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Mark Fischbach stared at the little boy asleep in the bed in front of him, studying the rise and fall of his chest, how small he was, and most noticeably, just how much they looked alike. They both had the same dark hair, the same tan skin, the same shaped eyes and same smile, the same everything. He was literally staring at his doppelganger, his reincarnation if you will, seeing that it wasn't too far from the truth.
Part of his soul was in that boy. His dirty, fractured, evil soul was now swirling around in that boy, corrupting him before he even knew what the word meant. It made Mark's skin craw, well, if he had any skin left it would have. He was nothing more than a spirit now, a floating, aimless being that could only wallow in his mistakes and travesties of his past life, wondering where it all went wrong. He used to be the great Markiplier, a famous actor with a promised future, a beautiful wife and good friends that lived with him through thick and thin. Why did all of it stop?
It was probably that damned house, making him unhappy with everything in his life. Making him resent Celine, causing her to fall into William's bed and run away, shutting away Damien, the only other person he trusted. Listening to the damn voices in his head, killing himself over and over and over again- well it was no wonder it all went to shit.
Mark walked closer to the bed with the boy in it, his ghostly form illuminating the area slightly. He never moved, his breath staying deep and slow. It wasn't like he could see Mark anyway, at least, he didn't think the boy could.
He wouldn't be around long enough to know.
There was a tugging in his chest, urging him to go somewhere, but he ignored it for now. He needed to have this before all that was left of him in this world was a boy with no idea of the horror that was weaved into his very soul. He couldn't go on without doing so, seeing that he had waited decades for this very moment.
If only he had died before. This would be so much easier.
But Damien, William, Celine, and that DA... he couldn't go on without at least trying to reach them. Despite what that damned house did, they were still his friends, even if they now hated him, or didn't remember who he was.
"Hey, kid," Mark said, eyes flickering around the others form, taking in every little detail about him. "My name's Mark. Your's probably is too."
The boy didn't reply, but Mark didn't need him to. He needed to say what he needed to say before he was taken away.
"I have a lot I want to tell you, but I'm not sure where to start. Probably from the beginning, as most say," he laughed bitterly. "My name is Mark Edward Fischbach, and in a sense, I am you. Well, part of my soul is in you, and for that, I am sorry. No one, let alone a child, deserves my filthy soul in them, because let me tell you kid, I am a horrible person, or I should say, I was a horrible person. I'm not alive any more, but that's not important.
"What is important however, is my story, you, and the others that got pulled into this whole mess. You see, when I was alive, I was an actor, and a rather famous one at that. Whenever my movies released, the theaters would be filled to the brim with everyone who could afford to, and even those who couldn't. I was pretty much worshipped. It was amazing the feel as if I had all that power at my fingertips, that those people would have done anything I said," Mark sighed to himself, trailing his long red sleeves.
"I had four great friends as well. Or at least, I had four great friends... I guess I should tell you about them as well. After all, you'll meet them all later.
"My first real friend was William Wilford Warfstache, the boy that lived down the street from me. We were the same age, both tired of out stuck up parents being, well, stuck up. We met at a little park, climbing the trees when we suddenly crashed into each other and nearly tumbled from the tree," the actor smiled fondly at the memory. It was one of his favorites. "We became quick friends after that, all the way through grade school, college, and even after he went off to the military and I started my career. But along the way... something went wrong. I have a feeling it was Celine. It's always a girl, isn't it?
"Celine was the most beautiful woman I had ever met, both on the inside and out. She was feisty and brilliant, which is probably why so many men, and even a few women if I dare say, were attracted to her. It was hard not to be charmed by her, and William and I were no different. We both feel for her, and I think it was a long time before we realized that, but like all things, winner takes all. During college, while William was out fighting the war, Celine and I grew close. We became lovers, and by the time William came back, we were engaged. He acted happy and congratulated us many of times... but you could see the look in his eyes. Longing. Jealousy. Regret. Everything inside him fighting, torn between thinking that he should have had Celine and understanding that he could never have her now.
