I promised Ghostbur that I would try to make sure Dream sent out the invitations. Of course, the ghost genuinely believed the man would give out the cards, but I knew Dream better than that.

He wouldn't have taken the invites without reason.

And if I had to guess, he was going to use them in a way to hurt Tommy.

It was the next day, the summer heat was back in full swing with the afternoon sun. It was becoming difficult to wear my sweatshirt all the time, so I switched to my simple black shirt and a thin purple cloak.

If I wanted those invites, I would need to find Dream and he had always been good at hiding.

My search started at our old house, stretching through the castle, and the Community House. Our old home was a shell now, no longer in use by us. It was just a place of lingering memories.

I stretched my magic as I looked, allowing my senses to open up. If it would help me find the man, I would be willing to use my powers.

Although, it wouldn't surprise me if he was wearing copper, to hide from me.

I walked along the Prime Path, Ghost at my side, sniffing the ground. I was using as many tools as I could, including the wolf's strong nose. He hadn't been able to find his trail, still, he kept searching.

Throughout the day, I checked every house, building, and corner for Dream. Sam hadn't seen him at the prison (who didn't approve of me going out of my way to find the masked man), he wasn't in his old supply hole, and he hadn't been to L'manberg.

The sun was beginning to set, my patience starting to fray from searching all day. Somehow, Dream just ... disappeared.

I was leaving L'manberg, after asking around about anyone seeing Dream. The walls were officially gone, meaning the man had been around at one point. I glanced up at the new man-made mountain behind the nation, a few figures moving around on top.

I looped around the back of the mountain, climbing the grass stairs, Ghost having returned home to Puffy. I didn't blame him, we had walked all day and his nose had been used every second of it.

Cedar Rapids was not much, there wasn't even a finished building atop of it. It was just a stretch of grass, flowers dotting the small plains. It towered over the nation below, allowing people up here to see all of its activities.

The three people who I had seen below sat on the edge, facing L'manberg. Their legs dangled over the edge, carelessly.

I took a seat next to Sapnap, who was supporting Karl's sleeping head on his shoulder. George was on the other side of the time traveler, laying on his side, asleep. The setting sun bathed them in an orange glow.

The color of the sky made Sapnap's eyes look lighter, almost like fire. The dark brown was turned into almost gold, crackling flames.

He smiled lazily at me. "Hey, y/n. Where've you been all day?"

I sighed. "Looking for Dream. He has something I need..." I trailed off, waving my hand in the air, dismissing my thoughts. "But, that doesn't matter right now. How have you guys been?"

He glanced over Karl's brown hair at George. "We're hanging in there. George is adjusting, I'm ... getting there."

I placed a hand on my friend's arm, trying to comfort him. I knew what Dream had done hurt him, and it struck him deep. He had known the masked man longer than me and George.

I could feel the emotion creeping into the air, sadness from Sapnap. It sliced the air like a hot knife slicing through butter, striking my heart.

There had always been a specific thing I could do that cheered my best friend up. My magic crackled alive at my fingertips, ruby fire simmering in my right palm.

Sapnap watched the flames dance, a small smile coming to his lips. He had always liked fire more than most.

I twirled the fire around my hand, changing the colors of it. It went from ruby to gold to navy, settling back on orange. It was effortless, letting the temperature and colors change.

My friend was now fully smiling, a curious look in his gaze. Behind him, the sky mirrored my flames, alive with color.

"Have you ever tried to have someone else hold the flames?"

I let the magic burn on its own on my hand, while I looked up at him. "No, I haven't. But that doesn't mean we can't try."

Excitement glimmered in his eyes, a spark of hope. He shifted slightly, careful to keep Karl's head on his shoulder. The boy opened his eyes for a moment, giving me a tired smile, then falling back asleep.

I turned partly to face Sapnap, taking his hand with my empty one. "If it starts to burn you, tell me immediately."

He nodded, his eyes glued to my hand with the flames. I cautiously moved my hand next to the one I held, creating a bridge for the magic.

