Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

He awoke. 

Today is the day. Something bubbles in his chest, excitement, mixing in with a soup of dread. His head was empty of reasons why. Why is he so anxious? He has no clue. That won't do. He can't have no clue. 

Sitting up, only now realizing he's been staring at his ceiling for probably an hour, the image of the wood almost etched in his mind. He shook his head barely erasing the sight of his architecture before moving his hands off his chest, only now also realizing he's been gripping his memory book, hard, achingly so, since probably last night. Did he even sleep? He can't be sure anymore. He's dizzy, his thoughts jelly. Groggily he simply flips the pages open. Heart beating with every flick of the paper. 

Thump

Flip

Thump

Flip

Thump 

Flip

Thump

Flip

Thump

Flip

Stop. 

There it is. 

He read it again and again, almost scrutinizing every stroke of the letters. It is noted, the Ranboo of the Past made sure his Future self shall remember. He remembers. He'll make sure. With all his brain power could muster, he etched the words he wrote into his head, promising not to forget. Never forget. Never. Not this time. 

He promised. 

With a last thump, the book closes, and he lets out the shaky breath he's been holding. He closed his eyes. In and out and in and out, and in and out, and with one last sigh, his gaze opens, hardened, determined. 

He knows what he must do. 

This time, he won't fail.

His lanky legs wobbles, shaking despite the apparent resolve he mustered. Somehow, he manages to steady himself, walking straight enough to reach the door. He has one last chance. He can't screw this up. With a twist from his wrist the door creaks open. 

And he is greeted by the busy cacophony of the entire populace. 

Almost everybody who is officially a L'Manberg citizen is running around in full Netherite armor. Ranboo couldn't even begin to question why. He is just left dumbfounded, standing there with mouth agape unsure what to say. Everybody continues to ignore him. His thoughts trail on how they're supposed to keep all armor banned from L'Manberg, right? He turns to Tubbo, who is just standing there, positively glowing in a purple aura from the enchantments cloaking him. A trait he shares with everybody here. 

And just as quickly they took off their armor, ensuring they are following the laws they themselves established for their country, as they should. All that's left are aprons bloody as if they just had the most violent of cooking sessions. Ranboo took this as a chance to finally talk. 

"Guys..?"

He calls. Despite finding himself regaining his ability to speak up, he is ignored. From above he glances at Quackity. While unarmored, Ranboo could hear the repeated shhhing and see the purple sparks flying as their vice president idly sharpens his netherite pickaxe. Finding his legs walking towards the middle of the town square, his gaze leaves the vice to see Fundy, also running around in a bloody uniform. He probably shouldn't be running with sharp objects such as an axe like that. What if he slices his eye? Should he tell him? 

Choosing not to, he taps Tubbo. 

"Hey?" It took him a bit to realize his president might be unresponsive because he's in a different VC. Tubbo's just standing there, staring at Big Q then at Fundy, moving his mouth but nothing could be heard, as if telepathically speaking. 

That's what VC communication is for after all, private words for private ears. 

So Ranboo taps his communicator, and for his eyes only pops up a list of communication channels, immediately he scans and sees Tubbo along with most of his cabinet, except for maybe Karl, hanging out in one of the VC's. He joins and is immediately blasted by Tubbo's yelling. 

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN WHO IS JONALD?!" 

"HOLD UP- Hold up. Jonald is the best pet I ever had!" Ranboo immediately butts in, ignoring Quackity's words about his first and very deceased pet. 

"Well that's debatable." Big Q commented, chuckling, which miffed Ranboo a teensy bit more. 

"No- No I-" 

"Oh Big Q you look dapper!" His interjection was interrupted by Tubbo, Quackity piping up from the compliment. 

"Aaah! Thank you! Thank you Tubbo!" Quackity cheers with Fundy chuckling in the background, proud of their… interesting fashion choices. 

"Were you-" He finally manages to interject. "Were you just on a chopping spree lately? What is this?" 

"Oh someone's getting chopped alright." Fundy answered, and as if to add to his declaration he took a large bite out of a porkchop, loudly chewing, receiving a glare from Quackity, and it's probably not because he's wasting perfectly good porkchop. 

"Well that doesn't sound very nice." Ranboo replied. 

"Wait, Big Q-" Tubbo turns to his vice. "Didn't we tell him? 

Ranboo blinks. 

"What?" He's chuckling. Totally not because he is getting tense. Definitely not because Tubbo and Big Q are giving him the most scrutinizing of stares. Fundy however doesn't seem to give a care really, only casually continuing his admittedly obnoxious chewing in the background, one of Quackity's eyes twitching. 

"Should we tell him?" 

Tubbo keeps at it with the questions. The way he looks up to Quackity for approval leads to a very brief thought entering Ranboo's head, is Tubbo really President material? The thought is giving birth to doubts, it's not making him any sure if Tubbo is only trying to be fair and diplomatic, especially after what happened with the former Vice President and his own friend, or if he truly has no control, surrendering it to Quackity, who Ranboo has no qualms with truly, but, is he really a good choice to rely on? 

Ranboo shudders. Should he really be feeding into his doubts this much? This is his home! Tubbo gave him a home. 

He should put faith in them. 

Right? 

"Fellas fellas." Quackity calls for quiet, Ranboo seems to have trailed off enough for him to not have noticed an entire debate about him, apparently, at least, he thinks it is. Quackity walks up to him, stopping by his side, close to his ear. 

"Look, I'm gonna be real with you- You really aren't the most… trustworthy guy."

"Yeah, I get that."

His thoughts trail back to how he just appeared here, not like he remembers where he came from anyways. Very trustworthy indeed Mr Ranboo, not at all sus. 

"But here's the thing, you're a citizen, right?" Yes, Ranboo nods, he could be described as one yes. "And a citizen only needs to give one thing- one important thing for his country. You know what that is..?" 

"Uhhhhh… Taxes?" 

"Tsk Tsk oh no. Oh no no no." Quackity waves a finger at him. Ranboo didn't even notice Quackity had somehow managed to wrap an elbow around his shoulders, pushing him downwards to the vice's height, their difference rather considerable.

"It's loyalty, Ranboe. Loyalty."

"Ah." And oh, they're now starting to move. Quackity's arm wrapped around Ranboo remained, tugging at him, leading him away. Ranboo doesn't struggle, though he briefly glances back at the others, Tubbo and Fundy briefly staring at each other before choosing to follow. They seem to know what's up. Ranboo isn't sure he likes where this is going. 

"Wait- I have to-" He pulls himself away from Quackity, who stopped upon losing his hold over the taller half Enderman. "I have to tell you something."

Quackity shrugged. "Pfft I'm sure you can bring that up in the meeting room." He was walking towards the water-filled crater that they now call a lake. 

"Oh! The meeting room!" 

Tubbo gasps, stopping near the body of water as well. He seems excited, even Fundy, who finally put away his porkchop. It is clearly due to him not wanting it wet. Who wants a soggy porkchop? 

Ranboo looks down hesitantly. 

"I…" He shivers as a splash grazes his shoes. Quackity had already dove in, pickaxe digging through the cobblestone, revealing a hidden passageway. "You- Do know that I'm-" 

"Severely allergic, I know." Fundy is putting it lightly. With a hearty slap on the back courtesy of the foxfolk, Ranboo nearly fell face first into the water that stings him so much. Stumbling into regaining his balance he gave Fundy a more annoyed than angry glare, the fox only snickering at his reaction. 

"Come oooon." Fundy's already removing his shoes and hat, paws dipping on the water. "It's not that bad, promise!" 

"Yes, says you!" Ranboo's tone remains light despite his clear annoyance. "You should know, you know everything about Endermen, fox boy!" 

"Ranboo!" Tubbo playfully scolded. The President chuckled and Ranboo couldn't help but laugh as well. Fundy had his fair share of giggles though he barely seemed to have paid any mind to Ranboo's counters. 

"Yeah yeah." He soon disappeared into the depths following along with Quackity, as foxes do. 

"Well there he goes." Ranboo places a hand on his hip as Fundy disappears into their stone opening, how the halls weren't flooded by water yet is a testament to this universe's wack physics, the thought causing Ranboo to snicker just a bit more. "Didn't one of you mentioned he is part fish or something?" The snickering not leaving his voice. 

"Pffft HA HA HA!" Tubbo let out a guffaw, clutching his stomach in uproarious laughter. Is he crying? "Let's just- Let's just go…”

“Wait-” Tubbo pipes up, floppy goat ears rising. “Didn't I see you swim a couple of times before? How were you..."  

As Tubbo trailed off, Ranboo scratched the back of his head. "Uhhhh kinda? It's not like it burns immediately, and I might be in armor back then."

"Oh armor!" Tubbo exclaimed, nodding. "Sure you can wear them right now, it's no big deal."

"Wait-" Ranboo immediately found himself protesting. "Isn't that like- Completely illegal?" 

"Eh, it's my country.” That either sounds very inspiring or very concerning. Tubbo just shrugged, continuing. “It’ll be fine minuteman, really.” Tubbo then reaches out. He takes a bit in trying to place his hand on Ranboo’s shoulder, before just giving up and awkwardly placing it on the taller boy’s upper arm, remaining in an uncomfortable, tip-toed posture. Ranboo is starting to feel bad.

He lowers his body, leaning into Tubbo’s attempts at a comforting gesture. Yeah, that's better. 

“You sure?” Ranboo couldn’t help but let his concern drip in his words. “I really don’t mind, I’m just being a big baby here and-”

“Naaaaah, come on Ranboo!” Tubbo, still tip-toeing despite the more manageable reach Ranboo had provided, squeezes his shoulder. “We can’t have our citizens suffering here! What kind of country is that? We have health care for crying out loud!”

“Wait, we have healthcare?” Ranboo didn’t get an answer to his admittedly joking remark as a bunch of an actual full set of netherite armor was shoved in his arms courtesy of his president.

He’s left baffled.

Tubbo just looks confused, he doesn’t seem to be expecting this sort of reaction. “What? It’s just armor. Oh my god- Are you poor? Do you need any help Ranboo?” Tubbo's closed knuckles struck his open palm, nodding as if he just figured out everything.

Tubbo did not. 

“I- No.” Ranboo doesn’t look poor does he? He spends most of his days underground mining, there's just no way he presented himself like a hobo, did he? “It’s just- I only need armor- I have armor actually. This is netherite Tubbo- You don’t have to use our entire treasury!” Seriously, he knows there are rich people in the server but who the heck just has spare Netherite lying around, ESPECIALLY in L'Manberg. The last thing he wants is for Tubbo to believe he is in need of immediate assistance. He doesn’t.

Somebody else does.

"Treasury? What?" Their President tilts his head. Oh wow, did they even have a Treasury? For a while he recalls Niki and how she never actually got to do anything with her role as Treasury Secretary. Now Ranboo feels even more bad. 

“Whaaat? It’s just netherite.” Somehow, Ranboo is starting to lean on that sounding more concerning than inspiring. “You really should stop- catastrophizing things, no offense.” Tubbo shook his head, actual concern now in his gaze. Nope, that’s the last thing Ranboo needs. Tubbo mercifully looks away, the young ruler mumbling to himself. “Did I use that word right?”

“Yeah…” Ranboo instinctively answered, causing Tubbo’s flattened ears to pipe up once more.

He turned back to Ranboo, a smile in his gaze. “Great!”

“Hey- Where the hell are you?!”

An obviously rather irritated sounding voice of Quackity popped up from thin air. Ranboo suddenly recalls they’re both still hanging out in VC. Has Quackity always been there? He couldn’t help but gulp thinking of their second overall in command hearing about Tubbo wasting quality resources on him just because of his distaste of water.

“Coming! Just- Wait a sec Big Q!” Tubbo answered back. Ranboo could hear a grunt coming from Quackity, before their vice decided on leaving their call. This leaves him and Tubbo, just the two of them, the latter turning towards him, with surprising sternness in his eyes.

“Look- Just think of it like rental. Except, you can give it back whenever I swear! No pressure.” Tubbo slowly walks back, steadily stepping into the lake until he falls in a splash. His head immediately bobbed up from where he was under, looking up at Ranboo expectantly. 

“Didn’t you have this whole thing you want to talk about?”

“Oh yeah, that.” Ranboo spoke aloud, looking down. As he begins to raise his head once more he watches Tubbo’s expression softens into a smile. 

The president gave him a salute. “Cool! See you there.”

And the horned kid descends underwater, as goats do, Is Tubbo even a goat? Ranboo is not really sure, Tubbo never actually told him. What other mobs with horns exist in this world? A cow? A ravager? The flipping Ender Dragon? 

And after a little while his thoughts descend back to earth from wherever dreamland it trailed off from, Ranboo realizes he’s just been standing there, alone, for possibly a few seconds. The armor their own President “lent” to him is still in hand. What’s he supposed to do with these anyways? Throw it away?

As much as the others might not like it, Ranboo isn’t rude, at least, he tries not to be. 

He puts them on, and before he knows it he has somehow managed to convince his troubled self into touching this dreaded liquid. Taking a deep breath as more of his lanky body descends into the crater turned lake, he dives in. The pain doesn't set in, not yet, but his eyes remained shut tight at the thought of being caught in armor despite the President's approval. He couldn't see where he's going, where's the opening? He probably here too long, the feeling of that familiar dull sting through the creases of Tubbo's armor. The thoughts persisted, isn't this still illegal? Would he get in trouble? Worse, will Tubbo get in trouble for him? 

No use staying here, sinking like a rock. 

Shaking his head, his eyes flashed open. Pushing forward, he swam, right into the gaping maw that is the cave his friends disappeared into. Without any more fearful thoughts he bursts through the water, splashing through the hallway onto stumbling legs before being suddenly halted by what felt like fur, losing balance and with a yelp, rolling on the damp floor taking the furry individual with him. 

Peering an eye open once more, his swirling sight steadily straightened out until he was met by the fresh water dripping red muzzle of Fundy, who was looking down at him. 

"Dude- the hell?" Their fox Secretary of State stood up, reaching a hand out which Ranboo takes, he pulls the half-enderman up. "You ok?" 

"I'm- Ah- fine! Uhh." It wasn't hard for Ranboo to notice Fundy eyeing him, specifically the fact he's wearing armor. Immediately, Ranboo sheds the protective gear off, hiding them in his inventory. 

"You did not see that." Fundy merely arches an eyebrow at Ranboo's assertion. The younger boy chuckles awkwardly as Fundy narrows his eyes. "So- How's the weather today?" 

"God- What's taking him so long!" 

"Give him a break Big Q the man should be very hydrophobic-" 

Ranboo's ears twitched as he heard the banter of the approaching Quackity and Tubbo. He turns to see the two stop upon seeing him, shocked he's finally here. There was a short pause

"Yoooo! You came!" Tubbo cheered, his current right hand man stepping past him, arms open. 

"Ranboe..! Finally! My guy." Ranboo felt it as he was pulled downwards by Quackity's weight after the shorter one decided to hop up and wrap his arm around Ranboo's shoulder, somehow managing it in one go. He nearly fell face first again but managed to stay standing this time. 

"It's Ranboo..?" He tried correcting, speaking meekly. 

"Whatever. Now, come come- Follow me." Quackity said in haste. Now Ranboo once again finds himself in Quackity's grip, being led away, awkwardly walking with him while leaning downwards into the shorter man's height. Ranboo however, could still feel Fundy's stare, shuddering at the obvious feeling of suspicion. 

"Trust me, this is gonna blow your mind." Tubbo hypes up, neither him nor Quackity seems to be noticing Fundy's continuing stare. Ranboo can't help but quietly gulp. 

"Wait wait hold up- Before I show you what I've- we've been cooking up these past few days I gotta ask you something. Just one thing, one thing only Ranboe." Quackity turns his head, looking up at Ranboo, and despite looking from slightly below, Ranboo could feel the authority of that stare. It drowns out the feeling of even Fundy's continual narrowed gaze at him currently. As if his country's second highest authority himself is staring him down from their podium. 

