Chapter Text
Ranboo didn't always feel so alone. He used to have loving parents who he spent all his time with. Unfortunately luck was never really on his side as when he was only 6 years old his father had passed away from a deadly illness. Things were never the same after that. Four years later when Ranboo was 10 his mother fell in love again and was married, and suddenly Ranboo had four step siblings.
Ranboo never really got along with his step siblings. The only exception was tubbo, a goat hybrid the same age as him. His oldest step-sibling was Dream. He was the oldest, he was already an adult although he still lived at home with his family. The age gap between him and Ranboo already made it awkward between them, but aside from that Dream seemed to hate Ranboo for no reason.
Ranboo then had two younger stepsisters, Lani and Drista. Neither particularly like Ranboo but don't do much and just text to stay away from him and rather hang out with their brothers.
It all led to Ranboo feeling alone most of the time after his mother remarried. They used to hang out all the time but now all she does is hang out with her new family. Sure, she still sometimes hung out with him but it wasn't as much. It helped that Tubbo hung out with him but he still missed his time with his mother. Little did he know it would be so much worse sooner.
After a few years of their marriage, the parents had left for a grand party with some old friends. Unknown to them a thunderstorm was coming and their carriage had slipped in the water on their way there and fell into the river. The storm was so bad that no one was even able to look for them until the storm passed.
When they were found they were dead, and Ranboo once again lost a parent, this time he didn't have the other there to comfort him.
It was in their parents' will for the siblings to try their best to stay together. Dream was old enough to take in his siblings but was reluctant to take in Ranboo. He only did because Tubbo and him convinced him they wanted to stay together and that Ranboo would help out with the house in exchange for staying.
So at 16 years old Ranboo was an orphan, with no blood family left, and lived with his step siblings who couldn't care less about him.
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"RANBOO!"
Ranboo shot up from his bed. He looked out the window to see the sun was out, which means he should have already been up. Crap.
He ran out of his room, still in his pajamas, and went to the kitchen. In the kitchen everyone stood by the empty table, all of them looked upset (except Tubbo).
"Ranboo." Dream said sternly in the way he always does that comes off as cold and uncaring. "Why are you only just now getting up. Where is breakfast." It was worded as a question but how he said it was more of a statement, a very upset one.
He wished that anyone else would have taken him in after his parents died. Sure he would miss Tubbo, but was it really worth it to deal with Dream until he was an adult? Ranboo doesn't think it is but it's better than the streets, so he'll just have to accept life as it is.
"I'm sorry, I slept in by accident. I promise to not do it again." Ranboo apologized. He knew apologizing wouldn't do much but it sometimes helped a little bit. He was never physically abused or anything, but being locked in his room and only being allowed out to do any chore they didn't want to (which was practically everything) was a common punishment.
Dream nodded before speaking again. "Just get to it now, there is great news today and I would rather not deal with making my own breakfast."
After Dream said that he, Lani and Drista left the room and went to the dining room. Tubbo stayed behind, a guilty look on his face.
"I'm sorry I kept you awake last night helping me." Tubbo said quietly, sounding sad.
"It's fine Tubbo, I chose to help you, it's not your fault. Besides, It's no big deal, I'll just make something quick and get started on anything else I have to do today right away." He replied trying to reassure Tubbo while getting the stuff he needed for breakfast.
"But it is! I asked for your help, I could have figured it out myself but you helped and we stayed up well past midnight! If I hadn't asked for help you would have been up in time to make breakfast and they wouldn't be mad at you!" Tubbo exclaimed.
"Tubbo," Ranboo said, temporarily looking away from the food. "You have been talking about making this bee enclosure since we met. I'm glad to help, especially when it was clear that you were very stressed over this and I just wanted to help. It's not your fault." Ranboo tried to reassure Tubbo, he wasn't sure if it would work but he hoped he'd at least make him feel a bit better.
"Alright, but at least let me help you with breakfast." Tubbo said as he went over to the eggs and put them on the table next to the bread before they were cooked.
"It's fine, I'll handle it. If the breakfast isn't perfectly placed on the plate they'll be fine." Ranboo said as he grabbed some milk before looking back to Tubbo. He looked like he wanted to say something more to convince him to accept his help. But he ended up just looking down and walked to the dining room to his siblings.
"Now time to make this as quickly as possible but still be good." Ranboo mumbled to himself as he actually started to make the breakfast.
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When Ranboo was done he put the five plants on the tray and headed towards the dining room. When he entered the room he saw his step siblings talking. They looked happy, but that all changed when Ranboo walked in. Their faces change from relaxed and calm to angry and annoyed, all except Tubbo who still looked guilty for all of this happening in the first place.
