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The sun was high overhead, making everything far too hot, in Tommy's humble opinion. Deserts were always the worst places to travel. There was too much sand, never quite enough water, and just enough other people that one couldn't even be dramatic about one's imminent demise without worrying about someone giving you a strange look.
Or attempting to stab you. Thieves and highway robbers were also annoyingly common.
He could see a fight starting to shape up on the path ahead of him, actually. A group of three people - all dressed in various shades of yellow and orange, great for camouflage, almost definitely thieves - were circling a formerly lone traveler; all of them appeared to be armed, which meant he might at least be able to get a good show out of the interruption. He couldn't risk passing them just yet, in case the bandits decided he was their next target.
... come to think of it, they'd probably try and rob him regardless. Maybe he should try and help this guy. Two versus three was slightly more even, which would give both of them a better chance of getting out of the situation without getting hurt.
He sighed, preparing to draw the short sword at his side and rush into the fight. Hopefully he wouldn't get stabbed again. That could add days to his journey. Not as if he had anywhere important to be (or anywhere at all to be, honestly), but he also quite liked life, which was another good reason not to get stabbed.
In his moment of hesitation, though, something happened.
The lone traveler had disarmed one of the robbers by the time he looked back. The other two charged forwards, and he blocked both their attacks, stepping back to give himself more space. He seemed actually pretty good at using a sword, which wasn't at all what Tommy had expected. Most travellers knew only the basics of self-defense, if that.
Recovering from his surprise, he decided to do the smart thing and act as a distraction. Not that he wasn't confident in his own skills at combat! He was very skilled, actually, known as one of the best swordsmen in the whole world (or so he liked to tell people). But the traveler guy appeared to be actually good. Outnumbered, and the thief he'd disarmed was getting back up, but still better than Tommy.
"HEY," Tommy shouted, starting to sprint towards the group at full speed. All four turned towards him with varying degrees of confusion. "I'M GONNA STAB THE LOT OF YOU IF YOU DON'T LEAVE THAT GUY ALONE."
Unsurprisingly, none of them listened.
The moment of distraction was perfect for the traveler, though. He switched his grip on the sword, swinging the hilt into the head of one of the bandits with a sound that made Tommy wince. The person dropped, though, and as soon as the other bandits saw Tommy still running towards them, screaming at the top of his lungs, they bolted off like scared rabbits.
Aw. There went his chance at showing off his fighting skills.
"Thanks, mate," the traveler said when he was within earshot, seemingly hesitant to return his sword to its sheath. "I wasn't sure I'd make it out of that one."
He seemed nice enough, Tommy decided. He had on a forest green cloak, hood drawn up as if to somewhat conceal his face, which usually didn't bode well, but his expression was kind, if a bit tired and wary. His clothes were nice, but worn with time, which meant Tommy's immediate impression was of a former noble, perhaps one who had served in the military at some point. However, that wasn't the important part. The important part was that he was (most likely) the kind of person who both had money and could be scammed out of it.
This analysis took him all of about two seconds. He immediately assumed a bright, definitely-not-mischievous grin. "No problem, my good sir! Tommy Innit at your service." He stuck out a hand at the introduction. "Now, as I have just saved your life from these vile brigands, I would much appreciate a tip. Gold coins only, please. Although I guess silver would also be acceptable if that's all you have."
That earned him a laugh. The traveler sheathed his sword again, apparently deciding Tommy wasn't a threat, and shook his hand. Smart enough to not get scammed, then. Sad. "... right. I think I'll pass on that part. Nice to meet you, though. My name's Phil."
"That's a boring name," Tommy said without thinking. Which- to be fair, he'd been expecting something a little cooler. Like Deathgore the Destroyer or something. All the best warriors he'd heard of were pretentious like that.
"What do you mean? It's a great name! You don't know what you're talking about, mate."
