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Just a small thing: I made it so Skeppy is now the king of the world and no longer Phil. Just thought I should clear that up really quick! :)
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“Did you hear about what happened to Dream?” Techno asked as he looked around the town at the different market stands. The sun was shining above them as people went on with their normal days. Techno was just following his father through town, buying things they needed to bring back to the house. Techno looked at the announcement board as they walked past, the board almost barren due to the fact they had taken down almost all of the posters.
“Look… They took down all those posters talking about that thief. Said he was dead or something like that… I’m kinda disappointed you know? If you were able to bring him in, every person in your party would get two netherite ingots, some diamonds, and gold. Plus he seemed to be a skilled individual. I would’ve wanted to get at least one duel in with the kid,” The piglin hybrid explained with a sigh as he walked down the streets of town. He was disappointed that Dream’s bounty was taken off the market. He had thought about going after the teen. Even though he wasn’t really his style he would gladly do it for the money.
“Plus! Imagine all the things we could’ve gotten. We could’ve upgraded the house and we’d be set for a lifetime. We could just stay at the house most of the time since we wouldn’t have to work and stuff like that. Sounds like a dream come true to be honest- Finally some real competition. It would’ve been nice. But anyways, I wonder how King Skeppy is handling the death of that thief. I mean didn’t he want to just throw him into prison…? Not kill him right?” Technoblade asked, turning to his traveling partner. Philza just sighed as he thought about it for a bit. He turned to Techno, his ash grey wings curling in a bit behind him.
“He was just a kid, Techno. Of course no one wanted to kill him. Skeppy was probably planning on sending him to an orphanage or something if they couldn’t send him to prison. I mean he was just a kid. Actually, rumor has it he is an orphan that escaped a local orphanage in the area. He lied about his age and worked for the king only to steal from him. He’s been on the run ever since. No one actually knows why he ran away from the orphanage and no one knows how he was able to run away for so long. But it’s most likely because he was about the age of 15 to 17 years old. You know how hard it is to get adopted at that age… You just got lucky,” Philza joked as he elbowed Techno lightly in the arm. The hybrid just huffed at the comment, Philza having adopted him when he was about 16 years old.
“It’s kind of sad thinking about it… I mean they were chasing that boy for months just because he stole something from the king. People say the king’s hunters found where he lived and that they were chasing him followed him through the forest. Only for him to jump off a cliff into a ravine. His body wasn’t recovered because he fell in a river of lava at the bottom. The only thing that confirmed his death was the sight of his mask burning in a pool of lava. Just imagine having to deal with all of that… They actually made him a small grave near the cabin that was supposedly his home… Just to pay respect and that kind of stuff. It’s the most they could do for driving him to death. But there was nothing we could really do,” Philza explained and Techno cringed at that. The thought of dying by lava was not a nice thing. But Techno just shook the feeling off and kept walking. But his mind couldn’t help but wander from time to time.
The two turned and started walking down a busy alley between two houses. Tents lined the sidewalks and the people around them were minding their own business. They weren’t even giving the two travelers a second glance. They had walked this path many times, this being the quickest way to the market. But Techno couldn’t help but feel like something was off. His ears flickered as he listened closely, his eyes shifting around looking at the people they passed. It wasn’t until he saw a small gloved hand reaching for Philza’s money bag that hung on his belt. The hand had gotten a hold of the bag, not making a sound as Philza didn’t notice. But before the hand could pull back, Techno was quick to grab the stranger’s wrist. Philza was surprised by his son’s sudden movement and was quick to jump back. When Techno looked he saw a young boy, barely in his teens.
“Now what do you think you’re doing kid…?” Techno asked as he looked at the boy in front of him. He looked pretty young from what Techno could see. But the bottom of his face was hidden by a green bandanna, the two unable to see the kid’s mouth. His eyes were a bright sky blue, filled with anger that was directed towards Techno. He had a head full of messy unkempt blonde hair and fingerless gloves. He also wore a red and white shirt and some light brown pants, the pants looking worn and were ripped up at the knees… He was barefoot, the boy looking like he didn’t really take care of himself. Yet he still had Philza’s money bag clutched in his right hand. Philza looked at the boy with worry, wondering what happened to make the kid look like he did. But before Philza could ask any questions the blonde kid started screaming and kicking. The two travelers were surprised no one around came to the boy’s aid.