"We got married. My career was starting to take off, and once we had gotten enough money, we moved into my childhood home, where I grew up and lived for most of my life. It was a beautiful place, older, sure, but in great condition and perfect nonetheless. I loved that old house, but now that I'm here, where I am now, and now that I know what's really in that house, I wish I would have burned it to the ground when I had the chance.
"But I'm getting ahead of myself," Mark paused, not sure how to continue. It was rather odd to spill his whole life story to someone that couldn't even acknowledge that he existed. "When first moved into that house, everything was amazing. Celine and I were in that 'honeymoon' phase as everyone called it, where everything was perfect and nothing could ever go wrong. But it did. Everything started to crack around us.
"My movies were hitting it big time. I spent most of my time planning, shooting, and running them, hardly ever being with my wife. It was all starting to get into my head, the money, the ego, the power that I had in the public eye. Everything was about the movies, keeping my reputation high, making sure I had nothing but the best for everything. Celine and I began to fight a lot, her telling me I was putting too much time into myself and my reputation, while I argued that my career was important and I couldn't just give it up. We fought more and more and more, until I kicked her out of the house. That's when the voices started, whispering in my mind, telling me I was too good for her and that she should worship me like the rest of them. I was a god. She was just a mortal I brought along for the ride.
"Months after that, it just got worse. We rarely slept with each other anymore. For the most part we ignored each other. I became completely absorbed in my work. The voices persisted. Then... I found out," Mark took a deep breath, clenching his fists. "They were having an affair, William and Celine. They claimed to love each other, and Celine wanted a divorce. I was so angry, ripping up everything in the house, burning her clothes and processions, anything to show her how I felt about the affair. She didn't care. Days later, they were gone, they ran away together, happy I guess. I don't know what happened in the time they were gone."
Mark trailed off, trying to organize the messy memories in his mind. There was so much to say, and the sharp tugging at his chest wasn't helping. It was all just spilling out of him like a waterfall at this point, relieved to have someone just listen.
The boy rolled over in his sleep, now on his back instead of his side. Every feature was highlighted in the rays of moonlight that filtered in through the blinds, and once again Mark was struck with the feeling of looking at his reincarnation. It was so odd, even if he had seen spirits and has come back from the dead dozens of times.
"I still have to tell you about Damien, don't I? Let's see; I meant Damien a few weeks after I made friends with William. He was younger than both of us, had a limp that made it hard for him to do anything athletic, but he was as bright as gold, excelling in anything that had to do with academics. He was also Celine's twin brother, which is how I met her as well. You could definitely tell that they were siblings; they had the same shaped faces and appearance, but their personalities were near opposites. Celine was fire, full of passion and roaring with just, well everything. Damien was more tame, shy and cool, but that same passion flooded his veins.
"After college, he became interested in politics, getting into the system and even running for office. Just before Celine and I got married, he got elected mayor, and he was a good one at that. He may have been quiet, but no one, not even the slippery snake of politicians, could dampen the flames of his passion for the people and wanting to improve their lives," his voice was becoming hoarse at this point. "He had such a pure soul, yeah know? Nothing could darken it, not even the greed filled world of politics. I guess he really has me to blame for falling into the deep end.
"After I got married and Damien was in office, and my career was taking off, I... I started using him. I kept trying to tell myself I wasn't, but I was. I was using my connection with the new, young mayor to further my own reputation. I never cared for Damien's problems or his worries, just asked him to host party after party, inviting other famous people and the press. It was all about me. But then... then the affair happened. Then everything just... shattered.
"I basically stopped functioning for a while. I refused to talk to anyone, including Damien, who I knew just wanted to help me. When he came to the house, I snapped, the voices in my head edging me on, and I threw a vase at him. He ran out, but I could see the distraught on his face. He was angry too, he was mourning too, I'm sure, but I wouldn't be there for him. I was so caught up on what the damn house had to say that I forgot about everyone else.
"I became reckless and hateful, drinking to try and forget all of my troubles, screaming at everything and destroying everything in the house. The voices in my head never stopped, even when I went to sleep I heard them in my dreams, telling me to get revenge on William and Celine, to get revenge from all of them and to make them pay for what they did. Believe it or not, I actually didn't listen at first. I tried to block them out and get my shit together, but it never worked. Soon, the voices were everything, and I couldn't do more than listen to them 24/7. It drove me insane, and then, one night, I had enough. So, I grabbed the thickest piece of rope it could find, tied it around my neck and a balcony, and jumped.
