Chapter Text
Back when Unstable was first made, back far beyond any big city or empire. Back when not even giant temples had even shook a thought, Unstable wasn't.. Unstable. It was quiet, peaceful. With villages spotted around the world far and wide, when resources were plentiful and mobs spawned often. The server was still new, most players still young. The oldest were young adults in their mid 20's.
*Manepear*, a sun lion hybrid, was only 10 when he first found the first of many. Only just beginning to traverse the nether with the local villagers when he found a boy.. No, not a normal boy. A boy in a pool of molten lava, freshly half formed and crying tears of that same melted magma he sat in. Mane strayed from the group he was in, splashing himself with fire resistance like taught before jumping into the lava. He waded through, shushing the Nether-borne boy before lifting the small being into his arms and hauling him out, the boy clung to his clothes, tears flowing free from eyes that weren't even fully opened yet.
The boy came home with Mane that day with much persuasion, and because like a young chick Mane was the first thing the boy saw semi properly he now believed Mane to be his guardian. Manepear, only a boy himself became the youngest guardian known on Unstable seeing as he refused to let the villagers take the boy from him. The boy soon gained the name Flamefrags, as he cooled in the overworld feline features formed. He was a nether crossed tiger. Manepear loved this, he had a cub now that was a feline like him.
Mane spent many months that crossed to a year teaching Flame how to control his Nether-borne powers and how to say simple things. Fortunately Flamefrags was a quick learner, somehow, and picked up basic ques and how to stay cool enough to.. Not burn down half of Mane's poor tree house. Though he was a clingy cub, waddling after Mane as soon as he figured out how and curling up in Mane's nest every night. It never mattered to Mane for he was just happy to have a cub to care for.
Around two years had passed without incident, Manepear was 12, Flamefrags 3 when while running around the jungle near their home Flame collided with another child. It squeaked and flew into a tree as a small walking heater collided into it. Flame too squealed in shock and darted back towards Manepear close behind who had startled at hearing his younger brother and a new voice yelp. Flame hid behind Mane as he looked around for who yelped, Flame was still rather hot for people who wasn't used to it and he could cause mild burns if not careful. Mane had to check to make sure whoever he hit wasn't injured.
Looking around there was feathers of green and blue against the ground, and in the trees cooped up in hiding was the body of a military macaw hybrid. Small burns was on their arms and bare chest. Ah, Flame had burned the child by accident. It took Manepear a couple of tries before he coaxed the bird down from the trees but he managed too, having knowing he atleast had to treat the burns. He set home, Flame holding his tail and the bird boy in his arms.
Great. A second cub, he soon realised when the bird couldn't speak of any family and even after he treated the burns and gifted him in clothing and was safe to go the bird boy stayed. Even though Flame still scared him as he flew up every time the fire born tiger appeared. This boy, fortunately could speak. Not fluently but more then Flame definitely. The macaw called himself Parrot, and Mane just didn't question it. The boy was happy and it ment he had a second cub now.
It took many months before Parrot and Flame got along, but they did eventually. And Mane soon discovered Parrot was around 7 years old, from the boy's own words. Though he had to make changes for the boy's mostly plant diet it was fine. The villagers didn't question the second boy on Mane's side when he came to the village to restock with Flame. Manepear was a strange boy, and the villagers just kinda accepted he was just being a lion and taking in little hybrids. How he kept finding them though? Eh. They didn't know either.
It had only been a year of routine learning before a knock rang through the tree house. Manepear, who was 13 now was curled up in his nest with two clingy cubs. Flame, 4, and Parrot, 8, he had just settled the cubs to nap when he heard the knock. Sighing he rose, carefully prying himself away from the two younger boys and he made his way down towards the door.
Only, he found a villager at the door with a boy of pure void there. Apparently the boy had crash landed and the villagers, not knowing what to do, reluctantly came to Manepear. They knew he was already caring for a Nether-borne so they had figured he'd know how to care for an End-borne too.
Mane had sighed, but regardless he took the Voidling in. The villagers wouldn't have, he knew that. He checked the child over and cleaned any wounds, presenting him with new clothes before taking the third cub to his nest. Parrot had awoken, fussing quietly at his wings and cooing in soft distress.
Mane settled the Voidling down and sat beside Parrot, Flame instinctively curling up around Mane's tail the Voidling close behind surprisingly. Mane pulled Parrot close, preening the boy's wings. He was getting new flight feathers and it was like teething to a player baby. He couldn't leave his wings alone, they hurt constantly and Parrot was unable to settle.
The new boy was Called Spoke, and was apparently aged 6 from some long translating. He spoke End tounge... Which wasn't the best. Mane had to go back to basics and slowly brought Spoke back to speed with common tounge. It was a little frustrating.
