Thank you all for 1k reads!! I honestly never thought I would get this far. When I first made this, I was just a teenager posting my little keyboard smashes of writing on the internet. Now, I am a stupid teenager posting my longer and slightly better keyboard smashes on the internet, that also got 1k people to click on my little drabbles book :)
Anyways, enjoy some Eret angst. Buckle up, it's a long one, but I'm actually proud of it for once.
Tw: Food and water deprivation, mentions of blood, panic attacks, c!Sam's kinda a terrible person, sorta drug use (not in a harmful way, and it's potions not drugs)

Techno's boots tapped against the floors of the prison, ignoring Sam's footsteps as he continued forwards. Lanterns lit his path, surprisingly giving off enough light to illuminate the large halls. The knot in his stomach only grew deeper as they neared their destination, Sam's unending silence not helping.

The duo soon came upon the sets of smaller cells, Sam immediately heading towards the far right cell. He motioned Techno over, and he obliged, peeking into the barred window. What he saw made his heart wrench, horror and dread filling the pit in his stomach.

A familiar figure was curled up in the corner of the small room, sobbing quietly. His face was tucked into their knees in a desperate attempt to hide from the exceedingly bright light. They were scarily thin, ribs protruding clearly through the thin jumpsuit. She was shivering profusely, and Techno wasn't surprised. It was freezing in the prison, and it was probably only made worse by the lack of layers.

Techno's horror shifted to anger, spinning in his heels to face Sam. "This is inhumane. You purposefully made that room bright, didn't you?" Techno growled, the warden not flinching.

Softnoblade

I think dadzas been rubbing off on you

E

Technodad

Oh no eret D:

E

"The brightness is to keep her neutralized. They could easily break out of the prison without it, this is to prevent that." Sam countered, voice frustratingly blank.

"That doesn't excuse this! Have they even eaten or drank anything?! Why are they even in here?!" Techno shouted, quieting slightly as the figure inside flinched.

"They have been offered food and water, but he has so far chosen not to take it. He is in here for attempted assassination of the king." Sam replied emotionlessly. God, Techno hated this warden personality Sam put on.

"So? Dream threatened them off her throne, isn't that a crime too?!" Techno snarled, meeting Sam's bright green gaze.

"Dream is paying his sentence. You should not argue with me about this, it was not my decision to imprison them. I simply make sure they stay put." Sam stated, Techno growling under his breath. He wished more than ever that he had something to stab the creeper hybrid with.

NUU ERET

Hurt!eret

Go help them!!!

E

Kill sam

Blood for the blood god

Oh god has she eaten??!

Yes kill sam

Murder

Get phil

Stab sam

With what exactly?

Idk

Rip off his arm and stab him with his own claws

Jesus morbid much

Murder

Blood

Blood for the blood god

The king nuuu

Techno huffed at the voices shenanigans, he needed to stay calm, and chat would not help with that.

Ignoring the voices, Techno asked in as calm a voice as possible "May I at least talk to them?"

Sam nodded, unlocking the iron door. He held it open just long enough for Techno to step inside, before closing at locking it behind them. Techno ignored this and ran straight for Eret, wrapping his burly arms around them.

They inhaled sharply at the contact, flinching away at his embrace. After a second they realized who it was, melting in the embrace and sobbing harder. Techno whispered it's ok over and over and over again as he carded his hand through their hair. Eret tried to lift up their head, only to flinch back at the light and hide back in their knees.

Without hesitation, Techno took off his cape and draped it over the two, not missing how they tensed when he let go. He finally lifted their head and opened their eyes, blinking rapidly against the minimal light that reached inside. Luckily, the fabric was thick, leaving only Eret's eyes to light up the makeshift cave.

"Are you ok?" Techno asks gently, meeting their glowing white eyes. He nodded stiffly, opening their mouth to speak before breaking out into a fit of coughing. Techno stuck a hand out from under the cloth to grab a tray of food he had seen earlier.

He picked up the small bottle of water and twisted the lid off, passing it into Eret's shaky grasp. He silently thanked him and took a sip, seeming to relish in the taste. He kept taking small sips, until it was only about halfway full. They tried to twist the lid back on, but their hands were shaking so bad Techno had to take it from her and put it in for them. They placed it in the ground next to them, opening their mouth to speak.

"Thank you." They muttered, voice raspy. Techno only nodded in response, happy that they could talk now. "I haven't had water in a while."

