Chapter Text
Content warning (CW): Graphic depiction of violence amongst children. This is a work of fiction.
~
"Do you see those stars? The one shining the brightest of the bunch..."
"..."
"Yes. Yes! That one. That star is named Polaris. The Northern Star, the Guiding Light. It guides journeymen in the embrace of the night, as it always points North. Like Polaris, names carry meaning. Do not forget it."
"..."
"You want to know what the meaning of your name is?... Well... You first have to know what your name is."
"..."
"So you know your name? Tell me then..."
"..."
"What. Is. Your. Name-"
Bang
Ascot awoke to the shuddering stop of the wagon, the freezing cold air and the darkness of the night immediately greeting his senses. All around him rested a dozen more children his age, sleeping from the long travel. Some wrapped themselves under tattered blankets while others huddled together bracing the cold, leaving only the boy alone resting at the very back of the wagon, wearing nothing more than a torn ragged cloth that barely covered his muddy fur, decorated with a copious amounts of frost, which he promptly brushed away.
Unexpectedly, the wagon shook yet again, the boy's rabbit ears perking upwards as he could feel a heavy object being off-loaded up front, only to be followed by the crunch of ice.
Crnch
Ascot winced as it continued, footsteps heavy enough it shook the boy's bones with each crack, itself getting louder and louder as the source moved to just right behind the boy.
"Miss Coachman, you're late." An ethereal voice suddenly spoke, with Ascot's heart jumping a beat as the voice was commanding, yet motherly, as if words alone could cause the boy to crumple under pressure.
"Welp, couldn't help it when there was a blizzard on the way. You promise the extra payment right? 'Ve always hated the north." A second, less ethereal voice groaned out, the boy realising the voice must also be the source of the heavy footsteps. Yet just as he was digesting the words, he had
"A blizzard? By the Constellations! The children-"
"Relax, Sister, a dozen perfectly healthy children, just as asked." A sudden flush of cold air floods the wagon as the curtain is pulled to the side, bringing Ascot's view to the sight of two women, both also staring at him.
"That... A stowaway!" The shorter, mole woman growled as she angrily stepped forward. As the coachman of the wagon, she did not tolerate free services, "Scram boy! I've got no mercy on a bast-"
Yet, her voice was quickly stopped by the second, much larger woman, who not only towered over the coachman but was gigantic, and even forced the young boy to crane his neck upwards. The woman was Ursine, a white bear as tall as the wagon itself, and the hand that rested now on the coachman's shoulder was big enough to wrap around the young boy's head.
Oddly enough however, what accessorised the terrific figure of the woman was that of a nun's habit. A dark simple dress wrapped around her figure, with a veil that rested on her head, and a star necklace wrapped around her white, fur-covered scruff. It clashed against her body, both welcoming and terrifying at the same time, especially to a child like Ascot.
"That is all fine, coachman. One additional member to our gracious institute should not be warranted as a mistake. Or as a criminal." The giant smiled at the coachman as she promptly stepped forward, her entire form leaning significantly just to meet Ascot on an even level, both their eyes still locked to each other.
"Welcome to the Orphanage Lit D'orphel, my child. Here, your new life will begin anew under our care." The nun smiled as she then rested her paws on her chest, her voice now directed towards the small rabbit child, "I am sister Catherine, who might you be?"
"A... Ascot..." The boy mumbled with a chirp, still rather in awe by the size of the woman; however with nowhere else to go, he simply was pulled to her like a magnet.
"Oh poor child, wearing nothing more than rags this north of the Empire... Come, your new life awaits." With a gentle caress on his cheek, the sister smiled as she wrapped her massive arms around the young rabbit, who was left completely bewildered by just how massive she was this close, with only his frail legs poking out of her arms. Speechless, the boy blinked as he was whisk away, not even the chill exposed under the northern night could penetrate the sister's overwhelming fur.
Moving away from the wagon, Ascot watched as several other sisters approached the opening, seemingly collecting, or waking up, the other children, though not as forward as Catherine. Yet he's vision shifted with the flowing movement of the Ursine, his eyes turned to face the very building the coach had stopped in front of, its windows letting out a warm orange hue, and at the very center of the facade was a set of two large wooden doors under a stone archway, trimmed with specks of silver and bronze.
"That... Orphanage?" Ascot's sapphire eyes shifted upwards towards the sister. "What's an orphanage?"
"An orphanage is a home for children like you, without parents." Catherine's steps were slow and gentle, her body swaying that made Ascot feel as though he were being rocked on a boat floating over a calm sea. The cold night receded behind them with every breath of her dense fur brushing his cheek. From the windows alone, Ascot could see other sisters guiding small clusters of children toward several double doors, their curious eyes poking out towards the small Cautus boy as well as the wagon outside.
As the Ursine nun passed beneath the archway, the heavy doors creaked open before her, pushed by two wolf-eared sisters who dipped their heads respectfully, the very last thing the boy saw before entering was a sign of bronze:
Lit D'orphel
Home for Wandering Stars
Warmth met them immediately.
It spilled out from the polished wooden floors and stone walls lined with tapestries—embroidered scenes of fields in bloom, great trees bearing lanterns instead of fruit, and children of all kinds holding hands beneath a stylized sun, with the center of said sun being a golden knight radiant with light. The air smelled faintly of scented wax and... Fresh bread.
Ascot's nose twitched. Then his body. The smell bringing his stomach to grumble.
Catherine felt it. "Hungry, little one?" She chuckled, a deep, rumbling sound that vibrated softly through her chest and into his tiny frame. "Supper is almost ready, our best chef is readying a feast for the newcomers such as you.
He tried lifting his head to look around, but the sheer fluff enveloping him made it difficult. His legs wiggled uselessly, the tips of his toes poking from her embrace as if trying to swim through the fur.
