Chapter 19: New pieces, new picture

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- TECHNO, I DID IT! I DID IT!- Tommy just bursted through the doors, throwing all his equipment on the ground and rushed into the living room, where Phil just a second ago had been peacefully reading a book. But now he had an overjoyed teenager on his knees, howling in the feeling of victory. He was all wet, soaking with sweat - he ran all the way back home. It was good to be back on his feet after a week of laying in bed. But all that time… he didn’t waste it, oh no. Day by day, after Tommy finished recording new videos or editing it, Techno would come and teach him theory of fencing. It wasn’t easy - man was a strict teacher, not used to any form of opposing him. Even back in school his lecturers were way softer, he was like a literal rock. Insubordination was badly punished, focus was obligatory all the time.

But it was a small price for all the joy he felt now.

He defeated mister Dream, all by himself!

- Y̵͕̓̑̔Ȩ̶̲̫͌̽͊A̴͚̹̟͒́H̸̤͍̦̑̈́͘!̸̪͌ ̵̝̗̆͆̓T̸̼̝͌h̴̢̬̓̆̚ͅa̷͉̺̱͛͘t̸͎̓̇͜’̶̡̥͖͠s̶̙͚̓̑̀ ̵̼͈͌͌m̴̖͚͑́y̸̢̮̟͂ ̶͔̱͋m̸͕̬̑͠ą̷̳̐̋n̸̮̤͂!̷͓̲͛̈́- Techno grinned widely, jumping onto the couch and ruffling the boy's hair roughly.

- I AM THE MAN!- Tommy shouted, throwing his arms in the air in a victorious manner. Phil looked at them in worry, feeling that those two had done something completely idiotic.

- What did you guys do…?- he sighed heavily, rubbing the bridge of his nose, feeling a headache coming up.- Please, don’t tell me you told Tommy to kill someone…-

- I managed to beat Dream!-

- Wha… how?

- S̵̜͊̄k̵̡̹̦̎i̴̛̪̬͑̅l̵̖̥͛l̵̝̘͊̌ ̴̧͚͈̈́̇͝o̵̗͒̍f̷̟̬͓̍ ̸̖̞͒d̴̻̫̎͜͝i̸̭̿v̷͕͈̮̽̕e̸͇̩̜̋̚r̶̦͍̝͌͒̕s̸̱̎i̶̻̾ǒ̶̢̢̟ǹ̸͚̭̕- Techno answered for him, grinning mischievously. Oh, yes… being defeated by a simple novice must have been quite a shock for Dream. He could almost see his face…

- So he used tricks?- dad's stern voice ripped him out of his fantasies, faced with his dark eyes.

- Š̴̯̃͘ơ̴̟̟͌̏m̴͔͒̓e̸̻͋t̶̺̲̿h̸͇̄ͅị̴͇̙̿́͑n̴͎̉͐̓g̴̰͘̚ ̸̨̯͊l̶͍̝̀͋i̷͕͇̋k̶̖̆e̷͎̜͐ ̶̮͂̐t̶̠́h̴̻̲̤͌͌͗ā̴̲̩t̸̢͙̣̿̒-̸̙̘̙̅́͆ he shrugged, not seeing a problem with it. It was one little thing, no harm done. He learned proper stance afterwards...

- Techno, I thought you knew better than teaching him how to cheat in fencing- his tone was alarming at least, wings twitching in irritation.- How do you want him to learn everything properly now if he knows the shortcuts?!-

