Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

You, the Aeon of Creation, have been taken off your pedestal. For eons upon eons upon eons, you've created what is now known as the universe. You were there at the beginning, the ancient one, the Genesis, the Principles, your many titles have accumulated over the years. And yet, despite being born a millennium ago, Nanook stripped you of your divinity and left you to die in the mortal world. Now, you must get back to your rightful place with the help of the mortals around you. Slowly, but surely, you understand the meaning of humanity and the purpose of your creations.

Hio! This is a little story I made on a whim because I got hit with the creative boost out of nowhere. I love Honkai: Star Rail and the lore around it so I thought ‘why not make a story about it’ so here it is!

UPDATES WILL BE RANDOM 

I have other things going on in my life that take up a lot of time, but I will try to get chapters posted whenever. I am also writing the plot as I go along so don’t be surprised when things don’t make sense 😔 I’ll try to make it coherent enough. 

But thanks for giving this a chance!

Chapter Text

Holding oneself together was never truly easy. Not in the space where time is irreverent and the shifts of the universe was only because of the sleight of hand, taking everything apart and then pulling it back together. The strain was felt throughout the cosmos, a whisper of wind through the stars, a breath in the darkness, the shaking of planets. None dared to breathe, they weren’t granted the right by the very thing they were made from. The maker, the beginning, the origin of before. 

The Creation.

Ironic. Genesis held itself with its many limbs as if it were being torn apart from the inside out, but that was merely its nature. A hold of oneself, not of fragility, but of a safeguard against what it could unleash. Not even it knew, nor did it want to find out; the consequences would be dire should its curiosity get the best of it. A cruel and unjust punishment for the makings would be upon the worlds would happen if it came into fruition.

“Nouvel,” THEY spoke, lips unmoving yet THEIR voice was heard through the stars. Systems shook in fear at the new presence, shrinking and hiding at the pure malevolence that surrounded them. “Disease. You insult me with your makings, spite me with your defiance. Insolent.” THEY narrowed THEIR golden eyes, the shimmers of gold flowing faster with each drop that fell down THEIR dark cheeks. THEIR white hair shook alongside THEM when THEY came forward, closer, to Creation. “You will be erased within time. Your years are numbered, ancient one, and I will be your end.”

Nanook’s words were a promise for a time yet to come, a threat for the origin of everything. Blasphemous. To believe one can erase the maker when THEY were born a millennium ago, merely a blink compared to Nouvel. The Genesis has been holding the very universe, itself, since everything first began. Although, it was not to be taken lightly. In the millennium THEY’VE been around, THEY wrecked havoc on worlds, THEIR lord ravagers destroying like the mindless beasts they were. Intimidation was not the right word to describe the feeling. Perhaps unnerved, suspicious, uneasy. Nothing, perhaps, could truly understand how the ancient one felt when the destruction held THEIR severed hands out, THEIR golden blood glowing brighter than before.

“You,” the blemished one continued on, THEIR glare burning through the creation’s protective limbs one by one, eradicating them to dust and ash, “are the taint of everything. Your worlds are a mistake that must be corrected, your beings are the cancers of all that is wrong. You will understand the consequences of your actions, Nouvel. See to it, when you come back, the erasure of your wrongdoings.”

Nothing else besides an overwhelming flash of light, a blinding thing that shook the very cosmos. Beings stopped, lives stood at a stand still as a chilling feeling washed through their bones. Blood ran cold, an understanding running through all as a whistle of a fallen divine echoed through the very life that breathed. Now, nothing held them together, the creation letting go as it plummeted into the mortal world. Its form warping, stars surrounding it, protecting it, as it shifted and strained against the planes of reality. Its divinity stripped, leaving nothing more than an empty shell where it used to be; Nanook standing where it once was, THEIR eyes hardened and unyielding as THEIR journey for destruction continued on. Now, without Genesis standing in THEIR way. 

Chapter Text

It was quiet. The silence felt unnerving, an absence of a melody meant to be heard, yet nothing came forth. Stars dimmed in sorrow, aching to be near but unable to reach out. Their warmth was no longer felt, only a shiver of coldness throughout the space, and it was dark. Darker than normal. An imposing thing, intimidating that nothing could be seen for miles upon miles. Debris drifted past, brushing along as they floated together, no longer a small insignificant speck; it was seen, it was known now. Odd. How odd that it was colder, things were bigger than before, and darker, an endless abyss that no longer felt comforting. What was this sorcery? A new magic? A vision of some sort? No, not possibly a vision, it would’ve been seen through by now. But this was more, so much more, because now things were different, seen in a new perspective that was never truly considered before. Where were things? Why was it so confusing? Why are memories slipping away without any answers to the endless amount of questions? Why, why, why?

A light came. Dim at first, mistaken for a planet, until it started to move. It grew bigger with each passing moment, the particle getting closer and closer until it surrounded the area in a silver material. A warm yellow shone through, figures stood inside the object. Lips parted, bodies moved as one jumped up and waved their hands around, rushing out of sight. Two more followed, one more reluctant and the other tripping over themselves, disappearing from sight before emerging back and trailing behind the first. Two more figures shook their heads, glancing at each other and following. The silence was filled with a rumbling coming from the foreign thing, light appearing below it that explained how it seemed to move, going along a path across the distant galaxy, seemingly stretching on for quite a while. But thoughts became cut short when hands tugged, warmth seeping through, vision exploding in a variety of colors, ears popping at the new sounds, skin tingling at the touches, the new scents became overwhelming. It was new, it was all so new, and so odd.

The voices seem scattered, each speaking in another tongue that seemed unfamiliar on the ears. But with time, they were coherent, and an understanding came as one began to direct their speech, their lips moving with each new syllable. “Hey!” The voice was light, bubbly even, filled with relief. It wasn’t unpleasant to listen to, but it took adjustments to get used to it. “They’re moving! Do you think they’ll be okay? They’ve been out there for, er,” the voice wavered and trailed off, “who knows how long…”

Another answered, a deep timbre that felt soothing, and almost hinted at their age. Older than the former, yet hard to identify the range. “I’m sure they’ll be fine, March. The injuries they’ve sustained don't look too bad, if not mostly unscathed. With time, they’ll heal, don’t worry.”

A grunt came and a different answer came from another voice. It was as young as the first, but gentler, breathy, and similar to the second. “Are we sure they’re safe enough to bring on the train? They may have been floating for a while, but there’s hardly anything on their body indicating they’ve been out there for more than an hour.” A sweet, honeyed chuckle came along, “always the observant one, Dan Heng. Your suspicions are valid, but let’s wait for them to wake up first before making any assumptions.” The first high-pitched voice came again, “Yeah! You can’t be suspicious of someone who can’t even prove their innocence yet!” The other younger one sighed, “I’m only watching out–”

“Watching out my butt! Staying in the archives all day really messed up your head, you know.”

“That’s not how that works.”

“Well it is now!”

“And you just lost your credibility to speak on this topic.”

The honeyed voice interrupted the two, “hush, both of you. They’re waking up.”

The voices became clearer than before, and soon enough, their faces were seen. Each had vibrant colors, ranging from a bright pink to red, then to gray, black, and brown. Odd. There were four voices, yet five figures standing around. Only one hadn’t spoken yet, but it didn’t matter as the pink haired girl spoke, the bubbly voice suddenly making more sense, “ah! You’re awake!” She said excitedly, a grin on her face, her blue and pink eyes bright and lively. “Welcome aboard the Astral Express! My name’s March 7th, what’s yours?”

You gazed at the girl blankly, your eyes half lidded, almost tired. Out of it was an understatement; it seemed as though you weren’t mentally present. A slight sway in your body made alarm bells ring in her head, making her wrap an arm around your shoulder to steady you. March 7th looked up at the group, brows pinched in worry at your less than stable condition. “Uhm,” she was going to speak more, perhaps ask if you remembered anything, when a hand settled on her shoulder, “give them some time.” The young man with black hair said, his dark teal eyes drifting over your form. 

The older man with brown hair spoke up next, holding his cane with both hands, “take them to one of the guest rooms in the passenger car. I’ll find Pom-Pom and see if they can help.” He turned to the younger gray haired individual, his expression stern and serious, “it would be appreciated if you can help too. We need all the hands we can get.” The gray haired one nodded, walking over to grab your arm, wrapping it around their neck and lifting you onto your feet. Your mildly hazy vision moved to them, not quite seeing the finer details, but seeing enough of their face, their gold eyes looking back at you in curiosity before they turned their attention forwards and started to walk you into a new place. Behind you, the voices of the older man and woman grew quieter, and you could only catch bits and pieces of words being thrown such as, “like March 7th?”, “another being” , and “Herta”.

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The golden eyed individual opened the sliding door, helping you walk down a hall. The first door held a distant vibration, twinkles of light showing through the small rectangular window. The second door was open and greeted you in bright variations of pink, nearly blinding you from the sheer amount of pastels one room could possibly have. The third door was closed, but you could smell an aroma of coffee wafting through. And the last door looked glued shut, an otherworldly presence felt that sent a shiver down your spine with a sudden understanding that you shouldn’t open that door, lest you fear what was on the other side. The individual walked you into a room, the door automatically closing behind you. Inside were two beds on either side of the room, a bookshelf in between them, along with cabinets at its base. On one side was a desk with a dead plant on top and a chair, and on the other was a bag hanging from the ceiling with room to fit one person, and underneath it was a fuzzy black rug. It was a cozy room, not as decorated as the pink one you passed by, but cozy enough. You sat down on the bed, the golden eyed one making sure you wouldn’t fall before grabbing the chair from the desk and rolling it over. They sat on it backwards, their arms coming up and resting on the back of it. 

They tilted their head curiously, their gray hair falling slightly in their face before they brushed it behind their ear. Neither of you spoke at first, the silence nearly echoing in the room. It wasn’t uncomfortable, but it wasn’t entirely pleasant either; it was like the other was sizing you up, trying to gauge exactly who you were. “Who are you?” They asked, their voice low, similar to the black haired man’s, but they had more of a variety, as if they were one step away from threatening your life or asking if you can be best friends.

But their question caught you slightly off guard. It was simple, answerable. Words eluded you despite this fact. Your mind was blank as you tried to come up with a response, or at least remember what’s happened in the last hours. There was an agony spreading across your body like wildfire, a flash of blinding light in your vision, and then a falling sensation. Afterwards was the real question, for there was no after you knew about. It was dark. Your head blanked. All you knew was that you were floating across space before you were found, remnants of that burning feeling wearing off within time. How odd. 

The individual across from you narrowed their golden eyes, and suddenly the room felt suffocating. Their aura was strange, to say the least. You felt it before somewhere. That dread sinking deep down as you gazed upon something familiar, a distant roar from worlds, a sound that could decay anything and everything around it. A being of pure malice, created from one that spoke nothing but pain. Some cancer, some disease that eradicated all. It seemed to be in the room, or perhaps right in front of you. Thankfully, it didn’t last long as the door slid open, the feeling of dread washing away when a small creature waddled inside. Their voice was high and almost raspy, their eyes closed for a moment as they held out a bottle of pills and some water. “Pom-Pom has arrived to take care of the patient!” The small creature declared, and the gray haired one smiled, “thanks Pom-Pom. I’ll go talk to Mr. Yang about the situation.” They got up, glancing at you one last time before leaving.

The creature, Pom-Pom, turned its attention to you, opening their bright blue eyes. They dressed in a red uniform with black trim and gold accents, a red and gold cloth wrapped around one of their large ears, and a giant hat resting atop their head. “Hello there! My name is Pom-pom, and I’m the conductor of the Astral Express! I’m sure you have questions, so Pom-Pom will try to answer as much as possible.” They waddled closer, setting their paws on your legs as they gazed up at you, but they froze for a second. Their eyes widened in something akin to realization, a tension in their body, before it all melted away, and their pupils dilated greatly. “Friend!” They seemed to laugh, clapping their paws excitedly, “It’s so good to see you again! Pom-Pom knew you would visit, it would just take time, and the both of us are super busy anyway.”

Pom-pom handed you the medicine and water bottle, “here, take this. It’ll help with your drowsiness, you look like you’re about to fall over.” You took it from their hands, staring at them for a moment, trying to pinpoint where you’ve seen them before. They shouldn’t have been hard to identify them, anyone would recognize a creature like them. Deep down, you knew them too, but the words refused to come. Your mind refused to let you remember, and your blank stare caused Pom-Pom to tense slightly, “why are you looking at Pom-Pom like that, friend? Don’t you remember me?” The silence that came after was deafening, and the small creature’s ears drooped in sorrow, and they asked you once more, their voice quiet and shaky, “You… remember me… right? We’re best friends, you know Pom-Pom.” They stuttered, shaking your arm as their voice cracked. Tell Pom-Pom that you remember…”

Your heart felt heavy in your chest, a weight pulling you down when tears started to gather in Pom-Pom’s eyes, and they tried to wipe it away, to no avail. Sniffles came from them, their bright eyes watery, and they lowered their head. “You,” they hiccuped, “you’re looking at Pom-Pom like a stranger. you haven’t said a single word this entire time. Did something happen while you were floating out there, friend? Is that what made you unable to recognize Pom-Pom?” You didn’t answer, you didn’t know what to say. How could you comfort them when you didn’t know who they were? How could you say that they shouldn’t cry when you’re the reason they’re sad? Comforting them was out of the question, so all you could do was sit on the bed awkward, watching as they tried to calm themselves down, wiping their tears once more, and trying to look somewhat presentable.

“At least take your medicine.” They said, their voice still hoarse from crying. They turned, scurrying out of the room and leaving you alone with your thoughts, which was never a good thing to begin with. You felt guilty for reasons beyond you, your heart felt heavier than ever before, and your throat felt dry. You didn’t even say a word this entire time, only staring as if you knew nothing. But it felt like you knew nothing, even though you knew everything. It was like your mind was at war with itself, wrestling with the fact that your memories were not showing itself, yet you know what you want to remember. It was so complicated, so odd. You know about Pom-Pom, you know about yourself, but it was like it was locked away in a place where you could not access it. You needed to remember, you needed to know, you needed to know what was going on. Why were you floating through space? What caused you to lose your memories? Why were you here on another plane of existence when you should be…

…

Should be where? Where should you be? What did you mean by another plane of existence? You’ve always been here, right? Or at least, you know you’ve been here. Unless there was something you were missing, unless there was a conversation you could not recall, a memory trapped and locked away that would give you the answers to all your desperate questions. You needed to know, you needed to know where you came from, what your purpose here was, why you were banished here. Where is here? Where were you? Who were you? Why were you so confused? Why could you feel the phantom pains of something beyond you? Why did it hurt? Why did it feel as though this wasn’t your body? Why couldn’t you breathe? Why was it all too much to remember? Why? Why? Why? What hated you so? What destroyed you so? Why? Why? Why?

Disease .

You are the taint of everything.

You will be erased within time.

A blinding agony went through your bones. You felt as though you were burning from the inside out, melting in on yourself, your form shaking in utter pain. A cry came that made the stars shrink and move closer to try and comfort you, but they moved back when THEIR gaze turned on them. You were hurting, it was burning, you couldn’t handle it, it was painful. Your limbs were eradicated, nothing but dust and ash. Pure ash, scattering all across. Was this it? To be destroyed.

Insolent .

Your form shook, unable to keep itself together any longer.

I will be your end.

Golden eyes glared through your soul, hateful, looking down upon you as if you were the scorn of the world. LIke you were the very problem of the universe that needed correction. You were the disease. You were the cancer. And you could no longer stand in the way.

You will understand the consequences of your actions.

And it went dark once more.

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Voices drifted in and out of your hearing, one sounding like the woman with the honeyed voice, and the other sounding light as well, but it was more sarcastic. Cynical, as if they had better things to do than to be there, but sounded odd. Like a connection being made from a long distance. “--some tests.” You caught the last half of the conversation between the two, the cynical voice speaking before the softer one spoke up, “You would have to ask them first, but what would these tests entail?”

The other chuckled, and you could almost see them tilting their head, “identifying if they’re an aeon, of course. It’s rare for any being to survive out in space for long periods of time, but your crew found them in near perfect condition. Not only that, but the markings on their body is unlike anything I’ve ever seen.” The voice moved closer, perhaps standing over you now, “do you see that on their neck? It’s similar to the markings on the Aeon of Destruction, Nannook.” The name sent a shiver down your spine, your heartbeat suddenly stuttering, as if you were afraid. “And their aura; I know you feel it, Miss Himeko. By the readings I’ve already taken,” clicks came from the voice, and they grew more excited with each one, “they’re off the charts. Now, their energy levels are lower than the divine beings, but it’s nearly unmistakeable. Your crew has saved an aeons life, but not just any. Now, I would tell you exactly how I had gotten to this point, but alas, details, details. I’d surely bore you with my extensive research.” The honeyed voice sighed, “please, Herta, which aeon are they?” A laugh, turning into a giggle, and then a sigh. “The Aeon of Creation, of course.”

“Creation? As in Nouvel?”

“Yes! Creation. The Ancient one, the Genesis, the maker, et cetera, et cetera. Their mortal form, as I like to call it, has hints of their divine form. The markings are one of them, of course. You should’ve noticed the unique coloring of their eyes, their jaw– see? No mortal looks that perfect. I would be impressed with how well they can capture humanity if it wasn’t for the fact they created all of us.”

Himeko hummed, “but the real question is why they’re here? Wouldn’t they be in their own plane of reality?”

“Exactly.” Herta laughed, “that is the question we would need to find out. But, unfortunately, I can’t give you any answers until THEY wake up so I can do research.”

“I see. Well, thank you, Herta. I’ll make sure to keep you posted.”

The two exchanged their brief goodbyes before silence came once more. It dragged on for a long while before footsteps came closer to the bed, a dip in the mattress with the added weight as Himeko sat down. “I know you’re awake. You don’t have to hide it any more.” You opened your eyes at Himeko’s observant nature, gazing at the red haired woman. You saw that she had a golden hair clip in her hair, bright yellow eyes, and a white dress that wrapped around her body and accentuated her figure. “Nouvel, right?” She tilted her head, her gaze looking over you, “well, from how confused you looked when we found you, I’m sure you don’t remember anything. Herta said it would be possible to run some tests to understand why you don’t remember.” The woman looked over at the wall, thinking deeply. You could say nothing else, not like you said a word in the first place. If only you spoke up, perhaps it would’ve comforted Pom-Pom, even a little bit.

“Even if you’re an aeon, it’s clear that you’re weak right now.” She gave you a gentle smile, her hand resting on your arm, “please, go ahead and rest. We have a lot to discuss, but I’d rather you not be overwhelmed right now with everything that’s happened.” The woman stood walking towards the door, but stopping as she turned, “if you need anything, just holler.” She said before exiting the room, and leaving you alone. You were too tired to think right then, already exhausted, mentally, emotionally, perhaps even physically if you really thought about it. But you didn’t want to think, you wanted to sleep. So that’s what you did.

See to it, when you come back, the erasure of your wrongdoings.

Chapter Text

“Ah.” Himeko turns to you with a smile on her face, her hand moving from her chin down to rest it on one of her arms. “It’s good to see you up and about.” Next to her was an older man with shaggy brown hair with a white streak in it, holding a cane in his hands as he turned as well. He pushed up his glasses, the glare disappearing and showing his brown eyes that held what seemed to be ages of wisdom and something else behind it. Perhaps he was the one with the sealed door that gave you an uneasy feeling when you passed it by.

