Two Sides of a Story (SBI AU)

Chapter 41- Believe In Something

Tommy POV

"You really fell off of his horse?!" Wilbur exclaimed, bursting into laughter. Techno smiled beside him, attempting to hide it.

Tommy groaned, glaring at the older. "Shut up! I should have never told you!" 

"No, I'm glad you did! Now I can laugh about it."

That was enough for Phil to step in. "Leave your brother alone."

Tommy grinned, sticking his tongue out at Wilbur. The brunette rolled his eyes, mouthing, I'm never letting that go. Tommy opened his mouth to protest, but one look from Techno kept him quiet.

Phil lead the way to the Ribcage, their usual meeting place. Voices came up ahead, making Phil increase their pace. They were late, as per usual.

"Look who it is!" Quackity smirked, sending laughter through the group.

Dream rolled his eyes, a flash of relief crossing his face. "Glad the four of you could show up."

"Sorry." Phil apologized, finding his place in the circle. The others did the same, looking at Dream to start.

"Now that everyone is finally here, I would like to address my plan." Dream began, his eyes locking on Tommy. "I think we can all agree that something must be done about the reigning king. I think we need to act now."

"Now?" Skeppy repeated. "Dream, there's only so many of us... To take on the king himself-"

"Is impossible." Ant finished.

"It would be impossible." Dream agreed, "But we have him." He pointed towards Tommy, who shifted uncomfortably as everyone's eyes fell to him. 

"He's just a kid, not a war hero." Deo pointed out harshly.

"He's our reason to get people on our side." the masked man explained. "As Wilbur said, he's the future of this kingdom." Tommy glanced at him, sensing something strange in the way he said it. "And with him helping people, they've seen his true nature."

"They've also come to hate him for it." Karl stepped forward, crossing his arms. "Everyone's whispering about it. Most think he's just trying to trick everyone. The ones who want to believe in him are too afraid to speak up."

"That's where the rest of us come in."

"Assuming we're even on board for that." Wisp muttered under his breath.

"The people trust us. Therefore, they trust our judgment." Dream spoke. "They want to believe us. They want a reason to wake up in the morning. This is their chance for everything they've ever wanted."

"Well what does Thomas think of this?" Karl spoke up.

Tommy bit his lip, feeling the heat of everyone's stares. "It's Tommy." he corrected, standing up. "And I-I think this the best idea." He hadn't thought over every part of it. But he knew that something had to be done about the king.

"Sound confident." Techno whispered to him. "These are the people who are going to follow you."

"I know this is the best idea!" Tommy proclaimed, following his brother's advice. "I'll admit I'm no where near perfect. I don't know everything about the military or how to make flawless decisions. But I think I'm able to learn it. And with the help of all of you, I think I can make this kingdom shine brighter than it ever has before." Tommy stood proudly, not sure where all this confidence had come from. 

For once he didn't listen to the doubts that echoed in his brain. Instead, he listened to the love of his mother. She always believed in him. So maybe that was reason enough to believe in himself.

There was silence for a moment as everyone processed his words. Just from the looks on everyone's faces, he knew they were unsure. They wanted to believe him with every fiber in their bodies, but their mind required them to be cautious.

Dream's smile widened, only increasing his uneasiness about him. "He's the king we need. And if we're willing to believe in something, we need to believe in him."

Bad stood up, a hopeful smile on his lips. "That's enough for me."

Skeppy sighed, "I suppose it's a start."

Murmurs of agreement echoed through the circle, all turning towards Tommy.  The prince smiled, praying he could live up to the expectations. But one look from Wilbur was enough for him to believe he would be okay.

"We strike in a week's time."

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Hope you liked it!

Hope you have a wonderful day!

-Snowy