Hardcore Life (Ph1LzA fanfic)

Prison (SMP)

Phil

I wasn't sure what had overcome Ghostztone, but her demeanor had changed drastically one morning. She went from being loving and caring to me, Techno, and Ranboo to being nervous around us. She fidgeted in place while I flattened the snow in the yard.

"P-Philza?" She stuttered, making me lift my head to look at her.

"Yes?" I questioned.

"C-Can I go stay with T-Tommy for a few days?"

I raised my eyebrow as I stabbed the shovel I held into the ground, crossing my arms over the handle and leaning against it. "Why would you want to do that?"

"I-I just have this f-feeling that I need to be around there. N-Not with Tommy specifically, but v-visiting him would give me a reason to be in that area."

Her eyes shined a mixture of red and green for a brief second, allowing me to understand her feeling of needing to be in the area of Tommy. I took a deep breath before I stood correctly, yanking the shovel out of the ground.

"Sure, you can go. Do you want me to walk with you through the nether? I wouldn't go through the portal there." I said.

"N-No. I think I-I can manage." She fiddled with the haori sleeves. "I-I'll at least be back in one piece this time."

I paused, and I watched as she walked away, her feet a foot off the ground and her wings still. I hurriedly wiped away the stray tear sliding down my cheek.

"Even in death, you don't mind your words." I chuckled to myself. "Back in one piece this time, huh?"

~Amelia~

"What's the reason you want to go see Dream today?"

"I-I want to hear f-from him how I died. I know everyone tells m-me that it was P-Phil's arrow and that it was an accident, but I need to h-hear from him, too. He was there."

"I could always ask him for you. You don't have to physically go see him if you're too scared."

"I-I'm not scared."

Awesamdude raised an eyebrow as he looked at me, his mouth hidden under the gasmask he was currently wearing. I was nervously scratching at my arm, doing my best to feign Ghostztone's nervous and vulnerable appearance. I was already putting too much energy into trying to suppress my glowing eyes, something Tommy had made a note of before I had left to go to the prison. I had only learned of Dream's imprisonment after meeting up with Tommy, meaning Phil and Technoblade most likely didn't know about it.

"Are you sure you can handle seeing him? He tends to be on the violent side. You may be a ghost, but I don't want him causing any psychological damage." Sam stated.

"I-I'll be fine. T-Thank you for caring, A-Awesamdude." I stammered.

He nodded once, and he lifted a book from the podium he stood in front of, making the task of flipping through pages look effortless as he flicked it open. He reached over and slid it into place on the lectern in front of me.

"Sorry about this, but I still have to follow procedures even if you are deceased. I'm going to need you to sign this book for me before we can head in further." He muttered.

"What is it?" I took the quill he held out to me.

"It acts as both a sign in sheet and a record of your visit in case something is somehow smuggled into the prison and is discovered in the future." He explained.

"So this basically pins me as a p-potential suspect?"

"You can put it that way, yes."

I hesitated as I held the tip of the quill to the paper. "W-What name do I s-sign?"

"Whichever name you think you should sign."

I took a deep breath before I delicately signed my name, opting to go with my first name and not Redztone or Ghostztone. I handed the quill back to him, and he nodded his head toward a small area hidden in the wall that I hadn't noticed before.

"There's a locker in there that you can put your belongings in. All items that you're currently carrying need to go in there, or you will be punished if you have anything on you beyond the first door." He said.

I followed him to the opening, and he handed me a glowing keycard. I hesitantly walked up to the chest he had spoken of, inserting the keycard into a small slot and jumping slightly as the chest popped open. I was quick to put everything I was carrying inside, the small pile of different currencies and random trinkets I kept on me looking miniscule in the large chest. I peeked at Awesamdude over my shoulder.

"C-Can I keep the e-emerald P-Phil gave me?" I asked.

"Is it just an emerald? No enchants or names attached to it that could give the prisoner an advantage?" He replied.

"Y-You can look it o-over if you want to. I-I just feel s-safer, and i-it's my necklace."

I removed the keycard, locking the chest as I walked over to him. I caught the emerald that dangled around my neck with ease, keeping it in my palm as I showed it to him. It glistened in the lights, but he tilted his head as he looked to see if it would glow as if enchanted. He was careful as he took it from my palm, the emerald immediately becoming a solid object in his hand. It became transparent as he let it go, letting it fall flat against my chest.

"I'll allow it. If you don't leave the prison with it, you'll be held for breaking the prison terms." The tone of his voice changed drastically.

"I'd never go anywhere without my necklace." I stated.

"Well, let's go. The quicker you get in there, the faster you can come out before he does something."

I followed behind him as he trekked through the prison halls, occasionally asking questions about how the mechanisms worked. I was left in awe at the wall of lava in front of me as we approached the main cell where Dream was kept.

"Stand on the block of honey at the front and wait for the lava to go down. I'll send you across after, but you can't move a muscle with this one." Awesamdude ordered, pointing to the platform of honey blocks.

I stood where I was told, pulling my hat off of my head as the lava began to descend. A single box made of obsidian was held within the molten liquid, and my ears laid back against my head at the thought of having to be alone within it. The platform began to move, and I flinched slightly out of surprise. As the platform got closer to the cell, I could see him.

He sat against the wall, his wild and unkept hair fraying in all directions as he stared at the ground. He wore an orange jumper with the numbers 001 written in several places. His mask, broken and scratched, was laid on the floor beside him. I stepped off of the platform when I could, and I watched it go back toward Awesamdude. The sound of droppers opening echoed, and the lava began to refill the room outside of the cell. The short wall of netherite blocks sank into the floor, and fear washed over me as the prisoner I had come to see got to his feet.

"D-Dream?" I muttered.

His green eyes focused on me as I said his name, almost as if he hadn't expected to see me out of everyone in the area. Sorrow and grief became a mixture within the green orbs that stared at me.

"So you've made a return to this world as a ghost too, huh?" He muttered. "What is it you came here for, Ghostztone?"

"For one, don't call me that." I said, letting my eyes glow the mixture of green and red I had been hiding. "It's Amelia, right now."

His eyes filled with surprise. "Ah."

"You have some explaining to do, Clay."