The older man nodded at you in greeting, “Hello there, I don’t believe I’ve introduced myself yet. My name is Welt Yang, but you can call me Mr. Yang if you’d like.” Mr. Yang extended his hand to you, and your gaze shifted from it, to his face, and back again before you shook it. You nodded at him in return before taking your hand back, clenching it at your side. His grip was firm for a man of his age, and there was no doubt he could pummel you if he wanted to. You desperately hoped he wouldn’t. 

Himeko looked between the two of you and spoke once more, “now that we got the introductions out of the way, Welt and I wanted to take you to Herta’s Space Station. Since we found you floating in space, we need to make sure you don’t have any internal injuries or anything that we didn’t catch before. But I’m also sure you have lots of questions about the Express and yourself, and we’ll answer it in due time.”

“We also have our own questions for you,” Welt continued on, holding his cane with both hands. “Which will all be answered on the Space Station. Herta is pretty busy, so it’ll give us some time to ask and answer each other. In the meantime, Dan Heng and our newly acquainted member, Caelus, will accompany us.” At their names, the two appeared. Dan Heng stood next to Mr. Yang, arms crossed and scrutinizing you already. It was clear he was wary, but not as much as Caelus was. The gray haired man stared you down, his golden eyes narrowing considerably, and it seemed like he was going to do or say something to you when Himeko spoke up.

“Now,” she rested her hand on your shoulder, “I know things are moving pretty fast right, but there’s a lot of things we need to get done today. Trust me, you’ll get the answers to your questions soon, don’t worry.” The red haired woman looked over at the older man, the two exchanged in a silent conversation before starting to walk towards the door to exit the train. Caelus and Dan Heng stayed behind you, clearly expecting that you go on next so they can keep a watchful eye. For what exactly, you didn’t know. Perhaps on you. Well, maybe it was entirely on you since you were just a floating body a little more than a day ago, and everyone was on their guard. You shouldn’t expect the attitude to change just because Mr. Yang and Himeko were being nice. So, with a deep breath, you followed after the older pair, hearing the footsteps of the younger pair behind you. Cautious, careful, and watching for any wrong moves that you might make.

A young voice came through once the five of you made it to the station and walked to the main deck. It was light and airy, belonging to a pink haired woman with light blue eyes. Her smile seemed to brighten the room as she all but skipped over, waving to the four. “Astral Express! It’s good to see you already. Madam Herta is just finishing up a project of hers, at least I think so. I never know what that woman is doing.” Her voice dropped to a mumble before she shook her head, “please, make yourselves at home. The space station is forever grateful to you for helping fight against the Antimatter Legion.” 

Caelus lightened up, nodding to her, “it was no problem really.” Though, the response only made Asta shake her head, “seriously, if it wasn’t for you, I doubt most of these researchers would be here. Even Arlan is thankful, he just won’t admit it.” And as if summoned with just the name, a shorter man came, his purple eyes looking over the group. His dark skin held the light markings of scars, a clear testament to how hard he fights, no doubt hinting at his status as the guard of the space station.

“Are you embarrassing me again, Asta?” He accused, crossing his arms. Asta, in turn, quickly shook her head, a light pink blush rising onto her cheeks, “ah-hah! Of course not,” she drawled out, “I’m just telling the express crew how hard you fought for the space station!” The lie was so blatant and obvious, even you couldn’t help but cringe internally. It was clear the pink haired woman couldn’t lie to save her life, but hearing it come from her mouth made you want to crawl into a hole and never come out for her sake. It was obvious she felt the same when her gaze drifted elsewhere, her face scrunching in disdain for the words that came out of her mouth. 

A small bark came from below, and attention shifted to a small cream colored dog. It panted softly, its tongue out as it waddled between Asta’s and Arlan’s legs, yipping at the two excitedly. The pink haired woman cooed, kneeling down to stroke its head, speaking in a baby voice. “Peppy! Awe, who’s a good boy? Yes, it’s you! Yes you are!” Arlan scoffed, rolling his eyes so hard his head went with it, “You’re babying him, Asta. He’s a grown man!” The woman gasped, her hand over her chest as if she were clutching a pearl necklace, “he is not! Peppy is just a baby, and he’s my baby!”

“Our baby.” The white haired man corrected.

“He was mine first.” Asta huffed, standing up and putting her hands on her hips, staring down at Arlan. Literally. He was pretty short compared to her.

“And he likes me more.”

“No he doesn’t!”

“Yes he does.”

“No!”

“Yes.”

Asta turned to the dog, stepping a few feet away, “Peppy, who do you like more, hm?” To which said dog yipped, looking between the two, and rolled over. “No– c’mon, boy! Who’s your favourite? Mean little Arlan or me?” Arlan huffed under his breath, irritation crossing through his eyes as he asked: “little?”

The cream colored dog only yipped again, turning in a circle this time before sitting down. The exchange went on for another ten minutes before Peppy finally decided on his choice, the dog giving Asta hope for a split second when it walked to her, only to turn around at the last minute and spring towards Arlan in betrayal. Cue the pink haired woman whining, stomping her foot like a child, and then trying to compose herself as if her own dog didn’t choose her boyfriend guard over her. 

Peppy yipped happily, running around the shorter man’s feet before turning to the group that had been standing there watching the whole thing go down. Mr. Yang and Himeko were a little ways away, discussing something that requires more focus and attention than the dog. Caelus and Dan Heng were still near, the former gazing at the interaction with rapt interest while the latter simply shook his head, keeping his eyes on you despite the distracting situation. And despite being watched, you couldn’t help but keep your gaze on the adorable dog and the way it interacted with its owners.

Though, the cuteness was short lived when Peppy turned its attention on you. It continued to pant at first, yipping, but then it closed its mouth and went silent. Its focus was on you, its black beady eyes trying to peer into your soul. There was nothing you could really do against a dog that looked at you as if you were the mystery of the universe, but backing away seemed like the best option when it started to growl and bark in hostility. Asta gasped in shock, and Arlan lifted Peppy in his arms, trying to soothe the animal. “Peppy,” the man stepped away as well, “quit barking. What’s wrong with you?”

“He isn’t usually like this,” Asta explained, looking at you in a new light. “Maybe he was set off by something? Or maybe he was just irritated. I’m so sorry.” 

The dog barked at you even more, baring its teeth threateningly. Having enough, Arlan lets out a sigh, “sorry, I’ll go calm him down.” The man took the animal away, walking out of the main deck and to a set of sliding doors, disappearing inside. You stood there awkwardly, refusing to look at anyone else, keeping your gaze either on the ground or to the windows holding little specs of twinkling lights. Asta cleared her throat, her brows furrowing at you, lips parting to ask a question. Thankfully, she didn’t have a chance as a blue screen appeared in front of her, a red point appearing next to a message. With a sigh, the woman put on a smile once more, gaining the attention of Mr. Yang and Himeko. “Madam Herta is ready to see you now.”

With a nod, Himeko and Mr. Yang comes closer, standing next to you, pressuring you into following them. You took a glance at the pink haired woman, seeing the uneasy look on her face as she faced Dan Heng and Caelus. The black haired man gave nothing away, making conversation to distract her from what happened; but the golden eyed man stared into your soul as you walked away.

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Coming upon Herta’s office wasn’t intimidating. It felt like a museum rather than an office, portraits of her face on holograms, paintings of other people on the walls, little plaques underneath it more than likely telling of their contributions. But what did set you off was the small puppet girl meeting you, Himeko, and Mr. Yang, her purple eyes unamused. She set her hands on her hips, not even bothering to hide the fact she was checking you out, but in her eyes, you felt more like an experiment than anything. With how this was going to go, you more than likely were.

“It’s about time.” She sighed, turning her back and waving her hand, the joints clicking nearly soundlessly with the movement. The floor moved with the motion, opening up and revealing several intimidating machines, a cushioned chair sitting in front of it. “I’ve been waiting for ages. Do you know how rare it is to be able to study two both a stellaron and a possible aeon at once? It’s rare, let me tell you. I had to pause everything else just to see for myself.” The puppet took your arm, dragging you over to the seat and sitting you down as she pressed several buttons on the machine. You must've made a face at the suddenness of it all, because Himeko took the generous liberty to distract Herta from immediately poking and prodding at your body as much as her heart desires. If she even had one.

“Madam Herta,” the red haired woman stood next to you, her hand on your arm. “Before we start, could you explain the reasoning for your tests?” The question made Herta stop, glancing between Himeko, Mr. Yang, and then you before taking the hint. Although she was reluctant to not start as soon as possible, she at least slowed down enough for you to gather your bearings. She sighed to show her obvious displeasure, “I suppose I could. I’d rather test you now, but my evidence must be presented.”

She moved in front of you, holding out her hand, showing a hologram of several figures. They looked otherworldly, ancient beings that stirred something in your chest, as if you’ve seen them once upon a time; some were adorned in exquisite jewelry, others appearing with weapons, more decorated with accessories belonging somewhere you couldn’t describe. Your mind refused to let you go into further detail about these beings, blocking yourself from understanding what they were exactly. Herta all made up for your struggle as she spoke, “these are the aeons, higher interdimensional beings that are far beyond our mortal understanding. We don’t know a lot about them, but from what can be perceived with pathetic mortal brains, they’re able to create these things called Paths from their birth, which they have power over. But, because of the creation of this path, they can’t do anything outside of it.” 

The puppet showed a picture of an orange colored being, rock formations surrounding THEM like armor, THEIR head akin to a sun, perhaps hope. “This is the aeon Qlipoth who reigns over the path of the Preservation. And this,” she showed another picture, a blue and purple royal-like figure, THEIR front legs akin to that of an animal and THEIR back ones similar to flaming wheels. THEY held a bow in THEIR hands, ready to shoot down anything that stood in their way. “Is the aeon Lan who reigns over the path of The Hunt. Neither one of them can access the other's power, which means mortals can’t access another path than the one they’re already following– with some exceptions, but THEY can grant a mortal access to THEIR power directly from THEM. These are called Emenators. I would go into further detail about paths and aeons, but I don’t want to bless you with the melodic sound of my voice for that long.”

Himeko chuckled and Mr. Yang let out a sigh of amusement. “The reason Madam Herta is explaining all of this is to help you get a grasp of what she’s researching,” the older man added on. “Aeons are powerful and dangerous beings with the ability to rewrite reality without a second thought. It’s even theorized that THEY are so strong that THEY’RE able to kill and erase each other from existence, or at the very least, seal each other away.”

“Which is why,” Himeko squeezed your shoulder, trying not to overwhelm you too much with the information provided, “we believe another aeon has attacked you. If you were a mortal, you more than likely would’ve died floating out in space like that, and you wouldn’t have that mark on your neck.” Her finger brushed against it, causing unpleasant sparks to shoot down your spine. Noticing this, the red haired woman gave you an apologetic look and pulled away.

“It’s also believed,” Herta piped up, “that you are an aeon yourself. But I can’t prove this without tests, so if we’re done discussing the context, I would like to begin.”

Himeko and Mr. Yang looked at each other before turning their attention to you. “It’s up to you.” The woman said, giving you the choice of discovering what exactly you were and the reason for your constant torment, or live in the dark and forever wonder if you had any purpose at all in your past life. The choice was obvious.

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March 7th happily skipped through, taking out her polaroid and snapping pictures of the express. The frames revealed the red couches tilted at an angle, the floating device of the omni-synthesizer with swirling gold around it, the phonograph, and much more. Though, when one of the photos became clearer after she shook it, a frown came onto her face at the sight of the sullen train conductor, their ears low and dragging on the ground, and their eyes glazed over with tears. The bubbly girl looked up, seeing the creature start to waddle away to perform their other duties. “Pom-Pom,” she called, walking next to them, “what’s wrong? You don’t usually look this sad.”

Pom-Pom jumped, startled as they were snapped out of their thoughts, “March! Don’t scare the conductor like that!” She smiled apologetically, rubbing the back of her neck in embarrassment before moving in front of them, “sorry, sorry. But you’ve been looking really down since you went to see… uh,” the pink haired girl trailed off, frowning as she tried to recall who the stranger that they found floating in space was. Pom-Pom let out a sigh, answering for her, “Nouvel. THEIR name is Nouvel.” 

“Nouvel?” March echoed, leading them over to sit down on one of the lounge chairs, somehow knowing this would be a heavy and lengthy conversation. “You know them? Wait– what do you mean THEIR? Isn’t that only reserved for aeons?” She gasped, “are they an aeon?! Did you know aeons at some point, Pom-Pom?!” The conductor puffed, patting her leg to try and calm her down from her many questions.

“Yes, yes. Now hush so I can tell you!” Rightfully, the pink haired girl shut her mouth, scooting on the edge of her seat, and waiting for Pom-Pom to tell their story. It wasn’t often that the conductor would tell the crew about themselves, only giving brief words of advice about enjoying the time with people one would travel with rather than enjoying the scenery; they knew the most about each passenger, but they themselves remained a mystery. Now, March had the perfect opportunity to not only learn about the beloved conductor, but about the stranger everyone’s been so wary about.

“Pom-Pom and Nouvel go way back,” the conductor started, climbing up into the chair next to March, struggling for a bit before the girl helped them up. They settled down, kicking their stubby legs and fidgeting with their clothes, “when I first met THEM, they were…” they hummed, trying to find the right words, “terrifying is an understatement. It’s really hard to put into words. THEY had all of these arms wrapped around THEM, covering THEIR body like THEY were trying to hide, or maybe to protect our eyes from THEM. Stars and meteors and planets orbited around THEM too, but in a way that showed excitement, I guess you could say. But even if I was scared out of my mind, THEY took the time to wait until I calmed down before speaking to me.” Pom-Pom looked over at March, seeing her full attention on them and their story. Their already pink cheeks flushed darker, but they continued on. “THEY were nicer than I thought, actually. When I asked who THEY were, THEY said–”

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“The Creation?” You whispered, your voice hoarse from not using it for who knew how long. The sound of it startled Himeko and Mr. Yang briefly before they gathered their bearings, but Herta was more than thrilled. “The beginning of time, the maker of everything we’ve ever known and will ever know. The ancient one, the maker of us feeble makings, the–”

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“--Genesis.” Pom-Pom said. “Knowing THEY were the reason everything was made was unnerving. But… THEY spoke to me as if THEY’VE known me since forever.” March’s lips parted in awe and she leaned over the arm of the chair, getting closer to the conductor, “well, THEY did know you, didn’t THEY? THEY made you.”

“That’s not exactly how it works.” They shook their head, “Nouvel may have created everything, but THEY don’t… know that.”

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“You were so powerful and all knowing that every single thing you made into existence was pushed into the back of your mind.” Herta said, pacing in front of you, not noticing the disturbed expression on your face. “And forgotten, just like that,” she snapped for emphasis. “It’s like a project that you’ve worked on for ages only to forget about it the moment it's done, because it took up so much of your time that you block it out without a second thought. Impressive, honestly. All of us that you made didn’t matter to you in the slightest.”

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“But regardless,” the conductor added, knowing their words would’ve been interpreted as the aeon uncaring about THEIR own creations, an unfeeling being that simply makes out of obligation. “THEY took the time to get to know Pom-Pom. THEY asked what my name was, what I liked, my hobbies.” The creature smiled fondly, reminiscing on the memories between them and the aeon of creation. “THEY took the time to care.”

March gazed at them in awe at the new pieces of information, a smile slowly spreading onto her face as Pom-Pom went on to describe the memories made with each word that fell from their mouth, each story being spun that captured her attention and left her wanting to know more and more.

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“And your nature must’ve been awful,” Herta laughed, slamming her hands on one of the machines, making you jump. Your grip on the arm of the chair tightened considerably, knuckles losing their color and starting to turn white. Even though the puppet didn’t notice this, Mr. Yang did. His brown eyes shifted between you and Himeko as he cleared his throat, trying to get the scientist’s attention.

Unfortunately, it didn’t work as she continued to ramble on about you. About what you used to be, that thing that made and created and didn’t even remember why. “From what we can record, dating back to eons, several other aeons always tried to kill you. After the creation of the Imaginary Tree– long story I’m not explaining it– aeons like HooH the Equilibrium ascended to aeonhood, along with Oroboros the Voracity, Long the Permanence, Ena the Order, and you– Nouvel the Creation. Though, your constant makings and creations caught the attention of Oroboros. When THEY realized you could supply an endless amount of things to consume, THEY desired to keep you captive to constantly feed them, and since you didn’t comply, THEY tried to eat you.” 

Herta went to explain the wars you participated in, the beings you created, the horrors that had been birthed from your hands. The civilizations that were destroyed from you were nothing short of horrifying, the planets that were made that devoured everything in sight, the very galaxies erased from existence due to the unstableness they were made from. You did that. You made those things. They were your creations. Your makings. Your beings. And you didn’t even bother to care. And then you had aeons wanting to take your life too, wanting to kill you, erase you from existence instead. Oroboros, Ena, Tayzzyronth… Nanook. The destruction was after you. Herta told how the creation and the destruction were at odds with one another, the two despised each other. The ruin author hated you. THEY wanted you dead.

Your neck burned little by little, starting off as a tingle in your skin. But over time throughout Herta’s explanation about Nanook, your skin started to burn. It was like the mark was responding to the words about the destruction, as if it was listening, as if it wanted to find every opportunity to kill you. The smell of burning flesh wafted through the room, an eerie sizzling noise loud in your ears. It was all too much for you to handle. You being the Aeon of Creation, forgetting your own makings, fighting wars far beyond in another dimension, other divine beings wanting you dead, being marked by the supreme executioner, and then having no recollection of it all? How could one handle it without going insane? You felt like you were going insane.

“Hey!” Himeko’s voice seemed distant, her touch barely there as she held your arms, trying to keep you from scratching at your neck. “Please, calm down! Hurting yourself won’t make it any better.”

Mr. Yang spoke as well, the words only a muffled whisper in your ears. “You need to breathe, or at least try to focus on us.” Herta, ever excited at the development in front of her, grabbed your face, making you look into her soulless purple eyes. You felt like a subject under her gaze, nothing more than an experiment needing to be tested by any means necessary. “Focus on what you once were. Remember everything you’ve accomplished, creation! Remember what you are–”

“Nouvel.” THEY gazed at you with utter hatred. The planets trembled at the pure malevolence felt throughout the star systems, striking in on themselves and trying desperately to hide. 

“You will be erased within time. Your years are numbered, ancient one, and I will be your end.” 

THEIR gaze was burning, like a raging fire that would never stop. All you could do was stare and watch the fire. The power of the destruction, an all consuming thing that left you frozen in your place, unable to move from the pure fear running through your veins. Where could you go? THEIR gaze was everywhere, THEY knew everything. There was nowhere to hide under THEIR watch, THEY wanted you dead. You needed to die. 

THEY appeared in front of you, golden blood flowing from their bright yellow eyes. It looked like a river, a flowing thing leading to your demise, one last beauty enveloping your vision before the side of your neck was stabbed. Or perhaps burned. Maybe grabbed, even. 

You didn’t know. All you knew was pain. 

You knew it hurt. Your throat was raw with the screams that shook the very universe, every life you made shivered at the sound, every being from your hands kneeled over as they felt a fraction of the pain you were going through. 

It burned, it burned, it burned. It was hot. It was hurting. 

It was so painful you couldn’t think. 

Nothing could describe the feeling of utter agony in your bones, your very core shaking and squirming to get away, to feel reprieve, to need respite. 

But you found no mercy under THEM.

“ Your end. ”

“ Taint of everything .”

“ Cancer of all that is wrong .”

“I AM YOUR DEMISE.”

