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Tobias (Tubbo) Sparkles had always been destined to sit on the throne of the Antarctic Empire. One day he would be the king, inheriting everything from his father. 

However, today was not that day. 

Today, Tubbo was simply a Crown Prince. He was learning how to become half the king his father was. 

Tubbo adored his father. Jordan Sparkles was adored by everyone within the Antarctic Empire. He was patient, kind and always putting those in his kingdom first. 

He was looked up to almost as much as the first king of the Antarctic Empire, Phil Za Craft. 

The kingdom was absolutely thriving. 

However, tragically, Tubbo’s mother had become really ill and as a result, passed away from it. 

This left his father heartbroken and running an empire alone. It also meant that Tubbo was also given extra responsibilities to help take some of the stress off of his father. 

At 16 years old, Tubbo was now dealing with everything that his mother formerly handled. This included (but was not limited to) dealing with trades and treaties, communicating with foreign nations and overall dealing with anything his father asked of him. 

It was a lot. And Tubbo felt like he was drowning. 

It wasn’t like he felt like he had much support. His father was grieving and Tubbo recognized this. He couldn’t blame his father but he wished he had been a bit more prepared. 

Although, how can you prepare for your mother's passing? Tubbo himself was grieving, a lot. But he tried to push his feelings aside to try and do his job well. 

Tubbo felt like he was failing his father. He just wished he knew how to handle the newfound pressure. 

Currently, he was trying to discuss official business with a neighbouring nation, Kinoko Kingdom. The two nations had been at peace for a long time, but it had been a while since the treaty was last established and needed to be updated. Something about new materials that could be traded between the two nations for better commerce. 

After a particularly stressful day, Tubbo left his mother's old office and wandered down the hallway. He needed a break and walking always seemed to clear his head. 

As he wandered, he glanced at the portraits on the wall. The first was obviously a portrait of his family. His father looked happy and he, as a fairly young child, had a large grin which spread across the majority of his lower face. But seeing his mother's smiling face is what hurt the most. She was looking at the camera but had a hand placed on top of his head, a small loving gesture she often did. 

Tubbo almost longed to feel that touch again.

The young boy then turned and continued to walk down the hall. He glanced over the portraits of his ancestors whose names lingered in the back of his mind but never truly stood out. 

That was until he reached the last portrait. The first portrait. That of Phil Za Craft. 

The portrait was of him, his wife Kristin and their 3 sons. Phil and Kristin were sides by side, with Kristin holding Phil’s arm. In front of them was their youngest Thesus, or more commonly known as Tommy, who appeared to be distracted by something beyond the camera. Next to Kristin was Techno, all dressed in his uniform. He was, at the time of this portrait, training to lead the royal guard. Finally, there was Techno’s twin Wilbur who was standing next to Phil. Wilbur stood up straight with his hands tucked behind his back. A slight determination and calmness could be seen behind his eyes. 

Wilbur, at the time, was the crown prince. Despite being twins with Techno, Wilbur was born first which made him next in line for the throne. It worked out better this way as Wilbur was always known as being one of the best crown princes to ever exist. 

Whenever there was a problem, Wilbur could easily talk himself out of it. He was personable and charming. Even in people's most frantic moments, he knew how to talk them down off the ledge and come to a proper solution. 

He and his parents worked hard to establish a majority of the allied nations which still held strong to this day. 

Tubbo could only imagine being half of the Crown Prince that Wilbur was. Sometimes he wished he could just be Wilbur. Life would be easy. 

Unfortunately, Wilbur never did become king. One day, he was rumoured to have disappeared from the kingdom. Nobody really knew why and if they did it was often kept secret. 

This had caused some strain on the family, especially as Techno would have to step up into Wilbur’s place. Techno, however, was adamant about not becoming crown prince. 

So, Phil had no choice but to offer it to Tommy, who was 14 at the time. Tommy was a determined little shit who would do anything to prove himself. He happily took the position and struggled his way through being Crown Prince. 

After Phil’s unfortunate passing, Tommy stepped up to be king. Luckily he was very much an adult at this time, so he had lots of experience in ruling. He then went on to rule the Empire for decades before passing away and giving the throne up to his offspring. 

Tubbo had tried to compare himself to his great ancestor Theseus Craft, but he always felt their stories were so different. 

Tommy had not expected to be Crown Prince so being thrown into it would’ve been overwhelming. He had an excuse to struggle and figure things out. 

Tubbo, on the other hand, was an only child. This meant that he had known his whole life he would be the crown prince and could prepare accordingly. 

He would be like Wilbur in that sense. 

But he wasn’t charismatic like Wilbur. Sure, he could hold a conversation and people seemed to really enjoy his presence, but the brunet was an introvert. He would rather avoid large social settings if he could. 

His coronation date had been rather tiresome for him. He didn’t really like being the centre of attention. That day really changed him a lot. 

Before, Tubbo would be found leading him and his best friend, Ranboo, into trouble. 

Ranboo was one of the royal guard’s sons. The two had got along like a house on fire. Ranboo was easily persuaded and Tubbo knew all the twists and turns of the castle. 

Tubbo couldn’t even count the number of times the two had gotten into severe trouble for breaking rules. 

But, after his coronation, Tubbo became flooded with new responsibilities, while Ranboo began his training to join the guard. 

The two were still really good friends, however, Tubbo hated bothering Ranboo with whatever bothered him. He’d rather just spend time with his best friend to forget instead of trying to talk through all his problems. 

Why would Tubbo possibly want to bother Ranboo with his issues? The last thing he wanted was to be a burden. 

Tubbo slowly pulled his eyes away from the portrait and let out a deep sigh. He hated always feeling like such a failure. 

The prince made his way back to his room, wanting some space from everything. 

His room was always his safe space. When he entered his room he was no longer “Tobias Sparkles, the Crown Prince who had to act presentable at all times” he was just Tubbo. 

And he really liked just being Tubbo.

He wandered over to his mirror and looked at himself. He was in more casual attire that was still presentable. A button-up white shirt with a vest in the dark blue and white of the Antarctic Empire and dress pants. To finish the outfit, his crown sat upon his head. 

Tubbo reached up and tried to adjust the crown. It always felt tight, almost gripping his head. Like he was being forced to try and fit into a role he didn’t belong to. 

He always felt like such an imposter, standing here being the next in line when there were other people much more qualified. Hell, even sometimes he felt Ranboo would be a better king than he ever could. 

As Tubbo continued to fidget with his crown, trying to get it to fit more comfortably, he heard a knock on the door. 

Go away. Tubbo had wanted to call out. But that was rude and Crown Princes shouldn’t be rude. 

So, instead, he offered out a soft, “come in”. 

The door opened and Tubbo kept his back to it for a moment as he was getting increasingly more frustrated with his crown. 

