"Do it again," Tommy said, staring at me with a smile.

We were sitting on top of the hill next to our homes, a blazing campfire in front of us. The fire crackled and spat against the dark tapestry of the night sky and its twinkling stars.

All of us sat on logs we had rolled up the hills, surrounding the makeshift fire pit made of rocks. I sat next to Techno on a log, Tommy across from us on his own, and Phil and Ghostbur sharing one on our other side.

Ghost and Friend had warmed up to one another and were now huddled together in front of the last log. Both were fast asleep, comforted by the warm fire despite the snow they were laying on.

I wove my hands in front of myself, grasping at the streaks of orange fire. Everyone watched in curious silence, holding their breaths.

A small ball of fire rose above the rest and I pressed my hands together, morphing the flames into a shape. Red was replaced with orange, matching Tommy's shirt under Wilbur's coat.

Streaks turned into a small bird that had the wing shape like Tommy's own wings, a wallcreeper. It fluttered around, skittering across everyone's shoulders and flapping over to land on Tommy's outstretched palm.

He stared at it, and smiled, his blue eyes reflecting the red creature.

"How does it not burn him?" Phil asked, turning his eyes away from the flame songbird.

"It's a controlled burn, so I'm not letting it hurt him. It's just a simple trick," I said. My magic wrapped around the fire in front of us, intertwining some navy streaks into it.

Tommy raised his fingers slightly and touched the head of the bird. When it didn't burn him, he ran his fingers over its flaming head and earned some coo's from the creature, like it was real.

I lifted my hands, focusing on the larger blaze in front of us. The flames rose and began to play out an image like a picture that came alive.

Two winged men flew above, soaring along with the clouds with their orange feathers. Below, the other three people rode on two horses with a wolf running beside them, following after the flying men. I even added Friend's tiny shape on the horse with Ghostbur and Techno.

"Hey, that's us!" Ghostbur said excitedly.

"That's really something," Techno hummed, watching the moving image in awe.

After a moment, I let the flames dip back into the regular fire, but the bird remained on Tommy's shoulder. They were like each other, two songbirds, one of flame and one of flesh.

As the night continued, we conversed about everything and anything. I head stories from their childhood before Phil left. Most of them were Tommy and Tubbo's most embarrassing moments in their childhood.

Each time my shoulders shook with laughter, I could feel my heart swell and some of the cracks heal. I leaned my head on Techno's shoulder and felt everything coming together.

Sure, Tommy still wanted to fight for his discs, Techno wanted to destroy the government, and Wilbur was now a ghost, but for now, we were all together. I could feel their family healing with each moment.

Soon, Tommy was laying down on his log, with his wings wrapped around himself and Ghost, who snuggled up against the boy's chest. Phil and Ghostbur had waved goodnight and headed towards the house with Friend trailing behind them.

Tommy's quiet snores and the crackling flames almost lulled me to sleep, when Techno shifted slightly. I lifted my head a little bit, seeing a part of Techno's blue cape wrapped around the two of us.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I thought you were asleep," Techno said, tilting his head down to look at me.

I noticed then how his hair had gotten longer, fully brushing past his shoulders. It was down at the moment, drooping over his pointed ears and ending in slight curls.

"I almost was," I hummed, watching the embers float from the fire up into the starry sky.

A comfortable silence followed as we watched the world around us. Everything felt so peaceful, far away from war, violence, and ... him.

When the thoughts of Dream began to trickle in, I shifted into a more upright position. Why did Dream have to ruin everything good?

Techno noticed the change in the mood, turning towards me slightly. "What's wrong?"

"Just remembering old times." My words were quiet in the peaceful night.

I thought Techno felt uncomfortable with what I said until I looked at him sideways and saw him looking up at the sky with an amused smile on his face. The fire glinted against his small canines.

This made me smile, the ideas of Dream washing away. "What are you thinking about?"

"Do you remember the first time we met?"

Even though the memories surrounding that time were darkened and blacked out by the demon that filled me, the moment I met Techno was clear. It was when I was trying to kill Tommy, for Schlatt.

At what Tommy called, the Battle of the Lake.

"Of course. Even if I wasn't in control, I remember how you threatened to kill me with your eyes if I even looked at Tommy wrong." I laughed, my eyes sliding over to the sleeping teen.

"Hey, I didn't know what was wrong with you. Tommy and Wil hadn't filled me in on your ... situation. I was just being a good brother, even if it meant killing my future best friend-" He stopped himself, clearly not meaning to say the ending words.

My heart pulsed with happiness and love. A large smile grew on my face and I tucked my head tighter onto Techno's shoulder, pulling his cape around the two of us.

I could feel the nerves coming off of him from saying I was his best friend. These things had always made him nervous and anxious.

