Nia, Sara and Stela all get to sleep in Sara's old home. They wake up at sunrise, their shoulders much lighter. Manburg is gone, having disbanded the moment Schlatt died, for he was the last remaining citizen of the country.

The trio was told that they should gather by the podium once the sun is high enough for the light to reach the stage. Wilbur, Tommy and everyone else want to discuss the future of the country. Which should be none. There should be no future for the country, as there should be no country.

Still, even Dream, Punz, Sapnap and the others were invited, despite Manburg being none of their business. They even bother to show up as Nia catches sight of Dream — in full gear — in the back row of the seating area in front of the stage.

Everyone sits down in their chosen spots, Nia gazing up at the stage where Wilbur stands with a content smile on his face. She knits her eyebrows together, wondering what he's up to.

Wilbur steps toward the microphone, clearing his throat into it and tapping it a few times to check whether it works. It does.

"Good morning, everyone! Welcome! Welcome here on this beautiful sunny day!" he speaks, spreading his arms toward the crowd. "We won." Wilbur grins. "We won, and I would like to thank all of you. To thank everyone who helped us reclaim this land . . . this country. But, of course, there is something missing," he says, eyeing the crowd.

His eyes stop once he spots the tall blonde boy with a red bandanna wrapped around his neck, standing next to Tubbo with the brightest grin Nia has ever seen him don.

"Our country is back, everyone! And I would like to call someone special to the stage." Wilbur waits for Tommy to realize that he's being watched. "I would like to give the spot on this stage to the new president elect, Tommy Innit!"

"What?" Technoblade asks, his attention suddenly sparked.

Nia furrows her eyebrows. "Are they . . . are they forming another government after everything that's happened?" she questions. Only Technoblade and Stela, who sit next to her, hear her.

"I don't like where this is going," Technoblade mumbles under his breath.

"Tommy," Wilbur continues his speech on the stage. "I know I said you'd never be president, Tommy. But I was wrong. You deserve it. So, c'mon! Come take your place on this stage!"

Applauding, Wilbur beckons Tommy to come up to the stage, followed by many delighted cheers and whistles. Tommy, grinning, genuine surprise reflected in his expression, makes his way toward Wilbur.

The moment the blonde boy steps on the stage, Wilbur takes a step back, letting Tommy take his place in front of the microphone. Patting Tommy on the shoulder, Wilbur departs and joins the rest of the crowd in the seating area.

Tommy clears his throat.

"Uhh . . . hello everyone," he has an awkward start. "We won," Tommy reiterates, getting another round of applause. "And I never thought I'd say this, but even after the hardships; the tyranny we've been through . . . Wilbur, Tubbo . . . after everything — it was meant to be!"

"He said it!" Niki exclaims joyfully.

"Yeah! It was meant to be!" Eret repeats, fist bumping the air. "It was meant to be!"

Dream sneaks to the front row of the seating area, approaching Nia and Technoblade, tilting his head to the side.

"I thought you guys were anti-government," he whispers, his voice low enough for anyone who isn't listening properly could miss.

"I don't think I like where this is going," Techno replies, shaking his head.

"Where's Dream?" Tommy calls out, the attention shifting to the man in a green hoodie standing at the front between Nia and Technoblade.

While everyone stares at Dream, he turns to stare at Tommy, the white mask on his face being quite daunting to look at, especially because it's slightly cracked after Dream's short encounter with Technoblade.

"I'm here, Tommy," says Dream. "But I'm not bowing to you."

Nia furrows her eyebrows at him. "What?"

"Nobody is bowing to Tommy, Dream. Why are you bringing that up?" Techno gives Dream a look.

"I am also not bowing to Tommy Innit."

"There's literally zero people bowing."

"I'll bow to him." Karl steps out of the crowd.

"Karl, don't be weird." Technoblade shakes his head.

"Everyone! Shut up! You may not bow to Tommy, but at least listen to him," Wilbur exclaims, turning the attention to himself now.

"Thank you, Wilbur," Tommy mutters, once everyone's eyes set on him once again. "Thank you for making me the President. But, Wilbur, I can't be the President."

The surprised gasps are like a cacophony for Nia's ears, compared to the sounds of nature that she's got so used to.

"This — as much as this is everything — this is what would have been everything; I've still got unfinished business. Because, Dream, you still got those discs. And I can't do this until we're done. Dream, we're not done."