"You'll have a bed here," Catherine continued as she carried him deeper inside, passing a wide common room where a fire crackled in a stone hearth. A few children already seated there turned to look at him, some curious, others shy. Yet it was a playful pair of Arctic fox twins who were the first to approach them.
"Hey Sister Catherine!-"—"-What do you have there?" The twins suddenly approach, their speech patterns separated between the two boys.
"Oh! Aura, Fawn, it's a surprise for you two to be here! Well, you're right on time. How about you two greet your new friend!" Ascot blinked as the sister chuckled, suddenly sensing as the sister's entire frame dropped, the boy soon finding himself face to face with the two twins, both basically leaning over and holding onto the sister's arm like a rail as they scrutinised every inch of Ascot.
"Wow-"—"-He's so small-"—"-And dirty-" The boy stiffened slightly as he pressed himself closer to the sister, particularly overwhelmed by the twin's remark and their overall size, with the nun noticing.
"It is all right. They are just like you. You will make friends in time." Catherine spoke as she stroke Ascot's head.
"Without... parents?" He almost didn't answer—his sapphire eyes flicked from face to face, still overwhelmed, still holding onto that one word she'd given him. "What are parents?"
"Oh-"—"-Parents are people who made us!-"—"You see, when a big guy and a big girl like each other-"
"Aura, too early." Catherine cut off the twins with a deadpan expression as she playfully bopped the boy's head.
"Hehe, owie." Aura chuckled as he rubbed the tuft of his fur with Fawn leaning closer towards Ascot, "So has he gotten his First Meal yet?"
"Hmm... in a while- Oh! Introductions. Pardon my rudeness. Ascot, the twins, Aura and Fawn, Aura, Fawn, Ascot, our newest member!" For a split second, the sister broke character as she let out a hearty chuckle, almost as if forcing the change of subject by introducing Ascot's name to both of them.
"Hi-"—"-Ascot!-"—"-Nice to meet you!" On cue, the twins stretched their hands out, causing Ascot to widen his eyes in surprise at it all, their bodies, even as children, absolutely towering over the tiny rabbit.
"I- Hi..." The boy mumbled as he slowly fished out his own hand, reaching out to shake both twins' hands... Or rather, the twins took the smaller child's hand, swinging it around like a loose ribbon, his hand being dwarfed by their larger hands.
"Yes, you'll get more accustomed to your new home in the following days," Catherine nodded as she finally stood, with the twins waving goodbye to Ascot as they made their way onwards, entering a long hallway lined with small wooden doors. Each bore a simple metal plaque with a number etched on it. She brushed her paw over his back in a motion so careful it felt like she was afraid he might crumble. "A place where you are safe. Where you will be cared for. And where you do not have to wander the cold roads anymore."
Ascot's ears drooped, but not from sadness—more from a kind of unfamiliar relief.
Catherine shifted him slightly in her arms so she could see his face. "For tonight, you will have something warm to eat and rest. But tomorrow? You will be meeting the matron, our Mistress of the Orphanage, and settle in your new life."
Ascot blinked as he made the faintest nod; his voice was a whisper. "...Okay."
She smiled, her fangs barely visible beneath her calm expression. "But first, my child..." She lifted one paw to brush gently at his cheek again—then at a smudge of dirt stained along his jaw.
"Would you like a bath?"
~
Ascot hiccuped as he burped out a small bubble of soap, the remaining foam quickly swept away by the practised paws of the sister bathing him. The experience was overwhelming—being lowered into a hot bath after so long, feeling soft cloth work through his fur, the stubborn knots of dirt finally breaking loose. A whirl of heat, softness, and unfamiliar comfort crashed over him all at once. Compared to the life he'd known only moments before when he awoken in the wagon, it felt unreal.
To Catherine, however, little of it came as a surprise. The boy was far dirtier than she first assumed. Lice clung to his skin beneath layers of cold, caked mud. His tiny body, little more than a bony outline beneath rags he called clothes, showed the unmistakable signs of long-term malnutrition. He must have lived in the wilderness for quite some time, she thought, long enough that the filth didn't seem to bother him in the slightest.
And yet... paradoxically, almost like a romance cliché where the meek, glass-wearing student becomes radiant once their mask is lifted, Ascot was much like a sealed vault—rusted and filthy on the outside, yet strangely untouched within.
For all the signs of hardship, his fur beneath the grime was pristine. There were no sores, no patches of angry red skin, no scabies or rot—nothing beyond the expected hollowness of hunger. Catherine paused mid-scrub as more soot washed away, revealing the boy's true appearance.
Snow-white fur.
Pure, unblemished, untouched by even the faintest discolouration. Beneath all the layers of neglect and dirt, the child was a small, skeletal wisp of immaculate white.
Catherine blinked, almost forgetting to resume scrubbing as she took in the sight. "My, my..." she murmured under her breath. "What a little snowflake you are."
"Snow... flake?" Ascot's ear twitched as he heard the woman's words, only to suddenly eye something at the corner of his eye. His pure white arms, when ignoring the bony feature, even surprised himself.
"W...white..." The boy widened his eyes as he quickly scanned himself, even he himself being just as surprised by his elegant fur.
"Oh dear." Catherine cooed softly, pressing a hand on her cheek marveling at the boy's surprise.
The boy was still staring at himself, hands held up as though they belonged to someone else. He turned them slowly, watching the light catch on fur so white it almost glimmered, ears twitching with each tiny movement. There was no recognition in his expression—only wonder, confusion... and something close to disbelief.
Yet whilst the boy marvelled at his body, Catherine's hands stilled in place. Understanding creeping in, silent, but sharp. The realisation that the boy had never seen himself like this before.
The boy was never clean, never anything but covered in grime and hunger, neglect clinging on him like a second set of skin.
'Well... that is all in the past now...' The nun simply smiled, nodding at the sight, "Just two more hurdles to go..."
"Miss Catherine?" Ascot's ears perked at her words as he turned, still rubbing his now freshly cleaned fur, "You said something?"
