"Techno...?"

Techno, who had returned to normal and was a bit drowsy, and I turned to our side where Tommy stood staring at his brother in confusion and brief hurt.

"Tommy, not now," I said gently. "We can talk later."

He nodded, taking a step back towards Tubbo. Quackity and Ranboo were coming up behind them from where they had previously pulled me up from the crater, dirt covering them.

In fact, dirt and grime covered all of us from war and my tumble into the split in the world. Blood still caked Techno's wrist but was slowly washing away with the rainstorm.

Techno swayed under my hand, his boots slipping in the mud slightly. When the darkness left its vessel it left them exhausted and discombobulated more than anything.

I readjusted my grip so that I had my arm under his and I was basically holding most of his weight. It would take a second for him to get his bearings again.

"Techno, do you remember anything?" I asked as I spotted Phil making a dash for us with a swarm of great white wolves around him.

Rain dripped off his braid as his head was dipped down, facing the ground. The crown was slumped towards the front of his head, almost falling off but my free hand caught it and pushed it back into place.

"I remember the words I said to Tommy, which was all me saying those," He started, emotion hinting in his tired voice. "Last night and today are just a bunch of scattered memories."

I dragged the two of us in small steps towards Phil, exhaust faintly nipping at me. The healing potion was slowly taking effect in my blood system and would soon fully heal my wounds with the consequence of heavy fatigue.

Techno continued, regaining some strength and taking some weight off of me, "I remember placing the withers from today but that's about it."

There was a hint of glee in his voice and straightening posture at the mention of the monsters he had made. Even if the darkness had been in control, Techno never failed to love the withers and destruction of government.

But when he spoke next, guilt and sadness replaced it. "And last night you told me about Dream, and I had tried to kill you after. The urge was so strong since you're arm got injured and I couldn't stop the darkness."

Instead of feeling sad, I just offered him a small smile. "Hey, don't forget I tried to kill you the first time I met you, so now we're even."

The guilty waves didn't cease to stop washing off of him, his gaze landing on mine. He looked at me like I had already died and he was the one holding the sword through my heart.

"But the part about Dream-"

I shook my head, dropping the smile. We were limping through a raging war with explosions still falling around us, now was not the time to talk through our feelings.

"Later." We finally reached Phil, wolves racing ahead to greet their owner. "For now, you need to stay with Phil and the Wolf Army. They can keep you safe until your head levels out."

Phil's broad hat kept the rain off his face, his eyes shining with the thrill of war but concern clouding over them at the sight of Techno's tired form. I passed Techno off to Phil, the latter wrapping his battered wing around him.

The wolves pushed their wet noses into my hand, seeking attention. I crouched to pet some of them as I looked up at Phil. Their fur was soaked, droplets clinging to my hands in one swipe.

"He'll be fine in a bit, but I wouldn't stay here for much longer."

I looked around at the wreckage and then up at the grid in the storm clouds.

Lightning lit up the sky, illuminating Dream's hunched form. He rushed between islands, only stopping for a second on each to replenish the TnT supply and redstone circuits.

When a streak of lightning struck the platform across from him, he didn't so much as flinch. He just continued onto the next set of redstone machinery.

"It doesn't seem like much else will be happening here anyway." There was no remorse in my voice as I spoke, "Dream seems about done with his death machine and L'manberg has lost thanks to the withers."

Phil nodded, still supporting Techno even as the man began to stand on his own. "I'm out of withers anyway. We did enough damage and Dream took care of the rest."

A tiny ember sparked inside of me at how calm Phil was about teaming with the enemy. He didn't need darkness to tell him to destroy his sons' nation and potentially cause some death.

But then again, he didn't know what Dream had done to Tommy so I kept my mouth shut and doused the ember in water.

There was some shouting over the thunder and slowing explosives, people rushing towards the intact side of L'manberg. Tommy led them, his face stressed with emotion and confusion and Tubbo was on his right, rips in his presidential outfit.

"Take him home, Phil. Your work is done and Techno has done plenty of damage."

Phil nodded, rain gliding off of his green and white hat. He kept his dark grey wing wrapped around Techno's shoulders as they stepped through mud puddles and walked towards the docks, wolves nipping their heels.

It was better for them to not be here when Techno was fully awake. He would love the destruction he had caused, but maybe not so thrilled when he knew what the wither had almost done to me.

So I left them, running and jumping over craters to where almost everyone had gathered. By the time I got there, I could see and smell what was wrong.

Formed in a half-circle, people surrounded the now destroyed obsidian walls that had attempted to keep the last piece of L'manberg safe.

The L'mantree was almost gone, the green leaves charred black with ruby fire and the branches disintegrating into white ash. Embers littered the ground, catching fire to the grass like golden blossoms.

And at the front was Niki, clutching a flint and steel with just much fire on her face that was behind her. She didn't even flinch as the heat blasted her back, brushing her hair off her shoulders.

