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66-M0-H0-S0
Everything was wrong. Nothing was going right and now everything’s breaking apart. Nothing like this had happened and it was the 66th time through this living hell! Soul paced, gritting their teeth as they tried to control their breathing. Mind, Mind, Mind, their dearest Mind’s body laid on his bed, or what was left of it. There was nothing left, and Soul was panicking. Everything was going and Heart was blind and THEY had blinded him and holy fuck there was something wrong-
They needed to get Heart. He wouldn’t know what was happening, hell Soul didn’t know what was happening! But Heart wasn’t going to be alone through this, Soul couldn’t hold that guilt if it happened. But they couldn’t leave Mind, dearest Mind who’s dead-
With a concerned glance at the body, laying serenely on his bed, Soul walked through the empty home. It was staticky, the low level background noise of sweet nothings. It whispered to them, lapping at their feet as the floor degraded. There were only a couple of rooms left. The rest of it was void. Worse than void. It was more than nothing, but less than living. It was everything.
Shuddering, they moved past the long-gone hall and gently knocked at the door of the only room left. "H-heart? May I come in?"
"Go away, Soul." Soul winced at the bitterness drenching The Creature's tone, and they sighed.
"Please, Juno?"
The door swung open, revealing a very angry Heart, feathers bristling and tail swinging. "What do you want, oh benevolent ruler of mine?"
Not ours. Not ours, possibly never ours even again. Atlas could barely breathe past the lump in their throat. Artemis spoke up, snapping them out of their trance.
"Well? If you have nothing good to say, I'm going back and not coming out."
"I- look, Heart, I'm sorry for taking your vision. And for everything I said, but we don't have time for this back and forth of 'Hate me, forgive me'. Please just… come to Mind's room with me. Please." They let out a breath they didn't know they were holding, shaking slightly. Their wings, usually a set of light red hues, were now harsh blacks and dark reds. The Moon glared at them, eyes (or lack thereof) boring through The Stars.
"You're not lying. You're sincere."
"...Yes?"
"Alright. Let's go." Heart shoved past Soul, causing them to almost stumble into the static. They felt lightheaded as they rushed into Mind's room, where Heart was there, staring at what was supposed to be Mind, laying on his bed. Now it was basically the floor, the static consuming everything in sight. "He's right here, isn't he?"
"...yeah. He's there, laying on.. what used to be his bed, I guess." Heart looked at then confused, tilting its head.
"What does that mean? Don't tell me we're just going to take over his room now that he's dead? What the hell is wrong with you!?-" Heart was bristling again, a low growl emanating from his throat. Soul was never more terrified of him, always finding his animalistic noises endearing ever so slightly. That was gone, replaced with terror. Pure terror.
"NO- no, no, I wouldn't- I wouldn't do that to him- I meant it as- as like- remember before I blinded you- day- day three?"
"Vaguely. Why?" Artemis hissed.
"We both mentioned- the static in the corners of our home- in, in the side glances that would d-disappear at a glance?"
"That? What about it?" His confusion was easily becoming replaced by concern, Atlas' voice breaking under the pressure.
"It's everywhere. It's eating our home, and all of our stuff. Mind's room and your room were the only rooms left, and now it's just this room and it's barely a room anymore it's nearly just a void of static with just bits of wall and floor and a shark plushie and us and Mind's body and I'm sorry I could've stopped this if I was better and I'm a failure that failed to protect you two and-" The Moon hugged The Stars, who were shaking violently with unshed tears barely contained.
"Stop that! It's not your fault, it's mine for being an idiot who killed our Sun, our Apollo! Stop blaming yourself for once, dumbass." Soul sobbed, collapsing in on itself like a supernova. They shook, holding onto Heart like it was their only anchor to life. Muffled apologies poured out of them, unable to keep their grief contained any longer.
It took a while for them to calm down, but the static was everywhere. Walls and floors and furniture were obsolete, for better or for worse. Everything was gray, constantly shifting with dizzying dots and shades of gray. It was almost dizzying. They closed their eyes, taking in a deep breath.
“B-Blucka?”
“...Yeah, Hen? What’s wrong?”
They swallowed, shuddering. “Everything is gone. It’s just us, us and Mind’s body.”
Heart gritted his teeth, a nervous tick they had memorized a long time ago. "...Oh."
Soul chuckled half-heartedly, looking around slightly. If they stared too hard, it became nearly painful. So they didn't stare. They tried to keep their eyes on Artemis, stealing a glance at Apollo. Everything was fine.
Wait, what?
No, what?
Atlas stared at Mind's body in disbelief. Tearing away from Heart, it tried to dust away the encroaching static. They began to mutter, much to The Moon's confusion. "No, no no nononono get back- get off him- don't take him too please please- no, no-"
"What's happening!?" The Stars gritted their teeth, turning to look at him.
