The letter arrived in the form of a stumbling, half-frozen avian.

Grian tumbled down from the sky, his wings limp but shining strangely rainbow in the cold sun, and collapsed, right in front of Techno.

Techno's first thought was that Grian was coming to avenge Phil, and he was going to fight him. His sword was half unsheathed before he realized that the avian had fallen, and was in no state to fight. His senses returned to him.

"False!" Techno called, shuffling his steps awkwardly. He didn't know what to do with the trembling, unconscious avian.

"What is it, Techno?" False replied, her sword in her hand as she came from the training grounds. Techno gestured at Grian wordlessly, and her blue eyes widened as she caught sight of the avian.

False turned to Techno. "Techno, what did you do to him?" She asked, hands on her hips.

Techno smiled, panicking underneath. "Nothing. I found him like this. No, no, he fell out of the sky like this." He said, quickly correcting his mistake.

False's eyebrows raised skeptically as she looked at him, and Techno tried to give her the most innocent, convincing smile that he could. I don't think that worked.

"Well, we better take him inside or he'll freeze." False said. "Come on."

An hour later, Techno sat opposite False on their small table, both of them stealing glances at the avian, who was passed out on the couch. "Why do you think he came?" False asked quietly.

Techno shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe Tommy finally drove him away." He said, smiling a little.

"He wouldn't come to the mountains." False pointed out. "And I don't think so. He and Tommy are quite close. Very close, in fact."

Techno shrugged again, taking a sip from his cup and looking at Grian. The avian still retained his position from when he fell, curled up into a ball with his wings wrapped around him, but his face looked more relaxed than he was when he fell.

Grian turned, and his wings opened a bit as he uncurled, stretching before he turned to face the back of the couch, and presumably fell asleep again. Techno turned back to False, who shrugged as well, going back to her drink.

So when a crashing noise sounded behind him, Techno drew his sword on instinct and almost sliced False's head off as he turned around to face the new threat. False, being the PvP queen she was, ducked in time. The mugs of hot chocolate on the table weren't as fortunate and received a full blast to the face, shattering into pieces and spilling the drink onto the floor.

Grian had fallen onto the floor, and now he was standing up, alarm in his eyes as he scanned his gaze around the room several times. His black eyes were feverish and it took him several scans to finally spot Techno, who sheathed his sword with a sigh.

"Techno! You're here! Thank goodness! I-" Grian began to speak, but False stood up from where she was.

"Grian, why are you here?" She asked, glaring angrily at the hot chocolate on the floor. "And Techno, I expect you to clean that up."

Techno sighed again and drew out a tablecloth as he listened to False questioning Grian.

"I came to give a letter to Techno. It's from Wilbur." Grian said. "I flew for two days straight. You guys chose a good spot to live."

"Thanks?" Techno muttered as he finished wiping up the hot chocolate.

"I was up in the air when I saw you. To be honest, I wasn't sure if I could go any further, so it was good that you were where you were." Grian said. "So I guess I ended up here. Nice place. Did you build it yourself?

Techno nodded. "I didn't know you were a builder, Tech." Grian said, admiring the furnishes on the wall.

"False helped." Techno said bluntly. He wasn't here for small talk. "So, a letter, you say?" He asked.

The avian nodded. "Yes, just give me a moment..."

(only grian viewers will understand the next three paragraphs)

Grian went over to the table and started to dump out his pockets, which seemed to have seemingless random things in them. A sea pickle; several fireworks; a small pyramid of doors that slammed open and shut if you twisted the knob (Mumbo gave me that); three potions, two of invisibility and one of slowfalling; a chicken head, a salmon head, and a cod head; gunpowder; a pouch of sand, and a bronze plaque with the words Lord Dreamslayer engraved on them.

Next was a disarray of building blocks; a black mustache; a miniature structure that looked like a tiered cake but had too much gray and blue glass to be one; a green potato (Ack, I should have gotten rid of that); a white t-shirt that had the red words Mumbo For Mayor on it; a picture of five people wearing dragon heads (Techno recognized one of them as the avian himself), and a small model of a door.

Then, a mycelium block; a blueprint for a floating barge; several diamonds; a blue and red feather from a bird; a disc with the red letters of AFK on the black surface; a cookie with the label Sacred Biscuit (Don't eat that, you'll regret it); some broken redstone wires; a spare golden apple, and finally, a crisp white envelope from the inside pocket of his jacket.

(i am proud of the amount of references i squished into there)

"There. Finally found it." Grian said proudly, putting all his things back into his pockets, which took a frighteningly small amount of time, and watched Techno tear open the letter.

Techno smoothed the folded paper, recognizing his brother's elegant script.

There was a note on the back.

Techno's hand shook, the same way Wilbur's did when he wrote the letter, as he put down the paper and looked into Grian's black eyes.

The avian played with his feathers nervously. "So, I'm assuming Wilbur told you." He muttered, looking away.

Techno lunged forwards and grabbed Grian by the front of his shirt and shook him, his vision flashing red with hot anger. "Who did it?! Who-who did it?!" He couldn't bear to say the words 'kill him'.

False started forwards, but a look from Grian stopped her. "That's for Wilbur to tell you, Tech." The avian said softly. "I'm not part of your family."

