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Jinx had always been crazy. She'd known this. She'd been called it her whole life; fucked in the head, crazy bitch, insane, manic freak. She wasn't sure if she believed it because people said it, or if she noticed when people said it because she believed it. A self-affirming sort of thing. Like, yeah, I am batshit insane, you're right, thanks for noticing.
But when she started to hear a voice in her head that was distinctly not hers (or what little semblance of a conscience she had left), she started to panic.
Jinx, it urged, quietly at first. Quiet enough that Jinx could roll over, almost asleep, almost, but not quite. Maybe it was the start of a dream. Sure, that was it. Probably.
Jinx, it repeated, louder, and Jinx sat up in her bed, silent. Waiting. If it didn't happen again, it was the start of a dream, definitely. Because she was awake now, really awake, so obviously there was no way she'd hear it now if it was part of a d--
Jinx. Loud, so loud, like someone had put headphones on her and turned the volume up so loud that the sound rattled around in her skull. No, not quite; the call was coming from inside her head.
Jinx. Oh, this was bad. This was bad, bad, bad. Deep breath. Five things she could see. It was probably just the stress. Things had gotten really heavy lately; her not-girlfriend was constantly flying - FLYING - around the city to save countless lives as a stupid magical girl, and Jinx had become the worrywart getaway driver mom friend, if a mom friend had no idea how being a mom friend actually worked. Not a great look for her brand, first of all, and second of all, not a great look for her mental health.
Jinx. Okay, ow. The voice was starting to really hurt with how loud it was. She wrapped her pillow around the back of her head, covering her ears, as though that would somehow muffle a sound that wasn't coming from outside of her. How to you muffle something in your own head?
Jinx.
"Could you tone it down?!" She finally asked into the dark of her room, throwing the pillow to the floor, trying not to panic more than she already was. There was a moment of silence - relative silence, where only the hum of electronics and house sounds could be heard - before her mind was punctuated by the voice again. Quieter, but just as insistent.
Can you hear us? Have we reached you?
Jinx paused. How did you even respond to something like this?
"Jinx speaking, how may I direct your call?"
And then the world went white.
This wasn't the first time Jinx's entire vision had gone blindingly bright, or the first time she'd felt like she was falling endlessly. But, usually, that was something of her own doing; something that had gone horribly pear-shaped in faster than you could say "lights out." Usually, there was some sort of "aw shit" feeling followed by "my bad." This, though, was an "oh shit" feeling, followed by a "oh, fuck."
Time seemed to slow down. Her decent seemed to slow down. Her thoughts sped up, racing around her head like rockets. Was she dying? Was this really going to be how she was going to go out? Was this one of those weird monsters Lux had been fighting?
Lux. The name alone seemed to put breath in her lungs. Something outside of her seemed to acknowledge the name, too. Gravity shifted, slowly, until Jinx was dropped carefully onto her feet. There was no ground that she could see - just an endless, breathtaking expanse of night sky that she was somehow standing on top, under, inside of. But she wasn't exactly floating, either - no, she could feel something firm beneath her, holding her up in this space.
Nothing made sense. Very little in her life ever made sense-made sense, but that was usually her own doing. Lately, nothing made sense and it was very distinctly not her own doing or her own choice. It would be really great if it went back to the other kind of not making sense, she mused wryly.
Jinx, the voice cooed, and every star in view seemed to brighten a touch in response, like they were all straightening up their ties and smoothing out their skirts.
"You got Jinx on the line, what can I do ya for?" She tried for sarcasm, but her voice quivered, ruining the effect. Stupid voice.
We are the one they call the First Star, the speaker for the First Light. You honor us with your presence.
This had to be a dream, right? Oh wait! It wasn't. She'd thoroughly established that back before being popped out of reality and plopped into this nebulous starscape.
The voice was waiting for a response. What how did you even respond to "you honor us with your presence"?
Fuck it. When in Ionia, be an asshole, or however that phrase went. Jinx gave a sweeping bow, then straightened to her full height and squared her shoulders, trying to exude the biggest "pompous, self-important jackass" aura possible. "I'd say the pleasure is all mine, First... Star..." the name felt stupid in her mouth, "...but Mother forbade me from lying. What do you want?"
The world is in peril, the First Star said, almost mused, like this was somehow dinner conversation or something. Dark forces beyond comprehension stir in realms beyond. Left unchecked, they will wreak havoc upon and one day consume this world, and all that live upon it.
Jinx put her hand on her hip. "Sucks. Don't see what is has to do with me."
Your life, and the lives of those close to you, would become forfeit were this to come to pass. Does this not trouble you?
"The idea of my death hasn't ever actually bothered me, O Loud And Annoying First Star." This was only half a lie. "And no one would ever notice if I..."
A name sprung into her head once again, and her throat tightened on the last word in her sentence. No. No, that was a full-faced lie. Maybe it'd been the truth before, but it wasn't now. Someone would more than notice if she were to beef it.
Something troubles you.
"Piss off."