"The static- it's- it's taking his body awa y-" They cut themself off as their eyes latched to Heart's bottom set of wings and tail, static lapping at its features like a pathetic mirror of The Sun. "...It's taking you too."
Everyone was silent. The static quickly consumed Mind's corpse.
"Please don't go- don't leave me alone!-" Heart sighed, knowing it was too late. It took off its blindfold, made out of a ripped shirt, and looked towards Soul with blank eyes and a three pronged scar.
"I love you, Polaris."
And he was gone, leaving Soul all alone. They sobbed, cried, yelled, did everything they could. In the end, the static flowed over their eyes, and in a blink, everything was gone. Quite a peaceful death, if Soul could think.
~~~
67-M1-H0-S0
Heart carefully stepped into Mind’s room with a gentle knock. “Mind? Can I talk with you?”
“What do you want, Creature?” The Sun turned to glare at The Moon, disdain rolling off him like solar flares.
“Look, Automaton Freak.” It spat, purple eyes glaring right back. “We don’t like each other, yeah? We fucking hate being here, both of us. But there’s the one thing that makes being here bearable, for both of us.”
“Soul? What about them?”
“Can’t you tell? They’ve been acting fucking- off, I don’t know! But something’s up.”
Apollo sighed. “Not to agree with you in any way, shape or capacity, but Atlas has been acting quite odd. The jitteriness-”
“Jitteriness? Really?”
“How else would you call their behavior?”
Artemis huffed, crossing it’s arms over its chest. “Look. It has a very clear reaction to us fighting, and while you may not be able to read it’s face clearly, I can. They are constantly afraid of us being near each other. So, out of respect for our other half, let’s just…Not fight.”
“...Yeah. Yeah, let’s… Let’s try to get along. For Soul.”
“For Soul.”
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166-M23-H0-S0
Mind knew there was something wrong the moment he killed that pathetic Creature. It was only fair. After all, it had tried to shoot him, it had tried to kill him. It almost did kill him. His throat was now permanently messed up, because of that freak. And now that he's gone, Soul and them can rule this vessel perfectly, without emotions to muddle their logic. It was perfect.
So why did Soul refuse to move on? Why couldn't they just leave the freak to rest? What's with the static?
Why isn't he happy with the outcome–
He sighed, adjusting his shirt collar and necklace for the umpteenth time, wincing as the string clicked against his metal throat. He needed to check on Soul. He exited his room and…
Wow. There was something wrong. The lack of rooms in this hallway, the lack of hallway in this hallway, the lack of house outside of the living room. It was… confusing.
Soul and- Soul and Heart's corpse were sitting down on the living room floor, Soul leaning against the couch slightly. Atlas made no indication they noticed Apollo, instead choosing to absently card their hands through Artemis' hair. He cleared his throat, wincing as the rough, mechanical noise scraped across the room. The not-room.
“Soul? Is everything adequate?”
No response. That was fine.
“You seem to be not listening, which is strange because there is no reason to not listen. Are you functioning adequately?”
Nothing. Their hands gently twirl Heart’s curl absentmindedly.
“Soul, you must respond. It is really rude to ignore your ruler, your higher-up.”
Insufferably quiet.
“SOUL. YOU MUST LISTEN TO ME, BECAUSE I AM THE RULER OF THIS PLACE, AND-”
“It’s your fault.”
“Wh-What?” The Sun stuttered, watching as The Stars tilted their head slightly to glare at him.
“You killed him. It’s your fault.”
Mind scoffed. Of course they would
still
be hung up over that.
“Yes, I did. He was useless, hindering our ability to function. I needed to get rid of him to ensure our success.”
“He was a person too. He couldn’t not be what he was made for.” Soul hummed, gently carding their hand through Heart’s feathers
“Heart was weak. Emotions are unnecessary, only bringing chaos and ruining all order we had built up.”
“Are you happy with yourself? Glad that you killed someone for existing? Even if you justify it with your prided ‘Logic’, it’ll never make you right.” Their voice never escaped the flat tone, but underneath was a seething rage that made him shiver.
“You must be so confident in your words, Atlas. You know that I am right. Artemis could not be left to live for a moment longer.”
With a sneer, it glared at him. “Look around you, Apollo. Everything’s fading. Our home is being destroyed, and it’s your fault.”
“...No..? No, that can’t be right, this is just- just a- just…?”
“Just what, ‘Ruler’? Face it. Everything’s disappearing, and it’s your fault for causing it. For killing Heart.”
“...I- I knew what to do, why is this?-” He stuttered, his processors stuttering and shifting to accommodate for the sudden shock that shot through his systems.
