Dream visited Logstedshire every Friday afternoon. He came to make sure that Tommy was alive and healthy. He would come to reset Tommy's internet time. Sometimes, he would look through Tommy's private messages, but he tried not to do that as much as possible. He rarely came into the house, instead staying outside by the ocean. He would sit on the porch with Tommy at his side. The two of them would make idle conversation. Obviously, they avoided a lot of topics like how Essempei was doing, when Tommy could come back, or how Drista was faring in her new prison that was meant to slowly heal her. Dream had assured Tommy at the beginning of his exile that Drista wasn't dead, and Tommy didn't know how to bring it up again.

Dream always came between lunch and dinner. After the people who were living with Tommy finished their meal, they would hide out in one of the rooms. Sally would swim in the ocean. Beau would sit in her room. Henry would take Ghostbur and Clementine into the basement to distract them with board games and coloring books. Tommy would sit on the porch, staring up at the sky as he waited for Dream to arrive in his car. It was like clockwork. It was an easy schedule to follow, and Tommy was glad for the routine. It reminded him of what life was like when he was back inside the walls of Essempei. It reminded him of his time as a sidekick, and it reminded him of his time as a friend.

Today was the same as every other Friday. Tommy stood on the stairs of the porch, leaning against a wooden post as Dream pulled into the drive. Tommy breathed out as he waited for his former hero to step outside of the metal box. Unlike all those other times, Dream remained in the car for a long minute. Tommy counted the seconds as he waited for Dream. It was a habit he had a while ago- counting seconds- but he stopped doing that when he wanted to make every second count. He found himself regaining the habit slowly. He knew the average time it took the people in his house to do certain activities or chores, and he remembered how fast he used to do things. He was slower now, filled with sluggish energy, but he could regain that speed quickly if Dream brought him back.

Dream opened the door after 167 seconds. Dream closed the door of his car softly, his body leaning against the car like he was unable to stand. He looked towards the sky as Tommy watched him. 32 more seconds passed before Dream walked away from his car. He didn't walk to the house, or Tommy on the porch. Dream went towards the ocean. Tommy watched him going, his vision sliding to the ocean's surface. The waves weren't chaotic this afternoon, but the blue-gray color of the frigid waters reminded Tommy of his many mornings waking up with water in his lungs and salt in his eyes. Tommy counted seconds, and 68 passed before he decided to walk towards the beach. As long as he didn't step in the ocean, his fear wouldn't consume him. At least, he hoped it wouldn't. He couldn't look like a fool in front of Dream.

Dream had removed his mask, the porcelain material lying forgotten in the sand. His hood had also been brought down, his honey brown hair swaying in the wind. It was a rare moment of vulnerability. Dream always kept his hood and mask on like he was terrified of the world knowing who he was. It was a safe fear to have, but it became strange when Dream didn't allow anyone- even other heroes- to see his face. The only times he had ever allowed his face to see the open air was in the company of his sidekicks, Reverie and Fantasy. Tommy used to feel special about being one of the two people to share this heavily guarded secret with his hero, but Tommy was starting to realize that he hated it more than anything. Dream was supposed to be infallible, and he wasn't. Wilbur was supposed to be innocent, and he wasn't. Drista was supposed to be mortal, and Tommy wasn't sure if she still was.

Plus, Dream usually looked sad when he removed his mask, like he was now. Wistful and dejected, filled with regrets and tears that could never fall. Dream shoved his hands in his pockets, shivering as the wind began to pick up. Tommy wondered if Dream was truly cold, or if he was just as terrified as Tommy was. Tommy didn't know to comfort Dream. He never learned what made Dream feel better. All Tommy could do was stand beside his mentor, a promise he made years ago ringing in his head.

"I know about the people living with you. It isn't that hard to figure it out," Dream explained first and foremost. Tommy felt a sickness bubble in his stomach. He wondered if Dream would be upset with him. He had never explicitly told he couldn't have people here with him, but it wasn't something that was going to be encouraged. "It doesn't matter to me. I won't tell the Association, but if someone finds you out, I won't be able to do much to help you. They want you in complete isolation. I have no idea why they would want to drive you insane."