“Hey!!! What the hell?! Let the fuck go of me!! I’m sorry I tried stealing your shitty stuff! Now just let me go, bitch!” The boy yelled as he struggled to get his wrist from Techno’s grasp. The hybrid just sighed, taking the money from the boy and handing it back to Philza. The winged man took the pouch, putting it back on his belt before looking back at the boy. Techno tried his best to keep the blonde in place, the action making the kid panic even more. “You got your money back! Now let my the fuck go!!! I promise I’ll leave you alone just let me go! I don’t want to go to the guards! Don’t turn me in!” He yelled, struggling even more, fear slowly making its way into his tone. He even started kicking Techno as a last resort, but he didn’t do much to the much bigger and stronger piglin hybrid. Philza was about to tell Techno to let the poor boy go but the young blonde moved first. As a last ditch effort to get away the boy curled up the best he could, Techno raising an eyebrow at the weird escape tactic…
But then out of nowhere huge light brown wings came out of his back, Techo getting a face full of feathers. Philza jumped back and almost laughed at the sight, brown feathers getting almost everywhere. The boy let out a loud laugh as he felt the hand on his wrist loosen. Techno was quick to let go, putting his hands on his face as he coughed at the sudden attack. The boy smirked as he rubbed his wrist, Techno’s grip a little too tight. He then folded his wings away, looking like a normal boy before running away as fast as his feet could carry him. When Techno finally gained his bearing he looked up to see the boy flicking him off with his right hand, in his left hand was Techno’s sword. Philza could barely process anything before Techno took off after the boy, the blonde letting out a yelp as he ran from the powerful hybrid. Philza just sighed and ran after the two.
“Get back here you little shit! Give me back my sword!” Techno yelled and the boy just kept weaving through people like a professional. Techno and Philza almost lost him a few times as the boy knew the town's streets like the back of his hand. He would even jump over huge piles of crates and slide underneath moving wagons just to get distance between him and the two chasing him. Techno was still able to keep up with him though, able to pull the same tricks the boy did. But Philza wasn’t as lucky as he struggled a bit to get past some of the obstacles with his huge wings. Philza sighed, tired of the chance as he spread his wings. He took to the skies and soared above everything, seeing that the boy was heading right for the forest. Phil was surprised at how fast the boy could run. He could barely keep up with him while flying in the skies.
“Philza! We have to stop him before he gets to the forest! You can’t see him through the tree line from the skies!” Techno yelled and the man nodded, diving down as he tried to catch the boy. But the blonde easily ducked out of the way of Philza’s attempts. His blue eyes scanned the area, his eyes landing on the treeline. He was quick to jump into the safety of the bushes, but never stopped running. He jumped over rocks and branches, running underneath the safety of the tree canopy. Techno was quick to follow the boy into the forest, trying not to get stuck on any of the things on the forest floor. Philza landed on the ground before running after the two once again. Philza really hated running but there was no room to spread his wings. Techno watched as the boy quickly pushed past a huge wall of bushes, Techno following right behind him. But when he broke through the wall of plants and got to the other side there was no one there. It was like the boy just disappeared into thin air. When Philza caught up he looked around before looking over to Techno with confusion.
“Where did he go? Did you see him?” Philza asked as he looked around the area, leaning on Techno as he took in a deep breath. It was a small opening in the forest, the trees surrounding a small lake. There was a huge waterfall falling from the side of a mountain and flowing into the lake below, flowers and animals surrounding the area. It was a nice untouched past of nature. It looked really peaceful and if Philza had a chance he debated building a house here. But he liked it back in the arctic better if he was being honest. Techno tried to see if he could spot the boy running through the forest or maybe find him flying through the skies.
“How could someone just disappear out of nowhere. First he was here and then he’s not! He didn’t have any potions on him when you grabbed him. From what I could see anyways… He must still be close… There is no way someone can just disappear like that” Philza said as he looked around, but he couldn’t help but watch the waterfall fall. The sound was calming as the water crashed against the rocks below. Techno sighed, disappointed that he might never get his sword back from the blonde kid… A kid was what he lost his sword to! Techno never thought this was going to be how he lost it.
