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Techno wasn’t sure how much more he could handle.
Sure he’d dealt with the voices for most of his life but this was a new level of noise.
ONE OF US
hes going to join us
BLOOOOOD GOOOD
pog
WILBURRR
The thoughts filtered through his head, filling his brain with the mindless chatter the voices subjected him to.
Then again at least he wasn’t alone.
The voices kept him company (granted sometimes too much company) and although the first voice had scared techno half to death:
Hii
HEH?!?
Techno had jumped up and visibly flinched when the voice had boomed in his head. Thankfully no one was around to see it
w-who are you?
i’m a soldier
i can’t remember my name for some reason
where are you?
i don’t know, one moment i was fighting on the field and then the next i felt this weird feeling in my throat and now i’m here- oh…
what? are you ok?
yea you could say that
okay
hey not to stress you out or anything but- do you wanna know how i’m here?
well, yea…
ok well… so im dead, because you killed me and now im in your head
Techno shivered.
That had NOT been a fun time.
He found out the voice (and the voices to come) were all the people he’s killed or watched die. Lovely thought right?
Well that led him here. Cowering in a corner, clutching his head, with hundreds of people in his ears.
Hey I mean, it’s hard to be the royal general. You see a lot of death. He just gets an extra add-on.
“Techno get up,” he felt someone shake him and he groaned and looked up to his brother looking down at him with panic in his eyes.
“Tommy I’m fine, they’re just a little louder than normal”
“It’s not that,” Techno paused,”It’s Wilbur.”
The voices went dead silent. Almost like they were straining to listen if a new voice had joined their ranks.
Techno however stood only for a minute before yanking Tommy out the door and down the hallway, adrenaline speeding through his mind.
He had to get there before it was over.
He had to.
He must.
They burst through the door to Wilbur’s bedroom and Techno’s breath caught in his throat.
King Phil, known to Techno and his brothers as father, was laying next to Wilbur’s bed. His head was resting on his son’s chest, his hand gripping the pale fingers.
He saw Wilbur’s chest rise a hair and Techno’s heart leapt to his throat. His brother was still there.
“Wilbur, stay with me,” he begged ( How did he get over here? Where is he?), “ Please, don’t leave me.”
Techno felt a cold hand on his shoulder. Tommy knelt down beside him and held Wilbur’s other hand, tears streaming down his face.
Wilbur looked over, a weak smile ghosted over his face, “It’s ok,” he whispered, “I’ll be here.”
He twisted his hand out of Tommy’s and pointed to his chest.
Then he looked at Techno and moved his hand to his head.
Then, he left.
Phil let out a cry of grief, collapsing into Wilbur’s warm arms. Tommy grabbed his brother’s arm and clung to it, refusing to let go of Wilbur’s body.
Techno simply stood. His face was pale as his brother’s last smile as he stood there, shocked. The voices were still deathly quiet.
Then suddenly:
ONE OF US
ONE OF US
OEN OF US
ONE OF US
Who had joined? He hadn’t killed anyone. Who was it?
“It’s ok, I’ll be here”
No.
No.
No.
His brother wasn’t dead. He was just asleep. He doesn’t breathe much in his sleep.
Yes that was it.
He wasn’t a part of Techno’s voices.
He didn’t get sick.
He wasn’t dead.
He’s right here…
Techno never was very good at lying.
____________________________________
(Tommy POV)
It had been a year since his brother’s death.
Tommy still felt muffled, his excited personality felt trapped under the ground.
He was sure his family had noticed his change in demeanor, but thankfully no one had tried to start up a conversation about it. Even so, Tommy wasn't sure if he could take another pitiful look from his father when he failed to maintain the same level of playful banter.
Phil had come in to check on him every night for weeks after his brother’s death and Tommy had gotten sick of being treated like a sheet of glass, as if a single miss-thrown ball could shatter him into a million pieces.
It's not like he was the only one who lost Wilbur. Techno wasn't subjected to ANY of this coddling.
Well… it was kinda nice
His complaining was cut off by a frantic knock on the door of his room.
“What do you want?” Tommy shouted, exasperated. A man can’t even complain any more without being bothered.
“It’s me, Techno.”
“You didn’t answer my question, what do you fucking want? I'm trying to… rest, (yeah… rest)”
“As if you could sit still for more than a minute,” Techno replied quickly, “but just come with me, it’s important.”
Tommy groaned. None of the dorky shit Techno said was “important” was ever actually important.
He hoisted himself off his bed and lazily walked to the door.
“Hurry up!” Techno yelled,”I have to show you something.”
“Uggggg, fine,” Tommy relented, opening the door to see his brother practically bouncing with excitement.
Before Tommy could get a word out to tease his brother about whatever nerdy thing he was probably excited about, Techno snatched his hand up and set off at a brisk pace, yanking Tommy with him.
