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The bed was comfortable and unusually soft, alot softer than the ground he had slept on the past few days. Tubbo had been woken up by the golden rays of sunshine breaking through the factories windowless windows.
He enjoyed getting woken up by the sun rays, they reminded him of a certain someone...
As he got out of bed, he noticed a redwood sign stood by the entrance of the factory.
Tubbo picked up his wrench and headed over to the suspiciously placed sign.
"Meet me at the pantheon."
Huh... that's all the sign said, must be from the supreme leader, he did just return after all. Well, better get ready then, I guess.
He proceeded to make his way towards the grand, quartz pantheon, still slightly confused and intrigued by the signs message.
Entering the pantheon, he noticed Ashswag and Haiper in the dome room, which Ash had turned into a meeting room, sitting in their seats, clearly waiting for the third members arrival.
"Morning guys, what's going on? I saw the sign telling me to meet you at the panth'," Tubbo stated, strolling into the room and sitting in his color coordinated green seat.
Ashswag glanced at Haiper for a moment before turning back to face Tubbo. "Morning to you too, Tubbo. I'll get straight to the point...what exactly is your relationship with that jellyfish, Foolish?"
"Foolish? Oh, yeah, we're chill, he was my lawyer and all. You know, classic Fobo," The engineer answered, looking over at Haiper, who had yet to speak since he entered, when Ash abruptly interrupted.
"Right... why are you so friendly and trusting with him? I get we're at peace with the North right now, but that doesn't mean we go around trusting anyone and everyone we see,-
he's a jellyfish, Tubbo, he's a spineless jellyfish, he can switch sides the moment it benefits him. He's not trustworthy, but that's not our issue -
our issue is that he is your weakness."
The North was closer to a big dysfunctional family, rather than a nation, faction or whatever you want to call it. They rarely talk things out. The one in charge makes most decisions, others just listen...or rather argue, even though they say everyone is on the same level of importance.
The Regime is so distinct from the North because of this factor. The Regime arranges meetings, if there is a problem, they solve it together. Sure, they have their moments of disagreement, but they talk it out instead of arguing.
Tubbo was weirdly close to a member of the North named Foolish. Ever since their arrival on this island, they've never had any issues and bad interactions with eachother, even calling themselves "Fobo"...? They seemed closer than anyone else. Dare I say closer than the members of the Regime.
Ashswag has been wary of Foolish for this exact reason. He doesn't trust the member of the North and he most definitely doesn't want Tubbo to trust him.
Ash is sure they have a history, perhaps even dating back to the first island, Quesedilla Island. But that doesn't matter, this isn't Quesedilla Island, so Tubbo shouldn't trust him so much, right...?
"Supreme leader? Ash? Ashswaggg, hey you zoned out a little, watcha thinking about?" Tubbo's voice suddenly came into mind. He's always liked hearing his voice, it was peaceful and calming in a way. He's certain Haiper would agree too.
Ash was quickly snapped out of his thoughts by the engineer. Oh, right, Foolish. "Yes, uh, I'm completely fine. Tubbo how much do you trust... Foolish, because you both seem awfully friendly. "
"Oh, well, we go way back. Got a whole history behind us, so I'd say I trust him alot," Tubbo was starting to get weirded out by the fact Haiper had yet to speak, he isn't the talkative type, but he wouldn't miss out on a few words. And he seemed to have moved his chair further away from the both of them.
Strange.
"That's exactly our issue. You cannot trust Foolish, Tubbo. He's a jellyfish, he'll turn against you the moment it'll benefit him." Ash declared, clearly annoyed that he's even had to bring this up.
Haiper let out a long sigh before adding to Ash's little lecture. "Tubbo, we trust you and we want you to be safe. Ash is just looking out for you, don't take this the wrong way."
Lies. They don't trust me.
The engineer felt betrayed, after everything he's done - all the work and repairs he's put into the Regime, just for them to still not trust him to make his own decisions.
"Do you guys really not trust me to make my own decisions and be friends with who I want to be friends with? Even after I've proved myself time and time again."
Ashswag looked taken aback for a moment; "Not trust you? Tubbo we've always trusted you. You're way of solving problems is just too passive and forgiving. We're only looking out for you."
Tubbo couldn't believe what he was hearing. All this just because he's friends with Foolish? Friends with someone who's been there for him since the start? Someone who's cared when no one else did?
"What does my way of solving problems have to do with this? I've put in so much work and repaired so much bullshit in this damn place and you still treat me like some nuisance that can't be trusted!"
The leader placed his hands on the table infront and stood up from his purple chair with gold accents. "The only reason you've been repairing everything is because you don't trust us to do it, you believe everything you've created and built is yours, not the Regime's, not ours, but yours. You're selfishness is the cause of this."
The engineer rose from his seat, turned around and simply exited the pantheon. He couldn't believe what his leader had just described him as. Selfish? No way...right? Maybe...mabye he was a bit selfish, he's never asked for help, he's always believed it was his task to fix something if it's broken, not someone else's task.
Tubbo made his way towards the waystone planning to head to Foolish's dragon to find him. To get some peace of mind, to convince himself that Ash is wrong. The waystone was located next to his factory, the first thing he ever built on this forsaken island.
Once he had teleported to the dragon, he could already hear the voice of his dear friend, Foolish. He was on top of the unfinished dragon, placing amethyst blocks for the design.