“Where in the world did that kid go…?” Philza mumbled as he thought.
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Tommy stifled his laugh as he watched the two men look for him. He was trying not to move and be too loud. His red and white shirt didn’t camouflage with the green leaves as well as Dream’s hoodie would’ve but it didn’t matter. He was crouched down on top of a branch, trying his best not to fall as he gained his balance. No wonder Dream liked this so much... This was such a rush… Running away from people was actually really fun. It was the thrill of the chase that gave Tommy some entertainment. Seeing the piglin hybrid panic when he attacked him with his wings was one of the funniest things Tommy had seen that week. That was one of the first actual chases. He was never followed into the forest when he stole something. Usually he was able to lose his chaser after a few minutes. But those two men were different, and Tommy had a good time. It almost made him feel bad for taking the sword…
Almost...
His hand held the heavy sword tightly, the sword made for someone a lot older than himself. He looked around for an exit, trying to get away without the two seeing him getting away. He was lucky as the two men walked back into the forest, turning their back on looking. The blonde smiled and dropped from the tree tops immediately, landing on the ground as he used his wings to slow his fall. The grass felt soft beneath his feet as he stood there for a few seconds, taking in the scenery. But soon he slowly jogged over to the waterfall that was flowing over the cliff. He was quick to walk behind the waterfall, disappearing behind the huge sheet of water.
When he came out on the other side he saw a small campsite, the place he has been calling home for the past few weeks. There were lanterns scattered around the area for a light source and for beds that had made tents with the supplies they had. He missed the cottage, but wherever his brothers were was a good enough home for him. As soon as he was at the campsite he pulled down the green bandanna from his face, the piece of fabric a present from Tubbo.
“Tommy! You’re back! What did you grab in town? Is it anything good?” Ranboo asked as he approached the boy. He was wearing a simple black and white split shirt and back pants. He had taken off the crown he usually wears off so he didn’t draw attention to himself. Dream had gotten him that crown a long time ago in a toy store and he refused to get rid of it. He was just as beaten looking as Tommy, the two boys living behind a waterfall for the past few weeks.Tommy just simply held out the netherite sword, Ranboo’s eyes widening at the sight. The enderman hybrid took the tool in his hands, inspecting it closely.
“How much do you think it’s gonna cost…? Also do we have to melt it and turn it into ingots to sell it? I really don’t feel like going to go get lava again- The last time we had to melt that iron axe to get those ingots didn’t go too well. I already burned my hands and Tubbo had to patch me up. I’m just glad the burns weren’t too bad,” Tommy complained as he looked down at his bandages underneath his black gloves, opening and closing his hands. Ranboo just shook his head, Tommy letting out a sigh in relief. The blonde watched as Ranboo read the enchantments on the sword, the weapon giving off a small purple light..
“This thing has Sharpness V, Sweeping Edge III, Fire Aspect II, Looting III, Unbreaking III, and Mending- Tommy who did you guess this from? They must have been really hard to get away from…” Ranboo said and Tommy just shrugged. “This could go for a lot on the market. Most people can’t get these good enchantments on the first go… It must have taken this person so long to write all of these enchantments down. Plus it’s made out of netherite. You can only find those in the nether and they’re extremely rare. This stuff is stronger than diamond. Just the sword can get us a lot of money. Maybe even the amount we need,” Ranboo explained and Tommy nodded, peering over to the multiple tents that were set up. But he specifically looked at the lime green one, the flaps closed and a small lantern lighting up inside.
“H-How… How is he doing…? Is he getting any better?” Tommy asked and Ranboo noticed the blonde looking at the green tent. Ranboo just sighed, taking his attention from the sword and directing it to the younger. Tommy looked down at the ground sadly, knowing the answer he was going to get. The older was quick to put the sword down, hugging his younger brother tightly in his arms. Tommy slowly wrapped his arms around Ranboo’s torso as he buried his face in the hybrid’s chest.
