A Happier Place

Chapter 1: Traveling Miles

Tommy had gotten himself and the two children through deserts, forests, lands full of snow, and over water. He had steered clear of the mountainous areas, afraid that if he wasn't careful one of them could get hurt. He also didn't want to deal with the exhaustion that would come after.

Now he stood on the outskirts of a village, the two babies strapped to him with makeshift carriers that he had made out of string, vines, leather, wool, and cobwebs. Michael was sitting on Tommy's front, surveying everything that he could while Shroud was on Tommy's back, sucking on his tiny fist.

"Well, what do you think Michael? Quaint little place, innit?" Tommy asked the tiny child, ruffling the fluffy pink hair beginning to sprout from his head.

Michael had turned a year old while they were traveling and now, he was about three months into the life of a one-year-old. He'd been practicing on his sounds and words, and he was coming close to saying something. Shroud was about eight months old now and he was just babbling happily at the moment.

Tommy walked towards and into the village, already seeing many villagers milling around. They would stop and stare, speaking in their villager language to one another about the newcomer and his little gifts. There were a few iron golems here and there too, and they would offer Tommy a poppy every now and then.

Tommy also saw a couple players here and there, which surprised him slightly, but he knew that this village had to be near one of the cities, so players would be coming here to take advantage of the trades every once in a while.

Tommy went into one of the shops and found a player and a villager behind the shop counter.

"Hello, how can I help you today?" the player called out, the villager next to them nodding their head.

"You work here?" Tommy asked surprised.

"Yeah. I live in this village believe it or not. It gets lonely now and then as I'm not fluent in villager, but many people come here as this is one of the more popular villages near the city," they said, confirming Tommy's thought about the city.

"Well, hello then. My name is Tommy," he introduced himself, sticking his hand out over the counter.

"Why hello Tommy! My name is Ebony," they introduced themselves while taking Tommy's outstretched hand.

"And who is this?" Tommy asked, motioning to Ebony's villager co-worker.

"Oh, this is Bob," they said as the villager nodded excitedly. Tommy and Ebony looked at the happy villager for a second before looking back at each other.

"And who is this?" Ebony asked, leaning against the counter and pointing at Michael.

"This is Michael! He is my nephew!" Tommy replied with pride.

"Awww~ Do you love your uncle Tommy, Michael?" Ebony asked the little piglin.

"Mmmm Mmmmm M-mmmummm Mommy?" Michael said, making Tommy freeze and Ebony almost burst into laughter.

"What?" Ebony asked.

"Mommy," Michael said, looking back and up at Tommy, reaching up with his little hooved hands.

That was it for Ebony. They disappeared behind the counter, the only thing telling anybody that they were there being the loud laughter and Bob just quietly watching them. Tommy just stood there, not quite sure what to do with himself.

"Are you serious?" he asked the small creature in the front carrier pouch who had succeeded in grabbing Tommy's face in his small hooves. "You use your first words to call me mommy? Really?! Neither of your parents are even a woman either! How was mommy your first word?"

Michael just giggled happily at his uncle.

Ebony stood up, taking a breath of air as they looked back at Tommy. Then they noticed the other thing strapped to Tommy's back peeking over his shoulder and letting out a constant string of babbling and cooing.

"Oh, you have another one?" Ebony asked.

"Yes, this is Shroud. He is my son," Tommy replied, pulling Michael out of the front carrier and putting him on the floor as he motioned to get down with a little whine and then pulling Shroud out of his carrier and holding him proudly in his arms. Now free, Michael toddled away to one of the shelves, looking curiously at different things.

"Oh wow, he is so cool! I've never seen a spider hybrid before! And a full hyrbid too! Come to think of it, Michael is a full hybrid as well. They are the closest one can get to being a mob without actually being the mob," Ebony ranted, geeking out about Minecraft mobs and hybrids.

"So, you're doing a little bit of babysitting today?" Ebony asked, motioning towards Michael who Tommy realized had grabbed a golden apple and stuck it in his mouth.

"Uh," Tommy let out, quickly moving to Michael and picking him up, beginning to fight him for the golden apple that they did not own. "I guess you could say that."

Ebony noticed the sinking of his shoulders and slight change in his demeanor, deciding that they probably should refrain from talking about Michael's parents.

"So, would you like anything from Bob and I's humble shop today. It's on the house," Ebony asked, spreading their arms out and motioning around the shop.

"Well, I'm going to have to take this apple," Tommy sighed, giving up on trying to take the golden apple from the growling toddler, the apple now covered in bite marks.

"Anything else?" Ebony asked with a smile.

"I don't think so. I'll back if so. Maybe a bit of help building a house, but otherwise I think I'm good. I've been looking to move somewhere for a while, and I think this would be a lovely place to live. Maybe a babysitter for these two would be helpful," Tommy responded.

"Well, if you need anything, holler," Ebony said, waving to Tommy as he left, Shroud and Michael back in their carriers.