Work Text:
~X~
~X~X~X~X~X~X~
Two fates intertwined, sorrow in the memories. Rooted, realigned; no cold comfort here for me.
A meaning, a feeling; reason to be—a sickness in all the secrecy.
~X~X~X~X~X~X~
“Psst… hey.”
Mono’s eyes opened. Red, jagged lightning streaks filled his vision, pain exploding across his numbed senses.
He groaned, turning onto his side. Bones shifted inside—some ribs had been dislocated from where he had slammed into the train car’s side. He coughed. Flecks of blood came out, staining the ground a rusty red, to be washed away by the steady rain. He drew ragged breaths, trying to get his mind straight.
Yes… he had been on a train car, but it had crashed. How could he have known, in his terror, that it was running along a disused line? That tall man in the hat had frightened him so badly that all rational thought had fled.
“Psst!”
He looked up—there was that shadow again, its shifting form somehow even fuzzier in the rain. It leaned over him. It was a moment before he realized he was lying on his back, exposed to the cold.
With a mighty effort of will Mono forced himself to roll over rightways, then to stand. His first attempt left him wracked with pain, and he collapsed onto his knees. Before he lost his balance, however, a firm grip took hold, stabilizing him.
The shadow lent its support, keeping him from falling until Mono was able to stand on his own two feet. His side burned with fire and his overcoat slick with blood.
“Th—Thank you…” he said, starting to shiver. Repeated ventures into the city’s soaked streets had eroded whatever protection his clothing once gave in the wilds beyond. But at this point the physical pain occupied too much of his attention to pay it any heed.
His helper turned and walked away, down the tracks. It paused to hop onto a rail, balancing itself upon it.
“I’m sorry,” Mono said, following its progress. “I… I tried to save you…”
The shadow turned her head back to him. Her hood was black. She shook her head and jumped off the tracks.
“W—Wait—!” He held up a hand but the shadow paid no heed, continuing down a side street. Coughing up blood Mono pursued after.
His out of control car had entered what appeared to be a long abandoned subway terminus. The walls crumbled in, holding up the weight of centuries of ancient buildings pressing down upon them. One entire side of the terminus was choked with rubble, ruined cars stuffed in a blocked tunnel where his unfortunate ride had terminated. There were no benches, no lights, no signs or anything—just a large hole where rain poured through.
And the entrance to a sewer line.
The shadow led him to where a ladder waited. He looked at it, blinking to clear his eyes. “I can’t climb that,” he said, shaking his head. “It… it hurts too much—ow! Hey!”
He recoiled from the shadow’s punch. It raised its little fist again.
“Fine, fine.”
Mono looked up at the ladder. It spiraled out of his sight, disappearing into the black of the ceiling above. He took several deep breaths, each one bringing new hurt; then reached out, grabbed the first rung, and began a long ascent.
It seemed like an eternity had passed, but, somehow, after concentrating on putting one hand over the other, he had made it. His hand scraped the manhole cover, drawing a hiss from his teeth. Mono reached up, grasping the last rung, and pushed with his whole strength. The cover groaned, ancient rusted metal protesting at this indignity, but gave way at last.
The pitter-patter of rain became omnipresent—the storm above had increased. Distant rumbles of thunder met his ears now, breaking up the rainfall’s monotonous drone. He pulled himself up out of the hole and dropped its plate back where it belonged.
Mono looked around. He did not see the girl’s shadow. Instead the grim eyes of countless windows of towering, twisting buildings met his gaze. Dim streetlamps valiantly fought against the gloom, but their light was pale and wan. Empty streets whistled with a threatening wind.
And the imposing, monolithic Signal Tower rose before him, so very far away.
Two things became clear to him in that moment, standing there under the cold downpour. The one: his friend was locked up in that tower, in some way; the other: he would have to get there and brave whatever danger the tall man in the hat threw at him.
He started his journey forwards, slapping against rivulets and streams; then, quite suddenly, stopped.
The lights had begun to quiver. The buildings marching alongside seemed to shrink away, imperceptibly so, curving ever so slightly, as if they wanted to flee but couldn’t.
Something—or, someone—was coming.
~X~X~X~X~X~X~
Every cycle, same old ending; give all that I have…
~X~X~X~X~X~X~
Mono waited, staring defiantly at the Signal Tower. You will let her go, he thought. You will let all of us go.
Reality twisted, the air before him rippling with static. Then—with a crackling pop, the Man in the Hat appeared.
Mono’s breath left him. This was it. The final confrontation. Instinctively, he knew he would either win this fight or be ripped away from flesh and blood. He fell to his knees, no longer caring about the pain, and bowed his head. Pulling off his bag, he set it to drift away, no longer able to hide. The Man in the Hat already knew of his existence, there was no point any longer.
