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Ranboo hurtled across the terrain. His tail whipped furiously to maintain his balance on the spikes of earth and loose stone, interspersed with glowing pockets of magma. The heat was overwhelming. It scorched his lungs with every inhale, turning his throat dry and scratchy. Sweat ran down his back and he swore he could hear the droplets sizzle as they splashed onto the harsh stone below. Even his thin, comfortable shirt and loose pants clung unbearably to his frame. An unearthly wail echoed behind him. Ranboo jumped, releasing a choked squeak. In a blink, he found himself several metres ahead and barely caught his balance before sliding down a steep decline into a pit of lava.
He took a few seconds to collect himself before taking off again, eager to put as much distance between himself and that giant ash-coloured monster as possible. Soon enough, its shrieks were far behind. It must have lost interest in him. After a few minutes of relative peace and only an occasional magma-coloured slime to dodge- which were slow enough that he could have walked away and still been fine- he felt comfortable easing into a jog. The spikes of harsh grey stone were evening out, fading into a gentler terrain with fewer hazards. The ground was some sort of dark red stone that had a faintly spongy texture to it, making it less than pleasant to walk on.
Still, he was able to take more than two steps without worrying about sliding into a pool of lava, so Ranboo considered it an improvement overall. It was also around that time that he made the mistake of looking back. He scoured the smoke-choked air for monsters and ended up slamming directly into something solid. He wavered, nearly causing him to fall backwards down the slight slope he’d been climbing.
He heard an irate grunt and blinked, forcing down his dizziness enough to look up at the figure he’d run into. Humanoid in appearance, they had long tusks that protruded from their mouth and large, pointed ears. The most disturbing feature was the creature’s eyes, which were pure white with no sign of an iris or even pupils.
Meeting their gaze set Ranboo on edge. Even as the rapid surge of adrenaline earlier had left him drained, a new kind of agitation rose up and he couldn’t bring himself to look away. Panic flooded his veins. He wanted to flee but was frozen in place by that empty stare. After a few agonizing seconds, the strange being jerked their head down, breaking eye contact.
Ranboo felt his instincts surge up, raging against his painstakingly crafted control, demanding retribution. He tried to run, but his legs refused to support him. He fell to the ground. A low keen forced its way up his ravaged throat, and he covered his ears, trying to drown out the static building in his mind. A part of him wanted to lash out, to claw and tear apart, to bite— he shied away from the thoughts. It was too much. He didn't want to hurt anyone— did he?
~~~
Tommy stared at the unfamiliar creature in front of him, equal parts entranced and nervous. Meeting its wide eyes, he was startled to see one eye was a vibrant green and the other blood-red. That was when he saw all-too-familiar purple particles blink in and out of existence around the creature and its tightly clenched jaw, ready to split wide open to devour— as if any enderman was a match for Tommy— and quickly dropped his gaze.
Still, the figure, which must be a hybrid, didn’t make a sound. There was no enraged, gurgling screech, no pop as the air rushed to fill a sudden void as the creature teleported behind Tommy to bite his head off.
After a few long, drawn out seconds, he risked looking up to the hybrid’s torso. He was shaking, chest rising and falling rapidly with panicked breaths. The being, whatever he was, was terrified. And as he watched, the hybrid sank to the ground and released a long, droning whine. He was trembling.
“Um, you good there, big man?”
The only answer was a slight hiccup in his breath.
Okay, Tommy could work with that. He wasn’t hesitant to touch the stranger, so he just kept talking. “What’s gotten you all- all panicky? I mean, I’m obviously much stronger and more powerful than you, but I didn’t do anything. You crashed into me!”
The hybrid let out a low, hissing sound but didn’t seem too aggressive.
Tommy groaned, silently wondering how he’d gotten into this situation and why he hadn’t left yet. But he was here now, and he wasn’t going to back out. He continued, “I haven’t seen you around before, are you new? You don’t look like you could survive more than five minutes out here, if I’m being honest. Which I always am. Big men don’t lie and I am the biggest man. Can you even understand me?”
This time, his words were met with complete silence. He risked a glance up to see— gold. The stranger, who apparently had a tail— why did he have a tail ?— had uncurled and was playing with a gold ring on it, twisting it back and forth as he alternated between staring at the ground and flicking his gaze up to Tommy. Tommy stared at the glimmering metal, shifting on his feet. The ender-hybrid flinched again at the movement, looking up to meet his eyes for a second before Tommy jerked his head down again.
“Sorry, big man, didn’t mean to startle you. Fancy looking stuff you’ve got there. Is it supposed to be armour? That’s stupid. I don’t see how a couple thin bands could protect you from much.”
At this point, Tommy was almost certain the other hybrid wasn’t processing a word he was saying. He seemed to be calming, though, as his breathing had evened into a more natural rhythm and he was idly fiddling with a gold circlet. Good, whatever. None of that mattered. Tommy wanted to know where he had gotten so much gold.
He knew some of the older, full-blooded piglins wore it in small loops, either pierced through their ears or looped loosely around their arms and ankles, but only the veterans, who’d won the right to wear such to let everyone know of their victories and that they weren’t to be trifled with. They always wore full sets of golden armour, often stained with blood and soot, and kept multiple weapons close at hand.
This creature wore no armour, no weapons, nothing to suggest he could even survive against the smallest magma ooze.
He made a sound, then, a wavering trill that seemed inquisitive. Tommy looked up again, careful to keep his gaze on the enderman hybrid’s torso and no higher, and realized the hybrid’s eyes were fixed on him, no longer wandering around the surrounding area. Okay, that was fine, it didn’t mean the creature was going to attack. He seemed more curious, if anything. Confused. He definitely didn’t belong here.
“Sorry, I was thinking. Important thoughts. I don’t suppose you’re just lost and have a nice little warped forest to get back to?”
The hybrid simply stared at him blankly in response.
Tommy sighed, running a hand through his tangled hair. This kid clearly had no idea what was going on; he was probably either missing from some enderman family somewhere or he’d accidentally wandered through one of those portals he saw humans come through every so often.
The piglin hybrid hummed, thinking. Clearly, the stranger needed help. He’d probably end up getting himself killed if he kept wandering around alone. Tommy was a big man, the biggest of all men. And that meant, when he found someone weak who needed help, he had to help them.
To do that, he needed to bring him back to his cave where they would be safe from ghasts and magma oozes and all the other little beasties that thought they would be better served as a snack. It might seem like a daunting task, considering the language barrier and how skittish this hybrid seemed, but Tommy was nothing if not a genius. He had a brilliant plan.
He grinned, spreading his hands in a grand gesture. “Don’t worry about anything, I know just what to do! There’s a nice, safe little cave just left and a bit back from here where you can rest and figure out how to get back to— well, wherever you came from— of course, there’s always a fee.”
Darting forward, Tommy snatched the gold circle from the other’s hands, surprised by how easy it was to grab— didn’t he even want to keep it? He then turned and raced up the incline, veering left to head for his home. A surprised vwoop followed by light footsteps, perceptible only due to Tommy’s enhanced hearing, told him the hybrid was indeed following. Excellent. Now he just had to figure out what to do when they reached their destination.
