Chapter Text
" Tommy! It's time for bed!" Phil called as he chased after his little golden avian son. He came close to catching him a few times, but his youngest could be incredibly slippery. They’ve been playing tag for about an hour, and while Phil would never admit it to anyone, he was too old to keep up with Tommy’s rambunctious toddler energy.
Tommy let out a high-pitched shriek as Phil made another lunge for him, only to erupt into a fit of giggles as he expertly dodged their living room sofa. Phil wasn’t so lucky, as he slipped on the carpet and fell face-first onto the couch cushions. He let out a loud, dramatic groan that was quickly covered up by Tommy’s loud laughter.
" I'm not tired! I want to keep playing tag with you!" The energetic boy giggled, cheekily shifting from side to side, waiting for his father to get up so he could bolt once again.
Phil slowly lifted his head from where it was face-planted on the couch and gave Tommy the deadest stare he could muster. Tommy stared back, his smile threatening to split his face in half as he continued to shift in place.
Phil sighed, " Tommy, you have school tomorrow."
" You have to catch me first, Dad!" Tommy laughed. Seeing Phil get up defeatedly, he was about to speedrun towards the kitchen until a pair of hands caught him and picked him up.
Tommy squawked and began to struggle, only to turn and pout once he got a glimpse of his attacker’s face. " Hey! No fair, Wilby wasn't playing."
The tired teen fledgling sighed and yawned, not bothered to hide his exhaustion. " Tommy, the game’s over. You’ve already killed our ailing father. It's time for bed now."
" No! This isn’t fair! I got betrayed by my own brother!" Tommy continued to whine as Wilbur handed Tommy to Phil, who accepted the toddler easily.
Phil sighed, feeling the weight of the day crash into him once everything settled down, but smiled when Tommy finally stopped struggling. He stood up and carried his youngest towards the nest as Wilbur followed, quietly listening to the two bicker along the way.
Phil, while precariously balancing a salty toddler in one arm, expertly opened a rustic wooden door that led to a cozy room filled with books and trinkets. Luckily for their family, Tommy and Wilbur liked most of the same things and fancied the way they chose to decorate their shared sleeping space.
The nest itself was plenty large for the two and above them dangled the feathers of everyone in their family. Their gentle swaying always helped the boys sleep.
Which Phil would appreciate if they did so quickly.
Tommy crossed his arms and pouted as Phil tucked his son into the nest. Sensing his son’s displeasure, Phil made himself comfortable on a seat next to the nest and said, " Tommy, would you feel better if I told you a bedtime story?"
Tommy rolled his eyes and wrapped his blanket tightly around him.
" I'm sick of all those silly fairytales. Every single one of them is the same and you’ve already read them to me like a million times."
Phil frowned, begrudgingly noting that his son did have a point. He tried to catch Wilbur’s eyes to see if he had any ideas, but there his son laid next to Tommy, completely passed out and snoring without a care in the world.
Looks like he was alone on this one.
Phil looked around the room as his brain scrambled to come up with something that would please Tommy enough for him to sleep. His eyes eventually landed on a crow and pig plush lying innocently on the floor.
He turned back towards Tommy and gave him a sly grin. " Well, have you ever heard the story of how a bird and a pig became the bestest of friends in the whole world? How their friendship single-handedly defeated an evil king, and how they created a grand kingdom and ruled together as fearsome monarchs?"
Tommy looked curious, interest glinting in his blue eyes. " No, I've never heard that story."
Phil quickly got up, picked up the two plushies and a few other dolls that were sprawled on the floor, and walked back to the nest to begin the story.
"A long time ago, there was a young Fledgling and a Piglet who were stolen from their homes and families. They were sold as slaves to an evil sorcerer-king who took delight in causing pain and sorrow to others. The Fledgling was forced to be the king's songbird who sang and entertained the wicked king’s guests, while the Piglet was forced to slave away in hard labor. Every day, there was a party or a royal that the Fledgling had to amuse. Every day, another building needed to be created, or another castle needed repairs.”
