Ranboo sat at a table with many other people. Tubbo next to him held his hand in a comforting way, the smaller rubbing the tallers knuckles as if it was an attempt to keep him calm. The person he learned was Philza sat in front of him, two other people he was yet to learn the names of sat on either side of him, Tommy sitting next to Ranboo still curiously staring at the other, his blue eyes every once in a while tracing back to the two hybrids entwined hands. “So, you say you were kidnapped by dream, like Tommy?” The brown haired male asked, curiosity lacing his tone.  
   
“Um, yeah. I was ten I think.” Ranboo confirmed. 
   
“You think?” The brownette again asked. Ranboo was about to speak again before Tubbo spoke up. 
   
“He has memory problems.” Tubbo explained. “He probably doesn’t remember exactly how old he was.” 
   
“Well, did you always have memory problems?” This time it was Philza. Ranboo tried to remember. 
   
“I’m not sure… I think so.” Ranboo answers. Philza sympathetically smiles. 
   
“Well, I have a question.” Ranboo looks over to Tommy. “How come I never saw you?” Ranboo shifted in his seat. 
   
“Well he kept me in a room I wasn’t allowed out of. A few people knew about it and there was a person that was down there alot too. I’m not surprised you didn’t know about me.” Ranboo mumbled. Tommy looked deep in thought before talking again. 
   
“There was an area in the castle I wasn’t allowed in. Dream made it clear I’d be grounded if I went near it. Maybe that's where he kept you?” Ranboo shrugged. 
   
“Did he spill any of his plans to you?” The pink haired pig hybrid growled. To this point he had been quiet so when he spoke the enderman hybrid jumped. Ranboo thought for a minute before remembering something Dream mentioned many times in his visits. 
   
“He said he was looking for this… crystal? He said he needed Tommy to find it. That only avians could find it. He mentioned the name once, but I can’t remember it.” Ranboo looked down towards the table. “I’m sorry.” Tubbo squeezed his hand making the half and half gaze over to the goat hybrid. 
   
“It’s ok Ranboo you’re trying to help, that's all that matters.” The enderman hybrid smiled gratefully at the other. 
“I still can't believe Dream would do this though.” Ranboo looked over towards Tommy, who was slouched over. His wings were droopy as well, looking as if he couldn’t hold them up.

“I-I think I’m gonna go and clear my head.” The blond stood, the brownette on the other side standing as well. 

“I’ll come with you.” Tommy smiled gratefully before making his way to the doors. 

“Well, you just told us that bit of information helped greatly.” Philza spoke up. “At least now we have an idea what Dream is doing, and why he stole Tommy in the first place.” 

“I still think there's more to it. I don’t think he stole Tommy just for that reason, dad.” The pinkette grumbled. 

“You could be right.” Philza sighed, standing up slowly. “But we don’t know for sure. So unless we can capture Dream and ask him ourselves we will never truly know.” Tubbo still sat quietly, seeming to be having an inside battle of his own. “Well, thank you for cuaporating!” The blond cheerfully said. Ranboo gave the other a strange look. 

“Don’t you care that we broke in?” The pinkette snorted at his question, the king himself humming amusingly. 

“You’d be surprised how normal it is.” The avain answered. “Actually I think there was another group that broke in. yet we are still searching. Apparently they dressed up as soldiers, so I guess they must be somewhat professional.” He shrugged. The pig hybrid sighed. 

“We really need to tighten security around here.” 

+ +  +

Quackity, Sam, and Charlie were stepping down the many steps to the dungeons in hopes of finding Tommy. Once they found the avian they could start their search for Tubbo and Ranboo, and if they had time take one of Technoblades own lives. “How long are these stairs?” Quackity grumbled. The slime hybrid looked unfazed by the number of stairs though, humming an unknown tune from the front. Sam looked over towards the black haired male with apologetic eyes. 

“Not too long, I promise.” As if on cue they finally made it to the end, Quackity sighing in relief as they now made their way down the torch light halls, rows of cells covered the walls. Some had people in them, others were empty and opened waiting to be filled. 