We, too, are troubled. We are outnumbered by the forces that work against us; they are scattered to the far reaches of the universe, and now there is but one who protects your world.
A pit was beginning to form in Jinx's stomach. No. No, this can't be happening. This isn't happening. This isn't real.
The forces that rally against us grow stronger; our Guardian is strong, but she is alone. She, and the powers we granted to her are not enough to protect--
"And why not!?" Jinx demanded, chest on fire. "You talk big, using the royal "we" or whatever, like you have all this power, like... like...! Just give her more. Just give her enough to protect the world and not get hurt. Please. Please."
There was a pause, and the skies around her seemed to sink into a deep, overwhelming sadness. No, something more than sadness, something diagonal to sadness but different, something she didn't really have a word for.
"Just give her more firepower," Jinx urged, less angry now, more pleading.
We are beseeching you as you beseech us; become the extra "firepower" she requires.
The pit in Jinx's stomach became a yawning cavern, deeper down than the fall she'd taken to get here. Her mouth was dry. Her fingers played with the hem of the T-shirt she slept in, just to feel some sort of familiar sensation in this unyieldingly starry, impossible place.
"Why me? Of all people, why me?"
We do not always have reasons that make sense to the minds of mortals. You are uniquely equipped to become a Star Guardian.
"Uniquely- how?!"
We do not always have reasons that make sense to the minds of mortals.
Fuck this guy. Girl. Star-thing. Whatever it was. "What's the name of this Guardian of yours?"
We believe you to be already acquainted.
"I'm acquainted with plenty of people, you're gonna need to be a little more specific."
We believe you to be very well acquainted with her.
"Say. Her. Name," Jinx spat. Who was this thing that it was too good to use the name of it's precious Guardian? Like she wasn't a person to it; she was a tool. Something lined in veins like gunpowder waiting for a spark; something old, and familiar, and delightfully ugly. Something she was scared of; something that, for this moment, she let herself into like a warm embrace.
The voice seemed to sigh, sending a ripple of unease amongst the sparkling spots against the inky black.
Luxanna Crownguard.
The gunpowder danced dangerously close to the flame of her anger.
"You ruined her life, you are ruining her life!" If this thing had a face, she'd swing. If she had one of her guns, she'd fire into the void and know it'd do jack shit. Her body was screaming to move, to run, to jump, something, something, the primal urge to both fight and flee. She started bouncing up and down, a soda bottle being shaken in a storm, absolutely going to explode.
This is a path she took for herself.
"One that you're asking me to 'take for myself,' or she goes on fighting by herself? Constantly risking her fucking life because that's her duty? You already know I'm 'well acquainted' with her. This isn't a choice, it's emotional blackmail!"
We understand your frustration and reservations. We are not all-powerful; we are infinite, but our magic is not. Luxanna has received as powerful gifts we could bestow; the fact that they are not enough speaks to the volume of the threat she is facing. She is in need of teammates and partners. She is in dire need. She cannot continue to shoulder this burden alone.
"No shit," Jinx muttered, balling and unballing her fists. She didn't want to do this. She was going to, but she didn't want to. "Give me the fucking sparkles."
You must swear the Oath.
"I swear it, whatever, let's get this over with!"
The skies around her began to swirl in incomprehensible patterns until they started settling into words. I, Jinx, vow to uphold...
Meanwhile, there was a warmth pulsing around her, within her, radiating outward from her bones. She felt... "magic" felt cheesy and stupid, but she guessed that's what it was. Powerful magic. Powerful magic that was hers. She gripped it between her hands; strong, solid, cool to the touch. Familiar. Familar... she changed the placement of her hands, half on instinct, half like her grip was being pushed. A minigun. A magic fucking minigun. This had to be a joke, after all that she'd given up, after all the distance she'd tried to put between her and that life because of Lux, now she had to pick it up in sparkle-glitter flavor to help Lux.
She released the gun and, seeing just how far the sick joke went, reached over her shoulder. She touched something fluffy, that squeaked momentarily, before becoming the familiar form of a rocket launcher.
Shiro and Kuro - your familiars, and your weapons. The magic we bestow upon you also is magic latent within you, Jinx; do not forget this. Your familiars are an extension of your own magic. That you have two speaks to the amount of power that lies sleeping within you.
"Sleeping," Jinx mused, looking at the white puffball that stared back at her. Quizzically. Hopefully. She looked back into the open sky. "And you just had to poke the bear, didn'tcha?"
The contract in the sky had stopped forming. It was long. She wasn't reading it. It didn't matter what it said. What mattered was she could help Lux, what mattered was that this power was hers. Hey, this First Star asshole said so itself, didn't it? Which meant she got to do what she wanted with it.
She released the rocket launcher (which squeaked and became a black puffball... this was weird) and reached for the white one. Before her hand even touched its fluff, it transformed back into a minigun with a confident peep and slid into her hands like it belonged there. This sucked. This also fucking ruled.
She looked one last time at the contract, took aim, and shot bullets - no, stars - into the bottom. After a few moments, a new constellation - messy, but distinct - spelled out her name in bright starlight.