“We just have to get a little more money… We’re almost there. We’re almost done with all of this. I promise. We’ll be able to get the medicine for him soon and everything will be alright. He’ll be back on his feet in no time. But until we can get the medicine we need you out there on the streets getting up supplies, Tubbo needs to make sure he can keep his temperature down, and I’m here keeping the campsite up and running. Once Dream is back we’ll be back on the road until we find a more suitable place to settle down,” Ranboo explained and Tommy just nodded, face still in his chest. Dream had gotten sick due to the injured he had sustained during his little trick by jumping into the ravine. The burns had gotten worse and since they didn’t have the right supplies they got infected. The teen hasn’t been able to get out of bed for weeks, forcing them to stop their journey and settle down behind this waterfall.
“I-If only I was faster… I-If only I was fast enough to get to him… I suck at using my wings Ranboo. They’re small and they may never grow to full size. He did that for us- He jumped off a goddamn cliff for us… Now we thought we were going to have a happy ending and now he’s sick… Have you seen his back-? It’s so fucked up Ranboo… He’s in so much pain and we can’t do anything about it- W-What if he… What if he…” Tommy said, his words dying on his lips as he let himself sob into his brother’s chest. He couldn’t bring himself to say it. He didn’t want to think about living in the world without his older brother. Ranboo just quietly hushed him as he ran his hand through Tommy’s hair.
“He’s going to get through this. We all are. Remember what he said…? He promised we’ll always be together no matter what. You know Dream never breaks a promise,” Ranboo said and Tommy slowly nodded, pulling away a little as he wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. The two brothers stood there for a little bit. They stood there for a little bit, listening as they waterfall ran down at the entrance. But the two went rigid when they heard a pair of footsteps walking towards them. Tommy was quick to pull away from Ranboo, thinking it was Tubbo at first. But then he remembered that the brunette had never left Dream's side ever since he’s gotten sick.
“Tommy…? Were you followed back home?” Ranboo asked as he slowly pulled away from the hug, his ears flickering as he listened. The footsteps echoed through the area, getting closer and closer by the second. Tommy shrugged, his eyes full of panic as he looked over at the entrance to the cave. Walking out from behind the sheet of water were the people who were chasing him through the market moments before. In total desperation Tommy was quick to grab the sword that Ranboo had set down, pointing it to the two men and standing in front of Ranboo.
“Tommy are these the people you stole the sword from…?” Ranboo asked in a hushed tone, the blonde nodding as he never took his eyes off of the two people in front of him. Holding the sword made his arms hurt… But Tommy was not letting another one of his brothers get hurt because of a mistake he made. But the blonde was surprised when he saw the one with wings was quick to put their arms up, showing they weren’t holding anything. He elbowed his companion, the piglin hybrid hesitating but doing the same thing slowly.
“We’re not here to fight you… We just need to talk to you. We just want that sword back then we’ll be on our way. We won’t send guards. We won’t tell anyone that you’re here. We can even pretend we don’t know you,” The man said but noticed that Tommy wasn’t making any movement to bring the sword down. He just sighed and tried again, taking a different approach. “My name is Philza and this is my son Technoblade. We’re travelers and we were just passing by town. What are your names?” Philza asked and Tommy put the sword down a little bit, looking up at Ranboo to see if he should answer. The older nodded and Tommy slowly put the sword down, glaring at the two adults. But Tommy still clutched onto the sword handle for dear life, making sure he was ready if the two men decided to attack.
“I-I’m Ranboo and this is my brother Tommy. We’ve got two other people here but that’s pretty much it,” Ranboo said looking at the blonde who was still getting all defensive. Ranboo knew that Tommy had his back so he wasn’t afraid to approach the two newcomers, the two keeping their hands in the air. Techno looked like he wanted to attack, but Philza seemed to have some control over his son. Ranboo took in a deep breath, gaining some confidence as he spoke without stuttering this time. “Also I’m sorry but we can’t give you back the sword. We need it. So we’re going to have to ask you to leave here empty handed. I’m sorry but that’s just how it has to be,” Ranboo said and Philza gave Ranboo a confused look.