Surprisingly, the magic wasn't hesitant, quickly springing onto his hand. It wasn't how my magic rushed to Dream because of my feelings, now it was as if it was running to another owner.

Sapnap didn't react at first, no signs of him being burnt. He stared at it in awe, no words able to be processed.

"This is hella awesome." He whispered as if he were scared the flames would disappear.

I smiled, releasing my hold over the magic's controlled burn. For a moment nothing happened, the flames continued to burn orange.

But then, the flames began to change.

I glanced at Sapnap. "I'm not doing that." I eyed the changing fire, ready to take it away if it burnt him

Sapnap's smile only seemed to grow. "No, but I am."

My jaw dropped, shock rushing through me. My magic reached out at the flames, only adding more to my surprise. The blaze Sapnap held was made up of entirely different magic.

His own magic.

Silver and black streaks of fire now sparked and spit in the man's hand, a different being than my own magic. It shrunk in size, probably from the lack of power that fueled it, but had changed to a different color.

I turned to fully face Sapnap, a smile growing on my face. "Sapnap! You have fire powers!"

He looked between me and the flames, Karl and George coming around from our yelling. "I have magic! I have magic!"

Karl and George stared at us, their expressions mirroring my own. Surprise settled between our small group.

Even if Sapnap had just an ember of fire manipulation, he had enough to start learning. Maybe this was why he had such a connection to the element.

Where my flames were controlled, sparkling, and fierce, Sapnap's were angry, spitting, and wild. Magic had always formed and acted around the owner's personality, and Sapnap was no different.

After a few minutes of excited chatter and watching Sapnap hold the flames, he turned to me. "Will you teach me to use it?"

I laughed, smiling broadly at my friend. "I've never taught someone, but I can try."

The flames disappeared out of his hand as he jumped towards me, engulfing me in a hug. The cool temperatures of the missing sun were replaced by the warmth of Sapnap's hug.

After a moment, he leaned back, summoning the flames again. They were small but strong. His drop of magic had some potential with the right training.

He stared at the dark flames that sparked. "I guess I wasn't joking when I said I was born in fire."

"I guess not."

Suddenly, in front of us, something glowing floated up. It was a paper lantern, a flame burning on the inside of it, making it rise.

Karl sat up straighter, his smile growing. "It's starting!"

I glanced at my friend. "What's starting?"

"L'manberg is sending off lanterns to honor the rebuilding of the nation."

As he finished, the world below us lit up.

Hundreds of tiny balls of light floated below us, beginning to fly. They were being set off by the members of L'manberg with a push of their fingertips.

The lanterns lifted in front of our eyes, looking like stars in the night sky. I didn't care about their cause, the sight in front of us was beautiful.

"This is amazing." I whispered, in awe of the lanterns. It looked like a painting with the lanterns flying high above the nation, the clear ocean in the background.

Sapnap wrapped his arm around Karl, tucking the boy into his side. The two were smiling happily, and for the first time in a while, I saw George smile as well.

For the moment, Dream slipped our minds. Our world consisted of floating lanterns and crackling flames, our hearts aligned.

From up here, the world felt so peaceful.

I leaned forward, coming extremely close to the edge. I reached out for a lantern, my fingertips coming an inch off.

"Y/n, be careful." Sapnap said, eyeing the drop. I glanced down at the ground, unbothered by how far away it was.

I just smiled back at my friend, pushing myself fully off the edge.

But I didn't fall or plunge to the ground far below. Instead, I stayed floating, suspended by my wind, which pushed me towards the lantern I wanted.

I just heard Sapnap laugh softly from behind as I took the metal rim of the bottom of the lantern in my hand. My adrenaline peaked from the invisible platform that held me, keeping me sitting up.

Now that I was closer, I could see a little tag attached to the rim. It dangled, twirling from my wind.

I let my wind carry me back to the mountain while I held the lantern. My feet hit the grass softly, letting me walk on solid ground with ease.

