The Great Exile

Vacation

The hooded figure's stance seemed to soften as a warm face was now visible once out of the woods and into the reflection of light. Tommy propped up his head, just enough to examine the cheerful sketch floating toward both him and the masked man.
𝘋𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮! 𝘛𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘺!
His voice was rough with a slightly delayed echo that projected his words into a soft sheet of comfort which instantly wrapped around Tommy's corpse. The way he spoke was hypnotic, hauling Tommy into a trance as the ghostly figure proceeded to come nearer to the duo. Dream seemed to have been caught off guard too when he soon realised and promptly perked up his head and rolled back his shoulders, forming a more dominant manner. He let out a couple of croaks and groans before commencing a sentence.
𝘏𝘦𝘺 𝘞𝘪𝘭-...𝘎𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘣𝘶𝘳. 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦?
His words trailed off as the ghost ultimately stopped in his tracks, close in front of the two boys. He took a deep, shallow breath before waving out his hands and answering the man in the now slanted mask.
𝘠𝘦𝘴, 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘰 𝘋𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮. 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘐 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘸𝘰. 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘨𝘶𝘺𝘴 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨?
The ghosts brows furrowed and his forehead creased leaving a look of query on his sunny face.
𝘈𝘩 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭.. 𝘐𝘵'𝘴 𝘶𝘩- 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥.
Dream wasn't sure telling Ghostbur would end adequately, Tommy and Wilbur had a close bond, something that could never be broke.
𝘐'𝘮 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺.
Tommy's eyes widened as he concluded what he had just said. A flush of regret piled onto him as Dream harshly jolted his head, turning to face the weak boy kneeled on the grass beneath him. Tommy could make out the faint snarl of Dreams fangs as he whipped back around now facing the ghost in front. The spirit seemed unbothered, not taking in any of what had just been said. In fact, he still seemed relatively pleased at the sight of his two dearest friends. It had been long since the three of them were together. Their past was full of rivalry and hatred, not ever leaving time to get to know one another. The battle for independence was more important, but Ghostbur couldn't help mourn the time he'd wasted when alive.
𝘊𝘢𝘯 𝘐 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩?
Wilbur inquired, as he shook the sentimental thoughts of remorse away back into the shadow of his mind. He bowed the sides of his mouth, shaping a delicate smile as he awaited a response from the hooded man. Dream turned to Tommy, almost an indication for support, before responding to the patient silhouette floating and occasionally veering his head to look at the region around them.
𝘜𝘩- 𝘞𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘐 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰𝘰? 𝘐 𝘨𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥𝘯'𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦.
Dream weakly moulded a smile, reassuring the ghost, as Tommy's eyes lit up at the thought of averting complete isolation.
𝘔𝘢𝘺𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘓'𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘣𝘶𝘳𝘨 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥𝘯'𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘴𝘰 𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘭𝘭?
Tommy's thoughts lingered but were soon interrupted by the same fierce grip on his shoulder, but this time on the left, inflicted by a steady hand tugging on Tommy's shirt, motioning for him to get up. Although Tommy had lost everything, there was now hope. With Wilbur accompanying him, Tommy could picture a less dreaded time away.
𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘯'𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘪𝘵! 𝘈 𝘷𝘢𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘪𝘴 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘦𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘪𝘵 𝘴𝘰 𝘥𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘛𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘺... 𝘛𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘺?
Ghostbur stared down at the boy, still slumped over with his feet dragging along the ground, yet with slightly more enthusiasm this time. Tommy felt a delicate tap on his scruffed, greasy, light brown hair. He leaned his head up, spotting the eyes of the ghost. They were bright, brighter than the outline his body transmitted, filled with desire, yet sorrow compressed the outskirts of his pupils.
𝘈𝘳𝘦 𝘶 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘷𝘢𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯?
The spirit consulted once more, striving for a response. Tommy grunted, followed by a brief nod, then plunged his head back down and proceeded to let his ideas run free.
𝘝𝘢𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯? 𝘐 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘪𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵...
He pondered for a while, scouring for an explanation on why he was here, being escorted by a masked man and accompanied by a luminous spirit. The vague sound of rippling water drifted the air as Dream stalled to a stop, releasing his clutch on Tommy and began preparing a raft, shuffling tools and ropes connected to the docks. They had reached the ocean.