The Valley

no, we did not ask for this

Ranboo was awoken by the smell of smoke. His heart started to race as he fell face-first from the bed in his mad dash to get out.

He screamed as he burst into the hallway, something guttural from his throat.

"Tommy! Tubbo! Wilbur! Get up, there's a fire!" He screamed, expecting this to all be in his head, but the shuffling and slamming open of doors only worsened his fears.

"Let's move!" Wilbur yelled, snapping Ranboo from his shock as he dragged the boy down the stairs, Tommy and Tubbo fast behind them as they looked for a way out. Wilbur tried the door but it wouldn't budge. Ranboo stood there, panicking as everyone tried to get out.

The windows were sealed and the heat from the roof- it must've been set there-  and it was getting far to stuffy.

"Fucking HELL!" Wilbur screamed, but Tommy grabbed his arm.

"We can't scream like that, we need a way out." He whispered.

Tommy pulled out his phone, quickly tapping on it, which was weird because Ranboo didn't remember that being Tommy's phone.

'We're gonna be okay' Tommy signed to Tubbo and Ranboo. Tubbo shot the blonde a questioning look, but Tommy nodded, confident. Ranboo wasn't so confident. Wilbur pulled the tall boy close to him.

"It's gonna be okay, promise..." Wilbur whispered as Tubbo still looked for a way out as the flames drew closer. But Ranboo was convinced that they were going to be burned alive. The already present burn scars on his arms began to itch, but Tommy was confident.

The door was torn off it's hinges suddenly, and Ranboo looked up, unable to move, about to pass out. Wilbur and Tommy dragged them out of the house, collapsing onto the freezing cold grass.

Standing there were two very unfamiliar figures. One was tall, wearing a dramatic black cloak and tall black boots. One was very short, with pink hair but a cold expression as they brought out oxygen masks.

Ranboo was the first to be given oxygen, feeling much better when the cold air was pushed into his lungs. The short one glanced at the tall one, talking about something, though the static was filling Ranboo's ears so he didn't bother to listen.

***

"No!" Phil yelled as he saw the orange flames licking up his house. He ran faster and faster, realizing he was too late until he saw two figures standing by the house. He unsheathed the sword at his hip, assuming the worst.

He paused as he saw that they weren't who he thought they were. But it was almost worse.

"Monarch? Nemesis?" He called tentatively as he slowed his pace. One of them looked over at him, Monarch, but Nemesis was still attaching something to one of the four sprawled out on the ground.

Monarch took a step back, and Phil could feel the waves of shock coming from the tall figure.

"Angel, you- you died." They breathed, "You went up in smoke, you died in that fire! You and Blood God..." Phil shook his head.

"No time to talk about that, how did you get here? How are they?" He demanded, kneeling beside Wilbur, who was breathing steadily, though he was passed out. Tubbo, Tommy and Ranboo also seemed to be passed out and somewhat stable.

"Theseus gave us a ring. I didn't think you were..." Nemesis trailed off, focusing on the grass. Phil frowned. That's how Tommy knew. But now wasn't the time to deal with this.

"We didn't know he was a kid, Angel, we promise." Phil shook his head.

"No... no need for formalities Eret." Phil muttered as he took off his mask and wings.

"Sorry, I just didn't know if you'd want us to..."

"It's okay, Niki. Will they be? Okay?"

"They will be." Niki said softly. "I'm calling the fire department and an ambulance. Why were you out?"

"Mission. With Techno. The Dream Team did this. Or one of his goons." Eret snorted.

"Of course it was. Now Niki, we need to get going." Niki nodded, looking at Phil before running up and hugging him tightly.

"We missed you so much, you know there's an open seat for you-" Phil shook his head,

"I abandoned that path years ago. I hope to be completely off it soon." Niki and Eret nodded.

"If you ever need help... our number hasn't changed." Phil nodded and the two got into their car, speeding off before the fire department and paramedics came.

Phil was questioned, as he would've been, but he stuck to the story that Ranboo suddenly felt ill, as he had a penitent to do, and had driven to get more stomach medicine.

He was worried sick, unsure what to do about his house or his children, until Eret came back with an offer.

"They can stay at my apartment, and I can stay with Niki. Until you find someplace to stay." Phil considered Eret and realizing that he, quite literally had nothing left to loose, agreed.

He felt sick knowing that all of Kristen's paintings had burned, all of Tubbo's tech destroyed, all the progress was gone. But he felt better knowing that they were all alive. Techno might live.

He slept at the hospital overnight, and the next morning Tubbo and Ranboo were good for release. Wilbur was badly burned protecting the kids and the nurses wanted to keep Tommy longer.

Phil drove them in silence to Eret's loft apartment. It was bright, clean and most importantly, Dream didn't know where they were.

Tubbo fell asleep almost instantly on one of the king-sized beds but Ranboo was harder to coax to sleep.

They ended up staying all night on the balcony, Ranboo drinking in the cold night air, drinking tea to help clear the last of the smoke from his system.

"Once this is over," Phil promised, "I'm getting you three therapists." Phil promised before he decided to turn in for the night.

*****

A burning house. That's all the woman saw. This was where they were supposed to be but they were gone.

She screamed out into the night, the mournful cry of a mother. She fell to her knees, her cape pooling around her as she begged, pleaded for the lives of the children, of his children.

She screamed again, turning her head to look up at the star-covered sky. This was not the mournful cry of a mother, but the cry of a hunter, vowing to kill those who did this.

She was, after all, The Raven Queen, Matron of Death.