Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

There was something so devastatingly unappealing about the unknown. It's cold and dark and numb. There's nothing desirable about what you don't know. And for Icarus, their unknown was when they were going home. They could see everything happening right in front of them, lives moving on without them. Families growing with no memories of who they are. Perhaps for the best at moments, but he watched as their brother told their mother the cover story for where they were, placed in his memory to fill the gaps. He watched as Rae told his daughter, their niece, stories of them, never going past the age of 12. Every single thing to possibly see, they could. Having to fix world after world, day after day. It was a constant headache, and the only thing they didn't know was when it ended. They hated the unknown. What they didn't know; what they didn't realize; what they chose to ignore -it was always the thing that ended up hurting them. 

Somewhere around them, Midas resided. Midas couldn't help the worlds anymore, but they could certainly watch. They enjoyed continuing to watch the lives of the people they monitored for so long play out. They didn't know the outcome anymore. They couldn't. And they couldn't leave, of course, either. They were one of the biggest abnormalities simply because they exist and no matter how badly they wanted to interact with others again, to reintegrate in society after centuries of not, they couldn't. The only reason they were still there was because in the Worldport they couldn't cause any damage to the worlds by existing. If they stepped foot in one of the portals it would cause near, if not full collapse of that world and quite possibly the surrounding ones along with irreparable damage to the Port itself. They needed to stay on the path destined for them, even if they hated it. 

Icarus woke up in the corner of the Worldport as they always did. They didn't need sleep and technically they weren't supposed to. Sleep means a lack on consciousness and a lack of consciousness gave opportunity for glitching and abnormalities to form just as they had before. But it was something they were used to and Midas informed them that if it helped, they should do it and that they would wake them up if something needed their attention.

"It makes me feel like a person again." Icarus told them. 

"You are a person." Midas had reminded them. "You're still you. Even here. Being Quixis doesn't make you not Icarus. Just like me being Quixis didn't make me not Midas. It's just the matter of where you are." 

"My family doesn't remember me. I'm not me without my family." Icarus said. Midas had given them a look. One of both guilt and like they knew something that Icarus didn't. 

"Your birds remember you. Your flock? I couldn't take that away." Midas told them, rubbing the back of their neck. Icarus gave them a surprised look. 

"You really never had the backbone for this, did you?" Icarus said. They hadn't meant for it to be mean. It was just an observation. Midas gave a sad chuckle. 

"I did. I was Quixis for....for a long time. And at first it was boring and annoying and I just wanted to go home and talk to my family. So I did the job, trying to get it over with. I did it the right way and I did it the best I could...and I watched different versions of us live their lives fully. Life to death. And it became nice. Nicer than maybe it should have. I...I got attatched. To yours. It was a horrible time in your life when you would've come here and I wanted to give it a chance to get better. In the long run...i think i just did more damage. After all, my mistake killed my world. And almost yours... Midas explained, hugging themself close. Icarus looked at them for a moment before speaking up. 

"I'm glad you did it, even if it didn't end up going good. Like at all. I'm glad you gave me a chance to have a family even if I didn't use the opportunity right at times. I know you tried to fix it." Icarus said to Midas, who nodded slowly in return. 

"I'm glad your stay here isn't going to be as long as mine." They said with a smile. Icarus gave them a surprised and almost nervous look. 

"What are you talking about?" They asked. Midas' eyes softened. 

"I watch every single alive version of us get the sign. I know whose next...and I know when. You aren't going to be here much longer." Midas explained. Their eyes almost held a look of sadness at the thought, but they seemed happy for Icarus. 

"How do you..." Icarus started but stopped as a noise broke out across the Worldport. They shot up quickly with fear across their face. They went to run towards it but Midas placed a hand on their shoulder. Icarus looked at them, confused, but Midas smiles. 

"It's okay. Calm yourself. Wouldn't want to scare them, now would you?" 

Icarus was confused, but walked towards the sound calmly instead of their running. They made it to the sound and their eyes widened to see a version of themself standing in front of a portal. They were filled with a sense of awareness as they knew what it was like to be here. 

"What the fuck?" The person asked. Icarus recognized them as the version from the purple portal, Sherbert. Icarus could laugh at the irony if the circumstances were different. Instead, they gazed at the bleeding eye that Sherbert weilded. They watched as Sherbert reached up to touch it. "...this again?" 

Icarus stepped forward and Sherbert jumped, reaching for their sword only to find it missing. Icarus raised their eyebrows at Sherbert. 

"Hello-" 

"Who are you? Where am I?" Sherbert looked at both Midas and Icarus in alarm before rubbing their temples. "Shit, it's loud." 

Icarus was confused for a moment before noticed the brown hues circling Sherbert. Icarus walked forward and waved their hand through them. 

"Shoo. You know the rules. You guys can't be here. Go bother Krit or someone else." They said fondly. The hues moved around Icarus for a second and they could hear the whispers of familiar voices and objects telling them hello before they dispersed through different portals. 

"How did you..." Sherbert trailed off.

"We have an understanding with eachother. We're old friends." Icarus smiled. "Welcome to the Worldport, Sherbert." 

Chapter Text

"Welcome to the Worldport, Sherbert." Icarus smiled at them. They looked around.

