A strong sense of shock settled in the room. Nobody moved, only staring at Schlatt. Or what used to be Schlatt.

The silence was broken by Tubbo saying, confused, "Did he just have a heart attack?!" His eyes were glued to the crumpled man on the ground, as well as everyone else's.

A nervous laugh bubbled in my throat. I wasn't sure why I was feeling like this, after all, Schlatt did deserve what happened to him. He hurt so many people and even turned me against my own friends, unsympathetic of my will.

Yet, I still felt unsteady by his death.

Dream placed a gloved hand on my shoulder as I swayed. His touch anchored me to the oak floors of the van, keeping me above the raging river below. Trying to ignore the sound of rapids, I said quietly, "I believe so."

Everyone's heads turned to me once more, "His body relied on the power of the darkness, so when it left him so suddenly, it left his body...unstable," I stared at his dark horns, "And his habits of alcohol and smoking didn't help one bit."

"His body couldn't handle his lifestyle." I nodded to Wilbur's statement. Schlatt had died at the hand of his own doing.

Tommy stood the closest to the deceased man, his crossbow now lowered to his side. A smile slowly spread across his face as he looked up at the surrounding group. His eyes shone, "We won!"

The previous solemn mood was replaced with air thickly stacked with excitement. People cheered, throwing their hands up into the air in victory.

Their cries of triumph flushed away the sound of the river, replacing it with the previous euphoria. We had won. Schlatt, as well as the darkness, was gone. No dark gods laid their hands on this land anymore.

Well, besides the literal god standing next to me with his hand on my shoulder.

Tommy led the group out, chanting their victorious cries. Despite the excitement of his best friend, Tubbo's eyes lingered on the horned man.

His father.

He had no idea, but he was staring at the man who was connected to him by blood.

I fought the urge to run up to the boy and hug him tight. If I did give in to that action, he would think I was crazy. He didn't know that that was his father.

That mess would be dealt with later.

Only three of us remained in the van. The mood quickly fell back into sadness, filling the small area like smoke. The sadness was rippling off of the boy wearing a beanie as he stared at his old friend.

I waved Dream away for him to wait outside. He hesitated, taking his hand off of me after a moment.

Once he left, I came closer to the other. Quackity stared, unblinking, at Schlatt. I slowly wrapped my arm around his shoulders, pulling him into a hug. He complied, swiftly pushing his face into my armor-clad shoulder.

I pressed my cheek into his beanie as I held him. His netherite armor clinked against my own, the only sound in the small van.

He mumbled into my shoulder, "I don't know what's wrong with me. I should be happy." His body shook slightly as he chuckled weakly, "He caused so much pain, to not only me and you but a whole nation."

I nodded, listening. Quackity was feeling the same emotions that I had pushed away. I wondered if he had a raging river of his own that he was trying to stay above.

"Quackity, I understand. He was an awful person, but before that, he was your friend. You had known him before he became power-hungry."

The boy pulled back to look at me, following my words. His eyes were a little clearer as I continued, "It's alright to grieve for a bit. You aren't grieving for the president, you are grieving for a friend that lost his way on a dark path."

He gave me an appreciative look, pulling himself back into a hug. His sadness calmed, no longer pouring out of his soul. My words had kept him above the river of doubts and darkness.

Applause emitted from outside as well as a few cheers. I gave Quackity one last look before walking with him towards the door.

The boy exited before me, giving me a final appreciative look. Before I followed him, I glanced back at the man on the floor.

A dark fog began to ripple around him, sending my magic into a frenzy. But I calmed it.

The darkness was just taking its shell back to wherever it hid.

The dark cloud quickly surrounded the man, becoming impossibly dark.

When it disappeared, the former president was no longer there.

-

The applause was still in effect when Quackity and I made our way into the sets of chairs before the podium. Tommy was climbing the small hill towards the stage with a large smile plastered to his face.

Dream stood towards the back with the former Manberg army. He gave me a small nod as I took a seat between Techno and Tubbo. Wilbur was sat on the other side of Tubbo, closest to the building on our left.

As Tommy made the last few steps, I leaned over to Techno, "What's going on?"

He opened his mouth to answer but Tubbo cut him off. The boy was ecstatic, practically bouncing in his seat. His eyes were electric, "Wilbur has elected Tommy to be president!"

I gave the boy an excited smile as he turned his face towards his best friend. I looked at Techno with a knowing look a moment later. He mirrored my expression, both of us thinking the same thing.

Tommy was doing the exact thing that Techno warned him not to do. He was putting a new government in place of the old one.

Concerned, I looked upwards at Tommy. He was leaning into the mic with a huge smile on his face. He gave Tubbo and I a quick thumbs-up before clearing his throat.

The audience waited in suspense. The boy's smile got even wider, "Hello everyone, it looks like won," Cheers followed his words, even Techno's monotone one among them. I stifled a laugh, drawing my eyes back up to the boy.