The offense in Phil's voice was lighthearted, and Tommy grinned. "Hey- you're talking to the expert on cool names. You should pick a better one. Like..." he paused, having momentarily forgotten every name he'd ever heard. "Well, I'd say Tommy, but that's me, and I'm simply the best Tommy to ever exist, so you'll have to pick something else."
Phil just laughed at that. "I think I'll stick with Phil, thanks. And sorry to cut this short, but I do have to be on my way. I have somewhere to be by nightfall."
"Oh, yeah, same," Tommy said, despite knowing full well that his only plans for travel basically boiled down to 'anywhere that wasn't the desert'. "Guess I'll be on my way, too. See you around?"
"Maybe," the traveler agreed. "Good luck to you, mate!"
"You too!" Tommy started walking again, only for Phil to snort a laugh behind him. He turned to see the traveler had a hand up to his forehead in what seemed like either exasperation or embarrassment. "... what?"
"I think we're going the same direction, mate."
"Oh." Well. That was a little awkward.
-----
As it turned out, Phil was going to the same town Tommy was - a place called Avenlorn - so they ended up just walking together. Phil turned out to be really fun to talk to. He'd been wandering for about a year now, according to his tale, and had more than enough stories to tell about the time. He was in the midst of recounting a battle against a sea dragon (which was clearly a little exaggerated; he said he fought the dragon in a lake, when they more often preferred the open ocean as hunting grounds) when they reached the tavern at the center of Avenlorn.
The tavern was crowded, but they managed to find some open seats at the bar relatively quickly. It was only at that point that Tommy remembered a fairly important piece of information.
"So," he started, trying to sound casual and lighthearted. "You remember how I was joking about a tip earlier?"
Phil nodded slowly. "Yeah, why?"
"I... don't actually have money. Not enough to stay here, at least."
"Is that so?"
Tommy sighed. He wasn't above asking for money for the bit, but this was a little embarrassing, honestly. "Look, I thought I'd have enough, but this place is expensive," he defended. "Not that I'm asking for any, either, I just... I dunno. I'll work it out. But we're probably not gonna have time to meet up again tomorrow or whatever. Figured I should just bring that up."
"No, it's alright," Phil said, already pulling out a small bag of coins and rifling through it. He pulled out a gold coin and placed it on the table. "I'd say it's a fair trade."
That-
Okay then.
"You do realize how much that's worth, right?" Tommy questioned. While he'd usually just take the money - other people being overly generous was their own business, who was he to correct them? - a whole gold piece was worth a lot. And for what? It wasn't like Tommy had done anything he wouldn't have done for free.
"Yep. Keep it."
"With all due respect, why the hell would you give me this?"
Phil just shrugged. "You remind me of someone I knew. My son. He, uh... I lost him, about ten years ago. During the revolution. He would've been about as old as you are now." He paused, then snorted a laugh. "Techno would call me sentimental," he added, almost to himself.
... well. That was... not what Tommy had expected.
"Sorry about your son," he said quietly, staring down at the gold coin and watching the light bounce off of it.
"It's alright, mate," Phil said. "Wasn't your fault. Besides, I know I'll find him again someday."
The person behind the counter came over before Tommy could ask what he meant by that, slinging a towel over their shoulder, and at that point it would be a little awkward to continue the conversation. Tommy made a note to himself to inquire more about Phil's missing son later. Subtly, of course, and he didn't want to bring up bad memories or anything, but he was curious. Sue him.
-----
The next day was much the same as the one before. It would be another day's travels or so before they reached the end of the desert and got to somewhere that wasn't basically hell on earth, plus sand for good measure. Phil still had plenty of stories to share - not to say that Tommy didn't tell a few of his own as well - and there wasn't a chance to bring up the conversation from the last night until they were at their next stop.
It wasn't an inn, unfortunately. They weren't close enough to a town to justify continuing on for the night. The oasis was good enough, though, and the floors of the open shelter structures were remarkably sand-free. There was a firepit at the center of a circle of stumps. More of a ring of stones, honestly, but there was firewood nearby, and Phil was able to start a fire pretty quickly. It made a perfect space for just hanging out as the sun slowly set and night fell.
