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wheels are spinning, and the rails are cracking under the immense weight of the astral express, the sensors are blasting a really loud and annoying alarm. It’s almost the thirtieth time this month alone. Pom pom as usual gets up from their little and comfy bed in their cabin near the conductor’s room and gets to work.
They stop the alarm and start to grumble, they are really angry and this time they will for sure go and start nagging until akivili starts crying. That’s it, it’s final!
I mean, akivili is getting a little too lazy lately, if the alarm sounds one or two times is okay, the train can withstand that, but it needs more fuel and imaginary energy, and at the thirtieth time one should realize something is not okay.
And so pom pom exits the room and enters the lounge, adorned with red soft seats made with the most comfortable fabrics and the best looking and sturdy wood, these materials came from some of their most dangerous and rewarding adventures, the train needs to be respected, and so does the conductor! Hmpf!
Akivili hears the little fellow coming, with their little angry stomps on the clear floor, and they’re panicking, they know they’re an aeon, and a pretty powerful one at that, but scoldings from pom pom are actually the worst!! Even standing toe to toe with tayzzyronth and meeting the voracity in person is a less ominous experience!
They’re getting near. There’s no escape.
But they have an idea, akivili can still hide, besides the train is huge, and what can a short conductor like pom pom do? They don’t have x-ray or flight powers lmao, not like a certain cool aeon.
And so they hide under one of the beds in an unoccupied room. Recently there aren't as many passengers as in the old times, things are getting strange for some reason, but enough of that, there’s no time to lose in silly thoughts!
Too bad that’s exactly the twenty seventh time they hide in that exact same spot, and by now pom pom knows where akivili will hide even with their eyes closed, and so akivili gets the scolding of their life, again.
All of this while SAM3000, the navigator, stands in silence during this charade and finally sighs. It is hard babysitting an aeon.
finally akivili moves to change things, the fuel needs to be refilled, and new silver tracks need to be placed, and that means only one thing, time for a new uncharted adventure!
The train changes course and goes out of the planned path, the silver rails disappear and dissolve in the space like dust that has been blown away.
The astral express crew is perplexed about what the next destination will be, sam scratches her metallic head and pom pom watches the astral charts confused, there’s no interesting place near the train, or in a few jumps of distance, the fuel needs to be refilled and quickly at that.
Thankfully akivili’s ability comes in clutch to save the day, their eyes can see pretty much everything in the universe if akivili wants so, and they do now, so it’s only a matter of time until an appropriate place is found to set sail.
***
The destination has been found and set, the lucky planet called “ Tadak-Lua 1”. It is a really rare type of planet, both in the goldilock zone, with liquid water, oceans actually, and big green continents, it’s almost a dream.
The astral express finally lands on the planet and the crew descends, it takes a little time to set down new rails, and in the meanwhile akivili wants to blaze some trails, and off to explore they go!
The place where they landed is actually near some pretty big and green plains, dotted with curious flowers and grass-eating peaceful animals. Everything is perfect to take a nap or have a nice pic-nic with friends.
Too bad all of Akivili's friends aren’t here, busy, or both.
And so they take the first option, napping is almost always the solution, sleep is blessed.
When they wake up they see it, a beautiful starry night like none other, so colorful, pure and bright that even the view from the astral’s express lounge pales in comparison, and near them something strange… was that another person? But who would that be? No one from their crew would be awake (or not busy with technical stuff) at this hour.
They seemed so immersed in the stars above them that they missed the awakening of their neighbor.
After staring for a while into the universe the stranger scribbles something on their notebook, almost as if taking notes, and only at their fourth or fifth page filled with writings and drawings do they see akivili near, staring at them with two curious eyes.
They don’t seem to care though, almost as if meeting another person in this empty place, seemingly devoid of any civilization or any trace of intelligent life of sorts, was just another Monday to them. Quite strange.
Then they just get up and start walking, akivili, being the curious aeon they are, starts following the stranger, not even in a covert way… so careless.
The stranger reaches a sort of magnetic levitating vehicle, a little tiny, with space enough for two people and some bags, too bad that the passenger’s seat was occupied by a ton of books all tied together by a sturdy cut of leather and a metallic rusty buckle.
Akivili seemed almost sad that they couldn’t get aboard the stranger’s strange vehicle, too bad they thought, it was funny while it lasted.
