Chapter Text
Someday, Someplace, Sometime, a lone figure rose from shallow water, hacking out excess liquid that had entered their lungs.
The figure rubbed the water that clung onto their lips off with their wrist, which they noticed were laid bare. Actually, looking down, they didn't even have any sort of covering on them.
Ah, so I'm naked.
How did I even get here…?
The lone figure blinked through blurry vision at the blinding white structures that surrounded their body.
White crumbling pillars, held loosely together with equally white vines, circled the shallow pool the figure found themselves in. The pool, itself, was circular – made of white ceramic with cracks that gives a glimpse of the cement underneath it.
White plants engulfed the structures they could not see, all of varying types yet all seemed mushed together due to the lack of color.
Ah.
To be so utterly devoid of life, yet be able to thrive with it. Such an odd enigma, this place was.
The figure – No, sorry, I waddled over to the pool's edge – drenched from head to toe, and a persistent cold clinging to my bones.
I looked up, where the pillars were all leaning towards, and saw a symbol. A familiar one, but unfortunately my memories are escaping me.
It was almost sun-like in shape, but more jagged and hollow. My lips mouthed out a word, yet I could not - for the life of me - understand what it was my body knows.
Why do I feel so shaken up? Was it the cold?
Why do I feel relieved that I'm alive? What's happening?
Why do I… know this place?
…
Like an hour glass, all I needed to do was turn the object upside-down, allowing it's contents to twinkle down slowly. I guess, in a way, recognition was the hand that turned my mind the right way.
Two of my memories returned to me, one of which beheld my identity and one of…
Ah.
I never thought I'd be on the blunt end of an accident.
I was a shy kid growing up, as adults would say. I never caused any issues with others and I try my best to be invisible.
AnonyM0U5E, that was my name. Or atleast, my internet name. A nameless author.
Still, I couldn't imagine my life ending just like that. To simply be forgotten in a wave of tragedies. I was always a ghost, yet I dreamed to be living. I thought that, once I was a grown up, I'd be able to achieve that dream.
I’ll be an author everyone remembers.
One day away from graduation.
What a cruel fate.
…
So is this heaven?
But that symbol… something tells me that it's not.
“Spawnpoint…” My mouth suddenly muttered, and from there – like a lightswitch – I remembered.
Roblox…????
…
I looked at my hands - clawed, and as white as the background.
Oh.
No.
If my skin has changed, then wouldn’t that also mean-?
Filled with curiosity, or perhaps dread, I walked over to the edge of the pool, leering over to gaze at my reflection.
Ah, this is-
My eyes widen at the familiar sight, the figure beyond the water, too, mimicked mine.
This- This is the Phighting! character I created as a joke! A caricature of all overpowered OCs mashed into one, hideous, creation! A character I had not thought of in a hot minute for the 1 and a half year it had existed!
Periastron sword. Much less a sword, and more of a broken one.
So I'm somehow in Phighting…? -Masquerading as a Mary Sue???
If my memory serves right, she’s the liberator of all of the deities. Her goal is to rid the world of corruption, and the swords are a cesspool of it. Due to that, she’s regarded as a hero to some, and an enemy to others. Don’t question it, her lore is something I only thought of for a minute before shoving all of it under the carpet.
And if this is really who I think it is, then-
Wings. Two pristine white wings with a slight hint of purple.
To her, it is the source of her greatest hatred. Her shame.
Whereas to me, it is my greatest fear.
I’m so dead.
I stepped back from the pool, opting to sit on the ground across it rather than stare at the future set out for me.
‘Let’s recollect our thoughts for a bit’ I curled my clawed hands together. Elbows perched on my knees, and my thumb touching the area where my nose should be. I need to recall her story again, see if there’s something I can use to guide me away from- well, everything.
First of all, I remember creating an area called “The Cradle”. It is the first Spawn ever created, but never used. Due to that, the place has been left in disarray – mostly because those that remembered forgot, or are already dead. But there was still one person that I remember writing to be it’s only visitor, sparse the visits may be. Yet, I can’t quite recall who…
That may be an issue, I hope they don’t suddenly gain the thought of visiting this place again while I’m still here.
Secondly, I remember Periastron being a teen when the story takes place. She’s in her rebellious phase, as teens are, and due to her overpowered abilities and her inpheral blood, she resorts to violence much more easily – leading to the fall of the swords.
She’s supposed to be as bland as a popsicle stick when it comes to motivation and personality, but I guess you can take that brief description as her being a self-destructive person – killing her only family for such a flimsy excuse and all.
But here’s the main takeaway you should take from all of that; The story only starts when she’s in her teens. I know nothing of what came before or after the small lore I’ve created for her; and even IF she’s in her teens currently, not even I know the exact details on what happens during it – or literally anything I briefed upon with a simple “yeah she killed the swords lol”.