Manepear thought Spoke was the last, afterall 5 years had passed without another child appearing. He was 18 now, Flame was 9, Parrot was 13 and Spoke was 11.
Parrot and the others had moved out of his nest, they had their own rooms now but most days he ended up with atleast one boy in his nest regardless. He missed having them all cuddled around him every night but they did have to learn to be themselves eventually. His cubs had to grow strong eventually.
He was out one day, wandering the jungle farer from home then usual. He was collecting some things the villagers didn't sell, he wasn't keeping track of his surroundings to the point he almost missed the squeak of fear from a young boy. He turned, looking.
Another voidling. This one more demonic. His skin a soft purple with long chaotic darker purple hair with faintly glowing obsidian dual horns and a skinny twitchy glowing tail. He was covered in bruising, and wounds. Just skin and bone and fear.
Manepear lowered himself down low, coaxing the young one towards him. There was no way he could leave such a young child. It took a bit before the child crept towards him. But it did, and so slowly returned home. Flame and Spoke were rolling and hissing on the floor, but stopped with a hiss from Parrot as Mane returned with a boy.
They cleaned the boy, cared for him. He only knew End tounge too, so Spoke became his translator. It took much longer for the boy to heal or relearn common tounge. His vocal cords weren't the healthiest. For a year he only babbled in common tounge, and said very few words in End tounge. They didn't know his name, so they just called him Wisteria. He looked the same pretty purple as the Wisteria so it worked, he also sometimes got Amethyst..
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"Mane!!!! Flame bit me!" Spoke yelped running through the tree house walls, squeaking like a little boy as a distant hiss came from Flame. The voidling ran towards Mane in the living room and darted behind him, hiding as an annoyed and very chompy Flame appeared. Snapping his teeth and targeting Spoke.
Mane sighed, he'd only *just* managed to settle Wisteria for a nap. The other young Voidling struggled to settle and was a lot more work then the rest.
"Fire cracker come here," He just sighed and scruffed Flame indignantly as he came running past, Flame hissed and bared small fangs at his brother before his ears pinned back and he went limb. They all did, thanks to Mane just treating them all like actual cubs.
"Spoke you're fine, you however give me your mouth. Why are we chomping again like we're teething?" Manepear patted Spoke's head with a free hand and shifted Wisteria's somewhat settled body to his tail/back before dropping Flame on his lap, belly up and pried his mouth open. Flame didn't bite people unless there was something wrong with his teeth. Flame made a half hiss at his brother messing with his mouth.
Spoke half laid next to Mane, curious what he was doing now. Parrot was in the corner of the room reading quietly to himself, but he'd looked up now.
"Stop figiting boy.." Manepear hissed at Flame, subconsciously baring sharp fangs at the smaller nether borne feline. Flame froze and stopped trying to escape at that.
Fangs? New fangs. He could feel the sharp points of new fangs where his old one's fell out a couple weeks ago. Great, Flame was getting adult fangs and he was biting people to cope with it.
"Butterfly, can you get me a weakness potion and a stick? He's teething adult fangs and preferably I don't want him biting Spoke or my furniture again." Manepear didn't even look up, but he heard a soft yes from the macaw and as he stood to go out Spoke jumped up after him. He held Flame still against his lap, even as he hissed and whined like a newborn cub. Mane sighed once more but let Flame bite his hand as he snapped his teeth towards it, it shut him up atleast. And this teething thing shouldn't last as long or be as bad.
"Parrot~ Parrot stop ignoring meeee" Spoke's voice rang out, not too long later as the pair returned. Spoke pranced holding a chewing stick, while Parrot carried a weakness potion.
"Spoke shut up before you wake Wisteria- Mane will murder if he wakes up" Parrot grumbled back to Spoke. Leading the way back as Spoke hissed at him in annoyance at being ignored. He wandered close to where Mane sat, still holding down a whining, bitey Flame and half asleep Wisteria.
"Here, big brother." Parrot chirped softly, handing the potion and Spoke handed the stick. The macaw's wings ruffled up slightly before he sat down next to Mane and lifted Wisteria into his arms, cradling the smaller cub back to sleep so Mane could deal with Flame on his own.
The sun soon set over the tree house, and quiet fell as Manepear carried a now sleepy, less chompy Flamefrags with a Parrot close to his tail carrying a now fast asleep Wisteria wrapped in his wings folded over his chest. Spoke trailing close behind once he realised everyone was heading for Mane's nest and he didn't want to be left out.
