The Winter Months (An MCYT Fanfic)

OCTOBER || Part 4

TRIGGER WARNING: Character death

Wilbur was wrong in his predictions. What should have come in another two days came today. Sure, two days doesn't seem like a lot, but to the village, it meant life or death. Just one more day and Tommy would've been able to find food, Tubbo would've mastered his ability, and Phil... Well, it's best not to spoil the best part.

While everyone was making really rushed winter preparations, Tubbo was put in charge to keep watch of the forest by Wilbur himself.

"Why do you need me to look after the forest?" Tubbo asked. "Wouldn't somebody else be better?"

"Tubbo, don't be so humble," Wilbur said, putting a hand on Tubbo's shoulder. "You're the best person for the job because I know you'll do the job perfectly." In reality, everyone else was busy and Tubbo was the only one available. Tubbo knew that but agreed anyway. After all, he could practise using his ability while walking around.

So there Tubbo was, walking around the snow-covered leaves, keeping watch but not actually paying attention to anything around him. Every once in a while he'd stop, move aside some snow and leaves with his feet and pick up some dirt underneath. Of course, he wasn't using his hands. Tubbo was practicing his ability. He made chunks of dirt float around his hand in a smooth animation, occasionally making a shape or an imitation of something he saw, like an animal that didn't expect winter to come so soon either.

When Tubbo felt comfortable enough with the amount of dirt he had, he picked up a little more. The more there was to control, the harder it was to focus on every little part of it. In order to make it all do as he commanded, he needed to command every little piece, speck, and atom of it, otherwise, it would fall. Tubbo was quite good at controlling large amounts of earth, but it needed his full attention. It wouldn't work if he was in a conversation or in battle where he needed to focus on other things as well, but that's something he would be taught in combat training.

Tubbo wasn't sure how to feel about combat training. When he was little, he and Tommy would excitedly talk about the day they would be able to qualify for it. Naturally, even though he was younger than Tubbo, Tommy was the one to have training first. Tommy always encouraged Tubbo the best he could. Tubbo accepted the compliments but knew he would never be to the same skill level as him. And Tubbo was ok with that. He loved seeing his best friend - no, his brother - succeed in a way he never could. Tubbo admired how much potential Tommy saw in him but knew it was all just talk. Tommy was very good at talking, except when he was talking with girls. Oh, the many disasters of Tommy attempting to talk to a girl.

Tubbo continued to fiddle with dirt until a twig snapped in the distance. The dirt quickly fell to the ground as Tubbo turned his head to the source of the sound. He searched the woods for whatever made the sound but found nothing.

Must've been an animal, Tubbo thought. But it's snowing. What animal that big would be outside right now instead of hibernating? Another stick broke in the distance, but it was now on the opposite side of him. No animal is able to travel that fast without being seen. Tubbo knew at that moment this wasn't an animal. He picked up a little bit of dirt to prepare for the worst.

"Show yourself!" Tubbo shouted into the forestry. Small bits of dirt fell back to the ground as he did. "There's no use hiding!" Tubbo heard something like a poof behind him.

"I'm not hiding."

"AH-" Tubbo fell to the ground, surprised by the sudden appearance of the man behind him.

"Oh no, I didn't mean to scare you!" The man knelt down to offer help. "Are you ok?" Tubbo sat up, rubbing the shoulder he landed on.

"I'm fine," Tubbo looked at the man and realized he wasn't familiar. He wore a rather sharp suit with a red tie, and a mask that was half white, half black. His hair was dirty blonde and very fluffy and long, it almost entirely covered his sunglasses. Tubbo clumsily crawled backwards away from him. "Wait, who are you!? You aren't from my village!"