Pawprints: The Exile

23- calm night

I couldn't sleep that night, no matter how much I tossed and turned. I finally gave up and stepped outside on my familiar porch, I had not been in this house since I left L'Manberg. I looked up to see a new grid in the sky, a small light coming from one section as I could see the silhouette of Dream working away at a machine.

It wasn't looking good for us at all, so I might as well move some important things to my home in the Badlands.

I took a box I found in a closet and began filling it with important items from around my old home. I took several books, some potion brewing ingredients, as well as (fill in the blank with what you'd bring). I came to my closet to begin packing some of the clothes that had been left. As I was emptying the closet I came across an old tattered blue coat, the red sash draped around the hanger. I took the old uniform out of the closet, impulsive pulling it on and tying the sash around my waist.

I stared at my reflection in the mirror across from me, a small smile snuck onto my face.

I was interrupted by my door opening and a voice speaking.

"I'm sure that coat has seen better days."

I jumped, turning to the voice to see the familiar goat kid, Tubbo.

"Tubbo, don't scare me like that!"

"Sorry," the boy laughed, "I just saw your light on and figured I'd come see if you were alright, just the presidential thing to do."

He seemed unsure of the last part of his sentence but still had a confident smile on his face.

"Well I was just fine till you decided to jumpscare me," I joked.

"Sorry about that," He laughed, "anyways what are you doing?"

"I don't know how tomorrow will go, I'm just preparing for the worst."

"That's smart," he spoke while sitting on the foot of my bed.

I stripped the coat and sash, gently setting it into the box, along with an old flag that I found in the closet with it.

"Surely we can stop Dream though, right?" Tubbo spoke, seeing me close the box up.

"I don't think it will stop him from doing at least some sort of damage."

"What do you mean by that?"

"With the addition of the grid, even if we do put up a good fight, we might be fighting in a mine field."

"Grid?"

"He's up there now, working on a grid of what I can only assume is tnt doupers."

"Aren't those forbidden technologies?"

"Yup," I emphasized the 'p' as I picked up the box, "wanna walk with me to the badlands?"

"Sure, I  could use the fresh air."

We started walking along the wooden paths, lights lit up the path along the SMP lands. We could see light still illuminating the insides of most houses.

"Seems like we were not the only ones unable to sleep," Tubbo spoke, looking the opposite direction of the badlands, seeing the faint beacons of light from Eret's castle changing colors unevenly. The royal seems to be doing maintenance on the lights.

"Punz's house looks almost dead." The boy said.

"Well that's not surprising at all, the mans a mercenary, I'm kinda surprised he's even helping us."

"That's right," Tubbo laughed lightly before we turned onto the main pathway towards Bad's mansion.

"I've never been to your house in the badlands."

"Really?"

"Ya, I first met you at L'Manberg," He said following me off the path, "I didn't even know you had a home out here until recently."

"I guess that's not too surprising, I tried to hide it."

We approached the small cottage as I opened the door letting him in. The boy's eyes immediately looked around the room.

If you were unaware of the secrets of the home it looked just like a small quaint cottage. The only thing that stood out was the armor that hung off the stand beside the doorway and one brewing stand in the kitchen, because it would be suspicious if I didn't have one visible.

"I didn't know you brewed potions," Tubbo said as I set the box down.

"Oh, ya I- dabble in it occasionally."

I looked at the boy who was now skimming through the books on my shelf, two small horns poked out from his fluffy hair.

"Tubbo, how long have you had the horns?" I asked him,  "if you don't mind me asking that is."

"Oh it's fine," Tubbo turned back to me, "the horns had been there since after the war, I've just been hiding them. It's gotten a little hard recently as they seem to just not stop growing."

"Oh," I hummed as I sat down for a moment, "so- are you a hybrid?"

"No- I mean, I don't think so," He said abruptly, "I can't shift like you and Fundy, but I don't really know."

"How do you not really know?" I questioned him, "we're your parents hybrids?"

"Well- I don't really know who they were, I grew up with Tommy."

"Oh- sorry."

"Oh no- it's fine," Tubbo responded, "I've never been hurt by not knowing them, I had a perfect life growing up with Tommy in the SMP, the older members took care of us as we grew up here."

"Hmm," I hummed while standing up and taking the armor off the stand, leaving the chestplate as I had Eret's at my other home, "well I guess we should head back, try and get some sleep before tomorrow."

"Ya, guess you're right."

We began walking back, separated once we reached my home, I walked in setting down the armor with Eret's chestplate and flopping on the couch, slowly dozing off.

word count: 968

an- so... I've started writing again and I am so excited for how this is going, next chapter will be doomsday so prepare yourselves and I'll see you then!