"You know Techno, you're my best friend too. And you are a good brother." I felt his shoulders relax under my head, a silent breath coming out of him. The nerves were replaced with joy.

"And, I don't know if I've ever told you, but I have no memories of my childhood or real family. I woke up one day in a random village with the basic recollection of my identity and magic."

"You don't know who your family is?" He asked.

"Nope, and I haven't looked in years. I don't really want to, since I found people to fill their spots if I even had a family in the first place. But what I'm getting at is," I paused, smiling. "That you have been the best brother I could've asked for."

He sucked in a breath, and I heard his heart sputter with my senses. It was rare to make his heart do that. It was always beating its rhythmical pulse, not even speeding up in battle.

"Y/n ... I-" He said, emotion thick in his voice. "I'm glad that you're a part of this family now. And you may never hear this again, but you are helping bring us all together again."

It was my turn to pause, sentimental tears clogging my words in my throat.

When I didn't say anything, Techno continued, "And you saved Tommy. We may have our problems and we will continue to, I know we will with our different ideas." He stopped himself, getting back on track. "But, I couldn't thank you enough for bringing him home."

A few tears trickled free, and I sniffled. Techno froze, making me sit up so I could look him in the eye. There was concern in his dark eyes, brown from the quietness of the voices.

"I didn't mean to make you cry-"

I laughed a sappy sound from the tears and stuffy nose. "No, Techno, these are happy tears."

My arms wrapped around his cape-covered shoulders in a side hug, as I buried my face into the fur. He gladly hugged me back, becoming used to my frequent hugs.

I suspected I was one of the only ones he would let give him hugs.

When I pulled back, my tears were dry but my heart still felt like it had melted with love and friendship. I may never know my family, but this small family in the snow may be all I need.

"I never knew my family, either. Before Phil found me obviously," Techno said, drawing my attention.

"Really?"

He nodded. "I was an orphan when I was too little to realize. Then Phil found me and baby Tommy and Wil became my brothers."

"But I thought you and Wil were twins?"

"Well, since I was too little to remember my own birthday and Wil was around my age, he just said we should have the same birthday." Techno smiled.

I could imagine little Wilbur enthusiastically showing a shy Techno his new home. Of course, Wilbur offered to share a birthday.

"I know it sucks not knowing your real family, but I think you were meant to find Wil and this family. And I think I was meant to find you guys," I said, making him smile more.

My eyes wandered back over to Tommy's sleeping form and his brilliantly white wings. They were as bright as the snow and as smooth as velvet. His mouth was slightly open as he slept soundly.

When I looked closely, I could see the dark smudges under his eyes and the way his cheeks still sank in a bit. He was definitely healthier, but Dream had really left his mark on his mind.

His characteristics reminded me of how Wilbur looked at the very beginning of his descent.

That reminded me of my meeting with Wilbur when he was of sound mind. His words came to my mind, what I was supposed to relay to his twin.

"Tech?" He looked at me, his crown tilting slightly. "I have a message from someone."

"Who is it?"

"You may not believe me, but Wilbur." He peered at me curiously, shock rippling alongside it.

I took a deep breath. "I met with him in a dream, but he was real. He was himself, from before all the wars, when he was your brother." I smiled. "Your heart."

Something rare was happening before me as I spoke of his twin. Techno's eyes were becoming silver-lined with tears, that he tried to hide by rapidly blinking but they only came back.

"He told me to tell you that he always saw you as the best twin this hell of a world could give. Oh, and he said remember the 16th."

Techno smiled and turned away to wipe his eyes. When he turned back, the smile was still on his face and I could see the longing for his brother in his heart.

"The 16th was the last day I saw my brothers before coming back here to help with the Revolution. I hated to leave Tommy and Tubbo with Wil, but it was too dangerous for me to be around. They didn't understand why I was leaving."

I could picture little Tommy and Tubbo clinging to teenage Techno before he left, their eyes filled with tears. It must've broken Techno's heart to leave them.

Techno took his crown off his head, holding it in his gloved hands. It shone like warm honey in the firelight and the red jewels seemed even deeper.

"As a parting gift, Wil had made me a cardboard crown, exactly like this one. He was always so creative, and it's the reason I wear a crown now." His words trailed off, a small smile on his lips.

"He told me, 'I'll always be with you now. Even when we're separated. Don't be scared of the voices, you're strong enough to beat them.' And ever since then, I've used that memory as a grounding when the voices get too bad."

He pulled back his hair to the side, away from his neck. When I looked closer, there was some brown hair intertwined with a small thread of pink hair.

"We cut a piece of our hair and braided it into each other's, so we never would be separated." He let his hair drop back down. "That's why I have to be so careful when I cut my hair. I haven't wanted to cut it since..."