Time slowed, and space held its breath.
The Man in the Hat drew near, shifting and shimmering as he warped his way, intermittently, towards the kneeling boy. Mono closed his eyes and focused on breathing. He knew it would come to this, eventually. All his short life he had tried to run away. He had even found a friend, diverting himself from his path of escape to help her time and again.
Now there was no time to run.
~X~X~X~X~X~X~
And if I don't have a heart, then what is broken?
Bonds of time they come apart; we've been awoken at the end.
And if I don't have a heart, then why keep hoping?
We were blinded from the start; forever frozen, my friend.
~X~X~X~X~X~X~
New strength filled Mono. Somehow, or somewhere, the power that enabled him to use the scattered televisions throughout the city was coming in force. As if a faucet had been turned, and where once a trickle of water had come out there now roared a torrent. His broken ribs wrenched themselves back in place, but there was no replacing the lost blood.
He stood and faced the Man in the Hat. New steel glinted in his dark eyes. The Man checked his stride, cocking his head to the side, undoubtedly curious.
Then—Mono pushed. He threw out a hand, and the power, gathering in him like a whirlpool of energy, surged forth. It blasted across the ground, scattering the water and forcing aside the wall of rain. It struck the Man in the Hat, repelling him backwards.
But he was not to be surprised long. He summoned a shield effortlessly—Mono’s power blast was blunted, warping about the Man. He reached out, oblivious to the raw energies lashing at his withered face, intending to grab him.
Mono opened his mouth in a scream, and thrust out his other palm. This time the Man’s barriers broke, and he was pushed back. He recoiled. Now no longer playing with his food, gathering his strength about him, the Man reached out again. This time it was Mono who had to put out a shield.
Through the fuzzy white of mystic energies clashing, Mono could see a thin smile on the Man’s face.
The Man tilted to the side, somehow bypassing Mono’s shield, reaching for him. Mono mirrored his action, understanding he must use his powers defensively. Again and again the Man changed sides, finding ways to penetrate the boy’s aura, but each time Mono followed him, forcing him to contact the shield.
Another explosion erupted, the Man falling back. This time the shockwave emitted touched the buildings on either side of the street. They groaned, trying to move out of the way. Windows shattered and lights exploded, televisions going out as electrical lines snapped and crackled, flailing about in the rush of power.
Mono had an insight—he was young, just come into his powers. But they, for all of their strength, were limited. They could not be used with reckless abandon, for at any time he could fold in upon himself and die from overexertion. His opponent, while older, seemingly had no understanding of this limitedness. His power was fully mature, he could easily shift around and grab him from behind while Mono had to awkwardly change directions to counter him.
If the Man in the Hat suspected that Mono’s power was focused in just repelling his attacks, but could not actually cover all of him, he could win this fight without any effort.
Yet—incredibly, astonishingly—this simple fact was lost upon him.
Already the Man was growing weak. His single-minded assaults, with no plan or rationale, were wearing away at his own strength. Each time Mono repulsed him it took longer for him to stand upright and return the favor. Each time he attempted to bypass Mono’s singular shield, he would recoil, limbs akimbo as he struggled to reright himself.
Mono suddenly saw his chance—taking a gamble, he dropped his barrier, drawing it back into himself, giving the Man a clear avenue of attack.
But no attack was forthcoming.
With a final push Mono flung out both hands, focusing all of his pain and rage upon the withered, animated corpse before him. This last one was the killing blow—the Man in the Hat sank to one knee, then, wobbling, collapsed on his face.
He vanished in a puff of smoking static.
Mono was not done yet. His power, all prepared for defeating the Man with a cataclysmic push, had nowhere else to go. All that was left was the Signal Tower, so far away. A grin split his youthful face. He braced himself, held out both hands—and took hold of reality.
Spacetime screamed in esoteric tongues that could not be heard by mortal ears. The buildings, recoiling and twisting away from the battle, obeyed his command, and drew back. The city compressed in upon itself as Mono forced the Tower to come straight to him, ignoring the very laws of physics in the process. In seconds, Mono had traveled from the outskirts of the city to its direct center, at the foot of the Tower. And as he released reality—as the city very quickly repositioned itself lest a singularity be formed without his direction—the entrance to the Tower cracked open; twin doors swinging outwards, purple light spilling forth into the rain.
Breathing with exertion, Mono made his way up the steps. He had no more fear—he had beaten the Man in the Hat, there was no one who could challenge him. No one. All that was left was to get his friend out of whatever prison she was stuffed in. Then they could escape.
