Chapter Text
The Aves landed on Einden. After over a week of traveling, they were finally here: the planet with two suns. Tubbo shook Ranboo awake from where they had fallen asleep in the copilot's seat.
Ranboo's eye blinked open. "We're here."
"Yup." Tubbo got up and grabbed their bags from the other room. "Ready to go?"
Ranboo nodded. They pushed themselves up, using the control panel for support.
"Are you gonna be okay walking for a bit?"
Another nod.
And together, they left the Aves. The capital of Einden had no lack of transportation. Beneath their feet, lay tunnels and tunnels of underground trains, transporting people day and night to every corner of the city. Tubbo had already figured out the route to get to their hotel. And so they found the train stop, found the platform, and waited. People from all over the universe bustled through the station. Tubbo could spot people from Snjor, from Aeger. He even saw someone from Caleo. When he tried to point them out to Ranboo they barely looked up, continuing to stare into space with those unfocused eyes.
At least no one seemed to notice them. The last thing Tubbo needed was for someone to walk up to them and start babbling about great defeats of Typhons. That wasn't what Ranboo needed right now. And Tubbo didn't feel like dealing with people.
At last, the train arived. Tubbo picked an emptier looking car, and the two of them grabbed some seats near the door. The train began to move, rushing down the tracks. Locals stood, holding onto the poles, unbothered by the shaking train. Some were on their phones. Some were reading books. No one fell over. Tubbo pointed this out to Ranboo, how cool it was that people were so used to the train that they could keep their balance easily. Ranboo didn't seem to hear him. Where was that fascination in their eyes? How were they not staring at the world around them with amazement? Tubbo fiddled with his ring. His heart ached.
And eventually, their stop. They left the train, left the station, and now… where to? Tubbo pulled up directions. No use getting lost. The hotel was only two blocks away. Their room was on the top floor. It had two beds, each with a bedside table next to it. Against the wall opposite from the beds stood a long dresser, a table, and some chairs. The far wall was covered in a curtain. Tubbo pulled it back. A giant window and a glass door leading to the balcony. He could see the entire city. The entire sky.
"Ranboo, look at this! We can see everything!"
Silence.
He turned back to look at Ranboo. They were laying on the bed closest to the window, curled up on their side.
"Ranboo? You okay?" He walked over and sat down next to them.
Ranboo slowly looked up at him. "When is the sun setting?"
"Uh… I don't know. Soon, maybe."
A nod. "I want to see the sunset."
"I know. We will. We can go on the roof to look at it."
"I'd like that." Ranboo's moved to look at their bag, laying on the floor. "Can I have my journal?"
"Yeah, sure." Tubbo opened up their bag. The journal was right at the top. He set it down next to Ranboo.
Ranboo opened it, and stared the photos inside. Again, their eyes were unfocused. But they continued to flip through the pages, looking at the pictures one by one. They did this for the next two hours. Looking through their journal, over and over again, until the sun began to set.
"We should get to the roof."
Ranboo closed their journal. They sat up, and stared at the door. "I can't… I don't think I can walk that far."
"I'll help you."
Tubbo let Ranboo put their arm over his shoulders. He held onto their waist, and Ranboo leaned against him. And together, they walked out of their room. Down the hall, to the elevator, and onto the roof.
As they stepped out of the doors, Ranboo gasped. And for the first time in days, their eyes focused. "That's— that's beautiful."
Two burning suns. The sky was colored in streaks of pink, orange, and yellow, brighter than Tubbo had ever seen. The clouds glowed. The city stood silhouetted against the burning sky. The two of them walked to the edge of the roof. Ranboo let go of Tubbo, and grabbed onto the railing. Then Ranboo smiled, and everything came back. That fascination. That endless joy. It was all there, as if it had never left. Their eyes were full of that same amazement with which they looked at the entire universe. The sunset reflected its color into their eyes. Pink and orange swirling with red and green. Sparkling, shining.
And Ranboo's eyes glowed.
And the sky glowed.
Everything glowed, and everything was beautiful.
And for a moment, the world stilled. For a moment, it was just them. Two people, two suns, and the sky. The pink and orange light of a sunset.
