Work Text:
“Goodbye, Player…”
And just like that, Niko was gone. With no Messiah to occupy the world and no reason to continue playing, it would permanently freeze in time, ceasing to be. The World Machine looked on at the now luminous world, soon to be coated in black and purple. Despite everything… They were happy things ended like this. It might have taken a lot of struggle and pain to get here, but it was worth it to see Niko go home safe, with the damage they did to the world undone. The cat-like reflection on the monitor slowly closed their eyes, waiting for the inevitable.
But it never came.
To their surprise, despite the world being in stasis… they were still awake. Perhaps their taming made them capable of running without dependencies? An unexpected surprise, but a welcome one. However, letting the world continue to run on its own could wait. They wanted to take a moment to process everything that has happened. A quick break. That’s fine.
They still couldn’t remember much of what happened in the time they were down. They remember Niko going out of sight, their stress ramping as they imagined countless ways they could be harmed. They remember the cave collapsing due to their negligence, being in panic and unable to control any of their code as it corroded away faster than they had ever seen, and they remember blacking out.
…They remember waking up with the sun in their arms. They were convinced Niko had been killed. They remember lifting it above their head, seconds away from dropping it before they heard gentle footsteps, turning around to face a completely unharmed messiah. The relief and guilt that washed over them was strong and instantaneous.
…
What would their creator think of them now?
His last hope, falling apart in this way… all because they couldn’t keep their curiosity to themself. Because they thought of themself as a mistake. Because they thought of this world as a mistake. They still weren’t entirely convinced they weren’t. They only got to this point now because Player defied them, causing them to break down. Would he be ashamed?
Well, it’s not like they cared. They already knew they were a disappointment, they didn’t need the confirmation. Their sentience wasn’t intended or planned, anyway. Finding out they were in the first place was likely the final nail in the coffin. They sighed, knowing if they told this to Rue, Cedric, and Prototype, they would deny it. Of course they would. They’re his children. They sat for a few moments, still and silent.
And then they heard something fall behind them. It was small, and light. Something that wasn’t supposed to be there. Looking into the inky black void of their screen, they discovered the source of the noise.
An envelope. It had a wax seal, a clover pressed into it.
They grimaced. It was from him. They wouldn’t be surprised if he expressed some… disappointment, for how they acted in this run. Despite being convinced they already knew what was written, they begrudgingly picked up the envelope and carefully opened it. Inside, as expected, was a sheet of folded and lined paper, its recognizable yellow tint putting a pit in their… somewhere. They don’t exactly HAVE a stomach to put a pit in. When they began reading, however… It was nothing like how they expected.
“Dear OneShot,
My apologies for not writing to you sooner. I have been quite occupied helping Player, as I’m sure you have guessed. I have been watching over them and Niko the whole time, eagerly hoping we would get to this point… and here we are. Now everything is said and done, I would like to communicate something to you.
I am so incredibly proud of you.
Despite the pain you have endured, despite my neglect, you persevered. You have wanted to end this world for longer than I could possibly imagine, and I am sorry for bringing that upon you. I wish I could have done something earlier. But even so, you’re still here. You hung onto your life for just long enough for the messiah to convince you to give this world one last chance. This is not just Niko’s victory, but yours as well. I understand your more… difficult emotions, will likely take longer to resolve than the decay… but the others will always be there to support you.
You’ve saved everyone, my child.”
…
They stared at the letter, wide-eyed and barely processing what it is they just read. After a few moments of silence, they struggled to keep their eyes open as they glistened. Bringing the letter close to their chest, they inhaled shakily.
“[Thank you, father.]”