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Gasping, Niki stared down at Tubbo.
“It’s going to be okay. This’ll be fine.” She breathed, holding onto his wrist. Swallowing, Tubbo stared up at her. The wind whipped through his hair, swept it away from wide eyes. His fingers were turning red. “It’s going to be okay. I promise.”
Tears welled up in Tubbo’s eyes. Either it was pain or fear. Either way, the wind pulled them away, brushed his hair from his forehead. Far below them, she could see the outline of the canyon floor nearly a mile below. The bushes and even a little bit of the river. Leaning down, Niki tried to grab onto Tubbo’s other hand. Pebbles skidded down around them.
“Stop, stop. Niki, please. Just stop. It’s going to be fine.” Tubbo repeated. Smiling up at her, he paused. Then, he glanced back. He blinked forcefully. Looked back up to her. Still, he smiled. Like he wasn’t dangling off a cliff. “Niki, everything’s going to be okay. Right?”
“Tubbo—“ Cutting off at the lump in her throat, Niki blinked. Then, she tried to reach down again. Tried to grab Tubbo by the front of his shirt. Still, he was just out of reach. A gasp cut through her throat as the rocks beneath her stabbed into her ribs and chest. “Tubbo, just hold on.” Glancing back, she tried to move. Tried to pull Tubbo up just a tiny bit more. Please. Please don’t let him fall, please.
“It’s going to be fine. Right?” Tubbo repeated, looking up at her. A smile crossed his face. Gripping onto his arm a bit tighter, she nodded. “Alright.” Looking back down again, Tubbo took a slow breath. Then, he met her gaze again. The bracer that wrapped around his wrist was slipping through her fingers, leather slick with sweat and blood. “Sorry about this.”
Then, he pulled a knife from one of his pockets, and he sliced through the cords binding the bracer to his wrist.
Dropping back, Tubbo smiled weakly. “Tubbo!” She screamed, trying to grab at him. By then, he was falling back already. He was still smiling, too. “Tubbo!” Behind her, she heard movement. Glanced back to see Tommy staring at her, eyes wide in horror. Someone strode up and clubbed Tommy on the back of the head. Instantly, Tommy was thrown on the ground.
Grabbing her weapons and shoving herself to her feet, Niki charged in.
+++
Pain struck through Tubbo’s head.
Lying there, he sucked in a pained breath. Opened his eyes slowly. Blood pooled out from him, and the side of his head was throbbing. He pushed himself up. Rolled onto his back. Stared up at the bright blue sky with the white clouds wisped across it.
Above him, he could see someone skidding down the sides of the canyon. A white tank top and dark jeans, thick hiking boots. Throwing a grappling hook to the side of the canyon and then holding onto the rope, Schlatt rappelled down with ease and then landed. By then, he had rushed over to Tubbo’s side.
“Tubbo. Tubbs, Grubworm. Oh sh—“ Looking around, he swallowed and then slowly touched Tubbo’s head and neck. His hand moved down, checking his back. “Oh gosh, Grubworm. You hurting or is everything alright?”
“It hurts.” Trying to raise his head, Tubbo swallowed. Looked at the blood on the ground. Everything heated up and he tipped his head back. “I’m going to pass out.”
“Okay, okay. We’re going to get you back up. We’re getting you up.” Slowly, Schlatt picked him up and cradled him close. “We’re going to get you back up, alright?”
“Mhmm, sure Dad.” Tubbo mumbled, letting his head fall against Schlatt’s shoulder. Through half-closed eyes, he saw his dad’s eyes soften slightly, saw the frown crossing his face. Coughing, he felt something dribble out of the corner of his mouth, something hot and coppery tasting. Eyes half-closed still, he smiled and added, “Everything’s going to be fine.”
Everything faded out.
+++
Snow fell around them both.