"So," Tommy started, when there was a lull in conversation. The fire crackled softly behind his words. "You, uh... mentioned having a son last night."
"Yeah?"
"What was he like?"
Phil stared into the fire, and Tommy almost regretted asking for a moment. Then he let out a breath. "It's been too long," he said softly. "But he was always so friendly to everyone. A little shy at first. He was growing out of that, though. The last time I saw him, he'd talk to anyone if they'd let him. He was a trickster, but never so much as to be really mean about it. There was one time, though-" He paused to laugh. "Can I share a story, actually?"
"Yeah!"
"Right. So this was when my son was... five, I think. I had a meeting to attend that day, so I left him with my friend, Techno. Techno found me afterwards in a bit of a panic. 'I look away for two seconds', he says, 'and the gremlin's gone'. D'you want to know where we found him?"
Tommy nodded.
"He was in the vault, trying to steal one of the crown jewels so he could hide it somewhere. He was going to have us do a scavenger hunt to find it. It was really clever, actually, I'm not sure how he got past the guards-"
"Wait- crown jewels?" Tommy interrupted, because that seemed like a detail Phil had brushed over remarkably quickly.
Phil paused, seeming at a loss for words for a moment. "... forget I said that."
Unfortunately, the dots were connecting far too fast for Tommy to simply forget about it. Suddenly things made sense. "No, wait, hold on- you're King Philza?!"
"Yeah, sure, tell the whole world, why don't you," Phil mumbled, burying his head in his hands.
"Oh, sorry-"
Thankfully, there was no one around to hear Tommy's realization. He decided that staying quiet for the moment would be his best bet regardless. Phil seemed to have been struck momentarily speechless, most likely from the shock of getting found out. Which was fair. King Philza had been on wanted posters around the kingdom since the revolution almost a decade ago. No one ever found out where he'd disappeared to after the castle was taken over.
At least, not until now. Apparently he'd just been wandering around with a cloak as a disguise for ten years.
That being said, Tommy was honestly more annoyed at himself for that part. Now that he was looking for it, he could recognize the king's face as Phil's, despite not having suspected a thing up until this point.
"I'm not gonna tell anyone," he said after a moment. "If that's what you're worried about."
Phil looked up at that, giving him a smile. "Thanks, mate."
"So wait- your kid. That would be the prince, right?"
"Prince Thomas, yeah."
"Cool, cool."
It had always struck Tommy as an interesting coincidence that he almost shared a name with the missing prince. He even used to joke that he could've been the prince's twin. That was before the revolution, of course; afterwards, someone attempted to stab him before he could tell them it was a joke, he wasn't actually royalty, and he decided it was better to not make that joke for the sake of his own safety.
-----
The next day, Tommy noticed someone following them.
That is to say- following was a strong word, honestly, because it was the desert. There was a single road. Anyone who happened to be walking on said road was technically following anyone who happened to be walking ahead of them.
With that being said, though, the person who was following them appeared to be walking at a pace just short of a jog, as though they were trying to catch up, while simultaneously being incredibly subtle about it. Tommy hadn't even noticed them until they were about a hundred meters away.
"Phil?"
"Yeah?"
"Don't look now, but there's someone following us."
Phil immediately started to turn and look. Tommy grabbed his arm to stop him. "I said don't look now, they'll know we know he's there." Because he was great at taking his own advice, he glanced over his shoulder, only to realize the person had gone from speed-walking to running towards them at a full sprint. Definitely following them. "Phil, RUN-"
He didn't get more than a few steps before tripping over a stone embedded in the path that had been covered in sand (yet another reason to hate the desert). He fell, getting the breath knocked out of him as he did and probably scraping up his palms. Before he could try and get up, there was the distinct sound of a sword unsheathing. "Don't move."
He didn't move, just wheezed, trying to catch his breath.
"Techno, it's alright, he's a friend," Phil said quickly, and Tommy wracked his brain for where he'd heard the name Techno before. Someone Phil knew, obviously, and apparently someone who would be on their side.
