Chapter 18

(Phil)
The void was a peaceful place, it was a place where his Love resided and would help the souls navigate to their next life, or to their eternal rest. Phil could only visit whenever he could find the time to perform the very complicated ritual, and separate his soul for his body, or whenever it was time for him to find a new world to explore. Of course there was also rare occasions he would let her take possession of his body to walk around the mortal plain. They had to be careful with these rituals however, one wrong step and then his soul would be pulled into the void until he could convince her to let him be reincarnated. Which meant a good number of years would pass, since time meant nothing in the void.

"Phil~ You absolute evil man." Kristen giggled, her face hidden behind the dark veil of her hat, but Phil could vaguely make out her smile behind it. "You come bearing no new souls for me. Is my Angel of Death lacking? Maybe I should have you stay with me this time?" She hummed, gliding around him, one of her hands reaching out brush against his black feathers.

Phil grabbed at her hand gently and brought it to his lips. "My lovely Lady." He smiled lovingly at her, making eye contact beyond the veil and kissed her hand in greeting. "Not yet, love," He said, humming as he brought his other hand up to play with her long flowy raven colored hair that pooled behind her. Enjoying the silkiness of her hair that smelled like a bouquet of lilies and roses. "I have a favor to ask of you." He requested.

"And what does my Champion request?" She hummed happily, her free hand combing through his hair in turn.

"I need to talk to the dead." He answered.

Kristen laughed, as she took her hand back and the one playing his hair, snatching his bucket hat off his head as she glided away a few feet. "To the dead you say? Phil. You know the living can't talk tot he dead." She giggled, replacing her hat with his, revealing her face to him. "How about a date first? I have missed you."

"It's only been a few weeks." Phil slowly flapping his wings to bring himself closer to her to embrace her and hold her close.

Only to have her laugh and duck from his arms and glide further away. "But it gets lonely without you. For me its like you've been gone for ages." She said with a flutter of her eyes.

"Now, Kristen. You know time works different for us." Phil said, coming close again trying to catch her in a hug, only for her to vanish in a mist of smoke. "And I promised Techno, I'd be back soon."

"Oh, time what a silly thing to consider." Kristen's voice echoed around him. "So, if I let you speak to the dead," She considered, her voice in his ear, as she reappeared behind him, arms around his neck, and her chin resting on his shoulder. "Does this mean you will let us have another date soon?" She asked.

"I would even if you didn't." He chuckled turning around in his arms, so they are face to face, with his hands resting on her hips.

"I know. But I got to have something for trade. Are you ready?" She said, with a smile.

He nodded, and prepared to speak to those souls long gone. Looking deep into the Goddess and Death's eyes to be pulled into their depths.

(Crows)

They flew fast, a majority of them forgetting about the windows and hitting the glass, forgetting which windows were open to allow them in, in their haste to enter the Crow Fathers home. It took them a minute to enter the home. And made a beeline for the shrine where the Crow Father sat, the runes on the floor glowing a haunting purple, his eye no longer blue, but black. He was stil in the void.

'Oh no!'

'Bad! Bad!'

'We have to go tot he void!'

'No, I don't wanna go back to the void!'

'We have too!'

'Fledglings are fighting!'

'Dadza wake up!'

'Wake up!'

'Mumza give him back!"

'Come back!'

The small flock called, pulling at the Crow Fathers robes and hair. Screeching in his ear to try and call him back. But Phil stayed still as a statue. He could not hear him here.

'We must go!'

'If we do, we won't come back!'

'For five years!'

'We'll have to wait a long time!'

'We have to go!'

'Fledglings could get hurt!'

'Five years in the void though!'

'Mumza will care for us!'

'Mumza will love us!'

'But no Dadza!'

'For the fledglings!'

'To Brian!' They all crowed at once. Leaving the house to find the oldest of them all. For Brian was their gateway. Brian was their gatekeeper to the void.

Brian was in the barn perched on Steve's back and enjoying the warmth that was coming from the polar bear. His only warning from the little crows diving at him at top speed, were them calling his name. The oldest blue eyed crow screeching in surprise when the first crow hit him square in the chest and disappearing into his feathers, returning to the void, and was closely followed by the thirty or so other crows the followed behind them. After the last crow gone, Brian stumbled a bit needing to catch himself with his wings, lowering his body hiding his chest against the polar bear searching for anymore crows making a dive to re-enter the void.

The crows appeared into the void, with a 'pop' making sure they stayed grouped together to search for their Goddess and Crow Father. The void was vast and only the beings and souls of the void could navigate it. Thankfully, the crows were directly connected to both their Goddess and The Crow Father, so it didn't take them long to locate them.

Their Goddess of Death lovingly holding her lovers face in her hands, as he stood in a trance with blank eyes. Bright glowing marking marking Phil's skin, and entangling around Kristen's fingers, like a finely crafted string. Phil's lips were moving in a silent conversation.

'Mumza! Dadza!'

'Wake him up!'

'Trouble! Help!'

'Wake the Crow Father!'

The crows cried, swarming around the two.

"Oh?" Kristen was the first to break from her trance, keeping her hands on Phil's face as a way to keep him anchored to his body. "Why hello my little murder. What has brought you back to the void, my little souls?" She greeted, taking in their frantic movements and cries.

'Trouble!'

'Fledgling fighting!'

'Going to get hurt!'

'Wake him up!'

'Blizzard is coming!'

'Fledgling will fall!'

'Going to go 'SPLAT'!'

'Fledglings can't fly!'

'Wake Dadza!'

'PLEASE!' The crows all cried, to the Goddess.

