Chapter Text
“Phil! Hi Phil!”
Philza sighs, exasperatedly dropping his hands to his sides. Carl, Techno’s horse that he’d been feeding, whinnies at him in annoyance.
“Hello Ghostbur, how you doin’ mate?”
Ghostbur happily strings along Friend by their lead then stops next to where Phil is standing near the stables. The ghost is careful to balance on the metal boots he’s wearing so as to avoid burns.
“I’m doing swell Philza Minecraft! You seem a bit down though, would you like some blue?”
Philza shoots the ghost a half-smile. Right now he doesn’t quite have the energy to talk to his dead son. He simply holds up a hand and shakes his head. “No Ghostbur, I’m alright, thank you though. I think Techno and Tommy are inside if you’d like to go say hi? Ranboo is also around somewhere if you want to find him.”
The ghost of his dead son perks up at the mention of his godfather. “Okay! I’ll be back Phil!”
Though, the ghost pauses for a moment then extends the lead in his hands out to Phil. “Would you mind feeding Friend as well? He’s been a bit grumpy since we’ve been walking through the woods.”
“Sure mate.” He says, gently taking the lead from translucent hands. And with that, the boy is gone. Leaving Phil to Carl, Friend, and his thoughts.
Philza sighs and picks up another bundle of wheat for the horse to chew on before making his way with Friend out of the stables. The immortal and the sheep walk to a previously shoveled out space where the grass is visible. He lets the sheep wander a bit as he ties one end of the lead to a stray fence post.
He watches the sheep graze and finds himself sitting against the fence post with a deep sigh.
Ghostbur…
Ghostbur is great. Don’t get him wrong. He is so, so incredibly glad that he can still have some semblance of his son. Though, Ghostbur isn’t Wilbur. Ghostbur is some kind of… accumulation (?) of only Wilbur’s goodness and it freaks Phil out because his son has always been complex. His son wasn’t supposed to be so… one-sided.
Ghostbur also doesn’t look quite as old as Wilbur had been when he… the ghost seems to be younger. Possibly resembling Wil before the assassination. That in itself makes it hard to look the ghost in his blank gray eyes. Ghostbur is also certainly more naive. Wilbur was always perceptive, always aware of his surroundings and situation. Not Ghostbur though.
Techno had once found the ghost half-melted and burned just tramping through the middle of a snow storm with Friend in tow. Then Phil had found the ghost heartbroken after Doomsday, though Tommy had luckily been there to help where Phil couldn’t.
Phil honestly hadn’t expected Tommy to be okay with their Doomsday plan, though the boy didn’t want to do much to help other than ensure everyone got out safely before Phil, Techno, and Dream leveled New L’Manberg, he was all for it.
He supposes it makes sense. L’Manberg had been his home, but he’d been exiled from it twice. Lost two of his lives for the damned place and then lost his… older brother figure, to the country as well. Then his best friend took charge and exiled him over childish antics. Then Dream had… Dream had done something to Tommy during the exile.
Tommy had come to them after running away from exile and he just wasn’t the same person. The boy was supposed to be loud and brash and fun-loving. Now he’s quiet, angry, defensive. It was heartbreaking to see the boy in that state. Hard to see him so… lifeless. It was too similar to how Wilbur had looked before…
Phil shifts his back against the fence post and sighs.
It had been a journey getting Tommy to open back up. Therapy sessions with Puffy weekly (for both Tubbo and Tommy, also trying to repair their friendship) and an incredibly unhelpful visit to his abuser that Phil hadn’t known about. Phil had blamed himself for Tommy’s death for those entire two days after it had happened. He knew he couldn’t have done anything, but being the boy’s primary caretaker and having him end up… gods it had destroyed him.
Then Sam had called him.
Phil had never pearled faster in his life. It had been agony waiting outside the large obsidian prison. He watched the swirling portal, waiting for it to waver and shift. When the particles started to part and a messy blonde mop stepped through Phil had thrown himself forward. Tommy fell into his arms with heaving sobs.
From then on, as Phil brushed his fingers through Tommy’s hair and felt the crusted blood and newly forming death scars, he had promised to do anything to protect this boy. They pearled home and Techno had nearly went to the prison and killed Dream himself. Though Tommy vehemently denied and only explained with a half smile and a breathy “you just can’t, not yet.”
