him now though. He was literally in the past.

That was something he was still struggling to grasp. I mean he’d only been here for five days, it’s not really a common concept to be violently thrust into the past before your brother figure died and you got traumatized beyond all known laws of psychology. It was important for him to take time for himself. He found himself thinking he’d come out here often from now on.

He wasn’t sure when he’d started singing the lyrics. He guessed it was just one of those songs he knew so well that he could sing it without really thinking about it all that much. Although, he had been singing it on loop for probably too long.

“If I had been born two hundred years ago,
I’d have been a sailor, and sailing I would go.
I’d sail around the Capes and across the seven seas and then back home.”

“If I had been born two hundred years ago.”

“Shit!”

Theseus physically jumped when the other voice joined, having not heard them approaching. He looked around, noticing a small brunet standing next to another tree about five metres from where the blond sat. How had he not noticed him?

Tubbo took a hesitant step towards the… I guess he is older now isn’t he?

“Sorry,” he said quietly, raising his hands in surrender. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”

“No, you’re okay Tubbo. I should’ve noticed you were there,” Theseus assured.

“Do you…” The hybrid appeared to be debating something with himself. “Do you mind if I join you?” He gestured at the grass next to the tree.

Theseus nodded his head gently. “No, sure. Go ahead.”

The boy sat next to him, resting his head against the tree and patting his thighs nervously. Theseus relaxed his tensed muscles and leant back against the oak as well. They sat for a moment in an awkward silence, the birdsong and the sounds of the wind being the only thing to accompany them. A crow could be heard in the near distance as it probably did something to purposely annoy Wilbur.

“Y’know, Theseus,” Tubbo said after a moment, “I’ve been meaning to ask you something. Why do you look so much like Tommy?”

For a moment, his heart stopped, his lungs faltered, his eyes widened. Then they picked up again. He took a laboured breath as he turned to face the other, who was already staring in his direction. He spoke before Theseus got the chance.

“I mean, think about it. Blond, tall, freakishly blue eyes. There’s that white streak that I’m not quite sure why it’s there, but the resemblance is strikingly similar. Are you related or something? Tommy hasn’t mentioned any relatives before, I just assumed he was an orphan or something. Are you-”

“No! I- no… it’s,” Theseus struggled to get a proper word out. He looked down at his lap as he collected his thoughts. He couldn’t tell him, could he? But then again, if he was to trust anyone with this information it would be Tubbo. He looked back up at the other boy. Deep blue eyes watched him expectantly. Tubbo seemed to pick up that this was an important matter. So, Theseus pulled down his hood, took a deep breath, and untied his bandana. Tubbo physically backed up, eyes wide. He clearly recognised him instantly, despite the extra scars across his nose bridge and his mouth.

“Tom…my…?”

“Hey, Tubso.”

“What the fuck?” Tubbo started to stand up. Theseus stopped him.

“Tubbo, no. Wait. I can explain,” he said. Tubbo stopped. “It will not make any sense, but I promise it’s true. Please. Just… listen?”

Tubbo paused for a moment, studying the future version of his best friend. Wordlessly, he took his place back against the oak tree. He looked up at Theseus, and whispered, “Okay.”

Breathing a sigh of relief and a quiet “Thank you” before he steeled himself to the explanation of his life.

“Okay, so,” the blond tried. “Fuck, how do I say this? Five days ago… no… Okay. My name is Tomathy Innit. I’m the former Vice President of L’Manburg under two different Presidents. I’m 19 years old, turning 20 in a month, and I currently live with my best friend and… someone you haven’t met yet, in… somewhere that doesn’t exist yet.

“Five days ago, I was with my best friends exploring a new area near the Greater SMP.” He left out that it was only new to him because he was dead for a week. “Something happened to me while we were there and I blacked out. I woke up and was in the past.”

“The past?” Tubbo repeated.

“Yes.”

“You mean to tell me you’re a fucking time traveller?”

“Not by choice, Tubbo! Not by choice!”

“That’s so fucking cool! And you said you were nearly 20?”

“In a month from when I’m from.” Theseus was surprised how well Tubbo was taking this. “I’m not sure how that translates to now.”

“It wouldn’t change, right?” Tubbo said thoughtfully. “Because your body doesn’t seem to have been affected by the time travelling. Other than the injury you got getting here. So, technically, your exact age hasn’t changed.” Theseus must’ve made a look because Tubbo continued to break apart his thought process. “Your body is still exactly 19 and 11 months old, even though you’re four years in the past. So, even if it's not actually a month before your birthday, you will technically turn 20 on…” He paused, counting on his fingers as he did the maths. “… the 29th of July. That’s with the five days you’ve already been here taken into account.”

“Right, so, I have a new birthday now.”

“Yup!”

“And this is relevant how?”

Tubbo shrugged. “It isn’t. I just thought it was interesting.”

“Well, that’s great. Good for you, Tubbo.”

They fell into silence for a moment, less awkward than the first one. Tubbo reached an arm out slowly. Upon receiving no resistance, he ran a finger along the scar that ran horizontally across his nose and cheeks. He thinks Techno had given him that scar. During doomsday, if he remembered correctly.

“So, what are you gonna do? Now that you’re here, that is.” Tubbo paused before asking, “Do you want to go back?”

Theseus shifted where he sat. The hybrid removed his hand from his face. The older found himself missing the touch. “I’m not sure. If I am, I’m going to fix a few things first.”

“Fix a few things?” Tubbo echoed. “Like what exactly?”

“Tubbo, I…” Theseus was trying to keep himself from tearing up. Wilbur wouldn’t die. He wasn’t even going to host an election.

“…Tommy?”

Theseus sighed. “There’s… there’s a couple things that happen, to us and our friends in particular, that I never want to happen. I know everything seems fine now, but things took a few turns that kinda scarred me for life. I was 16 when I lost my first two lives.” Tubbo’s jaw dropped. “I’m not letting that happen this time. No one deserves that.”

“16…” was all Tubbo could say. He nodded firmly a couple seconds later, seeming to understand.

Theseus looked out towards the setting sun. He grabbed his bandana and began tying it back around his face. “C’mon, it’s getting dark. We should probably go back to L’Manburg.”

Tubbo nodded, standing eagerly. “If you’re from the future, does that mean you already know about the traitor?”

Theseus raised an eyebrow. “We didn’t figure it out last time. Not until it was too late.”

“So there is a traitor! I knew it! Who? I wanna stab ‘em!”

“I’m not telling you who,” Theseus said with a chuckle and a shake of his head. “No spoilers.”

“Awe! Come on, Theseus! Tommy. Fuck.”

“Nope!” The blond flicked up his hood and began walking, the curious boy trailing just behind him. “You’re either not gonna know or you’ll figure it out yourself. I’m not telling you shit!”

“But how else are you gonna change things?” Tubbo whined.

“I plan on convincing them otherwise with my incredible charm and devilishly good looks.”

“Ha! You wish!”

“Oi!”

The walk back to the small country was filled with laughing and banter. Crazy how they still bounced off each other perfectly, despite being from entirely different timelines.

“And Tubbo?” Theseus said quietly before they entered the walled area. “Maybe it’s best if you just call me ‘Theseus’.”

Chapter Text

“Are you sure you’ve done it right this time?”

“Yes. I’m sure.”

“Really? ‘Cause you were sure the last time you tried this and you lost like 50% of your memory!”

“Yeah, we’re not going on another journey to get your memory back if this fucks up.”

“I’m sure, babes! I’m sure. It has to work this time.”

“Sure it has to. But will it, is the question.”

“Do you both really think I shouldn’t do this?”

“Actually, I think you should. He’s the one who thinks you shouldn’t.”

“I just think there’s gotta be another way to do this! One that doesn’t put you in so much danger.”

“Babe, there are three kids lost among time and space somewhere. They’re in danger here. Karl knows what he’s doing. He’s done this time travel thing before. Isn’t that right?”

Karl nodded his head. His mouth was pressed into a thin line, eyes sparkling with determination.

“I still can’t believe you can time travel…”

“Honestly, Quackity, I can’t either and I’ve been doing it for years. But I can and I’m sorry I didn’t tell you both sooner.

“This was my mistake. I sent them back in time all because I wanted to do some stupid experiments with my powers, and now the only way to get them back is to possibly put myself in danger.

“I know it’s risky, and I appreciate you guys’ concern, but I have to fix this.”

His fiancés shared a look, exchanging a silent conversation between one another. Eventually, they came to some sort of consensus and nodded to him.

The three of them shared a hug. Goodbye or good luck, Karl wasn’t sure, but he was happy nonetheless. He turned back to the portal frame behind him, an oval-shaped creation of quartz and crying obsidian. With a small flame and a snap of his fingers, a vortex was created within the oval.

A bright purple abyss with a green spiral travelling down it like a tunnel. Giving his fiancés one final smile and a silent “I love you”, he pulled down his goggles and stepped into the portal.

---

It was early evening when Theseus finally found his way out of the mines just outside the Greater SMP. His hands were rough with dirt and calloused from holding a pickaxe for so long. Stored safely away in his inventory was plenty of iron and diamonds for the revolutionaries to use for weapons and armour, especially to help Tubbo in his final efforts to complete the armour set that would be Jack Manifold’s.

The traveller began stalking his way back to the small country, doing his best to avoid anyone and everyone from the SMP. No one knew he was here and it was better for L’Manburg that it stayed that way until the war truly broke out.

Theseus knew there was no talking Dream out of the war, at least not now. He’d left it too late to change anything in his mind about how the micronation deserved freedom and safety. All he could do now was prove him wrong. Maybe win a duel if he needed to.

Tubbo didn’t know much. He probably knew more than he should, but he’d agreed not to press into more current issues. If he knew any more than he did already, it could drastically change the course of action and Theseus wouldn’t know how to defend his friends. Best to leave things predictable.

Just as that thought crossed his mind, however, a bright purple and green vortex opened up out of fucking no where.

Onto the golden lit wooden path stepped a smaller figure clad in too many colours. He wore crystal-like goggles over his eyes and a long jacket that was almost reminiscent of a tailcoat. Three or four bracelets decorated each of his wrists, each attached to a small device that looked like something Tubbo would make while he was tinkering with redstone. Upon exiting the portal, it vanished and the figure almost ran into him.

“Oh! Crap, sorry! I didn’t see you there,” he apologised, placing his goggles on his messy, fawn-coloured curls.

Karl, Theseus realised. This was Karl.

But not Karl as he was when he first came to the Greater SMP. No, that Karl didn’t wear tiny redstone contraptions or jump out of portals at random intervals. This was Karl as he knew him. From his timeline.

“Karl?” Theseus exclaimed in disbelief. “What the fuck?”

“Tommy? Is that you?”

“Shhh! Keep your voice down!” One shoulder check later and the man was dragging the other time traveller down the path. “Follow me. And call me Theseus.”

“Theseus?” Karl asked. “Why?”

“I’ll tell you later,” the blond promised through gritted teeth.

Theseus led the newcomer as stealthily as he could through the darkness and around the walls of L’Manburg. They ended up at the hidden entrance to a secret tunnel Tommy had dug recently as an emergency escape route. Karl would use this to sneak into the country without getting seen.

“Use this tunnel,” Theseus commanded. “It’ll spit you out by the wall just behind the barracks. I’ll open the window to my room so you can climb in. I’ve gotta speak to a couple people first. Don’t get caught.”

“What’s going on right now? I have so many questions,” Karl whispered.

“So do I, Twitch Dot TeeVee Slash Karl Jacobs. You popped out of a random portal half a metre from my face and recognised me instantly. Not to mention the fact that you’re supposed to be in the future right now!”

“Wait, I-”

“Talk later, Karl!” He shoved the brunet into the tunnel and sealed up the entrance before turning on his heel to enter the country the normal way.

Eret waved to him from the camarvan’s doorway as he walked in through the entrance in the wall. With a polite wave back to her and Niki, he made his way to the workbench where Tubbo was tinkering away at something. The unfinished armour was propped up on the side of the table, forgotten while the maker was waiting on the remaining supplies needed to complete the project.

The boy thanked him without looking up, far too absorbed in his miniature project. Theseus walked casually to the barracks, hoping the other time traveller followed his instructions.

“Theseus! Do you have a minute?” Wilbur interrupted him as he walked, stepping between him and the door to the building.

“That depends, Wilbur,” Theseus answered. “What did you need?”

“I wanted to ask you about our… situation,” the founder said vaguely.

“You’ve gotta be more specific, mate. We’ve got so many situations happening right now.”

“The traitor situation.”

Oh. Oh!

So he thinks Theseus is the traitor. This is simultaneously entertaining and nerve wracking.

“Go on.”

“We shouldn’t do this here,” Wilbur motioned to the door of the barracks. “Maybe we step into your room to talk.”

Shit. “Actually, I think we should do this here.” Wilbur raised a questioning eyebrow. He won’t say yes to that! Give him a reason! “If I am the traitor, as you think I am, you’ve got witnesses.” Theseus gestured subtly to the people by the van. He hadn’t noticed until now, but Tommy and Fundy were on the wall, mostly just joking around with one another, but occasionally casting the pair of them a watchful eye.

Wilbur seemed satisfied with that reasoning and continued speaking. “I didn’t say I thought you were the traitor, but it would make sense considering none of us know you.”

“True, you do have a point there.”

“Tubbo insists you’re innocent. And yet I’m still not convinced.”

“Then it seems Tubbo’s the only one with any common sense,” Theseus joked. Not the time.

“He also says that you two had some sort of ‘heart to heart’ a couple nights ago, but he refuses to tell me what about.” Wilbur leaned in menacingly. Theseus did his best not to flinch. “What did you tell him?”

“Nothing you need to know.” Was that true? Probably. If Wil knew he was from the future, he might end up speedrunning his descent into insanity, driven this time by some lust for power or knowledge rather than loss.

Yeah. Probably best he didn’t know.

“Oh really? Was that all?” Theseus fought the urge to shiver. He hated it when Wilbur used that tone. Hated it with a passion. For a moment he was back in the suffocating stone walls of Pogtopia.

Strong now. Cry later. You don’t have time for this.

“Something wrong with that, Mr Soot?” Almost called him ‘Mr President’ there.

“Actually, there is. See, Tubbo is one of our best men. He’s smart and capable, not to mention very talented. However, he’s naive. Gullible.”

“I don’t like what you’re implying.”

“I don’t like you manipulating our youth!”

Theseus flinched as Wilbur raised his voice. The older seemed to notice and he stopped, unsure of what to do. Whether to back off and give him some space, or continue pressing him. The blond took the silence as a chance to breathe and refocus.

This is your friend. Not ‘Alivebur’. Not Dream.

You’re in L’Manburg. Not Pogtopia. Not Logstedshire.

You’re safe.

Kinda.

Theseus noticed curious eyes poking around the side of the building, setting sun reflecting off the crystal goggles perched on the mop of brown hair. He sighed.

“You’re convinced it’s me, aren’t you?” the traveller asked, not waiting for an answer. “And nothing I say here will convince you otherwise?”

When he received a firm, confident nod, he cracked a smile that remained hidden thanks to the green fabric shielding half his face from view.

“Then I’ll do everything I can to prove you wrong.”

With that, he stepped around Wilbur and through the door to the barracks, heading to his room to let in an outsider. Maybe he's not the traitor, but part of that idea makes him feel like he’s betraying them anyway.

---

“So, what you mean to tell me is you’re the reason I’m here?”

Karl winced, rubbing the back of his neck. “Yep, that’s exactly right!”

“What the fuck is wrong with you?”

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry! It was an accident!” he hurriedly apologised. “I messed with something I should’ve and now the three of you got yeeted out of our timeline and now I have to find you all and-”

“Hang on a minute. The three of us?” Theseus repeated, one eyebrow raised. He moved his bandana to sit around his neck. His face displayed a worried expression.

Karl nodded his head hurriedly. “You, Tubbo, and Ranboo. They’re here too, right?”

Theseus shook his head. Karl’s eyes widened.

“Fuck. This is bad.”

“Where the fuck are they?”

“I don’t know!” Karl looked on the verge of an all out panic attack. He started pacing. “They could just not have landed yet or they could be in completely different timelines! It’s a coin flip!”

Theseus reached out his arms in an attempt to calm the time traveller down. “Karl, calm yourself. We’ll figure this out. Okay?”

“How?” He was rubbing circles into his temples. “How can we work towards finding them when I barely managed to make it here! I only made it here because I messed with so many different things! I’d have no idea how to replicate it! Unless I go- oh…” He looked up slowly at the taller as if he’d had an epiphany.

“I know how I can find them.”

Theseus was confused. Really fucking confused. Karl sounded like he was talking out of his ass but, at the same time, seemed to know what he was saying. All he could do is trust him at this point. Even asking for an explanation would do his head in.

Karl paced the room for a bit, whispering to himself. Theseus sat down on his bed and started twisting his braid absentmindedly as he watched. Nothing he said was loud enough for the other man in the room to hear, but it was loud enough to be annoying. He didn’t say anything though.

“Have you changed anything?” the time traveller asked after a while.

“Uh,” Theseus paused. Yes. Of course he had! Just by being here things were already different. Not to mention Wilbur thinking he was the traitor, Eret slipped up somewhere and now L’Manburg knew there was a traitor, Jack Manifold was called in early, Tubbo knew he was from the future- “Yes.”

“Fuck, okay. Do you want to change things?”

“I’m going to stop the war, Karl. If not stop it, win it. Hopefully knock Dream down a peg before he starts manipulating minors.”

Karl only nodded slowly.

“I can’t tell you what I’m doing exactly,” he started after a second. “but I’ll be in and out from now on. I’ll be helping from a different point in time-space. I’ll find the Underscore-Beloveds and put them in this timeline if I can. Your job once they’re here is to integrate them into history without exposing them as from the future.

“Theseus is good. It’s good you used a different name. Smart thinking on that one. Do the same for the other two when they get here. No one knows, right?”

He thought about Tubbo and their conversation under the tree two nights ago. And the jokes they’d shared on the walk back. And his informal interrogation last night on everything and anything. And how he treated him like he was just Tommy…

And he shook his head.

“Good. Things could get wildly out of hand if they did.”

“Say, just as a hypothetical, someone were to figure it out somehow?” Theseus worded carefully. “What happens then?”

“If that were to happen, keep as much from them as possible. The more they know, the more they can change without thinking about it.”

“So it’s not the end of the world?”

“I’d say ‘no’, but it really could be.”

“Fuck, no pressure.”

“Nope! None at all!”

“And you’ve been doing this on your own for how long?”

A chime. Karl looked at one of the many circular devices on his wrists, alarm painted in his eyes. He looked back up at Theseus quickly.

“I have to go!” he shouted in a panicked tone.

He pressed a button on the device and, as quickly as he’d appeared, he vanished in a flash of purple and green. An open book on the bedside turned its pages and blond locks were ruffled by the slight breeze the magic left lingering. Theseus scoffed, half in disbelief, the other half an emotion he wasn’t quite sure of.

“That’s one way to dodge the question,” he muttered to himself.

The boy reached over to the book on the small table, thumbing through the mostly blank pages as he thought. If he was going to change things, it would be a good idea to know where to start. What was it that Puffy told him in therapy? It’s good to get all your thoughts down on paper, even if they’re a jumbled mess at first. Something about organising and bottling shit up, yada yada yada. Theseus takes a quill and ink from a draw and flips to the first empty page.

‘Project: Fix Fucking Everything.com’ he writes. He moves the quill down a line and presses it to the page, only to stop dead in his tracks, his mind both completely empty and too full to focus on anything.

This would be a long night.

Chapter Text

Most people who meet Jack Manifold would say that he’s too stubborn for his own good. And they would be right!

No further comment. They’re just right.

If Jack Manifold said he was going to do something, he was going to fucking do that thing. No ifs, ands, or buts about it! Like now, as the man himself hiked through the last few kilometres of his treacherous journey through the red forests of the Nether.

He knew the Greater Dream SMP community portal wasn’t far from here, but he checked his coordinates every now and again to ensure he remained on the right path. Shouldn’t be long now.

The Minecraft Murder, as he’d creatively dubbed the murder of crows that follow Philza and Wilbur around, couldn’t exactly survive in the Nether for very long. While their company would’ve been great, and annoying, he was forced to make the journey alone. He was, however, informed in Wilbur’s letter that there would be crows waiting for him on the Overworld side of the community portal when he arrived ready to lead him straight to L’Manburg.

