Lost Mind

Chapter 6: Ranboo's Unfortunate Predicament

Tommy held Mellohi's hair back as she vomited over the ledge. Each time she went through the portal, her nausea got worse and worse. She didn't understand it, but she supposed that's how her body worked. It doesn't mean she enjoyed it.

After she finished hacking up her dinner, the trio continued onward. The sun dipped below the horizon as they strolled down the Prime Path. Monsters spawned in the areas with no light, though with a few swings of their swords, they were no longer a bother.

Soon, Tommy's house came into view. The doors in the dirt were an odd fit, yet they always had been. Alliums, poppies, tulips, and orchids still bloomed, even after Tommy's death and revival. Mellohi was surprised he hadn't uprooted them all.

Tommy ducked inside his hobbit hole to pick up a few things, and as he did so, Mellohi felt a chill run down her spine. She glanced over to see something black and white staring at her in her peripherals. It darted off toward L'Manburg, away from the swinging lanterns.

Silent-footed, the Enderman raced after it. Technoblade didn't notice her absence.

She dashed through the tunnel, dodging the gaps in the stairs and down to the ruins. The thing was a blur, really. So lithe and fast, it was hard to keep tabs on. But she knew who it was. Beyond a shadow of a doubt.

"Wait!" she cried. The black and white sheet faltered in the middle of the bridge. Mellohi stopped a few meters behind, gasping.

The thunder of the waterfalls whispered in her ears, and the wind played with her hair. She stared at the ghost; his back was turned to her. The light from the lanterns reflected off the mist, giving the air a haunting feeling. The phantom pivoted, and Mellohi got a good look at him.

A sheet split down the middle, half white, half black, was thrown over his head and stretched down to his shins. His eyes glowed red and green through holes cut out for them, with the same colors dripping like tears on the cotton below. Across his chest was a muddled red and green slash, and a similar one across his neck. His feet and hands were transparent, the opacity fading as it went down his arms and legs. His tail carried the same effect, as well as his ears, which were poking out from the sheet.

Ranboo.

"This is my fault, isn't it?" Mellohi asked, her voice breaking. "I was the one who saw you get locked up. I was the one who went after you. It was my idea. This is my fault."

Ranboo didn't react at first. He merely stared her down.

"Say something, dammit!" she snapped, angry tears pooling in her eyes.

"You sound mad," Ranboo pointed out, not fazed at all by her tone.

Thunder boomed in the distance, and lightning illuminated the sky. Rain unleashed from the heavens, pounding against them. Neither were bothered by it.

"Oh, I sound mad, huh!?" She stalked up to the ghost, towering over him. "Yes, I'm mad! Better yet, I'm pissed off! About to lose my ever-loving shit!"

"Why?" He didn't sound meek or scared. Ranboo's voice hardly held any emotion at all.

"Why!?" The tears spilled over, hissing down her face. "Because I couldn't save you! I couldn't save myself! Sam killed us because I was too slow. It's my fault we died! I made a stupid, fatal mistake, and now you're dead!"