"Yeah, Sam mentioned that. May I ask why?" Techno hummed, watching as Eret fiddled absentmindedly with the hem of the cloak.

"Well…" Eret swallowed dryly. "The light is so bright, I can't uncover my eyes or it'll burn. I've tried, but if I move from this position it hurts. A lot."

Techno nodded in understanding, feeling a twinge in his heart for the former king. He will get back at Sam for this, although not now. For now, he needs to focus on Eret. He recognizes how much he sounds like Phil right now, but is honestly too worried to care.

He grabs the platter of food he had dragged under the structure, frowning at the stale baked potato. Still, he picked it up and handed it to Eret, who took it with a muted "thank you". The wither hybrid ate it in small bites, starting to tremble again once he had finished.

Techno wrapped his arms around them again, worry only growing as he noticed how cold they were. He squeezed them tighter, sighing in relief as they stopped shivering, only leaning in more to his touch. While Techno's nether roots and warmer body temperature usually annoyed him, it was extremely useful in situations like these.

They stayed like this for a few more minutes, Eret having closed her eyes and leaned fully against Techno. The duo's breathing was the only sound besides Sam's impatient foot-tapping outside. Techno simply rubbed circles on their back, heart still twisted at the sight of the obviously starved hybrid.

The sound of a door swinging open sounded through the small space, causing Eret to flinch. They opened his eyes again and blinked owlishly st Techno, the piglin hybrid forcing a reassuring smile.

"Techno, it's time for you to go." The warden stated, stopping a few feet away. Techno could feel Eret tense up at that, starting to shake again.

"Can't I stay a bit longer?" Techno stuck his head out of the makeshift tent and glared at the warden, who looked down at him with a blank expression.

"No. You signed saying you would only stay for a half hour, it had been a half hour." Sam told him, not breaking eye contact. Techno only growled and cursed under his breath, bringing his head back under the cape and meeting Eret's eyes. The wither hybrid was hyperventilating, holding onto Techno's arm for dear life. Their eyes locked onto his desperately, and Techno could feel wither start to spread onto his arm. He inhaled sharply and pulled it away, Eret stuttering apologies and bringing their hands up to pull on their hair.

It seems that Sam heard the pained noise from Techno because he ripped the cloak off over their heads, grabbing Techno's arm and pulling him to his feet. Eret immediately slammed her eyes shut, crying out in pain at the bright light returning without warning. Sam moved to stand in between the two, holding his sword defensively in front of them.

"What are you doing?! They need help!" Techno growled at Sam, grabbing his shoulder and spinning the other hybrid to face him.

"Do not attempt to engage in combat with the prison staff, or I will be forced to detain you." Sam stated, and Techno let go of them with a huff. "They attacked you, and I was forced to step in."

"What do you mean?! It was an accident! I'm fine!" Techno yelled, exasperation clear in his voice. The warden only shrugged.

"They still attacked you. Leave the cell please, before I have to make you." Sam replied, gesturing towards the door. Techno cast one last guilty glance at Eret before walking out the door, looking through the window as Sam locked it behind them.

Eret was curled back into their knees, shivers and sobs shaking their frail body. He was very clearly hyperventilating, and he realized with a jolt that they were probably having a panic attack.

"This is cruel. You are blinding them, starving them, and denying him of any human contact." Techno spoke, meeting Sam's stone cold gaze once more.

"I did what I had to do to contain them. I give her food and water, they simply choose not to eat." Sam explained.

"That's only because you blinded them, they can barely move without burning their eyes, much less find whatever shitty meals you give them!" He was no longer able to keep in his anger, screaming at Sam and whispering an apology as Eret flinched.

"I only did what was necessary. Follow me, it's time you left." Sam began to walk away, and Techno had no choice but to follow.

"I will be telling people about this." Techno growled, done arguing with the warden.

"And it is within your legal right to do so." Sam informed, not slowing his stride towards the exit. The rest of the walk went in silence, chat chittering away inside his head.

Techno stepped through the nether portal without question, mind buzzing with questions and ideas. He needed to save Eret, that was clear. How… not quite as cut in stone.

Sam waved to him as he left, Techno not nothing to return it. He didn't want to leave the former king in there alone, but what choice did he have?

