Work Text:
I remember when my grandpapa would tell me legends about the gods; he told me mystical stories about the sky. He told them to my dad when he was young too. Grandpapa always put on a show for his family; he taught us about the sun and the stars, the moon, and the clouds. He would describe how small droplets of water or fluffy ice would fall from the infinite space above, covering the ground. He told us about the winds and storms that would knock over trees, and burning hot bolts that would strike and make the air crackle. And, some nights, if I listened hard enough, I could hear those crackles from miles away.
There were countless times when I would sneak out at night, trying to climb out and see the sky for myself. I never got far. I asked them why we couldn’t go see it. I asked them a lot of questions, but the answers were always vague. Either that or they’d say “I’ll tell you when you’re older.”
I grew up like the rest of the children in the city. We studied together, we played; I thought I was like them. But, as I got older, I realized that my family wasn’t the same as the others that lived underground.
My dad, my grandpapa, and I all had the same mark on our shoulders, in the shape of a star. And while that wasn’t a cause for concern, something else began to bug me.
Whenever we would go to social gatherings together, people would comment on my dad and papa.
“Wait, you’re Joseph’s grandfather? You two don’t look a day apart!”
“Oh, I thought you were all brothers!”
“Who’s who again?”
My mother and grandmama- their hair had greyed and their skin became pale and loose over the years. Many of my friends’ parents appeared to age too. Neither my grandpapa nor my dad aged. I pointed this out to my mom, but her response was just as vague as the countless others I had received.
“Mom,” I had asked her. “Why are all my other friends’ grandfathers turning grey, but mine isn’t?”
She simply shook her head and smiled.
“It’s a special Joestar gene.”
On occasion, my papa would bring up his father, or my great grandfather. Whenever I asked about him, or anything about my paternal heritage, my family went quiet. As I reached my late teens, I realized there was something they were hiding from me. And, the longer I knew, the more intense my resentment became. It began to keep me awake at night.
Finally, my 21st birthday. An adult.
It had been long enough. I wanted answers. I sat them all down together.
“I’m 21 now,” I said, adrenaline rushing through my body. “I’m grown up. And all those questions I asked. I want answers. I want the truth.”
Of course, my vagueness served as a pedestal for them to all play dumb. But they knew exactly what I was talking about. The more they beat around the bush, the angrier I became. They refused to tell me anything! I deserved to know. I deserved to know my family. But I couldn’t even have that.
I went to bed frustrated. I spent hours trying to fall asleep, but the rage kept my head spinning, preventing me from resting.
So, one last time, I decided to try and break away. I was going to climb to the surface.
I grabbed a satchel, filled it with fruit and bread, put on my sturdiest pair of sandals, and left.
I snatched a torch off the house wall, marching through the vacant stone streets of the Caves as I searched for any upward incline. It wasn’t long until I found my way.
I climbed and trudged for a while. A sudden, deafening boom made me jump.
It was thunder.
And it was close.
“Joseph!”
Every bone in my body froze. I turned to look behind me, and my father was several paces behind me.
“Dad?!”
“Joseph,” he panted, running up to me and grabbing my arm. “You’re coming back with me. You’re in big trouble.”
“What?! I’m in trouble?!” I retaliated, yanking myself from his grip. “I’m in trouble for wanting answers?! Since when is that fair?”
“Joseph, not now. Come, let’s go home.”
“NO!” I yelled, making him flinch. “Dad, I’m so close! We’re so close! Don’t you want to see what's out there?”
“No, Joseph,” my dad sighed. “My son, listen. The only reason why the surface sounds so wonderful is because your grandfather likes telling all those stories. There is nothing magical or pleasant about the surface anymore. It’s inhabitable, and it’s violent. There’s nothing to see but gusty winds and gray water.”
I stood, reflecting on what he had said. And, for the first time in that silence, I heard the sound of rain. It reflected off the rocky walls of the cave tunnel.
It sounds cold. It sounded… vicious.