There was a sigh. "... fine. You can get up, kid, but no tricks."
"I'm not a kid," Tommy grumbled, rolling over so he could get back to his feet in a slightly more dignified manner. "And who are you, anyway?"
The person who'd been following them gave him an unimpressed look. "The name's Techno. I'm Phil's personal guard." The last statement seemed particularly pointed, as though Techno was expecting Tommy to be the kind of person to cause problems on purpose. Which- okay, fair, but ouch.
"Don't forget best friend," Phil added, seeming oblivious to the vague amounts of hostility being thrown around.
"And best friend. That too."
"So how'd you get out of prison, anyway? Wasn't it supposed to be a life sentence?"
Techno shrugged. "I convinced them to let me out early."
"What do you mean, 'convinced them'?" Tommy asked, because the way Techno said it seemed to imply something else.
"... it's a long story. Who are you, anyway?"
"I'm Tommy."
"As in, short for Thomas?"
"Nope, just Tommy."
Techno nodded slowly, giving Phil a questioning look. Phil seemed confused at that and just shrugged in response. "... alright, fair enough."
-----
"So... how goes the revolution plannin'?"
The question, posed by Techno as they set up camp the next night, caught Tommy by surprise. He wasn't entirely sure who it was directed towards. He was pretty sure Techno wasn't talking to him, given that he hadn't thought about planning a revolution a day in his life, but Phil didn't seem like he had any sort of plans for anything, much less a whole revolution.
"Not great," Phil admitted, which was pretty much what Tommy had guessed. "It's hard finding people who won't immediately turn me in for the reward, and there's no way I'd be able to get a large group together secretly. I'm not sure what to do."
Techno nodded, taking the information in stride. "I thought as much. Good news, I got a plan. Kind of."
"You could just storm the castle," Tommy suggested jokingly. "There's only, what, a hundred people in the castle?"
"Closer to two hundred," Techno corrected.
"Seems like a fair fight."
Phil, at least, got the joke, so Tommy counted that as a win, despite how Techno was looking at him like he was an idiot. Which was just unfair, honestly. He wasn't that bad at strategy. Probably.
"As I was sayin'," Techno started again, "I have a plan for gettin' the castle back. It involves findin' all the high-rankin' people and... uh, politely askin' them to resign. The problem with that, though, is that we'd have to get into the castle in the first place. Obviously they're not gonna let either of us in, so we have to send someone they wouldn't recognize first. Someone who could let us in from the inside."
Tommy nodded along, because that made sense, only to realize a second later that Techno was staring at him. "Wait, what?"
"I feel like there's a few steps missing there," Phil agreed. "But it's a start!" He leaned forwards to poke at the fire, sending a shower of sparks flaring up. "You know, I have a good feeling about this."
"You said that last time."
"Yeah, well, this time for sure."
Tommy glanced between Phil and Techno, feeling like he was missing something in the conversation. "Hold on- have you tried to start a revolution before? How has no one heard of that?"
"Because it failed immediately."
Phil scoffed quietly. "Only because the blacksmith turned out to be a traitor. We're gonna succeed eventually, though. We just have to keep trying different things until something works."
"Isn't that, like, the definition of insanity?"
"No, insanity is doing the same thing over and over and hoping for a different outcome."
"... like stagin' a revolution over and over again and hopin' it'll turn out eventually?"
Phil waved that off with surprising lightness, and Tommy glanced to Techno, hoping he'd be able to explain things better. The more he was listening, the more he felt like Phil wasn't actually taking anything super seriously, which didn't seem like him. "Why would you keep trying to get your throne back if it's not working?"
"Phil doesn't believe in bad endings," Techno explained, as if that made any sense at all. "I keep tellin' him it's not a good idea to always assume the best is gonna happen, because plot armor doesn't exist in real life-"
"I'm usually right, though!" Phil interjected. "And don't tell me plot armor doesn't exist, I literally almost watched you get executed a year ago, and yet here we are. How did you get out of that, anyway?"