“Why do you need Techno’s sword? I mean we could give you anything else- How about an iron sword or maybe an axe? I’ve got a lot of stuff in my inventory you can have,” Philza explained and Ranboo and Tommy shared another look. Philza sighed when he watched Tommy clutch the sword closer to him and Ranboo just shook his head. The two knew they weren’t getting the sword from the two any time soon. “I mean you two don’t seem to fight or anything… Why would you need a netherite sword- Are… Are you planning to sell it somewhere?” Philza asked and Ranboo nodded, looking over at the sword Tommy was holding. Philza looked over to Techno, both concerned for the two boys.
“We need the money a lot right now… We were planning to sell this at the market because we don’t have enough money. The gold- The gold is going to help our friend. He needs it a lot right now. So we can’t give you back your sword… Sorry…” Ranboo apologized again and stuttered a bit when he realized what he had said. Tommy’s eyes widened a little bit when he heard the mention of Dream. Techno was the one to step forward this time, Tommy quickly running up to stand in front of Ranboo and holding the sword at Techno’s chest.
“Where is your friend? Maybe we could help him,” Techno explained and Tommy was about to start yelling at him, but Techno was quick to speak and stop him. “Phil here is a healer. He can help your friend and maybe you don’t need to sell my sword to get him medicine. I promise he’ll help. He won’t hurt your friend and all he’ll do is help him,” Techno explained and Tommy slowly lowered the sword and looked over to Philza. The winged man was quick to nod, showing that Techno was telling the truth. Tommy nodded firmly and the two boys walked over to the green tent, Philza and Techno sharing a look before following the two teens. Ranboo slowly pulled the tent flap open, all of them somehow fitting inside. The tent was surprisingly huge, a lantern hanging from the ceiling.
Inside Tubbo was sitting on a chair next to the medical bed, a table of used and new medical supplied right next to him. Tubbo’s face was in his hands as he took a small break from watching his older brother. But then he flinched as Tommy walked in, surprised by the change of noise. He was about to welcome Tommy with a wide smile on his face. But then he saw the two older men walking in from behind. Tubbo was about to yell or do something but Tommy was quick to calm his brother down. He whispered something to Tubbo and the brunette looked at Tommy then Phil and Techno. He had to double take for a second before stepping aside, letting Philza see Dream. He smiled and nodded as he walked to the side of Dream’s bed.
The blonde was set on his side as he slept, his entire torso wrapped in bandages that were almost soaked with blood. There was a towel on the boy’s head, Tubbo doing his best to lower the teen’s temperature. His eyes were twisted a bit in pain as he rested there trying to sleep. He would let out a cough here and there, his body desperately trying to get rid of the infection in his body. Some of his arms were wrapped in bandages and Philza couldn’t help but feel bad. As he looked at Dream he looked at the other boys that were taking care of the teen. They all looked so young yet they were all beaten and bruised. Their hair was messy and they looked like they hadn’t really taken care of themselves.
“What’s his name…? And what’s yours kid?” Philza asked the brunette who had been taking care of the blonde. The kid looked at Tommy and Ranboo who nodded, telling the boy that it was ok to talk to Philza. The brunette cleared his throat as he slowly spoke. “I-I’m Tubbo… This is our older brother- Dream,” Tubbo said and Philza’s breath hitched while Techno’s eyes widened a bit only for them to go back to normal. Philza looked down at the blonde in front of him… How was he so young? He barely looked like he was the age of 15. Philza thought that Dream was at least older looking… But no. He looked like an actual kid with his freckles. But the scars all over his body said otherwise.
“Well hello Tubbo… I’m Philza. Do you mind telling me um- What- What happened to all of you? Why in the world are you living behind a waterfall…? Where are your parents?” Philza asked and Ranboo and Tubbo looked over to Tommy, expecting the blonde to answer for them. Tommy sighed and pulled up a chair, sitting next to Tubbo. Techno leaned against one of the clear tables in the tent while Ranboo just stood there to the side. Tommy looked at Dream sadly before sighing as he thought over his words.