And while akivili thought that, the stranger took off in their vehicle.
***
Back to the astral express.
Sam and pom pom have finished adjusting the machines and the trailblaze “heart” is aligned with the core of the planet, creating a resonance that makes it possible /for a short amount of time/ to lay down new silver tracks. akivili is actually required to do some “hard work” finally, and the whole day passes like that, among grease, metallic scraps and engineering feats.
That’s why it’s so annoying to refill when there isn’t any adventure near the landing site, it makes the whole process too bothersome.
To congratulate themselves for completing the refueling mission, the crew organizes a picnic on the comfy and nice spot in the huge plain where akivili slept on before, eating to their heart's content, drinking fine beverages and roasting some meat skewers. Everything was so perfect, partying among their comrades was one of the best parts of trailblazing, the other being the adventure itself.
The tender meat was roasted to perfection under the alert glare of sam3000 who had just downloaded a program that made her a perfect cook. She bartered it for a little piece of equipment in a desert planet, what would a starving man in a hellish place do with cooking software? The equipment was far more useful there.
And so, back to the meat, it was so soft that it could almost be eaten whole, its meaty flavor pervading the mouth and leaving an aftertaste of smoke in the mouth after gulping it down, its smell also so wonderful that even a certain stranger approached the group to take some…
The guy was shameless it seems. He came down and asked Sam if they could have some in exchange for something, but she gave them some meat and drinks for free! It was a special day after all, setting down new tracks isn’t an easy task, also, she saw something in akivili’s lost stare that made her curious… this shameless fella could stay there a little longer.
The day after, the train departs, leaving behind in the dark space a verdant planet, with windy plains and wonderful views.
Time to plan the next adventure or akivili would die of boredom!
Thankfully the choice about the destination this time was a more easy process than the last time, there were a few places that were worth visiting, and all in an acceptable jump distance.
Next planet: Tian Qin
A wonderful planet known for its lush forests, crystalline clear waters and wonderful tropical islands, almost all the planet was set up as a vacation resort, every place being booked until full.
But luckily the planetary governance was smart, and they didn’t let people build everywhere, the place needed to be respected, its resources used with rationality and its beauty preserved. After all tourism was one of their biggest imports, they couldn’t let the planet go to waste again.
enormous dome-cities were built, where everything was produced and everything was obtainable, pretty much every dome was self-sufficient, with only a few big roads connecting them, after all even transportation can damage the environment.
The astral express landed inside the “capitol” dome in Zone 2, where all the administrative facilities are located and operative, even the AE needs its certifications approved and their adventure stamped with a big bright green stamp that says “granted”. Bureaucracy is a nightmare for everyone, aeons included.
They're finally done with all the papers, and luckily they finished before the prickly officer clocked in, or they would have needed a week more to obtain all the green-checks. The crew then divided, everyone headed for a different dome, some went for the entertainment ones, other to the scientific hub of the planet, after all there’s never enough knowledge and sam went to do some sight seeing alone, the beaches are beautiful in this time of the year and pretty much every place in this planet is worth to see.
Akivili quietly wanders through one of the oldest domes in the planet, probably not the first one to be built but surely one of the firsts made after the terrible catastrophe that almost leveled the planet… that’s another story though.
Back to akivili, the dome they were inside, being so old yet still around, is actually part of the ones with the biggest population and the citizens resorted to building everywhere inside it.
From the street level akivili saw colossal skyscrapers, almost touching, each full of ads on every side, big colorful neon lamps and writings telling about the wildest products or just some mundane tool to be used in everyday life.
Even the slums made with scrap metal and hope were shamelessly used for advertising purposes, so oppressive yet bright…
The dome’s glass now is not transparent anymore, and at best the outside world can be seen from some rich dude’s window that has a connection with the outside, the poorer people can only go out or travel to other domes in search of fortune. The planet may be large, but only the gigantic man-made structures can be called home.
Tired of all that frenzy, smoke and gray buildings akivili finally goes out in the open, they wanted to see for themselves the difference between the inside and outside of the place, something about contradictions and duality makes the planet really interesting to know about, but a terrible location to live in for the poor.
Finally, they start exploring the best spot of tian qin, a paradisiac archipelago made of countless islands that, if watched from above, resemble shiny gems immersed in crystalline waters.
