"What are you doing here, Ranboo?" Technoblade growled, pressing his pickaxe against Ranboo's chest. "If you aren't here to return my stuff, I suggest you start running."
"O-oh!" the half-Enderman stuttered. "That's actually why I came."
Technoblade lowered his weapon reluctantly, though he still gripped the handle tightly. "What do you have?"
"I-I have your shoes," Ranboo told him. "They're in my enderchest."
Confident the half-Enderman wouldn't stab him in the back, Technoblade motioned for him to follow. Mellohi started after them, but Techno stopped her.
"Wait here," he said. "Watch over Tommy."
"What?!" Tommy screeched as the two hybrids entered the cottage.
There was an uneasy silence that settled over the two as they awkwardly stared at the snow.
"Welp!" Tommy exclaimed uncomfortably. "I'm off. See you never?"
"Where are you off to?" Mellohi inquired.
"Like I have to tell you," he snarled.
"Wait," she called after him as he began to slink away. "Tell me more about your brother."
"My what?" Tommy mumbled, stopping cold.
"Your brother," Mellohi repeated. "Phil has mentioned you and occasionally Tubbo, but he never says anything about your other brother. Phil gave me a description, but when I prodded, he started crying."
"Wilbur," Tommy whispered.
Deafening silence once again rested over their heads. Tommy suppressed a shiver, returning to his old self.
"No!" he shouted, causing Mellohi to flinch. "I'm not talking about that bastard! He's a wrongun' and a complete dipshit!"
"What did he do that was so bad?" Mellohi asked politely.
"He fucking blew up L'Manburg!" Tommy cried, angry tears forming in his eyes.
"But L'Manburg is fine," the Enderman pointed out, cocking her head to the side in confusion.
"It was never fine," he sighed, turning away to hide his sorrow. Mellohi frowned, reaching out to comfort him, but he smacked her hand away. "I don't need your pity, you insane freak."
Mellohi flinched back, having never been accustomed to the many insults people threw her way. "I'm sorry...."
They stood there, awkward in each other's company. Mellohi turned heel and sped into the house, unable to bear the negative emotions any longer. When she entered, though, an incredible sight stood before her.
The Blade seemed to be glowing in his full set of enchanted netherite armor. The runes made his defense shimmer with purple light. He had Quackity's pickaxe perched on his shoulder, and his face radiated pride, joyous to be back in his own armor once again. Ranboo clearly gave him more than his shoes.
"Woah," Mellohi breathed, stunned by the sight. Techno noticed her watching, and chuckled lightly.
"You can stop staring."
That snapped the little Enderman out of her daze, and she walked a circle around him. Ranboo looked ashamed, and he moved to exit. Mellohi noticed this, and she enveloped him in a massive hug.
"Thank you, Ranboo," she murmured.
"But, I didn't do anything for you," he replied, startled.
"Yes you did, silly!" Mellohi pulled back from the hug. "You gave Techno his armor back, even though you knew it was wrong. That's a very bold thing to do."
"Thank you?" Ranboo scratched the back of his neck, flustered. "An-anyway, I should be getting back to L'Manburg. I took the long way here, and Quackity will be wondering where I am."
"Okay," Technoblade nodded. "Take care, Ranboo. And thank you for my armor."
Mellohi watched through the window as the half-Enderman trailed through the deep snow. She watched until she couldn't see him any longer. But her gaze was drawn to something else in the snow, or rather, the lack thereof. She jumped to her feet in alarm.
"Tommy is missing!" she exclaimed, tugging on Technoblade's regal cape.
"He'll be back," he assured her, casually letting go of his pickaxe. Before it put a dent in the floor, it vanished. "He's probably gone to the Nether. You can go looking for him if you'd like. The portal is just to the east of here."
Mellohi's eyes lit up, sparkling like the stars. She made a break for the door, but Technoblade called her back.
"Mellohi," he said in that menacing monotone voice. "I would offer to come with you, but I don't think Tommy wants to see me at the moment. So I need you to promise me something."
"Anything!"
"I need you to promise you will stay safe," Techno murmured, placing his hands on the girl's shoulders. "The Nether is the most dangerous place in this world. I can't let Phil down. So stay away from the edge, and make sure you never engage with the mobs unless you have to."
