Chapter Text
Your hands found their place on the swords hilt before you lunged forward, swords clashing together in a fight of pure strength and fervor. You bounced on the balls of your feet before leaping to the side, breaking the tie of stregnth and sending your pink haired opponent stumbling past you and into the sand. You laughed heartily as he rolled over and jumped to his feet with sand stuck in the soft fur of his boar mask.
"Nice try Techno," You stabbed your sword into the soft sand, letting it stand on it's own as you walked over to him to help dust away the sand grains from his face. "but you forget you shouldn't go easy on me. Or perhaps... You're getting rusty?"
Firey eye's met yours from behind the mask, your teasing was not taken lightly seeing as within a flash you were being scooped up over Technoblade's shoulder as he hollered about 'how dare you imply he was rusty' and that you would 'pay for this insolence with your life' before he began to stumble over to the nearby waves that lapped at his feet. You shrieked, clinging to the tower of a man as best as you could.
"I take it back! No, no!" Your voice cracked with terrified giggles as you felt him gently jostle you, as if to throw you down. Techno's laugh made your heart soar with joy as he gently placed you down before running back to the swords you had both left on the beach.
It had been a few months and life was easier without being under a constant threat of either war or being stabbed by a man in a green hoodie. You hadn't moved on completely of course, you had lost some people who were very important to you but in moments like these... It was nice. You felt like you were burden free once again. No intrusive thoughts about horrible things you had witnessed or the duties that lie beyond the ocean's horizon. Your life had become simple finally.
Within a week of moving in with Techno you had build your own small room off of his home. It wasn't anything big, just simple enough to give you space to go when you'd want privacy. It had a small fireplace and a reading spot. Of course you had a bed but you usually ended up falling asleep in Techno's room while he read you history books or told you mythologies from different ancient peoples.
The weather had been slowly getting warmer... Well, as warm as a snowy tundra could in spring. A few patches of grass had managed to peak through the snow already though, making you hopeful that you may be able to work on making a greenhouse soon. Maybe even a farm or two pending on how warm it got. Techno lead you back down the shoveled path from the beach to the house like he usually did, carrying his and your swords while he rattled on about what you both needed to practice on. Apparently your blocking was still far too slow for his liking (though you pointed out often that you usually fought with a shield) and that he needed to start expecting the unexpected. Especially if he was going to have you as his sparring partner again.
The cabin came into view after a few minutes, the gentle puffs of smoke emitting from the chimney on the roof giving a promise of warmth that made your skin tingle. You weren't used to the cold still but Techno seemed to be well acclimated as he usually ended up walking around without his cloak. You weren't going to ask him about it though, it gave you the most cozy cape to walk around in after all. Sure, Techno was way taller than you which lead to the cape dragging about two or so feet behind you when you wore it but honestly? It looked very majestic. Or so the villagers of the nearby town assured you when you'd make trips into town.
Ah yes, the village.
You loved the town, the chatter, the families, the folks were kind and were a prime source of most of you and Techno's basic need stuff. They had special items of course but sometimes you could only eat rabbit so many times before missing the abilities to have mead or literally any other food.. BBQ was only good for so many meals...
They also loved your company it seemed! The folks spoke a different language than both you or Technoblade but the villagers always seemed enthusiastic to teach you a few words every time you went down to pick up the weekly grocery items you needed. So far you only learnt words based on what items you bought the most. You could successfully order most basic foods such as fish or apples after a month of taking trips down to town weekly.
Techno would go out hunting frequently, bringing home pelts to make new insulated clothing for the both of you. He even made you your own cloak that seemed to be the same design as his own. Unlike his, instead of the vibrant crimson your cloak was a similar blue as your old cloak that you left with Niki back in L'manburg. Sometimes you wondered if she kept it or gave it away? Maybe she didn't even think about it and left it laying around. Thankfully, one day you didn't have to wonder.
It was still far too early in the morning for either you or Techno to be awake when a soft tapping at the kitchen windows slowly dragged you from sleep. Grumbling, you untangled your arms from Techno's as you shuffled down the ladder to check on the windows, figuring you just forgot to hatch the shutters again. But as you reached out the window a colorful something hopped it's way inside before chirping up at you.
Your eye's landed on the familiar lime of an old friend.... Birdo!
