Chapter Text
The world is cruel.
Phil has made sure his sons don't know about that.
He warns them of course.
But he wishes they never experiment how cruel the world can be first hand.
The world is dangerous.
Humans are dangerous.
They hunt hybrids down.
Hybrids like him and his sons.
His boys.
Wilbur his joy and pride, his first son, and an avian like him, although his feathers are brown unlike his, he's a smart one, very talented with music too.
Technoblade, his second, he takes after his mother, a rabbit hybrid, he's a good gardener and a very strong kid.
Tommy, his baby boy, he's an avian too, golden feathers adorn his back, a fluff ball of sunshine.
Phil loves them really much.
He swore to protect them.
Even more after their mother left.
She is the moon goddess after all, the stars could only cover her for so long.
She left a year after their youngest was born, leaving Phil behind with three children as she went to adorn the night sky.
Wilbur and Techno understood even at their young ages of nine and seven.
She had told them that they could always find her in the night skies, behind the dark cloak of the night.
They loved the stars before, but after their mother passed and took her divine form, they were enamoured with it.
Wilbur loved to contemplate the moon, even when his father didn't let them go outside the cottage at night, he stood by the window frame of the room he shared with his brother, letting the radiance of the satellite rain on his figure, content with staying there.
Techno, on the other hand, he was eager, he tried each time to jump higher and reach his mother, he practiced in the evenings his hops, and he would launch himself up as the sun sat on the horizons, it was never enough, but that didn't stop him from trying.
Tommy had never had the chance to met his mother, being only a baby at the time, he couldn't remember much, but Phil thought it wouldn't be long before his brothers would induct him into their shenanigans too, telling him about their mother and their plans to meet her.
Phil loved to do chores as he watched his children play with their ideas outside.
"Do you think you'll be able to reach her?" the brunet asked his brother, who was focusing on jumping up and down and trying to reach one of the tree branches, he could only lift himself a few centimeters off the ground, but it was already higher than his normal jumps, certainly higher than Wilbur's.
"Yes? I mean I'm training to do so." He said as he stood in place.
"I mean, I could just take you to her, I have wings." He let his limbs raise as he spoke.
"But you don't even know how to use them." He argued.
"Not yet! But I will learn how to fly! And then I'll be able to take you to mum."
"But didn't dad said that your wings needed to be bigger for you to fly?"
"Just a couple of years! Then I'll fly higher than dad!"
"Yeah but that'll take too long~ I'll just reach mum before you even learn how to properly fly."
"Nu-uh It'll take you way~ longer to jump higher to reach mum than for me to fly."
"Doubt it."
"Well, don't doubt it, that's what's going to happen."
"How are you so sure?"
"Because you're my itty bitty liwwle browher."
"No! I'm almost the same age as you!"
"Almost! Which means you aren't, you're just a teeny tiny baby."
"I will bite you!"
"Aww the baby is mad! Look at him isn't he cute! Look Tommy! Isn't he cute!"
"Stop it!"
"Awww."
"Daaaaad, Wilbur is bothering me~!!!"
He ran to his father's side, leaning into his leg and pointing at his brother.
"Aw mate, what is he doing to you?"
"He's calling me baby!" He stared at him.
"Aw Wilbur, leave your brother alone." He patted his hair
"But he is a baby! He's my baby brother!"
"Nu uh! Tommy is! I'm just your brother! He's a baby and your brother, so he is the baby brother."
"Daaad!! He doesn't want to be my baby brother! Tell him that he is!"
He laughed.
Days like those were peaceful.
Days were Phil found himself and his family far away, hidden on the forest that surrounded the cottage, they weren't deep in it but it was okay, it was enough.
Enough to keep them safe from the dangers that those stray hunters caravans could bring.
Even then when Phil managed to spot one on the distance he’ll gather his children on his arms and keep them inside until he deemed the place safe enough, he never forced them to stay, but he lured them inside with treats and baking goods, stories of his old times, of their mother, sometimes even they played inside, hide and seek or tag, a couple of things got broken or dropped on the floor those times, but he couldn’t care less if he got to keep his children safe, refusing to lose anyone else as he had lost his parents centuries ago.
