Good Things Never Last

Chapter 2

I began pulling open the cold iron door, allowing light to seep into the small room as I looked around. I slowly tiptoed inside, praying that the hardwood planks wouldn't creak under my weight and reveal my location, because I wanted to surprise them all with my return and see their confused expressions.

I wasn't sure how they were going to react, though. When I announced my departure, the four of them were upset, but that didn't imply that they'd be happy to see me again. I was just hoping that they would be.

Looking up, I noticed that I was in the middle of a small room, with a wooden bench to my right and a steering wheel in front of it facing the big windscreen. An oak wall separated the front and back of the Camarvan to my left, with a birch entrance on the right side of the wall.

A gentle breeze blew through the room, sending goosebumps up my arms and a shudder down my spine. Autumn has never been my favourite season precisely because of this. It always made everything seem more frightening than it was.

The creepy nature of the scenario was emphasised by the unexpected quiet. So to say I jumped when Tommy's contagious laugh echoed through the room from next door would be an understatement.

"PHAHAHAHAHA"
I followed the sound to the birch door on the other side of the little room, continuing to be extremely cautious of my movements.

"Tommy, Tom-"
"Phahahahah he jus- he just..."
"TOMMY"
I winced a little as the sudden rise in volume took me by surprise.
Wilbur's outraged voice was unmistakable; after all the times he'd caught me slipping into Tubbo's in the middle of the night with Tommy, I'd memorised the sound of his voice when he was angry.

"This isn't a laughing matter. We don't know how much longer we have. They set fire to Tubbo's house for no apparent reason Tommy. He wants war. They may be lacking in numbers, but they are not lacking in ability. They have Dream, Tommy, THE DREAM. The one who has plagued us from the beginning. The one who is adamant that L'Manburg cannot be independent. The one who wants us all under his control. He's already plotting our demise"

I could almost hear Wilbur taking a breath to calm himself down, but I knew he wasn't done yet. I could sense he had more to say.

"I believe it has just dawned on him that we are serious, that we will not back down because of a few threats. He's trying to put us out of our misery. But I say independence or death, and it's up to you to decide whether you want to stand with me or against me. I don't want you to feel pushed into it, and I don't want you to put your lives on the line for something you don't truly care for. I'd die for L'manburg and every single individual in this room because you're all my family, you're everything I could ask for. So, even if it means my death, I'll never give up since L'manburg is my home. It's our home"

I just stood there speechless as I went over what I had overheard. My breathing was rapid and shallow as I tried to take everything in. I knew that the Dream guy was awful, but I never considered that he'd declare war simply because a group of his civilians wanted their own independence.

Everything had been fine when I left L'manburg. Buildings had already begun to appear within the walls, and new residents showed up every other day. Peace reigned throughout the land.

I couldn't believe how rapidly things had deteriorated. There could've been something they'd done wrong, or that Dream was just a power-hungry asshole.

"Will, just listen okay? We're all in this together"
In the room next door, I could hear Fundy's quiet voice and the shuffle of feet.
"We want it just as badly as you do, Wilbur!"
I could practically hear Tubbo's smile as he spoke, somehow managing to make me smile as well.

I did, however, feel like I was invading a very private chat between the closest of friends, intruding on something I wasn't supposed to hear.  I considered just leaving a message explaining that I didn't want to interrupt and that I would return in the morning.

I was so engrossed in my thoughts that I didn't notice the quick goodbyes and goodnights, or the sound of several pairs of footsteps heading in the direction of the birch door.

I was pulled back to reality by the sound of the rusty door handle twisting in front of me. As I realised what was about to happen, panic and dread overwhelmed my body. I wasn't sure if I should hide, just say hello, or maybe wave. All I could think about was the fact that maybe they didn't want me to go back or that they all despised me for abandoning them for so long.

I was afraid, flustered, and concerned, scanning my surroundings for anything that could help me in my current condition, but the door in front of me had been left open slightly ajar, and a small strip of light covered my left arm before I realised it.

I noticed a bright orange tail, Fundy's tail, through the space that had just been formed. His back was turned away from the door, but his fox paw was still tightly wrapped around the doorknob. His fluffy ears had dropped to the sides of his face, and his head was hung low.

Inside the room, everyone's attention was drawn to a young blond boy who hadn't moved from his spot in the corner in the back of the room. He was just staring at his hands as the others all shared a glance.

"Are you okay Tommy?"
With glazed-over eyes, the boy peered across at his friends.
The ground shared yet another glance as the silence dragged out for a moment too long.

"Yeah. I'm alright Tubs"
The brunette just nodded in response as they all turned towards the door and simultaneously froze when their eyes fell onto an unknown individual.

"Who's that behind you, Fundy?"