Chapter Text
Ranboo felt like something was off. Not off like forgetting something back at Snow chester, no. No this was a different kind of off. A off that had you wondering whether or not you were dreaming. Like in the next moment, the next wrong move, and this supposed ‘dream’ would become a nightmare.
This unease followed him when he left for old l’manburg with Tubbo and Tommy. They had planned to clean the place up a bit and maybe make it look a tad nicer than just a big hole in the ground.
As they walked through the community house they noticed Sam just standing there, looking into the water like a fish had hypnotized him or something.
“Hey there bigman, whatcha lookin at?” Tommy yelled.
There was no response.
The group headed toward the creeper hybrid, but again the warden made no sign that he could hear them. Tommy walked straight toward him and waved his hand in front of the warden's face.
“EY Bigman! Is anyone there?”
Suddenly a hand shot out and grabbed tommys wrist, the stair Sam gave Tommy made Ranboo shiver.
“Tommy” Sam said in a stern almost panicky voice “I think you should get out of here. G-” Sam stopped abruptly, he seemed like he was listening to something.
If Ranboo didn’t know any better, he would think that Sam’s eyes were shining red. Then they started to glow. Sams lips pulled into a sickening smile.
“Tommy, how nice of you to show up. Why don’t you come with me.”
Tommy pulled his hand away from Sam's iron grasp. “What the f-”
“-Tommy , I think we should do what the man says and go.” Tubbo interrupted taking the wrist of Tommy's now fisted hand.
Ranboo nodded, taking Tommy's other wrist, And together they pulled Tommy away back toward snow chester.
Tommy nearly exploded when they got a safe distance away.
“What was that dude!” Tommy spluttered, “Why did you take me away like that? I could take him! I’m a big man.” He said, puffing out his chest.
Tubbo shook his head, “It’s not that Tommy, although I doubt you could beat someone like Sam in a fight.” Tommy spluttered in anger but Tubbo continued on. “The point is, something isn’t right.”
Ranboo nodded his head, “Yeah, like how sams eyes where practically glowing, and how he was acting weird. And haven't you noticed how quiet everything has been lately, like even now. Do you hear any birds or creatures anywhere?”
They stopped to look around, Ranboo was right, things were unnaturally quiet. There was no breeze in the air, no squawks of chickens nearby, no hissing of monsters. Everything was just still. Completely still.
“I don’t like this” Tubbo said.
Tommy shook his head“ Yeah something is going on, something that can cause every creature within a mile radius to be either quite or dead.”
“Wait!” Ranboo suddenly said sounding unaturally loud in the quite. “Wasn’t there supposed to be a meeting of some sort going on today. Like a meeting for the eggpire?”
Tubbo shook his head “But I thought that the eggpire had been destroyed, you know at the red banquet?”
“No, well actually, kind of.” ranboo stuttered. “ Today was going to be a ceremony to destroy the egg once and for all. A ‘final send off’ for those of the eggpire.”
“Wait” Tubbo said, “How do you know about all of this, i haven't heard about any of this.”
Ranboo shuffled his feet, looking away. “I-i have my sources.”
Ranboo couldn’t exactly tell them about the syndicate, well he could but then tubbo would kill him for it.
“Hmmm.'' Tommy scratched his chin ignoring ranboos weak excuse, “ But if they were going to destroy the egg, why not let us all go? Why did Sam stop us?”
“That’s what I want to find out,”Ranboo said. Tommy started to walk away from the group, heading to the spawner where the egg was.
“Wait! Tommy, where are you going?”
Tommy turned around, “I'm going to find out what is actually happening to the egg."
∞§∞º∞§∞
They snuck in through the hideout Ranboo and Tubbo had made, slowly sneaking in and peering through the vines. They found the area decked with every sort of red, including a jungle of tentacle like vines snacking down the sides of the cavern. and There definitely was a very alive egg in the middle of it all.
They went back to the surface to get their gear and ready to figure out what was going on.
They were decked out in neatherite and ready for a fight. They weren’t just going to hide. Not this time.
Ranboo stood back before they entered the hideout fiddling nervously with the hem of his coat peeking out from the armour. Tubbo pulled him to the side.
“What's wrong bossman?”
“I-” Ranboo sighed “I just don’t want you guys to get hurt.”
“Ranboo..” Tubbo smiled, pulling him into a hug. “I promise we’ll be careful.”
Ranboo nodded. “Just please be careful. And take this,” Ranboo pulled out a golden totem, Tubbo gasped.
“Ranboo! Wha- How did you get a Totem of undying ?” Tubbo took it from Ranboo, tracing his finger around the emerald eyes and into the groves. Ranboo scratched the back of his head.
“I -I kind of stumbled upon a mansion...”
Tubbo shook his head in disbelief. “Only you would stumble upon one of the rarest buildings in history.”