"I know right? Seems brutal, but it's the truth. I died, but you see, I didn't stay dead," Mark kneeled on the bed, imagining he was looking the boy straight in the eye. "You see, that house, that Hellhole of a house, is some sort of pocket dimension. You can't die in that house. I didn't understand this as first. When I awoke from death, neck snapped and hanging from the rope, I was confused as Hell. But then the voices started talking again, telling me not just to get revenge, but how to get revenge, and this time, I listened to every syllable that came from their mouths. Planning William and Celine's downfall, planning on how to make them pay, and even bringing Damien into it all. He was innocent, yet the house convinced me he had something to do with it, you see. I just knew he had to pay as well. I had to corrupt his perfect image as mayor, bring him to his knees and watched as he burned.
"I knew how to do all this. I made everything meticulously perfect, making sure nothing was left out, looking for every single flaw and outcome that could happen, and to do that, I had to experiment. I had to see the limits of the house, what could kill me and what couldn't. So I stabbed myself 37 different times, each time somewhere different to time how long it took me to come back from death. I poisoned my own food and drinks, beat myself to death, used a cloth to strangle me, and drowned myself in the pool. All in the name of revenge," Mark chuckled, tracing the faint scar of a bullet wound, not of his own making, but of William's. The one time the house almost didn't bring him back, nearly let him die, swirling in the inky blackness for eternity, no way to pass on.
"Then, once I had planned everything, I invited them all to the house for a game of poker. Just a simple night between old friends that needed to catch up, of course! It had been a few months, and of obviously it would seem weird that I suddenly come out of my rabbit hole to have a poker night, but it worked! When the day came, Damien, William and the DA were there- oh!- I nearly forgot to tell you about the DA, didn't I?" Even as Mark said their title, the DA, images of dozens of different people ran through him mind, each one standing right in the DA's place, each wearing a different name tag. John. Amanda. Ugine. Riley.
"The DA well, they're an anomaly I can't quite figure out, you know?" the actor leaned over the boy so that his spirits light made him glow. "I know I met them in college, but I don't know what their name was. Everytime I think about them, their whole appearance changes, not one thing similar to the last. One moment they look like a man with red hair and a scar across his forehead, the next they look like a petite woman that could be a supermodel. Their name always changes, everything you can think of. The only thing that's constant is their story: when Damien and I met them in college, they were studying politics. They were actually to one to get Damien hooked in as well, and when Damien became mayor, he appointed as the DA, and they were there ever since. They were quiet, even quieter than Damien, but they got the job done. I'd consider them a friend as well.
"I... I thought since Damien must have done something to make Celine leave me... then his right hand man must have too. That man could barely function without his precious DA, keeping everything in line and helping plan important events, so they must have been on it. So I invited them too, fully intending on making them all pay, even my best friend Abe, a detective. He's honestly not as important to the whole thing, but he was worth mentioning. All you need to know about him is that I dragged him to his death. I did for every single one of them."
Mark blinked in surprise when a single, white tear drop fell from his face and hit the boy's cheek. The boy mumbled about something, but didn't do anything else. The tear quickly faded away, and another tug pulled on the spirit's chest.
"At first, everything went according to plan. It was a lovely night, filled with old friends ready to catch up again, even William, who must have been skittish about the whole thing, seemed to enjoy himself. I didn't know where Celine was, but that didn't matter at that point. She would still suffer, even if it hadn't been in the way I had intended.
"It became late. My servants, Damien and the DA called it a night, passing out in the nearest bedroom. That damn mayor could never hold his liquor very well," Mark trailed off, a fond note in his voice. It was always fun to see the mayor let lose, even if it was under the influence of alcohol.
"After they all went to bed in the early hours of the morning, I finally got to talk to William face to face for the first time in months. I could feel the rage simmering under my skin, but I kept my cool. I had to give the impression that I had moved on from the affair he and Celine had, but with the house controlling me, I know now that would have never happened. I said we should make it so that there were no hard feelings, and causally suggested to a game of Russian Roulette, where we took his gun, put one bullet in a random chamber, loaded it, and shot each other. He agreed, and after taking a swig of liquid courage, I shot the gun. Of course, I knew nothing would happen. I made sure of it.