"Oh, nothing, it truly just delights me to see a child so excited to have been clean like you." Catherine nodded, giving his shoulder a guiding nudge. "Come now, meals are being served in the dining hall..."
Ascot simply nodded with a smile as he was dressed in a plain white evening gown over a pair of cotton shorts, letting his fur breathe in the cool air of the orphanage in contrast to before. In contrast to the harsh freezing winds outside, alongside the uncomfortable clumps of ick staining his body.
The boy truly felt as light as a feather as he playfully skipped across the floor in front of the calmly walking sister, who could only smile at the sight. Or, try to. His steps were uneven, a dance here, a skip there, a hop over a few wooden boards on the floor.
As the smell of food strengthened, it grabbed the boy with a chokehold; rich and vibrant was its smell. The clatter of trays, the distant chatter of children, the moving scrapes of benches against the floor. The sound grew louder as they loomed closer.
And finally, at last, did the boy enter the large dining hall. The wooden floor gave way to cool stone beneath his feet, each step echoing softly through the vast space. The room was enormous, its high ceiling lost in shadow, rows upon rows of long tables stretching outward beyond the sight of the young boy. Benches were already filling with children, the low murmur of voices weaving into a steady, comforting hum.
And the smell, oh the smell.
Steamed carrots mingled with warm spices and crushed herbs, earthy and sweet all at once. There was the buttery richness of fresh bread, still warm from the ovens, its scent curling through the air like an invitation. Broth simmered somewhere deeper within the hall, carrying notes of garlic and onion, slow-cooked and patient. Even the faint tang of roasted meat and caramelised vegetables lingered, promising fullness, warmth in the stomach-
"Ascot." Catherine's voice suddenly blurted out, amongst the crowd of children moving in, the boy stopping just before her like a rock against a flowing river, her words wrapped around the young boy.
"Celestial light shall fall on those who are worthy... I pray for you to be one of them..." The sister bowed as the last of the children flooded into the room, leaving one last smile for the young boy as she closed the double doors.
For a moment, the boy simply stood still, completely confused by the words spoken from the nun, yet his mind quickly returned to the smell of the freshly cooked meals behind him, running to line up for a tray.
~
"Oh wow..." Ascot gawked, eyes wide as he took in the spread laid out before him. Golden rolls of Cordon Bleu sat neatly stacked, their crisped coatings glistening under the warm light, while beside them rested simpler fares. Freshly laid trays of Cobb salad layered with greens, eggs, and cuts of various meats arranged with surprising care.
There were bowls of steaming soup dotted with herbs, platters of roasted vegetables glazed and fragrant, mashed potatoes whipped smooth and crowned with melting butter. Loaves of bread were sliced, waiting to be picked, their crusts crackled just enough. And the desserts, creampies, small cakes, fruit tarts, even cups of pudding.
It was a feast fit for royalty, abundance piled upon abundance, enough for even the boy to hesitate. Fingers curling at his side as if he was told he was not allowed to eat any of these, just look, see, and stare.
"Anything wrong, newbie?" A sudden chirp stole his attention as his sight moved to the figure behind the counter, a petite teenage batgirl stood with her wings folded, holding a large serving ladle on one claw.
"C-can I eat this?"
"Can you?" The girl gagged out a laugh as she leaned forward, only to slide a tray in front of him, "It's all yours to get, c'mon now, eat till you vomit your guts out!"
Ascot immediately brightened up as he began pointing towards the myriad of food in front of him, getting whole bowls of each kind, piling everything up onto his — much to the amusement of the teenage girl.
"Heh, you got an appetite for a squirt like you, name's Lila, well Lilalatanitinalata Orchesaphronitxsia Aion-phezantatianalalia's my whole name, but you can call me Lila for short." The girl, Lila, smiled as she grabbed Ascot's hand for a shake, the boy noting how vastly stronger she was compared to him as she flailed his arm around.
"A-Ascot... Thank you, Miss Lila...latani... uh..." The boy mumbled, his tongue twisting in an attempt to pronounce the girl's name.
"Like I said, just Lila, no Miss needed, I ain't THAT old. I'm only about fifteen."
"About?"
"I'm an orphan like you, and none of us knows how old we actually are, can you?"
"Hmmm... No?"
"Exactly, well, you kinda look nine, so I guess you're about nine years old or something."
"I- uh... thanks?"
"Don't mention it, kiddo, and again, just Lila, no need for the whole Lilalatanitinalata Orchesaphronitxsia Aion-phezantatianalalia, gave myself that name." Lila puffed her chest in pride as Ascot stared at her deadpan. Even for a kid, he knew the name was completely overkill, "Might even add some more to it... Anyways, get going now! You're hogging up the line."
Ascot nodded as the boy skedaddled out of the counter, carrying a tray stacked unevenly with food.
He drifted through the canteen, eyes scanning for somewhere—anywhere—to sit. Laughter and chatter filled the room, clusters of children packed close together, shoulders brushing, voices overlapping. No one looked his way. Eventually, he found an empty corner near the wall, a seat just barely out of the flow of traffic, and slipped into it quietly.
The tray trembled slightly as he set it down. For a moment, he simply stared at it in disbelief. His memories... Well, his memories didn't extend beyond the very moment he had awoken in the wagon only an hour ago, but his gut had told him that he had never eaten anything like this before.
The food was... real. Warm. Freshly made. Steam curled lazily upward, carrying a smell so rich it made his chest ache. Ascot reached out hesitantly, touching the edge of a plate as if expecting it to vanish. When it didn't, his ears flicked, and a small, stunned sound escaped him.
Slowly, reverently, he began to eat. Grabbing the meat with his hands and scooping it directly into his mouth, the boy gobbled up each one, untrained to use a spoon or a fork; his only motive now was to fill himself up.
He savoured the steaming roast beef and devoured the entire bowl of hot corn soup. He held the juicy chicken drumstick like his life belonged to it and scooped the buttery goodness of the mashed potatoes.