“You know, if you keep fiddling with that crown you might end up breaking it.” The voice of his best friend suddenly filled the room. 

Tubbo turned on his heels as he removed the crown from his head and set it down on the desk. His eyes lit up slightly with excitement. “Boo!” He beamed. 

It had been a few days since they last spoke. Hell, Tubbo hadn’t seen Ranboo since his mother’s funeral. Everyone in the kingdom had been given the day off (aside from a few head guards to ensure no attacks occurred to the empire). 

Ranboo had tried to stay with Tubbo most of the day, but the prince had refused to leave his father's side. He knew his father’s grief would be unmatched and he could hide his own grief for a moment. 

That was until Tubbo had left his father to grab a drink and stumbled and spilt the drink all over himself. Luckily, Ranboo had followed him into the room so as Tubbo finally broke, his best friend was there to hold him and let him cry it out. 

Tubbo made a mental reminder to thank Ranboo again for that. He always hated crying in front of people, especially to that extent. 

“Hey, Bo. Been a few days.” 

“Yeah, you’re just too busy to come to see me now.” Tubbo teased. “You finally get promoted to being a true guard, and now you’re too good to spend time with me.”

“Hey! Not true! Every time I’ve tried to visit you when I get a break you’re doing important business or asleep.” Ranboo defended. 

Tubbo playfully rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I’m sure.” 

Ranboo crossed his arms. “What? Do you expect me just to quit my job and just spend all my time with you?“

“Well-“

“Tubbo!”

“Hey! You’re the one who offered it!”

“I am not quitting my job just so I can sit around all day waiting for you.”

Tubbo pouted. “C’mon now. That’s not very best friend of you.”

“Need I remind you the number of times you tried to blame me for us getting into trouble?”

“Hey! That happened when we were kids!”

“And I’m never gonna let you live it down.” Ranboo smiled innocently, but Tubbo could see the streak of mischief behind his eyes. 

Tubbo let out a scoff. “Alright, I guess we can be even then.”

“You guess?” 

“Don’t argue with me, I sign your checks!”

“Actually- Your dad is the one who handles the finances for the royal guard-“

“Oi! It could be my job!”

“You mean it will be your job?”

Tubbo went quiet after this. Part of him was still convinced that no it in fact wouldn’t be his job once everyone realized how shitty of a job he was doing.

Ranboo seemed to notice and quickly changed the conversation. 

“So, what did your crown do to you?” Ranboo questioned as he wandered over and sat down on Tubbo’s bed. 

“I beg your pardon?”

“Well, when I came in you looked like you were about to snap your crown. What did it ever do to you?”

Tubbo picked up the crown and held it so it was hovering over his head. “It’s just too tight. I swear they made it too small for me.”

“… Aren’t most crowns like… fit to your head?” 

Tubbo shrugged. “Yeah, but I think they made this crown wrong. It doesn’t fit, I’m telling you!” 

“Let me see it.” Ranboo offered. 

Tubbo sighed and wandered over, sitting down next to Ranboo, and handing the crown over. 

Ranboo took it and held it up, examining it for a moment. Before Tubbo could question what Ranboo was doing, he turned and placed the crown on the young Prince’s head. 

“Hmm.” Ranboo hummed. “I think it looks like it fits.” 

Tubbo let out a deep sigh and tossed the crown across the room in a momentary fit of frustration. “Just because it looks fine doesn’t mean it feels fine.” He snapped.

Ranboo put his hands up in defence. “Okay okay. Sorry.” 

Tubbo shrunk down and covered his face with his hands. He always hated getting mad at Ranboo. Deep down he knew his best friend was just trying to help. It’s not his fault Tubbo’s been on edge recently. 

Ranboo seemed to notice and got up, reaching his hand out to grab Tubbo. 

The prince pulled back slightly and gave him a confused look. “What are you doing?”

“We are going to do something fun. I’m not gonna let you sit here and mope.” 

Tubbo felt his heart fill with happiness. Ranboo always could read him like a book. 

Tubbo grabbed Ranboo’s hand and the taller boy led him out of the room. 

“What fun thing do you have in mind?” Tubbo questioned. 

Ranboo’s eyes twinkled with mischief. “Well, I was thinking we could go sneak somewhere we realistically aren’t supposed to.”

Tubbo snorted. “Well, there’s not anything that’s really off-limits to me now.”

Ranboo rolled his eyes. “True but we can pretend, right? Like old times.” 

Tubbo pondered the idea for a second. It did sound nice to pretend to be a kid again, where he had no responsibilities and no worries. 

“Alright, Boo. Where are you wanting to go?”

Ranboo smirked. “The royal artifact room.”

The royal artifact room was a room which stored previous rulers' things that held a lot of sentimental value. Each person seemed to have a designated display, designated with their crowns, uniform and an object that held a lot of sentimental value to them. 

As a kid, this was Tubbo and Ranboo’s favourite spot to cause mischief. The two would go running in and try to play dress up. This did not please his parents due to the fact that these were irreplaceable and two young kids playing with them were just asking for them to be broken. 

Tubbo’s eyes sparkled slightly, matching Ranboo’s mischief. “Sounds fun. I’m in.”

The duo went running through the halls, Ranboo slightly in front of Tubbo. Over the years, Ranboo became just as familiar with the castle as the prince, so he now could lead the way. 

And people wondered why Tubbo would try to blame Ranboo. He easily could be as chaotic as the smaller boy when he really wanted. 

The two arrived before two large wooden doors. On the right side was a gold plaque which read “Artifact Room”. 

So few people actively checked this room. Nobody ever wanted to come in in case they accidentally broke something. Only some of the housekeepers would come in to maintain everything or to create the newest display. 

Each of the mischievous duo grabbed one of the doors and pulled it open, revealing the room. 

It was just as he remembered it. The walls are lined with all the different artifacts and plaques in front of them with the names of the kings and queens. 

At the far end, he noticed the two empty display cases. His fathers and his. The one next to it was covered with a sheet. 

His mothers. 

He was almost relieved it was still covered. Seeing her case likely would’ve brought him to tears. He knew it was also because they always did a reveal of the set-up, but they always waited enough time for the family to grieve enough. 

Tubbo could feel his stare lingering on the cases as the doors shut behind him. Luckily, Ranboo didn’t seem to miss a beat as he was already over in front of one of the cases, pulling out a uniform. 

“Tubbo look!” Ranboo laughed. 

Tubbo’s gaze followed over to see Ranboo holding up an outfit. An outfit that Tubbo recognized all too well. 

Theseus Craft’s uniform. 

Tubbo gave him a puzzled look. What was so special about that?

Ranboo must’ve known exactly what Tubbo was gonna ask as he just held it in front of his body. 