Jack wasn’t normally one for fighting for nations and honour and whatnot, but he was never one to deny a friend. So, when Wilbur reached out and asked for his help, of course he said yes!

Now all that was left to fight a green bitch! Piece of cake, right?

Oh so very wrong.

Jack smiled as he came upon a blackstone structure, high in the hair above a sea of bright orange lava. This was it. The place many a traveller had come to fear. Bring it.

He ignored the burning heat of the air as he climbed the stairs. He gave a polite nod to a pair of piglins who were sat on the brick steps, chatting in their native tongue. One even moved to the side to allow him to pass. How nice! Must be his bracelet cuffs.

Just as Wilbur had said, there were about six or so crows around the portal when he arrived in the Overworld. They were on the ground, hopping around and cawing at one another. Many were bobbing their heads up and down as if to music. It never ceased to surprise Jack how human the bird seemed. Nor did it cease to creep him the fuck out. He greeted the crows with a simple “Ayup, lads!”

The birds hopped up to his feet, cawing what were probably hellos. Why don’t they just use their wings? What are they? Stupid?

One of them hovered in front of his face, cawed at him, before flying off in a direction. Some others spread their black feathered wings and flew off after it, the others stayed by the man’s feet, waiting for him to move before they took off.

“Alright, let’s go then,” Jack announced as he set off after the birds. The remaining trailed a little behind him and by his sides, probably in an effort to protect him. The great Jack Manifold didn’t need protecting, but that’s fine. He’ll respect the followers of Philza Minecraft.

The Greater SMP was rather pretty, if Jack was being honest. Not the prettiest place he’d ever been, but prettier than many others.

He found himself recognising certain builds from the letters he had received from his friends, namely the community house and the Church of Prime. But there were buildings that neither of them had even mentioned to him that looked intriguing. He’d have to ask them about it later.

The crows led him to a protective blackstone wall circling what he assumed was L’Manburg. Wilbur was already waiting for him, a single crow on his shoulder and several more around him as he leaned against the walls at the entrance. Jack offered him an exaggerated, friendly wave. The founder greeted him smiling.

“Jack Manifold!” he cheered, offering the man a strong handshake and a hug. “Just the man I wanted to see!”

“Hello, Wilbur!” Jack said, smile just as wide as the brunet’s was. “How’s things? I heard you needed my help.”

“We do, we do.” Wilbur put a hand on his shoulder and began to lead him into the country. “Things are starting to get more dangerous for L’Manburg. We could use the extra hands.”

“Well, you called the right guy, Wil. Danger is my middle name!” Jack joked. He did manage to earn a chuckle out of Wilbur for that one.

“I’m glad.”

“Dad!”

The voice of Wilbur’s daughter cut their greetings short as both of their heads turned to face her direction. She was running across the grass towards them, holding a bundle of brightly coloured fabric in her arms, orange tail wagging happily behind her.

Prime, she looked 15 already! He knew Wilbur said she aged faster than humans but this is just insane.

“What’s up, Fundy?” Wilbur asked.

“Niki and I just finished making Jack’s uniform! And look!” She held up a tailcoat similar to the one her father was wearing, only made of a much brighter blue fabric. “I made this with some spare fabric! I did all the stitches myself!”

The fox girl grinned proudly, showing off her sharpened canines. To be fair, for the first time making a garment by herself, she did a rather good job. Wilbur gave her an affectionate pat on the head.

“Well done, Fundy,” he said. “I’m so proud of you.” Jack couldn’t help but smile. Fundy turned to him with a grin.

“Hi, Jack!” she chirped.

“Hi, Fundy! Nice coat you got there!” he said, mimicking her energy.

“Thanks! Here, come with me. Niki’s got your uniform by the camarvan.”

The newcomer followed the girl to a stationary van in the centre of the country. On the grass outside Niki sat surrounded by fabrics and sewing equipment. She smiled warmly upon seeing Jack, standing and giving him a gentle hug.

“Hi, Jack. Welcome to L’Manburg,” she said sweetly.

“Thank you, Niki,” Jack replied. “I’m happy to be here, finally.”

“I wanted to give Jack his uniform!” Fundy chirped. Niki nodded.

“Ah, yes. Let me grab that for you real quick.” She turned back to their makeshift sewing station and retrieved an outfit very similar to Wilbur’s, only in his size. Instead of handing him the hat like a normal person, Fundy put it roughly onto his head, nearly taking out his eye in the process.

“Thanks guys. I really appreciate it,” he said genuinely as he put the clothes into his inventory and fixed the hat’s positioning.

“Tubbo should have the boots if you want those. You’ll just have to ask him when he and Tommy come back. I think he has your armour too,” Niki explained. He thanked her again.

Wilbur walked up to the group and put a gentle arm around Fundy’s shoulders. “I really think you like it here, Jack,” he said with a soft smile. “We’ve built quite a lovely nation here. It’d be better if Dream would stop attacking us, but what can you do.”

“Surely there’s something we can do,” Jack said. “Don’t we outnumber him now?”

“We may outnumber his team, but they’re all very skilled warriors. We currently don’t stand much of a chance in a battle against them.”

“We haven’t seen Theseus fight yet!” Fundy pointed out. Wilbur’s face dropped. “For all we know, he could be just as skilled as Dream is! Better even!”

The founder almost appeared to be fighting the urge to roll his eyes. “I doubt he’d be that good. Did you see the wound he had when he came in?”

“Yeah, I brought him in. Of course, I saw it.”

“Who’s Theseus?” Jack asked.

Wilbur gave him a look. “Theseus is the guy I told you about in my most recent letter.”

Oh. Well dang.

Wilbur’s most recent letter had been one he received about three days into his journey in the Nether. He’d written wishing him well in his travels and detailing some of his concerns with the war on L’Manburg. One of those concerns being the newcomer they’d found just outside their borders bleeding out slowly.

“Actually, Jack,” Wilbur said. “I’d like to bring you into the camarvan for just a minute, if that’s okay with you. There are a couple things we need to discuss.”

“Yeah, sure that’s fine with me.”

The pair made their way into the van and stood around a centre table covered in plans and maps. Jack decided to ignore the questionable instruments on the counters around them and instead focus on what it was Wilbur had to talk to him about.

The older took the lead in the conversation. “Look Jack, I’m gonna be honest with you, I don’t like Theseus,” he said.”

“Why? What’s so bad about him?” Jack asked, more out of curiosity than anything.

“He’s weird. I’m not sure how to describe it. It’s like there’s something really out of place about him. Like he shouldn’t be here.”

“Well that’s nothing to base an opinion on,” Jack shrugged. “Sometimes people give off one vibe and they’re actually really different.”

“Yeah but, he also just knows more than he should. None of us know him, but he seems to just get how everything is with us? Tubbo didn’t even tell him his name and he just knew it! It’s strange.

“The other day, our spies came back with the information that there was a traitor among us. Someone in L’Manburg is working for Dream, and I’m certain it’s him. There’s no one else it could be! We all knew each other before war was declared, and this random asshole just shows up immediately knowing how everything works and expects us to not be suspicious of him?”

Okay, he may have a point there.

“Jack, I want you to keep an eye on him,” Wilbur commanded. His eyes were dark. Cold and calculating. The kind of eyes you see on your opponent in a game of chess.

Only this wasn’t at a table, it was on the field. And it wasn’t for a prize, it was to the death.

Keep an eye on the new guy who was probably skilled in combat and probably also working for Dream, one of the most skillful person Jack knew and also their mortal enemy at this current moment. Sounds easy enough!

“Okay. Consider it done, Wilbur.”

---

Well this was certainly interesting to watch.

Theseus was currently perched on the branch of a tree, watching and listening to an interaction between Sapnap and Eret. The traitor. He felt like a fucking ninja!

Sapnap passed the enby half a stack of TNT. “George should find you tomorrow with the rest,” he said. “You understand what Dream wants you to do with it, correct?”

“Yes I understand perfectly,” Eret responded. “Thank you. I’ll get to work on this when I get the rest from George.”

Sapnap nodded. “Good luck, Eret.”

The half demon turned and walked back through the forest towards the Greater SMP, his hands shoved in his pockets. Eret stood there for a while, staring at the explosives in their hands. Theseus was beginning to hope maybe she didn’t want to go through with this in the first place. They’d told him in his timeline why they did it. Maybe that doubt was already there. That would certainly make his job a lot easier.

The enby finally stored the TNT in their inventory and began walking back towards the blackstone walls of L’Manburg. Theseus dropped down from his hiding spot, landing directly in front of them.

“And people think I’m the traitor,” he announced teasingly.

“Theseus!”

“Fancy seeing you here, Eret.”

“How long have you been up there?”

“Long enough.” Theseus shot Eret a glare. He started circling them dramatically. “So, what’s your deal? What are you getting out of betraying all your friends and possibly traumatising several children?”

“What?”

“You heard me.” He was enjoying being intimidating all too much, honestly.

Eret sighed, shaking his head softly and shutting his eyes behind their sunglasses. “It’s not that simple. I was offered the throne, but I’m not doing this for power.”

The traveller crossed his arms, looking up at her and pretending to think. “I’m listening.”

“If I help the Dream Team destroy L’Manburg, I’ll be able to unite the server again. There won’t be any more war because there’ll be nothing left to fight over. I could finally be able to protect my friends.”

“I see.” Theseus shook his head. “But you fail to realise something. There’s a problem with that logic.”

Eret cocked their head to one side, so Theseus continued.

“Once L’Manburg is gone, there may be no physical place, but the dream, no pun intended, will still be there. Things can be rebuilt, Eret. You won’t achieve peace this way. You’ll only drive away the people you seek to protect.”

“You sound like you’re speaking from experience.”

He chuckled darkly. “Take it from someone who lost a life due to a very similar betrayal. They only wanted the best for us, but it took me years to even think about forgiving them.”

Eret had a look on their face that he couldn’t read. They looked both as though they were coming to some long awaited conclusion, and like they were at war in their own mind. Theseus could only imagine what that felt like. He’d said she’d do this for Dream, and now she’d been given a reason to back out and fight for the nation they helped to build. Either way they’d be betraying someone.

Then again, I suppose he did know how that felt.

“Listen,” Theseus said, stepping forward and resting a hand gently against the other’s arm. “I understand what it’s like to betray someone. All too well, I’ll admit. Not a pleasant feeling, especially when that person has done so much for you, and you for them. You’ve been crucial to the rise of L’Manburg as a nation, Eret, and with you it could be so much greater in the future. Do you really want to throw that chance away?

“At the end of the day, it’s your decision, and I won’t argue with you about that.” He already has. “Should you blow up the nation, I will respect that decision.” He didn’t the first time. “And I won’t fight you on it.” Where were these lies coming from? “But I would hate for you to feel like you didn’t make the right choice, especially when you’re being lied to.” Well that one was true at least.

Eret nodded, taking everything in for a minute. Then they met his eyes. “You won’t tell anyone about this, will you?” he asked hopefully.

“No one would believe me if I did. Wilbur seems to believe I’m the traitor, which I find hilarious because… reasons, so he would think I’m simply trying to clear my name.”

“That’s fair.”

“So, you gonna blow it up?”

The TNT Sapnap gave them materialised in her hands once more. She stared at the red casing for a moment, gripping it so tightly their knuckles turned white.

“No…” they said, so quietly Theseus wasn’t sure he heard herself.

“No, I don’t think I will.” Louder, more confident, a sense of duty in their tone. He looked at the time traveller with a grin.

“If you’re here telling me not to, then clearly it wasn’t meant to be.”

Behind his mask, Theseus beamed.

---

The fire was warm against Tubbo’s skin, a contrast against the cool night breeze that played with the hair on the back of his neck. Hearty laughter erupted from everyone around him at something he’d said. Tommy gave him a playful shove from where he sat beside him on their shared log.

The youngest members of L’Manburg, with the addition of Theseus, were sat around the fire pit in the early hours of the night. Laughing, telling stories, catching up. It was nice. Peaceful.

“I’m sorry, you what?” Theseus practically yelled at the boy.

“What?” Tubbo said, genuinely confused. “What did I say?”

“You just said you can’t believe you thought he was attractive!” Jack Manifold said between laughs.

Tubbo went beat red. “I said that out loud?”

Tommy was absolutely losing his shit next to him. Oh, if only he knew…

And then Theseus started absolutely losing his shit. Okay, maybe it wouldn’t be so different if he knew.

“Fuck off, Theseus!” Tubbo yelled, pointing a finger at the blond accusingly.

“I am never gonna let you live that down!” he announced.

Slowly, the laughter died down and Tubbo’s face lowered to a level of redness he could get away with blaming on the heat from the fire. Theseus would occasionally cast him a glance and, if he knew Tommy, he was a mix of smirking and mouthing the words ‘what’ and ‘the’ and ‘fuck’, specifically in that order.

“Really though,” Jack changed the topic back to the original one. “I’m very curious to learn what your story is, Theseus. You seem like an interesting fella.”

“I’m going to take that as a compliment,” Theseus said before sighing, looking at the dancing flames as he thought of what to say next.

“There’s not really much to say, honestly. I had an older brother where I come from. Adopted, mind you. His father took me in after I tried to steal from them and failed miserably. Been a thorn in their sides ever since.

“Brother had a kid with some nymph creature and then proceeded to make an entire nation dedicated to protecting him. What else is there?”

“Making a nation to protect his kid? Sounds awfully familiar, doesn’t it?” Tommy made a playful jab in Fundy’s direction. Tubbo understood the connection now.

Of course! Tommy had always said that he and Wilbur were like brothers! If Fundy was Wilbur’s daughter, that would make her Tommy’s niece. Theseus probably changed the pronouns to make it seem less suspicious. Kinda. Tubbo cast the ginger girl a glance.

The fox sat on her log with one knee tucked into her chest. She looked really quite engaged in what Theseus was saying. Jack spoke up again.

“Wait, don’t nymphs only have female children?” he asked. “Is your nephew male because his dad’s human, or?”

Theseus shook his head. “He’s trans. Nymphs can only produce biologically female children, no matter what gender the other parent is. F- my nephew was born female, but wasn’t comfortable like that, so he changed his appearance and he’s a boy now.”

“He used a glamour enchantment?” Tubbo asked.

“No, he used… I’m not honestly sure what he used. But he wore a binder for a while. Cut his hair. All that fun stuff. We were all as helpful as we could be and supported him the entire process. He’s great.”

Tubbo nodded, satisfied with the answer. Then it clicked in his brain. If Theseus was drawing parallels from his past to forge a backstory in their present, did that mean…

His eyes shot to Fundy. She- he had set his chin on his knee, clearly deep in thought. A hand was absently playing with an orange curl by his face. Theseus cleared his throat.

“Uh, I have a best friend.” He gave Tubbo a look. He was sure the blond was smirking behind the bandana. “He’s just a bit older than me. We did almost everything together. He… actually I’m not sure I should say that. Um.”

“Say what?” Tubbo perked up, hoping to get more information about his future. “C’mon, Theseus! You can tell us!”

“Yeah, c’mon, Big Man!” Tommy agreed! “What’s your best friend got to hide?”

“Quite a bit, actually.” Theseus probably thought he couldn’t hear that. “He didn’t want me telling anyone he didn’t trust,” he said louder.

“Oh, come on,” Tubbo muttered. Surely he could trust himself! Who does this guy think he’s fooling?

He, thankfully, refrained from saying that out loud.

“What else is there, Theseus? You gotta have something interesting to tell us,” Jack said eagerly. “Some interesting battle story. We all know you’re covered in scars.”

The time traveller looked a little taken aback, but chuckled anyway. “I’m not sure how you guys know that, but okay.” He sat forward, looking back down at the fire as he thought.

“Maybe.”

“Well? Go on! Tell us!” Tommy urged.

“I…” Theseus took a breath. He didn’t take his eyes off the flames. “When my brother first built his nation, we had to fight for it. For the right to keep it standing. It was an all out war. We woke up everyday afraid we’d find our country set ablaze with no way to save it.

“We were small, completely outnumbered, but we thought we could outsmart them. We couldn’t. They set a spy, a traitor, in our country. Someone we trusted with our lives. They rigged the place with TNT and blew it up when we were at our weakest point. They then proceeded to lead us to an ambush. A dark room way underground. Only one way in or out. They trapped us in with redstone and let our enemies attack us while we were defenseless.

“We all lost a life that day.”

The circle was silent. The quiet crackling of the fire eating at the wood and the singing of crickets somewhere in the forest were the only sounds. Theseus had a hand against his stomach. Tubbo guessed that’s where his scar was.

“You were betrayed?” Jack said after a while, voice barely above a whisper.

Theseus nodded, eyes still glued to the flames. Tubbo could almost swear he saw a tear or two. Tommy never used to let himself cry. What changed? “And I keep thinking that I could’ve prevented it. If I had just done what Wil said, none of it would’ve happened. He was the smartest man I knew and I was too hung up in my pride to listen to him.”

It was more said to himself, the others merely an audience watching an internal monologue. A single word stuck out to them. A single word was on everyone’s minds.

“Wil?” Fundy said, finally having snapped out of her- his daze. The time traveller’s eyes widened momentarily. He didn’t take his gaze off the fire when he spoke again.

“William. My brother.” Then he looked up. Firelight danced in his eyes tear filled eyes. “I guess that’s the real reason I stayed. Wilbur reminds me a lot of William. In more than just his name.”

The whole Wilbur thing didn’t surprise Tubbo. But he was still hung up on a single word Theseus had said during his soliloquy. A tiny, almost insignificant word. So easy to look over, and yet something he couldn’t help but whisper repeatedly in his mind until he had to say it aloud.

“Was?”

Chapter Text

The breeze tugged lightly at his brown hood as Theseus sat on the edge of the L’Manburg wall. He was quietly observing as he watched himself train with Wilbur. The younger version of himself. It was still very unsettling to see himself stand before him. He’d never noticed how annoying he actually was. You could say it was his first time being in the percentage of people that find him annoying at first.

He noticed as he watched how incorrect his form was. How he was a little too bouncy and how he anticipated his strikes before he swung his sword. Theseus had found he was naturally better with an axe, but for a while he’d insisted on fighting with a sword, such as now. He spotted everything Technoblade had fixed during the months he’d lived with him after escaping exile. He could find the fatal habits in his footing that had definitely almost cost him several lives.

He’d have to give Tommy some lessons while he was here. Give himself a headstart to badassery.

“Theseus?” came a soft voice from the top of the ladder not too far away from where he sat.

Theseus turned to see Fundy, still perched on the rungs. She seemed anxious, a little hesitant to approach him, with her ears glued to the sides of her head. Her red hair was tied haphazardly in a bun at the base of her neck. He gave her a sympathetic look.

“Do you have a moment?” she asked shyly.

Theseus nodded, patting the blackstone wall next to him, inviting her to sit down. “What can I help you with, Fundy?”

Fundy sat on his right, wrapping her bushy tail around herself, running her clawed fingernails through it in an attempt to comfort herself. “I don’t know. I just… I’m not sure why, but I feel like I can talk to you. It’s really personal, but I’ve been struggling a lot with it recently and I… I feel like I can trust you.”

Theseus nodded empathetically. “Sometimes it’s easier to talk to a stranger than it is to talk to someone you know,” he said. “Just know; whatever you tell me will not leave this conversation. I won’t tell anyone else. Not even your dad if you don’t want me to.” The fox smiled at that.

“Thank you, Theseus.”

“So,” he continued, “what’s on your mind?”

“I think…” Fundy trailed off, taking a deep breath and collecting her thoughts. “You know what you were telling us the other night about your nephew?”

Theseus nodded. Funnily enough, she was talking about herself. Sure they weren’t related by blood, but Theseus had been referring to Wilbur from his time as his brother, so that would make Fundy his nephew.

“I think I…” she said slowly. “I think I might… be trans…”

There were tears streaming down his face. He was pulling his tail in towards his chest. He seemed to press his ears in closer to his skull. He was curling in on himself.

And yet, there was the smallest trace of a smile on his face. So, Theseus smiled too.

“Oh? Is that so?” he said, a light chuckle in his tone. “What brought you to that conclusion?”