I picked up a discarded pencil on the ground, left behind next to the blueprints for El Rapids. My words were small, scribbled neatly onto the small tag.

My friends peered at me curiously, watching as I walked back towards the edge. The tips of my boots hung over the side slightly.

I looked at the lantern for a second longer before pushing it softly into the air. It floated away from the tips of my fingers, glowing warmly in the dark sky.

My wind pushed it smoothly towards the ocean, nudging the others as well. As we sat there for several more minutes, watching the world glow, the lanterns drifted in my slight wind, towards someone.

I kept my eyes trained on the one with my note, waiting until it disappeared from my view.

-

Tommy pov

It was hazy along the horizon, dark clouds covering up the line. The ocean was grey and choppy, lapping at the shore. The foam line stopped just before the tips of Tommy's dirty shoes while mist sprayed his face.

He felt how the sky looked. He hurt, from missing his friends and his home. They all seemed so far out of reach now, even if they were just across the ocean, behind the sheet of clouds.

But he tried to reassure himself that they didn't want him. No one had come to visit him, only Puffy and Y/n, who left him his tree and diamonds.

Dream had told him that they didn't want him there, L'manberg was better without him. Maybe Dream was the only one Tommy could trust, after all this time.

He glanced up the hill, from where he sat on the sand. The handmade tree twinkled in the growing darkness, a beacon against the sky. It left some hope for him to believe they still cared.

It was hard to push what Dream said out of his head, he sounded so genuine when he said that stuff.

Dream reassured him that he was his only friend.

Tommy looked back down at himself, seeing his ripped pants and shirt. There was a hole over his knee and two across the hem of his shirt. Dirt was spread across both, from mining and the explosions.

He had just gotten that iron armor and sword, for the third time in the past three days, and now it was gone again. Dream had shown up on time with the explosives, telling him to throw his stuff into a pit.

It was becoming a part of his schedule to gather items only to have them destroyed. But Dream was only doing it for his own good, right?

The sand pressed against his arms, clinging to him as he laid down. The water was now brushing his feet, the tide coming in. He would have to move soon or he would be overtaken by the water.

Maybe that wouldn't be such a bad thing.

He closed his eyes, scrunching his brows together. It all hurt too much.

Something brushed his palm, which was outstretched on the sand. Tommy bolted up, drawing his eyes to the item.

It was a paper lantern, the metal rim having landed on his hand. It warmed his skin slightly, with the small yellow flame that kept it floating.

He smiled at it, pushing it back into the air. As he did, his eyes snagged on the horizon, making him stand.

At least a hundred lanterns were dotting the sky, being pushed towards him through the clouds. His eyes lit up slightly in the dulling blue, a glimmer of hope.

They surrounded his small plains biome, lighting up the area. Some continued to drift past, others settling on the ground around him.

One drew his eyes, floating directly in front of him. Although it looked the exact same as the others, it had a different air around it.

His anxiety spiked as he noticed it begin to sink towards the grey sea, the flame starting to go out. Without hesitation, Tommy ran into the ocean, his pants becoming instantly soaked.

He reached the lantern as it was inches from the water, raising it away from what would destroy it. The waves lapped around his legs, the tide trying to push him one way, but he stood still.

There was a small note attached to the rim, dangling by a thin string. He gently lifted it, careful not to get it wet. It read,

Hang in there, Tommy. I'm still here, I'll get you out.

-Y/n

The note was short but sparked some more hope. He still had Y/n, he could do this.

He quickly walked out of the water, towards his white tent as the first raindrops began to fall. Hugging the now fully out lantern to his chest, Tommy pushed through the flap.

There was no ender chest to keep the note in yet, so he placed it gingerly in the normal chest. He pushed some things on top of it, to hide it from Dream.

Tommy leaned back, resting his head against the side of his bed. He closed his eyes, letting sleep pull him away, his dreams filled with floating lanterns and wings.

~~~~

ayyyy sapnap has some powers :)

have an awesome day! thanks sm for reading