“Look how short Theseus was.” He teased. 

Tubbo walked over, looking up at Ranboo and the uniform which both towered over him. 

“Boo. I hate to break it to you. But you’re just freakishly tall. Theseus is one of the taller kings to have ruled this empire.” He teased, trying to hold the tone of unimpressed. 

Ranboo laughed. “I guess.”

Tubbo grabbed the clothing from Ranboo’s grip and laughed. “I bet Theseus would’ve hated you for how tall you are.”

“You think so?” Ranboo asked. 

“Oh definitely. I mean there are rumours that since Wilbur was always the tallest, Tommy would complain about growing bigger than his brother. Don’t think it ever happened though.”

“And how does this apply specifically to me?”

“Tommy seemed to have a height complex.” Tubbo laughed. “He always wanted to be the tallest in the room. Well- if they were people he was close to. He was still a good ruler who knew how to respect others.”

Ranboo laughed. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.” He then gave Tubbo a little nudge. “You think me and your ancestor would’ve been good friends then?”

Tubbo rolled his eyes. “In your dreams, maybe.” He smirked before moving to put the outfit back. 

As he got everything back how it was supposed to be, he looked at Tommy’s special artifact. Two vinyl discs. 

These two discs were always talked about. His mother, Kristin, had gotten them for him when he was a young boy and he had played them for years. Rumours had it that it became almost a daily occurance. 

As he got older, he tended to play them less and less. So, if they were ever heard playing in the castle walls, most could assume Tommy was in need of major comfort. 

Especially since he seemed to play them on a loop for the days after Wilbur left.

Tubbo grabbed the discs and held them up. “You know. I’ve never actually listened to either of these.”

Ranboo’s eyes widened. “You wanna listen to Thesus’ discs?” 

Tubbo shrugged. “Yeah, why not? Not like I’m gonna break ‘em. I am more responsible now.”

Ranboo seemed to hesitate but shrugged. “Well, if you’re gonna do it, you might as well do it now.”

Tubbo’s smile turned to a grin and he quickly went over to an old record player. He slipped the first vinyl in, a white and purple coloured disc, and hit play.

The music suddenly filled the room, although a bit staticky. 

Tubbo stepped back and sat down on a nearby bench, gesturing for Ranboo to come to join him. The two listened to the song play out. 

“Interesting choice. It’s not really upbeat, is it? It’s almost more. Ominous.” Ranboo pointed out. 

Tubbo nodded in agreement. “Yeah, but it’s still kinda pretty. I can see why Tommy would like it.” 

Tubbo looked at the second disc and then swapped the two out when the first song finished. 

This one was much more upbeat. Tubbo really liked how the music flowed. 

Ranboo seemed to enjoy it too as the two sat in silence listening to it. 

The music was suddenly interrupted by the sound of Ranboo’s communicator going off. Ranboo sheepishly reached into his pocket and pulled it out, checking the notification. 

“Shoot.” Ranboo cursed. “I’m sorry Bo, I gotta go back to training. Didn’t expect time to fly this fast.”

Tubbo frowned but understood. Realistically he should also get back to work, but he wasn’t ready to step foot back in his new office. 

Ranboo opened his arms and his smaller friend shifted closer, leaning in. The taller wrapped his arms around the prince gently, giving him a hug. 

Tubbo didn’t hug back, but he was known for not being the most affectionate person. However, Ranboo was so he always let his best friend hug him. 

Then, Ranboo pulled away and got up. “Don’t go getting yourself into trouble without me now, okay?” He grinned. 

“No promises.” Tubbo hummed, but a small smile lingered on his face. 

Sometimes he hated how much Ranboo cared. But, he hated more how much he absolutely loved it. 

Ranboo waved goodbye and quickly slipped out of the room to not draw too much attention to himself. 

Tubbo sat on the bench a little longer, unsure what to do with himself. 

Tubbo left the green disc in the player and returned the purple and white one back to the display. 

His eyes then drifted to the display next to Tommy’s. Wilbur’s display. 

Tubbo walked over and gently picked up Wilbur’s crown, examining it. 

All of the Craft family had small emeralds embedded into their crowns. Wilbur had a few small ones lining the tips of the crown. It was different from Tommy’s which had one larger emerald in the centre and Techno’s which had two middle-sized emeralds on either side. 

Tubbo’s crown didn’t have any emeralds. His father had chosen rubies for their family gem. So, Tubbo’s crown had small red gems all along the front. It looked nice against the silver which had been chosen for his family. 

Wilbur’s crown, on the other hand, was gold. Tubbo felt a sort of envy. Gold was always seen as the best. First-place trophies were always done in this colour with this metal. Silver was second place. Never quite good enough. 

Tubbo let out a huff and kept the crown in his gaze. “What’s so special about you that you can be on top?” Tubbo asked bitterly. “Maybe if I had this crown, I would be better. I would be just like you.”

Tubbo wasn’t quite sure what came over him next. Maybe it was because part of him was desperate to be like Wilbur. Maybe it was the jealousy that burned deep within him. 

But, Tubbo set the crown on his head. It stayed for a second, perched perfectly on top of his hair. Tubbo wondered if he looked at all like Wilbur. 

“Maybe if I was like you, I would know what to do about these stupid trade routes,” Tubbo muttered to himself, hands hovering inches away from the crown since he didn’t want it to fall from where it was sitting on his head, even if it was currently just fine. 

However, the crown was too big for him. It ended up sliding down and landing against the bridge of his nose and covering his eyes. 

Tubbo let out a few choice curses as he pushed the crown back up so it was sitting at an angle on his head which would allow it to not fall this time. 

The prince then looked at Wilbur’s artifact. A guitar. It was a simple acoustic guitar, but Wilbur was known for sitting out in the garden and playing it for his family. 

There were also stories of people who were sitting outside in the village on a calm day and could hear the soft melody of Wilbur’s guitar. 

Some claimed it to be magic, but Tubbo always called bullshit on that. 

He knew there had to be some scientific explanation such as Wilbur sitting somewhere where sound waves were amplified and therefore could travel farther. 

Tubbo gently picked up the guitar and went back to the bench. The song had since stopped playing so it was just him and the guitar. 

Tubbo had experimented with musical instruments in the past. He always loved music. His mother had purchased a ukulele for his 10th birthday and it was something he often played in his free time. 

He hadn’t been able to pick it up since she passed. It reminded him too much of her. She was always his biggest supporter. 

Tubbo moved the guitar into the proper placement and strummed the cords. They were horrifically out of tune that it made the prince cringe as the scratchy notes played. 

Tubbo reached up and quickly began to tune the guitar. It took a few attempts but he finally managed to strum it and the instrument was in tune. 