“Well,” Fundy laughed too. “It was kinda when you were talking about your nephew. You said he was trans and I was like ‘oh that’s cool’ and then I thought ‘oh… Oh!’” He fell into a fit of giggles, wiping his tears with the back of his hand.

Theseus grinned. “What are your pronouns then? Do you know?”

“He… him. He/him.”

“And your name?”

“I… Fundy. It’s Fundy. I’ll change it to the nickname.”

That caught Theseus off guard. To be honest, he’d forgotten that Fundy even had a deadname. He’d been calling him ‘Fundy’ since he was born!

“I didn’t know that was a nickname.” Fundy opened his mouth to say something. Theseus stopped him. “Don’t tell me. I don’t want to know.” The fox hybrid shut his mouth and nodded.

He looked up and out, over the treeline at the skies towards the ocean. He had a giddy smile on his face. The tail that was still in his hands had started moving of its own accord. Fundy eventually just gave up on holding it and let it wag happily behind him. He was swinging his legs back and forth, giggling quietly every now and again.

The boy looked down at his father and Tommy, his smile falling for a second. “You promise you won’t tell Dad?”

Theseus followed his gaze. Wilbur was looking up at them now. “I promise.” Fundy nodded a quiet thanks. “Though, if you ask me, I think Wilbur would be happy to have you as a son.” The ginger turned his head sharply.

“You think so?” he asked, voice full of hope.

“I know so.”

Fundy giggled again. The time traveller couldn’t stop smiling.

In his timeline, Eret had been the first person Fundy came out to. Them being the person they are, she was more than supportive, even offering to help make a binder and brew testosterone potions when he was ready. Tommy and Tubbo he came out to second, or Theseus technically. The boys had worked together cutting his hair. It had ended up a little shorter than any of them expected, but it was a bonding experience. Theseus definitely didn’t accidentally cut his ear causing it to heal with a notch missing. What are you talking about!

Niki had made Fundy his first binder. Jack wasn’t a part of L’Manburg yet, but Theseus had detailed it in a letter, with Fundy’s permission, before he arrived so he wasn’t surprised by the sudden transformation. Actually, everyone else knew before Wilbur did. Funny that.

Not that it was ever a fear that Fundy’s dad wouldn’t accept him. Wilbur Soot-Minecraft was… is arguably the most accepting cishet out there. When the fox came out to him, he just sat there on the floor of the camarvan hugging him for about an hour. It was single handedly one of the happiest moments Theseus had ever witnessed in his life.

And then everything went to shit, but we don’t talk about that.

“Have you told anyone else yet?” Theseus asked.

“No, I haven’t,” Fundy said.

“That’s okay! You don’t need to. It’s important to take your time with these things. I’m honoured you trusted me enough to tell me.”

Fundy nodded. He was still crying. Theseus adjusted his sitting position to better face the fox boy, putting a hand on his arm.

“Hey,” he said comfortingly. Fundy looked up at him with teary eyes. “I’m proud of you, man.” He smiled at that. “My male, dude, friend bro, pal man.” That made him laugh. “Can I give you a hug?”

The fox nodded, instantly burying his head into the man’s chest. Theseus softly worked his fingers through his hair, letting him be the judge of how long the hug went for. Until Fundy told others in this timeline, he was going to be the supportive father figure… uncle figure… older brother figure…? You know, he wasn’t really sure what his relationship to Fundy was here, but he’d be damned if he wouldn’t support him every step of the way! Theseus was gonna teach the fox boy how to man!

As Fundy pulled away from the hug, he muttered another thanks to the traveller. The blond felt as if he was being watched. Glancing to the side told him Wilbur was still looking in their direction, now joined by the younger Tommy. Oh Prime, they're definitely making assumptions.

“Thank you, Theseus,” Fundy said. “Thank you so much.”

“Any time, man! Any time!”

He ruffled the boy’s hair gently. The fox stood with a smile and swivelled on his heel to descend the ladder, accidentally hitting Theseus in the face with his tail. The blond put a hand up quickly to fix his mask, laughing at Fundy’s small apology, assuring him it was fine.

With the green bandana securely on his face again, he stood up under the watchful eyes of Tommy and Wilbur, aware that they were watching his movements carefully. He was Tommy once after all.

Theseus walked along the walls, not wanting to be in L’Manburg so long as Wilbur was in Protective Dad Mode™. He reached the side closest to the ocean, stood on the black and yellow concrete, summoned a water stone from his inventory into his hand, and jumped. He’d gotten a lot better at MLG water over the years. Especially in exile… We don’t talk about that. He timed it perfectly to throw the light blue gemstone at the ground so the enchanted water would catch him and slow his fall. The landing was graceful and practiced. Hearing the surprised muttering from the otherside of the wall caused him to smirk behind his mask.

---

The gentle strumming of ukulele strings filled the forest with a beautiful tune. Lyrics were sung over the chords in a sweet, melodic voice. The birds themselves seemed to have quietened to listen to the song.

Tubbo sang happily to the trees and the flowers as he sat against an old oak tree on the grass. His hat lay abandoned on the roots next to him, giving his head and baby horns a little space to breathe. For once, Tubbo didn’t actually mind that his horns were exposed.

Wilbur had started to teach him the song he wrote for L’Manburg’s national anthem. The lyrics weren’t completely finished just yet, but the boy knew a little something about music himself and was happy to help the man on his quest.

“I heard there was a special place,
Where men could go emancipate,
The brutality and the tyranny of their ruler.

“Well this place is real, something something,
With Wilbur, Tommy, Tubbo, and Eret.
It’s a very big and something else L’Manburg.

“My L’Manburg,
My L’Manburg,
My L’Manburg,”

“My L’Manburg.”

“Fuck!”

The moobloom turned his head sharply as the second voice joined in. He relaxed upon seeing that it was Theseus.

“We’ve gotta stop meeting here like this, big man,” he joked as he walked over, taking a seat next to him. Tubbo nodded with a small laugh. To be honest, he hadn’t even noticed this was the same tree where Theseus revealed himself as Tommy. From the future. Prime, that was still weird!

His hood was off and his banana was pulled down to sit around his neck. It was still crazy to the boy how similar and yet how different his future best friend looked.

There were a couple scars he didn’t recognise. One horizontally across the bridge of his nose and another vertically on the corner of his lips. Tubbo now noticed one under his chin. Looked like a burn. He was tempted to ask how he got them, but worried that it might bring up some bad memories for him. His hair had a small braid on one side tied with a thin purple ribbon. It was a little banged up, but it was still pretty. Tubbo decided to ignore the thing that looked like a bruise on his temple.

Bruises don’t scar unless they cause a death. That bitch was permanent.

“I’m guessing you already know all the lyrics to that song?” the boy said.

“More or less,” Theseus confirmed. “No one really remembers the second verse.”

“Wilbur wrote a second verse?” Tubbo thought it was only intended to be one.

The other winced. “Yes and no.” Theseus’ face fell a little bit. “It was after… the second major tragedy.”

Tubbo set the wooden instrument by his hat. “I don’t like the sound of that.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t let it happen. Not on my watch.”

The moobloom nodded thoughtfully. That reminds him; he had a couple things he wanted to talk to Theseus about. Namely what he’d mentioned the other night about a few of their fellow L’Manburgians.

“What did you mean the other night? When you were talking about Wil?” Tubbo asked.

Theseus cocked his head to one side, not fully understanding what was being asked. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, you were talking about him in the past tense.” Theseus stiffened and looked away at the grass. “He’s not dead is he?” No answer. “Theseus?” Nothing.

Silence.

“Tommy?”

Theseus threw himself into Tubbo’s arms and let himself bawl into the fabric on his shoulder. Tubbo took that as his answer. He started crying too.

“I couldn’t stop it, Tubbo!” he said between hiccups. “I couldn’t! There was nothing I could do!”

“It’s okay, Theseus,” Tubbo comforted. “I don’t blame you.”

“I do!” the man whined. “If I hadn’t let him go insane, if I had been there for him, if I had talked him out of the elections, he wouldn’t have died! Ghostbur wouldn’t have needed to exist! Phil…”

Theseus had continued to rant for a bit longer, but Tubbo decided to tune out what he was saying. He had probably already heard too much, and what he had heard was throwing him through a loop. Insane? Elections? Ghostbur?

The boy started threading his fingers through the other’s blond hair. “Shh, it’s okay. It’s okay.”

Theseus slowly quieted, eventually just the occasional sniffle coming from him.

“It’s alright. Wilbur is here. He’s alive. No elections, no insanity, no Ghostbur. He’s here. He’s okay. We’re all okay.”

He was saying it for Theseus, but also for himself. None of what he was saying had happened to him, but it had happened in another timeline. Somewhere out there is a version of him who lost his mentor. Somewhere out there is a version of Philza Minecraft who lost his son.

Speaking of sons, wasn't Fundy Wilbur’s son now?

Wow, way to change the topic, Tubbo.

Tubbo held his friend for a few moments more, keeping his next question in the back of his mind. When the other pulled away, he let him, waiting for him to sort himself out before he spoke again.

“You wanna change the subject?” Tubbo asked.

A nod.

“Okay then. Another thing from the other night, you said your nephew was trans. Does that mean Fundy…”

Another nod. “Yeah, he is. Don’t tell him I told you, but he came out to me just earlier actually.”

“Oh, did he? Good for him.”

“I think he just needed to say it out loud to someone. Confirm it for himself or some shit like that. Again, don’t say anything to him. Just let him come to you. He should do it soon enough anyway.”

“He can take his time.” Tubbo paused, letting the new pronoun settle on his tongue. “I’m proud of him!”

“I am too.” Theseus smiled through teary eyes. He patted them dry with the back of his palm as he continued. “Just you wait until he asks us to cut his hair! Oh Prime, that was a nightmare!”

The pair laughed together.

“Oh no!” Tubbo said, laughter still in his tone. “That sounds like a nightmare! Did I accidentally give him a mullet? That sounds like something I’d do!”

“Fundy talked you out of it,” Theseus nodded. “And then I proceeded to cut off part of his ear by accident.”

“What the- Theseus!”

“What? It was your bright idea to try and wrestle the scissors out of my hand while I was using them!”

“That just doesn’t sound like something I’d do.”

“It absolutely is! I was there! I remember it like it was yesterday!”

“I’m simply going to ignore that and blame it all on you.”

“What the fuck, Tubbo?”

“You injured Fundy. I can’t believe you’ve done this.”

“Fuck you!”

“Fuck me yourself, coward!”

“You wish! You’re the one who thought I was hot!”

Tubbo’s jaw dropped in a scoff. “I honestly thought you forgot about that.”

“Tubbo, I said I wasn’t going to let you live that down, I am sticking true to my word.”

“Oh, piss off.”

“Never.”

They fell into laughter and then into comfortable silence. Tubbo picked up his ukelele again and started strumming random chords in a calming tune. It was almost melancholy, but it was his.

“Holy shit, Tubbo,” Theseus said softly, almost as if to not interrupt the mood. Tubbo turned to face him, but kept flicking his eyes down to change his fingering every so often.

“You’re growing flowers,” Theseus said with a smile, playing with a small yellow bud amongst Tubbo’s brown locks.

The hybrid smiled happily. “How do they look?”

“Very small at the moment,” Theseus described. “There’s like two or three buds. But, if I recall correctly, they grow stupid fast. You’ll have bees buzzing around you in no time, bee boy!”

Tubbo giggled, returning his focus mostly back to his instrument. He wondered if he’d actually have bees come up to him. He wondered if he’d form a connection with them like Phil did his crows. He wondered if he’d have his own murder. Wait no that’s wrong. What’s the collective noun for bees? A swarm? A swarm.

Some hybrids, and occasionally humans, formed connections with certain groups of animals. They could talk with them, share thoughts and opinions, even sometimes get them to do things for them.

Tubbo remembered seeing the crows bring Phil little nick nacks they found when he was younger. Shiny scrap metal, some tiny stones, old coins, colourful beads, a clock hand, even a broken compass once. One crow brought him an entire pouch full of sand that sparked a conversation between him and Wilbur about eating sand. That same crow returned the next day with more sand. Phil was not impressed.

The boy was honestly a little jealous of Philza’s relationship with the crows. Not just because they gave him things, though that was part of it, don’t lie to us Tubbo you gold digger. He loved the idea of constantly being able to spend time with someone, but not have it be draining. And the gifts were good too.

Tubbo stopped playing abruptly.

“Oh wait! I just remembered! I made you something!” he announced.

Theseus jumped a little next to him, then put a hand to his chest. “Prime, Tubbo! You scared the shit outta me!”

Tubbo reached into a pocket on the inside of his uniform jacket, pulling out a black fabric face mask. He handed it to the time traveller with a grin.

“I noticed that you kept having to pull that bandana up like every two minutes to keep your face hidden,” he said, smiling. “So, I figured, if I made you something you wouldn’t have to pull up as much, you wouldn’t have to worry! I uh, I ran out of black thread as I was making it so I just used what I had. Sorry.”

Sure enough, about three of the seams were sewn with black thread. The rest used an emerald green that Tubbo honestly had way too much of. Regardless, Theseus had a soft smile on his face as he looked at the mask.

“Thank you so much, Tubbo,” he said. He started thumbing the green bandana around his neck. “You know you actually made this for me. In the future.”

“Did I?” A nod. Tubbo laughed. “I guess I’m not that different when you’re from. I’m still making you shit.”

Theseus made a face. “I wouldn’t say that…” he trailed off. He had a sort of distant look in his eyes.

Normally, Tubbo would’ve pressed further, but something in the back of his mind told him to just leave this one for the time being. So he did, and he continued playing.

They sat there for far longer than either of them intended to. Eventually, as the sun began to dip behind the treetops, and they had a crow at their feet with a note that simply read ‘Get the fuck home’ in Tommy’s handwriting, they began to think it was probably time to head back to L’Manburg.

When they walked back into the country, Tubbo was greeted by the loud and proud younger best friend. He smiled and nodded along, laughing at the boy’s suffering as he complained about Wilbur’s training from earlier that day and how he wouldn’t shut up about not trusting Theseus. The time traveller in question was now sitting up against the camarvan, writing something down in a leather-bound journal.

Tubbo decided to ignore the pointed glare Wilbur was giving him from the inside of the vehicle.

Chapter Text

“How’d the negotiations go?”

Wilbur’s fists slammed against the table the moment the question was asked.

“I take it not well then!”

Niki kept her voice high and optimistic in an effort not to let morale drop. Tommy appreciated the gesture, but it wasn’t really the focus of the meeting. His companions at their designated spots around the table in the camarvan turned to their leader for more information.

“The Dream SMP will be going to war with L’Manburg,” Wilbur said, his head down. “All possible negotiations of peace have been forgotten. I fear there truly is a traitor among us. Dream seemed confident they’d win this.”

Glances were cast about the members of the nation. Suspicious looks sent in the direction of people others thought as suspects. Tubbo stuck closer to his friend’s side, looking around his friends anxiously.

“Come on, guys,” Tubbo said quietly. “We can’t fight each other over this! Maybe that’s what Dream wants!”

“Tubbo’s right,” Eret agreed. “There’s absolutely no way we can win a war if there’s in-fighting. It could be that the idea of a traitor was fabricated simply to make us doubt one another.”

“I don’t know about that one,” Fundy said, tapping the table with her claw. “What if we think that and there really does turn out to be a traitor? What then? We’re still fucked!”

“Well I for one think we have a pretty good idea of who this alleged traitor is,” Wilbur said with a pointed look in a certain direction.

Everyone at the table turned to Theseus.

Theseus. There was something up with him. Tommy couldn’t place his finger on what, but it made him uneasy.

There was something familiar in his eyes. They were like his; all too bright and all too attention-grabbing. It was pretty easy, for him at least, to tell that he was not human, at least not fully.

Much like Tommy himself. Not that anyone knew that.

Tommy actually had grown to like the newbie. Look up to him, even! He was sort of like an estranged older cousin that he had met at a family reunion and been forced to hang out with because there was no one closer to his age. He didn’t like him much at first, but slowly he’d warmed up to him. And honestly, the guy’s got some good humour!

Theseus shrugged. “I can see why you’d think that, but you’re wrong.”

“Yeah? And just how can you prove that?” Wilbur laughed.

“Well, for starters, I have done literally nothing but help. I have made an effort of avoiding any and all contact with people outside of L’Manburg. I have no ties to the Greater SMP, not to mention I haven’t even met Dream. Let’s see, what else?”

“How do we know you’re not lying though?” Tommy asked. “For all we know, you could just be making shit up.”

“I could. You have a point there.”

Tommy had to stifle a laugh. “What? You just admit it?”

“I admit I could be lying, not that I am, ‘cause I’m not. You just have to trust me.”

“Yeah, we’re not doing that,” Wilbur said.

“Listen Wil,” Jack piped up, “I really don’t think he’s the traitor.”

“And what makes you say that?”

“Because he’s not!” Fundy almost yelled, covering her mouth at the sudden outburst.

“I would trust Theseus with my life at this point,” Tubbo vouched. “He’s not the type to betray people. Honestly.”

“He’s given me a lot to reflect on,” Eret said, almost too quietly to be heard.

Wilbur looked to Niki as if for a last bit of support. She rubbed the back of her neck. “I’m sorry, Wil. I just don’t think he’s that kind of person.”

Wilbur threw his hands behind his head. Theseus gestured around the table.

“It appears I have an alibi.”

“You can’t base an alibi off vibes!”

“Well we can’t base an accusation off vibes either!” Tubbo defended, slamming both hands on the table, voice raised. Everyone in the room was thrown off. Seemed a bit out of the blue for Tubbo, Tommy thought.

Wilbur seemed taken aback. “I’m only trying to keep our nation safe. And to do that, I need to find who the traitor is!”

“Yeah, but you need proof! Solid evidence it’s him! A witness! A letter! Something!”

“What are you? His lawyer?”

“I don’t understand why you’re so certain it’s him! He’s done nothing to harm you!” Tubbo shot. His voice was only getting louder.

“Yet!” Wilbur shot back, volume growing to match, and then outshine, Tubbo’s. “He’s an outsider, Tubbo! We don’t know what his deal is!”

“So what?” Tubbo was almost screaming now. “He doesn’t need to tell us what he’s been through! Who knows what kinds of shit he’s seen! He’s fucking traumatised!”

“I don’t care if he’s traumatised! That’s not an excuse to- wait.”

The pair turned to Theseus. Tommy looked as well. He wished he didn’t.

Theseus was pressed against the wall, halfway sliding down it. He had the palms of his hands pressed to his ears, eyes screwed shut, chest rising and falling heavily. There he was, the mysterious warrior they were once intimidated by, almost crying over an argument he wasn’t even a part of.

Fundy took a couple hesitant steps towards him. Tubbo approached him in bounds.

The moobloom put a hand on his knee, expression saddening when the other flinched. He muttered something to Theseus that Tommy couldn’t quite hear.

He felt useless just standing here. So he went up closer and bent down on the floor next to where Tubbo was. Not saying anything. Just there. Ready to help.

Their eyes locked and something sparked in the back of Theseus’ mind.

“Are you okay?” Tubbo asked softly.

“I’m better,” was Theseus’ response.

The two boys helped him stand and they returned to the table where everyone stood awkwardly. Fundy returned slowly to her spot. Prime, what was with her today? Did this have something to do with whatever she and Theseus were talking about on the wall the other day?

Wilbur looked guilty. “Theseus I,” he started. He had to reword the start of his sentence four separate times to get out what he was trying to say. “I’m sorry. I feel like an asshole.”

“It’s alright, Wilbur.”

“What… why…?”

“Why’d you go all shaky and shit?” Tommy asked. Way to go, Tommy. Being Tommy, as usual. Tubbo gave him a punch in the shoulder. “What?”

“You don’t just ask people why they have a panic attack, Tommy!” Jack Manifold said, a little bit slack-jawed.

“Tommy. Why are you like this? You little gremlin child,” Wilbur said.

“I’m not a child!”

“You are.”

“I am no-”

“I’m gonna step outside for a moment.”

Tommy turned away from his argument with Wilbur and looked towards the closing door. Theseus could be seen in the window moments later, walking away from them, arms around his head.

The van was silent for a minute.

“Fuck,” Tubbo breathed.

