Webber's POV

Wilbur was unnaturally quiet during the trip. I glanced at him more than once, waiting for him to say something, but he never even met my gaze. He stared intensely down at Tiger Lily's fur beneath his claws.

His uncharacteristic silence left me with my thoughts. I leaned forward until I was lying on my stomach on Tiger's back and closed my eyes for a long moment. Something in my chest ached, but it wasn't the same kind of crystal-sharp pain I was familiar with. It was more muted than that, like a wound that healed badly and would never quite be the same.

For too long, I had believed that WX had been permanently erased from existence. Wilson had come back, sure, but Wilson was also human. He had a soul, something that represented him even when his body was dead. I had believed that wasn't true for WX. The title that had been gifted to him from the start, "The Soulless Automaton", had reflected that belief.

And yet, Wilbur had spoken to him.

Wilbur had spoken to him, and I knew that he had because he mentioned the seashells, which I hadn't said a word of to Wilbur himself. My claws brushed against the surface of the coconut in the crook of my elbow, holding the sizable collection.

Give them to someone else, because he couldn't do anything with them.

Not that I was going to listen to that, simply because it would break my trend of not listening to what he told me to do.

Across from me, Wilbur seemed to be almost drifting off. His tail dragged slightly in the water, the only ripples to be seen with how smoothly Tiger glided through the calm ocean. I rested my cheek against her fur and closed my eyes.

"Tyler?" Wilbur started. His voice was lazy, as if he was on the verge of sleep and trying to fight it off.

"Mmm?"

"You know how I told you that...they wanted me to go with you?"

I blinked up at him. It was difficult to make out his shape against the bright sky. WX had told him that we both needed to go to the Mainland. The thought of it brought a sort of light joy to my chest, but I also knew that Wilbur was not fond of the idea. And honestly, I couldn't blame him.

I waved him off. "Don't worry about it, Wilbur. I understand. This is your home. I promise, I'll be safe on the Mainland by myself-"

"Oh no, I'm totally wanting to go with you," he interrupted. "I just... well, I thought maybe I should tell you some things before I do. Just... so that I'm not hiding anything from you."

That woke me up. "Hiding anything? What do you mean?"

"I just... I want you to know everything about me. So you can decide if you trust me enough to go to the Mainland."

"I..." I frowned. "Why wouldn't I trust you? You've done nothing but help me, Wilbur! You don't have to tell me anything."

"I do," Wilbur argued. "Because my last group didn't just die from natural causes. I killed them."

…

It was impossible to tell if the electricity in the air came from the storm that was brewing above, or the intensity of what was happening on the ground below. Every inch of Wilbur's body was shaking with violent tremors as he backed away from his mate, dead on the ground beside him. His fur was entirely soaked in her blood, the fatal wound given to her by Nightmare transferring into real life. So much blood, so much blood, it was all he could smell. "R-Roselyn?" He croaked. Her eyes were wide open but glazed over, frozen into a final expression of terror.

"Wilbur? Wilbur, what's going on?" Walani was the one to speak. She pushed herself into a sitting position, face creased into a scowl. It seemed to take her a moment to figure out what was happening, but he saw the moment it clicked in her head. She scrambled back, jostling Warly from his sleep, and pointed an accusatory finger at Wilbur. "Wh-What did you do to her? What's going on?"

Wilbur's trembling turned into something different. Twitches. Little electrical impulses that jerked his limbs slightly, pins and needles exploding wherever they touched. Did Walani think that he had killed Roselyn? The thought should have made him angry, but instead, inexplicable laughter bubbled up in his chest. He had grown so comfortable with this life. Waking up every day curled around his daughter, his mate wrapped around her other side. Watching arguments break out between his companions, only to be solved minutes later as one or both parties dissolved into giggles. This wasn't somewhere you were supposed to be happy living.

By the time Warly was coming to his own senses from having just woken up, Wilbur's giggles had dissolved into a full-on laughing fit.

