Ghosting

act one, part two

Ghostbur POV

It was the middle of the night when Ghostbur finally realized that his child was gone. Lifting his tired head, he looked up and saw a figure, standing by the cliff's edge. He jumped back, but then realized what might happen. He held a ripped piece of paper, and seemed to be looking at it, and then set it on the ground, beneath a pair of netherite boots.

His eyes widened, and ran towards him with an outstretched hand. But, it only phased through, and the figure looked back at him.

"Wil?" Ghostboo mumbled, looking up at him slowly.

"You're dead..." was all Ghostbur could say.

"That was the plan. Guess it worked." Ghostboo said, grimly smiling and wiping his tears. "Did you see anything?"

"No, I would have..I would have stopped you."

"Dead don't have contact with the living. It would have been no use." Ghostboo said, sitting down on the edge of the cliffside. "Tubbo left now. He's...god, he's the only reason I regret it."

Ghostbur sat down beside him, nodding. "And Michael?"

"Probably knows, by now. Poor kid." Ghostboo said, looking up into the stars. "You wanna know why, don't you."

"If it's okay."

"It's not okay." he said, looking down. "I- shoot, I just couldn't deal with it anymore. I've done some horrible things, and I can't stand looking at my husband knowing..."

Ghostbur looked up, and nodded. "I know. I heard what Quackity said."

"It's screwed up, yeah." Ghostboo said, looking back down. "Once he catches wind, I hope he at least knows that I...gave my life to keep him safe."

"I hope so, too. You know it's more than Quackity, though? From what I remember, he wasn't the highest power. We're the pawns, he's maybe...the bishop or something. Someone else controls him." He said, touching his cheek. Shame he was dead, he honestly missed...

"He told you this in secret?" Ghostboo asked, failing to meet Ghostbur's eyes. Even dead, Ghostbur knew that he never liked that.

"Well, yeah. We had some...private conversations-"

"Wil, I know you two- we may be friends, but I don't need to know about your sex life."

"Jesus Christ Ranboo-"

"There's rumors. After you blew the place to bits there were no walls to be thin, Wil." he said, then looked back down, wiping his eyes. "God, I just wish I could tell him that everything is okay."

"I want to see my daughter." Ghostbur said wiping his eyes.

"Your son. He's your son." Ghostboo corrected.

"My son." Ghostbur said, nodding. "How did you find that out?"

"He told me a day after you died. We ran into eachother at the graveyard and...he told me. He..he misses you, Wilbur."

"I was barely there for him."

"You couldn't. You were the president, and an..arsonist, that usually takes up your schedule." Ghostboo said.

"You were there for your son, and your husband, though. Even while you had your..dissasociation episodes- you would run back to them. I never did that. You know, one time I ran into you while..."

"The Enderwalk?" Ghostboo asked, looking dim.

Ghostbur nodded, closing his eyes.

"You just...came and I knew you were hurt. For hours I stopped you from...from hurting yourself, and as soon as it was over you asked me why I stopped you but why I didn't stop myself. You were the one and only person who had ever asked me that. You caught me on a bad night, Ranboo, and I was...not good. You care about others so much- something that I never did to even myself while I was living."

There was a pause. A long, silent beat in the conversation which didn't make the other uncomfortable.

"I'm still so terrified of death."

"She's a nice lady, really." Ghostbur said. "She is my mother, after all."

"So it is true, Phil married death?"

"He should be receiving the news of yours now." Ghostbur said, looking at the sky. 

So, Ghostboo nodded and silently teleported away, leaving the note on the ground. 

'My dearest husband,

One day you will understand why I had to do this. In short, I fought hard for you. I stand bloodied and bruised on this battlefield, and I think of you. Please, take care of Michael for me, and inform Philza M. and Technoblade N.D. of how I died to ease concerns. This is my goodbye. 

Yours, Ranboo'

Ghostbur set down the note and sighed, resolving to travel tomorrow.

..-. .-.. .- -- .

Ghostboo's POV

The ghost appeared with a small vwoosh in the tundra biome, outside a warm cottage. A short ram wearing a green coat slips a sealed envelope under the door, bowing his head. Ghostboo reaches out to touch him, yet he walks away and disappears into the forest before he does. 

The door is opened to a puzzled looking Phil, who, upon noticing the letter, picks it up. He walks over to an easy chair and settles down into it, putting on his glasses. Ghostboo holds his breath as he opens the note and reads it.

"I thought you might want know that my husband is gone. I know that he was a great friend of yours, and although we have rarely spoken without him there, you two are always welcome in Snowchester if you need anything from me." he reads, softly aloud. Technoblade, in the corner, bows his head, and Phil wipes his eyes, continuing. 

"The funeral will not be for a while as we have been unable to find his body. Although he did not reveal why he chose this in his note, he wrote that he wanted you to know that he committed suicide, not that he was murdered, to ease your concerns." Phil finished, setting down the note.

"I'll have to tell Niki." Techno mutters, brushing past Ranboo and slamming the heavy wooden door on his way out. Phil places his head in his hands and breathes, trying to calm himself down. His ears perk as Ghostboo tries to get closer, and he looks up.

"I know you're here, Ranboo." Phil mutters, wiping his tears. "Gods, why.."

"The letter is wrong. I'm keeping Tubbo safe."

"Were you killed?" he asks, looking up, his eyes flashing. 

"Las Nevadas." Ghostboo said, and Phil stood, looking at him. 

"You didn't have to die! I thought we had a plan!"

"It was compromised. They threatened to torture him, Phil."

"I thought this was a bloody land dispute, you didn't tell me Quackity wanted Tubbo!"

"Quackity's only the bishop in chess, Philza." 

-.... . . -- .--. . .-. --- .-.