Hardcore Life (Ph1LzA fanfic)

Skulltastic (SMP)

Amelia

Technoblade had gladly agreed to letting me stay with him when I showed up at his cottage. The first day was mostly him clearing out a few chests so that I could have space to put my own belongings and mindless bantering back and forth. I woke up early the next morning, however, to see him dawning his king's man outfit, a glistening diamond sword in one hand as he pushed the front door open.

"Where are you off to so early?" I asked, sliding one-handed down the ladder that led up to the attic.

He looked at me, most likely surprised that I was awake. "I was going to head to the Nether."

"Can I go with you?"

"Do you even have any gear?"

"I've never needed any. Phil and I always kept each other safe."

"Yeah, well, I'm not Phil. I'm not going to be watching your back and my own while we're surrounded by wither skeletons." Technoblade chuckled. "Follow me. I've got some gear in my secret bunker."

"Secret bunker?" I held in my giggle as I rushed after him, following the caped dawning man through the ankle high snow.

"I have to keep it hidden. I don't particularly want the world to see what I'm up to."

I tilted my head as he pressed a button on the side of a small hill, and I was left in awe as the wall slowly shifted and sank down, revealing his hidden bunker. A handful of wither skulls were hanging on the walls, chests lining underneath them. Technoblade smirked as I took a hesitant step forward, and he guided me to an armor stand that stood in front of a soul sand structure.

"You can borrow this set for now." He told me.

He helped me put the armor on, and I was hesitant before I flapped my wings. The difference in weight now that I was wearing armor was noticeable, but I could bear with it.

"Let's get going. We've got a long way to the fortress." 

~

"I didn't think you were such a skilled fighter!"

"Just because Phil keeps me from the frontline of battles doesn't mean I can't hold my own!"

Technoblade laughed as I swung my sword. He had stepped away from the oncoming wave of wither skeletons to try and heal, so I had jumped in front of him to defend him. I let out a small agonized squeak as the last wither skeleton's sword cut my wrist when it swung upward, but I was able to kill it in one blow. The satisfying 'pop' of it disappearing was followed by a soft clatter as a skull fell to the ground. I bent down to pick the skull up, watching as the wither skeleton's affect slowly turned the area around my wound a sickly blackish grey. Technoblade's yell of triumph and glee took me by surprise as he hooked his arm around my shoulders, pulling me closer as he lifted a small camera.

"Show the skull!" He laughed.

I couldn't help but laugh and smile as I held the skull up, the item floating slightly above my palm and rotating slowly. The click of the camera going off was soon followed by panicked yells as we realized more wither skeletons were approaching us.

~

"Here."

I took whatever it was that Technoblade was holding out to me, surprised to see the photo he had taken in the Nether. The wither effects, long since healed, were incredibly visible on my wrist in the image, but our smiles and apparent laughter were a stark contrast to it.

"Why don't you take that to Phil so he has something to look at?" Technoblade suggested.

"It's almost midnight." I told him, looking at the clock on the wall. "He'd be asleep."

"Do you forget how long I've known you? You'd find a way to give it to him even if he's asleep."

I couldn't help but laugh as I pulled the front door open. "Alright. I'll be back in less than an hour."

"If you aren't back in half an hour, I will go after you."

"Yes, Dad."

I heard Technoblade's quiet snort as I closed the door behind me, flying away from the small cabin with ease. I pulled my sword from my back as the soft glow of the L'Manberg lanterns came into view, and I surveyed the land before landing softly on the wooden path in front of Phil's house. I wasn't surprised to find the front door locked, and I took a deep breath before I flew around the house to the window looking into the bedroom. I pulled it open with ease, trying to be as silent as possible as I flew inside. I set the picture on the nightstand, using a small figurine Phil kept on his nightstand to weigh it down.

I was quick to get out of the house, silently closing the window. I perched myself on the roof when I heard laughter, and I took a deep breath as I furled my wings. I moved to jump off of the roof, and I growled when my bag got caught on something. I gasped as a wither skull fell out of it, and I quickly tugged my bag free to chase after it. It bounced off of the gutters, and I hissed before willing myself into my raccoon form, something I hated doing. I jumped off of the roof, landing in a bush right outside of the door to the house, and I picked the skull up as the lights flicked on.

My ears stood up and my tail curled as the front door opened, showering me in light seconds before his shadow was casted over me. I gave a soft cry as I shoved the skull into my bag, which had shrank to match my size, and I hurried away from him.

"Wait!" His call made me slide to a stop.

I turned to look at him, but my eyes scanned over a wanted poster that sported images of both myself and Technoblade. I cried out in fear as Tubbo and Ranboo rounded a corner, my body frozen in fear. It took less than a millisecond for Phil to step out of his house and get to me, and I stared up at him as he gathered me into his arms and started flying.

"Which way do I go?" Phil asked as we crossed into the snow draped lands.

I let out a small noise, and he let my climb up onto his back. I was careful with my claws as I held onto his neck, leaning over him to point toward Technoblade's cabin. I put my front paws on his head to keep his hat from flying off, and I smiled as I watched the stars zoom past us.

"Hold on tight!" Phil yelled.

His wings flapped one last time before he dived down toward the ground, the lights from Technoblade's cabin coming into view the closer we got. He landed with ease and caught me as I was sent tumbling forward, chuckling to himself as he cradled me to his chest. I let out a soft cry, and he set me down on the first step to the cabin. I looked at him as he turned to walk away, but he stopped as I made another noise. I pointed to the cabin door and motioned for him to follow, and he sighed as he walked up the steps after me. He chuckled as he turned the doorknob for me, and I pushed it forward.

"You're back a lot faster than I thought." Technoblade said, his back to us as he rummaged through a chest.

My small raccoon call made him freeze and turn to face us, and I smiled as his eyes drifted from me to Phil. He slowly closed the chest as he fully turned toward us, his eyes on Phil. The blond man was scratching the back of his neck nervously, his bucket hat gripped tightly in his hand as he held it to his chest.

"I don't mean to intrude. It takes Amelia a while to have enough strength to change back to her more human form, so I brought her back." Phil muttered.