Tommy glares at Dream, who laughs. Though if looks could kill, Dream would have definitely been dead by now.

"Yes, Tommy, I do have your discs," Dream says, amusement lacing his voice. "They're actually right here, look."

Skeppy approaches Dream with a backpack, pulling out one of Tommy's discs. Tommy exhales into the microphone, shaking his head.

"Wilbur, I can't be the President," says Tommy definitively.

"What?" people wonder out loud.

"Why not?" Wilbur raises an eyebrow at Tommy.

"Because until I've got those discs back, I'm not done. And it's not fair for me to take my place in L'Manburg . . . Yeah, you heard that right, everyone. L'Manburg!"

"Oh, my gosh, yes!"

"He brought back the L!"

"We took the L!"

"We take L's sometimes!"

Nia and Techno exchange glances, their lips pressed in thin lines. Dream idly stands by, waiting. What will they do?

"But, Wilbur, please, come take your place on the podium again." Tommy looks at the tall man. He makes his way off the podium, nodding at Wilbur as he meets him halfway.

"Well, everyone. I— I honestly didn't expect this, Tommy," says Wilbur, chuckling and scratching the top of his head as he gazes at the crowd. His gaze stops at Technoblade, Nia and Dream for a moment.

"But your first and only degree as president is perfect, so, everyone! Welcome to L'Manburg!" Wilbur claps, and so does everybody else, more cheers following.

Stela glances at Nia, Techno and Dream. "I hope you three don't plan on doing something stupid," she says.

"Heh?" says Techno.

"We never do stupid things," Nia dismisses her.

Stela narrows her eyes at them, nodding. "Right."

"Anyways, everyone," Wilbur sighs, shaking his head. "I— I also can't be your president."

"What? Why?" more confusion shoots through the crowd as they exchange glances, wondering why the two people who started the revolution in the first place don't want the presidency.

"Maybe just don't have a president at all?" says Nia, looking at Wilbur. He grins.

"I can't be your president because . . . these past months — Technoblade, you have taught me a lot. And Nia, you too. You are right. Government is not the way to go. And whilst I cannot judge how other people run their countries, it would be hypocritical of me to run a government."

Nia smiles, glad to have influenced at least someone.

"But! In keeping with the theme of making changes, I also have one," Wilbur attempts to lighten the mood, though the L'Manburgians are starting to feel a bit icky.

"Everyone see the flag over there?" Wilbur questions, pointing at the Manburgian flag. "Scrap it. Burn it. I don't care. That is not the flag of our nation. I wanna see yellow, black, red, white and blue — that is the flag of L'Manburg."

The crowd cheers for the restoration of their flag, though it is less enthusiastic as Wilbur shared that he will not accept the presidency.

"You said that L'Manburg will be nothing but ashes by the end of the war," whispers Nia, leaning closer to Dream.

Technoblade notices, unable to hear what Nia said. Dream nods, however, lifting his mask to show her his confident smile.

"It will," he responds to Nia. "Who said it's the end of the war yet?"

Nia knits her eyebrows together, but doesn't say anything anymore.

"It's important to know how to say goodbye to a nation. To my L'Manburg. And there's only one person who could possibly be the president," Wilbur grins at the crowd.

"I could be the president," Dream throws in, earning several glares from the people around him.

Nia nudges his side with her elbow, rolling her eyes. "You're an idiot," she says, making him laugh.

Wilbur shakes his head at Dream. "Tubbo. I want you to come up to the stage!"

"OH MY GOSH!"

"YESS, TUBBO!!"

Dream, Nia and Technoblade ignore them.

"Being friends with Dream in front of the L'Manburgians, that seems like a smart thing to do," says Techno sarcastically.

"It's not like they're starting a government right in front of two anarchists, is it?" Nia bites back.

Dream laughs.

"Tubbo, I know you're good at preparing speeches and I know it might be a bit traumatic being up here, but I want you to wing this one, Tubbo." Wilbur smiles. "You're a good kid, and an even better spy."

Tubbo makes his way to the podium toward Wilbur with spread out arms, welcoming the boy to the stage.

"Thank you, Wilbur," Tubbo says, baffled.

He walks up to the microphone, having to adjust it to his height as both Tommy and Wilbur are much too taller than him.

