That Night. . .

Tommy sat in front of a crackling fire, dogs surrounding him as he ate some cooked fish he gained from his fishing trip with Techno. The night air felt different than the other nights that Tommy had experienced like something big would happen soon. The teen ate slowly, eyes looking up from the orange fire ower towards the sleepy Ghostbur that sat across from him. In the ghosts hands is another cooked fish, waiting to be eaten by the man. Tommy sighs, looking towards the distant-looking Ghostbur.

"If you don't eat you'll go to sleep starving." It snapped the other out of his mind, blue eyes going wide before registering what the blond had said. He looked down at the food he was given, looking perplexed before sighing and setting it down.

"I don't need to eat, remember Tommy? I'm dead, food is nothing but a pleasure I can indulge in when I want to pretend I'm alive." Tommy's chewing stops, looking sad as he looks down towards the cooked fish now sitting down on the stony ground. Tommy doesn't know why he feels bad, as up to this point he's hated Ghostbur for just existing.

He was a constant reminder of what he lost, who he lost. He shouldn't care that this ghost is sad, he should be ignoring him and should have kicked him out by now. Then why does his heartache at the ghost's words, why does he let him stay?

"Well, let's eat together anyways, ok?" Tommy says, taking another bite out of his meal. Ghostbur watched for a moment, eyes looking towards the fish sitting next to him. He smiles softly, picking it back up before taking his own bite out of it. Tommy watches the ghost, eyes taking in the now saddened dead man.

"Why do you want to be revived so bad?" That made Ghostbur stop, eyes glancing up at the teen before looking back towards the fire, chewing as he did so. Once he swallowed he finally answered.

"I don't like being... here." Ghostbur says, sighing loudly. "I'm reminded of how the man before me, Wilbur Soot, did horrible things. Things I don't even remember. And I hate it. It seems everyone that I do remember hates me now, wants nothing to do with me." Ghostbur sniffles, blue tears threatening to spill. "I'm not Wilbur Soot, b-but no one seems to understand that. And for that, I think it would be best if I let the real Wilbur Soot to walk the earth again. Let that man take my place so I can leave and never have to come back and listen to p-people yell about what h-he did." Tommy hums, looking at the tearful ghost with a frown. "A-And you miss Wilbur too, don't you? You w-want him back, don't you?" It took a long time for the avian to answer, eyes looking shiny as he thought.

"I do." Ghostbur smiles warmly at that, a sigh leaving his lungs afterwards.

"Then I'm ok with being revived." The ghost says confidently, eyes looking up towards the teen with a small nod. No one said anything after that, Tommy taking yet another bite just as Ghostbur does.

One Hour Later. . .

Tommy sat in the library room, candles lighting up the small space as Tommy digs through the many books that lined the walls and ground. The avian doesn't remember the last time he was in this room, since most of his time in Pogtopia was filled with training and planning. Technoblade was the one to demand a library, which Wilbur gave him.

It was a small room but the piglin hybrid was happy enough with it. Tommy grabbed another book, looking at the cover to see enchant writing looking back at him. It was a familiar book that Tommy remembers Wilbur showing him when he was younger.

"Tommy, that says 'The flowers grow better in the sun'." The brunette chuckles, watching the tiny Tommy pout where he sat at the dining table.

"Well this language is weird Wilby! How can you even tell some of these letters apart?" Wilbur laughed, reaching over the table to ruffle his little brothers hair.

"You just learn them, theres differences that you notice once you have them memorized." Tommy looked towards the book, blinking at the weird letters with confused eyes. "C'mon. I think that's enough practice for tonight." Tommy was picked up, the book shut after, and carried up the stairs of their home. "I have work in the morning and you have you're first day of first grade." Tommy smiled at the reminder, quickly babbling on about how he was so excited about seeing all his friends from school.

It was the book the brunette had hoped to teach Tommy enchant with. He smiled, flipping it open to see the enchant alphabet with normal English letters right below them. It was the cheat sheet Tommy was hoping to find. Tommy walked over towards the small table in the room, setting the book next to the revive book.

"Okay... Let's do this." Pulling out the chair Tommy was ready for a long night of trying to translate the revival book and hopefully get his brother back.

Six Hours Later. . .

He doesn't know how long he was sitting there, quill in hand as he wrote down the English version, blue eyes droopy as he did so. A yawn escaped his lips, eyes threatening to close so he could sleep for a little bit. Tommy had almost finished deciphering what was being said, what he would need to do, and what it would take to revive someone. A knock on the door forced Tommy to perk back up, head turning towards the entrance.

"Tommy?" Ghostbur. He was staying down here with him, and the avian wasn't sure how to feel about that. Maybe he didn't want to leave Tommy because of him reviving him, when he figures it out. Tommy stood up, making his way to the door door and opening it right after. Ghostbur sat o nthe other side, as expected, with a nervous smile.

"Is something wrong?" Tommy asked, noticing a plate in the ghosts hand. It was a basic meal, chicken and potatoes, but at least it was something. Tommy's stomach growled at the sight, looking back up to the chuckling ghost.

"I thought you could use something to eat, seeing as you still haven't went to sleep." The avian smiled, moving out of the way for the ghost to enter. Ghostbur did, setting the plate down next to the papers Tommy had been relentlessly scribbling on. The dead man looked the page over before looking towards the blond again, a warm smile still on his face. "I see translating is going good." The door is shut, the blond making his way to the table once again. Ghostbur sits down after the teen does, Tommy shoving the papers between the opened pages as to not lose his spot.

