The Winter Months (An MCYT Fanfic)

DECEMBER - Part 3

Tommy flinched from the crackling fire in the furnace as he threw the last of the metals from the Community House into the flames. Tubbo noticed and smiled.

"Isn't your ability fire?" He asked. "How'd you get burned just then?"

"It's ironic, innit?" Tommy replied. "It's why I don't use it often. And when I do, I try to keep it as far away from my body as possible. I can summon fire, but I'm not immune to it."

"Sounds hard." Tubbo went over to the furnace and pulled out a small bit of melted metal with his ability.

"It is. At least you can touch what you can control," Tommy quickly looked at Tubbo and then back to what he was doing. "Well, most of the time."

"True, but you know how hard it is for me to control it," Tubbo said as he made the substance into a shape that loosely resembled the blade of a small dagger. He walked over to a pale of water and slowly lowered it in, causing the water to boil and sizzle as soon as it touched the iron. "I have to focus on every single part of it. You just gotta imagine it and it happens. Plus yours is so flashy and cool!"

"Says the guy who is currently making a whole ass blade with nothing but his bare hands." Tommy retorted.

"Every ability has pros and cons," Eret said as he suddenly appeared in the doorway. "It's not fair to compare them."

"Hey Eret," Tommy greeted. "What's up?"

"Nothing much, just checking in," He said. "And I was also told by Wilbur to give Tubbo news." Tubbo turned to Eret. He'd just finished submerging the blade and let it sink to the bottom of the bucket.

"What news?" Tubbo asked. Eret smiled.

"I've been put in charge of giving you your fighting lessons." Tubbo's eyes widened.

"You mean...?"

"Yup," Eret replied immediately. "And you start as soon as you're done here with Tommy."

Tubbo and Tommy looked at each other, wearing the biggest smiles they'd worn in a while. Tommy knew better than anyone how long Tubbo had waited for these lessons. He was proud. But he knew better.

Even with Tubbo contributing to the fighting aspect of the war, they were still severely outmanned in every way possible. Wilbur needed new soldiers, and fast. The new man Wilbur had brought in - Schlatt, if Tommy remembered correctly - hadn't been very helpful in that front. Tommy still didn't trust him. Everything about Schlatt from his suit to his horns made Tommy on edge. Who in their right mind would dress like that anyway? In the middle of the forest of all places. Everything felt just a bit off to Tommy.

"Tommy!" Tubbo shouted, bringing Tommy back to his senses. "I did it! I finally get to have fighting lessons!" Tommy beamed.

"That's amazing!" Tommy exclaimed. "You'll never be better than me though," Tubbo scoffed.

"Just you wait, boss man. Sooner or later, I'm gonna beat your ass into the ground!" Tubbo said with a chaotic grin. Tommy shot the same expression right back at him. It was non-verbally agreed at that moment that they'd duke it out the next chance they got.

"I'll leave you boys to it then," Eret said, making their way back to the door. "Finish your task first before fighting each other, ok?"

"Ok!" The boys unanimously agreed. With that, Eret left and they got back to work in silence.

"Tommy," Tubbo broke the quiet.

"Yeah?" Tommy had his hands back in the furnace, working the metal inside.

"Do you..." He took a breath. "Do you really think I can get as strong as you? I mean, I don't think you'd lie about something like that but..." Tommy threw down what he was holding and rushed over to Tubbo. Before he could speak, Tommy had him in an embrace. He never did this.

"Tubbo, you absolute dickhead," He began. "Are you really so full of yourself that you can't take compliments from people?" Tubbo's eyes started to water, but he fought against crying. It was always so embarrasing to cry in front of others.

After a moment more in embrace, Tommy took a step back and put his hands on Tubbo's shoulders.

"You've already done so much, Tubs. You just need to learn how to see that through the eyes of others." Tubbo smiled.

"Where'd you get that one from?"

"Wilbur." Tommy replied, stepping back to the furnace. "Was it that obvious?"

"No, I've always known you've been so wise and smart," Tubbo said sarcastically with a dramatic hand gesture. "Of course it was obvious, dumbass."

They both chuckled and went back to working in silence.

~~~

"They're making advances." Schlatt spoke firmly as he looked Wilbur dead in the eye. Wilbur stood from the table and came closer to the devil man.

"How do you know?" He questioned. "When are they going to arrive?"

"There's a certain someone they've been training," Schlatt explained, slowly making his way around the table and noticing every little scratch and imperfection. "They plan to use him as their secret weapon."

"Ok, so what's his ability? What makes him so special?" Wilbur eyed Schlatt carefully, looking into his mind as he spoke. This whole time, Schlatt hadn't told a single lie.

"He can teleport, from what I've seen." He continued. "He's good with a blade, but I don't think that's what makes him so interesting..." There was a brief pause.

"I'd appreciate not having dramatic pauses while learning that my people are in imminent danger." Schlatt smiled.

"Of course not." He took a breath. "Do you remember the spy Tubbo told you about? Ranboo?"

"Yes. They still meet every morning at dawn," Wilbur said. "Tubbo always says theres nothing important to be said about their conversations, yet they spend hours out in those woods. Sometimes I wonder if he'll ever come back just because their chats are so long." Schlatt nodded.

"That's because the kid isn't telling you the whole truth," Wilbur seared into Schlatts mind, fact checking every word. Not a single falsehood. Not one.

"You're saying my own subjects are lying to me? The child I consider a son?"

"He's not your son!" Schlatt yelled. It was so loud, it felt as thought the fire torches on the walls felt the rage. He composed himself as quickly as he became angry. With a sigh and a quick readjusting of his suit, he looked at the table.

"He's lying to you," Schlatt said. "They've been plotting to run away together, to a place without war and conflict." He leaned over the table and closer to Wilbur. "They want to make their own town... and live by themselves."

Wilbur became enraged. His fists clenched and his jaw became stone. He stormed out of the Community House in search for Tubbo. He could barely hear Schlatt calling after him, giving him warning.

Out of the corner of his eye, Wilbur saw it; hidden in the trees, just behind the brush, a green figure with a white mask.

The war had begun.