"Shoot." He replied sounding so casual, but it really was all he could say. 

Quackity lets go of him, allowing him to stand up straight again, finally, he was getting uncomfortable and not just because of how long he had to hold that posture. The tense stew that's been building up in his chest bubbles inside him. 

Everybody is looking at him. A mixture of expectancy and distrust in those eyes. He fidgets and shudders internally. It feels like forever, as he waits and waits and waits for Quackity to finally speak, get over it. He can't stay under their scrutinizing stares for any longer, his very being disallows it. No. Please stop. Please. 

"Are you gonna fuck us over?" 

It was only probably a few seconds, that gap between Big Q preparing to ask him something and now. But, it felt way longer in Ranboo's point of view. It's no surprise he pipes up immediately upon Quackity's question. 

"No." Was his surprisingly unwavering answer.

A grin grows on his Vice President's face. 

"YEEEEEAH! LET'S GOOOO!" 

Their cheers echoed in the hall as everybody seemed to light up at his simple answer. Well, almost everybody, Fundy remained silent as Big Q and Tubbo were celebrating, no, more like hyping about something, not really anything Ranboo identified yet. 

"Uhhhh… Yaaaaaay." He pumps his fist in the air, barely, as he half-heartedly cheers along. He doesn't hide his obvious confusion, though neither Tubbo nor Quackity seems to care. 

"Oh yeah?" Everybody turns to Fundy, who finally spoke up after minutes in silence. The foxman strides up to him, eyes hardened into a not really angry glare. His narrowed gaze meets the wide unsure ones of Ranboo, who is forced to look away. Damnit, no more staring. 

"You sure?" The fox hybrid inched closer to his side. Thankfully not restarting their staring contest. 

"Y-Yes." Despite not staring at the fox in the face, Ranboo tries blurting out an answer, this time, a little more shaky, at least, compared to his earlier words. 

His skin still mildly stings, dripping wet from diving to even get to here. It does add the benefit of his cold sweat blending in the freshwater coating him, masking his lack of relaxation in this situation he found himself in. Fundy seems to revel in the quiet, extending it. It almost feels like torture to Ranboo. Not again. He only had to deal with one gaze now, but the emotions swirling in the foxboy's eyes almost matches everybody in the room. It was just like before. It's exactly like before. 

And Fundy just gives him a smirk. 

"OK." 

Was all that Fundy said, moving back, a look in his face as if he just won something, and Ranboo could feel like he could breathe again. The cheering resumed based on the Woooo's and Yeaaaaah's he hears in the background. He took the time to calm himself, steadying his stance. He couldn't have noticed the hand placed on his arm. 

He spun and saw Big Q, a wide smirk in his face that everybody in the room shared.

"Come come, come to this room-" 

Quackity beckoned him to finally keep going and he did. 

"So you aren't really cooking, ri- Oh my god."

Ranboo didn't really know what he was expecting to witness at the end of this hallway, but an opening to a room covered in messed up looking pictures of pigs of varying degrees of uncanniness and blood is most definitely not one of them. Quackity chuckles besides him. 

"Yeeeeah pretty sweet huh?" There is a lot of pride in Quackity's voice. Not just him either, as Ranboo could hear Tubbo's whoop in the background. 

"WHOO! BUTCHER ARMY BABY! Wait-" Tubbo interrupts his hollar to turn to Big Q. "Wait- Are we standing on our places before or-" 

"Yeah yeah." Quackity nods. "You stand over there Tubbo- Fundy-" He ushers the two into their positions, which neither resists, standing ready with Tubbo in particular bouncing by the balls of his feet. 

"And and Ranboe-'' He stands in position upon hearing his name. Quackity seems to have noticed his overly tense body language, as his voice lowers into a slightly softer tone upon continuing. "You go take Tommy's place. Well- not really. He isn't really… here anymore."

In those few words, all of his feelings from earlier today the moment he awoke all fell on top of him like a dump truck. 

Oh yeah. 

Tommy. 

Whether it is of gentleness or grief, Ranboo noticed the crack in the normally rather spirited Vice President's voice. 

It reminds him of what he's here for. 

Ranboo parts his lips, about to speak up until Tubbo ends up beating him to it. 

"Yeah…"

Ranboo couldn't help shutting his mouth at the sound of pure out in the open regret in the single word that came out of his President's mouth.

It squeezes his chest. 

"It is unfortunate, I know…" 

It was followed by Fundy, the sorrow not as obvious as the President, but Ranboo could sense it there, plainly seeping through. 

Suddenly, all he wished to say felt clogged up in his throat. He could only turn to the many mutilated pig posters all across the room. Their blank eyes the only thing Ranboo could truly stare at right now. 

"Mmm-hmm..." 

He trailed off. That was all that came out of this mouth of his, out of everything he wishes to say. He couldn't. He just can't find it in himself to speak up. Not like this. Not now. He found his fist clenching as a feeling of frustration sparks within him, it's heat crawling up his skin. He has to speak. He has to. 

Instead, somebody else does. 

"Fellas- Listen." 

With a single hand raised, everybody looked up, turning to the speaker, who pulled them from their longer than expected self-pitying stupor. 

It was Quackity, speaking with the utmost authority expected of his position as L'Manberg's second in power. Even Tubbo, the actual President, had quieted down, listening closely to who was supposed to be his subordinate respectfully.

Seeing as he has everybody's attention gathered, Quackity lowers his arm. 

"We have a plan in our hands..." He began, leaning onto the table and staring straight at everybody. A fire in Quackity's gaze, so intense that it almost feels like scorching Ranboo's skin. He flinched, instinctively looking away once more. It's fine, he's just appreciating this modern art of the gored hogs slapped across the walls. It's fine. 

Quackity however, ignoring Ranboo, continued. "And I say, somebody is getting cooked tonight! And whoever that is- It is not gonna be us! Do you understand?!" 

"...yeah. Yeah!" 

It was Fundy, his hesitant agreement, still saddened by the thought of Tommy, quickly transforming into an excited yell. Tubbo soon followed, both of them nodding along, crying an almost battle cry. Ranboo could see the same flame in Quackity's eyes spreading, sparking within the other cabinet members as well. Quackity did it. He had just succeeded in lighting something within all of them, even Ranboo a little, despite just starting to get recruited here. 

Ranboo sometimes questions why Big Q isn't their President in the first place. 

"We aren't letting this pig son of a bitch keep walking all over us for what he did! Our country is hungry for justice!" Quackity cries. 

"And victory!" Fundy cries back, fist filled with porkchop in the air. 

"Yes, and victory." Quackity doesn't look like he appreciated the interruption but he let it fuel him. 

"And we're- We're fucking getting it."

And Quackity slammed his axe on the table. It was a determined declaration, not yelled, only stated. 

It doesn't take a psychologist to understand everything running in Quackity's head right now. A single-minded goal. A gnawing hankering for blood, for victory, for justice. It also doesn't take a genius to know who that pig son of a b-word, their words not Ranboo's, is. A nearly inaudible growl escapes Quackity's lips. 

"Yeah! Did you know he blew our fucking country up!" Tubbo suddenly utters, looking up at Ranboo who chokes out a response. 

"Uh- Yes. It- doesn't sound very nice, Imma be real with you." He says as if it wasn't the most obvious thing to do, speedrun making L'Manberg your enemy. 

"Yeah yeah, indeed." Tubbo once again, just nods. 

"You could say it is very unpoggers of him." Fundy added, already restarting his obnoxious pork chewing. He earns a stare from Quackity. 

"Yes Fundy, and you're an orphan." Says Quackity, both very true facts.

"Hey!" There is a horrified look in Fundy's face as pork bits come flying everywhere. It is a look that even Ranboo is unsure of in how genuine it is. "Low blow…" With the way it cracked, that does sound like actual betrayal and disappointment in Fundy's words. Ranboo just stood there, not really sure what to say or if he even can console the fox folk, should he actually need it. 

"So uhh…" Ranboo began, trying to shift the topic elsewhere. "What does this have to do with me..?" 

It was a fair question. Ranboo isn't even sure what they actually need him for in an obvious assassination attempts, or if he'd be of any help at all if he is being honest. 

Quackity however, doesn't take it as a genuine ask, looking at Ranboo in pure bewilderment. 

"What do you mean what- YOU'RE RANBOE! YOU'RE A CITIZEN! Didn't you remember what I just said?" Quackity had since walked around the table to Ranboo. The enderboy could only back away from Quackity as his back hit against the wall, only now realizing oh wait, he's in an almost claustrophobic sized cave. Where could he possibly go? 

Quackity has him cornered. The shorter one exuding this threatening presence, almost crushing Ranboo despite how much he is the one physically towering over Quackity, exerting a power Ranboo here lacks. He could only tremble as the Vice President inched closer, his bloody face a hair's length near Ranboo's bloodless suit.

"What does a citizen give?"

"L-Loyalty?" Ranboo answers quickly, shutting his eyes tight immediately afterwards. 

After a few seconds of pause, he peaks one eye open, widening, surprised to see the Vice President, the same one that spoke with so much pent up anger and the need to kill one guy, genuinely smiling. 

"LOYALTY! YES! You do get it!" And Quackity mercifully pulls away, letting Ranboo relax visibly. 

Quackity chuckles, stepping back, letting Ranboo have the personal space he needs. "We are going to need all the help we can get to take that criminal bastard down."

A palm was reached out for him, opened, beckoning him.

"So are you gonna be loyal or not? Ranboe?"  

Looking up at its owner, he saw his Vice President before him, no longer cornering him, but instead, giving him a real offer, a real choice. A sign of trust from his superior, that he would make the wisest of decisions. Ranboo raises a hand. 

He is tempted to take it, just agree with the offer. He doesn't have anything against it. Right? 

And yet he hesitates. 

Why is he hesitating? 

He instead looks away, pulling his hand down and clenching it into a fist. He almost didn't catch the brief glimpse of disappointment crossing Quackity's face as he lowered his palm. The fear of his and L'Manberg's wrath gripped Ranboo for just a moment. 

"I'm- Well… Of course…" 

Ranboo somehow managed to answer. 

"Yesss! Knew you're a smart guy!" Either Quackity didn't notice the sound of hesitation palpable in his voice or he just plain ignored it. "Now that's what we need! Am I right?!" The Vice hollered to the rest of them, who whooped and cheered. With Quackity merely walking up to Ranboo. Ranboo winced upon being given a hardy, kindoff painful, slap on the back. 

Suddenly, from his inventory, Quackity materialized yet another bright purple axe. Why does Quackity have yet another axe, made out of NETHERITE mind you, just casually lying in his inventory? As if you know, just in case? Ranboo has absolutely no clue. He had since learned never to question Quackity, such as him not at all questioning why Quackity is shoving this axe, one made of the strongest materials in game, into his hands. Yes, no questions.

Quackity steps back, looking at Ranboo in a way he could kind of describe as pride, hands on his hip and nodding like an approving father. 

"You're like that guy from that movie- You know-" Quackity comments but was cut off by Tubbo. 

"OH! Was that Rambo?! First blood!" Tubbo answers for him, quite eagerly. 

"YESSS YESSSSS! RAMBO! That!" The following pat on the back was thankfully far gentler, as the prior one is still very sore. "Yeah yeah now that's what you're called! Fucking, RAMBOE! Oh no no no, Techno is so fucked." Quackity cackled, clapping. Ranboo awkwardly chuckles along. 

Until he remembered. 

"Wait- Wait a second." Ranboo suddenly recoils from Quackity and the rest of the cabinet, receiving narrowed stares as a result. Gulping, he continued. "Before all that- I just want you to know that uh- That uhhh..." His words stumble, a bad time to get his tongue all tied up. 

"That what??" Fundy is especially miffed by this. Maybe it's him taking so long? Maybe it’s the orphan comment prior? Whatever the case, the fox snapped at Ranboo. "You said it yourself, you aren't gonna fuck us over right? So what? Are you gonna fuck us over, huh? Ranboo? "

There is a cackle mixed with Fundy's words despite their confrontational nature. It however, doesn't lessen the threat it imposes, or make it any light hearted. It does not for Ranboo. It does not at all. 

"I'm not! But- But uhh-" Ranboo desperately tried explaining, but Fundy ain't having any of it. Shaking his head and only giving him his most fox-like look, his eyes grinning as if challenging him. Urging him to try. Come on Ranboo, say it. What do you want to say? 

He opens his mouth, taking a deep breath-

"...you're chickening out on us?" 

He was suddenly interrupted. Ranboo gasping out all that he had inhaled in that one instant. He couldn't elaborate further, not with Quackity's almost quiet question leaving him scared silent. He spun and saw him, Quackity, expression completely unreadable. A single thought enters his head. 

He's screwed he's screwed he's screwed he's screwed he's screwed-

"Guys? Guys! We shouldn't be peer pressuring him." Tubbo butts in, trying to defend him. 

"Peer pressuring?! Tubbo- This is basic citizen responsibility." Quackity cuts him off however. 

"Yeah! And what are we gonna do? Shut him up? He knows our plans now, we can't just- leave him be!" Fundy spoke up as well, whining with a bit of laughter. His grinning eyes hardened, staring down at Ranboo. 

Ranboo reflexively chuckled out of nervousness. "To be fair, you- kindoff left it obvious." Light jokes, just very light jokes, perfect for diffusing tension. 

It's not effective. 

Fundy seems to be about to spew a retort when-

"Look look- Everyone! Shut the fuck up for one goddamn minute alright! Jesus Christ…" 

Once again, it took Quackity to finally get everybody to indeed shut up. 

Lips zipped, they all turn to Quackity once more. It is clear who is the leader of this situation, it's been clear since Ranboo spoke to him today in hindsight. 

"Listen- Ranboe. You have to understand. This is of utmost importance, alright." An odd somewhat non-angry gentleness is what came out of Quackity's lips as he began. "An old friend once told me… the only way to really help people is by having power. And I- We, L'Manberg, don't have much of that power anymore, what with all the wars and that fucking Technoblade siccing Withers at us from the sky and blowing everything up- And we can't have that anymore, can we Ranboo?"

He took a few steps forward. 

"We fucking can't."

Ranboo felt cornered once more and that is despite Quackity barely invading his personal space anymore. The Vice's voice significantly lowered from its starting gentleness, as more and more of his admittedly justifiable anger in Ranboo's opinion came to light.

And he kept going. 

"L'Manberg can't have power without respect." His aggravation is increasing, getting more and more audible. "So help me god if we ain't getting that fucking respect now- With all the shit I planned we ain't fucking getting it without Techno's head in a platter- So tell me Ranboo-" 

He stops from backing Ranboo even further into the wall, the younger kid looking absolutely terrified. 

"Are you with me, or not..?" 

"I am!" Ranboo finally snapped at him, pushing himself off the wall and managing to stand his ground against Quackity, in enough desperation. 

"But just- Listen to me-"

Quackity laughs at his face. 

"What?! What goddamn thing is more important than this?!"

"THAT TOMMY'S COMING BACK!!!" 

There was a long pause. 

Ranboo finally managed to say. Whatever was keeping him from just blurting it out earlier finally gave way through Quackity. Even his rampant self doubt couldn't hold him back any longer. He felt drained. Finding himself slumping, huffing and puffing trying to even out his breathing. With a lot of hesitation, he looks up, dreading everybody's reaction. 

Quiet. 

Just a wave of silence for the first couple of seconds after dropping the big news. The cabinet merely blinked at him, clearly still in the middle of processing what was just said. Ranboo is torn on whether he preferred this over the yelling and questioning he had expected. 

His musing didn't last however. 

He's interrupted-

The sound of laughing.  

"Pfft-" 

First with Fundy

"Pffft ahahaHA!" 

Then Tubbo

Until everybody but Ranboo had filled the silence with a cacophony of laughter, clutching their stomachs as they all cracked up. This time, he is the one merely blinking at them. The familiar heat of embarrassment blending in with frustration rises in his chest. 

