Oneshots

Empire | Technoblade & Tommy

"I now crown you, Emperor Thomas Simons of L'Manburg!" The Priest placed the crown of the Emperor's head, before looking around the room.

Everyone stood up, saluting to their new ruler. "All hail the Emperor!"

The Emperor bowed back to them, before sitting on his throne for the first time. He was only 12, but being there, on the throne, in the center of his palace, especially with so many people in front of him - it made him feel as if he was at least 25. He knew that he was but a boy, yet sitting there, he really did feel like a man. Someone with control, with power.

He didn't feel so lonely anymore. Nor did he feel so desperate.

He hadn't felt this way since the day before his younger brother had died.

Everyone in that room, the General, the Lieutenants, all the Dukes and Duchesses, the Lords and the Ladies - they were all looking at him, watching his every move. They followed his hand as he gently placed it on one of the armrests, running his fingers along the edge of the wood, feeling the intricate designs. He looked up from the carvings, and seeing them all watching him, he decided to make his first decree.

"Prince Blade, Lieutenant of the 3rd Militia." The tall man walked up to the throne, his shield strung firmy around his arm and sword strapped at his belt. The Emperor waited for his older brother and watched as he kneeled down in front of him.

It felt strange, for them both. Despite Emperor Thomas always being the Crown Prince, it had always been decided between them that Prince Blade had more authority, or at the very least, they were equals. And now, that was the same Prince the Emperor looked down upon.

The Emperor's gaze fell upon the other's sword, signalling to him that he requested possession of the blade. The Prince carefully removed his sword from the wooden covering, careful not to hit anything, especially not the Emperor.

He extracted the sword, handing it to the Emperor. The Emperor took it, nodding his head to thank him. "Lieutenant Blade, I have now declared you as the highest role, the Emperor's Military Strategist."

The General yelled out as soon as the Emperor finished. "This is absurd, sire. You simply cannot just replace the General like that."

From the front of the room, the Prince yelled back. "Guards, arrest the former General on acts of treason against the Emperor. Bring him to the dungeons immediately. The Emperor and I will deal with him shortly."

The young Emperor looked at his older brother, who was now standing with his sword out, ready to attack the General. "Techno-" he yearned for the days before, when his father, Emperor Philip could deal with all of this, while he and his brother, Prince Tubbo could just play in the palace courtyards, doing as they pleased.

He yearned for his days of freedom, from responsibility, from duties, from the pressure on a king.

He yearned for his younger brother, whom he would spend time with, having fun.

But most of all, he yearned for his mother, whose life had been unfairly stolen from her, just 2 years ago. He still missed her everyday, hoping that her passing was all just a dream and that the following morning, he could wake up to see her.

The new General looked back at him, kneeling down to put a hand on his shoulder without muttering a word.

~~~

In this time, the nobility had all found their way out of the hallway, escaping the drama.

The Prince took his younger brother's hand, helping the boy off his new throne. "Come on, milord."

Emperor Thomas looked at him, puzzled. "Where?"

"To see this traitor of a General, of course. Only once we remove all the pests from our courts will we be able to truly rebuild this Empire. Isn't that so, Emperor Thomas Simons?"

The boy looked up at him and smiled, tightening his grasp around the Prince's hands as he followed the Prince down the steps of his palace, into the dungeons. Where, as General Blade put it, would be the new home of anyone who tried to step in the way of their future Empire.

~~~

"But it's alright Mother, Father, Tubbo, Wilbur." The Emperor looked down at the headstones as he began to weep. He wanted to grab his brother's hand for comfort, but when he did, he realized that it too was completely cold. Just like that of the other members of his family.

The new Emperor shifted his gaze towards the body, looking at the former's face - pale and lifeless, so different from the once cheerful boy that used to rule these lands. From the reformist Emperor, who wanted to bring a better future for his Empire and his citizens so badly.

"I'm sorry Tommy." Emperor Blade started, seeing blood from his fingers drip down onto the pale body, watching the dark blood slowly seep into the boy's flesh. He could almost see the gruesome scene again, the bodies and the blood, swords and knives that once belonged to the fallen littering the floor.

~~~

The Emperor had always insisted on following his older brother to battle. He always insisted on putting himself in his citizens' lives, so he could pass laws to improve it. And well, the General agreed. Who was he to say no to his younger brother's wishes, especially since that boy was the Emperor?

Now he wished that he had never agreed that day, that he had never allowed his brother to go into this war. He wished that he had never allowed his brother to be in such danger.

Especially as a boy. A boy who had already experienced more than his fair share of pain in his mere 15 years of life. A boy that the Emperor himself had always looked up to.

And then, there, he heard it again. A cannon, firing onto his army's siege. Right where his younger brother was, right where he had been interviewing the soldiers in hopes of improving their lives.

The medical staff ran over immediately, and so did the General. But there he saw it. The 30 soldiers who had been in that bunker. They were all gone. Some of their bodies were missing limbs, others had been blown apart. Only one stayed intact. The Emperor's. Still wearing his gear, what was meant to protect him from attacks like these.

It had all been completely useless.

The General wanted to grab his hand and carry him away. He wanted to bring the boy home to their palace where he could be treated by their physicians and brought back. He wanted to see his brother smile again, and watch his face light up at all his reports.

Yet, he couldn't. The General had never even gotten to say goodbye. He had never even gotten to apologize.

Apologize for bringing him here. Apologize for the pain that he had experienced. Most of all, however, he never got to apologize for his own failure as an older brother and as a General. At least not before his younger brother, Emperor Thomas Simons was gone. Forever.

~~~

The mere sight of his brother's body painted in the deep red blood reminded him of that day. So to prevent it, he moved the dagger away from his own hand before continuing to speak. "I guess our vision of this great Empire was just never meant to be."

As a final farewell to his brother, his Emperor and his fallen comrade, he moved the boy's body back into his grave, deep under the ground, in a place where he could never feel the pains of living and of life ever again.

And where he could forever rule the land of the spirits and ghosts as their Emperor, where everything in his wildest dreams would finally come true. Where he could finally create this perfect Empire he had always dreamed of.