Midnight Arson (Platonic! Ranboo x Tubbo)

Chapter 29: The Exorcism

Ranboo bolted out the prison entrance, and frantically scanned the surrounding area. Night had descended upon the server, shading the nearby forest in a cloak darkness. The enderman halfling grunted in frustration. Wilbur was nowhere to be found; Ranboo had lost his chance. "Wilbur, I know you're out there!!" the sentient roared. "Get over here, or I swear to all the gods who hear me-"

"Ranboo, Ranboo, calm down."

Out from the shadows, right at the edge of the forest, walked an all-too-familiar figure, Even before the being stepped into the moonlight, he knew the secret identity of the strange man: It was Wilbur. The Brit looked truly deranged, a wild glint in his eyes and his loose curls amess. He leisurely strolled out from his hiding place and down to Ranboo. With a wave of the hand and a black-hearted smirk, he added, "There's no need to invoke the deities where they aren't due."

Ranboo bit back every sarcastic retort he could think of, and instead replied, "Wilbur I know you're possessed by a dreamon, but I've come to exorcise it. Don't worry- you're safe now." For a moment, Ranboo thought he saw a fleeting sense of fear mixed with relief cross the man's face.

The emotions were quickly covered by a scoff. "Well done, son of Ender," he taunted. "You've cracked the code. Truly, you're the next Sherlock Holmes."

The Brit came unnervingly close to Ranboo, breaching his personal space. In a contemptuous sneer, he bragged, "But in the end, it doesn't matter, really, because while I'm out ruling the server, you'll be busy doing your jobs." Wilbur gave a half-hearted laugh. "Isn't that right, Ranboo? Don't you have some jobs to do, hmm? I'm sure Tubbo wouldn't want to see you standing around doing nothing." The possessed man took a step back, only to snap his fingers once, shaking his head in false sympathy. "Oh, that's right. I forgot. He's dead."

Even now, after all he'd been through, Ranboo still felt that strange tug that threatened to pull him under. He knew Tubbo was alive, he knew that, and yet the night of his soulmate's death still haunted him. The tingling in his limbs grew stronger and stronger, until his whole body went completely numb. Ranboo struggled to hold on, but he was slipping just as he'd done before.

"That's right, Ranboo," Wilbur purred. "Surrender yourself to the freedom of losing your free will. Let me lead you, Ranboo. Let me lend you your sense of purpose."

The enderman grunted under the increased mental strain, screwing his eyes shut against the pain. He couldn't afford to lose himself this time, not with the fate of the world on his shoulders. One trance was the difference between hope and tragedy. He must resist. He must...resist...

And by some unforeseen miracle, Ranboo did.

His eyes shone their trademark vibrant hue, and his mind remained hazy, but his will was clear: He would not yield.

Unaware of the being's altered state of consciousness, Wilbur cackled in delight. "All too easy," the man sneered. "You're so easy, Ranboo. You're so easy! I could just mold you into anything I wanted, because at the end of the day, you're nothing but an open book. You are mine to create, mine to decimate, and mine to-"

Wilbur paused. The man looked down to find the blunt edge of a diamond hoe pressed against his ribcage. A sense of dread buried itself deep in his body, penetrating his bones. "Ranboo, you didn't-"

"I did," the enderman monotoned. His expression blank and his mind free, the sentient declared, "I'm in control now."

Ranboo reeled the diamond hoe back, and swung it as hard as he could. The Brit managed to stagger back just in time , the end of the hoe missing him by mere inches. Wilbur gaped at the sentient. "You were supposed to be mindless!" the man yelled. "My own personal slave!"

Ranboo rammed the pick of the hoe into the ground, kicking up dirt in Wilbur's direction. The Brit laughed. "You think you can stop me with a bit of dirt?!"

Now it was the enderman's time to smirk. "I do."

A dangerous pair of long, guilded daggers slid down Wilbur's sleeves and into his hands. The Brit glowered at his opponent. "Well, we'll see about that." It was Wilbur who made the first move. The man sliced through the air with the one in his right hand, which was quickly blocked by Ranboo's hoe. He brought his left hand down in a stabbing motion, only for Ranboo to break off and twist out of reach. The hybrid was good, but he was better.

Wilbur rained down blow after blow on the sentient, but each time, he was met with either a diamond hoe or an assault of dirt. "Do you think so little of me that you spray me with dirt?!" the Brit shouted. "I'll show you the true power of what a dreamon can do!! BEHOLD!!" Donning a wicked grin, the demented creature raised his human arms , revelling in the fact that- The possessed host blanched: nothing had happened. "What?! How?! How is that possible?!"

"Oh, dreamon," the enderman sang. "You might want to take a look at all that dirt."

Wilbur's eyes darted about his immediate surroundings; they widened in horror. How had he not noticed? How had he not seen what was going on?! 

OHMYGOODNESS WHAT DID RANBOO DO?!?!?

VOTE TO MAKE SURE RANBOO WINS!!!!

As always, thank you so much for all the reads and support. Ily all so muchhhh ahhh <333

[Image Credits] "The emerald pile" (Cropped Slightly) by Christian Collins  (https://www.flickr.com/photos/collins_family/33587192153/)