It took several minutes of talking, but my dad finally convinced me to come back. And after that, I stopped asking questions. I knew there was no point. The fury still swarmed in the back of my mind, but I pushed it down and tuned it out. Why should I care, anyway? I had a loving family, a great community of friends, and a wonderful life in the Caves. Everything was, in many ways, perfect.
It had been several months since my birthday, and life had continued as usual. My family and I were eating dessert and simply talking about our day when a chorus of screams and cries came from outside our window. Alarmed, my dad rushed to see what was happening. His look of curiosity quickly changed to one of horror. With wide eyes, he looked over at grandpapa.
They’re here.
We heard the sound of footsteps coming up the stone stairs, and suddenly, our home was flooded with soldiers wearing silver armor. My mother tried to fight them back, but one of the men pulled a dagger and wounded her. Before I could react, one of the soldiers grabbed me by the arms, pulling me out of the house. I screamed and thrashed, trying to free myself of their grip so I could help my mom, but it was to no avail. I tried to look for the rest of my family, but the world went dark.
“Joseph.”
“Joseph, wake up!”
My vision was blurry as I opened my eyes. I looked up, someone looming over me.
“Dad?” I asked, still discombobulated.
“Yes, it’s me. Are you alright?”
“I think so,” I sat up, rubbing my head. “What happened?”
I looked around the room. we were in some sort of yurt, and the space was dimly lit with candles. My dad was quiet.
“Let me explain,” another voice replied. My papa emerged from the shadows, a somber frown on his face. He sat down in front of me, grabbing my hand.
“Joseph. There’s a reason why we couldn’t answer your questions.”
“My… my questions? About our family?” My eyes widened.
“Yes, those.”
“I… what does that have to do with this?”
“Joseph… my father. Your great grandfather. George.”
“Yeah, what about him?”
“He gave his life away for us, a very long time ago. He sacrificed himself for me.”
“Why?”
“The sky.”
“The sky?” I leaned forward, furrowing my brow. “Papa, you’re not making any more sense! What’s going on?”
“The sky gods, Joseph.” he continued. “He sacrificed himself to the sky gods. There’s a legend that I’ve never told you before,” papa glanced over at my dad. “The legend of the Star Watchers.”
“Star Watchers…” I reached to touch the star on my back.
“Star Watchers are exactly what they sound like. They look over and protect the stars in the sky. And not just the stars, but the planets, the moons, the galaxies… everything above our heads. The universe is an infinite space, and the gods can’t look after it all by themselves,” he paused, choking on the last word.
“So, every few generations, they pick a human to become a Star Watcher. They decide before the human is even born. And, I was one of the lucky ones. I was chosen to be a Star Watcher.”
“But… you didn’t have a choice! Why don’t they choose people who are willing? That’s unfair!”
“I don’t know. But, on a Star Watcher’s 21st birthday, they’re sent to the sky. Once they reach that age, their duties as a Star Watcher begin.”
“And… how long do they stay up there…?” I asked, trepidation in my voice.
“Forever.”
“Forever?!” I yelped. “Wait, you were going to be watching over the universe, forever? Because the gods said you had to?”
Grandpapa nodded.
“My father felt that wasn’t right. To send a Star Watcher to the sky, you have to kill them.”
“...What?”
“You have to kill them. A family member has to send their Star Watcher to the summit of The Mountain and kill them.”
“Your own dad… had to kill you…”
“Right as I was supposed to die, he killed himself instead. He wanted to take my place. I begged him not to. But his last wish was for me to be free. And… I couldn’t deny him of that. I couldn’t deny myself of that~” his voice wavered again. “Because of him, I was able to start my own family. He gave me the most beautiful gift of all…”
He let out a sob, pulling me and my father in.
“He gave me… you.”
I blinked, a tear falling from my eye.
“Papa… dad…”
“I’m so sorry, Joseph,” my dad whispered under the sound of my grandpapa’s cries. “We were trying to protect you. We didn’t want them to find us. We knew if… they had found us, they’d kill us. The reason why the surface is inhabitable… is because the prophecy wasn’t fulfilled… the gods want us dead.”