Tommy breathed. He didn't have the heart to tell his new friends to leave Logstedshire. Clementine and Ghostbur wouldn't be able to survive in the real world. Beau would no longer have a home to return to after her missions. Sally and Henry would be fine, technically, but they would suffer emotionally. Tommy would also suffer. His sanity was barely holding together. He needed the affection of his new friends and their constant presence. A few short calls with Tubbo and Ranboo weren't enough.

"The world is changing," Dream finally whispered. He didn't look directly at Tommy, but the blonde could feel all the attention zeroing in on him. The waves crashing against the shore became softer. The bitter winds went to a standstill. The clouds stopped breezing across the dark sky, and the sun seemed content to remain where it was. The opposite of what Dream was saying was happening, but Tommy knew that Dream wasn't talking about Logstedshire. Dream was talking about his world, Essempei, not the whole one.

"Minotaur's sidekick, HoneyBee, has been registered as a full-fledged hero called Kamikaze. He's working with the Syndicate, Las Nevadas, and Lady Talon's replacement, Ender, in order to overthrow Minotaur. He wants to be the new leader of Snowchester and the Red district. Because of my position, I've been ordered by the Association to assist Minotaur. I would rather Kamikaze take over, though. Minotaur is unfit to be a hero and a leader, and he has been since his alcohol addiction hit a new low. I need someone to ensure that he's taken care of. I need you to return to the Essempei," Dream said, slowly and softly like he needed to make sure Tommy understood but didn't want anyone else around them to hear them.

"What the fuck about your new sidekick, huh?" Tommy said, refusing to look at Dream as he asked. He already knew about Tubbo's plans to start a rebellion. Beau was well-connected and well-informed. She knew everything about what was happening in Essempei, and she wasn't afraid to share this information with Logstedshire. She mainly told Tommy and Henry, but the others were quick to catch on about the complex situation in the city. Ghostbur was the only one who couldn't fully understand, and that was mainly because he forgot everything about what was said seconds after it happened.

"His real name is Eryn, but he goes by Hellion. He's a good sidekick, and he'll make a wonderful hero. But I can't trust him with something this important. He's still new in the field. He needs a little more time to refine his instincts and powers. I'll send him on an assignment somewhere else when Kamikaze decides to start the revolt," Dream explained. "The heroes will be taking shifts around Snowchester. I can send you a list of the schedules ahead of time. When you speak with Kamikaze, convince him to attack when I'm on duty. I may not be able to help your side, but I can do my best not to inhibit you, either."

"Now, why the fuck would I help you?" Tommy asked him, finally turning to glare at his mentor. He had kept a watchful eye on the ocean to make sure it didn't sneak up on him, but his attention was transferred to the hero. Dream had once been Tommy's everything. He was the one that rescued Tommy from the Pit. He was the one that integrated Tommy into the real world where some people genuinely cared about him. Dream wasn't perfect. Hell, he was sometimes downright abusive to Tommy and Drista. But Tommy never cared about any of that. He would take the hits and the hallucinations because at the end of the day, he was stronger for it. Tommy would do everything again because he had saved lives. He had made people happy. He didn't need fame or recognition or a peaceful existence. He didn't need Dream to care about him. Other people cared about Tommy. Dream just needed to decree the orders. Tommy would follow Dream anywhere, he suspected, because Dream wasn't a good person but he was a good hero. It took Tommy weeks in Logstedshire to figure all that out.

"Because the Essempei needs a hero, and Kamikaze needs his friend. The people living with you need their safety guaranteed," Dream explained. Tommy looked towards the house at the top of the beach. He could see Beau's face peering out of her window. He couldn't tell what her expression was, but he could remember what she looked like when he offered her a place to stay. It was an expression he was familiar with. He and Drista both had that look on their faces once. It was the look of someone who wanted to belong somewhere and to someone. It was the look a piece has when it sees an empty spot in the puzzle.

The others were just like that. Henry loved being here with people that he could take care of. Ghostbur and Clementine were both bright-eyed, rather naive individuals that were able to dance to music only they could hear in this place. Sally found her way back to the person she thought she had lost, and Beau had found a home with people that weren't waiting to kill her.

Tommy didn't think he would like it out here. He thought he would waste away while waiting for his friends to come back for him. They didn't, but he knew it was for a good reason. Purpled was caught up with business in Las Nevadas, Tubbo had a rebellion to plan, and Ranboo was filling Lady Talon's shoes. Tommy had to learn who he was by himself without the responsibilities of a sidekick. Tommy still didn't like it out here, but it was bearable when he had people with him. When he had people who he liked and liked him right back. He was given the responsibility of protecting them, and he was going to do that no matter what.