So intent was he on these jubilant thoughts that he did not notice the Tower’s doors closing behind him. Nor did he have time to notice it—a faint, tinkling sound wound its way from somewhere in the tower’s utmost heights.
He knew that tune. It was the little song she played in the hunter’s cabin.
It echoed down the long hall of stone before him. The same hall that appeared in his dreams and in the television screens. The one where, at its end, sat the Man in the Hat. But he had no fear now; boldly he pressed forward.
The door opened of its own accord before him, as if recognizing a master returning home. A wide, high vaulted room spread itself out before him. Doors every which way; some of them were shattered, locked tight, or filled with rubble. Endless stairs angling up towards more doors; some of them were broken, others terminated at empty stone. The one constant was that purple light, shining from every nook and cranny that could be seen.
Directly before him was another open door, glowing violet. The song was loudest there. Excitedly he started for it, but slowed as it swung shut; there came the sound of a lock turning. It was as if the Tower was saying “No, no”.
Well, time to find another way, he thought. Turning about, he selected one of the relatively intact doors and gestured with his hand, mincing the movement of the Man. It worked! he thought, moving already as it opened effortlessly.
He dashed through it, expecting to find her. He was warped instead to a landing and staircase somewhere else in the Tower. Mono looked down—he could not see the ground. Fine, have it your way, he challenged the Tower. Sooner or later you will release her to me. Taking off at a run, he half ran, half bunny-hopped up the steps to the next door, where the strains of her song played.
Spat out into a hallway with multiple doors, he already knew what to do—locate the one with the song, and he very quickly ascended the Tower. He encountered no obstacle, no enemy to slow him. Normally, this would worry his overly cautious mind, but Mono’s blood still sang with victory, and he paid no heed to any caution that part of his mind whispered.
Until he found the source of the song.
~X~X~X~X~X~X~
Flowers wilt and fade, wither into weary walls; glint of dancing blades, cry for mercy at the fall.
A taste of… emotion; forbidden seed… the sting of… the flavour—bittersweet.
It always ends the same way…
~X~X~X~X~X~X~
It was an oversized music box, thrice his size, in the center of a room full of toys. The light seemed to be coming from everywhere with no discernable source. There was no sign of her. “Hey,” Mono called, then listened. He only heard something… large… breathing heavily.
Looking around, he saw that the edges of the room were covered in shadows. This could be a problem, was the thought running through his mind as he approached the music box. Then he skidded to a stop, nearly jumping out his skin.
A huge creature shuffled forward, reaching out and pulling back the box protectively. It wore an oversized yellow raincoat; but… no, it couldn’t be.
“Six?” he asked.
The creature nodded, long hair shrouding its face.
“What did you do to her?” he asked, looking anywhere but at her. The Tower gave no answer; he got nothing at all. He looked back at Six, thinking. This has to be his work, he decided. Maybe if I use my powers…
He raised his hand and focused on her. Six angled her head, looking down at him with curiosity, or so it seemed. Nothing happened. Again and again Mono tried to summon that same power the Man in the Hat used when he had first grabbed her. Still no results.
“Oy, where are you?” He looked around, half expecting to find the shadow girl behind him. Of course not, she was not present during his fight, or indeed had not shown herself anywhere in the Tower.
Then his eyes fell upon a hammer, lying behind Six. “Psst, hey, move?” he whispered. Amazingly, the creature obeyed, shuffling out of the way.
Mono crept past her, half watching her, half focused on the hammer. She did not react, still breathing as if she had just woken up from a long nap. She probably still recognizes me, he thought with regret. Picking up the hammer, and turning about, he dragged it over to the music box, sitting by its lonesome where Six had released it.
I’m sorry, Six. Please forgive me.
With a sudden lunge he lifted the hammer on high and slammed it into the box.
It twanged and sparks spat. Six gave an almighty screech of rage and swung one of her oversized arms at him. Mono ducked, releasing his weapon, making for the door. As Six attempted to swat at him again, he vanished through the portal, appearing in another part of the Tower.
Still running, he stopped suddenly and threw himself to the side. Six’s long arm flailed at him through the magic door, futility trying to grab him. Rolling quickly back onto his feet, Mono continued running. Shrieks of rage warned him she was in pursuit.
He appeared in another room. It looked like it was falling apart, the only intact piece of furniture was a table in its center. Mono took a calculated risk and flung himself beneath; and just in time.
The monster lumbered through the gigantic hole in the room’s side, tearing apart its already ruined furnishings. She swatted the table aside, but fortunately rubble fell down, concealing him from her searching, angry gaze.
