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Within the darkest of nights, where the trees swallowed all light and the crunching leaves beneath boots were the only sounds for miles, Tubbo and Tommy were on a mission.
The compass in Tommy’s wrist, a marked tattoo that worked just as well as a real one, had a steady glow to it; a purple hue that came directly from the painted needle, of which had been pointing the duo in this direction for miles. The tattoo, with it’s diamond face and curling details creating the outward ring that shaped the circle and letters, had a cold chill to it that grew the closer to their target they became.
Despite the harsh terrain—which only grew harsher—and the ever-rising moon, they kept going. That was because this purple light was intensifying; an indication that their target was growing closer.
Tubbo had a steady hand on the hilt of his sword, keeping a keen eye on Tommy ahead, as well as the darkness around them. Anything could’ve been waiting in the woods, and their target was smart; if it wasn’t the monsters that would get them, it’d be the target.
“It’s getting colder,” Tommy called, his voice echoing slightly between them.
Tubbo’s gaze darted between the looming trees surrounding them, the golden lantern on Tommy’s hip sharpening the shadows of dangling leaves. Goosebumps rose on his arms, and the grip on his sword merely tightened. He wanted to speak, but it felt dangerous to do so; like someone was watching, and if they weren’t, they’d hear him instead.
“It’s brighter,” Tommy reported, his gaze snapping from the tattoo, up to the path ahead. “Come on!” He picked up the pace, skipping over roots and brush and stone.
Tubbo frowned, struggling to match Tommy’s speed. “Tommy, I’m all for finding him, but you could break your leg or some shit!”
“We don’t have time to slow down!” Tommy called back—but the hush to his tone suggested he felt the tension in the air, as well. He pushed through a bush, disappearing on the other side.
Tubbo groaned, rushing forward, making sure he didn’t lose the other half of the duo.
But as soon as he broke through the brush, he ran into Tommy’s stopped form, the impact making both of them flinch.
“What?” Tubbo whispered, looking up at Tommy.
He was peering downwards. “The compass,” he said back. “It’s spinning.”
“What?” Leaning forward, Tubbo took Tommy’s forearm, getting a good look at the tattoo.
But Tommy was right; the needle was spinning, the skin around it glowing a dull purple.
Tubbo scowled. “Does that mean…?”
“He— he could’ve blocked us somehow,” Tommy said.
Tubbo shook his head. His sword sang as he slowly took it from the sheath, his gaze wandering up. “I think we found him.”
The glowing purple eyes peering down from the trees above seemed to agree.
All fell still. The staring contest went on for a moment too long.
But then, Tommy moved in a split second; he whipped his crossbow free from over his shoulder, aimed it high, and released.
Instead of impact, however, there was a burst of purple flakes, and the eyes were gone in a breath. "Backs!" Tommy cried, poorly hiding the panic in his tone.
The duo pressed their backs together, Tommy donning the axe normally strapped to his back and holding it out in front of him, matching Tubbo's stance with his sword.
The golden light of the lantern gave them no clearance on where the target had gone. The two spun in a circle, their backs still close, each angle covered.
"Where'd he go?" Tubbo called, straining to see through the thick darkness.
"I don't know," Tommy answered.
Twigs snapped. Tubbo felt Tommy tense behind him. His own grip on his sword strained his knuckles in their gloves.
It was merely a glimpse, a tiny split-second sight, but Tubbo, by some miracle, spotted it; purple particles building over his shoulder.
"There!" he cried, and lunged forward.
A shape formed from the darkness, if only to dodge his attacks. It was as if this stranger was darkness itself, rippling through it with their only light being the purple.
The particles followed the target as they danced away from Tubbo's sword–straight towards Tommy.
Tommy went for a swing with his axe. The target ducked, then spun around, landing a hard hit to Tommy's nose with their elbow.
Tubbo cried out, his sword coming down.
Only for the target to vanish in another burst of purple spots. Tubbo shouted as Tommy came into view, aborting the swing by throwing himself sideways.
Tubbo felt the target behind him before he saw him.
A hand snatched the scruff of his jacket collar, lifting him high then slamming him down hard enough to spark stars in his vision.
Tommy in turn was kicked off his feet, and the figure vanished in another burst of purple.