"Wait- Wait really..?" Tubbo mercifully halts his giggles, wiping a tear from his eye. 

Quackity wasn't stopping however, although, the sounds of his giggling softened as he spoke. "Wait- You aren't being serious are you?"

Finally, actual ears were lent to him. Although he is unsure whether they are still actually taking him seriously or not, Ranboo still takes a minute to sigh. Opening his eyes as he clarifies. 

"I've been trying to tell you." He insists, flipping open his memory book. "It's right here. Why would I lie??" 

Against his better judgment of not sharing something as private as his memory book, he had decided to shut his thoughts up and let everybody stare at the proof in question. The silence that followed is far more deafening than prior. Their denial was quickly replaced with a cold hard slap of realization. 

"Are you fucking serious." Came from Fundy, clearly baffled. 

"Oh goddamnit-" Quackity couldn't help but just curse. Hand on his head, almost tearing at his hair. "Really?! When?!" 

"It's today-" Ranboo flinches early, knowing the reaction next. 

"WHY THE FUCK- And you're just not gonna tell us?!"

Fundy dropped any hints of his more playful pretenses, legitimately sounding pissed. And, Ranboo couldn't exactly blame him. 

His clenched fist shook. "I tried! I really did…" Ranboo could only look down at the cobblestone floor, gritting his teeth as regret starts consuming him. "But I- I kept forgetting and I didn't know how to break it to you and I couldn't find the time and… I don't know! I just- Didn't…" 

"I'm truly sorry… I really am…"

Ranboo's arms wrapped around himself in a hug. If only he could just shrink in the corner and fade. He could feel their gazes surrounding him soften, less of anger and more of pity. Ranboo just couldn't accept it. He's more deserving of their ire. A small whimper comes out of his throat. 

"Ranboo, Ranboo- Hey minuteman! Look at me!" It was Tubbo who pulled him out of his corner of shame, urging him to look at him, not in the eyes, but at least just look. "Slow down, it's ok… Just- Tell me what you mean- Tell me-" 

Tubbo's grip on both his shoulders gently squeezes, it puts him at some ease. 

"Is Tommy gonna come back."

"Y-Yes." He managed to mumble. Gently, he pushes Tubbo off of him, looking away not out of shame but at the book he still had on hand. "...kinda…"

"What the hell do you mean kinda??" While there is no more audible venom in Fundy's words, he doesn't exactly sound forgiving of Ranboo's screw up yet. 

Ranboo looks at him, then at everybody else. His eyelids feel heavy, so does the rest of his body actually. He's drained. Completely so. But, he shakes his head, taking another deep breath, knowing he had to keep piling on these big news he for some reason chose not to speak of earlier. 

He opens his mouth. 

"He can't stay, alright."

He plainly stated. 

There is a pause. 

A silence, once more. 

However, Ranboo didn't let the silence stir for long, cutting through it as he continued. 

"He said that- Dream agreed to let him visit." He carefully relayed. "But, he can't be out of exile just yet. He didn't say why he just… can't." He finished. 

And he didn't need to wait long for somebody to react. 

"HAH! Dream?! That son of a bitch is onto this- Then- Then the hells the point?!" Quackity's mockery filled tone isn't directed at Ranboo. The hand that's on his scalp earlier moved to his face. Expression twisted in a lot of frustration. 

Ranboo's face twists as well as he looks at the overwhelmed Quackity. Hesitantly, he found himself reaching out. Is it pity? Would Quackity find this remorse insulting? His hand stops mid air, hesitating some more. 

"I- I don't know that's all he said-"

"Dream's fucking with us."

Fundy muses aloud into a mumble, interrupting Ranboo. Everyone immediately turns to the fox, who remains in his thoughts. Brain whirring. A thumb on his chin. As his ideas began clicking, so did he kept speaking. 

"Think about it, why would Dream do this now, in such short notice might I add." Fundy seems more animated as he thinks, gesturing his ideas rather wildly. "Unless… He knows what we're doing today and- He's just toying with us."

Fundy moves his gaze away from the stone floor, onto everybody, his eyes lighting up in understanding. 

"It makes perfect sense!" 

"Yes but that would mean somebody couldn't keep their goddamn mouth shut." Quackity interjects, almost as if he's ready to disprove Fundy's claims. 

Until-

His face also lit up. 

"God- Are you implying we have another fucking traitor, Fundy?"  

"I mean… It's possible." One could easily hear the growl coming out of Fundy and even if they can't, the way his claws dig into his knuckles says everything. "There's like- No other explanation."

"FUCK!"

Slam! The stone table cracks under Quackity's fist. Tubbo turned away so as to not get hit by any of the shrapnel like airborne stone pieces, which crackled loudly on the floor as they landed. 

"It… It could be a coincidence?" Tubbo  slowly turns back to Quackity. His face sporting a look of concerned hesitation. "Maybe Tommy's just been doing good lately! Yeah…" 

"Tubbo…  You do know who we're talking about? You know- The OTHER guy on our hit list. Do you really think anything is a coincidence with that green bastard?" The way Quackity spoke sounds less baffled of whom his President chooses to trust, and more tired and done. 

"But… It's not like he's been doing anything bad lately…" Tubbo softly mumbled, trying to justify his hesitation, only to earn a look from Fundy. The foxfolk's mouth agape, face twisted in horror at Tubbo. 

"Tubbo- What the actual fuck?!" He cried, arms open as if asking why. Just why. "Do you hear yourself??" 

"Tubbo, Tubbo- My man." Quackity steps forward, placing a hand on Tubbo's shoulder, squeezing it. "Are you really falling for Dream's bullshit?!"

"What?! No!" Tubbo shoved Quackity off of him. "What are you saying?" The President's glazed unsure eyes started to get filled with a growing fire. 

Quackity ignores this. "I'm just saying- You're letting your chess playmate get into your head." Quackity points at the side of his head, tilting it, trying to get his point across. "Tubbo- You're the president. And I- Just want my president to remember his priorities. Alright?"

Tubbo only gives him a bitter laugh, backing away from his right hand man. 

"Then what do you want me to do??" 

The spark in his eyes grew into a massive inferno. Anger and disbelief in those orbs. 

"War him?!"

"That's not-" Fundy tried to interject but was stopped by a fiery glare coming from Tubbo. 

"Why? Why are you all so obsessed with war lately?! We're already dealing with Technoblade and now Dream was just added to the picture and- You know we did this to prevent more war right? To deal with Techno and coexist with Dream? Isn't that the point??" 

The rest of the cabinet could only watch on in horror as their President is wrecked with an almost uncontrollable chuckling. He's trembling, hugging himself. It is Quackity who found it in him to step forward, grabbing Tubbo by the shoulder, attempting to get a hold of him, his leader, his friend. 

"Tubbo- Didn't you hear what I just said?" The Vice President carefully tries steadying their shaking President. Tubbo's low laughter hasn't stopped. "We need to do this for L'Manberg. And if it means killing Techno and fucking up Dream then-"

"THEN WHAT DID I LOSE TOMMY FOR?!" 

Quackity was shoved across the room with surprising force. He stayed standing, only to nearly fall at the sight of Tubbo. 

Tears cascade down their President's eyes, now red in bitterness. The glare he gives Quackity stayed, for an uncomfortable length of time. Those brown orbs are spilling out, overflowing with all of the hurt they didn't notice. Hurt that their Leader almost always kept bottled. He couldn't anymore. And for this brief but painfully long moment, it all comes flooding out. 

Ranboo tore his gaze away from Tubbo onto everybody else. His attention would be grabbed by Fundy, who is mouthing something, he couldn't immediately identify. He had to squint to read the words. Words that he later understood as "Wilbur…"

He didn't understand what it meant. 

Hearing a soft whimper, his gaze returned to Tubbo, who looked away, wiping his eyes with his sleeves, desperately trying to get the tears to stop. 

Their leader sniffled, it took a bit but it did, the tears had finally stopped. Leaving a red eyed Tubbo to look dejectedly through his citizens. His hands a fist, too tired to even clench. 

"...The quicker we fix this the better." 

Was all he could say. Exhaustion can be easily heard palpable in those words.  And it seemed to be the quickest way to finally end the entire discussion, for Tubbo at least. 

Of course, Ranboo just had to keep it going. 

"Then what about Tommy…?"

Everybody looks at Ranboo, this time, he doesn't flinch. 

"He's still coming." Ranboo adds, as calm as he could possibly muster being. "I- Don't think we have time to reschedule…" 

"Sure we do!" Tubbo pipes up, his eyes still look incredibly fatigued but all that pain seems to have been bottled up where he believes it belongs. Ranboo had to bite back his concern for his friend in case Tubbo doesn't appreciate the pity.

He doesn't want another Tommy. 

Tubbo taps his communicator. "I'll message Dream."

"Wait-" Quackity immediately sprung up, grabbing Tubbo's hand. "Oh no no no Tubbo, you don't need ME to tell you that's a horrible idea."

"How???" Tubbo pulls his arm off from Quackity's grip. "You said it yourself Big Q, Dream might already know so- What's the point?" 

"Exactly!" Quackity backs a few lengths away, mostly to address not just Tubbo, but everybody else. "We MUST strike now! What are we just gonna let them prepare while we're all just sitting ducks??" 

"...are you saying Dream is working for Technoblade?" Tubbo asked. 

And Quackity just gives him his most 'Are you serious?" look .

"Well- YES!"

"Tubbo- Dream literally helped Techno blow up our nation." Fundy shook his head. Looking more done with himself than their admittedly rather naive President. "At this point, why are we even surprised?"

"We don't know that." Tubbo tried countering for Dream's sake again, though the others couldn't seem to find it in themselves to counter back anymore.

"And- And what about Tommy? We can't just- Stood him out like that…" Was what followed, admittedly sounding like a more reasonable concern. 

"Tell me-" Tubbo grabs Ranboo by the arms. "When is he gonna be allowed to come back??"

The Enderman hybrid couldn't really bear the expectant stare his goat hybrid friend is giving him. So he could only shake his head, looking away, thankfully spared from the sight of Tubbo's disappointment. 

"Tubbo, listen." Quackity gently pulls Tubbo off of Ranboo, who quietly sighs in relief. 

"I know you miss Tommy, and- I am sorry."

He spun Tubbo around, softly pushing his chin up to look at him, straight in his eyes, his stare unwavering. Unlike Tubbo who is starting to fall, fogging up, completely beaten. 

"But this is a matter of our nation's future, we either execute Techno now… Or never." Quackity's gaze hardened, not of anger, but pure resolve. 

He let's go of Tubbo, the President stumbling back out of his hold.

"So are you gonna let this one go and listen to us just this once- Or not?"

"But…"

"But what? What is it this time Tubbo? Do I  have to remind you- You didn't listen that time. And now-" Quackity pauses, a brief bit of hesitance before saying what needed to be said, hurting Tubbo be damned. "Now Tommy's gone." 

Tommy's gone. 

An urge to snap at Quackity almost entirely took over Ranboo. That was harsh, even for him. He couldn't however. He could only watch as Tubbo, shaken to his core, backed away, back hitting against the wall, legs shaking. He looked like he was about to tip over. Ranboo tried reaching out for him, but Tubbo raised a hand, stopping him. The leader managed to steady himself before he could come crashing on the floor. 

The mouth Tubbo had left partly open transformed into a saddened smile. His once wide eyes are now almost halfway covered by heavy eyelids. His look of utter despair shifts slowly, into that of serene resignation, as he looks up in sad acceptance at Quackity. 

"You- You really think I don't know that?!" Came his shaky reply. "Big Q- I thought I was doing the right thing. I thought it was a good enough price to pay for peace."

He clutches his chest. 

"But I regretted it OK…" Came a mournful cry.  "Really… Every. Single. Day. That he wasn't here… I believe I made the wrong decision…" 

He claws at his heart, unable to stop the few droplets of tears falling once more, no matter how hard he bottled it up. 

"And- Everyone-" 

He looks at them, eyes full of regret. 

But he keeps smiling. 

As if that would stop the tears. 

"I'm truly truly sorry for not listening to you. I really am."

"But-" He let go of his chest, looking down at his shaking palm. "Am I supposed to pick between him and L'Manberg again?" 

Tubbo's joyless smile matches his soft chuckle. 

"Do I just let him down? For the second time..?" 

He whimpers, flinching as Quackity suddenly placed a hand on his back, rubbing circles across it. 

"Tubbo… Look, I get that alright." Quackity spoke with a surprising tenderness. Tubbo's shaking eases under his touch, as Quackity whispers calmingly, even as he kept going. "But you have got to stop seeing this as an us vs Tommy thing. It's not. And- In any other day sure, I'd welcome him myself."

"But now is different." Quackity pulls away, leaving Tubbo to look up at him, achingly. "I take pride in my position as Vice President of L'Manberg, so for its sake, I'm gonna make this easy for you."

And just like that, in all suddenness, Quackity spun on his heels-

And began walking away. 

"I'm going." Quackity marches to the exit, into the stretch that is their cobblestone hallway leading up to the surface. "I'm fucking taking down that pig piece of shit if it kills me, with or without you."

"Wait- What?" 

Tubbo seems to just then snap out of his short trance to see Quackity walking away, about to abandon him. He runs for him, reaching out, barely missing his Vice's bloody apron as he keeps walking away, farther and farther. 

"Big Q!" Quackity actually halts, turning upon Tubbo's cry for him. The kid's arms remain in the air, still reaching out. 

"You can't- You can't seriously mean that?" 

Tubbo lowers his arms, seeing the look Quackity gave him. It is a look of a man more like stone, not budging, yet with a gaze not of determination but of nothing but resignation. Quackity sighs as he answers.

"It's my decision, Tubbo." Quackity spoke as bluntly and as clearly as possible. "I won't stop you from seeing Tommy, but- You can't stop me from doing what I believe is right."

"Wait!" 

Fundy suddenly bursts from where he once stood, leaping to Quackity's side, axe in hand. 

"I'm coming too." 

"Fundy?!" Tubbo gasped. 

Fundy merely turns at him, his gaze having more fire than Quackity. It has resolution, one the Vice President lacked. 

He gave Tubbo his most full-of-himself kind of smirk. 

"Hey! Quackity said it himself… I'm an orphan." Fundy's smirk briefly dropped as he clearly struggled in saying that. He shook his head. "So, I'm- sorry about Tommy but… Yeah Techno is done." 

"YESS! Let's gooooo Fundy!" 

Quackity hollered, patting Fundy on the back. His resigned eyes had a surge of actual excitement. Inspiration coming from Fundy's showing of courage, which Ranboo doesn't believe he had. 

It's almost as if they can actually stand a chance against this man called Technoblade, just the two of them. 

Tubbo disagrees. 

"But- But it's Technoblade!" Tubbo cried, desperately trying to get both of them to see reason. "I can't just stand here and send my citizens to their deaths! YOU'LL LITERALLY DIE!" 

"Look- it's our choice, Tubbo, whether we die trying or not." Quackity's reply was clearly the exact same thing, his goal remained unchanging. 

"Well- Maybe not die." Fundy adds, shrugging as he scratched the back of his head. 

Quackity ignores the comment, nodding at Ranboo. 

"What about you?" 

Ranboo looks around, pointing at himself. "Me..?"

"No, your cats- Yes you!"

"I-" He is at a loss for words. He looks at Tubbo, unsure, then at Fundy, then Quackity. Mouth agape, trying to find the right words or just the right answer. 

He shook his head. 

"I don't think I'll be much help, sorry." 

Tubbo's eyes sparkled, looking up at him, relieved and hopeful. 

"Tsk… Alright." 

Fundy, with the way he spoke in a taunting way, not so much. Ranboo could see that brief spark of expectations for him crashed down in utter disappointment. He looks away from Fundy, feeling somewhat guilty.