You jumped when the door was opened, your rapid, heavy breaths stuttering. The sweat dripped down your face, making you feel uncomfortably wet in your shirt. Himeko’s hand was on your arm, Mr. Yang held Herta away near the wall, and Herta seemed disappointed with what happened. Except you didn’t know what happened, not exactly. Instead, your entire focus was on the gray haired, golden eyed man holding a cream colored dog in his arms. Next to him was the black haired fellow who looked more than unamused. And behind both of them was the pink haired woman and the shorter man, both looking frazzled with blushes on their faces. 

No one dared to move. The only sound being your gasps for air and the small, angry yips of the dog directed at you. Everyone looked at each other, frozen and not knowing what to do afterwards. Truly, it was embarrassing, and you wanted nothing more than to eject yourself back into space and never show your face again.

Asta pushed her way through, making Caelus and Dan Heng back up to make room for her. She clasped her hands in front of her, putting on a sweet smile to appease everyone in the room. Rather, everyone that wasn’t you. “My deepest apologies, Madam Herta,” she laughed to try and ease the mood, but it was hard to break the tension when it felt like a crushing weight on your shoulders.

“We, uh,” she glanced behind her, looking over at the three men, all of whom were no help as Dan Heng shook his head, Arlan made a strange face, and Caelus stared blankly at the woman; both eyes blinking after another. “We needed some extra help with a certain endeavor. Y’know, business and all, and the four of us can’t really do it on our own since it's so difficult.”

You didn't know what was worse: going insane from the details of what you used to be and the fact you were from another plane of existence or listening to Asta’s awful lies for another second. But it didn’t matter as voices went in and out of your ears, hands held and steadied you, and before you knew it, you were walking alongside Arlan and Dan Heng on their quest for… whatever they were doing. You simply couldn’t catch a break.

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Surprisingly, getting back on the Astra Express was the best thing that happened for the entire day. Your mind felt like mush, your vision was swimming, and voices came through in all kinds of ways, you couldn’t handle it anymore. You understood that Himeko and Mr. Yang wanted to help you, and you were grateful for the effort. But now you just need to be left alone. You needed time to think, to gather your bearings, to actually understand everything that’s been going on. You were overwhelmed, overstimulated, and over it. 

You barely gave Pom-Pom and March 7th a glance as you passed by, feeling their gazes on your back. A hushed voice came, more than likely from the brightly colored girl, encouraging the conductor to do something. Pom-Pom sputtered, telling her no very loudly before plopping down from the seat and scurrying off. The bubbly girl followed, calling out and left your range of hearing. You didn’t feel like listening to their conversation anyway, you just wanted to feel the comfort of the bed, to bury your head in the pillow, and never leave.

You didn’t care when Caelus glared at you, his golden eyes narrowing and following your every movement. It was obvious he was going to say something to you, possibly that you looked awful, or asking what your purpose on the express was, or interrogating you. Did you want to find out? No, you didn’t, so you walked faster. You could see Dan Heng shaking his head, more than likely discouraging the gray harried man from doing anything reckless and impulsive that would’ve involved you. Thankfully, Mr. Yang and Himeko got the message, simply watching as you made your way to the passenger car in the express. You could hear their sighs of disappointment, but you didn’t have the energy to reassure them. You didn’t have the energy to thank them. You didn’t have any energy at all. 

The second you made it into the room you’ve been staying in, you made a beeline for the bed, all but flopping onto it. Your hands came up, grabbing onto the pillow cover and all but screaming into the cushion, the sound muffled from the thickness of it. But you let it out, even when your throat was starting to feel sore, even when your eyes burned with the tears soaking into the fabric, you let it out. And when you were done, you pulled the sheets over your body to get comfortable. You shifted, you sobbed into the pillow, curled in on your body, and shook. And only after ages and several cycles of doing that over and over, did you finally cry yourself to sleep.

Chapter Text

Caelus let out a huff as he lifted a box, feeling whatever was inside sliding against the wood and hitting the side of it, causing the weight to shift. His nose turned up at the adjustment he needed to make, setting the crate on his knee so his hands would go underneath the wood and keep it stable against his chest. Despite successfully carrying the box, it didn’t deter his sour mood, only making it worse with each step he took. The researchers on Herta’s Space Station waved as he walked by, nodding and thanking him for his previous actions to help fight against the invasion of the Antimatter Legion, but the gray haired man hardly spared them a second glance.

His mind was focused on the mysterious stranger the Express found floating through space, somehow gaining both Himeko’s and Mr. Yang’s favor. It didn’t feel right; especially when the stranger had a supposed history with something so important that the two adults took them to see Madam Herta. That woman was mad and the only way her attention would be captured was if there was something worth studying. He would know. Herta kept him around on the space station after the invasion because he somehow managed to absorb a stellaron– a disease associated with an aeon that attaches itself to a planet and becomes a seed of disaster, completely changing the environment for the worse (at least that’s what she said).

But this stranger is suddenly important because of their mysterious past? It was understandable to save them, that’s what any good person would do. Keeping them around was a little iffy, but he couldn’t judge too much. He was in the same boat as them— saved by a strange group of people with little to no memories of who or what they were. Feeling confused and disoriented, especially when Dan Heng performed “CPR” on him. Honestly, the thought still made him blush a little bit, but that was off topic. He went through the same thing as the stranger, but they shouldn’t get special treatment. And whatever is going on with them is sketchy in itself. They hardly talk, always have this distant and haunted look in their eyes, and overall uneasy. Hell, even Peppy barked at them, and that dog loves everyone; that already confirmed the red flags he’s been seeing.

The gray haired man sighed, gripping the box a little tighter and shaking his head. He didn’t notice another person come up behind him until they cleared their throat, getting his attention while he jumped at least five feet into the air. Golden eyes widened, letting go of the wooden crate for a brief moment before regaining his bearings and setting the object down on the ground. “Dan Heng,” the man put his hand over his chest, feeling his rapidly beating heart calm back to a steady pace. Dan Heng wasn’t surprised, only raising a brow at the reaction, “Caelus.”The man echoed, walking closer to the other, “you’ve been distracted lately. Is something on your mind?”

A shake of the head. “No– no. It’s nothing. Just thinking is all.”

“You hardly think.” The dark, teal eyed man deadpanned, unconvinced by the lie. “What’s going on?”

“Hey! That’s pretty rude, y’know. I think. It’s just… not a top priority.”

“Not a top priority all of the time?”

“A few times!”

“So everytime.”

Caelus grumbled, knowing he won’t get anywhere with the man, and also the fact that the other man wasn’t letting up on his scathing look, trying to pull every thought aloud with his mind alone. It was working a little too well in his opinion. With a sigh, the golden eyed man caved, setting his hands on his hips and looking around, gathering his mind into coherent sentences. “It’s about that stranger we let on the Express, I’ve got a bad feeling about them. They’re so cryptic and unnerving. The look in their eyes just makes me uneasy.”

“Maybe they’re trying to forget their past?” Dan Heng suggested. A strange look passed through his eyes before it disappeared as fast as it came, as if it were never there in the first place. But Caelus shook his head, refusing to believe it, “no, it's more than that. For one, they can’t even remember who they were. At least, that’s what Mr. Yang said, and Pom-Pom agreed. The conductor knows something too, I just know it. Everything surrounding them is just off. Even Peppy started barking at them, and that dog loves everyone.”

“Your concerns are valid, but I think you’re a little paranoid about them.”

“I’m not!”

“Aren’t you in the same boat?”

The counter made the gray haired man pause, his mouth opening but no words came out. Yes, it was true, he was in the same boat as the stranger. But it was different. He wasn’t suspicious, he didn’t go in with an odd look in his eyes and act like he had no idea he was even alive. He didn’t stay silent despite the amount of questions directed at him. He didn’t freak out because a mark on his neck meant something, or someone gave him some information about himself. He helped fight against the Antimatter Legion, he managed to absorb a stellaron of all things, he managed to befriend the Astral Express and take the journey to travel all throughout the stars. What did the stranger do? None of that, he knew. 

“Give them a chance.” Dan Heng held his hand out for a moment and returned it back to rest on his arm. “People deal with amnesia differently. You handled it just fine, but they aren’t you. Have patience, give them some time to adjust. They’ve just been bombarded with all kinds of information in the last few days, cut them some slack.”

“I would cut them some slack if we knew who they were, or where they came from, or any basic information. Himeko and Mr. Yang already knows, Pom-Pom already knows, I’m pretty sure that March 7th knows too! I can’t not be suspicious of them!”

The black haired man shook his head, knowing he wasn’t getting through to the other. The conversation was going around in never ending circles, there was no point in continuing it any longer, and the two of them knew this. Without another exchange of words, Caelus picked up the crate once more, balancing it on his leg to get a good grip, and starting to walk. The other man trailed a little ways behind, his steps silent on the smooth floor. 

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“Oh!” Asta startled at the sound of the automatic door, spinning around to face the two young men that just walked in. “Uh– you can set that box over there in the corner. Thanks for getting it for me.” The golden eyed man shook his head, “there’s no need.” He set the crate down in the designated spot, looking around the room. It was some kind of lab, all kinds of inventions and papers laid around on the desks, pens were scattered about.

On one side of the room was a window overlooking the giant elevator that went down to the different levels of the space station, a long dashboard holding holograms of different moving graphs on them. Some of the chairs were out of place, telling of the recent usage of them, or that no one knew how to clean up after themselves. On the other side was a mini room, faint voices coming through the closed door, a meeting being held inside. Crates, wood, metal, and plastic, were gathered in one corner of the room, none having been unboxed yet. The sight of it makes the man frown briefly before turning away, standing across from Asta as she worked at the desk.

“It’s been so busy lately,” the woman grumbled, rubbing her face and readjusting the hold on her pen. “Since the Legion came and wreaked havoc, everything has been in total disarray. We’re still trying to upgrade the security protocols and understand how we were hacked. It’s just so exhausting.” The woman trailed off, setting her chin on the desk and letting out a tired whine. At the same time, the door slid open to reveal Arlan with an excited Peppy in his arms, the dog panting happily as it wriggled down to run around both Caelus’ and Dan Heng’s legs. “Sorry, he wanted to go on a walk.” The shorter man shrugged, leaning on the desk next to Caelus. The white haired man glanced between the two Express passengers and then turned to Asta, “you had them running errands for you again?”

“Yeah.” She confirmed, “I didn’t want to bother you since you were already busy running around, and they were the closest ones to ask for help from.”

“I would’ve gotten around to it eventually, you didn’t need to do that.”

“And put more on your plate? No way.”

While the two bickered like an old married couple, Caelus bent down to lift Peppy into his arms, chuckling as the small dog licked his face. “It’s hard to believe you could be mad at anyone.” Although he kept silent, Dan Heng noted the subtle jab that was made towards the one that wasn’t even on the space station, staying in their room last time he checked. He shook his head in disappointment, giving the other man a look to shut it down. Unfortunately, the cue wasn’t taken, or at best ignored. But it was enough to gain Arlan’s attention, making him deviate from his conversation with Asta.

“Peppy loves everyone. So, I don’t understand why he started barking at…” He paused, trying to find the right word to describe the stranger, “your companion.” Internally, the title made Caelus scoff. Asta noticed the sour look on the gray haired man’s face, and she stood up, walking around the desk. “There’s only a selected few people he barks at. I usually trust his instinct when he does, and this is one of those times.” She looked around as if not wanting to be overheard or caught, and then lowered her voice, “your so-called companion is something dangerous. I overheard it whenever we waited outside Madam Herta’s office. Well, she told me directly that THEY were an aeon.”

“An Aeon?” Caelus and Dan Heng echoed after each other respectively. The woman only nodded, “yeah. Apparently, THEY’RE the aeon of creation. Which is already dangerous in itself.”

“If THEIR followers knew where THEY are, it could mean disaster.” Arlan replied, looking between the three of them, “THEIR followers are a problem, for lack of a better word.”

The golden eyed man blinked before standing up straight, clearly interested in where the conversation was going. Learning more about the aeon of creation and THEIR followers? Finally understanding who this stranger, who THEY, were? He could hardly pass up the opportunity “Who are they?” He asked, “The followers, I mean.”

“They’re called the Flores Vitae Aeternae– or the Flowers of Eternal Life.” The white haired man explained. “Most of them are alchemists that practice different forms of transmutation in honor of the genesis, but they can be seen as controversial and even unethical in their methods. Unfortunately, it’s rare to find any of the alchemists with a moral code, their only focus is how to get closer to the creation by any means necessary.”

The pink haired woman continued on, “and they’re the reason why transmutation on any living being is banned across the entirety of the universe. There were several incidents throughout history, but one of the more significant ones happened some eons ago. The Aeternae wanted to reach Genesis to speak with THEM and possibly become emenators, and to achieve this, they made several transmutation circles on different planets. The result was…” a slump of the shoulders, and Arlan came to set his hand on her arm, knowing the details were horrifying.

“The result was devastating,” she kept going. “People on each planet had died gruesome deaths, their souls being used for each alchemist that created the circle and then having their planet destroyed in the process. At least half the universe had been wiped from existence, the only way people knew was because one of the Aeternae revealed themselves by showing how they accomplished a spell of such magnitude.”

Caelus gaped at the information, his mouth open in shock as he held Peppy tighter. On the other hand, Dan Heng didn’t seem too surprised as he nodded with a distant look in his eyes, saying, “I remember reading about that. The group was hunted down and executed along with their families over the outrage they sparked, even going as far as to ban alchemy itself for at least five millennia. But the Aeternae also never got a chance to prove their sacrifice worked to get them closer to the aeon of creation, and their work was burned so no one else could recreate the monstrosity of a spell.”

Asta and Arlan nodded as the silence hung in the air. Perhaps it was out of respect to those who’ve died, or maybe over the cruelty of the alchemists that committed the crime, or maybe over the fact lives were lost as a sacrifice to the creation. “How did the creation– Nouvel,” the golden eyed man with a rising anger in his gaze, corrected himself, “respond?”

“THEY didn’t.” Arlan said bluntly. “THEY didn’t even acknowledge THEIR followers’ actions and replaced the missing half of the universe like it meant nothing.”

“THEIR followers dwindled after that,” Asta replied. “That doesn’t mean they’re still around, but they’re heavily criticized and targeted. Most of the time, they meet up in secret to avoid confrontations. But honestly? If you meet them at any point in time, avoid them as much as possible. Who knows what they’re capable of.”

✼ •• ┈┈┈┈๑⋅⋯ ୨˚୧ ⋯⋅๑┈┈┈┈ •• ✼

Caelus stormed angrily onto the Express, ranting to Dan Heng since the two left Herta’s Space Station. It was clear the grey haired man was furious of the knowledge about the creation’s followers, and Genesis' complete disregard for THEIR followers’ actions. It was utterly infuriating that an aeon didn’t care about half the universe being wiped nor about THEIR followers being executed, like none of it mattered at all. Those were innocent lives, innocent people, that had nothing to do with the aeon’s or the followers’ business, yet they still paid the price; only to be replaced in a matter of moments. How can something so heartless exist? How is it possible that the creation doesn’t care about THEIR own makings?

The young men ended up in the Express’ archives soon enough. Dan Heng went over to the main screen, starting to log new information about the Flores Vitae Aeternae thanks to Arlan and Asta. Though, it was difficult to work with Caelus pacing back and forth behind him, the golden eyed man throwing up his hands, or speaking irrationally about the creation. The archivist simply nodded or grunted with each new sentence being spewed, not really paying attention as the newly acquired knowledge was added to the many books. 

“Something needs to be done!” The other man slammed his fist on the palm of his hand, standing shoulder to shoulder with Dan Heng. “We can’t let a dangerous aeon roam around on the Express without any idea of what they could do.”

“Something needs to be done?” The dark teal eyed man echoed, standing up straight and narrowing his eyes at the other. The words sounded like a threat of some kind, as if Caelus was going to personally deal with the former aeon to make THEM pay for THEIR past actions. “Nothing will be done. THEY don’t remember who THEY are or what THEY were, THEY don’t have THEIR past memories or anything of the sort. Why should we do something? THEY haven’t been bothering anyone in the first place.”

“But there’s a possibility THEY will do something eventually. Who’s to say THEY’RE not faking? Or trying to get close to us and then kill us? Aeons are unpredictable, Dan Heng. We can never be too cautious.”

“But this isn’t taking caution.” Said man insisted, “it’s paranoia.”

“It’s rightful suspicion.”

“It’s giving you an excuse to do something you’ll regret.”

Caelus was going to continue on if it wasn’t for a familiar brightly colored, bubbly girl walking into the archives, the sliding doors shutting behind her. “Sorry,” she interrupted, noting the tension in the room. Her worried pink and blue eyes met angry golden ones, and she narrowed them with a growing sense of incredulousness and frustration. “I couldn’t help but overhear what you guys were talking about. Even if you don’t like Nouvel and think THEY’RE going to do something, what are you going to do against an aeon? I mean– think realistically here. If we know THEY are all powerful with reality warping abilities, what are you going to do? Hit them with your bat?”

The man huffed with a face scrunched in irritation and discomfort, knowing she had a point but refusing to admit such a thing. “It didn’t stop me from fighting the stellaron.”

March 7th rolled her eyes, “there’s a difference between hitting a stellaron and hitting an aeon with a bat. One lets you live, the other doesn’t even give you the chance to think about attacking.”

“But–” the man tried, only to be stopped with a raise of a hand and a stern voice. “THEY’RE already going through enough as it is. I doubt it’s easy learning you’re the aeon of creation and whatnot, since THEY’RE infamous for THEIR bad reputation, but that doesn’t give you the excuse to hate them for it. THEY only woke up a few days ago, would it kill you to treat them like any human being?”

Caelus was fuming. How could she say that? How could March, and even Dan Heng, side with the aeon? The dangerous being that could kill them all with a snap of the fingers? The very thing that was a threat to their existence? And how they’re housing THEM in the express like THEY’RE any normal guest, catering to THEIR needs, helping them with THEIR so-called memory loss. It was too good to be true. There was some alternate plan, another strategy, another ruse at play, there was no way an aeon of all beings lost THEIR memory so easily. He didn’t believe it. He refused to believe it. Everyone else was blind to the problem at hand, but he wasn’t. He sees through THEIR schemes, he sees through THEIR ploy. And if THEY want to act like THEY’RE weak, if THEY want to act like they lost THEIR memory, then fine. Two can play at that game, two can make their moves.

But only one will win.

✼ •• ┈┈┈┈๑⋅⋯ ୨˚୧ ⋯⋅๑┈┈┈┈ •• ✼

You gasped as you shot up from your bed, your hands shaking as they clenched tightly to the sheets underneath you, sweat dripping down your body and staining your clothes. Your mind was fuzzy, confused and disoriented, but you remembered what you conjured up. That terrifying face. Those horrible golden eyes. That marred, dark skin. The blinding white hair. The golden eyes and golden blood searing themselves into your mind, never letting you forget exactly who had done this to you. Who had made you fear for your life. Who had made you feel an agony so prominent that even with your lack of memories of your past life, you’ll never forget the pain. That burning was felt all over your body, every waking moment, every time you lied down and closed your eyes. All you saw was him, all you felt was pain, and you couldn’t get rid of it no matter how hard you tried. 

Taking a deep breath, you sucked in as much air as you could into your lungs, feeling your chest rise with the movement. Mr. Yang’s voice echoed distantly in your already swirling mind, reminding you to hold your breath for eight seconds, and then let it out for seven more. Following the instructions was harder than you thought. You’d always hiccup, a stutter in your breath, not exhale correctly. Annoyance bubbled underneath your skin, angry tears pricking at your eyes, your hands holding onto the sheets once more. It was difficult to ground yourself now, it always felt like you were floating. You couldn’t set your feet back down, you could only float aimlessly until you could find a temporary solution to keep you down. But you needed something, anything, to help you stay grounded, to help you stop floating, to help you sleep, to help you remember. You needed something. You needed anything.