When it is was safe outside, the kids will use their time playing and running around, Phil always warned them not to go too far on the forest, they could get lost (or be spotted).
Phil liked to keep an eye on his children as they played outside, it helped the ache on his chest ease a little, he watched as Wilbur would chase around Techno who had Tommy on his arms, giggling all the way as they hid and went around trees, sometimes he’ll just watch the two boys play outside in the rain, jumping from puddle to puddle as he held a sleeping child on his arms, shielding him from the stray drops with his wings, other times he’ll watch quietly as they stood on the roots of a tree, Wilbur reading one of Techno’s favorite stories as he played with Tommy’s hair.
Those were good days.
Phil couldn’t ask for any better.
He had his sons, and they were fine and safe, he tried not to suffocate them, but his instincts deep inside his chest screamed at him to not let them go outside the nest, as they were just babies, they needed to be protected and taken care of, Phil was the only one around capable of doing so. He tried to keep those emotions deep inside, as he knew the kids wouldn’t be too fond of staying inside until they were grown ups.
He tried to give them as much freedom as he could while still keeping them close.
But they wanted more.
More than scraps of the world they weren’t allowed to explore.
It didn’t help that they had an obsession with the night sky.
Their mother was on it, how could they not?
So they thought of the next best thing.
Sneak out.
It was a foolproof plan.
Difficult to execute.
But they could do it either way.
They sometimes didn’t even use their rooms and that was a problem, they were too used to their father gathering all of them in his nest, it was comfy, they would admit, but they needed to sneak out one of those nights they were allowed to sleep on their own room, otherwise their father would immediately know that they were trying to go away.
Exit was another problem.
The front door creaked when you tried to open it, it would alert their father, they couldn’t use it, the windows on the first floor weren’t an option either, his father had planted roses there, and they would have to fall on the thorns to go outside, that would give them away the next day, and then they wouldn’t be allowed to leave his father’s nest for the next few days.
Their only option was the windows on the second floor, a bit too high for their liking but Wilbur was strong enough to carry Techno out as they hovered down, they could even bring a blanket and a basket of snacks, he could manage the extra weight.
“I’ll bring a blanket.” The rabbit boy said as he searched between his chests.
“Oh?”
“I’ll probably be more comfortable than lying down on the grass.”
“Well that’s true, do you reckon we could bring cookies with us?”
“Nah, the jar would be too loud, plus you can’t even reach it!”
“Well you could just ju-”
“Too loud.”
“Mmm, alright then, no cookies for us.”
“We could eat tomorrow.”
“Yeah yeah, I want most of them tho.”
“Heh? No sir, you can’t have my leftovers if you want, I’m taking all the cookies.”
“Wha-?! No way!”
“Yeah, I’m younger so I need to have all the cookies to grow strong.”
“Huh, NOW you’re younger?”
“Yep.”
“Cheater.”
“It’s worth it Wil.”
“Yeah yeah.”
They laughed quietly, they knew neither of them would let the other without the fair amount of cookies.
They grabbed the blanket and Techno started to go out the window, Wilbur holding his waist so he wouldn’t fall before he climbed the frame too.
The door to their room creaked open, it wasn’t as loud as the front door but it still made them freeze.
A sobbing boy that rubbed the tears out of his eyes stared at them for a couple seconds.
“Wilby?”
“T-tommy? What are you doing here?”
“Why is Techie on the window? Where are you going?”
“Uh … nowhere.”
“Where are you going?!” The kid insists, already forgetting the nightmare he had.
It was a factor that the boys should’ve taken into consideration, Tommy would often go into their room after he had a nightmare, he was just getting used to his own room and his father’s was the furthest one on the hall.
“We already said Toms, nowhere.”
“Then why are you on the window?”
“I … just wanted to get a better view, y’know?”
The kid puffed his cheeks.
“Why are you here Tommy?”
“I had a nightmare … but I forgot already!”
“Then you can go back to sleep.”
“Nu-huh! Where are you going?!”
“Shush! You’re going to wake up dad!” Wilbur stopped holding Techno to go towards the boy.
“Tell me where you’re going!”
“Nowhere!”
“That's not true!”
“It is.” Techno argued.
“It’s not.”
“Yeah.”
“No!”
“Alright you two, stop it, dad might hear you.”