Any of these islands have a wildly different and vibrant ecology, one of them has a tropical vibe, with all sorts of exotic animals, beautiful beaches and a majestic volcano that towers over it all.
Another has a sort of savanna biome, with acacia trees, baobabs (although rare) red soil and even some strange looking fauna, one of the animals has a sort of armor around its body, and it curls up like a ball, another resembles a dragon but without wings, weird but really interesting.
So akivili was LOST in exploring all of these islands, and they were having the fun of their life, it was really an exciting place. Then night arrived and they decided to set up camp on a nice but little island that was mainly composed of a single grassy hill, akivili loves comfort but that hill looked really comfy for some reason, maybe the nice little tree full of ripe fruits had an influence on their decision…
And so they started up a fire and roasted some fruits. It was really cozy and chill.
The stars were shining bright and even the rest of the galaxy could be seen from there. The faint glimmer of distant suns was striking, almost making them emotional for a second. Then a sound, a vague noise of an engine running in the distance, and it got louder and louder until Aki could see a blurred figure in the dark horizon, reflected in the inky ocean.
It was a person, someone decided to come to that precise tiny island with their little boat and set up camp too. Really incredible, akivili thought, they were pissed for a brief moment, for they thought that they would have to share that wonderful place, they really didn’t feel like doing that…
That was until they actually saw the figure arriving, it was the same person from Lua-tadak, the previous planet. And after they unloaded a nice warm-looking chair and a portable little oven, they just sat.
They got their things down near the beach, not that far from akivili’s camp, and just started cooking some light meals, a roasted fish and an exotic fruit, nothing too much or complex, that was enough.
After having that meal, the stranger took out their notebook and started jotting things down again. Aki got really curious this time and couldn’t really resist taking a peek at that notebook with their ability…and so they did.
But the stranger noticed somehow and immediately closed that worn down notebook only to open another, and kept on scribbling something else, after they were done, they started taking photos of the place and of the sky, they seemed to be in awe too. A little tear escaped their left eye.
akivili stared unscrupulously at the person while the other didn’t seem to give aki any thought, it’s okay though, since the trailblaze isn’t one to revel in respect honor or fear, they just disguise and try to blend in with mortals, and that’s exactly what makes them special.
aki was a little surprised to see them again, they didn’t think they would meet again on some random planet. So, fueled by interest and curiosity, they asked the mysterious person if they wanted to join the astral express, obviously after fabricating a lie about being a close friend of the current navigator.
But the person refused, saying that in normal circumstances they would have loved joining the train, but sadly they lacked time. And after saying that they started to pack all their things up and left, almost as quickly when they arrived.
The day after this strange encounter the train lifts off again to another planet along the silver rails, and another adventure starts right off the bat, almost like a continuous chain of landing-exploring-going away.
And absurdly so, akivili met this strange person every single time.
Be it in the floating city of Morea, the merging point of Gyra, the starless ocean among the void, the lavic plains of the first dying star, they were everywhere, almost a constant in the new explorations of the aeon.
They didn’t really know each other that well, but akivili felt as if the other had known them for centuries. They really hit it off by exploring new places together, be it the ruins of the old mechanical empires, or the new ipc’s hub called “the city of passion”, the duo went all around the cosmos, meeting at the destination, that mind you, wasn’t even decided together.
Akivili at that point was waiting to meet them, all because since that first invitation they started talking a bit, even if the person seemed restrained, almost as if they were going to be punished for talking with the aeon…
Even when recalling all the things the person said, it could barely fill a page of akivili’s diary, the most important information they managed to obtain being that the person liked purple and black, they also really enjoyed napping and comfortable settings, they could even be considered a little spoiled in that regard… They also talked in riddles at times, and guessing what they said would become a game of sorts between the two.
akivili took the trouble of asking nous if there was someone fitting that person’s description, nous almost went bluescreen mode and banned akivili from even mentioning that person in their presence. What could make nous get so mad? Do they know each other?
The plot thickens, and the mystery only gets more and more interesting to akivili, who could this person be?
***
While on the train, Akivili, frustrated, wants to meet this person to ask them the truth, but while using their ability to scan and search for them in every planet in the cosmos… they don’t find anything, almost as if this person never existed.