Tubbo lightly punched his shoulder, “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“ Well..” Ranboo rubbed his arm, “ I kind of wanted this to be a surprise for you.”
Tubbo Smiled at him, “Thanks Ranboo, But…” Tubbos smile disappeared, “I can’t take this.” Tubbo pushed the golden statue into ranboos hands once again.
“W-what! Why?”
Tubbo only shook his head looking away. “I'm sorry Ranboo, but I don't want you to.. I can’t have anything happen to you.” He turned back to face Ranboo. His eyes were shining with tears.
Ranboo pulled him into a hug.
“Tubbo what's wrong?”
“Please Ranboo, I can’t have something like what happened to Tommy happen to you...I don’t know w-what I would do. Please use the totem for yourself.” Tubbo pleaded.
Ranboo hugged him. “ I promise tubbo, I won't let anything happen to Tommy or you.” Tubbo glared at him. “Fine, and me, we'll all make it out of this. I promise.”
Tubbo, finally satisfied, hugged him again. And they just stood there, taking in each other's presence.
Tommy popped his head out of the tunnel, “OUI! YOU GUYS COMING OR WHAT?”
Tubbo and Ranboo jumped away from each other. And Tommy ducked back into the tunnel again and ran back down the stairs, his job to ruin a perfect moment between his best friend, and his husband had been accomplished.
Tubbo chuckled, heading in after Tommy. Ranboo looked after him, from where he had disappeared. Feeling only slightly guilty at the lie.
∞§∞º∞§∞
Tommys pov)
Axe, check.
Pearls, check.
Health pots, check.
Tubbo, check.
sword, che-
Wait...tubbo?
Tommy jumped at Tubbo standing right in front of him.
“Tubbo! What the f**** man!”
Tubbo chuckled then shushed him.
“Quite Tommy, they might hear us.”
Tommy scowled, about to say more when he heard the quiet sound footsteps down the stairway. The footsteps were revealed to be Ranboo ducking under some vines hanging from the doorway.
“Took you long enough, Ranboo! What were you doing up there?”
Ranboo looked away a tad, “I was just getting some stuff done.”
“Well enough stalling it's about time. You guys ready?” Tommy asked.
“Ready as well ever be.” Ranboo replied. Tommy nodded once to him then to tubbo, both nodding back. Tommy turned to the camouflaged doorway conciled with vines. He took a deep breath “Let's go cook an omelette.” he said befour Tommy ducked in through the vines into the Red jungle beyond.
Ranboo came in after him, then came tubbo,
“Wait, ” Ranboo said from behind him, “Isn’t an omelette already… you know what nevermind.”
Tommy ignored him. He looked around scanning for any sign of moment, he slowly crept closer to the egg trying very hard to be quiet.
But well, Tommy was never one for stealth.
As soon as he came in range to see the egg, he tripped. A large snap echoed around the room. Tommy cringed hard looking down at his feat to see a stick snapped neatly in two.
Immediately Ranboo was on his left, Tubbo to his right not a second later.
Then they heard it.
The earth trembled as there came a large rumbling. Tommy thought he was imagining things but it kind of sounded like the earth was laughing at them. Ranboo pushed his shoulder to Tommy and so did Tubbo forming a kind of triangle between the three.
Then everything was still. Tommy breathed a sigh of relief, maybe that was just a freak accident? An earthquake perhaps?
All of a sudden the world tilted as something pulled on his leg, hard. Tommy crashed down to the ground, hitting his head on some stone. His vision turned to black for a moment, when it returned he was hanging upside down. When his vision cleared, he saw Ranboo and Tubbo, both waving their swords at the swarms of red vines that tried to tackle them down. Tubbo was fighting desperately with his Bane o’ Bees, Ranboo fighting side by side with him. Both were desperately trying to get him. Tommy opened his mouth, trying to tell them that ‘it wasn’t worth it,’ and to ‘get somewhere safe,’ but something large and leathery wrapped around his mouth. Tommy tried to lift his arms to pull the thing away only to find that something was restricting all movement. He looked down to find his body completely wrapped in the Red vines. Tommy started to struggle as the vines brought him away from his friend’s. The vines slowly turned him to face the egg, pulling him rightside up again. The egg was glowing, and behind it he could see Bad, Sam, Puffy, ponk, Punz, Ant, Foolish… basically everyone from the smp was there except Techno and phil. All of them had ruby red eyes, and all were smiling at him, which he wouldn’t have found unnerving if it had not been the circumstances.
Hello
What was that?
Why, it is me tommy. Your best friend.
What was it talking about, What did it mean best friend?
Ah, you've forgotten me already.
The voice sounded gravily and harsh, like stones being crushed together. It seemed to be coming from everywhere and nowhere echoing inside his brain painfully.
Tut tut. I guess I'll have to remind you then. It sighed.
Tommy struggled even more, and the vines tightened their, slowly slithering up to his head. He bucked and thrashed, but nothing he did seemed to do anything. The vines took him closer to the egg.
