Chapter Text
It was long, long after the explosion, long after the destruction. They were holding hands, grip so tight their knuckles turning white. The debris was still falling, crumbling and collapsing. Buildings gone and streets in ruins. The crater close to the hill they were in was quite large, wide enough for everyone to witness them together in the button room.
He could feel his soot’s hand in his trembling, shaking, and he couldn’t decide if it was more of fear, or the exhilaration and excitement from the explosion. All theirs, he thought, it was theirs. Now they could rest, knowing it WAS in fact theirs, that nobody would be able take it. There was no philza to murder them, and they’ve won l’manberg, and then lost it while it was theirs, which make it by definition theirs. They built, loved, lost, gained and killed l’manberg, and together, they won. (Lost, they lost so much, l’manberg, friends, so many soldiers, theirs, their l’manberg-)
Suddenly, he felt a sharp pinch in his stomach, and he took his eyes off of his soot and their l’manberg, the crater, theirs. His. Soot immediately noticed his attention shifting, and turned to see what he was looking at. There, right behind them, was a crack, like someone tore reality from the inside out, unstitched air that glowed in the darkness.
He stiffened at the sight, immediately knowing what it means despite never seeing it before. Soot stilled too, becoming more tense when feeling his darling’s grip tighten, if that was even possible at this point. They both stared in shock at the glowing looking crack, not moving, not even an inch. Slowly panic began to rise in his chest, moving closer to his soot, his soot, his darling, his netherite to diamond, he won’t lose him, he won’t leave, they need more time, he thought he had time!!
“No no no no no…” he whispered, eyes wide and his lip trembling. He held his soot, so sight, please please don’t take me away, take him away from me-
“darling? What… do you recognise this magic?” His soot asked, his soot please, everything but his twin of light, and he shook his head, frantic and panicking. Because he didn’t, he didn’t recognize it, but he KNOWS this magic, he knows what it means. He doesn’t know why, or how, but he does and it’s terrifying. But he doesn’t- he doesn’t want to, not yet, not without goodbye-
“calm yourself my darling, tell me what’s wrong, please, tell how I can help-“ he can hear his soot’s pleadings suddenly, holding his face in his hands, petting and attempting to comfort him.
“I don’t want to leave.” He almost cried back, and the hands stilled, his darling’s face turning more pale then it already was, a stain of shock and fear clear in his eyes. The general then couldn’t stop a tear from falling, and his soot couldn’t stop himself from cleaning it away.
“Then don’t. Please don’t.” He said back, possessiveness taking over his tone, his hands shaking too.
He bit his lips, because how could he? He didn’t, he wouldn’t leave him- but suddenly he felt another pinch his stomach, now stronger, now becoming closer to painful. Soot seemed to notice his sudden flinch out of nowhere, grimacing.
They both looked at each other, knowing that he had to, he had to, oh god, he had to leave his darling, his l’manberg, his tommy, his everything- They couldn’t say it though, because saying it meant it was final, gods, why now, why when it was all finally over? Why when they’d finally won?
Suddenly a determined and sad look came across his darling’s face, overtaking the lost and scared one. He started petting him again, a soft sad smile on his face, and oh gods had he given up, had he-
“then we’ll go together.” He said, stopping the general’s thoughts, shock soon replacing every drop of grief, then turning into hope. Hope, what a simple word for such relief, he could stay, they could stay together-! But. His soot would need to leave his home. His hope dulled, and a frown of worry come forth.
“But what about you?” He asked, raising a hand to touch soot’s, one that’s currently flattering his fingers crossed his cheek towards his hair.
“We got l’manberg back my darling, we lost l’manberg, WE did. It won’t be the same without you.” He answered, unsure but confident and true. The general still wasn’t sure though, so he kept asking, wanting to be completely reassured.
“And tommy? Nikki, Phil, Jordan, tubbo, gods, what about everyone, what about them?” He asked, almost pleading, because was he really ready to give that up? Was he… just for him? Soot’s expression became more grim, but still smiled with hope in his eyes. “Not the same, not without you.” At that statement he cried more, yet he was smiling now because he won’t lose him, they won’t part!
They together walked towards the crack, tear, whatever you can call it, and looked back only once before stepping in with a smile on their face, into the, seemingly, unknown. The past, soot thought. Home, the general thought. Wrong, they were both wrong.
A bright light filled everything, and the world faded into itself. The remaining survivors were blinded, and the ground shook at the impact. That day three people returned to what they used to call home, and one traveled further they he ever thought he would need to.
***
Crash! The general- no Wilbur now, fell dizzy, crashing into the floor, falling off his bed. He reached his hand to hold into something to steady himself, but the first thing that came to hand was his chair, which had wheels so it moved when he grabbed it. He groaned in pain, holding his hurt red nose, bloody from smacking head first into the floor.
Suddenly he realised the pain in his chest was daller, only a small headache was felt. He actually felt better then he had been in months, to he immediately found strange. How? The tears, surely it should have been there? Had that… all been a dream? It couldn’t be-
Suddenly another groan was heard, too similar to his own, just with a bit more scratchy and heavy tone. He flung his head to his counter part, his soot, his darling, his other half, it hadn’t been a dream, it hadn’t! Then… how? He reached to touch his own skin, but nothing was there, only scars, scars that reminded him he was actually there, all of that had happened. Shaking his head and promising himself he’ll think about it at another time, he reached his hand to his darling laying on the bed, looking bewildered.
