Through It All ~ Dream Team SMP ✅

->Sixteen<-

"WHAT?!" My entire mouth had gone dry. I struggled to gather air into my lungs as Wilbur informed me of what he'd heard.

"It was Sap. The fire started early this morning, it's only just been put out... I'm sorry, Tommy. I know how much that place meant to you." The brunette bowed his head.

"No, Will, you don't understand. Tubbo's there!" I watched his eyes widen in fear, disbelief plastered over his usually happy face.

"Tommy-" He called out, grabbing my wrist.

"Let go of me, Wilbur..." I said, voice dangerously low.

"Tommy, it's too dangerous-"

"WILBUR, MY BEST FRIEND IS THERE! AND I'LL BE DAMMNED IF I DON'T GO AND FIND HIM." I wrenched myself from his grip, pushing past Fundy, Niki, and Eret who tried to stop me.

Wilbur called out again, but I was already gone. I had to get there. I had to see if he was okay.

My hands trembled in fear as I ran through the gates of the Palace, having to squeeze through the bars to get out. My thoughts were consumed by unfiltered worrying. My head was a swirl of out-of-control anxiety.

Sap had burnt down the orphanage. And Tubbo was there.

Tubbo was there.

My best friend was there.

My best friend might be dead.

If Tubbo died now, what was the point in continuing? Continuing anything. I won't help Wilbur without him by my side. I promised him we'd stick together. And be together till the end. I had to keep my promise. I couldn't let him down.

The sprint there was a blur. I could only recall the pure and utter panic instilled in me. My heart was racing, my head pounding with terror. My best friend... Tubbo...

I rounded past Peekay Avenue, where Wilbur's preferred pub was, and pressed on. The adrenaline did nothing to stop my horrific worrying. If Tubbo was gone-

No. I can't afford to think like that. He'll be okay. He'll be okay?

I just needed to keep running.

In an instant, I cursed myself for only worrying about Tubbo. What about our friends? What about Phil? What about Scott and Shelby, who'd helped us sneak out? Scott and Shelby who were the youngest kids there and cried when they weren't together...

I still wasn't going fast enough. I pushed up the sleeves of my blue coat and pushed myself to the limit. I ignored the way my legs screamed in pain and the way I could barely breathe. All that mattered was finding him.

A sizeable crowd was gathered around the corner of Corvus Street, the place I had once called my home. You could see the smoke for miles around, billowing black clouds. I pushed forward through the crowd, coughing into my hand violently. I searched rapidly through the smouldering ashes.

He has to be okay. He has to be okay. He has to be okay. He has to be okay. He has to be okay. He has to be okay.

I couldn't think of anything else. My thoughts were consumed by the horrible sinking feeling in my stomach as I scanned the ruins of the orphanage. Just a glimpse of his familiar mop of brown hair would be enough. I shielded my eyes and walked to what used to be the front step.

"TUBBO!?" I called, terrified. I heard a far-off sob, and ignoring the protesting yells of the surrounding crowd, pushed further, moving beams of wood out of my way.

The sight I saw broke my heart.

Tubbo was curled on the smoking floor, crying his eyes out, holding a scrap of material to his chest. The fabric he cradled was blue and white striped. I fought the urge to throw up. It was the same fabric as Scott's shirt.

"Tubbo?" I approached him quietly reaching out a hand. The small boy gathered the hem of my shirt in his fists, bowing his head and crying harder.

"T-Tommy... They're, they're all- gone." He struggled to get the words out of his mouth amidst his irregular breathing. I was too shocked to cry when I first saw what had happened. But now, the reality of the situation had struck me, and I had to bite my tongue to stop myself from weeping. I had to be strong. For Tubbo.

Scott. Shelby. Deo. Phil...

All dead. All gone.

"Tubbs, come on, we have to get back, Wilbur will be worried sick-"

"THEY'RE DEAD TOMMY! ALL OUR FRIENDS ARE DEAD!" The brunette screamed, looking at me with his raw eyes.

"Tubbo we have to go! It was Sap! He'll surely be waiting to find us here, we need to get back to Wilbur!" I implored. He shook his head.

"I- I can't... I can't just leave without saying goodbye..." His eyes were red and streaming with tears. Even my own cheeks were damp as I thought about everyone we'd lost.

I eventually coaxed him into a standing position. The brunette wrapped me in a hug, crying into my chest. I closed my eyes in pain as the last of the fire was doused. We could probably have put it out with our tears.

I never got to thank Phil for his kindness.

I never got to thank Deo for his excellent food.

I never got to thank Scott and Shelby for helping us, despite being children.

There were so many happy lives. All gone up in smoke. It felt like the whole world was burning. I found something out that day. I found out that losing people you love is like climbing the stairs in the dark. You're never quite sure which step is the top until you try to climb higher and have the awful feeling of falling and not knowing where you'll land.

As Tubbo and I held each other, crying in the ruins of the place we called home, that was all I felt. A sinking feeling that dragged me lower and lower and lower. All I could think was that I'd failed. I promised him we'd be okay if we were together.

I'd promised the impossible.