Before anything else could happen, the room began to fill with a gentle mist. Tubbo quickly pulled his feet up onto the chair and fell back into the music player, accidentally making it play again. 

What the fuck was happening? 

Soon enough a figure seemed to emerge from a large cloud of mist, stumbling in. 

The mist began to clear as the figure floated closer to him. Quite literally. 

It had pale skin that almost looked blue. Its clothes were faded but Tubbo could tell the sweater was formerly a bright yellow. A burgundy beanie sat on its curls and its eyes were completely white. Its fingertips looked like they were stained blue.

Tubbo was shocked. What the actual fuck happened.

The ghost seemed to look over, glancing at the guitar and then back up at Tubbo. 

“Hello.” The ghost’s voice echoed slightly as he spoke. 

Tubbo let out a slight scream as he dropped the guitar and scrambled to move away. No way was this ghost talking to him. 

The ghost quickly lunged forward and caught the guitar, letting out a laugh as he cradled it close. 

“Careful! You almost broke your guitar.”

Tubbo kept his hands close to his body as he examined the ghost. “That’s uh. Not my guitar.” He managed to spit out. 

The ghost tilted his head and examined it. “Oh! Well it’s probably best I caught it then, it’s a very nice guitar.” His voice was playful. “Would hate to break something that doesn’t belong to you.”

Tubbo just nodded and slowly began to uncurl himself. “Um. Yeah, I guess so…” 

The ghost looked up and then seemed surprised. “Oh! Are you a prince?” He questioned. 

Tubbo realized he was still wearing Wilbur’s crown, so he reached up and quickly took it off. “Um. Yeah. I am.” 

The ghost smiled and bowed slightly. “Well, I guess I should introduce myself! My name is Wilbur, or was Wilbur? Until I died. Nobody has addressed me in years.” 

Tubbo’s heart sank. Wilbur? There’s no way. 

Wilbur stood up straight again before his attention seemed to quickly turn to the music player next to Tubbo. His eyes filled with a sort of sadness as he moved over to the player. 

“Oh my god, I haven’t heard this song in ages.” He let out a slight laugh. “It used to drive me crazy.”

Tubbo knew then and there it was in fact true. This was Wilbur Soot Craft. Or, the ghost of him at least. He seemed to not remember everything though. He didn’t recognize his guitar or his crown. But he did remember Tommy. 

Tubbo looked over and shrugged. “I kinda like it. Although it’s the first time I’m hearing it.” 

Wilbur just seemed to smile and looked back at Tubbo. “Sorry, I got distracted. I never let you introduce yourself.”

“Um… My name is Tobias Sparkles, but everyone just calls me Tubbo.”

Wilbur seemed to smile more and floated over. “Nice to meet you Tubbo! You said you were a prince, right? Fun fact, I was the Crown Prince in my life!” 

Tubbo smiled sadly and nodded. “I know. I’m the current Crown Prince of the Antarctic Empire.”

Wilbur’s eyes widened but he soon lit up in a smile. “Really?”

“Yeah. Theseus Craft is one of my ancestors.” He admitted sheepishly. 

Wilbur seemed to stare for a moment but just continued to smile. “That’s so amazing! So Tommy managed to be a successful king then?”

Tubbo nodded. “Absolutely. He was no Phil, but everyone seemed to love him.”

Wilbur’s smile grew sad and he nodded. “That sounds like Tommy. I’m glad he managed to succeed.”

Tubbo glanced at the music player. “That’s actually his disc.”

Wilbur seemed to perk up slightly at that news. “The castle kept it all these years?”

Tubbo nodded. “Yep! They kept all sorts of things. That guitar you’re holding? It’s yours.”

Wilbur glanced down and pulled the guitar closer to his chest as if it was breakable and he was scared of something happening to it. 

“This crown is also yours,” Tubbo admitted sheepishly, slowly getting up and wandering over to the display and setting it down. “Every royal gets something of theirs saved along with their crown and official attire. It’s just something to remember each of the royals.”

Wilbur turned and floated to his display. His gaze was much sadder now seeing his uniform. “They really kept it? After everything?”

Tubbo nodded. “Of course! I actually think you were the first one. When you disappeared, Phil didn’t wanna just get rid of everything. So, he made you a memorial. Then when Phil and Kristin passed, Tommy made them some. And the tradition just kept.”

Wilbur set his guitar down and turned his back to the display. “I didn’t deserve this.”

Tubbo seemed surprised. “Are you kidding me? You were one of the best Crown Princes this empire has ever seen. Just because you disappeared one day doesn’t mean that you should just be forgotten.”

Wilbur’s eyes seemed to dull slightly. “I didn't disappear. I ran away.” 

Tubbo seemed shocked and took a step back. “What? Ran away? Why?” He exclaimed. 

Wilbur floated away slightly, trying to distance himself from the display. “I don’t know. I guess the pressure got to me eventually and I couldn’t take it anymore.”

“So… Where did you run away to? Nobody had seen you since you left the castle. Everyone kinda assumed you were kidnapped.”

Wilbur smiled sadly. “I actually fell in love. And had a son.”

“You had a son?” Tubbo asked, shocked. 

Wilbur nodded. “Yeah. His name was Fundy. He was a little ginger boy, just like his mother. I loved him more than life itself.”

——————————————————————

Wilbur came home from a long day on the farm, excited to see his wife and son. 

After fleeing the kingdom he fell for a fisherman’s daughter, Sally. She had offered him shelter and some food, while also cursing him out for being an idiot. 

“What kind of idiot travels without bringing any food for him or his horse!” She had cursed him out.

He was lucky, the small fisherman town he had found was just on the outskirts of the Antarctic Empire. It was a small town called L’manberg. 

The town didn’t often associate heavily with the political affairs of the Empire which made it easy for Wilbur to blend in. 

He and Sally got married and the two purchased a farmhouse. Wilbur had opted to take care of the animals and the land while Sally focused more on maintaining the house and chores she’d prefer. 

It was her offer though. Wilbur wouldn’t dare tell Sally what she could or couldn’t do. 

As Wilbur walked in through the doors, he heard an excited squeal followed by the sound of little footsteps running along the hardwood. 

“Papa!” Fundy exclaimed. 

Wilbur crouched down so that his little boy could run into his arms. Wilbur caught his toddler and picked him up. 

“My little champion.” Wilbur smiled happily. “How’s my little man?” 

Fundy was no older than 4 at this point. He was incredibly clingy to both his parents. Luckily, Wilbur had experience with clingy toddlers as his younger brother had been one. 

“Oh! I had such a good day! Mama and I went flower picking and we got some nice flowers for her vase!”

Wilbur laughed as he reached up and pulled a small buttercup flower which had gotten caught in Fundy’s red curls. “I can see that.” He joked. 