The lantern rolled across the grass. Tommy growled, flying to a knee and held his crossbow high, shooting into the darkness where the particles had aimed.
Despite the panic, despite it all, there was a yelp from the darkness; close to a shriek.
"Did I hit him?" Tommy asked the air. He jogged forward, into the shadows, examining the immediate area.
"Tommy," Tubbo called. "Tommy, wait! You probably grazed him, if you keep running, you're gonna get yourself killed!"
A pause. Tommy groaned, throwing his crossbow back over his shoulder. Swiftly turning on his heel, the lantern was collected, and Tommy was at Tubbo's side in an instant. "You okay?"
"Yeah," Tubbo replied, pushing himself to his knees. He ran his hands through his hair and plucked out the dirt, his fingers running into the small pointed horns near his temples. "I'm good."
"At least we know what we're up against," Tommy murmured, peering into the darkness again.
It was then when his face came into better view against the lantern's light, and Tubbo could see clearly that blood was dribbling down from Tommy's nose. "He hit you hard."
Tommy growled, wiping his skin clean with a dirty sleeve. "It's fine. We should go after him."
"We should not," Tubbo snapped, rising to stand and dusting off his pants. "It's late, it's dark, there's probably a Creeper out there somewhere. That guy's gonna kill us if we aren't careful."
A beat. Tommy looked down at the tattoo on his wrist, as the needle pulsed and began to weaken. Then, he sighed. "Fine. Camp time?"
"Camp time," Tubbo agreed. "I need to fix the brain cells that guy jostled around."
•••
In the following morning, there was a soft autumn breeze weaving through the woods.
The sky was gray, a smell of rain filling the air, as the leaves shimmered above them in the wind.
Tubbo sat against a tree, watching the colored leaves above him breathe with the wind.
The bird calls were few and far between, clear indication that a storm was making it's way near.
Tommy was still asleep nearby, huddled up under his blankets, backpack discarded nearby. His closed eyes just barely poked out from his blankets, most of what was uncovered being his blonde curls.
As Tubbo sighed, the air seemed to grow colder. He reached to his pocket and donned his gloves, then turned to his backpack. In it's side pocket, a map; though, it was just barely worthy of the title. The drawings were crude, merely existing to get them in the right direction.
In the far left corner, a nearly childish depiction of a castle, with some arrows leading across some squiggles representing rivers, and to the big chunk of darkness mimicking a forest; a forest named Temple Night.
Tubbo's brow furrowed. He peered up at the forest's roof, watching as squirrels weaved their way through the maze of leaves and branches. The rain had yet to arrive, but it could be smelled clearly in the air, detected in the way the leaves moved–at least, Tubbo could smell it. That was the perks of being a hybrid, he supposed.
He looked down at Tommy, still sound asleep. Slowly, quietly, Tubbo reached forward. He pushed aside the hem of the blanket, exposing Tommy's arms, held close to his chest.
One was donned in a fingerless glove and a gauntlet, ready for a fight, even in slumber.
The other was the tattooed one; the markings beside the compass were more prominent than the unmarked skin, squares of dark lines and runes and letters Tubbo couldn't read covering Tommy's arm until the sleeve of his shirt covered them.
As softly as he could, Tubbo turned Tommy's wrist around.
The compass was glowing dully, as it pointed to his right, though it's light was stronger than he'd expected to find in the first place.
He looked up, peering through the trees nearby, nearly as thick as a wall.
And then, Tubbo felt a rain drop on his nose.
Well. If any time was best to find an Ender Born, then it was now.
It was probably a stupid plan, but Tubbo never was the most careful person.
•••
When the rain arrived not long after, Tubbo was at the top of a tree.
While the attempt was sort of smart, it proved useless, thanks to how thick the leaves were, leaving him blind to the ground below.
Tubbo adjusted the backpack on his shoulders. Even if the view didn't give him a sight of the target, it gave him a better understanding of the terrain nearby.
Even if most of that terrain was just a sea of trees.
There were some mountains on the horizon, and the plains they'd come from.
The branches below Tubbo's feet swayed in the wind. Lifting his hood to block the rain, Tubbo began to descend along the tree's branches.
Rain poured off the leaves above and trickled down. Tubbo was working on a loose hope, merely wishing that the target hadn't spontaneously changed directions and that the compass was still correct. Tommy was still back there, and Tubbo didn't intend on going too far, but...
