The first thing I realise is the sheer amount of people, packed into the open area before the podium, brightly coloured dots with indiscernible features, tittering expectantly as the whole country waits with bated breath.
Niki is clinging onto my hand tightly, fingers locked around mine, so hard they're turning white. Wilbur and Tommy stand on the other side to us, and I send Tommy a reassuring smile, before fixing my vision back to the front, chin lifted, head held high.
I can't help the trembling terror that snakes up the back of my neck, as Fundy and Schlatt stand behind us, opposite to George and Quackity, who I also refuse to look at.
Looking back out over the crowd, I spot a few familiar faces, Sapnap's dark hairs and cheery wave, Eret's focused features and dark glasses, Dream's stark white mask. Tubbo and Jack are mixed in there as well, all just as tense as I am.
I nervously wipe my sweaty palm on the back of my coat, flexing my fingers in and out. The tension hangs in the air, thick and heavy, a smothering presence that seems too subdue the crowd, dampening their usual excitement.
I swear we almost take in a collective breath as Wilbur struts his way to the podium, with all the confidence of a man who has already won.
I glance back around, noticing the way Tommy's fingers tremble, even as he tries to keep himself still, the downturned corners of George's mouth, the nervous excitement in the way Quackity bounces on the balls of his feet, the casual easiness in Schlatt's posture, and the hyper focused expression on Fundys face. Wilbur begins to speak, voice echoing with a slight static crackle over the sea of almost silent people.
"Thank you for coming here today, to watch a historic moment." He pauses, and for a split second I can finally see the uncertainty in his expression, before it vanishes. "The passing over of the presidency, for the first election of L'manburg. I have with me the election results of the four parties, SWAG 2020, POG 2020, COCONUT 2020 and SCHLATT 2020."
Quackity lets out a cheer at the mention of his party, but it dies off almost instantly in the face of immovable silence in response. Wilbur pauses for a moment, turning around to stare at him disapprovingly. He pulls an envelope out of his pocket, stiff cream paper with an official red wax seal.
I close my eyes as he opens it, replaying a mantra.
Just don't let Schlatt win. Just don't let Schlatt win.
My eyes snap back open as he steps back to the microphone. The crowd stands silent and still, the whole world seemingly frozen as it waits for Wilbur's next words.
"With nine percent of the vote, in fourth place, is COCONUT 2020."
I think I forget how to breathe, as the world blinks out of focus, and all I can hear are those words reverberating around in my head. The crowd murmurs, half hearted applause rippling through the sea of people. I knew it was unlikely for us to win, all I can hope is that we did enough to stop Schlatt and Fundy.
Niki squeezes my hand, and I blink again, snapping back into the moment. I force a smile of gratitude on my face, waving to the crowd, before she pulls me off the stage, and down the hill.
The whole time, all I can focus on is the horrifying realisation that Schlatt could win this. That my home, my life could be controlled by him, and the man that tortured and kidnapped me. I don't even realise Sapnap has his arm around my shoulders, until he whispers into my ear.
"You did good Rosie, you took votes away from Schlatt, that's all you needed to do."
I don't think I'll be able to believe him until I see Schlatt crumble with my own eyes.
Wilbur lets the crowd settle, people bristling and teetering as we close in on the results. He takes in another breath, turning his eyes back on the paper in his hands.
"Coming in third place, with sixteen percent of the vote, is Schlatt 2020."
Holy fucking shit.
We did it.
I turn to Niki, pulling her into a hug, as Sapnap whoops in delight. A man next to Sapnap, blonde hair, a white hoodie and a gold chain, offers me a smile of congratulations.
"This is Punz, by the way." Sapnap informs me, slapping Punz on the back. I smile back at him, before Wilbur's cough pulls my attention back onto the stage.
"In second place, with thirty percent of the popular vote..."
Wilbur pauses, and I can see Tommy pretty much rock back and forth with anxiety, leaning in unconsciously to hear what Wilbur says, as if he can miss it. The whole crowd seems to buzz, and I can feel the nervousness knot in my stomach as we wait in the agonising silence.
"is the party lead by the party leader..."
Wilbur better be thankful I'm not on that stage, or I might have strangled him by now.
"Quackity."