“Then! We went into town and got some fresh fish for dinner! Mama said I could help her cook it if I was good!”

Wilbur smiled fondly as he listened to his son ramble. “Oh yeah? And were you good?”

At this point, Sally walked in as she was drying her hands on a dishcloth. “Oh, he was pretty good. But I swear he got his mischievous side from you.” 

Wilbur let out a laugh. “Oh yeah? And what makes you think I was so mischievous as a kid?”

“Need I remind you, when I found you, you were on the brink of starvation.” Sally grinned. 

Wilbur gasped. “Hey! That wasn’t entirely my fault.”

Sally rolled her eyes playfully. “Yeah? And when will you tell me how it wasn’t your fault? It’s been nearly 6 years, Wilbur.”

Wilbur shook his head. “Never mind.”

Sally let out a soft sigh. Fundy seemed to notice the mood change and began tugging on his dad's shirt. 

Sally noticed and smiled. “Why don’t you two boys go get cleaned up? Dinner is almost ready.”

Wilbur nodded and looked down at Fundy. “Did you end up helping mama cook?”

Fundy nodded excitedly. “Yeah! It was awesome!”

“He was a great helper, I’m not sure I could’ve done it without him.” Sally complimented, causing Fundy to bury his face in Wilbur’s chest. 

Wilbur smiled contently before he took his son upstairs to get the two cleaned up for dinner. 

As much as he loved his family, it broke his heart he’d never be able to introduce Fundy to his uncles. Tommy would’ve loved him. 

And his parents would’ve loved Sally. She was such a strong independent woman who took Wilbur’s breath away every time she did anything. 

Wilbur was happy with his life, he just wished it could’ve been a bit different. 

——————————————————————

Tubbo nodded. “I see. So was it worth it to leave the castle then?”

Wilbur shrugged. “I’m not sure. I mean I never wanted to trade what I had with Sally and Fundy. But I abandoned my family. I was too ashamed to show my face. I didn’t even go to any of their funerals… I never got to see Tommy grow up.”

Tubbo frowned and moved back over to Wilbur. “I’m sure they would have forgiven you. Especially for putting yourself first.” 

“But I was selfish. And a coward.” Wilbur shook his head. “I’m surprised people even know my name.”

Tubbo shook his head adamantly. “That’s not fair. You did so much for this kingdom! I have always wished I could be half the Crown Prince you were.”

“Really?” Wilbur asked. He almost seemed unsure. 

“Yes, of course!” Tubbo exclaimed. “I understand what it means to be put under this much pressure. Sometimes you just wanna crumble. And yet, until you left, nobody had a clue you were struggling.”

Wilbur snorted. “Except Techno. He knew. He even tried to stop me the day I left. But we both knew my mind was made up.” 

——————————————————————

Wilbur stood outside the castle doors, glancing back one last time. 

His home, illuminated by lanterns and the moonlight, looked so peaceful. He would certainly miss it especially as this would be the last time he saw it. 

But he couldn’t do it anymore. Always having to be perfect. Always having to come up with solutions. He felt like he was drowning without anyone offering him a lifeline. 

Finally, he simply snapped. He needed an out. 

He had already said his goodbyes. A scribbled note sat on his bed next to his uniform. He had stopped by Tommy’s room on his way out but, once he had opened it up to say goodbye, the young prince was already fast asleep. 

Wilbur smiled sadly and muttered a soft “I’m sorry Theseus. I hope you can forgive me” before he left the castle. 

He never got to truly say goodbye to his parents but he knew if he ever did, he would never be able to leave. His heart broke at the thought. 

Part of him wondered if this was worth it. If leaving his life behind without a word would make him happier in the long run. 

He knew he couldn’t ponder the thought too long as he turned and made his way to the castle exit. 

Unfortunately, he wasn’t alone. 

Standing at the gates was Techno. His twin. His other half. 

“Wilbur.” Techno’s voice was soft, almost sad. 

“Techno… I didn’t expect to see you out here.” Wilbur’s voice was full of surprise. 

“I can say the same thing about you.” He pointed out.

In the dim light, Wilbur could see Techno was still in his full guard uniform.

“Late-night training?” Wilbur asked. 

Techno nodded slowly but looked Wilbur in the eyes. “Enough of the small talk. What are you doing out here?”

Wilbur bit at his bottom lip nervously. “I’m just out for a nightly stroll.”

Techno looked unimpressed. “With a bag? And what appears to be warmer clothing despite the fact we are in the middle of our summer.”

Wilbur cursed. Techno always could read him like a book. 

“Techno look-“

“No.” Techno cut him off. “Are you really going to leave in the middle of the night, without so much as a goodbye?”

Wilbur was quiet. How was he supposed to respond? 

“Is there nothing I can do to change your mind?” 

Wilbur just shook his head slightly. 

Techno sighed softly. “I had a feeling that would be your answer. Come with me.” 

Wilbur’s eyes widened. “Techno please don’t tell anyone. I can't. I can’t stay!” 

Techno glanced back at Wilbur, stopping in his tracks. “Who said anything about telling anyone?”

Wilbur was confused, so this time he followed Techno. The two wandered down to the stables and towards Carl’s pen. 

Wilbur slowly began piecing together what was happening. 

“Techno-“

“Don’t. Look. I know your horse is… less predictable. He won’t be safe to ride long term.” Techno walked into Carl’s stall and started getting him ready to travel on. 

“Techno… I can’t possibly take your horse. You love Carl.”

“Yeah, well I love you more, okay?” 

Wilbur felt his eyes fill with tears as he watched his twin. Techno grabbed Carl’s lead and brought his horse to Wilbur before handing it over. 

Before Wilbur grabbed it he hugged Techno tightly. “I’m gonna miss you. So much.”

Techno hugged him back silently. “I hope you find whatever you are looking for.”

Wilbur pulled away and sniffled.

Techno let out a wet laugh. When did he start crying?

“Really? Crying over me? That’s such a loser thing to do, Wilbur.” He joked. 

Wilbur couldn’t help but laugh himself as tears flowed down his cheeks. “God, you’re such an ass.”

Techno smiled sadly. “I’m gonna miss you too.” 

The two stood in silence for a moment, taking in the last few seconds they’d have together. 

Without another word, Wilbur took Carl’s lead and the two went off and out of the gates. 

That was the last time Wilbur ever saw his brother. 

——————————————————————-

Tubbo walked over, removing the music disc from the player and putting it back in its case so nobody would see he tampered with things. 

“Sometimes I wonder if it would be easier to just run away. But I’m the only one who can become king. And I can’t possibly imagine letting my dad down.” He muttered. 

Wilbur shook his head. “I promise it’s not worth it.”

Tubbo sighed. “But how can I be better? How can I be more like you?”

