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The train station felt colder today than it normally did. The coldness didn't mix well with the heavy tears streaming down the ghost's face.
It felt like ice stabbing his cheeks.
The heavy sobs didn't help anything at all either.
Ghostbur didn't have a good time in this station. Even after so many days, was it years even, he didn't know, he still felt confusion lingering in his brain. And even there the coldness didn't help, he got distracted from it, making mistakes in trying to calm down.
When he looked at the wall with the blue lines and concentrated on counting then he must have been here a long time.
Not that Ghostbur couldn't count, the lines were simply too many and he didn't know if he could trust them entirely.
He must have been here for years by now.
The wall was nearly full.
No train came, no Dream, no Wilbur.
No Friend.
His yellow sweater was stained blue, it always has been but now the blue was nearly everywhere, hiding the original color of the clothing.
" 1 " He started counting, that's the last thing he remembered. Tommy standing there on the other side, screaming for him to count. That he would be ok. No, he wouldn't die.
" 2 " He remembered Friend, his blue wool and his little happy 'bahh' sounds. But the feeling of his soft wool left him slowly.
" 3 " Nikki's bakery came to mind. How she always smelled like freshly made bread. And how comfortable he had felt in the bakery. Did he ever visit her bakery when he was a ghost? He couldn't tell.
"... 4 " Technos cabin in the snow. He was there sometimes, he was there when the people of New L'Manberg came, he was in New L'Manberg when Techno was-
" 5 " He smiled to himself as he continued to count. With the number five he remembered Phil, his dad, his murderer. He liked Phil, he was nice. Ghostbur adored his wings, even though one was damaged beyond repair he thought that they were the prettiest wings he had ever seen.
" 6 " Fundy didn't like him at the beginning, but Ghostbur wasn't sure, it could be his imagination. But they did fun things together afterwards. Ghostbur thinks he had fun at least. When Fundy was getting adopted-
" 7 " He made a sad little laugh, leaning himself against the wall and sliding down. Seven was a strong number, he thought. He knew one strong person in the SMP, he always thought of him.
Tommy was always his brother, and would always be. Even if he probably won't see him ever again. But his strong personality-
A loud ringing noise could be heard across the station. It made Ghostbur's head ring and hurt as he closed his eyes and covered his ears. In the whole time he was here he never heard anything except his own breath. The ringing got louder, he couldn't concentrate on anything. He tried counting.
1, 2, 3 rriinngg-
Then a loud crash came, making the dead ghost scream in fear.
"Do not fear little one, I do not intend to harm you"
What? A soft voice, Ghostbur still had his eyes tightly closed. It wasn't Dream, it was a woman's voice. He recognized it from somewhere. From a past life?
Slowly he opened his eyes and looked up. His mouth fell open, indeed he knew the person in front of him.
She was tall, but not as tall as him, a beautiful black dress adorned her body, matching black gloves up her arms and a jacket laid softly on her shoulders. Protecting her from the cold that was still present in the limbo.
She had beautiful brown hair, matching his own curly brown head.
On top of her head was a black hat, a see through fascinator hanging from it.
"Kristin?" He asked, not sure if he could trust his voice, and he was right: his voice shook and sounded unsteady. As if he wasn’t really there at all, and like this he felt too.
“Hello my boy.” Her voice was soft, Oh god how long was it that he hasn’t heard her? Soft hands went to his arms, the contact was warm, and helped him up from the ground.
Ghostbur towered over her a few inches but the women in black didn’t mind.
“How are you here? Are you dead? Did Dream do something to you?” He flew over his words, muttering and stuttering different sentences. The woman, Kristin, it was Kristin, shushed him softly, he could not not copy that bright smile she had on her lips.
As he looked at her face, taking in the details, he saw her kind brown eyes and the matted pretty lipstick that adored her lips. She looked like he remembered her all these years ago. When they were a happy family without any issues.
“I am so sorry that I couldn’t come visit you sooner.” He smiled, a little laugh escaping as her warm hands found his cheeks and pressed softly “My boy! You’ve grown so much.”
“Mom.” He closed his eyes, trying to hold the tears back.
“Awww don’t you cry. Come here. I'll take you somewhere.” He felt the hands going away, but before he could worry about it she took his hands and guided him somewhere.
Ghostbur opened his eyes again as he felt warm air embracing him from every side.
Slowly he took in his surroundings: they were on a big green field. Flowers bloomed everywhere as far as he could see, every color was here. "Why did you bring me here?" He asked, kneeling down to touch the grass. It felt soft, he was crying again. Blue tinted tears rolled down his checks and little sobs got out of his throat.
"Because I wanted to talk. And someone is waiting for you." She helped him up, once again, and walked him a bit through the field.
"Who is it?" Ghostbur asked, he went through every name in his mind that he could think of. Even Eret.
And he didn't want to see anyone because that would mean they were dead.
"You will see." She smiled, her smile was so pretty. Oh how he missed seeing it.
Soon Ghostbur could see something in the distance, it looked like a bench and for a second he thought Tommy would be there. He couldn't live with the fact that Tommy would be dead. But on the second view he didn't see the young blonde anywhere.
"Look." Kristin pointed a bit to the left of the bench, and Ghostbur followed her command to look there.
At first he didn't really see anything but then, when Ghostbur looked once more, he saw blue. It looked like a big blue ball, coming nearer and nearer with any second. And then his brain slowly transferred the information and tears sprang to his face as he recognized the blue sheep running towards them.
"Friend!" Ghostbur cried, running towards the sheep and falling to his knees to hug it when it was close enough. Once again his tears were staining everything blue but at this moment he couldn't care less. "I missed you so much. I'm so sorry I couldn't come back. Please forgive me Friend." His arms just hugged the soft sheep tighter. Scared if he let go the sheep would be gone.
He felt Kristin coming to his side as a second after her gloved hand was on his head, laying softly on his curled hair. "Tommy took good care of him. Sadly it wasn't enough, he missed you." She said, taking her hand away and petting Friend a few times in the head. The sheep giving loud happy 'bahh' sounds.
"Let's sit down and talk. We have time now. I won't let you get back to this place." Kristin said and Ghostbur nodded, standing up and motioned to Friend to follow them.
Together they went to the bench Ghostbur saw at the beginning and sat down.
"I missed a lot, haven't I?" Kristin said with a small smile. Ghostbur nodded, lifting Friend in his lap and petting him.
"Techno and Phil are living together. Tommy visited Techno once but I don't know what happened. I think I forgot. That's normal, I remember all the happy things." He smiled as he realized Kristin was really listening. Interest glinting in her eyes.
"Once I was fishing with Fundy, my son, and Phil. We catched a lot of Salmon. They reminded me of Sally."
And he told her so much more, time was endless where he was, like in the Limbo. But instead of the Limbo this field was big, bright and full of color and happiness.
Kristin visited him often, listening to every story he told her. Even sad ones, or at least these he remembered. He told her more of L'Manburg, of Fundy and Niki. Of the Bakery she had and of Erets Castle. Of Tommy, of the prison adventure they did to kill Dream. Ghostbur didn't know why he still remembered this.
But now he was happy. He could live in the real afterlife that he thought he would go after Phil killed him.
It was nice here, and he hoped he wouldn't see his friends anytime soon so they could enjoy living. He would see them when time was ready, Kristin promised it to him.