Techno entirely ignored the question. "That doesn't count, I had, like- a dozen backup plans. They couldn't have executed me if they tried."
"I'd say they tried pretty hard, mate. Sounds like plot armor to me."
Techno sighed. "Still doesn't count."
"What about the time with the revolution?"
"You mean the one that's still going on? That's goin' pretty terribly, actually."
Phil shook his head. "No, the other one. The one that you stopped. I literally got stabbed, and I didn't die! You can't say that's not at least a little bit of plot armor."
"First off, that revolution was half-baked and the leaders were idiots. Second, there's this wonderful thing called medicine, Phil. You weren't gonna die. It wasn't even that bad of an injury- you just had to take it easy for a few weeks and it was fine."
"Okay, true- you remember the time with the sirens, then?"
"Not legally, no."
"Oh. Right. But my point still stands."
Tommy cleared his throat to interrupt the conversation. "Not that this isn't interesting, but what do sirens have to do with anything?"
"They don't," Techno answered instantly. "No sirens. Nope. None whatsoever." Phil gave him a look of light annoyance, which was slightly undermined by a smile he was clearly trying to hide. "Just talkin' about how Phil's always hopelessly optimistic. Which doesn't always work out, because life's complicated sometimes, and plot armor doesn't exist."
Phil shrugged. "Doesn't mean I can't have dreams."
"Illegal. No dreams allowed."
Tommy nodded as if he understood a single thing that was going on. "Right... so you're looking for your wife and your kid, and also trying to start a second revolution to get your throne back? And your wife and kid may or may not be dead? And you think you have plot armor somehow?"
"Pretty much, yeah," Phil chirped brightly. "I do think Kristin and Thomas are still alive, though."
Techno huffed lightly. "See, there's no winnin' here, because either they're alive and he's right, or they're dead, but I can't do anything about it because sayin' 'told you so' would be mean."
Phil grinned at him. "Which is why being optimistic is so fun!"
-----
Tommy had officially come to the conclusion that his travelling companions were insane.
They seemed to be genuinely planning on reclaiming the throne with just the two of them, plus someone on the inside, and Tommy had a sinking suspicion he knew who that person might be. Not that he was against the idea! His part sounded cool as hell, and Phil had already agreed to his request to live in the castle from then on if the plan succeeded.
... that being said, there were a lot of people who lived in the castle already, apparently, and pretty much none of them would be too helpful to the cause of revolution. So it wasn't the smartest plan as far as strategies went.
Which is why, instead of joining Phil and Techno in their little strategy meeting, he took the opportunity to figure out where they were on the map Techno had given him after his persistent asking for it. The map was... well. Unintelligible was a strong word, but it applied here. Nothing was where it should've been, and the spidery handwriting that named places was completely illegible.
"You're holdin' it upside down," Techno deadpanned over his shoulder, and Tommy yelped in surprise, dropping the map. It floated sadly to the ground. "Why did you want that, again?"
"If you must know, I was trying to see if we'll pass my old home. It's over by L'Manburg City." Techno sighed, as if Tommy was somehow missing something important. "What?"
"Do you know where the castle is?"
"L'Manburg City, why?" There was a pause, and Tommy realized that he had, in fact, missed something important. "Oh. Right. Well, your map sucks anyway, I couldn't even read it."
"Yeah, because you were holdin' it upside down."
Phil cackled softly from nearby, and Tommy flipped him off without looking, only belated remembering that this was, in fact, the former king. Whoops. At least Phil didn't seem to care. "So where are we?"
Techno picked up the map, folding it under itself so he could point out a spot in the midst of a patch of soft green. They'd left the desert a little while back, much to Tommy's relief, and the grass nearby was spotted with wildflowers. He'd had to stop himself from leaving the trail to pick some. "Somewhere around here. We're not too far off from L'Manburg City right now; just up this way, though we're gonna have to do a bit of a detour so we don't have to cross the river over here." Techno traced the path as he was talking. "It would be faster if we could use that crossin', but there's always guards there, so it's not worth the risk."
