Work Text:
This world is very, very dark.
At least in comparison to any other world that Techno saw in his past.
...At least he thinks so.
Which past is there? Was it even real? It's very hard to think about this topic now and even harder to figure out the answer, since everything feels like deep waters in his mind right now.
Even his movements are slightly slower than... usual?
Everything is dead frozen here.
Literally and metaphorically.
He walks through the giant taiga forest that seems almost endless at this point, the tall trees never end, no matter in which direction he looks.
His house should be somewhere around here, but there's no sign of a familiar fence or the smoke. Nothing familiar really, and he thought he knew this forest like the back of his palm.
He would consider searching for light, but that's a very silly thought to have now, foolish even.
That's the only thing he knows for sure, even though he's not sure where this knowledge comes from, but it's very simple.
This world doesn't have light.
Or at least it's limited .
It's limited to small sparks and stars. The constellations and the sky are barely visible behind tree crones. He haunts that light.
Rarely presenting themselves to humans, only to mock them it seems, are star birds, or the stars of the sky taking the form of a bird. The grace of crow's white shiny wings would lure any unprepared hunter into more danger that they could handle.
At least nobody saw people coming back after chasing stars.
Right?
But not him.
He knows for sure that it's his duty to raise his crossbow in the presence of those creatures, to press the trigger.
To gather the light in his own hands to bring back to people.
To use his own strength to balance the power.
Or just to feel the warmth in his chest when he holds a light feather, reminding him of something special?
Of something very dear to his old rotten heart?
Which people is he even thinking back?..
It feels like nothing but this search for home ever existed. Instead of things he used to, he hears only random tiny sounds of musical instruments in his head.
No more mocking, no more words.
Only sounds.
And now he could hear his own thoughts for once.
Or at least what remains of thoughts in this inescapable feeling of dizziness. It feels like sinking but never hitting the bottom.
Never reaching the end goal?
Home .
Right .
His eyes, black scleras hidden behind pink hair, are very much used to the darkness, seeing much more than any regular human would in those woods.
And it has been a long time since he got... lost?
Where did he even start?
His mind wanders, he keeps getting sidetracked of what he needs to find.
A house?
Does it exist even by this point?
His home isn't the building.. no.. two buildings. A household. It isn't that, even though the safe feeling fills his heart remembering it's warmth. Thinking about it being two buildings warms his heart a little for some reason he can't quite remember.
It's a little more than just physical estate. Like a metaphor ?
His pig hooves feel so heavy to thread in this thick snow carpet. Even heavier is the massive wooden crossbow gripped in his hand tightly, it's handle and front is covered with carvings of wild flowers.
It's used to kill, despite even hesitation.
His cloak trails heavy behind him.
It's so tiring to keep these branches out of his eyes.
It's so tiring to look at the endless darkness and repeating pictures of this god damn forest. The wind weeps somewhere up above, it moves and shoves the trees without any love.
But he hopes to see something else.
Oh he wishes he will see him once again.
At least once.
His heart grows heavy as he feels some old but warm forgotten memories appear in his head.
Such a cherished feeling.
Small warm sparkle in his heart tears it apart.
Spark .
He freezes for a second as snow before his feet appear slightly lighter than usual.
The more he turns his gaze up to the endless horizon sight of trees the more he sees it. Takes a moment to adjust but when he does he feels his guts moving more than usual, as he can see barely visible, colorful snow reflections behind a curtain of vapour of his hot breathing. The trees are kissed by thin lines of contrast white before becoming a gradient more and more, brighter and brighter. A lot of birds fly between the creaking trees, filling the area with gentlest sparkle sounds that make his ears flinch.
But that's not all of it, he thinks, gripping tightly to his crossbow handle.
That's not just stars arriving.
And he's right as a figure appears before him.
A very familiar one and at the same time completely unknown, smiling as the warmest sun rays.
The figure he wanted to see the most.
Techno points his crossbow at the figure
He knows what he needs to do
Kill the light source, the Northern Star itself and the hunt would be over forever
He could bring back all the light there was to this world, to humans
His only goal
Right?
So why does he hesitate every time they meet?
The figure approaches and the sound of its steps through the snow drowns out in the moment. Gentle sparkles fill the air.
The Light's hand carefully touches the crossbow, bringing it's handle down without any threat, with one gentle movement.
Hesitation.
Home.
Phil.
Techno is completely frozen and dumbfounded by this point.
He forgets all the previous statements in his head about bringing balance, of the hunt and the purpose, feeling like his heart is exploding just thinking about all of it again.
But he thinks about family.
The only one he has.
Light's hands touch Techno's face so gently, with so much care, bringing it a little bit closer to Light's head, their forehead against each other, connected in a way the weight of which only they could understand.
This brings back something very familiar.
Light shakes his head gently, and a thousand stars appear behind him flying up to the unknown, some of it seemingly appearing out of his shining curtain of hair, letting out a barely audible chuckle, sounding so far away and yet being so close.
And then he lets him go.
Smiling so gently while Techno is completely taken by light, frozen in one place.
Not understanding in the slightest.
The sudden feeling of present hits him as he opens his eyes. Techno stares for a couple of moments at the not moving grindstone in the head of his bed, covered in a very soft light from the window behind light curtains, that keeps the winter storm outside of his room.
It feels cozy.
Even though his body is in a very unusual state in the hibernation times, it feels nice not to be in the middle of a warzone once in a while. He breathes out in a relief not feeling the dizziness that comes with hibernation dreams.
He notices his coat that he usually uses as a blanket to his side, and only then notices the black wing covering him.
Phil looked tired, crawled up to him almost like a cat. It's a cold day today, it seems, and the weather isn't kind.
Techno wonders how much work the old man did today despite the weather conditions just to keep himself busy.
Not surprising he's so tired that he fell asleep here, eh?
Techno turns himself to Phil's side as gently as possible not to wake him up, embracing him so lightly, resting his nose close to Phil's shoulders, falling back to sleep to continue the Light hunt he barely remembers anything about.