"Big Q- Fundy-" Tubbo looked at each of his closest men, hand raised, unsure if he should just hold onto them, and never let go. "You aren't really going at him alone… right?"

"I don't know Tubbo, are we?" 

Quackity remained standing there, right in the middle of the hall, so close to leaving. The axe on his shoulder fell and grinded against the floor. Small sparks and chunks of wood flying. If it was meant to intimidate Tubbo, it didn't seem effective. The Young President chose to stand his ground. Yet Quackity stayed put just the same, staring his leader down with burning eyes. 

"It's your decision. I swear, whatever it is I'll understand." Quackity plainly stated, as kindly as possible. His eyes soften into something more visibly caring. 

Shaking his head, he turns to leave, beginning his trek again, leaving the speechless Tubbo where he stood. His axe left the floor and returned to his shoulder, ready to swing. With it, he kept marching. 

"But you gotta make that choice, Mr President."

"But- Wait!" 

Ranboo's ears twitched as he heard the splash from across the other end of the hall, it is Quackity, having dived through the opening. Another splash followed along with Fundy. Tubbo snapped from his daze. He yelled for the two men already swimming up to L'Manberg, chasing after them. 

This left Ranboo with little time to think as his legs started running after them. He bursts through the opening into the water, only realizing as he was about to reach the light of the surface that he had forgotten to wear armor. 

That's gonna sting in the morning. 

The sky opens up as Ranboo emerges from the depths onto the lake's surface, bobbing and floating himself to the docks. 

He looks up, blurry vision clearing, seeing everybody already pulling themselves onto land. He follows, yelping as he nearly slipped, his lanky body barely carrying his heavier suit dripping in painful water. Well, not painful yet. 

He manages however. 

Ranboo shut his eyes, shielding himself from the splashes of Fundy as he shook the water off of his fur. Lucky dude, Ranboo sometimes wishes he could instantly dry like that of a fox hybrid. OK, maybe not, as he had to hold back a giggle at the sight of Fundy puffing like a pomeranian afterwards. 

"Do you even know where Technoblade is?" His attention goes back to Tubbo, who is still trying to keep up with Quackity. "Or have a plan for that matter?!" 

"We'll think of something." Was all Quackity's answer to Tubbo's justifiable concerns. It is at that point that Fundy stopped drying himself, fur deflating. He had caught up to the Vice President, leaving Ranboo to trail behind them. 

"Waaaait a second…" Fundy halts from his tracks, actually thinking of something. "Wasn't Phil..?"

Quackity abruptly stops, almost causing Tubbo to bump into him. The President watched on, confused, as Quackity slowly turned his head towards their Secretary of State. 

"What..?" 

"Yeah! Wasn't gran-" Fundy had to stop himself. Ears flattening, unsure. Ranboo doesn't really understand what made the fox uncomfortable. 

"Phil- Philza… " Fundy settled with using the name, correcting himself. "He's been- I don't know, he doesn't really stay here often…" 

"Shouldn't he know?" Fundy continued with his logic, sounding very eager. "You know- From his travels?" 

"Are you saying Phil's the fucking traitor?"  

Was Quackity's conclusion. Fundy winced at those words. Whatever he wanted to hear with what he was trying to convey, clearly isn't this. 

Fundy took a shaky step back. 

"What?? No!" He gives Quackity a nervous chuckle. "Isn't that… A bit of a stretch?" 

"Well technically he's like- Techno's dad right? So if anybody's been mingling with Techno it's probably him."

Was blurted. 

By none other than Tubbo. 

They all turned to their President, who's looking away, a thumb on his chin. 

"...wait, what?" 

Was all Fundy could say. Tubbo looks up from his daze, blinking unknowingly at Fundy. 

Before finally realizing his mistake. 

"Oh goddamnit-" He puts a hand on his face. "I said that out loud didn't I?" 

He looks up, and sees Quackity, having already begun stomping to their most elderly citizen's home. Everybody could already see Phil's player tag through the door, and Quackity is marching towards it. The axe that was on Quackity's shoulder falls into his hand, dragging across the wood. 

Tubbo froze. 

"Uhhhh- Nevermind!" Tubbo chuckled, running up and stepping between Quackity and the house, only for the Vice President to push past him.

"Phil shouldn't know!" He tried to mitigate what he just said but it went from one ear to another. Quackity is still going. 

Fundy beginning to trail behind, very hesitant.

"Is- Is Technoblade my uncle?! Oh god." 

They briefly hear Fundy mumbling, though Tubbo elects to ignore everything else he is saying in favor of focusing on the now pissed off Quackity. 

Tubbo is desperate, he pounced, hugging onto Quackity's axe wielding hand, and refusing to let go. Quackity gives him the coldest of glares he's received from a friend, before tearing his arm off of Tubbo's grip. 

And kept going. 

"Big Q- Wait!"  

But Quackity still doesn't listen, teeth gritting as he gets closer and closer to Phil's home. 

"I said wait-" 

"I'm gonna bust through his fucking door I swear to fucking god!" 

He heard Quackity curse, axe RAISING.

"This is what we do to traitors!" 

Fundy and Ranboo looked away in horror. 

Until Tubbo suddenly burst out running. He stopped, both arms raised. Quackity halted himself from chopping. As Tubbo, once again stood between Quackity's axe and Philza's home. 

"Big Q please reconsider!" Tubbo pleaded desperately. "We can interrogate him later. He'll cooperate- You don't have to go... Charging at him!" He tried to appeal to reason, but Quackity just ain't having it. 

"Tubbo- Shut the fuck up."

Tubbo flinched as Quackity snapped at him, no remorse, his words biting. 

Yet, Tubbo refused to back down, shaking his head, glaring up at Big Q. 

This seems to anger Quackity even more. Insulted, he yelled. 

 "I'm already giving you your day with Tommy, so either you help me- or let me do my fucking job!" 

"...Tommy?" 

They were interrupted by the voice of Philza through his window. 

He wasn't looking at them, Ranboo briefly glances at his communicator to see they were all still in VC. Phil hadn't joined? Thank god. Ranboo breathes a sigh of relief. 

Relief didn't last however as they all moved their gaze from Philza to follow where the winged individual is looking. Tubbo's eyes widened upon seeing what Phil saw. There, up the Prime Path are two far away figures. One green, one red. 

It's them. 

Both Tubbo and Ranboo stood there, mouth agape. They did arrive, Ranboo was right. 

They couldn't see either of their expressions, especially not Dream's who is masked as always. They look stiff, unmoving, they would expect Tommy would've been rushing to meet them right about now. But he's not. He stood as still as Dream. Ranboo has no idea if that's a good or a bad thing. 

Tubbo reaches out for his friend. 

"T-Tommy..?" 

"Make your fucking choice man." 

Quackity suddenly spoke through their stupor, tapping Tubbo by the shoulder. Tubbo spun, and couldn't even protest as he saw Quackity raise a foot. 

SLAM! 

The door was opened. Revealing a baffled Phil as his door is flung across the room, cracking against the floor, exploding in splinters. Phil took a step back as Quackity stepped in, smiling murder. The older one already with his sword out. 

"What the fuck?" 

"Heeeeey Phil."

Quackity's axe stood on his shoulders as he sauntered towards Phil. Phil's wings instinctively spread out, an attempt at intimidation possibly. Quackity isn't deterred however, in fact, his smile dropped into a sudden seriousness that takes even Phil off guard. 

"Look, we can do this the easy way or the hard way."

"Well, CLEARLY you ain't here for the easy route considering you kicked my fucking door open." 

Ranboo couldn't even tell if Phil is nervous or not, that smile of his never dropping since Ranboo met him. It's almost as if he's taunting Quackity. This pisses Quackity off even further, as he points his axe at Phil. The latter barely flinches as the blade is pressed against his neck. 

Tubbo was just about to hop in and possibly diffuse the situation when he noticed a message on his communicator. 

Tommyinnit: tubbo? 

Tommyinnit: hey big man is that you? 

Both Tubbo and Ranboo look up to see Dream and Tommy finally descending, from the Prime Path, onto L'Manberg territory. Tubbo gulps, stepping back, Ranboo not sure if his President is even ready for the reunion. 

"Come oooon Grandpa." Their attention was suddenly grabbed by Fundy, who no longer seems to have much qualms in calling Philza his relative anymore. 

Though, it could be an act considering there is an apologetic grin on his face. "Just tell us where… Uncle? Is. Aaaaand we'll be on our way."

"First of all, who the fuck?" Philza raised an eyebrow at Fundy, looking most confused. "Second- I don't think I ever had any obligation to tell you… Anything."

Fundy did the whole eyebrow raising thing as well, with an added tilt of his head. "Wasn't Techno your… Son or… Something? I'm pretty sure somebody said that??" Fundy is as confused as Philza is, who, right now, is even more stupefied by what just came out of his grandson's mouth.

"Mate… You thought I made THAT?!" 

He's just dumbfounded. Even more so when Fundy unexpectedly made a sigh of relief. 

"Oh thank god!" 

"AHAHAHAHA!" 

They were all suddenly taken aback by Quackity's unexpected uproarious laughter. The vice president briefly lowers his axe, clutching his chest and seems to be about to topple over. 

Then he stopped. 

"Funny."

He rises, glaring daggers at Phil as he pressed his axe further into the older man's neck, drawing blood. 

"You don't understand Philza Minecraft."

His voice is low and threatening, speaking through gritted teeth. 

"This is not a request."

"Quackity you're way out of line!" Tubbo yelled, feeling the urge to stop them growing once more, when Fundy suddenly decided to take a step in front of him. Stopping Tubbo from reaching Quackity. 

"Look Tubbo- We'll be fiiiiiine!" Fundy places a hand on Tubbo's shoulder, carefully pushing him aside, away from Philza's door. "You'll go with Tommy, and there's no way- NO WAY we won't be able to handle… This."

He pushes Tubbo onto the square, careful enough not to knock his President over. Tubbo stumbles, looking back at Fundy who is already wearing a confident grin. 

"Besides!" Fundy snickers. "What could go wrong?" 

"Uhhhh everything!" Tubbo tries to push through Fundy but the half-fox just manages to push him back every time, this time however, he isn't as careful. 

Tubbo lands roughly on his behind. Ranboo rushes in to get the president back on his feet, but as he once again looks up at Fundy, the smirk formerly on the fox's face was all but dropped. 

"Don't you trust us..?"

Fundy asked. It is a simple question, one that Tubbo readily answered. 

"I do! But-" 

Tubbo peaks through Fundy and sees Phil. The smile on his face does not drop in the slightest despite having a blade at his throat. This caused Quackity to growl, and for a moment, Ranboo feared he's going to witness a decapitation. 

But Quackity held himself back surprisingly well. 

"Tubbo..?"

Both Tubbo and Ranboo turn and see where the voice came from. 

It's them.

They're here. 

Tommy and Dream, in the flesh, stood on L'Manberg grounds, the latter of which holding the other by the shoulder, as if he's the only one keeping the other from running straight for Tubbo. And Tommy definitely would, if only he could. Ranboo could already see that want for freedom, the need to get out of Dream's grip in the younger man's form. The way he looks to be shaking, unable to formulate any word besides 'Tubbo', the longing in his eyes, it all screams Tommy. 

It really is Tommy. 

He's here. 

He's finally home. 

"Tommy…" Tubbo's words just screamed longing as he stared at his best friend. And for a long while, that's just what they did, stare at each other. A mix of disbelief and absolute joy in their gaze. 

It warms Ranboo's heart. 

Now if only it wasn't raining, as it is actually starting to sting standing here. 

"Dream!" Tubbo greeted as well, Dream flinched, him and Ranboo not really expecting Tubbo to cut his staring contest with Tommy that instant, neither did they expect Tubbo to even acknowledge the other man in the first place. 

"Welcome, welcome." Tubbo had since moved forward, arms out, clearly in an attempt on hospitality. 

Ranboo steps forward to follow, briefly glancing at the open doorway into Philza's abode. 

Only stop, with seeing everybody already having their weapons out. 

"We don't have to do this-"

"GRAH!"

Philza parries Quackity's axe with relative ease, shoving the younger man off of him, but Quackity just bounced back, screaming and leaping off of his heels only to strike at the same spot, with Phil needing to keep his sword up as a relentless barrage of axe swings comes flying at him. 

"Please-" 

Sparks from two blades colliding bursts in the air as Quackity keeps swinging in anger. It almost knocks Philza down on some points as he has to keep stepping back to keep up with Quackity's fury. 

"You don't know what you're dealing with, kid."

"Try me old man!" 

Quackity raised his axe high above his head. Philza however, realizing the opening, merely sidestepped, leaving gravity to take care of his assailant for him. Quackity's axe chops the floor, stuck. 

As Quackity struggles to pull his weapon out, Phil took the chance he got and was beginning to book it. Pulling with all his might, Quackity screamed at Fundy, who had just been standing there, obviously hesitating. 

"What the fuck- FUNDY! DON'T LET HIM GET AWAY!" 

This seems to snap Fundy out of his trance and immediately, the fox hybrid spun on his heels. Everything felt like slow motion as he curled his legs, whirling towards Phil's direction. The man is still running, still not noticing, nor probably even really caring about the other axe wielding person in the room, too focused on getting away. 

And Fundy pounced. 

It was only when they were inches away from colliding did Phil spun and saw him. But it was too late, Fundy had completely taken Phil off guard, tackling them into rolling on the ground, through the broken door onto the plaza where they both landed roughly. Fundy on top. 

"What the hell-'' Ranboo turned to see Tubbo, who had seemed to already unknowingly left Ranboo behind while speaking with Tommy. A foot already on the soil, leaving the docks. 

The President's eyes widened as he saw the chaos. Fundy desperately tries to wrangle Phil to the ground, who is flailing mercilessly, smashing Fundy on any hard surface reachable. Fundy is getting smacked around by the far more experienced warrior, but he just wouldn't let go. 

"Get off me you little shit!"

"Gh-" 

Yet Fundy's fox claws remained tightly holding on to Philza's yukata. He winces, still refusing to surrender. 

Quackity finally gets his axe off of its wooden prison and rejoins the fight. The pissed off younger soldier jumps, grabbing the older man by the hair, Phil's eyes widening.

"And stay-" 

And he falls. 

Smash! 

"DOWN!" 

Smashing him face first on wood. 

The old man grunts, struggling to get up as Fundy pulls his arms to his back, pressing his weight against him, an effort to restrain proven mostly successful. Phil still struggles, looking up at Quackity, with gritted teeth, staring at that mad glint in the Vice President's eyes. 

Quackity smirks. 

"You know what L'Manberg does to traitors…?" 

Quackity's nails dig on Phil's scalp, his smirk widening, Phil's glare deepening. His axe grazed his cheek. 

"Nothing good." 

"Fuck- Off!" 

Phil spits. All the while, Ranboo is too shocked to do anything about it. 

"NO! STOP IT!!" 

Ranboo could barely react as he saw Tubbo running past him, back towards L'Manberg, leaving Tommy and Dream hanging. Ranboo noticed Tommy, a look of shock and hurt plain as day on the younger kid's face. 

"Wait-" Ranboo tried calling out for Tubbo, only to be promptly ignored. 

"God- Tubbo- How many times do I have to say we don't need you?!" Quackity sneered, still pressing Phil's face on the ground, struggling as the man is still actively resisting. "Just go pal around with  Dream or whatever!"  

He had since let go of his weapon and moved to using both hands now in keeping Phil restrained, the change barely helping. "WE DON'T GIVE A SHIT!" 

"Dream- What- What the hell's going on?" 

Ranboo looks up, seeing the utter puzzlement in Tommy's face. He asks Dream, of all people, for answers. Pity grips Ranboo for the briefest moment until he hears a whimper. He looked back at Tubbo and Quackity, still arguing, before glancing down at Phil. The winged man is looking up at him and Tommy, with a look Ranboo could only describe as pleading. Biting his lip, he turned away from that gaze as his pity grew, glancing back up to Tommy. 