Techno threw Grian backwards, and the avian stumbled before landing back onto the couch. "Tommy would say otherwise." Techno grunted.

"I appreciate your affection, but I am still not part of your family." Grian said. "I will never be Phil, or a fraction of Phil. I can only be a friend on the side."

"What's wrong?" False asked, glancing from Grian to Techno. "You don't have to show me the letter if you don't want to." She added quickly afterwards, but Techno handed her the letter anyways.

The two were silent as False scanned over the letter, her eyes widening with every word. At last, she handed the paper back to Techno. "I'm so sorry, Techno." False whispered, eyes distraught.

Techno looked away. The last thing he wanted right now was other people's pity. His teeth clenched again as anger boiled inside of him. The darkness inside of Techno stirred, sensing his emotions, and how vulnerable he was right now... to them.

They rose one by one. At first, just one, single, hissing voice. Then, they all arose.

Blood.

Murder.

Don't you want to revenge Phil?

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

Don't give in. Techno said to himself. Don't listen. That's what... that's what he wanted. Fulfill his last wish.

We know you want blood.

You want blood, we want blood. Come on. Work with us.

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

No. I will not murder anyone. I made that promise to myself, and now, Phil wants it too. Techno hissed, turning away from False and Grian so they couldn't see his... problem acting up.

The voice scoffed. Phil would have wanted you to kill his murderer for revenge.

Don't-don't say his name. Techno whispered. And, and how do you know that?

He told us.

He told-WHAT THE FU-

"Excuse me for a moment." Techno grunted to False and Grian, who shared a look behind him as he stalked away, off to his room.

What did you say? Techno snarled the moment he was alone.

It's true. The same voice spoke. He told us. He said that he wanted you to kill his killer.

Techno's eyes narrowed. And who might that be?

The voice was silent.

That's what I thought. Techno replied, eyes gleaming in victory. You don't know anything. You're just pretending.

It's Dream. A second voice cut in. It's Dream. Phil told us. All of us.

I don't believe you.

Ask Grian if you want.

E.

Techno spun around and stomped out of the room, startling Grian and False. "Grian." He growled, stalking forwards. "Was Dream the... the murderer?" He could barely bring himself to say the last word.

Grian didn't say anything, but Techno could tell, from the flash of fury and grief in his eyes, that it was.

"It is him, isn't it." Techno said, almost calmly. The calm before the storm.

Grian nodded.

Techno ran. His red cape spinning behind him, he burst out the door and out, into a raging snowstorm.

That didn't stop him, though. Techno blundered through the storm, his anger heating him on the inside and his voices cheering him on. All he could think of was revenge, revenge, revenge for Phil and his death, kill, murder Dream, that homeless teletubby had no right to do that, I am going to give him the most painful and slowest death in history, I will make him regret killing Phil, he will d-

Techno.

His mind cleared for a single moment before it was overwhelmed by E. He stomped on, but the single voice came again, overpowering.

Technoblade.

Before they take you over again, please, listen to me.

He listened.

~~~

False tried to go after Techno, but he had caught her by surprise, and by the time both she and Grian recovered, he was gone.

"It's a raging storm outside." Grian said. "I won't be able to fly in these conditions. Not to mention that I'll never spot him through the snow."

"We have to go after him." False said, determined. "I'll go. Grian, you stay here."

"But... I should come with you." The avian said, black eyes glittering with worry. "It'll be dangerous out there alone."

False shook her head. "You just flew for two days straight to give Techno the letter, and you haven't had a chance to recover. The storm won't do you well. Let me, please." Upon seeing Grian's worried expression, she smiled. "Don't forget, I'm the queen of hearts, heads and body parts."

Grian smiled. "Alright, False. Be careful out there."

She nodded and tugged on her blue and white toque, checking to make sure her sword was in place.

"Wait! Let's get you a bottle of hot water. You need to keep warm enough to find Tech-"

"That won't be necessary." A deep voice said. False turned towards the door to see Techno, pink hair covered in a layer of white powder, close the door.

"Tech! Are you alright?" Grian asked, eyes wide.

"I'm fine." Techno muttered. "Sorry to make you guys worry."

"It's alright." False said. "As long as you're safe."

Techno flashed her a rare smile. "Thanks, Falsie." He said. False noticed how tired he was. "I'm going to write up a letter for Wilbur." Techno said. "Grian, if you don't mind delivering it..."

"At your service." Grian saluted him. "I'll leave tomorrow, if you'd like."

"It's ok." Techno said gruffly. "You'll need some time to rest. Stay here tomorrow, and go the day after. I'll follow soon."

"Does... does that mean you're coming to the... the funeral?" Grian asked.

Techno nodded.

Grian's eyes softened. "I'm sure Wilbur will appreciate it. Tommy too."

Techno smiled. "I hope they will." He said softly, just quiet enough for False to hear. "I really hope so."

WC: 2073

A/N: rereading this made me realize how precious their friendship is :)

guys, what do you think about a powers makeover? some of the powers are scuffed and are really bad, so i'd like to give the slightly bad powers a makeover. please let me know! ty! (FUTURE ECHO DID IT, SHE DID IT!)

'edited' on Jan 23rd 2022