The moobloom rubbed circles into his temples with his fists. Fundy and Eret looked just as concerned. Everyone else in the van appeared just as confused as Tommy was.

“What the fuck is up with him?” Tommy asked bluntly.

“He’s not mentally right, Tommy!” Tubbo defended. “You can’t just say ‘what the fuck?’ to someone with trauma!”

“Is that what that is?”

“Yes!”

“Is he okay, Tubbo?” Fundy asked, biting her nail. “Is there something we can do to help”

“I don’t know. I don’t know him that well.”

Wilbur was looking at the table, having a hushed discussion with one of the crows. He couldn’t understand them as fluently as his father, but he’d inherited his connection to some of them.

The others seemed to think Tubbo might have some answers to what was going on with the traveller. Made sense. He’d spent the most time with him so far out of anyone. Not that Tommy cared how much time Tubbo’s spent with other people. He’s not clingy! He was absolutely not jealous of Theseus! You’re jealous of Theseus! Shut up!

Regardless, Tubbo was trying to tell them what he knew whilst keeping the majority of it as private as possible. That was a feat in and of itself and it only made the others exceedingly more confused.

Tommy lost interest. Instead, he opted to watch what their accused traitor was up to through the dyed glass. He sat against a tree, back turned to the van.

But from here, Tommy could see the black fabric of his mask—which he noticed was new by the way—pulled down under his chin. The brown hood was still over his hair, but he could see some of his lower profile. He could see a burn scar across his jawline. Must’ve been nasty whatever gave him that.

Theseus was taking deep breaths. His stomach expanded slowly, held there for a second, then released. Didn’t take a genius to see how laboured the breathing was. The traveller had his eyes closed as he attempted to gain control of his emotions.

Curious and concerned, Tommy slipped out of the van and walked towards the tree. A twig snapped under his feet as he approached. Theseus’ breaths skipped a step in the pattern as he flinched.

The man turned to him, bringing his arms up protectively in front of his face. His mask still wasn’t over his mouth, but all Tommy could see through the gaps of his forearms were two glowing, panic-stricken blue eyes.

Tommy had never seen anyone so incredibly… broken in his life.

He raised his hands in a surrender-like pose, showing he meant no harm. Now he was just approaching him like a scared animal. That’s not dehumanising! “Hey, bud,” he said, trying his hardest to be comforting. “Hey, it’s just me. I’m not gonna hurt you.”

Theseus visibly relaxed upon recognising him. He moved one scarred hand to pull his mask back up before he dropped his arms completely.

“Can I sit with you?”

A weak nod.

Tommy sat by one of the roots of the old tree, letting Theseus relax against the trunk across from him. For a moment, he simply sat there, watching him calmly as he gathered his bearings again. He placed a hand back on his stomach and resumed his breathing exercises. Tommy’d be lying if he said he didn’t feel awkward here, but he figured it was worth it.

“Are you alright?” He asked the other blond after a while.

Theseus, again, nodded weakly. “I will be. I just… I don’t do arguments.” He laughed, but there was no humour behind it.

“What’s the breathing thing?”

“It’s uh, it’s something my therapist taught me to help me calm my nerves. Helps me come down from panic attacks.”

“Does it work?”

“Yeah! For the most part! It’s different for different people.”

A beat of uncomfortable silence.

“Are you a traitor?”

“Excuse me?”

“Look, Theseus, listen to me.” Tommy took a breath. “I like you, okay? I really do. And Tubbo does too, in more ways than one apparently.” Theseus snickered at that. “Fundy seems to as well. Can’t really speak much for her, but, the three of us, we all trust you. But as much as we trust you, we love this country more.

“L’Manburg is my family, Theseus. And I would not hesitate for a second to kill you if you threatened any of my family.”

It was silent for a moment. Not the awkward kind, but not the comfortable kind either. It was a serious silence.

Or, it was until Theseus filled it with laughter.

“What?” Tommy said, getting a little defensive. “What’s so funny about this? I just threatened your life! I could literally kill you, y’know!”

“No, no it’s not that,” Theseus assured. “It’s just… My second day here, when you lot were having that meeting and I just joined in, Wilbur took me outside. And he told me, I shit you not, those exact same words.”

Tommy’s jaw dropped. “You’re joking!” He said with a hint of a smile.

“I’m not!”

The younger blond made a high pitched ‘aww’ sound.

“You know, we really are like brothers, Wilbur and I.”

“Don’t say that. He will cry.”

Both boys chuckled light-heartedly, and very loudly. Tommy either didn’t notice the fact that he mentioned a joke he shouldn’t know or just completely ignored it. You decide.

This is why he liked Theseus. They were just so similar! On the same wavelength! He’d call them twins if he wasn’t… how much older is he again?

“How old are you, Theseus?” Tommy asked suddenly.

Theseus scoffed a laugh. “That was a random question to ask just out of the blue like that.”

“Sorry, I just remembered I don’t actually know how old you are.”

“Nah that’s all good. I’m 20 in just over two weeks actually. On the 29th.”

Tommy nodded. “Nice. We’re gonna have to do something for you.”

“No, you don’t have to.” Theseus shook his head. “You guys barely know me! I wouldn’t expect you to celebrate my birthday.”

“No. Fuck you. We’re doing it.”

“Okay!” Theseus said between laughs.

The pair fell into comfortable silence. Tommy picked at the grass for something to do. He found himself doing that quite a bit lately. Theseus was leaning his head back against the tree, focusing again on his breathing. The younger ended up asking a question he never thought he’d ask anyone.

“Do you know what I am?”

Theseus’ eyes flickered open. He took his obvious confusion as a sign to continue.

“I’ve noticed your eyes,” he explained. “Kinda hard not to. They’re like mine. You’re not human, are you?”

At that, the other sighed and shook his head. “No. But I don’t know what I am either.”

Tommy deflated a little at that. Bummer. He was kinda hoping he’d know. Then maybe he could figure out what he could do! What was so different about him!

“It’s no doubt we’re the same species,” Theseus continued. “I saw it that first night around the fire. Your eyes are far too bright to be considered natural. So, I’ll keep you posted.”

“Okay.” The boy had never known what he was; if he was a hybrid, or some other creature entirely. He’d never known his parents, his real ones, so they could never have explained it to him. He didn’t know if he had any dormant powers that he just never got to harness because he didn’t know he had them. He often wound up daydreaming what possible powers he could have. Laser eyes? Shapeshifting? Bound to veganism? Endless possibilities!

“I’m honestly surprised you noticed.”

“How could I not? Your eyes just glowed like a second ago!”

“They glowed?” Theseus looked surprised. Shocked. He put a hand up to touch them, but stopped, hovering about a centimetre or two in front, because touching his actual eyeballs would be weird and potentially painful.

“Yeah. Why? Is there something wrong with that?”

“My eyes haven’t glowed in years.”

The younger’s jaw dropped. “Really? Years?”

“Years. Not since…”

“Since? C’mon you gotta finish your sentence, big man.”

“Not since I was exiled.” His voice was a little shaky. Clearly this exile did a number on him. “Prime, that must’ve been two years ago by now.”

“You’ve been in exile for two years?” Tommy said in shock-horror. “From your brother’s country?”

The fabric of Theseus’ mask inverted as he inhaled sharply. “Yeah,” he said in a pained voice. “Yeah, you could say that.”

“What the fuck? What the fuck is wrong with him? He exiled you? His own brother? What the hell for! What the fuck? That’s bullshit!” The string of curses just continued, getting progressively louder until he noticed the other gripping his knees a bit tighter and stopped. “Why did he do that, if you don’t mind me asking?” he asked in a far more polite tone.

“I was a liability.” Air quotes were put around the word ‘liability’. “I couldn’t be trusted. I was too uncontrollable. Some shit like that.”

“That motherfucker.”

Tommy was fuming. What kind of older brother would exile his younger sibling like that? What kind of monster did you have to be to send away someone that close to you simply for being a ‘liability’? That’s just utter bullshit! Wilbur wouldn’t even think about doing that to him! How the hell does he remind Theseus of this William asshole?

“Theseus, you’d best never introduce me to this William prick,” Tommy said. “If I ever see your brother and I had a weapon next to me, I will no longer be able to see your brother.”

“Oh Prime, okay!” At least Theseus laughed at that. Tommy smiled triumphantly.

“Have you ever considered just going back?”

“I couldn’t if I tried. Place is in ruin now. Nothing more than a crater and a few ruined structures.”

“That’s fucked. Could no one rebuild it?”

“No one really wanted to. We’d rebuilt it before. Nothing would’ve stopped them doing it again. I guess people were finally moving on. Starting new lives. A couple people came looking for me. Some trying to kill me, but I won’t lie that it was good to see them again.”

“Prime, you have assassins coming after you? That’s badass!”

“Not really when you’re not a manhunt expert. But I learned fast.”

“Cool.”

Maybe he was idolising him, maybe he was just seeing something Wilbur couldn’t. Theseus had clearly been through a lot; he had the battle scars and the trauma to prove it. All of that before the age of 20 has got to do some serious shit. Tommy would be lying if he said he wasn’t a little afraid he’d end up like that.

Who knows! It could be worth it! Worth it for the experience and the badassery. For the knowledge. Or maybe he’d just get in his own head and not know what to do with himself for three years straight.

He trusted Theseus. Tubbo and Fundy clearly did too. Tommy wondered if Theseus had a Tubbo of his own. A side kick. A partner in crime. A best friend.

“Did anyone not try to kill you?” Tommy asked, curious.

Theseus thought for a second, debating something in his head, before nodding a little. “Two. My closest friends. We traveled together for a while, but we got separated about two weeks ago. Actually, it wasn’t long before I found L’Manburg.

“I’m scared something happened to them. Or they’re dead. Either way, I need to find them. They’re really the only family I have left.”

Tommy nodded slowly. Of course! William exiled him, his adoptive father hadn’t been mentioned since his early childhood, he never spoke of a mother or any other parents or siblings of any kind. Not even any other friends.

No wonder he was injured when they found him! He was running from something. Someone?

“I’m sorry about all these questions by the way. I don’t want you to feel like I’m interrogating you,” Tommy apologised.

“No, no it’s okay. I kinda like venting to you.”

“I do have one more though.”

Theseus sat a bit further forward. “Go ahead.”

“When Fundy found you, were you running from whatever separated you from your friends? Was it the assassins?”

A pause. “Y… yes. The assassins.”

Now, to most people that wouldn’t sound convincing. But this is Tommy. Young Tommy even! Boy does not know how to read social cues and that will be a large part of his downfall in the current future. But it’s good for Theseus in this moment, because it meant his uncertainty went unnoticed!

“I’ll help you find your friends,” Tommy concluded.

“I… thank you, Tommy.”

It wasn’t like Tommy could really do much. Unless the pair of them unlock some weird time powers with whatever the hell their species is, the boy didn’t have much influence over whether or not Theseus would be able to save his Ranboo and Tubbo.

Tommy was sure they’d turn up. Theseus had faith in his companions. They just had to wait and pray everything didn’t go to shit before they got here.

Chapter Text

Thud.

Fundy let out a small “oof” as he landed arse-first on the grass ten metres away. A wooden sword fell next to him after flying out of his hand only moments ago.

“That was good, Fundy,” Theseus praised from his end of the training ground. “You’re improving. Try to focus on footing. Keep your stance wide and you won’t be so easily knocked off your feet.”

The fox twitched his ear, a look of determination held firmly in his eyes. He jumped back to his feet, retrieving his training sword in the process and took a stance, wider this time than it was last. Theseus studied the pose, referring back to his training with Technoblade in his mind.

“Better,” he said slowly. He came over to stand just beside him. “Copy my arms.”

The other looked between Theseus’ stance and his own, altering his position where necessary. The two had been training for the past two hours. Fundy had insisted he teach him how to fight since Wilbur hadn’t done much of that and Theseus was probably a better swordsman anyway.

Theseus’ Fundy had to beg his father to train him. It was long after he came out too, so it wasn’t even a gender thing, thank Prime. Wilbur just had a habit of wanting to protect his son.

Honestly, with how Wilbur had been speaking about him lately, Theseus was glad he was out with Eret right now.

He wasn’t going to lie. It hurt seeing how distrustful Wilbur had been of him. If he knew he was just Tommy from the future this wouldn’t be an issue! But of course, we can’t have that! Karl said not to tell anyone else! And telling him probably wouldn’t be the best for his sanity. He loved Wilbur like a brother, but Prime that man was… difficult.

“Is this right?” Fundy asked hopefully.

“You’re getting close,” Theseus said with a smile. “Try gripping the sword with both hands to start. More power and more stability.”

They kept at it for about a minute more, fixing the little intricacies of Fundy’s stance. Fortunately, the boy was determined to get it right and let Theseus talk. Unlike when he went through this with Technoblade and simply couldn’t understand that the technique and groundwork actually made the stabbing shit part of fighting a fair amount more solid.

When this was done, the time traveller took his position again and readied his training weapon.

“Ready when you are,” he prompted, then braced for the fox’s attacks. Fundy took a breath and pushed off the dirt, rushing towards him with his sword raised.

The attack swung predictably downwards, which Theseus blocked easily. Wood clashed against wood as the sword was knocked out of the way, only for the fox to swing it back at his side.

Swing, parry, fake out, swing, block. Swing, dodge, swing, parry, swing, dodge.

Theseus didn’t attack Fundy back, that wasn’t the point of the lesson. He put up a defensive, focusing on blocking and dodging out of the way of his attacks. In all honesty, he was getting better, even without Theseus really showing him the better techniques when going for a strike.

Still, he ended that round on his arse, again.

Despite being beaten every round today, he still looked satisfied. Good. He could see he was improving already.

“That was excellent, man! Well done!” Theseus praised as he helped him to his feet.

“I almost hit you!” Fundy cheered.

“Lucky shot,” he joked back. “You may not be trained, but that strike has some potential. With the proper technique it could be deadly.”

Fundy was bouncing on his heels, despite the sweat on his brow and the obvious exhaustion in his eyes. Theseus clapped him on the shoulder.

“Why don’t you take a breather? You deserve it.”

The fox nodded and handed his sword back to his unofficial trainer, heading to sit under the shade of a tree not too far from them. Theseus noticed a small, brunet watching from the shade of the same tree, leaning sideways against the trunk.

“Wanna have a shot, Tubbo?” he asked loudly, holding one of the swords up.

Tubbo looked alarmed for a second, replaced quickly by and anxious smile as he rapidly shook his head. “No way! You’d beat me in a second!”

“No reason we can’t change that!”

Theseus made his way over, holding one of the swords by the blade, stretching the handle out towards his smaller companion. Tubbo shook his head again, a smaller gesture this time.

“No?” He shook his head again. Theseus huffed dramatically, but didn’t move the sword. “Well alright. Maybe I’ll just go ask Tommy. He’s patrolling the border right now, yeah? I’m sure he’d love to give it a whirl. And I’m sure you’d much rather just watch me be badass than fight me, right?”

Fundy laughed loudly from the grass next to them. Theseus added a wink.

Tubbo snatched the sword out of his hand and stalked over to one side of the makeshift training ground. Theseus chuckled as he made his way to the other.

Tubbo took his position with an odd mix of confidence and nerves. He raised his sword awkwardly as his eyes shakily analysed Theseus’ stance and movements.

“Well,” the time traveller said expectantly. “Show us what you got, bee boy.”

The younger took that as his cue and started running forward. He swung the sword at Theseus’ side, which he parried easily.

He used the moment of shock to go for a strike by his abdomen. Tubbo’s eyes widened as he clocked it and he quickly brought the sword up to slap it off course. Theseus continued the momentum to swing for an attack from above his head. That was blocked too, but only at the last possible second. The blades were held there in a battle of force. Theseus wondered for a second if he didn’t expect him to be this strong.

The smaller struggled against his strength. The fear in his eyes melted away as he fell into a more calculating mindset.

A few more moments of stalemate that dragged on for longer than Theseus could stay focused. Tubbo obviously used that to his advantage.

The millisecond Theseus started to zone out, he ducked forward and rammed a shoulder into his midsection. The shock sent the older stumbling backwards a few steps. Tubbo seemed just as surprised as he was.

“Smart,” Theseus said simply. “Good job.”

Although, the battle was far from over, as the man readied himself again and pushed off the ground. Tubbo readied his defence just in time for Theseus’ sword to hit.

Close call after close call, blow after blow. Tubbo was stronger than he looked, even now! True his reflexes were off and that could cost him, but the boy had a solid head on his shoulders and a mind for problem solving. Those were good qualities in a fighter.

However, the reaction timing, as predicted, did throw him off. As Theseus went for a swing to his left side, he switched it up and swept the leg instead. The boy ended up on the ground with a wooden sword pointed at his neck.

“Well?” Tubbo asked, panting. “How’d I do?”

“Not bad,” Theseus shrugged. He offered a hand to help the brunet up.

He took it. “But not good?”

“Bullshit!” Fundy yelled from across the grounds, only like ten metres away. “You did way better than me! At least you actually landed a hit on him!”

“Both of you have your own strengths,” Theseus said before Tubbo could angrily shout comments back at the fox boy. “But also your own weaknesses.”

He gestured to Fundy. “You, for example, are very confident in your stance and your attacks. You’re a very technical fighter and, once you understand the proper form, you are going to be a force to be reckoned with. You don’t second guess yourself before you strike. You see the opening and you take it. Those are both very valuable assets. However, you are inexperienced. No fault of your own, of course. I blame your father for that. But you lack the knowledge to put your natural skills to good use.”

He turned to Tubbo next. “And you are smart. You’re cunning and clever. Provided you know your enemy, you can use their weaknesses to your advantage in a battle, even if they’re not combat related. You can pinpoint an opponent’s weakest area and exploit it. But you get in your head. You second guess what you’re seeing and rely solely on fear and adrenaline to save you from being fatally wounded. An experienced fighter can spot that easily and use it to their advantage. From what I’ve heard about Dream, that’s what you’re up against.

“However, I can assure you, those flaws can be worked on and I see potential in both of you to be extraordinary fighters.”

Fundy’s tail was wagging happily behind him and his eyes seemed to sparkle. “Thank you, Theseus!”

Tubbo was smiling too, but it was different. It was more of a; ‘I know you’re from the future and if you’re saying you see potential in us that means we’re good fighters where you’re from so I actually believe you’ kind of smile.

“It’d be interesting to get Tommy here too. See what he could do and what he can learn from everyone else.”

“Do you want me to see if I can find him?” Fundy jumped to his feet, wincing a little, but for the most part ignoring the pain in his muscles. This is what happens when you’re not used to training.

“Sure!” Theseus mused. He couldn’t wait to beat the shit out of himself. Was that masochism? Nah it’s fine. “While you do that, Tubbo.” The boy turned his head to face him. “Let’s work on that reaction timing.”

---

Tommy found himself growing to like patrol. Yes, he didn’t like how little action he was getting, but he had actually found a tunnel going under the grounds of the country that none of them had dug, so he could’ve just saved their asses. Go him! Big man shit!

He liked getting to know the area around L’Manburg. He liked the salt breeze and the noises of the forest. He liked skipping stones on the river as he passed and he liked the call of the waves as he watched the sun sink over the Dream SMP.

It reminded him of when he was a kid being taken care of by Phil. Running around in the woods, meeting Tubbo for the first time, running around with Tubbo in the woods. The good times.

He remembered the first time he watched the sun set over the distant horizon from the branches of a great oak tree. The pair of young troublemakers had decided they wanted to race to the top, the loser being forced to do all the dishes that night. It ended up not going to plan and the boys had to help each other even to reach the branches. They were only small after all!

That sunset was incredible. He’ll never forget it for the rest of his life.

“Tommy?” Came the voice of Fundy somewhere in the thicker part of the forest. “Tommy, where are you?”

“Over here, Fundy!” Tommy called back.

“Okay?” It sounded more like a question. A pause before she called back again. “Where is ‘here’?”

A few more minutes of letting Fundy wander the woods looking for him before she finally remembered to follow his scent and found him. He was currently in the clearing by the tunnel he’d found the day prior. They had sealed it up for the time being and it looked as though no one had tampered with it since. He turned to look at the vixen as she approached.