Rain pelted down onto the cape he had pulled back on a few minutes ago, making it noticeably heavier. He hastily pulled up the sleeve where Eret had grabbed his arm, inspecting the wither mark lingering underneath. It would heal up with an instant health potion and an hour or two, so nothing to worry about.

Techno pulled out his trident, using it to propel himself into the air and towards the tundra. He still had no idea how to save Eret, and brought his attention to chat to see if they had anything.

Ask philza

Blood for the blood god

Talk to Phil he has a get out of jail free card

Kill sam

Get phil

Phil can help

Go talk to Tommy

Go to dadza

E

Sam should die

@-- ikr

The chat gave conflicting answers as always, but talking to Phil seemed like a common theme. He eventually reached the house and landed softly on the deck, not nothing to wipe off his boots and kicking them off as soon as he entered.

Phil turned around and smiled at him, smile faltering as he saw the worried look on Techno's face. He immediately headed for the couch and sat down, Phil wordlessly sitting down besides him.

"What's wrong?" Phil asked gently, draping a wing over Techno's shoulders. Techno sighed and fiddled with his hands, thinking off what to say next.

"I visited Eret." Techno replied, and Phil's brow furrowed even more. They had heard about what had happened from Niki, although they didn't have many details beforehand. "We need to get her out of there. Chat was saying to talk to you, something about a get out of jail free card…"

Phil tilted his head curiously, meeting Techno's grim expression. "I do have a get out of jail free card I got from Sam a while back, although I was kind of saving it…" Phil explained, chewing his bottom lip thoughtfully. "Is it really that bad? I mean, she'll be out relatively soon, right? It's not a life sentence or anything."

"I doubt they'll survive another week, much less the 300 day sentence." Techno snorted bitterly, watching the confliction flicker across Phil's face. "Go see for yourself if you don't believe me. I'm going to bed." Techno stood up with that, walking briskly towards his room.

He closed the door behind him, pausing once it clicked shut. He heard Phil shuffle around for a minute or two, before the door next to him click as Phil also went to bed.

Techno sighed in relief, going and sitting down at the small desk in his room. He had no intent of sleeping tonight (he wouldn't be able to if he tried) and settled on catching up on some unfinished armor designs. He knew Phil well enough to know the winged man would go to the prison tomorrow morning, and tried to relax. He dearly hoped that Phil would make the right choice, but now all he could do was wait.

===

Eret shivered again, cold seeping into their bones with nothing but the thin jumpsuit to protect him against the chill. They had managed to uncap and finish off the water Techno had left for her a few (days? Hours? Weeks?) ago, but even that took an enormous amount of effort. They were starving, and although their hybrid status made it so they could go quite a while without food or water, they could still feel the hunger gnawing at their stomach and throat.

The light was so bright, it hurt even with their eyes closed, shattered emotional state not helping. They're mental state was deteriorating rapidly, especially after Techno left. It hurt to breathe due to how dry their throat was, and a few days ago they had actually coughed up blood during a panic attack. She hated it here, that was for sure.

Quiet voices outside brought them back from their train of thought, and he strained to try and hear who it was. The door creaked open and Eret felt a twinge of fear, unable to suppress a flinch at the loud noise. They could hear quiet footsteps and hitched breathing as someone rushed to their side, flinching badly as the person wrapped a feathery wing around them. A gentle hand started combing through their hair, quiet whispers of reassurance filling their ears. The person seemed vaguely familiar, and it took their hazy brain a concerning amount of time to recognize Phil.

They almost sobbed in relief at the familiar avian, but stopped themselves. Every breath hurt, and they didn't want to make it worse by breathing harder than they needed to. A small whimper escaped their throat as they immediately regretted it, coughing up a small amount of blood. Phil only hugged her tighter, and she leaned into the embrace.

A few minutes later she could feel themself being pulled up into Phil's arms, unable to find the urge to protest as he carried them to the door. It felt weird to be out of the curled-up position, bright light hitting Eret's eyelids mercilessly. They let out a small pained noise, Phil seeming to get what was wrong and placing a dark wing over her face. He relaxed slightly in the darkness, still curled up as their tense muscles screamed in protest.

Muffled arguing met their ears, and they flinched back at Sam's voice. Sam always turned up the brightness whenever he entered their room, making their eyes water even as they were covered.