I placed my hand on Techno's arm, comforting him. Despite his tears, his smile remained in place. I could tell what Wilbur had said had really touched him.

There was some silence as his words settled. Seeing Ghostbur and having him around, may help Techno in a way. At least a part of his brother had lingered.

"How did you even see Wilbur? That version of him died a long time ago," Techno said, breaking the silence.

"Oh, right, I didn't tell you. I'm a goddess so I can talk to the dead," I simply said, shrugging my shoulders like it was no big deal.

He stared at me for a moment, and then just laughed. His eyes scrunched close in joy and laughed so loud that Ghost opened one of his eyes in annoyance.

"I knew I was right," He said in between laughs.

I poked his arm to get him to be quiet, but I just started laughing with him from his contagious laugh. I finally got ahold of myself, and said, "Shh, we're going to wake up Tommy."

He sighed and sat up straighter again, composing himself. "I knew as soon as I saw the magic and the way you fought, that there was something up with you."

"Hey, you could be a god too, you know?" I smirked, crossing my arms. "Blood for the Blood God, am I right?"

He waved his hand at me, dismissively. "I already know I basically am. I don't need confirmation."

I shoved his shoulder slightly, teasing him. "Yeah, well the Blood God has a soft spot for his family and potatoes so maybe he does need that confirmation."

"You literally have a soft spot for way more things than me!" He said, smiling.

He shoved me back lightly, but he was stronger than me so I fell off the log into the snow with a thump. The flames rose for a second from the sudden movement and then settled back down.

I gaped up at Techno, my mouth hanging open in a smile. "How dare you! You pushed me into the snow!"

He smirked and then chuckled. "You tried to push me off first!"

I glared at him, trying to stifle my smile with a serious look. He held his hand up to block my face, trying to hide his own smile.

So instead of climbing back on the log, I quietly scooped some snow into my gloved hand and pulled my arm back. When he moved his hand, I swung.

Thunk!

The snowball hit him directly in the side of the head, making both of us freeze. Snow chunks fell off of his temple in chunks, which left his hair slightly damp in a small spot.

I covered my mouth with my hand, choking on my laugh. "Tech, I'm sorry-"

My words were cut off by an even bigger snowball hitting me in the neck. He moved so fast that I couldn't even twist out of the way to avoid being hit.

When I looked back up at him, he was smirking with his chin held high. "You make puny-sized snowballs."

I opened my mouth to say something, but both of us looked over to the log Tommy was laying on when there was some shuffling.

A half-awake Tommy and Ghost were beginning to come around. Tommy grumbled, "Why are my siblings so bloody loud when I'm trying to sleep?"

Techno and I smiled at each other, and I stood. Snow fell off of my blue shirt and cape from the snowballs, landing in a heap on the ground.

"Sorry, Tommy, we didn't mean to wake you up." I glanced up at the moon, seeing that it was nearly in the middle of the sky. "Let's go back to the house, it's late."

He mumbled something about being mad that we woke him up, but ultimately stood and stretched his wings a bit. Ghost sleepily stood next to him, looking like he could fall asleep on all fours.

I made the fire go out with my magic, and the three of us plus my dog clambered down the hill. Tommy dragged his feet, leaving a deep trail in the snow behind him.

Once we reached the bottom, where we would split ways, I sent Tommy into bed before me. We had crafted and moved all the furniture into the house, so it was all set for us to fully move into.

Tommy waved goodnight and stumbled up the stairs, into the house with Ghost on his heels. The wolf would most likely fall asleep with the teen tonight.

Once Tommy was inside, I turned back to Techno. He was holding something out to me, it being too dark to tell what it was.

When he opened his palm, inside there was a small green emerald. It shone in the moonlight, making a soft glow appear around it.

"It's a friendship emerald. For you," He said.

I took it and closed my hand around it. It pulsed slightly from my magic and the connection it made between Techno and me.

Even if my thread snapped with Dream, there was another one forming with Techno.

I pulled him into a quick hug before I went up to bed. My words were muffled in his chest, "Thank you, Techno."

"You're welcome, y/n," He said above my head.

We turned to part ways but before I left, I called some snow into my hand as a ball. It was larger than my last one and would definitely do more damage.

Techno had his back turned to me after saying goodnight and was walking back to his house. I smirked and swung.

The snowball hit him in the back of the head, and he froze.

I snickered and ran into the house, as he just began to laugh.

~~~~

big brother techno lol

definitely don't listen to I Hear a Symphony while reading this if you don't want to cry haha

my lovely discord fam helped me come up with some of the headcanons in this part, so come join us to hear more inside info before the parts come out!

i love you all sm, have an amazing day! make sure to stay hydrated, well-rested, and go eat something if you haven't yet!

don't forget that you are amazing and I'm so proud of you, you're strong. my dm's are always open