He waited for the cheers to die down, "And I never thought I'd say this, but even after the hardships, the tyranny we've been through," He looked towards the row I sat in, dragging his eyes across each of us, "Wilbur, Tubbo, y/n.."

I bit back at the small guilty feeling that wormed into my head. It wasn't right for them to replace Schlatt with another self-elected president. Even if he was one of my best friends.

Tommy smiled, "It was meant to be!" More cheers echoed him. Several eyes turned to Eret who sat behind me, laughing. Despite the irony of the words, the tall man laughed along with them.

Tommy's smile disappeared slightly as his eyes darted behind us, hesitating, "I can't be the president." His face turned determined, staring at the masked man.

Gasps of confusion rumbled through the audience. I scrunched my brows together, as Tommy continued, "As much as this is everything, and this is what would've been everything,"

Dream's amused chuckles were faintly in the background. I could sense the scheming already beginning to calculate in his slightly twisted mind. I angled my body so I could see both of them.

"I have unfinished business, cause you still have those discs, Dream." My head whipped towards the boy on the stage. I thought Tommy had let go of the discs for the sake of his nation.

He had everything he wanted right in front of him, but the discs guided him away from it.

Tubbo's face fell slightly, staring up at his best friend. His bouncing stilled, "..and I can't do this until we're done. Dream, until I've got those discs back, I'm not done." Blue eyes fell on the man at the end of the row.

"So Wilbur, I know you had your points and we all thought you were gonna blow this nation up, but I know that was all just talk now." Tommy smiled at his brother, not noticing the small switch in Wilbur's face.

I could see Wil shove his hands into his pockets as he fiddled with something. Anxiety had appeared on his face for a moment but was quickly covered up with a neutral expression.

Tommy sighed, "Wilbur, take your place on the podium."

Wilbur stood, passing his younger brother on the way up to the podium. He didn't hesitate, leaning his tall form down to reach the mic, "Look, I'm gonna keep this brief,"

Tommy took his brother's place on the other side of Tubbo. The two whispered for a few seconds while Wilbur continued, "Techno you've taught me a lot." Wilbur chuckled, "I agree with you, government is not the way to go."

His words snaked through the audience. Tommy and Tubbo's whispers stopped, snapping their heads towards the podium. A slow smile was spread across the twin brothers' faces.

"I need to hand off the presidency." His dark eyes snagged on the boy to my left, "Tubbo. I want you to come up on the stage."

Before Tubbo even stood, Tommy burst from his chair in excited screams. He helped his best friend up, pulling him into a quick hug. I gave Tubbo a reassuring look to help the hesitant nerves that surrounded him.

Cheers followed him up as he made the same path as the two others. As he began his speech, I quickly stood and walked towards where Dream stood. My magic was starting to poke at me with warnings.

Dream stepped towards me as I came closer, "What is it?" Despite his confident posture, his voice was gentle as he spoke. He could probably sense the tension that raced through my bones. My magic also seemed to connect with him, the warnings urging him as well.

I kept my voice low, "Something is about to happen." His smiley face hid any emotion, "We need to get everyone out of here now."

He tilted his head, "Why? Nothings going to happen, I think the traitor has given up on his attempts. See, he's right there..." Dream's body went still as he looked towards where Wilbur had been.

I gave a frantic look to Dream before sprinting towards the empty seat. Ghost raced at my side, avoiding the people that began to stand. I weaved between the crowd, pushing my legs faster.

He had sat down after coming off the podium but now, he was gone.

Dream reached after me to pull me away, but his fingers only grazed my wrist. I couldn't let Wilbur blow it up, not with everyone within killing range.

Tubbo was finishing up his speech as I made it to the row of chairs. Techno gave me a worried look, standing. "What's wrong?"

Our conversation was going unnoticed as people cheered and surrounded Tubbo at the bottom of the podium. I could see Dream trying to make his way towards me out of the corner of my eye. But he was getting stuck in the traffic of people.

I ignored Techno's question, "I imagine you have a plan for this new government?" He gave me a clipped nod, "Then get it done quickly."

He nodded once more, opening his mouth to ask a question. Before he could ask, I whistled twice. Ghost stepped closer to me, awaiting his command. I stared at the pink-haired man, "Keep Ghost with you."

The dog moved to the man's side. Hopefully, this wouldn't be the last time I saw him. But I was running out of time.

As Dream finally broke free of the group, I turned on my heel. Glancing over my shoulder one last time at the crowned man, I gave him a small smile, "Just in case, it was an honor having you as a friend."

Before he could react, I also said, "And if I don't return, tell Dream I'm sorry."

His expression flashed into confusion and surprise, but I ignored his calls that followed. I sprinted towards the hill that led down, behind the podium.