~~~
Ranboo jerked back, almost tumbling backwards as the strange being yanked the tail ring from his grasp and ran off. He was frozen for a moment, trying to figure out what had happened and what to do. But only one thought kept returning to his frazzled mind. Techno had given him that as a gift, a sign that the hybrid had accepted him fully into their little family. There was no way he was going to lose it.
Shrieking a protest, he raced after the hybrid. They ran for several minutes, Ranboo somehow unable to catch up with the hybrid despite his superior height and long legs. The other was more familiar with the terrain and ran lightly over the odd, crimson stone, easily dodging past stray fires and even ducking behind a pouring stream of lava without fear. Ranboo hesitated before following, ears pricked for any sign that the other might have stopped running in favour of pushing him into the burning liquid.
Instead, he found himself at the entrance to a cave. It looked small and narrow, and a light flickered from somewhere inside. There was no sign of the thief, but the solid wall of red stone said there was nowhere else they could have gone. He hesitantly crept into the cave, tail flicking restlessly. It occurred to him then that chasing this person even further away from the portal he’d tumbled through probably hadn’t been a great idea, as he now had even less of a clue how to get home. But, thinking of the awkward, bashful expression on Techno’s face as he’d shoved the ring into his hands, he set his jaw and crept through the opening.
Following the curve of the tunnel, he found that it opened up a bit into a small cavern, filled with chests, a fire crackling merrily in one corner, and the hybrid with his stolen jewelry.
~~~
Tommy hovered uncertainly near the back of his cave as the hybrid burst in, panting heavily, and stopped abruptly, looking around.
He fiddled with the gold ring, running his fingers along the smooth surface. “See, it’s safer here! We won’t get interrupted by explosions or anything.”
The ender hybrid made a chittering sound, purple sparks dancing around his body, and pointed to what Tommy was holding.
He stepped back, unable to keep the whine from his tone. “You want it back? But, you have, like, three others! I did help you, after all.”
The only answer he got was a distressed shriek, reminiscent of an enderman about to attack. His heart jumped and he swallowed hard. He sighed in disappointment but was quick to hold it out. “Fine, fine. Take it.”
The hybrid hesitated, but crept forward to snatch it from Tommy’s hands, cupping the ring gently in his hand like it was something precious. He made some strange gesture with his free hand.
“Uh… You’re welcome? I think. Can you understand a word I’m saying?”
There was no answer so Tommy sighed again, running a hand through his hair. “I guess not. Okay, what else can we try?”
Before he could come up with anything, a loud grumbling emanated from the other boy’s stomach. Tommy laughed, “Okay, just stay there for a minute, okay?”
The boy looked awkward and started shuffling back out of the tunnel.
“Wait!”
He flinched back at the shout, freezing in place.
“Shoot, sorry,” Tommy said, gentling his tone. He thought for a moment, then pointed at his guest and then at the ground where he had several hoglin hides spread out as blankets.
The hybrid looked uncertain, glancing between Tommy and the spot he’d indicated. Tommy smiled in what he hoped was a reassuring manner, keeping his eyes just below the other boy’s, and sat on the floor. Once again, he pointed at the other and gestured to the hides. Hesitantly, the enderman hybrid complied and sat on the edge of them, awkwardly folding his long legs into a cross-legged position.
“Great!” Tommy clapped his hands together, but quickly quieted down again. “Sorry, sorry, I forgot. Okay, I’m just going to get some food. You stay here, okay?”
The hybrid didn’t show any signs of comprehending, but he also didn’t move, so Tommy slowly got to his feet and went to one of the chests he had against the wall, digging through the random items he’d tossed in to pull out dried strips of meat. They were a bit tough to chew but had plenty of flavour. He caught himself before shouting in victory and instead walked slowly over to the other boy and held them out.
The ender hybrid took the handful, but held it uncertainly in front of him, looking between the jerky and Tommy. Laughing, Tommy held out a hand. “Here, I’ll show you.”
He quickly handed it back, but Tommy just took one and tore a piece off, popping it into his mouth. “See? It’s food.”
The boy’s face lit up, but he still seemed hesitant and tried giving half of it back to Tommy.
“No, no, I already ate. It’s yours.”
He kept holding it out, so Tommy shook his head and gently pushed it back towards him. He then sat down properly a few feet away and took another bite of his own strip.
Finally giving in, the other hybrid started eating with enough enthusiasm to suggest it had been a while since his last meal. Tommy kept up a stream of idle chatter, musing ways they could communicate properly, and occasionally got a hum or quiet chirp in response, though it was clear that the other had no idea what was being said.
~~~
Ranboo finished the large handful of dried meat quickly, a little embarrassed by the lack of manners he’d shown while devouring it. He was confused by the generosity of this piglin hybrid, who’d stolen from him but barely hesitated to return the ring, then seemed determined to keep him around and feed him. It made no sense. He certainly liked to talk, enthusiastically waving his hands around to empathize his guttural words, and didn’t seem to mind that Ranboo couldn’t respond. It made him wonder how long it had been since the other boy had someone to talk to.
He took that time to properly study his host. He’d been too panic-stricken to notice before, but he now saw that he wore primitive clothes made from rough hide. His neck was adorned with a long strand of tiny bones. They clicked together softly as he moved. There was a short gold sword strapped to his back and he wore a random assortment of gold armour: some bracers, a dented breastplate, and a pair of stained boots.
The piglin hybrid straightened abruptly, clapping his hands together. Ranboo tensed at the noise, but didn’t flinch back this time. He was beginning to enjoy the vibrance and excitement the other boy exhibited.
He said something that Ranboo couldn’t understand, then grabbed a stick with a blackened tip and used it to stir the fire, nudging out one of the heavily burnt logs. It took next to no effort to break it apart into soft, silvery ashes that the boy spread across a section of the ground.
The boy then started drawing in the ash, the picture vague and hard to interpret. Ranboo let out a surprised vwoop, embarrassed by his own forgetfulness, and grabbed his notebook from its place on his belt and held it out, offering. The piglin hybrid looked up in surprise, meeting his gaze for a moment before quickly directing his eyes down to the book. He took it hesitantly. The boy ran a hand over the soft, worn leather cover and turned it over, studying it as if he’d never seen one before. Maybe he hadn’t.
He then took the quill that was strapped into the inside cover and drew a few experimental lines, handling it as if he’d never held one before. Ranboo was beginning to think he hadn’t seen much in the Nether. It was, after all, primarily a barren wasteland. Seemingly satisfied, the hybrid then began painstakingly sketching something, the lines somewhat shaky but clear.
The drawing was mostly a bunch of thin, detailing lines. There were shapeless blobs, a few blocky forms, and what looked to be clusters of spikes. It made no sense.
Apparently finished, the piglin hybrid looked up expectantly, not meeting his gaze, and voices a questioning snort.
Ranboo looked at him, then the page, then back up. He trilled in confusion, head tilted.
The other boy huffed. He waved a hand around the cave, then pointed at a spot on the page. He said something, tone tinted with impatience, and looked back at Ranboo.
Refusing to meet the other boy’s look, he stared at the page, trying to make sense of what the piglin hybrid was trying to tell him.
Grunting, the piglin hybrid stood up and offered a hand to him. Ranboo took it and pulled himself to his feet. Instead of letting go, the boy interlocked their fingers and led him through the tunnel and out of the cave, past the stream of bubbling lava.