The last sentence sent chills up my spine, and my heart began to ache.
The gods want us dead.
We sat together, crying softly as the sound of rain returned. This time, it was louder. It was twice as cruel.
We were stuck in the yurt for several hours before we were forced to change into ceremonial wear and chained together. All the while, they screamed at us.
“The window will close!” They shouted. “And the world will come to an end!”
As soon as we were ready, they dragged us up The Mountain.
And, for the very first time. I saw the sky.
The sun wasn’t there, and neither was the moon or the stars. It was empty. All of the vivid pictures that I had imagined led me to disappointment. It was nothing like grandpapa said it was, so I turned to observe The Mountain on our hike up. I vaguely remembered the stories grandpapa had told me about this massive rock; about its grandeur and breathtaking peaks that scraped the clouds. I couldn’t see much; it was dark, just like the Caves. Everything was enveloped in bleak darkness, cloaked in an ominous uncertainty.
As we neared the summit, the sky began to change. The black blanket overhead began to show small holes, little specks of white light. Stars.
The higher we climbed, the brighter the sky became, hundreds of thousands of little stars scattered overhead. It was beautiful.
And I hated it.
We reached the top. The Mountain had flattened out, leaving a small patch of grass and a stone slab on the ground. Stars surrounded us, the horizon just below the peak. I looked overhead, and I immediately forgot how to breathe.
There was nothing that could have prepared me for the moment that was looking deep into the night sky for the first time. It really was infinite. I watched distant worlds shine and spin together in harmony; as stars and galaxies danced within the depths of the endless darkness. It was spectacular.
But, I didn’t belong up there. I knew I didn’t. I belonged on earth. I belonged in the Caves. With my mother and grandmama. I belonged under the surface. Home.
The sound of shackles made me twitch. Out of the corner of my eye, I watched as they took my grandpapa out of his bindings, bringing him over to the stone altar. He looked back at me and my dad, his face barely illuminated by the starlight above.
I love you.
“No…” I mumbled. “No, no, no! No! NO! NO!!” My voice began to tremble as I stood up, my vision beginning to blur. “PAPA, NO!! STOP!!”
I tried to run to him, but the other soldiers held me back.
“DON’T HURT HIM!” I screamed, blinded by my tears. I thrashed, trying to get to him, but they had already grabbed the blade, pulling it from its sheath.
“PAPA!!”
I collapsed, sobbing violently. A pair of arms wrapped around me, holding me close.
“Papa!” I wailed, tightly hugging my dad back. I felt him stroke my head as the slicing of flesh echoed in my ears.
There was a moment of stillness before one of them spoke.
“It didn’t work,” they said.
I didn’t know what I felt more; relief or outrage. Before I could decide, another voice spoke.
“Take the next one then.”
I hugged my dad tighter, and he did so in return.
“Dad, please…” I whimpered.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered, kissing me on the head.
“Dad?”
We were separated, and again, the only thing I could do was watch as they ushered him across the grass onto the slab.
I was frozen. I tried to scream again, but the words didn’t leave my lungs. Instead, they bubbled in my throat as more tears poured from my eyes. I stared as they laid him down, exposing his chest to the open sky. They took that same knife, raising it high, aiming directly for his heart.
“Dad~” I squeaked, my throat sore.
The blade struck through his skin, his body flinching as the sharp edge pierced his insides. At the same time, a faint rumble of thunder rattled through the thin mountain air, and the stars in the sky flickered with color.
It wasn’t enough.
My body had thawed from its previous state, and it was now violently shivering and sweating. My toes curled as I sat on the dirt, as I watched them move my father’s corpse off the altar stone.
“This is the last one,” one of them said. “It has to work.”
Hands grabbed me again, but unlike the other two, I resisted.
“No, please,” I begged. “Please don’t hurt me! I didn’t do anything wrong… Please!”
I was met with silence. They pushed me harder.
“I can’t do this, please don’t make me do this!” I begged louder, my voice cracking. “Let me go!”