Whatever Wilbur says next is lost, as Tommy erupts, as does the crowd, symphonies of shrieking protest and joyous triumph. He's jumping up and down on the stage like a lunatic, and I raise my closed fists up to the sky in celebration, adding my voice to the chorus of cheers.
They did it. They won the election, beat everyone else, beat Schlatt and Fundy, and Quackity and George. Niki and I turn back to each other, delight sparkling in her eyes as she claps enthusiastically.
The raucous seems to echo through the valley, I pull away from another hug with Sapnap, looking with a beaming grin back up to the podium. Wilbur however, has no emotion on his face, still perfectly still in front of the microphone, shaking hands clutching the paper as if it was his life line.
"Please stop celebrating."
The words are lost on the writhing crowd, too taken in their celebrations or protests to heed his words. But I do, and that terrible feeling sinks down in my stomach, darkening any relief I felt at the news.
Something is wrong.
Wilbur has to repeat himself a few times, but the crowd dies down. The previous explosion of voices has been replaced with confused murmuring, whipping through the audience like wildfire. Wilbur finally speaks.
"Quackity made a deal with the leader of SCHLATT 2020, Mr Jschlatt behind me. He said that no matter what happens, he would pool the votes of both parties, SCHLATT 2020 and SWAG 2020."
The crowd gasps, everybody reeling from the sudden announcement. I can't even process what Wilbur has just said. Another hand finds its way on my shoulder and I turn, seeing Dream standing behind me. He takes his hand off quickly, nodding at me before turning his head back up. I do the same, sickening nausea threatening to topple me.
"POG 2020 got forty five percent of the popular vote." Wilbur continues. I squeeze my eyes shut tightly, hoping, praying, that that forty five percent is enough. Because Schlatt can't win. He can't.
There's no way.
And then there's also every way, which is why I'm thirty seconds from collapsing onto the ground, and also trembling from head to toe.
"Meaning, that the coalition government of SCHLATT and SWAG 2020 got forty SIX percent of the vote."
I take an involuntary step back, as if somehow, I can get away from all of this. The crowd descends into something akin to hysteria, rising gasps and shouts, and a myriad of applause ringing out from the Schlatt voters. Some of the SWAG voters are calling out, shaking their heads in disapproval.
And some are just like me, dumbfounded expressions, glazed over eyes and parted lips, words with no meaning echoing in ears, still unable to believe the words we're hearing.
Wilbur starts talking about something to do with honour, but my eyes are still fixed onto nothing, shock waves reverberating though me and my empty skull. It feels like the whole fucking universe has imploded and folded in on itself, leaving behind a vapid empty nothing.
Then the shock wears off, and terror sinks down to my bones, chilling me to the heart, freezing the blood like solid ice in my veins.
Schlatt is president.
And we're all fucked.
Someone's shaking me, and I seem to wake up out of whatever stupor I was in, eyes leaving the blank nothing that had a captivated me, and instead focusing on the man approaching the microphone.
He stands there, no emotion crossing his features, standing in a lay about casual manner that just makes me want to fucking scream, as if he isn't about to bring a country to its knees for his own greed, as if he hasn't just ruined it all.
Wilbur and Tommy make their way down the hill, and Tommy pushes through the crowd of muttering people, shock and betrayal etched on his devastated face. I grab him, trapping him into a tight hug, then pulling him into my side as he just about crushes the bones in my hand in an attempt to hold on to what ever dignity he has left.
Schlatt taps on the microphone, letting the thudding echo reverberate around the captivated audience, before his collected features break into a self-assured smile that makes me want to claw his face off.
"Well, that was pretty easy." He brags, so unconcerned and smug its insulting. Quackity shrieks with laughter, and Fundy's face relaxes into triumph. George stays back, mouth pressed into a thin line.
I don't think I'll ever be able to look at him the same.
"You know what I said the day I said I was running? An election that I won, by the way. I said, things are going to change. I looked every citizen of L'manberg in the eyes and I said, you listen to me: this place will be a lot different tomorrow." Schlatt continues on, arrogance dripping from every word that leaves his lips. "Let's start making it happen."
Everybody is rooted to the spot, every pair of eyes fixated on the man in front of us, hanging onto every word he utters. Whether through admiration, or terror, or sheer fucking confusion, he has us all hooked.