"Uhh . . . If I'm gonna be honest, I didn't expect this," the boy chuckles into the microphone. "But yeah, everyone! Welcome to L'Manburg!"

"I have been put on a spot here." Tubbo starts his speech, a pleased but surprised smile decorating his lips.

"I didn't expect to be here, surrounded by friends and enemies, which I don't hate all that much, I'll be honest . . . but I enjoy seeing the unity. And that is all that matters in the end. Everyone here is brought together — whether we were fighting against each other or together. And I thought that that's important."

Nia glances at Techno. He shakes his head.

"And I feel like," Tubbo continues his speech. "There's a solid future to be built on here. Yes, it has damages, but everything has damages. When I think of damages, I think of like, a piece of wood, which has had nails banged into it. You can take the nails out, but there's still dents, okay?"

Tubbo hesitates for a moment, wondering whether the metaphor made sense. But everybody cheers for the boy, trying to push him through it.

"Yay. Tubbo!" They applaud.

"Give us another metaphor!" some shout.

"Okay!" Tubbo grins. "There's still holes, okay? There's still holes. But holes can be filled. And that's what I'd like to do as my job as president. I don't want to be an agent of chaos, if you will. Or anyone who wants to start violent activity. That's honestly the last thing on my agenda, right now."

Tubbo looks around L'Manburg and its people.

"I just want to— I want to fix this place, you know? I want it to be back as it was in its heyday. And I feel like, you know— now everyone's here, in unity, no one is banned, there aren't any walls. Although the walls were nice, I feel like now that the walls are gone, it does allow passage. Everyone can be here. Everyone has fought for this nation. Against or to reclaim it. And that's what counts."

Nia looks around the crowd, noticing that Wilbur is gone. "Wha— where's Wilbur?" she asks.

Dream grins at her, shrugging.

"He left," says Technoblade, unbothered.

"So, thank you, everyone!" Tubbo exclaims, spreading his arms out toward the crowd. "I'm really excited! Although I am not entirely sure what a president does, I'm certain we'll work that out eventually."

Tubbo earns a few amused chuckles from the crowd.

"But I think— I think we should start this all by taking down the decorations from the Manburg festival. In the midst of all the chaos, there was nobody left to clean it up, so I think it's a good start. Let's get rid of the very last remnants of Manburg and the festival that almost killed me."

"Yes!" people agree.

Dream nods at Nia, whispering into her ear: "Join team chaos." Before going back to his friends. Nia's gaze follows him for a bit, watching him, his friends and the Badlands form a lane, their hands resting on their weapons. She notes that they're one of the few people fully geared for battle. (Besides Technoblade and Purpled. Only a bunch of people, including Nia, have their weapons.)

Tubbo gets down from the podium, the tension in his shoulders slowly disappearing and a huge grin spreading across his lips, the events slowly sinking in.

"And what's this, you little fucks? Just standing here— oh. You think you're all so menacing, don't you?" Tommy tries to provoke Dream. "I bet even all of that traitor talk . . . that was all just bullshit."

Dream smirks. "Oh, no. There was a traitor," he says, pleased.

"Well, they've missed their fucking chance, haven't they?"

Dream shrugs. Nia catches his eye, sensing the satisfied, cocky grin.

Tubbo continues cleaning up the decorations in peace, passing by Technoblade and Nia. Techno's gaze follows the boy, and she raises an eyebrow at the piglin.

"What are you planning, Techno?" she questions quietly.

He shrugs, slightly raising the hand that dons the two wither star rings. She understands what he means.

I still have the withers, and they're forming a country again. They won't stop unless it's utterly destroyed.

Taking out his crossbow, Technoblade loads an arrow. He aims for something behind Tubbo, not wanting to actually hurt the boy again, and lets the arrow fly.

It swishes past Tubbo's cheek, merely grazing it. A small red line forms on the boy's cheek as he gasps in surprise. His head turns in Technoblade's direction, watching the anarchist approach him.

His self-preservation reflex kicking in, Tubbo scrambles to the other side, to stand next to Tommy.

"WHY THE FUCK?" Tubbo stares at the man.

"TECHNOBLADE?" exclaims Tommy.

The L'Manburgians stand across from Technoblade, while Nia and 'Team Chaos' make their way to Techno's side. Nia feels terrible about putting everyone in danger again, but it's obvious none of them have learned anything in the past few months.

Government will only be their doom.

"Alright! Listen here!"