Oh Brother Of Mine

11

"Tommy, concentrate." Techno told him, "focus of the weapon you're trying to summon."

"It would be a little easier if it was quiet!" Tommy snapped.

Techno sighed, "I'm trying to help you."

"Well it's not helping!" Tommy huffed, "I've been practicing this for a week and there's been no improvement!"

"Magic takes time-" Techno started.

"We don't have time!" Tommy shouted, "the hunters have my best friend!"

"Tommy, calm down." Techno put his hands on his brothers shoulders, "Your friend will be fine. Maybe we should try something simpler-"

"I've completed all the simple stuff!" Tommy threw his arms in the air, "I can conjure fire! I can make illusions! I can put up barriers and protections! I need to know more complicated things!"

Techno sighed, "you've come a long way in a short time. But you can't push yourself. No more magic for today or tomorrow."

"What!?" Tommy yelled as Techno turned away, "no! You said you'd teach me magic!"

"Patience and knowing your limits is a part of magic." Techno said, "learn yours."

Techno walked into his cabin without another word. Tommy stood out in the snow, just watching him leave. He didn't need a break, he needed to push himself. If he didn't learn quick enough, then he couldn't defend against hunters. And then that would put Ranboo and Tubbo in trouble. Ranboo couldn't leave the barrier, and Tubbo was being held captive.

Wilbur meowed and rubbed against Tommy's leg.

"Hey Wil." Tommy sighed, picking up the cat, "let's get inside and... visit Ranboo."

Wilbur meowed again as Tommy carried him into Ranboo's cabin. After the huge flareup a few days ago, Ranboo had pretty much been bedridden. It was only yesterday that he had gotten up to move around.

Tommy pushed open the door, "hey Ranboo."

The tall boy looked up from his desk, "oh, hey Tommy."

"How you feeling?" Tommy sighed as he flipped down on Ranboo's bed.

Wilbur meowed and jumped away, curling up on the foot of the bed.

Ranboo shrugged, "I've been better. Techno's keeping me on strict bedrest."

"At least there's a reason for that, you can barely move around." Tommy said.

Ranboo gave him a look, Aimsey jumping onto his lap.

"Sorry sorry!" Tommy sat up, "it's just that Techno won't let me practice magic for the next two days."

Ranboo hummed and nodded, "yeah, that can suck. You could always practice behind his back."

"But he knows!" Tommy groaned, "I don't know how but whenever I try something, he knows!"

Ranboo shrugged, "maybe it's cause you're brothers, connected magic or something."

"But I don't feel anything when Techno does magic." Tommy sighed, "maybe it's the border..."

"That also makes sense." Ranboo said, petting Aimsey's ears.

"So if I go out of the border-"

"What!?" Ranboo turned sharply, staring at the blonde with wide eyes, "you can't leave the border! It's crawling with hunters out there!"

"Oh come on Ranboo!" Tommy smiled, "I'll just hop right outside the border, do a little magic practice, and get back before anything happens!"

Ranboo sighed, "I don't know... It could be dangerous. The hunters-"

"The hunters rarely come up here!" Tommy rolled his eyes, "I'm not going out to the next town over, just right past the border."

"I-I guess..." Ranboo fidgeted with his fingers.

"Of course!" Tommy smiled, grabbing Wilbur, "even Wil thinks it's a good idea!"

The cat gave a small growl, flicking his tail.

"Just be careful, okay?" Ranboo said.

"I will be." Tommy told him, "I'll be back tonight."

Ranboo nodded as Tommy walked out the cabin. Wilbur meowed up at Tommy as they walked to the border. Tommy sighed softly.

"We'll be fine Wilbur." Tommy told the cat, "Techno said the hunters only come from the south, we're going towards the north!"

Wilbur layed his ears back as he stared at Tommy. Tommy ignored it in favor of looking up at the barrier. A soft red light glowed over the snow. Wilbur meowed at Tommy.

The boy took a deep breath, "come on, before Techno notices."

Tommy stepped through the border. A wave of warmth washed over him, and then he was on the other side.

"See Wil!" Tommy smiled, setting the cat down, "nothing happened! Now let's practice."

Wilbur sat by the border, curling his tail around his paws. He watched as Tommy started trying to summon a weapon. A small black dagger started flickering in Tommy's hand. It became more solid, almost brought into the real world-

Tommy dropped his hand, breathing heavily, "d-damn it... I was so close."

Wilbur meowed, licking his paw.

"Well it's closer than when Techno was telling at me all the time." Tommy crossed his arms.

The cat mowed again, looking up at Tommy with his bright orange eyes.

"Oh come on!" Tommy sighed, "I'm making progress! Watch, I'll get it this time."

Tommy reached out his arm again. The knife started flickering again, becoming more and more solid with time. Then Tommy's first closed around the dagger's handle.

"I did it!" Tommy gasped, waking the dagger around, "I fucking did it! I conjured a weapon!"

Wilbur meowed.

Tommy glared at the cat, "can you at least pretend to be excited?"

Wilbur got to his feet, his tail poofing up as he hissed.

"See, that's more like it." Tommy smiled, "Techno's gonna flip-"

"Techno huh?"

Tommy turned sharply to see two people walking towards him. One was wearing a white hoodie, the other a purple one.

The white hoodied one nudged the other, "Well, if this kid knows Techno, he must be a witch. What do you say Purpled, think Techno's apprentice will get us a good bounty?"

Purpled smiled, "it's no blood witch, but I guess it's good enough."

Tommy shook his head, "no, no, you misheard! I-I don't know a Techno-!"

Tommy turned and sprinted towards the border. He didn't get two steps before he was tackled into the snow.

"No! Get off of me!" Tommy yelled, struggling under the mercenary.

"Punz," Purpled called, "the bounty didn't specify alive, right?"

"I don't think it did." Punz smirked.

Wilbur hissed at the two mercenaries.

"No!" Tommy shouted, "Wilbur get away from here!"

The cat meowed softly at his witch. Punz lunged at Wilbur, but the cat jumped through the border, hissing at him.

"Damn it!" Punz cursed.

"Wil," Tommy said, still trying to get out of Purpleds hold, "I'll be okay. Go on."

Wilbur meowed again, then started running back towards the cabin. It started snowing by the time the cat made it back to the cabin. His paws stung with packed ice, and his ears felt frozen.

The cat pushed open the cabin door, slipping on the floor as he ran into the room. He fell into the side Techno's desk.

"What- Wilbur?" Techno looked down at the cat, "where's Tommy?"

Wilbur let out a small meow. Techno's eyes went wide.

"What did he do..."