When he saw Dream-

The man, having already inched closer to the younger kid's ear, whispering something which Ranboo cannot hear. Betrayal visibly crosses Tommy's face, and Ranboo feels his pity get overtaken by a steady creep of dread.

That was when Dream slowly turned towards him, Ranboo, specifically. 

And smiled. 

That masked smile is real, he could just feel it. Dream is smirking at him, almost tauntingly.

But this time, he doesn't look away. 

"So Tubbo! Are you coming?" 

Dream suddenly calls, bringing Quackity's and Tubbo's yelling contest to a halt. 

Everybody looks to Dream, then to Tubbo, who seemed frozen with indecisiveness, his eyes wide and flitting from Tommy to Phil to Tommy to Phil to Tommy to Phil to Tommy to-

"I…" 

He's just too flummoxed to speak. 

For one last time, he stared at Tommy. 

Once again, he seems to melt in longing. There is tension there, that unspoken hurt from that unfortunate decision to exile not too long ago, but despite it all, Ranboo could tell that Tubbo wants nothing more than to be with his friend, screw everything and just spend the day together. 

And from what he is seeing, Tommy feels the same way, despite their completely wordless eye to eye. 

And yet, Tubbo still chooses to turn away from him. 

Once again. 

"Ranboo- Just go!" 

"Wha-"

Ranboo could barely process what Tubbo just said, before his President started yelling at him. 

"Just go!" 

Tubbo looks at him, giving him his most apologetic smile. Ranboo couldn't help but feel he is undeserving of that apology, that it is Tommy that deserves it way more than he does. 

"Don't leave Tommy alone for me, would you?" 

"Wait!" 

But, Tubbo already pulled away from him, reuniting with Quackity's group and their whole problem with Phil. 

And Ranboo is left there, alone with Tommy and Dream. Speechless. 

He hears an exclamation of disbelief coming from Tommy. 

Ranboo turns around and watches Tommy get pulled aside by Dream. The kid is obviously heartbroken, clinging so hard to the green cladded man's cloak, that it's almost as if he would fall over if he were to let go. 

He could hear the faint chuckle coming from the man in a mask. 

"It'll be fine…" 

There they are, already walking away, farther and farther away from the country in chaos, Tubbo and Quackity resuming their screaming in the background. Dream patting the obviously shaken Tommy on the back as they retreat. 

"There's always next time…" 

"Hey!" 

Dream and Tommy turn and see Ranboo, running up to them, catching up. He pants, hand on his knees, breathing in and out and in and out before getting himself together. Looking up at them, grinning. 

"What do you mean next time?" He wheezes, his breathing hitching up, not as even as he thought he had it. Taking a few seconds to pause, he continued. "I'm still here!" 

He raises his head, giving Tommy and Dream his widest of grins. 

"We can't just cancel now can't we?" 

It took a moment, as if both their visitors needed a minute to process what he just had said. 

But after it had passed, just like that, Ranboo witnessed those eyes, Tommy's, so dark and gray, once fogged over by dejection, begin to lighten up once again. 

Hope spread across Tommy's expression. Not exactly fully happy, that was him before Tubbo chose against actually staying with him on this special occasion. Instead, it seemed that just seeing somebody, anybody, willingly stay, despite having perfect reasons not to, raised Tommy's spirit. 

Even just a little. 

Dream, not so much. Ranboo could sense a spike of frustration in the man. That grin he felt taunting him from before had dropped. Ranboo should be scared. 

But truth be told, let him be angry, he says, he wouldn't have it any other way.

"Really..?" 

Ranboo could only stare at Tommy, that pity rising from its slumber. 

The way Tommy's words came out of his mouth is so quiet, so hesitant, Ranboo questions how he didn't notice it sooner. He looks so ready to just leap in and give Ranboo a hug but Dream's hand on his shoulder persists. That has always been enough to keep him compliant since getting here. Ranboo wonders what happened to him since the last time they spoke. Has anything bad happened since last time? 

Last time. 

He remembers. 

It was on one of the few days he found it in himself to visit. Tommy looked like a wreck, far from the presentable and rather clean look he sports now during this visit. Back then, he was filthy, miserable, and rather malnourished. And yet, despite all that, he looked positively excited. There was a sparkle in everything he does, hope for this day. He couldn't just shut up, he went on and on about his plans for his return, the things he wanted to do, wanted to say, to everybody, to Tubbo…

That spark was nearly gone. 

Ranboo steps forward, placing a hand on Tommy's back, ignoring as much as he can the glare he is starting to feel Dream is giving him. 

"Of course."

That spark brightens. 

Like fuel to a fire, Tommy whooped. "YEAH! God I haven't been back for so long- Fuuuck…"

A positive sounding disbelief can be heard in his phrase. Surprisingly, Dream let's Tommy walk forward, letting him take some lead. He's pausing, staying here left alone with Ranboo. The younger kid is clearly trying not to comment on how uncomfortable he is getting with Dream. The masked man's gaze never leaves him. 

The long stare only stopping with Dream shrugging. 

"I guess it's good to have you here…" 

Ranboo could almost imagine the unspoken word left unsaid, but he hears it, clearly, deep in his brain. 

Friend. 

And he walks off, following Tommy, and leaving a shaky Ranboo to stand there, watching them leaving. His heart is pounding a storm, his fingers shook needing to be clenched into a fist to stop the trembling. He gulps. 

Yet, he just held his chest and raised a foot, stepping forward to follow. 

When-

"GAAAAH!" 

Came an ear piercing shriek. 

Ranboo whirled, eyes widening at the unexpectedly gorey sight to behold a couple of miles away. 

Back in L'Manberg. 

Blood splattered from Fundy's face, as he completely lost hold of Phil, who had in his freed hands Quackity's abandoned axe. Everybody nearby came rushing in for Fundy's aid. The fox hybrid clutches his face where his eye is supposed to be, screaming in pain, blood pooling his palms. Phil didn't take a moment of hesitation, immediately shoving Fundy off of him and running. Quackity screams for him, taking one last glance at Fundy before chasing after their rogue citizen. Tubbo kneeled by Fundy's side, the fox's agonized whimper can be heard all the way from here, before the whine turned into a snarl. Fundy swiftly standing up, blood raining from his face, and with a growl, gives chase on the man that did this to him, Tubbo screaming after him, incomprehensible. 

"What-" 

"Shhh…" 

Ranboo turns away from the carnage, finding Tommy's momentary attention towards the current L'Manberg situation being captured by Dream, the green man pushing him away from his country, his home, farther and farther, until Fundy's cries are barely audible from where they are now. 

"This isn't your problem anymore, Tommy."

"But-" 

"Ah- Ah ah." 

Dream presses a finger against Tommy's lips. This is enough to get him to suddenly shut up. Tommy does not attempt to talk back afterwards, biting his lip and turning away, with a look close to what could be described as a scowl, but it is anything but, with Ranboo seeing real fear in those eyes. 

"What's rule number one?" 

Tommy does not respond, still refusing to look Dream in the eye. This wouldn't do. Dream leans in further, staring right at his face despite Tommy's attempts to do anything but look at him. 

"What's rule number one, Tommy?" 

He still refused to answer, or even look. 

Bad choice. 

With obvious infurriation, Dream suddenly grabbed Tommy by the face and tugs, forcefully. Ranboo immediately runs up to them, as Tommy winces from his head being painfully turned to better stare at that white mask his gaze had been trying desperately to avoid. 

Ranboo tugs Dream by the cloak. 

The masked man's head briefly tilts to look at him, a shiver running up his spine. 

"S-Stop it."

He stammered. 

"You're hurting him."

He managed to say, a bit more evenly this time. 

That threatening stare didn't last for long despite how much it frightened him, as Dream only turned away, looking back at Tommy, who he is still holding. The man doesn't even bother to pull his cloak away from Ranboo, who wouldn't let go. 

"... what-"

He leans more into Tommy, Dream's porcelain face nearly touching his. 

"Is rule number one?" 

Tommy is terrified. Even Ranboo can feel his trembles from where he stood, still holding Dream. Even Ranboo's own fingers are beginning to tremble. Yet he stayed strong, he tried. Tommy needs it more than he does. 

"Tommy."

It only took one more line. Just one last line and with a shaky breath Tommy finally answers Dream. 

"...no questions."

Came out a sorry mumble. 

"What?" 

Ranboo flinched along with Tommy at Dream's threatening ask. The kid chokes on a more audible and far more passable answer, nearly spluttering.

"No questions." 

Barely getting the reply out. 

And for a while, they just stood there, frozen, still in the same position with Tommy under Dream's hold. They are as frozen as Dream, staring at Tommy, blank and silent. For that entire time, Ranboo swore he and Tommy forgot how to breathe. 

Until Dream gave them a chuckle. 

"Well, let's get on the tour then!" 

He shoves Tommy's face away from him, clapping as Tommy stumbles only to be caught by Ranboo. They raise their heads, seeing Dream’s blank stare having been replaced with a visible grin on the sides of his head. 

The masked man turned, walking forwards, following the Prime Path, taking what was supposed to be the lead. He left them there, as if fully expecting they will soon follow him on their own accord. 

But the two took a moment, collecting their composure. Breathing heavily. It took a little bit, but soon Tommy was on his feet, Ranboo patting his back, more reassuring compared to the way Dream would do it. 

"Hah-” Ranboo breathes out. He looked at Tommy as his back patting started to shift into back rubbing, the act rather calming to them both.

“You gonna be ok?” Softly, he asked, walking besides the still clearly shaken boy besides him. 

As he turns to get a better glimpse of Tommy’s face right now, what he saw he could probably describe as mildly unsettling. 

That smile, there are no dilated eyes to indicate something broke inside, neither are there any sign of any serious mental anguish, none of that.

Yet that smile is simply a lie. 

Forced.

A mask.

That is a smile of somebody more so trying to convince himself he is definitely smiling. 

Tommy lets out a breath, deep. His eyes closed for just a minute. Ranboo lets him. Quietly giving Tommy his reassurance. Sure enough, Tommy soon opened his eyes. His deep breath this time coming out as a sigh. From the sides of his vision Ranboo is sure Tommy could see his grin, his small attempt at lightening up the situation for his return tour. 

"I'm fine." Tommy finally replies, an audible hint of grumpiness in his phrase. Pulling away from him, Tommy walks, going slightly ahead of Ranboo who follows loyally. 

"You sure?" 

Ranboo just asked, only to receive an annoyed huff coming from Tommy. 

"What the hell do you mean 'You sure?' I know myself better than ANYBODY bitch!" 

And Tommy kept on rambling, Ranboo couldn't help but smile, watching who he remembers as the Tommy he knew back then show. There is this energy to his words, something Ranboo didn't see the last time they were together. A feeling tugs in his chest, is Tommy improving? His thoughts began wandering as they continued on to the Prime Path, Tommyinnit occupying his head. Were they friends? Can he be considered a friend? What about Tubbo? That brief sight of Fundy definitely losing an eye crossed his head, and he found himself shaking. No, think other thoughts Ranboo. Better thoughts. This is Tommy's day. Don't ruin it for him. Don't. 

"Oi dickhead!" 

"Wha-" 

Tommy ended up having to stop for Ranboo, who was dragging behind. He has his hands on his hips, clearly peeved. 

"Weren't you listening?!" 

He looks down, away from Ranboo, towards a watch Ranboo only now noticed he has been wearing. He taps his foot impatiently.

"I said I only have…" Tommy narrows his eyes, stopping his foot tapping. "About- 45 minutes or so left here… So-"

"You want to go somewhere?" 

Tommy stares up at Ranboo. The lanky boy is looking down at him from his amazing height, blinking, head tilted. Tommy sure found his face somehow annoying, crossing his arms, Ranboo could've sworn he sees figurative steam coming out of the kid's head, his irritated growl sounding more like a kettle.

"Yeah..!" Tommy grits his teeth and for a moment, he looks down, the cogs in his head start turning, leaving Ranboo to quiet down and wait for him to continue. He did, though only after a shake of his head. Forcibly, he strapped on that unreal smile back onto his face. It still looks uncanny. It still looks unreal.

It still looks anything but Tommy.

"Let's go to the scenic route then, shall we?” 

There is a venomous sweetness in his word as Ranboo felt him placing a hand on his back,

“I'm suuuuure that place looks lovelier by now." 

Ranboo finds himself being led away by Tommyinnit, the kid's patting him, keeping him moving further and further away from the path they are on. Ranboo still follows though with a growing sense of hesitation building in his stomach. 

It is palpable as he spoke. "You know- You could always just tell us where we're going."

Tommy harrumphs, there comes that glower again, at least that forced smile was dropped. "What?” He spouts, having that incredulous glare towards Ranboo. “So I should just spill out all my secrets then? Do I look dumb? Dream might- Well, I mean… He's my friend but… Actually-" 

Whatever Tommy was trying to say came into a stumbling halt. 

"Where is Dream?" 

As Tommy asked. 

They ended up halting their trek, looking around for a hot minute, as if Dream would just pop up here out of nowhere. Where did they lose him? Ranboo began to wonder. They turn to each other, Ranboo only shrugging. He knows they probably haven't seen him since trying to calm themselves back at the Prime Path. For a moment, Ranboo noticed that glimpse of fear returning to Tommy’s gaze. 

A fear Ranboo began to share upon realizing one thing. 

They had left Dream. 

Whether accidentally or not, Ranboo knows he will be pissed. 

Tommy shook his head, mumbling something under his breath. "No no it's fine, this is fine actually." Ranboo caught this one murmur, Tommy chuckling to himself, reassuring absolutely nobody. 

Ranboo however, chooses not to reply, realizing what Tommy is trying to do. 

They're ditching Dream. 

Ranboo is honestly not so sure if this idea is any good, or smart even. Although, he would admit, as of now he’d rather be in any scenario where Dream is nowhere near the two of them. 

So maybe for now, he'd be willing to take this risk, just this once. 

A little more sure of himself, he adds no new comments as they both continued their trek, emerging from the cavern-like path, light striking down on them so bright they briefly had to cover their eyes. It is definitely only due in part to how dark Karl ended up making this scenic route of his, as the sun is actually now pretty low in the sky. Ranboo could confidently guess it's almost late afternoon, not quite sunset, but the sun is setting soon. 

The winter breeze picks up, briefly caressing them in a cold embrace. Ranboo shivered, gazing back down at Tommy to see how he is faring. 

The kid looks, unsurprisingly, ecstatic. Tommy could not hide it any longer, his eyes were wide, sparkling, he didn't even seem to register the cold, as he stepped forward, further away from the water tunnel that is the scenic route, into the Greater SMP lands he hasn't been in for so long. 

Tommy lets out a shaky breath. 

"Hah… It's been what- Months? I think..?" There is this wistfulness in his voice. His gaze steadily moving between each build one after the other. The Catfe, the Courthouse still floating there as courthouses tend to do, even Eret's Museum seems to make Tommy's heart pitter patter, just completely in awe. "God- Is this what drugs feel like?" 

"I- Don't think that's…" Ranboo couldn't help but snicker. Tommy does too. 

"Am I high Ranboo?" 

They proceed, Ranboo still having no actual clue where they're even going.Tommy though, still continues to look completely awestruck of the now Christmas themed places he's seeing, from Punz's home, to the now festive Targay, all decorated with artificially put down snow and holiday decorations. Tommy even stops to stare at a shed, visibly gripped with nostalgia, and Ranboo dares not ruin the moment.

Before his attention is gripped by the path he is currently standing on, of all things. 

"I'm even on the Prime Path! Fuck, I should be getting my Primes again..!" Ranboo hears legitimate happiness in his cry, prossibly for the first time ever since this supposed to be happy day. 

Ranboo finds himself chuckling at that. "Wait- Didn't you pass by here already?"

It’s a legitimate question, though, the way Tommy reacts almost made said question sound mad.

