Work Text:
"Dream, I don't care anymore. You've banished me, taken my disks, and now you want to rob me of the little things I have left."
Tommy narrowed his eyes.
"I'm not going to hand my items over."
Dream casually leaned against the dirt wall. "I can easily kill you."
"Permanently?"
Dream nodded.
Tommy scoffed. "You won't. You don't have the balls to."
In a flash, Dream's sword slashed across his chest, cutting through the un-enchanted netherite chest plate he had gotten from Niki. Tommy kneeled, eyes wide as he coughed up blood. Wilbur gently placed a hand on his shoulder, face pinched in concern.
Dream was mildly surprised when the boy fell to the side, poofing into dust. He hadn't meant to take Tommy's last life, but he could work with this.
TommyInnit was slain by Dream using [Nightmare]
Tommy set the boat in the water, patting a dolphin's head as it passed. Him and Wilbur were done with Lads On Tour, and had decided to return to their home.
Wilbur nudged him a bit, loudly whispering, "My arms aren't that strong. You'll have to paddle. Wait, I think I told you that already."
Tommy smiled back, getting into the boat. "That's okay! I've got strong arms. And I don't remember, so thanks for telling me!"
They traveled back, stopping multiple times to look at pretty things. They had to double back to get the apple, since Wilbur forgot it. Long story short, it took them a good three days to get back to the Dream SMP.
Tommy stood on the edge of the docks, squinting at L’manburg.
“Why is there obsidian around it?” Tommy asked.
Wilbur shrugged. “I think Dream got mad.”
“That’s silly.”
“It is,” Wilbur said, beginning to walk to the entrance. When Tommy made a move to follow, Wilbur stopped him. “Wait here, I just need to grab something.”
“Okay!” Tommy turned to look back at the ocean, content as Wilbur walked off.
Tommy saw a squid, washed up on the beach. He quickly trotted over, pushing it back into the water before it could suffocate. He smiled as it swam back into the dark waters of the ocean.
“Tommy!? What are you doing here?”
Tommy stood and turned around with a gasp. "Oh- I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."
The man stared back with wide eyes, not saying anything.
Tommy became slightly nervous, fiddling with his hands. "Do I look different? Is there anything I can do to make it better?"
He shook his head. "Tommy, you look like Ghostbur."
Tommy scrunched his eyebrows at that. “Well, yeah. I am dead, after all.”
The man shook his head frantically. “No, no, that’s not right.”
“What do you mean? I don’t remember how I died, but I’m pretty sure you can ask Dream if you wanted to know,” Tommy said, a little confused.
The man was trembling, taking a step backwards. Tommy hurriedly shifted though his inventory, before holding out yellow dye.
“Here, take some yellow. It’ll make you feel happier!”
The dye was shaikly received. The man looked down for a few seconds, before glancing back at Tommy. “Tommy, man. What happened to you?”
Tommy shrugged. “I don’t know, sorry. I was just with Wilbur doing Lads On Tour. You should come with us! I don’t remember you, but you seem really cool!”
The man looked fractured at that. “You… you don’t remember me?”
Tommy shook his head a little. “No, I’m sorry.”
“I-It’s me! Quackity! Big Q! Come on man, you gotta remember me!” The man sounded desperate.
“O-Okay! Hold on, I’ll try!” Tommy thought real, real hard. This guy seemed so familiar, where had he met him?
With a small gasp, he opened his eyes. “I remember you! I saved you from Juuvy, and we started a drug cartel!”
The man nodded, happier now, which Tommy was thankful for. “Is that all?”
“Yep!”
The man Quackity crumbled a bit at that. “Oh.”
Tommy sat on the beach, patting the fine sand next to him. “Why don’t you tell me about… why were you surprised to see me here?”
Quackity seemed uncertain, before he gave in and sat down. He took off his helmet, revealing a dark blue beanie that rang a bell in Tommy’s head.
“Basically, you got exiled by Tubbo.”
“O-Oh.” Tommy poked at the sand. “I must’ve done something bad. Do people think I’m a bad person?”
“Uh-No! No, you aren’t a bad person! You’re just pretty reckless, straightforward and all that. It got you into some bad trouble.”
Tommy drew a frowny face in the sand, before scuffing it up. “Wilbur told me I was really honest with everyone when I was alive. I think, now, I’m only gonna be honest when I need to be. I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings.”
Quackity stopped at that. Tommy looked over at the man. Quackity was staring at Tommy with an unreadable expression, before rubbing his eyes and looking back at the water. “Y-Yeah. You messed up this guy named George’s house.”