Soul sighed. “Sit down, Mind. Sit down with me and Heart. Before everything turns to static.”
“...Alright.” Mind sat down shakily, sitting down next to Soul. After a few minutes of silence, he spoke. “I… I didn't mean to cause this.”
“I know. I’ll do better to keep you safe next time, even if you won’t understand.”
“...What?”
Soul just shook its head, looking away. The walls and floor were now obsolete, the void of static stretching onwards. “You won’t remember anyways.”
It was quiet. The Sun shuffled closer to The Stars, seeking kinship.
“I am… Feeling things. I thought..?”
“You were never emotionless, Mind. Emotionally inept, yes, but not emotionless.”
“Oh.” A pause. “Then… why am I not emotion-ing right? I don't understand.”
“Do you want help?”
“...Yes.”
Soul sighed, pulling themself and the corpse closer to Mind. “Okay. You have all the essentials; tear ducts, an understanding of sadness from an objective standpoint, and memories. You know what sadness and guilt is. Just… Combine all of that.”
“Okay.” Apollo tried to think about emotions. Things that he had buried. How Artemis was, above all odds, a friend. Family. It felt ugly, twisting and painful. Like his heart was stopping under the pressure of emotion that didn’t burn, but weighed you down and kept you underwater.
“...Oh.” He choked out, voice feeling unusually tight.
“Yeah, that’s. That’s the general reaction. You can cry, I won’t think less of you.” Atlas hummed, pulling the body close to themself, practically hugging it as the static consumed the last non-alive item in the room.
Mind leaned close to Soul. Tears, burning and painful yet cold, dripped down their face and ran over their circuitry. That moment, the tears kept coming like a waterfall. Uneven, constant, unyielding. Time blurred as he sobbed, Eos losing track as he was pulled into a side hug by Daedalus.
He was broken out of this stupor by an audible grimace from Soul, who gently removed their arm from his back to focus their full attention on their Icarus. The static lapped at its body, consuming just as harshly as it did the rest of their home. No words were spoken as Soul carefully plucked a purple feather from Heart’s wings before the body was fully consumed by the static.
He grimaced, wiping his eyes of all the excess tears, refusing to cry any longer. "So… This is it, huh?"
"No. But, you won't remember it, anyways."
"What does that mean…?"
"It's a loop. You and Heart won't remember when it starts again." Soul sighed, tucking the feather in their hair. "Just how it goes."
"...Oh." He didn't understand, exactly, but it sounded important.
"Yeah."
"So, I get a chance? A- a chance to redo it all?" Mind asked, hope pouring into their tone desperately.
It nodded, looking at them quietly. Daedalus glanced at the floor, and then gently pulled him into a hug.
Eos carefully rested his arms on their back, face buried into their jacket. Everything was getting…Fuzzy.
Soul's jacket smelled nice, he decided. It smelled like cinnamon.
They began to hum a soft melody, rubbing circles into Mind's back. Tears slipped down their face, quiet as a mouse as they held in their sobs. "Hey, Mucka?"
"Yeah?"
"I- I love you."
He figured out what the feeling was. It was staticky, consuming, blurry. He felt really, really tired. "I love you too, Pandora."
He closed his eyes, and it faded to black.
Soul was alone. Again.
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1,066-M332-H227-S0
It watched from far away as the duo held each other. It didn’t understand why they got along. Why now? Was it because their world was ending?
Their body was consumed, the rope having gone a long time ago. It was the end. Heart and Mind watched, sadly. Heart, voice stitched with metal, and Mind, blindfold covering a near-deadly wound.
“[They’re gone, aren’t they?]” Apollo murmured, looking towards where Artemis breathed. With a heavy sigh, it nodded.
“(Yeah.. They’re gone. The static, uh.. It ate them.)”
“[...Jeez. Well, uh.. What now?]” They mumbled, hand reaching up to adjust their blindfold. It was a blue-ish color, and it was made from a rough wool type fabric. “[I mean.. It’s logical to assume that we’re next, right? Since it took the dead, and-]”
“(Hey. Eos, let’s not.. Let’s just shut up about that right now.)” Mind scoffed, but stayed silent.
“[My question still remains, Icarus. What now?]” It was silent, for a moment.
“(...Do you want me to braid your hair? I could, uh..)”
“[Okay. Go ahead.]” The Moon moved to sit behind The Sun, a mimicry of an eclipse that gently set a hand on their shoulder, before moving to grab his hair and part it into three. Juno chuckled.
“[What’s so funny?]”
“(Oh, well. To braid your hair, I have to part it into three. Like us.)”
“[...I don’t get it.]” A hair tie summoned itself, made of not-so-solid material, wrapped itself around Heart’s wrist, as he gently braided the hair.
