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Ranboo, despite being only half enderman, felt when the ender dragon died.
He was young, lost, and all he knew was that burning pain in his chest
It woke him up, that feeling of losing the one that protected the endermen and the one that they always returned to. It was the feeling of the purple flames that always surrounded her but instead of warmth and comfort, they were flaring his skin and turning him to ash. It was that feeling of helplessness, knowing that she was dying and yet, not being able to do anything to stop it.
And finally, the flames died down but she was gone.
The ender dragon was dead.
The endermen of the trio of realms cried out for their missing queen. They attacked any humans they saw because it had to be one of them, one of them had to kill her and it was only fair; a life for a life. They teleported randomly, uncaring of the lava and the water that burned their skin, and they gathered together because maybe, just maybe, it wasn’t real.
this is reality
Ranboo only cried.
They left scars trailing down his face.
they burned
So, Ranboo laid there under the stars and wondered if he was looking up at the End, at the place he’s never seen. He was hybrid, half-human and even though he lived among a human world, the ender dragon still cared for him. The thread that connected the queen and her endermen was still tied to him.
But now, it was cut.
Deep creases were etched into Ranboo’s face, a permanent reminder of what he lost.
Of what the End lost.
But in that mourning, that grief, that misery, there was a flicker.
It was small, barely noticeable but Ranboo still felt it.
There was another.
he was unlike his mother, only half dragon
The endermen of the world mourned for three days and three nights, their purple eyes dim and no blocks in their hands. Ranboo was among them, finding comfort in the people that he used to fear even though he was part of them. They took him in and pulled the young child close, talking to him in a language that he would soon learn. They comforted him, saying that the dragon would return one day as they always did.
Ranboo told them that the dragon already has.
Taking the hand of an elder endermen, Ranboo was teleported into the End for the first time. And the blank, lifeless eyes of the ender dragon stared at him.
The End didn’t feel like home when it should have because the one that made it home was dead.
There, they buried the ender dragon, the queen of the End.
But the prince was already gone.
However, the prince was still out there, every one of the endermen could feel it. That thread, different and softer than the previous one, was weak, unable to be tugged and for the prince to be found but it was still there.
The ender dragon was out there.
At least they knew that.
where, where, where
Ranboo didn’t visit the End when he was growing up. Of course, monsters, even hybrids, grew up differently and years could feel like days but in his decades, centuries, he lost count, he never visited the End. Maybe it was because of the bad memories of her body or maybe it was because it didn’t feel like home without the dragon.
The End was supposed to be home. It wasn’t anymore.
he didn’t have a home
So, Ranboo wandered. It was all he could do.
He met humans, some who passed over his hybrid status without even a word and some who came at him with crossbows and fire. He couldn’t teleport and sometimes, the flames licked at his hands.
The hybrid hadn’t felt the warm purple flames in a long time.
they didn’t burn unlike the humans’ fire
Time blended together.
Ranboo tried to find the prince, tried to find the dragon that would protect him from the pain of the humans and the burning cold of the Overworld.
Sometimes, he could feel that thread get tugged but it was gone before he could tug back.
And one day, the thread faded.
Once again, the endermen mourned for the prince they never met. But, they eventually moved on, knowing that the dragon will be back one day.
Yet, Ranboo continued to search because he knew the prince was still out there.
the thread faded but was not cut
Eventually, he didn’t know how much time passed, he found the Dream SMP. The one with the mask welcomed him in, his smile unnerving the hybrid but this was the closest thing that felt like home since the End.
The End was only a distant memory. The prince was only a lost idea.
Home was only a dream.
He started to write down what he remembered.
the memory book
New L’Manburg was unlike anything Ranboo ever saw. He quickly became friends with the president, a nice teenager named Tubbo who only smiled when Ranboo said he was a hybrid.
"L'Manburg is for everyone, no matter who you are," Was all he said.
"Did you create L'Manburg?"
"Wilbur did. And Tommy, my best friend. They're gone now."
the one with bright eyes took him away
Ranboo continued to write down memories.
They hurt.
why do they hurt?
“What happened here?” Was the first thing Ranboo actually asked. He asked Quackity whose face twisted in grim sorrow.
“Wilbur blew up L’Manburg,” He said. “After we already won it back.”
“Where is he?”
“Hopefully, dead,” Quackity spat out. “He, Techno, and Tommy all disappeared. No one has seen them since.”
the first name seemed familiar
the dragon
she’s dead
it’s been so long
he just wanted to go home
“Don’t trust them,” Fundy told him one late night. “They aren’t who they seem.”