From then on things started to get better again. Tommy seemed much happier and it was… odd. Seeing the boy happy though, that was enough. It helped when Ranboo came around as well. The two seemed to get along fairly well. As well as one can get along with a moody Tommy.
Phil blinks himself out of his own thoughts. Friend had moved next to him at some point. The blue sheep had laid his head on Phil’s lap and was peacefully sleeping as Phil combed his fingers through the dyed blue wool.
He smiles. The sheep has good for all of them, somehow becoming a bit of a therapy animal for everyone involved. Ghostbur was obviously his bestfriend and caretaker, the ghost would grab onto the sheep if anxious or overwhelmed, especially if forced to think about painful memories. Tommy would take the sheep and occasionally the ghost for walks and vent his problems. Techno would never admit it, but he would find the sheep if his voices got loud and would lay with him until they both fell asleep. And Phil… well Phil would just sit with the sheep like he is now.
Friend opens their eyes to look at Phil. They let out a gentle bleet and move their head into Phil’s hand. Phil smiles and twists a piece of wool. “Hey mate.”
Friend doesn’t move, but shifts their eyes to the house as a door slams open. Phil’s back is to the house so he can’t see who comes out the door. He assumes it must be Tommy, maybe coming to see the sheep himself.
Though Phil shifts as he hears the quick pace of the footsteps approaching him. “PHIL!” Phil moves to stand, bring the sheep with him as he quickly rights himself.
Tommy just barely stops in front of him in time to keep from tumbling into him. The teen looks slightly panicked, though his eyes look brighter than he’s seen them in a long while.
“Phil… Phil it’s Ghostbur. Somethings wrong with him-“
Phil sucks in a breath and looks up to the cabin as Techno slams open the door. They lock eyes, and Phil’s heart sinks.
He numbly feels as Tommy grabs his hand and pulls him towards the house. Though as his mind gets over the shock he steps into the main room, only to find the ghost standing stock still.
Phil hesitantly reaches out for the ghost, though his hand passes through the flickering form. Phil pulls back his hand in silent shock. It felt as if he’d just run his hand under a mist machine filled with cold water.
Ghostbur’s blank eyes are somehow even more desolate and distant. Blue tears leak from his eyes and mouth, but the ghost stands still as a statue.
Friend bleets from behind him, but doesn’t approach the ghost. Phil reaches out again, and again, and again, as he tries to get the ghosts attention. He feels Tommy press into his side at somepoint. They stay like that, trying to get the ghosts attention and comforting each other as an hour passes.
Then the translucent man blinks and his eyes shimmer with a new clarity, then he reaches a slow hand out to touch Phil.
Phil immediately takes the ghost's barely-tangible hand and places his own on his dead son’s face. “Ghostbur?”
The ghost looks at him, then smiles. “Phil… Mumza says hi.”
Phil can hear as Tommy gasps next to him and tightens his grip, but he’s lost in his own thoughts. Why would Kristin…
Then the ghost’s form starts to flicker. “Oh, and she says to make sure Wilbur eats. He’s been moody lately.”
The ghost gently slides his hands over Phil’s and takes Friend’s lead. He makes a small clicking noise and the sheep taps his way next to Ghostbur’s side. “Come Friend, Kristin is waiting for us.”
The ghost looks back up to the other inhabitants of the cabin. “Thank you all for being so kind to me. I’ll miss you all. Do take good care of yourselves, and alivebur, please?”
Phil mutely nods. Was Kristin, she can’t, how is she-
Tommy’s voice wavers as he speaks up. “Ghostbur, Kristin can’t- she can’t revive people. How- how is Wilbur-“
Ghostbur’s gaze goes to the sky as a sad smile creeps across his face. “Dream… he thinks- he wants to use alivebur. Thinks he can convince him to let him free. How silly…”
The Ghost’s gaze then drifts to something just over Phil’s shoulder. Phil follows his gaze, then meets her eyes.
He can hear as Techno drops his sword. He can hear as Tommy stifles a small sob, sounding almost relieved. He can hear her gentle laugh. Her beautiful, tremendous laugh that makes him weak. Soon enough she is standing over him, leaning down to cup his face in her cold hands.
A trill escapes him as he lets himself relax into her touch. She rubs her thumb on his cheek and places a soft kiss on his forehead. By all gods he missed her, he missed her so much.
“Darling…”, she says gently, leaning down to give him another kiss before looking him in the eye with a small smile. “Go get our boy. It’s time for his encore.”
