Phil soared high above his Fledglings, leading the way.
He constantly checked below him to make sure he had everyone. Sometimes mentally freaking out because he can't see the 5-inch boy before remembering he's 5-inches tall.

Occasionally he'd land and do a headcount.

There was Charlie who rambled nonstop to Sneeg and when Phil would land would hold up the Inchling proudly as if to say "LOOK HE'S LETTING ME HOLD HIM!"

There was Wilbur who was tugging Tubbo along behind him on a sled as large chunks of his shell occasionally fell off to reveal a sleeping teenager. Every time Phil would land Wilbur would point to the river and announce, "Sister!" While Niki popped up to wave and then moments later the umbrella that protected him from the sun would close around him and Fragrance man would snicker as he took his finger off the button innocently.

Then there was Fundy who trailed behind the rest, occasionally giving Phil a heart attack because he was so far behind but he could catch up easily enough. He focused more on what they didn't seem to have. Checking every crevice for something, looking for something.
He never found it.
And he never really acknowledged Phil when he landed, and just occasionally snapping his head to get a better look at him as his wings sparkled in the light.

They walked for a while. Almost an entire day.
All 8 of them were tired by the time the sun rose again.
Still, they tracked on.
"Maybe we should rest?" Fundy offered with a yawn.

"We rested an hour ago!" Wilbur whined.
"Yeah, an hour ago!" Fragrance man emphasized.
Wilbur grumbled.
"Well, I wanna keep going!" Wilbur announced.
"I can also keep going!" Niki encouraged.

Phil restlessly rustled his feathers.
The inchling was asleep on Fundy's shoulder. Fundy and Fragrance Man we're both exhausted. Charlie also looked rather tired, taking to sitting down as the group argued. Though it was mostly Wilbur and Fundy fighting with Schlatt and Niki backing them up.

Phil huffed and shot up into the air. He scanned the area and then, he saw the weirdest thing.

There, just barely in view was this large pillar. At the top was an odd asymmetrical platform that looked as if one wrong move would send it toppling. At Phil's fastest he'd be able to get there in an hour max, but he couldn't go his fastest, he had children to watch over.
It would probably take them 3 hours, 2 maybe?

Even though it was dark he could just about see someone standing on the pillar, pacing it.
Phil dropped down.
"10 minutes," Phil announced.
"Wha-" Wilbur stammered.
"10 minutes, take a seat. We're going to need the break," Phil informed before curling up under a tree where Charlie gladly joined him.

Once again the group's feet hurt. But this time, Phil was also walking. Occasionally he'd burst up into the sky and hovering over the group before returning.
He was more fidgety down below the treeline, especially when it got thick.

"Dad-" Wilbur once tried to convince the oldest to just start flying again but Phil just avoided it by starting up a conversation.

That conversation had slipped into something so far off the original plot, Phil doesn't even remember how he started it really, by the time Fundy had loudly shushed everyone.
His ears flick.

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

"I hear singing!" Fundy announced breathy.
"Singing?" Wilbur asked straining his ears to hear anything.
No one else heard it.

"It- it sounds like-"

Suddenly the Renardian took off into a full-blown sprint.

"Wha-?!" Schlatt stammered.
What the f*ck just happened.
"Hey- fledgling, wait!" Phil called after the fox.
Giant wings opened and the group was pushed back by a gust of wind.

Wilbur let out a startled gargled shriek that resembled something out of a horror movie. The gust was so strong it sent Wilbur flying backward nearly 15 feet.

It was a similar story for Charlie. Luckily, Schlatt had been holding the inchling for the past half hour so there was no threat there, however it sent the slime back 10 feet before slamming full force into a tree.
Had let out a gurgled and pained whimper and spit out harsh red and black slime. Similar consistency to if you were to leave it out for too long.
Moments after hitting the tree his body shrunk 3 inches.

As for Schlatt and Sneegsnag?
It pushed both their torso's back but neither of them moved from their spots and Schlatt had quickly slipped Sneegsnag into his cassock by his buttoned closed armholes. Where he was protected by cloth and 2 pairs of arms.

And Niki was already bolting through the water to catch up.

Schlatt assisted Sneeg back out of his cassock and dormant onto his shoulder. Then, he rushed to assist the 2 other men.
"You're an Arachnid?" Sneeg whispered nearly silently into the larger's ear.

Schlatt didn't respond.

Meanwhile.

"Keep singing! Keep singing!" Fundy frantically prayed.
"Fundy!" Phil called after him.
Fundy didn't listen.
He was too busy.

He stopped, froze in place as the song stopped.

One moment.

Two moments...

Three moments...

Four moments...

Then a scream.

That Philza could hear.
They both perked up in horror and once again, began sprinting.