"Oh dear." Kristen hummed worriedly. "Phil, I apologize for the rude pull I'm about to do to your soul." She apologized, giving her Angel a loving kiss, before removing her hands from his face and pulling harshly at the string of light. Phil's whole body jerked like something smashed into him.

"Oof! What? Kristen, a little warning next time." He groaned, hand over his heart. "I've had better crash landings."

"Phil. The chat called for you." She said, bringing his attention to crows that finally seemed to calm a little.

"Chat?" Phil eyed the crows flying around.

"These have come through Brian." Kristen nodded, holding a hand out and letting a crow perch on her there, studying it. "Such young ones. And so many. Such a shame." She frowned.

"Oh no, something has happened to make them send themselves back." He murmured, petting at a crow that came to hover slightly in front of his face, while a few other nuzzled close before backing off to go back to Mumza. "Kristen can't they return? Its obviously important." He asked hopeful for the young souls of chat.

"Sadly, five years, is the price to come hear without my blessing." She shook her head sadly. "Time to wake Phil. Until next. I will care for them." She said, sending a little smile his way.

'Save the fledgling!'

;Fly fast!'

'Five years no sweat Dadza!'

'Mumza the bestest anyway!'

'Fun while lasted!'

'Blizzard is coming!'

'Techno needs help!'

'Help the fledglings!'

'Bye Dadza!'

'Avenge us!'

'In another life Crow Father!'

The crows all called as Mumza sent Phil back, ending his ritual. Once he was go the crows all settled down as now alone with the Goddess of Death the bodies they were given evaporated and left several humans soul to stand in front of her. Kristen smiled sweetly at the souls around her. "My brave little crows." Kristen smiled, gazing at the souls surrounding her.

And the flock knew while they had given up a few years with Philza, Kristen their Goddess of Death would be just as fun to hang with. 'Mischief time, Mumza?' One of the souls asked. And the smile on their Goddess's face was enough for them to look forward to their time with her.

(Quackity)

"Come on, birdie, use those wings!" Wilbur taunted, standing tall and proud at the top of his structure, still holding Ranger, in his hands, apparently not noticing how the tall structure was swaying with the wind.

'You stupid, useless bird! Is that what you want me to say Quackity?!'

"Your a dead man!" Quackity hissed.

"I came back a dead man!" Wilbur smiled, all teeth.

'Your better off dead, if you can't be human!'

Quackity had his wings up but he barely noticed. His eyes were locked onto Wilbur and Ranger. Ranger who was not able to defend themselves. Techno was shouting something down below, but nothing registered, nothing except Ranger. And killing Wilbur. The only reason he noticed the wind was because of the goosebumps that were on his arms.

He was almost up there. Ranger was getting closer, then all he was going to break Wilbur's hand for so much as touching the little crow.

'Your fucking useless, like that dumb brat and his brother. You're nothing but a liability!'

The wood creaked and the wind howled and Wilbur was getting closer. The crows flying around screeched. Were nothing compared to his instinct driven brain to get to Ranger. So when the there was audible snapping sound of wood it hit deaf ears. However when gravity pulled him downward, he couldn't stop a surprised and frighten ragged screeched that left his throat. His wings snapping open on instinct that pulled harshly at his muscles followed closely by pain the had his vision whited out for a moment.

Wilbur was close to follow his descent to the ground as the structure beneath them crumbled away, from under his feet. Of course that was the moment Wilbur let Ranger go. Quackity's stupid instinct brain watching as the little crow disappeared into the flock of other crows without its bow to single it out. And Quackity momentarily felt a pang in his chest knowing he could not find Ranger within the flock.

Wilbur disappeared from the air above him as something black and green flew past in a blur, diving close to the ground and dropping him into Techno's arms before arms, wrapped around Quacity's waist jolting him from a sudden stop taking his breath away.

Now that he wasn't falling he was more aware of broken sound chirps leaving his mouth and he couldn't stop them. And he could pinpoint which crow was Ranger. "I got ya mate. Calm down I got ya." Phil's voice cooed in his ear, as Quackity was brought much slower to the ground.

The younger avian wrapping his arms around Phil's neck and holding the Crow Hybrid close. He didn't understand why he was making these strange sounds coming from his mouth. And no matter how much Phil seemed to try and calm him and answer, Quackity couldn't stop them. He wasn't doing them to answer or call, they hurt his throat making them and he wanted to stop but his stupid bird brain wouldn't let him. He couldn't even let go of Phil. He shouldn't be holding onto Phil in front of Techno and Wilbur. He couldn't show weakness.

"Its okay. Its okay, your stuck in your instincts. Its okay. You'll calm down soon." Phil was saying, somehow able to hold Quackity like he was a child, when he wasn't. He was an adult and he shouldn't be acting like an animal.

"I think I pushed too hard." Wilbur murmured somewhere off to the side.

"You think." Techno growled out.

"Shut it!" Phil snapped, with a sharp screech behind the words. "Home. Now. March." He demanded.

All the while Quackity was driven deeper into those dreaded instincts, his throat hurting as it tried to make those awful broken sounds. His wings shaking from new aches from having to catch his weight so suddenly. The cold wind of the coming blizzard biting at his face, making him feel painfully cold. And with each calm and soothing coo and chirp from Phil, just driving him deeper. Yet at the same time making his bird brain feel happy to have the older close.

TBC

I know some of you probably thought I was going ot have Kristen take over Phil's body, but nope. I don't think Quackity is at that stage to meet her that way. I'm honestly not sure if he'll officially meet her, we'll see in the future chapters. But most importantly, I know a lot of you been wanting Phil to catch Wilbur and Techno in the act, and that moment has finally come! :) in the next chapter.

Hope you all liked the new chapter! Let me know what you thought by leaving some KUDOS, BOOKMARKING, and/or REVEIWING!