Phil burst into the mansion. "Grian, where's Tommy?"

Grian shrugged. "He said he was going out. Why?" He asked Phil.

Phil took a deep breath. "He's missing, Grian, I can't find him anywhere. And I know that we signed a peace treaty with Dream, but I can't help but worry..."

Grian's eyebrows tightened. "He's missing? But he just said that he was going out to the shopping center... is he not there?"

"No!" Phil gasped. "I couldn't find him there! Mate, what if he got lost?"

"I don't think he would have gotten lost, Phil." Grian said calmly. I'm sure he'll be fine. Calm down."

Phil wasn't calm when Tommy wasn't present at dinner.

"Hey, where's the big man?" Wilbur asked as he sat down at the table.

"He's not here yet." Grian said lightly, ignoring the glare that Phil shot at him.

"I was wondering why it seemed quieter today." Techno grunted.

Grian only began to worry after dinner was over. Tommy still wasn't home, and he hadn't taken much food with him. Was he ok? Did he have food? Phil's emerald eyes bore into the back of his head, glaring, accusing, and Grian knew that if anything happened to Tommy, it would be his fault for not initiating the search early.

The moment Wilbur and Techno departed to their rooms, the tension in the room grew. The strings were strained in between the two avians, and Grian turned, gulping, to face Phil.

"I'll go search for him." Grian said. "I'll find him, I promise."

Phil nodded stiffly. "I'll find Xisuma and see if he can do anything, as an admin."

Grian noticed that Phil hadn't mentioned Dream, who was also an admin, but he nodded stiffly and stepped out of the mansion, taking off.

As he flew under the stars, Grian pondered over Tommy's disappearance. He wasn't at the shopping district, but that's where he had gone. Had he lied, or did he get lost?

Grian shook the thoughts away, scanning the land below him. It was hard to see through the darkness, but Grian tried, picking out every moving thing on the land. Any of those could be Tommy.

At this moment, Phil would be finding Xisuma, and they would use X's admin powers to see if they could locate Tommy. Grian mused. Their roles were reserved now, with him looking for Tommy while Phil found Xisuma. He supposed that he deserved it. He really should have picked up the signs when Phil first told him.

Fear gripped Grian's wings, but he kept flying.

There was a little gremlin to find.

~~~

Tommy didn't feel tired.

He wondered why, as he laid on the grassy floor, eyes closed in harmony, why he wasn't hungry. The last time he had eaten a full meal was at the shopping district, at noon, and after that it had just been a dozen soup crackers to sustain him. Even now, he had no food. Yet he wasn't hungry.

The grass rustled with the wind, the crickets chirping softly in sync with the grass. Tommy opened his eyes slowly, the sky a purple and silver blanket draped around him. It was only him, and his breathing, and the environment around him. For the first time in a long time, Tommy felt at peace.

He closed his eyes again, letting his other senses take over and explore the world for him. He breathed in the smell of soil while insects sang a symphony by his ear. He felt the grass below his body, which to him, were as comfy as his bed at the moment.

Maybe it was because he was at peace, or maybe it was just because his senses were heightened. In just that one moment, Tommy opened his eyes just in time to see a single figure descend from the dark sky.

Somehow, Tommy knew who it was, and why he had come. "Hey, Big G." He said quietly - so different from his usual denemor, Tommy almost sensed the surprise radiating off the avian.

"Tommy, we were so worried." Grian murmured, squatting down beside him.

Tommy shrugged. "Sorry."

Grian sighed. "Why are you here?" He asked softly, laying down beside Tommy.

Tommy shrugged again. A moment of silence, where only the two's breathing could be heard, and then he spoke. "It's peaceful." He raised his hand, cupping a star in his palm. "It's nice to be alone for a while."

"I suppose you're right." Grian said, turning his gaze to the night as well.

Grian's feathers rested on Tommy's arm, just like the first time they had met. "Grian?" He murmured, half for his own sake.

"What?"

"Nothing." Tommy smiled, nostalgia flowing over him. It was just like the first time. When he had called out Phil's name, but was met with Grian instead.

"I like this world." Tommy suddenly blurted out.

Grian smiled at the boy. "I like this world too."

"May I ask why?"

"Well, I met you guys." Grian said. Tommy watched as the avian looked back to the sky again, his black eyes reflecting the starry night.

"Do we mean that much to you?" Tommy asked again, but his question really was, 'do I mean that much to you'.

"Yes, you do." Grian said, seriously. "Meeting the four of you, Phil, Tech, Wilbur, and you, is one of the best things that has happened to me."

"Hm." Tommy murmured, thinking over Grian's response.

"Why do you ask?" Grian asked.

Tommy thought for a moment. "I've always wondered if you guys, as hermits, have regretted meeting us. Us, as in the Dream SMP members." He said honestly. "Because, well, your lives before seemed so peaceful, you just built things, and there were little pranks and everything, but there weren't full-on wars and deaths."

"True." Grian murmured. "But the thing is, we could get used to this life." Upon seeing Tommy's skeptical face, the avian laughed. "Really, we could. It would take a couple of months of practice and sparring, but eventually, we'd train ourselves to become warriors like you guys."

"I don't think it's that easy to learn how to fight." Tommy said.

"Not if Techno trains you." Grian replied, smiling when Tommy stared at him, surprised. "Oh, Tommy, I'm not the Dreamslayer for nothing, you know."

"T-Techno trained you?" Tommy asked loudly, moving to lean on one elbow to look at Grian, causing a pause in the crickets' chirping.

"Just for a day." Grian shrugged. "When I went to deliver that letter."

"I can't believe he agreed to train you and not me." Tommy muttered, settling back down.

Grian chuckled. "I'm sure if you asked nicely, he'd agree."

"No, he wouldn't." Tommy said. "He's the Blade."

"Yes, he is." Grian stated.

Tommy let himself relax on the grass. The two's conversation ceased, and silence took over, letting Tommy's mind wander once more.

"Hey, Big G?" Tommy whispered.

"Yes, Tommy?"

"Do you remember your promise to me?" Tommy asked quietly, almost scared to hear the answer.

A soft smile appeared on Grian's face. "Course I do." He replied, smiling.

"Ok."

There was silence, then Grian spoke again. "Don't worry, Tommy."

"W-what?" Tommy stuttered. "I'm not worried."

Grian sat up. "We will travel the world, one day."

"You promise?" Tommy whispered. "That you'll stay with me? That you won't die, like Philza did?"

Grian turned to the boy, sadness lingering in the silver stars reflected in his black eyes. "I will leave one day, no matter what, Tommy." He said. "It's bound to happen.

"I know." Tommy sighed. "I don't want to think about it."

"Then don't think about it." Grian said. "But, I will stay with you as long as I can."

"Promise?"

Grian held up his pinky finger. "Promise." Tommy curled his pinky around Grian's, sealing the deal before the avian rose, patting grass off his clothing. "Come on, Phil will be worried. Let's go home."

Tommy smiled.

Home.

a/n: bc this arc is going to be full of oneshots, there's not going to be a set plot line, and the oneshots won't have much link between them, so it might be a little confusing-

published Jan 23rd 2022