Wilbur walked over and placed a hand on Tubbo’s shoulder. “First off, you don’t wanna be like me. The type of person who leaves his family without looking back. Secondly, if you want help with Crown Prince stuff… Maybe I can help? I mean, it’s been so many years but I’m sure I can have useful tips to help you be successful.”

Tubbo’s eyes lit up slightly and he looked up at Wilbur excitedly. “You’d really do that? You’d help me be a better Crown Prince?”

Wilbur smiled. “Sure. There’s not much else I can do as a ghost. Besides, I do have all this knowledge I should share with someone.”

Tubbo beamed and nodded, gladly accepting the help. 

Wilbur wouldn’t say it, but the main reason he was willing to help Tubbo is because of how much he reminded him of Tommy. They had such similar mannerisms and determination to help their family. 

Hell, Tubbo was his family. And Wilbur wasn’t about to make the same mistake twice. 

—————————————————————-

Tubbo was currently sitting in one of the large meeting rooms. He was at one end of the table and Karl, one of the current rulers of Kinoko Kindom, was at the other. On the sides of the tables were various other royal attendants, including guards, who were sat listening. 

Tubbo had spent the last few days showing Karl around and helping him get settled. Karl was an absolute sweetheart and the two got along really well. 

This didn’t mean that Tubbo wasn’t an absolute nervous wreck sitting in the room discussing the potential new trades. 

“So,” Karl began, “we have developed some newer, stronger medicinal herbs that we think could be super beneficial to you guys.”

This was true. The Antarctic Empire experienced winters and snow for 10 months of the year. This meant it was incredibly hard to grow any sort of vegetation and any greenhouses they built were focused on food plants opposed to medicinal plants. 

“We were just wondering what you would be offering in return.” Karl smiled kindly. 

“Well…” Tubbo cleared his throat. “I think our mines have been doing exceptionally well. We have recently discovered new pockets of material we would be willing to share.”

Karl seemed to light up slightly. “That actually would be wonderful. Our mines are getting depleted so I think that would be a fair trade.” 

Tubbo felt relief wash over him as Karl accepted his trade deal. 

“Next, we need some new trade routes,” Karl informed. “The current ones have had some issues in the past. I wonder if there are more efficient ways to transport goods between the two nations.”

Tubbo glanced at the map and scrunched his face slightly. 

Karl seemed to notice and smiled. “Hey, don’t stress about it. Why don’t we take the day to go over it and see if we can see anything that stands out? Maybe we can come up with something better.”

Tubbo nodded and looked back at Karl. “That would be appreciated, thank you.”

Karl got up from his seat and brushed off his suit. It was red and white in a way that looked almost like mushrooms. It also had some green trimming to look like moss. 

Tubbo got up from his spot and walked over to Karl, the two shaking hands. 

“I shall see you tomorrow then?” Tubbo asked. 

Karl nodded. “Tomorrow. Same time.”

Tubbo walked back to the table and collected a few of the scattered paperwork. “Do you need someone to show you back to your room? I can get one of my attendants to show you.”

“Oh! No, that's alright. I think I want to go for a wander in the gardens. If that’s alright?”

“Of course!” Tubbo smiled. “Please. Make yourself at home. If you need anything please don’t be afraid to ask.”

Karl gave a slight bow, which Tubbo met, and he and his attendants wandered off. 

Tubbo kept the papers close to his chest as he made his way out of the meeting room and down the hall to his room. 

He opened the door hastily and closed it behind him. He went to his desk and dropped the papers down before turning around and coming face to face with Wilbur, causing him to scream. 

“Jesus Christ. You can’t sneak up on me like that.”

Wilbur’s face contorted slightly in shock before relaxing again. “Sorry! Forget I am a ghost with no footsteps.”

“How do you possibly forget you are a ghost-“ Tubbo cut himself off as he noticed Wilbur looking at the paper. 

“What have you got here?” He questioned. 

Tubbo perked up. “Right! Okay. I was hoping you could help me.”

Wilbur smiled and nodded, sitting on the bench that was in front of Tubbo’s desk. 

Tubbo sat down next to him. “So, Karl, the Kinoko Kingdom ruler, has asked to look for new trade routes. But I’m not entirely sure where to start.”

Wilbur snorted. “That’s so funny. Karl was the name of the ruler of Kinoko when I was growing up. Or at least he was the Crown Prince of the time. A bit of an odd guy but he was always friendly.”

Tubbo laughed. “That is funny. Weird coincidence I guess, but then again Karl is a very common name.”

Wilbur nodded and then turned his attention back to the map. “Is this red line the current route?” 

Tubbo nodded. “Yeah! The paths are worn down significantly and are more trouble than it’s worth.”

“I’m not surprised. I established that route.” 

Tubbo’s eyes widened. “Really?” 

Wilbur nodded. “Yeah. I’m surprised it’s still being used today.” 

Tubbo shrugged. “Was a good choice route I guess.”

Wilbur gave Tubbo a gentle shove before looking at the map. “Have any ideas where you might wanna take this route?”

Tubbo looked at the map again. “Well. My first instinct is this route.” He said as his finger traced the map. “But I dunno…”

Wilbur nodded and looked at the route. “Well, why don’t we break it down? What are the pros and cons of using this route? Are there potential future issues?”

Tubbo hummed as he thought. “Well, pro, it’s probably the quickest route I can see. It cuts through a lot of the forest and beside a mountain.”

Wilbur just listened, watching Tubbo talk it out. 

“Oh fuck. Mountains. What if there’s a mudslide.” 

Wilbur smiled slightly. “Yeah. That wouldn’t be ideal.” 

Tubbo cursed under his breath and traced his finger back, pondering a moment. “What if…” He slowly began to move his finger along a different road. “We tried this instead. It’s a bit more tedious but realistically shouldn’t have as many issues.”

Wilbur watched Tubbo carefully and nodded. “Why do you think it would have fewer issues?” He questioned. 

“Well. This route isn’t really taken by travellers. Unlike the current route which has had the terrain so badly modified by transport carts and regular carts alike. It also has the protection of the forest so it shouldn’t have major weather issues.”

Wilbur nodded and smiled. “That sounds like a great route.”

“I just hope the added length isn’t a huge problem.”

Wilbur tilted his head. “It’s only a few extra hours is it not?”

Tubbo nodded. “Yeah but-“

“No buts! Better to have a more stable route you can count on and it is a bit slower than to worry about potential hazards on a faster route.”

Tubbo nodded slowly and looked at the map again. “I guess you’re right.”

Wilbur ruffled Tubbo’s hair. “I do have a bit of experience in this.” 

Tubbo swatted Wilbur’s hand away. “I still don’t get how you’re a ghost but are tangible enough that you can touch things.”

Wilbur shrugged. “Guess I’m just special.”