Tubbo kept going.
That was, until he got a feeling.
His footsteps slowed, and a hand hovered over his sword.
That was the moment where he began to consider turning around and returning to Tommy.
But then, he heard a sound, confirming the energy he felt in the air; a small warbling, a familiar noise he easily attributed to Ender species.
And, before Tubbo could even react, a shape dropped from the trees and landed a dozen feet ahead of him.
The world froze for a split second.
Then, with a small chirp, the target vanished in purple sparks.
Tubbo looked left, right. And there the target was, sprinting away through the trees.
Without a second thought, Tubbo was following. He sprinted across the forest floor, hurdling roots and dodging brush.
The forest got thicker the farther he ran. His breaths grew harsh as he kept running, sword gripped tight in his hand as he dove towards the target.
But, shit, the target had long legs, making them fast. Tubbo was quick, he knew he was, but he was also unfortunately short, even compared to the average person.
Needless to say, this chase sucked.
Even as his legs started to burn, Tubbo kept running. He could still see the target ahead, even as the forest grew darker when the trees grew larger.
"C'mere!" Tubbo cried to the dark, hurdling over a collapsed log, hand nearly slipping on the moss.
The forest grew ever darker.
The target seemed to be friends with this darkness, sinking into it like it was home.
Tubbo panicked as he lost sight of them, their form disappearing beyond a thick gathering of branches.
Tubbo shielded his face, and broke through the bush.
Only to come to an abrupt stop with a yelp, as he came face to face with the vast maw of a ravine.
He breathed harshly, legs shaking beneath him with the strain. "Where the fuck...?"
A twig snapped nearby. Tubbo spun around, holding up his sword, examining the area around him for something hiding in the dark.
The breeze had stopped. The leaves were too thick to let in the rain.
Tubbo's heavy breathing was the only sound nearby, as well as his beating heart in his ears, drowning out what could've been an integral piece of info.
There was another crack, then something shifting.
Something way too close to the sound of a skeleton.
Tubbo rose his sword, but he was too slow. He heard the arrow release, and it broke through the green.
A yelp was shoved out of him by the arrow embedding itself into his shoulder, knocking the air out of him and throwing him backward.
Back, over soft earth that crumpled beneath his feet and sent him careening over the edge.
Maybe he screamed, he couldn't be sure. But he did know that, the last thought he had before pain struck his head and the world went dark, was, "Well, fuck, that's a shitty way to go out."
•••
Ranboo had not expected this to happen.
He didn't really consider himself that much of a criminal; he had enough self-awareness to acknowledge that criminal was much too harsh a word for someone like him. Soft, emotional, anxious. He was absolutely not hooligan material.
And yet, here they were. On the run from a couple of hunters, clearly on a real Manhunt.
Though, at least, it seemed that they'd been underestimated, considering that these two hunters weren't exactly... professional. To be fair, neither was Ranboo, so at least they were somewhat evenly matched. It was just...
It did make things easier, so, Ranboo didn't complain.
The real issue in that moment, was the mobs.
Ranboo had ran into the dark with the intention of distracting the hunter with monsters. There were two issues with this.
One: the hunter actually ended up getting hurt, which was the last thing Ranboo wanted.
Two: now the mobs were attracted to him.
Ranboo swung his duel daggers, cutting down a skeleton, detaching the marked bone, disconnecting the magic keeping it alive.
A Creeper, built of twisting roots and branches and bright green leaves, was cut down like the bushes it mimicked.
An arrow whizzed past. Ranboo growled, tail whipping, only getting a brief look at the dark line cut through his shoulder, matching the other arrow graze just below it.
The darkness was lighter with his eyes, meant for seeing in the night, but the mobs were smart. They hid between the trees, using patience before pouncing, and Ranboo was forced to spin in circles until his pearl warmed again and he was ready to teleport.
But for now, it was a ball of cold under their ribs, and they were reduced to defending themselves against the creatures of the night.
Ranboo glanced down the ravine behind them, briefly moving aside the edge of their hood.
They could see the hunter lay still on a ledge. At least he hadn't fallen the whole way, but that still had to hurt.
The chill in Ranboo's chest slowly melted away. With a deep breath, he threw a dagger into the chest of a creeper and, with a blink, Ranboo dropped into the ravine.