“Tell me where you’re going!”
Wilbur sighed, Tommy was never going to let them go and they could waste the night away arguing with the toddler.
“Outside…” he muttered, earning the tiniest gasp and a smack on the back of his head “What?! He was never going to stop asking!”
Techno glared at him.
“You can’t go outside! Dad said you can’t!”
“No, he said you can’t, we are older than you so we can go.”
“I want to go too!”
“I just said you can’t”
“But I want to go!!”
“Shhh.”
“Wilby I want to go!”
“Tommy is dangerous outside, only me and Techno can go.”
“That's not fair! I want to go!”
“Yeah but you can’t.” Techno argued, the kid sticked his tongue out.
“But I want to!” The baby feathers on his back puffed up.
“Well that’s truly a tragedy because you can’t.”
“I’m going to tell dad if you don’t let me go!” He stomped his foot on the floor, making them both flinch.
Techno laughed nervously.
“You can’t do that.”
Tommy frowned but opened his mouth to presumably scream, taking a small gasp that was quickly covered by Wilbur’s hand.
“Alright, alright, you can come.”
“Yay!”
“What? You’re just letting him come that easily?”
“Well what else do you propose smartass?”
“...”
“Exactly.”
Techno sighed, going to throw the blanket out of the window.
“Alright Toms come here.” he motioned for him to get close.
“You’re going to throw me out the window?” He asked, thinking of the blanket his brother just throw out.
“Wha- no!”
Techno might have said that he doesn’t care but there’s things that he would never do and that includes hurting his baby brother.
“He wouldn’t Tommy, He’s just going to hold you so I can carry you both down.”
“Alright!”
The toddler ran to his brother’s arms, letting himself be carried off the floor, he snuggled close to his chest.
Techno carefully climbed up the window frame with the child on his arms, Wilbur followed behind, grabbing them both, he then opened his wings, letting himself down.
Tommy gasped and clung tighter to Techno’s pajamas, he only hugged him tighter.
They easily made it to the ground.
Wilbur let go, grabbing at the blanket on the ground, Techno still held Tommy close.
They started to walk further and further into the forest, looking up, they could barely see the stars above.
Only a few minutes of slow walking and they were already on the meadow on the other side of their forest.
“Wah!!”
“It’s pretty, isn’t it?”
“Yeah!” The kid smiled widely.
Both his brothers sighed, looking at each other, laughing quietly.
They sat on a hill, putting the blanket on the ground and laying on top of it.
The moon was absent from the sky, their father had told them that it was when their mother slept the nights away, it only used to happen every month or so, but they couldn’t wait until the next chance they got to sneak out, but if this went well they could even sneak out more often to watch their mother.
Techno lied completely on the ground watching in awe at the stars, the toddler resting on his chest, Wilbur was beside them sitting down, looking up as well.
“And that?!”
“That’s Venus, that’s not a star, Mom used to say it’s a planet, like ours but with no one living on it.”
“Like ours?”
“Well not quite, she said it’s brighter and hotter, and that it doesn’t have as many colors as here.”
“That sounds boring!”
They all laughed.
“Yeah I guess it is kinda boring, like Wilbur.”
“Hey!”
“Yeah! Wilby you’re boring!”
“What?! No! I’m the funniest person around here!”
“What do you say Tommy?”
“Lies!”
They bicker and laugh with each other for a while, after that they settle on letting Techno share a story about the stars, both his brothers content to listen closely.
Tommy was starting to drift off to sleep, the night was calm, peaceful, and the sound of his brother’s voice talking and the quiet hums of Wilbur soothed him.
Suddenly, Techno stopped.
Sitting up abruptly, waking up the child that was nodding off on his chest.
“Techno?”
Techno’s ears are pointed high, they flicker at every tiny sound.
“I hear something.” He whispers out, as if his voice would be too loud.
“Techie? Why did you stop?”
Wilbur fully stood up, looking around, his brother had the best hearing but he had a better eyesight.
He spots a torch not so far away, the light flickering and approaching.
“Techno…” he gasps.
“Wilby? What’s wrong? Why did Techie stop?”
Techno followed Wilbur, standing up, quickly gathering the toddler on his arms.
