Work Text:
FLASHBACK
13 years ago
(Mane was 11 and Flame was 7)
“Mane, are you sure Itz won't be mad?”
Asked the tiger hybrid, walking behind his brother while clutching his brother's shirt in his hands.
“Nah, I'll tell him we went out to buy some stuff.”
Responded the lion hybrid, ruffling his little brother's hair while chuckling.
A Few Hours Later
A few hours later, the brothers finally arrived at the place where Mane mentioned. Mane knocked on the door and heard a “hold on!” from the inside of the house along with some shuffling.
When the door opened, there stood ItzRealMe—Mane and Flame's caretaker—who took them under his wing when they were 8 and 4, he found them alone in the Nether with nothing and no one but each other.
“Flame! Mane! Where were you two? You know I've been worried sick!”
Itz exclaimed, hugging both boys then pulling them inside since it was about to rain.
“Sorry, Itz. We were going out to buy some stuff since we got bored at home.”
The lion nervously said, hoping the warden hybrid wouldn't get mad at them.
“Sigh, just be careful and be sure to come back home before it gets dark, okay?”
Itz sighed, knowing he couldn't budge the brothers to sneak out and have fun. Ruffling their hair, he told the two to go take a bath as he was preparing dinner.
The brothers immediately went to their own rooms to take a bath, the reason why they were eager to take a bath was because Itz’ cooking was heaven, even though they've been here for 3 years, they still adored Itz' cooking.
The brothers were finished taking their baths and only needed to dry their hair, which they knew Itz would dry their hair for them.
The brothers went downstairs and were hit with the aroma of Itz cooking. They both rushed to the dining table and saw some pieces of steak with seasoning on it and some chicken soup.
“Bon appetite, kiddos. Made your favorite.”
Itz chuckled as he saw the brothers rushing to sit on their assigned chairs and helped them bring the steaks to their plates along with a bowl of chicken soup.
END OF FLASHBACK
Itz was shaken back to reality by the sounds of the others shouting at him to come back.
He couldn't believe his eyes.
His babies, almost at the gates of the Underworld.
Because of a stupid mistake they made.
Well, he wouldn't blame them.
He couldn't.
He clutched the almost dead bodies of his babies while whispering that they were all gonna be okay with tears streaming down his face.
“Itz..don't blame yourself, you didn't know this would happen…”
His older son mumbled to him, clutching his sleeve with his shaking hand.
“Papa, I'm cold… I wanna go home…”
His younger murmured, silent tears streaming down the tiger hybrids face as he hid himself into Itz' shoulder.
“It's gonna be okay, papa's gonna take you two home and cook your favorite, okay…? Just please don't close your eyes…”
Itz begged as the others surrounding the three scattered to find any leftovers of regeneration potions, golden apples and even healing potions.
“Papa, I'm sleepy… Can we go home and sleep together… ? I don't wanna be alone…”
Flame muttered, leaning closer to Itz and Mane to get some of their body heat since he was as cold as the wind during winter.
“It's gonna be alright, Flame. Right, dad?”
Mane said, both their blindfolds were taken off due to it being too dirty for them to wear it.
Itz wanted to look at his babies eyes for the last time, as if they were going to die.
Which is slightly true.
No one had any totems left due to the totems being popped in the earlier battle.
Itz didn't know what to do.
He begged every deity that came into his mind that his children would survive, no matter if they were biologically related or not.
They were the only ones who saw an actual person in him and not the number 1 pvper in the world.
He was the one who saw every flaw and insecurity of them yet never left or betrayed them, not even when people commissioned him to assassinate them. The commissioners would be dead either way, by his own hands or by his children's.
He didn't want his children to leave him, no, not in a million years would he let them leave him.
They were only allowed to go live their own life but still had to visit him monthly and stay with him for a few days.
But now, he regrets every decision that led to their death.
He regretted teaching them pvp, but deep down he knew he couldn't say no to their puppy eyes.
He regretted telling them to live their life to the fullest.
He can feel their heartbeats slowing down and the grip on his sleeve was becoming weaker and weaker by the second.
He didn't want them to leave him like this.
Never.
Yet, all he could do was hold them until someone found something that could heal them.
A regeneration bottle.
A healing potion.
A golden apple.
A Notch apple.
A totem.
Anything.
Just to be with them for another day.
He prayed and prayed and prayed for someone, anyone, to save his children.
And in the nick of time,
Two totems were heard popping, yet it was the loudest sound Itz had ever heard in his life.
Both Mane and Flame lived due to someone—he didn't care who, as long as his children were alive—having two extra totems in their shulker box and threw the totems at Mane and Flame, saving them from dying.
After holding it in for so long, Itz burst into tears as he clutched both his babies in his arms with all the strength he had left after the battle.
He was relieved.
Relieved that his babies survived and got to live another day.
Everyone around the three sighed in relief, exhaustion, and happiness.
END OF CHAPTER 1