It had been years since they had died. It had been years since Tommy had left.
After news of Clay and Williams death, they stayed and threw a funeral. It was small, quiet. People over the world were heartbroken, their favorite streamers had died.
George went back to England, Daryl went and moved in with skeppy permanently. They were happy together. Nick, Karl and Alex moved into the house by the beach. Alex had been told of the ghosts and all of them adopted a small child they lovingly named, Clay. With what used to be a family of six ghosts, now turned into a family of four, nothing felt the same.
They reached acceptance. Out of them all Tubbo was first. He looked on the bright side, wherever that may be. He wasn't happy, he was still upset, but his heart was as mended as it could be, and when the Wilbur and Dream came out of the water the first time offering a wish, Tubbo didn't hesitate. He wanted his son back.
Ranboo was next. He spent time with his son, and realized that life moved on, so he had to as well. Accepting something didn't mean wishing it that way, and when the two dead lovers appeared to him he wasn't surprised this time. He wanted to remember everything, as as he wished he remembered it all. Everything and everyone he had forgotten, and he had peace.
Philza followed after. He had lost them before, and was no stranger to the grieving process. He wished to visit Kristen. And what he wished, he got. Once a month he could see his wife, goddess of death.
Tubbo was sitting on the beach alone, when he spotted an object floating in the waves, glistening with moonlight. He walked out after it, and saw the guitar Tommy was always so fond of.
Upon examining that old guitar, Tubbo smiled, actually smiled. It's been too long since he'd done that. He strummed on it a little bit. Recalling a familiar tune.
"You've gotten good at that." Tommy said.
"Where have you been?" Tubbo asked upon the sight of him.
"I was exploring the world, Tubzo." He smiled, then whispered softly. "Just like me and Will said we always would."
"I'm sorry, you know that right?" The shorter stood. "About his deaths, you didn't deserve any of that."
"I'm okay," Tommy came next to tubbo in the sands of the beach, watching the waves. "I've grieved. I've reached acceptance."
"I'm proud of you, big man." Tubbo laughed, the two of them sitting down.
"Tubbo!" A tall endermen like boy yelled from behind. He stopped abruptly when he saw the blond was not alone. "Tom—Tommy?"
"Hey, Ranboob," Tommy said, standing up as ranboo enbraced him. His eyes grew wide when he saw a zombie Jed piglins chasing after. "Micheal?"
"Tommy!" Micheal yelled running to hug him.
"How does he—how does he remember me?" The blond asked in shock. "How is he here?"
"Dream and Wilbur gave him to us." Ranboo replied.
"Dream? Wil-Wilbur?" Tommy asked, falling to the sandy floor.
"They came back—ish," Tubbo began. "An artifact of great importance came back from this beach. Later that night, when the moon was fully risen, they came back too. Not for long though. They granted us each one item or belonging or wish of our choice."
"Any wish?" Tommy asked, hopeful.
"Any wish that could be a physical thing or person," Ranboo answered for tubbo, shutting Tommy down, knowing where his mind had wondered. "They couldn't come back."
"Oh, Go on then." Tommy said, dejected.
"Karl said it was XD's way of giving back, well back when Karl was still alive and could see us, that is." Tubbo continued.
"Wait—What happened to Karl?" Tommy asked, worried.
"He's gone, Tommy." Ranboo said, sadly. "You've been gone for 125 years, they've all died. They've come back though in new lives. Sometimes they can see us, sometimes they can't. It depends how easily faith comes to them."
"Oh," Tommy said, surprised. "I'm sorry. I didn't know I was gone that long."
"Tommy," Tubbo cut him off. "It's okay, you had to reach acceptance. We all did. That's why they come back. Phil says it's because we've reached acceptance."
"Wait," Tommy put the pieces together. "So does that mean I get to see him again?"
"Well the guitar floated up, and the moons starting to rise." Ranboo smiled.
"So what now?" Tommy asked, the smile infecting him too.
"I go get Phil and Techno," Tubbo joined in as well. "We get some snacks, make a fire, talk about what's happened, and wait."
"Don't take long, Bee boy." Ranboo called after tubbo as he left to go do as he said.
"Why was he out here, Ranboo?" The blonde said after his friend had gone.
"He was waiting for you." Ranboo answered.
"I've been gone years, has he—has he been waiting all this time?"
"He has, we both have."
"Some nights we stay out longer, some nights not as long. But sure enough, we stay out here every night."
"It's just barely dawn, why out here so long today?"
"We saw the guitar? We knew you had reached acceptance. We knew you were home."
"Tommy!" Philza called from behind them. Sprinting at full speed with his eldest son.
"Techno! Dadza!" Tommy raced towards them, as Phil's arms wrapped around him in embrace.
"Tommy, you're finally back." The pig smiled.
"And I'm sorry it took me so long."
"Tommy innit," his father said, sternly. "You had to grieve, I only wish you would've said goodbye."
"Welcome home, Theseus."
As they smiled and hugged, when the moon was fully risen in the sky, there was a shimmering in the waves.
The shimmering grew and grew until two figures emerged from it.
"Wil—Wilbur?" The gremlin child questioned.
"Hi Tommy, welcome home." He replied, bittersweetly.
"Clay? How are you—how are you here?" Even though he knew the answer, it took him to see them to really understand.
"You've reached acceptance," the blond answered. "You've grieved, now you get a gift. A wish."
"A wish?" He asked. "Any wish."
"Almost any," Clay answered, practically reading his thought. "We can't come back."
"I—I think I know what I want." Tommy said, after a moment of thought. "I want a book. Filled with your story. The story of William and Clay, even the parts I didn't know. I want to remember it as it was."
As Tommy wished, Wilbur reached into his bag and pulled out a red book, called haunted. It wasn't new, The cover was slightly torn, but it looked loved. It looked lived in. And it looked far more whole than any other books on his bookshelf.
"Wait!" Tommy yelled after taking the book, as the lovers started to turn away.
"Yes, Tommy?" Wilbur had questioned.
"Will I ever see you again?" He asked. "Will you come back?"
"I hope, one day," He replied, sighing. "When you have all reached acceptance."
"Wait who hasn't?"
"The one person more stubborn than you."
"Oh."
"I hope to see you again soon, Techno." Clay had called out before taking Wilburs hand and walking back out to the endless see until they were out of sight.
If you listen close enough you can still here the faint strumming of that old guitar in the wind, the echos of Clays and wilburs voices mixed in with the melody of the waves, and from the silence, their last symphony playing softly if you only have the heart to hear.
EYYY THIS IS THE END BOYS. Not all stories have happy endings ya know. ANYWAYS if ya liked this you should read some of the others I have! Hope y'all have a great day, and comments and votes are much appreciated!