"But then, William took the gun and loaded it as well. You could see the uncertainty on his face, but he didn't back down. He never did, the bastard. He didn't know it, but the gun was loaded this time, and I knew he would shot it and kill me. He was in the army, it didn't matter what the situation was, he would shoot to kill, and I knew it. He shot me, and I died, just like every other time."
Mark rubbed the bullet wound again, feeling the slightly raised skin there. He could remember his own smile as the bullet tore threw his chest, see the look of shock on the Colonel's face. It was all burned into his mind.
"The next morning, they found my dead body. They were all in shocked naturally, after all, who wouldn't be shocked to find the dead body of a friend you had talked to just hours ago? They became set on finding out who did it and why, and of course, the dear Colonel acted innocent. He couldn't tell anyone what had happened in fear of them painting him as a murderer, and honestly I couldn't blame him.
"My detective friend, Abe, was on the case immediately, getting the DA to be his partner to figure out what had happened, and when no one was around, the house brought me back. I escaped, but I watched everything from above. I saw as they tried to turn on each other, accusing everyone of my death and my disappearance, and even now without the house's influence on my I knew how pitiful it was. All they did was try to save their own ass, and for that, I see just how selfish they all were. Accept for the DA, surprisingly. They never said a word the entire time.
"Then... she came. Celine. She came right through the door, and God did she look beautiful. I was torn between rage and longing, wanting to be next to her again... and wanting to strangle every last drop of blood from her body. She set everything into motion faster and better than I could have ever hoped; the house knew it too. It spurred her on, whispering in her ear to manipulate everyone around her, using her special talent for magic to try and solve the mystery... but she never would. I made sure of it.
"She and Damien got together to try and work things out and what had happened, away from everyone else. I listened to the whole conversation, the evil of the house filling her more and more until she lashed out, and I took my chance to get my revenge. I possessed Celine with the house, making her kill Damien, her own brother. Can you imagine that? Two siblings once thought to have loved each other till the ends of the earth, dead by the others hand. I enjoyed every second of it, the struggle from the mayor, the horror Celine felt when she realized what was happening, trying to break free from my hold. It was all delicious.
"Afterwords, I hid their bodies where no one would ever find them, knowing that their souls would be trapped here forever unless the house let them go, which it wouldn't. The rest of them started freaking out, William wondering where his precious Celine and Damien were, Abe accusing William of murder, and the oddest thing, my gardener convincing everyone to leave the house. I didn't care about the damn butler or cheif, but if I wanted to get my revenge on everyone, I had to act fast. So I did. I quickly entered William's mind, telling him that it was Abe's fault for everything that happened, that he was the one who knew where Damien and Celine were. They got into a fight, and when the DA tried to stop it-" Mark cut himself off, looking at nothing for a moment. His voice was softer now, not as much power behind it.
"I lashed out in anger, which in turn, affected William... and he shot the DA. They tumbled over the edge of a balcony, and fell to their death."
Silence. It plagued the boy's room for a few seconds, consuming Mark and fogging his brain. He still had more to tell, more to get off his chest, but for the moment, he let all of the things that he had done wash onto him. Killing Damien and Celine. Making the Colonel kill the DA, and worse of all, all of them living through it and hating him with every fiber of his being, knowing that they would sense his soul in this innocent boy. They would hate him before they even knew his name, vow to end everything about him and make sure he suffer. And there would be nothing Mark could do about it. Life just wasn't fair, was it?
"I let go of William, and instantly he was running down the stairs, just looking at the DA's dead body in shock and horror, saying over and over again that it was an accident, that he didn't mean to. It was heartbreaking, heartbreaking enough that the house lost it's control on me briefly, and I realized just what I had done. I killed my best friends and made my other friend kill them. I lead them to this house so that their demise would strike them. For several hours I cried out with the Colonel, who was cradling Damien's cane, trying to reach out to him and tell him that it was me, and that I was sorry, but he couldn't hear me. I had died too many times, and my soul was weak and didn't know how to pass over or even if it could pass over. The only thing that kept my soul in this world was the house, the house that couldn't let me go.
