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“Wilbur—
“I know we’ll survive this,” Wilbur said firmly, staring at the map in front of them, “I’ll make sure of it. We’ve gone over every possible way this plan can fail.”
“Promise me,” Tommy interrupted, gripping his sword’s handle tightly, taking in how ragged Wilbur looked.
Wilbur looked up at him, and Tommy nearly sighed at the maddened exhaustion in his eyes. He didn’t dare do so, however. It would only lead to more problems. Plus, they all were tired. The army was small and no match for the invaders.
He was only seventeen and the second in command of the general— and king, of the army— his brother. Wilbur wasn’t old either, he was just twenty two, forced into the throne, the crown on his head. He was crown prince and second in command, the two leading an army of a few hundred against the thousands of the invading empire.
They were fighting a losing battle. But the kingdom of Arimo was a stubborn, stubborn one. So instead of giving up silently, the citizens voted to go down fighting.
They had the advantage of the mountains. But the Empire had numbers. There were only a few limited ways in which they could stop them from entering.
Wilbur sighed, swallowing once.
“I promise,” he said, “we will stop them. We have strategists and the mountains on our side. They’ve only been working with plains and minor hills. We? We have the biggest mountains on the continent surrounding us. We have a tactical advantage.”
“Dad didn’t think so,” Tommy said quietly, pointing at the zone marked in red on the map, “they’ve already put our main pass under siege. We’ve lost so many people—”
“Tommy—”
“We don’t know what’s gonna happen to anyone. The citizens are scared—”
“Toms listen,” Wilbur cut him off, “we’re going to be fine. I swear.”
Tommy exhaled, rubbing his hands together. “Okay. First off, you’re a terrible liar Wilbur. Secondly, how do we know they won’t attack us before we are in position?”
“We don’t,” Wilbur said simply, “we take that gamble.”
“This is a terrible idea. They’ve got to be smarter than us.”
“That’s the whole point, Tommy, they think they’re smarter than us because they are . But unless you’ve lived your life in these mountains—”
“You never know what’s coming for you,” Tommy completed.
“Exactly!” Wilbur said, “That’s like fifty percent of our plan.”
“You’re fucking insane your Majesty,” Tommy said, with a slightly mocking tone, “Do you even know what you’re doing?”
“It takes everything to win a war, Prince Tommy. And yes. I know everything. Im supposed to.”
“Okay,” Tommy nodded with a raised eyebrow, “then we fight.”
“Tomorrow at dawn, we begin.”
“Prime be with us.”
At the crack of dawn, the warning horn sounded. Tommy leaped out of his bunk, hearing everyone in the camp doing so as well. The army was out and ready within minutes, Wilbur holding the horn in his hand as he stood on top of an empty casket.
Every single person in the kingdom who was of age and could fight stood in attention as Wilbur began. Tommy was most likely the youngest present on the battlefield.
“Today is an important day in history,” he began, as everyone stood, armor clinking softly, “Today decides if Arimo stays standing or goes down fighting. Or— at the very least— extends our time until we can decide on another plan. We are children of the mountains. Prime is said to have taken rest in our land. We have her power within us. The Green Empire does not know the mountains as we do. We have used it to our advantage time and time again. Now it is time for us to stop them from invading our land. It is time to stop the Empire. Or die trying.”
“AYE!” the army shouted.
“We have lost many of our fighters,” Wilbur continued, “Today we avenge them. We win. For them.”
“FOR THEM!” Everyone unsheathed their swords and pointed them at the sky. Tommy raised his as well, swallowing grimly at the two wristbands that were wrapped around the hilt of his sword.
For them .
The guy on the lookout post blew the horn thrice, everyone looking at the main pass in instinct. In the distance, Tommy could just barely make out the curl of smoke.
The Green Empire had begun its descent into the Arimo Valley.
Wilbur looked at Tommy who exhaled and nodded. “Everyone to your positions. And quick. We have mere hours.”
Wilbur stood next to Tommy, who looked so— small— in his armor. Guilt gnawed at his stomach. His little brother was only seventeen and he made him fight in the war.
Tommy would’ve fought in the war either way, he was stubborn. And his friends were drafted into the army. He wouldn’t have left them behind.
He didn’t leave them behind.
Tubbo and Ranboo were two of the fifteen people they lost in the past week. Tommy was nearly the sixteenth. The empire might not know the forest or the mountains. But every strong army knew how to ambush and take prisoners.
Losing Tubbo and Ranboo hit Tommy very hard. He became reckless, much to Wilbur’s concern.
He couldn’t do much, however. Wilbur had a kingdom to defend.
The army began trickling through the pass. Just as they had expected. Tommy looked up at Wilbur who could only give a reassuring nod. He himself didn’t know how confident he felt.
Wilbur was king, however. And he needed to look confident for the citizens looking at him for orders.
He cleared his throat as the Empire’s army made their way toward Arimo’s army. According to plan.
“Archers!” Tommy called like they had planned, “Take aim!”
Wilbur unsheathed his sword, Tommy and the rest of the army following suit.
“Three!” Wilbur started.
“Two!”
“One!” He and Tommy said in unison.
“Fire!” Tommy yelled as Wilbur yelled, “Charge!”
Flaming and exploding arrows, a specialty of Arimo’s engineers, flew through the sky, hitting their marks. Swordsmen charged, Wilbur and Tommy, sticking to each other's side as the empire’s army charged at them.
Wilbur and Tommy moved like they were one individual. They knew each other and their fighting styles like the back of their hand.
