Long Live L'Manberg

Chapter 35: Merely a Memory

Raindrops cascaded out of the sky, dripping down into the leaves of the trees above. The water from his hair trickled down Tommy's face, dribbling down his open mouth as he gasped for air in between sobs. His arms trembled, struggling to hold his weight as he clenched his teeth, seething with rage.

"Tommy."

The boy refused to acknowledge him, continuing to shake as he poured out his soul onto the paved path below. A nauseating feeling crept into his throat as the rain mixed with his tears.

"Tom, get up."

Wilbur crouched down by his side, wrapping his arms around the mud-soaked boy, his body trembling as he took out his rage on the earth. Tommy resisted, slamming his fists into the dirt, grime buried under his fingernails as he screamed in agony. Wilbur's grasp was stronger, allowing himself to pull his brother close to his chest, the rain running off the both of them as Tommy wept in anguish. He nudged his head onto Wilbur's shoulder and attempted to catch his breath. Between the running, fighting, and tears- he was just so tired.

"It's not fucking fair!" he roared, clutching Wilbur's jacket. He could feel the salty tears melting into his tastebuds, his eyes sore from squeezing them so hard.

"I know," Wilbur sighed, tightly pressing his lips together as he rubbed Tommy's back. "I know I don't say it often enough...but I'm proud." Tommy suddenly stopped struggling, the tension in his body releasing. "I'm proud of what we were able to achieve. It's pretty remarkable, you know... founding a whole country," he gave a lighthearted chuckle. "It's going to be alright, I promise. We'll work this out."

Tommy drew back, his swollen eyes red and puffy. "How can you say that?! How are you so calm? We just lost everything," his voice cracked. "Everything we ever cared about is left to rot within those walls!"

Wilbur's weak smile slipped, his heart heavy with grief. "I'm speechless, honestly," he began to raise his voice as he stood up, brushing his hand against a branch and moving it aside, the walls of L'Manberg just barely visible through the sheets of rain, "I called for this democratic process and now he's ousted me from my government! I'm fucking speechless!" Wilbur removed his hand from the branch sending it flying back it its original position, splatters of raindrops flinging off into the air. "We are unwelcome in the Dream SMP, we're unwelcome in L'Manberg- we've got nowhere to go."

Tommy got to his feet, wiping off the clumps of mud and dirt from his coat. "Wilbur, this is our nation! I gave up my discs for this nation!"

"And I gave up everything!" Wilbur fumed, throwing his hands in the air. Tommy flinched in response, taking a wary step back. Wilbur coughed, lowering his hands into his pockets. "Tommy, we all lost something today. Please don't be so narrow-minded," he removed his cracked glasses and used his sleeve to wipe the lenses. Tommy bit his tongue, knowing dispute and quarrel would get them nowhere, "I'm sorry," was all he muttered.

"We need to focus on finding shelter," Wilbur began as he unfolded the map that Tubbo had given them, rotating it around until it aligned with their surroundings. "According to Tubbo's map, this spot is just about a kilometer away." Wilbur proceeded through the earthy sludge, using his hand to shield the paper from the rain. Tommy reluctantly followed behind, holding his coat above his head to act as an umbrella. The bleak darkness surrounding them made it difficult to navigate areas they once knew like the back of their hand.

For the first time in his life, Wilbur had no plan, no foreseeable light at the end of the tunnel. He felt completely and utterly hopeless- a feeling that grew inside of him like a virus, withering him away by the minute. Phil taught him how to be a leader, a source of guidance for Tommy. Failure crept up behind him, slithering around his throat and choking out every last ounce of faith he once had. He was a fool for thinking they would win. He was a fool for thinking Schlatt would play fair. And most of all, he was a fool for forgetting to bring a lantern.

---

After trekking through the raging storm, the boys came to an abrupt halt in front of a little hill, a suffocating cave was just barely visible inside. Vines encircled the entrance, concealing away the rather unwelcoming aura. A mangled wooden door that barely hung at the hinges was slightly ajar, the whole place looked like it had been abandoned for ages.

"This is where Tubbo said we should go?" Tommy ridiculed. "It's awful!"

"It'll have to do," Wilbur gently opened the door, stepping inside. The boys had to crane their necks entering the doorway- clearly, the house wasn't designed for someone their height. The entrance provided barely enough room for the two of them to touch shoulder-to-shoulder, Wilbur cringing from the tight fit. It was disturbingly claustrophobic, but it was better than nothing- certainly feasible for the rough night ahead.

The room was dimly lit from the moon rays cast through the door. From what he could make out, Tommy could see an open chest, a rickety old furnace, and a crafting bench. He reached his hand into the chest, blindly feeling around for something of use. His fingers grasped around what felt like a flashlight, the cold metal surface tickling his fingers. Using his thumb to push the switch, the room flooded with blinding golden light. He bent over the empty chest again. It didn't seem to contain anything that could remotely be of use with the exception of some stone tools and glass bottles. Wilbur removed his coat and went to go hang it to dry before noticing a door towards the end of the hallway, a little less weathered down than the one outside.

"Tommy, come here!"

The disheveled boy shuffled over, handing the flashlight to Wilbur as he watched his brother creak open the door. Below them was a massive cobblestone staircase that led to an abandoned ravine. The steps were mossy and riddled with dirt, but that didn't stop Tommy from placing his foot on the stone, cautiously making his way down into the abyss. Wilbur followed behind, shining the light on each stair to make sure neither of them would fall. There was a noticeable lack of railings- a peculiar design choice. When they reached about halfway down, Wilbur shone the light downwards, to reveal a system of stone staircases lining the walls, each of them leading to a different, hollowed-out room. Spiderwebs strung across every corner of the ravine, a rather sad excuse for decoration. The entrance of the base was uncomfortable and compact, but what lay beneath was an entire underground community- a whole system of catacombs at their disposal.

"No way! Tubbo really pulled through on this one!" Tommy clamored, his voice echoing throughout the ravine, the sound of his booming voice traveling on for miles. They each maneuvered down the staircase until they reached the bottom. A small stream of water rested beside them, patches of grass cushioning the ground below. Cobblestone pathways ran all throughout the cave systems, intertwining with the occasional wooden floor. The walls were lined with unlit torches and lanterns dangling from the ceiling. The place was begging for some fixing.

"Well," Wilbur sighed, "we might as well begin making this place our own. Do we have anything that could be of use?"

Tommy pointed up the staircase. "There are stone tools Tubbo left in the chest upstairs. They seem like they can withstand a little elbow grease."

"Perfect," Wilbur exclaimed, striking a match and using it to light a torch on the wall. Sparks flew into the air from the wooden stick as the vibrant flame burst to life, the orange glow casting a gentle warmth on their faces.

"Then let's get to work!"