"You're as bad me… You know that?"
Dusty opened his eyes slowly. He found himself in an area that was dark red in color… covered in ash… small flames burning around. Blade was standing before him, worry in his eyes.
"Yeah…" Dusty coughed. "Figures, you've been teaching me stuff…"
"True." Blade sat next to him. "But you were willing to protect Nick at the cost of your life… just like I did."
"I couldn't let him do that… Not after everything… And not after my gearbox failed… I wasn't worth protecting… But he was." Dusty sat up as he looked to Blade. "... So I'm dead?"
"Not yet… just hang in there… Don't do what I did." Blade showed his gear. "You don't want this… you really don't want this."
"I wanna live… I have people who need me back home." Dusty coughed. "My family… My friends…"
Blade stroked his back, trying to ease his breathing.
"Just hang in there… Nick already lost me 30 years ago… don't need him to lose you too… That would break him…"
Dusty relaxed as his breathing evened out for the time being. "Can… Can I ask what happened to you Blade?"
"How I died you mean?"
He nodded.
"If you don't mind me asking… You said it involved Nick…"
"It did… and why he left acting behind him… and why he wound up here…" Blade sighed looking up. "Fire started all of this… funnily enough… Was just another day on the set… just doing our thing… then… I… We don't know what happened… short out on some equipment… I don't know… next thing we knew… fire was everywhere. Nick and I got to work helping people get out… then it came to just us getting out…" Blade closed his eyes. "Things were coming down… we were both going as fast as we could. I saw part of the ceiling coming down on him… I acted on it… I pushed him out… and instead of him getting crushed… it was me."
Dusty frowned, grabbing his hand, giving it a squeeze. "Blade… That's horrible… I'm so sorry…"
"I made my choice… I was hoping I was gonna get out too… I just… I just couldn't let Nick die… Things fell to pieces for me and him… I survived… but only by so much and only lived for a short time… I left a lot behind… But… it was because of that… Nick and I made our choices… he wanted to save lives for real… so he came here… Me… I wanted to stay… found myself making a contract so I could protect the ones I loved and could still be with them…" Blade looked to Dusty. "and I got to meet an amazing young man and see him grow too… don't stop here…"
"I'm not… Blade… You've really become a good friend over this time." Dusty smiled a little. "Thank you for that… I'm not gonna give up… Promise."
"Good..." Blade smiled, squeezing his hand. "I'll stay right by you."
Dusty squeezed back. "Appreciate it."
"You're gonna make it big guy."
"Got too much to live for… I'm not gonna stop fighting."
"It's who you are…" Blade smiled, looking outward. "Always fighting… and proving that you can be so much more."
The firefighters were all resting around Maru's shop. It had been a very long night of firefighting for all of them… It was a victory in that regard… now they just wanted to be there when Dusty woke up.
"Done all I can…" Maru had told them. "Now to see if he pulls through himself."
Maru was resting at his desk, Patch right next to him. The Smokejumpers were all resting around the workshop along with Cabbie. Windlifter was keeping watch outside. Nick and Dipper were on both sides of Dusty, resting in their own chairs.
The sun was barely rising when they heard the young man stirring from his slumber, coughing a bit.
"Dusty?" Dipper asked, holding one of his hands. "With us?"
He squeezed her hand weakly, opening his eyes a bit. "Y-Yeah… M'up…"
Dipper smiled. "Oh thank Machina… Guys!"
Everyone looked in, cheering a bit.
"He lives!"
Nick smiled.
"You had us worried."
Dusty smiled tiredly.
"Couldn't give up… Had a good teacher show me that."
"Just glad to see you up." Maru walked over to him. "Was able to fix up your engine, got most of you injuries treated… and your gearbox…"
Dusty frowned looking away. "Yeah… I know-"
"Fixed and replaced."
"... What?!" Dusty looked to him eyes wide seeing Maru was grinning. "A-A new gearbox? A brand NEW gearbox?"
"It was a pain in the neck to build but I did it." Maru twirled a wrench. "I'm a genius."
"Heh… Remind me to introduce you to my mechanic when I'm able to be up again… She likes smart guys."
"Heh… noted… for now… it's all about you… Nick. I believe you have news to share with him."
"That I do."
Dusty looked to Nick sitting up a bit. "What is it?"
"You showed a lot of devotion out there… and showed you were capable of doing what you need to do… by my terms… you're certified."
He gasped eyes widening. "I-I am!?" He grinned. "Really!?"
Nick nodded, smiling. "Yes."
Dusty gave a small cheer. "YES! Thank you! Thank you!"
Nick chuckled. "You've earned it."
He grinned. "You won't regret this."
I did it… I really did it!
"... Can't take it anymore." Dipper said. "GROUP HUG!"
"... Oh no-"
Everyone gathered around Dusty, hugging him tightly, minding his injuries.
"WELCOME TO THE CLUB!"
He laughed, hugging them as best as he could. "Happy to be aboard!"
Blade was off in the corner watching. He smiled at the sight, chuckling a bit.
Way to go Dusty… Knew you could do it.
If Dusty had as his way, he would've gone home that day, but he needed time to rest and fully recover… soon enough, after a week or two, he was ready.
"Think I'll ever see you again?" he asked Blade as he was getting the last of his belongings packed up.
Blade shrugged.
"Perhaps… depends on you." He smiled. "If you need me… just find a place and call my name… I'll try and be there as fast as I can."
Dusty finished packing his duffel bag, slinging it over his shoulder. "I'll keep that in mind." He made his way over to the man, giving him a hug. "Thank you again… for everything."
Blade smiled, hugging him back. "You really are something, Champ."
Dusty grinned. "I do my best… See you in the future…"
Dusty headed out, the other firefighters waiting for him on the runway.
"Good luck at home… say hi to Mayday for me." Nick nodded.
"Will do…"
Dipper ran up to him, hugging him one last time. "Don't be afraid to visit."
Dusty chuckled, hugging her tightly. "I won't… take care of yourselves… torment Cad if he plans on sticking around."
"You got it."
They all gave their good byes before watching Dusty take off, heading on home.
"You know Nick…" Maru started. "Kind of reminds me of you… ya know?"
"Yeah…" Nick smiled. "Reminds me a lot of someone else as well… and old friend."
Maru squeezed his shoulder. "Has a good heart… just like Blade did…"
Nick nodded.
And he'll go places with it.
He made it through this fire… he can make it through any in the future.
No doubt about it.
The End