He rapped one of his knuckles on Mellohi's chest plate. "This armor should protect you, but I still need you to promise."
"I promise." She saluted childishly. "I won't let you down, Techno."
And with that, she dashed out the door and into the fresh snow below, leaving Technoblade to his devices.
:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:
Mellohi idled in front of the Nether portal. She was captivated by its swirling purple glow, that purple dust she was so accustomed to, and it's soothing warbles.
Shaking her head violently, she remembered her mission. Find Tommy. Taking a deep breath, the child crept through the hauntingly beautiful threshold.
It took a few seconds, but Mellohi was eventually shoved out of the portal. She hunched over, dizzy and nauseous, her tail flicking nervously. She gagged, but her sheer force of will kept her from throwing up. Soon, her splitting headache was began to subside, and the spots in her vision cleared. She dared to glance up, and the scene that greeted her was shocking.
Everything was red. The walls, the ceiling, the floor. Bubbling lava poured from the Nether roof, and fires raged all around. The air was blistering and dry, and Mellohi knew if she were human, sweat would be pouring down her head profusely. Ash floated through the sky, causing the Enderman's body to rack with coughs. She ripped a piece of cloth from her shirt and tied it around her mouth. She giggled at how silly she must've looked. To her left was a bastion, raided long ago of any treasures.
As Mellohi began her trek along the man-made path, she noticed peculiar creatures eyeing her. They seemed to be zombified versions of Technoblade. Mellohi went up to one, about to say hello, but then remembered Techno's warning.
'Make sure you never engage with the mobs unless you have to.'
Mellohi continued on, glancing back at the zombie Piglin once or twice. But as she walked on, an angry oink sounded to her right. A real Piglin was charging at her with a golden sword in hand, furious.
Mellohi instinctively drew her shiny netherite weapon, swiftly blocking the Piglin's attacks. They sparred for a few moments, until the Enderman saw an opening. She slashed her sword upward, disarming the Piglin. She would have left it be, had it not been for the angry mob coming at her with it's fists. That's when Mellohi jabbed her sword through its chest, effectively killing it.
"I'm sorry," she whispered sadly, withdrawing her weapon.
As she continued along the path through the sweltering heat, she encountered no more of those angry mobs. She clambered up the stairs to the sky bridge, leaving the bastion behind.
Up ahead, she spotted a figure through the smog. They were sitting on the edge of the bridge, staring into the large lava lake below. Upon closer inspection, she spotted a red and white t-shirt and blonde hair.
"Tommy!" Mellohi cried out, ditching the makeshift smokescreen over her mouth. He didn't look up, even as the little Enderman came to a stop right beside him. He seemed to be mumbling to himself.
The girl plopped down next to him, concern plastered on her face. "Tommy?"
The blonde boy flinched, as if he was only now acknowledging Mellohi's presence.
"What's wrong, Tommy?" she inquired.
"Why do you care?" he snapped.
"Because you're my friend," she explained, confused at the boy's outburst. This seemed to surprise him, and he sighed.
"You know, I'm kind of banned from the Nether," he mumbled after a moment. "Dream told me so."
"Then perhaps we should go back," Mellohi encouraged.
"No, not yet," Tommy murmured, his glassy eyes drowning in sorrow.
The little Enderman nodded, respecting the boy's wishes. The two sat there in silence, Mellohi slowly rubbing calming circles on the boy's back. She could see tears stinging the edges of his eyes, and he swiftly swiped them away.
"Should I stay?" Tommy blurted out.
"What?"
"I mean, there's nothing left for me here. My best friend exiled me and hasn't come to visit me once, Dream has my discs, L'Manburg will never be what it used to be." He sighed wearily, gesturing to the lava lake. "Wouldn't it be better just to end it?"
"Oh, Tommy!" Mellohi's bottom lip quivered, and she wrapped her arms tightly around the grieving boy. "Don't say that! We'll get your discs back. I'll help you take it all back."
Tears made tracks in the ash on Tommy's cheeks, for he had given up on wiping them away.
