Tubbo

"Are you ok, Techno?" Tubbo raised an eyebrow at him sitting in the corner. "Yep, I'm doing just great," he clearly lied as he went into a coughing fit. Niki took a step toward Techno and stopped when he held up his hand, showing he was 'fine.' Niki hesitated and eventually sat back down when he cleared his throat. 

"Everything's fine. Just swallowed some air, that's all." Techno smiled and gave them all a thumbs-up.

Tubbo nodded slowly, not buying it. "Anyway, Ranboo said in this book that he was hearing voices-" Techno cleared his throat again-  "...And he was having blackouts. Do you guys remember when he would enderwalk? We think that's when he would have those 'blackouts.'" 

Captain Puffy nodded. "I remember that I would always try to talk to him to see if he could hear me. I guess not." she frowned, trying to remember all the things she had said to Ranboo pointlessly.

Ghostbur sat next to Technoblade looking at the ground, fiddling with a lead connected to a blue sheep sitting next to him. "I'm worried. He could be lost, or scared, or stuck somewhere and he can't get out…" Blue liquid came streaming out of Ghostbur's eyes, staining his sweater. A little got on Techno's knee, and Techno touched it. It looked like ink.

"Oh, Ghostbur. You're crying again." Niki grabbed the nearest towel and gently wiped off the ink from his clothes and his cheeks. "Oh, I'm so sorry…. Did I get it on anyone?" he looked around, and Techno covered the tiny splotch on his knee with his hand. "Nope, you're good," he nodded. 

The blue sheep licked Ghostbur's hand, smiling up at him. "I'm just- I'm so sorry, I'm worried about him and I'm afraid he might…" He burst into tears again. Tommy got up and took a cornflower out of his pocket, handing it to Ghostbur. "Here, take this. Calm yourself." He smiled up at Ghostbur. Ghostbur took the flower and held it up to his face, smelling it. 

"Ranboo's going to be ok. We will find him. He's probably just a little lost, that's all." 

Ghostbur laughed a little. "He got lost because he couldn't remember where his house is, probably." Tommy smiled. "See, that's the spirit! We will find him. And when we do, I'll get you some… ice cream. yeah." Ghostbur wiped his eyes and smiled. "Ok," he said after a second.

"Alright, where were we?" Tommy asked, standing up, clapping his hands and rubbing them, turning to Tubbo.

"Um, Enderwalking?"

"Yes, right. Have any of you guys seen Ranboo right as he started Enderwalking?"

Sapnap raised his hand. "I have. I visited Dream once, and he asked me to give Ranboo a message. When I gave it to him, he started Enderwalking and wouldn't respond to me."

"What was the message?" Tubbo asked. Sapnap typed it in chat. 

<Sapnap > :)

Tubbo said nothing and studied the smile. "Alright," he said after a moment. "Seems like we have to go ask Dream a few questions." 

***

Tubbo was alone. Tommy said he couldn't go in the vault again, after what happened to him last time. Tubbo heard a rustle behind him. Okay, fine, he wasn't alone, but Punz insisted on coming. 

Punz emerged out of the bushes, tripping on a stick and flopping behind Tubbo. "So, what are we doing again?" he said, standing up and brushing himself off. 

"Well," Tubbo started, picking a leaf out of Punz's hair that he missed. "We are going to ask Dream what his message meant, and see if he can help us." Punz nodded. 

"Should we ask him about the book?" 

"Oh, I hadn't thought about that," Tubbo said, taking Ranboo's journal from his pocket. Punz looked like he meant something else, but shrugged it off and smiled. "Yeah, okay," he said.

Tubbo took a deep breath as they approached the entrance to the vault. After going inside, Sam put Tubbo and Punz through many different precautions. Checking for weapons, potions, more weapons, signing papers, taking potions, going through lava, climbing stairs…. There was so much. It felt like there was no possible way that anyone could escape this place.

Finally, Tubbo and Punz stood before a wall of lava, getting ready to stand on the platform that would take them to Dream. "Ah, sorry. One person at a time, please." Sam put his hand on Punz's shoulder. Punz nodded and stepped back. Tubbo looked worriedly at Punz, but he gave him a reassuring smile. Tubbo took another deep breath and gripped Ranboo's journal tighter as the lava fell, revealing Dream in an orange prison jumpsuit labeled "001" he was reading something on a stand when he looked over at Tubbo. Dream's mask was cracked from when Tommy trapped him in jail and his hair was long. It was tied in a messy bun like it hadn't been cared for in a long time.