"It was never meant to be!" She shouted, a pain-induced smile on her face. Tears slipped down her red face, dripping onto her sweater.

Her eyes fell on me as I pushed my way to the front of the group. She continued her speech, "L'manberg is gone! It's beyond repair!"

The pain was so clear in her voice that I could feel it slice through the air and strike my heart.

Niki had every right to be upset and angry with her once loved nation. Wilbur had built palaces with his songs for her, even going as far as taking her into his nation to keep her safe.

Then both of those things were taken from her, without cause and abruptly. Those palaces were leveled and her heart lay underneath all the rubble.

A part of her had died with Wilbur and the other part was blown up with L'manberg's last stand.

So when she saluted L'manberg for one final time and turned her back on the citizens around her, I let her. I let her run up the stairs and disappear from my view.

Because she had taken the last piece of her nation down with her.

"It's gone!" Fundy shouted, making me turn.

His orange hair and tail glowed even brighter in the firelight, an evil glint in his dark eyes. Unlike Niki's pained smile, there was a crazed one on his face.

It reminded me vaguely of Wilbur in Pogtopia.

And there it was, the collective release of L'manberg from every single person here. There was a shift in the world as everyone let L'manberg go as the tree's flames went out in the downpour.

"It's all beautiful, isn't it?" Someone said near the back, all of us turning to see.

It was then that I realized the explosions had stopped. No longer did the bombs fall from the sky in an airstrike detonating the land below.

The only sounds were the shushing of rain and jostling thunder in the sky, but they were a natural sound. An eerie quiet filled the space underneath.

"The unfinished symphony," The same person mused, his hand calmly in his hoodie pocket.

Dream no longer loomed above on the dark grid in the sky but instead was standing in front of our group, half-turned to gaze at the devastation he caused.

A look of admiration and sick love was in his too-dark eye. He looked at the great hole in the ground like it was his greatest piece of work.

And maybe to DreamXD it was his greatest accomplishment.

Tommy stood in front of Dream but there was no fight left in him. There wasn't in Tubbo, Quackity, or Ranboo either.

It was gone from every fighter here.

"L'manberg's story is over!" Dream shouted out to the crowd in pure confidence. He knew he had won and that L'manberg had finally closed its book.

People began to scatter, walking slowly through the rain to look at what was left. Some dropped their weapons and laid their head on their knees while others marched off in angry steam.

That left Tommy, Tubbo, and I with Dream and the faint outline of DreamXD behind his puppet.

Tommy took a hesitant step back, bringing Tubbo with him so they were behind me. Even if Tommy had escaped Dream's manipulative grasp, that didn't mean the wounds were closed.

Dream saw this, straightening his shoulders in pride. DreamXD's tall head leaned over, only visible to my eyes as he stared at me with red liquid leaking down from the letters on the mask.

"Our story isn't over, Tommy and Tubbo," Dream paused, then continued, "You either, y/n."

I stared him down, raindrops dripping down from my eyelashes. I could faintly feel DreamXD trying to reach across the snapped bond but I threw up a light barrier in my mind, stopping his snaking reach.

"I will see you all very soon," He hummed, turning on his heel away from the burning nation. "Sooner than you think."

The distinct similarity between his and Foolish's words sent a shiver down my spine. Both times it had been said gave me a sense that they were right.

Life had been on the fast track for the past year, and now it would all come down to hopefully the final fight. Where I would destroy the darkness for the final time, even if it ripped my soul apart.

I had to risk it.

For Tommy and his beautifully bright wings and glow that reminded me so much of the happy sun.

For Tubbo and his bees, so he could continue to be sweet like honey but not afraid to sting back.

For Techno, who seemed like someone big and scary but in reality was just a big softie for his family and potatoes.

And for everyone else, maybe even Dream if he was freed.

When he was freed.

Dream disappeared over the hill, taking the wicked god with him. Tommy and Tubbo visibly relaxed but not fully when their gaze returned to L'manberg.

Or what used to be L'manberg.

Their beloved home, the one that had too much blood spilled over it and friendships broken for, was gone. Flags no longer flapped in the happy breeze and now laid flat with burning fire and covered in sloppy mud.

Under the dark storm clouds and lightning, L'manberg burned to the ground, unable to escape the brutality and tyranny of its ruler.

People had fought for their lives, at too young of an age, for this dear and loved place that had once been safely surrounded by black and yellow walls and was guarded by its fearless ruler with a navy coat and patch on his sleeve.

I wrapped my arms around Tommy and Tubbo as they both leaned into my side, tears glistening with devastation and grief as they watched L'manberg disappear with the smoke in the wind.

Tommy slowly lifted his hand, saluting not just the place he used to call home, but also the symphony his brother had written for him.

And even if the nation was gone and its chapter closed, I could feel it live on with fire and freedom in each of our hearts.

~~~~

there's only one thing to be said after this part

o7