With one hand, Phil twirled the crow plush in the air, chirping with each twirl. With the other hand, he pushed the pig plush against a large pillow, slowly moving it across the bed, showing how much the plush was working.
“ However, despite being different species and not understanding each other’s languages,” Phil brought the two plushies in front of Tommy’s face and began making chirps and oinking sounds. Tommy giggled excitedly and playfully pushed the plushies away, “ they each saw a kindred spirit within the other, and felt the pain that each of them went through under that horrible king’s reign."
" Wait Dad, how can they understand other if they can't talk to each other?" Tommy asked, confused.
Phil hummed, “ Well, the two were luckily really intelligent creatures, and they were able to understand each other by looking at their eyes, expressions, body language… and something deeper.”
“ … Like what?”
Phil stared absent-mindedly at the plushies, rolling Tommy’s question in his mind. After a few seconds, a small, knowing smile appeared on his face.
He cleared his throat before continuing the story.
" Slowly, day by day, the two went from being fellow slaves to friends as they each confided with each other during their darkest times. Suddenly, they were no longer alone.”
Phil gently pushed the two plushies together, moving the wings and hooves around so the two plushies were hugging each other.
Phil’s expression began to darken, his eyes growing more muddled as he slowly lowered the plushies onto the bed.
“... One day… the king approached the Fledgling with terrible intentions. His evil showed itself in every horrible way as he prepared to do something unforgivable to the fledgling.”
Tommy gasped, and shot up, looking increasingly distressed. His movement caused Wilbur to snort in surprise, but he was lulled back to sleep quickly.
" Dad, did that wrongun try to take the birdie's wings?" Tommy asked, his eyes wide with worry and fear.
Phil shut his eyes and shook his head, his grip on the plushies turning white.
" No… no he wanted to do something far worse… It’s too horrible to say," he replied gravely.
Philza took a shaky breath and opened his eyes, giving Tommy a tired, but reassuring smile.
" Just as the king was about to do the horrible deed, the Piglet, after hearing rumors for some time, burst into the castle and rescued the Fledgeling. Soon after, there was an epic battle. The years of hard labor gave the Piglet strength, while the years within the castle gave the Fledgling crucial knowledge of the palace’s architecture and its grounds, allowing them to evade the king’s wrath.”
“ However, as the two prepared to make their final stance against the king, the coward cheated by using dark magic, severely weakening the Piglet. He was about to kill the Piglet, but as he was distracted, the Fledgling picked up a forgotten sword and ran it through the king’s wicked heart, killing the king instantly. The two friends, knowing of the consequences of their deed, ran away together that night, not looking back a single time."
Tommy whooped and jumped up with triumph.
" YES! FUCK THAT BITCH!”
“ Tommy!” Philza admonished, unable to keep down his giggles. He began to laugh louder when Wilbur petulantly threw a pillow at Tommy’s head before curling on his side with another pillow smashed over his ears.
Tommy shot his brother a glare, but made sure to speak a bit more quietly as he said, “ They both killed the wrongun and lived happily ever after!"
Phil’s giggles died down as his smile turned from joyous to bittersweet.
" We’re not at the end of the story yet, Tommy. After all, I did promise to tell you a different story with a different ending," Phil said as he tucked his son back under the blanket.
Taking a moment to collect himself, Phil took a deep breath and continued.
" The Fledgling and the Piglet began the arduous journey back home to their families. As they traveled, they grew even closer and gained a deeper understanding of each other. They discovered that they both loved to explore and they loved to learn new things. Since they had plenty of ground to cover and plenty of time, they taught each other their languages and taught each other the wonders of their respective worlds. Together, they explored the world, just having fun, gradually regaining the childhood that was stolen from them.”
Phil chuckled happily at the thought. However, a wave of sadness washed over Phil. He cleared his throat and hoped that his voice wouldn’t crack as he recounted the next part.
“ However, when they finally reached their homes, they discovered that both their villages were destroyed, and their families were nowhere to be found."