It was heavenly for the boy as he could feel the warmth of his stomach grow. He didn't care if he slobbered his meal all over his cleaned gown; he could always just wash it off anyway.
Yet, as he continued, the boy couldn't help but perk his sensitive rabbit ears, the canteen beginning to change around him. Softly, slowly, but just enough for him to even notice it. First was the noise, voices dulled, laughter stretched thin, as though muffled by something.
The difference from before finally caught the boy's attention as he paused mid-bite, brow furrowing as he scanned the room. The children around him had stilled to a pause, more like they were frozen in time, mid-step on whatever they were doing.
The next thing he noticed was Lila simply eyeing him from the side, standing on the counter with the supposed food having been stored away. She seemed to be the only one moving, her sights never moving away from his own.
"Celestial light shall fall on those who are worthy." The girl suddenly announced as she raised her arm, sliding down a metal grill down the cafeteria counter-
BANG
It happened all too suddenly as the cafeteria counter was locked into place.
The room was still there—but wrong. The colours had drained away, the warmth snuffed out, the lights of the flickering chandeliers disappearing. The children around him sat frozen, only for their outlines to blur, their faces smoothing into pale, empty shapes. Shadows pooled and warped beneath their feet, stretching unnaturally long.
Long and wide enough to cover the floor, wrapping up over the walls, and finally above on the ceiling.
Darkness.
Then light.
A million eyes gazed down at him from all sides, the void-filled walls, floor, and ceiling transforming into the night sky, with stars gleaming as bright as the sun. Then came the whispers, he didn't know where, or how, but there were those of indercernable whispers that echoed all around him, maybe—in his mind— the whispers did come from the very stars themselves.
One of the shadows moved.
It lunged towards the boy.
Too sudden, too immediate. And Ascot could not react as quickly.
The shadowed figure crashed into the bench right beside him, planting a foot down onto his head, sending the boy's face crashing onto the table's face.
BANG
Chaos. That was all he could think of as the whispers were promptly overwhelmed by a never-ending chaos; the shadow figures all around him fought with each other as the one closest to him stopped his foot again on the back of his head brutally.
Ascot let out a shriek of pain as he instinctively grappled the figure's other leg, maintaining balance on the bench, his other hand grabbing the foot pressed on his head, and overwhelmed the figure.
His shriek turned into a roar as he tripped the figure, causing the monster to fall down to the floor, headfirst. The creature let out a scream of its own as it promptly dissolved into the abyss of the dark floor, yet the brutality did not stop. It was only the start after all.
Rising from his bench, there was a flame in the boy's eyes as he suddenly felt a burning fury now warping with him. A rage that he did not possess prior, nor did he know where it came from, now controlled his whole body as he yanked the tray from under the pile of his food.
A second later, he blocked a driving punch from a second creature, who quickly tore through the tray as it lunged its other fist straight onto the boy's gullet.
The impact was strong enough to send tiny Ascot flying, enough for the boy to vomit out some of his food as he crashed onto the hard floor before, tucking his head from the impact, yet groaning as he felt his spine crack under the pressure.
Yet Ascot wasn't the only target of the savage attack.
A nearby monster slammed into the one that had struck him, tackling it off the bench in a violent tangle of limbs and shadows. Their bodies collided with a hollow crash, claws tearing at one another as they rolled across the star-lit floor.
Ascot barely had time to register as a third shape dropped onto him.
It hit him while he was still down, howling as it straddled his small frame and drove a flurry of maddening punches into him. One blow clipped his jaw. Another struck his nose, sharp and blinding. Warmth spilt across his face as blood burst free, the next punch sending the back of his skull slamming into the ground.
The world jolted. His vision fractured into light and stars—well, real stars now, vast and merciless above him. His ears rang, his thoughts scattered. For a terrifying heartbeat, he couldn't tell which way was up.
Then something deep inside him snarled back.
The boy growled as he clawed through the third creature, watching the thing fall back onto the void floor, screaming as it dissipated into nothingness, although he himself could still feel its presence instinctively. Rising from the floor, the boy watched as the creatures attacked each other, nothing more than blank white silhouettes adorned with a hostile face.
He did not know what was happening, but he needed to escape this nightmare. With the outlines of the tables being the only thing guiding him, he took a step and leapt forward, only seconds away as a few more creatures came crashing into the area where he had originally sat.
Even with his weakened state, the amount of food he had eaten was enough to partially restore his strength, allowing him to jump over several waves of creatures- at the cost of attracting them as well-
PING
Ascot gagged as something hot exploded all over his abdomen, looking down to see a black tar smeared all over his torso, the impact enough to send him crashing onto the tables and several of the creatures.
The tar felt heavy on his fur, burning through both the torn gown and fur as the young boy cried in pain from it and the impact alone, too distracted to even notice as one of the creatures had already mounted him and-
BANG
It came in droves, punches slammed directly onto his face, his vision flashing white as his skull rang with each impact. He was helpless beneath the assault, the creature's weight pinning his legs as blow after blow rained down. Black tar burned along his sides, seeping and searing, while his arms lifted on instinct alone, weak and trembling, only to be torn aside by the sheer ferocity of the attack.
Then—
Everything stopped.
The next strike hung just inches from his face, claws frozen mid-swing. The creature's snarl was locked in place, its weight suddenly unmoving, suspended above him as though the world itself had drawn a breath and refused to let it go. The pain still throbbed, still stinging every bit of his body, but time no longer moved forward.
Above him, the heavens seemed to be burning.
It felt like the constellations themselves were watching over the carnage of the fight, literal gods carved onto the very heavens gazing at the creatures—at him—fight. He could see as abstract outlines turned into detailed silhouettes: a hunter and his dogs; an archer aiming; a mother bear and her younger cub pointing north; a herdsman holding a cage, its centre a pitch of unbelievable void darkness; and finally a dove, its single eye the brightest in all the sky...
