A Functionally Dysfunctional Family

{17} ℙ𝕒𝕣𝕒𝕝𝕝𝕖𝕝 {17}

"Come with me, and live in my world."

"I'm sorry, what?" Techno asked, looking at the blond incredulously.

"At least come to my world for a day, Techno." Clay said, rolling his eyes. "Trust me, a few hours missing is not that bad."

"What if my brothers or dad asks where I am?" Techno asked.

Clay waved him off. "I'm sure George will have something figured out."

Techno looked back at the portal. As much as he didn't want to see the realm, his curiosity egged him on.

A couple of hours wouldn't hurt, now would they?

Techno sighed. "Fine, I give in."

~<•>~

The other world was...strange.

As in, it looked exactly like the world they just left.

Except, now Clay was wearing a porcelain mask with a smiley face, a lime green hoodie, black ripped jeans, dirty hiking boots, and leather fingerless gloves. On his back laid an ax made of some sort of dark metal that he couldn't name.

Techno looked down at his own outfit, almost gasping when he was now in the outfit that Wilbur gave him a few years ago. It wasn't tight or anything. In fact, it fits perfectly. On top of that was his blood-red cloak and emerald earring that he was given years ago. On his waist, inside the cloak, was his dagger, while on his back, on top of the cloak, laid a sheath holding a sword made out of that same dark metal. On top of his head lay a heavy golden crown, adorned in rubies, sapphires, emeralds, and diamonds.

In short, he looked like a king.

"The fuck...?" Techno muttered out loud. "Where did these come from...? Especially the crown and the sword?"

Clay laughed. "That isn't something I can tell you and still somehow manage to make sense. Follow me, and I'll lead you to civilization."

Techno nodded hesitantly, following the masked man.

~<•>~

Clay took him to a city, it seemed. There were odd, yet beautiful, buildings and statues scattered across the land. In the distance laid a castle with rainbow lights and banners, watching over the supposed kingdom.

What caught his eye specifically, though, was a statue not too far from where they stood, that looked oddly similar to his younger brother, except he was wearing some sort of scarf around his neck, a compass underneath that, and he seemed to be holding an oblong object.

Then, he noticed, multiple statues strewn about the place, and it was at this moment that he realized how much this place was in ruin.

"Hey, uh, Clay?" Techno asked the masked man, who gave him a look that he could not see. "Why are there statues of my brothers?"

"First off, in this world, call me Dream." He said, sounding annoyed. "Secondly, we build statues of those who have died in this world. Truly died. Which...unfortunately....includes your brothers..."

Techno looked at the statue of Tommy once more before his gaze landed on a statue nearby Tommy's. It was taller than Tommy's and looked older than the statue of his little brother, though he could point out the features of the statue's face and the curly hair that belonged to his older brother. He was wearing a sort of trench coat and seemed to be holding some sort of explosive in his hand.

Not too far away from Wilbur's statue was a smaller statue, the shortest of the three. On the shoulder laid a bee-like creature, and he seemed to be wearing a suit and tie with slight goat horns protruding from his hair. Even with the horns, Techno could still identify the statue as his little brother's best friend.

There was another statue, but it was of someone he didn't recognize. He wore a suit, much like Tubbo's statue did, but he had ram horns and ears instead of small goat-like ones.

"Where...is...everybody...?" Techno asked after a moment, realizing just how few people there were.

"Well, Philza, Ranboo, and Connor are in the Antarctic Region, which you founded, by the way." Dream explained. "Sapnap and his husband are...somewhere around here, I think, and others are strewn about the land. After the fifth war, everyone just kinda disbanded. Few people actually trust each other at this point."

Techno hummed, looking back at the statues of his brothers. Despite knowing that they were alive and well at home, he couldn't help but feel a sense of grief looking at the statues.

Especially since Tommy and Tubbo looked so young, even as marble statues.

~<•>~

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