Your eye's sparkled with amazement as you scouped the shivering bird into your arms, "Birdo?" you whispered to him, "What are you doing here! Oh you poor thing, you feel like ice..." You brought the bird over to the fireplace, you could still see some small flames licking the bottom of the charred logs left inside from last nights dinner bbq. Placing Birdo on the warm stone that lined the fire you ducked to the side as you grabbed a few extra pieces of split wood and tossed them into the center of the small fire. After a few moments of fanning the fire back to life, birdo was nestled on the edge of the grey stone and enjoying the radiating warmth of the fire you made.
You sat with him, your knee's up to your chest as you watched your pet peacefully rest.
He must be exhausted... L'manburg was a really far trip. You noted how disheveled Birdo looked, his feathers sticking out in odd places. Then you spotted a small parcel tied to his leg. Your eyebrows furrowed as you reached over and undid a small string that kept it to his leg. The parcel was about the size of a lipstick container with two screw on caps on the ends. Cautiously, you unscrewed one of the ends and from within the small tube plopped a rolled piece of paper into your palm. Unscrolling the parchment you read:
Y/n,
I don't know if Birdo will find you, hopefully he doesn't die. Sorry for risking his health to get this to you. Bad news, Tubbo is being made to banish Tommy by Dream. I don't know when you'll get this so it might already be too late. I'll sign the date of his expulsion from L'manburg at the bottom of the page. Anyway, if you can please send Birdo back. I just want to make sure you're alright. Everyone missed you a whole lot.
P.S. I hope you don't mind that I kept your cape.
Stay safe, Niki.
Your heart stopped as you read her name. Niki. They missed you? Even after you left... But besides that what the FUCK does she mean Dream's making Tubbo banish Tommy? After all that, they were going to be separated again? You grumbled, your hands raking through your hair as you began to feel the old feeling of worry settle into your body. Worry for Tubbo, worry for Tommy. Worry for your boys. You swore under your breath, covering your face with your hands before scanning the bottom of the page for his date of banishment...
December 3rd.
Your hands shook with grief, that was two months ago. Shit. You pushed yourself up from the floor before rushing upstairs, "Techno-" You flew over to Techno's bed, hands grabbing his shoulder and shaking him awake. "Hgm.... Heh?" Techno fixed his mask before sitting up to look at you. "What?" He grumbled, tugging his shirt down over his stomach before reaching a hand under the boar-mask to rub at his eye's. His brain was slow on the uptake but once he saw the pure panic on your face he found himself standing in a flash, grabbing the nearest axe in hand. "What is it? Is someone here?" Techno began to walk to the ladder, ready to throw down with some unwelcome visitor. You rushed to your cloak that hung on the wall.
"No, no it's Tommy he's been exiled I need to go back to L'manburg." Tugging the cloak off it's hook, you fastened it's clasp around your shoulders. "I have to-" You panickedly looked through the nearby drawers. "I need-" Your breathing became short and rapid, your heart thumped and all you could hear was the pulsing of blood in your ears.
You turned and expected to be ready to fling yourself down stairs but Techno's hands caught your arms as he held you steady infront of him. "No."
You wriggled in his grasp, "What do you mean no?! I have to- I have to save him Techno." Your voice cracked, looking desperately to the way downstairs. You had to go back. You had to find him and help him. Techno's voice rang in your ears as his fingers dug into your skin, this time his tone deadly serious. "I said, no."
You looked up into the mask as he tried to calm you down, "You don't need to. Tommy is a big boy, remember? Remember when we left? You watched him and Tubbo battle the Withers, they were fine. He can take care of himself. You no longer need to protect them... How did you even find out he got exiled?" Techno's grip loosened and his hands dropped down to hold yours between your bodies. You took a deep breath, explaining Birdo and the letter from Niki. Techno hummed, letting your hands drop so he could undo your cloak latches and place the hefty item of clothing back on it's hook.
"Birdo can stay here for a bit, write back to Niki and ask her to tell you where they sent him. If he's nearby, we can go look for him. Okay?" Techno rubbed a soft circle into your back as he lead you back into his bed, sitting on the end as he tucked you back in. "You sleep some more, I'll stay up and keep watch over Birdo." Gently, he placed a soft hand on your cheek. You curled into the warmth of his hand before letting out a soft sigh. Tears danced in your eye's as you nodded in agreement to the plan. Techno left to sit downstairs and left you to try and push down your thoughts so you could sleep in just a little bit more.
Finally, your mind slipped into unconsciousness.