No—it wasn't that it was the brightest. The eye was moving, zipping past the hunter, circling across the rabbit, reaching the very snout of the bear cub. Then it stopped. Squinting at the star, Ascot watched it just stand still, a second passing, then an entire minute, his sight switching from the star to the frozen creature still mid-swing. Eventually, the realisation dawned on him...
The star was still in fact moving, just moving towards him, crossing an unfathomable length across the heavens, and eventually, that realisation turned to fact as the glow of the star began to expand. Larger and larger by the millisecond, until it eventually covered the boy's vision, a ball of burning blue flame that covered the entire sky, eruptions of pure heat that seemed far larger than even the largest mountains shooting out of the ever-burning surface. Ascot's eyes were as wide as they could be, even as the mere blinding light and proximity of the star began to singe through his entire existence.
'Celestial light shall fall on those who are worthy...' The voice rang through the young boy's thoughts, the only remaining thought in Ascot's conflicting mind between the searing aggression, the damage sustained from the creatures, and the mere presence of the star right before him. The words echoed over and over again, until they themselves had become a command for the boy to follow.
And thus he stretched out his hand towards the star.
[...Mu...]
[...Columbae...]
Ascot muttered instinctively, his voice a mix of a droning hum, and a command.
Almost immediately, the star began to shine, the eruptions over its burning surface turning into entire pillars of fire being shot out, arcing and curving across the void of space. He watched as the star dissipated into these burning comets, each one shooting towards him. Initially frightened, the boy covered his eyes as the first of these comets crashed onto him...
Yet nothing happened.
Opening his eyes in confusion, he noticed as the comets smashed onto his clothes, his exposed fur, and even his wounds. They were specifically targeting him, even phasing through the creature currently on top of him, all absorbed into his own being. The glow of each impact and subsequent absorption was met with a wave of blue rippling across his skin.
For a heartbeat—two—Ascot waited.
The blue glow sank beneath his fur, slipping into him like heat beneath cooling ash, leaving no trace but a faint warmth lodged deep in his chest. His wounds still burned, red with bleeding, purple with internal bleeding. His muscles still screamed. The weight on top of him did not lessen.
"That's it?—"
He expected something. Anything. At least... At least a sign that something was to hap—
BANG
The monster slammed another blow into Ascot's ribs, knocking the air from his lungs as time lurched violently forward once more. The bench shuddered beneath him. His skull rang as if struck from the inside.
As if nothing had happened, the creature continued its assault. Its fists savagely pummel the soft body of the child beneath it.
Ascot let out a guttural scream as he finally reached for the utensil, jamming the handle of a spoon directly onto the creature's shoulder, the force alone piercing through skin as the creature fell back in pain. Taking the opportunity, Ascot shot up from the table, uncaring anymore of the burning tar that had melted through his shirt, lunging into his own fury of wails at the now bleeding creature.
He was to claw his way out of here, not wait for some kind of divine intervention.
He struck over and over again, screaming the entire way until he could feel his hands slick with something. Yet, it only took another creature tackling him off the table and onto the hard floor did his attack to end, with Ascot immediately biting onto his new enemy, ignoring the deafening scream of the creature happening just beside his own ear, until even that fell to silence.
With a rough push, the young boy frees himself over the body of the creature, the taste of salt seared onto his mouth as he stood, the sight of creatures still fighting each other having lessened, with the ones knocked out dissipating into the void floor. Yet there stood several dozen more, each one as aggressive as the last, each one already looking for the next target to slaughter—
Yet in the midst of it all, Ascot widened his eyes. The boy watched as one of the creatures raised its arm forward, shooting out something akin to glass shards, its speed as fast as an arrow. Only for it to be blocked by a wall of dust being created by another creature as the shards explode—
He had no time to understand what exactly was happening as he instinctively dodged to the right, the sound of something approaching him from behind growing louder while he was inspecting the other fights. Turning with a growl to face his new opponent, the boy watched as the creature had some form of afterimage slowly trailing behind him, his brows raising as the afterimage drifted hypnotically.
Letting out a roar, the creature struck first, swinging its claws onto the boy who blocked with his arm, yet almost a second later, a second impact more powerful than the initial swing blasts Ascot onto another table, its force enough to shatter the table in two. Immediately did the boy vomited up blood, his nostrils burning, yet still did that unnatural fury remain.
Ignoring the pain, the growing damage building inside him, the boy glared at his newest attacker, watching the afterimage continuously follow the main body, which was slowly creeping towards him—only for it to break into a feral sprint, running on all fours as it was set on finishing Ascot off.
Adrenaline coursed through the boy's battered body. Despite the pain and copper taste in his mouth, Ascot's fists clenched as he roared. Heat surged with him as feral survival overtook him once more, lurching forward as he swung his fist in blind desperation.
His vision blurred as he felt something connect, then pain surged across his arm as he felt his knuckles crack directly onto the creature's face, mind drowning in a haze of fury and instinct. For a heartbeat, he felt unstoppable.
Then the creature struck back.
Taking his entire fist like it was nothing, the creature screamed as it swung its claw, tearing into his shoulder with a crack, knocking him to the side as he sprawled across the floor, the force of the impact literally causing him to bounce upwards like a ball.
He felt all the air in his body be vomited out violently as whistling overwhelmed his hearing. Bones rattled, ribs shuddering, his entire organs shaking from the impact... Yet. The madness did not fade, the boy lashing out in drowning mania as he returned to his feet—
Only for the afterimage to connect.
Heat. It was the first thing he felt as his eyes traced the afterimage pressed on his chest. It all felt so slow, the boy watching as his chest began to cave in on itself, then he felt everything from inside him want to come out. A second later, he crumpled forward, the force of the impact sending him flying all the way to the edge of the room.