“(I would put flowers in your hair, but… Y’know.)”
“[It’s fine. You don’t have to.]” Mind began to gently hum, a soft tune. One they both recognized. Heart looked down, trying to will away the tears in his eyes. Using the odd hair tie, he finished the braid. It was a little fucked up, but it was fine.
“(I’m done.)”
Mind reached over, gently feeling the newly-done braid. Blue blood dripped down his face. He smiled. “[Thank you. Do you want me to preen your wings?]”
“(That’d be nice. I’ll move to sit in front of you.)” He moved to sit in front of Jupiter, lightly smacking them on the face with a wing. “(Go ahead.)”
Mind reached forward, pawing at the air in front of him until he reached the wings, and carefully began to card their fingers through the feathers. Smoothing them out, one wing at a time.
He continued to hum, a lighter tone. Cautiously, exhaustion lacing it’s voice, Heart joined in with an unnaturally low tone. Light voice entangled with harshness, a duet not heard yet this loop. In the circular, it would’ve taken too long for this to be heard. Static roaring in both of their ears, a soft melody quieted the ramblings of misery for just a few moments.
One wing was done. He moved onto the next, and began to think.
Why would they do this? Their letter had made no sense, when The Moon read out The Stars’ last words. The Sun had sat in horror as the words haunted the air, swinging like the body just a few feet away. It had hurt. He couldn’t even say goodbye. The blood dripped down their face, the neverending headache lacing through his brain like a constrictor around it’s prey.
Two wings were done. Tracing the feathers down to make sure he hadn’t missed any, he moved to the 3rd wing, down on the second set. He could feel his Icarus nodding off, struggling to stay awake. “[Hey. Stay up.]”
“(..mhg.. fine..)” It mumbled, setting it’s back up straight to stay awake. Eos began to work once more.
He hated thinking about Daedelus. Not because he hated them, no. he could never. He really could never. They didn’t deserve it. They had already felt so hated, as far as he could remember the letter.
“[Heart?]”
“(Yeah?)”
“[Do you still have it’s letter?]”
“(...Yeah. Do you want me to read it to you again?)”
“[..Please.]”
Artemis rustled through his pockets, pulling out a messy piece of paper. It was marred with tear-stains and misspellings, made in a rush. He cleared his throat.
“(Dear Heart and Mind.
I’m sorry. I’m sorry for everything. I did so much wrong. Over all of the years, everything. To dearest Harmonia and back, I am so sorry. You’ll do better without me.
Mucka, I hope you can forgive me. I never meant to blind you. I nearly killed you. The guilt will die with me, surviving to my grave. Know that you don’t have to forgive me. I won’t forgive myself.
Blucka, you tried to protect Mind from me. Even if it was in vain, I understand. I do not know why I thought it necessary to drive my tines into your throat. I tried my best to fix it. Your voice will never be the same. I'm sorry. I’m so, so sorry. I’ll see you in the next life.
Live on for me.
-Soul.)”
Mind finished the third wing, bloodied tears rolling through the blindfold and down their face. Their hands drifted to the last wing, clenching and unclenching in an attempt to calm down. “[Dear- dear Pandora. I forgive you. I- I don’t understand why you did it, still, but you didn’t have to leave us. We- I would’ve forgiven you, eventually.]”
He took a breath, carding his hands through Heart’s wing, trying to calm himself down. “[I- I’m sorry you never thought to come to us when you needed it. You don’t have to carry the world without me. You do not need to harbor guilt into the grave. I love you, Hen.]”
He fell silent, tears freely falling. He kept preening it’s wings. The static lapped at both of their feet.
“(Dear Polaris.. I don’t forgive you. I do, but I don’t. You hurt both of us, irreparably. But.. But now I know that you were hurting too. You should’ve come to us, talked to us. Should’ve told us before you-)” Heart cut himself off, glancing at the static that was beginning to consume him. “(...Thank you for trying to fix your mistakes. I know you made the blindfold. I know you tried to fix my throat. I know you made mistakes. I love you, Hen.)”
Apollo finished the last wing, hands drifting down. The wings gave a flap, air swooshing around at the motion. Artemis turned, shifted to face their other half. One was missing. One half out of three were missing.
The static lapped further. “[...This is it, huh?]”
“(I guess so.)”
Something walked forward, tears of nothing falling as the void shifted through the static.
“[I love you, Alcor.]”
“(I love you too, Mizar.)”
The nothing that was a Star knelt down, joining in as the duo pulled each other into a hug. With a voice that was nothing on the winds that never moved, it whispered like an echoing melody.
“I love you two. See you tomorrow.”
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1,067-M332-H227-S1
Soul opened their eyes to an empty house. A dance long gone. One thousand and sixty seven.
They needed to go and find their brothers.