Chapter Text
POV: Tubbo
In the middle of a spruce forest, lay a small town, named ‘Essempii’, and growing up there, there weren't many people for you to meet.
The forest around the town had many rumors surrounding it… which I guess made the town itself have those rumors around it, a mysterious place.
A good portion of the forest had been mapped out already, but there was always more left unexplored, and two young boys had ventured into it often as they grew up, seeking adventure.
Tubbo Underscore, a shulker hybrid, and at this time having not reached teenage years yet, alongside his best friend, Tommy Craft, or as he liked to call himself, “Tommy Innit”, or “Tommy Innit Craft”, had wandered into the dark forest one night.
Tommy was too curious to think about the dangers, while Tubbo couldn't convince him how stupid it was to go in unprepared and therefore not go in at all, because of what was previously mentioned, he made sure to try to do his best to keep them both safe.
Besides, Phil would probably kill him if Tommy got hurt.
Well, he probably wouldn’t, but he’d be upset, Phil was kind of like a father figure to most people in Essempii, so he doubted Phil would actually hurt him, that being said, he was like 90% sure he wouldn’t unless he committed some sort of crime or had murdered Tommy himself.
Which he had no good reason to do.
They were going to come out of this forest, alive, unscathed, perhaps scolded by the adults of the town but they’d be fine.
“C’mon Tubbo! Who knows what secrets may lie within this forest.” Tommy shouted from way ahead of him, as Tubbo pushed some branches away from his face, then hurrying to catch up with him before the guy found some sort of dangerous cave to recklessly explore, or something like that.
“Yeah yeah, I'm hurrying. Just watch where you’re going.” He said, catching up to Tommy and grabbing his hood, pulling him back from the pond he was about to fall into.
“I- I saw that there, I knew what I was doing.” Tommy insisted, “I was gonna say hi to the fishes!”
“What fish?”
“The fish in the pond!” Tommy exclaimed, pointing at the pond and looking at the shulker hybrid.
Tubbo glanced at the pond.
“It’s empty.” He deadpanned.
Tommy looked down.
“I knew that! I was talking about the totally existent fish in the pond!” He said, putting his hands on his hips. Stubborn as ever.
“Okay, sure then. Well, let’s keep going, don’t want to leave the mysteries of this forest waiting!” Tubbo shouted, breaking into a running pace as he sprinted ahead of Tommy.
Tommy immediately started sprinting after him, catching up quickly. As Tommy ran ahead of him, he stopped and hopped on top of a rock, surveying the land around them.
“This little clearing is nice. Hey Tubbo, what do you say we claim this area as our own little secret hangout spot?” Tommy asked.
“It's nice, could use a treehouse or something though if it’s gonna be our secret hideaway. And Bees. Lots of Bees. and flowers.”
“Hmm… yes, yes, treehouse and flowers, we can do that! Easy as pie.”
“Oh! And can we invite Ranboo?”
“...I’ll consider it.”
Now, the two stood in the same places years later, both 17, alongside Ranboo, the friendly neighborhood enderman hybrid, of the same age, who Tommy always complained about, saying something along the lines of “Ranboo is a bitch”, but despite this Tubbo had seen Tommy give the hybrid some allium flower seeds once, when guy had been looking for them for awhile. It wasn’t even a holiday yet, either.
Tommy was rambling about something, standing up on the rock while Ranboo was weaving a flower crown of alliums, sitting on the bench the three had dragged out here, sitting beside Tubbo and he himself had mostly spaced out, his gaze on a bee that was hovering by the garden of flowers the three had first planted together a year or so ago, and had been able to keep the plants alive almost all season long.
Of course they still died in the winter, and the trio had to replant their garden.
He was only half listening to Tommy’s conversation, Ranboo looking up and adding something every so often, and after a while Tubbo finally took his eyes off the bee and looked in the direction of the human speaking loudly about things.
His eyes caught movement in the bushes behind Tommy.
He immediately sat up, shoulders raised and eyes darting, searching for whatever it was. Ranboo looked up from beside him, sensing his sudden wariness and looked behind Tommy as well.
He could’ve sworn he saw something behind him for a split second, some kind of figure, something shadowy….. Maybe something green.. Or was that white?
And then all of a sudden Tommy tripped on seemingly nothing and fell backwards into the bushes behind them.