The boy couldn't even let out a scream as he impacted the wall of the starry room, ribs shattering from the pressure of the strike, his arm bent unnaturally as the joint was torn apart, only hanging on his body from gods-knows-how. Tears of pain and frustration pricked his bloodshot eyes as he couldn't even move his arms, his right clavicle shattered in two as one piece poked out of his fur, dropping to the ground, unable to feel his legs.
All he could do was watch as the feral monster surged forward yet again, realising his strength alone could not match the unnatural abilities of the creature...
Then. Warmth. No. Hot.
Very Hot. Burning.
[...Mu...]
[...Columbae...]
Ascot screamed as his nerves burned all through his body. Even with his current damage, the pain right now was tenfold; the heat rolled through him like molten slag, each nerve screaming, his tiny body feeling like it was being incinerated alive.
Ascot's entire body had erupted in flames.
Self-immolation
A hue of blueish-white burned through the boy's body, the child writhing on the floor, the flames too harsh for even the creature to proceed. The boy choked on blood and smoke as fire erupted from inside his own mouth.
Yet, slowly, but enough for even Ascot to realise, the pain began to fade, not just the pain of the fire, but the damage he had accrued throughout the maddening brawl as well. The aura of fire around him began to stabilise, coiling across his skin.
The boy took a breath as he slowly got back to his feet, feeling the flames strengthening him. His exposed bones returning back inside him, his severed arm pulled back into place, bruises and cuts easing into stained memories on his fur. While still battered, Ascot had found its centre again.
The creature suddenly lunged forward in terrifying speed, afterimage flickering as it threw out its claws. Yet Ascot merely rolled underneath, flames erupting around him, dancing across his arms and shoulders like armour.
Instincts once again took over as he slammed his fist into the creature's side, scattering the afterimage as the monster skidded across the floor, only to crash at a nearby table.
The creature did not waste a beat as it quickly recovered, charging at him as the afterimage rematerialized behind it. Yet Ascot was just as feral as before, letting out a guttural roar as the flames around him surged, he once again met the beast's strike as he stood his ground.
There was no thought in his mind. While the pain had seemingly subsided, the madness remained. The madness to survive.
The creature struck again. Its claws raked across his shoulder, sending a jolt of pain through him, yet the flames merely responded, wrapping tightly around him as a second skin, the beast howling as it's skin was burnt off. Ascout returned with his own scream, swinging at the monster, his blows striking with feral force as it blew back the creature several feet.
The afterimage followed, swinging with even greater strength as it collided with Ascot's flames. The blow struck him square in the chest, hurling his small body back into the wall with a violent crack. Fire flared instinctively, wrapping around him and absorbing the worst of the impact. Before the creature could press the advantage, Ascot tore himself free from the wall and surged forward, answering the strike with one of his own.
He unleashed a flurry of punches, wild and relentless. Blood and sweat mixed with the fire along his arms as each blow landed harder than the last. Madness burned through every fibre of his body. His muscles screamed from the strain—fast, reckless, unstoppable—yet he felt no pain, only heat and motion. With a final, feral cry, he drove his fist into the creature's chest, the impact launching it across the room and into a table, where it crashed and lay momentarily stunned. The force was enough to shatter the afterimage once more.
Ascot did not relax.
He dropped suddenly onto all fours, palms and feet scraping against the floor as flames surged higher around his body. His muscles coiled tight, shoulders hunched, spine low, every instinct screaming forward. His teeth bared in a snarl, eyes locked onto the dazed monster.
"Star unbound by gravity. Hurtling into the abyss. Unbound by the natural order."
Ascot suddenly spoke, words tearing from his throat, not spoken by choice, but as if dragged out by the very power burning his body, like he was guided, persuaded to roar out.
[Runaway Star Blitz]
Ascot found himself face to face with the creature, having covered the distance in an instant, leaving a trail of his own after images shaped by literal fire. With yet another scream, the boy lunged his burning fist forward, sending the creature to the other side of the room, only to dissipate before it could even impact the wall.
The boy watched in stunned silence as the creature faded into nothing, sliding to a stop, his body still wrapped in flames, the warmth still coursing through him. For a moment, Ascot didn't know what had happened. From the flames around him to the sudden attack he had landed, it was all beyond his young comprehension.
Then laughter. He couldn't help but laugh.
It tore out of his throat raw and unsteady. His mouth still a mess of blood and pain, but enough for the sound of laughter to echo out. Half a snarl, half an exhale, the laughter was painful to his lungs as much as his brain just told him to "laugh". It was something feral, yet triumphant as well, with the flames along his limbs roaring, responding to his pulse, also as if influenced by his laughter.
His wounds still hurt, he could still feel his bones crack, but, they no longer screamed, numbed in pain, or just numbed to the fact that he was laughing like a madman. Then he turned his attention to the rest of the creatures still up and about, most having developed some other kind of power just like him and the creature before—
But dammit, did he continue to laugh.
The battlefield was just as chaotic as before, less monsters, but the more powerful ones remained. Yet unnlike before, he felt unstoppable. For the first time, Ascot felt powerful, the flames wrapping around him in maddening fury as he giggled away. It was his turn to hunt! His chance to shine! His—
~~~
Just outside the cafeteria, Catherine awaited. Her knees rested on the cold floor, her tunic providing zero aid to the rough hardness of the floor's surface. She waited right in front of the barred doors, arms raised together evenly, palms open upwards in prayer. The door itself was blocked by a large wooden beam carved with scriptures, the texts glowing gold.
"Think they're over already?" Lila sighed as she sat on the nearby bench, folding her arms as her bat-like wings created a cover over her legs, her foot claws tapping impatiently, "C'mon sister, it's been thirty minutes already, and besides, only thing you should be praying for is if they touched my damn kitchen."
Yet instead of an answer, sister Catherine still continued to pray. Pray for the lives of the children at the other side of the door, pray for the souls transformed to weapons, pray for their fate. Yet there was another prayer that was mixed in, a prayer to those who would fail, and those who would suffer an even worse fate.