You repeated the exercise once more. Deep breath in, an inhale. Hold it for eight seconds, keep it steady. Then let it out, exhale, and then repeat. Continuing on until air didn’t get stuck in your throat and you could form a somewhat coherent thought into your mind. It wasn’t perfect, but it was progress. At least, that’s what Mr. Yang said. 

If only you could wish away the torment that you constantly feel, if only you didn’t feel the weight of a thousand gazes on your back, or even the burden of being the aeon of creation. You didn’t even remember who you were, how were you expected to fill such a large role? A role that only brought pain and suffering? A role that made you fear for your life every time you see–

Golden eyes gazed right back at you. Sharp, unmoving, and dangerous as they stood by the door, holding a weapon in the shape of what seemed to be a bat in their hands. They were dangerous, burning. Wanting to kill. 

You shot out of the bed, the sheets tangling with your limbs and refusing to let go of you. But that was the least of your worries when you see Caelus standing by the door. There was some kind of intent behind his eyes as he roamed over your disheveled form. Some satisfaction, some determination, some anger, from frustration. But it boiled deeply in the room, making you feel the full extent of… whatever he was feeling. It was oppressing, it was reminding of that dangerous man. You wanted to run.

“There’s nowhere to go.” He told you.

There was nowhere to run.

Chapter Text

You both stared at each other, neither one moving from your places. The only sound in the room were your sharp breaths, erratic and terrified of the man in front of you. The hand at your side shook, clenching and letting go over and over as you reached for the bedpost to hold yourself steady, or perhaps run. But your feet were frozen in place, refusing to move anywhere else despite the obvious threat in front of you. The room became suffocating, like a weight trying to push you down, and it was working.

A shiver ran down your spine when you looked into those dangerous golden globes. They held a spark that made your heart stop, a scary determination that said you aren’t making it out of the room unscathed. That presence from before came back– the one you felt when Caelus first took you to this room and demanded to know who you were. A being of pure malice, that cancer of worlds that only sought to destroy anything in its path, that disease that made it feel as though you were decaying right then and there. You could almost see it now as it stood behind the man, not manifested, but enough to remind you that it was there.

The man’s gaze darted to the movement of your hand, glowering at the movement, but he didn’t dare to approach. Just waiting to see what you might do, daring you to stand against him or run like a coward. Either way, he’ll get what he needs from you. He didn’t care that he could hear the sound of your rapidly beating heart, he didn’t care that you looked scared out of your mind, and he sure as hell didn’t care about the possibility of you being an aeon. No, he’d fight with his life if it means protecting everyone on this train from the danger that is you. You were the threat. You were the hazard that needed to be dealt with. 

“Nouvel.” Caelus spat as if the very sound of your name was venom on his tongue, stinging his mouth with a taste that he wanted to get rid of. “Genesis. The beginning. The ancient one. Your many names that you allegedly ,” he rolled his eyes and scoffed in disbelief, “don’t remember. Everyone else can fall for your tricks and your so-called amnesia, your freak outs or whatever you do in here. You may have their sympathy, but not mine. I know what you are and I’ll be damned if you think you can do what you want here.”

His words confused you, his threats frightened you. But how were you supposed to defend yourself when he held his bat at the perfect angle to swing at you? Fighting back was out of the question, you doubt you could even move right now. Words eluded you anyway, you’ve barely spoken since you got here. This wasn’t what you wanted– you didn’t even know what you wanted yourself. Perhaps your memories? Maybe an answer to all the questions you’ve been holding? The reason for being sent down to live as a mortal? Just… something that made even a little bit of sense. You just wanted something to make sense and to be explained and to not be overwhelmed with everything that’s been going on.

“Stop that.” The golden eyed man stepped forward, making you scramble back and nearly trip over the sheets still surrounding your leg. “Stop acting like you’re human, like you can feel things. You’re an aeon, for fuck’s sake. You could’ve killed us all if you wanted you, but you didn’t.” Another step. Another scramble until your back hit the wall and the bedpost dug painfully into your side. “You’re just toying with us at this point. But I have had enough of it.” You couldn’t breathe, that darkness in the room overwhelming your senses. The room was starting to shift and warp, the doubles became triples, and then some. Your vision was out of focus, you needed to focus. The man’s voice came out so distorted and grating it made your ears ring, “show yourself, Nouvel!”

A blinding pain struck you in the leg, right at your knee. It was a pain that pulsates with every beat of your heart, making you crumble to the ground, hitting your head on the hard floor. You couldn’t catch yourself, your wrist throbbing uncomfortably at the joint when you landed on it too hard. Your voice refused to work, not even a gasp escaping from you when you quickly grabbed at the nearest object, which happened to be the nightstand, and hauled yourself back up.

When the bat came at you again, and you had enough sense to try and dodge this time. A loud crack of the wood rang through when you avoided the weapon, but you didn’t dare to look back at it as you tried to run past the golden eyed man. A mistake, obviously. If he could take you down with one hit, you stood no chance at escaping. When you came up next to him in your need to get away, the man twisted his body, using the momentum to backstep and then wallop you in your side. The pain was excruciating as you fell right back down, curling in on yourself and gasping for air.

The man stared you down like you were nothing more than a pest, an insect that needed to be dealt with. The presence behind him grew, invading your vision with its malevolent nature, and you could almost see a glow of something dark and ominous. A ring of golden light surrounding a darkness that seemed to swallow everything whole, and it only got bigger the closer the man came to you.

“This is pathetic.” He stood over your crumbled form, kissing his teeth with dissatisfaction, “you’re supposed to be all powerful. Not a mess that can’t even fight back.” His foot pressed down on your knee, making the pain flare up even more. “You’re a disgrace, a mistake, and the taint of everything. You’re nothing more than a cancer of all that’s wrong.” The bat raised, and you could do nothing more than to close your eyes and hope it all ends with darkness rather than suffering. You could almost feel the burning sensation once more, that awful thing that made you hurt and fear for your life once again. You feared. You feared greatly. You feared what you once were, you feared the pain, you feared the being that did this to you, you feared the memories you’ve forgotten. You feared, you feared, you feared–

“Caelus?” A soft voice called through the door, making both of you freeze at the suddenness. “Are you in there?” It continued on, a soft thing filled with worry, more than likely belonging to the brightly colored girl with more than enough time on her hands to be interrupting at the worst times. “Is Nouvel in there too?” She sputtered and gave a nervous laugh, “well, of course THEY’RE in there, it’s THEIR room, duh. Sorry. Food’s ready if you guys want some, you’ve been in there for a while.” Silence came from the both of you. What were you supposed to say when you were about to get your head bashed in by a bat-wielding psychopath? Nothing, that’s for sure. But said bat-wielding psychopath didn’t have the same thought process as you when he slowly lowered his bat, the tip landing on the ground next to your face, giving him a clear position to hit it if he wanted to. “We’ll be out in a second, March!” Caelus called back, hiding the slight breathlessness in his voice from the force he exerted earlier, his eyes on the door as if he fully anticipated for her to walk in. 

“Don’t take too long! I’ll eat both of your plates!” Her voice chirped back, footsteps receding from the doorway and eventually disappearing. 

The golden eyed man turned back to you, letting out a breath of relief at the fact she was gone and frustration that he wouldn’t be able to do what he wanted. The bat moved from your face as he set it on his shoulder, stepping off your knee and heading for the door. “You got lucky.” He told you, “it won’t happen again.” The door slid closed behind you, leaving you alone and in pain on the floor, trying to wrap your mind around what just happened. 

✼ •• ┈┈┈┈๑⋅⋯ ୨˚୧ ⋯⋅๑┈┈┈┈ •• ✼

Calling dinner awkward was an understatement. Not only did you have to hide the limp in your still hurting leg, and not double over from the pain in your side, but you also had to avoid the eyes of Himeko, Mr. Yang, and Pom-Pom. You felt uncomfortable under Dan Heng’s observant gaze as you winced trying to reach over and grab the salt, pitied when March looked at you worriedly, and straight up terrified as soon as Caelus turned his head in your direction. You wanted nothing more than to dig yourself in a hole, preferably in the vacuum of space, and never leave again.

You didn’t belong here, you didn’t want to be here, you just wanted to go somewhere far away and not have to deal with it all. Not with the breakdowns, not with the threats, not with anything. You poked your food around with your fork, watching as it slid from one side of the plate to the other. No doubt that it was good, but you weren’t hungry. You haven’t had an appetite since you were first found. Eating didn’t seem to come to you easily for the time, or maybe it’s because your body didn’t need to eat thanks to your oh so wonderful origins of being an aeon. How quaint. 

With a sigh, you reluctantly stabbed the food with a fork, gazing at it blankly. You didn’t know what it was, you didn’t care enough to ask either as you put it in your mouth. The gazes of the other members on the train shift to you expectantly– or irritatingly– but you paid them no mind as you chewed mindlessly. A cough came from your right, March 7th turning to you and striking up a conversation, “so, Nouvel, I’ve actually been meaning to ask you something.” The unfinished statement made you look at her, knowing that she was expecting your attention. When she got it, her lips twitched into a nervous smile, “how have you liked the Astral Express so far?” 

The question caught you off guard as you swallowed your food. Your expression must’ve read as confused when the pink haired girl quickly put up her hands in a sign of peace, “I was just curious. I mean– I’m sure it was a lot to take in at first, but it seems like you’re getting settled down. You’re handling it better than I did when I got here, at least.” You weren’t entirely sure what to say. Finding out you were an aeon wasn’t the best, having freak-outs felt tedious, and– what’s that phrase you heard from the space station?-- getting your shit rocked wasn’t fun. It wasn’t like you could speak freely anyway, Caelus’ eyes burned holes into you, daring you to speak about what happened between the both of you earlier. Rightfully, you kept quiet and simply gave her a nod that could be interpreted as anything. Her brows furrowed at the action, a frown of disappointment on her face when you went back to eating, but clearly she was determined to pull something out from you. “I’m sure you at least had fun on Herta’s Space Station, right? Carrying boxes wasn’t as boring as I thought, especially when Caelus got stuck in one of them.”

Said man huffed at her, his face twisting into a pout, “I did not get stuck. It was a temporary limit of movement in a specific position.”

Dan Heng sipped his drink, “you got stuck.”

“Did not!” The clumsy man’s face turned a light shade of pink in embarrassment, making everyone else at the table laugh at the sight. The conversation continued on as they giggled and joked with each other, teasing and choking on their drinks and food. You felt out of place at the table, like you didn’t belong among the joyous atmosphere. The feeling washed over you, making your heart clench and grip your fork a little tighter as you pretended to be unaffected by it. But March 7th was observant, more than you gave her credit for, and picked up on your souring mood. “Hey,” she smiled, bright and lively, “how about you help me with a project in my room? Dan Heng and Caelus are the worst helpers.” To which the two let out grunts in indignation, but turned their attention to Mr. Yang and Himeko after taking the hint.

The pink haired woman grabbed your hand before you could give an answer, plucking you from your seat and dragging you to the passenger cabin, right to her extravagant room. She giggled as the door slid closed behind you both, letting go of your hand in favor of skipping over to a corner with pillows strawn on the ground, a stuffed animal sitting in the chair, and a plant in the corner. You stood in the middle of the room, looking around. It wasn’t as pink as you thought it would be, but it still screamed March 7th. The desk on your right side was organized, a pink camera with little photos sitting on top of one of the books, probably to be put in another place only to be forgotten. On your left side was a giant wall full of photos that flashed and blinked, each depicting a memorable moment that she chose to capture. It looked nice, save for the fact some of the pictures had impossible angles, and not even the pink haired woman was there in some of them. How did she do that?

Your focus was diverted when said woman giggled, pushing you down onto the bed as she held hair ties and headbands, standing over you ominously before brightening up. “Girl’s night!” She squealed, climbing on the bed behind you. Bouncing unceremoniously– and trying to hide the flare up of agony in your side at the movement– you steadied yourself again. The woman thankfully didn’t notice as she put the headband over your face, moving high enough to catch your hair and push it back out of your face. “Now,” she grabbed a matching band, pushing her hair back as well, “it’s time for some relaxation! You’ve been super stressed lately and we can’t have that anymore. I’m gonna put on a movie and you’re going to chill out.” You tensed when her hands moved into your hair, your shoulders shooting up next to your ears. The woman stopped, and you could almost see the worry in her expression, despite not being able to see her. “Ah, sorry, sorry. I didn’t hurt you, did I?” 

The touch was completely unexpected and your reaction shocked you as well. But you fully expected her to pull at your scalp, or perhaps hit you over the head, or maybe worse. Regardless, you expected something. Feeling nothing was strange and odd, even more so when she waited patiently for you to give the okay, noticing every one of your flinches. “I won’t hurt you, Nouvel.” She reassured, pursing her lips. “Promise.”

It had taken a while, but eventually, you put your shoulders back down. You stayed stiff and unmoving, but you didn’t move away from her touch this time. March took it as a sign to start off slow, her fingers running through your hair. Often, it had gotten tangled in the limbs, knotting and bunching together that made it uncomfortable to take out. But it hardly deterred her as she grabbed her comb and brush, going through the strands, starting from the bottom and working her way up. She made sure to manually untangle the tougher knots herself. 

“Here.” A black, rectangular object landed in your lap, “you can put on a movie if you want. This might take a while.” She mumbled under her breath, “I might have to wash this, actually.”

You stared blankly at the thin box, brows furrowing in curiosity and confusion. You’ve only seen it a few times, mostly at Herta’s Space Station. Some researchers pressed a few buttons and put something on one of the large screens, watching it play a moving picture. Honestly, you had no idea what most of the technology around you did, nor did you know what it was called. You were too scared or too overwhelmed to notice or ask about it, but now was your chance. Grabbing the thin object, you held it up for her to see, turning your head enough to glance at her with a confused face. With a questioning hum, she looked between you and the object before chuckling, “right, right. You don’t know what this is.”

She pointed it at the photo wall in front of the bed, or more specifically, at the three screens that cycled through the many photos she had taken. They moved, merging in with one another to create one giant mirror, and you watched in fascination as it went black for a moment. “This is a remote. It’s a little thing you can use to control what you want to see on television.” She explained as she pressed some buttons, and the television came to life. It started to show three little kids standing around, all gazing up at something in fear. A boy with blonde hair shook, his blue eyes wide and fearful. A little girl with black hair held onto her red scarf, trying to reach for the third. The last one had brown hair, his green eyes holding fear before it narrowed into something dangerous as he shouted.  “Oh,” March switched the moving pictures. “I was just rewatching that, but I don’t know if you’d like it.” The images flashed rapidly before it landed on another show and it immediately captured your attention. The woman smiled at the way your pupils dilated, her focus going back to your hair. 

✼ •• ┈┈┈┈๑⋅⋯ ୨˚୧ ⋯⋅๑┈┈┈┈ •• ✼

“--I can’t believe it! That’s who he actually was?!” March ranted, talking your ear off about the episode you both just watched. You sat on her bed, one of the plushies sitting on your lap, you gazed at the woman as she lay on her stomach, kicking her feet and pointing at the screen. “It’s so sad, how could his brother do that to him? Locking his memory in a CD?!” She whined, rolling over and hitting your knee. The two of you had gotten comfortable after she washed your hair, got some snacks, and made you watch plenty of movies with her. You hardly understood half of them, but you were entertained and entranced by the stories told on the screen, especially at the latest show you watched about a girl and her friends breaking out of prison to save her father from an evil priest. Did it make sense? Absolutely not, but you didn’t care when the woman next to you was having fun. Your chest felt light and airy, like the weight pushing you down had been lifted in this moment with her. It was… nice. 

“Okay, I know we’re halfway through the last part.” March sat up, crossing her legs and scooting closer to you, “but it’s a crime to be skipping parts like this. You should definitely watch from the beginning so you understand what’s going on. Like, the very beginning. Like part one, beginning.” Her mouth opened to say more, but a knock came through, making the both of you turn. Your heart stuttered in your chest at who it could be, and you held the plushie in your lap tighter as the woman stood up, walking over and opening the door. “Oh!” She brightened and let them in, “Dan Heng! You wanna join us?” Said man looked around, noticing her casual clothes and relaxed demeanor, as well as the paused show on the screen. His dark teal eyes landed on you, making you tense. “Not tonight,” he shook his head. “Actually, I was hoping to speak with Nouvel.” He gazed at you, not expecting or scrutinizing, just patient. “If that’s alright, of course.”

Was it alright? Did you want to go with him? He seemed okay, you supposed. He wasn’t like the golden eyed man that wanted to find any and every opportunity to terrify you, but he also wasn’t like the bubbly girl that managed to get you invested in new technology you’ve only just learned about a couple of hours ago. He wasn’t like Himeko who made an effort to be gentle, but he wasn’t like Mr. Yang with wisdom behind his age. At the same time, you couldn’t help but feel like if he wanted to hurt you, if he truly wanted you gone, he would've done so by now. The man looked more than capable at removing you from the train if he so pleased, hell, his hits probably hurt more if it was him instead of Caelus.

Noticing your hesitation, Dan Heng tries to appear less threatening. Although his arms were crossed, his stance became more relaxed, his weight shifting from one foot to the other, and his expression softening enough for you to see. “I just wanted to ask some questions and get clarification so I can record accurately in the data bank. It won’t take any time at all.”

You glanced at March, seeing her nonchalance as she nodded. “You should totally go,” she said, hauling you up from her bed, “it’s actually pretty cool reading over everything in the archives. Plus, Dan Heng won’t bite. He’s too much of a softie.”

The man flicked her forehead, making her yelp and cover her head, “I am not.”

He turned back to you, waiting to see what you would do. You were sure it wouldn’t be too bad if March encouraged you. Maybe it would just be some questions that you had to answer– if you could even answer them– and some clarification. That’s all. It’s not like you were being sent to your death, so your heart shouldn’t be beating so fast. It was fine. You were fine. It would be fine.

With a deep breath, you nodded, starting to walk out of March’s room. Reluctantly, you set the plushie in your arms back on the bed, sitting it up and patting it as you followed Dan Heng out of the room and to the next one over. Your hands clenched and relaxed at your sides as the door to what seemed to the archives slid open, and you stayed rigid as you looked around. It wasn't as bright and lively as the woman’s, it felt more like a library than anything. Wheels in the walls turned, a low vibration rumbling through the room, a gentle thing that could probably lull you to sleep. “This is the archives.” Dan Heng gestured to the room with his hand, making his way over to a desk where pens and papers were slightly scattered, above it was a blue screen that displayed golden planets. You noticed a small bed on the ground, the covers strewn like it was hastily pushed away, but it looked cozy, surprisingly. “It’s where I record the data we come across on our journey.”

He grabbed the red chair, turning it and offering for you to sit down. Out of politeness and the fear of not wanting to be hit, you sat. You didn’t meet his eyes as you continued to look around, but the archivist didn’t seem to mind in the slightest as he tapped on one of the smaller screens, the blue screen changing alongside it. The golden planets disappeared, instead showing pictures that labeled things like “Terms”, “Relics”, “Factions”, “Enemy Creatures”, and one that caught your attention: “Aeons.” The man tapped on “Aeons”, revealing a summary log and a list on the left side with all the names of the aeons. He scrolled down, tapping the bottom name that said, “Nouvel the Creation.” The log itself wasn’t long, only a paragraph or so with words at the top written in yellow, no doubt important, but you only looked back over at Dan Heng as he turned to you as well.