Mono waited until she had enough and shuffled off. When the coast was clear he pursued after her. That music box was the key—the Man in the Hat had to have enchanted it.
It did not take him long to find her. Somehow, one way or another, the Tower had looped him around to the same room as before. In its center crouched Six, holding her toy. She screamed when she saw him, and started to charge—but Mono opened his mouth and yelled, boosting it with his powers. The reverberating blast was enough to cause her to recoil, and fall back in trying to get away.
Seizing his chance, Mono grabbed the same hammer and thawcked the music box a second time.
The room, the box, and Six vanished. Everything was gone—a deep, impenetrable darkness appeared.
Mono had fallen back; apparently the box’s enchantments meant it would react with a potent attack. His woozy head attested to that, he would have to be careful. Standing upright, Mono began searching for a way out, only to find it when he bumped his head on a solitary door standing in the middle of this blackness.
Conveniently, it had an axe embedded. Mono did not take the time to question his good fortune. Freeing the axe, he broke open the door, to appear in the room again.
~X~X~X~X~X~X~
And if I don't have a heart, then what is broken?
Bonds of time they come apart; we've been awoken at the end.
And if I don't have a heart, then why keep hoping?
We were blinded from the start; forever frozen, my friend.
~X~X~X~X~X~X~
The same charade happened. Six saw him, screamed a challenge, and attempted to strike him down; Mono retaliated with a power-boosted call, forcing her back. This time, it took him two tries to break the box. With each hit it fractured more and more, large cracks glowing orange appeared on its purple covering, its music becoming more jangled and feeble. The second time, an explosion from its defenses sent him back into the darkness.
Undeterred he stood and began running. When he came upon the next lonely door he did not bother with using the axe; “Destroy!” he shouted, and the invisible blast disintegrated the portal completely. A tear in reality remained, and Mono wasted no time jumping through.
This time he was not so lucky. A huge hand swung out of nowhere and caught him full on the side. With a scream Mono flew far, hitting a wall (which shattered like glass on impact). He stood, feeling one of his broken ribs dislocate again. Grunting with pain, he struggled to stay upright. Six loomed before his sight. She had abandoned the music box, leaving it to tinkle forlornly behind her; she advanced upon him menacingly. The hammer lay before her. With a snarl of rage she brought a fist down on it, shattering the handle.
Mono felt despair. This was it, he would die to her. Summoning the last of his strength, he reached out; the air distorted as energy gathered before him. If he would not save her, he would kill them both and deny the Tower its prize.
“Hey! ”
The monster staggered, covering her ears as she shrieked in pain. Mono doubled over, nearly losing his concentration. He looked up—where had that call come from?
Six answered that for him. Roaring mindlessly she charged at a nearby portal, through which a dark shape fled.
Mono did not know what it was, or why it had helped him, but he would not waste this only chance. Regathering his power, with a shout of finality, he unleashed the full force of his weakening strength upon the music box.
It gave out a cry, a girl’s scream intermingled with that of an old woman’s choked gurgle, and exploded—the room vanished, replaced by darkness, and Mono lost consciousness from backlash.
Almost too soon he came to. The room was unrecognizable. Gone were the paintings, the toys, the colorful walls. Rubble was falling down from the sky. Gelatinous things pulsed and blooped from holes in the ground; and a strange liquid almost like blood flowed from the wounded music box.
He stood, grunting with pain. His side burned him again, he was sure he could feel one of his ribs poking out of the wound. But none of that mattered now. He would fix it later. Mono stooped down and picked up the broken hammer.
Just one more hit, he thought, and Six will be free.
~X~X~X~X~X~X~
Can you exist? Without a reason to?
Can you live without a cause?
~X~X~X~X~X~X~
A shape loomed out of the surrounding darkness. The monster grabbed at the bleeding box, dragging it towards her.
“Oh no you don’t!” Mono yelled, charging forward.
Six recoiled from his voice, but simultaneously tried to stop him.
There was no stopping him now. He leapt into the air and brought the hammer’s head down on the cursed instrument. With a defeated whimper, the music stopped, and it broke like a shattered pot held together by not quite dry glue.
The light vanished. Six gave a cry that descended the scales, ending in a whimper, her monstrous form fading into the night.
Mono got up from the ground where he had stumbled. He grunted again, and wrenched his rib back inside of him with a shake of his head, forcing the wound to close. It would hold, but only just. The remains of the music box looked like a wilted flower, shards of metal scattered about. He looked for Six, but could not find her in the gloom.