Pushing the door open with a large paw Mane led his cubs inside. Spoke paused to push the door shut and quickly ran into the nest as Mane sat down, letting Flame curl up in his lap with Parrot against his side. Head lent to his shoulder, trilling softly in the quietly. Parrot could never quite replicate purring like everyone else. Trilling worked just as well through.
They settled down in the nest, eventually forming a cuddle pile around Manepear. Each cub dozing off underneath layers of blankets and pillows.. Peaceful. Oh so peaceful. Mane just purred loud in happiness.
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"Flame? Why are we just watching him?" A much older, now King-ed Parrot muttered. His arms folded neatly over his front, over his now komodo clothing. Manepear's room. It had always been quite large. A walk in closet to the left, a desk/dresser to the right, paintings covered the walls. One painting contained each of their foot/paw prints from when they were young, others of the tree house. Plants hung from the ceiling and other trinkets covered the room. Atleast one thing from each of the family was there somewhere.
"You wanted to know why Mane has been loosing his voice recently, and why he hasn't been getting any sleep." An older, now much taller Flamefrags replied quietly. His gaze, uncovered by his usual red blindfold, watched the far end. A massive nest lay in the corner, with Flame's own bed in the other. He had his own room now but he ended up in here most nights anyway.
"That doesn't explain why, just tell me already" Parrot muttered back, his wings fluttering slightly in annoyance. Mane was fast asleep in his nest, body wrapped fully around one of Wisteria (well, Wemmbu's) old pillows. There was nothing wrong, just that Manepear was being very purry in his sleep. He never purred this much anymore.
Flame just sighed, shaking his head and shushing his brother. He watched Mane quietly, before his ears began to pin as the purring suddenly stopped and the room dived into silence.
Parrot paused. Turning his attention back towards Manepear. Why had he stopped purring? He wasn't stupid, he knew Flame was expecting this at the way the tiger's ears flicked back, almost in preparation.
"Phoenix?" Parrot whispered cautiously to Flame. On habit using an older nickname for the Nether-borne. Flame in response just shook his head, pressing a finger to his lips and remaining still. Wait.
The silence was loud, it unsettled Parrot. He was used to Manepear's loud, contented purring. For once, Parrot listened to his younger brother and just shut up. Listening quietly.
Manepear, in the nest, scrunched his face up, curling impossibly tighter around the pillow. Trying to burry himself more into the nest, a small whine escaping his throat.. A nightmare perhaps?
One soft whine turned to two, and two turned into many. Till it was clear their poor older brother was having a nightmare. A bad one. Tears formed in sleep and random mumblings of "don't leave me" and other incoherent thoughts broke through. Pleading quietly in half illegible sounds and whines so upset it sounded hard to just leave.
Parrot stepped forth. He couldn't leave Mane like this, why was Flame doing nothing? But as he started, Flame moved and grabbed him. He pulled Parrot back with a shake of his head.
"But why not?" Parrot hissed at Flame, wings ruffling up. Why couldn't he go near Mane?
"Not when he's mumbling. You'll make it worse, butterfly. Wait until he's stopped mumbling or starts calling for us." Flamefrags murmured in reply. Pulling Parrot back against his body and holding the macaw still. His hands resting carefully around his neck.
"I've been dealing with this since we left for the Prince Zam Empire years ago. I know what I'm doing, don't doubt me." Flame paused before adding into the quiet. He could feel the twitch of wings from Parrot, not quite believing him but not saying anything aloud.
Okay.. He'd have to say Mane has been getting worse since Wemmbu was exacuted by LettuceK. Mane had always had a bad reaction to something happening to one of them, and having watched what the Law did probably made everything worse. He couldn't save his youngest cub, and then Eggchan went missing afterwards. Well, Eggchan wasn't actually one of his cubs but the angel was around them to the point he reckoned Mane thought him as another cub. Two cubs gone, one permanently.
He wasn't doing too well quite frankly. Flame just hoped it wasn't going to be one of the days where Mane wakes up screaming. Now that wouldn't go very well-
Eventually, after what could be 10 minutes to a solid hour the mumblings stopped, and even though Manepear was still sniffling in his sleep he seemed to have settled again slightly. Not really, he was just stuck crying in his sleep.
"You're good to wake him now," Flamefrags released his hold on Parrot, letting him go to wake their older brother. Parrot though now didn't move. He took a step before looking back on Flame.
"Why?" The macaw just murmured, he didn't move to wake Manepear, not yet anyway. He wanted to know he was here, why Mane was like this.
"Because," Flame tilted his head to the side, lifting his ears with a flick of his tail.
"Wem's death affected him more then we first thought. And this," He waved a hand towards the nest, "is currently his only way to deal with it without alerting the rest of us he's not fine." Flame explained finally, standing fully to start a slow wander towards the nest. He paused, looking back with a flick of his tail for Parrot to follow.