"We'll fucking see," Tommy told Dream. The older hero nodded slowly. 27 seconds passed before Dream leaned down to grab his mask. He fastened the leather straps to his head, and he pulled his hood above his head. Dream was once again hidden by a cold smile that held no emotion. He was back to being the invincible hero who rose above the masses to bring the world to an era of prosperity and light. He wasn't the broken man gazing out at the tempestuous ocean, and he wasn't the puppeteer who made his sidekicks see horrible nightmares when they messed up.

"Here," Dream said, grabbing Tommy's wrist. Dream lifted Tommy's arm, and he placed two items in Tommy's hands. Dream forced Tommy's fingers to close around the objects. Dream walked away, and Tommy's gaze was pinned on the sand where Dream had been standing. Tommy counted 43 seconds before he looked down at what was given to him.

The first was a key on a ring with a laminated piece of paper on it. The key was a light blue color, slightly translucent with a purple shine to the edges. The paper was brown with a logo printed in black. It was for Trident, a motorboat brand. Obviously, the key belonged to a boat somewhere in the area that Dream was subtly telling Tommy to use to get out of Logstedshire. Tommy would need to find the Trident. He wondered if he would also need to get gas for it. Perhaps it was a broken boat that the Association used to use when the walls around Essempei hadn't been built yet.

Tommy barely paid attention to the key, though. It was important, but certainly not more than the Totem of Immortality. It was the statue with a crack along its surface that had absorbed Drista's body. It was the item Dream had used in the ritual. Tommy clutched in his fist, wondering how he was supposed to feel. Drista had chosen to participate in that ritual, whatever it was, and this was all that was left of her. Dream had created the Egg by accident, and his punishment were those crazed Marionette creatures. The whole entire situation confused Tommy more than anything else in his life, and it was mainly because no one would tell him anything of substantial value. He was working with guesses and shaky evidence. All he knew was that while he didn't hate Dream and Drista, he was majorly pissed at both of them.

But... in an odd way, they were still his family. Dream was the man who rescued Tommy from hell and allowed him to become a force of good. Drista had stood by his side for all the years they had known each other, laughing together as much as they argued. It was a messy, horrible family that was so far away from the dictionary definition of perfection or healthy, but it was his family. He should be allowed to hold them in his heart even if he knew Dream was, at his heart, a bad person with good morals, and Drista was, at her core, a destructive and secretive girl.

It was the same way he still cared about Wilbur even though he knew Wilbur was also Banshee. He had been the leader of the fighting ring Tommy spent the beginning of his life in. But Wilbur wasn't like that. Wilbur had held him close when he wanted affection, and brought him to his father's house when he needed comfort. Banshee was a figure from his nightmares, but Wilbur was the closest thing he ever had to a brother.

Tommy smiled softly to himself. He really had shitty luck when it came to family, didn't he?

Tommy turned to walk off the beach. He counted four seconds before he felt something buzzing in his hand. His first assumption was that it was the keys, but he saw that the emerald eyes of the totem were glowing despite being in his shadow. He pushed the Trident keys into his back pocket, conjuring a little bit of chaos to light up the shadow. Instead, the totem seemed to absorb the chaos. The bright green eyes were filled with tiny pinpricks of red, the opposing colors clashing as the crack in the wood surface began to open and close like a gaping mouth. The totem shook so much that it stumbled out of his hands, landing in the sand. Tommy took a step back as the totem exploded with green ribbons and red mist, a mixture of his and Drista's powers.

A teenage girl with honey brown hair falling across her shoulders floated above the ground. She was wearing white tunic with a dark green and light green patterned belt hanging around her waist. Her eyes were as brilliant as the gemstones embedded into the totem that held her. Her skin was a little tanner and all her scars had disappeared to create a smooth exterior. Still, Tommy could recognize her no matter how much she changed. She could have had neon hair, polka dotted eyes, and purple skin, but he would still know who she was. There was something about Drista that a new outfit and cleaner skin couldn't wash away.

Tommy doesn't realize he's crying until Drista gives him a cheeky smile. "Oh, look at the child, getting all sappy over little ole me."