Then—light reappeared, growing brighter and brighter. The room no longer resembled a room, not even remotely; it looked like a far larger version of the flesh tunnels he traveled through when using the TVs. And in the light’s glow was Six revealed, all normal sized again.
She was not moving.
“No, no, no,” he cried out, rushing to her. “Please, don’t die on me, c’mon,” he pleaded, grabbing hold of her arm and shaking her. She did not answer.
A low roar echoed throughout the chamber. Mono looked up to see a wall of crimson and pink moving towards them—an Eye appeared, a living human Eye, unblinking.
Reacting quickly he gathered her up in his arms and took off. He dashed through halls that formerly were made of stone and brick, and now collapsed away into nothingness, revealing organic fleshy forms that writhed and squirmed. Eyes opened every which way, oversized pupils tracking him.
He jumped, slid, and climbed one handed over obstacles, carrying an unconscious girl in his arms who would not wake. He had to get out of here!
Up ahead the corridor shifted and warped into another wall of flesh, another great Eye opening. There was no going out that way. Mono turned swiftly and ran to the right, coming across a huge cavernous void where a spur of a crumbling bridge jutted out across to the other side.
Willing his power to work one final time, he summoned a portal on that side, free of flesh and blood that chased him behind.
A flickering of the portal’s bright light, he swore he could see something kneeling down before it, but he had all of his attention focused on running. His side had opened again with nothing to keep it closed, and Mono could feel his blood draining from him, could hear it spattering on the ground as he ran, ran, ran for their lives.
Abruptly a section of the bridge broke in front of him, barring him from freedom. He sucked in his gut and leapt across the gap, clutching Six’s body tightly with one arm while the other stretched out to grab the other side.
He was not going to make it, Mono realized, he was going to miss the gap.
Just as he began his plummet downwards, a firm grip clasped his still outstretched hand. Mono looked up. It was the shadow girl.
She began pulling, heaving, lifting. But it was no use—Mono was too heavy, and sooner or later she would lose her footing and they would both fall.
“Hey!” he called out. “Take her hand!” He gestured to Six’s unconscious body.
The shadow girl tried to reach for her, but she was already stretched to her limit. Either she would overbalance and fall, or Mono’s blood-slick hand would slip through. It was futile—unless… He realized what needed to be done.
With another mighty effort he pulled himself up; the girl, recognizing what he was doing, tried to pull him up, but Mono quickly shook his head.
“Take her hand!” he called out again. “I can’t hold her much longer.”
The shadow girl understood. She reached down and took hold of Six’s hand; and simultaneously, Mono released his grip upon them both.
He fell down, down, down into the night. Teardrops flew upwards, and as his eyes blinked through them, he willed the portal to remain open. He saw a bright flash of light.
It is done.
Mono let go, and the portal vanished into nothingness. He fell into the grasp of the hungry beast below, never again to emerge.
~X~X~X~X~X~X~
Back to the end, forever starting over; fractured again, to die another time;
Back to the end, a slowing of the motors, damaged by design.
Back to the end, forever starting over; fractured again, to die another time;
Back to the end, a slowing of the motors, damaged by design.
~X~X~X~X~X~X~
A television hummed in an empty apartment. Its former occupant was dead, or sleeping, in a chair before the TV.
The screen fizzled and distorted. Then it expelled Six.
She staggered, clutching her stomach. With a great belch of empty vomit she expelled a dark mass, then crumpled to the ground, not even a ghost of movement remaining. The shadow, however, shook her head, as if clearing her mind, and stood where she had been vomited on, taking stock of the situation.
Noticing the body before them, she stood quite still. When it made no movement, she turned back to the girl.
“Hey, psst, wake up,” she whispered, static distorting her words, tucking an arm underneath.
A few moments later and Six’s eyes fluttered open. She stared upwards blankly at the ceiling. Then a loud gurgle echoed in the room’s confines. Six groaned, putting a hand to her stomach, feeling quite empty.
There came a rustling of paper and Six turned her head to look at it.
The shadow drew over an advertisement, which showed the picture of a lighthouse on a metallic hill rising out of the waters. In bold letters were written the words: THE MAW OFFERS ENDLESS BOUNTY FOR THOSE WHO CAN AFFORD TO INDULGE! HER GRACE WELCOMES ALL!
Six’s stomach gurgled again; and she understood. She had to feed. Both she and her shadow turned to the body on the chair; and Six crawled out of her supporting arms towards it. This would satisfy her for long enough.
She would feed.
~X~X~X~X~X~X~
A meaning, a feeling; reason to be…
A longing for a finality.
And we keep hoping;
Forever frozen, my friend.
~X~X~X~X~X~X~
~X~