----
A week passed and you had sent Niki back a letter asking for her to tell you where he was. Birdo seemed reluctant to go but after being tempted with seeds he agreed to flap his way off and away back to L'manburg. Meanwhile, you couldn't stop thinking about Tommy. Alone, exiled by that horrible masked bastard named Dream. Your hands snatched a wicker basket off of the mudroom table before shouting up the ladders to Techno, "I'm heading down to town, anything special you want?"
Techno's mask popped into view as he peered down at you, pink hair dangling loosely around his face. "Uhhh, grab me some ink! You used the last bit I had for the letter to Niki."
You nodded and made a mental note to not forget his request before tugging your cloak over your shoulders and heading down the snowy path to town. You enjoyed the silence the outdoors brought. The path guided you in through some of the spruce woods that surrounded Techno's cabin.
Usually you would hear the sounds of foxes chasing after rabbits or deer passing by, only to stop and look at you with their big round eyes before dashing away into the thickest bits of the woods. Sometimes you could have sworn you heard ghostly howling but Techno assured you it was just a fisher cat or something. But it felt like the woods were dead today . It felt like the tree's had eye's that watched you as your footsteps crunched along the path. The birds were silent and not even the wind seemed to rustle the branches.
The trees never once groaned in the winds that whipped your cheeks. It was... Foreboding.
Just when you thought it couldn't get worse you heard distance voices. Your hands grasped your basket as the voices sounded from the woods just beyond the tree's along the pathway to the village. The voices were getting closer...
Your eye's darted to the shadows that moved distantly behind the trunks of the spruce tree's. The sounds were familiar but, surely not... Surely you were just mistaking some of the men from town as the old Vice President. Then you heard Quackities unmistakable shrill shouts from the woods: "WHAT THE FUCK-WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS?!"
What the fuck indeed.
Your basket dropped into the snow as you spotted the familiar man, dressed in what seemed to be a bloody butchers uniform. Your feet began to run, dragging in the snow as you legged it back to Techno. You had to tell him that the L'manburgians were here. Your throat hurt as you inhaled the freezing air, it felt like it was suffocating you. God you hated running in the cold. You forced yourself to keep going, not caring how your muscles burned or how you could feel snow being kicked into your boots, making patch of skin go numb where ever it melted. You practically fell into the house screaming for Techno. Thumping footsteps came bounding down to the first floor, his cape whipping around to reveal he was already in full armor.
"I know." His voice was low and dangerous, he pulled you along before pulling you up into his room before dumping everything he had in one of his clothing chests out. You watched in confusion as he shoved the contents under his bed, all but for a few shirts, before pointing to the empty chest.
"Get in."
Your head tilted at his order, "What?" Techno huffed before he began to shove you to the chest. "You need to hide, they just want me. Stay here until it's safe." And despite your objections, eventually you were placed inside the chest and covered with a thin layer of clothes just so if Quackity and whoever he brought along happened to go looking through his stuff. The world became dark as Techno shut the lid before you heard him descend the ladder.
Then there was a scuffle.
Muffled as it was, you knew there was definitely more than one person that Quackity brought with him, probably... two or three others? Your ears strained, trying to hear what they were saying... Then... "Hey! Wait-"
The voice made your heart leap. Tubbo.
Faster than lightning you shoved open the chest with all your might. You rushed to get down stairs, nearly tripping on one of Techno's shirt that caught on your boot as you made your way down the ladder. Just as you were about to open the door, a collective panic broke out among those outside. You peaked through one of the windows to see down bellow.. Technoblade fighting hard against Quackity and his crew. There was Quackity, Tubbo, Fundy and... Someone new. You looked at the new person with interest, he seemed to be a demon of sorts? His face was split in two, one side looking like a Ghast while the other half seemed similar to a Enderman. Your body stayed frozen as you watched Quackity reappear with Carl, a sword ready to swing down and kill the horse.
Techno froze in his tracks as they talked. Techno dropped his sword before starting to undo his armor before those around him cuffed him and began to lead him away to the woods followed by... Something? You couldn't see it as it seemed to hide in the tree's but you caught sight of what seemed to be a yellow sweater before it followed the absconding group. Techno's head spun to look back at the house, at you... He softly shook his head as if to say 'don't follow'. Damn.
You realized you hadn't moved a muscle this entire time, breathing a deep breath as you found you seemed to also had been holding your breath. You slumped against the door, tears beginning to brim at the corners of your eye's.
What the fuck just happened and how can you fix it?