Tommy nodded along. "How long will that take?"
"Uhh... probably about a week?"
"A week? But that's- like- forever!"
Phil laughed, walking closer so he could bump Tommy's shoulder lightly. "It won't be that bad, kiddo. Think of it like... a family road trip!"
"Absolutely not," Techno said instantly. "This is not a family trip. I refuse."
Tommy grinned, seeing the opportunity to do something really funny. "What? Are you saying we're not like brothers, Sir Techno the Blade? After all we've been through together? I'm hurt, honestly-"
"That's just not my name. Also, it's been like- a day, where are you gettin' this 'brothers' thing from?"
"Well, you see, we're like brothers, and Phil's the dad-"
"No."
-----
Much to Techno's annoyance, Tommy kept up the bit for the entire week it took them to get to L'Manburg City. Phil even accidentally called him "my son" at one point, in jest, which ended up with both of them tearing up a little (though Tommy would absolutely deny it), while Techno pretended he wasn't associated with them at all.
It was glorious.
Finally, though, they'd reached the castle. The lofty spires gleamed in the light of the setting sun as they set up camp. They'd do the last bit of planning that night, then set the final scheme in motion the next morning. It was a little sad, almost; Tommy realized he'd miss the easy camaraderie of the late nights sitting around the campfire. Sure, he'd be living in the castle once this was over (if everything turned out and they didn't all end up executed for treason), but it just wouldn't be the same.
"Can I say something? Really quick?" Phil asked now, interrupting the lull in conversation that had so well lent itself to reverie. After a pause, he continued, "I just wanted to say that if... well, if things go wrong tomorrow, I'm happy to have known you both."
"Gettin' all sappy on us?" Techno teased lightly.
"Oh, shush."
"In all seriousness, though, it has been fun hangin' out with you guys. And tomorrow's gonna go great."
"Because we have such a great plan," Tommy added, half sarcastically. It was honestly pretty half-baked, as far as plans went, but that was alright. It was at least worth a shot.
"Exaaactly."
Phil snorted a laugh. "Right, I think it's about time we get some sleep. Can't storm a castle if we're falling asleep on our feet, now can we?"
"I mean, we could try," Tommy joked. "And just think- it would be really funny."
Despite his best efforts at staying awake, though, to savor every last moment of the night, it wasn't long before he was fast asleep.
-----
The next day dawned bright and sunny, and the birds were chirping as they started the last bit of the journey to the castle. It seemed like a good sign for them. Which was good; they'd need all the luck they could get, and then some.
As they got close to the city center, though, Tommy noticed something a little strange. Everyone seemed to be more excited than they should've been on an average day. It wasn't a holiday, as far as he could remember at least, and he couldn't think of any other big event that might've happened recently.
Regardless, the chaos was perfect for their plan. Three travelers wandering around would go completely unnoticed.
"I wonder what's going on?" Phil said aloud, echoing Tommy's thoughts. "Should we ask someone, or...?"
"Eh, we'll probably figure out eventually. Better not draw too much attention," Techno reasoned.
That was a fair point. As much as Tommy wanted to ask someone now out of spite, they were too close to the castle now to risk anyone getting suspicious. Phil's disguise was still just a cloak, and while Techno had put at least a little more effort into changing his appearance, the pink hair was pretty distinctive. Figuring out what was going on would have to wait.
The crowds didn't disperse as they got closer to the castle, which was a little surprising. Tommy had expected that once they got out of the city center it would be a little quieter. Apparently not, though. He made sure to keep an eye on both Phil and Techno at all times to make sure he didn't lose either of them. He'd have to go into the castle on his own, of course, but having them there as emotional support of sorts helped a little.
It would all go perfectly, he kept telling himself. He'd get into the castle, somehow hide until nightfall, then let Techno and Phil in so they could "convince" the current rulers to resign. Which he was pretty sure just meant "stab them to death", but it basically accomplished the same thing, right?