“What do you mean?”
“They’re dangerous. And I’ve never seen anything like them.”
Fundy refused to say more.
were they like him?
wilbur, tommy, and techno were siblings. wilbur and tommy created l’manburg before they were exiled from the country. techno joined them and they formed pogtopia.
they took back l’manburg after a war. tubbo was made president and everything seemed okay.
wilbur decided to blow everything up anyways.
allegedly, a man with wings appeared and stabbed wilbur straight through the chest after the TNT went off. a bright light surrounded the two and similar lights surrounded tommy and techno.
when the light faded, the three were gone.
don’t trust them
don’t trust them
don’t trust them
“Wilbur?”
i know him
“It feels good to be back.”
the dragon returns
Ranboo, among numerous people of the Dream SMP, watched Wilbur carefully. Everyone was dressed in netherrite armor, various weapons in hands, as they stood before the armourless man that blew up L’Manburg.
“What are you doing back?” Quackity growled and Wilbur, who didn’t look like the monster everyone said he was, raised his hands in surrender.
“I just want to see how L’Manburg is doing.”
“Fine without you.”
“I wasn’t asking you, Quackity.”
Wilbur’s eyes flickered to Tubbo but were drawn to Ranboo. “Who’s this?”
“Ranboo,” Tubbo smiled though it was slightly forced. “A lot has changed, Wilbur.”
“Clearly.”
ranboo knew him
“Why are you here?” Fundy took a brave step forward. “Haven’t you’ve done enough damage?”
“I’m not here to start fights, furry,” Wilbur grinned ever so slightly. “I’m just here to get what’s mine. I’ll be as quick as an endermen.”
“I’ll come with you,” Tubbo unexpectedly said.
And before Ranboo could stop himself, he blurted out, “I’ll come too.”
he was drawn to the elder
They walked in silence towards a ravine that Ranboo had never seen before. Wilbur walked before them, taking a familiar path and Tubbo and Ranboo lagged behind, still weighed down by the armor.
“How’s Tommy?” Tubbo finally broke the silence, unable to hold it in any longer.
“He’s doing amazing,” Wilbur glanced back at the duo. “He and Techno were duelling when I left. Tommy was losing.”
Tubbo couldn’t help but laugh. “He’s nothing against the Blade.”
“You can’t convince him of that.”
family?
Pogtopia was depressing. It was too tight, too claustrophobic, a place where it felt like no one could breathe. Lanterns that have long since gone out hung uselessly from the ceiling and the staircases and boardwalks that lined the walls creaked dangerously.
It was cold.
“This was where you lived?” Ranboo couldn’t keep the disbelief out of his voice but Wilbur only laughed.
“Nowhere else to go,” He answered. “Eret offered her castle but I don’t trust that traitor.”
“They changed,” Tubbo piped up. “He’s trying really hard to be a better person.”
Wilbur’s eyes flashed but before Ranboo really saw it, it was gone. “They almost killed us. I don’t care what salvation she begs for.”
The conversation was over.
protect, protect, the dragon protects those they care about
Wilbur grabbed a weird assortment of items that Ranboo didn’t even begin to try and understand. There were two uniforms, dark blue and red and there were two discs, one with a green tape and one with a purple and white one. He grabbed a red cloak, tucking it away in a bag, and he grabbed a few books, each handwritten and each ink stained.
“People raided soon after you...left,” Tubbo apologized. “They took a lot of things. I’m sorry.”
Wilbur shrugged. “They didn’t take the things that mattered.”
And offered no other explanation.
ranboo, you know him
Dream, Sapnap, and others were waiting when the unusual trio emerged from the dirt cave. Tubbo and Ranboo, although in no danger, stiffened but Wilbur kept his carefree stance though his fingers flexed.
“Didn’t know the whole server was here to say hello,” Wilbur smiled but it seemed dangerous, unfriendly. “How’s the server, Dream?”
“Where have you been?”
“Oh, right to the point. You were never one for small talk, huh.”
Dream’s eyes narrowed and he raised his sword. “Cut the shit, Wilbur. What are you?”
you’re not human
Wilbur tilted his head. “I’m not sure what you mean.”
“You shouldn’t have survived that stab wound, no one could,” Dream said. “Besides that, the white flash. That’s not natural.”
“What is natural, Dream? Besides, I’m human just like you are.
liar
“I’m just here for my stuff.”
But as soon as Wilbur finished, an arrow flew past him. He was just too slow and the arrow cut his arm. However, instead of red, thick blood, black blood fell from the wound, dripping over his yellow sweater.
The people watching took a step back.