Tubbo rolled his eyes playfully but didn’t disagree. Wilbur always had been special. 

————————————————————

The next day Tubbo had gone to Karl with his plans for the new trade route. Karl absolutely loved it, admitting he was gonna just aim for the original route Tubbo proposed but hearing about the mudslide risk really changed his perspective. 

The next few days continued the same. Tubbo would go to meetings with Karl and then return to Wilbur for help on what to do.

Currently, Tubbo was laying on his bed in his room. 

“I can’t believe how well these plans are working out! I might actually have a solid chance at doing something right for once.”

Wilbur was sitting on the edge of his bed, sliding his feet along the floor slightly. “You don’t give yourself enough credit. You’re smarter than you realize.”

Tubbo shrugged. “I dunno. I feel like I’m mediocre. You have been a huge help though.”

Before Wilbur could respond, there was a knock on Tubbo’s door. 

Before Tubbo could tell Wilbur to hide, the door opened and a frantic-looking Ranboo stumbled through. 

Tubbo shot up in his bed and looked at Ranboo, startled. 

“There you are. I’ve been looking for you all day.” Ranboo let out a soft breath. 

“Uh. Yeah, I’ve been here most of the day. Is something wrong?” Tubbo asked, glancing towards Wilbur who was sitting silently. 

Ranboo didn’t seem to look in Wilbur’s general direction. Tubbo wondered if he could even see him. 

“No. I just-“ Ranboo paused as he collected his thoughts. “You’ve been acting strange these last few days.”

“I have?” Tubbo asked. 

“Well, it feels like you’ve been avoiding me. I have tried to just explain with you’ve been busy with Kinoko Kingdom stuff, but after a stressful day you usually visit me. You haven’t bothered to come see me at all.” Ranboo seemed almost on edge as he spoke. 

“Did I do something wrong? Are you mad at me for leaving you in the artifact room?” His voice grew almost quiet.

Tubbo quickly got up off his bed and walked over. “What? Are you kidding? Boo, I could never be mad at you.” Tubbo admitted. 

“So… It’s not something I did?” Ranboo looked almost hopeful. 

“Of course not. This whole Kinoko business just has me stressed out. I’m sorry for making you worry.”

Ranboo shifted from foot to foot. Tubbo could tell, although Ranboo may seem like he forgave him, he was still anxious that Tubbo was mad. 

So, Tubbo opened his arms, which caused Ranboo to give him a sort of look. Before he could say anything, Tubbo wrapped Ranboo in a hug. 

The guard didn’t hesitate to wrap his arms around Tubbo to hug him back. The two stood for a moment before Tubbo pulled away. 

“Damn. You must really be stressed if you’re willing to hug me.” Ranboo teased. 

“I’m the one who’s stressed? You looked like you were gonna faint!” Tubbo exclaimed. 

Ranboo’s face turned slightly red as he became flustered. “Well- Look- I just- I mean-“ 

Tubbo gave him a little shove. “It’s fine. I’m just glad you see that I’m not actually mad at you.”

Ranboo smiled and nodded. 

“However,” Tubbo continued. “If you tell anyone I hugged you I will adamantly deny it.”

Ranboo, who had pulled out his communicator to check something, glanced up. “Sorry, can’t hear you. Currently texting everyone that the Crown Prince hugged me.” 

Tubbo gasped and tackled Ranboo, grabbing the communicator. 

The two wrestled a bit, trying to get the communicator, without actually hurting each other. That was until Ranboo lost his footing and the two fell to the floor in a fit of giggles. 

Tubbo rolled off Ranboo and slowly sat up. Ranboo let out a groan and rubbed the side he had fallen on. “Man. You’re heavy.”

“Shut the fuck up.” Tubbo hissed, but it was all light-hearted. 

Ranboo just rolled his eyes but his smile was still bright. The two sat in silence for a minute before Ranboo slipped his communicator away. 

“Let me guess,” Tubbo hummed. “Back to training?”

Ranboo nodded sombrely. “Yeah, you’re sure you’ll be okay?”

“I’m fine, bossman.” Tubbo smiled. “Honest. Now go. You have important jobs to do.”

The two bid farewell and Tubbo got up off the floor and looked back at Wilbur who looked all too amused. 

“Who is that?” Wilbur asked. 

Tubbo smiled. “My best friend, Ranboo. He’s in the royal guard. We’ve been best friends since childhood.” 

Wilbur nodded. “Just like Techno.”

Tubbo nodded. “He’s never admitted it, but I think he looks up to Techno. I always see him trying to be the best. And who was a better guard than Techno.” 

Wilbur smiled sadly. “He really was.”

“It’s funny. Ranboo looks up to Techno and I look up to you. We just need a third to look up to Tommy.” The prince joked. 

Wilbur laughed. “If you could ever find yourself someone as chaotic as Tommy. I actually think you three would’ve been really good friends.”

“You think so?” Tubbo asked. 

“With the way you two just interacted? Reminds me of how Tommy used to torment his best friend.” 

—————————————————————-

Wilbur was walking down the halls of the castle. He had just gotten out of a rather tiresome meeting and wanted nothing more than to go to bed. 

However, a lot could go wrong between leaving the meeting room and entering his bedroom. Someone could stop and ask him for an opinion, or he could be called to see his father. 

He knew he would have to move quickly to avoid any distractions that would get between him and his bed. 

What he hadn’t anticipated, was walking down the hall to see two young children wrestling. 

Wilbur was going to ignore it at first but quickly realized those two children were his little brother Tommy and his best friend Purpled. 

Neither were older than the age of 5, but they could be a handful. Especially when they were together. 

Purpled rolled the duo so he was on top of Tommy and had him pinned to the ground. Purpled hands were against Tommy’s neck and the pinned blond began to struggle. 

From the other side, Wilbur could see Punz, Purpled’s older brother, approaching the duo. 

He must’ve noticed at the same time because he came running over frantically, grabbing his little brother and pulling him off the other boy. 

“Hey! Get your hands off of me!” Purpled cried out. 

Wilbur ran over and quickly picked up Tommy, who also began to struggle. 

“What the hell man!” Tommy whined.

Wilbur almost choked from inhaling so hard. He knew Tommy probably picked up that language from him and Phil, but their father would ultimately blame him. 

Little shit was probably doing it on purpose. 

Punz had a firm grip on Purpled and gave Wilbur an apologetic look. “I am so sorry. I have no idea what came over him.”

Wilbur gave Punz a small smile. “It’s okay.”

Punz then held up Purpled by placing his hands under the young child’s armpits and looked him in the eyes. “Now what in gods name do you think you were doing?” Punz scolded. 

Purpled stuck his tongue out at Punz. “We were playing a game. And you ruined it.”