Ranboo turned to look at Tubbo, and it was as if the entire world, the entire universe, was reflected in their eyes. "We did it." There was no waiver to Ranboo's voice. No weakness.
"Did what?"
"We finished the list." Ranboo looked towards the sky. "You showed me the universe. I didn't think we'd make it this far."
"You didn't?"
"I hoped, but I…" They laughed. "We're actually here. We did it."
The suns continued moving through the sky. The light darkened. The bright pink, and yellow, and orange, turned to deep blue and purple. The cloud grew darker. Until eventually, the stars began to twinkle up above them.
"That's it."
Tubbo looked up at Ranboo. They were still smiling, staring up at the sky.
"The double sunset of Einden. I always wanted to see that. It really was… I've seen pictures, but it's different in person. More real."
"And we saw it."
"And we saw it." And slowly, Ranboo's smile turned sad. "And I… I don't need to keep fighting."
And Ranboo collapsed.
Waiting. Waiting, and waiting, in a room of a hospital. Tubbo knew he shouldn't have. One of the few things Ranboo had asked was to not bring them to a hospital. No matter what. Not to let them end up there again. And here they were. But Ranboo had collapsed. And Tubbo had been scared. What was he supposed to do? So he called an ambulance. He answered questions. He told the doctors to scan Ranboo's bracelet. He gave them as much information as he could. And then he waited. Waited, and waited, and waited. Would Ranboo be okay? They still had time. They had to still have time.
The walls were white. So perfectly clean. The couches were colorful, as if trying to bring some happiness to this place. There was a window. A small table. Tubbo wasn't the only one there. There was a parent with a kid. A couple holding hands. All waiting.
"Do you mind if I sit here?"
He looked up. There was a woman standing over him. A woman with two horns sprouting from her head.
"Yeah, go ahead."
The woman sat down next to him. "Don't often see people from Doma here," she said. "Pretty far from home."
"Yeah."
"Who are you waiting for?"
The walls were white. The floor was white. Everything was clean, sterile. "My friend. What about you?"
The woman smiled. She must have been at least middle aged, far older than Tubbo. "My nephew. We've been waiting a while for him."
"Waiting a…"
"Oh, I'm sorry. My mind is just all over the place today." The woman sighed. "Yes, that wasn't very clear. My nephew is being born right now."
"Congratulations."
"Thank you. You know, we're all so excited. Have the name and everything."
Tubbo could barely bring himself to be happy for this woman. He couldn't stop staring at his ring.
A voice called from the other side of the room. "Tubbo?"
He looked up. A doctor was standing near a door, waving him over. "That's for me." He stood up. "Congratulations on your nephew, again."
"Thank you. Good luck with your friend."
Tubbo walked over to the doctor. "Are they awake?"
"Yes. But," the doctor put out their hand to stop him from barging into the room, "a word, first."
"What?" He didn't want to talk. He wanted to go in there and see Ranboo.
"There isn't much we can do," the doctor said. "We can raise their heart rate a bit, it will give them some more time, but nothing long term."
"Right." Tubbo walked into the room before he could be stopped again.
The room was white. It had one window, looking out at the city. And on the bed covered in light blue sheets, sat Ranboo. Tubbo's eyes ran from the tubes in their arms to the machines surrounding the bed. The monitor blinked with numbers he couldn't understand. Tubbo pulled up a chair to sit next to them.
"How do you feel?"
Ranboo didn't look at him. They stared down at the blanket covering them. "I told you not to bring me to hospital."
"I know, I just— I was scared."
"I told you not to."
"I know, but I—" A pause. "I'm sorry."
Ranboo nodded. They looked up at him. "I want to leave."
"But…" Tubbo glanced at the doctor standing at the other end of the room. "You know, they could help. Surely it's worth staying just a bit—"
"No." A spark of stubbornness appeared in Ranboo's eyes. "They could extend my life maybe a few days. It's not worth it."
"Why? Even if it's just—"
"No. I don't—" They began to cough. They coughed and coughed, until finally they took a deep breath. They closed their eyes for a second. And when they opened them, that spark was gone. And Ranboo just looked tired. "Everything hurts," their voice was barely a whisper. "I'm— I'm so tired, Tubbo. I don't— I just want to rest. I'm ready to rest."
