An: HELLOO!!!!!!! Author is back, I have a quite a few chapters on the way so expect some spam, I want to get as far into the story as possible before Tommy's big lore stream tomorrow (or Friday). But I hope you enjoy the chapter. And last thing please leave some recommendations for special chapters or just stuff you wanna see in the story. I love seeing your ideas and I need some content. Anyway ENJOY!!!
[Philza POV]
When returning home from investigating Snowchester, I found the houses empty. Chat quickly informed me that Eden had gone to Tommy's house and most of Chat was watching over them, this calmed my previously rising nerves as I decided on retrieving them in the morning.
[Eden POV]
My head was throbbing with an unavoidable pain. My hands went to hold my head in a desperate attempt to get it to stop.
"Eden."
Tommy?
Once hearing his voice I immediately looked up.
My eyes met with his previously blue ones, now painted a dull grey.
"Tommy? What- what happened to you."
I tried to advance towards him but every step I took seemed useless, like I wasn't moving at all.
"You left me, Eden. You left and I died."
"Tommy- no I didn't leave. I went to look for you, I was going to go find you-"
"But you didn't. You couldn't survive on your own and you crawled right into Phil's arms. You practically forgot about me."
"I never forgot about you! I worried about you everyday- I didn't leave. I stayed for days."
"Maybe if you'd just waited someone would've found you, and would've gotten Sam to release me. Then I wouldn't be dead."
"How- no no no. It wouldn't have stoped it. It wasn't in my control."
"Maybe if you'd convicted me not to visit Dream that day."
"No no no no no! Stop it! This isn't real, you're not real! You died- you.. you died....you're gone..and it's my fault." I could hear my voice breaking, trembling as sobs escaped my throat.
Awaking from my horrible nightmare, tears rapidly streamed down my face. I felt Mini Henry move at my side, his head now laying in my lap.
I didn't question the movement from the what I thought previously was a dead calf as a few crows flew in through the windows crowding at my feet. They'd obviously heard my cries I presume I produced in my sleep.
Holding Mini Henry to my chest I let chat crowd around me, most sitting or laying beside me in a comforting manner, letting me cry. I gripped at Tommy's bandana, as if that would somehow magically bring him back. It didn't, he was dead. And I couldn't do anything about it.
[Phil POV]
I reached Tommy's house the next morning, noting all the changes to the SMP that I hadn't been around to see, mostly the flowers and Tommy statues dotted across his lawn.
Opening the doors I searched the house for Eden, a crow showing up and guiding me to a back room.
There, they were sat in a corner. They were awake despite it still being relatively early, and they where holding a baby calf in their arms.
"Eden?"
They turned to me, eyes tired and red.
"We gotta go Eden, come on."
They only nodded as they put the calf on a lead, quickly stuffing the bag they kept on them with some vinyl records and wheat.
The crowds flew up as we exited, Eden silently followed the whole way back, only occasionally turning to check on the calf.
Once we returned home they put the cow in their room, putting wheat and water in bows beside it as they grabbed some diamond tools out of a chest and headed outside. They retrieved one of Techno's dogs as a portion of chat followed them. I was worried, but decided not to push anything.
For the next couple of days it was the same routine. They left their room, got stuff, left with a dog and chat, came home right before nightfall, and went back to their room.
I could tell they weren't sleeping, I'd seen what sleep deprivation looks like with Techno and I knew they weren't doing the best.
So one day, I followed them.
Once they gotten far enough into the forest I trailed behind so they wouldn't see me.
They walked for quite a long time before reaching a large hill covered in moss and vines. They pulled part of the moss up, allowing the dog to enter a cave that had been revealed.
Eden entered after, a switch being heard as the moss got ever so slightly brighter.
After a few minutes I quietly pulled back the moss and entered. Inside was a relatively large cave, the walls were a mismatched pattern of stone, cobble, and stone bricks. Plants emerged from the cracks in the material as vines hung from the ceiling, hanging lanterns illuminating the cave. A few double chests were found in the corner next to two more doorways.
Berry bushes lined the walls and a dirt pathway led from the entrance to the doorways. Following the pathway I found Eden, inside a large room beside a large tree. The one thing that stood about the tree was the apples that hung from it, they were- golden apples?
Eden was picking the apples hanging down low enough for them to reach while a few crows grabbed the ones at the top, placing them in an open barrel.
