Good Things Never Last

Chapter 72

Nine hours later, I was sitting on top of my bed, gently slipping my cloak on. The sun had already begun to set as I made my way down the stone spiral staircase once again. Making my way across the main room, which had a kitchen and a seating area, a glint of purple caught my attention. I decided to go investigate since I still had time to get to L'Manburg.

Walking closer, I could make out a rather large circle that was a deep purple colour that was almost black as I got closer. I traced my fingertips carefully over the rim of the plate-like item, scanning the ribbons linked to either side. It didn't take long for me to flip it over and investigate the other side, but what I discovered surprised me.

A dark smiley face, deeply etched in the purple bone-like substance, rested on the table in front of me, with a black ribbon on either side to hold it firmly on the wearer's face. Attached to the centre of the face was a neon yellow sticky note with a bunch of scribbles on it.

"Just in case - Dream :)"
As I carefully lifted the mask up, an unknowing smile spread onto my face. Taking one last look at the mask, I slowly slipped it onto my face as I heard the door crash open behind me.
"Y/N! Oh... you're here"
I slowly turned around, still holding the mask to my face.
"A little help?"

The taller male rushed over to me and took the ribbons from each side of the mask. All I heard was a slight mumble but I decided to shrug it off as the blond took a step back to inspect his job.
"You still, I mean you do suit it"
I smiled even though the male couldn't see it before saying my farewells to the boy.
"Oh and Y/N"
I froze in the doorway, unable to feel the night breeze as it brushed against my new mask.
"Be careful"

I just chuckled as I walked out the door and headed off to the country I'd be snooping around in for the upcoming night. It took me a while to make it to my destination, already bored and dreading the night ahead. The mask wasn't helping much either, in all honesty, it was a hassle. I felt as if my own breath was suffocating me, and the weight of the thing was mind-boggling. But, on the other hand, I doubt the people would be pleased if the traitor to their lands appeared once more.

I was so engrossed in my thoughts that I didn't realise I was about to collide with a tall obsidian wall. Or I thought I was about to anyways. When I looked up just before I was about to walk headfirst into the solid stone, all I saw was nothing. Well, not nothing exactly. The absence of the wall had revealed a massive crater that had seeped deep into the ground.

Several wooden pillars supported a platform that was suspended many feet above the crater. Hundreds of log cabins sat atop it, each one unique in its own way. Many various lights floated above them all, illuminating the structures below.

Lost in complete awe of what I was looking at, I was completely oblivious to the tall male who had noticed my rather noticeable figure. I subconsciously found myself strolling forward into the various streets of L'manburg, making sure to stay in the shadows so that my dark clothing would blend in and make me almost unnoticed.

Almost.

When I took a right turn, I came to a dead-end, and the feeling of being watched finally overcame me. My breathing became faster as my formerly calm demeanour became stiff, prompting me to put my palm on the hilt of my axe, which I'd tied to my belt before leaving. I slowly turned around, encountering the brilliant eyes that glowed brightly in the dim light.
"Hello?"

The taller being only seemed to blink in response, his eyes quickly scanning every inch of my body before settling on my grip on the axe's handle. The red and green eyes peered up to meet mine as the figure walked forward into the light, raising his hands to show he was unarmed.

"Hey! Do I know you?"
His voice was soft and sweet but also laced with a tone of confusion as I quickly studied his stance. He was a fairly tall boy but sounded young as he spoke, probably in his late teens. He was dressed smartly in a black jacket with a white dress shirt and a crimson tie. To match his chosen ensemble, he also wore black trousers and shoes. But it was the fact that his skin wasn't simply one colour that piqued my interest. It was almost as if an invisible line had been painted straight down the middle of his body, leaving the left side black to match his green eye and the right side white to match his red eye.

He also wore a gleaming golden crown encrusted with a rainbow of coloured gems. It was the perfect fit for his brown, fluffy hair.
"I could ask you the same question sir"
I mean, the guy was wearing a crown, so he could've been royalty or something, so I didn't want to make a bad impression.
"Well I'm Ranboo! I just moved here from... I don't know actually"
I tilted my head in confusion as I visibly relaxed.

"How do you not know where you..."
The tall male just chuckled.
"Memory problems. I need to write everything down in this book to remember"
He swiftly drew a book from his pocket, showing me the cover for a few moments before stowing it away again.
"Oh yeah, how rude of me. I'm Nightmare"
I stuck out my hand confidently to the male, who gingerly accepted it.
"Please don't tell me you live up to the name"
He chuckled nervously as he brought his hand back to scratch the back of his neck.
"Oh gosh no, well I don't think so anyway. It's a nickname I got as a child"

I watched as the boy relaxed before the sound of thunder rang through our ears.
"Looks like a storm's brewing up there"
I made a quick motion to the sky as I watched my new companion's face fall for a split second.
"Are you okay?"
He took a step back as the rain began to trickle down from above, earning a small wince from the boy.
"I'm part Enderman, the rain hurts"

I hesitated for a second as I considered his words before quickly unclipping my cloak and running up to the youngster, attempting to hold it above his head to keep the rain off him. He seemed to understand what I was doing as he gently took the piece of clothing to shelter himself with.
"Where's your house?"
"Follow me"

Next thing I knew, I was running through the rain at god knows what time with some eight-foot boy I'd just stumbled upon. We arrived at his small lodge in about five minutes and were met by a brunette boy who appeared to be very upset.
"Where the hell were you? I was worried sick..."
His voice seemed to trail away as he set eyes on me, his facial expression changing into one of panic.

"Who's this?"
Ranboo, who was now standing beneath the overhanging roof, gave me a quick comforting smile before turning to his friend.
"This is Nightmare"
I shakily raised my hand, sending the small boy a quick wave.
"Hi"
I watched as his body fully stilled, his eyes locked on me as his breathing began to quicken.

"N-no..."
Ranboo quickly jumped into action, attempting to get the boy to match his breathing pattern. However, the smaller boy's gaze remained fixed on me.
"Should I go..."
"Yes, yes please. I'll see you around Nightmare"

And that was the last I saw of Ranboo that night.