Chapter Text
Tommy and the others were lying on their bean bags in the hideout.
“I am booored.” Tommy showed his head into the pillow. “Can we do something fun? like go fight a god or something.”
Ranboo looked for a moment like he actually thought about it. “Let’s save fighting a god for another day okay? You can never know when you’ll need to.”
“But maybe it is possible for us to fight something,” joined their discussion Tubbo. “Have you ever heard of Ender dragon? it’s a children’s story that every kid heard from their parents at some point.”
They looked at Tubbo with a matching deadpan expression.
“Sorry, no parents. I forgot!”
“How can you forget that both of your friends didn’t have a parent figure in their life or don’t remember them,” asked Ranboo.
“Sorry just- can we forget I said that.” Tommy quite pitied his friend but that’s not gonna stop him from making fun of his wording.
“You know Tubbo, when we take into account some of us have memory problems it does add some layer of irony.” Tommy and Ranboo were now fully smiling at their friend's misery.
“Stop it already. You make me seem like some offensive prick. Now I’m gonna get canceled and It’s your fault.”
“Canceled?” Tommy heard Ranboo whisper to themself, but Tubbo either did not hear them or didn’t acknowledge them.
“So ender dragon, It’s like a black magic lizard with wings.” Tubbo started waving around himself.
“We know what a dragon is. Just- How do we find it?” Ranboo fiddled with his necklaces.
"We can just start asking around if someone heard about it and maybe do some research later," suggested Tubbo.
“Okay, let’s go.” Tommy went to grab his coat and took his bandana to hide the lower part of his face.
Ranboo followed his suit, pinned his purple cloak with a buckle, and pulled up a matching bandana.
Tubbo took his dark green vest from the chair. “We can start with villagers in the town and then try out the library. Thoughts?”
“Sounds good for now,” Tommy adjusted the patch covering his right eye and stepped out from their cottage.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
“Hello villager! Have you ever heard about Ender dragon?” asked Tubbo cheerfully.
“Huh?” answered the villager focused on Tubbo and not noticing Tommy trying to pickpocket him from behind.
“That’s a very valid question and honestly? We have no idea,” admitted Ranboo from a spot next to Tubbo.
“Huh hu.” said the villager with a sad expression.
“Really!?” couldn’t help but exhale Tommy “And did you?”
Villager's attention shifted towards Tommy looking at his face instead at the wallet clutched in his hand.
“Huh.”
Tommy stumbled back with a wallet covering his mouth.
Tubbo inhaled sharply.
Ranboo lowered their gaze. Looking at their shoes with a devastated expression. “People these days. You really can’t know who to trust anymore.”
Villager just nodded.
“Well, thanks for your time and I’m sorry this happened to you, Jerry.” Bid his goodbye Tubbo and started dragging the other two away.
“What a terrible life story.” Shook their head Ranboo.
“Do you wanna grab an ice cream?” raised a stolen wallet Tommy. “I’m paying.”
Tubbo's and Ranboos' faces immediately brightened.
“Sure thing bossman. Lead the way.”
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
“Why did all of us have to go to the library? you literally can’t read. I don’t want to, so Ranboo is the only one doing something, the nerd he is.” complained Tommy.
He wanted to fight something not to be stuck in the library.
No hate towards libraries he found them relaxing, enjoying them even from time to time and it was a great source of information, but Tommy could only take a few minutes of watching Tubbo fiddling with a Rubik's cube he stole for him from a librarian's desk before he’ll lose his mind.
“Hey! I can read. I’m just too tired right now.” tried to defend himself Tubbo.
“Yeah, sure Tubbo.”
“Here it says,” their attention quickly shifted toward Ranboo. “Deep hidden into the stronghold is a frame of the long undisturbed portal which will lead you into the End dimension. This place is only inhabited by endermans, which are living in every dimension known to us, and dragon. Said dragon is surrounded by long pillars made of obsidian with crystals atop them that, when damage is dealt to the dragon, will heal him immediately.
But that’s impossible because there just isn't magic that is strong enough to help you escape death,” rambled Ranboo without much thought behind it.
“You can get a few extra years by healing your body and some basic protection on yourself but no magician ever could fight with their magic protecting them from direct damage. If you want to make a shield you need to fully concentrate on the spots others are aiming for.
So if you were really doing this, you would need another magician covering your body in a shield. No inanimate object could do such a thing.”
Ranboo for a few moments continued to stare at the floor frustrated but then his eyes cleared and he looked up. “What was that?”
Both of the boys were smiling at him hopefully and with pride. “I think you just remembered something.” Stood up Tubbo from his place.
“A whole lot of something!” cheered Tommy. “You just gave us a full lecture about healing magic.” Lost his breath Tommy for a moment. “You just had to be some scholar before.”
Ranboo looked a bit embarrassed but smiling nonetheless. “You think they kicked me out or I dropped out?” joked Ranboo.
“Hello there,” said Tommy in a high-pitched voice trying to imitate Ranboos “I’m Ranboo and I am a magician. I went to magic college but I dropped out. It exists. You have to believe me.” Tommy collapsed with a fit of laughter.
Tubbo clutched his stomach while laughing and tried to calm himself enough to talk. “Magic collage really? You’re gonna write in your resume: Went to magic college and graduated.”
Ranboo chuckled at that. “You think magic college students are as broke as the regular ones?”
“Well, judging from the clothes I found you in. I think that’s not the case, Richboo,” noted Tommy with a strange expression and wondered if Ranboo would miss a life like this. The two of them, now three, had to fight their way through life and maybe, if Ranboo remembered, he would choose his past comfortable life instead of him and Tubbo, and Tommy couldn’t blame him.
Was it worth it to Ranboo to live through the pain they suffered and caused, instead of living in the past he chose to run from?
Tommy didn’t know Ranboos' answer.
But his answer was yes and it will always be yes.
If it isn’t, the others will pay instead of him and he won’t let that happen.