"Yeah! But- With Dream." Tommy points out, like that explains anything. He even stops his whole prancing about, all with a hefty tap against the wood. Hands on his back and now standing still, he kept going.

"And don't get me wrong- I like Dream!" 

Tommy seems to trail off after that though. Despite the declaration, he falls into a quiet, the clouds capturing his gaze as he watches them float across the sky, pausing briefly, with Ranboo just letting him.

Before he finds it in himself to speak once again. 

"…Dream is a good friend, I… God- I definitely wouldn't be here without him…" 

"But..?"

Ranboo sensed that coming, he had to vocalize it, that 'but' that Tommy left unspoken. It is that elephant in the room, the great confusion he found himself feeling. It is the fact that as much as Tommy is here right now by the approval of Dream, he is just as exiled as ever due to the same exact man. The same man he is confidently declaring a friend right now. Why? It is making no sense. Tommy is making no sense!

As much confusion is wrapping around him however, there that hint of sadness slithering into Ranboo's soul, as he thought, as outraged as he is of Dream, and rightfully so, Tommy is as much exiled due to him even helping with the arson that led him to this. He is at fault.

He’s at fault.

He deserved exile. 

He grips his shirt, the thought consuming him. 

Suddenly-

He is taken out of it.

"I- I don't fucking know alright." Tommy finally answered. His gaze having not returned yet to Ranboo. That answer however, succeeded in suddenly freeing Ranboo from his despairing thoughts, attention once again solely at Tommy. 

Who kept going. 

"I guess, cause I'm here, and you're here too… I guess. It's just… It hits differently, does it?" Tommy tried his best to explain, his hands waving about as he spoke, in a failing attempt at getting his point across. "Like-”

His wild arms halted their gesturing, 

“I can breathe."  

Steadily, those hands moved to his neck. His points are a whole lot clearer. Ranboo actually finds himself nodding, agreeing, recalling feeling the very same thing during that tense almost interrogative questioning Dream inflicted on Tommy, and by extension, him, just then. 

He gets it.

"You get what I'm saying?"

Tommy looked expectantly up at Ranboo, those eyes wide and gray. He does though. Ranboo didn’t need to stare nor ponder for long. He nods once more as he answers. 

"...yeah."

And that should be that, right?

Right.

There is this gnawing thought that persisted, a catch, one thing that made little sense, one thing he just had to ask.

"Kinda."

He adds, last minute. 

"What the hell- What do you mean kinda?" 

Tommy may sound frustrated, believing he might've actually still failed in articulating any of his points, or maybe he just thinks Ranboo is dumb? And yet, it came out more lighthearted, his words holding no sting nor signs of offense.

"What's so hard to understand about that?!" 

He kept asking, though Ranboo could actually hear him chuckling between words as he spoke. This reassures Ranboo, even a little. 

He needed that. 

"I mean…" Ranboo began, trying not to stare at Tommy for too long, still a bit nervous about the possible reception he thinks he might be getting with what he has in mind. "If Dream's your friend-" 

"He is." Tommy insists. Bad sign. 

"Yes but- Hear me out." Ranboo raised his palms, choosing to ignore Tommy's loyal insinuation. 

Ranboo knows full well what he is about to say might upset him. 

"Shouldn't your friend- You know- Not make you feel like that?" 

Tommy begins to open his mouth to answer, but then, he found himself just stuck, mouth agape, halted. The answer hung by the tip of his tongue, where it remained. This singular question leaves him stumped, a fall from his once confident insistence of his and Dream's friendship. Ranboo watches as Tommy's thoughts swirl into a storm, a single sweat seen dropping from his forehead as his breathing comes out shaky, his pupils flitting all over the place. To Ranboo, it takes most of his willpower to stop himself from reaching out to Tommy. It hurts but, it's a conclusion he felt Tommy must come to. 

Oh how he wishes he would come to. 

"I-" Tommy finally found the word to speak, though his conflict hasn't yet disappeared. "It's not about that! There's just rules and- I've been upsetting him enough lately-" His explanations are becoming a lot less understandable, his struggle being more pronounced. 

"Yeah…  He has good reasons."

He speaks, rubbing his arm. Even he doesn't sound as convinced. 

"And what about the rules, Tommy?" Ranboo took a step forward, his footstep creaked against the wood, and this caught Tommy's attention. Good, he needs to listen. "Shouldn't Dream let you roam around freely  since this is supposed to be your day, right..?" 

"It is but-" Tommy stopped, as if realizing his excuses are no longer adding up, shaking his head and taking a couple of steps back. "Look- Just- Shut up for a second, alright! You're making me feel- Ghh-" 

He placed a hand on his head, looking like he's about to topple over. 

"I- No, I'm sorry." Ranboo runs up to him before he does, steadying him into standing on his wobbly legs once more, at least, to his utmost abilities. 

"Jesus- you're making my brain all wobbly." Tommy mumbles, his words sounding wobbly as well. Ranboo does his best to comfort him, steadily leading Tommy forwards further into the path he made. 

"Again, I'm sorry." Ranboo whispered. Staring forward to see where he's going, he noticed something. Immediately, he felt a large grin coming, as his face brightened up in familiarity. 

Quickening his pace, he dragged Tommy towards what he saw, making sure he did so steadily enough so they didn't end up stumbling and tangling their legs together. Especially knowing Tommy's current wobbly almost water wadding like attempts to walk. He couldn't take the risk. 

"Oh look, there's a conveniently placed bench!" Ranboo points, being the thing he saw. "Why not just- Sit down for a second? Come on come on- Just take a seat."

Ranboo gestures towards the bench that he did find conveniently placed on the cliffside before them. What's more unexpected however, is him hearing a sudden gasp, one coming from Tommyinnit. 

"Oh, we're here!" 

The smaller kid immediately slipped off of his hold and booked it, running up to the bench like he was just reunited with a lover from war. 

Tommy gasps once more. 

His hands traced the wood of its backrest, not really speaking of how dusty and worn it now is. It had remained untouched, Ranboo noted, despite how definitely not untouched the other places were, he thought as he looked into the home near this bench, staring at the "ConnorEatsPants" sign just casually hanging on this opening of the hill. 

Looking back, he sees Tommy, hesitantly circling the bench before, reluctantly, placing himself on it, sitting down. 

It's almost like he deflated. Tommy sank into his seat soon after, letting out a deep breath, one brimming with contentment. He didn't take too long staying there but for that short while, Tommy truly looked blissful.

Finally, he sits up, actually looking around his surroundings. 

"Look at it- It's overgrown and shit." Tommy spoke up, straightening his seat from his relaxed position to get a better reach towards the leaves. It's the tree growing besides his bench, its branches having grown out, hugging the bench from where it stood. 

With his bare hands, Tommy proceeds to pull out and cut off these excess flora, until his important throne is free from its green grasp. Relieved, Tommy leans back into his seat, sighing softly, shoving off the branches that lay where he had removed them. 

"Is this…" 

Ranboo just now realized where they are. Looking back at Tommy, looking so at ease, looking so at home.

For yes.

This is home.

He managed to pry himself away from the base, and go approach Tommy. Tommy does not look at him despite most clearly feeling Ranboo's stare behind his hair. Instead, he pats the side of his seat, where the leaves and sticks rained down prior. Ranboo did not see any reason to refuse this invitation, choosing to oblige, shoving away any sticks left enough so none would poke him, it was a success. He sat with no sticks on his bottom today. 

Tommy huffs, playfully. Putting both arms behind his head, he sunk further into the bench with a relaxed giggle. 

"God it's all so dusty on here… Who's been hanging out here since I was gone?" Tommy so casually asked, to which Ranboo could only reply with an audibly nervous chuckle.

"Errr…" How should he say it? "Nobody that I know of." He just ended up choosing lying instead of alternatively siccing Tommy at Connor who is probably just minding his own business right about now. He takes a mental note to grab that sign later, before realizing he might not even remember. Shrugging, oh well.

Tommy doesn’t seem to notice this shrug nor his nervousness. He gives off an irritated exhale from his nose as he crosses his arms with a large hmph. "Well there better not be! Or Imma- Hoooooh you have no idea what I might do." Yeah, the lie is probably worth it. 

And that is how Tommy remained for the next minute or so, in that same expression and position, holding on to this grumpy play for reasons that alludes Ranboo. It took a bit but soon, Tommy grew tired, and he deflates back to a relative calm, at least, as calm as Tommy could ever be.

Sighing wistfully, Tommy places an elbow on the bench’s back, his face leaning on his fist as his gaze never leaves the view he and Ranboo have been sharing these past few moments. The sun is now dipping in the horizon, sunset is approaching.

"You know-” Tommy suddenly interrupts their silence, still staring at the horizon and not at all at Ranboo. “This seat is special you know, Ranboo?" 

Upon saying his name however, Tommy does fully turn, looking at Ranboo with those big lidded eyes, cloudy and tired. Tommy probably did not expect a soft “Pfffft'' coming from Ranboo however, who is finding himself chuckling at that..

"I can probably tell?" His chuckling hasn’t completely ceased, having come about from the sheer obviousness of that statement from Tommy’s reactions alone. And as much as Tommy frowns at that, he too couldn’t help but chuckle, and then laugh out loudly himself.

"Yeah…" Tommy agrees, wiping a tear from his eye.

The laughter between them two soon petered out, Tommy’s sight having steadily left Ranboo's, as the both of them turned away from each other, back to the horizon, watching the once bright blue sky fading into orange, with the sun beginning to set.

Tommy speaks. 

"Me and Tubbo used to just sit here, listening to some tunes you know?" Tommy recounts, Ranboo hearing his voice trail off into melancholy. There is wetness in Tommy's eyes, Ranboo's chest squeezed seeing this. Was he just about to cry? Tommy turns his gaze away from Ranboo's stare, chuckling to himself. 

"Of course- I don't have any music disks on me… I probably should've."

Tommy's voice hitched. Ranboo may not be able to see his face anymore but there it is, he hears it, plain as day. It is not some regret over forgetting to add music to the occasion. No. It is that sad longing, that wish to be with someone. Tommy cannot hide it from Ranboo, despite how much he clearly tries.

Ranboo also found himself looking away, balling his fists.

There is this quiet.

He let both of them stay in it, stir in it, for just a little while more. The sun is now halfway down the horizon. The chill of the night breeze starting to caress their cheeks. 

Biting his lip, with some hesitation, he interrupts. 

"...did you want Tubbo here?" 

Ranboo refused to look back at Tommy as he asked. 

"What?" After a bit of pause, Tommy shoots back a question, incredulously, though the laughter in his tone indicates he's taking this lightheartedly.

Not something Ranboo wanted to hear. 

"I mean- This is where you wanted to go and- You and Tubbo had this… Sort of- Bond, back then." 

He lays bare what was in his mind, looking down, actually now staring directly at Tommy. There he watches as that armor of lightheartedness melts away, just by seeing that smile drop ever so slowly. 

That's what he needed to see. 

As gentle as ever with his companion, he attempts to peel off what was left of Tommy's clear facade, asking one thing, just one thing more. 

"...am I upsetting you? Tommy?" 

It came out as a whisper. 

Yet, the way Tommy pulled away from him is like he touched soldering iron. Soon there is this few inches of awkwardness Ranboo does not dare move into, Tommy clearly urged to instead put his barriers up, stronger. 

"Pfft, don't be silly-" Comes out a playful snarl from Tommy, to which Ranboo shook his head at. 

"No! Like-" Ranboo suddenly swoops into his space, Tommy flinching as he's grabbed by the shoulders and lightly shaken. 

Ranboo notices Tommy's startlement, his hold loosening, arms trembling. "If you could- If you could choose…" 

He is beginning to realize how crazy he's sounding. Suddenly words couldn't seem to tumble out of his mouth, he stumbles, staring at Tommy, his mouth open with nothing coherent coming out of him. Tommy should be scared of him, he should be. 

And yet, Tommy does not shake him off, keeping his gaze, staring wide eyed at Ranboo. 

This, finally, got him to somehow manage to vomit up those words, those annoying words tangling his throat. 

He coughs out. "Would you rather have Tubbo right now? Instead of just- Just…" 

He hears himself whimper at the last part. 

"Just me..?" 

"Of COURSE! I-" 

Tommy answered so suddenly, pushing Ranboo off of him, until he stopped, realizing what he just said.

Besides the thunk of Ranboo landing on the armrest, there followed a long pause of nothing. 

Nothing but just that utter silence. 

Every sound from the foliage to the fauna, even the soft breeze, quiets, as Tommy seems to suddenly feel the weight of realization found in his sudden answer. 

Ranboo is starting to feel guilty. 

In truth, Ranboo isn't really any jealous of Tubbo as he might've sounded, neither is he a therapist, that much is obvious. 

Yet, it had to be said. 

He felt the need to rip the bandaid off and just let Tommy see the answer Ranboo had been aware of since almost at the very beginning. Really, Ranboo isn't even sure Tommy knew of the answer. It was that feeling, that thing under his shell, under his insistence that he's just fine. That very feeling. 

It is something that needs to be seen. 

And Tommy doesn't look too happy confronting them, these feelings now staring at him directly at the face, summoned by his previous outburst. 

Ranboo could see it, Tommy just wouldn't admit it. 

 "...I-"

His words shook. 

He misses him. 

"No no- It's fine!" 

Ranboo races to his side, already rubbing circles on his back. Tommy however, just looked too drained to even attempt at pushing him away once again. In fact, he seems to lean more into Ranboo's arms. 

Ranboo could see the thought finally sinking into him. 

"I…" 

I miss him. 

Tommy just wouldn't say. 

"Shhh… shh…."

Ranboo comforts. Tommy whimpers under his hold, and for a moment, Ranboo thought he was gonna say it. 

"I-" 

Ranboo knows what he was thinking. 

I miss Tubbo. 

That was it, that was all Ranboo was expecting to hear. 

Tommy's real feelings. 

And maybe, just maybe, it would be the first step. Tubbo doesn't have to look sad anymore, L'Manberg is not gonna be as divided as he last saw it, Tommy might even be able to come back, everything is going to start healing. Just take it. 

Take the first step, Tommy. 

And yet-

"I shouldn't be here."

Is what came out. 

Tommy didn't take the step.

Instead, he stood up, moving away from Ranboo so suddenly that Ranboo followed, grabbing Tommy by the arm, fearing Tommy was just gonna stumble off of the fence into the cliff below.

"Tommy-"

But Tommy just shoves himself off of his grip, with a strength Ranboo didn't think he still had. Ranboo falls, butt first onto the bench, as now, he is the one looking up at Tommy, who is managing to somehow stay standing. 

Barely. 

Tommy trembles like a small animal, both in stature and breathing, taking a step back and leaning with both arms onto the fence, his pupils shook, his look no longer of growing realization. No. Hugging himself, he exhales. 

He looks absolutely horrified .

"What was I thinking? I shouldn't- I shouldn't have-" Tommy is losing his breath, everything he's saying is now coming out in panicked bursts. No matter Ranboo's attempts at comfort, Tommy kept pulling away, repelled. 

"The rules- Fuck, Dream is gonna kill me. He's gonna kill me. Dream is gonna-" He is clawing at his head, almost on the verge on a panic attack

Ranboo's hands are still on reach, yet he wouldn't even dare to brush his fingers on the clearly resisting Tommy, despite that however, he still tries. "It's OK, it's all gonna be OK, I'm here, don't-" 

"Tommy?"

Freeze. 

It only took one voice, one familiar voice to cause everything to stop in place. Ranboo dares not to turn, he couldn't, he doesn't need to. Seeing Tommy's face light up in a dreadful mix of delight and horror is enough. He knows who this is. 

He wished it could've been anybody else. 

Dream. 

"There you are."

Ranboo's ear twitched as it picked up that ominous creek of the wooden road, the thumps as the man's shoes landed on grass, and the continuous footsteps of him approaching. Ranboo gulps, a sweat falling to his cheeks, stinging. 

