The Raven and The Wolf [discontinued]

The Sweetest Lies are the Ones You Tell Yourself

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Eight years ago
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Dream shook Eret awake.

"Eret... Get up, " Dream hissed, trying not to wake up his brother.

Eret groaned slightly, "Dream? How late is it?" Eret shifted.

Dream never understood how his childhood best friend was able to adapt to his new name so well.

After Dream had told Eret he had changed his name, Eret never called them Kody again. Even a year later it still amazed him.

"We need to go... now, " Dream spoke firmly but still quiet.

"Why? Is Foolish awake?" Eret grumbled, rubbing their eyes and trying to wake themselves up.

"No, we need to go, as in me and you, " Dream spoke with sorrow in his voice.

Eret looked up at Dream with that sad look that never failed to make him feel guilty.

"Why? We can't just leave him, " Eret seemed to be completely awake now, or at least a lot more than they were before.

  "You fell asleep first, afterward we talked, he said he wanted to go back, we agreed me and you would keep going, I figured we'd leave while he was asleep, make it easier on him, " Dream lied.

  He hated lying to Eret's face like that. He was always good with coming up with believable lies on the stop. It was useful when Puffy would question where he was past his curfew. But those were harmless lies, this was painful.

  Eret looked at Dream, their white eyes full of sorrow, "We'll see him again, right?"

  "Of course, I mean if you're coming back home with me when we've found her, " Dream said with comfort and confidence.

  Eret nodded hesitantly.

  The real reason Dream wanted to leave Foolish behind had nothing to do with Foolish wanting to go home, Dream just couldn't bear to drag him with him on what was close to a suicide mission.

  It was easier this way.
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Present-day
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  "Tubbo!" Ranboo darted as quick as he could to his best friend.

  Tubbo sat on his knees for a while before collapsing.

  Tommy stood there for a moment with a smug look on his face before turning around and walking off never looking back.

  Ranboo slide to the ground, his voice shaken and tears now running down his face.

  Trying to ignore the painful burning he grasped his best friend, pleading with him to wake up as blood stained both of their shirts.

  "Tubbo! Please! Don't leave me!" Ranboo cried. His breathing shakey as he struggled to breathe between sobs.

  Eret soon was at his side, they looked horrified and panicked but not nearly as much as the hysterical boy that sat begging Tubbo to wake up.

  Foolish stood there, completely still, he hadn't moved since Tubbo was stabbed. Staring blankly in shock, as if he was frozen, couldn't look away, couldn't keep watching.

  Eret tried to quickly think of a solution, panicked, scared, and worried they had a hard time fighting back tears.

  They tried to keep their composition, Ranboo was too distraught to think of anything, and if they did nothing... Tubbo would die.

  "Niki, " Eret whispered under their breath as they came to a realization.

  With no time to waste they kicked off, sprinting as fast as they could.

  Thoughts raced their head like minecarts on a rail, crashing into each other and going too fast for comfort.

  What if I'm too late? What if he's already dead? What if Niki isn't there? What if-  Eret tried to shake off the racing thoughts but to no prevail.

  They kept running, their feet met the ground only to kick up once again.

  Eret couldn't think of a time they had run the quick before in their life.

  Finally, a brick flower shop came into view. And much to their luck caught sight of Niki through the window.

  They reached to door, swinging it open.

  "Eret? What's wrong?" Niki said in shock.

  Eret desperately tried to catch their breath, "Tubbo he... Tommy!" Eret yelled through gasping breaths and tears.

  "What? Slow down, " Niki approached Eret.

  "Help!" Eret blurted out.
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  Tommy's hands shook as he smiled.

  He sat in the grass, his back against a tree as he processed what had happened.

  He laughed briskly in disbelief.

  His red hoodie had been stained with dark blood and the grass around him speckled with it.

  Dream hadn't known his plan, actually, Dream didn't know a lot of things.

  Like that Tommy knew he was only using him.

  Tommy had realized shortly after Dream and Sapnap made up that Dream only wanted what was best for himself.

  But Tommy didn't care, in his eyes, he was using Dream just as much as Dream was using him.

  Tommy still cared about the man he previously saw as his only friend, and the one who brought back his brother. But it wasn't about that, it wasn't about Dream, it was about revenge. And Dream could help him get that revenge.

  He had taken killing Tubbo into his own hands but destroying an entire nation by himself was a pipe dream.

  Memories raced through his head, from his childhood to his days in L'manburg.

  Finding Tubbo, Wilbur leaving home, the Declaration of Independence, the final control room, Schlatt, exile, everything seemed to be playing itself back.

  As the euphoria from the moment wore off Tommy was left with a stale empty feeling.

  He didn't regret anything, hell if he could go back in time he'd do the same thing, but something just felt... missing.

  He needed comfort, he wouldn't get it from Techno, his father didn't seem to care enough, he couldn't talk to Wilbur, so he would go to the only person he could.

  The same man who he knew was using him, but the comfort and the promise of revenge were so precious that he didn't care.
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Word count-980

Sorry for the short chapter and long wait