"This," he managed to squeeze out in between breaths. "This is exactly why you should never get comfortable here. You never know who you're traveling with." He dug his claws into the ground. His vision was dotting with black now with how hard it was for him to breathe between laughter. "Did you never think about how strange it was that Woodlegs was supposedly killed by something that left me entirely unscathed? That worthless waste of space must really be living it up in the volcano right now, assuming he's still alive, which I'm sure he isn't."

He took a step forward, paws splashing in Roselyn's blood. Somehow, that made the situation even more hysterical. Wilbur clutched his stomach, his knees failing him as the fit renewed. He felt separated from his body, yet all-too-present at the same time.

"Roselyn?" Warly whispered, horrified. "But-but- you- you loved her-"

"More than anything!" Wilbur agreed enthusiastically. "I didn't lay a claw on her! But here she is, dead all the same! All because I'm such a fool. A fool, a fool~" His voice pitched into a singsong tune as his laughter finally started to fizzle out. "I got so comfortable, I couldn't even see what was happening until it's too late."

"Wilbur," Walani said cautiously. Her anger seemed to have turned into cautious terror, and she was holding a hand out as if to placate him. "Wilbur, tell us what is going on, now."

"Oh, it's really simple. Nightmare told me to kill all of you, and I didn't! Wasn't that just stupid of me? Oh goodness, it's all my fault isn't it! Woe is me, to the Monkey King! Now now, what to do next?" He tapped his chin thoughtfully, then bounced closer to the terrified duo. He jumped onto Warly's shoulders, ignoring the chef's scream as he did so. Wilbur drew one claw gently over Warly's neck, not nearly hard enough to break skin but enough to get the point across. "Death really seems to be on the menu tonight! How have you always wished to die, 'Wally', hmm? Go out in a blaze of glory? Or peacefully in your sleep? I promise I can make it your dream ending."

Pain blossomed across Wilbur's face as something hit him, launching him from Warly's shoulders. Walani grabbed Warly's arm and pulled him backwards, given that Warly definitely did not seem capable of making the movement himself. He was completely frozen save for the violent tremors overtaking his limbs.

"Die fighting, Walani?" Wilbur guessed, smile growing unnaturally large. "Why, what a good choice."

…

Nausea rolled in my chest as Wilbur fell silent. He wasn't meeting my eyes, but rather staring decisively down at his claws. They were clean now, but I could almost see the blood that had once soaked them. When Wilbur did finally look up at me, he still didn't meet my gaze. Rather, he seemed to have fixed his eyes on my left cheek. Telling the story seemed to have taken a lot out of him, for he slumped hard against Tiger Lily's back.

"Wilbur..."

"Isn't that just a nightmare, Tyler?" Wilbur said softly. "I know I still have nightmares about it. That... insanity. I just..." He sighed. "They're dead because of me, Tyler. I killed them. And I... it was awful. I just wanted you to understand why it might not be... best... for me to be part of a group again."

The story would have terrified me. It should have terrified me. And yet, I felt nothing but a sick sense of understanding. I clenched my claws and chewed on the inside of me cheek, struggling to find words for my response. Wilbur seemed to take this as some sort of rejection, because he turned his head away and sighed.

"I'll still take you to the Seaworthy. Say some final goodbyes, you know?"

"What happened then?"

Wilbur froze. I saw his ears twitch as he glanced at me from the corner of his eye. "What?"

I took a deep breath and carefully examined the angles of his face. Perhaps I would have been more scared, if it didn't sound far too much like something I felt like could happen to me. I had looked terror and grief in the eye, and in many of those moments, I now realized, I could have easily snapped like Wilbur.

Oh stars... I had snapped like Wilbur.

I knew what it was like to collapse into total bloodlust. I knew it all too well. The battles against the giants, yes, but those had been fits brought on by Webber's influence. Not my own. When I had lost someone, though. Someone who meant so much to me, someone who I trusted more than anything else...