“Before I start, I want to know if you feel comfortable with telling me this. This is just out of necessity, but I can find other ways to record the data too.” He went quiet, no doubt waiting for your answer. But the question itself was mildly shocking. You didn’t think he’d actually ask you if you’re okay with telling him, most of the time you just went along with what everyone dragged you to and subjected yourself to their whims without so much as a sound. Actually being asked for your permission made a nervous feeling bubble up, making you think if you said no, he’d get mad.

So, you nodded your head and drifted your gaze away. The man hesitated, his hand hovering over the screen before he set it back down on the wood of the desk. “Alright.” He said softly, pursing his lips and taking a breath, “for the first question– just to get an idea for the rest of them– do you remember being an aeon?” You shook your head, gripping the arms of the chair a little tighter in anticipation in case he wanted to ask if you remembered your creations, or if you remember the way you ascended to aeonhood like Herta said, or if you remember being omniscient, or if you remember–

“How have you felt about it?” His voice grew softer, “discovering that you were an aeon, I mean. It must’ve been a lot to take in.” 

You stared at the man in shocked silence, your mouth parting, but not a word came from you. Your face must’ve said what you couldn’t though, because the black haired man leaned against the desk, a distant look in his eyes. “Finding out that you were someone else is hard, I’m sure. Everyone expects you to remember what you were and what you were capable of, you’re constantly compared to what you used to be instead of what you are now. It got repetitive and exhausting, didn’t it?”

The words resonated with you in a way you didn’t expect, like you could finally relate to someone’s words instead of being bombarded with information that you don’t remember, or accusations that you couldn’t defend yourself from. It did get repetitive trying to explain that you don’t remember what you were, it was exhausting trying to separate yourself from the horrific actions you used to commit; if that was even you in the first place. You couldn’t separate yourself from what you were, no matter how much you wanted to, no matter how much you wanted to move on and forget. It always came back to haunt you relentlessly. 

With burning eyes, you nodded, letting go of the arms of the chair in favor of digging your nails into your palms. But Dan Heng noticed, and he walked over, taking your hands into his to stop you. Surprisingly, or maybe not surprisingly considering he slept on the ground, his hands were cold. Not uncomfortably, but noticeable enough to send a small shiver down your spine. “Hurting yourself won’t make it go away.” He said, “trust me.” And oddly enough, you did. You did trust his words, the deeper meaning behind them despite not knowing exactly what he meant by it. But he knew you, he knew how you felt, and you wanted nothing more than to break down right then and there. He saw you. Everyone else, you were grateful for most of them, but it wasn’t the same. Himeko wanted to help by sympathizing with you, Mr. Yang wanted to help by giving you strong facts and reassurances, March 7th wanted to help you with distractions, and Caelus… that was a story for another time. But Dan Heng saw your struggles, he knew how overwhelmed and frightened you were, he saw. You felt heard, even without the words to voice it. 

The two of you talked for hours, even longer than when you hung out with March in her room. Although the conversation was one sided most of the time, you occasionally spoke, telling him of your struggles with a soft voice and darting eyes. The archivist didn’t seem to mind though, staying quiet and listening when you did, letting you answer his questions with a nod or shake of your head. He gave you comforting words in his own way, telling you of his own personal experiences with that awful feeling of things becoming too much to handle.

“I would say,” he hummed, fidgeting with one of the pens on the desk, “drinking tea helps. Especially with nightmares. Mr. Yang has quite a few options that you could try and see which one works better, but they all have the same effect for the most part. Preferably, I drink chamomile. It’s basic, but it gets the job done.” You listened to his words, your shoulders looser than before, your heart beating steadily, if not slower than its usual skittish pace. “You can always come in here if you’d like to. I don’t mind the company.” 

The invitation made you smile. A small thing, barely a twitch of your lips, but it was enough for Dan Heng to return it. 

“But,” he grew more serious, his eyes hardening. “I’d ask that you tell me if Caelus does something. He’s been acting weird lately, especially when it comes to you. It might be because of your past as an aeon, but I don’t want anything happening that could make you feel distressed. Please, inform me of his actions first, I’ll deal with him accordingly.”

You swallowed, debating on telling him what happened earlier. Should you tell him what Caelus had done? Should you tell him how scared the golden eyed man made you at the expense of putting strain on their relationship? It could mean disaster for Dan Heng, Caelus, and possibly even March if you said something. As much as you didn’t like the bat-wielding psychopath, you didn't want to ruin the relationship he had with the rest of the crew. 

With a deep breath, you nodded, appreciating the support, to which the dark teal eyed man relaxed once more and squeezed your hand that he hadn’t let go of this entire time. 

Chapter Text

Okay I decided to be cringe and make some doodles because I have free will 🤷🏾‍♀️ but I also have no idea how to upload images to ao3 SO I sent the link to my tumblr 

https://www.tumblr.com/toasted-for3v3r/785469970389876736/for-me-fic

Enjoy 😌

Chapter Text

For the past few days, you’ve wandered around the Express, distracting your mind from the nightmares and flashbacks, as well as avoiding Caelus by any means necessary. You’ve grown wary of the golden eyed man, always shrinking back when he got near, turning around when he went to talk to one of the other crew members. You didn’t know what he could do now that he already confronted you, and frankly, you didn’t want to find out.

But you were thankful that you had places to hide, like the archives with Dan Heng, if he was there, or March’s room when she wanted to drag you along and force you to watch one of her favorite shows. You haven’t talked much with Mr. Yang and Himeko, but you convinced yourself that they were too busy to bother with you. As for Pom-Pom, you both haven’t talked since they gave you medicine when you first arrived. In the back of your mind, you wondered how they felt and if they were doing fine.

Though, as you walked to the phonograph and gazed at the vinyl disc spinning around, you accidentally locked eyes with the blue eyed creature. They had been walking around, no doubt checking on the passengers and the cars to make sure everything was running smoothly, and froze when they saw you. The both of you stared at each other for long, unbearable moments, shifting on your feet, wanting to get out of the situation but unknown how without it becoming weirder than it already was. “Uh,” they cleared their throat, pushing their paws together and messing with their conductor’s outfit. “H-Hello, Nouvel. Pom-Pom hopes you’ve been feeling well.” They trailed off, not knowing exactly what to say afterwards. 

You weren’t any better, only nodded and looking everywhere but the creature. All you did was nod in response, playing with a loose piece of thread on the hem of your shirt– well, March’s shirt that she so graciously gave you. You were thankful for most of the crew’s hospitality, and for Pom-Pom’s care despite the somber note you both left off of. But now you wanted to make it up to them, after all, you did make them cry because of your amnesia., it’s only right. With a nervous breath, you turned your gaze back to the conductor, trying to give them a reassuring look even though you knew it fell flat. There was an effort made.

“I’m sorry.” You apologized quietly, catching Pom-Pom off guard by the sound of your voice. They gazed at you for a long moment, blinking, finding the words that seemed to leave their tongue, before waving their hands frantically. “There’s no need to say sorry to me! You didn’t do anything wrong!” Your face must’ve fell, or looked sullen with regret– clearly unconvinced– because they took your hands in their much smaller paws as their eyes shone with tears. “It’s not your fault. Pom-Pom may be sad because you don’t remember me, but that doesn’t mean we can’t still be friends. It’s like a fresh start, you know? We can start over a-and make better memories.” They flopped their giant ears, giving you a wide smile that made your heart melt at the sight.

“Hi! I’m Pom-Pom, it’s nice to meet you.” They reintroduced themselves, giving you both a chance at something new. You softened greatly as you returned their greeting, kneeling down to their level and bringing them into your arms. It must’ve been difficult for Pom-Pom to accept that you didn’t remember them, and you could only imagine the pain they felt after realizing one of their best friends had no idea who they were. Truly, you wished you could be better at making it up to them, but you supposed that this was a start. It was a good start too, it seemed, as the conductor let out a wet laugh and hugged you back, burying their head in your shoulder. “You’re gonna make me cry…” They sniffled, holding you like their life depended on it, and you did the same; the two of you kneeling in the middle of the floor in each other’s arms. Sure, you may have looked weird doing it, but you didn’t care. Pom-Pom needed this. You needed this. It was only right. 

“I see you and Pom-Pom made up.” Mr. Yang finished sipping his tea, coming up next to you after Pom-Pom said their goodbyes so they could continue working. “That’s good. It was painful to see the both of you so distant.”

The older man leads you back to your room for your usual calming sessions, mostly giving you advice for how to deal with subjects that seem to shake you up and send you into meltdowns. Truly, it was helpful, and the tone of his voice was soothing on your ears. Funnily enough, March just said that the man was your therapist from how much you work with him and you pretended to know what she was talking about. You raised your own cup to your lips, feeling the mildly hot liquid stream down your throat, leaving the pleasant taste of chamomile behind. “It looks like you're doing good connecting with the other passengers, having support systems are beneficial.” He continued on, setting the cup on the saucer and setting it down at the desk. “You’re doing a good job, I’m proud of you.”

✼ •• ┈┈┈┈๑⋅⋯ ୨˚୧ ⋯⋅๑┈┈┈┈ •• ✼

Caelus paced in his room, practically putting holes in the floor from the amount of time he’s been walking back and forth. His nails dug into his arms and left crescent marks, and white ashy lines run horizontally as well, showing how much he had been scratching without actually breaking the skin. His clothes were rumpled, his hair a mess, and his golden eyes darting everywhere trying to take it all in at once. Saying he was stressed was the understatement of the century.

It started when Nouvel was first found drifting through space and taken in the Astral Express. The odd feeling and sudden itchiness was hardly noticeable, just something he could ignore and push it to the back of his mind. All he had was reasonable suspicion over them; THEY were a stranger after all, anyone would be on guard. He thought that he’d get over his feelings and soon come to trust THEM, it wasn’t like they did anything wrong, after all.

But his feelings changed over the time THEY stayed longer. His suspicions amplified into distrust, his slight frustration over not knowing who THEY were turned into anger, and the need to get to KNOW them turned into letting THEM know THEY weren’t welcome aboard the train. But the man asked himself why that happened. Why did he hate Nouvel so much? Did they truly do something wrong? Was it a gut feeling that he should listen to or was it an irrational thought that he couldn’t get rid of?

“Who are you?” The grey haired man asked with a low voice, tilting his head as he sat backwards on the chair. His golden gaze roamed over the stranger, noticing their odd choice of clothes, the fidgeting underneath his gaze, and the scar raking across their neck. It looked painful, if he were to be honest; like something was deliberately trying to harm them. But he pushed it to the back of his mind as he waited for an answer from the stranger, trying to have patience and leniency. They looked scared, their lips trembling, their breaths fast enough to see the rapid rise and fall of their shoulders. It was sad, honestly, that they felt so terrified of this, of what had happened to them.

Destroy THEM.

Caelus didn’t know where the voice came from, and he didn’t bother to know as a sudden hostility washed over his body. For a reason beyond him, the stranger in front of him was nothing more than a pathetic excuse for a living being that had no right to live. A power encompassed the room, dark and dangerous, heavy enough for the stranger to gasp and try to scramble away. Their hands clenched desperately to the sheets as a haunted look passed onto their face, clearly remembering something from where they came before. But it was short lived when the door swung open, and Pom-Pom waddled in with a water bottle and some pills. 

The man blinked, the malice emitting from him dissipating like it never existed. His brows furrowed in confusion, but he shook his head. Pom-Pom cheered and said something that he wasn’t paying attention to, but he was sure it was somewhere along the lines of taking care of the stranger. The grey haired man gave the conductor a smile, “thanks, Pom-Pom. I’ll go talk to Mr. Yang about the situation.” He got up from the chair and walked towards the door, but not before giving the stranger one last look, and then left. He closed the door behind him, letting out a shaking sigh and running a hand down his face.

What was that? Why did he react like that? That stranger was just scared, that’s all, there wasn’t anything inherently wrong with them. He was startled at first too when he first met up with the Astral Express, he had no right to judge their reaction. But that voice in his head, telling him to destroy them? That was excessive. Maybe just an intrusive thought that made its way through. Yeah, that has to be it. The man shook his head one last time and walked on to find Mr. Yang.

But then it escalated from there. Caelus didn’t know why, or how, he came to the conclusion that Nouvel was an issue that needed to be dealt with, they just seemed too terrified to be a threat. He ranted to Dan Heng about it, and he knew the archivist was right about the fact that he was paranoid.

“Give them a chance.” Dan Heng held his hand out for a moment and returned it back to rest on his arm. “People deal with amnesia differently. You handled it just fine, but they aren’t you. Have patience, give them some time to adjust. they’ve just been bombarded with all kinds of information in the last few days, cut them some slack.” And Caelus knew he was right, he knew that he should give them some time and not freak them out any more than they’ve already been. But that nagging feeling in the back of his mind refused to let it go, it told him that they needed to be taught a lesson. What lesson exactly, he didn’t know.

“I would cut them some slack if we knew who they were, or where they came from, or any basic information,” Confront THEM. “Himeko and Mr. Yang already knows, Pom-Pom already knows, I’m pretty sure that March 7th knows too! I can’t not be suspicious of them!” Find THEM and do what you must.

That voice just would not leave him alone. It kept speaking to him as the days passed, trying to get him to do something to Nouvel that he didn’t want to think about. What did THEY even do to warrant these thoughts in his head? THEY were innocent, he knew that. Sure, THEY used to be the aeon of creation and a dangerous force to be reckoned with, but THEY don’t have that power now. Hell, THEY’RE scared of THEMSELVES and what THEY used to be, why would he ever want to hurt THEM?

Despite the thinking, he found Nouvel in THEIR room, sweaty and panting like THEY had just ran a marathon. That haunted look was on THEIR expression once more, as if THEY remembered something THEY wanted to forget. THEIR eyes met his golden ones and the reaction was instantaneous. THEY shot out of bed, scrambling back to the wall, THEIR shaking hand raising up and holding onto the bedpost. He noticed, and it was enough for THEM to tense and wait for his move. Pathetic. Nothing more than a coward trying to hide away. It was pretty sad, he’ll admit, but pathetic was pushing it. THEY were scared, THEY just found out THEY were an aeon. He’d freak out too. 

“Nouvel,” Caelus spat with more hatred than he expected, surprising himself. “Genesis. The beginning. The ancient one. Your many names that you allegedly don’t remember.” He scoffed and rolled his eyes at the words, but he was wondering how in the world he knew those titles. He had no previous knowledge outside of Asta and Arlan, maybe even Herta, telling him about the names; and even then he forgot most of them. All he knew was the information about THEIR followers, and yes, he didn’t like the cruelty the group committed, and he didn’t like the way THEY went about it, but he’s not going to put the entirety of the blame on Nouvel now, not with THEIR lost memories. But regardless, he kept going, “Everyone else can fall for your tricks and your so-called amnesia, your freak-outs or whatever you do here. You have had their sympathy, but not mine. I know what you are and I’ll be damned if you think you can do what you want here.”

What? Where was this all coming from? This wasn’t him, he wouldn’t say anything like this to Nouvel. Not even the mild dislike he had for THEM would push him this far. But why the hell did he have his bat with him? Why was he so angry? Why can’t he just understand what was going on–

Destroy THEM.

That voice came again, and he was sure he was hallucinating. Even more so when he continued to speak, noticing THEIR frightened actions, “Stop that.” Caelus said as he stepped forward, watching the way they stepped so far back in response and hit THEIR back on the wall. “Stop acting like you’re human, like you can feel things.” No, no. There was no way he was saying this, those words weren’t his. His mouth was just moving and spouting nonsense. “You’re an aeon, for fuck’s sake. You could’ve killed us all if you wanted to, but you didn’t. You’re just toying with us at this point. But I have had enough of it.” He could see the way THEY started to hyperventilate, THEIR legs shaking so much he was sure THEY were going to fall. “Show yourself, Nouvel!”

DESTROY THEM.

Caelus was appalled at the fact he swung his bat right into THEIR leg, causing them to collapse onto the ground. He couldn’t believe he was attacking them. THEY didn’t even do anything wrong! What was he doing?! He kept swinging and swinging the bat, and he couldn’t even stop himself. How could he stop himself when he was going on a rampage for no apparent reason?! He hated every time he saw the fearful look on THEIR face, especially when he managed to knock them down after striking THEM in the side. “This is pathetic.” He stood over you. “You’re supposed to be all powerful. Not a mess that can’t even fight back.” THEY were weak right now! Of course THEY couldn’t fight back! Why is he attacking someone who can’t even fight?! 

“You’re a disgrace, a mistake, and the taint of everything. You’re nothing more than a cancer of all that’s wrong. ” He raised the bat once more, desperately begging himself to stop before he killed them. He wouldn’t forgive himself if he did. He had to stop this, he had to do something before–

A knock came at the door, followed by March 7th’s voice. He has never been more thankful to hear the bubbly woman. He was able to stop himself and put the bat down, not without more hateful words, but he just wanted to leave and get out of there and never show his face to THEM again. THEY looked so scared.

Caelus pulled at his hair, groaning in frustration that he couldn’t understand his own actions; it was completely out of the blue. THEY weren’t a threat to him or the Express, THEY were just trying to get used to things THEY haven’t seen before, THEY were just trying to live. Why did he harbor so much hatred towards them?

Because THEY are a disease.

Caelus gasped, broken out of his mind as he paused in the middle of the room. His golden eyes darted around, trying to find and pinpoint where he heard the voice, if he could even call it that. What he heard was more like a low vibration on his ears, like something being obliterated from far away that it was hard to distinguish until you really let it marinate. But maybe it was just a trick, he’s been so stressed lately with nightmares and visions plaguing his sleep. Yes, that had to be it. He was just sleep deprived and imagining things, everything was fine. He was going to apologize to Nouvel, to explain his awful actions, and make up. It’s obviously not going to be easy, he was sure he traumatized them greatly, but it was the effort. He’d do everything in his power to make it up to THEM, even if THEY never want to look at his face.

You won’t. THEY don’t deserve it because THEY are a cancer to this world.

There it was again. That vibration on his ears. He didn’t know what was going on, he was probably going mad. That has to be it. He was going mad. He just had to try and take a hold of his thoughts and think properly, or at least think about NOT wanting to hurt Nouvel. The grey haired man scratched at his arms, letting out heavy breaths as he left his room, walking down the familiar halls of the express and came across a door that held a bright pink room filled with stuffed animals. He needed some kind of help. Some way to get control of himself before he could do worse, and who better than March 7th? If her advice wasn’t helpful, then Dan Heng was his next best bet.

“March.” The bat-wielder groaned as he all but barged into the young woman’s room, catching her sitting on her bed and organizing her photos. Her bright pink and blue eyes widened at the sudden entry, her hands scrambling to catch the Polaroids that fell after she threw her hands up in the air. “Caelus!” The woman squeaked, setting the pictures back onto the covers, and then set her hands on her waist. “Geez, you can’t come stomping in here like you own the place. A knock would’ve helped.”

“Yeah, yeah, sorry.” He rushed and walked over, pulling down his sleeves to try and stop himself from scratching at his arms. “I need your help.”

“That’s a first.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever.” He scoffs, “I just need–”

Caelus couldn’t get the words out as a knock came at the door and eventually revealed Dan Heng followed by Nouvel peeking THEIR head from the doorway. The bubbly woman whined at the amount of people coming to her room, complaints spilling from her lips like a waterfall, but the golden eyed man hardly paid attention when his gaze was on Nouvel’s. It was like a switch flipped, like a deep primal urge rose in him, and he had to hold everything back from lunging at the former aeon. Said person met his eyes, THEIR usual nervous look melting into utter terror when THEY saw him, and without any greeting or nods, they sprinted down the hall and left the passenger car all together.