She lets go of his face and he already craves her touch. She reaches out to Tommy first, lightly tucking a strand of his hair behind his ear before turning to Techno. She puts a hand on his shoulder, reaches down to grab his dropped sword and hands it back to him. Then she turns and extends a hand out to the ghost, then places the other on the head of the blue sheep.
Then they’re gone.
Phil…
Phil can barely hold back the absolute joy flooding through him. Death, his wife, his beautiful lover, she visited. She visited and with her she brought their son and-
Their son.
Phil lets a small gasp slip as he pulls his hand away from where she’d touched his cheek.
Their son.
He’s out the door before he even thinks of telling Techno and Tommy what he’s doing. But judging by the surprised yell from Tommy and thundering footsteps following behind him they weren’t letting him go alone.
Phil pulls a stack of ender pearls from his inventory bag, dropping half of them behind him so Techno and Tommy can grab them and follow him. He throws his first one and doesn’t wait to be teleported, instead just continuing his stride as he appears many feet further.
Soon enough he finds himself standing on the prime path. The wood creaks as he sprints along the path. Soon enough he can see the glimmer of the glass barrier that was once L’Manberg.
He grabs his final pearl and tosses it into the center of the sea of glass. Once he re-appears he spins around to find what he came here for. And there… there he spots him.
Techno and Tommy’s footsteps click against the glass and stop behind him. Techno huffs, slowly following Phil’s gaze. “Phil, Phil why the hell-“
They all three stop breathing, just for a moment. For a moment everything seems too blissful, too sweet.
It seems impossible to be here. To watch as Wilbur, their Wilbur, stumbles from the hole that once was the button room. Watch as he leans into the wall to readjust his balance, as he blinks and breathes and whispers “shit” to himself as he stumbles.
Phil can feel the tears on his face. But frankly he could care less as he takes a few shaky steps forward, as if the wrong move will shatter the scene like the glass beneath their feet.
Wilbur slowly pushes away from the wall and adjusts to standing again, and that’s when Phil sees them. Large wings hanging loosely from his sons back, fluttering ever so slightly when he stumbles. Then Wilbur looks up, and their eyes meet.
“Phil…”
Tommy is the first to move. The younger takes off in a sprint and rams into Wilbur as he wraps his arms around the older.
“Wilbur- Wilbur you bitch I was so mad at you! Why would you do that you bitch you can’t-“
Wilbur smiles and wraps his arms around Tommy, squeezing the boy tightly and burying his face into the boy’s hair. “Toms- God Tom’s I missed you.”
Techno is the next to move. He steps towards Wilbur slowly, his hand wavers in the air, unable to decide whether or not to reach out. Though as Wilbur pulls away from Tommy’s hug, he looks to Techno.
Wilbur’s eyes grow watery as they look at each other, and he ends up being the first to move. He throws himself around Techno, letting his wings slip under his godfather’s arms as he lets out a choked sob.
Techno had seemed unsure at first, he’s never been good with emotion, but he quickly envelops his godson in a tight hug, rubbing a hand across his wings like he had done when Wil was younger. He smiles and lets the tears that he’d been holding back flow down his face as he whispers, “hey buddy.”
Wilbur wetly chuckles and seems to hug the man tighter before slowly pulling away. Techno presses his forehead to Wilbur’s tightly before letting the man pull away.
Then Wilbur turns to Phil.
And Phil suddenly can’t breathe.
His boy. His baby. His lovely son that had held his hand all through the night as Phil grieved his wife. His son who flipped him off at five years of age and then forced Techno to take him out to fly. His son who fell asleep on his godfather’s shoulders as they trekked across barren cold wastelands. His son who filled their castle with life and love and music. His son who fought against his immortal parental figures as they lost themselves. His son who survived the trials of the Sky Gods and dedicated his time to ensuring nobody else faced the same fate. His son who Phil had failed time and time again but loved more than anything in the mortal realm.
Phil takes his son’s head into his hands and lets himself shakily smile. He’s so amazing. His son.
Wilbur puts his hands over Phil’s and looks him in the eye. They’re both crying now, but Phil can’t find it in himself to care as he places a gentle kiss on the crown of his son’s head.
Wilbur smiles and lets himself fall into a tight hug. Phil smiles as Wilbur leans closer and gently whispers, “I love you Dad.”