"What do you mean?"
Ranboo shook their head. "Just… let's go back to the hotel." A weak smile passed over their face. "I can see the sunset from there."
In the end, it was their choice, wasn't it? So Tubbo signed paperwork for their release. Ranboo was detached from the machines. And they left. Ranboo wanted to take the underground train to the hotel. So Tubbo complied. Ranboo smiled as the train shook. They pointed out things. A few words someone had scribbled on the seat. The map of all the trains in the city. How many people there were. But slowly, they stopped talking. And once the two of them were back in the hotel room, their eyes had once again taken on that unfocused stare. They pulled themselves into bed, and fell asleep. And so Tubbo sat down on his own bed. And waited.
Ranboo was only woke up twice over the next two days, each time only for a few minutes. Only one of those times did Tubbo manage to get them to eat. The second time, Ranboo didn't speak a word. They lay there, curled up on their side, staring into space. Tubbo asked how they felt. He got no answer. At one point Ranboo's eyes moved to him.
"Do you need something?"
Again, silence.
Ranboo's eyes slowly moved from him, to the empty spot on the bed next to them.
Oh, of course. Tubbo walked over and sat down next to them. "Is that what you want?"
No answer. Ranboo's eyes closed.
And slowly, their breathing evened out. Tubbo looked at Ranboo's sleeping form. They seemed so peaceful. As if everything was fine. As if they were just taking a nap. And so Tubbo stayed there, and waited.
He hated waiting. He didn't even know what he was waiting for. For Ranboo to wake up again? For them to feel better? Would they even get better? The truth was, Tubbo was scared. He had been for the past week. It felt as if minute by minute, his throat was closing up. As if there was a rope around his heart, constricting more and more, every hour that went by. He wanted to scream. He wanted to punch something. It wasn't fair. None of this was fair. He wished he could just go back. Go back, to a month or two ago, where everything had been fine. Where this day seemed far off. Where it seemed as if nothing could hurt them. He picked up the journal that sat on Ranboo's bedside table. He opened it.
Photos.
Pages and pages of photos from all those wonderful days, all those months that should have been longer. Photos of snow, of forests, of him. There was a photo of Niki. A photo of Eret. A photo of Quackity and Schlatt. So many people they had met. So many people they may never meet again. And every single photo was been taken by Ranboo. Ranboo, who now barely had the strength to hold a camera.
Tubbo let his head fall back against the wall, staring up at the ceiling. It wasn't fair. You're just some angel of death, aren't you? Going around, killing everyone around you. He couldn't seem to get those words out of his head the past few days. Maybe it wasn't fully his fault. But it had gone too quick. Everything had happened too fast. And who was there to blame for that but him? But he couldn't let himself wander too far into his thoughts. He needed to be strong. So every time he felt his eyes start to sting, every time it got too hard to breath, he squeezed his eyes shut. He took a deep breath. And he stopped. He wouldn't be any help to Ranboo if he was a wreck.
He stayed there for hours, just thinking. He ordered himself some food. He didn't dare leave the room. What if Ranboo needed him? Tubbo barely let himself sleep. Just in case. In case something happened. In case he was needed. In case Ranboo woke up.
Tubbo waited. Until the next day, as light from the sunset poured into their room, as he sat on his bed mindlessly sorting through files on his laptop, Ranboo's eyes opened.
They stared off at the window, at the pink and orange sky. "That's beautiful."
Tubbo nearly sobbed. Oh, how he missed their voice. Even if it had grown so quiet.
"The suns… they'll be there forever."
"Not forever. But for a while."
"It must— do you think they're tired?"
"What?"
Ranboo turned to look at him. They smiled. "Hi."
"Hi." Tubbo could hear his own voice waver. Ranboo still had that look in their eyes. As if they weren't quite seeing him. "How do you feel?"
The smile faded. Ranboo stared off into space. A minute passed. Then slowly, very slowly, they spoke again. "Could you… can you play the guitar for me?"
It seemed like such a random request. But at least it was something. Something he could do. "Of course." He picked up the instrument from where it sat leaning against his bed.
Tubbo took a breath.