For the first time, Ranboo was able to get a good look at the landscape. They stood at the height of a rise, a rough cliff of red stone stretching to either side behind them. In the distance, he thought he could see a couple jagged spires. That was probably where he’d come from. Everything was obscured by an oppressive red haze and a curtain of smoke that hung heavy in the air.
A soft huff drew his attention to the piglin hybrid next to him. The boy pointed at something far off, slightly to the left of them. It appeared to be a lava lake, bubbling and churning. Ranboo shuddered.
The hybrid then pointed down at one of the round, oddly shaped blobs on the page, then back at the lava lake. Ranboo blinked, then chirped uncertainly.
He huffed again, then pointed between the spires of rock in the distance and the cluster of spiky lines on his drawing. He looked up at Ranboo expectantly.
Ranboo trilled, finally understanding. It was a map of the area. He studied it for a moment, then pointed at the spot he thought they were and gestured at the cave behind them.
The piglin hybrid perked up and indicated a spot slightly left of where Ranboo had guessed. He then looked at Ranboo expectantly.
He studied the map, trying to guess where the portal he’d come through was, but he came up empty. Taking the notebook back, he flipped to the next page. Quickly, he sketched out a rough rendition of a portal, hoping the other boy knew what they were.
Sure enough, the hybrid took one look at it and shouted something, ducking his head apologetically as Ranboo flinched and nearly dropped the book. He touched Ranboo’s shoulder and led the way back inside the cave. They sat by the fire again.
The piglin hybrid took the notebook and began drawing something else, face scrunched up in concentration.
It took a while, but eventually, Ranboo realized it was some sort of ruined building, and, judging by the shading of the landscape around it, he didn’t think it was built from any material in the Nether. Everything here was dark and gloomy, harsh.
He let out a curious trill, looking from the page to Tommy’s face, just below his eyes. The other boy gave him a brief baring of teeth that he’d begun to realize was a smile, then flipped to the previous page, Ranboo’s rendition of a portal, and pointed to it, then back to his own drawing.
Ranboo frowned and trilled in confusion again, head tilted. He felt his tail stirring unhappily behind him and quickly forced it still again. Tommy huffed but was quick to pat his knee in reassurance as the enderman hybrid hunched in on himself, embarrassed. He then returned to his drawing and scribbled in a smaller version of the portal, right overtop of the ruined structure.
Ranboo gasped and vwooped in excitement. He knew where a portal was? Maybe he’d be willing to show him or at least point in him the general direction!
The piglin hybrid smiled again, perking up. He then pointed at Ranboo, made a walking motion with his fingers, and pointed at the drawing, voicing what was presumably a question.
He nodded rapidly, letting his tail swish along the ground in excitement. Ranboo started to stand up, but the other boy grabbed his arm to stop him, voicing a word.
Frowning, he allowed himself to be pulled back down, now sitting directly in front of the piglin hybrid. He chirped curiously, tilting his head.
The piglin hybrid pointed at himself and then Ranboo, then repeated the walking gesture and pointed at the image of the portal. He tilted his head, looking hopeful.
Ranboo hesitated. He repeated the other boy’s movements, wanting to be sure he understood correctly, then nodded in agreement. He brightened and chattered excitedly for a bit, seemingly remembering not to shout.
After a moment, the hybrid paused in his rambling and frowned. He looked at Ranboo, then pointed at himself and carefully enunciated a word.
The enderman hybrid tilted his head, unsure what he was supposed to do.
The boy simply repeated the action and sound, saying it a few times until Ranboo realized it must be his name. It sounded roughly like Tommy. He nodded eagerly in understanding and grinned.
The boy, Tommy, clapped his hands together excitedly and Ranboo found he didn’t mind the noise too much.
The piglin hybrid then pointed at him and tilted his head the same way Ranboo did when he was confused. He was asking for Ranboo’s name.
Thinking for a moment, he flipped to an empty page in his notebook and wrote it in Ender, then showed the page to the boy.
Tommy stared at the characters for a long moment, making soft grumbling sounds. It was clear he didn’t understand it at all.
It took them countless minutes and failed attempts, random guesses at letters and sounds, and a newly developed system of tapping once for yes and twice for no, but finally Tommy was pronouncing it about as well as he could in his guttural, growling language. Ranboo counted it as a success and grinned happily, feeling warmth bloom in his chest as the boy mirrored his expression.
The moment was broken as he yawned hugely, feeling the stress and adrenaline of the day taking their toll on him. His body felt heavy and slow. There was no sun or night in the Nether, so he couldn’t tell how long he’d been here, but he guessed a few hours at least.
Tommy made the rough, barking sound that Ranboo had come to understand was a laugh and gestured to the hides spread over part of the floor. The enderman hybrid hesitated and shook his head. He couldn’t take the boy’s bed, not after he’d already done so much to help Ranboo. Tommy pointed emphatically at him, then the hides. Ranboo huffed and shook his head again. He then copied Tommy, pointing at the hybrid, then the hides, and made to lie down on the warm stone on the other side of the fire.
The other boy growled and grabbed Ranboo, tugging him to the bed with surprising strength, considering his scrawny build. About to protest again, Ranboo stopped as Tommy laid down, dragging them both to the ground. He froze. Tommy quickly sat back up and started to move away, speaking quickly and gently, but Ranboo hesitantly shook his head, cutting him off. He grabbed Tommy’s hand and guided him back, lying comfortably on the soft hides.
Tommy grunted a question, voice filled with uncertainty.
Ranboo, hoping he understood correctly, covered the hybrid’s hand with his own and squeezed once.
He’d thought it might be uncomfortable, having a warm body next to him in the heat of this realm, but he found himself relaxing into it. It had been too long since he’d had this comfortable, casual kind of companionship. Phil and Techno were wonderful, of course, and he loved them! But neither of them were the most expressive. They rarely initiated physical contact, preferring to co-exist in their own space. This was nice. Comforting. It didn’t take long for him to drift into a fitful sleep.
~~~
Tommy woke up slightly confused, feeling something rise and fall slightly beneath his head. It took him a moment to remember the events of the previous day and abruptly realize that his head was resting on the ender hybrid— Ranboo’s— chest and one arm was thrown overtop of him.
He quickly jerked upright and flushed as he realized Ranboo’s eyes were open. He was awake.
“Sorry, sorry! I didn’t mean to— I think it’s a piglin thing because we— they— live in packs or herds or whatever. It won’t happen again!”
Stumbling through his stupid excuses, he risked a glance at Ranboo and paused. The boy was crying? No, laughing? That seemed more accurate. His shoulders were shaking and he had his eyes squeezed shut, one hand covering his mouth. It was an odd, silent laughter and it did nothing to ease the embarrassment that spread across his face as he covered it with his hands.
A moment later, he felt a gentle touch on his shoulder and he peeked through his fingers to see Ranboo smiling at him, red and green eyes focused somewhere just below his own. He melted into the touch. He couldn’t help it; the long-buried instincts to be part of a family, to protect, to be with others had been slowly rising over the past several hours.
The enderman hybrid hesitantly wrapped the arm around his shoulders, then pulled out the notebook again and flipped back to where he’d drawn his two friends. Tommy lowered his hands and watched curiously as he flipped to the other side of the page and started sketching another figure. One with a messy mop of hair, pointed ears, tusks— Oh. Ranboo was drawing him.