He stares the same way as his brother and spots the torch getting closer.
“Wilbur.”
His father had told them.
Stories of fire, swords and death.
They didn’t like those.
They thought those were fake.
But as the light approaches, they can hear angry shouts, they don’t know how fake those stories are anymore.
“Wil we shoul-”
An arrow gets fired their way, landing only a couple of meters away from them.
Hunters.
Wilbur doesn’t waste much time grabbing his brother by his arm and forcing him to start running.
“Ru-!” He doesn’t get to finish as another arrow lands on his shoulder, he screams in pain, Techno being quick to aid him, letting Tommy on the ground.
“Wilbur!” His hands hover on the arrow on his shoulder
“I-I’m fine! Keep going!” The pain is only growing, blood soaking his shirt.
“Wilbur I can’t-”
“Get Tommy and call for dad!” He instructs “I’ll be right behind you!”
The people were getting closer, shouting becoming louder.
Techno helps him stand up.
“Wi-wilby” The kid wavers out with tears on his eyes.
“Tommy we have to go.” He wastes no time in collecting the child up.
They run.
Another arrow gets fired and it barely misses Techno’s head, the toddler screams and presses his head on his brother’s chest.
They are down the hill and almost in the forest, hoping for the tick threes to hide them in the darkness of the night.
An arrow lands on Wilbur’s calf, making him stumble and fall on the ground, he groans.
“Wilby!!!”
Techno spares a glance behind him, fully stopping when he catches sight of his older brother on the floor.
“Wilb-!!”
“NO! Get Dad and run!!”
Tommy is fully sobbing, Techno doesn’t move for a second.
“I’ll be fine! Just run!”
Techno takes a shaky breath and a step backwards, then he breaks sprinting away from the scene.
“Wilby!!!” The kid trashed on his arms, but he doesn’t let go, Tommy’s his only source of comfort, Wilbur is keeping them safe, so Techno will keep Tommy safe.
He keeps running, hoping between the tree roots, he can’t protect Wilbur, he’s not strong enough, and if he stays there with him no one is going to alert their father, they would all die.
“DAD!!!!! DAAAAD! HEEEELP!!!” He shouts as well as he can while still running.
They weren’t that far from the cabin, he should reach it soon.
Tommy stares at Wilbur as they run, his small wings puff and flutter in distress.
“W-wilby!”
“DAAAAAAAD!!!!” Techno yells louder, his movement beginning to ache at every breath, he’s using air he doesn’t have and his lung sting at that.
The people are just meters away from Wilbur but Techno doesn’t see them.
Tommy does.
“WILBY!” He screeches.
“DAAAAD!!! HELP!! Help!!!” His breaths shorten and he gasps for air, stumbling on his step as he trips and falls, he doesn’t make it to the ground, his father’s arms catches them both.
“Techno?! What are you doing outside?! What’s happening?!”
“Da- Wilb- he-” he manages between gasps.
There’s a pained scream, too young, their vocal cords clearly not meant to scream that loud.
Phil is already flying towards it, flapping his wings and maneuvering viciously around the trees.
Wilbur’s body is limp on the ground, one of the men holds a bloody axe on his hand.
“D-dad.” they boy wheezes out, blood streaming on his chest.
Phil’s heart skips a beat, taking a shaky breath.
His pupils contract and his once blue eyes turn red in hatred, his silky black wings puff and extend bigger than they should be, his claws and talons have never been any sharper.
He’s trance is broken by a voice.
“Kill him too! Then go for the ot-”
He doesn’t give them time to react.
A couple of seconds pass and he’s already torn apart half of the people there, pulling off his limbs and their heads, blood streaming everywhere, he uses his claws and talons that rip at their skins like the poniards would tear on the fabric.
They scream and Phil can only let angry caws, blood puddles on the ground as discarded limbs and bodies start to fall, they try to hurt Phil back, but they can’t manage more than a few scratches on his arms, swords and arrows do nothing against Phil’s blinding rage.
Phil screeches at them, a booming growl falls out his throat, rumbling the earth to its very core.
He kills.
He kills without mercy.
They hurt his baby boy, his fledgling, his instincts scream to tear them apart and he agrees with them.