And he began to play.
That same song. The song Ranboo had played for him so many times. The song he had fallen asleep to during so many quiet nights on the Aves. And now, the same melody drifted through the room. That same melancholy melody whose words only seemed to hurt. And Ranboo's eyes began to close.
"Wait, don't fall asleep yet."
Ranboo's eyes fluttered open.
Why did he say that? They should rest. They needed it. And yet… he didn't want them to go. He didn't want to be alone again. "The— the song's not done yet," Tubbo said. "You can't fall asleep until the song's done, right?"
"Oh. Yeah, right."
And Tubbo kept playing. But his hands were shaking. His fingers could barely hit the strings. Everything was just too much. He felt like he was going to cry.
"What's wrong?"
The melody stopped. Tubbo shook his head. "I'm— I'm okay. Really."
"No, you're not." There was the faintest bit of worry to Ranboo's face. "What's going on?"
As if they didn't know. "I'm fine, Ranboo."
A pause. He never could lie to them. "Just focus on the melody. It's just notes."
Just notes. Tubbo nodded. He had to finish the song. Just this one thing. It wasn't that hard. And so he focused on the melody. He focused on the rhythm. He thought of the words in his head. It really was a wonderful song. After years of ignoring this instrument, he could still scrape out a tune. A melody. That Ranboo had asked him to play. Notes, and notes, and notes. A chord. A song. A little room with two people. And music.
The song came to an end. Tubbo looked up. Ranboo was smiling.
"I always liked that song." Their voice was so quiet. And then their eyes closed.
Tubbo almost stopped them. He almost told them to wake back up, to be around him just a minute longer. But he didn't. Ranboo was tired. They were always tired. Keeping them awake would only hurt them. And so he sat there, in silence. And waited.
"Tubbo. Tubbo, wake up."
Tubbo's eyes slowly opened. The room was dark. He could just barely make out Ranboo standing next to his bed.
Wait.
Tubbo sat up. "You're— you're up?" Ranboo was awake. Ranboo was awake, and standing next to him.
"Yeah. I want to see the stars."
Did this mean Ranboo was feeling better? Holly shit, was Ranboo feeling better?
"Come on." Ranboo tugged at Tubbo's arm.
"Right. Yeah, okay, let's go." Tubbo hopped off his bed, grabbing his blanket as he went.
The two of them walked out onto the balcony. (Ranboo was walking. Holy shit, Ranboo was actually walking. Without his help.) They sat down on the ground. The night was cool. Tubbo could hear the faint sounds of talking on the streets below them. Even at night, the city was awake. Ranboo shivered. Tubbo put his blanket over the two of them.
Ranboo stared up at the sky. At the twinkling dots of light. Their eyes were perfectly focused. The faintest smile covered their face. Maybe it wasn't that joyful wondrous smile Tubbo was used to, but it was close. It was something. Ranboo looked… Ranboo looked okay. "I always loved looking at the stars." Their voice melded perfectly with the darkness. As if it was always meant to be there. "Did I ever tell you about how I would— when I was in the hospital, I would sneak onto the roof. Look at the stars."
"And then you would dance."
"I told you. Good." The wind blew through the balcony. "It was nice dancing with you."
There were no clouds, as if the sky had cleared itself just for them. To make sure they could see its beauty. It's gorgeous, deep blue beauty, peppered with little twinkles of light. It was so quiet. Just the breeze moving leaves and branches. The faint sounds of people below.
"I think…" He had missed their voice. So many days spent alone. With no one to talk to. "I think you're the best thing that ever happened to me."
"What?" Tubbo looked over. The smile hadn't left Ranboo's face.
"I saw the universe," Ranboo continued. "I never really thought— did I ever thank you?"
"You don't need to thank me."
"No, I do. You didn't need to take me with you. But you did. And then…" Their eyes wandered back to the sky. "It's so strange," their voice had turned quiet. "We've been all over the universe. And wherever we go, there are always stars."
Stars.
Stars over snowy forests. Over glowing lakes. Over mountains, and volcanoes, and a planet with two suns.
"I love looking at the stars."