"It is time," Catherine spoke in utmost authority, with even Lila widening her eyes from her words alone. Without a second thought, the nearby sisters began to move, synchronously resting their hands on the bar and lifting it.
Catherine herself had begun to disrobe, fixing her veil to the side, her dress coming undone as a white tunic shirt hung loosely underneath. To the side, Lila's usually laxed demeanour began to tense as she watched the sister roll up her sleeves, revealing sculpted muscles that had been hidden beneath her loose garment.
No matter how many times she had seen the sister perform this simple ritual of hers, a burning sensation began to grow under her abdomen.
"Yo-you don't think there'd still be a kid awake after thirty minutes, right? It'll just be like the last several times-" Lila chuckled nervously as her eyes rested on Catherine's left arm, an odd-shaped pattern seemingly engraved on Catherine's fur. The sight alone caused Lila to clutch her abdomen.
"Miss Lila." Lila yelped as she snapped out of whatever trance she was under from the sight of Catherine's paw, "We have had this conversation many times before. While it was true that the last four instances of the First Meal had resulted in no children awake after thirty minutes..."
Catherine narrowed her eyes towards Lila herself, eyeing her abdomen, "I still am apologetic for what I have done to you during your First Meal; however, you shouldn't be one to doubt the endurance of children..."
"Tsk." Lila winced as she quickly crossed her arms, her fingers flashing a bright white only to quickly fade away, "Whatever."
"To be awake is to still be under the effects of Stardust. I wouldn't risk the safety of this institute for such a 'forgiving' mindset if the chances of a child still awake are still above zero." The woman nodded as he took one last step forward, nodding towards the other sisters to unhook the wooden bar locking the door-
BOOM
The door explodes right in front of Sister Catherine as the nuns closest to the door were knocked backwards from the blast, Lila sitting up straight as she watched the older woman block flakes of wood with her arms. Yet it was what came next that shocked the bat girl even further, as fragments of wood exploded in flames as a familiar figure surged forward.
It was the smallest of the boys whom she served that night, little Ascot engulfed in fires of blue and white, his face contorted in feral fury, bloodied arms stretched out ready to attack the closest person to him... Sister Catherine.
The entire explosion had only taken half a second as even the sister had barely moved her hands to react. But to Lila, she had seen just enough, her fingers flickering in bright light as she stood on her feet.
[Aion]
Her hands reached out as time seemingly slowed down around the entrance of the canteen, wooden fragments frozen in space, Ascot's movement slowing down, like being restricted from going any faster than he was now, his mouth contorted into a maddening snarl.
"Time Without A Clockhand."
The words flowed out of the teenager as she took a step forward, her hands glowing brighter. The effects seemingly strengthened as the entire area was locked in place, the sisters on the floor also freezing in place, wooden splinters threatening to pierce through their bodies held in place, only instead pressing on their skin.
"Phew, Right on time..." Lila sighed as she turned to face Sister Catherine, the only one uncaught by the freezing effect. Yet, the sister simply stared at the boy, her face unchanging from the suddeness of the attack.
"Miss Lila... You may have forgotten something..." The sister suddenly spoke as she eyed a frozen wooden fragment headed her way, slowly nudging it to the side.
"Forgot what?" Lila tilted her head as she crossed her arms, wondering what the sister meant. Yet, almost immediately, she felt as something shifted, her arms twitching as she had barely any time to register the anomaly.
"You forgot the main properties of the First Meal..." Catherine sighed, "And forgot it temporarily enhances someone's blessing tenfold."
The air shuddered, a low vibration rippling through the frozen explosion as Ascot's flames flared even brighter, warping the moment around him. His body twitched, his arms slowly beginning to move once again—Only to explode forward, far too fast for even Lila to react, far too sudden even.
Ascot slammed into Sister Catherine, his small frame hitting her with explosive force. His teeth sank into her right arm, biting deep through her muscular flesh. Fire sizzled through her fur and singed the closest fabric on her body.
Yet, Catherine didn't react. She didn't even stagger.
She merely grunted, planting her feet as she braced for the weight of Ascot's entire body being thrown at her. Her expression barely shifted, jaw tightening as she reached down and seized Ascot by the scruff of his neck, holding the boy as he continued to sink his teeth, blood dripping from the sister's arm.
Lila's breath hitched.
Frozen splinters rattled and fell as her control wavered, the suspended moment cracking at the edges. "Dammit, sorry!" She apologised as she attempted to raise her hands to deal with the boy. Yet, she was simply met with Catherine's eyes.
"It is fine, this was never your duty anyway, but mine." The woman let out a comforting smile as Lila stood down, the light on her fingers dimming as the frozen scene seemingly unpaused, wooden shards falling to the ground, all their momentum gone as the Nuns backed away, taking their time to thank Lila.
Catherine returned her focus on the burning child in front of her, the flames attempting to burn off her left hand wrestled on his scruff, but nothing was happening as the odd-shaped pattern flickered brightly, the flames almost scared to progress any further than where it was currently.
She watched as the boy continued to press his jaw shut, attempting to do something, to fight back, but with the grip on his scruff, he could do nothing as he was lifted off the ground.
"This has gone long enough, as you said so yourself." Catherine sighed as she ripped Ascot's grip from her right arm, a bloodied bite mark being left as she held the boy in one hand. Only to toss him back into the destroyed cafeteria, the act as simple as if she was just tossing a pebble, instead of a whole nine-year-old child.
The boy let out a gasp as his body hit the marbled floor, his flames sparking for a second, his gaze never breaking away from the Sister herself.
[Spica]
In a flash of brilliant light which clashed against the burning blues of the feral Ascot, Catherine slowly, but paradoxically quickly, steps forward, her left hand a blaze of white, the odd, shapen pattern now sparkling across her entire arm.
"Sow oh grains of life. Bear the fruits of the future."