"The...The what?!" They asked loudly. Their voice bounced off the walls and echoed back at them. The purple portal moved behind them in whisps, similar to a Nether portal. It was something Icarus had noticed with each one, they all moved differently, and it always connected to the world. Krits moved as waves of water would. Ashril's moved like trees on a cloudy day. Ajax's moved similarly to an ender portal. According to Midas, before it fell the orange portal, now known to them as Epsillon's, moved like code through a computer.

"The Worldport." Icarus smiled at them. "My namd is Icarus. I am the current Quixis."

"What's a...what did you say? Quixis?" Sherbert narrowed their eyes. Icarus sighed and remembered how this felt for them. They turned their head to look for Midas, but they couldn't be seen, unable to assist with the process.

"Yes, a Quixis." Icarus nodded, "It's a title. A guardianship of sorts. Walk with me?" Icarus suggested. Sherbert hesitated but nodded and Icarus started walking across the main section of the Worldport, the white walls as bright as ever.

"Why am I here?" Sherbert asked nervously. Icarus glanced back at them with an almost sad look.

"You're here to take my place." Icarus said, and Sherbert stopped, eyes wide.

"What?!" They asked loudly. Icarus turned to face them with guilty eyes. They rubbed the back of their neck.

"Yeah, I kind of expected that..." Icarus said aloud.

"Take your place? You mean stay here?" Sherbert asked. Icarus looked at them before nodding.

"Yes, it means to stay here." Icarus said.

"No offense, what was your name? Icarus?" Sherbert asked, "No offense to you, but hell no. I'm not staying here. Send me back."

Icarus sighed and stepped towards them. "I can't do that. As much as I would love to...I can't. Unfortunately Sherbert, you don't have another choice. It has to be you." Icarus said softly.

"And if it's not? If I refuse?" Sherbert glared at them. Icarus looked at them before tapping the skin underneath their eye. Sherbert was confused for a second before their eyes widened.

"You did this? You made my eye bleed? Again?" Sherbert glared. Icarus raised their hands in front of themself.

"No, I didn't. But it means that you got chosen next. After me. And if you refuse...it's going to happen to them too."

"...them?" Sherbert asked. Icarus turned and kept walking beckoning Sherbert to follow them once more. They did, albeit a bit farther behind. Icarus showed them the portals.

"All these portals are a version of us. You and I. A Quixis' job is to protect the worlds stable, to dispose of any abnormalities that creep their way into the worlds." Icarus explained.

"Abnormalities?" Sherbert asked.

"Do you remember when random buildings started appearing near you? Animals glitching? Things disappearing?" Icarus asked. Sherbert nodded. "Those are abnormalities. Those are what a Quixis stops." Icarus stopped in front of the yellow portal, swirling like a clock ticking. "This is where all that glitching started."

Sherbert looked at the yellow portal. "This one?"

Icarus nodded and looked at it with fond eyes. "This is my world. My home." Icarus looked back at Sherbert. "Being a Quixis isn't forever. When you're done you get to go home. Be with whatever family you created for yourself. When someone shows the sign that they're next, you pull them here and you direct them on what to do and then you pass off the crown and go home." Icarus explained. Sherbert looked at the yellow portal for some time.

"It's not forever?" Sherbert asked quietly.

"No, it's not." Icarus smiled before reaching up and taking the small crystal off their head, handing it to Sherbert. Sherbert looked at the clear gem.

"It's so quiet here..." they said. Icarus smiled sadly.

"Yeah, unfortunately the things can't stay here with you. They sometimes go back to their world, or they stay in someone elses. They are an abnormality, but I could never bring myself to dispose of them. I saw them in passing...but they aren't allowed to stay here with you. They're small enough not to damage anything serverely, so they get to stay around the others and keep them company." Icarus smiled before smirking. "They aren't the only thing keeping you company though..."

Sherbert gave them a look. "What does that mean?"

"There might be a small chicken roaming here somewhere." Icarus smiled and laughed as Sherbert groaned. The laughing died down soon enough and it was silent. Sherbert looked at the gem before moving to place it on their forehead. Icarus smiled incouragingly at them.

"You're going to do great."

Sherbert nodded before pressing the gem to their forehead. They felt their clothes morph slightly into lighter colored clothes and their eye stopped bleeding immediately, drying and cleaning itself. Icarus felt changes around them as well and they teleported away from Sherbert. The smiled as they looked up and saw Midas sitting on a ledge close to the ceiling. Midas smiled back at them.

"What happens to you now?" Icarus asked. Midas jumped down, landing softly.

"I stay here. I help Sherbert in any way I possibly can. Gotta make sure they don't screw anything up after your vague instructions." Midas smirked and Icarus punched their shoulder.

"I wish you could go home." Icarus said. Midas smiled softly at them.

"I am home. I was here longer than I was in my world. Plus, I get to see you live the rest of your life. Eternally now. For as long as I can at least." Midas smiled. "That's worth it for me. I watched you succeed past unthinkable hardships. And now you get your reward. Go home. Be remembered. And enjoy the time with your family." Midas smiled. Icarus nodded to them and made it to the edge of the portal.

"Hey Icarus!" Midas called and Icarus turned around. "Don't trust every god you meet, yeah?" Midas smirked before snapping their fingers and everything in Icarus' vision went white.

Their head pounded from the brightness and their skin tingled. Their chest felt warm before they felt grass beneath them. They opened their eyes and saw the sun above them. Standing up, they realized they were standing in front of a memorial to them. They looked around them and laughed to themself as they knew they were home. There was a snap in a tree above them and they looked up to see a familiar face smirking at them.

"Hey there Ick. Took you long enough."