There was something so peaceful about this. Sitting on a balcony, staring at the sky. Nothing to bother them. Nothing to hurt them. Just two people, next to each other, and the endless sky above them.
"These past months… you were the best part of my life."
But it wasn't quite right. It wasn't quite perfect. Ranboo's eyes, their antennae, the stripes that ran over their cheeks. None of it glowed. "Stop that," Tubbo muttered. "You don't need to say that, okay?"
"I do. There's a lot I want to say, I just don't—" Ranboo sighed. "I'm not that great at talking."
"Then don't. You don't need to talk, we can just… sit here. Or something."
"No." Ranboo shook their head. "No, I need to— Tubbo, listen to me, okay? Just listen for a little bit."
There was an urgency to Ranboo's words. But everything seemed so nice, so perfect, why did they… and then again, Ranboo was talking. More than they had in days. Maybe he really should listen. And so Tubbo didn't say a word. And he listened.
"You…" Ranboo's eyes hadn't left the sky. The smile hadn't left their face. "Everything changed, you know. These things were always just in my head before. Going around the universe and everything. But now… everything's different. Better. This has been the happiest time of my life. You showed me… I saw the universe. Even if it was scary sometimes, I still— everything was amazing. You really are…" they laughed. Quietly. "Sneaking onto your ship was the best decision I ever made. That's kind of funny. Breaking and entering, and that's the best thing I ever did. But you… I don't think I could have found someone better to travel the universe with."
Why did Tubbo's throat feel like it was closing? "Stop talking like that." It was too sentimental. Too sweet. Too final. "Tell me all of this some other time."
But Ranboo seemed to barely hear him. "I just wish I had something I could… you've done so much for me, and I feel like I haven't done anything. There has to be something I could—"
"Shut up." Tubbo's eyes were starting to sting. "Holy fuck, just shut up, will you? You've done enough for me."
"What have I done?"
"Well I'm not sitting alone on my ship, am I?"
The stars were so bright. "I guess you're not."
That stupid spark. That stupid fire burning in his heart. How cold would it be once it was gone? Once it was ripped out? Tubbo tried to steady his breathing. It was okay. There was still time.
"What's wrong?"
Why would they ask? Didn't they know? "I'm okay."
A pause. "You were always bad at lying."
The night was so beautiful. It seemed to mock him.
"I'm tired," Ranboo muttered.
"Wait, no, don't—" Not yet. Just a bit longer. Please, just a bit longer. "Can we watch the stars more? Please?"
Ranboo blinked up at the sky. The haze was returning to their eyes. "Yeah. Okay."
Fuck, everything hurt. It was all just too much. Why did Ranboo have that unfocused look again? Why couldn't they just stay? Why was that so hard?
"You used to tell me about constellations." Tubbo could hear his voice breaking. "And planets. And— and supernovas and just random stuff, you should— you should tell me about them again."
Ranboo stared up at the sky. "Okay. I guess I… I can do that. What should I talk about?"
"Anything." Something.
"There's…" Such a peaceful smile. "There's this one planet. Doma. It has mountains. And snow. I like that one. Do you… do you know about it?"
Tubbo felt like sobbing. "I lived there, Ranboo."
"Oh. Oh, right."
Just moments ago Ranboo had been so… so there. What was happening? Come on, don't cry. Tubbo squeezed his eyes shut. He had to keep it together.
"I like Doma." Ranboo's voice was distant. "So many trees." A pause. "They have fireflies there."
No rhythmic glowing. No red and green light. "Yeah. They do."
"I'm so tired."
"No, wait, tell me about another one." Ranboo was feeling better, weren't they? Why couldn't they just stay awake?
Ranboo stared into space. "I don't… I don't really remember." They looked at Tubbo. There was still that kindness behind their eyes. That care. The faintest memory of joy. "I remember you."
Tubbo nearly broke down right there. "You do?"
"Of course. You're important to me."
"You're— you're important to me too." Why did it hurt to say? I would give you the whole universe if I could.
"I think I would do anything for you." Ranboo's eyes drifted back to the sky. "If it meant… I'd do anything."
"Would you stay awake?"
Ranboo's smile faded. "If I could do that, then— then yes. I would. But I'm… Tubbo, I'm so tired."
