Chapter Text
“I want to thank you for coming all the way out here.”
Noob nodded, unzipping their backpack to get their equipment.
“It’s no problem really, I’m glad for something to do.”
Twotime had not been what Noob expected. When they first reached out to Noob, they had asked if it was possible for Noob to contact a lost loved one. The amount of trouble they had using a computer had Noob imagining a cute little old grandparent, not someone less than a year older than them, and the way they dressed… Well, it was beautiful. They looked lovely in their robes but Noob had been expecting someone relatively ordinary, not someone dressed like a D&D warlock.
“What is that?”
Noob jumped slightly, Twotime was hovering directly behind them, and they hadn’t even heard them move at all.
“O-oh it’s a voice recorder, that way I can run it back after our investigation to check for EVPs.”
Twotime stared blankly at them.
“If your partner talks to us and we don’t hear it I’ll catch it on recording.”
“Oh I see.”
Noob pressed the recording button and set it down. They reached back into their backpack and pulled out several items: a small tripod, a camcorder, a pair of dousing rods, an old radio which had been renovated into a spirit box, and a hefty flash light.
“I’m gonna set up the camera and then we can start okay?”
Twotime nodded watching with intrigue as Noob perched the camera on the tripod. Once the camera was sufficiently stable Noob took the dousing rods in either hand and turned to Twotime.
“Do you happen to have anything that belonged to your partner? It might be easier to talk to him if we put out something he recognizes.”
Twotime hesitated for a moment before removing the witch-like hat they had been wearing and handing it to Noob.
“This belongs to him, I intend to give it back when he returns.”
“Returns?” Noob asked, taking the hat.
“He recently passed into the spawns embrace, he will be cared for until the time comes for him to be granted his second life. I only wish to pierce the veil to hear his beautiful voice again.” Twotime spoke with their hands clasped as if in prayer.
Noob hesitated for a moment trying to figure out what they meant by that before they realized, Twotime must be religious, it would explain the strange fantasy get up.
“I know the feeling, I uh… actually got into Ghost hunting cause I lost a loved one too.” Noob mumbled.
Twotime smiled softly “Your loved one is not lost, they will come back to you soon and the two of you will be very happy together.”
Noob smiled awkwardly, deciding not to break it to them that it wasn’t very likely that would happen even if they did come back.
“Anyways let’s um, let’s get started, I’m gonna start with dousing rods just because I like them the most.”
Twotime nodded watching intently as Noob set the hat down and extended the two rods.
“What is your partner's name? It’ll be helpful to talk to them directly.”
Twotime nodded “Their name is Azure, Azurewrath.”
Noob nodded and took a deep breath, this part was always the most tedious.
“Okay um, hello? Azure, can you hear me?”
Nothing
“If you can, could you make the rods cross?”
Nothing.
But then very slowly the rods crossed over each other. Twotime leaned over Noob’s shoulder, their eyes glistening.
“Azure?” they whispered. Their voice caused an immediate temperature drop, Noob could feel the hair stand up on their arm. Twotime felt it too and their face dropped slightly.
“Are they angry with me?” they whispered nervously.
“Why would he be angry with you?” Noob asked.
“Because-”
“Because they killed me.”
The voice came deep and rich, making Noob freeze up. Noob looked around for the source of the voice but all they saw were clusters of deadly nightshade. Had those always been there?
Twotime had gone deathly silent. They were staring off distantly towards the trees at the edge of the field. Noob tentatively followed their gaze towards… a figure, a dark figure, wearing a peaked witches hat. Vibrant violet eyes stared back at Noob filled with both rage and sorrow. The shadowy figure began to waver, four tendrils slowly curled outwards.
“Azure?” Twotime whispered so quietly Noob almost couldn’t hear them.
But Azure could.
It was less than a second that Azure moved from the edge of the field to directly in front of them. Noob got their first good look at him. His figure was completely shadowy, they were clothed in robes almost identical to Twotime, and right above his heart was a large wound, overgrown with deadly nightshade. His eyes were deep enough to get lost in, so completely filled with sadness and rage.
“You.” He whispered softly, his gaze boring into Twotime.
Twotime stood there completely frozen, they looked as though they would cry.
“You hurt me, you killed me. I loved you, and you stabbed me in the back.”
The shadowy tendrils slowly began to curl around the two of them as if intending to swallow them whole.
“W-wait, don’t hurt them, they haven’t done anything wrong.” Noob stuttered.
Azure’s gaze very slowly shifted to them. Their eyes shifted from sadness and anger to a weary sort of sympathy.
“You are unaware of what they did to me, to our love.” The shadowy Tendrils slowly began to curl around Noob forcing them to focus on Azure.
“They were a coward, too afraid to face me head on, to tell me what was to be, they stabbed me in the back on the night… that I proposed to them.”
Noob froze, Twotime was the one behind Azure’s death? It horrified them that it made sense, if Twotime believed in reincarnation then surely death wouldn’t seem like a big deal to them but, why would they kill their partner?
“Why?” Noob whispered
“A second life requires a sacrifice to earn it early.” Azure whispered sadly “I still feel the pain from that night, they wouldn’t look at me, wouldn’t touch me. They remained silent when I told them I loved them. They were a coward.”
That. That hit close to home for Noob, it made their stomach twist trying to keep thoughts of that day from creeping up.
“You know my pain, don’t you?” Azure’s shadowy hand gently grazed the scar on Noob’s eyebrow. “And yet, there’s no anger in your heart. How is that so?”
Noob tensed up slightly, “It hurts more, to hang onto it. Especially when… you know they were just afraid.”
Azure stood for a long moment before slowly wrapping his arms around them. “You have a good soul.”
The shadowy tendrils lowered, Azure’s gaze shifting to Twotime. The anger was still there but it was muted now, replaced by a longing look of sadness.
“Nightshade?” he whispered softly. Twotime stiffened.
“Azure?”
“Goodbye.”
And just like that Azure was gone, leaving Noob and twotime alone in the moonlit field.