And Wilbur laughed.
“Oh, I wish you didn’t do that.”
it was the lost prince
Ranboo didn’t remember what happened next. It was a blur, a forgotten moment, but suddenly, it was all over. He was on the ground, slowly waking up but nothing hurt.
“Are you okay?”
He looked up and met the purple eyes of Wilbur Soot.
he had returned
“You’re...you’re-” Ranboo saw the dark and scaly wings remincist of a dragon, saw the sharp black claws, saw the magic flirting above the ground. “You’re the dragon.”
Wilbur smiled softly, helping the hybrid up and his hands that held long, dark claws were warm. The purple fire swirled around Wilbur’s wrists and gently lapped at Ranboo’s, a constant companion. But Wilbur was gone too soon and the endermen hybrid followed him.
The dragon hybrid picked up his bag, uncaring of the bodies that lied around him. Tubbo was next to Ranboo, a letter tucked in his hand that wasn’t there before. Ranboo checked a few, sighing in relief when he found them only unconscious. However, Dream was bleeding on a cut on his arm that would surely heal.
“He’ll be fine,” Wilbur assured Ranboo. “Just be glad I didn’t kill him for attacking my family.”
“What did he do?”
“A lot of things,” Wilbur’s eyes slowly melted back into a brown. “Now, come on.”
“Where are we going?”
“Home, of course.”
ranboo missed home
“And you’re taking me with you?”
“Of course, I am,” Wilbur smiled and his wings extended ever so slightly, almost as if they were trying to protect the other. “Us hybrids have to stick together and a dragon always takes care of the endermen.”
Ranboo smiled back, he couldn’t help it. “Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me just yet. Techno and Tommy can be quite a handful.”
family. this was family.
The home, while not the End, was a cottage that sat on a cliff and was full of life. Wilbur walked with Ranboo the entire way, even though he could fly. And he was the one that opened the door to the cottage, smiling bright and with a welcoming gesture.
Tommy, the one Tubbo always mentioned, immediately ran into the cottage from behind the two, completely soaked, covered in scales with chain magic following him. Wilbur calmly moved in front of Ranboo, catching the water droplets that would have burned the other before yelling for Tommy to slow down. He only yelled “Fuck you, bitch” back before continuing up the stairs.
Techno, the one everyone was scared of, lounged on a couch, a polar bear resting besides him. All three sets of eyes looked up when Wilbur brought Ranboo in before offering a “Hullo” and going back to his book. The polar bear, Wilbur called him Steve, snorted and went back to bed. Wilbur simply took the red cloak from his bag and tossed it at Techno.
Someone else came down the stairs and Ranboo was suddenly met with white eyes.
the endermen thought he was only a myth
“Dad, this is Ranboo,” Wilbur smiled brightly, as if he didn’t just call Herobrine ‘dad’. “I found him at the Dream SMP and adopted him.”
“What?” Ranboo looked over at the hybrid.
“Sorry, he gets that from me,” Herobrine chuckled before sticking his hand out which Ranboo hesitantly took. “I’m Phil.”
“Aren’t you…”
“Herobrine was my first name, yes but I choose to go by Phil now. Names have power.”
indeed they do
“Besides, it’s a better name for an old man.”
“I’m only a few centuries older than you, Wil.”
“Old.”
this was home
Ranboo seemingly fitted in effortlessly, despite the others being terrifying final monsters and him only being an endermen. Tommy was an elder guardian hybrid but he never forced Ranboo in the water like some tried; instead, he only annoyed the hybrid by giving him mining fatigue and running away before Ranboo could chase him but it gave him a sense of childish joy
Techno, a wither hybrid, was cold at first but eventually warmed up to him. He was the one who pushed a sword into Ranboo’s hand and decided to train him. He was also the one to push Ranboo to use his powers, saying that war waits for no one.
Phil was nothing like the stories told of Herobrine. He was sweet, kind, and made the absolute best pies from the berries Ranboo and Tommy collected. And if Ranboo thought Wilbur was protective, Phil was way more. He once made a zombie hoard turn on each other just because Ranboo wanted a block where they were standing.
And Wilbur was everything Ranboo remembered. He was warm, he was protective, his fire never burned unlike the humans’ fire. He would tuck Ranboo under his wings and he would tell the same stories his mother told him so long ago.
Ranboo never met the old ender dragon but he had a feeling that Wilbur was just like her.
he finally found the prince
And one day, long after Ranboo left the Dream SMP and joined their family, Wilbur took Ranboo to the End.
This time, there was no funeral, no mourning, no sadness.
There was only a home and million stars.