They fought through the crowd, slashing, rolling, and stabbing.
Then Wilbur lost Tommy in the crowd.
He found himself alone, surrounded by fighting opponents, his little brother nowhere to be found. Wilbur found himself fighting harder, gripped with the desperation of finding Tommy.
The empire’s army wasn’t getting any smaller. Wilbur could only hope the traps they had put in place would activate at the correct time.
Which would be any moment now, as he sighted the Empire flags in the distance.
Wilbur fought, his way through the enemies like a knife cutting through butter. He drove his sword through an unnamed soldier, pulling it out as an explosion rocked the land.
Everyone around him stumbled, falling to their knees or tripping over themselves. Wilbur raised his shield to prevent any oncoming attacks as more explosions rocked the mountains.
Bombs, courtesy of Tubbo, had been placed in strategic locations based on what would be the most logical place for the empire to have most of its army.
And it worked!
The massive flying Empire flag disappeared in a cloud of dust as explosions rocked the main pass between mountains.
They were gone. Crushed under rock and mud. Or blown to smithereens.
Not the army that had already crossed into the valley, however.
Wilbur began fighting once again, the number of enemy soldiers considerably lessened now. He saw a familiar head of golden hair in the distance.
Tommy .
He began moving towards Tommy, slashing and stabbing, ducking and parrying. He lost his shield somewhere in between.
Then Wilbur couldn’t see Tommy again.
No .
“ Arrrrgh !” Wilbur had barely any time to react as someone charged at him from behind. But the hit never reached Wilbur. He turned around to see Tommy blocking the hit with his shield.
They made quick work of the attacker, moving on to the soldiers that weren’t surrendering. Wilbur could see some white flags being raised as he and Tommy fought side by side.
But something was off, they weren’t moving quite as they used to. Tommy was slower, his movements sluggish.
“Tommy,” Wilbur began, “are you okay?”
“What?” Tommy sounded out of breath, which was unlike him, “yeah no, ‘m fine. Don’t worry.”
Soon, miraculously, surrendered Empire soldiers were lined up in chains and the ones who didn’t surrender were— well they were dead.
The sun was well on its way down now, the battlefield full of Arimo soldiers as they got to their feet. Wilbur looked at the setting sun, a grin on his face.
“Tommy! Tommy, we did it! I promised you didn’t I?”
Wilbur got no response from Tommy, which was weird. He turned around to see what happened to Tommy and—
No .
Tommy was fumbling with his chest plate, the iron plate dropping as Wilbur let out a gasp at the boy’s bloody torso.
“Tommy—” Wilbur ran to catch his brother as he collapsed, hand pressed to his side.
“Wi’bur,” Tommy forced out as Wilbur waved for medical help, “‘urts.”
“Tommy no— nono— this wasn’t supposed to happen—” Wilbur said, horror gripping his throat.
“Wasn’t it?” Tommy grunted as Wilbur shifted so that Tommy’s head was in his lap, applying pressure to the wound.
“What do you mean?” he asked tearfully.
“Aren’t you supposed to know everything?” Tommy mumbled, eyes drooping dangerously close, “You knew we weren’t gonna win without some losses.”
“I’d rather lose the war than lose you,” Wilbur said tearfully, “stay awake for me Tommy, c’mon now.”
Tommy sniffled, clearly struggling to keep his eyes open.
“When?” Wilbur asked, pressing down on the wound, hoping to stem the bleeding.
“Before you found me,” Tommy rasped, “like right before.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Wilbur squeezed Tommy’s hand, “why hide your injury?”
“It takes everything to win a war Wilb’r.”
“Stop fucking repeating my own words back to me you asshole,” Wilbur hissed at him, grief and anger mixing together.
“S’rry,” Tommy mumbled before letting out a gasp, “it ‘urts.”
“I know bubs,” the old nickname slipped out of Wilbur as he cradled Tommy in his arms, “just hang in there. We’ve won the war, it’s time to celebrate. Hang in there.”
Wilbur looked around the battle field, looking for any medic. There were none. They were too far out from camp.
Tommy was going to die.
Tommy seemed to realize that as well, letting out a choked sob.
“I don’t wanna go Wilb’r,” he said desperately, clinging onto Wilbur’s arm, “I don’t wanna die.”
“You’re not gonna die,” Wilbur said firmly, “that’s an order.”
“”M sleepy—”
“No sleeping,” Wilbur nearly begged, “Tommy please.”
“But—”
“No.”
“Wi’bur?”
“Yeah bubs?”
“Be okay for me yeah? Be a good ruler.”
“Yes yes of course,” Wilbur sniffled, “anything for you. Just— stay awake for me.”
“I don’t wanna die. I wanna sleep—”
“You won’t die, Tommy. I made you a promise. Please. Please stay awake. For me.”
“I won—” Tommy cut himself off as Wilbur saw the pain streak through his body. He held Tommy closer, rocking him back and forth as tears streamed down his face.
After a moment of silence, Wilbur froze, his heart dropping to his stomach as Tommy slowly became limper in his arms.
“Tommy?” Wilbur moved back, horror squeezing his chest, “Tommy no— nonono—”
Wilbur made eye contact with glassy lifeless eyes. Lifeless eyes of his baby brother.
The battlefield of Arimo, that rocked with explosions hours prior, shook again with the anguished screams of its victor king.
The sun set on a bloodied battlefield, a singular crying individual cradling a motionless body to his chest as the Final Battle of the Arimo War ended.