They shoved me onto the altar, slamming my head against the cold stone. I tried to stand back up, but my legs didn’t move. I looked up to the sky; the stars were violently throbbing and flashing at me, making me dizzy.
They pinned me down, trying to keep me still. As my back pressed up against the slab, I felt the warmth of my family’s blood against my skin.
Then, from the very bottom of my diaphragm, I screamed. I screamed as loud as I possibly could. I forced every ounce of air out of my lungs, my mouth and eyes wide. The knife was right there for a moment, then it was gone.
I was free.
The tight grips around my wrists and ankles were gone. The blood up against my back wasn’t there anymore. I wasn’t on the ground.
I was above the mountain, and I was quickly ascending. For a split second, I saw what was lying on the peak. I saw the vacant look in my own eyes, the trails of tears that streaked my pale cheeks.
I saw what was left of me.
And the last thing I heard was
It worked.
—----
For the longest time, I thought I was completely alone. The only pieces of my family that I had left were in my memories. But, as time passed, their faces became nothing more than blurs of color in my mind.
I tried to fill the missing void with my duties; weaving nebulas, cradling stars, sculpting planets. None of it seemed to work. The passage of time warped and stretched, but no matter how long I spent caring for my little pocket of the universe, there was an unshakable emptiness within me.
The stars eventually led me back to the Milky Way, and my curiosity got the best of me. I had to go home. Just for a moment. I wanted to go home. So I did.
I finally went home.
As I entered the atmosphere, I found myself near The Mountain summit. It was clear of bodies; now, it was blooming with dandelions and small wildflowers. Their colors were muted by the dark of night, but even so, they happily swayed with the breeze.
I made my way down the peak. I tried to erase myself from the mountainside, but I still saw myself climbing up in chains. I saw my human form glance over at me with fear in his eyes and terror in his heart.
As I neared the base, I picked up a soft sound coming from past the trees, out towards the mountain range. As I slowly trekked through the forest, the sound became clearer. Someone was crying.
The trees came to an end, revealing a clearing and a lake, proudly reflecting the stars and the full moon. The night sky that I had painted.
And, sitting right at the water’s bank, was you.
I immediately saw the scar on your back. It matched my birthmark.
You were the next in line, and you knew it. You had been preparing for it your whole life. It had been reiterated to you even as a child.
I didn’t know what was worse, the fact that you knew you were destined to go your whole life, or that I was left in the dark up until my last moments.
It was sickening. And if I had any say in it, I wouldn’t let it happen again. But, then again, when was anything fair?
I hated to see you cry. I wanted to tell you everything was alright, but I didn’t have a voice. I still don’t. They took that away from me.
I still can’t explain it. I was drawn to you. Being in your presence felt natural. It was the most real moment I have had since I’d left earth.
It was my destiny to be there for you.
This was the darkest moment of your life, and I wanted to pull you out of it. And so I did. I made a decision right then and there; you weren’t going to do this alone. I was going to be there. No matter how far they sent us from this planet, we’d go together.
I loved you from the very moment I laid eyes on you. That void that had been eating away at my human soul subsided when I felt your star for the first time. It vanished when my lips met yours.
…
I waited for your birthday, not wandering far from earth. I watched as life continued on the surface. As humans and nature existed in harmony with the skies above. The sun would proudly illuminate the planet’s surface; it pulled flowers away from the ground and guided the birds from tree to tree. It made you shine. It danced between strands of your blond hair and created a soft halo around you.
I admired you from afar. I wanted you to have your space when you needed it. But, at the same time, I wanted to learn more about you.
Your family loved you to the ends of the universe, just like mine. You were scared to leave them behind. A fear I didn’t realize I had until the very end.
And now, I await at the peak of The Mountain.
Oh, here you are. It’s time.
They’re laying you down on the same stone.
Come home to me, Caesar. I promise they won’t hurt you as they hurt me.
Let my love draw away the pain you’ve carried your whole life.
We’ll watch over the universe, together.