Michael's Timeline || Beeduo + Emerald duo

Chapter 19: Family

Michael didn't have time to find Philza now. He'd talk to him later. He needed to find the one person that he's wanted to talk to for over 7 years. His father. Would his father recognize him? How different would he be? Would he remember anything about his time when he was alive. Michael couldn't answer those questions, but no matter the answer, he felt that he owed it to himself to find out.

He walked past the hotel and turned right down the wooden pathway. There it was, the tower. He ran towards the tower feeling a flurry of emotions, but the most prominent feeling being fear. Michael wasn't sure if he was afraid that he wouldn't find him, or if he would.

Michael took a deep breath and took the bandage off of his face. It would probably be easier to be recognized without the minimalistic disguise. He took a breath and counted to three in his head. He closed his eyes and opened the door. Slowly, he opened his eyes to find the main floor of the tower empty.

He started climbing the ladder at the far side of the wall. The tower was covered in spider webs and moss was beginning to grow out of the stone. The place seemed abandoned.

He reached the second floor and once again there was nothing. The tower wasn't very tall. Michael suspected that it wasn't more than 3 stories tall. Meaning he had one last chance. He took a deep breath and started climbing up the last ladder. This was it. What he is going to find up here may change his life. He reached the top but kept his eyes closed. He didn't admit to fear very often, but he was truly terrified. What if there's nothing up here? What if there is?

He took a deep breath and opened his eyes.

Empty.

He let out a sigh. He wasn't sure if it was one of disappointment or relief.

"I guess I should've expected him not to be here. It's not like he was there for me before, why would he be now?" Michael climbed down the ladder, ready to go home with his unanswered questions.

"Hello?" Michael heard a voice. He turned around quickly as he reached the bottom. He wasn't sure what he expected but it wasn't this. He was face to face with a translucent figure. It kind of looked like his father, but his usual red and green eyes were completely shaded over revealing a pale red and green colour. His chest and clothes were covered in blood and he had a long diagonal scar along his chest. This must have been how he was killed. "Um hellooooo?" The figure spoke again, pulling Michael from his thoughts.

"Oh uh... Hi." Silence fell between the two for about 8 seconds while Michael collected his thoughts. "I don't know if you remember me from when... You know.."

"From when I was alive?" He asks enthusiastically. "Well I remember some things, but not lots of things, the things when I was alive were stressful, now I'm DEAD and I couldn't be happier! Alive me was so worrisome. Now I can finally be free and-" the figure rambled. He spoke quickly. That's not exactly what Michael remembered of his soft spoken father.

"You're happier dead?" Michael asked, interrupting the ghosts rambles. He needed to know.

"Absolutely! I have no problems anymore." The ghost gave him a large smile.

"Don't you ever miss the people you left behind?"

The ghost thought for a minute. "Hmm. I guess so. Sometimes."

They were silent again. Michael didn't know that ghosts could feel. If he can barely remember the bad stuff, maybe he remembers the good stuff. "Who do you miss, Ranboo?"

"First, it's Ghostboo! I prefer Ghostboo. Second, I miss my husband. I haven't seen him in a while." The ghost looks around and then shrugs. "He's around though."

"Anyone else?" Michael pried. The ghost mumbled something incoherent. "Um, sorry, what was that?"

"Michael. He is... Was my son. I don't know where he is." Ghostboo looked sad. It was the first time that he actually seemed sad.

He couldn't put this off any longer. "I'm- um. I actually. Um. I know what happened to Michael."

"Really!? Where is he?! My little boy!"

"Oh. He's not so little anymore. Actually, um I am Michael. Your son, Michael."

Ghostboo looked at him quizzically before breaking into laughter. "You are so old! My boy isn't even 4 feet tall. He's just a kid."

"Kids grow up...." Michael said slowly, swallowing hard.

Ghostboo stared for a few more seconds. "Nooo. That's funny though! I really like you! You do look like an older version of him. If you ever find him come and get me! Or just come visit, you're a pretty cool dude." Ghostboo flew away to go do god knows what.

Michael stared in disbelief. He thought of a million ways that this would go but he never could have guessed that it would end like that. That was something he couldn't have predicted. "Goodbye papa. I love you." Michael knew in his heart that Ranboo, the real Ranboo, had heard him. And he would come visit Ghostboo again. Not as his son, but as his friend. He was just happy to know someone who remembered the good parts of the past.

He didn't regret this trip, he was happy that some part of his papa existed in this entity. Michael still had unanswered questions though, who would have gone through the trouble to save his life? He needed a place to sit and think and he knew exactly where to go. The place he always used to think as a child. It was time for Michael to face his childhood again.