Tommy opened his mouth to speak but shut it quickly. Fundy was a mess. Her hair was halfway falling out of its braid and she wasn’t wearing the usual L’Manburg get up. Instead she wore a loose-fitting blue tank top and brown ¾ length pants, showcasing her newly forming bruises on her shoulders and arms and one on her right cheek. Not to mention the slight limp she walked with on her left leg. Tommy opened his mouth again, changing the course of his dialogue.

“What the fuck happened to you?” he asked oh so politely.

“Gee, thanks Tommy,” Fundy replied. “Theseus is looking for you. He wants to see how you fight.” She completely avoided the question, but Tommy could kinda fill in the blanks by that statement.

“Fight? What like I get to do training with Theseus?”

She nodded.

“Well why didn’t you say that earlier? Let’s go!”

He practically skipped off into the woods back towards the country, Fundy struggling to keep up but right on his tail nonetheless. In no time they were back at the gates of the nation and headed towards the dirt patch they called the training grounds.

When the two arrived, the crack of wood against wood filled the air as Theseus and Tubbo sparred. Tommy moved over to get a better look and froze, awestruck. He’d seen Tubbo fight before. He’d fought Tubbo before! But Theseus… this was the first time he’d seen him hold a sword against someone else.

And it was breathtaking!

Theseus moved with the grace of a dancer, with the speed of the wind! Never once did he miss a step or hesitate before a strike! He was strong. And agile. And capable.

And he wanted to train Tommy!

You could practically see stars in his eyes as he watched the other blond fight. Normally he would be rooting for Tubbo, but right now he was too focused on watching the seasoned fighter. Maybe they actually did have a chance against Dream! With Theseus on their side they could turn the tides of the war!

Tubbo rammed his shoulder into the man’s chest, knocking his hood back a bit. The older used one hand to fix it and the other to restrain his opponent, wrapping it around his neck and pressing him into his body, rendering him powerless.

He kicked the back of the boy’s knees and sent him tumbling to the ground, pointing his wooden training sword at his chest as he rolled over in an attempt to escape.

“What?” Tubbo whined, but his tone was light hearted. “No fair! That was a cheap move!”

“No moves are cheap in war,” Theseus answered simply, his tone light but the weight of his words not lost on Tommy. He offered a hand to Tubbo, who took it without hesitation. “They don’t say ‘all is fair in love and war’ for nothing. When your life's on the line, most people will do anything to survive.”

“You are so cool, you know that right?” Tommy said as he approached.

“Ah Tommy. Just the big man I wanted to see.”

“Fundy told me you wanted to fight!” Tommy said eagerly.

Theseus chuckled. “Is that what Fundy said?” He gave her a questioning look, but the tone indicated he was smiling behind his mask. She returned the loom with a mischievous shrug. “Well, Fundy’s not wrong. Do you wanna break now, Tubbo?”

Tubbo nodded, wiping a few drops of sweat from his brow with the back of his hand. The eldest gestured towards the other two L’Manburgians in silent motion for him to take a break.

The brunet handed his wooden training sword to Tommy as he reached him.

“He’s fucking strong, watch your back,” Tubbo warned.

“Nah this’ll be easy for Big Man Tommy Innit!” the blond claimed as he marched his way into the training circle.

Tubbo simply sighed, adjusted his hat, and moved to stand beside Fundy.

“Hey, boss man. How’s…” was what Tommy heard before he tuned them out and focused on Theseus, his mentor. His mentor! So fucking cool!

Theseus held his arms out wide. “Show me what you’re made of, big man!” he taunted.

Tommy grinned, widened his stance, raised his sword, and charged forward instantly. He was hoping that would catch Theseus off guard, but he was already ready for him when he reached him.

Wood clashed against wood as the blades collided. Tommy couldn’t manage to land a single hit on the older. Maybe he shouldn’t have run in so cocky.

Theseus dodged and weaved with not quite elegance, but grace and ease. The only comparison Tommy could think of for his movements was Technoblade, and even then the style was so unique and fluid.

For a while, he didn’t go in to strike. Simply playing a defence, letting Tommy attempt to make contact with his wooden sword to his body. A shoulder, a limb, something! And yet not even a hair on his head was harmed.

And then, before Tommy could even register that the combat routine had changed, he was on the ground with a wooden sword at his neck.

He’d let himself become comfortable in the rhythmic attacking and let himself fall into a pattern. Theseus was able to accurately predict his movements and had rammed the hilt of his sword into his side when he left himself open.

Tommy, not being one to admit defeat easily, huffed in annoyance.

“I was going easy on you!” he lied.

“We’ll you shouldn’t have, because I was going way easier on you than you were on me.” The older man offered his hand. The prone boy took it with some hesitation.

“Well?” Tommy asked expectantly. “How was I?”

“You lack focus and proper form,” Theseus said bluntly, letting the training sword rest on his shoulder. “You’re stubborn, yes, but being stubborn doesn’t make you strong. You need to learn to control your energy into your attacks and not become reckless. You need to focus on your opponent and not let your mind wander, or you’ll fall into a pattern and leave you predictable.”

Okay. Ouch. Tommy’s face fell.

“That being said,” Tommy perked up hopefully. “You’re motivated. You’re incredibly dedicated to the fight and won’t let yourself go down easily. If you can channel that motivation into training properly, Dream won’t stand a chance.”

He couldn’t see it due to the black concealing half his face, but Tommy was sure he was smiling. He smiled too; his signature toothy grin.

“Thanks, Theseus! Next time I won’t go as easy on you!”

Theseus chuckled.

“Wanna go over some forms?”

Tommy nodded enthusiastically. Truth be told, going over drills and basic forms sounded fucking boring as shit. But if that was how he was going to get better, fuck it!

He just couldn’t wait to beat the shit outta Dream!

---

Tubbo approached Fundy as she- he moved to sit under the tree. Tommy had just passed him and was going to face down Theseus in a spar. Tubbo found that funny, mostly because he was fighting himself, but also because he was absolutely gonna get his ass beat!

“Hey, boss man,” he greeted the fox. “How’s your cheek? Doesn’t hurt too much, does it?”

“No, I’ll be fine,” Fundy waved it off. “I’m more worried about what’ll happen if my dad finds out about all this.”

“I reckon a bit of instant health to the skin will heal it, at least enough to stop it being so dark.”

He nodded, but didn’t say anything. He looked at the ground, his tail twitching nervously on the ground beside him. It was clear something was on his mind.

They heard the flashing of wood from the training ground, but mostly ignored it.

Fundy inhaled deeply and spoke. “Can… I… talk to… you and Tommy? After training?”

“Yeah! Sure!” The moobloom had to do his best to contain his excitement. “What about?”

“It’s uh… I wanna tell you both something. Not out here though.”

Yep. He knew what this was about.

I mean, no he didn’t? I don’t know what you’re talking about!

“Of course, boss man! Whatever you need!”

The warm, euphoric smile that Fundy wore was enchanting. Tubbo could really tell even just calling him ‘man’ was enough for him to feel some sense of wholeness.

It filled him with a sense of pride that Fundy was ready to step into who he was. That he would be there to help him through the journey.

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves, shall we? How about we give him a chance to tell him first?

---

Tommy and Tubbo sat cross legged on the wooden floor of the camarvan. Brewing stands bubbled softly around them as they waited for Fundy to stop pacing, creating an atmosphere of magic and a lingering smell of sugar, gunpowder, and spider eyes. It was oddly pleasant, not gonna lie.

Fundy’s boots made a satisfying thunk sound from one side to the other in a figure eight path, the quiet voice ranting to itself, too quiet for the boys to hear.

Tommy’s leg was silently bouncing. Tubbo was surprised he wasn’t yelling—talking loudly—at Fundy for him to sit down. He could probably sense the seriousness of the situation and opted to remain quiet as the fox figured out what he was going to say.

Theseus hadn’t beaten him up that badly. Both shoulders were bruised, so were both sides, and his jaw might be a bit stiff for a while. But he looked pretty okay! Especially considering he was Tommy!

Finally, Fundy came to a halt in front of them. He refused to meet their eyes. He sat down. Took a deep breath.

“I… You guys are like brothers to me,” he started. “You’ve cared for me ever since I was little. I… you… You’d still care for me, no matter what, right?”

“Of course!” Tommy near shouted before Tubbo could even open his mouth.

Tommy had always been protective over Fundy. Ever since he was a child. Something about children in general just sparked some sort of brotherly instinct in him. It was rather wholesome to watch actually.

“Of course, Fundy! You’re Wilbur’s daughter! You’re practically my niece!” Tommy joked. Fundy winced.

“See, that’s the thing.” His ear twitched and he took a shaky breath. “I’m not Wilbur’s daughter and I’m not your niece.”

Tommy made a questioning noise.

“I’m a boy.”

Shocked silence from Tommy. And Tubbo pretended to also be shocked.

“I’m a boy. I’m Wilbur’s son. I’m your nephew.” He paused. “Fuck that felt weird to say.”

The other boys burst out laughing. Fundy joined them hesitantly, eyes flicking nervously, hoping that they were laughing at the nephew thing and not at him being trans.

Tubbo brought him into the hug first. Tommy wrapped his arms around the both of them.

“Fuck yeah, Fundy!” Tubbo cheered! “Good for you man!”

“Fucking pog!” Tommy laughed. “Dude, why didn’t you tell us sooner?”

“I don’t know? I thought you’d hate me?”

“How could I hate you? You’re my nephew!”

Fundy sighed. “That’s not going away anytime soon, is it?”

“What?” Tommy fake pouted. “Don’t you like being with your Uncle Tommy?”

“Nope. I don’t. I don’t like that.”

“Why not? Uncle Tommy is the best!”

Tubbo snickered. “Remind me never to trust you with any children I may or may not have in the future.”

“Nah, your kids will love me, Tubbo,” Tommy said matter-of-factly. “I’ll be the good uncle that spoils them rotten. And then they will worship me.”

“Gonna be a hard no from me on that one, boss man.”

The three boys dissolved into giggles—and tears in Fundy’s case—on the floor of the camarvan. Fundy’s tail wagged happily behind him as he buried his head between the other two’s shoulders.

Eventually, things calmed down, and Fundy asked for one small request.

“Can you guys help me cut my hair?”

Chapter Text

“What the fuck is going on here?”

Wilbur wasn’t mad persay. I’d say merely… concerned about the three children on the floor of the camarvan surrounded by orange hair. One of them, his daughter specifically, had a large chunk missing from her ear that wasn’t always missing.

“Uh, Wilbur!”

“Dad! It’s not what it looks like!”

“Nothing, Wil!”

The three of them shouted over the top of one another.

“Fundy, what the actual fuck?” Wilbur asked again. “Why did you trust these two to cut your hair? You’re bleeding! Let me get you a regen potion.”

He took swift strides to the wooden cabinets and started rummaging through the glass bottles of different shapes and sizes filled with various different colourful liquids. He found a small vial of pink liquid, with bubbles that spiraled upwards around the edges of the bottle. The founder brought it over to his daughter and the two boys and gave it to the fox to drink.

“There, Fundy. That should heal your ear.” She downed it like a shot, the effect of the potion instantaneously stopping the bleeding and closing the wound. The rest of her ear didn’t return, but the bleeding, and hopefully the pain, had stopped.

It was now that Wil noticed the thin layer of moisture in Fundy’s eyes.

“Are you crying, Fundy?” He asked, only causing the tears to actually fall.

Fundy shut her eyes tightly and shook her head. “No!”

Tubbo moved a little closer, placing a hand on her shoulder in a comforting gesture.

“Oh, Fundy…” Wilbur pulled her into a hug. “Did you think I’d be mad at you for cutting your hair?” He asked.

He felt her nod into his shoulder.

“I would never be mad at you for something like that, okay? It’s your body. You can do whatever the fuck you want with it. You don’t need my permission to change how you look.”

Fundy cried more, but not out of any negative emotion. No, this time it was out of joy.

Wilbur had just unknowingly reaffirmed his son’s gender, despite being naive to the fact that his kid was trans in the first place! That was probably the best thing Fundy could’ve heard from him regarding this situation. That’s how you be a good dad, folks! Take notes. Prime knows some of you need to show this to your fathers.

“I am, however, gonna make you three clean up all this hair,” Wilbur continued, releasing Fundy gently.

“What? Wil!” Tommy protested.

“What were you going to do with it if I hadn’t walked in? Leave it there?”

“Well, no, but-”

“Then just fucking clean it! We don’t want someone slipping over and spilling harming potion all over themselves! Or any of it to end up in a potion. We’d end up with a dozen Fundies! And, honestly, one is enough. You chaotic little shit.”

Wilbur ruffled her hair as he muttered the last part. She giggled, wiping the tears off her cheeks and sniffing a bit before nodding quietly.

The brunet stood, wiping himself down, and heading back over to the still open cabinet to retrieve the fire resistance he was after. One of the kids behind him cleared their throat. He turned to them expectantly, raising an eyebrow when none of them spoke.

Tommy opened his mouth but Fundy quickly put him in a headlock, covering his mouth with her other hand.

“Don’t worry dad!” she chirped. “We’ll clean this all up in no time!” She then made a noise of disgust as she removed her hand from Tommy’s mouth, wiping it on her trousers.

“Yeah bitch!” Tommy celebrated. “That’s what you get! Fuck you!”

Fundy tightened the headlock. Tubbo was simply laughing his ass off.

“Alright,” Wilbur chuckled. He stored the fire resistance in his inventory and closed the cabinet door with his elbow. “As long as it gets done, and no more ears are lost in the process.”

He turned to leave before he halted and turned back over his shoulder. “Oh and Fundy.”

She looked up at him, trying an innocent look, but failing miserably, clearly thinking he would call her out for some trick she’d pulled recently. Instead she was very pleasantly surprised.

“That hairstyle looks good on you. I like it.”

And then Wilbur left the van.

And Fundy cried again. This time burying his head into Tommy’s shoulder and pulling the other boys in close as they muttered words of encouragement.

Wilbur, on his way out passed none other than resident traitor Theseus McNoSurnameGiven. The founder offered him a glare and a false smile, a now common courtesy he offered the bastard. He approached him with a confused look in his eyes, ignoring the obvious annoyance the other presented at his mere presence.

“What was going on in there? I heard yelling,” the blond asked. He didn't sound concerned though. Almost as if he knew it was nothing serious.

He huffed dramatically. “Wouldn’t you like to know, Theseus. If that is your real name.”

“Uh- yes I would actually. I want to know everyone is okay.”

He rolled his eyes. “Well if you must know,” he put the emphasis on ‘must’. “Tubbo and Tommy decided to cut Fundy’s hair instead of taking her to Eret, who can actually style hair.”

Theseus laughed. “Yeah? And how did that go?”

“About as well as you’d expect, giving two three year olds scissors and asking them to cut someone’s hair.” The smile in the other’s eyes dropped slightly.

“No one got hurt, right?” he asked. Now the concern was there. Was wondering when that would show up!

“Oh no! Fundy lost a chunk off her right ear. Regen potion couldn’t fix it all so now there’s just this bit missing.”

Theseus blinked for a second, surprised. Confused? Then his eyes flicked down and to the left. He thought for a moment before his eyes softened and he gave a tiny shrug. Prime, the man was so expressive even with the mask, and yet Wilbur still could never tell what he was thinking! What was with that guy!

“Now if you will excuse me, I have to go to the Nether. Have fun with whatever you’re doing. Traitor. Scumbag.”

Wilbur left L’Manburg towards the Community House, and the portal to the Nether.

---

Normally, those kinds of names would rile him up, but Theseus honestly couldn’t bring himself to care. He instead watched his brother figure leave the walls before turning on his heels to the van.

The sight was a familiar memory. A warm one. One of the last memories that still brought him joy to remember.

The three boys huddled together on the floor. Fundy crying tears of pure joy. Surrounded by cutoffs of orange and white hair.

“Tubbo, didn’t I tell you cutting someone’s hair was not fun when they have large ears getting in the way?”

“Prime! Shit don’t scare me like that!”

The moobloom almost leapt through the stained glass in the roof of the van when the newcomer announced his arrival. It spurred the others into a chuckle.

Theseus took a good look at the fox boy. His new hair was actually quite different from when Theseus and his Tubbo cut it the first time. It was a bit shorter, layered definitely unintentionally, and curdled in this endearingly chaotic way. But somehow it still suited him.

He was wearing the jacket of his uniform over the top of the gear he wore for training earlier. It hid most of his bruises well, except for the one on his cheek, which actually seemed to have lightened a fair bit in colour from the regeneration potion.

Normally, regen potions didn’t do anything for bruises since there wasn’t really anything missing, but Theseus guessed the injury to his ear was enough that the potion had magic left unused and channeled it to the next closest injury.

Speaking of which, sure enough Fundy’s right ear had a small nick in the side. Which was not only strange because he’d warned Tubbo about this happening. But also because Theseus could’ve sworn that injury was on his left ear.

He shook his head, as if to clear it. “I’m assuming Fundy told you?” he questioned.

“Told us what?” Tommy faked.

“That he’s… he.”

“Oh. Yeah… Wait, why'd you know before us?”

Fundy scratched the back of his head. “I didn’t want to talk to anyone I knew. I kinda just wanted to talk about it, say it out loud, y’know? Also Eret knows.”

“Yeah, but telling Eret makes sense! They’re trans too! Theseus is as cishet as me!”

“Tubbo wishes I wasn’t.”

“Oh you motherfucker!”

Theseus missed this. He missed those moments when the most pressing things on their minds were keeping Fundy from outing himself early and remembering potion recipes. He missed the time he could kick back and just laugh with his friends—his brothers—carefree. Just enjoying his adolescence.

But, as much as he liked reliving what he could, and making new memories in the environment he’d always felt safest, he knew war was coming. There was no stopping it.

The pieces were in play long before Theseus landed here. All he could ever do was plan.

---

The masked traveller awoke in the middle of the night to someone tapping at his window.

“Theseus!”

What the fuck? Was that fucking Karl?

The man rolled glamorously out of bed and swung open the glass, not bothering to put on the mask or pull on his hood. Karl already knew who he was. Already had seen his face.

“Karl what the fuck?” he mumbled groggily. “For a time traveller you really have a poor sense of timing.”

“Oh, shut up,” Karl joked before flipping to a more serious tone. “I don’t have much time, but I came here to tell you I found Tubbo and Ranboo.”

Now that effectively woke Theseus up.

“What? Where? How? Can we get them?”

The time traveller climbed into the window, pulling in his long, colourful coat behind him. “Slow down. I can’t get them here just yet.”

Theseus scrunched up his face. It felt weird making expressions without his mask now that he’d been wearing it for so long. “What? Why?”

“They’re trapped,” Karl explained. He moved his purple-stained goggles onto his head. “They’re stuck in a realm between timelines, unaffected by time and space. They’re pretty much in a stasis until they land in a timeline that can accomodate their existence. You were too until you landed here, actually.”

“Did you put me here then?”

“No, actually. You got here all on your own.” His expression twisted into one of confusion. “Which shouldn’t be possible, to my knowledge, at least.”

Theseus looked vague. So could he have time powers as part of his race? Seems unlikely, but what else could it be?

“Okay, then, how do we get them out of the stasis?” Theseus asked.

“We can’t.”

“We can’t? What do you mean we can’t?”

“Well, there might be a way, but I’ve tried it before and it kinda killed the person I was trying to wake up.” Karl winced. “Very painful death. I’m assuming you don’t want that for your friends.”

“What the fuck? Of course I don’t!”

“Then I’d say it’s too risky. We just have to wait for them to wake up on their own.”

Theseus rubbed his temples and breathed out heavily. “Okay, so how long will that be?”

“Years for me, for you, maybe like a few months? Or about a year? I don’t know, time in the In Between is weird.”

“Karl, you’re gonna have to say things that make sense, Big Man, or I’m gonna- my brain is gonna implode.”

“Look, look. The point is; Tubbo and Ranboo are alive and I will be working my very best to keep them that way until I can safely get them here.”

Karl took in a breath, held it for a second with clenched fists, and let it out. Poor man must’ve been so stressed, especially given his mistake is what got them all into this mess in the first place. Theseus’ eyes softened and he sighed, placing a gentle hand on the shorter’s shoulder.

“Thank you, Karl,” he muttered a little hesitantly. “Really, genuinely. Thank you for everything. I mean, you could’ve just left me here and let Tubbo and Ranboo die in fuckin, Limbo or stasis or whatever.” He shivered a little when he said Limbo. Hadn’t meant to think about it, but the thought was there now and he didn’t like it. “So, uh, thank you.”