"Look at me, Tommy," the Enderman demanded. He reluctantly complied, and Mellohi got a good look at his face. He had bruise-like bags under his eyes, and his shoulder length hair was matted and filled with knots. His once vibrant blue eyes were now a dull grey.
Mellohi reached up and rubbed her thumb under his eyes, clearing away his ever-persistent tears; she didn't mind when it burned. "Everything is going to be okay."
"Really?" he sniffled, forlorn. "I mean, I don't even know who I am anymore. I wait for recovery, but it never comes. I can feel the wind laughing at my loneliness. My nightmares are my only company nowadays."
"Not anymore," Mellohi said, pulling Tommy to his feet. She enveloped him in a full, comforting hug, chin resting on his shoulder. "Now you have me. And I promise I will always be there for you, no matter what stands in the way."
She could feel Tommy hesitantly wrap his arms around her waist, his body racking with silent sobs. Mellohi soothingly rubbed his back as he cried into her shoulder. She could feel his tears sinking into her clothing, which burned against her sensitive Enderman skin, and she grimaced in pain. But she stayed there, hugging the weeping boy. For she promised she would never let him go, and she intended to keep it.
:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:
Trudging through the snow, Mellohi had her arm over Tommy's shoulder, allowing the weary boy to lean against her. His eyes were red and puffy from crying, but determination was etched in his sharp features.
'You promise?' Tommy whispered, his voice wavering. He pulled back from the hug.
'Yes, Tommy, I promise.'
With that, the human stood a little straighter, and his eyes grew a little brighter. He glanced behind him, at a portal in the distance.
'Someday,' he murmured, 'I will take it all back. I will take it back from Dream, and then everything will be okay. I'll find my home again. I'll find my happy ending.'
As the two friends neared Technoblade's cottage, Mellohi noticed something. Dread made her stomach drop as she pulled Tommy to a stop.
"What's the matter?" he asked sharply.
"Footprints." Mellohi pointed at the disturbed snow. "And a lot of them, too."
"It could just be Technoblade, and ours from earlier," Tommy reasoned. Mellohi stooped down to inspect.
"No, look." She motioned for him to get on her level. "They're much bigger than ours. And none of them look like the boots Techno wears."
Tommy's features shifted into worry. "Do you think it might be Dream?"
"It's possible." Mellohi scratched her chin, fully aware of the fear that radiated off her friend. "But there are also five different tracks."
"He could've brought friends!" he fearfully snarled.
"Tommy, calm down. Let's go investigate. If they came this way, they will most surely be at Techno's place."
"Wait a minute!" He pointed to something along the base of the mountains. "Look over there!"
"What is it?"
"There's a path of blue! Ghostbur must be with the people who came through here!"
"Good eye, Tommy! Let's go!"
They hurried through the deep snow drifts, occasionally stumbling over each other's feet. As the cabin became visible, Mellohi's voices noticed something she did not.
"Mellohi, stop!" Sebastian cried. Mellohi stopped dead in her tracks. Unfortunately for Tommy, he didn't notice in time. He crashed into his new friend, throwing them both to the ground.
"What the hell?!" he shouted.
"Shh!" Mellohi shushed him frantically. "What is it, Sebi?"
"Who the hell is Sebi?"
"One of my voices. Now shut up. I can't hear when you're screaming at me.
"Look at the base of the cabin," Sebastian directed. Mellohi did so, and rage arose from the pit in her stomach.
"What is it?" Tommy asked, clearly seeing the shift in her emotions. "You're getting all angry."
"Look down there." Mellohi furiously pointed to the group of people talking with Technoblade on his front steps.
"Who are they?"
"The people who killed Stal," Mellohi explained bitterly, rubbing the bandage on her chin.
"I was wondering where that came from." He nodded. "But why are you still angry at them? It's just a flower."
"They did it for no reason!" Mellohi exclaimed.
"I'm not going to lie, the same thing has happened to me," he said, bored, "and Technoblade, and literally everyone else on the SMP. People are just shitheads sometimes. Especially Dream. Fuckin' bitch."
Mellohi stayed silent, processing his words. She opened her mouth to reply, to tell him that he was right, but suddenly a piercing headache raced through her mind. An Enderman shriek left her lips. Everything went black.