The desperate, haggard scream as I tore into the Ancient Guardian. I wanted blood. I needed blood. I craved nothing more than to see the great beast fall at my hands, and then some. I wanted to destroy it, to turn it into something unrecognizable. My body was numb, but that didn't stop me from moving. Fighting. Wanting to kill, kill, kill, KILL-

"When... WX died," I started shakily. I had to swallow hard to keep myself from choking, but that didn't stop my voice from cracking. I breathed in and out slowly, then tried again. "When WX died, I... I felt that too. I just wanted to see blood spilled by me. A life that I chose to destroy, rather than having a life taken away from me. So I... I understand, Wilbur. I've been so lost since then, so I... want to know. What happened then?"

Wilbur fully turned to look at me, eyes wide and concerned. A moment later, his expression melted into something closer to guilt and misery. "Well... I honestly... I don't remember, Tyler. It was a blur for so long." He raised a hand, threading his claws through his fur. "I tried to find my daughter, but... I don't remember if I ever succeeded. It's just a daze, Tyler. I felt like I had been stripped of everything that made me me. I had nothing anymore, and so much of it I had lost at my own hand. I made a deal with Them, and I broke it, and I paid the price. So I lost Roselyn. And it was my own fault. I lost Elizabeth, and I felt like I deserved it. Since I couldn't look my enemy in the face, and since I was useless against Nightmare, I destroyed everyone around me just to... well, like you said. I wanted to choose who lived or died. I wanted to destroy lives, just like I felt mine had been destroyed.

"But," he continued, face curling into the softest of smiles. "Then, I met you."

"Me?" I repeated, mystified. "But... what do I have to do with your story?"

"You're a special kid, Tyler," Wilbur purred, and I couldn't stop the warmth blossoming in my chest. "You're so young, and yet, you command the world around you. Perhaps not literally, but you get my point. The Young Heir isn't just fancy words, Tyler, and that power, that energy, it flows off of you. To me, you represent something special." Wilbur's smile grew, his eyes growing more determined by the moment. "You represent the end of this. You don't bow to your destiny, you make your destiny bow to you. You represent the future. You represent everything this world needs and more. And... I couldn't be more proud to say that you have been my friend. You've helped me more than you could ever imagine. I just hope that... I've helped you in the same way."

"W-Wilbur-" I choked, but found that my throat couldn't produce words. I raised my weak hand to my throat, then to furiously rub at my eyes. Unfortunately, that wasn't nearly enough to stop the sudden flood of tears as Wilbur's words warmed me to the core. I had never thought of my title in such a positive light. I had never thought of myself in such a positive light. "Wilbur, we're both awful people," I managed to choke out in between alternating sobs and giggles, smile so wide my cheeks hurt.

"On the contrary, I'm beginning to believe that bloodlust is a reasonable reaction to grief," Wilbur replied, waving his hand as if it was a trivial matter.

"It is not," Tiger Lily helpfully supplied, causing Wilbur to jump a solid foot in the air and scrabble to gain steady ground again.

"You were LISTENING!?" He shouted. The ape buried his face in his hands, groaning as his cheeks turned red from embarrassment. "Great, now nobody will respect me! Tell them that I murdered this kid, please Tiger? For my reputation?"

When my tears didn't seem like they were going to come to a stop, I bit into my dead hand in hopes of at least quieting the wholly unimpressive sobs erupting from my chest. Wilbur noticed this and rolled his eyes, still with that grin plastered on his face, and scooted closer to me. "Oh come on, you know you want to." He opened his arms to me, brows raising. I didn't hesitate. I immediately threw myself against him and buried my face into his shoulder.

"You've- You've done so much for me!" I cried. I knew that words couldn't properly express my gratitude, but I tried my best. "I didn't know what to do with myself, Wilbur! I- I thought I was gonna die just because I couldn't take care of myself. You saved me, Wilbur," I added softly.

"That makes both of us then." He hugged me back and rested one hand on the back of my head.

We stayed like that for probably a bit too long, yet I couldn't bring myself to let go. To think, the very first thoughts I had about the One True Heir had been nothing but negative. The thoughts against him could have been fueled by rage, but looking back, I knew they were fueled by terror. I was scared, terrified, of anyone else. I wanted to be alone. I felt like I deserved to be alone.

Would I even still be here if I had remained alone, though?

Would I have simply allowed myself to waste away?