He kills until there’s no one left, only him soaking in blood as he stands on a pile of blood and bodies that you wouldn’t be able to recognize the parts from even if you tried, he pants heavily.
A broken chirp and a sob drag him back to reality.
He runs to Wilbur’s side, cradling him in his arms.
“Wilbur! Wilbur” he whispers, pressing kisses on his forehead “It’s alright nestling, it’s okay, I’m here now.”
He rips his shirt and presses it on the boy’s injury.
Wilbur groans in pain, tears falling out of his wide eyes.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry baby! You'll be alright! Don't worry, you'll be alright!" he reassured him as he gently patted at his hair, pulling it away from his face, blood stains stick on his skin, and it only breaks Phil’s heart.
“D-dad…”
“It’s alright baby! It’s alright! You’re going to be just fine.” He reassures, he doesn’t know who the words are directed to, maybe he’s just trying to convince himself.
“T-tech and Tommy?..” He ask even when his voice cracks.
“They’re fine, they’re fine sweetheart, they are fine baby, thanks to you.” He kisses his head “You’re such a brave boy, you’re being so brave right now, so so brave.” his hands shake as he holds him.
He hears a gasp, and then Techno is right on his side, panting heavily, holding a sobbing Tommy on his arms.
The boy is frozen at the sight of the blood before him, he doesn’t recognize the bodies, but he couldn’t care less, Wilbur is bloodied and injured, and he might be dying on his father’s arms, his hold on Tommy only tightens.
“Wilby!!!” The kid trashes on Techno's arms but he doesn't let go.
“He’s going to be fine!” He wheezes out at the boys “You’re going to be fine sweetheart! Just hold on a little longer.”
He stands off the ground with the boy on his arms, flying rapidly to the cabin, if he could get there, if he could be fast enough to grab a potion and heal him.
Wilbur’s lost too much blood and his head spins, his body doesn’t recognize pain anymore, but he still holds onto reality.
Techno is tired, he hasn’t recovered the air in his lungs, but he doesn’t stop, he hops behind his father, getting away from the scene, blood staining his paws, the toddler still trashing on his arms.
"You're going to be fine Wilbur, you're going to be fine." he wheezes.
They’re half way there.
“D-dad…”
“J-just hang in there love, we’re almost home”
“We should’ve- .. I should’ve l-listened…”
"It's fine sweetheart, everything'll be fine, I'll patch you up and you'll be okay, alright?"
Tears fall from Wilbur's cheeks, the same threatens to fall from Phil's.
They’re almost there, he can see the cabin not so far.
"I ... shouldn't ha-have gone out." He peeps "I-I'm sorr-..."
He doesn't get to finish as the last breath of his lungs escapes his body.
“Wilbur?! Wilbur! Hang in there love I-”
He looks down at him, he sees the half open eyes that stare back at him, they don't have life in them.
He crashes, falling down on the ground, almost in front of the door.
“W-wilbur?”
There’s no response, nor soft breathing, or empty sound.
Wilbur has died.
He takes a shaky gasp and he can’t help the multiple broken sobs that escape past his lips, shaky chirps that call out for a baby that won’t respond anymore.
His wings press tightly on the floor as he wails, tears falling down his cheeks, he can’t help when he cradles the boy closer to his chest, it doesn’t hold the usual warmth.
Techno arrives behind him.
“D-dad?” He asks.
He gets no response other than sobs and wails.
His breath caught.
“Is … Is Wilbur-?”
He holds his respiration as he approaches, holding Tommy’s head.
The toddler breaks free from his brother's arms and he can’t feel alleviate, he just feels confused, he turns around only to see the dead body of his older brother.
Techno's knees gave up on him, making him fall next to them.
“Wilby?! WILBY!!” The toddler throws himself into Wilbur’s chest.
Techno’s eyes water and he begins to sob, silent tears falling down his face.
“Wilby wake up! Wake up Wilby!!!” The child cries as he hits his brother’s chest, staining his hands and clothes with his blood in the process.
Techno yells, a loud shouting that breaks through the very air.
The moon is suddenly at its brightest.
Phil collects his children in his arms, and they stay there, crying their lungs out.
Wilbur is dead.
He will never come back and there’s nothing they can do about it, so they cry and wail, mournful screams howl in the air.