Yet he still doesn't look back. 

His gaze still trained on Tommy, he watches as the kid lets out a freaked out chuckle. 

"Heeeeey Dream! Big D! What are you- Hi… How's it going man?" 

As if his chuckling is on impulse, Tommy couldn't stop it. Only lowering it as he keeps his small laughs, with Dream approaching. The green is now visible in the corner of Ranboo's eye. He still refuses to look at him directly, his eyes still glued to Tommy. 

He did not notice Dream move to speak. 

"What are you doing here… Tommy?" 

His voice came grating in Ranboo's eardrums, it doesn't actually sound any different, it is just his typical, normal tone. But, there's this shiver it sends down Ranboo's spine. He is urged to shut his ears, would rather hear anything else other than Dream's words. But he didn't, he had to keep listening, for Tommy. 

Who's eyes are wide and dilated, laughter came up, full force this time.

"Whaaaaat? We're- We're just looking for you big man! You kinda ditched us so… That wasn't very good now was it?" He scratches the back of his head, frantically, that Ranboo fears he's gonna draw blood. "So we came out here! And- And-"

"Tommy."

"But you weren't anywhere! You're like a little ninja or some shit, so we're like- Fuck it. Let's just wait here. I'm sure Dream will know where I am, I love the guy, can't be giving my friend more trouble, he's-" 

"Tommy." 

Tommy stops, standing attention. Ranboo couldn't help but do too as well upon the both of them hearing Dream's call, palpably displeased. 

The green man inched closer towards the shaking kid, Ranboo finally fully seeing him, almost blocking his sights on Tommy. Reaching out, he roughly pulled Tommy closer by his shirt's collar. Tommy is looking pale. 

"You know I don't appreciate you lying to me, Tommy."

If Tommy wasn't on the verge of panic before, he definitely is panicking right about now, visibly. 

"D-Dream…" 

He's barely breathing. 

That breath hitching as Dream's grip hardens, his knuckles almost whitening as he pulls Tommy further into his space, his collar on the verge of ripping, Dream's porcelain face almost pressing against his forehead. Tommy looks about to choke. 

Dream wasn't done. 

"I only told you one thing, one thing that ISN'T even a rule- And you just had to listen. It's just a request Tommy… Just a request!"

Ranboo could hear the low growl in Dream's tone. He wants to help, just pull Tommy away from him. But he can't. Like a deer on headlights, he couldn't move a muscle. 

"Go on Tommy, say it." Dream's words are now going through gritted teeth, as he is mercilessly shaking Tommy in his clutches. 

"What did I say?!" 

The kid sniveled, tearlessly. 

"WHAT, TOMMY?!" 

"To- To not come here! To not come close to my base!"

He barely breathes out. 

"I'm sorry Dream- I'm sorry- I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! God- Please!" 

Tommy could do nothing to hold it back anymore, he is bawling, eyes red in tears and fear. He's clutching onto Dream's hands, begging for a release, and Ranboo could only sit there and watch as Tommy goes into full on hysterics. 

Why? Why can't he move? 

His body is not responding, anger in himself rising as his friend continues to have a panic attack. Move! He's begging himself. Save Tommy! He cried internally. But he won't. He just wouldn't.

All the while, Dream's grasp doesn't at all lighten up. 

He only stares down at the sniveling kid, saying sorry over and over again in a nearly incoherent mantra. There is not a single remorse visible in Dream's form, only uttering. 

"We're leaving." His words did not immediately sink in. 

Until it did. 

And Tommy stops crying.

"W-What..?" Came a quiet reply. 

Dream lets go, and like a ragdoll Tommy falls onto his knees, a large thump against the dirt, very briefly. His freedom was only momentary, as Dream's hand slid from Tommy's collar into the kid's arm, yanking, dragging him to his feet, farther and farther from Ranboo's reach. 

No, this can't be. 

Ranboo spun around just in time to see Tommy's eyes widening. 

Tommy jerks back, a brief attempt at resisting Dream's manhandling of him, thwarted immediately by the man simply turning, and staring right at him. A hard glare can be felt through that mask, and both Tommy and Ranboo froze. 

That doesn't stop his mouth though. 

"Dream- Please…" He's begging. "I truly truly am sorry..!"  Dream is still giving him silence. He shook his head, no longer hiding how more and more desperate he's sounding. 

"You don't have to- Dream- I won't- I won't do it again! I won't ever lie to you again Dream- I won't- I swear!" He sobs, finding himself gripping into Dream's cloak, his fingers shaking. "I swear..!"  

Ranboo could only watch in sorrow as Tommy fell into Dream, into a shuddering embrace. Should he let go or should Dream just push him off, Ranboo is sure Tommy is just gonna topple down, and never stand back up. Yet, Dream lets him, Tommy keeps clinging onto the man like he's his lifeline. A sobbing mess.

Soon, Dream responds, hand moving away from Tommy's arm, trailing onto the younger's scalp. He pushes the kid's head inward, onto his chest, returning this embrace. 

"Tommy…" 

The low, near but not quite comforting tone of Dream's words that lulled them both in security, took them all off guard, as his grip hardened, and Tommy yelped as he was yanked by the scalp, off of Dream. 

Who shoves him to the ground. 

Tommy lands with a resounding smack and Ranboo was immediately there by his side. Already trying to help Tommy get up, but, the younger kid is just limp on his arms, not unconscious, actually very conscious in fact, deeply aware of how much he screwed up . There's this look of utter helplessness etched in his face, as he looks up at Dream, his supposed 'friend'. 

He could only whimper. 

"You disobeyed me Tommy." Dream snarled. "I was only gone for what- A few minutes? And I didn't even- I let you stay and do this whole little visit thing, cause you know what? I was being nice to you. I was actually being nice."

A joyless laugh comes out of him. 

"Now what am I gonna do? Do you really think I can trust you again? After this stunt?" 

"No no no!" And Tommy moves from Ranboo, leaving him with empty arms, as he grovels on Dream's feet. 

"Please-" He cries. "You CAN trust me! It's just this one time- I- I still have time Dream- PLEASE! I can't go back now- I'm sorry..!" 

"Sorry is not gonna cut it."

Was all Dream's reply, ruthless and outright refusal of his apologies. And he turns, starting to walk away, once again. In his confidence he fully expects Tommy would just follow, wordlessly, without even a gesture. 

Tommy shook. 

It only triggered something within.

Anger. 

"THEN WHY?!" 

Tommy lashed out, standing up, snarling, disbelieving. Tears pour freely down his eyes, burning in primal frustration. A growl emanating between gnashing teeth. 

He cries. 

"WHY EVEN LET ME HERE!" 

He claws at his chest as he whines. 

"What- What the FUCK is the point then?! I can't be in my own house- I can't be in L'Manberg- I can't  even be with TUBBO!" 

The crack in his voice upon saying Tubbo, finally admitting, no, declaring his need for him, his president, his friend . His words are like a wreck, speeding and crashing. A big show that nobody can deny, not anymore. 

Yelling, at DREAM no less. 

"Tommy…" 

And yet, Dream's reply is calm, not fazed in the slightest. His lack of bother of Tommy's tantrum makes the kid gasp, backing up from Dream, who's still just standing there, not having moved an inch yet inducing such fear in Tommy just by the simple utterance of his name. 

Ranboo can see Dream smirking. 

"Don't tell me… You forgot? What this exile is for..?" 

Instead of approaching to possibly retrieve Tommy as Ranboo anticipated, his stance going defensive just in case, Dream did not. The man simply walks to the side, out of the path, onto the dirt besides it. On hand, is a shovel. 

Ranboo could not even describe the pure life threatened horror he saw creep up in Tommy's face. 

He hears dirt getting shoveled. 

"Put your items in the hole."

Tommy's breath hitched one last time. 

So quickly, that fire in Tommy's gaze, that momentary defiance that gave Ranboo so much awe, is stomped out, doused. Suddenly, Ranboo shifts into despondency, as Tommy slumps. 

And walks towards Dream, robotically. 

"Tommy-" 

Ranboo calls, worried, but he isn't heard. Tommy is now by Dream's side, and like a stringed up marionette, he throws away everything he has. Ranboo only watches as armor, weapons, even a few diamonds and the likes are apathetically dumped, before being buried in TNT. 

Tommy doesn't even flinch as he lit the TNT himself. 

It explodes, turning all of his belongings into ash. His eyes fogging up into a thick mist, glassed. Ranboo just witnessed a complete and utter mental shut down. 

"What's rule number one again?" 

Dream asked in that sickly casual way, leaning onto his shovel. 

"No questions…" 

It comes out far too easily for Tommy. 

Chuckling, content, Dream ruffles the kid's hair, making a mess of it, before turning. 

"Good."

He said as he goes, this time, he did not have to wait for Tommy to follow. 

Obediently, Tommy sticks by Dream's side.

And began to leave. 

Ranboo is being left there, in his own devices as their enemy leaves with Tommy in tow, yet again. This isn't the first time they lost Tommy. Ranboo was witness to all that. He remembered, shaking as Tubbo's final words on this day echoes in his head. 

"Don't leave Tommy alone for me, would you?" 

He can't. 

His body found the perfect time to stop moving once more, just have trouble breathing as Dream and Tommy get farther and farther out of reach. Why? Why can't he move? He curses this god forsaken body of his, struggling and gritting his teeth. His mind raced. This can't be. This just can't be how it ends. Tommy being taken god knows where again, punished maybe, while he failed. Failing Tubbo, failing everybody. Fail. Failure, failure, FAILURE! 

He groans. 

"No!"

Crying.

"DREAM!" 

Both Dream and Tommy do not turn to stop, still going. But Ranboo knows, there is no way they can't hear him. They are willfully ignoring him Despite standing with his still frozen mentally legs, he keeps shouting. 

"Tommy still has time..!" 

The ears that listen are still deafened. 

"He still has time left- Please-" 

But for the umpteenth time, he was ignored. 

He snapped. 

"TOMMY TOLD ME THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE HIS DAY!!!" 

Finally. 

He notices a brief pause coming from Tommy. Noticing the other, Dream stops, also intrigued it would seem. Neither him nor Tommy still choose to look back at him however, only a brief quirk of their necks. It's fine, Ranboo doesn't care. It's fine. 

This time, he is the one keeping going.

"It's just… So unfair…" 

Ranboo muttered under his breath. 

A mirthless laugh found its way out him as he shook his head. "Do you even really care about him, Dream? Don't you think this is- I don't know- A little bit much?" 

He hisses. "You- You just want to have this… Don't you? Just- Keep ruining any semblance of human interaction Tommy might have. Is this- Is this why it's today??" 

"You…" 

His growl claws out of his throat. 

"You don't even care…" 

He stated, so simply, so plainly. 

That this finally got Dream, not Tommy, to fully turn towards him. Looking back at Ranboo, only to laugh at him, straight up mockingly. Tommy doesn't seem to be visibly reacting to this derision. This is fine, no, this is indeed fine. Ranboo shut his eyes tight, shaking his head. This is fine. 

"What are you trying to say?" 

Dream jeered. 

"Who are you to say I don't care. Ranboo- You know nothing."

Ranboo doesn't reply. Visibly, shaking in anger. This only makes Dream laugh even harder, wheezing at his building rage. 

"So what?! Tommy told you, despite me explicitly telling him NOT to, that I'm letting him back, just this once out of exile? I gave him TWO chances already, BIG DEAL! So you're saying that's unfair? So you're saying you know him more than I did? That you've been with him since the VERY start- Stayed with him when he's alone- WHEN EVERYBODY ABANDONED HIM?! HUH?! IS THAT IT?!" 

Dream howled, He is gripping his mask as his body almost seems like it is convulsing with his maniacal laughter, only getting worse, louder and louder. A mad man. One that makes Ranboo question what he's facing. 

Till suddenly, it ceased. 

"You-"

That voice is low, far more quieter, far more threatening. 

"You are nothing- You have no power here, Ranboo!" 

"So that's it?" 

Ranboo found himself asking, his legs shook, finally, he felt his movement return. He steps forward, and Dream does not budge, welcoming his approach. His voice cracking as he kept on going. 

"Power?"

His knuckles are trembling, pale. 

"That is all L'Manberg- The SMP- TOMMY IS TO YOU?!" 

Tommy had already fully turned, eyes not leaving Dream, though, those dead orbs regained a bit of life, a look of disbelief. 

"Dream..?" Tommy questions his friend, a pathetic murmur. 

Dream only keeps his giggles, low and barely audible, putting an arm across the kid's shoulders, pulling him into a sideways hug, to which Tommy does not resist. "Come on."

He elected to ignore Ranboo's accusation. His laughs are triumphant. 

Ranboo feels himself boil. 

"We're done here Tommy."

And just like that, he drags Tommy with him. Ranboo could see the conflict in Tommy's expression that for sure he helped plant, despite it though, Tommy does not protest, walking away, under Dream's hold. Ranboo looks disbelieving,  After all that, after everything he just said, Dream is just leaving, Tommy is leaving. No. He can now move. No! He can't just let them go. NO! 

"No No no no don't you dare!" 

He didn't even notice himself grabbing it from his inventory until-

Slice! 

Splat.

Dream didn't even seem to feel it, there was nothing out of the ordinary, he was just leaving Ranboo in his rage, until he saw a blur of black and white and red. 

Blood. 

His blood. 

It splatters out of his arm as Tommy was suddenly yoinked out of his reach. 

He looks back, briefly examining his wound, his arm having gone limp as he held it, managing to slow the bleeding. There is no clear reaction, he only looks up and stares at that axe. Netherite. Enchanted. His blood dripped from its blade, as it stood between him and Tommy, protectively. 

Looking further up he saw him, Ranboo, he is gripping his weapon so hard, his knuckles feel like it's getting strangled. He strains in his panting breaths, his heart pumping, adrenaline coursing through him, and all he's seeing rage. 

On his hand is Quackity's axe. 

"Let him go, Dream!" 

He glares right into Dream's soul. 

What came after was what felt like the longest pause of his entire life. No sound could be heard, nothing but the fearful sputtering of incoherent ramblings coming from Tommy, as Dream stretches the silence past its breaking point. His enemy stays where he is, unmoving, the masked man never returning his glare, but the way he looks at Ranboo, and that aura he is projecting-

Suddenly, that adrenaline rush Ranboo was having started to fizzle out, and for a second, he feared for his life. 

But he stood firm. 

"Don't you dare get any closer!" 

He shifts into as much of a battle stance as he could. Yet, the moment Dream raises a hand, he flinches. Eyes shut and stiffening, but keeping himself from running away, for Tommy. 

His shut eyes steadily peers open, seeing Dream. 

A hand on his communicator. 

"Punz..?" 

He hears before Dream suddenly muted himself, pulling himself aside, his mouth moving but without anybody hearing his words. Anybody but maybe Punz. He's in a private VC. 

Without a moment of hesitation, Ranboo grabs the still unresponsive Tommy by the arm. 

And runs. 

They're escaping. He doesn't look back, he doesn't know if Dream notices or if he's even giving chase, he doesn't even know where he's going, so long as Tommy is with him. He has Tommy. He can feel Tommy in his hand. He kept going, farther and farther away non-stop. He stumbles but doesn't fall, he ran uncaring of anything but his and Tommy's life. And so he ran. And ran. And ran. 

Only to be halted. 

As he felt himself lose hold of Tommy, spinning to see, Tommy tearing his arm off of his. 

And backing away. 

"Tommy- What the hell?!" 

Ranboo cried in disbelief at Tommy who seemed to withdraw in himself, hugging his arms tightly. Ranboo frantically looks around, running to Tommy who shook off Ranboo's hands attempting to grab him. "We gotta go." He tried yanking Tommy into moving, yet the kid refused, head shaking hysterically. 

"What- What's wrong?" Tommy only kept whimpering under Ranboo's questioning, head still shaking. 

"I-I can't…" Comes out a weak sob. 

