Aurora Borealis | Dreamnoblade

【ℂ𝕠𝕟𝕥𝕖𝕞𝕡𝕝𝕒𝕥𝕖】

✧ Chapter 8 ✧

【ℂ𝕠𝕟𝕥𝕖𝕞𝕡𝕝𝕒𝕥𝕖】

<Sapnap> Could Dream come back as a ghost?

Philza stared at the message Sapnap had sent on the main channel in bewilderment—did he forget that and or not realise that some people might not yet be aware of the fact Dream was, well, dead.

What changed their minds? Why had they gone to visit Dream now of all times? Had something happened? Had they thought maybe it was time to let him out, so to speak?

<CaptainPuffy> I didn't know you cared, Sapnap, didn't you break off your friendship? Don't tell me you oh so suddenly care about my duckling now that he's dead.

...Well, that answered his question.

Philza bit his lip, gaze flickering to Foolish and Dream as they—wait.

Philza did a double-take, brows shooting up when he realised it was X-Dee, not Dream, that had come with Foolish down the stairs.

It had been years since Philza had laid his eyes on X-Dee that he had almost forgotten what the deity looked like, even then X-Dee had been a child. Still as perfect looking as any other god.

X-Dee's inhuman eyes lock onto Philza, where they offer him a smile, "Hey."

"It's been a while," Philza hums, which X-Dee nods their head too.

"I forgot how freeing it is," X-Dee gaves a serene smile, eyes half-lidded. Foolish chuckles, amusement on his face.

Philza's communicator buzzes again

<AweSamDude> Puffy's right, none of you people cared enough to even think to even check-up up on him. It's disgusting.

He let out a breath, "Puffy and Sam are back, and it seems they found out what happened. Unhappy is an understatement."

X-Dee makes an alarmed noise, coming closer to look at the messages they had both sent. A soft whine escaped X-Dee.

"Came you tell them to come here?" They're almost breathless, worry creasing X-Dee's brow.

"Of course," Philza soothes, "Why don't you go see the others. I'm sure Ranboo will be happy to see you in your real form."

X-Dee's eyes widen with realisation, "Oh..." then they move for the door, leaving Philza and Foolish to bite back a soft laugh at their reaction.

<You whispered to CaptainPuffy> I need you and Sam to come to the tundra. It involves Dream.

<CaptainPuffy whispered to you> We'll get there as quickly as possible.

***

Tubbo stared, X-Dee returned the stare.

"...What?" Tubbo blinks rapidly, reaching up to rub his eyes just to make sure he wasn't, you know, seeing things.

Like the fact that Dre didn't exactly look like Dre—no, far from it. Be it the three sets of wings, the floating head, or the unnaturally perfectly symmetrical face that most wouldn't even notice at a quick glance but the more you stared...

Not to mention Tubbo had seen this person before, not directly interacted with but—this was X-Dee, the End Deity that for some reason attached themself to George but...if behind the mask of Dream had been the face of a God...

"...What the fuck."

"Tubbo," X-Dee greets, offering an almost awkward smile.

How hadn't Tubbo realised something was up the moment he had seen Dream's face? Well...the idea that Dream of all people could be some God in disguise hadn't ever been on his radar, nor at the time of seeing Dream's face for the first time had any part of Tubbo been reminded of X-Dee.

Was it because Tubbo had only ever seen the God from afar? Was it some other kind of magic at work?

...Who knows at this point.

"...Ranboo's outside," he offers and gets a beam in return.

"Thank you."

Then X-Dee was gone and Tubbo catches a glimpse of them outside, stretching their wings to the max. Wow.

Unable to help it, Tubbo followed X-Dee outside just in time to see Ranboo pull them into a hug, teary-eyed. Tubbo's too far to hear what they are saying but it is clearly emotional, resting their foreheads together.

Michael, stood beside Ranboo, stared up at X-Dee in confusion. But the deity smiled down at him, speaking lowly to which Michael's eye widened, his socket's eyelight wobbling in his awe. Then the zombie-piglin threw himself into X-Dee's arms. X-Dee lifted him up, setting Michael on their hip. Michael nuzzled close and X-Dee beamed happily.

It was like before Dream had died; before he has been thrown in prison, before—everything, Tubbo thinks. It had been so long since Dream had been with them, corporal and tangible but Dream had only known Micheal for a short time thinking back on it but in that short time, Dream had made a clear impact on Micheal, a distinct uncle figure.

Tubbo had seen another side of Dream that he hadn't during the L'Manburg war for independence and in some quiet moments when Ranboo had whisked Michael away to put the zombie-piglin to bed, they had shared some heart to hearts about everything that had led up to the war.

It made Tubbo conflicted because it had all started as Dream and Wilbur wanting nothing more than to fill the boredom, but they had failed to explain the situation to anyone else, so people, Tubbo, had gotten invested.

Had Tubbo known, anyone else known, lots of things would be different.

But the most prominent would be that Dream wouldn't be dead, Wilbur wouldn't be dead, Schlatt wouldn't be dead.

Tubbo still held conflicted feelings towards Glatt, it was hard not to when the man had ordered Technoblade to murder him. But Tubbo had been a traitor, had seen what type of person Schlatt had been in private moments when not drowning himself in alcohol, and so as he knew with Technoblade, Schlatt was someone he could trust.

(When not drunk of his arse that is.)

Glatt had expressed his regret, his need to repent to Tubbo for what he had done to his fellow goat hybrid.

So—Tubbo was working on his complicated emotions.

Then before Tubbo's eyes, he watches as X-Dee passes Michael into Ranboo's arms and blinks out of existence.

Tubbo's not even surprised anymore.