It can’t be tough? Did they die? Did akivili go crazy from old age and imagine it all? Was the crew right when they called them their peepaw???
Aki got really moody and sad at the thought of their new favorite person dying like that.
But a surprise was there to welcome akivili in the next place the AE visited. The person was there as well, how could it be? They thought the person died? Aki was getting a little confused, and even thought of asking nous again, but it was quickly suppressed by a cold glare akivili felt on their neck, nous probably predicted their thoughts.
They could do nothing except asking what the truth is to the person.
So after helping the crew with their tasks, aki got to explore the new place, the orbital station of ████████ . And the person was there waiting, they even prepped a light sandwich with something inside, took out their notebook to sketch something and sat near aki, both in silence watching the stars from the station’s panoramic window.
After looking for long enough, akivili directly asked. They needed answers. How could it be that when using their ability they couldn’t be seen? Who are they? And how do they manage to guess every time the location of the astral express?
The person remained silent, they didn’t really want to answer, because by doing so, a set of events would spiral and both them and the trailblaze would get hurt for a long time.
But it is what it is, and they decide to not hold back anymore. After all, if there’s something that can be learned from history books and science is that avoiding a “prophecy” only makes it come true faster, and that fate is untouchable.
They start sobbing, little by little the sobs intensify, louder and louder until their eyes shed tears like a broken faucet, their face red like a tomato and their breath rugged and fatigued.
Akivili just sort of stands there. Shocked. They have no idea why the person is crying and more importantly, their mind is totally blank at that moment, how could they help them? What did they say? Why are they crying? Did they offend them in some way? And so on and so forth, a mountain of questions that muddled their head.
They do the only thing that they can think of. hugging the poor trembling person and patting their head, nothing more. And after an incredibly long and awkward period of time they manage to say something comprehensible, and after that, the whole truth.
“The finality…does it say anything to you?”
It didn’t take long for akivili to come up with an answer, but how could it be? Weren’t they sleeping soundly? Swimming to the start of time and then coming back?
“I think you realized the truth, but let me explain it…”
“I’m terminus, the finality. And i’ve known you for years, at first it was from some little mention here and there, at the end of times there isn’t much space for history about the aeons… ”
“But after that, your name came up more and more, your achievements and feats illuminating the vast and dark expanse of the cosmos. that is when i got most interested in you, and i started searching for more and more about the trailblaze… until the day i knew you were there”
“I couldn't contain my joy at first! Meeting the trailblaze in person! How awesome would that be, but then I realized I really shouldn’t talk to you, since the fabric of time isn’t to be trifled with”
“But I got too greedy… and after that I wanted more, and that’s when I started following you in your adventures…”
They then explained that they couldn’t tell akivili anything more. some things… need to happen. But they clearly knew that even by fighting back, these certain happenings would still come nonetheless.
The person then told that they could keep on exploring the stars together if so akivili wanted. They felt something deep and timeless for them, and they really did the impossible to finally see their loved one.
Akivili was lost for words, they knew about the finality, but for sure they didn’t think they would catch their eyes… but at the end of the day does it matter?
Terminus has been the only one in a long time that was able to make akivili move out of their bed burning with curiosity and interest.
So why not? The only thing that would make akivili really happy right now would be to keep on going around the universe, but with a partner!
***
And that they did, exploring the stars and the countless places that make up this wonderful universe never was this stimulating and addicting!
But there were cozy moments too, let’s all remember that akivili chose a snuggly and spoiled prince as consort, so they took the best of both worlds, try to imagine:
A small cabin on the edge of an alien planet, multiple moons reflecting iridescent lights and guiding gently the multiple waves under, the magnificent sun that nestles into the horizon, painting the sky with a delicate rosy hue, and while the clouds, the star and the moons parade for you to see… your lovely partner snuggles sleepy on top of you, sharing warmth and intimate contact. oh! I was about to forget, and you just had a slice of a divine (quite literally) cake.
What could you ask for more?
For akivili this was the dream life. Trailblazing and finality intertwining together to form a splendid and proud union that would last for eternity. akivili was an ambiguous aeon, going a little here and a little there, spreading their famous pine smell on quite a number of beds… but after meeting terminus, none of that was fascinating anymore, giving it all for their partner.
***
And now we learn something that isn’t new, fate isn’t kind.