"Took you long enough." Drista muttered, just loud enough for him to hear.
Ranboo silently set down each person's plate In front of them. His step siblings each got a full plate of food, there was eggs, bacon, pancakes and sausages. Ranboos' own plate had just one egg and a small pancake.
They all ate in relative silence for the most part, only the quiet asking for someone to pass something at the table. The silence was broken when coughed and stood up gaining everyone's attention.
"As you may already know the Royal Festival is coming up," Dream started. The Royal Festival was an event set up by the Royal family at the town square. The whole thing is to raise spirits in the kingdom, the Royal family fund it and pay town bakers and chefs to cook food for the whole kingdom. It's a win-win for everyone, the cooks get money, the villagers get food they most of the time couldn't afford and the Royals gain support from their citizens.
Ranboo used to always go with his parents as a kid. His memory might not be the best but he can remember eating at the festival with them clearly. The traditions mostly stopped when his mom remarried, but they always tried to go for at least a little bit every year. However when his mom and step parent died, it completely stopped. Last year when he let it spill to Tubbo about how upsetting it was to not be able to go to the festival with his parents anymore, Tubbo had promised to restore the tradition and go with him to the festival with him.
But that's also why Ranboo was confused as to why Dream was bringing the festival up. He always said it was just charity for the poor people and pointless. He was the whole reason Ranboo hadn't gone to the festival after his mother's death until last year.
"And you probably have heard of some times in the past where they held the festival at the castle itself." Ah, that's why Dream was bringing this up.
Sometimes the Royals held the festival at the palace to 'scout' out people for certain jobs. It's rumored that all of the people who work closely with the Royals were all friends with some of the family before they started working for them. They definitely don't find them all through this type of festival. It would be too difficult to find someone you trust enough to work directly for you in only six nights, just not possible.
If Rambo had to guess they probably made friends outside of their royal life, all of the family (except the King) wore masks to cover their faces. It probably would make blending in with the public easier if no one knew your face.
"Well the Royal family decided to have the festival at their palace this year." Dream continued. "I have decided we will be going to the festival this year. It's a chance to move up in the world, get more power. If we become close with any of the Royals they might get us a place with more power." Ranboo knew this was coming. Many people wished to get close to the Royals for the sole purpose of gaining some power, Dream was not an exception to the many.
"So what you're saying is that we get close to the Royals to move up in the world?" Lani questioned but it wasn't even really a question. She knew what Dream was saying and if the smile on her face said anything it meant that she was thrilled at the idea of moving up in the world.
"I think it's a great idea," Drista added "plus the food there will probably be better than anything we've ever had." She said as she glared at Ranboo for a second before looking back to Dream.
His step siblings started talking about the festival. Tubbo refused to talk about their plan and was just excited at the thought of actually getting to see the Royal garden. Tubbo also kept glancing at Ranboo when he wasn't talking, an unspoken question: are you going to ask to go? They continued like this until Ranboo spoke up.
"Do I get to go to the festival this year?" Silence. No one spoke for a solid ten seconds after he said that. Then Dream said one single word,
"No."
…
"Why can't I go?" Ranboo said quietly, he felt like crying. He just started going to the festival again. He was supposed to go this year, like last year and next year and many years after that. He was supposed to go with Tubbo again and continue the tradition by creating a new one. Why did the Royal family do this now? He was just getting back one normal thing and it was taken away, its unfair.
"You'll just screw up any chance we have with befriending the Royals." Dream replied coldly. Ranboo wanted to ask how, how could he screw this up? If he knew he'd avoid it at all chances, he'd go separately from them, show up later and leave before them.
Ranboo opened up his mouth to express these thoughts but Dream cut him off before he could even speak.
"No, whatever you're about to say to convince me, no. You're not going. Now clean up these dishes and do anything else you have to do for the day." Dream said, glaring at Ranboo before looking away from him and focusing on his siblings. "Why don't we go and find something nice to wear for the festival?" Dream said as he gestures for his siblings to get up and follow him.
As Ranboo watched them walk out he felt himself start to cry, but he just sat there. He didn't even get up till he heard the front door closed. He just stood there for a moment before running up to his room and flopping down on his bed.
He started to cry into his pillow with only one thought on his head. He wished his parents were alive. He wished he could go to the festival. He wished all of his step siblings treated him like family and not an outsider. He wished he had a different family, one that wanted him and cared for him. He wished he didn't need to be careful to not Dream. He just wished to be carefree, even just for an hour.
He made up his mind as he laid there. He was going to the festival, no matter what Dream said, no matter if no one would help him go. He was going to the festival.