  The platform jerked forward and Tubbo fell to his knees. He gripped the side of the slabs with one hand and held Ranboo's journal close to his chest with the other hand. It was the one thing Sam had let him take with him after inspecting it, and Tubbo did not want to let it go or have it catch fire now. 

The platform stopped when it hit the cell, and Tubbo scrambled onto it. The second he stepped off, the platform shuffled back to Sam and he flipped a switch, lowering the lava again.

Tubbo stared at Punz and Sam as the lava slowly fell, trapping him inside. Tubbo was now stuck with Dream. 

"Tubbo? What are you doing here?" Dream said, putting his book in a chest, and turning toward him. 

"Uh, well. Funny you ask. Um..." 

Should I tell him Ranboo's missing? Tubbo thought. Probably not. Come on, Tubbo. Just ask the questions and leave. 

"Sapnap said you wanted to give Ranboo a message." Dream nodded. "Oh, yes. I remember that." Dream said, checking the clock on the wall. 

"Yeah, well that message sent Ranboo to start Enderwalking," Tubbo said impatiently, getting slightly annoyed Dream had no interest in this conversation. "Enderwalking…" Dream whispered to himself as if he had never heard the word before. "Sounds like it's not my concern," Dream shrugged, taking the clock off of the wall and examining it. Tubbo took a step toward Dream.

"What was the message for?" Tubbo asked. "What does this book mean?" he held up Ranboo's journal. 

Dream turned toward Tubbo, staring at the book. Tubbo could see Dream's chapped and dry lips, his real face, and his expression was blank. "You know, Tubbo," Dream adjusted his mask to cover his face again and walked through the cell. He wandered for a second and stopped at the wall of lava. The only thing keeping him inside. 

"You say you want answers. But here's the thing." Dream held the clock up to the lava, and he let the lava brush the side of the clock, scorching it. The clock caught fire and it slowly melted away, like ice under boiling water. "I never tell people how clever I am." he chuckled. "They would be too scared." 

Tubbo's eyes widened and he messaged Sam in chat to summon the platform back. "You're crazy." Tubbo shook his head and he crawled back on the platform when it arrived and the lava disappeared. Dream waved goodbye and sat on the floor. Tubbo stepped off of the platform back into the control room and processed what he had just heard. "I need to inspect that book again," Sam said, holding his hand out. Tubbo dumped it in his hands, avoiding eye contact. He sat in the corner of the control room, hugging his knees. 

Punz was already in the cell with Dream, sitting down with him and having a conversation he couldn't hear. It didn't matter, anyway. He hadn't gotten any information out of Dream. Tommy was right. This was pointless. Ranboo was lost, and he couldn't save him.

  xMrs.Yeagerx donated

  £57.00!

  I CAN'T HOLD IT IN ANYMORE, PLEASE JUST CHECK THE LAST 

  JOURNAL ENTRY!!!!

Tubbo looked up. "What are you talking about?" he grumbled, rubbing his temples. "I've already checked it a million times."

<AnimeProblems > OMG DO It!!!!!!!!!!!!!

<Badgenv > Wdym

<Readyzone13 > The very last page!

<Simic > Last couple of pages

<Toweros > Theyre right

<Tylee_mya > Don't cry, Tubbo!

<sappynappydappy > Look at the last pages!!

"The last-" Tubbo stopped. They were right. He didn't check the end of the book, just the beginning. Tubbo grabbed the book from Sam and flipped it to the back of the book. "Wh-" Sam tried to get the book back but Tubbo turned away and ignored him. His heart raced as he flipped the pages backward checking each side. Finally, on the 6th to last page, he found messy handwriting that didn't look like Ranboo's. 

Sand, sand, Sand. too dry. Too much. I don't want it. Don't make me go, please. 

You must go, it's destiny. Do it for me.

No, yes. no. yES. No no no no no no no no no no no no n

Ok. I will. I'm sorry.

Tubbo didn't understand. This looked like someone was having a conversation with themself. What did it mean, though? "Punz!" he called to him through the lava. There was no response. "He can't hear you," Sam said, impatiently tapping his foot and holding out his hand again. Tubbo's ears turned red, embarrassed. He gave the book back to Sam and quickly turned away. "Chat, write that entry down," he whispered. "I think it's time we pay a visit to Las Nevadas."