Chapter Text
“This way!” Someone whispered harshly. There was a barely visible nod as the small group dashed down the corridors. Each one had staggering breaths as their hearts quickened and echoed around them disorientingly. This was their only chance to leave. This was their only chance to save their beloved prince. Their footsteps were no longer quiet in the dead silent hallway. The moonlight from the tall windows along the hallway outlined the three figures who desperately dashed down it. They were so close. Each of their breaths were desperate and filled with slight hope.
“We can make it!” One of their voices cracked with the sudden hope of an exit. They eagerly ran forward and practically slammed themselves into the door. A loud clang echoed down the corridor. The door was locked, their exit sealed.
“N-no… no!” The same figure clung to the locked door desperately. “No..No...No...No!” At each desperate cry, they slammed their fist against the door. The door in return to the boy's anguished cries, remained locked in place. Slowly, finally letting the realization that there was no exit, the boy turned to face his other two friends, tears already streaming down his face. His voice came out wrangled, his blue eyes clouded in despair, “We cannot save you…”
“Ranboo… Tubbo… Guys…” The third figure’s voice was soft as the end was coming. The moonlight began to shine over them, illuminating their distinctive figure and creating a larger shadow down the hall. The third figure had golden blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes with tears brimming at its surface. Upon his head was a small silver crown, he was in fact the young prince, the prince that his two friends had sworn their lives to. “Don’t lay down your lives for me…”
The other two friends of his glanced at each other. One gave a hard stare with his red and green eyes while the other only shared a worried glance with his blue eyes. The prince remembered them distinctly. Ranboo had always given that strong, intellectual look in the large library at the castle. He was vastly different from others- He was colored like a yin and yang, his two colored eyes adding to his frightening build. On the inside, he was a soft man who preferred reading. The prince’s other friend Tubbo, a great warrior with two protruding ram horns from his head. He had messy brown hair and shining blue eyes similar to the prince. Tubbo was a strong warrior and the prince’s best friend. These two were young, around the same age as the prince himself. They were too young to lay down their lives protecting him.
“Prince Tommy we-” Tubbo began in his soft voice before abruptly stopping when Ranboo placed a hand on his shoulder. Slowly, Tubbo lifted his face to look at Ranboo, who was dead still with a finger to his lips. Prince Tommy stilled as his ears tried to pick up the slightest of noises, as a human however, he was at a disadvantage in hearing capabilities compared to his friends. The hallway was dead silent, except for the loud pounding his heart was making. He could barely concentrate as he panicked, looking over to his friends tensing at the noise. Eventually, Tommy managed to hear small footsteps coming towards them. They were locked in the hallway, a large door locked behind them and four large tall windows lining the hallway. In the shadows was a looming, menacing figure that his friends feared. And that scared Tommy. There was a loud screech as they heard metal scratching against the cobblestone floor of the castle. Tubbo, with sensitive hearing, blocked his ears. Ranboo, however, kept his eyes locked dead straight towards the small sparks that flew out of the shadow. They were exposed, with the prince inside of the hallway. Ranboo gulped, using his peripheral vision to glance at his friends to check on them. Slowly, a gleaming white mask emerged from the shadow. The mask bore a creepy yet simple smiling face. The full figure emerged, but the smiling mask lingered inside of their brains. The person wore a green tunic underneath sparkling netherite armor. Ranboo’s eyes slowly trailed downwards to the gleaming diamond axe in the person’s right hand.
“He’s….” Tubbo barely managed to whisper a word out as he recognized the figure standing before him. He trembled a bit, which was a bit unusual for the tough warrior. Ranboo knew this was serious, he had to protect his friends at any cost. “Dream.”
“The prince comes with me.” The figure spoke coldly to the group. Tommy flinched a bit as his friends glanced back to look at him. He was utterly frightened. As far as he knew, that axe was meant to be lodged into his throat. Tubbo and Ranboo once again shared an understanding nod.
“N-... No.” Tubbo managed to say more firmly. Tubbo began to recompose himself as he readied himself into a battle position against Dream. Tommy could almost feel the immense frown that this Dream fellow had underneath that smiling mask. Tubbo gripped the handle of the sword that he had pulled out from its sheath. Tubbo took a deep breath, ready to bark orders towards Ranboo to ensure the prince's safety.
Ranboo, however, had different plans. Ranboo quickly snatched the sword that Tubbo had pulled out and charged at Dream. Dream quickly moved his axe to block the sudden attack. From Tommy’s perspective, Dream had effortlessly moved the blade to block Ranboo’s attack.
“Ranboo!” Tubbo desperately cried as his friend attacked the dangerous foe. Ranboo hadn’t specialized in fighting like Tubbo. Ranboo was the quirky friend that they visited repeatedly in the library. Ranboo was the one to make sarcastic jokes. Tubbo was supposed to be the strong one for his friends. Ranboo had no chance!
Sparks flew from the blade as the axe and sword clashed together. “Tubbo.” Ranboo gritted through his teeth as he barely managed to hold his sword against the strong axe. “Get the prince out of here, through the window!”
“What about you!” Tubbo was stubborn, refusing to leave his friend. Tommy stared in disbelief as his friends struggled to just protect him.
“You have to be the strong one to get him out of here.” Ranboo shouted in response. “You have to be there for him to become king!” Ranboo managed to release himself from the pressure Dream was putting against him. Before Dream could make any attempts to stop Tubbo, Ranboo slashed violently towards Dream. Dream was locked in battle with Ranboo. The only way out was to eliminate Ranboo. Tubbo’s eyes watered as he realized what he had to do.