Come on Tommy, we used to be friends.
His body started to feel tingly, and he was getting really tired. His vision started to fade in and out but Tommy tried hard to keep them open.
Come on out tommy. Come out to play!
He couldn’t fight any longer. His vision faded to black. Leaving him in a void of darkness.
∞§∞º∞§∞
Ranboo’s Pov)
It all was going so well when it went so horribly wrong. Ranboo and Tubbo decked in armour, Tommy leading the way. They had potions and Ranboo still had his totems of undying. And they were quiet as a mouth. No one would see them coming.
But then Tommy just had to trip on a branch.
And that's when it all went downhill.
Tommy was suddenly dragged away from the group, a large red vine pulling him into the air. He looked like he was knocked out. That's when the jungle of Vines had come alive. Large vines combining together to create a tendril in the sea of shifting vines, like a hundred snacks ready to pounce. They shot out at him and Tubbo. Ranboo sprung into action chopping a long tendril about to impale tubbos head. Chopping another from grabbing his leg. And they just. Kept. coming.
Vine after vine, each replacing another. All the while Tommy got farther and farther away. By now he had awoken and he was thrashing furiously.
“Get to the statues!” Tubbo yelled at me. I looked up to where he was pointing to see the two states, one of Bad, and the other of Skeppy. Right! The vines couldn’t grow in stone. Tubbo lept from a red vine sprouting over to him. He used the vine like a catapult, vaulting him over to the statue, he grasped onto a hanging vine and swung onto the statues head, using Skeppy’s shoulders like a step stone to leap impossibly high onto his head.
If Ranboo wasn’t fighting for his life, he would have whistled. He often forgot about Tubbo’s goat jenes, making him extremely agle, and able to leap impossibly far.
Ranboo took out a pearl and threw it onto Bads head. Not a moment too soon cause just then the earth trembled again. the floor beneath him crumbled, he fell for a second then appeared on Bads head when the pearl broke. Ranboo stood up to see a large crack in the ground where he had been. There were many cracks in the ground, the fissures leading to the egg. As Ranboo looked closer, he could see people standing around the egg almost like they where worshiping it. Ranboo couldn’t make out all of them but he could see Puffy, Foolish, Bad, Karl, Hannah, Ponk- Ranboo could also see a large mess of vines facing the egg. He gasped. Tommy.
He was completely wrapped in the tendrils now to the point that Ranboo could barely see Tommy’s body. He wasn’t struggling any more, in fact, he seemed to be sleeping...
No
No no no no NO!
“TOMMY!” Tubbo screamed, Tubbo took out a pearl and befour Ranboo could stop him, Tubbo threw it at tommys binding. Quickly Ranboo threw his pearl, but in his hast he misjudged the throw and it landed next to the egg on the leaf closest to Tommy. Tubbo landed on Tommy, taking out his Bane o’ Bees and hacking away at
the vines until Tommy and tubbo dropped to the ground. Ranboo could only watch as tubbo scrambled to Tommy looking for a heart beat.
Then Tommy gasped, looking around himself. Ranboo let a breath he didn’t know he was holding in. Tubbo stangled Tommy with a hug. Mumbling things like, “Don’t you ever do something like that again.” and “ I hate you so much right now.”
Ranboo started to climb down from the leaf he was standing on the head towards the two.
Ranboo
Ranboo froze, what was that?
Ranboo
Ranboo looked around himself. “Who’s saying that!” Ranboo waved his sword at the people. But they remained motionless. Smiling. That, that just didn’t sit right with him.
“Hey guys!” Ranboo called. “Somthings wrong with these guys.” He pointed to the smiling people. They all had Red eyes.
“I’m sure it’s nothing Ranboo!” Tommy said. “Come over here Ranboo, i want to show you something.”
Since when did Tommy start calling Ranboo by his actual name? Even though he was completely sure that there was something wrong he brushed it off, focusing to scramble over to the two.
They had both moved off to look at the crack in the ground, their backs toward Ranboo. It looked big enough for a person to fall through.
“Hey guys! I think you guys might want to step back from there, it may not be stable.”
They both ignored him. Ranboo started to walk faster toward the two.
“Guys?”
Then he saw it, a knife in Tommy's hand. Ranboo started to run.
Tubbo went to hug Tommy again, grasping at him like a lifeline. That's when Tommy raised the weapon to point at Tubbo’s back.
“TUBBO! LOOK OUT!” Ranboo screamed.
That's when Tommy plunged the knife right into Tubbo, the dagger sinking into him all the way to the hilt.
“ NO !” The scream was ripped from him. He froze, he felt like he couldn’t breathe. Red stained Tubbo’s fluffy Snowchester cloths. He looked up at Ranboo, he smiled at him. Wh- Why was he smiling right now? Ranboo ran to him, nearly reaching him Right before Tommy pushed Tubbo into the ravine.