After a few minutes of arguing and an annoyed sigh from Sam, Phil continued through the door. It was so warm inside Phil's wings, a stark contrast to the cold of the prison, and Eret resisted the urge to fall asleep. Tiny tidbits of conversation met their ears, but they were too tired and out of it to care.

The familiar whooping of a nether portal came into earshot, and he only had a second to prepare before they entered. Eret never liked the feeling of nether portals, but it was somehow a thousand times worse now. They felt extremely nauseous as they were spat out of the portal, only barely managing to keep from throwing up. However, when they went through the second portal, they couldn't keep it in, and ended up dry heaving splatters of blood onto his jumpsuit and Phil's shirt. He tried to mumble an apology, but it only came out as a quiet wheeze.

A pair of familiar sunglasses were slid into her face as the wing was removed, and she inwardly smiled at the familiar feeling. Phil held them closer to his chest as his wings stretched to their fullest length, and Eret only had a second to realize what was going on before the duo launched into the air. They instinctively shrieked, but it only came out as a sharp inhale, their scratchy throat protesting. They had always been afraid of flying, much preferring to use the wooden paths instead of one of their channeling triedents. She instinctively reached to claw at her upper arms, before Phil's hands gently pried them away.

They slowly got used to the sensation of flight, Phil's wingbeats calming them slightly. After only a few minutes or so, Phil shifted, gently orienting himself to land. Eret barely registered as they landed, brain full of cotton. They could distantly hear another voice speaking, and although it was familiar, they couldn't piece together who it was.

They could feel themselves lowered onto a couch, a glass of water pressed to their lips. They slowly started taking small sips of it, room temperature water sliding painfully down their throat. By the time they had finished it, their brain was less fuzzy and they could pick up the worried voices of Techno and Phil. They felt their eyes flutter close (when had they opened them?), the lull of sleep too much to bear after many sleepless nights. With a mumbled "thank you" they slipped quietly into sleep.

===

Techno leaned back into the couch, sighing heavily and playing with the braid in his hair. Phil had burst into the door with Eret about an hour ago, and they managed to get them to drink some water before she fell asleep. They looked much worse than when Techno had seen them only a day before, with small splatters of blood on both his jumpsuit and Phil's shirt. They were currently sleeping in Phil's room, while Phil kept an eye on the hybrid.

It had bothered Techno how thin he was, and while he knew wither hybrids were usually on the thin side, they had looked like a corpse. He wasn't sure he would ever get the sight of his brother Eret's deathly pale face and cracked lips pressed together into a pained line.

His train of thoughts was interrupted by Phil walking into the room, going to pull some mushrooms and beets out of the barrels. He had changed out of the green shirt he was wearing before, now wearing a long-sleeved light blue undershirt. He put a pot of water on the stove before throwing in the mushrooms and beets, turning to techno as it boiled.

"They woke up a bit ago. I'm gonna try to get them to eat some soup and drink something before they take a shower." Phil explained, Techno nodding his head. "Would you mind bringing her a glass of water?"

Techno hesitates a moment before nodding, the unspoken "don't overwhelm them" going between the two. Techno walked over to Phil and filled a glass with slightly colder than room temperature water, before beginning the short trek to Phil's room.

He gently pushed it open and peeked inside, wincing slightly at Eret's frail form. They had changed out of the orange jumpsuit and into one of Phil's old hoodies, sunglasses still perched on their nose. They smiled weakly at Techno, wincing as their cracked lips were pulled up. He walked over to the bed and sat down, handing them the water as they leaned into him. They were concerningly light, feeling weightless as she leaned against his side.

He remembered what it was like seeing Phil burst through the door with a limp figure in his arms, small amounts of blood spattered on both of them. He remembered how dead Eret had looked, remembered how he wouldn't respond to anything they said, as if they couldn't hear. Remembered how they were only able to coax her into drinking a small amount of water before she fell asleep.

Techno was snapped out of his thoughts by Phil entering the room, carrying three bowls of soup at once. He had asked the winged man once how he was able to do that, and Phil had told him that you get good at certain things after raising three rowdy children.

Phil handed one to Eret and placed another next to Techno before sitting down at his desk. He turned the chair to face them, soup resting in his lap as he smiled at the duo.

Eret had already drank most of the water, moving onto soup as he dipped the spoon in. They seemed nauseous at the first bite, but quickly got more used to it and took bigger portions at a time. Within a few minutes it was gone, Phil and Techno finishing soon after.