I wasn't sure how I was going to stop Wilbur, but every fiber of my being screamed at me to stop his efforts.

My feet hit the ground hard as I moved out of memory towards the hole in the hill. My armor clinked as I ran, the enchantments moving in a frenzy.

Previously, I didn't care if this small nation was blown to nothing. For all I cared, L'manberg could be erased from history.

But now, almost every person I cared about was standing atop mountains of explosions. And an unstable man was feet away from the button that could end it all.

Wilbur was in control of too many lives for my liking.

-

Techno pov

She had run off without saying what was going on or where she was going. Only leaving her wolf and words that sounded too much like last ones.

A moment after she had disappeared from view, Dream rushed up to him. His mask was pushed slightly out of place, revealing his wild green eyes. A strangled expression was on his face despite the cool calm he had just worn.

His voice was angry and hushed, "Where did she go?"

Techno shook his head, "I have no idea. She just rushed off after leaving Ghost with me," He gestured to the wolf who sat patiently beside his temporary master. Techno's voice changed slightly, "As well as telling me to carry through with my plan."

Dream swore softly, glancing around, "She went after Wilbur, trying to stop him."

That's when Techno noticed his brother's absence amongst the group. People were taking down decorations while chatting happily with each other, but Wilbur was gone.

Everything clicked into place. He stared down at Ghost, "I need to stop the government now. And then we need to get people out of here."

Dream nodded. His face drained of color at Techno's next words, "She could die in there with him, he's extremely unstable."

The masked man was about to say something but was cut off. Techno raised his hand, "But we have to take that risk. It's what she would want, and you know that." He turned towards where people stood, "Will you help me?"

Techno faced the group at the end of the chairs. He couldn't see Dream's answer but when he moved away, Dream followed. Ghost obediently walked at Tehno's side, not hesitating to snap to attention if called to.

Tubbo was stood towards the edge of the group, taking down a banner. The sudden chorus of voices that rang through the crowned man's head, pushed him towards the boy. The voices drowned out the guilt.

The boy turned to greet his friend but was quickly cut off. A crossbow was now pressed to his head, making him go still. In one quick movement, Techno had Tubbo pinned to his spot on the ground.

He stared wide-eyed up at him, his jaw dropped. For a moment, the guilt broke through the voices. It washed over him, making him hesitate slightly. This was the boy he had grown up with.

The guilt disappeared as quickly as it came when Tommy's cried erupted. The whole group now faced where Techno stood, with Dream behind him. Their surprise was clear on their faces.

Tommy took a step towards the three but stopped when he saw how tense Techno's stance was. His hand was wrapped tightly around his crossbow, dangerously close to firing a rocket into his best friend's head.

His blue eyes became stormy with anger, "What are you doing?!"

Quackity stood next to him, "Techno, put down the-"

"Listen to me! I did not spend weeks planning this revolution, giving you guys gear, for you guys to go in and replace one tyrant with another!" Techno's voice was harsh.

In his defense, he had warned them. He had tried to tell Tommy over and over that he didn't support the government. But here his brother stood, surprised that Techno had taken action to stop their new powers.

"Don't you see what's happening here? Don't you see history repeating itself!" He scoffed, "You think Schlatt was the cause of your problems? No! It was government!" He had tried to tell them that this would happen.

He shook his head, disappointed in his brother and his friends. "I see I was wrong to rely on other people."

Y/n flashed in his mind, one of the only true friends he had. And now she was somewhere trying to save all of their lives from his own brother.

As Tommy took another step towards him, Dream ran from behind with his ax raised. He could feel the raw fury pouring out of him. Something animal-like was taking the man over with the absence of y/n.

Something as equally as harsh snapped in Techno without her here. She was one of the only ones who understood him. Who had also known the darkness of voices.

But she wasn't here to calm the whispers.

Fighting erupted in front of him. The Manberg army turned on the rebels, fighting alongside Dream.

Tubbo took his chance, twirling away from the crossbow. He pulled his sword from his side, facing Techno.

The sight he was met with scared him. Techno stood above him, staring him down with his height. There was a slight red lurking in his dark eyes.

Tubbo had seen that look before, a moment before the voices took hold.

Tubbo made the wise decision, running away to help Tommy fight Dream. Something bubbled inside Techno as he called out, "The government ends here!"

Dream was moving with unhuman-like movements. He was fighting circles around Tommy, fury being his fueling fire.

Thoughts of y/n still lingered in the back of his mind. He tried to move the fighting as far away from the podium as he could, but he was in a losing battle to his mind. Explosions of color streaked around him from his own crossbow.

Techno raised his sword and shield, picking a fight with anyone that drew near. The voices overwhelmed every one of his senses, calling for blood.

Blood for the blood god. Blood for the blood god. Blood for the blood god.

~~~~

blood for the blood god.

p.s. make sure to stay hydrated and safe :)