“Aww, does this mean we’re friends?” Tommy teased, trying to keep his tone light but he felt choked with some unfamiliar emotion.
Finished the drawing, Ranboo turned to face him and smiled shyly. Swallowing down a lump in his throat, Tommy took the notebook and quill, narrowing his eyes at the page as he carefully drew an addition to the sketch and held it up proudly. “There! Now it’s perfect!”
The hybrid looked at it and doubled over again, shoulders shaking with silent laughter. Tommy had given himself an extravagant, curling mustache.
While Tommy set about grabbing some supplies for a hearty breakfast, he kept glancing at Ranboo. The other boy was drawing something else. It seemed to be another person, though he couldn’t get a good look.
As Tommy sat down after setting their meal to cook over the fire, the enderman hybrid nudged him and turned the notebook to display the addition. It was Ranboo. The two hybrids were standing next to each other, hands intertwined, and a word was scribbled in Ranboo’s language above the two. He didn’t know what it meant, but he could take a guess. Friend. Blinking back the tears that had the audacity to gather in the corners of his eyes, he squeezed Ranboo’s shoulder once for yes and busied himself pretending to tend to the food.
“Clingy bastard,” he muttered.
They ate a quick breakfast of mushrooms and meat roasted over the fire, but it was obvious by his twitching tail and frequent glances at the exit that Ranboo wanted to be on the move.
Not caring enough to clean anything up or put out the fire, Tommy set about packing up what supplies he could. He had some more dried strips of meat, which he wrapped up and placed in his makeshift hide bag, as well as a few assorted pieces of gold armour that he split between himself and Ranboo. He left his other gold trinkets behind.
Tommy put out the fire and stood, looking around his makeshift home for what might be the last time. “Well, this is it. I’d say I’m going to miss this place, but… I probably won’t.”
With that, he turned and gave Ranboo a bright smile, leading the way out into the open.
The air outside the small cave was barely cooler than the air inside, and the combination of smoke and rotting things that hung heavy in the air made Tommy wrinkle up his nose. He wondered what Ranboo’s world would smell like. Hopefully there were fewer dead things there.
Setting his shoulders, he threw a grin to the enderman hybrid over his shoulder and marched ahead, following a path known only to his memory.
~~~
Ranboo stopped walking and stared in awe at the landscape in front of him. There were tall, luminescent plants that looked like trees but instead of leaves, they had shimmering, cyan fungal blooms in place of leaves. Spores were drifting to the ground in a light, sparkling rain. Everywhere he looked, there were glowing colours and lush plants that he’d never known existed in the Nether.
Tommy had walked ahead a ways before realizing Ranboo wasn’t with him and turning back. He grinned and came back to grasp Ranboo’s hand, drawing him further in. They walked slowly, giving the enderman hybrid plenty of time to stare at the beauty around him. Long, lithe vines hung from the mushroom-trees in clumps that seemed to shift and move like they were alive. It reminded him of an enchanted forest in one of Techno’s books.
They travelled through the fungal forest for the rest of the day, only pausing when Tommy saw some mushrooms that were apparently edible. Ranboo still wasn’t entirely convinced they weren’t poisonous, considering the bitter, sharp taste hadn’t left his mouth hours later, but neither of them had keeled over yet.
It was impossible to measure exactly how many hours they’d been walking for, but it had been at least a few hours before they’d reached this forest and several more were spent walking through it. Ranboo was exhausted by the time Tommy found a suitable place to sleep. The piglin hybrid had been walking slower for him, seemingly less affected by the exercise and unrelenting heat.
The place they stopped at was a small hollow in the ground, sheltered by a mushroom tree with vines that provided a screen around them. The dappled blue moss that covered the ground did little to soften it.
Tommy didn’t seem to mind the lack of cushioning. He settled down easily at one end folding his arms under his head as a pillow. Ranboo was less fortunate. He kept shifting, unable to get comfortable. He curled into a ball on his side, but that pressed painfully against his hip bone, so he tried to stretch out on his back, but his legs had to bend at an awkward angle.
Apparently tired of his movements, Tommy lifted his head and grumbled at Ranboo from where he lay on the opposite side of the hollow. The piglin hybrid blinked, then burst out laughing at his predicament. Ranboo hissed softly and sat up.
Tommy waved a hand, saying something that Ranboo was pretty sure was an apology in between snorts of laughter. He took a deep breath, pulling himself together, then said something with an air of importance that was impossible to take seriously after his earlier outburst.
The enderman hybrid huffed and turned away, about to try a new position, when he felt himself get dragged back.
He found himself resting his head and shoulders on Tommy’s abdomen, giving his legs just enough room to stretch out comfortably in front of him. Oh. He laid there uncertainly for a moment, unsure what to do. Soon, he felt Tommy’s hands run through his hair, gently working out the tangles, and he gradually relaxed into the soft touch. Sleep came quickly after that.
Ranboo awoke to a warmth that didn’t feel as oppressive as before. The slow rise and fall of Tommy’s chest told him the piglin hybrid was still asleep, so he stayed as quiet as possible as he brought out his memory book. He spent the next several minutes detailing his account of the last couple days. His memories of the first hour or two of his time in the Nether were already fuzzy, blurred by time and the stress of it. There had been fire. So much fire and explosions and incessant shrieking that grated on his sensitive ears—
He gasped and sat up abruptly, taking shaky breaths. Blinking down at the page, he saw ink pooling and soaking into the page where the quill was digging into it. The enderman hybrid quickly jerked it away and swallowed hard.
It was just a memory. It was in the past. He was safe here, with Tommy, so why— why couldn’t he breathe? Why did the air taste of ash and blood?
Tommy stirred from behind him and grumbled a soft question, but he couldn’t bring himself to look away from the page, covered in jagged, scribbled characters that were barely legible. They looked like jagged spires of stone, harsh and uneven, threatening to send him tumbling into lava—
The piglin hybrid said something else, sounding concerned and considerably more awake, and he shuffled around to sit in front of Ranboo. He whined softly. It wasn’t until the other boy took his hand and placed it on his chest, taking exaggerated, deep breaths that Ranboo realized he’d stopped breathing altogether. Gasping in a choked breath, he began coughing. Tommy rubbed gentle circles into his hand with his thumb, continuing to take deep, slow breaths. Closing his eyes, he tried to follow along.
It took a few minutes, but his breathing evened out and he was able to smile genuinely at Tommy, hoping to reassure him. The other boy returned the expression hesitantly. He shifted their hands so they were linked loosely, then used his free hand to point to Ranboo and make a thumbs up, tilting his head as he did so. The enderman hybrid gently squeezed his hand once. He was okay. Tommy’s smile brightened and he fished some dried meat and mushrooms from their supply bag for breakfast.
They set out again a few minutes later, both eager to reach the portal as soon as possible. Tommy was more talkative today and kept up a steady stream of chatter that Ranboo tried his best to listen to and nod along where it seemed appropriate.
Soon, they were leaving the lovely blue forest behind as the landscape shifted to an expanse of barren crimson stone. Tommy fell silent, glancing warily up and around. Ranboo followed his gaze and realized the cavern roof was obscured by red haze and smoke, high enough up for ghasts to be roaming around. He shuddered and instinctively moved closer to the piglin hybrid.