Karl smiled softly. “You’re welcome, Tommy.”

“You’d better get outta here.” A grin made its way onto Theseus’ face. “Didn’t you say you don’t have time? A time traveller outta time. Seems a bit like an oxymoron doesn’t it?”

A soft laugh and a smile. “I’ll keep them safe. I promise.”

Pulling his goggles back down to his face and pressing a button on one of the many clockwork devices around his wrists, Karl vanished. Theseus was left in his dark room in the barracks to ponder. He ran a hand down his face, blinking the last of the sleep from his eyes.

A flame lit. A candle flickering. A book opened.

And he began to write.

Chapter Text

The closer it got to August, the more Theseus grew terrified. The closer it got to August, the more Theseus glanced up at the walls. The closer it got to August, the more Theseus tapped rhythmic patterns on any surface he could find. The closer it got to August, the more the reality that he would have to relive the War for Independance set in.

And it showed.

He’d jump at every sound. He’d always be on guard. His sanity was already low before, but now it was taking a dip again.

Which is why Tommy, Tubbo, and Fundy set out to change it!

His birthday was coming up after all! A mere three days away! And the three of them—and Jack Manifold—were determined to make that the best day of his life!

They’d already convinced Niki to bake a cake for the special day. And by convinced, I mean they walked up to her, told him it was going to be his birthday, and she offered to bake a cake. Such a kind soul! That’s not gonna go poorly for her at all!

Eret was on decorations. They had the best eye for aesthetic out of everyone. Trust them to pick out an amazing colour scheme and throw something elaborate together using the limited supplies they had! She’s queer, of course he’s good at decorating.

Jack was going to sort other foods. As good as cake is, they can’t eat nothing but that the whole night! That’s not healthy! They’re growing boys! And Niki and Eret! They need their fibre, especially if they’re gonna be fighting in a war.

Tubbo, Tommy, and Fundy would work throughout the day to distract Theseus from being in L’Manburg. The idea was; they’d hang out as, like a small birthday thing for him, get back to L’Manburg in the evening, and suddenly everyone else is there to celebrate! Like a surprise party!

It was Tommy’s idea.

“Are you sure it’ll be okay surprising him like that?” Fundy asked, running his nails through his tail. “He’s been really jumpy lately. He seems kinda on edge.”

“Yeah, I’m gonna have to agree with Fundy on this one,” Tubbo caved. Knowing him and how bloody traumatised he was, being surprised like that wouldn’t end well.

“What? No! It’ll be fine! You guys worry too much!” Tommy insisted.

The blond shot another arrow and watched as it bore through the air and stuck itself in the second circle from the centre of the target. He rolled his eyes and groaned, throwing down his bow and hopping over the rail to retrieve the ammunition; one in the second, two in the third, and one in the fourth.

“Hey, that was better!” Fundy pointed out positively.

“Yeah, but it’s still not good,” Tommy sulked as he roughly tugged the arrows out of the painted wood. “Theseus wants my shooting to be perfect. I can’t just let him down like that.”

Fundy rested his arms on the fence, watching Tommy pick up the arrows from a distance. Tubbo sat on the wood that probably shouldn’t be able to hold his weight, but he hasn’t broken it yet! The brunet had been fiddling with his hat most of the time the boys had been out here. On his head still, mind you. He’s not trying to expose himself to Fundy and whoever else may be spying on them… That’s not an unsettling thought.

Still trying to fix his hat, Tubbo teased, “You’re obsessed with making Theseus happy, boss man. Why do you idolise him so much?”

“Oh ha ha,” Tommy responded sarcastically. “At least I’m not in love with him.”

“What!”

Fundy laughed. “Yeah you kinda walked into that one, man.”

It was true that Theseus had asked Tommy to work on his archery. He’d asked that of all three of the boy’s he trained, but he put pressure on Tommy specifically, so much so that he’d spent the better part of that afternoon firing over and over at the same target. Tubbo wondered why that was. Honestly, it worried him.

Theseus was Tommy four years in the future. Tubbo knew that. Theseus had also been in several wars and experienced many many misfortunes in his time. Tubbo also knew that. Not to mention there was that little thing of he was only on one life. He had to lose those other two somehow! And, if Tubbo recalled correctly, it was when he was sixteen. It was during this war.

Now that Tubbo really thought about it, he was freaking out a little bit.

“Oh fuck.”

“What? What’s wrong Tubbo?” Fundy asked.

“Uh-” Shit. “I uh- um. I forgot to ask Wilbur something before I left. I gotta go talk to him real quick. I’ll be right back!”

Tubbo slid off the fence and took off speed-walking towards L’Manburg’s entrance. The archery range wasn’t too far from the walls, so it didn’t take long before he reached his destination. He ran into Niki and Jack as he walked in. Like, literally ran into them. The impact knocked his hat slightly askew. He put a hand up to fix it.

“Prime, are you okay Tubbo?” Niki asked, concerned.

“Huh? Oh yeah I’m fine. Have you guys seen Wilbur?” Wait, he didn’t have to lie to them. Why is he actually looking for Wilbur?

The blonde looked at Jack questioningly. “I think he’s in the camarvan?” Jack shrugged.

“Sorry, Tubbo,” Jack said. “I’ve got no idea where he’s gone.”

“Thanks!”

With hand still clutching his hat, he set off to the van perpetually parked in the centre of the walls. After closing the door behind him, he pressed his back against the iron, cradling his head in his hands.

Fuck, his head was killing him!

“Tubbo?”

Tubbo shot his head up—regretting it instantly—at the sound of his name. Wilbur was, sure enough, standing in front of him. Peering out the door to the back of the van, one hand holding three glass bottles skillfully in his fingers and the other a pouch of what Tubbo assumed to be sugar, but you never can tell in L’Manburg.

“Oh, hey Wilbur. Ah!” Tubbo offered in friendly greeting before his smile quickly turned to gritted teeth as pain shot through his skull. He inhaled sharply through the grimace, struggling to keep the facade that he wasn’t hurt.

“Shit. Are you alright, Tubbo?”

Wilbur had put the probably sugar and the bottles in his inventory at some point and put both hands on Tubbo’s arms. Then he was being guided into the back of the van. Then he was sat down and leant against the wall. His migraine was starting to worsen to the point of being unable to fully take in his surroundings and he could feel the pounding of his heart in his ears.

He was like that for a minute or two. Then he felt a cool sensation pressed against his chest and Wilbur’s muffled voice.

Feeling the object against his chest he could feel a bottle of some liquid. He recognised the scent of roses and netherwart. Lesser health. He then assumed Wilbur was telling him to drink it. So he put the glass to his lips and let the liquid pass through.

After a few seconds, the pain in his head began to subside and his senses began to return to him.

“Are you okay Tubbo?” Wilbur asked after a moment.

Tubbo blinked, letting his eyes adjust. “Yeah. Yeah I’m okay. Just a migraine.”

“You’ve been getting a lot of those lately,” Wilbur pointed out as Tubbo adjusted his hat again.

“Yeah, yeah. It’s fucked,” Tubbo agreed.

He’d always had them, just not nearly as frequently as the past few days. Not to mention it was getting harder to wear his hat. He wondered if that was because-

Oh…

Oh it’s because his horns are growing, isn’t it?

Mother fucker.

“Maybe we should keep more lesser health potions on hand,” Wilbur thought aloud, standing at the counter where he’d resumed the making of potions. “Might be helpful if you suddenly get a migraine again.”

Tubbo nodded, then realised he couldn’t see him and added a small noise of agreement.

The boy sat there for a moment, watching the older tend to the several brewing stands lining the sides of the van, flipping through a book on the centre table every once in a while. Finished potions were placed on the table too, each one with a label pasted on the glass.

My Gods, it’s been eleven chapters and I haven’t even explained L’Manburg’s business model! Let’s do that shall we? Time for some world building, fuckers.

L’Manburg makes and sells potions to the towns and villages in and surrounding the Greater Dream SMP. Philza’s crows and carrier pigeons play a big part in this business. The orders come in by mail, Wilbur or someone else writes them in a book, specifically the one on the centre table right now, and the potions are made and sent out weekly. It’s surprisingly efficient and works well for them.

Usually it’s Wilbur, Eret, or Niki making the orders, but Tubbo’s been taking an interest in brewing potions lately. Experimenting with the magic and finding what works and what doesn’t. How different ingredients have different impacts on the potion’s effect.

“Can I help you make orders?” Tubbo asked after a while.

Wilbur looked up from the book for a second. His eyes were slightly widened and one eyebrow was raised but he nodded. “Sure! I’ll teach you how to fill out the log book.”

Between the pair of them production nearly doubled in speed, especially with Tubbo being a fast learner. Just as the sun dipped below the horizon and the evening began, they were left with only two more batches of potions to brew!

“It’s Theseus’ birthday coming up,” Tubbo said as he stuck another label on a swiftness potion for a hunter in Lurelin, only a half day’s travel from them.

Wilbur paused as he poured blaze powder into the brewing stand on the counter in front of him. For a second, the van was silent, save for the bubbling of the potions as the water distilled. The moobloom could only see the back of his revolutionary leader. He was still. Unmoving. He knew Wil didn’t like Theseus but shit.

Then he, continued with his task as if there was nothing amiss.

“Good for him,” he muttered passive-aggressively. “And this affects me how?”

“Well, I know you don’t like him, but I was hoping you’d help us put together a celebration for him?” He asked hopefully. He set down the potion bottle carefully in the formation Wilbur had shown him. “I mean, he’s been super stressed out lately and we all wanted to do something nice for him. Cheer him up y’know?”

“Tubbo.” Wilbur sighed and turned around to face him, leaning back on the counter. “Tubbo, you are too damn kind for your own good. I appreciate that you want to alleviate Theseus, traitorous as he may be, of his stresses, but-”

“See, here you go again claiming Theseus is the traitor when he’s not!”

“Don’t talk over me, Tubbo.” Stern, but not angry. Not yet.

“What proof do you have? What is the evidence that makes you so insistent that Theseus is the one we cannot trust?”

“He’s the only one none of us had met until now. There is no other person it could possibly be.”

“But there is!”

“Who then? Huh? Who!”

“We don’t know who! That’s the point!”

“Tubbo!” Now he was angry.

Tubbo shut up.

“If I got you proof that Theseus is the villain here, will you believe me?”

He was very tempted to say it. Very very tempted to just spill it right there that Theseus wouldn’t betray L’Manburg because he was not only one of its founders. He was Tommy.

But he didn’t.

“Will you believe me?” Wilbur asked again, louder.

Weakly, and probably very unconvincingly, Tubbo said; “Yes.”

Wilbur dropped the pouch of blaze powder he was just using on the table in front of Tubbo. Knowing him it was for dramatic effect more than any actual feelings of anger.

“Then I think you can finish the rest of these by yourself.”

And with that, Wilbur stalked out of the camarvan. And Tubbo was left to cook drugs alone.

---

Wilbur stalked across the grass, muttering curses and obscenities under his breath. He kept his eyes glued on the ground.

Theseus. Not the traitor. What kind of joke is that? What had that backstabbing, double-crossing, two-timing, two-faced, manipulative hypocrite done to somehow con Tubbo, the smartest kid Wilbur knew, into believing his deceit? I swear, when Wilbur found that little-

“Wilbur!”

The melodic tone of Niki’s voice snapped him briefly out of his rage fuelled thoughts. He peered upwards to find her on the wall, looking down at him from just above the ladder.

“Tubbo was looking for you just before!” she notified him. “It seemed urgent. Did he find you?”

“Yeah he did,” Wilbur called back. “He’s just in the camarvan finishing up this week’s orders. Have you seen Theseus anywhere?”

Niki made an ‘um’ sound as she sat on the edge of the wall, leaning on her legs as tapped her cheek rhythmically. “I think he went west? He didn’t say why.”

Wilbur chuckled darkly, rolling his eyes dramatically. “Of course,” he mumbled to himself. “Thanks Niki!” he said louder, giving her a friendly wave. And he walked out of the bounds of the country.

He could feel Niki’s eyes on him as he walked. He tried to pay her no mind, but he couldn’t help wondering what she was thinking.

Niki had always been so gentle and sweet. A much needed ray of pure sunshine in Wilbur’s life.

He hated that she had to see him so mad.

Shaking his head clear of thoughts about the girl, he cast his eyes to the sky, following where he could see the last pink and orange light where the sun had just set in hopes he could find who he was looking for.

It didn’t take him long.

Theseus was talking to someone. Wilbur was too far to hear what he was saying and coming from the wrong angle to see who, but he was standing in a small outcropping by a river. Curious and determined, the founder snuck his way further forward. Towards the traitor. Towards proving himself correct. Finally.

And to his surprise, his horror, and his delight, there Theseus stood.

Talking to George and Dream.

He knew it. He fucking knew it! Tubbo wanted proof? Well here’s his fucking proof! Theseus is a traitor! Case and point! He had to get closer so he could hear their plans!

Slinking from tree to tree and hiding behind small shrubberies, he gradually got within earshot of their conversation. The masks muffled each of their voices, leaving Wilbur to have to duck behind a pair of intertwined oaks about ten metres from the three of them, afraid to get any closer than he already was.

“You seem to take me for some sort of fool, traveller,” Dream said, venom coating his tone.

“Oh believe me, Taken, I do.” Theseus shot back. He sounded arrogant.

“Call me that one more time and I slit your throat! Will you, or won’t you accept my offer?”

“Y’know what, Taken,” he spat the name mockingly, “I offer you this: Leave these woods and I won’t spill anything about what’s happening between the two of you.” He pointed from Dream, to George, back to Dream. Wait, what kind of meeting was this?

Dream clamped a hand around the handle of his axe, but didn’t say anything. George didn’t say anything either. He just stood nervously behind his leader. Lover? He had both hands wrapped around the taller’s left arm.

The man in the smiling mask took a breath. “I ask you again. Will you join us? Or not?”

“What do I get if I do?” Theseus asked, but he still had that arrogance in his tone. He wasn’t considering this at all. Not one bit.

“Glory. Freedom. Power. A-”

“I’ll pass, thanks.”

Dream was getting more and more frustrated by the second. He verbally growled as he grabbed his axe from his belt and held it up against Theseus’ neck. The traveller gasped and clenched his hands into fists.

“If you don’t join us willingly I am going to kill you. You look capable, traveller. I don’t want to waste that because you were too stubborn to join the winning side.”

“Actually, I’m already on the winning side,” Theseus responded cockily.

He had his arms firmly behind his back as he fell into a more relaxed looking stance; as though he didn’t care he was at axepoint. Wilbur could see now hands were shaking. Violently. And yet not a trace of fear showed in his eyes.

“I think you’ll find that these people can do anything they set their minds to,” he continued. “If it’s beating you to a pulp, then they’ll fucking do it!”

“You’re making a mistake, traveller.”

“No Dream, you’re making a mistake. I’ve done this before. The whole ‘being manipulated’ thing. It doesn’t work on me anymore. So you and your boyfriend-” he summoned his axe from his inventory. A glowing, purple netherite that he used to bat away Dream’s diamond one. “-can leave these woods and never return. You are not welcome in or around L’Manburg or around any of its members, especially Eret, ever again.”

Dream leaned in so his mask was close to Theseus’. “Who are you to threaten me?”

“I’m who you wish you had become.”

A beat. Dream looked like he wanted to say something, he was shifting back and forward on his toes. Theseus cut in before he could find the words.

“I am stronger than you, Dream. Stronger than you think any L’Manburgian could ever be. I’ve seen many like you. And believe me, it never turns out good for them. You would be wise to leave my country alone.”

Silence.

As close to silence as you can get in the forest just after sunset.

Oh.

Oh.

Theseus wasn’t the traitor.

Theseus was never the traitor.

Eret was the traitor.

Eret was the traitor and Theseus convinced him otherwise because it was the right thing to do.

Wilbur felt like an asshole.

Dream let out a low hum to break the silence.

Theseus didn’t move. He’d steadied the shaking in the hand that held his weapon, but his offhand was still a wreck of nerves. Wilbur wasn’t sure if the man in green had clocked that or not.

“Let’s go, George,” he said finally. He took one of the other man’s hands in his own and turned on his heel, leaving the hooded blond behind.

The traveller stood there for a second. Frozen. Completely unmoving.

“Fuck.”

Then the axe stuck into the dirt as he released the tension in his body and collapsed.

“Theseus!” Wilbur whispered. He hesitated for a split second after taking his first step, but he pressed on anyway. He knelt by his ally’s side, placing a soft hand on his back. He hated how he could feel his bones through even the thicker fabric of his coat.

“Theseus?” The traveller’s breath hitched. “Theseus, are you alright?”

He looked up at him, covering his eyes with one hand, save for a small crack between his fingers. Wilbur could only imagine how vulnerable he must be feeling.

“How much of that did you see?” he asked with a shaky tone.

“Enough,” was the leader’s response. “Enough to know I was wrong in accusing you and that I should instead be thanking you for convincing Eret to return to our side. So, for all it’s worth, thank you, Theseus. Even after I’ve been so horrible to you.”

“You’re welcome.” Theseus’ voice sounded like he was smiling through tears.

“What’s the matter? Are you alright? You just stood up to Dream, Theseus. Dream! If anything you should be proud!”

“Oh, trust me, I am. He’s just…” He took a deep breath. “… he’s a little too similar to my abuser. We’ll put it that way.”

Wilbur gasped. “Oh Prime, I am so sorry.”

“It’s alright. It’s not like you were there to do anything about it.”

Theseus shifted to a kneeling position and rubbed his eyes with the heels of his palms. When he slowly removed his hands from his eyes, he looked… tired. Worn. Exhausted. His eyelids were half closed and there was a sliver of dark purple bags from under the fabric of the mask. Was that scar on his temple always there?

The older brunet stood up and offered him his arms. “C’mon, Theseus,” he said gently. “Let’s get you back to the barracks. We can talk more tomorrow when you’re rested.”

Blue eyes conveyed a sort of sad smile as he accepted his hand and stood with Wilbur’s help. He was so much lighter than the man thought he should be.

Wilbur felt a… connection to Theseus now. Maybe it had always been there and he just hadn’t noticed it because he was too busy blaming him for everything that was going wrong. But he could feel it now. It was familial. As if Theseus was the long lost brother he’d never had growing up. Until Tommy of course, but he’s Tommy. He’s practically everyone’s brother at this point.

Theseus was only a bit younger than Wilbur, and yet in many ways he’d seen more in the past few years than Wil had and will see his whole lifetime. That thought frightened him.

What had Theseus seen that his hands shook that bad when he had diamond to his throat? What had Theseus done that he could threaten Dream in the face of his own flashbacks? What had Theseus been through that he had to be so resilient?

Guess he’d have to wait and find out. That is, if history chooses to repeat itself.

Chapter Text

Tubbo woke two days before Theseus’s birthday to Wilbur knocking on his door, apologising for how he’d acted the evening prior and asking how he could help prepare for the newcomer’s special day.

“I thought you hated him?” Tubbo pointed out, suspicious of the sudden switch in perspective. “What made you change your mind?” He had a hand keeping his hat on his head. The little horn stubs and yellow flower buds were fun and all, but he’s not about to be outed. Last time wasn’t so pretty…

“Look, I’d rather not talk about it,” Wilbur said, sounding slightly defeated. “But I spoke to Theseus and I’ve now come to realise that I was incorrect in assuming he was the traitor and I am sorry for taking out my frustrations on you. That was wrong.”

The moobloom blinked. “Okay? Uh, come in. I’ll give you a run down of the current plan.”

And they did just that.

Wilbur and Tubbo sat cross legged on the younger’s bedroom floor, discussing the plan for their friend’s birthday.

It’d be accurate to say Wilbur looked painfully guilty the entire time. Look at how much effort everyone else had been going to for Theseus, and he just automatically assumed the worst in him. He didn’t even give him a chance.

“Okay,” the founder said a moment after Tubbo had finished his explanation. “So, what can I do?”

“Um…” Tubbo trailed off. “Y’know, I’m not really sure. We didn’t really plan much for you cause, y’know, we thought you hated Theseus.” His face visibly dropped. “But I’m sure we could come up with something!”

