Chapter Text
Shrouded Stars
Chapter 1: Humble Beginnings
My life was never anything special. I was born to a middle class family in a small town in California, and lived most of my life in small towns. I was just starting high school when I met the man that became like my brother, and I knew I was happy, I had family and friends, and just enough to feel comfortable. The day began the night before as me and my brother had been playing on the computer together, enjoying a modded game of Civilization, and drinking together in revelry. Soon, we would head out to find somewhere to buy a game of Risk as we had wanted to enjoy ourselves that day.
‘Oh… this dream again’ I thought as I peeked in through the window. This would not be the first time that I had visited here in a dream, though usually I did so from inside the building, not currently in a bush staring in through the window like a hobo from a bad christmas movie. Soon, my brother would run from the building after a fight, and take his life that night. As if on cue, the door was slammed open, and he ran off. With less than a second wasted on thought I rushed after him, even in a dream, I would not let this happen again. As I chased him into the night, rain crashing into my skin, a bitter laugh escaped. ‘If only I could do this in reality,’ I thought, starting to catch up to him as we approached the school. Getting close enough, I tackle him to the ground, holding him down.
“What, Alice, how did you catch up to me?! Why did you stop me?!” he said, trying to pry himself from my grip. I tried desperately to keep a hold, but lacked the strength to keep him held down, being thrust back against the ground. We both stood up fast as possible, out of breath, and I looked him in his eyes.
“You can’t go through with this. Things may seem to be bad right now, but trust me, death isn’t worth it.”
“LEAVE ME ALONE, why don’t you just let me go, I’ve hurt everyone. I have nowhere left to go, they're gonna kick me out after this.”
“No we’re not gonna kick you out over one fight, and one fight isn’t the worth of your life you idiot!” I shouted, tears rolling down my cheeks like waterfalls. I wanted to pull him into a hug, to make sure he knew that this didn’t need to be the end. As I tried though, he pulled away, stepping into the street, his face a mix of confusion and panic. As his feet hit the road, a car rolled in from the darkened streets, and barreled towards him. With a shout, I shot towards him, bodily pushing him out of the way just as the car was about to ram him. Sadly, this left me with no time to get away myself, and me and the car collided. In that moment, I realized this couldn’t be a dream, as the pain rocketed through my body. Ricocheting off the windshield, the glass shattered, falling around me in slow motion. Blearily, I look into the glass, expecting to see my face in the reflection. Instead, I see a creature not unlike a snake staring back. Its gray body gilded in fineries, large black arm like structures protruding from its spine. ‘Is that …?’, passed through my thoughts as the last of my life left me, unable to even finish these thoughts.
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Giratina looked down at the small human they had pulled into their realm. Why they had done so was simple boredom, the Reverse World had little for entertainment at the best of times. Honestly, the last time they had any entertainment was those humans who had stopped them all those years ago. What were their names? Akari, Bismarck, Iono, they had impressed Giratina with their determination and power. As they looked down at the human floating in front of them, an idea came to their mind. They had been oh so looking for something to occupy their time with, and humans could be far more interesting than their simple forms let on. Reaching down one of their long claws, they shook the human to wakefulness.
“Where am I?” spoke the human groggily, wiping their eyes with the back of their hand, blood pooling under their brow, caught by the movement. Feeling shards of glass stuck in their face, the small human pulled, ripping them from their head. With a shuddering sigh, they began to speak, “So, I guess that that wasn’t a dream was it, dammit.” Tears speckled their eyes, and a bitter laugh left their voice, “Well, at least I actually saved my brother then.” Their eyes were largely unfocused, and if one was to look closely, they might see the human’s arms shaking. Giratina found it odd that they appeared to not be breathing, which was odd for those who had only recently turned into a ghost. Death took time to notice.
Giratina watched the strange behavior with curiosity, never before had they seen a human faced with death, and yet, he assumed that, like many other creatures, they would be horrified by death. Instead, this one seemed more resigned, even happy with their current state. ‘Curious,’ thought Giratina, the closest approximation of a smile on their face. They had originally planned to do a whole speech, with a requisite ‘Be not afraid’ that humans were supposedly accustomed to, but curiosity won out.
“Hmm, how curious human, why do you not react in fear? You are dead, your life passed you by at the hands of one of your metal monless conveyances. Death is a scary thing, you mortals flee from it so readily. I am Giratina, Lord of Antimatter, the Supreme Master of the Distortion World, The Renegade God, God of Afterli…”
Giratina proceeded to go through about 50 more titles, getting more and more off topic with each one. The human stared off, no longer listening to the deity, as they ranted onwards. Instead, they looked around, taking in the world before them. The landscape was dotted with floating islands\, waterfalls falling sideways, and what looked like a cave full of people to the side, except they didn’t move, or even breathe. If they didn’t know better, they would think them statues, except they had visible joints. What appeared to be a simply gigantic screen was plastered to one of the sideways islands. On the screen was a large centipede in a maid dress, its red coloration reveals it to be a Scolopede.
“What are you looking at?” Giratina said, “I believe I was still talking to you, and that is a private screen.” Kicking the island away, they sigh, almost sounding relieved, the dark god spoke again, “Now that we have gotten through my introduction, how about you introduce yourself.” They gestured with a clawed tentacle towards the human, trying their best to seem aloof.
“Uh, my name is Alice I guess, god my head hurts, I need an aspirin,” the human, now known as Alice, said, rubbing their skull, pulling out a few more shards.
“Ah yes, Aspirin, a fine medicine, right next to cocaine and heroin. A headache is a terrible affliction, why you may even need leeches. To get rid of, um, humors, like jokes and stuff.”, Giratina said, with total confidence in their voice. This was incorrect, a funny level of incorrect actually, and it made Alice giggle to themselves. “Either way, your life in your former world has expired, now you head to a new life. For the usual one in your place, I would send them on their way, but you have caught my interest. For that, I shall grant you boons, as your lack of fear at the face of death intrigues me. First, you shall remember your past life with absolute clarity. Second, I shall give you a choice on where in my world you will begin your new life.” For a second, Giratina seemed distracted, looking towards something written nearby, before their gaze returned, voice rehearsed and awkward, “Finally, I grant you a mirror with which you can look into your old world. You may earn more boons from me if you impress me further. Now, where do you want to be?”
With a shake of their head, the human seemed to sober up, returning attention to Giratina. “Orre”, Alice said without trepidation, a determined look upon their face. This alone was impressive, but Giratina would not reward empty bravery, so they would test it.
“My, my, you make such a dangerous choice. Are you sure you wish to go to that place, there are many locations which can provide glory, while being far safer.” Surely this ‘Alice’ misunderstands the danger, and is simply acting brave. A god such as Giratina showing trepidation would be enough of a wake up call to allow them to change their mind.
“Yes, I am sure. I believe I can do the most good there. That place needs so much help, and I want to be helpful in any way I can.”
This took Giratina aback. They knew of the determination of these humans, they had seen it first hand all those years ago. “How impressive of you human, fine then, I grant you one more boon.” They say this before thinking, and hit a proverbial brick wall. They had no idea what to give as another boon, they had not done this before. Thinking quickly, an idea came to mind, this would work well. “Ah yes, an idea. I shall grant you the ability to travel through reflections in your sight. Use this well, and go live your life, Lady Alice.”
“Wait what do you mean La…” Alice began to say, before with a wave of their clawed tentacles, Giratina flung her into a new life, space breaking like a mirror around her.