"But then... after I don't know how long... the DA just... got up. Like they had never been shot and fell over a balcony. Like they hadn't laid lifeless for who knows how many hours. But there was something different about them. For the first time since I'd known them... they had an appearance. They weren't constantly changing anymore, everything about them was so defined. I was in shock the entire time, but William rejoiced. He knew he didn't actually kill the DA, at least, that's what he kept saying over and over again. He came to the conclusion that if the DA was alive and well, then Celine and Damien must be as well. He went off to try and find them, but I knew that he would never find them. I myself didn't even know where they were
"I stayed after with the DA, just watching them to try and figure out what was happening. I was so sure that the house would keep their soul down and make sure that they never left, but here they were, right in front of me, alive and kicking. Yet... there was something so wrong about everything. They walked over to a mirror in the room, right where William had place Damien's cane, picked it up and stared at it for a few seconds, before looking at the mirror. At that moment, I knew that that person, that corpse, was not the DA I knew. It was something else completely. Their neck snapped, and the mirror shattered along with it, red and blue lights exploding around this... thing, before it stormed off.
"I was able to drag my soul over to the broken mirror, looking into it, and there in the reflection with the faintest outline, was the DA, looking at me with wide eye and a cracked expression. They kept banging their hands on the glass, trying to get out, but they couldn't do anything. They were trapped in that mirror. As far as I know, they still are. I think that's when I understood just who was in that body, walking around and using it as a puppet: it was Celine and Damien. They somehow were able to bring themselves back to life... at the expense of the poor DA.
"After everything that had happened, I now knew I needed to get as far away from that house as possible, but when I left, I died. I died for real this time. But my spirit couldn't move on, couldn't leave this world with what I had done to the people I cared most about. So I wandered this earth for years until I found a way to reach them, to tell them how sorry I was, and how much I regretted everything."
Mark placed his hands on either side of the young boy's head, his being not even moving the sheets below. "And then... you appeared. You took part of my soul, became my reincarnation, someone that could finally talk to them," the spirit whispered, so quiet it almost wasn't there. "You could do what I never could. Be a nice person, use your power for good, because believe me, with my soul running through your veins, you will have some sort of power. It might not be acting, but one day people from all over the world will scream your name.
"But you can't end up like me. You can't become a selfish bastard, hording everything for the sake of money and reputation, because it will shatter. And Celine and Damien and William... you will meet them in some part of your life. They will hate you because they know my soul is in there. They will think you are just like me, a horrible, horrible person that cares for no one but them self. You have to prove them wrong. You have to make peace with them, show them just what you can do.
"You must be kind. You must be strong. You must right my wrongs. You must reach beyond the stars to truly become one, and then you must fight to stay bright and never darken for as long as you live. That house isn't there anymore, it can't control or hurt people anymore, and for that I am grateful, but-" the tug was harsher this time, begging him to follow. But he couldn't, not just yet.
"The DA is still trapped somewhere, all alone and abandoned. They will never hear me apologize, never get the closure they deserve... but I have the feeling you can. I don't know how, but you will, and I know you can't hear me at all- but I need you to promise me you'll do everything I just asked of you. Please. My memory can't just be the actor that lost it all. I want to mean something to this world," the actor smiled sadly. "I guess that means I haven't learned my lesson, have I? Still as selfish as ever, still thinking about myself. Some people just never change, I guess."
Mark ran a single finger down the boy's cheek, feeling the warmth it gave off. There was no reply in anything, but he had the gut instinct that what he said was right. This boy would right his wrongs, making peace with Damien Celine and William, use his influence for good. He had to.
When the tugging came again, Mark didn't resist, floating away from the boy in the bed, taking one last look at him. He didn't know where he was going, but it was nice to have some sort of closure after all these years. He could finally pass on.
"Thank you, Mark," he said before the tugging pulled him into the next realm. "Thank you for being my star to guide me."
And with that, the spirit of Mark Edward Fischbach disappeared forever, and a little boy meant light his darkness was left behind.