"But that's not healthy.." Parrot protested softly, his wings puffing out, stretching fully in their beautiful multicoloured glory before tucking back to his body. He watched the Nether-borne tiger start moving before quickly following.
"Oh I know it isn't, but we're *his* cubs. He's a lion, Parrot, you forget that. Lion's believe strength is best. And he doesn't want to look weak infront of his cubs. Not healthy I know, there's nothing we can do though" Flame nodded, he knew this was bad. He'd known for years. Only he was finally showing someone the truth, how Mane had kept this quietly was wondrous.
"Brother?" Flame paused before calling out softly to Manepear as he crouched just outside the nest sides. His tail gave a single swish as he spoke, Parrot stood quietly next to him. He didn't know what to do, and he had to trust that Flame did. But Flame didn't reach out, just stayed still.
Mane made a soft sound of protest of hearing him be called, ears pinned back into his messy braids. Trying to hide his face with tear streaks still making a new mark.
"Big brother. You're sleep talking again and scared butterfly, can you wake up for him?" Flame paused before adding. Glancing back at Parrot nearby, the macaw looked so unsure of himself, his crown tilted off centre that he hadn't yet fixed.
However, mentioning one of his siblings seemed to have done it for Manepear. For an ear perked up as soon as he mentioned butterfly. There was a soft whine from Mane before one watery, bright orange eye peeled itself open, blinking quietly before looking towards Flame.
Flame sat back on his haunches, pointing a clawed hand to Parrot behind him. Parrot who was looking rather concerned for his state. The two watched as Mane's iris dilated unreasonably wide. Maybe it was just waking up realising he'd scared one of his cubs. Even if said cub was the oldest out of the "litter".
"M'sorry my little sky.." Manepear mumbled, only half awake. He wouldn't do this consciously, he knew Parrot was a little too old for that nickname. Parrot accepted butterfly still or just sky.
".. It's okay brother." Parrot muttered after a moment, he didn't really know how to reply to being called such an old nickname. He let it go though, and he would for a while now he saw how bad his older brother was.
"Parrot don't just stand there," Flame paused before reaching up and grabbing the bird, pulling him down and into Mane's nest.
In turn the lion made a happy little purr, reaching and grabbing hold of Parrot and pulled his cub close to his body. His tail swished a little, a little happy wag as he curled up around Parrot. His tears stopping now he had Parrot.
Parrot, himself, however was very out of his element and froze. Staring daggers at Flame before slowly relaxing and accepting his fate. Flame just gave a small smirk before climbing in after and sitting on the other side of Mane. Only the purring got louder as he did that.
Two cubs! He finally had more then just Flame in his nest, oh this had to be a good dream. An amazing dream. Now he had to get Spoke too, and maybe his other two precious cubs.
Manepear figited, managing to wrap his tail around Flamefrag's torso before pulling the two close. He nuzzled Parrot's face and gently ran a hand through his feathers. Iris's still blown wide.
It wasn't long before he passed back out purring loud with his cubs either side of him. Flame glanced towards Parrot. His crown had fallen off by now, but Parrot was too trapped by Mane's arms to reach and move the crown away.
Flame smirked and reached over instead, carefully pulling the crown fully free and outside the nest.
"Don't fight it Parrot, just accept it and go to sleep. Mane will let us go in an hour or two. He just.. I don't know. He likes sleeping with his cubs, he doesn't mumble or do what he did earlier with someone else with him." Flame hummed over Mane's chest towards Parrot. The macaw just sighed.
Well, he had to kinda accept this fate now. He wasn't getting out anytime soon. So he just nodded and settled down. Making his soft trill to match Mane's purring, he'd never been able to replicate purring enough to purr with the rest but he could trill in the same frequency.
Flame just gave a small smile, watching Parrot's slow doze off in Mane's arms before starting his own purr and joining them. He dozed off, flicking his tail to halfly through a blanket over them as he did so.
There was a small shift of weight, Flame forced an eye open only to see the figure of a voidling creep inside the nest. The curtains pulled closed, the room now dim. Spoke?
Since when did he get here?
"Hi Flamey," Spoke hummed once realising the tiger was awake, "I didn't realise you all were having a cuddle session without me!"
Spoke huffed softly, headbutting Flame's side gently before sprawling over everyone like they were just a pillow. For Spoke, he just loved sprawling over everyone. He was strange.
"Hi Spoke... This wasn't exactly planned, my bad" Flame replied quietly before closing his eye again and drifting back off when Spoke made a small hiss before purring into the now pile and dozing off too.. God's Mane was going to freak when he realised his cubs were all there napping with him like old times.