Two Days Later. . .

Ranboo didn't know where he was. He was in a cell, he knew that. It was dark, the only light he had was the torches in the hallway leading into the cells. He was curled up into one of the corners, holding himself as he went over the many different scenarios of his situation. He was an enderman hybrid, he should have been able to teleport, but he never got the ability. He still remembered his mother trying to teach him, chuckling everytime he had failed but always told him it was fine if he couldn't do it. 

He also remembered the saddened look his father had given him. His fists tightened. He wished he remembered more of his childhood memories, but between them was a huge blank area before he joined the SMP.

To say he had no idea what was happening was an understatement too. He remembers being in his room, yelling at that Dream voice again, then actual dream just coming into the room like it was nothing. He didn't know how long he'd been here now, but he knew it had to be for more than a day. He heard shoes clacking against the stone floor, his red and green eyes slightly opening when they stopped in front of his cell. He looked up, his glowing eyes shooting open when he realized who it was. 

He was shaking, mouth dry, and couldn't help but curl farther into himself. Dream's mask stared back, in his hand a silver tray with food. He was unlocking the cell, his eyes traced on Ranboo to make sure he made no advances towards the perfect opportunity to escape.

Ranboo watched as the man placed the tray down before kicking it farther into the cell, the water in the cup sloshing around, some stilling out as it slid. It was potato soup, some bread, and some water. At least he knew he wouldn't go completely starved while he was here. He still made no action to move though, eyes still fixed on Dream who now was locking the door again. "You might want to eat." His voice was emotionless, the man making a move to leave. "Why?" It makes the masked man pause, his stupid smiley mask coming back into view. "Why did you do this?" It almost seemed like the ender hybrid wouldn't get an answer out of him.

"Because, Ranboo, I need you to end L'manburg." Ranboo had to process those words, a snarl quickly leaving his throat as he stood up abruptly.

"If you think I'd EVER willingly help you, you are wrong!" Ranboo started his way to the cell bars, gripping them in his hands as he growled at his kidnapper. "You're a fucking asshole! All you do is fuck with people and just expect them to follow you without a fucking ARGUMENT!" Dream finally turned to face the other male. "You're the reason this server is FUCKED, your the reason Tommy is DEAD, you're the reason this fucking war STARTED! But you know what, Dream? You may have started it, but me and Tubbo will make damn sure to END IT!" He had no time to react as his hair was grabbed, yanking him forwards.

His head slammed into the metal bars, himself now dizzy and head in pain. His dual eyes met the emotionless dots of Dreams mask. It was only centimeters away from his own face, the man able to hear Dream's angry breathing. He was shaking again, mouth falling dry as all confidence he once had cracked and fell away from him. "I know you won't help me willingly, Ranboo." He gripped his hair tighter, pulling the man closer. Ranboo closed his eyes, feeling the cold metal dig into his face. "That's why I'm going to make you." His head tilted, making Ranboo want to pull away. He started jerking away, hoping to get Dream's grip on him to loosen.

It was futile though, the man once again yanking him forwards, head once again violently meeting the metal bars in front of him. "Y-you can't make me do anything." This made Dream chuckle.

"Oh Ranboo, I have complete control over you." Ranboo's eyes squeezed shut at the man's cold and cocky voice. He leaned forwards, his next words a whisper. "I could make you do whatever I want. I can make you kill Tubbo if I wanted to."

"NO, YOU CAN'T!" A pause. Dream finally let go of his hair after that, the hybrid launching back onto the cell floor. He looked up, seeing the green man towering over him. He couldn't help his fists clenching, wishing he could punch Dream at the moment.

"Believe What you want, Ranboo. But you will be helping me in the takedown of L'maburg." Dream laughed at Ranboo's angry expression. "How heartbroken Tubbo will be when he sees you on my side, obedient and waiting for instructions." Another painful silence filled the tense air around them. "Maybe, I'll even tell you to kill him." With that Dream finally turned away, his clacking boots descending away from a heartbroken Ranboo. 

What was he to do? He had no escape route. He curled in on himself again, tears threatening to leak out of his misty eyes. He wouldn't help Dream though, he'd refuse. He'd fight until he couldn't anymore. He wouldn't hurt Tubbo... not without a fight anyways.