Even to the embodiment of fate themselves.
This wasn’t fated to happen, the fibers of destiny itself revolting, spinning and ultimately breaking.
But what would a finely woven silk cloth be without its fibers? And what would be the aeon of finality… without the fate embedded in finality itself?
There was once a myth in ancient human history, so old that it has all but been forgotten, washed away from the pages of knowledge.
Three divine sisters are the ones that decide the duration of mortals’ life.
every thread must be spun, and that’s the work of the first sister.
then it must be measured, and that’s what the second one does…
and at the end, the golden scissors of irrevocability must be wielded to cut the thread, and that is the third sister’s responsibility.
Everything must be done without exceptions and with absolute precision and dedication, for all the threads are needed to make the most spectacular and illustrious tapestry for the three sisters to admire.
And that's exactly what is happening now to the two of them, this union wasn’t fated to be, only an error in an otherwise perfect machine that goes on and on smoothly, that is, the universe and everything else.
Terminus starts to fade little by little, at first only some strands of hair, then their fingers and so on. At the beginning of this phenomenon they tried to wear hats, to use gloves and scarfs, to cover themselves, and their touch with akivili became more and more rare, at best a fleeting kiss and at worst a desolate stare.
Terminus knows what is happening to their body but they’re okay with it, a life well spent with akivili, even as a mortal, is something that they would accept without even thinking. Terminus also knows they’re being greedy and selfish, for akivili will discover it one day, and after their departure, they will be the one to suffer the worst of it… asking why they didn’t notice it before, and if they could have done something to stop or help it.
***
But akivili isn’t blind to the whims of fate, and they started having suspicions on what terminus’ condition really is. Also, it’s really strange that your beloved partner that almost always initiated physical contact and required constant reassurance would almost stop doing that.
Aki actually figured it all out one day after asking again for advice from nous, at the expense of a big bump on their head, nous didn’t like to talk about terminus at all, they weren’t on good terms for some reason, also letting that big book near nous wasn't a smart choice, aki should have stayed distant from them.
Another Problem that arose is that Aki's primum mobile started acting up too for some reason. Maybe staying with someone too long isn’t considered trailblazing? Or maybe the emotional stability it provides goes to clash with the ambition of void that powers the trailblaze? Who knows, whatever it was made them weaker by the day… It is really a doomed relationship.
And from that comes a really hard decision to make, an eternal separation, aki left terminus without explanation, akivili wasn’t ready nor would have accepted to see terminus give up their life for them. And so did the only thing they could do.
Akivili also thought to be greedy for a period of time, and that both dying in each other’s embrace would have been a perfect ending for it all. But even the thought of their partner dying made them sick to their stomach, heart overflowing with cold blood and head more heavy than a whole ocean.
Terminus felt betrayed at first, and the separation of this perfect and sweet couple left them both hurting as if something was ripped off their bodies, now left cold and in pain.
But that was only a part of the suffering terminus had to go through, the pain of knowing something really scary, and that would haunt them forever.
Knowing that akivili would die soon.
that they wouldn’t be able to even look at each other, that akivili would disappear, and that, after resuming going against time as terminus always had done before meeting with aki, the trailblaze would forget everything that happened, leaving everything that was felt, everything that was beloved and treasured behind in the sands of time.
They would be alone in their yearning, their hardships not shared and the only one in the universe to know the hard and cold truth behind their loneliness.
And that’s basically what happened.
No epic conclusion, no legendary potion that saves the day nor a last minute event that changes everything, only unfair eternal and unbalanced suffering.
Truly doomed.
aki, in the future (now without the finality, since they travel in time) discovered what was really inside the worn down notebook of terminus… it was full of akivili’s portraits, description of what they did and saw, poems narrating the profound love they felt for the aeon and a little bucket list to complete to be “truly happy” it was almost complete, only a pair of mundane things to do, like going to the bathhouse together, or watching ena’s choir opera, and then the last point.
[be forever together.]
Akivili’s eyes filled with tears at the thought of what they lost, and even trying to think about what the other part may be feeling left aki lying on the ground, wallowing and all curled up.
And that’s the story, there’s no potion, miracle or last minute sudden realization that can change their fate, for it is absolute and cruel, even for aeons.
-events recorded by a lonely arbitrator and an invisible fool