"Yeah, so far. I have almost finished. I had a little bit more to go, and then I can start preparing for the revival." Tommy picks up the fork and starts eating.

"That's good, that's good..." Ghostbur mumbles, eyes still fixed on the now closed book. Tommy watches the ghost, how eeys eyes once again seem distant, his body slouched forwards as if the sleepless man was too tired to function any longer. "So when are we reviving Wilbur Soot then?" The Ghost once again looks over to the teen, his frown gone and replaced with a small smile. It was obvious he was ready to move on, leave the world that seemed to just ridicule him for existing. Tommy's heart squeezed at that realization, knowing he had a small part to play in that.

"I'm not sure, soon though. Maybe in a few days, depends how fast I can read this translated version and what I need." Ghostbur just nods, brows creased together as he glances toward the book. "Won't be too long though." Tommy watched the other, eyes taking in the expression on the ghost's face. "Why do you ask?" A long pause.

"I just want to leave already, I don't want to be here any longer than I have to be." Ghostbur honestly says, eyes seeming lost in time. "I don't want to be here anymore." Tommy sighs, taking another bite of his food. The candles flickered in the silence, Tommy at some point having to get up and get new ones as some started going out. Ghostbur just watched, eyes bright and mouth closed as he watched the alive human. Tommy glanced over, sighing as he lit the new candles and put them around the room. It wasn't until he sat down did the ghost dare to speak. "What's it like, benign alive?" Tommy was startled by the sudden question, eyes flickering up towards the dead man, blinking before answering in a slow voice as he processed what the other had said.

"I... Don't really know anymore." Tommy answers, a confused look reaching the ghost's face. "I know I have a beating heart, meaning that I'm alive. But my body just feels... dead." The avian's eyes clouded as he spoke. "I don't remember the last time I truly felt alive, and I can't even remember the feeling anymore. I'm always in pain now, and I'll be honest with you, I'd be glad if I died." Ghostbur looked worried at that statement, lips moving as if he was going to speak before Tommy began to speak again. "I can't yet though, I want to see L'manburg fall before I die. Before I... rest." Tommy's lips became a fine line, eyes boring into the dead man's own. He sat a few more candles down, looking away from the ghost as he did so. "I envy you, Ghostbur." The ghost looks at the other with wide eyes.

"What? Why?" Tommy paused, looking behind himself before he explained further.

"I wish I was you, living without any horrid memories following your footsteps, never having to worry about who's coming after you next, having no pain filling you're being to an unbearable amount to the point to contemplate suicide.... You don't have to worry if you'll make it another day. Maybe thats why I hated you so much in the beginning." Ghostbur shifted in his seat, even as Tommy sat back down. "But now, I only see a man that doesn't want to live just as much as I don't." Ghostbur looked down towards his lap to avoid eye contact with the other. "Being alive isn't always pretty, Ghosty. Sometimes it means being able to be hurt easier, used and manipulated and battered to the point to want to throw yourself into a lava pool just to have the pain stop and see your brother again!" Ghostbur looked pale, Tommy's eyes clouding as he shakily sighed.

"T-Tommy..."

"Sometimes, it sucks ass, and only wishing to be alive is something fools wish for." Ghostbur nodded, looking up with blue dripping down his cheeks. Tomy leaned forwards with his hand extended, gingerly wiping away the tears that the ghost was letting loose. A small smile formed on his lips as his tears dripped down his face as well, a sigh leaving his tired lungs. "Sometimes, it's better to be dead than alive."

One day later. . .

"You're sure this will work?" Ghostbur asked, watching the other flip through the pages of the translated version of the revive book. They were back in the main room of Pogtopia, wolves sleeping and a permanent bloody spot occupying the room around them.

"Yep!" Tommy shut the book, a huge smile on his face as he flicked his wrist and a sword took the place of a revive book. "I have the piece of paper that needs to be burned, and once I stab you it should work." Ghostbur jaggedly nods, lips a fine line as he nervously messes with his fingers. Tommy rolls his eyes. "Worse comes to worst, you have a new hole and I have to go back and read the revive book again, ok? We'll figure out how to do this eventually."

"O-ok." Tommy looked at the small piece of paper in his hands, an enchant and Wilbur Soots name occupying the piece of papers face. He lookedat the small lava pool he had made, whispering what he was told to say and throwing it in. He looked at Ghostbur, the ghost floating closer as Tommy raised his sword. With one swift movement, he stabbed the ghost in the stomach, watching blue splatter out of his mouth and onto Tommy's face in the process. With a smile the ghost glowed, making Tommy's eyes widen. He pulled away, the sword still stuck in the dead man, and watched as it clanked to the floor. Ghostbur only grew brighter, making Tommy need to squint and the wolves to being growling and barking. It lasted only a few seconds, yet it felt like an eternity to the avian.

Eventually, the light began to dim, the room becoming darker as the wolves only growled at the new presence. Tommy stared, eyes wide and tearful as he looked at the figure before him. His hands reached to his mouth, covering it before he could let out a pathetic sob. It was bad enough he was crying. Wilbur was staring at his hands, flexing his fingers before looking up at the space he was now in, turning around after hearing one of Tommy's muffled sobs. They locked eyes, one looking stunned and the other overwhelmed with emotions. Wilbur looked not too different from what he looked like when he died, other than the white streak in his hair and a new bloody bandage on his forearm.

"Wilbur... you're back."