“Why are we down here again?” Charlie asked. The human sighed in defeat, this now being the fourth time they had to explain why they broke into the Antarctic palace. 

“We’re looking for the Dreamer prince, Charlie.” Sam explained. The slime made a ‘o’ sound as if he just remembered. 

“Right.” 

“Speaking of which! Sam, have any idea where they may have him?” quackity asked. 

“Well, they may have special cells like we do back home. They may have him in there.” Quackity nodded along. 

“Okay! Lead the way!” The creeper hybrid nodded before walking past Charlie to be in the lead, walking through the maze of halls to get to where he theorized the special cells would be. They walked past many actual guards on their walk, Quackity tenseing everytime he and said guards would make eye contact. It was worrying one of them would realize he wasn’t an actual guard, finding them out. Down here they were cornered, if they were discovered it was all over for the three. Eventually they made it to a closed off section of the cells, Sam hesitantly opening the door letting them walk through. They did cautiously, Charlie more calmly than the other two. 

“Well, this may be it.” Sam mumbled, walking down the dimly light hallway before it opened up to another room. In the room were circular cages, though none full. It confused the two, Charlie just in awe as he stared at them. 

“This is cool!” The brownette gasped, running further into the open room. 

“Why is nothing in here though?” Quackity asked. Sam shrugged. 

“It looks to be the special cells though, maybe they knew someone would come after Tommy and put him in a normal cell?” Sam asked. A screech made both Sam and Quackity jump, their heads whipping over towards the noise only to find Charlie being thrown to the ground in front of them. Before the other two were two very angry looking guards. A pink haired female human and a brown haired male human, both looking very angry. 

“Two break ins on the same day?” The male growled. “Are the outside guards really this horrible at their jobs?” The girl angrily sighed. 

“Let’s just get them in cells, ok?” The male grumbled in response, pulling his sword out of his sheath, the girl following suit. 

“If you come with us quietly you may just be let go, ok?” Quackity laughed, pulling his own sword out. Sam looked at the other like he was crazy, but followed example once the two other guards lunged at them. Quackity quickly dodged an attack, though the male somehow saw that coming and kicked the other down once his legs were open to the attack. Quackity landed onto the ground, the air in his lungs being knocked out of him. 

“Why do all the fucking people breaking in just want to fight? First those two boys, and now these idiots!” The male growled. That made Quackity pause, Sam himself who seemed to have managed to smack the girl's sword out of her hand doing the same. The slime hybrid was still on the ground though, looking at the others above him with fearful eyes. 

“There were two boys here?” Sam asked. The two guards looked confused, pulling away from the two intruders. 

“Yeah?” The girl got suspicious. “Why?” Quackity stood up quickly seeing his attacker was distracted and pinned him to the ground, making the girl get back in a fighting stance. She was about to attack before the human grabbed his dagger from its sheath, holding it to the brunette's neck. 

“Take us to them right fucking now or i’ll slit your friends throat.” Quackity threatened. The girl seemed taken aback, pointing her sword towards the still very terrified Charlie. 

“Do it and I’ll stab him!” Sam groaned, getting in between the two before it excelated. 

“How about no one gets stabbed and we just come with you peacefully? Yeah? You take us to the two boys and we all live!” The girl laughed, her sword inching closer to the slime hybrid, who was now pressing himself into the ground in an attempt to get away from the weapon. 

“You chose violence when you denied the peaceful solution the first time!” 

“Oh my gods Niki, just listen to them!” The male yelled. “I don’t feel like losing one of my lives over something as stupid as this!” Niki groaned, taking her sword away from the teen on the floor and sheathing it once again. 

“Fine, now let him go.” She growled. Quackity did as told, getting off of the other and putting away his own weapon. The other soldier got up and made his way to his companions' side, though he glared at the blackette who had threatened his life. Charlie was quick to make his way to Sam, hiding behind the creeper hybrid. “Come with us.” And with that they made their way out of the dungeon, though the three had no idea what they were about to walk into. Or how much their lives were about to really change.