He landed on the ledge in a kneel. The hisses and snarls of the mobs above bounced off the cavern walls, following him down.
He merely warbled a disgruntled sound, and proceeded.
The hunter was still. Ranboo held his breath, chills running up his dual-colored arms. This could've easily been a trick.
His first instinct was to help, though his anxiety caused hesitation. He could've been walking straight into his own murder.
But the blood on his temple, the arrow in his shoulder.
Ranboo pinched the bridge of their nose. "I'm an idiot."
As they grew a little closer, they could see quite clearly that this definitely wasn't a trick. The hunter was out cold, bleeding from a cut behind his hairline, as well as from the arrow in his shoulder.
Ranboo moved slow, descending to a knee and nudging the hunter's good shoulder. "Hello?"
The hunter shifted ever so slightly, groaning in his throat, yet didn't wake.
With a steadying breath, Ranboo took the arrow in his hand. Purple sparks gathered around his hand.
On an exhale, the arrow blinked, teleporting from in the hunter's shoulder and on to the ground.
That was what got the hunter writhing, slowly stirring him from sleep. His eyes fluttered open, quickly widening from a squint, and one hand shot out in search of– probably his weapon.
Ranboo chirped, holding up his hands, unsure what to do to keep the hunter from hurting himself further.
But the hunter stopped as soon as he felt an edge to the ledge.
Taking a deep breath, Ranboo pressed his hands to his chest. "Ranboo."
The hunter remained silent.
There was a beat.
And then, the hunter's eyes rolled, and he slumped back down on to the ground.
Well.
This was the last thing Ranboo expected from getting hunted, but, oh well.
•••
When Tommy woke up and found Tubbo missing with no indication of where he'd gone, he was on his feet in moments.
He ventured into the deepest portions of the forest, places where he'd normally be reluctant to enter, with no second thought whatsoever. Tubbo's name was called between the trees, to no reply, every moment of silence building up the panic in Tommy's chest.
That was, until he pushed through brush, and found Tubbo leaning against a tree beside a ravine–unconscious.
"Tubbo?!"
He dropped to Tubbo's side, expecting to see an arrow in his side, or a sword through his chest, anything resembling a worst case scenario.
Instead, he found him mostly unharmed, at first glance, at least. He could've been sleeping, for all he knew.
Tommy gripped his shoulder, shaking him hard. "Tubbo, wake up!"
The immediate reaction Tommy gained was a wince. After his face scrunched up in a pained scowl, Tubbo's eyes fluttered open to a squint, struggling to focus. "T... Tom?"
"The fuck happened?" Tommy squealed, looking Tubbo over one more time. "I woke up, and you'd disappeared."
Tubbo blinked heavily a few times, raising a hand to rub at his eyes. "I... Your compass, it said the target was nearby, so I went after 'em."
Frowning, Tommy leaned back on his haunches. "Why'd you check on my compass and leave without me?"
Tubbo didn't respond right away.
With a sigh, Tommy inched closer. "Whatever. Let me look at your shoulder, I got some spells to help if it hurts."
"You don't gotta do that."
"I want..."
But when Tommy moved aside Tubbo's jacket and shirt, he found bandages.
Tommy blinked once, twice. "Did you do that? You're not that good at medical shit."
"Oi, fuck you," Tubbo snapped back, raising a hand to the bandages. He ran it over his shoulder, then pressed down lightly, wincing at the spark of pain it caused. "I..."
"What happened?" Tommy asked.
Tubbo squeezed his eyes shut, willing the memories to come forward. "I– I was chasing him, then he disappeared. I, I think I got shot? And then I fell."
A beat. Rubbing his shoulder further, a new memory came forward, and his eyes widened. "He was there. I was, I was on a ledge, and he was there. He said... He put a hand on his chest and said, 'Ranboo.'"
"Rawn-bow?"
"Ranboo."
"Oh. Is that... his name?"
Tubbo merely shrugged.
The forest fell silent. A twig snapped somewhere.
Tommy shook his head, stumbling over his words for a moment. "Well– We, we should head back. If that guy healed you, I w-wanna make sure he didn't– poison you, or some shit."
Tubbo was too tired to argue. "Okay."
The purple eyes watching from above went unnoticed this time.