“I- Um… We don’t have parents… We’re orphans and we’ve been on the run for months now. Almost a year… The only reason we’re here is because our home was raided. Some hunters came around and busted in. We had no choice but to run. I’m guessing you know what Dream did to escape?” Tommy prompted and Techno and Philza nodded, listening to the boy’s story. “Well when he jumped he had me catch him. But I’m not the best with my wings yet since I’m only 12… I-I flew too low and his entire back got severely burnt. We wrapped it up without a second thought. But after a few days of traveling Dream got really really sick. That’s when we decided to check his wounds… They’re infected and he’s been like this ever since. Since he can’t go out I’ve been stealing for us, Ranboo checking how much all of our stuff would be on the market, and Tubbo has been here taking care of Dream,” Tommy said, clearly stressed out of his mind. Tubbo looked so exhausted while Ranboo was so worried.
“I’m so sorry for all of you… How about this,” Philza said clearing his throat as he slowly stood up from where he was. “You don’t have the stuff I need to help Dream here… But maybe we can’t take you back to our cabin. I can help Dream heal there and you guys can stay there and maybe get cleaned up. You don’t have to come but it would probably be the best- These aren’t the best conditions for your brother… So we need to get him out of here. So why don’t you all get packing? Go… Go ahead,” Philza encouraged and the three brothers looked at each other smiling brightly before leaving the tent. They were a bit hesitant to leave their brother, especially Tubbo, but soon the three were quick to run out of the tent to go pack their stuff. Tommy didn’t even realize he had left Techno’s sword sitting on a table.
“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Techno asked as he picked up his sword and hung it back onto his belt. “I mean this kid is Dream… The Dream that was hunted by the king. I know the people think he’s dead but what if they find out?” Techno asked and Philza sighed as he brushed the blonde hair out of Dream’s eyes.
“You saw how they looked Techno. These boys have been through so much and are barely teenagers. I think Tommy and Tubbo aren’t even teenagers… We’re going to help them and when we finish helping Dream and they want to leave? Then we let them go. We can’t force them to stay with us… But we’re going to help them the best we can,” Phil said and Techno just sighed and nodded. After a while they helped the three boy’s pack their stuff. Taking down the tents, putting things into bags, and mounting the boy’s horses. Philza was surprised when Tommy and Tubbo hopped onto one house, Ranboo hopping onto the other with Dream securely in his lap. The three let Phil and Techno lead them out and towards their home. But while they walked Tubbo started a conversation with Phil.
“S-So… You’re really gonna help our brother…?” Tubbo asked and Philza nodded with a small chuckle as he looked up at the boy on the horse.
“I mean I’m going to try my best to save him,” Philza explained and Tubbo smiled as he looked back at Ranboo and Dream on his horse. The older man’s heart broke a little bit when he watched Tubbo’s smile fall a bit. He was quick to ask another question to help distract the boy. “What is your brother like Tubbo? He seems like a good older brother,” Phil said and Tubbo immediately lit up and nodded quickly.
“He’s the best! He takes care of us and everything. Even if he stole for a living and he did bad things to help us survive… He’s kind and nice. He taught us how to read, write, plant, cook, bake, and a lot of other things too! It’s great!” Tubbo said as he thought back to their life in the cottage they owned. “He made a house for us and he- And he never breaks his promises,” Tubbo explained and Phil raised an eyebrow at the boy’s claim.
“Never?”
“Never! Never never ever,” Tubbo confirmed as he looked over to Tommy who was focused on the path they were on. “He promised that we’d stay together forever and we haven’t had to leave each other ever since. Even when we were in the orphanage. Tommy, Ranboo, and I were supposed to get adopted but then Dream helped us run away. Ever since Dream has never made us leave each other and every single promise he’s made with us he keeps… He’s a great older brother,” Tubbo said and smiled, Tommy smiling a bit but not saying a word.
“He sounds like a wonderful brother,” Phil said as he looked at the sick Dream sitting on the horse behind them…
Philza was going to save this boy no matter what happened.
He was making sure Dream kept his promise.
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Words: 5490
I know some of you said you wanted a part two so here it is! I hope you guys enjoyed and I'll probably be adding more to this series in the future! Stay tuned! Remember that I love you all and please wear a mask and stay safe. Have a wonderful life! Until next time! <3