Tommy

"Wh- what?" Tommy couldn't bear to look up at Tubbo's face.

(Why am I feeling so guilty about this?) Tommy thought.

(It's not my fault that hybrid of a- whatever he is- is missing. Besides, just because I don't like him being around Tubbo and taking away my friend doesn't mean I would do anything to him,) Tommy huffed.

Well, maybe.

He looked up and Tubbo was talking and pacing around the room while fidgeting with his hands. Oh, crap. Tubbo has been talking to me this whole time- what did he say?

Tommy tried to pick up what Tubbo was jabbering about.

"-couldn't have just run away, could he? He wouldn't do such a thing! He has to take care of Michael and Jjjjjjefery and Dogboo and-" Tubbo looked at Tommy. "OK, hold on." Tubbo's face relaxed a bit and he took a deep breath, sitting down. "Let's back up. Start from the beginning."

Tommy nodded and started his story. "Well, I was wondering about near L'Canyon, when I saw Ranboo doing that enderman-thing he does."

"-Enderwalking" Tubbo corrected.

"Right. But the strange thing was, he was only walking in circles on L'Canyon's glass. He was muttering something like 'The ruler is incorrect' and 'overthrow'. So I was like, 'uh, yeah. That stuff happened to L'manburg' but he didn't listen and just kept walking in circles."

Tubbo nodded and kept listening.

"I didn't think much of it," Tommy continued, "So I just kept wandering and minding my own business. But uh, that's when it got weird. I was feeding Shroud when Phil came to my house asking if I had seen Ranboo. I told him where I saw him last and he looked at me with this- I don't even know how to describe his face, TUbbo. It was a mixture of pain and worry and regret and-"

Tubbo's face shifted with concern.

"Yeah, Like that!" Tommy smiled and pointed at Tubbo's face.

"-Anyway, Phil said he couldn't find Ranboo anywhere, and he needed my help. He also said that there were weird sounds around Ranboo's house so he didn't want to investigate and he could constantly hear a nether portal as if it were right next to him, no matter where he went. I obviously would go help him because I'm so brave and poggers, but I thought to myself, 'hey, this is Tubbo's friend, so why not go tell him?''' Tommy finished and looked around the room as if something was about to jump out at him for telling Tubbo about the creepy stuff going on, but nothing did.

Tubbo stood up and looked out the window, already searching for Ranboo.

"Where do I start?" He said, eyes full of determination.

******

"Ew, my socks are all cold and wet now!" Tommy grumbled. The frigid ice and snow of Snowchester were creeping in through Tommy's coat with a chill. He had begged Tubbo to wear one before they left, but even with it on it didn't do much but block some of the wind. He shivered and squinted at the blinding-white snow ahead of him.

Tubbo wasn't shivering as much as Tommy. He was used to the cold, living in Snowchester. Tubbo's face was focused on the ground in front of him, calculating where he was. He pulled a compass out of his pocket and held it close to his face, changing directions slightly and putting it away again, muttering to himself.

He's really focused on this. Tommy thought.

"Yeah, well we are almost there. I promise." Tubbo reassured Tommy, checking the compass again and turning back to the way he was before. "Are you sure?" Tommy shivered. "Because I think we might be lost."

Tubbo smiled and dove through the thicket of trees without a word.

"Wait! Tubbo, where are you going?" Tommy called after Tubbo as his figure was getting smaller and smaller.

Tommy suddenly felt very lonely. The forest was completely silent. The tree branches looked like claws reaching out for him, ready to consume whoever disturbed their sleep.

"TUBBO, WAIT FOR ME! AND NOT BECAUSE THIS FOREST IS SUPER CREEPY, IT'S JUST BECAUSE UM- I DON'T WANT YOU TO BE ALONE IN THIS PLACE!!" Tommy yelled as he dove after Tubbo.

Tommy wove through the trees, following Tubbo's footsteps in the snow. (Tubbo, where did you go? I'm sorry for complaining… but in my defense, it is VERY cold out here! Ooh, my jumper is starting to warm up-) his thoughts were interrupted by him crashing into Tubbo's back, making them both fall over.

"TUBBO!" Tommy yelled at him. "Don't do that to me! You shouldn't just be standing in people's way like that- and why did you run off anyway? I could have got eaten by… um…. A Snow-Spider!!"

Tubbo rolled his eyes and brushed the snow off of him. "Snow-Spiders don't exist. And even if they did, why would you be afraid of it? Don't you have Shrou-"

"They totally DO exist, and I'm going to prove it to you." Tommy said matter-of-factly.

"It doesn't matter anyway," Tubbo said, pulling back a bush to reveal two elegant houses made of dark oak logs and a bridge in the middle connecting them.

"We're here."

Tommy blinked at the house. House… comfort… "Heat!" Tommy said as he raced up to the front door and pounded on it with his fist. "PHIIIIL!!! IT'S FREEZING OUT HERE, LET ME IN!" Tubbo caught up with Tommy, catching his breath.

"Don't-" he started to say before a figure in long green robes and a green and white bucket cap opened the door. His blue eyes sparkled in the light with a warm fatherly smile, comforting anyone who looked at it.

"Hey, bud... What do you need?" He asked Tommy.

Tommy ignored the question and shoved past Philza, Instantly turning on the furnace and hovering over it for warmth, shivering.

Phil blinked at him and looked back at Tubbo with an 'Is he ok?' face.

Tubbo shrugged and stepped into the house, shaking off the snow in his hair.

"Phil, I could have died just then," Tommy said, pointing to the door. "You should have opened the door sooner." Phil rolled his eyes. "You wouldn't have died," he corrected. "It's not possible. And the door was open-"

"AND," Tommy continued, "The Snow-Spiders were crawling up my sleeves."

"What are Snow-Spiders exactly?" Tubbo asked.

Tommy's eyebrows raised and he measured an inch with his fingers. "They're those things that come when you get all cold-"

Phil cleared his throat, gathering Tommy's attention. Oh. right. Phil's here. Phil rolled his eyes again. "Y'know, this is why you don't live with me anymore."

"Nevermind. Phil, could you tell Tubbo what you told me?" Tommy asked him.

Phil looked as if he was hoping to avoid the subject. Tubbo stared at Phil hopefully. The fire from the furnace crackled and the wind blew through the cracks in the door. The silence was getting to Tommy again.

"Let's talk about this tomorrow," Phil eventually said. "It's getting dark out." Tommy nodded. He was rather tired, and some sleep would really help for what was coming the next day.

He opened a chest and gave Tommy and Tubbo some extra sleeping bags. As they settled into the blankets, Tommy's eyes scanned the room, eventually landing on Tubbo. He was staring out the window, eyes still searching for Ranboo as if he expected him to walk across the snow just outside. (I'm Sorry, Tubbo. We will find him...) Tommy thought to himself as he drifted off to sleep.