"Eden?"
Flinching at the sound of their own name Eden slowly turned towards me. Their eyes wide at first but returning to their previously half open state once they saw me.
"Oh...hi Phil."
The bags under their eyes were more visible now than ever. I couldn't figure out how they hadn't crashed by now.
"Eden, what are you doing here? What is this?"
Placing another golden apple in the barrel they turned towards me slowly walking past me as they continued to work.
"This is my garden, I found this cave a while ago and turned it into a garden. I even have a golden apple tree, but you already saw that."
They grabbed a watering can from atop a chest and watered a line of berry bushes, they movements slow and their voice quiet.
Walking over to them I gently removed the watering can from their hands, placing it on the ground and picking them up. They didn't try to stop me, obviously to tired to do so.
"Phil..please, I have to keep working."
"No you don't, you need rest. If you keep pushing yourself you're not even gonna be able to walk without falling over."
They slumped down in my arms, not asleep, simply letting whatever was happening happen.
I took them back to their room, gave them a glass of water, and put them in bed, having a crow stay at their bedside for good measure.
~~~~
[Eden POV]
I don't want to sleep, I tried to fight the urge to close my eyes as I laid down. It would be long, right? Just for a second-
"Eden."
The voice echoed through my brain. Darkness had engulfed my surroundings as I heard a voice I hadn't heard clearly before but I knew I recognized.
"Wha- Wil- Wilbur?"
"Hello Eden, You're quite big now aren't you? Granted I've seen you plenty of times since I died, but it's our first time speaking face to face."
In front of me stood, Wilbur. He stood tall, dressed in a long brown trench coat, a white turtle neck, and black jeans, dress shoes topping it off. His fluffy brown hair fell in front of his face, similar to my own. A singular white strand in the front, falling over his round glasses.
"How are you-?"
"How am I here? How am I talking to you?" He finished my questions for me, chuckling to himself.
"Honestly, I don't know either. However, I saw an opportunity to finally meet you and I took it. After all it's about time I meet my own child, don't you think?"
Part of my brain clicked, Mom's description of dad, my attachment to the songs, the reason I kept his beanie.
Mom was right...
...I do look a lot like Dad.
He opened his arms to me, I ran to him, I hugged him as tight as I could, Will had been my Father this whole time and I'd never put the pieces together.
"Dad..?"
Another laugh emerged from him.
"Hello darling."
He let out another laugh, this one less cheerful and more laced with pain.
"God, I really am a terrible father, aren't I?" He pulled back from our embrace and cupped my face with his hands, crouched down in fount of me as tears prickled his eyes.
"I wasn't there for Fundy and don't even get the chance to be there for you."
Wilbur's gaze changed from looking at me to looking behind me. His expression hardened as he glared behind me.
"Be safe Eden, I'll find you as soon as I can."
Before I could get a word out he was gone. I was left in the black abyss yet again.
I thought I could get him back if I tried, I tried to get him back. It wasn't working.
Unfortunately I brought something else. Faintly at first I could hear a voice, multiple voices. They kept getting louder till I could make out what and who they were.
"It was never ment to be."
"NO DREAM STOP-"
"Kill me Phil. Stab me with a sword. Murder me now."
"Drop your armor in the hole."
"The disks were worth more than you ever were!"
"..For Tommy to be exiled..."
"To remove the Citizenship of Wilbur Soot and Tommyinnit!"
"You want to be a hero, THEN DIE LIKE ONE!"
"MY UNFINISHED SYMPATHY, FOREVER UNFINISHED!"
"You left me, Eden. You left and I died."
"WAKE UP!"
I shot up in bed, immediately hiding my face in my knees as I covered my ears. Tears raced down my face as I frankly tried to stop my excessive sobbing.
My cries drowned out the noise of someone entering the room, someone who'd previously been sat outside the door in case of this very situation.
When the weight in my bed shifted I flinched, my hands uncovering my ears as I caught a glimpse of the person who'd entered my room.
A large red cape was thrown across my shoulders as Techno pulled me into his chest. Sat on the side of my bed he held me to him, resting his chin atop my head.
"You're okay. You're safe. You're gonna be alright, I've got you."
Techno let me cry into his chest as he rubbed circles on my back, patiently calming me down.
"You're alright. You're gonna be okay. You're gonna be fine."
"Everything's gonna be fine."