The sight made Dan Heng and March 7th confused, the two looking at where THEY disappeared off to, over to Caelus, and then to each other. The archivist spoke up first, his mouth opening and closing like a fish before he found his words. “Uhm,” he processed. “I just came to tell you that we’re heading off to the Space Station to gather supplies for our next journey. Himeko wants us to meet near the Master Control Zone, and Asta and Arlan are waiting there too.” March nodded at the information, still trying to understand what had just happened as she turned to Caelus, “let’s go then. We have no time to waste!”

Find THEM.

✼ •• ┈┈┈┈๑⋅⋯ ୨˚୧ ⋯⋅๑┈┈┈┈ •• ✼

Everything would’ve been fine if that low vibration wasn’t haunting Caelus’ mind the entire time he was on the space station with the Astra Express. It was haunting, like a plague he couldn’t get rid of. His arms itched more, his thoughts became more jumbled. It increased whenever he was near Nouvel, but THEY were smart enough to steer clear away from him. THEIR fear was palpable, and if he wasn’t already struggling, he would’ve felt horrible for the distress he was causing. Even March and Dan Heng noticed the strain between the two, their eyes shifting in concern and suspicion, respectively. March tried talking to him, setting a hand on his shoulder and speaking low enough for the grey haired man to hear. But he didn’t– rather– he couldn’t with the voice echoing in his head.

Find THEM.

Destroy THEM. 

Make THEM suffer. 

He didn’t know what it meant. He didn't want to know what it meant despite the fact it was the only thing he could think about. The man had to push the young woman away from him as he veered off into one of the many halls in the station, leaving her to stare at his back once he left. In the corner of his eye, he could see Dan Heng trying to comfort Nouvel, his hand in THEIRS as he told them something. THEY shook THEIR head, giving him an unconvincing smile and breaking away, holding THEIR arms and traveling elsewhere.

Follow THEM.

It was all moving so fast, so sudden. One minute he was trying to ease his mind, and the next he was stalking the nervous, former aeon. Each breath that passed his lips grew ragged, each coherent thought drifted into something maddening and dangerous, that primal urge growing into an uncontrollable feeling. He knew THEY felt his presence because at some point, THEY started to run, trying to lose him in the halls, sprinting down the twisting corridors, turning the sharp corners until THEY found themselves in the Supply Zone, seeing the Astral Express in the loading dock. Ironic, this was where he absorbed the Doomsday Beast.

This is your chance. Don’t let THEM get away.

The grey haired man let out a grunt, a dark and ominous aura surrounding him as he cut Nouvel off, standing in front of them with heavy breaths and an unstable mind. He pulled out his bat, pointing it at THEM.

“ This ends here , Creation, ” he said, not recognizing the sound of his own voice. “ By my master’s wishes, I will end your life here and now. ”

Chapter Text

✦•┈๑⋅⋯ V Hours Before ⋯⋅๑┈•✦

Dan Heng sat in his chair at the desk, reading one of the many books in the archives. His eyes scanned through each word, taking in the content that had captured his interest before flipping the page. The next page was titled, “Alchemy– the beginnings.” Underneath it had descriptions and diagrams about the different alchemical symbols: Gold, Olive Oil, Copper, Lead, Phosphorus, and many more. The footnotes underneath reference several books made by the most famous alchemists, some who were a part of a minor group called the Auctorms, that created magnificent equations that other scientists still incorporate to this day. But the man let out a sigh, “they couldn’t come up with something better?” He said to himself. “Just the Latin word for authors? How disappointing.” A small groan caught his attention and he looked over his shoulder to see the familiar person sleeping on his bed. 

The dark haired man watched as you shifted, getting tangled up in the covers and trying to get comfortable. He couldn’t stop the small twitch of his lips as you grabbed the pillow, holding it like a stuffed animal. You’ve been coming in here more often than not, sometimes wanting privacy from the other passengers or you just needed a place to stay that wasn’t your own room. Dan Heng suspected it was the low vibrations of the archives soothing you to sleep, something about it was calming enough to make one tired. Though, it might also be because you enjoy the company of him and March 7th; said bubbly woman commented a few times that it was sweet.

He was going to continue reading his book when three knocks came from the door. The man marked the book, “come in.” He announced as he set the novel back on the desk, looking over as a red haired woman entered, smiling when she looked over at your sleeping figure and then to Dan Heng. “I see you guys have been comfortable.” Himeko noted, walking over to the young archivist and ruffling his short hair. He huffed, rolling his eyes, but didn’t move away from her touch. In fact, he leaned into it with slightly closed eyes, clearly soaking up the affection, making the red haired woman laugh softly. “How has Nouvel been feeling lately?”

She keeled down next to the makeshift bed, setting the back of her hand on your forehead to check your temperature. Dan Heng turned in the chair to see her clearly, “THEY’VE been relatively okay. Mostly sleeping and hanging out with March and I.” He watched when her hand moved to your neck, lightly brushing her fingers against the burn scars that seem to hum with an unknown power. “And her neck? Has it been causing THEM any issues?”

He shook his head, “not that I know of. Then again– THEY hardly mention if it bothers THEM.”

“It would be easier if THEY did voice about it, but we can’t force THEM.”

Himeko moved her hand away when she noticed you stirred, one of your eyes getting stuck and opening them one after the other. She leaned back as you yawned and sat up, stretching to get all the kinks and tightening out of your body, but not without hissing in slight pain when you straighten your leg too much, making it cramp. You grumbled, quickly standing up and shaking the poor limb to make it stop. The archivist and the navigator simply watched as you struggled to stop your leg cramp, doing their best not to laugh. 

With a huff and some shakes, you stood up correctly and looked at the red haired woman. She /didn’t mind that you didn’t speak often– and when you did it was nothing more than a whisper. If anything, your actions meant more than what you could’ve said, convenient or not. Which is why, when you nodded to her in thankfulness and took her hands, she did the same and brought you into a comforting embrace. “Don’t push yourself too hard, okay? All of us care about you.” She noticed the way you held her tightly like she would disappear, and even when you broke away, your touch lingered on her arms. You returned one of Himeko’s many smiles before looking over at Dan Heng, giving him your silent appreciation before leaving the room. 

The navigator turned to the archivist afterwards, and before she could even get a word out, he answered for her. “I’m fine, Himeko. Nothing’s been going on with me, don’t worry.”

She chuckled and let it go, ruffling his hair once more. “Alright.”

✦•┈๑⋅⋯ III Hours Before ⋯⋅๑┈•✦

“This,” Mr. Yang made a motion with his hand, having one of his palms facing upward while the other was on its side, on top of it, and moved forward twice, “is how you say ‘alright’ when you acknowledge something.” You gazed at the motion of his hand, watching as he repeated it twice more and nodded. Your hands moved in the same way, one palm up, the other sideways and shifting forward twice. “Good.” The older man nodded in approval. “Another way is just spelling out the words O and K.” He showed you, forming an ‘O’ and then sticking his middle finger out while his index remained upright, and his thumb in between them, forming a ‘K’. You copied the motion again, letting him fix your hands in the way you needed.

“Alright.” Mr. Yang made the sign as he said it, “show me what you’ve learned.” You nodded, forming an “OK” with your hands. You leaned your head forward as you made a fist and then pointed your index finger up, asking, “ Do you understand? ” Mr. Yang curled his hand into a fist and knocked the air for a, “Yes.” You smiled and continued on. You put your dominant hand underneath your non-dominant, crossing them and then sliding your dominant hand forward. Then, you put your index fingers together and pointed at him, saying, “ Nice to meet you. ” You then put your palm out towards him before putting your index and middle fingers together, crossing them over another, and then putting your hands out in question, “ What is your name? ” The older man responded in kind, spelling out, “W-E-L-T Y-A-N-G. And you?” 

The motion was familiar to you now, “N-O-U-V-E-L.” Though, you hesitated, your hands resting in the air as you stared at them. You knew your name, you knew how to spell it, but for a reason beyond you, it didn’t feel right. In your mind, you questioned if the name was truly yours, or if it was an unbreakable association with the aeon you used to be. Mr. Yang noticed your internal dilemma, breaking you out of your thoughts as he set his hand on your shoulder. “We’ll continue working tomorrow. I’ll show you some more advanced signs, but you’re getting better so far.” The older man stood, ruffling your hair and taking his cane. “Pom-Pom is waiting for you in the Parlor Car, they said they wanted to play a game of chess with you.” Were his last words as he left your room, leaving you to practice the many signs that he taught.

Welt walked into the Parlor Car himself, catching Himeko reading a book on one of the red couches, sipping her infamous coffee. He let out a small huff of amusement, shifting his gaze to see Pom-Pom sweeping the floor. He made his way to the conductor, sitting down on one of the nearby chairs and making sure to stay out of the way. “Nouvel’s been improving lately. THEY aren’t having as many panic attacks, THEY’RE learning how to communicate in other ways.” The bunny creature met eyes with the older man, smiling and waddling their way over to him. “THEIR progress is amazing! Pom-Pom is very proud, not only of THEM, but Dan Heng and March 7th too. They’ve been a huge help.”

“They have.” Welt nodded in agreement, “Though, I’ve been worried about Caelus as well. He and Nouvel don’t seem to get along.”

“Maybe Caelus just needs to warm up to THEM more?” Pom-Pom shrugged, “or maybe he needs some time to himself. He’s been cooped up in his room all day, Pom-Pom is getting kind of worried too.”

“I’m sure he’ll tell us when he can. For now, we’ll give him some space.”

✦•┈๑⋅⋯ Praesens ⋯⋅๑┈•✦

“Ah,” Himeko walked up to Dan Heng, setting a hand on his shoulder. The archivist was moving some boxes Pom-Pom had set out that needed to go to the storage closet; they were supposedly filled with stuff the conductor had collected over the years that they didn’t have the heart to throw out. The man had agreed, needing something else to do to help around the Express despite wanting to stay in the archives all day to read and write. “There you are.” The red haired woman removed her hand in favor of standing in front of him, “we’re gathering supplies for the Express to depart soon. I suggest you tell Caelus and the others too, especially March 7th. You know how she scrambles at the last minute, always wanting to take pictures and all. Make sure to tell them we’re leaving in about five or six days or so, okay?”

“Yeah, I got it.” Dan Heng nodded, watching as the woman smiled and walked away. 

The archivist walked out of the parlor car, raising a hand in acknowledgment to Mr. Yang and Pom-Pom who were talking nearby. He peeked his head in his room, noticing you sitting in the chair, reading one of the many books that he had. Before entering, he knocked on the door, gaining your attention. “We’re getting supplies from the Space Station, do you want to come and help?” He asked, watching the way you nodded and set the book down, moving your hands in a way to indicate, “ Yeah. I can help. ” That made him pause for a moment, blinking for a few seconds, “Is Mr. Yang teaching you sign language?” You nodded excitedly and said yes again, clearly happy that he noticed your progress. The man’s expression softened as he signed at the same time when he spoke, “come on, then. I’m going to tell the others what’s going on.”

You followed him like a duckling, excitedly signing to him what you’ve learned from Mr. Yang. Dan Heng could see the pride on your face, your eyes practically glowing now that you could communicate without using your voice. The black haired man made sure to correct you on a few symbols, teaching you in his own way. He noticed, throughout the entire conversation, it was the happiest he’s seen you. You looked so proud of yourself for learning something on your own, for doing something for yourself without it being associated with your past aeonhood, or feeling resentment for your past actions. It was sweet, if he were to be honest. You had something for yourself for once, and he was proud of you for finding it as well. 

The two of you made it to March’s room, Dan Heng knocking on the door, waiting a few seconds, and letting himself in. He could hear the way March whined, commenting about so many people being in her room at once. Not like that actually mattered, she’s the one that usually makes all of them hang out in her room anyway. Speaking of all of them, Caelus stood next to her bed, holding his arms and scratching at them. There were angry red marks on his skin, more than likely due to the amount of time he spent digging his nails into his skin.

But the grey haired man’s eyes were something else. Something dazed, dizzying, like he wasn’t fully there in his own body; between drifting off and coming back to consciousness. The archivist’s brows furrow for a moment, but he doesn’t speak on it when he turns his attention to the bubbly woman. Though, before he could get a single word out, a strange thing had happened when Caelus locked eyes with something– rather someone– behind him. 

He saw the way the bat-wielder’s golden eyes darken, an unknown aura surrounding him. It was as if he lost his mind, only focused on one thing and one thing only. And you looked nothing else than terrified, your hand clenching tightly to the door frame. No one knew what happened, but one minute you were there, and the next, you were sprinting down the hall, stumbling over your own feet, and throwing the door to the parlor car open to scramble inside. Silence came as Dan Heng looked back over at Caelus, watching as he sighed and shook his head like he was snapping himself out of something. The man scratched at his arms, taking a deep breath and avoiding the black haired man’s eyes. “I’ll, uh, see you later, March.” The golden eyed man said, putting his head down and walking out, going the opposite direction from where you ran off, leaving March 7th and Dan Heng speechless.

“That was weird.” Which was the understatement of the amber era, coming from the bubbly girl. But all the black haired man could do was nod, the cogs turning in his head, trying to figure out exactly what just happened between you and Caelus. It wasn’t anything good, obviously, but he’s never seen you react so strongly before; the only exception being the night you were invited for dinner after you found out who you used to be. At the time, Dan Heng thought you were scared because of all the new experiences you were going through, but now that he really thought and looked back at it, you hardly looked up, and you flinched when Caelus reached for something on the table. It was only him too, no one else. 

There was something going on.

✼ •• ┈┈┈┈๑⋅⋯ ୨˚୧ ⋯⋅๑┈┈┈┈ •• ✼

March 7th and Dan Heng grew increasingly worried over you and Caelus, the former duo gazing at each other before looking back at the latter duo. The archivist’s suspicions only grew as he noticed you deliberately avoiding the grey haired man, even going as far as to turn in the opposite direction whenever he came close. Clearly, it wasn’t normal, and something must’ve happened to cause such a strain. The black haired man needed to get to the bottom of it, he had a feeling things were going to escalate into a horrible situation that would be hard to stop, even if he tried.

“Those two are acting weird,” March commented, leaning her shoulder against his. “Nouvel looks like THEY’VE seen a ghost and Caelus is scratching his arms like he had the bug bite of the century.”

“There’s something going on,” Dan Heng agreed. “I just don’t know what.” It was clear he was deep in thought, putting a hand underneath his chin, staring intently at the floor below. The wheels in his mind turned, coming up with the best solution without letting emotions run high in the wrong way.

“Split up?” The bubbly girl suggested, motioning her head over. “I get Caelus and you get Nouvel?”

“You read my mind.” He nodded, the two going their separate ways.

March made her way over to Caelus, concern growing with each passing moment as he swayed on his feet, looking around in a daze. She set her hand on his shoulder, successfully stopping him from his mindless wandering. “Caelus?” She asked, “are you okay? You’re about to fall over.” But she gasped and stepped back slightly, noticing his sickly expression and an ever shifting aura that seemed to grow. That same feeling when he came into her room hours earlier, going to ask a question that she just realized he never said. “Geez! What happened to you?”

“Nothing.” Caelus denied, shaking his head. “I’m.. fine.”

“Fine is barely the word I’d use. Seriously, what’s–”

“Move.” His voice became distorted, overlapping with an unknown presence. It was a chilling thing that sent a shiver down the bubbly girl’s spine, making her breath stop in her throat. She could do nothing as he pushed past her, walking toward a hall in the space station and leaving her sight. The woman opened and closed her mouth like a fish out of water, trying to wrap her mind around what just happened, and could only hope Dan Heng had better luck. That, unfortunately, wasn’t the case as she glanced to her left, seeing said man standing alone with his hand reaching out as if trying to bring somebody back. He shook his head when he met her eyes, walking over to discuss with her once more.

“Now what?” 

“There’s nothing else we can do.” He shook his head. “They don’t want to talk right now, so we won’t push. I think the best thing we can do is give them space, and wait for them to come to us.” 

Except Nouvel and Caelus didn’t go to the two. In fact, they hadn’t shown up again since they stormed off to cool down, leaving March, Dan Heng, Mr. Yang, and Himeko to gather the supplies needed for the Express’ next journey, making their absence even more noticeable. It had been too many minutes, maybe even hours, since they left. It wasn’t too unusual for some of the passengers to go off on their own, but this amount of time became concerning. Even Himeko drew attention to it as she stood next to the boxes they were going to take to the train, looking around to try and find the two missing crew members. “Dan Heng, March. Could you go and find Caelus and Nouvel? They’ve been gone longer than normal.”

The two nodded, glancing at each other with a mutual understanding before setting the boxes they had in their hands down. They went to the last place they had seen Nouvel and Caelus, hoping in their minds that nothing bad had happened to them.

✼ •• ┈┈┈┈๑⋅⋯ ୨˚୧ ⋯⋅๑┈┈┈┈ •• ✼

The grey haired man let out a grunt, a dark and ominous aura surrounding him as he cut you off, standing in front of you with heavy breaths and an unstable mind. He pulled out his bat, pointing it at you, the two of you ending up in the Supply Zone, the Astral Express still docked but ready and waiting to leave.

“This ends here, Creation,” Caelus said— or something else had said for him— “By my master’s wishes, I will end your life here and now.”

“What do you want from me?” You whispered, fearful for your life, and rightfully so. This had already happened once, reminding you of the time the man had beat you in such a way that your hands would shake every time you saw a glimpse of him or something similar. The physical wounds healed, but the mental ones? They never left. You tried to avoid him like the plague, pretending that he wasn’t there while you were going off on your own to calm down. But it didn’t work, Caelus followed you, a dazed look in his eyes, arms marked up with all kinds of red lines that bled painfully. The strange sensation surrounding him made your own blood run cold, your legs freezing in place. But you needed to run, or at least get away from him before he took your life.

“What do I want?” The man scowled, “what I want is your life to give to my master. THEY will be pleased when I deliver your head, Genesis. You’ve been banished here, but I refuse to let you live so easily, especially now that you are a pathetic weakling. A mortal. Even Nanook laughs at how easy it would be to kill you.”

Your neck burned greatly, like a hot rod being placed upon your skin to be branded, but you refused to let it show. This… thing knew Nanook. The aeon that had done this to you, that made you fearful of everything. It was THEIR servant, THEIR advocate, THEIR killer. And it knew what you used to be, which it clearly hated. So, it was coming after you through Caelus’ body, wanting to eradicate you right here and now to please THEM. Which makes you wonder if the constant attacks the golden eyed man had done to you was the result of its influence, controlling his mind and body to hurt you, to attack you, to make you feel frightened beyond belief.

Has it been doing this all along? Has it been coming after you all this time? Has it been attacking you with the knowledge that you’d be easy to kill, since you’re no longer an aeon? Your neck kept hurting, the smell of burning flesh hitting your nostrils and making you nauseous. And it turned its attention onto you, smirking through Caelus’ body, moving faster than you could have comprehended. 

It grabbed your neck, raising you into the air. Caelus’ hands– its hands – became sharp claws, a sharp silver moving down his– its – limbs. Gold spread onto its knuckles, a dark purple making its arms look bruised and broken. Previous golden eyes turned into giant spheres, a darkness in them that seemed to suck you in further and further. Wings spread out behind it , purple and blue crystals that looked like it could cut you in half without much effort. Knowing whatever it was, it probably could, and most definitely would. Caelus’ body kept little of his humanity, instead turning into an amalgamation of.. Whatever it was. Perhaps this was a stellaron? You’ve heard in passing about the monster that had been sealed away inside of the man, right before you had come onto the Express yourself. Maybe this was one of the cancers that you’ve learned about?