So, to put it simply, I’m hopeless.
Not only that, I’m also only a newborn.
Hopeless, and with a terrifying dad.
I sighed, shoving my face into the nook between my arms. My ( surprisingly already feathered, yet damp ) wings hugged tightly against my sides, though it wasn’t large enough to completely surround me.
My mind raced to find a solution, yet what am I able to do when I know basically nothing?
I can’t find out what her relationship with the swords are like, and it’s not like I can just simply write it down again as a writer when I’m already living in the story I ignored. I can’t even know how she managed to get out of this situation, much less where to start.
So instead, I let my mind drift elsewhere. Perhaps an attempt to calm my restless mind. I thought about the food I could eat, how tasty it would be. I thought about the flora that could be found in this world – perhaps it’ll differ majorly from earth, perhaps not at all. I also thought about-
I tuned out the rustling of leaves, chalking it up to the wind.
-what types of animals that I can find here. I know that there are regional birds for each region canonically, but what if there’s more? Additionally, could I also get one as a pet? I would kill to have that dove with a heart-shaped crest, but I don’t quite recall which region it came from nor it’s name-
Wait.
There is no wind.
I quickly snapped my head up, staring face-to-face with a white pumpkin headed person looming over me.
Ah, right. I remember now.
Ghosdeeri is the one who visits this place.
“I need a moment to think.” Illumina grits out. He pinched the bridge of where his nose is supposed to be, before turning around and leaving the meeting room.
Like clockwork, Ghostwalker, too, gets up from his seat next to Illumina’s, smoothly walking behind his brother without a second to linger.
The clear thud of the door closing behind them sounded out within the room, leaving the rest of them in a deafening silence.
Even though I looked down towards my feet throughout the entire meeting, I could still feel the swords’ gaze piercing my head. At this point, my head might as well unhook itself from my neck with how much I’m bowing – actually, I’d welcome that more than having to deal with the fact that I’m an accidental baby of a very dysfunctional family. I really want to get out of here as quickly as possible-!
After Ghosdeeri had found me in The Cradle, she didn’t even spare a single moment to report back to Ghostwalker, despite my attempts to bribe her not to. Then after that, Ghostwalker had reported back to Illumina, who then called this sudden meeting to find out what to do with me. That simple chain of events could’ve been easily avoided, had I just simply walked away from the pool.
“Why not we just kill it?” Banhammer offered, brandishing his hammer in a way that only makes me want to shrivel up in my seat with fear. “Makes things easier fer us.”
Valk, thankfully, shut that idea down fairly quickly, “Why don’t we just- I dunno, treat them like family?”
“And why should we? Illumina doesn’t even want the damn kid!” Windforce barked with laughter. Perhaps she meant that as a joke, but it still doesn’t alleviate the fact that I could very much die if I’m not wanted.
Dom stood up in defence of his brother, opening his mouth to say his part, before-
“They can be our kid.”
…
Everyone turned to look at Darkheart.
“Absolutely not.” Venomshank, who had been quiet the entire meeting, voiced his one and only disagreement.
“Oh, come on, old pal. Think about it! If that sack of bones doesn’t want this kid, then we’ll take them in!”
“You will kill this kid within a day.”
Darkheart huffs out a breath, “You lack trust in us.”
After that exchange, it went quiet for a while. Time in which I spent dreading the outcome more and more.
What had Periastron done in order to escape this confrontation? Had she escaped The Cradle? Did she not linger? If she did, then I am very much screwed. However, if she really did the things I’ve done up until now, then…
I might have a chance.
Windforce leans deeper into her seat, tilting it back until only 2 legs touched the ground, so that her legs can sit crossed-legged on top of the table. An unbothered look clear on her face. “Eh, kid or no kid, still an issue with the public.”
“The public...?” Valk blinked, seemingly only registering that unexpected variable now - despite his role being heavily involved in such a thing, “Oh, right. It’ll be scandalous!"
Everyone in the room seemed to agree, as no one had tried to oppose the idea.
Ban Hammer, however, is lost. “What is?”
This time, Dom was the one who answered, “Well, how do I put this... Illumina is – well,...”
Despite him trailing off at the end, it left enough room to understand what he was trying to say. Something that seemed to quell the warden’s confusion just enough.
Rather unfortunately, Darkheart decided to put his two cents in as well, “See? Poor old Illumina is never going to be a good father. Now, how about we say that we-!”
“No.” Venomshank, once again, closed down Darkheart's persistent asks.
“I don't get why you're even here, Darkheart.” Windforce suddenly spoke her thoughts out loud, rocking her chair slowly, “It’s not like Illumina will ever listen to you.”
Somehow, Darkheart's grin gets wider, “Oh, but it's fun!”
