Chapter Text
Ranboo had been walking all night, he could feel it. He was walking in the middle of the night, no rhyme or reason for it, but he could sense that he’d been trying to get somewhere quickly. The snow around him was unfamiliar, he wasn’t even wearing armor. Ranboo had woken up miles away from his house, again.
It keeps on happening, he thought to himself as he braced himself to get back to the Arctic but something caught his eye. In the distance, lights. It was a harsh glow that felt like it raidited for miles. The snow continued to fall, burning Ranboo’s skin.
I can’t stay out here, he thought. He had only brought a light jacket, so at this point he felt like any shelter would be better than here. He headed towards the house, going as fast as he could. Ranboo eventually made it, but the house wasn’t what he’d expected. The house was ominous, but it was the only real shelter for miles so Ranboo walked in...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Phil, Techno have you seen Ranboo?” Sam asked.
Sam had never been to the Arctic, and Techno really hadn’t talked to the man outside of battles. Techno was content living in the Arctic with his dogs, and the two other people living basically rent free on his property. Not to say Phil and Ranboo weren't welcome, but Techno preferred to be alone. That had changed when Tommy was living with him, but now if the little cretin showed up on his land there would be consequences. Ranboo fit in with the two of them. He was quiet, and didn’t easily betray him. “Not since last night,” Phil explained. “I assumed he was going mining.”
“Well I believe I know where Dream might be.” Sam looked out into the distance.
Dream had escaped from Prison about a month ago. Suddenly everyone was on the lookout for him. Techno hadn’t really liked Dream all that much. The two were allied together to destroy L’Manburg but other than that he could give less of a crap. Dream had wanted Carl locked in his creepy vault of treasures, as if Dream could win in a fight against Techno with his horse’s life on the line. “Why does it matter now?” Techno asked. “He hasn’t made any moves against any of us, I say let's leave him be.”
“You know why I can’t leave it Techno,” Sam looked concerned.
Techno did know why, not that he’d tell anyone. It wasn’t his business to talk about what Dream did. “I know you can’t Sam, but what do we have to do with this?”
“Simply put, I think that Dream has been using Ranboo.” Sam sat up straighter, “Something he did when Sapnap visited him and Ranboo wasn’t the same.”
“Sam this whole Prison seems like it was a waste of time at this point,” Phil finally spoke, “Dream will find a way to get out again, putting everyone at risk including my--”
“Sons?” Sam stood up, looming over Phil, “We all know you disowned Tommy Phil, not to mention Will. This isn’t a matter regarding them, you're worried about one thing and that’s your guilty conscience. You heard that Dream knows how to bring Will back. That’s all your after.”
“And so what if I want Will back?” Phil’s wings puffed out, “I lost my son in my own arms and you expect me not to want him back?”
“Good to know that you and Tommy have one goal in keeping Dream alive.” Sam sat back down, “Dream is gonna give us that information, and then he’s gone.”
“Bold of you to assume that Dream will be gone” Techno snarled.
“I need him to be gone,” Sam said, “That prison wasn’t even for him. Him escaping is on me and my guard ship. He hurt my pride.”
“Where do you think Dream is Sam?” Techno finally asked.
“Somewhere even more north then here,” Sam started, “Just beyond your Antarctic Empire.”
~~~~~~~~~~~
“Nice to see you Ranboo,” Dream smiled, no mask but a deep scar running just below his eye.
That was new, Ranboo thought. Ranboo hadn’t seen Dream in months, not since his last nightmare. Somehow the two were connected and, as far as Ranboo was concerned, he didn’t want to be. The house itself gave off bad energy, but Ranboo couldn’t leave in this storm.
“What’s your goal here Dream?” Ranboo asked, “You escaped for what? Living alone out here seems the same as the Prison.”
“I can’t do my research in Prison Ranboo,” Dream slowly opened the book he’d be holding, “All that time without anything that would actually help the people who kept me in there.”
“You’re researching into the books Schlatt gave you?”
“Of course,” Dream chortled, “The only reason I didn’t die was because Tommy wants his brother back. Those damn discs didn’t mean anything once I threatened Tubbo, Tommy just wants to be the hero that brings Willbur back from the dead.”
That’s not true, Ranboo thought. But what did Tommy want? Ranboo couldn’t think of what Tommy truly wanted. It’s not like Ranboo would remember, the past couple weeks were a blur. “So you escaped to read books and live in the cold?”
“I didn’t need to be there in the first place,” Dream walked towards Ranboo, “It was my temporary housing. Now I’m home, with my books and my weapons. I also have something at my disposal I didn't have in prison.”
“So why am I here?” Ranboo froze, “You have no reason to be this close to the Arctic, and you could easily hide somewhere else. So you must be after one of two things, Techno or me.”
“You’ve always been smart,” Dream smiled, “It's a shame that you don’t remember.”
“I try to remember I just can’t,” Ranboo stepped back, and tripped. He landed on his back. Dream took the opportunity to step behind him, and sat on the back of his heels.
“And that’s why you're here,” Dream breathed into his ear, “I need you to forget you ever saw me. You’re the key to all of this research, my research into the nature of mortality, and the dead.”
“You don’t need me,” Ranboo scrambled forward, “You need my powers, not me.”
“Oh but I do Ranboo,” Dream’s smirked, “It’s always been you. The community house, Tommy’s exile, hell even the destruction of L’Manburg. It’s been you.”
“That was you Dream”
“Oh I couldn’t do it alone Ranboo, you helped me.” Dream slowly stood up, “I always helped you, but in the end you lit the match.”
“But I didn’t do it,” Ranboo felt a pit in his stomach. Did he do it? Ranboo really couldn’t remember.
“But you did,” Dream walked over and put his hands on Ranboo’s face, “and you’ll do it again.”
Ranboo dropped to the floor, passed out. Dream slowly picked him up. He wandered the halls and found an open bed. “You’ll just need to stay here until I can figure out how to use you.” Dream sighed, “and maybe I can help you remember.”