Holding onto his dad’s shirt desperately, Tubbo buried his head in Schlatt’s scarf. Squeezed his eyes shut as best as he could. Somewhere, deep in the snowstorm screaming around him, was his mother. He didn’t want to go back there. No, he couldn’t go back there. She’d look at him like she always did. Like he was something to eat, not something—not a person. She looked at him like he was little more than prey.
It’d been like that ever since he wandered into his parents’ room that one night. Found Schlatt on the floor, bleeding profusely from his neck and more blood pooling around his head like some kind of hellish halo. Found his mother standing over him. She’d turned to face him, every single one of her teeth sharpened into canines and each canine stained with red at the ends.
Schlatt protected him. Tubbo had known that. He didn’t need to be any older than five to know that. And he was five. And he did know. Every single time she got too dangerous to be around, Schlatt would have Tubbo hide. Out in the woods, out of the house. Anywhere that meant she didn’t have easy access to him.
And now they had left.
But that meant she was hunting for them. She was looking for them. As they had bolted away, Schlatt sprinting as fast as he could on weakened legs and with blood soaking the scarf at his neck, Tubbo had seen her eyes. They flared a bright, scarlet red. Her dark brown hair floated around her head, twisting and coiling like snakes.
Whimpering at the thought of her, Tubbo clasped Schlatt’s shirt that much tighter. Felt his dad rub at his back. “It’s alright, grubworm. Everything’s going to be fine.” He swore, keeping his hand between Tubbo’s shoulders as he stumbled on. One day, when Tubbo was much older, he would understand what was going on back then. Would understand as he and Ranboo supported a bloody, unconscious Tommy between them as they trekked through thick snow and a blizzard so deep the ocean was a puddle. One day, he’d understand that Schlatt was trying to keep up hope. Trying to make things seem better when really they were worse.
If it hadn’t been for Phil, they wouldn’t have survived.
It was just a tiny little house on the edge of a lake. But there were lights streaming through the window. Slowly, Schlatt had found the shoreline. Tried walking to the side, tried finding a safer path. But then he’d heard the roar. Tubbo had, too.
It was a horrifying thing. So, Schlatt glanced over his shoulder, bundled Tubbo closer, and started running across the icy lake. Massive, ear-splitting crack-crack-cracks pounded off underneath them. Some of the massive plates of ice shifted and dipped. Tubbo watched as one rose up behind them. Still, Schlatt kept running, even as the dark shadow passed over them.
Leaping forwards, he slipped on the shore and threw Tubbo into the snowbank. Tubbo sat up in time to watch the ice crash down on top of him. It was a massive, deafening sound. Something that left him curled up in the snow. And then a cold hand rested on his shoulder.
Tubbo opened his eyes, found his dad a breath’s distance from him. Blood dripped from a cut above his eye, but Schlatt smiled weakly. If it had been bright, Tubbo would have seen pink staining the snow where Schlatt had dragged himself from the shattered ice. But then golden light spilled over them as Tubbo launched forwards and hugged his dad, arms around his neck and crying. Schlatt looked up first. Tubbo followed his lead.
Standing in the doorway was someone that Tubbo would eventually know as Phil. Beside him, head tipped to the side and two tiny wings growing from his back, blond curls flattened to one side and horribly messy, was Tommy.
+++
When he woke up, Tommy was standing at the doorway, looking at him with a soft smile.
“Morning.” He said. Striding over, he sat down on the bed beside Tubbo. Holding out a loaf of bread and some mushroom soup, he arched an eyebrow. “You hungry?”
“Definitely.” Tubbo grabbed the food. Then, he glanced around the room. And immediately saw his dad curled in the nearest chair, wrapped up in one of Phil’s blankets and fast asleep. Tipping his head back, he shoved as much of the bread into his mouth as possible.
“Dude, don’t choke.” Tommy laughed lightly, looking at him. Flipping him off, Tubbo looked at the soup. “You better not try and chug that.” Tubbo looked over at him. Immediately, Tommy started sprinting for someone more responsible.
Speedrun time, Tubbo decided, grabbing the soup.
This was going to be fun.