The next couple “days” of travel were hectic, to put it lightly. They nearly had a run-in with a tribe of piglins, though Tommy managed to shove him behind a rocky outcropping just in time to talk with them and part ways without bloodshed. There were several close encounters with ghasts, and Ranboo was sure he’d be dead already if it weren’t for Tommy. The piglin hybrid knew how to find the perfect hiding places, ducking into crevices and caves where the monsters couldn’t see, and how long to wait for them to lose interest and wander off to look for easier prey.
The heat was taking its toll on Ranboo. He almost felt like he had a fever with the constant sweating, struggling to draw in breath through dry, cracked lips, and the muddled, fuzzy state of his thoughts. It was awful. He was relying solely on Tommy to guide them in the right direction and he knew he was slowing the other boy down. The only times he could be slightly useful was when he teleported them over a stream of lava or up onto a hard-to-reach plateau, but it was getting harder to do as his jumbled mind struggled to focus on where he wanted to land.
Despite his growing guilt, Tommy never seemed to mind the inconvenience. He was as chatty as ever, eagerly pointing out interesting sights, taking breaks whenever the enderman hybrid felt himself slowing down, and continuing to draw pictures to Ranboo in the notebook. It was quickly growing filled with random scenes and landscapes from each of their lives.
He was also surprisingly clingy. Despite having met approximately a week ago, not that Ranboo could guess very well in a place with no night or day, he displayed no hesitation to grab Ranboo’s hand and drag him along, stretch up on his tiptoes to rest his chin on the taller boy’s shoulder, or lazily flop against him as they settled down to sleep.
It was nice. Unfamiliar, since Ranboo couldn’t remember the last time someone had been so openly affectionate with him, but nice. A selfish part of him hoped Tommy would never leave. But that wasn’t fair— Tommy belonged in the Nether, where people spoke his language and he understood the world, and Ranboo didn’t. They would part ways soon, and he had to be okay with that.
It was about eight long sleeps later that they reached what appeared to be a crumbling stone building, the silvery grey a stark contrast to the dark reds and browns of the surrounding area. Tommy chattered excitedly, racing ahead, then rushed back to grab Ranboo’s arm. It looked remarkably similar to the rough sketch Tommy had drawn in his book. This was it.
Despite Tommy’s obvious eagerness, he couldn’t help dragging his feet as they approached the ruins. He didn’t want to leave his friend behind.
They entered through a crumbling hole that might once have been a door. Or a window. Or a wall. It was impossible to tell. The inside was equally worn down and a quick look inside the chests showed they’d all been looted already. The most they found were a couple of old, work out cloaks. It was obvious they’d seen heavy use, by the numerous tears and soot-stains, but they would help keep out the chill air in the Overworld. After all, it was nearly winter and bound to be brisk.
Tommy led him down a hazardous cobblestone staircase. On the way down, he slipped on a loose rock and almost crashed into the other boy. He trilled an apology, tail flicking with concern. Tommy didn’t respond. Stopping halfway down the steps, Ranboo followed his gaze and froze. The basement was smaller than the upper room and more intact. Against the far wall was a familiar veil of shimmering, twisting purple energy that seemed to beckon him forward. A portal.
He stared at it, a mix of emotions churning uncomfortably in his stomach. It really was here. This was where he’d go home and leave Tommy behind to return to his life.
Seeming to notice his trepidation for the first time, Tommy voiced a soft, questioning chuff and looked up at him. He slowly descended the stairs. The piglin hybrid reached out and took his notebook, flipping back to the page where Ranboo had first drawn a portal, then showed it to him with a tilted head.
Silently, Ranboo tapped his hand once for yes. It was what he’d been looking for, after all. He should be excited to have found it; he could finally get home to Phil and Techno, Enderchest and Ranbun. To everything he was familiar with. Where there were no screaming monsters spitting fireballs at him, no wandering hordes of undead (well, they still existed, but only at night and in smaller numbers), and no insufferable, sweltering heat that turned his breaths to wheezes and his skin to leather. Back to where he would be safe.
He looked down at the two cloaks he still held. Why had he taken both? He would only need the one because Tommy— Tommy belonged here. It was home to him. Ranboo couldn’t ask the hybrid to leave just because he was selfish.
Taking a deep breath to gather his courage, he smiled at Tommy and held his arms open for a hug, which the other boy immediately jumped into. They held each other for a few moments, simply basking in the feeling of security and solace they got from the other’s presence.
Too soon, the moment was gone. Tommy stepped away and gestured to the portal, grinning happily. Ranboo couldn’t help the slight pang he felt at the sight. Was he the only one who felt this way? Would the piglin hybrid be glad to be rid of him and be able to carry on with his life? He shook the thoughts off. He owed his life to Tommy. That was all that mattered.
With a tentative smile in return and a slight wave, he walked over to the portal and reached a hand out, feeling the suction as it tried to pull him in completely. Okay. No more delaying. It was time to go home.
Stepping into the shimmering purple wall, Ranboo felt the familiar sensation of falling, stretching, spinning around and around— and then it was gone and he was standing on grass. Grass. Real, soft, luxurious green grass! He laughed in delight and dropped to the ground without a thought, running his hands over the soft, green stems.
The air was brisk but not too cold, a refreshing wind caressed his face and carried away the feeling of dry, unrelenting, oppressive heat. He looked up and found the sky a brilliant, cerulean blue. There wasn’t a cloud in sight and the sun blazed down at him, bathing him in a gentle golden light. He was back. In the world he understood and loved. But he couldn’t help the pang of loneliness that tugged at his heart, urging him to turn around and go back through the portal.
Phil and Techno were waiting for him. He had to move on.
~~~
Tommy watched Ranboo disappear and took a few moments to look around, taking in the sticky crumbling stone mixed with netherack, hearing the shriek of a ghast somewhere outside. It was all so familiar. Nothing like the world he was about to step into. He knew this place, knew how to survive, how to stay unnoticed, he knew the rules of the world. It was safe. But, thinking of brilliant green and red eyes, excited trills, and gentle smiles, he realized it wasn’t home. Lifting his chin, he stepped through the portal into the unknown.
It felt like he was being twisted and compressed, but before he could panic, the sensation was gone and he was standing in paradise. The ground was soft and cool beneath his feet, some strange colour he’d never seen before. It was similar to the moss that grew in twisted and warped forests, but so much softer and long enough to slowly spring back up as he stepped forward.
He saw Ranboo on the ground, running his hands over the soft plants as if petting them, and he couldn’t contain a soft snort. “Missed this, have you?”
Ranboo sat bolt upright, a gentle purple blush spreading from his ears to cover his cheeks.
“No need to be embarrassed, big man. You’re home! Of course you’re excited.” Tommy smiled reassuringly at him. He sat down next to his friend and looked away to properly take in his surroundings. This new colour was everywhere, covering the ground, up in the crowns of this world’s version of trees, on the small, darting creature he saw flying through the air.
He stared, entranced, until a confused chirp broke through his thoughts. He turned to see Ranboo staring at him with an odd expression on his face, head tilted to one side as it always was when he was confused. Tommy wondered vaguely if it was intentional or just habit or instinct.
“What’s up?” He copied the enderman hybrid, tilting his head the same way,
The boy frowned, seemingly struggling to think, then pointed at the portal, looking back to Tommy with a puzzled expression.
“What? What about it?”