1....

2.....

3....

4.....

5....

6 moments.

"Now the hour has come at last
the soft and fading light
It's crossed the west horizon and has bidden us good night"

That is definitely Scott!
"Smajor!" Fundy screamed.
But of course, he wasn't heard.

Schlatt was scanning the area for something as Wilbur stumbled forward through the forest.
Something wasn't right.

Sure, the scream was terrifying. And sure, Charlie had immediately perked up and yelled, "Smajor?!"
And that was enough for the rest of the group to start running. But....

"Guys?" Schlatt called out.
Charlie was gone. He had recovered and sprinted off quickly.
Wilbur was having a worst time, stumbling through the forest trying to keep up. 

Still, he must have been far enough away to not notice that Schlatt hadn't followed.
Sneeg had wanted to go too.
He had pulled and cried out for Schlatt to follow but he froze when Schlatt's voice wavered as he called for backup.

"What? What's wrong?" Sneeg asked.
"Uh.... One, where's Tubbo?" Schlatt pointed out.
And sure enough, the boxed boy was nowhere to be seen.

"Oh G*d!" Sneeg gasped.
"And two-" Schlatt stammered and shakily pointed at something in the trees.
"What the f*ck it that?!" He asked.

Sneeg strained his eyes to see just what it was, not quite having the same ability to see in the dark.

Thankfully, or terrifyingly, he didn't need it.
Because whatever the f*ck it was groaned and stumbled out from the trees.

It looked decayed and aged. But also human.
At first, the 2 just gaped at it as it stumbled forward.
"Wh-w-we sh-should r-oh g*d- we should run!" Sneeg stammered.

Schlatt stumbled backward, an uncomfortable shlooop sound came from his feet being forcibly unstuck from the grass while still using the pad adhesive to stick.

"Fragrance man! We need to go! Unstick! Unstick!" Sneeg yelled pulling on the man's hair.
Sh*t.
Sh*t!
Sh*t sh*t sh*t!!!

A loud trill escaped from Phil's throat as he looked around and found only Fundy and himself.
"My fledglings!" Phil shrieked.
He grabbed Fundy as he strained to hear the song that had already finished an hour ago. It was already sunrise. His boy was asleep.
Yet he was hoping he would have tried at least to stay awake.

Fundy turned to the 30-year-old who was looking frantically around for his children
"Wilbur?! Charlie?! Tubbo?!" Phil called.
"Fundy, I need you to stay here!" Phil turned and ordered.
A look of fear in his mesmerizing blue eyes.

"Promise me you'll stay right here!" Phil pleaded.
"Ok, ok I promise," Fundy reluctantly agreed.

Phil stepped back, letting the fox go, and pushed himself up and into the air, making the fox stumble and lose his balance.

Once again a loud trill erupted from the bird.
It took a few seconds but another similar trill came from the direction that Smajor's singing had.
Then, a loud "what the f*ck is that?!" Came from the opposite direction, and just barely through the noise Fundy could hear the slap of slime hitting a hard surface and a soft whistle.

Well sh*t.

Phil landed beside Fundy in a frenzy.
"Tom-" Phil began.
"Go to your son, I'll look for the others," Fundy assured and was off within seconds.

It left the father alone.

'Hey!'
'We're here too!'
'Hi, dad!'
'Birdzaaaaa!'

Ope, never mind.

"Go help Fundy," Phil instructed and once more in the air.

A large winged creature loomed ever closer. For a boy who had never once seen an 'Elytrian' before this was terrifying.
Though Tommy didn't seem to agree.

He was bouncing on his toes in a way that only excited children can master. His patagium fluffed up around him in excitement and he got eerily close to the edge.
"Dad!" Tommy called out opening his arms as if awaiting a hug.

A loud trill hit their ears and with a large beat of wings, the man snatched Tommy off the pillar and into the air. Tommy reciprocating the trill with a few happy chirps and trills of his own.

They dropped, landing on the platform a few moments later.
"Fledgling, fledgling, fledgling!" The man, presumably the 'Phil' or 'Dad' Tommy and Niki had mentioned a few times before, cooed.

"Oh! Don't ever do that again or Ill pluck your eyes out, you d*ck! My baby!" This man was giving off totally mixed signals.
Lightly slapping the boy in the arm before pulling him into another winged bear-hug and pressing kisses to his hairline and cheeks.

Meanwhile, Tommy laughed, chirped, and tried wiggling himself out of the man's protective hold.
All the while trying to proclaim, "I'm not a fledgling!", " I'm not a child!", and "you'll wake Smajor up!"

The nocturnal boy seemed unperturbed by the disruption.

-----
Meh, imma do a pt 2!

Notes:

Art by me