“Obviously, you're not here just for fun.” She sets both of her feet down, the chair firmly planted onto the ground, yet her posture still remained lax. “His voice is incredibly grating! There's no way you're willing to subject yourself to that type o’ pain.”
Venomshank flinched, whirling his head around towards her, “Windforce.”
“Yeahaha! Ofcourse you get it too! He's so insufferable, we don't get why he's the one who's supposed to be in charge of us!”
“Darkheart.”
“And what a mess he done with that. Kinda wanna make you do somethin’ in retaliation, right? Haha!”
“Windforce, what are you-?!”
Darkheart shrugs, “That's just the type of guy he is, punchable. We'd do anything for less!”
Windforce chuckled at that, a strained smile on her face, before responding with-
Suddenly, without warning, the doors were blown wide open. Enough to make the hinges creak.
“I’ve decided.” Illumina spoke with a tone of clear authority, something heavy enough to crush any ears that harkened it. The conversation that had previously overtaken the room fell into a hush as he simply strolled back into his seat, stiffly sitting down. Ghostwalker did the same, however he had much less of a presence as his brother did.
“We are to take care of this child under our collective watch, but mostly on mine.” He continued, regarding the room with a sweeping, cursory gaze. “Anyone who dares to object or oppose my decision, may leave this room at once. However, if you wish to stay in this room, then you must understand your role and do your best. I will not accept anything else.”
Ah, to be the topic of discussion for once. Such a thing can only make me want to live out my life as a thoughtless flower, rather than a scandal that can tear Illumina’s reputation apart and maybe even his entire livelihood. But whatever, I’m just glad I’m not dead.
He’s treading this path really carefully, isn’t he?
Illumina pauses for a moment, maybe he did so to wait and see who would want to go against him – because I highly doubt he’d do this for my case. Then, when he deemed it long enough to know who wouldn’t, he simply sighed. Because he knew atleast one of them was lying.
“Leave the room, Darkheart.” Illumina coldly commands, not even turning his head slightly to face his darker half. Much less regard him in any other way than an order.
Darkheart scoffed, “And what makes you think we’ll-?”
“Leave the room.”
…
Darkheart smacked his lips once, before rising from his seat and disappearing through it’s shadow. Not even with any of his usual dramatics. He was just gone.
…
“If there are no other further matters we must attend to, then I will simply call upon the end of this meeting. You are dismissed.”
I almost sighed a breath of relief.
“You, child, have to stay.”
I’m gonna kill myself.
With that, everyone funneled through the exit, as if they were suffocating from the thick air that very much established itself within the room. As soon as they secured the door behind them, I could hear immediate commotion as if they thought they were far away from our earshot. Something that had the same tone as cursing, maybe even what sounded like his name mixed in, but Illumina didn’t even seem to react at all.
And now it was just the two of us.
I continued to hold my head low, even when I knew he was observing me. I mean, what am I supposed to do?? I’ve never been in a situation like this before and I didn’t even know that I would. There’s nothing in school that could’ve ever prepared me for this!
I waited for a miracle to happen as I, metaphorically and literally, twindled my thumbs together anxiously.
“You’re confused.” He simply states, breaking the silence that once again threatened to take hold. Then, he sighed, the one wing of his twitched, “Or are you simply incapable of speaking?”
I snapped my head up, a retort ready on my tongue, but the words died immediately the moment I saw that look in his eyes.
“U-Uh, no...” I managed, gulping down the rest of the words.
He raised a brow, “So you can speak but you chose not to?”
“I-“
“I what?”
“...” Ah, I really hate how small I feel. He was my favourite sword ever since I found out about this game, so for him to be confronting me like this... He must despise me. I feel hurt.
I hung my head low again.
Illumina tapped the table slowly, a soft rhythmic pattern that hides his impatience under a thin hidden veil. Then, he rakes that clawed hand on the table, producing a sound akin to a knife on a stone slab.
My mind, all of the sudden, noticed the change in atmosphere. Alarm bells rang and the air felt colder. Despite how heavy my head suddenly felt like, I managed to raise it upright just to see-
Oh, he’s standing up now.
And he’s walking towards me.
I really wanted to book it, act like my wings were fake and that the entire thing was a prank gone wrong – but I couldn’t. I froze in my seat, staring at the man who was supposed to be my father.
He stopped halfway, not enough to be far, or close, but far enough for me to be thankful of – albeit, for such a small grace.
He simply stood there, staring. I couldn't tell if he was staring at me or something else, but I highly doubt that matters. His wing twitched once, then paused, before he folded it behind his back.
“I believe...” he starts, shifting his jaw slightly, “We got off on the wrong foot.”
…
...????
“How should I address you?”
Excuse me???