No use thinking about that, I told myself harshly. Especially because when I shifted a little bit, and Wilbur in turn repositioned himself to be more comfortable, the ape's soft words reassured me more than anything else.

"I will not lose another child."

And so, I was Wilbur's.

In the past, I had crawled towards the idea of family. I craved the parental guidance I had lost when I had been consumed. I wished for sibling rivalry or companionship so much that my chest cramped at the mere thought of love. I had grasped for straws, forcing myself to see love wherever there was caring or consideration. I clung to adults, praying for nothing more than to be noticed and cared for. My desperation had led me to positives, yes, but negatives more than anything else. My trust in Wilson had been shattered, so soon after convincing myself that he was the guidance I needed to be whole.

I knew now that Wilson didn't love me. He cared about me, yes, in the way an adult cares about a child they have to take care of. He trusted me, perhaps, as a companion and a fellow survivor. But at the end of the day, he never saw anything in me. He never saw me as anything more than a companion, that also happened to be a child.

It was so clear now, so obvious that I felt stupid not seeing it before. Because Wilbur, this ridiculous monkey, who murdered and lied and performed who knows what other kind of terrible crimes, who spoke to Webber and knew both sides of me, who knew that I held dark secrets that he couldn't even begin to imagine, loved me.

"I love you, Wilbur," I whispered, digging my claws into his short fur. I felt him stiffen beneath me, but only a short second later he softened.

"I love you too, kid."

…

The sand felt soft beneath my feet, and I couldn't help but immediately collapse onto it. "Oh thank the heavens solid ground." I laughed lightly, even thought the sentiment wasn't entirely false. Sand wasn't exactly 'solid', but it was better than shifting waves.

"I guess this is goodbye then, Tiger Lily," Wilbur said to his old rival. There was a sort of nostalgic smile on his face as he spoke to the Giant, who purred in response.

"Good riddance," she chuckled. "Silly Wilbur finally gone. The island shall prosper."

He blew a raspberry at her. "You're gonna miss me, you know. What, no begging for me to reconsider? 'No, Wilbur, we'll miss you so much! You can't leave forever!'"

"Cannot wait for Wilbur to leave," Tiger said instead. Wilbur scoffed in faux indignation.

I watched their interaction with a soft smile. I was scared to leave the archipelago behind; not because of what I had missed, but rather, what the future held. Going back to the Mainland meant facing my destiny as the King of the Nightmare Throne. It meant leaving behind any last opportunities to turn tail and flee. To forget about everything that had ever happened there and spend the rest of my life far away from those old problems.

Yet, it also meant something better could be coming. Once I took the Throne, I could do so much for the world. I could fix so many things, bring families back together, do everything I wished I had been able to do when I was younger. And this time, I wasn't at it alone. Wilbur stood by my side, having finally said his final goodbyes to Tiger Lily and leaving the Giant to swim away. He shot me a giddy smile, then bounced forward. "This way."

The Seaworthy, the thing that was my one ticket back to the Mainland, was underwhelming. It had the appearance of an old, broken-down carnival ride, with cheap wooden waves lining the sides of a poorly built boat on a machine. Assuming it worked like the ride it was based on, it would likely be designed to bounce and move, as if sailing on turbulent waves. I swallowed hard, facing down this decision and the knowledge that this was one-way. The freedom that the archipelago offered me would be gone forever.

"Are you ready?" Wilbur asked, climbing onto the padded seat of the silly ride.

I took one final glance behind me. Coming here, I had been miserable and in the throes of grief. I had wanted nothing more than to lie down and never wake up again. To forget about the world and all of the terrible things in it. But I recognized now that the world wasn't all terrible, and it was my job to make it the best it could be. I smiled softly, then turned back to him and took the hand he offered me to help me up.

Immediately, I was hit with an undeniable exhaustion. It rang through my bones, making gravity feel like it suddenly became ten times stronger.

"Let it take you," Wilbur advised, clearly giving into the sleepiness as well. "When you wake up, you'll be home."

Home.

What a simple word, that seemed so out of reach.

I closed my eyes, and let the Seaworthy take me.