A/N: The plot is winding down and I got EXTERMELY tired while copying and pasting this so if there are slip ups in text where I’ve edited I’m sorry. When I say copy and pasting I swear this is my personal writing, I just wrote it on a personal account so I couldn’t just link it or something
Credits again go to @tuesday-teyz for creating the wonderful world of Butterfly Reign, also I greatly dislike Br!Wilbur with a passion so I apologize in advance for his poor literary stature in this piece
“Why would you-” Tommy started but the words died on his tongue as air became a thing of the past.
“Because Tommy, this place doesn’t need you like I do. Esempi will treat you like you, not a prince or future Emperor. I feel you’ll be safer there as well. We can get you proper training and even a psychiatrist to help you with the trauma this place has inflicted.” Dream smiled broadly and walked about Tommy’s room describing a wonderful life.
“There are people who can help you Tommy, and I want to be one of them.” Dream finished and Tommy’s heart thawed. He could forgive him. Dream had still been more a friend and brother to him than anyone else in his life.
“I-” Tommy let a smile twitch on his face but then there was an ear shattering crack of wood as the door to Tommy’s room was broken down.
“You stay away from my little brother, you snake!” Wilbur dashed in and a long cut stretched across the right side of his face. Technoblade was close behind.
“Tommy get back!” Both Dream and Techno shouted. Technoblade addressed him as Tommy and in a fraction second of clear thinking Tommy’s heart glowed with thanks to his blood brother. It was just a moment of clarity before adrenaline took over and Tommy was dashing away towards the closest door. The balcony doors.
“Theseus you can’t leave us!” Wilbur cried out and was met with a stiff bodied Dream standing between Tommy and the crazed Prince.
“Tommy, you gotta get out of here. Sapnap is waiting for you in my chambers. He’ll get you out!” Dream grunted as he pushed back Wilbur. Technoblade slipped by and Dream’s focus shifted. The two broadened princes fell to the ground and a grappling match began. Wilbur was recovering from bashing into a chest beside Tommy’s dressing table.
“Dream-” Tommy took a step forward as he saw Technoblade rear up to throw a punch but then something flickered in the corner of his eye. Brown hair and lanky form reaching for him. Tommy retreated as Wilbur lunged forward to grab him and something cold and hard hit against his back and sent his body careening backwards. Nothing was below him and Tommy tumbled over the railing and down to the gardens below.
Nobles left over from his party screamed and Tommy went down, down, down without stopping. A scream left his throat. A desperate call for anyone to come and save him. A fall like this would kill him and it was going so slow. The world blurred by but it felt like he was falling for forever.
Then there was something jumping from his balcony. A ghost of some kind and broad wings of pure white with grime sticking to the feathers stretched out and folded close to come after him.
“Technoblade?” Tommy gasped out just moments before his brother grabbed him and the air rushed beneath him and the clouds drew closer with a beat of winter wings.
“Are you okay Tommy?” Technoblade’s voice wavered and a look of steel masked his features.
“You have wings!” Tommy said in shock and clung to Techno’s uniform for dear life as the ground came closer and closer.
“Answer me, are you okay?” Technoblade asked again and set Tommy down on sturdy grass that was frosted with snow already. A single tree on a hill stood beside them.
“Yeah, I-I’m fine.” Tommy stumbled back and admired the great things of legend. “How long have you had them?” Tommy breathed and Technoblade stretched the feathers to full length with a sigh of contentment.
“A while.” He said dully and watched as noble after noble came rushing to see the winged savior of the Crown Prince. The public wouldn’t know of his treasonous words yet and the renunciation of his place as Prince in the Antarctic Empire.
“Is that General Technoblade?”
Questions darted around and it wasn’t long before Dream, Wilbur, and the Emperor himself arrived. Wilbur was dumbfounded and didn’t charge straight ahead. He stared, just like everyone else and somewhere in those brown eyes, glimmers of red shone under the afternoon sun.
“Technoblade, you have wings.” Emperor Philza gapped at his son and Tommy felt the need to shrink away and run. This was his chance. Techno had taken the attention and now he could find Sapnap and get out of here.
“Tommy is going to Esempi.” Technoblade snarled and his features twisted in hatred at the nobles. They shrunk back and a few abandoned the scene under the General’s cruel gaze. “And he has full reason to. We have hurt and abandoned him more than he deserves and I want to be the first to say I’m sorry.” Technoblade turned to him now and the wings relaxed, the feathers dragging the ground.
“I’m sorry, Tommy, and I hope you find what you need and deserve in Esempi.” Technoblade muttered and something cracked in Tommy’s soul. Like a piece being put back into place rather than being wrenched out.
“Tech, you’re seriously going to let him leave?! He’s the Crown Prince, we won’t have an heir if he leaves!” Wilbur stated indignantly.
“Then why don’t we use Fundy? He’s about as old as Tommy was when he started cleaning up your mess!” Technoblade growled at his brother and Tommy’s heart tightened again at the thought of his nephew being pushed into the torture of a cycle he went through.
“No! You will not place Fundy under the crown!” Tommy protested and considered taking back what he said and finishing his duties. Becoming Emperor and keeping his ginger haired nephew safe and away from the responsibility of the crown.
“Theseus-” Philza took a step and Dream took three in front.
“That’s not his name, Your Majesty. He will be referred to as Prince Tommy of Esempi from now on. My brother has already approved this transaction and I will expect you to honor it as we will when you accept Ranboo into your status.” Dream said with a voice of such formality Tommy was back at the dinner when Ranboo claimed to be the secret pen pal.
“Ranboo is not-” Philza began again but Tommy stepped up to his ‘official’ brother now.
“If Ranboo is not to be accepted into your court then why did you invite him in? Why did you let the rumors grow so loud it was impossible to hear the truth?” Tommy sneered and felt an arm pull around his shoulders.
“We leave tonight Your Imperial Highness, and we hope you have good fortune in the future.” Dream smiled and when Tommy looked over he realized the mask was back in place. He was the only one who saw Dream smiling, teeth and all under that mask.
The whole royal family stood dumbfounded as Dream and Tommy went back to the palace and once their backs were turned to the group only then did Tommy realize he’d been holding his breath for so long.
“Oh my god, I’m gonna pass out.” He chuckled and let out an ear splitting laugh. It felt so good to have cut all his ties. The shock of Technoblade’s wings and Dream’s announcement of his acceptance into Esempi’s family buzzed in his chest and tingled through his bones.
“Let’s finish getting you packed and then we’ll head for home. Esempi is going to love you.” Dream raised his mask and smiled broadly.
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | ____ | (Finale)