“Ruined it? You were basically choking the prince! Do you know how much trouble that could get both of us in?”

Purpled crossed his arms and pulled a face. “It was Tommy’s idea. He said it was fine.”

Punz sighed and pulled Purpled into his arms again to hold him properly. “Just because he thinks it’s okay doesn’t mean everyone does. You’re lucky Prince Wilbur didn’t call for the guards.”

Purpled mumbled some words in a mocking tone. 

Tommy started to whine in Wilbur’s grip. “Let me go! I wanna see if Purpled is okay.”

“Tommy,” Wilbur spoke softly. “You have to be careful what you’re playing. You could get hurt.”

“No, I won’t!” Tommy defended. “Purpled wouldn’t hurt me! Honest.”

“That doesn’t mean others wouldn’t perceive it as that. You both could’ve gotten really hurt.” 

“But but…” Tommy whined. “We were playing robbers. Purpled was the good guy and had to stop me. He was just doing his job.” 

Wilbur sighed. Of course, he couldn’t pick a normal game where people don’t get hurt. 

“Maybe those games are best for when you’re older and can set better rules, okay? Why don’t we stick to less dangerous games? Okay?”

Tommy pouted. “But those games aren’t as fun.”

“Well, it’s less fun games or no more being able to spend time with Purpled.” 

Tommy’s eyes widened but he pondered his options carefully. “Okay. We will play safer games.”

Wilbur nodded and gently set Tommy down who went running over to Punz and tugged on his shirt. “Mr Punz. Can I have my friend back? We will behave this time!” 

Punz looked down at Tommy then back up at Purpled. “Are you gonna behave and not strangle your friends this time?” 

Purpled continued to pout but nodded. “Yes. I’ll behave. Even if it’s less fun.”

“Good,” Punz said and set Purpled down again. 

Tommy immediately grabbed Purpled’s hand. “C’mon! Let’s do something fun in my room!”

Before either of the older siblings could say anything, the duo had vanished down the hall in a fit of giggles. 

Wilbur looked at Punz and shook his head. “Those two are sure gonna cause problems when they are older.”

Punz let out a groan. “Kids gonna give me a stroke at the age of 25.” 

Wilbur laughed. “Yeah. They probably will. But at least they’ll always have each other.” 

—————————————————————-

Tubbo smiled. “That’s really sweet.”

Wilbur hummed. “Yeah. Good times.”

Tubbo wandered back to his bed and sat next to Wilbur. “I am surprised Ranboo didn’t seem to acknowledge you.”

“Maybe he couldn’t see me.” Wilbur pointed out. 

“But. That’s really weird. Why wouldn’t he be able to see you?” 

“Well, you are the one who summoned me from limbo. You are also my relative. Maybe it has something to do with that.” 

Tubbo thought for a moment. “Maybe…” He then looked up at Wilbur. “You mentioned limbo. What was that like?”

Wilbur laid back on the bed so he was staring at the ceiling. “Lonely. It was just me in an empty underground train station. Sometimes the trains would pass, but they’d never stop. I was sitting and waiting for a train that was never coming.”

Tubbo frowned. “That sounds horrible.”

Wilbur shrugged. “I mean, I almost deserved it for abandoning my family. I wasn’t too surprised by it. I was, however, surprised when one finally stopped for me. When I passed on to the car, I was transported to the artifact room.”

Tubbo smiled sadly. “Well, I’m glad I managed to somewhat save you.”

Wilbur looked at him and matched the sad smile. “Me too.”

——————————————————————

Wilbur and Tubbo continued to work through all the problems the Crown Prince faced in dealing with these foreign affairs. 

By the time Karl left, Tubbo had successfully managed to create a solid trade plan that even his father was impressed with. 

Tubbo was ecstatic when his father praised him, along with apologizing for not being there more. 

The Prince went running back to his room excitedly to see Wilbur. 

As he flung the door open he looked at his ghost friend. “Wilbur! Wilbur, your plans worked!” He beamed. 

Wilbur looked at Tubbo and tilted his head. “My plans?” 

“Yeah! The ones we worked on together! You know, the Kinoko Kingdom stuff?”

Wilbur smiled. “Tubbo. I didn’t give you any plans.”

“What? Of course, you did! You told me which trade route to do!” Tubbo exclaimed.

“No. That was all your idea. I simply just talked it out with you. I didn’t tell you anything to do. That was all on your own.”

Tubbo paused and thought back to all the times he’d come to Wilbur. Wilbur had always redirected Tubbo to ask questions to see if it was the right thing to do. 

“I was simply trying to help you realize that to be a good Crown Prince is to have confidence in yourself. And to take time to evaluate your decisions so you don’t rush anything.”

Tubbo sat quietly as he was looking back. His eyes began to fill with tears at how much he realized it was all him. 

Wilbur smiled and ruffled Tubbo’s hair. “Looks like you never needed my help after all.”

Tubbo quickly tackled Wilbur into a hug. “Thank you.” He whispered softly. 

Wilbur hugged Tubbo back tightly. “You’re welcome.” 

Tubbo kept his grip on Wilbur, but slowly it began to fade. He opened his eyes to see that Wilbur had begun to fade into that same mist he originally saw. 

Tubbo’s heart sank, he couldn’t be leaving already. 

“Wilbur. What’s happening?” Tubbo asked frantically. 

Wilbur seemed surprised but a calm smile soon appeared on his face. “Looks like my work here is done. It’s my time to go. You don’t need me anymore. But don’t worry. You’re gonna be alright.”

Tubbo hugged Wilbur tighter, desperate to try and keep him. “But I can’t let you go to limbo again. I can’t.”

Wilbur looked out of Tubbo’s window and smiled softly. “I don’t think that’s gonna be a problem this time.”

Before Tubbo could say anything more, Wilbur burst into a cloud of smoke, leaving Tubbo with empty arms. 

Tubbo crumpled to the ground, a few sobs slipping past his lips. 

Although he wanted to be strong, losing someone you care about is always gonna hurt. 

Tubbo took a moment to collect himself before forcing himself to stand. He was still a bit shaky as he looked out of the window and smiled sadly. 

“Goodbye Wilbur.”  

—————————————————————-

Tubbo stood in his bedroom with his crown in his hands. 

Today was the day that the new trade route had finally been finished and he was supposed to do a sort of grand opening for it. 

It was a day when Tubbo was bringing new hope for a more prosperous community. 

Tubbo felt the weight of his crown in his hands. He hadn’t put it on since the day he met Wilbur. It was strange.

Tubbo remembered what Wilbur had told him. 

To be a good Crown Prince is to have confidence in yourself. 

Tubbo looked at himself in the mirror and lifted the crown up, placing it on his head. He adjusted it and then smiled slightly. 

The crown was a perfect fit.