"Hey, Foolish! Haven't seen you in a minute, you still working on the dragon?" Tubbo exclaimed, loud enough for his totem friend to hear him.
Foolish was immortal, he was a totem of undying after all. Tubbo never questioned it, but they've questioned Tubbo's existence. He seemed...out of place, so to speak. Foolish had told him he had 'died' permanently, because of his two lives on the first island, but he had somehow came back.
"Tubbo!! Yeah, I'm still working on it, it should be finished in the next few days hopefully, but we'll see how it goes," Foolish hoped down from the top of the dragon and slowly dropped down using his paraglider.
As Foolish gradually descended, Tubbo noticed he looked slightly...nervous? What could he possibly be nervous about. "I just wanted to talk to you about something, if you can spare a minute that is."
"Foolish, I can trust you, right?"
Foolish was caught off guard by that, trust him? Well of course, they've been at eachothers side since the start. This must be serious...
"Trust me? I'd like to believe so, yeah. What's up?"
The engineer looked hesitant and for a moment he didn't look powerful, he didn't look strong or confident, he appeared fragile and uncertain. Foolish has only ever seen this side of him when...
Nevermind...
"The Regime doesn't want me to be friends with you, they think you're untrustworthy and they aren't listening to what I'm saying. I don't know what to do, i care about them, I really do, but they never listen to me..."
His voice trembled as he went on about the Regime's issues. He's never been open to anyone before, he thought it made him look weak, a mighty engineer isn't supposed to be weak.
Tubbo was supposed to be someone people look up to...
Of course, he would never actually think that, who'd ever look up to someone as broken as him. The only people who have ever understood him are Foolish and...his daughter. Everyone else took him for granted, assumed he was more trouble to deal with - never someone who just wanted to be seen.
"Aha...about that...not long ago I actually got taken by the Feds, they lead me into an office, similar to the ones on Quesedilla Island. Cucurucho was there, he showed me the 'truth' of this island-"
Tubbo paused for a moment, listening intently to the new information, perhaps his troubles really weren't that important...
"-Wait what? The Feds took you? When did this happen and what 'truth' are you talking about?"
Foolish sighed, annoyed that he got cut off from his very important information. He doubts Tubbo will take this information well, but it's for his safety...
"Tubbo, just listen. They showed me what the island really is, I can't share it with anyone, in fact, I'm risking my life by telling you. The only reason I'm doing this is to protect you, because I care, ok? Now listen to me-
You need to leave the Regime, they're no good, the Federation is the truth, you cannot go against the truth. The Regime is lying to you, they want you to believe they care, when they don't. You need to trust me on this."
Tubbo looked baffled. Why would his closest friend tell him to betray his own team, his own family?
"Betray the Regime? What did they tell you? why are you suddenly siding with the Federation?? What about Fobo? ...The whole time we were against the Federation, not against eachother..."
"What? No, I'm not against you, I'm just trying to protect you, the Regime-"
"No, stop with Regime this, Regime that, I'm done. They have done nothing wrong and if you truly wanted to protect me, then you would trust me to make my own decisions, why does no one here understand that??-
Foolish, I'm so sick and tired of everyone thinking they know what's best for me, they don't! Mabye I don't either, but that doesn't matter. I'm still here, arent I? I'm still alive after everything I went through, after making my own decisions and not listening to others, I'm still here."
As if on cue, the sky grew dark, cold raindrops could slowly be heard hitting the ground. Mighty thunder roaring in the horizon beyond the land.
It never rained on the island. Only when something bad was happening. Why was the sky upset at this forsaken land?
The totem looking man was at a loss for words. He'd never seen Tubbo this upset, he's never acted like this, even when everything was falling apart all around. Mabye he really was at his limit... and the rain... it shouldn't rain, it almost never did.
"After Sunny disappearing, I really thought you were all I had left to keep me grounded. I never thought I'd care about anyone else other than myself. But you both changed that and I hope you aren't completely manipulated by the Federation. Listen to reason, Foolish. Now... I need a moment, I'll see you again...soon"
And with his last words said, Tubbo headed back to the waystone he had come from. Just moments ago, he believed Foolish was the only one who understood him, yet now he feels alone again, just like before...perhaps this is the fate he will always be destined.
Is he a Creation forever cursed with loneliness? Is this really his destiny? Sunny...Fred...now Foolish too, everyone he trusts always somehow leave him.
No, no, I'm overreacting again, they still care and if they don't, so be it.
The Regime...Tubbo has no desire to go back, atleast not yet, but where else is he supposed to go? An engineer is forever bound to their creations. Even the failures.
Tubbo teleported back to the Regime, back to his factory. Ash and Haiper were right. They were always right when it concerned his safety, but they still treated him as a kid...not a single word he said was taken seriously.
"This will always be your fate..."
"You are the failure he never got rid of."
"They are all lying to your face."
These voices...he's been hearing them the past few days, since the Federation started acting up. No...it's been longer...
There's a memory gap he's noticed a while ago, since Richas had killed him on the ocean monument...up until a bit later. Its like someone wiped his memory between those events.
Strange.
He's just overthinking again...it's been a long day. The factory noises are like a calming melody to his ears. He should just...keep working, right...
"You are just a clone of the original creator..."