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It was definitely a strange location to be. Tommy knew that would be the case when he agreed to this. But the level of dark nothingness in this corner of Ranboo’s mind was unnerving. And all too familiar.
He was shaking that off, though. After all he was asked by Ex'Dee, Lord Prime himself, to help Ranboo get out of the absolutely awful, terrible, no good mindset the enderman hybrid had been in for years.
"You'll know what you're looking for when you see it." He was told by Ex'Dee. "Just be careful, this won't be an easy task even with my blessing."
He took that as to heart as he could, but everything was getting unnerving as he kept going through Ranboo's dark subconscious. Every now and then he’d see something, but move passed it. He’d know what’s the right thing when he sees it…
After a bit, he does. He tries not to run over to this portion of Ranboo but he's still rather quick. He wasn't sure why, he just knew this version of Ranboo, by size likely fresh to the overworld, was the one he needed to speak to.
He goes on over, able to identify that the enderhybrid was holding and whispering to... Something, but not sure what.
"Ranboo?" There's a pause after Tommy attempts to get his attention before he's turning around. The imagery makes the raccoon want to gag.
The thing in Ranboo's arms was a rabbit. One that had been rotting in places and some of its guts spilling out of its body. An ear was missing and by all accounts it looked, and even smelt, dead. Despite its state, it was still twitching and breathing in the way a rabbit that’s scared out of its wits would.
The child Ranboo was fine, physically, for the most part. Minus the arm under the rabbit. It seemed to be almost... Fusing with it. Ranboo smiled weakly at Tommy, apparently not thinking twice about the predicament of the yellow rabbit. “Hey… c-can I… d-do you need something?” He had a strange accent. Probably something the enderhybrid lost mostly as he grew.
Tommy smiled weakly, trying to ignore the horror at chest level of the kid. "Hey, not really, just wanna talk. Do you recognize me…?” He crouches down as he asks.
Ranboo tilts his head and has his ears flick from curiousity. "Kind of... My name's.... Uhhh..." He then looks down and starts muttering. "⟟⏁⌇ ⋏⏃⋔⟒ ⟟⌇ ⌇⏃⋏⎅⏚⍜⍜ ⏃⋏⎅ ⊬⍜⎍⍀ ⋏⏃⋔⟒⟟⌇..." He then looks up with a smile as he goes back to english "Ranboo!"
Tommy blinks a bit before finding his eyes going down to the rabbit. And shuddering. "So... Uhh... What's his deal?" You ask as you point at it.
"Oh! This is Sandboo! He's my pet and my friend and my ⊑ ⏃ ⎍⋏⏁⋔⏃⏁⟒ ! Err... I-I don't remember that word in english, but he's very important and all I have!"
Tommy blinks. It seems, at the moment at least, this Ranboo is unaware of the bonds he currently has in the real world.
"Not what I meant, bud." The raccoon says casually, causing Ranboo's smile to fall and his tail to spiral a bit.
"He... I just stopped paying attention for a moment..." He looks away and the rot almost seems to spread. "It's my fault. B-but I won't let it happen again! I won't let harm come to a ⊑ ⏃ ⎍⋏⏁⋔⏃⏁⟒ again!" Ranboo then starts to mutter to Sandboo, too quiet for Tommy to know what's said.
"Hauntmate." Tommy says as he surpresses a flinch as this Ranboo doesn't currently know. "And yes, I know a bit of Ender. No, I can't speak it. But you helped me learn what I know."
An ear flick comes from that. "I... Who are you?"
Tommy really didn't know what was and wasn't ok, but decided screw it and answered. "Tommy."
Ranboo's tail stiffens a bit from shock as realization hits him. "Oh, geez I'm sorry, I... I...."
He looks down, tail spiralling again. "I... Failed... Didn't I?"
Tommy's eyes widen as the rot seems to spread onto the small Ranboo's arm. "I didn't say that!"
"You didn't need to." He says as his tail curls so tight it likely hurts. "I know I did... The white in your hair proves that..."
Tommy flinches with that comment. "That wasn't your fault..."
"My prophetic dream let you know about The Egg.” He says, tears starting as he holds Sandboo tighter and Tommy realizes what it actually symbolizes here. “I lead you to it. I got you infected, and agreed to your death, and bonded with your ghost and…” a whimper leaves Ranboo as he starts whispering to Sandboo again, the rot trying to reach the enderhybrid’s chest. “⟟ ☌⍜⏁ ⊬⍜⎍… ⊬⍜⎍’⍀⟒ ⍜☍…”
Tommy frowns. "Ranboo... I chose to leave. It was my choice to go to The Egg. It was Dream's choice to kill me. And it's not a bad thing you befriended my ghost. It was just... Weird."
Ranboo looks up and, for a moment his tail’s spiral lessens. The rot recedes from the enderhybrid, leaving him back how he was before Tommy shared his name. But then the tail tightens again.
"Protect, provide, and love. Thats what hauntmates are supposed to do for each other…” and Ranboo felt he couldn’t do those. “I couldn’t even do all of that right for a rabbit…”
Tommy frowns. "Boo... I need you to put your rabbit down."
Ranboo's eyes widen and, while his grip on the rabbit tightens, the rot stays isolated. "No! I-I need Sandboo! He's all I have and I-I don't... Want... To forget..."
"I can help with that, Boo. But this?" He motions at the scene. "For fuck's sake it isn't healthy! Blaming yourself for everything isn't healthy!"
"But I-"
"Maybe it's your fault, maybe its not." Tommy inturrupts. "I learned from both my time in limbo and from your help that constantly blaiming yourself and assuming the worst isn't good."
"But-"
"Hey, you know those things you said a haunting’s supposed to do for each other?” Ranboo nods at Tommy’s words. “That goes both ways, bud. Let me protect you.” He smiles a bit. That’s ultimately what this was, Tommy trying to protect Ranboo from himself.
Ranboo looks Tommy over a bit before loads of warbles leave him. And the rabbit practically disintegrates once it’s not in the enderhybrid’s arms. The two hug each other tight. Tommy could feel some evidence of damage on Ranboo still, but that was likely expected.
"⟟ ⌰⍜⎐⟒ ⊬⍜⎍... ⟟ ⌰⍜⎐⟒ ⊬⍜⎍ ⌇⍜ ⋔⎍☊⊑..." The enderhybrid mutters between sobs and Tommy works to use his tail to wipe at Ranboo's tears.
"I love you, too, Ranboo." He says with a small smile and purr-like chitter. "We should probably get up now."
Ranboo just nods in reply, both of them ready to try again with everything.