- I̴̮̗̺̓̓ṯ̶̍’̸̤̣̅͠s̵̨͔̎͒ ̵̣́ò̶̞̾n̸̟͝ḻ̶̮̺͐̔̿y̷̫̪̭̍ ̷̢̨̺̒̇͋ã̶̬̘ ̶̫̗̈̓͘l̶̛̬̔̈́i̷̯̣͌̾̓t̴̬̼̿̑t̸̳͝l̸̥̚è̶̠͖̂ ̷̩͔̞̓ẗ̸̯́a̴̦̼̠̅̇č̵͙̣̂͑t̴̗͝i̸̧̔͜c̴̺͋̋a̵͔̋̄l̴̠̩͒̆͊ ̴̭̼͐͑t̶̙͋͊̂r̷̝̻̝͛͛̌ȉ̵̢̯c̸̟͐̈ḵ̷̥̇̈́̇!̵͉̻̍̒̍ ̷̳̬̤̀̓Ì̷̗͔̽̉ ̵̲̥̓͛ų̶̜̖̀͝s̵̳̙͈̎̀̅ë̵̦́̓ď̶̥͖̀̎ ̶̞̼̏̚ī̴̪̆t̴͇͝͝ ̶̗͇͚́̊͆a̸̩̾̌͗l̸̻̹̜̑͊m̴̫͍̺̀́o̴̧̧̰̅̒̑s̷̝͚̈t̴̤̀́ ̷̼̮̇͜ą̶̜͖̓̔l̸͕̹̥̋͘͝l̷̻̈́͜ ̸͇̎͋͘t̴̩̓͊̌h̵̲͉̍̎̕e̷̫̖̰̒͋͌ ̵̖͂t̴̠͕́͒į̶̈̽m̶̳̺̞̍͠e̵̡͙̺̕-̸͖̙̈́̽̏͜ he huffed, crossing his arms in annoyance. That wasn't such a big of a deal, why was dad so touched about this? He had every right teaching the boy his way, and that was also a proper way. The fights aren't always fair… and he was sure that Tommy was smart enough to know when and how to use his tactics.

- You were on a little different level than him, did it slip your mind?!- father yelled, almos getting up from the couch in anger. But Techno managed to get furious too, snapping back at him.

- Ṯ̷̥̦͒̿h̷̲̪͚͊ả̷͙̦̞̀́ť̸̤’̷̦͐̈́s̷̜̪̣̍ ̸̢̱́ŵ̶͓̣̊̚ȟ̸̫͓͗͐ÿ̴̻́ ̵̼͒͝ḧ̷̝̳́e̶̲̓͒͜͜ ̷̱͖̈́͠ͅn̶͕̿̋ḙ̶̘̲͘͝ẹ̸̛͌͘d̵̤͉̦̈́̀s̷̝̮̦͊̀ ̷̬̬̟̾ȩ̶͎̯̕n̸̗͐c̸͚̝̙̉̏̇o̶͕̫͍̊̈́͒ǘ̸̢͔̃͆ȑ̷̟͇̣͗͠à̴̢̛ͅġ̸̳̯̬͊̂e̴̢͎͛̑̏ṃ̴̛͂ê̷̮̻̲n̷͇͖̤̑̉ț̸̅͝ ̶̺̙͇̾t̸̫͋̔͘ö̵̟̳̜ ̸̛̰͎̄̀k̶̤͍͌ë̵̤̗́ͅĕ̵̢̮̭̎p̵̉͘͜ ̶̳̌̒̚l̶͖̏e̷̫͋͛̚ḁ̵͙̀r̷̩͌n̴̤͇̘͂͌ḭ̶̡̨͐̆n̵͎͗́͊g̶̢̲̩̿̂̄!̷̧̥́͗̈́ ̸̬̲̂̾Á̴̪͍̕n̵̛̼͑̎d̴͌͜ ̸̼̩͛͌f̴̢̔ͅḙ̷̯́̕e̷͎̪̱̽ĺ̷̬i̵̛̗̓͠n̶̮̭̦̒̾͛ġ̴͓͔͑͂ ̴̮̦͍͝t̷̨̹̪̍͂ḣ̶̟̘̮e̴̬̹̕ ̷̰̈́̋͜v̵̞̠̍ĭ̸̫͔͌c̵̰͍̟̔̅̔t̵͙͖̬͌͒̿ȱ̷͈̯͉r̶̰̞̓̈y̷͓̼̬̾̀͝ ̸̪̎̿͋i̶̡̝̟̍s̷͔̈̿͘ͅ ̶̨̨̖͆̈́ṭ̷̖͛h̷̹͓̓̌ȩ̵̛̗̺̚ ̸̢̛̟͖b̶̦̩̿̔e̶͉̊̿s̵̨̔̌͝t̷̰͖̻̉͊ ̶̧̪͖͘ò̴̜͙̯̋́f̸̗̓̔ ̶̟̿͐̎͜t̵͙͒h̶̫̮͑̈́ḛ̸̈́̑͝m̷̲̤͆̄!̶̢̙̳̎̏ ̵̢͓́̃͗L̴̫͊̔̑u̸̙͛͝s̴̢̘̐̇͘t̸͔̖͎̑ ̶͍̔̅f̸̪̦̩̿̽ỏ̸̫̍r̴̠͆ ̶̟̘͐̑͝b̸͙̯̳̂̊l̵͗͜o̶̟̎͒̅õ̴͎͍͗̉d̵̲̻̱͌̒͝ ̶̤̠̄̕͜w̵̻͐̈́i̸̟̦̊̅̿l̶̰͐l̴̝͍͝ ̵͕͌̏ḵ̷̬̃̂e̵̗͊e̶͈͔͌͒p̴̝͂̅̈́ ̸̡̜͖̚ḧ̴͉͈̼́i̵͍̟̇̆m̶̞͐ ̸͖̬͐̑͝g̷͍̠̽̉o̷̢̡̟̊̈i̶̩̅̀n̴̤̐̊ģ̷̌̆͑!̸̧̰͌̊-