“Tommy…” Tubbo whispered, his eyes clouded in darkness.
“No Tubbo! No! This is an order!” Tommy backed away until he was pressed against the window.
“I’m sorry your highness!” Tubbo then charged straight into the window Tommy was up against with his ram horns. The glass shattered and Tubbo quickly wrapped himself against Tommy as they fell through the window. The last thing Tommy saw of Ranboo was the glimmering emerald earring dangling from his friend’s ear.
There was a large crash as Tommy fell onto Tubbo. Tubbo groaned in pain and Tommy quickly moved off of his friend.
“We were lucky to have been near the ground…” Tubbo mumbled. Tommy outstretched his hand out towards Tubbo and he quickly lifted his ally to his feet. There were loud noises everywhere as chaos began to encircle the castle with the missing prince. Tommy looked upwards out of the broken window they fell out of. He could no longer see Ranboo. Tommy’s hand was tugged a bit as Tubbo looked at Tommy with pleading eyes. “We have to keep moving…”
The whole situation was dire. His friends were sacrificing so much for him to escape out of this alive. Ranboo was now gone, fighting a mysterious masked figure that Tubbo knew of…. And Tubbo, he shielded him from a great fall. Tommy followed Tubbo, watching carefully as his friend continued to run despite the obviously injured leg. Tommy felt numb as time for him began to slow down. He could barely feel when he fell after stumbling on his legs. He could barely hear Tubbo desperately calling at him to keep moving. Everyone was being so strong for him. Not just because they were sworn by his side but because they thought of him as a friend and a future king. Eventually Tubbo managed to drag Tommy up and towards the edge of the wall next to a river down below.
“Tommy… Tommy!” Tubbo gripped Tommy’s shoulders and began to shake the prince violently. “You have to listen to me!” Several shouting could be heard further down the wall. They were going to find them both. Slowly, time began to spiral rapidly towards Tommy and he was back in the present. Back to this very despairing moment.
“R-ranboo! He-- Tubbo!” Tommy began to sob as he finally began to process the events earlier. He pressed his hands against his face, trying to wipe away these tears. Trying to be the bigger man in the situation. Tubbo’s heart broke at the sight of his tough friend breaking.
“Listen… Listen…” Tubbo began to console his friend in a soft, soothing voice. “I want you to jump into the river below on the count of three.”
Tommy’s eyes widened at this. “What…” He looked at Tubbo with a shocked expression, his mouth slightly ajar. Slowly his mind began to process what Tubbo was asking him.
“Tommy… I have to defend them from following you…” Tubbo explained slowly. Tubbo’s mouth was dry and his words seemed even dryer. He released Tommy from his grip.
“But-”
“They’re almost here Tommy!” Tubbo snapped his head towards Tommy. Tears were violently spewing from his face. Tubbo looked hurt, messed up. He and Ranboo both had to make necessary sacrifices to save their youngest friend. Ranboo had already made the first step and Tubbo wasn’t going to let it go in vain. It might’ve been selfish but he had to be the bridge that would lead his friend to safety.
“You can’t! I can’t do this alone! Ranboo has already left… I need my best friend! It was always me and you!” Tommy’s voice began to crack as he desperately called to his friend.
Tubbo pulled out a small dagger that was still in its sheath. It was the only weapon he had left on him after Ranboo took his main weapon. Tubbo carefully pulled out some of the blade, just enough to see his eyes reflected onto the surface. After making up his mind, he pushed the sheathed blade against Tommy’s chest. “Take it.”
“No way… Tubbo you can’t give up your only weapon…” Tommy gasped in surprise.
“Tommy.” Tubbo gave Tommy a serious look. “I will be back to serve you- like a trusted knight to his king! Let me do my one last duty being your princely bodyguard and next time we meet you’ll be king!”
“But, Tubbo,” Tommy swung his arm out, his voice shrill. The moonlight beamed over Tommy’s face, illuminating the desperation swirling in his eyes. “What am I without you?”
Tubbo squinted his eyes slightly, taking in the situation. “Yourself.” He said, his voice barely above a whisper. Tubbo quickly shoved Tommy over the edge of the wall and into the river. Tommy screamed in shock as he splashed into the cold water. The current began to quickly shoot him away from the castle.
Tubbo chuckled a bit as his situation became more helpless. “I forgot to count to three.” He then looked up towards the incoming enemies who wanted to take his friend away. “I’ll be the big man.” He whispered before charging at the enemies with his fist.
Tommy was carried farther and farther from the castle- from his precious friends. Despair was sinking into him as he began to realize how alone he was without them. He could hear their laughter still….
Ranboo had once found a small inch worm and snuck it into Tommy’s shirt and down his back. Tommy was screaming crazily trying to get the bug to leave him while Ranboo and Tubbo burst out laughing.
“‘I’ll protect you my prince!” Tubbo jokingly shouted before tackling Tommy to the ground.
“Ew!” Tommy blanched. “I think it squished against my back!”
It was just an everyday game for them. Playing as friends, carefree from political problems. It was just Prince Tommy, his bodyguard Tubbo, and his weird friend in the library Ranboo. Tommy never knew why he was paired up with such young people, but he would never be regretful for being their friends. And now, Tommy washed up on a river bank, far from the castle, coughing up water. All he had was a grey coat that Ranboo slipped over him before they ran and the small blade that Tubbo had given him to survive. Feeling tired and traumatized from the events of today, Tommy huddled against a tree and cried into himself.