Ranboo let out a higher pitched, distressed trill, then pointed at Tommy, made a walking gesture with his fingers, and pointed at the portal
Tommy flinched back as if he’d been slapped by his friend who’d never so much as glared at him. “You want me to go back? But why? I thought— I thought we were friends, that I could stay here, I thought—“
He cut himself off, biting his lip hard. He was rambling. Besides, Ranboo couldn’t understand a word he was saying. Reaching out, he made grabby hands for the notebook, which Ranboo luckily understood and handed over without protest.
His hands shook as he thumbed through the book, stopping on the page Ranboo had drawn of the two of them holding hands. He practically shoved the book in the other boy’s face, shoving down his guilt as he flinched back in nervous surprise.
Ranboo slowly, gently, took it from his hands and flipped through to some of the sketched Tommy had made of his base in the Nether, of his favourite place in a crimson forest where the ground was soft and mushrooms bloomed in swirling patterns, of his collection of gold nuggets and trinkets he’d drawn in such careful detail but left behind as they journeyed. He looked back at Tommy, meeting his eyes although it made his hands shake, and Tommy saw that they were lined with silver, tears threatening to fall and burn his cheeks.
Hands trembling, Tommy gently reached up to brush the tears away. “Hey, what’s wrong, big man? I don’t understand, do you want me here or not?”
He didn’t miss the way Ranboo leaned into his touch, eyes closing with pleasure, so he moved his hand to rub circles into the boy’s back. They stayed like that for several minutes, simply sitting in silence, air filled with questions neither of them could voice.
Once his breathing was under control, the enderman hybrid skimmed through the notebook and found the drawing he’d made of a building. It looked strong and cozy, with a bit of smoke emanating from a part on the roof of it. He’d determined it to be Ranboo’s home. The enderman hybrid pointed at himself, then the picture. He then flipped back to a picture of the cave Tommy had lived in and pointed at Tommy, then back to the book.
Tommy realized what he was saying and smacked himself in the forehead. “No!”
He sighed and tapped Ranboo’s back twice, then gently moved the notebook onto the ground so he could hold both of his friend’s hands, squeezing them twice. “No, I don’t want to stay there. That place is trash. That isn’t home to me. Where you go, I go, okay? If you’ll have me, that is.”
The enderman hybrid squeezed his hands gently before carefully extracting one to flip back to the drawing of his home. He pointed at himself, then Tommy, then back to the page. Tommy squeezed once. Yes.
The boy threw himself forward, wrapping his arms around Tommy, and released a low, constant humming sound. Slowly, the pigling hybrid returned the hug. He could stay. He could stay with Ranboo. They would find his home, his friends, and everything would be okay. They would work it out together.
Abruptly, Ranboo wriggled out of his grasp and clapped his hands together, drawing Tommy’s attention to his face, though he quickly lowered his gaze again. He brought his tail around the front of his body and worked a ring off of it. Tommy noticed it wasn’t the same one he’d stolen when they first met. He held it out to Tommy.
The piglin hybrid blinked in surprise, then tilted his head. “Sorry, what? You want me to— to have it?”
Ranboo held it a little closer, chittering softly. Hesitantly, Tommy reached out and took the ring, running his calloused fingers along its faintly patterned edge. It was beautiful. The gold shone purely in the light, free of imperfections, and the surface reflected a design of swirling, interlocking lines in a repeated pattern that continued all the way around it.
Tommy stared in awe, then hesitantly pointed at it and then himself. “This is… For me?”
Ranboo nodded enthusiastically, squeezing once with the hand still intertwined with his own.
“I—I don’t know… Thank you.” Tommy blinked back tears, determined not to cry, but he knew Ranboo had already seen them.
This felt permanent. It felt like a promise. Of what, he wasn’t entirely sure. But he didn’t think he’d be leaving Ranboo’s side anytime soon.
That was enough mushy emotion for one day! Giving Ranboo a quick hug, he jumped to his feet and wandered a bit away to admire this new world. There was plenty to see, after all. Even so, his gaze continually drifted to the circlet of gold he held revenantly in his hands.
Everything was bright and cold, clear and crisp, vibrant in a way he’d never imagined it could be. There were so many new colours!
Ranboo chirped excitedly from behind him and raced forward, grabbing Tommy’s wrist to drag him forward. The piglin hybrid huffed in surprise but allowed himself to be led. After all, Ranboo knew this world.
They stopped at a patch of little spots of colours on the ground and Tommy knelt to get a closer look.
They reminded him of tiny trees or strange mushrooms. They had thin, frail stems the same colour as the ground and bright tops, some a beautiful shade of red like the tiny mushrooms that grew in soul sand, some a gentle blue, softer than the burning cyan of soul fire, some brilliant oranges and yellows, brighter and more cheerful than any fire he’d ever seen.
He turned to grin at Ranboo, who was crouching next to him. “Man, I wish you could tell me what these are called— I have to learn everything about this place! And I want to know the colours— Oh, what’s what? Anyway, where are the people you’re looking for? Anywhere around here?”
Ranboo tilted his head and handed him the notebook and quill.
Tommy adjusted himself to sit properly, taking care not to crush any of the not-mushrooms, and flipped through the pages, finding the rough sketch Ranboo had made of two people, then handed it back.
The ender hybrid’s eyes lit up in understanding and he looked around, studying the land. His face fell slightly, but he pointed to Tommy’s right before looking down to draw something else in the book. Soon, he lifted it to show Tommy a strange shape with two dots and a bunch of lines on it.
“What? What is that supposed to be?”
Ranboo hummed in thought, then pointed at Tommy and himself, then the lower dot on the page. He then gestured to the weird trees around them and traced a rough circle on the page to the side of the dot, where there was a smudged cluster of lines and circles that stretched up the page. Finally, he pointed at the higher dot and flipped back to the page with two people.
Tommy frowned, looking at the weird shapes. “That little spot is us? Is this a map? You’re awful at drawing maps.”
The other hybrid rolled his eyes and pushed the book across the ground to Tommy, looking amused.
“Yeah, yeah, alright,” Tommy muttered, then pointed at Ranboo and himself, made a walking motion with his fingers, and pointed to the top dot.
Ranboo grinned and nodded eagerly, tail waving in obvious excitement.
“Okay, let’s go!” Tommy stood up and reached a hand down to help pull Ranboo to his feet.
He started walking in the direction Ranboo had pointed and the hybrid hurried to catch up, falling in step beside him. He was emitting a constant, low humming sound which Tommy assumed was because he was happy to be home. The piglin hybrid grinned to himself. This world was strange and colourful and cold and maybe a little overwhelming, but it made Ranboo happy. He hoped one day, he would be happy here as well.
After they’d been travelling for what felt like eons, but in reality was closer to a few hours, the sky started to change. It was beginning to dim and the colour was shifting to something deep and pure, a colour he’d never seen before.
Tommy didn’t realize he’d stopped walking until Ranboo turned and came back, following his gaze upwards. The other hybrid grinned and grabbed his hand, tugging him off course from the direction they’d been travelling. They ran up a slope and ended at the top of a soft hill— not made of mounds of shifting, hungry sand like Tommy was used to, but covered in a lush carpet of the little stems that seemed to dominate most of the landscape— where Ranboo sat and pulled Tommy down with him.
“What are we doing?” Tommy asked, staring at his friend. “Don’t you want to get back to your friends?”
