Chapter Text
Ranboo paced back and forth in front of the mansion, wringing his hands.
Michael had been gone for three hours.
He’d been gone for three hours, and if that wasn’t bad enough, Tommy and Tubbo were both doing their own thing, meaning he couldn’t ask them for help.
He dragged a hand down his face, sighing. In all reality, he had probably just wandered off, following a butterfly or bee somewhere.
But there were the what-ifs. The constant “he’s hurt” “he’s on his own” “he’s in danger” and “he’s gone” thoughts that refused to leave his head.
Then again, he probably wasn’t too badly hurt. There weren’t that many things that could have hurt him on this server-
No. That was wrong. There were so many terrible things that could have happened to him on this server.
His mind started to run through all the scenarios possible. He could have just wandered off, it was entirely possible with how Michael was. But then again he could have fallen into a hole, and not been able to get back up, or could have tripped into a lake or water source, or Dream could have escaped and kidnapped him in some sick plot to get to one of their attachments-
This was going to give him a heart attack, he thought hysterically, leaning against the wall and slowly sliding down it.
He drew his knees up to his chest, pressing his forehead against them. Oh, he registered as a hiss of steam and a spark of pain came from his knee. He was crying.
He hadn’t done that in so long, hadn’t even let himself cry when Tommy’s died, but this time-
Everything had been going right.
It had been okay, but now Michael was gone and Ranboo didn’t think he could handle losing anyone else he cared about.
It was getting harder to breathe.
He only allowed himself a few more moments of panic before he got up, new scars burned into him.
He had to find Michael.
\ \ \
It was proving difficult to find Michael.
Ranboo had checked almost everywhere, but the pigman was nowhere to be found.
He wasn’t giving up though. He wouldn’t. Even if Michael turned out to be a thousand blocks away, he would turn over every stone until he found him, would-
Tubbo was at the portal.
He was at the portal Ranboo needed to go back by, and Ranboo had no idea what to do.
There wasn’t a back way to get to the main area, and unless Ranboo wanted to go back to Foolish’s summer home and walk back from there, which would take far too long, he was stuck.
(He had checked the temple, hoping to find Michael had gone to visit Foolish Jr., only to get a sad shake of a head from Foolish.
“Hope you find him soon!” Foolish called to him as Ranboo left.
He didn’t answer.)
He was sure he’d break down if Tubbo confronted him. He couldn’t admit he’d lost their son because his memory problems were so bad he couldn’t remember if he’d just closed the gate or not.
He cursed himself for what felt like the thousandth time today. Why couldn’t-
Why couldn’t he just remember?
He buried his face in his hands.
“Ran-boo!” A voice shouted, accentuating the first part of his name just a bit too much.
Ranboo stiffened, eyes going wide.
“Tommy.”
The one in question had come out of the portal, close behind Tubbo, and had- somehow- managed to spot him. He was wildly waving his hands at him, and Tubbo had turned to the direction Tommy was facing as well.
He’d have to tell them now.
Oh Prime, this would be a mess.
Still, he couldn’t help but let a smile slip onto his face at the way Tommy barreled towards him, having seen him not react to the arm-waving.
“Boo!” Tubbo was close behind, seemingly just as excited as Tommy.
“Ranboo, big man, come on, we’ve got to show you something.” Tommy grinned, mischievousness lighting up his expression.
Ranboo squinted at him. “What, exactly, did you two do.” He spoke slowly, glancing between them both.
Tommy and Tubbo immediately burst into giggles.
Ranboo sighed, exasperated, but he wasn’t sure he’d completely managed to keep the fondness out of his tone.
“Well,” He shuffled his feet. “I actually do have to do something, so I can’t look at it right now.”
He tried to ignore the puppy eyes they both gave him, trying to move around them.
“But Ranboo,” Tubbo pleaded, drawing out the ‘o’. “Please?”
Ranboo began to get more anxious, side-stepping to get in front of them. “It’s really important, Tubbo. Just leave me alone for a bit, okay?”
He immediately knew he’d come off too snappish.
“Oh.” Tubbo’s face fell, and Ranboo regretted it enough that he almost considered just going to see what they had done. “Okay.” He said even more quietly.
“Sorry.” Tommy mumbled as he started to walk away. “We just thought you’d like it.”
Ranboo could almost feel his heart break in his chest. They just sounded so sad. It was taking all his willpower to not run back there, hug them both, and assure them he’d always want to see whatever they’d made.
He walked on.
\ \ \
He was beginning to wear thin after looking through what he was sure was almost everywhere Michael could have travelled during that time.
He didn’t know where else to look.
Every corner he’d turned there was nothing. No clues, no traces, just nothing.
After a few more hours of searching, he eventually headed back to the mansion. He wasn’t giving up. He wasn’t. He was just making a tactical retreat in which he would possibly be able to get some sleep.
Exactly.
Either way, he was headed back to the mansion, and maybe he would be able to see what his famil- friends. What his friends had been doing.
He made his way back, frowning when he barely heard any noise coming from the mansion. Usually he’d be able to hear the chaos of Tommy and Tubbo in proximity biomes away.
He’d fucked up, hadn’t he.
He almost turned back, figuring it wasn’t worth it to see Tubbo and Tommy when he would not only have to explain that he’d lost a child, but that he hadn’t told them that either.
But then he spotted movement.
He drew his bow, preparing to fight whatever zombie or skeleton had appeared.
However, what was coming towards him wasn’t trying to kill him.
It was a pigman.
Ranboo could sob with relief.
Instead, he just scooped up his son, hugging him as tightly as he could to his chest.
“Hey, Michael.” He murmured, letting out a sigh when he heard the excited squealing in return.
Ranboo really hoped the ones he cared about would stop getting themselves in danger.
He headed home.