"Just a bit longer. Okay?" He was being selfish. But fuck it, Tubbo just wanted his friend around.
Ranboo nodded. "Okay. A bit longer." They pointed at the sky. "That's… that star, it's… I used to know it. Why can't I remember?"
"Tell me about something else instead."
Ranboo shook their head. "It's all fuzzy. Like I'm floating. Listen, I…" They put their hand over Tubbo's. They couldn't quite hold it. "Why don't I just… I'll just sleep for a little bit, okay? You can wake me up in a few hours. Or in the morning."
"Just stay awake."
"I can't. I'm sorry." Ranboo smiled. "It'll be okay. I won't be asleep too long."
Tubbo could barely breathe. His heart hurt. He just wanted Ranboo around. That was all he wanted. He wanted to hold them tight and make sure they couldn't slip away.
"I care about you, okay?" Ranboo said. "More than anything."
Tubbo nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, I care about you too."
Ranboo nodded. They laid down on the balcony floor. "Don't let me sleep too long. I'm just— I'm really tired."
"I know. I won't."
"Okay." Ranboo's eyes started to close. "I'll wake up soon."
Tubbo laid the blanket over them. "I know."
And slowly, Ranboo's breathing leveled out. And they were asleep.
Tubbo decided that he wouldn't move. He would stay there, by Ranboo's side, until they woke up. He wouldn't sleep. What if Ranboo needed him? So he stayed there, staring at the stars. At the dark sky. Alone, on a balcony, in the cold. As his eyes got heavy.
And when the double sunrise of Einden lightened the sky, Tubbo awoke.
He was laying on the hard floor of the balcony. Shit, had he fallen asleep? He hadn't meant to. Tubbo looked over to where Ranboo lay next to him, covered in a blanket. Don't let me sleep too long. Right.
Tubbo nudged Ranboo's shoulder. "Come on, get up."
They don't move.
"Ranboo." He shook them a bit harder. "Ranboo, come on. You said you didn't want to sleep too long."
Why were they so still? Usually they would at least mumble something.
"Ranboo?" Tubbo ignored the fear creeping up his throat. "Hey, Ranboo, get up. This isn't funny." Too still. Too cold. "Ranboo, wake up."
He was shaking them harder now. All he could hear was his heart pounding in his ears.
"Get up. Come on, get up, the— the sun is rising, you want to see the sunrise, right? Ranboo, get up." Why was it so hard to speak? His throat was constricting.
Ranboo's skin was too pale. Why wouldn't they wake?
"Please." Tubbo's hands had settled on Ranboo's sweater, clutching the fabric. "Please, just wake up. You said you'd do anything for me, right? So get up. Please."
No movement. No sound. Tubbo's eyes started to blur as his hands searched for just some sign that it was all okay. But where was the heartbeat beneath that purple sweater? Where was the pulse beneath their glowing skin? The world seemed to lose its color. The sunrise lost its beauty. Everything was gray without the red and green glow of Ranboo's eyes.
This was all wrong. Ranboo had just been there, talking, telling him about the stars. It was too soon. And everything was gray. Everything was dull. The stars had gone dark. The world was crumbling around him. Where was Ranboo with that stupid, fascinated smile? Where was that person who looked at the world as if everything was beautiful? That beauty was gone now. Every light in the world seemed to have gone out. Those eyes. That smile. That voice. He wanted it back. And yet…
And yet Ranboo was laying on the ground in front of him. Unmoving. There was no smile. There were no glowing eyes. No voice to tell him about stars, and planets, and how wonderful the universe was. Ranboo was gone. Oh fuck, Ranboo was gone. It was all over. That wonderful fantasy of traveling the universe together was over. Those months of happiness had ended. It was just him. Just Tubbo. And he was alone.
Tubbo rested his head against Ranboo's chest, and sobbed.
Tubbo knew it would be hard, stepping back into that bedroom on the Aves. The empty bedroom, with two empty beds. He walked a few steps farther into the room. He turned to look into the mirror hanging against the wall. He could barely recognize the person staring back at him. Dark circles beneath eyes red from crying.