"What do you mean- What do you mean you can't?!" Ranboo asked, incredulous, only to receive a snap back. 

"I MEAN I CAN'T LEAVE DREAM, RANBOO!!!" 

He is left stunned. 

Tommy huffs at the end of his outcry. In and out and in and out, struggling in trying to even his breaths. Ranboo attempted to help, that was when he saw it. 

Those eyes. 

Those eyes he hadn't had the chance to see amidst his confrontation with Dream. It is already night time, the only lights around is of the community house on one side, and the Greater SMP Christmas Tree on the other. The atmosphere should be jovial, all those bright and colorful ornaments blanketing them in a cause for merriment. And yet, those eyes, staring right at him, reflecting like a clear mirror. It is hazy despite the color, glowing but not glistening. It is empty, hollowed out, orbs. 

Dead. 

Ranboo had to choke back a sob.

"...you don't really mean that." 

He tries to appease to something, anything, that might still be in there, buried but not stomped out. That brief spark he saw when Tommy let it out, admitted at Dream's face what he knew he wanted. Where is it? Ranboo begs to see. 

He only earns a solemn affirmation. 

"You know… I gotta go back."

"Wait!" 

Tommy had barely turned away to leave when he grabbed his arm. The way Tommy steadily turns his head, looking back at him with those glazed orbs, resigned, it hurts him, piercing his chest like no other. He could just plead.

"Please…"

His eyelids are burning with the wetness of these held back tears. Why? Why, after trying so hard to get Tommy away, is he just selling himself out like this? What possible reason could even compel Tommy to stay, in exile, miserable. He helped him, he tried to save him, it was the least he could do after being saved by him. If he wouldn't want himself saved then, what was the point? 

Tommy, as if struck with a sprinkle of empathy upon witnessing Ranboo's near emotional breakdown, decided not to push him away. His hand going limp in Ranboo's hold, he has the look of somebody completely done fighting. He doesn't have the energy to go at it again. What is the point? Ranboo could see him asking. 

And yet, Tommy still had one last ditch effort to get his Enderfriend to understand. 

"I have to..! It's-" 

He cracks. 

"It's Dream…" 

Dream.  

Him. 

Yes. He only had to hear the name for his mind to flash backwards, into the very start of this very day. Back to everything, Quackity demanding loyalty of everybody in paranoia Ranboo could only sense came from recent hurt, Fundy in his observance of the machinations that led to the cracks in the cabinet to show, leading to Philza being victimized by the violent turn his country had gone through and forced his hand. 

And then there's Tommy and Tubbo. 

Both kids insist it's fine, the foundations are totally not just crumbling before them, nothing is going wrong, everything is fine, everything is fine! Fine, fine, fine, fine, FINE. 

It's not. 

Ranboo hears himself making a barely audible snicker. 

It's Dream. 

Everything that went wrong today, or heck, in days, weeks, months prior. 

He held his face with one claw, clarity struck him like lightning. 

It makes sense. 

He laughs. "It all makes sense." Ignoring the disturbed look Tommy is giving him. 

All of this. 

"It's all Dream."

The one truly to blame. 

And as if fate would have it in their way to mock him constantly, Ranboo sees a message pop up, visible to everybody in chat. 

"...what?"

Tommy snickered, almost full on laughing at it, the message not having immediately sunk in. The irony of it all. 

Until it did. 

ItsFundy was slain by Ph1lzA using Philza hiasobi benihime. 

That can't be real. 

Right? 

But that twinge. 

In such a primeforsaken world, one could only expect 'canonicity' of death with this twinge, this cold feeling as if the universe themself dictated yes, this is real. A loss of a life has occurred, and it ain't something you ever get used to. 

Fundy was murdered. 

By his own grandfather. 

Yet, it still hadn't truly sunk in. 

Stunned, is all he is. 

Fundy. 

Despite the coldness he gave him during the Butcher Army Meeting, despite feeling like he had somehow got on the wrong foot with the fox folk, despite all the missteps and mistrusts. 

His last words to him play in his head. 

"Don't you trust us?" 

With that image of Phil, slicing his own grandson in the face. That gore. That look of betrayal suddenly turning into the need of retribution. Horrified screams becoming a vicious roar. 

Which all led to this. 

It's not his fault. It's not Quackity, Tubbo, nor even Phil. 

Dream. 

Dream did this. 

Ranboo turns to Tommy with a look of horror, the kid still having that empty giggle in his face. Lighthearted and not at all disturbed. He hasn't felt it yet, absolutely no idea his friend just got killed. 

"Tommy-" 

Tommy looks up at him, that plastered smile still there. 

"...you can't go back to Dream- You can't." 

He tried pleading once more. Tommy only huffing. 

"What? Of course I can."

"TOMMY!" 

Without thinking Ranboo grabbed Tommy by the shoulder. "He KILLED FUNDY!" 

There is a hint of startlement in Tommy's expression. "Whaaat?" He doesn't shake Ranboo off, still grinning. "Ranboo, are you even sure that's Canon?" 

Baffled by the nonchalance of his reply. "What do you MEAN it isn't- Tommy, your friend got another killed! Couldn't you feel it?!" 

"Hey just- Calm down…" Tommy pushes Ranboo's hands off of his shoulder, and shrugged. "Last I checked I'm preeeetty sure Phil ain't Dream." He chuckles. 

In Ranboo's eyes, everything is beginning to blur.

"Yeah…" Tommy kept going. "I'm sure Fundy is fine."

Ranboo could hear his own heartbeat, thumping and thumping as he inhales, exhales, inhales, exhales, inhales until that is almost all he could still hear. 

Yet Tommy still kept going. 

"Dream still needs me." Insisting. "And- And I need him."

Tommy says and Ranboo sees red. 

"TOMMY- FOR ONCE IN YOUR LIFE WOULD YOU JUST- LISTEN TO ME!" 

SLAM!!! 

Smash

Ranboo opened his eyes, he didn't notice he had shut, neither did he notice what had happened until he felt that dull ache on his fist. Eyes moving downwards, he saw Tommy lying on the floor, prone, hand on his cheek, a shocked look in his eyes. 

His fury didn't at all subsided. 

"What? You're just gonna lay down there and accept it?!" Ranboo began taunting. "You're gonna run back a cry to your best friend while everybody else dies without you?!" 

"That's not-" Tommy struggles in arguing. "It- It's not my problem anymore." Resorting to parroting what Dream had drilled in him as early as today. 

This only baffles Ranboo even more. "What do you mean not your problem?! Aren't you HEARING yourself?!" Without warning, Ranboo had pulled Tommy by his collar, yelping as he got and slammed against the Christmas tree. 

Ranboo verbally attacks. "Your friend got another killed."

"No-" He denies. 

Ranboo strikes back. "Your friend is the cause of everything bad happening right now." 

"N-No-" He keeps trying to counter. 

"DREAM IS NOT YOUR FRIEND, TOMMY!" 

"STOP IT!”  

His fist meets his face.

Knocked back, Ranboo lets go. He stumbled back as Tommy sprung from the trunk and pounced on top of him, gasping as he felt his back smack painfully against the hardwood, with no time to collect himself, Tommy pressed his weight against him. 

"YOU TAKE THAT BACK!" Tommy, this time, grabbed him by the collar. 

"DREAM STAYED!" 

Smack, goes his head as Tommy again slammed his fist against his face, smashing it on the pavement. 

And it didn't stop. 

"DREAM IS THE ONLY ONE I HAD!" Tommy cried. The kid didn't cease his punches. Ranboo's head kept smashing between fists and ground and fist and ground again and again and again and again, all he could see were fists and red and green.

And his beating health.

"DREAM IS MY ONLY FRIEND!" His HP chipping down ten, nine- "DREAM WOULDN'T LIE!” Seven, six- ”DREAM WOULDN'T HURT ME-” Four, three- ”DREAM-"

Two. 

"D-Dream…" 

One. 

One heart had remained. Tommy stopped, finally, recoiling. Ranboo could only hear his heavy panting, who’s? He doesn’t know, eyes too swollen, only seeing red, blood?  He feels what might be liquid dripping onto his face, numb, the blurred shape from where it came from, he assumes are Tommy’s fists. Red, a hint of green? Were these blood his? Or Tommy’s? Blackening, his vision. Multiple Tommys floating in his sight, dizzy. Regenerating? Is he?

"Fuck-"

He hears. That voice, clearer. Dizzy no more, steadying. The multiple Tommys dance and coalesce. Healing, he sees, his health returning, from one to two to three to four. By the fourth heart, his sight fully comes back, gasping, he sits up.

Hand on his bleeding brow, Ranboo looks up, seeing Tommy, horror in the kid’s eyes. 

"I-I'm- Oh god-" 

Ranboo sees him taking a shuddering step back, his horror, at first, seems to be at the sight of Ranboo, But no, Clutching his head, in a mantra of “No no no no” he falls onto the tree, backfirst, sliding from the trunk onto his knees.

"What have I- What am I-"

His hands moved from his head to his arms, curling into himself, being taken over by shivers. 

"Let's be the bad guys… Let's be the bad guys he said… Let's-" 

It repeats over and over. Ranboo, getting up, closing the space built between them. He reaches out with some hesitation, getting a closer glimpse of Tommy, this Tommy. This child younger than him, this supposed hero, this founder of his home, his friend.

He’s beyond broken.

"I don't want to-" The glassiness of his gaze glazes with water, tears filling those blank orbs.  

"I- I don't want to."

He snivels, begging to nobody in particular. The wind perhaps? Anybody who could hear, really. Miserably, he held himself tighter, shrinking before Ranboo’s eyes, pitiful and mewling, as the tears he’s holding back started to cascade.

And he breaks down, wracked with sobs.

"Tommy…" Ranboo speaks gently, trying to give a hand to hold, only for it to meet nothing with Tommy recoiling from his touch, looking disgusted. For a second, Ranboo was hurt.

Until Tommy spoke once more. "Ranboo- Ranboo look at me." Tommy weeped, clearly not disgusted by Ranboo, or of anything else really.

But of something else entirely, something more internal.

Tommy grips his chest.

"I did this-” He motions to the bloody bump on Ranboo’s brow, one he could still barely see through. 

“ I did this-” Is his woeful remark. “To you."

And as much as he could, he inched away, sinking further into the tree away from the half-Enderman. "I'm looking at myself and I- I hate it." Tommy wraps his arms around himself once again, almost constricting. "This isn't what's meant to be- This wasn't- I wasn't-" 

He chokes, cracking.

"I wasn't supposed to be Wilbur."

That was it.

His tears had stopped.

And yet, he’s mournful all the same, all from this despairing declaration, this insecurity laid bare before all to see, leaving him shattered and shaking.

And Ranboo lets him let it all out.

"I promised Tubbo..! I can't be him… I can’t-" 

"Tommy..!" 

Yet, before he could find himself sinking deeper, his despairing was interrupted by arms wrapping around him, into a tight hug. Tall, black, and white, holding him with far more tenderness than he does himself. 

He keeps trembling, as Ranboo whispers, unsure if he even hears.

"It's not too late."

Ranboo said simply, pulling him closer, deeper into his embrace. His trembling slowed, and after a while, Tommy had started to return the embrace, clinging onto him tightly, holding onto his only pillar right now, sobbing into his suit as the tears returned to their free falling, while Ranboo kept letting him.

Soon, as his shuddering began to cease, did Ranboo, ever so slowly, push him off, holding him by his shoulders, urging him to stare, right at the half-Enderman, right into the eyes.

Ranboo hides the discomfort he’s putting himself in with a smile.

"Tommy- You could-” 

His voice cracks for the briefest moment.

“You could come home…" 

That was all it took,

Just that small phrase, uttered by Ranboo smiling brilliantly down at the despairing Tommy, was enough. The cloudy gray that was Tommy’s gaze sparks, a hint of blue within the vastness of sadness, it was there, he sees it. Ranboo keeps himself from crying with what he saw. All he was looking for before him, that for a moment, he thought was dead.

Hope.

Yet it dims, the clouds taking over once more as Tommy turns to the ground. "I can't." 

"Yes you can!" 

Ranboo cries an immediate reply, shaking him by the arms as a counter to his despondency. He knew that was what Tommy was gonna say. He knew that’s what’s been stirring in his mind. He understood.

But he won’t let him this time.

"Dream isn't waiting for you-” Ranboo declares. “ We're waiting for you Tommy-" 

He takes that single moment of pause before that one proclamation.

"I AM WAITING FOR YOU!!!"

And everything froze.

He had left Tommy there, stunned, eyes looking up, mouth hanging open.

Before like a lit up fire cracker-

It explodes.

All of the colors burst forth from that gray. It crackles and pops, mixing into the purest blue. Bright and colorful. It’s a fire that raged brighter than the sun. Piercing through the dark and shattering the misty glass that had him imprisoned. The fuel he threw awakening it, that slumbering hope in life-support. It is back. It is brighter. It is him.

Finally.

Ranboo saw him.

He who turned to the Christmas tree. A renewed vigour that seems to make him glow amidst the bright lights decorating the ornament laden foliage before him, a smile on his face, for real this time.

Ranboo saw Tommy.

"...Ranboo."

He hears him. Tommy, the real Tommy, whispering.

His friend turns towards him, Ranboo’s red and green eyes meeting sparkling blue.

"Can you promise me one thing..?"

Was Tommy’s request. Curious, Ranboo opens his mouth to ask before his eyes seems to pick up something coincidentally. Noticing a shifting on the green out the back, there he saw the last thing before this memory was gone and recorded, a sight that made him very briefly freeze. 

A mask. 

White and smiling. Standing still in the background. Watching.

And yet, despite it all, instead of what he expected himself to feel, he had found himself smirking, right back at it. 

The masked man didn’t seem to react as Ranboo turned away from him, looking back at Tommy, his fire still burning, not dropping the smirk as he nodded, answering.

"Of course."

-.-- --- ..- .----. .-. . / -- -.-- / .-.. .- ... - / ... .... --- - .-.-.-

"Don't fucking forget." 

Was the last thing written at the very last used page of his memory book, definitely not handwritten by him as 1.) He doesn’t really swear and 2.) It just screams of Tommy. Sighing to himself, with a loud thump, Ranboo had closed the book.

It falls back into his inventory, along with the mask he had sinced removed. With another sigh, he thinks back to all that he’d read along the road, all of the little things he had recorded for this day, now that he really needs them.

Yet, his mind couldn’t seem to move away from that ‘promise’ he made.

What promise? Did he even make any promises actually? He couldn’t seem to recall, drawing blank at the end of that day, when he said without any hesitation “Of course”. Holding his head, he tries to recall, to no avail. He had flipped through his book up and down, yet, nothing. Completely bare of that one very important thing.

Well, there is one thing.

He remembers trailing his hand on the side of his journal, raising his brow as he grazes his fingers avoiding paper cuts along the way, on what was left of a page, mysteriously missing.

He groans, the promise he had forgotten, he knows it is there. He cannot think of any reason he would cut it off himself. That’d be incredibly dumb of him. No, there’s no way. But, what other way could there be? Surely he hadn’t lost this book, he couldn’t seem to recall it leaving his hands ever.

Or did it?

“Argh!” He scratches his head in frustration. Huffing, he kept on onward. Technoblade’s house right? That’s where he was instructed to go.

Tommy…

His memories of that day might be scattered and barely any clear even with some of his recordings, but there is one thing he is sure he will never forget, one thing that had pushed him forward, no matter the disgust it made him feel.

Those eyes, bright and blue.

Hope captured in a bottle.

He will reconvene with Technoblade, and he will find that missing page, no matter how long or what it takes. He doesn’t know if he was doing the right thing, but he had to do something. Gripping his chest, he now only has one thought in mind, one goal as he keeps moving forward.

That fire in his eyes, doused and slowly fading, yet still fighting.

Even if in the end he couldn’t-

He’ll reignite that light.

He'll save Tommy.