“It’s alright. It’s no pressure or anything. I know this is super last minute, but I wanted to make it up to Theseus. The way I treated him—have been treating him—it’s not okay, and I don’t want to pretend like it’s fine now that I’ve apologised.”

Tubbo nodded. “That sounds fair. I’ll talk to the boys about it. And Fundy.” He tacked on quickly.

Not about to out his mate to his father just yet.

“I’m sure you guys can figure something out,” Wilbur assured. “You’re smart kids.”

“Aw, thank you Wilbur! We’ll certainly try.”

The older brunet stood and brushed off his trousers. “Well, I’m off to find the soon-to-be birthday boy in question. I’ll leave you to get ready and such.”

The boy looked down at himself. Surely enough, he was still in his sleepwear. How classy. Totally matches the hat.

“Yes,” he agreed half-assedly. “Thanks Wilbur! Good luck talking to Theseus.”

“I’ll probably need it.” Wilbur laughed and stepped his way through the still open door. Most of the other citizens were already out of bed anyway. And Theseus wasn’t in his room. Wilbur checked. “Bye Tubbo!”

“Bye Wilbur!”

He shut the door to give the boy his privacy and set off in search of Theseus. He found the traveller patrolling the walls, keeping a lookout for the other L’Mamburgians’ safety.

“Theseus!” Wilbur called to the man standing atop the blackstone brick. The hooded figure turned upon hearing his name and offered a weak wave upon seeing who it was. Wilbur let himself up the ladder and walked over to where the other stood, Theseus meeting him half way.

“I wanted to talk to you,” Wilbur said. “Y’know after last night.” Theseus rubbed his arm a bit and cast his eyes down.

“I know it’s probably too soon,” Wilbur continued. “But I wanted to tell you that I really am genuinely sorry for how I’ve been treating you and I want to do what I can to make up for it.”

Theseus looked up at Wilbur through strands of unkempt blond hair. “Thank you, Wil,” he said plainly. Wilbur got the sense that if he spoke anymore he might cry.

Theseus; the tragic hero of L’Manburg.

Without him, Wilbur was certain they had no chance in this war. And yet, in many ways, he was probably the most fragile out of all of them.

“I know you’ve been training some of the kids,” Wilbur changed the topic. “While I’m not happy Fundy got involved, I do think you’re right in that she needs the training.”

The younger’s posture visibly relaxed at the change in topic. “Trust me, Fundy is very talented when given a sword. Picked it up like that! I reckon with a solid training regiment, Fundy will be a pro.”

He was speaking slower than usual. Taking a second to think between sentences before saying them. Interesting.

“Well, in that case, I’m glad.”

“You should’ve honestly been training Fundy from the beginning. I get that Fundy is your kid, but…”

“Yeah I know.” Wilbur fiddled with his fringe. “Call me a terrible father and we’ll call it a day.” It was said jokingly, and Theseus knew that, but the next comment was still unexpected.

“I mean, with Philza Minecraft as your dad, it’s a hard bar to reach.”

First Wilbur laughed. It’s the kind of joke Tommy would make so he didn’t bat an eye. And then he batted an eye.

“Have I told you Philza Minecraft is my father?”

No. No he had not.

“No,” Theseus admitted. “But Tommy speaks of you like a brother and him like a dad. With all the crows around all the time it’s not hard to put two and two together.” He gestured to a small murder of crows that had started congregating on the black and yellow railings around the wall.

“I suppose that’s fair.”

Wilbur sat down, dangling his legs off the blackstone and letting the breeze play with what hair was sticking out from under his hat. Theseus sat next to him after a second. Silently letting themselves both get caught in the moment.

“He’s not actually my brother, y’know?” Wilbur said after a moment.

“Really?” Theseus asked. “Could’ve fooled me.”

“Yeah. We could probably fool anyone at this point. Even my dad.” He had a little chuckle to himself at that. “He was the stray raccoon that we fed once and kept coming back. It was annoying and I hated him but I also loved him.”

Theseus snickered a little behind the mask. Wilbur grinned and continued.

“Tommy is a lot, to put it simply,” he said. “But, I’ll be honest, he keeps this country together more than I do. We’re all here for him, in a way. It’s like everyone’s just adopted him as a little brother.

“As much as he annoys the shit out of me, I also can’t help but want to protect him. He’s my brother.” A beat of silence. He didn’t think he’d admitted that to anyone before. “Don’t tell him I said that though. I will cry.”

Theseus cackled. A laugh that really reminded him of Tommy. Maybe that’s why he was so drawn to him now that he’s let his walls down.

Theseus was so much like Tommy.

“You remind me of my brother,” Theseus said. “William. I’m not sure how much you’ve heard about him.”

“I think Tommy told me about him.” Wilbur scratched his brow as he tried to recall. Then he winced. “Didn’t he exile you?”

“Yeah, but that’s not the part you remind me of.”

Wilbur gave an exaggerated sigh of relief. “Thank Prime! I’d hope not!”

Theseus chuckled. “He was very dramatic, like you. A real magician when it came to words. He was the type of guy who could make armies surrender with a poem or some shit like that. I very much looked up to him. He was my everything for a while.”

Then what happened?

The question was burning at the forefront of his mind. But he’d only just forgiven Theseus! Surely he wouldn’t trust him with such personal information! Was it too soon? Should he wait?

Then what happened?

It was an ache. A parasite. Refusing to leave Wilbur’s mind and the more he thought about it, the brighter it burned.

Then what happened?

So he gave in. And he asked it.

At first Theseus sighed. One of the legs he was dangling over the edge of the wall he brought into his chest so he could rest his cheek on his knee as he spoke.

“A lot,” was the simple answer the traveller gave. For a moment, Wilbur expected he wouldn’t go on. Then he did.

“When we won the war, the first thing he did was declare himself President. He let the power get to him. Then he let it tear him down the second it was removed.”

“How did he lose his power?” Wilbur asked quietly. “Was he overthrown? What happened?”

“No. He lost an election.” Theseus shifted uncomfortably, tugging at the edges of his mask. “To be fair, the other side had pulled some shit in order to win, but it was legal and ultimately w- he lost. When he found his way back into power, he was a different person. He’d lost himself to insanity. He exiled me, blew up the country, and…”

Theseus took a shaky breath.

“And he begged dad to kill him.”

“He… what?”

Wilbur was in shock. Theseus nodded painfully, tears beginning to darken the edges of the fabric around his face.

“Right in front of my eyes. Right in front of everyone who loved him. Me, his son, everyone.”

“Prime… I’m so sorry Theseus.”

“It’s okay. You weren’t there to do anything about it.”

Wilbur couldn’t help but feel there was a twinge of bitterness under his tone there.

“Well, surely he had other lives, right?” Wilbur tried to make light of the situation. The other just shook his head. His shoulders slumped and he sighed, fixing his fringe from under his hat.

“I’m so-”

“Don’t apologise.” It wasn’t angry, but it was forceful. Wilbur was confused. Of course he was confused, he couldn’t read the subtext. How could he possibly?

‘Don’t apologise. You never mean it anyway.’

Theseus had to remember this wasn’t his Wilbur. Not quite yet.

“Actions speak louder than words, Theseus.” Wilbur stood, looking off into the horizon beyond the tree line. Theseus did the same, only his gaze was trained on Wilbur.

The older turned to face him. “I know an apology cannot make up for one’s past mistakes. That is why I am going to do everything in my power to set things right between us. That is a promise.”

Theseus’ lower lashlines raised; he must’ve been smiling. But those blue irises held a melancholy Wilbur hadn’t seen in someone so young before. He spoke;

“Promises should be sacred, but you’d be surprised how many end up abandoned. I hope you can keep yours.”

Then he patted Wilbur on the shoulder and resumed his patrol.

---

The day before Theseus’ birthday was painful for the man himself. He thought talking to Jack and Niki, the two people who he’s pretty sure were trying to kill him at one point in his timeline, would calm him down.

Seems weird right? But it’s better than the best friend who exiled him and also knows he’s from the future or his dead brother that manipulated and traumatised him or literally himself. Especially right now. In the calm before the storm.

They seemed to keep finding ways to steer the topic back to his birthday. Tomorrow, according to Tubbo’s quick maths in the woods that one time. Oh maybe they’ve planned something for it.

Theseus was more worried about tomorrow because it was the last day he could remember being truly carefree. The last day of living without constant threat. The last day of being at peace. The last day of his childhood.

July 30th, Dream would give his demands. July 31st, Tubbo would lose his house and war would be truly declared. August 1st, the carnage would begin.

It distressed him to no end.

“Woah, woah dude. Are you okay?” Jack asked, reaching an arm out toward where Theseus sat. “You’re like rocking back and forth. Are you feeling okay?”

“Huh?” Theseus caught himself and stiffened up, sitting up straight and clutching his hands close to his chest. “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t realise. I’m sorry.”

“No, dude it’s okay. I just wanted to see if you were alright. No harm done.”

The blond just nodded and slowly relaxed. Niki was giving him a pained expression. Jack just looked confused.

“It’s nothing, really. It’s just something I do to distract myself from my anxieties.”

“Is there something to be anxious about?” Niki asked quietly. She knew the looming threat of Dream was hanging over them, but she couldn’t know how soon he would truly become a problem.

“It’s…” Theseus looked at the grass. “It’s nothing. I’m just anxious over nothing. Suppose that’s what happens when you have trauma, amirite?”

Jack looked uncomfortable. Niki, much to Theseus’ surprise, laughed. More of a quiet Niki giggle actually, but a laugh nonetheless. It only made the time traveller wonder; what happened to the poor girl before the Dream SMP? Before L’Manburg? Before war?

Who could ever really tell?

“Anyway,” Theseus changed the subject for like the 21st time in this conversation. “Niki, you said you were a baker? That’s cool. Where’d you learn that?”

Niki nodded, her smile growing to one of genuine happiness. “Yes! Um. My sister taught me. We used to bake together all the time. She always wanted to open up a bakery, so I’m hoping I can do that in L’Manburg at some point.”

“Well if you do, I will be a regular customer,” Theseus complimented and it wasn’t lost on him when her face flushed. Probably out of shyness, knowing Niki.

“Oi, I will be too!” Jack said. “I absolutely love your baking, Niki. You’ve ruined cakes for me. Can’t have anyone else’s.”

“Thank you, Jack. I’m going to assume that was a compliment.”

“It was. Very much so. A compliment of the highest order!”

A few minutes further into their conversation, Niki gasped. She muttered something in her mother tongue and stood quickly from the campfire. Theseus stood too, alarm jolting his muscles into action.

“What’s wrong? Are you okay?” He manifested his axe and held it ready at his side, poised to attack should the defence be necessary. Niki only shook her head.

“Uh, no! No, everything is fine!” she lied. Theseus could tell she was lying. “I just, uh… forgot to… feed my cricket.”

Niki didn’t have a cricket. At least, not that Theseus remembered.

She and Jack shared a look before she rushed off towards the barracks, passing Tubbo on the way over. Theseus gave Tubbo a look when he reached where the two young men were around the fire.

“Does Niki have a cricket?” Theseus asked, out of the blue.

“Uh… no?” Tubbo looked off at something behind the blond. “No? Oh! Yes she does! Its name is um, Clementine! Yeah. Freaky little insect that thing is.”

The time traveller raised an eyebrow, but let it slide. Clearly either the entirety of L’Manburg was keeping something from him, or his memory was shit. Theseus was hoping for the sake of his sanity it wasn’t the former. Besides, he wouldn’t put it past his brain to have forgotten some things. I mean, he did take a shit tonne of blunt force trauma to the head. Kinda recently too.

Yeah we don’t like to talk about that.

“Anyway! I’m here to fetch you, Theseus!” Tubbo said. “Wilbur wants your opinion on battle strategy since you’re the most experienced here.”

Theseus winced behind the mask, hoping to Prime it didn’t show. “Okay.” He unsummoned his axe. “Lead the way, Tubs.”

The meeting was… uncomfortable to say the least. Theseus tried his hardest to refrain from naming any locations on the map laid out on the desk in front of him. And, when he slipped up, he was almost always immediately called up on it by Tommy, then he had to come up with an excuse to why he knew the large stone tower encased within someone’s borders was Punz’s.

“Worse comes to worse,” Tommy stated, placing a grey marker on a certain point of the map. “We hide in the embassy and use my sewer system as an escape. And worse comes to worst worse, I have a back up safe room in an unknown location.”

Theseus peered over his younger self’s arm, recognising where he’d placed the marker to be where his home was. The one that Connor was certain belonged to him after he… uh… Moving on.

Eyes of cold blue steel scanned the map. It was insane how similar to their initial battle plan this one was. Now that he was here, Theseus could almost perfectly recall being where Tommy stood now. Could almost remember placing the marker on his house. Remember the fear coursing through his veins, causing his fingers to shake.

He could see Tommy’s hands shaking now.

Tommy paused his gaze on the visible signs of his fear before gripping his wrist and bringing both hands to his chest.

“… Alright.” Wilbur had seemed to be torn between making some quip or embracing the seriousness of the situation they were in. This is war. This is life or death. These are children. And it was too late to stop it now.

“Theseus?” The General asked, turning to the time traveller. He met his dead brother’s gaze. “Anything you want to add?”

Turning back to the table, he gave a shaky sigh.

“This is a solid plan, but don’t rely on it. We may not be outnumbered, but we are out matched. If you expect the plan to go south, it will be less of a surprise if it does. Back up battle strategies and back up escape routes are important.”

Wilbur nodded thoughtfully. “So what do you propose?”

“We use the mines. I’ve almost ran into citizens of the SMP while I’ve been down there. It seems no matter where you tunnel around here it ends up connected to everything else.”

“A labyrinth!” Tubbo exclaimed softly. He’d been silent for the past twenty minutes or so.

He nodded. “And not just that. In the event they follow us, we need a way to seal them in, inconveniencing them at least, killing them at most.”

“And how do we do that?” Tommy asked.

The blond man swallowed thickly before responding. Prime, he couldn’t believe he was saying this!

“We’re gonna blow it up.”

Chapter Text

Dawn of the day of Theseus’ birthday came and Tommy was ready to put his brilliant, excellent, flawless plan into action!

First things first: check with Tubbo, his right hand man, partner in many crimes, and best friend of all time. He rolled glamorously out of bed and bounded down the halls to the fae-descendant’s room to see that there were going to be no hiccups in the plan.

“Alright, tell me what you’re doing here or I’ll sacrifice you to my ancestors.”

“Good morning to you too, Tuberculosis!”

“Not my name.”

Tubbo, as energised as ever, greeted him with incredible enthusiasm and an eager attitude. Meaning: he both looked and sounded completely dead inside.

“I’m here to check in about Operation: Mystery Man’s Mystery Party.com!”

Reluctantly, the dreary-eyed brunet opened the door and let him in. “It is barely even sunrise, Tommy. I don’t think anything changed from how we left it last night.”

“Yeah yeah, that’s what you think.” Tommy pointed at the shorter dramatically, barely a centimetre away from poking his nose. “There could’ve been rats, or geese, or other forest animals that may have found Niki’s baking. The crows may have stolen Eret’s supplies. A gust of wind may have come along and untuned Wilbur’s guitar. Maybe Fundy couldn’t-”

“I’m gonna stop you there.” Tommy shut up because he knew better than to argue with Tubbo while he was tired. “Firstly, rats and geese aren’t forest animals. Secondly, if they did steal Eret’s stuff, Wil can bully them into giving it back. And thirdly, he can re-tune it. That’s how tuning an instrument works.”

“Fine!”

“Now can I sleep until the sun is actually visible please?”

“No, we’ve still got shit to do!”

With a dramatic sigh and several grumbled threats, Tubbo eventually agreed to help, but only if Tommy promised to make him a coffee first. So off to the drug van they went, where Tommy was certain he could whip up a couple caffeinated drinks.

Two coffees—each—and two hyper energised children later, Operation: Mystery Man’s Mystery Party.com was in full swing!

They bullied Fundy into getting out of bed so they could double, triple, quadruple check the itinerary for their Day in the Dream SMP. When that was done, Wilbur was already up and starting his tasks for the day, so they bugged him about music and what he was planning to play. Then they found Niki and Jack in the small bakery that was built into a cave just near the beach outside the walls, the pair of them double checking all their food preps for the occasion that night. Finally, the three boys cornered Eret as they were moving some of the boxes of party supplies out of his room and to a hidden storage unit in the base of a tree.

Everything was all coming together.

Now, the one order of business was to find the birthday boy! Where was Theseus anyway?

Tommy scanned the grounds within the walls of the tiny nation, but he couldn’t catch sign of the taller blond anywhere.

“Boys,” he said gravely, stopping the other two mid conversation. “I think we may have an issue.”

“What’s the issue?” Fundy asked, tail pausing its movement for a brief moment.

“Where’s Theseus?”

The trio began looking. He wasn’t in his room, or on the walls, or the training grounds, or the camarvan, or anywhere in the nation at all! This could be a problem.

Until Tubbo spoke up, scratching his head under his hat.

“I think I may know where he is.”

—

In the forest, at the base of an old oak, sat a broken man, consumed by the growing realisation that he may have to watch his nation fall and his friends die. Again. And after that? Maybe again. And again. Until the cycle ended as his life did.

Maybe, he thought. Maybe Dream had never revived him in the first place. Maybe this was a cruel cruel joke of the universe. Maybe this was his true limbo. The afterlife he would be forever forced to endure.

Surely, Death wasn’t that cruel. She couldn’t be!

Could she?

He wished there was music right now. From Wilbur, or a disc. Just some noise other than the sounds of nature that slowly all faded together in a blur of white noise. At least if Wilbur was singing he could zone in on something other than his thoughts.

It was clear he couldn’t stop the war. It was going to happen. But how could he prevent as many deaths as possible?

“Theseus?”

The man in question jumped at the sound of his name cutting through the chirping of birds and rustling of leaves he’d gotten used to. Relaxing upon seeing Tubbo, he laughed.

“Why is it that every time one of us is here, the other scares them?” he joked.

“Fucking fate or some shit. What do you expect me to say?” Tubbo answered, laughing with the blond.

Theseus turned to fully face his younger companion. “What brings you out here this time, Tubso?”

“We were actually looking for you.”

“Hang on. We?”

“Ayup, king!”

“Hi Theseus!”

Tommy and Fundy revealed themselves by shouting their greetings.

“Happy birthday, big man!” Tommy exclaimed, jumping down to meet him and grasping his shoulders. “One year older, one year closer to world domination!”

Theseus smiled shyly behind the mask. “It’s not really that big a deal. Thank you, really, but I don’t really care to be honest.”

“Why?” Fundy asked, popping out from behind Tommy like some cartoon character. “You’re 20 years old now! That’s a big deal! We have to celebrate!”

Theseus sighed, but he still held a smile in his eyes. “Okay, we can ‘celebrate’ by placing TNT in the mines in preparation for the war.”

Tubbo and Fundy seemed disappointed. Tommy, however, held a look of pure, untamed chaos in his glowing cyan eyes.

“Aw fuck yeah! Crime! My favourite way to celebrate!”

“Crime is your favourite thing anyway,” Tubbo pointed out.

“Yeah! Crime and girls. Women. I love women.”

“Tommy, you can’t keep saying that.”

“Says who?”

“Says me.”

“Bullshit! You only like men!”

“Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!”

Theseus manifested a stack of TNT and threw some to each of the three boys, causing them to fumble to catch it. “Come on Dumb, Dumber, and Dumbest.” A chorus of ‘Hey!’ from the boys. “The mines won’t rig themselves.”

The four of them travelled through the sewers to the embassy, and then they snuck across from the embassy to the entrance into the mines. They split up, agreeing to meet back at the embassy in three hours. Tommy went east with Tubbo—of course—and Theseus travelled west with Fundy. They walked quietly, hoping their lack of armour would quieten their footsteps as opposed to the other members of the server.

The pair went a solid half hour or so without speaking. Theseus was sure the other pair wasn’t the same. Fundy broke the silence with a small voice.

“Theseus, I’ve been meaning to ask you something,” he said.

“Spill it, dude. What’s up?” Theseus always made an effort to use male gendered terms when talking to Fundy. He knew how much it meant to him.

With a tiny smile, he continued. “You’ve seemed… really off these past couple days. We’ve all noticed it, it’s just, none of us can place what’s happening for you. We don’t know you very well, and… We’re worried about you, Theseus.”