Silence stretched loudly between the two, neither knowing how to proceed. A part of Phil felt guilt of telling his son such a grim story, but another part of him knew that it was important that he not hide his son from these details.
"... What happened to them, Daddy?" Tommy asked after a while, his voice small.
"... They don't know what happened to them. And they never would, " Phil answered sadly.
" With nowhere else to go and only having each other, the two friends decided to stick together and explore the world. Together, they had many great adventures as they learned, fought, and survived through every obstacle and adversary.”
Phil placed the two plushies back down on the blanket.
“ Through the years, the two gained a vast amount of knowledge, skills, power, and allies. They bore witness to the unfairness and cruelty in the world during their travels, so the two wanted to create a place where everyone was treated equally and given equal opportunities. They decide to create a new kingdom together in the most unlikely places."
"Where?" Tommy asked, breathless with interest.
" In the Antarctic," Phil answered with pride.
Tommy frowned, his face screwing up with concentration.
" Dad, why would they want to build their home in a place that only has snow and ice?" Tommy asked, looking bewildered.
" Many thought the same as you Tommy. That’s what made it the perfect place to start a kingdom.”
“ What?”
“ Well, the Antarctic has many hidden rare resources, and there’s no competition for land," Phil spoke easily with a smug look.
" During the construction of their kingdom, the Bird discovered that he had a remarkable talent for building. He began terraforming the lands and designing the palace the two would reside in. Under the Bird's guidance, the kingdom had the most beautiful buildings, structures, and landscapes that the world would ever see.”
Phil moved the bird plushie to one side and began to stack some pillows on top of each other, making tiny houses next to the plushie.
“ In the meantime, the Pig created powerful weapons and armor. He personally trained their soldiers to be the most powerful army in the world.”
Phil took the pig and sat it across from the bird. Behind the pig sat a wall of dolls. Somehow, this made the pig plushie look more commanding.
“ Together, they rescued, brought, and welcomed many creatures of many different species to their kingdom so they could have a better life.”
Phil picked up the two plushies and directed them toward another group of dolls, moving them up and down as if they were nodding at the new group.
“ And together, they created the most beautiful and powerful kingdom in the world.”
Phil gently set the two plush down next to each other on top of a mountain of pillows, surrounded by all the dolls that Phil brought for the story.
“ Wow! Dad, that was a great story! It had an even better ending than I thought!” Tommy chirped happily and fell back onto the nest with an excited sigh.
Phil’s face fell instantly. His eyes automatically flew towards the plushies sitting next to each other. They stared back at Phil with blank expressions.
“ … Yes, I also wish that’s how the story ended, Tommy.”
“ Throughout their many years of companionship, the two friends rarely disagreed on anything. But this began to change during their rule together. Slowly, like a poison infecting an unknowing victim, they began to argue more and more about how to run their kingdom.”
Phil picked up the bird doll and set it down amongst the other dolls below the pillow tower.
“ The bird wanted their kingdom to be a beacon of hope and share their peace and prosperity with everyone.”
Phil didn't touch the pig plushie but instead stared at it with an intense expression.
“ The Pig had a different idea of what peace and prosperity was. He thought the only way to share their fortune was by expanding their kingdom throughout the land, eventually forcing the entire world under their rule. Seeing as his partner refused to budge on this matter no matter how persuasive he tried to be, the Pig began to take measures behind the Bird’s back and gradually took any political power away from the Bird, turning him more and more into a figurehead as the months rolled into years.”
Phil couldn’t take his eyes away from the Pig plush. He stared at it for a few moments, searching into its black-beaded eyes as if it could answer all the questions within his head.
“ Even though the Bird didn’t always agree with him, and virtually stood in the Pig’s way of his ultimate goal, the Pig still wanted the Bird all to himself. You see, the two only had each other for so long, that the thought of that ever changing in any way began to poison the Pig’s mind and heart. The Pig began to change and gradually saw the Bird as his possession, not an equal partner. The Pig would try to isolate the Bird from other people and monopolize any time the Bird had with the Pig. The Pig would cruelly punish anyone who even hurt or insulted the Bird in the slightest. The Pig would do everything in his power to show everyone that the Bird belonged to him and him alone.”
