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Blackened Rings and Broken Hearts
Tommy thought he knew pain.
He was used to bruised ribs and broken bones. He could live with cuts and concussions, split lips and sprained ankles.
Tommy thought he knew pain.
He had lived in 26 different houses in his 10 years in the system. 26 different families, 26 different lives. 26 houses over 10 years, starting at age three. He was well acquainted with hits and kicks, cuts and bruises.
Tommy thought he knew pain.
But that was before he met Dream.
Because the truth was, Tommy did know pain.
But that day, six weeks before his 14th birthday, starving on the floor of his room with Dream looming over him, it didn’t matter that he was used to pain.
Because pain had nothing on death.
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“DREAM STOP! I’M SORRY, I SWEAR!”
“You need to learn, Tommy.”
“DREAM, PLEASE!”
“Do you think I wanted this, Tommy? I don’t want to hurt you. But you just had to disobey me.”
“I’M SORRY! DREAM THAT HURTS! I’LL BE BETTER I SWEAR!”
“See, I don’t believe you, Toms.”
“DREAM PLEASE!”
“DREAM!”
“...Dream?”
“I think you need a more… memorable punishment.”
“...what? Nonononono Dream I can change! I’ll do better! I’M SORRY!”
“Yes… I think that will do nicely.”
“Dream? DREAM! DREAM WAI—”
“...”
“...”
“Gods this is a mess.”
“...”
“How long should I wait?”
“...”
“A few days at least, right?”
“...”
“Or maybe a few weeks…”
“...”
“You know what, fuck it. What’s a few years. At least then he’ll have properly learned his lesson.”
“...”
“Enjoy limbo, Toms.”
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Tubbo was 12 years old when he met his first soulmate. He’d been thrilled when the ring on his left hand lit up gold when he shook hands with the lanky, awkward enderman hybrid. Ranboo had been new to school that year. He’d just moved, something about foster care. Tubbo had been thrilled when he’d heard that. It took hardly any convincing to get his parents to start the adoption process for Ranboo.
Tubbo had clung to Ranboo immediately. Loving the way he laughed, how he became more confident, more sarcastic when he got comfortable around a person. He’d loved the way his hands shook when he was nervous and how he would tap “I love you” in morse code to help calm Tubbo down.
Tubbo had loved, still loved, his soulmate. His other half, the person the universe had sent to love him and be loved in return.
But Tubbo had never felt satisfied with it. He’d loved being with Ran, but it hadn’t been enough.
Not when there was a ring on his other hand.
Being born with two soulmates was rare. Not unheard of, but rare. Tubbo had always felt special for having a ring on each hand. He’d dreamt of meeting his soulmates, of finally feeling whole.
Meeting Ranboo had been an accident. People hardly ever met their soulmates that young. Tubbo knew it was unrealistic to expect to meet his other soulmate anytime soon.
For almost two years, it was just him and Ranboo against the world. Searching for their missing piece. Whispering in their shared room late at night, speculating what their soulmate would be like. Would they be older? Younger? Would they be more like Tubbo, who was stubborn and chaotic, but with a good heart? Or more like Ranboo, shy and sweet until you got to know them, when they turned snarky and confident?
Tubbo couldn’t wait to find out. And while it had always concerned him to see the ring flash his soulmate’s emotions, an almost consent thread of pain, pain fear annoyance fear pain pain anger pride fear pain sorrow pain , he couldn’t wait to meet them. To teach them love and joy and everything that Tubbo only saw glimpses of now.
When Tubbo had just turned 14, the flashes got worse. Any hints of hope or joy were gone, and the only emotions that came through were their pain, anger, or fear. Tubbo had expressed his concerns to Ranboo, but they were both still kids. There wasn’t anything they could do.
Tubbo wishes now that he would’ve tried anyway.
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The day where everything went wrong started off normally. Ranboo had been in school, trying to finish his math homework before he went home. He was waiting for Tubbo to finish his tutoring, like he usually was. He’d just finished his math and was about to begin history when his ring finger pulsed with a sharp pain. He scowled down at it, noting the harsh red color, so dark it was almost black. When the pain got this bad, Ranboo would feel the effects even through his ring. It was meant to be the same with any emotion, but the only emotions Ranboo’s soulmate had felt strongly enough to shine through were pain and fear.
Ranboo sighed and stared at the ring. There was no way he was getting any other homework done when his soulmate was in this much pain. He doubted Tubbo was going to even finish his session.
And right on cue, Tubbo burst out of the door to the tutoring room, running down to where Ranboo was sitting.
“Do you think they’re ok?”
Ranboo sighed. “I don’t know, Tubs. It’s only been this bad a couple of times.”
Tubbo nodded and sat down, grabbing Ranboo’s hand. “When we meet them,” He started, “we need to give them the best life ever.”
Ranboo grinned. “Of course, Bo. We will.”
Tubbo nodded again, his eyes firmly set on the ring on his finger.
Ranboo breathed a sigh of relief when the color became lighter. It was still a dark red, but much less close to black. He couldn’t feel the effects through the ring anymore, though there was still an overwhelming amount of fear . He began packing up his stuff, and had just stood up when he felt a sharp pain go through his chest, worse than anything he’d ever felt before. It felt like a part of his soul had been ripped out. He fell to his knees, his bag dropping next to him. A strangled scream a few feet away told him Tubbo was also feeling the effects. Ranboo shuddered to think that his soulmate (soulmates) were also going through this.
The pain took a few minutes to pass, and Ranboo almost sobbed when they did. There was still a dull ache in his chest, but that was bearable. That meant his soulmate was ok.
And then Ranboo realized, the fear from before was gone. There was still the pain, but the fear was gone. That… didn’t make sense.
Ranboo heard Tubbo’s scream before he even checked his ring. Heard his sobs, heard him muttering under his breath, “Nononononononono…”
Ranboo needed to comfort him. But first, he needed to check on his other soulmate. The one who had been directly experiencing all of that pain tenfold.
Ranboo glanced down at his hands. One ring on each. Tubbo’s ring glowed a bright gold, showing that they’d found each other. The other hand…
No.
Ranboo looked away.
No, no, no, no, nononononono.
Ranboo had just seen wrong! Yeah! It was still a dark red! It was fine! It wasn’t…
Ranboo glanced again. He was vaguely aware of teachers around him, talking to him, to Tubbo. There was still a dull ache in his chest, almost like part of him was missing.
He stared at his hands. One ring a beautiful golden.
And the other ring a pure black.
Ranboo lifted his head up and SCREAMED.