As I stand before the beacon of gold, opposite the shrine to my best friend, I catch his eyes. A dark shade of blue like the ocean's deep holds my seaweed green orbs steady. They are what ground me in what matters: not glory, not even the fact that we saved the world, but friendship. Friends are all I really care about in this world. I didn't save the world for the sake of saving the world. I did it for my friends. And Reuben did it for me. (That is a debt I can never repay.)
So, as I stand before the beacon of gold, catching the eyes of one blonde-haired boy, I smile. Lukas doesn't want the attention heroes deserve. In that way, Lukas is my grounding force. How I want to break through the crowd and wrap my arms around him.
But I stand before the beacon for a few minutes longer. I take the nether star from Ellegaard and march up the steps. Tentatively, I place it on the blue stained glass, unsure what to expect. Part of me expects it to explode, which is why I lean away. Once I set the star down, it begins to swirl. As it picks up speed, I hastily step backwards, fearing for the worst. Nine beams, each a varying shade of the rainbow, burst into the sky. Gasps arise behind me, and I can't help but join in. The gasps morph into applause. The audience claps for me.
Well, for my team, too, I think, knocking myself down some with the gentle-edged sword of modesty.
I turn on the spot. They cheer even louder, and I cannot help the grin which spreads my lips from side to side: I did it! What a ceremonious end! May we live in prosperous peace forevermore.
Through the sea of faces, I comb my eyes across in search of Lukas again. I grin so, so wide when I see his unruly mess of blond hair, like he had only five seconds to part it this morning. He's laughing and cheering like the rest of him, but his eyes glimmer with a little more personal pride; after all, he had a direct hand in the fight, too.
I cannot hold myself back any further. Tearing through the masses, I leap the last metre and encircle my arms around the blonde. My Lukas. Everything, from the pain to the exhilaration of winning, that I've been carrying since the defeat of the Wither Storm crashes away. When he puts his arms around me, it melts into my shoes only to seep into the cobblestone ground. I feel safe, at long last. I feel like I can finally rest.
I can feel him smiling against my cheek, and… something more.
"Are you laughing?" I ask, confused and pulling back a little.
"If there's any time to do that," he says, "I think now would be the best damn time."
No more words need to be spoken. No one can say anything more true than that. So, in response, I join in with a chuckle. And it feels good.