"Shut the fuck up. You're the child in this situation, you little shit," Tommy responded. There was a thick film of emotion coating his words. It reminded him of thick oil dripping onto the ground, waiting to either be cleaned up or for someone to drop a lit matchstick. Tommy hoped he would be able to clean up the emotions instead of igniting them.

"That doesn't make you any less of a child," Drista argues. She floats down to the ground, her arms spreading out as she tries to keep her balance. When her bare feet reach the wet sand, she makes a disgusted face. Her face morphs into different expressions as she walks around in tight circles, spinning around on her toes as she gets used to using her legs again. "I guess I should explain everything to you."

"That would have been fucking appreciated months ago. But if you have a moment to spare now, I wouldn't mind knowing the Primedamned truth," Tommy snapped, his anger rising back to the surface. The match had been struck. Now, would everything be set ablaze?

"I'm not supposed to be out of the Totem of Immortality yet. I'm still technically healing and getting acclimated to my new position. I came out because Dream left me with you, and I realized that it was time to confess," Drista told him. She turned to him with a heavy sigh that made it look like she was carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders. "Dream got you from the Pit. That wasn't where he found me. I was found outside of the Essempei during the winter. I only survived because I had a dog who helped keep me warm. Dream didn't want me to be a sidekick. Even when I showed him my powers, he refused to take me on. I was a vigilante for a while, and he finally decided that if he couldn't stop him, he might as well make sure that I was safe by standing at his side. You came along as his sidekick before this happened, so you probably remember it. In any case, I've had a strong sense of justice since a young age."

Drista looked down at the totem lying on the ground. "A few months ago, Dream began experimenting with his powers in the Badlands. He was trying to find a way to become more powerful. He wanted to put an end to crime in Essempei. The Egg came about when he had gathered some of your chaos, mixing it with his strands and my powers. Our powers mixed together to create the egg-like shape, and Dream's power stabilized the creation. Dream wanted to keep it around to study it. He found out too late the corrupting power it possessed. He was working on a way to destroy it when the Marionettes became a threat. While you were busy dealing with the Marionettes with your sidekick buddies, I did some snooping of my own. When I found out enough, Dream told me everything. He even mentioned an experiment he was working on. He wanted to create an artificial god like Prime. He wanted to create a god for the people of the Essempei, their own personal crime-fighting deity. Dream wanted to do the experiment on himself, but I convinced him to do it on me. That's what happened."

"The fuck did you just say to me?" Tommy said, his eyes widening as he tried to rationalize all of Drista's words. He had never been religious, and he still had a hard time believing the gods were real. He definitely couldn't imagine creating one. He couldn't imagine Drista being... "Wait a fucking minute. Are you a god?"

"Partially. The experiment didn't work as we expected. My metal manipulation power is a lot stronger than it was before, and I can do other things like fly now, but I'm not really a divine being. Once I'm done healing, though, I'm going to be the best hero Essempei has ever seen!" Drista said. She floated in the air as a testament to her new powers. "There's another reason why Dream allowed me to perform the ritual. You see, the experiment required a person with as little attachments to the mortal world as possible. You have your friends. Dream has his friends. The only people I have are you and Dream. You two are far more attached to the material plane than I am. If we did the experiment on you or Dream, something surely would have gone wrong. We could have actually lost you, Toms. That's why Dream didn't want to tell you. He knew that you would do everything in your power to replace me, and neither of us wanted to see you kill yourself."

Tommy didn't say anything. Drista shuffled beneath his intent stare, bringing her knees to her chest as she continued to fly in the air. "Look, Toms, you don't have to forgive Dream. You don't have to forgive me. But I'm aware enough of the world in that totem to know that Dream, much like the world, is falling apart. The world needs heroes. The world needs you and Dream. I'll be there to help clean up the mess soon. Trust me."

Drista floated back to the ground. Cold arms wrapped around Tommy's shoulder. Tommy felt another round of tears come to his eyes as he remembered how infrequently the two of them hugged each other. He could hear Drista's stuttering breath as she muttered, "See you soon."

The air around the totem imploded with green and red lights, a reverse of what happened earlier when Drista escaped. Tommy leaned down, his forehead falling into his hands as he elbows pressed into his knees. He took shuddering breaths. A rich, deep sadness was swimming throughout his body, and he wondered how he never realized how heavy he felt before. When the tears stopped coming, Tommy rose back to his feet. He picked the totem up as he vowed to himself that he would return to the Essempei.

No matter what.