🍃 🍃 🍃

Tommy sat on the couch, head resting on one of the arms as he listened to Wilbur play the guitar next to him. Violet, his dog, laying down next to the couch, he's sure it was asleep. Tommy had begged his father to get the dog a purple collar. And to no surprise, the father did as his youngest wanted. The dog must have fallen asleep due to the guitar too. The instrument brought back memories, mostly good ones, of his childhood. Wilbur used to play around campfires or after another battle was one, even when putting Tommy to sleep when he was younger. 

He remembered the guitar he had, the old crummy thing always seemed ready to fall apart on him but Wilbur had kept it. He knew why he kept it, but he would always insist it was because it was reliable. In reality, it was because their father had gifted it to him. Tommy never said that out loud, but he knew it was the truth. He still had it, even after Wilbur's death he kept it. He had promised himself he would learn how to play the instrument, even before Wilbur died. 

But now that his older brother was dead, he couldn't touch the thing without overwhelming memories filling his brain. Even if he wanted to play now, it would be basically impossible for the blind teen now. Wilbur must have noticed that Tommy was in his own world, the music slowly dying into nothing at all. "Toms? You ok?" Tommy's ears twitched at the sudden voice. He looked over, smile in view.

"Yeah, sorry. Guess the music was just making me think."

"What about?" The raccoon paused.

"Uh, I had wanted to play the guitar at one point, and hearing it made me think about that."

"You wanted to play at one time?" The happiness in his older brother's voice made him smile more. "Why don't I teach you?"

"What?" He was not expecting that.

"Yeah, it could be fun! I can teach you the cords, and help you learn a song!" Wilbur seemed more excited about this than Tommy was, the raccoon hybrid basically humming with excitement.

"I'd love that!" He felt Wilbur handing him the guitar, the instruments glossy wooden surface felt great under his fingers. It was something he always wanted, holding a guitar and playing a melody to match Wilbur's own strumming. Maybe now they could do that. He remembers even in Pogtopia, the man would settle down somewhere and play away on his guitar, eyes closed as if he was imagining being somewhere else. 

Tommy wouldn't be shy to admit he too had done that, often hiding behind a corners wall and leaning against it, his own eyes shut as he imagined the pretty flower-filled meadows he and his once best friend, Tubbo, used to run around in as children, making flower crowns or climbing a nearby tree because Tommy wanted to. He'd be back in the more simple times, where he was just a child. Nothing more.

He wasn't a child soldier marching onto enemy land to try and win freedom for his country, or his older brother. He wasn't a traumatized teen who would jump at the sound of TNT because of his many negative interactions with it. He wasn't in Pogtopia, letting Wilbur wail down on him because he just wanted the once loving brother back and for everything to go back to how it once was, him and Wilbur against the world, taking one battle at a time and leading an ever thriving country. He wasn't a Teen thrown out of his country, exiled because of a prank gone wrong, being beaten into a pulp by an abusive adult who wanted nothing more than to break him into submission.

He was just a child, in a flower field making golden flower crowns and sticking them onto his best friends head, laughing as the golden petals got into the goat hybrids face, the other shaking his head every which way to try and fix the crown on his head while trying not to destroy the flower crown he himself was weaving together. He was a kid with his pant legs rolled up, splashing around in a creek with his nephew, Wilbur watching with a fond smile as he strummed a happy melody for the whole wilderness to hear. He was a child who climbed trees for fun and dragged Tubbo up them with him, watching as the little goat hybrid started freaking out. He was just a kid again.

His hands tightened up as he held the instrument. It was one Tommy was very familiar with, just the little songs Wilbur would make carrying more memories than it probably knew. He couldn't help the sniffle that left him, a smile on his face as one of his fingers cautiously plucked a few of the strings, a very sweet sound entering his ears afterwards. "Tommy?" Wilbur's voice sounded confused, maybe even a bit worried. "What's wrong?" He felt the brother's fingers chasing away the few escaping tears, smiling as he looked up to where his voice was coming from.

"Nothings wrong, Wilby." His smile grew. "I-I'm happy." He could basically feel Wilbur's happy smile, his wings fluttering at his words.

"I didn't know guitars meant so much to you!" He joked. Tommy laughed himself.

"It's just, I've always wanted to learn how to play, Wil. Guitars do mean a lot to me, they remind me of my childhood... They remind me of all my good past experiences." He says, his fingers slightly running over the strings as he tried to picture what the guitar looked like, trying to figure out where everything on the instrument was. "I guess it sounds dumb, huh?"

"Not at all, Toms." The man ruffled his hair, Tommy smiling more. "Now, let's learn how to play the guitar."