How the world works

Bonus angst

:D

Tommy sits up, gasping for air. And the air is... thick. Heavy, like it's moist. He opens his eyes and finds himself in a dense forest with even denser fog. This isn't his limbo, tight? He had been there briefly. It was darkness, this... this is different.

He stands up, his pants wet from the mossy ground he had laid upon before. His chest hurts where the arrow had hit. Dead forever. Terrifying, but strangely peaceful. If only this didn't feel like a horror movie. He decides he'll dig down in a hole and stay for the night. He moves to dig but only pulls up.a clawfull of damp dirt. What? Usually this only takes seconds. Maybe he just needs a shovel.

He moves to the nearest tree and punches it. In turn, he cries out in pain as his knuckles bleed. That's never happened before. What's going on??

Suddenly a tink sound echoes. He freezes

Tink tink tonk tick tee tink

It sounds like an eerie music disc. Wait, no. It sounds like HIS music disc. He runs for the disc but there's no escape in the fog. Trying not to panic, he runs for the sound. And suddenly it's behind him. Then to his left. Then above him. Then to the right. It just keeps shifting. Eventually, he gives up and sits. It's no longer just the music. Now it's voices, echoes. Shells of what once was.

Tubbo was laughing from long ago. Technoblades classic bruhhhhh. Wilbur humming a song that is absolutely not kid friendly. Bad boy halo yelling muffin. Niki being sarcastic. Phil being kind. Puffy being... puffy. All the things he misses, echoing through the fog and through his mind but he soon finds himself left behind by everything as the world refuses to stop. He just wants to go home. He just wants to go back.

But he can't. And he never will.

E l s e w h e r e , I n t h e r e a l m o f m o r t a l s

In Tommy's old house, Tubbo finally opens his old phone to see what was there. He sorts by oldest and looks through.

Today was fucking terrible, Dream almost killed Tubbo when we tried to get the discs back. I tried to pay Punz to help us but that clearly failed. Now Tubbo and I are in some creepy dungeon thing. Not poggers.

Tubbo frowns. Punz... knew? He'll have to bring that up later with him.

Ok, So today was somewhat worse. I'm in a cell that's really different from all the others. Skeppy is here too btw. Dream keeps trying to make me think it's my fault. I payed for therapy with Phil, I'm using it. This is gasslighting. Wish I could just kill Dream.

Tubbo smiles, that's the Tommy he knew. Not ever giving up.

So. I haven't been on. My phone died and I had to convince Dream that I deserved a charger. He said hed stop brigng food here. I agreed because subs before chubs. I still got dinmer though so it's not bad, really. No ideea if he forgt or whta but this is pog.

Tubbos breath hitches. This is beginning to sound familiar.

Guys, I think Tubbo's in troble. I think I now where the missng food was suposed to go. What do I do??

Tubbo puts the phone aside and looks around, not wanting to read further. But he does. The messages grow further and further apart.

Dream keeps paying me visits. I just pog through the pain.

And another

This wasn't my fault. Its not Tubbos fault. Its not Punzs fault. Its Dreams fault.

And more

I wrote and signed a book today. Please don't believe whatever I wrote, I can't even remember what it was. It just... hurt.

And more....

Sapnap was just here with Dream. Dreams coming back later... I'm scared.

Tubbo can't go on. He skips the rest until he sees the latest one.

It was not suppsed to end like this. I think this is it, chat. Tell everyoe Im sorry. Tell Tubbo.... tel him itll be ok. And if anyine forgts me, fucking kill thme for me.

Tubbo blinks back tears just in time for Phantommy to enter the hole in the hill.

"Hey! Whatcha doing, Big T?" He asks. Tubbo just cries more. His voice.... he can't take this. He wants Tommy back. He leaves without a word to find his family. He can't be selfish, there's people that still need him here, alive. One day... one day he'll see Tommy again. But he will never let him be forgotten.