Ranboo chittered, flapping a hand at him, and pointed in the direction they were facing.
Tommy turned to follow his gaze and found he couldn’t look away.
The sky was on fire. It glowed with yellow and orange and red and a soft, welcoming colour that he couldn’t quite name but knew immediately that he loved. Gorgeous. It was a word he’d never applied to anything before but there was no other word for what he was seeing. It was gorgeous— better than anything he’d ever seen in the Nether. The ball of light that had been slowly moving across the sky was down at the edge of the land, hiding behind treetops as it sank lower and lower.
They stayed there until the last of the light was gone and the land was covered in an unnerving, all-consuming darkness that Tommy found he couldn’t see any details in. Even Ranboo who sat next to him was just a vague shape to his eyes, so used to the constant warm light of the Nether.
Ranboo looked up and gasped softly, then gently tugged on Tommy’s shoulder until they were lying down side by side.
The sky was different, a deep, dark colour similar to the black stone of piglin bastions, but tinged with the deepest blue he’d ever seen in his life. But most startling was the countless white sparks covering it. They were scattered in random patches and patterns, some bigger than others, some tinged with hints of yellow or red, but each one equally entrancing.
He reached a hand up, wanting to touch them, but his hand met empty air. He whined softly, catching Ranboo’s attention. The other boy took his hand and squeezed it gently, lowering it to rest between them.
Tommy wasn’t sure how long they stayed there, staring in pure awe at the glittering sky, but eventually he felt a light tremor wrack his body. He frowned in confusion. That had only ever happened when he was scared or exhausted and he was neither right now. Yet, it got worse and soon, he was instinctively clutching his arms against his chest, trying to hold in the constant tremors. Ranboo made a soft vwoop and Tommy felt him drape something soft over his torso. His cloak. His own was trapped under him, providing some protection from the cool ground. He grabbed the soft fabric and snuggled against it, relishing in the comfort it provided. Still, his body continued to tremble.
After a minute, Ranboo hummed quietly and slid closer, pressing his body against Tommy and laying an arm over his chest. He was so warm. Tommy quickly snuggled closer and finally realized what the problem was.
“I’m cold? Is this what being cold is like? This is awful, how do you deal with this?” Tommy demanded, indignant. What kind of world was this anyway? Why wasn’t it warm?
Ranboo huffed a small laugh and half curled around Tommy, humming happily.
The shivers soon died down with Ranboo’s warmth wrapped around him. Tommy turned his attention back to the sky, immediately forgetting his resentment as his eyes traced the countless trails and patterns of sparks draped across it. Stunning.
He was quickly deciding that he could grow to love this world.
~~~
Ranboo woke up to the sound of birds chirping, the familiar golden light of the sun warming his body, and soft grass underneath him. He was home. Well, not quite, but close enough. Back in the Overworld, where the air didn’t suffocate him, where he had open, clear sky and didn’t have to worry about his tail lighting on fire or a ghast exploding the ground beneath him.
He also opened his eyes to realize he was curled around Tommy. One arm was thrown over him and his cheek was resting on the boy’s chest as his warm breath brushed his hair. His other hand had somehow gotten trapped under Tommy. It was tingling from the weight, but he couldn’t bring himself to move it. His friend’s elbow was digging into his side, and his other arm was draped loosely over Ranboo’s shoulders.
The other boy woke up slowly, grunting and growling in what Ranboo assumed were complaints. He went still, probably realizing the position they were in. Tommy voiced a soft question.
He chirped in response and carefully untangled their limbs to sit up. Tommy flashed him a grin, then simply rolled over to groan into the grass. Ah, it was one of those mornings.
Ranboo stood up and stretched, stiff from the awkward, less-than-ideal sleeping arrangement. But thinking back to last night, remembering the awe-struck expression on Tommy’s face as he stared at the stars for the first time and the way he’d snuggled into Ranboo, slowly relaxing enough to drift off to sleep, he couldn’t bring himself to be upset about the sore joints.
Tommy finally sat up, blinking slowly as he stared around them, taking in the landscape. In the guttural language he spoke, he said something to Ranboo that sounded like a question.
The enderman hybrid quickly pulled out his notebook and handed it over, but Tommy shook his head. He paused to think, then mimed putting something in his mouth and chewing in an over-exaggerated manner that made Ranboo snort. The action was punctuated by a large growl from Tommy’s stomach, sending Ranboo into full-on laughter that had him nearly doubling over.
Tommy growled and bared his tusks at him, but Ranboo knew better than to feel genuinely threatened. He motioned for Tommy to follow him and started to head down the hill, but Tommy called out a sound that Ranboo had learned meant either “wait” or “stop”. He paused and looked back.
The piglin hybrid held out the cloak Ranboo had given him last night, refusing to meet his gaze. Ranboo smiled and gently pushed it back towards Tommy, shaking his head when the other boy looked up in obvious surprise. He pointed to Tommy and mimed putting on the cloak. Tommy hesitated to comply, but eventually did, frowning as he fumbled with the clasp at the front. Stepping forward, Ranboo fastened it properly for him and smiled, brightening when the boy returned it.
That taken care of, they headed back down the hill and Ranboo took some time showing Tommy which berry bushes were safe to eat from and which to avoid. They weren’t the most filling, but there were a lot of them.
Once their hands and faces were stained purple and they had an extra stash of berries wrapped in a corner of one of the cloaks, they set out again, following the edge of the treeline.
The trees gradually thinned out until they were walking through open plains, heading slightly uphill as they headed towards the mountains that were barely visible on the distant horizon. Tommy had gotten excited when he saw them, pointing forward and chattering for several minutes after Ranboo explained that that was their destination. Probably some of that chatter had been questions, but since the boy made no effort to ask them in a way that could be understood, Ranboo was content to simply listen and keep walking.
~~~
The journey took several more days and as much as Ranboo tried to find them food, the open, barren fields offered few options except for rabbits, which neither of them could catch. The air was constantly moving here, pushing against Tommy in a way that made him shiver constantly even as he kept both cloaks wrapped tightly around himself; he saw Ranboo shudder every so often from the temperature, but he always refused to take the cloak. Except during the nights, when both boys huddled under it.
The silhouettes on the horizon grew larger and clearer every day, proving themselves to be large, rocky peaks that jabbed into the sky. The tops of them were white like ash. From what he’d gathered from Ranboo’s pictures, he and his two friends lived in structures like miniature bastions near the base of those giant hills. He was excited to get there, but also nervous. What if his friends didn’t like him? What if they got annoyed that he couldn’t speak their language?
When those thoughts became too much, he always distracted himself by talking to Ranboo. “How much further do you think it is? I haven’t done this much walking in my life! I want to know what those shiny things in the sky are called. I want to know why the sky gets so dark. I want to know everything.”
Ranboo never seemed very talkative, but he always looked like he was paying attention. Tommy appreciated that about him. It allowed him to ramble freely for hours until his voice got hoarse and Ranboo forcibly dragged him off course to find some stream or creek to drink from.
On what he thought was the sixth day, Ranboo shook him awake earlier than usual; while it was still semi-dark out, no less, tail whipping back and forth. Tommy was alarmed for a moment before recognizing the excitement on his friend’s face.
“What is it, big man?” He groaned, trying to bury his face in his arms.
