The Unfinished Symphony: A Retelling of the Dream SMP War

Chapter 19 (unfinished)

CHAPTER 19

"Rise and shine, children!"

Tommy rolled over with a groan. "Twice in a week? I woke up early yesterday, Wilbur."

"Not as early as I did." Tubbo complained.

"Please, you should be used to it by now. The only reason you aren't is because you're slackers. Anyway, your fighting tutor should be here soon. So get up and get ready."

"Wilbur, you're gonna make us train? We're exhausted, leave us alone!" Tommy whined.

"Nope, not exhausted enough. You can't forget that there's a war coming, Tommy. An actual war. And people fight in wars. Physically. And you are nowhere near ready. SO," Wilbur pulled Tommy's blanket until he fell off the bed with a curse. "Get up." Wilbur finished, flaunting out of the room.

Tommy rubbed his elbow from where it hit the floor. "I bet he never does this to Fundy," He groused.

Tubbo shrugged, already getting dressed. "Yeah, but I bet Fundy actually gets up."

"Whose side are you on?"

"The side of, you know, winning."

"...Alright, touché."

The boys were ready and in the training room in fifteen minutes, Tommy now complaining about the oatmeal on his shirt that Tubbo had flicked at him.

Their tutor walked in, a man who i kinda wanna put a character in but nobody was really on lmanbergs side at this point??? was very plain looking, but it was apparent that he was strong.

"Alright, kids. This is pretty short notice, so you'd better not whine. We're gonna be pushing your training pretty hard, so no slacking, even if your muscles fail. Got it?"

Tommy rolled his eyes, but nodded along with Tubbo's enthusiastically bobbing head.

"Then let's get to work."

-_-_-

Hours later, Tommy and Tubbo were tiredly sparring. They'd been working for so long, their arms were like rubber, barely parrying each other's swings.

"Come on, you're trying to kill each other, not sway like pansies in the wind!" Their tutor shouted at them.

Tommy sighed but tightened his grip on his weapon, putting a bit more force into his swing.

They went back and forth for a few minutes until Tommy disarmed Tubbo, stopping him with the point of his sword on Tubbo's throat. Neither said anything, just panted, but Tommy's eyes had a triumphant gleam to them.

"Good enough. We can continue tomorrow." The tutor turned his back on them and left the arena without another word. The two boys collapsed on the ground, breathing hard.

"Just for the record, I won that," Tommy gasped out between breaths.

"You- did not- win that." Tubbo wheezed. "It was 5 to 6 in my favor."

Tommy let out a shaky laugh. "I guess I knocked you on the head too hard Tubbo, cause I totally beat you."

"Lies."

Their tired banter was put to a pause by the sound of Wilbur's footsteps. "I assume training went well?"

Tommy shrugged. "I guess. I beat Tubbo."
"You did not!"

"I feel like I'm on fire, though. Please tell me there's an ice bath or something for us." Tommy pleaded.

Wilbur laughed. "No such luck. You can draw your own baths. I'm only here to make sure you're still breathing and tell you there's a war meeting tomorrow."

"Are you kidding me?" Tommy indignantly yelled. "You're working us to the bone! Give us a day off!"
"It's only been two days. Also, welcome to my world. This is what it's like to be king."

"Kill me now," Tommy mumbled, standing up. Tubbo followed him soon after, and the boys wobbled painfully to the castle.

-_-_-

Later that night, the boys had collapsed into bed, out before their heads touched the pillows. They were extremely sore, and would be so for the next few days. Wilbur had, indeed, worked them to the bone; and would do so for the entire week. And although Tommy would grouse, and Tubbo would play around, everyone felt the urgency to grow and prepare and plan before it was too late. Eret had become crucial to their war efforts, working just as hard in the war room and giving Wilbur suggestions when he got too tired to think. Wilbur had officially appointed him as his temporary right hand man, and personally asked him to join them in the incoming battle. Eret, of course, humbly accepted, relieved in knowing his job was safe. Evacuations were close to finished, the guards had longer shifts, and the day of reckoning drew nearer.

Then came the final night of rest. Fundy had evacuated the castle to be with Niki. Tubbo was dead asleep, and Tommy was laying in bed, drifting off but never really finding rest. Wilbur... Wilbur was talking to 'himself' again.

"This is a mistake. You know it is."

"I know, but we don't have a choice!"

"What if you just dissolved your nation?"

"I can't dissolve L'manberg though!"

"You're willing to waste lives over a war you can't win?"

"Who says we can't?"

"Everyone. Including your own men."

"They don't... Tommy wouldn't..."

"Even his blind faithfulness knows it's futile."

"Even Tubbo?"

"Even Tubbo."