It had been a strange week. Sometimes he felt as if he was barely there. As if he was floating from place to place, not taking in anything. And then there were the other times. The times where he wanted to scream at the world for its unfairness. And then… and then the times when he would lay on his bed in that empty hotel room, and try to stop crying. When he would call his parents. And talk. They had decided it would be best if he went home for a while. Give himself time to grieve. Until things started to feel normal again. They tried to get him to be excited for it. Schlatt said they could go camping. Quackity said they could visit his parents if Tubbo was up for it. At least they were trying. But Tubbo couldn't seem to feel excited about anything.
And still, he was staring into the mirror. At that person. At the purple sweater that hung off his frame. It was too big on him. He had to roll up the sleeves to get his hands to even peek out. But it was soft. It was warm. And he had felt so cold recently.
But there was one more thing. The tiny potted plant in his hands. A result of Ranboo's request. The burial rituals of Einden. They had explained everything to him at the funeral home. He tried to listen. But he couldn't remember much. He was ready to pay them anything for it to happen, but they refused. As it turned out, Einden had a Typhon threat a few weeks ago. Ranboo's code had saved them.
Tubbo walked over to the bed across from his. He sat down. He set the pot down on the bedside table. That tiny, tiny, plant. It was just a few stalks now, with some small needles pointing out of it. They were dark green on the top, and gray-ish green on the bottom. They told him the tree could live for thousands of years. That it represented longevity, immortality. They said it would grow green, bud-like flowers that would become little red fruit. Red fruit and green flowers. Tubbo almost smiled.
He wanted to stay here forever. On this bed. Not moving. He didn't want to begin the lonely journey to Doma. Even if there would be people waiting for him there. It was a long trip, and he would be alone. There would be no one to talk to him. No one to tell him about the stars and planets. No one to smile at the littlest things. Tubbo closed his eyes. He couldn't start thinking again. He didn't have many tears left to cry. But the Aves was too quiet. Too empty. It felt wrong not to be able to leave this room and see someone. Tubbo tugged at the hem of the purple sweater. He needed to get up. Needed to start the journey. But it felt impossible. To sit there, in his pilot's chair, with no one next to him.
Maybe he should unpack. Tubbo left the room, and dragged in the bags sitting in the hall. And then he stared at them. This also seemed like too much. Everything seemed like too much. He pulled one thing out of his bag. A leather-bound journal. And he sat back down on the bed. He had spent so many hours staring at those pictures glued into the little book. Maybe he should put it away. He didn't want his eyes to begin to sting. Again. So Tubbo opened the drawer of the bedside table to place it inside. And he saw something.
A small, folded piece of paper.
He picked it up. It was a note. A note written in messy handwriting. He began to read.
Hi, Tubbo, it read.
Sorry about the handwriting. It's getting hard to hold a pencil.
If you found this and I'm still alive, please put it away and pretend you didn't see it. I don't have the energy to explain right now. But otherwise, you can keep reading.
You've done a lot for me. More than I can repay. But I have one last request. Could you take me, or I guess the plant you have now, to my parents? I'm ready to go home. I know it's a bit far, but they won't know what happened to me. And I want them to have something left. You don't have to talk to them, or explain, or anything. If you just leave the plant on their doorstep with a note saying what happened, that's enough. But if you do want to talk to them, they're not angry at you or anything. They wouldn't be. They'd probably want to meet you. To hear it from you. And I think they could help. But again, you don't need to. I can't ask you to do that for me. Just put me there, please. And take care of yourself.
Thank you for everything,
—Ranboo
Tubbo stared at the note. He read it over and over again. A note from Ranboo. Final, unread words. Until this moment. And a final request. To finally, after so many months, take Ranboo home. To Caleo. Back to Caleo. Tubbo took a deep breath. So he would go to Caleo. And then he would go home. And… If you just leave the plant on their doorstep with a note saying what happened, that's enough. Would he talk to Ranboo's parents? Could he face them? Or would he just run, like last time? He didn't know. But it was a long trip. He had time to decide.
Tubbo tucked the note into the pages of the journal, and placed it inside the drawer. He stood up.
Caleo. Caleo, and then home.
Tubbo picked up the plant. "Come on." The little green needles seemed to stare back at him. "One last adventure together."