Midnight Arson (Platonic! Ranboo x Tubbo)

Chapter 31: The Truth (Part 2)

Ranboo and Tubbo quickly climbed the steps of the town hall, and crossed the vast space of the throne room. Upon said throne sat Quackity, mayor of Las Nevadas, lounging away yet another boring day. He was surprised, to say the least, when his nation's rivals entered the room. "Well, well, well, if it isn't the President of Snowchester," the mayor greeted, his tone ice cold. "What are you doing on my land, Tubbo?"

The goat hybrid shrank in on himself, anxious over the sudden confrontation. "I- Uhm-"

Ranboo slid in front of Tubbo, and instantly took charge of the situation. "Mayor Quackity, I come to you today on official business separate from Snowchester. I do not come in the name of politics; I come in peace."

The mayor narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "Now, how can I honestly believe that, Ranboo? You're the president's platonic husband- everything you do is political!" Quackity sprang up from his mighty throne, fuming with rage. "How can you speak of peace when you're infringing on my land? That cookie shop is a military outpost and you know it. Why don't you just admit it so we can go to war?!"

"Wait!"

Tubbo ran forward, his arms flying up to grab the mayor's attention. "Hold on! As President of Snowchester, I can assure you that we come in peace. And as a show of good faith, I will destroy The Cookie Shop. Is that- Does that sound good?"

Ranboo's jaw dropped. The Cookie Shop was Tubbo's pride and joy, his dream after years of war and hardship. To throw that away over a political dispute was madness. Why would he suddenly give up on his vision? But when he met Tubbo's eyes, noting the soft gaze and kind surrender, Ranboo knew the reason behind the goat's decision: giving up The Cookie Shop was for him, to help him save the server. The enderman couldn't be more thankful.

The mayor hummed as he considered the idea. "Alright," the ruler decided, collapsing back onto his throne. "I'm listening."

Ranboo cleared his throat, drawing the attention back to him. He cast a grateful glance at his soulmate, and continued: "We have sources that can confirm the existance of an underground railroad system in Las Nevadas. We respectfully request that you abandon the project."

"No, I don't think I will," Quackity responded. "Those tunnels took months to mine. Why put all that hard work to waste?"

"Well, it's a breach of power on the server," Ranboo weakly argued. "You can go anywhere you want in minutes, and that's...unfair."

"Oh, save it, Ranboo. We both know that's not true," the mayor replied. "I'm taking travel and making it more efficient. I'm well within my rights as a businessman and a leader."

A sudden epiphany rang through Ranboo's mind. Maybe he didn't need to convince Quackity to shut down the tunnels. Maybe he could just...redirect its purpose instead. "You're absolutely right, Mayor Quackity. My mistake," Ranboo said with a bow. "Perhaps I can offer a way for both our nations to benefit from the tunnels."

Quackity raised an eyebrow. "You want to invest in my railroad?"