Approaching the house now in the light of day, the enderman hybrid saw the full extent of what he'd done. The charming little cottage had been warped by the flames into a soot-covered abomination. The entire structure, or really what was left of it, had been burnt to a crisp, blackened by the heat of last night's blaze. The demons of hell had peeled back the wood of the siding, splintering off chunk by chunk to leave sharp, black spires where the walls once stood. The roof had been completely devoured, exposing the interior to the harsh elements of the tundra. It was a terrible sight to behold.
"Ranboo? You alright?"
The sentient blinked back to reality, only to find his brother in-law staring at him. Ranboo hadn't realized he had stopped walking to silently gawk at the remains of his house. He must have looked pathetic to Techno, sad even. "I'm fine," the being monotoned.
Ranboo left Techno's side to advance towards the structure alone. He came up to a window on the first floor and peered inside. What once held treasured family memories now housed clinker swimming in a sea of soot. Ranboo's heart panged with guilt- that had almost been them, lying dead and still in the charcoal-colored ash. They had been so close to death, and it was all because of him.
In a quiet voice, one barely above a whisper, the creature asked, "Techno, how did Michael get out?"
"We found him on the roof," the piglin hybrid replied. "Guess he climbed out the window or something. Philza flew up and brought him down." A watery smile crept onto Ranboo's face. At least he had a family that always had his back.
Presently, the sentient pressed his hand flat against the exterior of the house. The rough surface of the burnt wood scratched at his hand, leaving a thin layer of ash on his fingers. There must be something that survived this, the being thought. Something, anything.
He glanced into the house once more where his eyes fell on the remnants of an old desk, one that stood just under the window. And on that desk lay a book, open and perfectly intact. Carefully, the humanoid reached inside and grabbed the strange miracle book.
"What's that?" Techno bluntly questioned.
"A book," Ranboo said. "It's my diary."
Techno hummed. "Seems to be covered in fire resistance," he observed.
Ranboo nodded. "Indeed, it is." He watched the tell-tale wisps of potion magic curl into the air, dissipating into the wind. The sentient pressed his lips into a tight, thin line. His enderman half must have wanted the book to survive the flames...but why?
Ranboo mindlessly flipped through the book, searching for any clues that would solve the mystery. His eyes fell on the last entry of the journal, which had immediately peaked his interest. Unlike the other daily passages, this entry had been written after the fact. It stood separate from the rest of yesterday's doings, like a few rushed lines of text included before the day was done. The strangest part was the language in which the words were formed: enderman. With what little phrases he knew, Ranboo was able to translate the additional entry:
"Set fire to the Beloveds. But I love them. Prepare Las Nevadas."
Why Las Nevadas? And prepare for what? The sentences sounded more like orders than reminders, mere steps in a bigger, more elaborate plan. I obviously don't have any subconscious urges to murder my family, or do something, -well, what I can assume is something horrible to Las Nevadas, Ranboo reasoned. And there's only one person who's taken advantage of me during my enderwalks-
"Uh, Ranboo?"
"I'm gonna head over to the prison," the sentient said, closing the book. "I think Dream is behind this. I want to talk to him."
Techno let out a low yelp of surprise. He took a step forward, one hand on the hilt of his sword. "I'm going with you."
"No," the being refused. He looked his brother in-law straight in the eye, determined and unshaken in his resolve. "I'm going alone." Ranboo turned his head to look off in the distance, facing his destination. "I need you to stay with Michael- in case anything happens."
Techno grunted, but relented. He knew Dream had plenty of hidden allies, ones that wouldn't hesitate to bring harm to a child. "Alright." The snow crunched under the warrior's boot as he made his way back to Philza's cabin.
Ranboo was left alone on the tundra, pondering how he'd question the server's infamous terrorist. He would look the masked devil in the eye if it meant redemption. He would do it if it meant saving Tubbo.
Ooooohhh I wonder what's happening at Las Nevadas?? And how is Dream involved in this??
Vote to give Ranboo the courage to stand up to Dream. :]
Thank you, lovelies, for the votes and reads. Y'all are wonderful human beings; please accept this virtual hug. (*hug*) <33
[Image Credits] Burned trees and ash image (Cropped Slightly) by U.S. Department of Agriculture (https://www.flickr.com/photos/usdagov/9707379399)