- IT WASN'T A VICTORY- argument got louder with every second, as they shouted at each other about the tutor and the boy. But Tommy wasn't exactly paying attention, his eyes glued to the TV screen. Next to his uncle was sitting… a person. Sturdy posture, loose pink braid tossed through one arm, rectangular glasses shielding white eyes like those of Wilbur. His tusks were bigger than musician's, tail pink with brown splotches, the same ears. And above his head was floating something in the shape of a halo. Techno. He had a reflection.

He looked like a mighty king, prideful and stoic.

- TOMMY, HAVE YOU HEARD ANYTHING I JUST SAID?- sudden touch returned him to the ground to face the angry look of his uncle.

- No, sorry uncle… but… Techno…

- We’re talking about you right now, not him, young man! -

- He has a reflection- anger immediately faded from Phil’s face, replaced by unbelief. But it was true.

Techno couldn't believe this… He was there, staring back at his face in the mirror and yet… it wasn’t his. He was no longer similar to Wilbur like he once was. He changed… so much... 

- Techno…- his dad wrapped his wing around him, guiltfull look on his face. He was sorry about the fight, Techo knew that. He was too, just right now… he wanted to be alone.- I'm sorry, I shouldn't have yelled at you. You know a lot more about fencing that I do and I shouldn't doubt your way of teaching-

-̵̬̤̾̈́I̵͎͋̄͋…̴̡͚͓̇̓ ̴̠̩̖̏̃I̴͇̹͑̿'̷̗͍̋m̶̯͎̖̋̿ ̵̛̛̱͈̀s̵̲͗ͅo̶̡͛̏r̷̛̳̝͓̈r̷̝̕ͅỳ̸̤̺ ̴͎͝t̶̠̜̃͊ḥ̷̤̾͘͜ȃ̴̜͍̆ẗ̵͇́ ̵͚̻̻̾͗Ḭ̶̲̿͛̈ ̷͕̊̀ͅg̴̦̩̾̉ͅo̷̗͉̖̽t̴̩̍ͅ ̷̬̾͗̍ä̷̹͓̋n̴͖͎̈́́ͅg̷͇̠̲̿r̴̰̀̍ỳ̵͕̪͐ ̸̫̱̼̐̓ẗ̵̹́o̸̩̦̬͂͒ǫ̴̜̮̀̔- he murmured in response, making Phil smile slightly.

- No matter what we look like, we're still a family. You, Will, me and the boys. And we will be here for you if you're ready- Techno looked at him with loss for a second, but smiled afterwards. Yeah, of course… how stupid was he to mind his looks. It never mattered anyway.

- I̶ ̵t̷h̵i̴n̴k̶.̶.̶.̸ ̴I̷'̵m̸ ̴a̸l̶r̷e̴a̸d̴y̸ ̷r̷e̶a̵d̴y̴

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