They seemed a bit more alive after that, able to sit up fully and skin having more color. Phil smiles at them and they averted his gaze, seeming slightly embarrassed at their weak state.

"T-thank you." They mumbled, just loud enough so Phil could hear across the room. Techno flung an arm around her shoulder, and they visibly relaxed at the touch.

"No problem, mate. I had to get you out of there." Phil smiled, and they relaxed even more, fiddling with the hem of Techno's cloak.

"W-what ha-appened?" They asked, words catching in their throat a few times. Techno gulped slightly and looked expectantly to Phil, who sighed and began to explain.

"So, Techno visited you yesterday, I'm not sure if you…" He trailed off for a moment, before starting off again. "Remember that. Anyways, I'm not really sure what happened there, but he came back looking rather distraught and said we needed to get you out of there. I went over the next day, and used a get out of jail free card I had bought from Sam a while back. I brought you here, and here we are."

Eret made a silent "oh" noise, hands moving down to clench around the blankets at their waist.

"I didn't realize it was only a day." They mumbled, and it took a moment for Techno to realize what they were talking about.

If the time between Techno's visit and Phil's felt so long, how long did the other two and a half weeks feel?

Techno wrapped his arms around her, only squeezing tighter as Eret broke into a sob. They sounded so broken, and Techno decided that he would take at least one of the warden's canon lives next time he saw him.

They eventually stopped sobbing, and Phil was able to coax another bowl of soup into them before she fell asleep again. He wasn't entirely sure why they were so exhausted, although then again they probably hadn't been getting much sleep with the constant blinding light. Techno managed to wriggle his way out of the bed without waking him, stepping into the hallway and heading towards the kitchen.

Phil was leaning against the counter, a cup of coffee in hand and a contemplating look on his face. He smiled tiredly at Techno as he entered, Techno opting to sit at one of the chairs lining the counter.

"You know you shouldn't be drinking coffee this late, right?" Techno asked blankly, Phil nodding resignedly. He grabbed a mug and poured some for Techno, the piglin gratefully accepting it and pulling it close to his chest.

A moment of silence passed between the two, none willing to address the obvious elephant in the room. After a good minute or two, Phil finally spoke up.

"Techno, when I saw them there, they looked so-" Phil's voice cracked in the middle of his sentence, eyes glassy with sorrow. "So… dead. They were barely moving, it looked like they could barely breathe. I mean, I had no idea how they were still alive, still don't! I didn't want to have to use the get out of jail free card, I was saving it for if you or I got arrested, but she looked so broken I-" Phil stopped himself with a deep shuddering breath, taking a sip of his coffee. "Was it as bad when you visited?"

"I mean, it wasn't as bad, but he was still very much not ok. They were able to talk, at least, after I gave them some water. Still, they could barely eat solid food without choking on it, and couldn't manage anything above a whisper. It was so bright, they couldn't even raise their head without crying out in pain." Techno replied gruffly, shuddering slightly at the memory.

"I'm not sure how they survived that long without food or water, maybe it's because of the hybrid thing?" Phil mused. Techno had been wondering the same thing, and suddenly it made sense.

Withers don't need food or water to survive, and although Eret might need sustenance for energy and other human reasons, he may not be able to die from lack of them. There would definitely be side effects, yes, but the ones that are usually fatal wouldn't be among them. This realization made Techno both relieved and sick to the stomach at the same time. This means that he couldn't actually die from starvation or dehydration (unless the non-fatal side effects got bad enough to be fatal, something Techno didn't want to think about). On the flip side, this also meant that it could get bad enough to the point that they couldn't move, or even breathe as they slowly bled out from the dry cracks on their skin and in their throat.

A chair screeching brought Techno back to the present, looking over to see Phil in the chair next to him.

"You alright, Tech? You spaced out for a minute there." Phil tilted his head at the piglin, Techno huffing in response.

"Yeah, just thinking." Techno responded, taking a sip of his coffee. It was stronger than usual, with a strange fruity aftertaste. Phil hummed, seeming satisfied with his answer.

The silence returned, although this time more comfortable than tense. The promise of a sleepless night went unspoken between them.

===

Eret woke up slowly, waking up being a surprise in and of itself. They hadn't really had the privilege of sleeping, so actually waking up was a relatively unfamiliar concept. They were alone in the small room, light filtering through the window and reflecting off the dust in the air. It was the first time in a while that she had been fully cohesive, fog that usually distorted their thoughts completely gone. They sat up and smiled, something they hadn't done since…

Well, they weren't really sure how long they were in the prison, but they sure hadn't smiled there.