“Tommy!” Both him and Ranboo shouted at once, leaping upward and rushing to where Tommy had previously stood, pushing aside the bushes and looking down the hill behind it, looking down…
…To where Tommy had landed face-first in a puddle of mud.
Tubbo let out a giggle at the sight, while Ranboo just sighed slightly, moving to slide down the hill, the shulker hybrid joining him a heartbeat later.
“You good Tommy?” Tubbo asked, one hand raised to slightly cover his mouth in case he were to start laughing.
Tommy raised one hand upwards in a thumbs up, before lifting his head a few moments later. “All good, Tubso.” He stated.
“Are you sure you’re alright? You did just fall all the way down that hill- and it wasn’t a very short drop.” Ranboo stated worriedly, bending over slightly to survey Tommy’s body and check for any injuries.
“I said I'm fine, Ranboob. Big man Tommy Innit would never get hurt from such a tiny fall.” Tommy said, pushing himself up in a sitting position before promptly shaking his head rapidly, sending mud splatters all around him, although most hit Ranboo, seeing the enderman hybrid yelp in surprise and attempt to shield himself from the droplets.
“Shit, I think I got some of it in my mouth.” Tommy said, standing up. “Well that's just fucking great, I'm all covered in mud now. Phil’s gonna be pissed.” He looked around, brushing off most of the mud. “How come we’ve never explored around here?” He asked. “Dunno, probably didn’t explore more after the time you nearly fell off a fucking cliff whilst exploring and Phil scolded you a ton.” Tubbo said, looking around as well.
“Hey! I didn't nearly fall off a fucking cliff! I was going to fucking stop, I knew it was there!” Tommy insisted.
“Uh-huh.”
“Ughh… whatever, I’m gonna explore around here whether you two like it or not.” Tommy said, turning around on his heel and marching forward.
“Hey! Don’t go adventuring without me!” Tubbo shouted, running to catch up with him.
“Or me! Don’t forget me!” Ranboo smiled, appearing at their side in a flurry of purple particles. Enderman teleportation stuff.
“Yep, totally not leaving you two behind, unless you slow me down. Let’s go!” Tommy yelled, leaving no time for them to react, pushing the branches in front of him aside, then letting out a gasp.
The trio stared at the area now exposed in front of them in awe.
It was a giant building that laid in the clearing in front of them, broken down and overgrown, casting shadows all around the forest. It was eerie, and dark, like one of those creepy haunted houses. It seemed pretty haunted, or like a long-abandoned crime scene.
“Woah! This is poggers! A whole abandoned building? I’m gonna go explore it.” Tommy said, only to be pulled back by Tubbo. “That’s an idiotic idea. We have no idea what’s in there or any dangers.”
“Tubbo has a point.” Ranboo remarked from behind them.
“He ALWAYS has a point!” Tommy whined.
“TOMMY!” a voice suddenly echoed through the forest.
All three of the trio turned their heads, recognizing the voice.
“Wilbur.” Tommy groaned.
“Tommy! Where are you! Phil says it’s time for dinner! Tubbo, Ranboo, I know you’re out there too!”
“WE’RE COMING WILBUR, JEEZ. No need to shout for the whole goddamn forest to hear you!”
Tommy shouted back.
“Uh-huh, Well hurry up before your food gets cold! Cause it sure ain’t getting warmer. And you better be thankful I so kindly decided to let you know before it froze, you gremlin child.” Wilbur shouted back.
“You’re the gremlin!” Tommy yelled, climbing back up the hill and rushing off into the forest towards the sound of his brother's voice.
Ranboo sighed. “Well, sounds like we’d better head back then. See you in town, ‘bo!” Ranboo waved at him before disappearing, purple particles appearing where he previously stood before disappearing as well.
Tubbo stood there, then alone, and turned his head to glance at the building.
Something… bothered him about this place. He didn’t know what it was, he just knew one thing.
This place reeked of danger, shadows hidden all over where who knows what secrets could be hiding.
These supposed mysteries he figured could remain unsolved, for now. So he turned back for now, cause he didn’t want to eat cold food, hurrying off into the forest, away from the undeniable enigma laying there in the forest behind him, that one day, he figured he’d check out.
He paused for a moment, looking back.
Was there a figure there in the window?
He blinked.
There was nothing there.
He was probably just hallucinating it, or something.