What’s with this sudden change??????
“U-Um-...” I stammered, confused whether this was some sort of weird test or something else, “M- Peri...astron....?”
He furrowed his brows, probably clamping down an insult that tried to crawl up his mouth, “Periastron… sword, I assume.”
Not exactly… Although Periastron Sword was her full legal name, she couldn't exactly call herself that. She's a broken gear after all – The mesh of one.
Plus, her sword isn't even a real sword! It's just the hilt!
I nodded nonetheless, either out of obedience or the want to not explain everything to him, I'm not sure.
He returned my gesture, although stiff it may be. “Then, should I assume you already knew of my gear?”
Right, I'm only a newborn- sorry, newspawn. I shouldn't know their names by now. But at the same time, the others were throwing his name around just a moment ago – so I could pretend I received his name from that.
And honestly, I'm pretty sure he was expecting that too, since he didn't even question it when I nodded.
“That seems to have covered all the topics I wanted to speak to you about.” He said, already turning on his heel, “You're free to do whatever it is you wish-”
“W-Wait, Dad-”
“Illumina.”
“R-Right, Illumina…” I gulped, already sensing his annoyance rising, “M-May i ask where… My room- is?”
…
Illumina regarded me coldly, an eyebrow of his twitched, causing me to shift in my seat. Then, a moment later, he turned around, sucking in air through his teeth.
“Follow me.”
And so, I did.
The room Illumina gave me felt stuffy.
A passing comment of his when he opened the door for me suggests that it used to belong to someone else – and guessing by the scorch marks on the wall, it's pretty obvious who it used to inhabit.
He also said - rather curtly ‐ that the other swords don't actually live here, so i won't meet them as often.
So this whole gigantic palace is just Illumina's home, huh?
What does he even do everyday?
On our way here, I saw alot of rooms. Most of the doors were closed or unlabeled, but I saw one that perked my interest. “The library”, written on a silver plaque, a perfect haven for any inspiring author!
As much as I want to immediately book it in there – I couldn't – lest I face the wrath of Illumina.
Maybe another time.
As I sat on the bed in the corner of the room with a sigh, a plume of dust – which had been sitting on the bed for god knows how long- shot up immediately.
I got up just as instantly, coughing up a storm as I swat away the dust from my nose.
Damn, maybe clean up the place a little bit first.
Just how long had Firebrand been missing for?
I searched the nearby cabinets and wardrobes to find something I could clean with. Eventually, I found myself in the not-too-lavish-but-kinda-is bathroom that directly connects to the room, grabbing myself a rag I nabbed from the sink.
It's not the best at cleaning dust, I would very much prefer a feather duster, but it does it's job.
…
Actually, this now begs the question… When exactly am I in the timeline?
It’s unclear when Firebrand went missing, yet I could only estimate that it was a somewhat recent thing, relatively speaking. But for the dust to settle on this amount? It’ll take years at best – Maybe even decades!
Knowing that Valk and Dom were at least 20 years old during the time Phighting ( the contest/game ) was created, I at least have a 20 year time gap of estimation.
I can't tell if Valk or Dom was younger or older due to them being roblox characters, so I can't use that.
But, if I were to hazard a guess…
Knowing that I made Periastron a teen during the events that I do know of, I have at least been set 13 or 17 years behind.
And seeing that Firebrand isn't here, the scorch had already happened way before my birth.
…
Unless,
Firebrand never used this place to begin with. If so, that'll put a hole through my dust-based theory.
And the fact that Periastron could've very much well overthrown the swords in the future is also an issue with my theory.
Ugh.
I get why writers avoid having time be written into the plot at all! It's such a headache.
I scrubbed the rag on the surface of the wardrobe, a clear line where dust had been a moment prior next to the surface I had not cleaned can be seen.
…
Right, the story.
I should worry about my own story, rather than the timeline, for now.
Ah, facing it now…
Am I really going to be the future killer of these deities?
I now get why Periastron did it, they haven't been nice to me at all. If that's going to change or not in the future is anyone's guess.
But, still, they're people too. Killing is just something… I can't handle.
Plus, how am I supposed to even gain the upper hand in the first place? They're deities! They're very old and very smart – And I'll only be a teen by then. What can I even do against the likes of them?
…
Is there a way I can eject myself from the story I've trapped myself in?
A way to steer away from the predetermined ending set out for me?
…
Ah, actually…
Instead of steering away from the story, could I, instead, steer it into the direction I want it to be?
I stared at the door that separated me from the rest of the deities.
Could I reach the consensus I wanted, without them being at each other's necks constantly?
Could I… really… become the writer I've always dreamed of being in this life?
Something moved in the corner of my eye. I blinked, snapping towards it.
Huh, that's odd.
I thought I saw my shadow moving a second ago.