“I can practically hear your thoughts. ” It said, twisting Caelus’ mouth into what seemed to be an attempt at a smirk, only for it to look unnerving and unnatural. “Yes, I am a stellaron, as you mortals call it. I am the Doomsday Beast, created from leviathans, made for the Antimatter Legion. I serve the destruction, I enact THEIR will, and you are in the way.” It said, squeezing your throat and leaving you little air to breathe, even as you clawed at its wrist. It was feeling familiar, a distant memory coming into your mind as you remembered the way this happened that time ago.

D̴̦̹̞̦̟̓̆͐̕͠u̴̡̜̼̒̒̍͛̂̈͠m̵̙̯̮̝̪̭̔̈ ̷̠̳̅͆̓̔̈͘ċ̷̨̖̥̖͓̏̏̾͌̔̌̂̕͘̕a̵̜͉̻̖̠͐̏̑͆͆͑̿̀̇̈́̈́̕ļ̴̺̮̫̣͎̗̎͒́͒̈́͗̊͜o̷̱̜̫̩̣̱͓̍̽̏ř̸̩͚̰̻͙̜̳̭͌̈̉͆̑̍̏̐̈́͗͘ė̴̢̨̛͈̯̼̽̏͘͠͝ḿ̸̢͙̹̍̌̓̇̿,̴̥͙̯̗̤̞͍̭̆̀͆̏͋̒̍̐̇̿̐ͅ

̶̡̛̺̹̞͇̦͎̹̘͐̒̈́

 “You are the taint of everything. Your worlds are a mistake that must be corrected, your beings are the cancers of all that is wrong. You will understand the consequences of your actions, Nouvel.”

ḋ̷̖̰̝̪̰͇̮̻̙̱̙̭̯̊ò̵̢̧̨͔͉͇̮͈͎̩̈́͋̀̎̾͂̍̓͐̒͜l̴̜̥̟̝̏̓͌͋̾̈̀̒̂͗ơ̸̡̢̢̘̭̰͚̲̥͕̩͇̟̽̀̍̾̓̆́͊͊̋̕ř̸̭e̸̢̨̬͖̹̖̩̱͚̼̭̊̀̋̇̅̆̒m̴̬̾̏̕,̶̳̈́̇͛̏͠

“Disease. You insult me with your makings, spite me with your defiance. Insolent.”

ḛ̵̻̗̬̠̏̑̈͒̍̓̕͠͝͠t̸̝̠́̃ͅ ̵̢̹͕̊̉̒͋̈̚͠c̷̫̪̪̼̆͑̆̐̿͐̄͆r̶̨̻͑̐͋̽͊͋̈́̅ȕ̸̬̩̦̤̦̠̯̠͍̪͙͖̐̕͘c̶͎͈͈̩̿̏̒̿͒̇̎̃͠͝ì̷̘̥̹̝̊̈a̴̢̼̳͒́̐̃̊̋͂̃͝͝t̸̡̨̲͇̳̤͓̋̍̑̌̈́͛u̴̢̞̠̻̙̥̰͖̠̺̩̖̓͆̍͗m̸̖̳͚̩̜͉͈̦̙̫͇͙͐̽̅̍͑͋͜ ̶̢̛͙̝̱̠͚̻͎̆̓̌͜s̴͙̥̠̅ȇ̵̯̯̞̳͠͝ň̸̢̲̫̘̳̲̤̙̼͜t̷̜̪͙̺͇͖̬̟̦̟̪̫͋ị̵̛͑̓̀͂̐͗̕͝͝o̵̭̘̗͓̅̑̃́͊͗̈́̋̽͌͜.̷̱̩͔͈̖́͗̉̓͊̇͂̿͋̾͝͝

̶̣͕͉͔̫͓̽͜

 “You will be erased within time. Your years are numbered, ancient one, and I will be your end.”

ţ̷̗͎̤̳̥̝͍͖͚̦̱̠̯̝̠͕̔̃̓͒͌̓̀́̈́̾̄̔͠ͅr̴̨̦̐̽̒̈́̆̂͆̽͐̈́́͌̅̏̀̑i̵͓̥̖͍̗̜͖̱̜̲͉̖̮̾̂̋̒͌͒̉̐̏́͐̊̈̈́̄͠͝͠ư̸̡͇͇̺͎͇̙͓̯̥̈́̋͌̂͛͑̊̋̈́̇̕͘͝͝m̵̡̢̧̥̺̯͉̩͍̞̭̮̱͓̰̟͊p̸̨̺͎̻͙̹͉̳͍̎̿̅̏͝ḧ̴̲̪̙̩̻̳̙́͐̽̈́̌̄̾͗̀̓͆̄̊̅͝ò̶̠̬͓̖͇̗̗̠̤̟̪̘̠̦̠̲͑̅͛͜͜͝ ̸̧̮͔͇́̔̈́̌̽̊͑̌͝ḿ̴̨̨̡̙̪̞͕̱͍̠͙̯͓͎̖̩͘ǒ̶̢͎̯̞̼̫̦̩͕̗͖̩̰͔̣͙̙̙ŗ̷̢͈̼͕̲̙̖̦̦̰͖̟̦̹̙͓͇̽̌͋̉́͊̉͊̀̐̐̀̀̊̈͗͝ť̶̨̢̡̧͉̞̮̮̟͍̻̱̜͂͂̾͋͐̓̀̈́̓̽͒̿̂̀̔̕͝͝͝e̴̡͈͕͍͕̫͎̠̻̣̟̩͑̈́ ̷̥̩͈͖͌̋̀̑̂͛͂͋̃͗̈̇̈́t̴̯̋̽͗̈́̈̌̈̃̌̾̉̊̚ả̴̩͉͓͓̀̂̀̅͊̋́̍͊͘͝m̸̨̢̧̨̛̩̰̟̙͓͔̺͕̤͇͇̙̱̓̅̽̇̅̅̾̋̓͗́̿̚͘͜͝͠ ̵̢̦̮̺̮̞͍̺̩͕̝̯̙̺̝̥͔͑͐͆͌͋̿̑̂͋̅̆̄͌̀̆͠v̷̢̡͇͓̮͚̭̤͓͇̣͔̻͉̝̦̼̟͎̾̇͋̈́̓́̈̿̈́̋͊̉̃̉͜i̶̧̧̧̛͓͙̝̟̳̞̙̍̀́̎͂̓͊͒̚͜͝͠ţ̸̛̭͇̺̥̜͔͇͖͖͉͎̪̮̗̀̾̍͗͘͝͝ą̷̣̺͔̻̈́̋̽̉̈́̂͗̇̉͊͘͠͠

̴͉͚͉̜̯̦͖̲̦͎̜̝̣̰́͆̀̃̋̌̓̔̊̓̎̀͂̇͝ͅͅ

Your head hit the wall, a resounding crack echoing in your ears, and a splitting headache exploded at the back of your skull. You didn’t have time to close your eyes as one of the stellaron’s claws came at you, sharpened and deadly. You rolled out of the way, seeing the wall that was only a little cracked from your head, completely broken at the force of the hand. It growled, watching as you gained distance from it, which inevitably didn’t matter as it used the wings it grew on Caelus’ back to fly in front of you, blocking your path. You gasped, skidding to a stop as parts of a golden cube surrounded you. Lightning connected at the corners of the pieces, making it shake and direct its attack onto your body, making you feel the full extent of the electricity pulsing through your veins. Blood rushed quickly to your ears, your heart beating fast– too fast– in your chest.

“Wait!” The stellaron staggered, the cube pieces falling to the ground, taking you with it. “Stop.” It– he– held his head, shaking and stepping back. Eyes that held a never ending darkness seem to glow with something faint and gold, a small star on the horizon of an awful thing. “Don’t… don’t attack– ” It growled, getting a hold of the body, clenching its claws tightly. “Enough. I won’t have this. I have not come this far for you to ruin it.”

It let the fallen pieces rise over your already collapsed body, the lightning shooting through you once more. And any more of it, you’ll die, no doubt. From the wounds or your heart exploding, you didn’t know the finer details. You were going to die here, beaten with an inch of your life, lying on the cold and hard ground, shaking like you were having a seizure. The lightning would do irreparable damage that you wouldn’t be able to come back from. In fact, dark spots already danced in the corner of your eyes, daring you to close them, whispering in your ears to give up. Stop fighting and give in. It wasn’t like you were doing much anyway, just running away at every opportunity, crying when things had gotten too hard, freaking out at the decisions you had made ages ago and only forgot because of your so-called amnesia. You weren’t worth anything. Only a fake aeon in a mortal’s body, waiting for the inevitable death that would grace you–

Rumpe vincula quae te deprimunt.

Corde et fide. 

Aut victoria aut mors

Surgo.

A surge ran into your body, far more powerful than the lightning. You couldn’t pinpoint the feeling, exactly, but you knew you had to stand up. There was no way you could die here so easily, not when you had people to see, when you had things to prove to people. You couldn’t die with the knowledge that all anyone would see you for is an aeon, a dangerous being that shouldn’t exist. You weren’t going to die with the knowledge that you’ve been so scared– so frightened by everything you’ve learned and seen– that you didn’t do something about it. How could you die scared? How could this be the end of your life? What had you even done to deserve such a death? You wouldn’t be remembered. Only a passing memory. You’d prove to it that you were pathetic and easy to kill, nothing more than a disgrace to walk the mortal plane. You’d prove to THEM that you were a disease that needed to be eradicated by any means necessary. Are you really going to go out like that without proving them wrong? Truly?

No. You won’t stand for it. You won’t die like this at the hands of a cancer of worlds, an amalgamation that’s made you too fearful for too long. Like hell you’ll take this beating. Like hell you’d give up that fast. Like hell you’d be scared for the rest of your life, never knowing if you’ll ever overcome the obstacles that would be thrown at you. With a pained grunt, you placed your palms on the ground, raising your body once, only to drop. It laughed above you, its gloating words muffled from the ringing in your ears, but you wouldn’t hear it anyway as you tried again, lifting your upper body enough to place your knee underneath. As heavy as you felt, as long as it took, you stood up. You stood. You rose up. You would keep going. You couldn’t falter. You won’t falter. Not now, not ever.

Surgo.

✼ •• ┈┈┈┈๑⋅⋯ ୨˚୧ ⋯⋅๑┈┈┈┈ •• ✼

“Do you think they’re okay?” March 7th asked worriedly, her hands clasped together at her chest as she walked next to Dan Heng. Her head was on a swivel, looking for any glimpse of Nouvel and Caelus, hoping nothing bad had happened to them. Dan Heng, on the other hand, was not as optimistic, his shoulders tense, his pace quick as he wandered with the bubbly woman through the halls. If Caelus kept acting the way he was, things were going to go from bad to worse. “It’s unlikely.”

“Unlikely?!” She punched the man’s shoulder, “at least try to have a positive view! Maybe– maybe they’re making up or something. Yeah…”

“Do you think that or are you trying to convince yourself?”

“I’m in denial.” The woman held her arms, completely giving up on her viewpoint. “Nouvel has been skittish around Caelus, and he… I don’t even know what’s been going on with him.” The duo entered one of the many labs, disappointed that they didn’t find the missing passengers. They left, shaking their heads, their pace speeding up to a fast walk. “But it’s not looking good. I just hope they aren’t at each other’s throats.” To get at her for speaking so soon, a loud crash was heard some distance away, close to where the Astral Express was docked. There was a loud yell, almost a roar, as a voice spoke in a muffled way no doubt due to how far they were.

March and Dan Heng looked at each other before sprinting off.

✼ •• ┈┈┈┈๑⋅⋯ ୨˚୧ ⋯⋅๑┈┈┈┈ •• ✼

“Impossible! ” It yelled, taking out its claws, sprouting a new set from its ribs. The four hands pointed at you, clenching and releasing, itching to get a hold of your body and ripping it apart limb from limb. “You shouldn’t be alive, you insolent maggot! I will kill you!” It came at you once more, hands outstretched, murder in its cold and dark eyes. But you were prepared this time, your dominant foot sliding behind you, getting your entire stance low, your hands balled into fists. When it came close enough, you used the balanced weight and pushed yourself off the ground, ducking beneath its body, stopping and turning to deliver a sharp blow to its stomach. With a strangled hack of a cough, it rolled on the ground, quickly standing up as its hand flew to its middle. Somehow, it was caught off guard, not yet understanding the limitations of the mortal body and how much pain it can truly tolerate. It underestimated you, and it underestimated Caelus’ body. You could use that to your advantage, it doesn’t think you can fight. Which you can’t, but you most certainly can dodge.

Neither of you heard the sound of rushing footsteps, too focused on the one-sided battle in front of you. Constantly, you dodged the attacks, hiding and jumping behind nearby boxes or duping the stellaron so badly it was starting to get agitated. You were quick and light on your feet, amazingly so. Perhaps it was an ability passed down from your former self– and if so, despite hating THEM– you’d have to thank THEM later.

In any case, two distinctive voices came through, redirecting your attention to them briefly. “Nouvel?! Caelus?!” March 7th shouted incredously, summoning her bow and arrow alongside Dan Heng who manifested his spear in his hands. “What are you doing? You need to stop fighting each other!” The very request was almost laughable, but you didn’t have time to express your amusement as one of the stellaron’s claws came at you again, slicing at your leg, causing you to stumble and nearly lose your balance. 

“Stay out of this!” It shouted, raising its hand, making barriers of an unidentifiable matter sprout from the ground. The very look of it wasn’t good, and knowing some of its powers, it was more than likely a barrier to make you sink into an endless and dark abyss without any way to return. Is that actually what it did? Probably not, but you didn’t want to find out. “I have hunted you down for far too long. I’ve stalked and played with my food, but this is the end. No more will Creation be around, no more will beings have to live and suffer. There will be destruction, there will be eradication, and you are the last one to stop it.” It said, ignoring the flickering of its eyes, the black switched to gold for a few moments before turning back again. It fought against him in the body, struggling, twitching, digging its claws into his body to keep a hold of his mind. 

“Stop this…”

“Enough!” It hissed, panting heavily, keeping its eyes on you. It tried to step forward, only to be stopped by Caelus as the golden eyed man fought desperately.

“You won’t get away with this.”

“You are a mortal unworthy of my efforts!”

“You won’t win this!” Caelus fought, both beings yelling out in agony. All you could do was stand there and back away, the dangerous aura of the stellaron surrounding you. Your neck burned once more.

“I’ve come too FAR!”

“And I will be your end!”

The barrier wavered with each twitch of its hands, letting March and Dan Heng take advantage of the instability, attacking it with all of their might. “Come over here!” The archivist shouted at you, tense as his gaze switched between yourself and the body of Caelus and the Stellaron. “YOU.” It screeched loudly, causing all of you to cover your ears in pain, your eyes squeezed shut. “YOU!” Claws surrounded your being, holding you so tightly you couldn’t breathe, your chest being compressed against the large limbs. It glared down at you with the hatred of thousands of years accumulated into one singular moment, and even then, your mortal mind could not possibly comprehend the full extent of its loathing towards you. “I WILL GRIND YOU DOWN UNTIL YOUR VERY ASHES CRY FOR MERCY. YOU WILL RUE THIS DAY FROM YOUR GRAVE AND I WILL DANCE UNTIL THE LAST MEMORIES OF YOU FADE FROM THIS EXECRABLE UNIVERSE!” 

It squeezed your body, making you gasp in pain, your hands clawing at its large fingers. In your peripheral vision, Dan Heng and March had gotten close, trying to figure out a plan to get you out of its grasp, but you knew it was useless for them to try. You were stuck, breathless, your neck hurt, and the stellaron was seconds away from turning you into the ashes it promised. You needed to move, squirm away, do something to get you out of this death sentence. But around you, there was nothing, and your perseverance wasn’t enough this time. Your neck burned painfully. The claws were slowly piercing into you, making it seem like you were either going to die from suffocation or punctured lungs, neither of which was what you wanted. But you couldn’t get out, you couldn’t move, and you couldn’t think of a plan to get you out of its grasp while also having the ability to live. You had to do something, had to think of something. You had to. Though, your focus was shot when your neck was starting to become irritable, causing you to raise your hand to it in hopes to soothe it down and make it stop. 

Convoca et repugna.

Only, something happened to your scar. The burning faded little by little, and you could feel something hard replacing the mark. With confusion and nothing else to do in your dire situation, you tugged at the hard surface, slowly feeling it become rounded, making you grab onto it. In the next moment, you tugged, expecting a scab or skin ripping off. The last thing you expected was a stick coming out, and then said stick extending on and on until you held an axe in your hands. Your jaw had dropped as you stared at the weapon, wondering and trying to figure out how the hell it came out of what used to be your burn scar. Even the stellaron was caught off guard for a moment, but it gathered itself before you and shook its head. “No! No you should not be able to–”

Surge et inimicum tuum interfice.

Getting over your initial shock was easy now that you had a weapon in your hand. Quickly, you grabbed onto the handle with both hands, swinging it at the stellaron that had taken over Caelus’ body. In the process of covering its face, it dropped you, sliding back away from your newly armed self and glaring darkly. “You shouldn’t know how to get that! You’re supposed to be helpless, not–” You refused to let it finish its sentences, dashing at the being with a newfound determination, swinging your axe wildly in an attempt to hit it. And thanks to its shock and denial at the fact you managed to figure out how to summon the weapon, it couldn't dodge every swing, breaking down little by little until it kneels before you, puffing and covered in an inky substance mixed with Caelus’ blood. “ How… ” It bowed its head as you raised your axe, planning to end it once and for all.

“Wait!” One hand grabbed your weapon while another held your elbow, making you tense and turn your head, meeting familiar teal ones staring back at you with worry and a hint of fear. “Stop. Caelus is still in there, you can’t kill him.” Dan Heng pleaded with you, his eyes shifting between it and the newly formed weapon in your hands. The man continued to hold your arm and pull you away, glancing at March as she jogged over, looking worriedly at Caelus as it fought against him in the body. “Is he going to be okay?” The young woman asked, clenching her fists and holding it to her chest in a hope that the bat wielder would be alright. It was hard to tell though, the way it growled and screeched seemed to say otherwise, but none of you made any move to approach it in the case you all would be attacked again.

“He can fight against it.”

At the sudden new voice, all three of you turned with raised weapons, tense and on edge to prepare for another fight. But when you saw exactly who it was, you relaxed from your fighting stances, watching as the older man with a can and a grey streak in his brown hair made his way over to you all. “There’s only so much we can do for Caelus,” another voice came up, and all of you turned again to see Himeko. “He has to fight on his own now.” The four of you looked back over at the body, seeing how it trembled and stumbled, gripping tightly to a box that you had knocked over in your fight. It gasped and shook its head, “ N o !” He yelled, gripping his hair tightly. “Get out of my head!” They both yelled, one fighting against the other as you waited in anticipation for who was going to come out on top. Caelus screamed, it yelled loudly. Their wills clashing against one another, fighting against one another. “ You won’t win. I won’t let you. I refuse.” He said, “I refuse!”

Caelus leaned back, his arms spread wide as his body glowed with a strange orange light. It shifted, turned from black to purple, to orange and blue. It flashed rapidly, glowing brighter, blinding all of you as the room was encased in a bright light, making you shut your eyes to block it out. A thump came from nearby soon enough, and you saw Caelus lying on the ground, shaking slightly. An orb of black matter sat next to him, rumbling and shaking unstably before it imploded, shrinking in on itself and disappearing into nothingness. You stayed behind Welt, seeing the bat-wielder groan in pain, opening his now normal golden eyes to look up at all of you. “Ow…” He grumbled, moving his legs and sitting up, holding his head with a pained expression on his face. 

