"Why can't I go out to fight?!" Tommy yells, following Techno along to the gates of the castle, where Techno would be leaving to fight in the war against the Dream Empire. "You taught me all your tricks of the trade personally! You trained me for so long! I can't just stay cooped up in the castle and— and do nothing while everyone else is busy fighting for their goddamn lives!"
"This isn't negotiable, Theodosia," Techno says harshly, his stride never stopping. The use of her full first name almost makes Tommy stop in her tracks, but she continues on following behind her brother.
"But I want to help!" Tommy protests, even as they neared the main hallway. She hikes up her pyjamas bottoms and walks faster. "This war wouldn't've started if it wasn't for me anyway! I have to do something to help out! Please, just let me get a chance to redeem myself and fight that green bast-"
"NO!"
The loud snarl from Techno makes Tommy stop in her tracks. She freezes in place. She's never heard him shout that loud before.
'Even the villagers near the Borders could hear him if he keeps shouting like that,' she thinks distantly.
There's hands on her shoulders, making her blink at Techno, who had suddenly moved so that he's now crouching before her.
The look in his eyes is desperate.
"The war was never your fault," he told her. "And it still isn't your fault."
"That doesn't..." Tommy tries to protest again, but this time, Techno shushes her.
"I know you can fight, I know you're strong enough to fight in a war," he says. "But you don't know Dream like I do, Tommy. You don't know the extents he'll go to to ensure his victory. I can't let you become a prisoner of his. I can't let you become his bargaining chip. I can't-"
He pauses. Takes a shuddering breath.
"I can't lose you, Tommy," he continues. "You're one of the only people I have left."
"But I can lose you too! What if you... you..." Tommy can't finish the sentence.
Techno smiles gently. "I swear to you, I'll return alive in a month or two. In the meantime, don't slack off of your studies, alright? Be good."
There's a lot of things Tommy wants to say. Like, "I could still lose you," or, "You're not immortal, Techno. You can be used against me as well!"
Instead, she just says, "Okay. I trust you."
You better return alive.