“Hey.” He said softly, and his soot immediately replied with a soft smile of his own, the shock still in his eyes, but looking happy nonetheless. After a minute of staring happy into each other, soot began to look around, now a grimace on his face, and Wilbur felt a chill go down his spine. Oh. Oh no.
“Where… are we? I don’t exactly remember being here.” Soot asked, then looking at his darling hoping for an answer, instead receiving a blank stare, wide eyes and hands gripping the fabric of his clothing. Soot’s grimace stayed at the expression, his eyebrows furrowing. That… was his darling scared? Not of him, he wouldn’t, why would he? He almost laughed at the thought. But the doubt stayed no matter how he tried to shake it off, and the expression on his darling’s face glued on him stayed.
Eventually the gene- Wilbur, he said to himself, it’s Wilbur again, he’s no general in this world, he sighed, grabbed his other half’s hand, looking desperate. “Please understand my soot, that I never wanted to hurt you, never ever. I didn’t trust you at first, and I was so scared I just never corrected you at your mistake. I love you, I love you so much, but I just never found the right time with the all the wars and all our plans. I wanted to tell you, but please, please understand darling, I was scared. I’m so sorry, i- I lied to you. You can hate me, you can kill me, just please understand how scared I was. I love you, I had NEVER meant to hurt you.” Wilbur pleaded, gripping soot’s cold hands like a lifeline.
Soot stilled, expression blank and eyes fearful. He looked around again, now noticing the computer, now touching the soft, too soft, bed, the white pure like walls, the clean cut of the wood of the closet and desk, the smell of dust and…
“This isn’t the past.” He stated simply, and slowly but surly Wilbur nodded, looking regretful and full of shame. And wasn’t that funny? His darling, his other half, lying like this?
He considered what he said just now, and he distantly remembered how quiet he was at the start of all this, and he said he was scared then, of- of him? Of course he was, he thought bitterly, all the betrayals he witnessed, lying like this was a death sentence then. But they were still the same weren’t they? They were diamond to netherite, sword to shield, pen to paper-
“We are darling, we ARE. Not the same experiences, but the same entity, the same ideals, the same mind, voice, we are the SAME love, you are still mine, and I am yours, no matter what happeneds. Please darling, I still love you, I could never ever fake that.” Wilbur said, making soot shut his mouth, realising he was muttering. Still, it slightly calmed him that his darling was still his, they were two half’s of the same. Nevertheless…
“I’m… still hurt. But, I’m willing to listen. I would do anything for you, remember? If what you ask is forgiveness… I can at least try. Not yet,” he added as hope and relief filled the other’s expression, “but I’ll try. Alright darling?” He said softly, still trying to swallow the situation. Wilbur nodded, looking extremely relieved.
How long had he kept this in? He asked himself. He couldn’t help but pity him, because it must have been so difficult. Was he even a general? He said they were the same, but not the same experiences. What could it mean? He looked around the room again, noticing how specifically the wood of the desk was cut. It was such a clean cut… you could even see the dust on it.
“My darling, are you of some sort of royal heritage?” He asked, a little bewildered. His darling stared at him for a second, seemingly processing his words and following his eyes to the desk, then laughed in surprise, making him grimace. What had he said?
“-snort- no my soot, I’m not. I should… probably explain you this world. It’s quite different from yours, so you might feel slightly overwhelmed.” ‘More then I already am.’ Soot thought to himself.
Just when Wilbur opened his mouth to explain the basics at the very least, a familiar ringtone was heard, startling soot, making him jump. Shocked too, yet filled with nostalgia at the sound Wilbur picked up his phone, freezing at the familiar number. Phil. How- gods, how is he here?! Wait. How long was he gone?! Now a bit frantic, he scrambled at his phone to look at the date. It’s the- oh. If he wasn’t wrong, It was the same date as he left. So that means… no time went by? Pushing his questions for later, with shaking fingers he slowly slid them across the screen, answering the call and putting it on speakers.
“P-Phil?” He asked, a soft and about-to-cry like tone in his voice. At the words soot froze, (a sort of communicator? Seems like it) but soon grabbed his hand when noticing his stuttering and desperate tone.
“Will! Are you ok? I- just want to make sure-“ Phil asked, sounding frantic. “I didn’t know what happened, we were both at the explosion, and you and soot were both-“ “we’re both fine.” Soot answered, cutting him off, making phil quiet down.
“You- you’re both…?” He eventually asked, yet not finishing the question, shock clear in his voice. “Oh. That- that’s a lot. You’re both here. Of- of course, of course you are. I…” he stopped, the room again silent. “We’re home will, we’re home.” He said, his voice suddenly sounding teary.
Wilbur smiled, and soot’s grip tighten on his darling’s hand, (Phil is from here too, of COURSE he is, how couldn’t I see that before?) and Wilbur in response inched closer to soot, smiling in such relief and joy, soot could only imagine that maybe, if he’s this happy to be back, maybe, only maybe, this world wouldn’t be as bad.
“yeah.” Wilbur said softly. “We’re home.”