He slot a piece of stone perfectly back into the cave wall, covering up the hidden TNT seamlessly. Then he paused. He’d been revealing too much as it stands already, he thought. Surely if he recounted anything else from his life, he’d accidentally predict exact events in the near future for L’Manburg’s citizens.

No, no. He had to give him some other excuse.

“I uh…” As he thought, he fiddled with his hood. Wait, his hood! “I just. I’m starting to get a little, a little antsy hiding my face from you guys. I just wanna let my hair down, y’know?”

“Well, what’s stopping you?”

“I…” Shit. “I’m not… there’s a bounty on my head, remember? I need to keep myself hidden to some degree. If I don’t, my assassins will have an easier time finding me. And then it’s all over. I won’t be able to protect you kids, or L’Manburg anymore.”

Safe! Nice save, Tom.

“Surely it wouldn’t be that bad.” Fundy tried. “You don’t even have to show us your face. Maybe you could just remove the hood! Keep the face mask on. That surely obscures you enough.”

“Maybe…”

I mean, his hair was much longer now than Tommy’s is. And his eyes have dulled significantly since exile. And there’s the whole white streak thing…

“We’ll see.”

Fundy tucked a stick of TNT in the floor and began shovelling gravel over it. “It’s really no pressure. Do whatever makes you the most comfortable.”

Theseus fiddled with his hood a little more.

“Yeah… thanks…”

---

“It’s been four hours!”

Fundy paced back and forth inside the embassy, just in front of Tommy’s wall of enemies. He and Theseus had gotten there half an hour ago, thinking the other two would already be there. But they weren’t.

So they waited another half hour in case they were just running late like they were. But nothing!

“What if they ran into Dream? What if- what if they’ve been captured? Maybe they’re being tortured! Maybe our plans are being dragged out of them! What if-”

“Fundy.”

The fox stopped to look at the hooded man sitting in the wooden chair next to him.

“Panicking will do us no good. We need to sit back and think about this rationally. If they were kidnapped, where would he take them?”

“I don’t know!” Fundy exclaimed, clearly still panicking. “I don’t know!” Fundy collapsed on the floor next to the chair Theseus. “Dad’s gonna kill me!”

“No one’s gonna kill you!” Theseus put a comforting hand on the boy’s shoulder. “We’ll find Tommy and Tubbo and we will make sure nothing like this ever happens again.”

Fundy nodded slowly. “Okay… but, where are we gonna look? We can’t just wander the SMP shouting their names.”

Theseus looked at the floorboards for a second. Fundy wished he could tell you what was happening in that man’s brain. “We go to the community house.” he eventually concluded. “If we come across one of the Dream Team on the way, we tail them. But first, we need to go their route through the mines and see if we can find any signs of them, or what happened to them.”

Fundy nodded again. Theseus offered him a hand and helped him to his feet. They snuck out of the embassy and back into the mines.

For a while they found nothing. Nothing but stone tunnels Fundy knew were filled to the brim with explosives. He was a little worried about blowing them up by accident. They were set far enough apart that detonating one would cause a chain reaction and detonate the others. One slip up and the whole mine was toast.

But surely they had precautions against that, right? Of course they did!

“Fundy, look at this.”

He snapped his head to the sudden noise as Theseus spoke. The adult squatted down to pick up a still burning torch from the ground.

“This is Tommy’s crafting. We’re on the right track.” Theseus spoke with such confidence Fundy almost didn’t think to question how he knew that. And when he did think of it, he only asked the question silently. “There’s an exit somewhere near here, I believe. That might be where they’ve been taken.”

The traveller set off without waiting for Fundy’s approval. The trans boy wondered what was going on in his brain. What he had done in his life that would lead him to learn to memorise someone’s specific crafting style.

It was odd how much he knew, Theseus. He wasn’t even that much younger than Fundy’s own father and even Wilbur knew less about the world than the hooded man did.

Though, he supposed experiences were what made people who they are. Whatever Theseus had been through made him to be who he was as he walked two paces in front of him. It was how he knew so much at almost age 20. Age 20 exactly, actually.

“Wait this is…” Fundy mumbled as the pair of them emerged from the mines.

“Fuck.”

Before them stood a house made entirely of wood. The top storey hung over the bottom one by a little and the roof was built into beautiful, triangular peaks.

And it was set completely ablaze.

“Tubbo’s house!” Fundy yelled. “Did Dream do this?”

As if on cue, the green clad tyrant himself stepped through the front door out of the flames. The wicked, grinning mask stared directly at the two L’Manburgians as another two figures stepped out behind him. George and Sapnap.

George held a sword in one hand threateningly. Sapnap held his left hand open, watching a small version of what engulfed the house dance in his palm.

Theseus whispered one thing before he charged towards them with an axe in hand.

“They’re early.”

Chapter Text

Clang!

The blow wasn’t hard to parry. Especially when Theseus could be seen coming from miles away.

That was fine. It’s fine! He expected that and retaliated with another swing at Dream instead. This time, the hunter’s blade held his mere centimetres from his nose—or where his nose was under the mask.

“Where are the kids, Taken?” Theseus bellowed.

No answer. George was already running to face Fundy head on. Theseus almost smirked. Good luck, mushroom man. Fundy’s a beast.

“Answer me!” He felt his throat protest as he screamed but he really didn’t care right now.

“I told you not to call me that, traveller.” Dream spat, pushing Theseus’ axe away.

Having lost his technique in his anger, Theseus stumbled. Sapnap took the opportunity to jump in front of Dream and create a wall of fire, preventing the time traveller from reaching either of them.

Dream laughed. “Where do you think your pitiful ‘kids’ are?” The word kids was said with disgust and sarcasm dripping from his tongue. “They’re in there! A little Tubbo and Tommy play date gone horrifyingly wrong! It was bound to happen eventually.”

Theseus remembered Dream when he was this age. He was bad, sure. But he wasn’t nearly this bad. What went wrong?

“You’re sick! Those are children! They’re barely sixteen! This is child abuse!”

“This is war, traveller! You don’t know-”

“Oh I know, Taken! I know!” Theseus yelled over him. “War does not give you the right to burn children alive!”

“Oh, no they’re not alive.”

Then his heart dropped violently to the pit of his stomach. He almost swore he could feel it still beating on the grass by his feet.

“They’re what?”

“At least they won’t be soon!” Dream finished. “Not unless you jump in and save them, right now! So go on, hero.” The title was spoken like venom. Like just speaking it could poison or curse Theseus like a spell uttered by a witch. “Go save them!”

He couldn’t believe it. This… this was just like exile. Gaslighting. Manipulating! Hell! He left a pair of kids who had yet to do anything other than annoy him in an actively burning building! And from the looks of things he got his lackey to set it alight.

In his panic he caught Sapnap’s ashen eyes. Stoic. Loyal. But also a little apprehensive.

Maybe that barrier of fire wasn’t just to stop Theseus. It was also to stop Dream. Keep it to a battle of words rather than a battle of blades.

The blond shot a quick look to Fundy. From the numerous cuts through George’s blue cottagecore garb and the lack of them on Fundy’s uniform, it was safe to say he’d trained a good swordsman.

With a smile in Fundy’s direction and a glare towards Dream, he stowed his axe and leapt through the nearest window, shattering it instantly. He heard Dream and Sapnap cackling behind him, but he couldn’t bring himself to care.

“Tommy!” He called, only to then immediately start coughing violently. “Tubbo? Can you hear me?”

From his inventory he manifested two splash potions of fire resistance. He threw one at the ground beneath his feet and kept the other in his hand. He continued calling their names.

“Tommy! Tubbo! It’s me! It’s Theseus!”

“Theseus?”

The man in question instantly began booking it towards the pained voice.

“Yes! It’s me! Where are you?”

“Chest room!”

Up the crumbling flight of stairs and around a corner he found the room he was after. He also found Tommy and Tubbo. He also found a new sense of rage.

The pair were tied together on the wooden table in the centre of the room. The rope looked tight enough to be bruising their wrists and the embers were landing on their skin and uniform. Part of Tommy’s coat was on fire and he could do nothing but scream at it to try and put it out. Tubbo’s entire righty leg was also ablaze and he’d clearly already kicked off his boot in an attempt to stop it from catching, as evident from the almost melting shoe on the floorboards.

So this is where trauma begins this time. Great!

“Stay still!”

Theseus’ first reaction was to yeet the glass bottle towards the boys and pray the potion properly effected both of them. His second was to charge forward through the burning building and pray a falling beam didn’t decide to bap him on the head. His third was to angrily tear the ropes apart with a netherite dagger.

“Thank Prime you’re here!” Tubbo praised, the light of the fires accentuating his tear stained cheeks.

“Mother fucker! Couldn’t you get here any fucking sooner! Fuck! Shit! Fuck!” Tommy swore, ripping off his still very much on fire coat and throwing it to the ground, attempting to stamp on it to put the flames out. He gave up when he remembered the whole building was burning and stamping on it wouldn’t do much.

“I’m not a time traveller! I can’t control time!” was Theseus’ rebuttal. Okay that one could’ve used some workshopping but we don’t have the time considering the building is on fire.

It didn’t take a doctor to notice how severely burned the boys were. Theseus didn’t even want to know how long they’d been in there for.

“Can you walk?”

Tubbo certainly couldn’t. His leg was still fucking flaming. Tommy could, but was clearly in pain. Whatever they could address that concern after they were out of danger.

“Holy fuck Tubbo! Tommy, can you help me?”

He barely even finished the question before the blond was at his best friend’s side. The pair of Tommys carried him—not led, carried—out of the building, through the window Theseus had smashed earlier. The boys collapsed on the grass, coughing up smoke, faces twisted in muffled screams of immense pain. Tubbo hadn’t stopped crying.

Theseus summoned a water stone from his inventory. “Fundy!” he yelled. He knew he’d heard it. Keen senses.

With sheer willpower, adrenaline, and probably mostly rage, Theseus broke the stone above where the boys lay. A wave of magic water washed over them, putting out the flames and gracing them with a momentary relief before fading into the, now dead, grass below them and disappearing.

Kneeling down by their sides, he manifested a lesser regeneration potion and thrust it towards Tubbo, as well as an instant health for Tommy. He froze when the laughter started.

No no no! He can’t panic now! These people are depending on him!

The smell of the burning didn’t help.

He was back on his knees on a patch of dead grass. Shaking and whimpering and crying. He stood above him, laughing his fucking ass off.

“You are weak, Tommy,” he cackled, voice echoing off the walls in Theseus’ mind. “You’re nothing without my guidance.”

No! Get out! This isn’t real! Right!

“Why are you so determined to protect them!” Same tone, same laugh, same voice.

That doesn’t make sense. Protect who? He’s not…

“L’Manburg doesn’t deserve you, traveller! Come with me instead!”

Traveller. Not Tommy. Traveller.

Theseus blinked. He tried to breathe but the mask and the smoke was making it hard. He took a glance upwards. Tommy had his back to him, cradling his best friend. Fundy stood just to his side, facing Dream and co. Protecting the three on the ground. He couldn’t see the green man in question. That was probably for the best.

Lowering his head, he allowed his hood to cover his eyes. With one hand he pulled his mask down to his chin and took a big gasp of air.

In… and out. In… and out.

As he breathed, he focused on the earthy scent of the fire resistance.

In… and out. In… and out.

“Theseus… you-” Tubbo cut himself off by coughing violently.

Quickly, he slipped the mask back over his nose and summoned his axe again. Using the weapon as leverage, he pushed himself off the ground and moved to stand by Fundy’s side, staring down Dream like a hawk. The fox’s stance barely budged. He’d have to congratulate him later for everything he showed here today.

He noticed George, after being evaded by Fundy, had retreated to stand at his boyfriend’s side. Cute. He’s dependent on him. Sounds suspiciously familiar.

“What?” Dream taunted. “Got nothing to say? A few nights ago I could barely shut you up!”

He heard a growl. For a second he thought it was Fundy, but the low rumbling he felt in his chest told him otherwise.

“These idiots don’t even know what to do with themselves!” Dream foolishly continued. “They pride themselves on their freedom. Their morals. But look at them! A bunch of teenagers trying to rebel for shits and giggles. Pathetic!”

“You are weak, Dream!” Theseus yelled over the flames before he could think.

Sapnap’s eyes widened. George’s jaw dropped. Even Fundy’s sword lowered a bit as he turned to him in shock.

Dream went still and quiet.

“You think you’re so powerful! A king amongst his subjects! You want everyone to worship you. You want this place to be one big happy family. Burning down houses is not how you get that! Traumatising minors is not how you get that! Starting a war is not how you get that!

“I don’t care how much control you think you have. L’Manburg was made as an escape from the life you were forcing onto people. You may know everyone here. You may know how they all work. How to best manipulate them into doing what you want. But you’ve yet to meet me. And I promise you, you aren’t going to like me as much as you think you do. I will haunt your daydreams and your sleep. I will bother you night and day. I will make sure every scheme your oh so massive brain comes up with, fails in the worst way imaginable every time.

“Fuck around and find out, Dream. I will be your worst nightmare.”

Silence.

Aside from the burning house, silence.

And then…

Clap. Clap. Clap. Clap.

“Cute,” Dream sneered, clapping his gloved hands together slowly. “You think you’re scary. Alright. I’ll bite.” He stopped clapping and raised a hand in a sort of weird motion towards his friend. Sapnap dropped the fire wall, and Dream, alone, slowly approached the L’Manburgians.

“I want L’Manburg to surrender,” he stated. “Surrender and you can have your freedom under the rule of the Greater Dream SMP.”

“Never.”

“You’re getting on my nerves, traveller.” Under his mask he was surely bubbling with intense anger. That thought made Theseus grin.

“Stay mad, bitch.”

In a flash, Dream’s blade appeared in his hands and it was raised above his head before Theseus could even process it was happening. With a frightened gasp, he squeezed his eyes shut and braced for the impact when-

Clang!

No impact came.

Slowly opening his eyes, Theseus now saw why. Dream’s deep purple blade had been halted by another. The hilt of which was held by Fundy.

“You little whore!”

“Theseus!” The desperation in Tommy’s voice caught his attention. He didn’t take his eyes off Dream, but he listened. “We need to get Tubbo help! Now!”

That’s when he turned around. And immediately almost threw up.

He knew Tubbo’s injury would be bad, but this was worse than he was imagining! Tommy had cut part of the pant leg away, and there was a puddle of crimson blood that was pooling on the grass where Tubbo lay. It was already all over Tommy’s hands and uniform.

Tubbo’s burn? Well, most of his skin was burned away for starters. Parts of it were charred black, the muscle was leaking puss and blood everywhere. Theseus could see the bone were peaking through the red where the muscle had become thin and flaked away.

The poor boy looked like he was about to faint.

“He’s going to bleed out!” Tommy cried. He was cradling Tubbo as if he was a small child, gripping his hand tightly. Theseus felt a pang in his heart when he remembered holding him like this after the festival. “We need to do something about it!”

“He’s right,” Dream taunted. “Off you go! Back to your dying country with your dying friend!”

Theseus glared daggers at him. “I’m going to fucking kill you, Taken.”

He rushed to Tubbo’s side. Delicately, he and Tommy lifted the boy. He groaned in painful agony as he tried to put weight on his burned leg.

“Fundy, cover us!” Theseus commanded.

He heard the clashing of swords behind him as Fundy made a jab at Dream. There was shouting. The Dream Team came to his aid.

The two Tommys gently lifted him up by the arms and draped him over their shoulders. He was letting out occasional tiny whimpers, muffled by his tears and desire to be less of a burden. Together, as if in a three-legged race, they stumbled towards the prime path and the embassy.

They weren’t getting very far very fast.

“Traveller!” Dream could be heard shouting. “I want to see white flags! White flags! Outside L’Manburg! At dawn! Or you are dead!”

“Watch out!” Fundy yelled.

Theseus felt an ethereal force hit him square in the back. Stumbling from the impact he nearly lost his hold on his injured companion. When he felt the sudden extra heat, and smelled the smoke under his nose, he knew what had hit him.

“Fuck!”

He released Tubbo’s arm from his shoulders and gently—or as gently as possible—pushed the boy towards his younger counterpart.

Off came the now very on fire trench coat, and his hood along with it. He tossed it to the ground as quickly as possible before searching his inventory for anything he could use to cover his hair.

Wait, is this… Why did he still have this?

In his hands appeared a deep blue—almost black—woollen beanie. He almost wanted to stop for a moment and reminisce.

This was Wilbur’s. He wore it during the early days of L’Manburg….

No! Nope. No time.

Over his hair, which was already much longer than he remembered it being, he shoved Wilbur’s old beanie. He then turned back to Tommy whose eyes were wide.

“That looks like-”

“We don’t have time.” Tommy wasn’t able to finish a sentence before Theseus cut him off. “Give Tubbo here.”

Tommy didn’t have a chance to challenge him, because he was already on him, lifting him in a princess carry. Mumbling to his friend, he told him to hang on tight. And when he did, he began absolutely booking it down the prime path towards the embassy. Tommy, surprised, followed shortly after.

“Fundy! To me!” Theseus yelled again.

The fox was shortly at his side. Dream was laughing violently behind them. Theseus tuned it out.

---

“Eret!”

Eret heard his name being called a thousand miles away. He could almost instantly place that it was Tommy, he just didn’t know why there was so much panic in the voice.

When he turned from where they were tying the streamers to a small oak tree, they understood. They rushed over immediately towards the medical tent, waving the returning gaggle of boys over.

“Bring him in here!” she shouted.

“Tommy what the fuck is all of this?” Theseus slowed momentarily as he clocked the heavily decorated state L’Manburg was in.

“No time! No time!” Tommy shouted. “Tubbo is literally going to die!”

Theseus set him down on the small bed in the corner, immediately staining the white sheets scarlet. For the second time since Theseus got there.

Niki rushed into the tent not a moment after the last of the boys did, several vials of shimmering pink and green and black liquid in her hands. She was quick to hold a vial of pale pink liquid smelling strongly of roses to the boy’s lips. He gulped down the instant health instantly, pun intended.

Eret looked up at the boy sorrowfully.

“We’re going to have to amputate this leg,” they said gravely.

“What?” Tommy yelped.

“Listen, we either cut off his leg, or leave him to bleed out and die. There’s only so much magic can do for him right now. At least without it, the skin will regenerate cleanly.”

“Just do it. I don’t care. Just cut it off.” Tubbo insisted. Eret could only imagine the amount of pain he was in.

Eret turned to the others. “You boys might want to leave for this bit.”

“No!” Tubbo stopped them. “No… I… Tommy? Can you stay?”

He spoke to Tommy, but Eret noticed a frightened glance towards Theseus. Tommy hesitated, but then he nodded.

“Yeah.” He choked. “Yeah I can stay.”

The blond came closer and grasped his best friend’s hand. Theseus, after a second, grasped the other.

“Hey, look at me. Look at me.” he said in a low voice. “You’re going to be okay. You’ve survived far worse than this. You are one of the strongest people I know. Believe in yourself.”

Tubbo nodded weakly. Tears were pricking the corners of his eyes. Eret couldn’t quite tell if it was from the pain, the inspirational pep talk, or from the idea of getting his leg cut off.

And with a final nod, Theseus let go of the boy’s hand and, together with Fundy, left the medical tent.

Niki pinned the front parts of her hair back with small, black clips and began gently pouring drops of the black liquid on Tubbo’s right leg. Weakness potion to numb the skin and muscle just above the knee. Right where they were going to amputate.

Tommy was holding both his friend’s hands now, softly speaking to him. Forcing him to concentrate on his voice more than the pain in his leg. The medic tapped him softly, getting his attention.

“Are you ready, Tubbo?” they asked. When they received a shaky nod, they brought out a bonesaw, glowing with enchantments to make the process easier and less painful. “This will cauterise the wound and you shouldn’t feel a thing until I reach the bone. From there there’s nothing I can do unfortunately. Again, are you ready?”

“Just fucking do it Eret! Just do it!” His knuckles were going white from gripping Tommy’s hands too hard.

“Okay.” Eret held the saw just above where the potion was sealing into the boy’s skin. Niki was already preparing greater restoration potions for the leg when it was amputated.

The four of them collectively took a deep breath. And began.