Midnight Arson (Platonic! Ranboo x Tubbo)

Chapter 25: The Strange Man

Careful so as to not scare the distressed creature, Karl gave Ranboo a gentle pat on the back. "There, there, enderguy. Take a deep breath, and we can talk it all out. There we go, that's it..."

It took Ranboo a good while to calm down, but once he did, everything started making sense. Karl Jacobs was indeed a time traveler, a protector of sorts for lost and doomed worlds. Whatever force that guided his journeys had led him to this universe to set things right. Normally, this would have been fine, had it not been for his early death.

Apparently, Wilbur hadn't been the only one to die in the explosion of L'Manberg. No, sadly, Karl had been there as well. When the time traveler finally came to, he was standing on a subway platform, trapped in limbo with his British companion. Time passed slowly, but eventually, a certain dictator paid them both a visit, promising revival to Wilbur Soot.

Karl had begged Dream to be revived. For his life, he offered the man a small communicator. When the server finally fell into ruin, Dream would be able to contact him, thus ushering in a reset for the timeline. It was the ultimate play for power over the past, present, and future; Dream took it without batting an eye. So, at the end of the day, Karl was only here to repay his debt.

"Okay, so now that we understand each other," the time traveler explained, "I'm sending you back to the night of the fire-"

"But wait- why me?" Ranboo asked. "Why not Dream? He's the one who called you."

Karl let out a frustrated sigh, running a hand down his face. "Look, I really don't have time for all these questions, and neither do you. I can only freeze time for twenty minutes before it moves forward. Do you really want this to be your future, Ranboo?" The enderman shook his head vigorously.

"Good," the traveler continued. "Now, I'm only gonna say this once: I've seen this world's timeline, and this-" he gestured to their surroundings, "-is what's supposed to happen. But you can change that. You-" the man poked Ranboo at the center of his chest, "-are the one person who, either by the grace of the gods or sheer dumb luck, knows what's going to happen. And so, you're the one going back in time."

"But what if I'm not ready?" the enderman worried. "What if I screw things up, and- and everything stays the same?"

A mighty tremble rippled through the ground, lasting only a millisecond before it ceased. "Oh! That's our queue," Karl said. The man clapped his hands on Ranboo's shoulders, and stared directly into his eyes, his gaze solemn. "I know it's all very scary, but you've got to do this. Figure it out."

The Earth beneath them began to rumble once again, the quaking increasing with each passing second. "This is your only chance!" the time traveler shouted. "Goodbye, Ranboo!" The bonds of time broke, releasing the two back to the terrible present, but they were already gone.

The future stood on a tenuous foundation, its fate now resting on an enderman's shoulders. For this world, it was the beginning of the end, but for Ranboo, it was the end of the beginning.

Quite the plot twist, huh?? Our story's not over yet!!

Will Ranboo be able to save the server this time around?? Vote to give him courage!!

As always, thank you all for the continued support. I treasure each and every one of you. <333

[Image Credits] "Vintage Elgin Gold-Filled Pocket Watch, Hunter Case, Size 16s, Pendant Set, 15 Jewels, Circa 1909" (Cropped Slightly) by Joe Haupt (https://www.flickr.com/photos/51764518@N02/15244052313/in/photostream/)