Chapter Text
A falling star was hurling straight down above the web tangled bell of Songclave.
Falling, falling.
The falling star saw he was to crash, and used what little star energy he had left to use a phase shift of his body to cause himself to become intangible and fall through the Bell shrine. He couldn’t hold it long as he turned and then finally had to let go as he slowed his descent. But he lost too much energy and some blood blinded his eyes.
He started losing consciousness and dropped down before a scruff golden door. The ground crackled a little, but remained intact, as the same could be said for some of the fallen star’s bones.
He groaned a little and then completely loss consciousness.
The door opened as out came a flood of steam. Creatures woven of silk from within floated forth to surround the little guest of theirs. Then out stepped from the cloud that surrounded the area the Grey Organ Player, her arms behind her back as she glided towards where the fallen star lay.
The whispers of the Wraiths echoed softly:
*A creature*
*From above…?*
*A stranger!*
*Curious… it doesn’t possess silk*
*What is it?*
*Closer… look… a creature different… from high above… even beyond the Cradle*
*Blasphemous words… but look at it*
*Closer… it has a mask of it’s own!*
*Curious… A little peek…?*
She raised her hand for them to be silent, as the Longpin Master brought forth her golden weapon of choice to approach the stranger. Slowly she noticed something they held, a satchel that was around their body and how their five fingers gripped it tightly. Carefully she reached and touched their hand, and that was when they reacted and sucked in a breath as they flipped over their head and summoned a long knitting needle with a ball shining with a star on it on one end.
The Wraiths hissed at the audacity, but their master was not fazed, though she stood ready nonetheless by nature.
*Danger!*
*Must be stopped*
“Let them alone. They are not awake.”
The Wraiths calmed themselves, and then noticed how the star trembled as their head bobbed a little.
“They reacted even when unconscious. A battle-worn instinct of their body. Quite a curiosity to land before our abode, and quite attached to whatever they hold…”
The weapon of the star disappeared as they slowly sunk down to the floor with a tired groan.
She then approached them and noticed their hand was looser as she poked them a few times, but gently to not pierce the shell. They didn’t awake as she checked a little closer and touched his mask, a round mask with ripples as if a drop of water had fallen in still waters. She felt energy radiating from it, an energy beyond that of normal means. Of a higher power…
Her eyes hardened to that thought, as she pulled on the mask slowly in wanting to see what creature this was, but she relented when she felt them stir. They turned over slowly, but then collapsed again.
That was when she noticed a gash on the side of their back when they flipped over to try to get up. They were wounded.
*A wound*
*Weakened*
*Poor creature*
*In pain*
*What to do now*
She stood up and then said,
“This creature has a warrior’s instinct, and seems to have retreated from the perpetrator. If left out here, they may be found or they may slowly wear out until they die…”
The Wraiths were silent as the environment seemed quieter too.
Then the pin of their Master flipped as she held it more behind herself,
“Bring them in. We will see if it has what it takes to live well or die trying.”
She started walking towards the door, as the Wraiths surrounded the stranger and lifted them up.
*You are sure to keep it?*
*Would they know?*
*Would she know?*
She stood before the doorway and turned as the light of the Exhaust Organ circled dimly around her as she replied,
“They won’t, and even if they do, it matters not. What do they care, I am a Phantom after all.”
Phantom then entered her home as the Wraiths followed with the stranger, the doors closing behind them.