Ascot roared as the boy recovered from the throw, carrying himself on all four of his limbs. Drooling, with sister Catherine's blood mixed in, the boy leapt forward, attempting to attack the sister once again. Yet, the left hand of the sister was already in front of him, her palm wide open, right on his face.
[Grain Strike]
In an instant, the boy was blasted across the entirety of the cafeteria, an invisible force blasting him like a punch to his face, his body crumpling onto the stone wall.
"I apologise, my child." The sister tilted her head as she lowered her left hand, making her way towards the fallen boy. As she did, the light that wrapped around her arm began to fade.
"You have fought valiantly, child," Catherine explained as she knelt over the young boy, gently caressing his unconscious head as she wiped away the blood leaking from his nose—something she had caused.
"Rest for now, the true test comes tomorrow..." The woman explained as she wrapped her arms around Ascot, bringing him away from the destruction of the cafeteria, with the other sisters swarming to collect the broken children that littered the room.
As she did, her left paw began to glow once again, caressing the bruises over the young boy, the charred fur on his abdomen replenishing back to the snow white she had remembered it to be...
"Welcome to the orphanage..." Lila sighed as she scanned the room. Bruised-up children littered the room, some were quietly bleeding from scratches or bite marks, with one even stabbed on the shoulder with a spoon handle. The more notable were those of singed fur and glass shards pressed on skin...
~~~
In a dimly lit room, sister Catherine stood as composed as she could be, standing at the end of the long rectangular room, the other side an abyss of darkness. Yet while the room itself was perfectly furnished, all the sister could hear was a faint hoarse growl that echoed continuously, mixed in with chains rattling.
"Mistress, A few children had managed to awaken a blessing.Although five of them have notable instinctual grasps of their abilities." She explained as the growling and the rattling of chains only grew louder, her tone serious and icy.
"There was a boy, 10 years of age, who stayed awake during his First Meal." She ended, the room waiting for a response as the entire room suddenly went silent.
"I have heard that there was a stowaway in this batch of children..."
The room suddenly shook as a voice bellowed out, thick and heavy, like an earthquake.
"Yes. Your assumption is correct, Mistress. It is that same child."
"A first in four years, Lila has competition now."
The voice was amused by the outcome, yet even if they had attempted to hide it, their voice came off as hostile, unstable.
"It would be the case," Catherine sighed, rolling her head in annoyance, "Although Lila had also stated that the boy had taken for more than the usual portions for a child his size... The amount of Stardust within him must be greater than the usual dose..."
"Have signs of an overdose been noticed?"
"None," The sister explained as she reverted to her steel-like tone, also raising her left arm, which shone the same bright light, "The power of Spika had detected no irregularities, so I simply brought him to his room. Although due to the boy being a stowaway, the sisters had placed a temporary mattress for the boy to sleep on... Rearranging the living quarters at this time could-"
"You're bleeding."
"Wha-" The floor suddenly shook violently as something snapped within the shadows, pieces of shattered chain being flung indiscriminately across the room.
"Don't try to act so professional about it! Your right arm, show me."
The voice roared as a pair of bloodshot eyes broke through the darkness, the shuddering of wood slowly stilling as if whatever being was recomposing itself. Seeing the gravity of the situation at hand, the Sister merely complied, rolling up her other sleeve as a drizzle of blood leaked onto the floor, Ascot's bite still having affected her.
"Lila and I were simply taken off guard by the gross power of the boy's Celestial Blessing- I didn't think of treating it as I came here as soon as I had set the boy on his bed-" The sister reasoned out, attempting to de-escalate the volatile situation. Yet her words were quickly interrupted by an annoyed grunt, the bloodshot eyes disappearing into the darkness.
"Always like this. Catherine the Martyr, Catherine the Selfless... Those blasted words I keep hearing. I do not wish for your blood to stain the wooden floor, tend to it first before coming next time."
"A-alright- Yes... Mistress..." Celestine nodded with a stutter, the glow of her arm flickering to a stop as the patterns disappeared.
"While I am disappointed by your carelessness, I still am surprised that someone would wound you so easily."
The voice muttered, pointing out the bleeding arm of Catherine, as well as the shredded sleeve.
"Tis but a bite wound, Mistress. While the boy seemed to be plagued with malnutrition, the Stardust flowing through him had offset that detriment; his aptitude for combat is excellent."
"Oh? For a boy to be praised by you..."
There was a loud shrill as the room rattled, furniture already bolted in place shuddering instead, with even the wooden planks beneath shaking.
"Tomorrow will be an interesting day..."
~~~Bio~~~
Ascot
Gender: Male
Race: White-Tailed Jackrabbit
Height: 4'2 (Discounting ears. With ears: 5'0)
Weight: 22kg
Age: Looks to be 9 or 10 years old
Fur colour: White
Hair: Snow White
Iris: Blue
Note for the day: Extremely malnourished child who has boarded the wagon to the orphanage. For some reason cannot recall any memory before waking up in the wagon...
~~~Blessing~~~
Mu Columbae
A runaway star found in the Columba constellation. While not technically part of the main group of stars encompassing the constellation, thanks to its luminescence, it serves as the moving eye of the Dove. It had also been rumoured by star seers that the star had originated from the Orion Constellation...
Move: Runaway Star Blitz
Channelling the traits of Mu Columbae as a runaway star, Ascot charges into his target in a ball of fire as fast as he can. Currently, almost reaching the speed of sound.
~~~A Gatesman's Letter~~~
My dearest Lavadia. Not much has happened today during the night watch. The passing blizzard had blanketed the fields once again, and we were tasked with shovelling snow until sundown. Although it does not mean there hadn't been anything outstanding. Frankly, the opposite had happened.
That Orphanage at Polaris is at it again. People look at me like a madman whenever I discuss it, but it had happened yet again, children, twelve in total, being sent towards that one blasted place. Why?
Polaris is so far up north that the war started there. If anything, they should be transferred towards the Capital, where our God king's presence is at her most powerful. What could possibly be up there that requires constant transfers of children?