The enderman hybrid shook him again and shoved the notebook in his face, showing the— now smudged and slightly crinkled— picture of his two friends.
“What, are we almost there?” Tommy sat up quickly, shuddering at the air, which felt colder than usual this morning. “You didn’t say anything before.”
Ranboo trilled and pointed at the picture, then the direction they’d been walking for so long, bouncing on his feet.
“Alright, alright, I’m getting up,” he muttered, accepting his friend’s proffered hand to pull himself to his feet.
They only walked for another few hours, the terrain becoming gradually rougher and less colourful, before Tommy could make out the shape of a building in the distance. Ranboo vwooped and chittered with excitement. He grabbed Tommy’s hand and tugged him forward, almost breaking out into a run. His stupidly long legs carried him across the ground quickly and Tommy found himself stumbling trying to keep up, but he allowed himself to be dragged along.
As they got closer, he saw a figure outside, doing something in a patch of ground. Ranboo trilled excitedly, causing the figure to look up and turn to face them. Tommy recognized him as one of Ranboo’s friends, a fellow piglin hybrid.
He hesitated awkwardly as Ranboo rushed forward, chittering to the man, who spoke to him in an unfamiliar language, then narrowed his eyes as Tommy approached. He stepped purposefully in front of the enderman hybrid, hand resting on the hilt of a sword.
Tommy swallowed hard. “Uh, hey. How do?”
To his shock,— though he wasn’t sure why he was surprised when he knew the man was part piglin— he replied in the same language. “Who are you? Why are you with Ranboo?”
His gravelly voice was tense, borderline hostile, and Tommy recognized the protectiveness underlying his words. Ranboo was a part of his herd.
Tommy raised his hands and stepped back. “‘Ello, the name’s Tommy. I was just helping Ranboo get back home.”
The enderman hybrid seemed to notice the tension and whined, hurrying back to Tommy to grab his hand. The older hybrid glanced between them, then nodded once as some of the tension left his shoulders. “Hullo. Uh, I’m Technoblade. Phil will want to know that Ranboo’s back. The kid seems to think you’re okay, so I guess you can come along.”
He then switched back to the language that Ranboo seemed to understand, then turned to walk toward one of the buildings. Ranboo followed, gently tugging Tommy along with him. Tommy didn’t fail to notice the frequent glances Technoblade sent his way or the fact that his hand was still loosely holding his sword hilt.
They entered the building and he found it was small but cozy. There was a fire crackling merrily against the opposite wall and a row of chests sitting next to it. There were a few, worn chairs that seemed to be covered in fabric.
Technoblade didn’t pause, heading straight through an opening to the right. Ranboo chirped excitedly and ran after him, leaving Tommy to study the room more closely. He ran a hand over the back of one chair. It was soft and smooth, worn by use. There were images on the walls, similar to the pictures they’d drawn in Ranboo’s book, but far more detailed and in full, detailed colour.
One was a rendition of Ranboo, looking younger than he did now. He was clad in a silky, pale blue dress. The skirt started around his waist and flowed freely down, the airy material swirling around his thin frame. He was smiling slightly, the expression uncertain.
The next one he looked at was Technoblade. He was wearing a long, scarlet red cloak that was lined with thick white fluff. A crown of solid gold, inlaid with green emeralds, sat atop his head. His hair was far longer than it was now, tucked into a neat braid and hanging over his shoulder, down his torso, with a few white not-mushrooms tucked into it. He looked resigned but his eyes were gentle.
Last of all was a stranger with unruly blonde hair, topped with a striped hat. He was wearing plain clothes, all in shades of grey, black, and one of the colours Tommy had yet to learn the name of. The most striking thing was a large pair of silver, webbed wings that sprouted from his back. They seemed to be folded behind the man, too big to be hidden properly.
He looked at the last wall, but it was blank. An odd emptiness in the otherwise cheerful room. As if it was missing something.
Ranboo poked his head out from the open doorway and gestured to Tommy, chittering.
“Yeah, yeah, I’m coming, big man.”
Tommy followed him through into a larger room that seemed to be split into two halves.
One side had a couple chests, wooden blocks topped with smooth slabs of stone, and a strange metal contraption that had a fire burning cheerfully within it. The other half was a simple wooden table with three chairs set around it, one of which was occupied by Technoblade.
More importantly was the stranger in the room. He was the unfamiliar man on the wall and his wings were even more impressive in person. The pale surface shone in the light, softly reflecting other colours. He smiled brightly and held a hand out to Tommy, surprisingly also speaking in Piglin.
“Hey there, mate! Techno said that you were with Ranboo and that you’d probably be staying for dinner. I’m Phil, it’s nice to meet you!”
Tommy stared at the proffered hand in confusion, still trying to process the man’s words. He glanced over at Ranboo. The ender hybrid smiled and took his hand, squeezing it comfortingly.
The other man let his hand drop and awkwardly scratched the back of his head. “Right, you’re probably not used to our customs. Sorry about that.”
“How do you know my language?”
“Oh! Right, sorry, Techno taught me! Him and I go way back, so we kind of taught each other our languages over time.”
A faintly acrid smell drifted across the room and the man— Phil— said something in that unknown language and hurried back to where the fire was. His body obscured his actions from Tommy, so he let his eyes wander around the room.
Ranboo chirped to get his attention, then led him over to the table where he hesitantly took a seat. The boy grinned at him, tail swishing happily— Tommy didn’t think it had stopped moving since they’d woken up— and pointed down in the way that had come to mean “wait” or “stay” between the two of them. He then scampered out of the room.
He returned a moment later with one of the larger chairs from the other room, dragging it over to the unoccupied side of the table. He then slid one of the chairs closer to Tommy and perched on it.
At a call from Phil, Technoblade— Techno?— got up and went to one of the chests. Tommy watched him leave before returning his attention to Ranboo. His friend trilled happily, meeting his gaze for a second, then looked down to pull out his book. He opened it to a page Tommy hadn’t seen before. It was an image, drawn with obvious care and attention to detail, of the four of them, seated around this table.
Tommy blinked back tears, realizing his friend had done this on the journey here. He’d expected it. He’d wanted Tommy in his home, as part of his— his herd.
Before he could get too mushy and emotional, Technoblade and Phil came over and set out a bunch of dishes on the table. Some of them were filled— a platter of meat, one bowl filled with odd, round things that were steaming slightly, a plate of vegetables— and others were empty plates, set in front of each person at the table.
Phil grinned at him. “Help yourself! There’s plenty of food.”
The meal progressed, filled with more laughter and fun than Tommy had ever had in his life. He loved Ranboo’s company, the way he paid attention to Tommy, was always thoughtful and generous, and had happily shown him every new and exciting thing in his world. But he quickly grew to appreciate the other two almost just as much.
Techno was quiet, but his contributions were always either funny or genuinely insightful. He was willing to translate what Tommy said to Ranboo every time, no matter how ridiculous or unimportant it was. Phil quietly explained to him that while Ranboo could understand their language, he couldn’t actually speak in it. But he offered to teach Tommy how to read what Ranboo wrote down.
Tommy hadn’t known there were different types of heat until now. But the warmth he felt now was nothing like the thick, cloying heat of the Nether. It felt soft and gentle, comforting. Looking around at the people in this room, who’d seemed to welcome him into their lives as easily as they breathed, he decided it felt like home.