They stretched their arms out, wincing slightly as it pulled on the tense muscles in their abdomen. Speaking of that, they should probably eat something.

Not really keen on yelling at Techno or Phil to get them food, Eret scooted over to the side of the bed and tried to stand up.

Key word: tried.

They immediately feel on their first attempt, grunting as they hit the carpeted floor. After a quick recovery they tried again, into welding the same results. He huffed and looked around for something they could use, eyes catching on something in the open closet.

They weren't sure why they were surprised that Phil had a pair of crutches, considering he's Phil. They were pleased nonetheless, dragging themselves over to the closet. Ignoring the strange creeper head on the top shelf, they pulled out one of the crutches and dragged themselves back over to the bed. They really hoped Phil didn't mind them using it, and while they doubted he would, there was still a small twinge of fear as they pulled themselves back onto the bed.

They slid the handle under their arm before shakily standing up, pleased as it held their weight. They tested their balance before stepping forwards, wobbling slightly as they continued their trek towards the door. By the time they had reached it she had gotten slightly more used to walking with the crutch, smiling as it kept them from falling on multiple occasions.

A flicker of blue and white caught their eye, noticing the familiar checkered skirt folded neatly on a table near the door. They started at it for a moment before grabbing it, slipping the garment on under the sweatshirt without a second thought.

A smile formed on their face as they opened the door and limped down the hall, not caring as it cracked their dry lips even more.

They eventually made it to the living room, Techno and Phil looking up at their entrance. Phil's eyes glimmered as he saw their smile, Techno looking confused at their appearance.

"Where did you get that?" Techno asked, pointing at the crutch.

"I found it in Phil's closet." Eret shrugged, voice scratchy and rough from disuse. Meanwhile, Techno looked at Phil in disbelief.

"How did I never know you had those?" Techno questioned Phil, Phil looking down at his coffee and shrugging.

"It never came up." He answered, answer clearly not satisfying his son. He ignored this, however, instead focusing on Eret. "How are you feeling? I made some mushroom soup and bread if you want it."

Eret nodded, sitting down at the counter as Phil slid a bowl of soup over to them, along with a glass of water and some bread. Eret quietly thanked him, taking a sip of the water. They shivered as it slid down their throat, liquid feeling foreign to them. They hastily gulped down the rest of it, wiping their mouth with their sleeve before moving onto the bread.

They weren't honestly sure if they could handle solid food right now. The last time they remembered eating solid food when Techno had come to visit them (they were told it was yesterday, but it felt much longer than that), and she wasn't sure if she could handle it.

Instead, she opted to begin on the soup, a needed warmth filling their stomach at the comforting liquid. Soon Eret had finished it off, eyeing the bread warily before going to try it. They ripped off a small piece, placing it in their mouth after a moment's hesitation. After quite a bit of chewing they swallowed, gagging slightly as it scratched along their throat. Still, he managed to eat all of it, bit by bit, pushing the plate away from himself as he finished the small meal.

"Phil, you don't have to look that excited over them eating bread. Kinda cringe." Techno's comment brought them back to the present, looking up to see Phil's eyes sparkling with pride. He curled in on himself slightly, embarrassed at the attention suddenly on him. "See, you scared him with your overexcited dad face." Phil gasped at Techno's remark, feigning exasperation.

"Well, I'm sorry for being too prideful of a father." Phil sniffed, drawing a hand up to his chest. "You have hurt me today, Technoblade."

Techno simply rolled his eyes, Eret stifling a chuckle. Phil spun around to face them, faux hurt expression melting into a smile as he saw Eret's grinning face. Techno looked over his shoulder at the two and snorted, going back to his book.

Eret managed to drink a couple more cups of water, playful banter exchanged between the trio. It was starting to feel more like a home here, fire warming the room instead of casting shadows. The day continued on like that, Eret staying inside for the most part while Phil continued to try to get her to eat more. One day quickly turned into two, then 5, and before they knew it they had been there for a week and a half already. They had stopped needing the crutch after the fifth day, able to walk around without much effort.