“Oh! I remember George! I called him inappropriate names the first time I saw him!” Tommy chimed in, excited to know something.
Quackity nodded slowly. “Do you know anything about Tubbo?”
Tommy frowned at the water. “I…”
Quackity inhaled sharply. Tommy flinched slightly, looking over again. “All I can remember was that I wanted him to forgive me. At least that’s something, right?”
Quackity sighed, pushing himself to his feet. “Yeah, sure. Wait here, please.”
“Okay!” Tommy called as Quackity quickly ran off.
Had Tommy done something wrong? He looked out over the water, the setting sun making the crystal waves a tinted pink and orange.
Tommy liked sunsets, he thought.
Wilbur had come back, the two now sitting at the edge. Wilbur had just gone to go make sure Tommy wouldn’t be attacked. Tommy appreciated the gesture, but didn’t know why it was needed.
Now, they were just waiting for Quackity to come back. Wilbur was trying to teach Tommy how to skip rocks, but Tommy couldn’t get the flick of his wrist right.
Wilbur saw Quackity and his companion first, standing up with an excited “Over hear!”
Tommy stood as well, as Quackity and his friend picked their way along the beach.
“Tommy? What-How did you get here!?”
“I rowed a boat! We saw lots of pretty trees and flowers,” Tommy enthusiastically responded. He held out his hand, waiting for the short, brown-haired boy to shake it. “I’m Tommy!”
The boy looked at his hand uncertainly. Quackity nudged him, whispering loud enough for Tommy to hear. “Remember what I told you?”
Tommy withdrew his hand, unfazed. “I’m probably supposed to remember you, but I don’t. Maybe we can be friends again?”
The boy shook his head. “No, surely not. You remember me, right? You’re just pulling a prank.” The boy frowned. “This isn’t a funny prank, Tommy.”
Tommy took a small step back, a bit hurt. “I don’t prank people. Maybe Alive Tommy did.”
Tommy glanced at Wilbur, before looking at the distraught boy in front of him. “Wilbur told me we used to be really great friends. We could try again, if you want. I-I mean, I get it if you don’t want to.” Tommy nervously rubbed the back of his head.
He watched a small drop of water fall down the boy’s face. He quickly pulled out a yellow, handing it over.
“Here, take a yellow! It reminds me of bees, and bees make me happy! Maybe it’ll make you happy, too?”
The boy took it, staring at like Quackity did. Tommy looked back at Wilbur. “Do you think he wants a blue?” He loudly whispered.
The boy startled to his senses, shaking his head. “N-No, it’s okay.” He pocketed the yellow, giving Tommy a tired smile. “It’s nice to meet you, GhostInnit.”
Tommy had moved in next to Wilbur, in the sewer. It was fun, and it was out of the way. Tommy read books that Wilbur kept, trying to remember more. He came across a book by Wilbur, called Things I Remember. Maybe Tommy should write his own.
His little home was right across from Wilbur’s. The other ghost had helped him decorate, making a nice, cozy living space. At first, it had given Tommy a bit of fear, from a memory. He tried chasing it, and all he got was a dark cave, a piston pinning him to the wall as he called for help. He couldn’t remember the rest, so he just pushed the memory to the side.
One day, he was walking around L’manburg. He was looking for something, he couldn’t quite remember what, when he saw a familiar man in purple armor.
“Sapnap! Hi, Sapnap! I remember you!” Tommy yelled happily, running over as he waved his hand.
By now, Tommy assumed everyone knew he died, although none of them knew the cause of his death, including himself. He didn’t go into the ‘Outside Of L’manburg,’ because there were people who were mad at him. He didn’t recognize everyone, even when they gave him their most pleading looks. He did remember this girl named Niki, and his friend Ranboo, and he kinda remembered Eret.
But seeing Sapnap, he felt like he remembered almost everything with him. From the first war they fought together, to the pet war, to letting Mars go, to letting him place ‘friendship blocks’ in his L’manburg house (he didn’t know where that was), to being honest about the way Dream probably thought of him.
Sapnap turned around, startled. “Oh! H-Hey, GhostInnit”
“Hey Sapnap! Wanna put a friendship block in my new house? I live near Wilbur, isn’t that cool?” He happily gestured for Sapnap to follow him.
After a second or two of thinking, Sapnap gave in with a smile. “Sure, Tommy. Do you live in the sewers like Wilbur?”
Tommy made a small face. “Yeah. I’m glad it’s not, like, a real sewer, you know?”
Tommy didn’t remember everyone, or everything that happened, but that was okay. As long as he could remember all those who were close to him, he would be happy. And if people were happier now that he was dead, well, who was he but to smile a bit bigger?