“Hey! Slow down man, I would like to keep my limbs please.”
Techno promptly ignored him which Tommy found quite rude. The man can’t even answer his own brother. What's up with that?
After a minute of being dragged around the palace, Techno finally paused in front of-
Wilbur’s room?!!?
Why did he drag me over here?
Techno looked over, noting Tommy’s stricken face.
“It’s ok. He’s back.”
With that extremely confusing sentence, ( He’s back? Who? Dream?) Techno grabbed the door handle, twisted it and pushed the heavy wooden door, and it swung open.
His mind blurry, Tommy’s gaze tore away from his brother and landed on-
his other brother.
Wilbur was wearing a simple yellow t-shirt, the kind he hated wearing and refused to put on. He had also donned a pair of airy trousers.
Wilbur would never be caught dead in that outfit. (He was always particular about fashion, often looking on in disgust at Tommy’s signature dirty t-shirts.)
Why was he wearing that? WHY WAS HE HERE?
“Wilbur?” Tommy heard himself say.
His brother turned around from where he was talking to Phil, who appeared to almost be in tears.
“Hey Toms.”
…………………………………………………………………………
It was a couple months after Wilbur’s death
He had been summoned by Phil because of some stupid meeting. Something about a visiting King wanting an audience. Tommy was required to attend most of his father’s audiences.
“It shows that the country and the royal family cares about the other kings,” Phil had explained, exasperated with Tommy’s constant resistance.
“But…,” he had whined, “I don’t care about the other kings.” If Tommy was honest, he couldn’t give two shits about the adjacent rulers. As long as they left him alone he was fine.
He walked into the throne room and glanced at Phil, sitting elegantly on his throne. Two chairs (significantly less grand might he add) were squatting next to the King’s pedestal. Techno, already seated and looking like he would rather be anywhere but there.
Tommy deeply agreed with this sentiment.
Sighing loud enough for Phil to hear him, Tommy dragged himself over to the thrones and plopped down, making sure to lounge in his chair in the most informal way possible.
Phil sighed (arguably just as loud as Tommy) all the while Techno looked on with an amused smile on his face.
“Tommy… I assume you’re going to sit properly whenever King Dream is announced.”
Tommy rolled his eyes, “I always do.”
Techno looked like he was about to point out the outright lies that Tommy had just uttered, when an announcement rang through the room.
“King Dream of the Essempi requires your attention. His Majesty has information regarding the progress of the antidote concerning the plague.”
Immediately the atmosphere changed.
Phil sat up straighter (if that was possible) and a hard look appeared in his eyes.
Technoblade stopped smiling and for a brief moment his eyes glazed over, a sign that his “voices” , as he called them, were being loud.
Tommy sat up and frowned.
Antidote? Is that why Phil wants to talk to the other King?
But…
it can’t save Wilbur anymore.
Dream failed.
Wilbur is gone and-
_____________________________________
(Techno POV)
Techno’s voices had been raging since he had first seen his twin.
WHAT THE FUCK?
WILBYYYY
OH MY GOSH WAIT WHAT
POGBURRR
THAT CANT BE RIGHT
HUH?
His mind was in complete disarray.
Somehow he managed to compose himself enough to walk over to Wilbur.
He felt like he was in a trance as he drifted over to his brother.
“Hello?”
(What sort of “hello” was that? You sounded so weird.)
“Wilbur!”
Techno gripped his twin in a hug, crunching his brother beneath his affection.
Wilbur tensed at first but relaxed in an instant, so fast Tehcno wasn’t sure if he’d just imagined it.
“Hey, Techno. What’s up?”
Techno laughed, sounding slightly hysterical.
“I missed you.”
“Thanks dude.”
Techno paused, just now noticing his dad standing in the back of the room looking stunned.
“Phil, does Tommy know?’
Phil shook himself as if coming out of a dream and replied, ‘Uh no, not yet. Can you go get him?”
Techno nodded and bolted out the door and through the palace.
He had pounded on Tommy’s door for what felt like ages before dragging him down to their newly returned (revived? undead?) brother.
Techno smiled as he watched his two brothers reunite.
For reasons unknown to Techno, the voices had quieted. He didn’t think much of it until:
Who is that and why is he hugging our younger brother?
What? Who is that?
We’ve been over this. Remember you went all soft and (s).
Heh?
The voice sighed loudly into his ears and his reply came slithering into Techno’s head.
I’m Wilbur. Your twin brother who got sick. Remember?
But? Then-
Who is that?
I don’t know thats why I was asking… duh
Despite the sarcastic tone in Wilbur’s voice, Techno's blood ran cold.
If Wilbur was still in his head… then who was THAT Wilbur?
His eyes locked onto the man with his arms around his youngest brother.
His hair had a strange white streak in it that wasn’t there before and he caught his eyes: they had a malicious glint in them.
That's not Wilbur.