“ Why didn’t the Birdie do anything!? The Piggie was betraying him!” Tommy stared at the plushies incredulously.
“ That’s because the Bird was blinded by the deep trust he had in his friend. After everything they’d been through, the Pig was the last person the Bird thought would betray him,” Phil said, his voice raspy with pained regret.
“ But the funny thing about betrayal, Tommy, is that it never comes from an enemy.”
" By the time the Bird realized what his friend had done, what his friend had become, it was too late. The very kingdom that the two built together for years was now mostly under the control of the Pig. The Bird tried to confront the Pig directly, to salvage their friendship, and to go back to the way they were, but the Pig was too blinded by power. He wanted to be the main ruler of the empire, and wanted the Bird to act as his doll.”
Gingerly, Philza picked up the crow and cupped it in his hands, staring at it with pity.
“A king in name only, but a toy all the same.”
“ Heartbroken by his friend's betrayal and hurt by the realization that his friend was too far gone, he ran far away from the monster the Pig had become, and was never to be seen again.”
With finality, Phil set the crow on a desk away from the nest, away from the Pig standing alone on the mountain of pillows.
Tommy glared at the pig plush and frantically disrupted the tower of pillows, causing it to tumble over. The pig rolled onto the nest and fell onto the floor, disappearing underneath the avalanche of pillows.
“ Dad, how could Piggie do that to his best friend? After all the shit they went through together, he would just… just betray him? Over what? They were already friends. What more could he possibly want?” Tommy was visibly upset.
Phil sighed and methodically began putting away the extra dolls and pillows. The story was over now.
“ Well, I suppose in the Pig’s mind, he thought he was doing the Bird a favor by taking the ruling responsibility. As twisted as it was, he wanted what was best for their kingdom, so it wouldn’t suffer the same fate that their first homes and families succumbed to.” Phil replied.
Tommy sat quietly, stewing over Philza’s answer.
Once he was done cleaning up, Phil sat down next to his son, who looked increasingly distressed, his eyes watering a little as he recounted the downfall of the Pig’s and the Crow’s friendship.
“ … Dad, why did you tell me a sad story like that?” Tommy asked sadly, his lip wobbled uncontrollably.
Phil’s heart twisted at the sight and he leaned over to hug his son.
“ Not all stories have a happy ending to them, but they can still be enjoyable and you can still recount the good times with a smile. In the end, it’s just a story.” Phil said after a while.
“... I guess so, I hope my friendship with Tubbo and Ranboo won’t turn dark like Birdie’s and Piggie’s did.” Tommy leaned back into bed and gave a sleepy yawn. After a few moments, his eyes drifted shut and he fell asleep.
“... I hope so too, Tommy,” Phil whispered once he was sure his son was asleep. He stood up and gave a quick peck to Wilbur’s and Tommy’s forehead.
Just as he was about to leave, he stepped on something soft but defined.
Phil looked down and frowned.
There laid the pig plush, squashed under his foot.
With a sigh, he bent down and picked it up, examining it quickly to see if he damaged it in any way.
As he held the plush in his hands, he couldn’t stop his mind from wandering down the memory of a certain person. The pink fuzz of the plush slowly melted into visions of waves of pink, wavy hair. Hair so long that it often covered a pair of ruby-red eyes that laid above an often playful smirk.
Remembering what his best friend used to be like before power corrupted him.
Before power stained his hands with blood. Before red eyes that used to look at him with carefree joy darkened with ugly obsession.
Phil came back to himself with a gasp. After a few moments of heavy breathing, he realized that he had stood there for quite some time.
Quickly, he set the plush somewhere in the room and made his exit, making sure to shut the door as quietly as he could.
As he strode towards his room, Phil hoped that sleep would burn away the visions of red-obsessed eyes and a hungry, sharp smile.