Free Wings

CHAPTER 5

Dream Walked down the stairs to the cellar, where he kept one of his most prized possessions. Hybrids, a very weird concept to others. You were part human, and part something else. There are normal hybrids like goats, sheep, cows, wolves, and foxes. Then there were more rare hybrids like pandas, fish, avians, and… Enderman. Enderman, a fearsome creature that’ll kill you if you look at them the wrong way. It was more rare to find a hybrid of such a being than an avian is, and that's ridiculous to some since avians are even rare to find. Though, Dream had managed to get his hands on one, keeping him a secret to most in the castle. 

Only a select few in the castle knew of him, Himself, Quackity, and a few of the caretakers for the hybrid. As he stopped at the end of the stairs he looked at the door in front of him contemplating on doing what he wished to do. Slowly Dream made his way to the door, unlocking it and opening the slab of wood to reveal a normal-looking teen's room, for the most part. On the wall in one of the corners were chains, and next to it was a bucket of water. When he looked at said corner green and red eyes looked back, fear running loose in their gaze. “Ranboo.” The being froze, petrified as he stared up at the man before him. “Why haven’t you greeted your big brother?” Unlike Tommy, Ranboo was mistreated. Ranboo was kidnapped by him when he was ten, understanding what was happening to him. So, as a result, Dream had to lock him up and make him obey the king. 

“H-Hello…” Dream crossed his arms, waiting for the other to finish. Ah yes, the memory loss. Probably happened sometime when Dream would just smack his head against the wall. “Dream.” Said man hummed, looking over to the desk where a stack of journals laid. Journals, Ranboo had explained before how he wrote in them to remember things. 

“Ranboo, I have a proposition for you.” This got the teen's attention, looking up to the older male. “Our brother has been kidnapped by the Antarctic kingdom, but I can’t get him back myself.” Ranboo looked sad for a moment. Over the years Dream had promised to let the other meet his other ‘brother’ in due time. But now five years later he still was yet to see the other. “I need you to go get him.” The hybrid looked scared now, curling up into the corner further, pressing himself against the walls desperately. 

“B-But what if I lose my way? What if I get captured? What if they kill me for trying to take him back?” Dream frowned at the questions. He guessed they were normal worries to be asking about, but Dream was set on getting his weapon back. He knelt down to the teens level, making the other fear even more as his gaze kept flickering to the water bucket near them. Burns covered his arms, and even some of his face from the other shoving the others head into the water, not just almost drowning him but making him develop burns due to his ender side. But this time he didn’t plan to use force, that would scare the other away, so he calmly reached out to the other placing his hand onto the other anxiety-ridden male's burnt cheek. They stayed like that for a moment, Ranboo utterly confused, but leaning into the touch gratefully since it was a feeling of comfort he rarely received, while Dream planned his next move. 

“I believe you can do it.” Those words seemed to light something in the other, making him hesitantly nod and ok. “And once you're back with him, I’ll let you finally live among the others. You’ll be trained in combat and be one of the official princes of the Dreamer kingdom.” 

“O-Ok I’ll do it, for our brother.” He only agreed for one simple reason, he wanted to make his big brother proud. 

Two days later. . .

Ranboo would be lying if he said he wasn’t relieved when his big brother told him he wouldn’t be going alone, but with a fellow soldier who desperately wanted to help get the prince back. He was introduced as Tubbo, a goat hybrid. Though even now as Dream handed them supplies Ranboo was skittish around the other. He wasn’t used to being around so many people, and to be honest it freaked the mistreated hybrid out a lot. Tubbo had caught on something was wrong with his companion, and the fact he was introduced as a fellow knight but the other had never seen him before. And if the fact he didn’t know how to sheath his own sword was a clue, he knew it was a cover-up. He’d ask about it later, once he gained some trust from the other. Once they got their supplies though they were on their way, on foot to be precise. 

It was to not draw attention to themselves, they even worse seme normal clothes as well, although they wore some protective gear like chest plates and armor on their arms. Tubbo looked over to the other with curious eyes. “So, Ranboo?” The other looked over, hesitantly nodding. 

“I forgot your name already…” He sadly admitted. Tubbo frowned. Memory loss? Why would they let a person with memory issues into the army?

“It's Tubbo.” His smile returned as quickly as it was gone, making the half black and half white hybrid smile. He was still curious as to what hybrid his companion was, seeing as he’s never seen one of his kind before. But pushed himself to not ask yet, he could later once the other trusted him enough to open up. 

“Hello, Tubbo.” The other returned the smile. And just like that, quiet chatter broke between the two, and the adventure to find the kidnapped prince began. But little did these two know what was in store for them as time went on.