On the tenth day, he had finally managed to convince Phil to let him help out a bit. The two decided to go get some flowers for dye, and although Eret could tell that Phil had purposefully given them an easy job, they were grateful nonetheless.

It was midday when they left, Eret grateful to get outside for once. She could hear Phil’s footsteps crunch in the snow behind her, and smiled as the avian went to walk besides them. None of them spoke as they continued on, crinkling of footsteps on snow only thing to break the careful silence. They had gathered by far enough flowers by then, but none of them wanted to head back quite yet.

The sun reflected off her sunglasses, bright but not overbearingly so. She spotted a patch of cornflowers a few paces off, directing her course towards them. Phil stopped and watched them as they pulled the flowers out of the ground.

"Hey Eret?" Phil asked as they walked back to stand besides him.

"Yeah?" They hummed, stashing the flowers away into their inventory.

"I wanted to ask you a question." He could hear the tense anticipation in Phil's voice, despite his best attempts at hiding it.

"O-ok. What is it?" The air around them suddenly felt thicker, laced with dread as Eret hesitantly met Phil's gaze.

"How long did it feel like you were there for?" The avian asked, and Eret tensed.

Suddenly, the air seemed too thick. The normally pleasant cold air seemed like it was biting at his throat, the sun blindingly bright as it reflected off the snow. It got colder and harder to breathe, Eret shivering and wrapping his arms around himself. He was brought back to the present by a worried hand on his shoulder, even the small touch feeling like too much.

He swallowed the growing anxiety and answered, not willing to meet Phil's gaze. "I dunno. It was hard to tell."

"How long did it feel like?" Phil took a deep breath through his nose before asking a similar question, one that they didn't really want to think about.

"A month or two, maybe?" Eret murmured, looking to the ground and trying to subtly slip away from Phil's grip. Phil stiffened at his words, and he could feel the avian's eyes boring into his neck.

"You were there for two weeks." Phil's voice was barely a whisper, yet it felt like a foghorn echoing around in Eret's head.

The sunlight was suddenly horribly bright, sunglasses doing nothing to stop the white overtaking his vision. All oxygen was leeched from the air, and they felt like they were dying they couldn't breathe why couldn't they breathe-

Warm arms wrapped around them and they realized they were shaking, salty tears dripping down from their eyes and staining their cheeks. Somewhere a voice was speaking, someone was holding their shoulders with a death grip, but it felt so far away and Eret couldn't respond or even react.

The hands left their shoulders and suddenly they were doused in something, strange sticky liquid clinging to their clothes and hair. Their thoughts immediately slowed to a crawl and their hands fell to their sides (she hadn't even realized she was pulling at her hair until now). A heavy weight formed in their chest, forcing her to take deep, slow breaths. Her vision slowly cleared up and the world tipped sideways, unable to find it in herself to keep from falling over. Luckily, warm hands caught her before they could fall, red eyes meeting shaded white ones.

They could now feel the soft couch they were sitting on, and hear Phil's voice whispering comforting words into their ears as gentle hands rubbed circles into their back. The person holding them upright (who they now recognized as Techno) gently leaned him against Phil, Eret unable to find the energy to protest. Phil wrapped a wing around them and they silently appreciated the warmth, leaning into the feathers.

Techno sighed and plopped down in the couch across from them, watching Eret with poorly disguised worry. They turned their head slightly- even that movement left them exhausted- and realized that they were back in the cabin. He could guess what happened there, and instead decided to ask the most compelling question. "What did you throw on me?" His words slurred together slightly, but honestly they were too tired to care.

"A weakness potion. We couldn't find any other way to calm you down, and hey, it worked." It was Techno that answered, piglin hybrid not moving from his position as he spoke.

Ah.

Weakness made sense.

Eret had experienced weakness potions before, and was slightly surprised that they didn't recognize it earlier. There was also an uncharacteristic exhaustion- usually it just made one feel weak, not tired- although he guessed that was from the panic attack.

She felt safe here. Phil's gentle wings wrapped around her, surrounded by family well-wishers. Eret felt like they could breathe for the first time in a long while. These thoughts lingered in their mind as they floated off into the void of sleep, crackling of a fire ringing in their ears.

This was home.

Woo 6k words let's gooo
Thx for reading, my 1 year Wattpad anniversary is coming up and I'm planning on posting a list of unshared writing for that :D
Comments and votes make my day (even if I don't respond I appreciate every one)
Sweet nightmares!