Either way, it was going to end well for them. All they had to do was stick to the plan.
Just as Tommy caught a glimpse of the courtyard through the castle's open gates, though, Phil started sprinting through the crowds, apparently abandoning the plan completely.
Techno cursed under his breath, then turned to Tommy. "Alright- either stay right here or follow me." And then he was running too.
"What about the plan?!" Tommy called after them, earning himself some confused looks from people nearby. Shoot. He sure as hell wasn't going to stay where he was, so he cursed to himself and made a run for it.
The crowds didn't reach the actual gates of the castle, thankfully, and he was able to burst through onto an open stretch of ground. Techno had stopped a few steps away from them for some reason. Tommy slowed, then, and looked ahead to see-
Well, at least Phil hadn't gotten himself stabbed. That was good. He was hugging someone tightly, seeming completely oblivious to the world around him, and Tommy started to ask Techno who it was.
"That's Kristin," Techno told him, almost as if anticipating the question. "How'd she get here before us?"
"Wait- wasn't she dead?"
"No, she went missin'. Phil always said she was alive somewhere. Apparently he was right."
"Oh."
"Techno! Tommy!" Phil called, walking towards them, now hand in hand with Kristin. "I told you she was alive!"
Techno made a half-bow, and Tommy attempted to copy him, but almost immediately gave up and just nodded instead. "Hi!"
"Techno! It's so good to see you again! And this would be... Tommy, you said?" Kristin asked, giving Phil a questioning look. "As in short for Thomas?
Tommy shook his head. "Nope, just Tommy." Why did everyone ask that? It seemed a little odd. Most times, when he introduced himself, people just ignored him and moved on with their lives. They didn't usually comment on what it might be short for. Maybe that was just a thing royalty did?
"Speaking of that, actually," Phil said, glancing around as if looking for someone. "Do you happen to know where Thomas is? I lost track of him when the castle was being taken over, and I thought you had him."
Kristin nodded. "I do know where he is, yeah! And I'm sorry about leaving you behind. We were supposed to meet up at the docks, remember?"
"I thought... wasn't it the market?"
"... that would explain it." Kristin said with a laugh. She didn't seem super upset by the mix-up, just continued, "I signed on with a pirate crew. It was Ranboo's idea, actually- they thought it would be fun to hang out with pirates for a while. And it turns out he was right! My friends helped with all of this." She gestured around. "If it weren't for them, it could've taken a lot longer to take back the castle."
"We were just gettin' to that, actually," Techno interjected. "We had a great plan. Totally would've worked."
"It's a really good thing you got here first," Phil added, laughing. "I have to ask, though- who's Ranboo?"
Kristin's eyes widened at that. "Oh, I forgot- of course you wouldn't know! They're our child. He picked their name while we were at sea."
Phil lit up, grinning with an almost infectious energy. "Aww! I'm so proud of them!"
Tommy started to tune out the conversation and took a few steps backwards, because as much as it was cool to witness the reunion, he didn't really belong there. He hadn't actually helped get the kingdom back, after all. And Ranboo was still alive, which might mean he'd get jealous of Tommy calling himself Phil's son, and that would just be a mess. So in the end, there was no reason for him to be there.
It hurt a little to realize.
It was fine, though! He could just go back to wandering around and having a fun time. No responsibilities or anything. It sounded... well. Not amazing, but definitely something he wouldn't hate, so maybe-
"Tommy?"
"What?" Maybe he should have been paying attention, actually.
Phil didn't seem to mind, though, just smiled at him. "I was just wondering if you still wanted to stay here, mate. I know it's been a while since I made that offer and things have changed quite a bit, but the offer still stands."
"So- wait, what?"
"You're gettin' adopted," Techno summarized helpfully.
"You've already been adopted," Kristin corrected, grinning lightly. "If you don't want to stick around, that's alright, of course, but our doors are always open."
"Are you saying I get to live in a castle? Because if so, absolutely yes-"