He lets the silence hang for a few seconds longer. "My first decree as the president of L'Manberg, the EMPEROR of this great country-" Schlatt starts to yell, voice cracking under the ferocity of his voice. The calm, confident facade he had curated falters, pure deranged insanity slipping through the cracks. "is to REVOKE the citizenship of Wilbur Soot and TommyInnit!" He finishes cruelly.
No.
I whip my head, wide eyed between Tommy and Wilbur, who stand equally as shocked. Schlatt starts to scream even louder. "Get them out of here! Get them out of here! You're no longer welcome!"
"Tommy run, Tommy run!" Wilbur shouts, pushing Tommy from me and grabbing his arm, just as Quackity and Fundy begin firing cross bows at them. People are screaming, hitting the ground as flint tipped arrows whizz over our heads. Wilbur drags a shocked Tommy though the crowd, and they both start running for their lives. I'm still trying to process what the fuck is going on, when an arrow embeds itself in Tommy's shoulder.
"Tommy!" I scream, pushing past the panicking mass of people and sprinting towards them. Any confusion clouding my mind has been incinerated, and there's only one thought, one feeling of hysterical panic as people clad in gleaming armour, brandishing lethal weapons, begin to chase them. I can see Tommy's blonde head, and Wilbur's beanie clad one bobbing as they try and flee.
"Tommy!" I shriek, as I reach them, pulling Tommy up and shoving him forward. "Run! Fucking run!" I keep pushing him, and he picks up the pace. Wilbur's been hit too, but there's no time, no time to stop and assess.
They're going to die if they don't get out.
I shove him in the back again, and his legs finally propel into action. They round the perimeter of the walls, heading towards the forest. Its descended into complete chaos, stampedes of terrified people, screaming and crying and arrows flying.
I've almost caught up to them when I'm yanked back. I struggle against the hands that are clutching the back my uniform, but they just pull harder, my legs flying out underneath me. The person drags me along the ground, unconcerned with my thrashing body. Tommy and Wilbur vanish from my sight, still under the pursuit from the armoured men.
The person finally dumps me back in the concrete square before the podium, still packed with people who couldn't get out. I fly to my feet, turning back around, but the person just grips my bicep and tugs, sending me crashing into Niki.
I turn to run again, but the person grabs my shoulders. I look up into pale blue eyes, see the ash blond hair framing his face.
Punz. Sapnap's friend.
"Let go of me." I say through gritted teeth. He opens his mouth to say something, when a terrifying scream rings out from the distance, sending me into a frenzy. "Tommy!" I scream desperately back, fighting to get to him, trying to dig my fingernails into Punz's wrists to make him let go. He doesn't even flinch.
"Tommy!" I cry out hysterically, hoping he's ok, that he's alive. And oh my god, he has to be alive, I can't- I can't-
He can't be dead. He can't.
Niki ends up pulling me back, tears streaming down her face. "They're too far Rose, we just have to hope that they've made it."
I nod, trying to control my erratic breathing. Punz, apparently satisfied that I'm not going to bolt, turns without another word and walks back off. I cling onto Niki, as we both stand in the now much calmer crowd, the true reality of these turn of events.
Schlatt's black eyes gleam with so much sick invigoration, that I can see it even from here, His mouth is stretched into an unhinged smile, sharp canines and perfect teeth bared threateningly. What really polishes it all off, is the maniacal laughter that follows, all shrieking chuckles and guffaws, completely crazed in every sense of the word.
"Oh, that was so easy!" He proclaims, opening his arms out wide as if he was just bestowed a kingdom. "Until further notice, Wilbur Soot and TommyInnit are merely a memory of L'Manberg. A relic of the past. A reminder of the darkest era this country has ever seen." He spits, the disturbed glint in those soulless pools of black only growing stronger.
The grin grows even wider. "And I guarantee you all, dear citizens... Tonight, that changes. We are entering into a new period of L'manberg, a period of prosperity! Of strength! Of unity!"
Yeah. We are well and truly fucked.
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A/N I know a lot of people wanted COCONUT 2020 to win, but I've got angst to write people! More fallout will spill out over onto the other chapters, however the next one will be a direct continuation of this one! I had to split them up because it got to like 6,000 words and this is a good place to end.
I hope you all enjoyed and stay tuned for part 2, it should be out tomorrow or the day after! :)
Oopsies x