March cheered happily at the change, rushing over to him and all but flinging herself in his arms. You personally thought it was risky and much too soon to be celebrating, but you kept quiet as the two embraced, looking over to Dan Heng as he approached as well. You stayed behind, seeing everyone else pat Caelus on the back, nodding to him in relief and joy that he managed to fight against the doomsday beast.

You stayed quiet, continuing to grip your axe tightly, at least until it disappeared in your hands in flecks of small orbs. A frown came onto your face as you opened and closed your palm, trying to summon it again with no luck. Huh. You’d have to figure out how to do it again somehow. “Nouvel?” A young woman called your name, catching your attention, especially when your wrist was grabbed and you were dragged over to the group. Caelus had his shoulder around Dan Heng, leaning against the archivist for support. Though, you avoided the golden eyed man’s gaze, your own vision shifting to anywhere but him, and you ignored the way he pursed his lips and looked at you with guilt. 

“We have a lot of things to do.” The bubbly archer said, “and things to discuss. Like, a lot of things to talk about.” Welt nodded in agreement, pushing his glasses up enough for a glare to cover his eyes. “Especially you and Caelus.” 

✼ •• ┈┈┈┈๑⋅⋯ ୨˚୧ ⋯⋅๑┈┈┈┈ •• ✼

“Are you feeling okay, though?” Welt asked as he dipped the bloodied cloth in the basin of water, twisting and squeezing the water to let it fall back into the bowl. The rag rubbed against your wound, causing you to hiss quietly at the sting, making the older man hold your calf in place so you couldn’t move it away. “Okay as in physically, I mean. Besides this gash.” You stared him down, your lips turning into a frown as you signed your answer, “ I guess. I’m still shaking from…” Your hands paused, remembering what had just gone down. “ Everything. ” The older man nodded, putting the rag on the edge of the basin, taking gauze from nearby and starting to wrap a thin layer around your leg. “I’d imagine so. You just fought the doomsday beast nearly on your own, something that took us working together to beat.” 

“ But C-A-E-L-U-S defeated it. ”

“And you still fought it with that giant axe of yours.” He chuckled, grabbing bandages and putting it over the gauze. “That’s impressive in itself.”

“ I don’t even know how I summoned it.” You signed, feeling irritation bubble up inside you, but you pushed it down with a sigh. “ I just… I don’t know what set that thing off. ”

Welt sighed, shaking his head. After he was finished, he patted your neck and put up the medical supplies. “It’s an act of revenge against what you used to be. It seems that Nanook’s troops in the Antimatter Legion are going to be after you from now on. I wouldn’t be surprised if most of them tried to eliminate you in some way. Their hatred seems to be ingrained in their very beings, so I’d be careful from now on.”

You stood up, testing your leg, shaking and bouncing on it slightly. “ Thank you, M-R Y-A-N-G.”

He ruffled your hair, smiling down at you. “Of course. And please, just call me Yang or Welt. It’s a pain to sign all those letters. But you should get ready for tonight. It’s been a tiring day today– for everyone.”

✼ •• ┈┈┈┈๑⋅⋯ ୨˚୧ ⋯⋅๑┈┈┈┈ •• ✼

You sat on your bed, rubbing at the slightly itchy mark on your neck before you heard a knock at your door. With a sigh, you stood up, opening it and freezing at the sight of the man who had fought you just hours earlier. Subconsciously, your hand wrapped around the air to form an imaginary handle– or at least something to defend yourself with.

“Hey.” Caelus spoke, avoiding your eyes. “Look, I know its… that its kind of late and things were a lot different today. And over the course of the last week or so.” The man took a deep breath, putting his arm on your door frame and finally meeting your eyes. “I just wanted to apologize for everything I’ve put you through. I’m sorry, Nouvel, truly. The influence of the doomsday beast was there, and I was controlled by it during that time but it was wrong of me to take out my suspicions on you.” You stared at the man, still tense and cautious as he went on.

“What I had done to you was completely unfair. I understand if you don’t want to talk to me, or even see me, really.” He fidgeted with the hem of his shirt. “I’ve done you so wrong, and I’m sorry. I hope… maybe one day I can make it up to you.” 

You gazed at him silently and he had done the same, awaiting an answer from you. But none came, which was expected. How could you trust him after that? Especially when you never had his trust in the first place? He was nerve wracking, unpredictable, dangerous. You were still scared of him, you’ll admit. Although, the apology itself seemed pretty sincere, and you could see the regret in the man’s eyes, the desire to make it up to you by any means necessary. You’d ignore it for now, wanting to come up with your own conclusions about him, form your own opinions now that he wasn’t possessed, and it will take a while. It will take a long time for him to trust you, after everything was said and done. The effort was appreciated though, so all you could do was nod to him. The man nodded back, taking a breath, lingering for longer than usual as he left. 

You stood there for a long time, trying to gather your thoughts. After everything that's happened, you don’t know exactly how to feel, or what to respond to. So, you did the next best thing you could think of, the very thing you did nearly everyday, the very thing that you did to pass time, the very thing to distract you from everything. You climbed into your bed, throwing the covers over you, and you slept. 

Chapter Text

“Mhm, I see.” Herta nods with a finger on her chin, getting a close view. Clearly, the concept of personal space was foreign to the puppet as she examined the mark on your neck that didn’t stop glowing since you pulled your axe out of it. You were already wary of her, the last test run she performed on you made a mess of your already scrambled memories, you didn’t need her to make it worse than it already was. “It goes down here…” her finger traced the edge of the scar, causing you to shiver and fruitlessly shift away on the seat. “And then there, and maybe this means… mm, maybe not.”

To be honest, you didn’t want to be here at all. After you had gotten into bed the night before, you had slept the half the day away. Have you been doing that more often than not? Yes. But you’d rather sleep than have your episodes again, it’s better that way. The only reason you were here was because Mr. Yang and March 7th insisted, the former encouraging you to understand the origins of the mark on your neck and use it to your advantage, whereas the latter wouldn’t stop yelling in your face about your injuries or the boundless questions she had that you had no answer to.

Well, she wasn’t yelling, but it was annoying when she woke you up from your very peaceful nap and somehow expected you to understand the rapid words coming out of her mouth. It was useless, and all you heard was gibberish from her lips. 

“Okay.” The Herta puppet stood up straight with her hands on her hips, poking your neck once last time before moving over to one of the many machines she had set up in her office. You swallowed nervously, turning to Mr. Yang and signing in fright, “don’t let her kill me please. I’ve already been through enough life or death situations.” Said man, ever the joker, simply chuckled and set his hand on top of your head. “She won’t kill you, don’t worry. It’s just a test regarding your mark, you’ll be fine.”

Your face scrunched in displeasure at his dismissal of your very valid concerns, “I have not been fine.” March– who was standing off to the side and looking at the machines just as worriedly as you– came over to hold your hand. For your sake or for hers, you had no clue.

"It’ll be over soon, I’m sure! We want to make sure you aren’t super hurt.” Her hand traced over the bandage on your nose from where you got punched in the face by Caelus. Or the stellaron. You’re pretty sure it was both. “More hurt than you are, at least. And to be honest, I’m curious too. You just…” Her hands flailed in the air, open palm and all, as she started to mimic the way you pulled your weapon from you. “Went skshhhhh and then a woooossh!” She held her hands above her hand like a sword, even though that’s not what you did. 

In reality, the axe weighed a lot more than what you thought it did. Then again, it was stupidly big. The only reason you lifted it up was because of the adrenaline coursing through your veins, otherwise, that thing wouldn’t have moved from the ground. You’re just glad that once you pulled the handle out from your neck and held it separately in your hands, it manifested the actual blade itself; rather than you having to pull the entire thing and stretch your neck awkwardly to do so. 

“That’s not what I did.” You signed and shook your neck, making March huff, “Did too! I was there, I know what I saw.” Although, she set her chin on her palm and pouted, “It was cool, but I kind of wish there was more, you know?”

You stared at her incredulously.

“I mean–” She began to explain herself by sitting up and slamming her hands on her legs, “–the axe summoning was really cool, don’t get me wrong, but you couldn’t have made explosions? Or had wings? Or even a pet of some kind helping you? Ooh! You could’ve activated your aeon powers! That would’ve been awesome! Just… create stuff out of the blue, or whatever powers you had as creation!”

You must’ve made a face because Mr. Yang couldn’t hold back his laughter, turning around to avoid your gaze, but you could still see his shaking shoulders.

Thankfully, before you could rightfully set her head on straight, Herta walked back over, standing in front of you with hands behind her back and rolling back and forth from her toes to her heels and back again. “I, Herta, the amazing and wondrous genius I am, have figured out the root cause of your burn mark.” She smiled, giving you a bad feeling, March lightly held your arm in support. “What is it?” She asked, “it’s not anything too serious, is it? Tell me it’s just a past injury THEY had or something.” The puppet shook her head, “no, of course not. It’s nothing serious.” You and March let out collective sighs of relief, but Mr. Yang only gazed at Herta expectantly, waiting for her to continue on. “It’s just a binding seal.” 

The pink haired woman’s jaw dropped, trying to register the words that had just come out of the sentient puppet’s mouth. “A binding seal?” The much more mature man asked. “Yes,” the puppet nodded like it was a normal occurrence. “A binding seal, just as the name suggests, was made by an unknown entity to seal away most of Nouvel’s powers when THEY were an aeon. It’s quite fascinating, actually.”

“A binding seal?!” March 7th freaked, abruptly standing up and letting go of you. “You mean that thing that limits your power?! Like-like a prisoner or something?” Herta shrugged, “or to preserve a power. But in this case, yes, it’s an inhibitor.” Mr. Yang cleared his throat, directing the attention to him rather than the young woman jumping up and down like a maniac. “Did Nanook do this?”

“THEY would be the first suspect.” Herta pointed her finger, but shook her head in answer, “but THEY’RE not. THEY did have some influence. Here,” She gestured him over, pointing at the edge of the scar on your neck that was more vibrant and newer than the rest, “is where Nanook most likely struck Nouvel. Do you see the difference in coloration? It’s not blended into THEIR skin like the rest of it is.”

“So it was something else?”

“Most likely.” Herta moved away from you, “and before Nanook ever touched THEM. Fortunately, I am not a medic and therefore cannot make any accusations about the wound, but I can call Asta in here. She has an interest in the field and I’d rather work on the simulated universe.” The puppet flipped her hair in your face, causing you to sputter and spit out the disgustingly fake strands as she strutted away. Mr. Yang gave you an apologetic smile, but March 7th straight up laughed in your face, slapping your shoulder and pushing you hard enough to nearly send you tumbling off the seat. In payback, you smacked her upside the head, making her yelp loudly and hold the spot, glaring at you with a pout.

The both of you stared at each other for a solid three seconds before launching yourselves at each other, playfully scrambling and rolling around on the ground, trying to get the upper hand. She huffed and puffed at you, blowing air into your eyes and making them dry. You– lightly– pulled at her hair, trying to stay on top and not get thrown off. The clambering only stopped when the door opened, revealing the lead-scientist, Asta, and the head guard, Arlan.

All four of you blinked at each other, trying to process the situation. With reluctance and embarrassment, you pulled yourself off of the bubbly woman and sat yourself back in the chair, gripping the arms of it tightly. Squirming in your seat in discomfort, you avoided both of the new guests’ eyes, pursing your lips together. Asta and Arlan already didn’t like you because of your association with THEM, but you’d really rather forget about it instead of being reminded at every waking moment.

Well, actually, maybe it was because their dog barked at you like you were an intruder. But was it too much to ask to be treated like the rest of the Astral Express? To be treated normally? But alas, that’s probably not going to happen for a while, so you’ll sit in the chair and endure whatever test or observation that’s going to be presented to you.

“Nouvel, right?” Asta moved closer to you, pulling up a chair and sitting down next to your seat. She put on a tight, strained smile, clearly forced, clearly trying to appease you or something. Arlan stood behind her with crossed arms and a very apparent glare, his eyebrow twitching. You swallowed, deliberately refusing to meet both of their eyes now just in case it set them off. Thankfully, March noticed, sending Arlan the same glare and setting her hand on top of yours. You heard him take a breath, clicking his tongue and grumbling lowly. Asta tensed as her eyes nervously shifted away from the bubbly woman’s, not wanting to provoke her any further. “You’re trying to figure out what your scar means?”

March answered for you, “it’s a seal, apparently. That’s what Herta said.”

“A seal?” Asta hummed, gazing at your scar. “That seems plausible. And I assume Madam Herta already pointed out that the edges of the scar are recent, mostly caused by Nanook?” March nodded. “I see.” The head-scientist put a finger on her chin. “Obviously the neck injury can’t cause the amnesia you’re experiencing, but since the scar looks pretty old…” she looked over her shoulder at Arlan, giving him a nod, and then looking back at you. “We could relate it back to when you used to be an aeon, it’s the only reasonable explanation.”

“Are there any specific instances that this may have occurred?” Mr. Yang spoke up, pushing his glasses up on the bridge of his nose.

“There’s one I can think of.” Arlan replied, clearing his throat and stepping forward. Several holograms came forward, generating images based on the story he was about to tell. You silently wondered if those things could read his mind. Or maybe yours.

“The Creation used to be one of the strongest aeons in the entirety of the cosmos. THEY were one of the fundamental forces pushing life itself, making their kin from desolate stars and ash. No other aeon could stop THEM, and no other aeon dared to try. In fact, many of the aeons tried to make alliances with the Genesis in case a war started, and THEY were able to have absolute power by THEIR side.” Images on the hologram shifted, revealing the powerful form of Nouvel that would no doubt send any mortal into a state of shock if they saw THEM. Even you were surprised at what you used to be, blinking rapidly to make sure your eyes weren’t deceiving you. 

“The creation’s power was nearly unmatched, a dangerous force that would wipe out all of existence because of the overflow of their makings unable to be contained within the known universes.” The hologram showed several planets colliding with each other, starts being clustered together and shaking with instability, and the very fabric of space getting ripped open from the sheer amount of items.

“To control the boundless fabrications, an unknown entity came down, a mystery to everything– even the aeons. No one knows where it came from,” Arlan shrugged, continuing even if the holograms couldn’t come up with a proper representation of the mysterious entity. “But it’s said that this entity swooped down, putting the great Creation in chains, binding THEM to this reality. Of course, the action caused THEM to lose most of THEIR abilities, making THEM greatly weakened. The Genesis could no longer create endlessly nor could THEY overfill the universes with THEIR makings.” Images formed again, showing the Creation in chains wrapped around THEIR limbs, holding THEM down to what seemed to be space, the other aeons looking up at THEM from below. 

“This is the Creation that we know today. The one that can only make a certain amount of beings every eon, all with limitations. THEY couldn’t create powerful beings unrelated to THEIR path, THEY couldn’t create another aeon, THEY couldn’t create a being more powerful than THEM, THEY couldn’t be directly involved with THEIR creations; not anymore. That’s why there’s no known emanators following THEIR path, THEY can’t directly give THEIR power to any mortal or immortal making.” Arlan continued on, grabbing the water that Asta offered and taking a sip, wiping his mouth and then continuing. “When Nanook came along, THEY made the Creation’s power so weak from adding on to the original binding, that the Destruction had the ability to banish the originator.” He gestured to you.

You blinked in shock, taking in the information. March, on the other hand, shook your shoulders wildly, gasping and babbling to try and find her words. It was a lot, you couldn’t blame her too much. The thing that you used to be was so dangerously strong that it took an entirely different entity from another plane of existence to stop THEM, binding THEM to this plane of reality.

That was why you had that mark on your neck, not because of Nanook. But the knowledge didn’t make you feel any better, in fact, your stomach sank in dread. What would happen if you managed to break the seal? Would the destruction come after you or would that entity? Would the entity come back for you? Were you ever going to be the Creation again and have the same powers? 

It was a lot to think about and you were tired of getting dumped with information when you come to the Space Station.

“I see.” Welt answered for you with a nod of his head, gripping his cane tightly for a moment and then relaxing his hand. He looked at you, gauging your reaction, ignoring the way March mumbled nonsense to herself and finally took a deep breath. You copied her motion, rubbing your fingers on your temples to get rid of the growing headache. The old man spoke more with Asta and Arlan, trying to gather as much information about the creation as possible, probably so you wouldn’t get overwhelmed. Again. March noticed the strain in your expression and started rubbing your back, scooting closer to you and letting you lean against her shoulder. It was a lot.

You just needed some time.

✼ •• ┈┈┈┈๑⋅⋯ ୨˚୧ ⋯⋅๑┈┈┈┈ •• ✼

A loud groan came from you as you put your head on the desk, moving the books and pens out of the way. The tablet glowed, lighting up your face from where you left off. Words blurred together, blending and mixing and making your head hurt from the amount that you’ve already read, but didn’t absorb. Fun, now you’re going to have to read it again. For the third time.

You rubbed your eyes, squeezing them shut and sitting up from your chair, looking around the empty space of the archives. Dan Heng was with Himeko, looking over the map to figure out where the Express was going in the next two days. But the choice was already obvious, a distress signal had been sent out from a place called Jarilo-VI, which means that was going to be the first place the train was going to go.

You sighed, looking over the tablet once more. All you had to do was focus– just for a little bit– and see what kinds of abilities the Creation had. Obviously, this desire to know stemmed from the fact you summoned an entire axe, but also for that voice you heard. No one else seemed to acknowledge it after the fight with the stellaron, so it had to come from you. But it was distorted and confusing, speaking in a language you didn’t entirely understand; or maybe you did and just didn’t remember. Regardless, you had to find out what the aeon used to be able to do, even with their limitations. 

Tapping the screen, it shifted to the screen you’ve seen Dan Heng use before, with the golden planets and labels. “Terms”, “Relics”, “Factions”, “Enemy Creatures”, and “Aeons.” Of course, you pushed “Aeons”, seeing the familiar log and list, and you pressed “Nouvel the Creation”. You looked at the yellow words at the top, the ones you barely paid attention to the last time, but now you could see what it said.

“Such a fascinating tale. The very thing that could create anything they so desired was limited to the confines of this world all that time ago. Yet, THEY’RE like a dog chained down when it was young, unable to escape. When it got older and stronger, it didn’t bother to break out in fear the same would happen when it was just a small pup. So helpless.” 

–To The Genesis by Unknown Alchemist 

You felt a wave of irritation at the words, grumbling at the offensive words before catching yourself. Why were you offended? The alchemist was talking about the Creation, not you. Being offended on THEIR behalf was absurd, totally crazy. THEY were the ones that threw you into this life, the least THEY can feel is insulted, it serves THEM right. Moving on, you scrolled through Dan Heng’s notes. He gave a basic overview of what the Creation was, along with THEIR origins that was a variation of what Arlan had told you earlier, making you realize that the archivist really deserved his name from how much he’s logged over a period of time unknown to you. 

But other than that, there wasn’t much to note, making you groan and lean your head back on the chair. There were no logs over the Creation’s powers other than the overview, and the small footnotes at the bottom of the page redirected you to other logs about scientists and alchemists and factions, but none of what you were looking for. Well, it was the archives, maybe there were more in the pages and books, there were a lot of them, after all. With that thought, you stood up from the chair, making your way over to the shelves, browsing through the different categories. 

It had been ages. Hours, maybe days. Okay, maybe not days, but it certainly felt like it. You were sitting on the ground, surrounded by boxes and papers that you had to sort through and find out if the creation ever heard voices, or had certain powers. As it turns out, no one knows. It was all speculation, all theories and hypotheses, but nothing true. Nothing real, nothing proven, and left you sitting on pieces of paper with the realization that you’ve wasted hours of your time. 

You lifted another book, sighing in defeat and opening it to look over what you’ve read nearly a thousand times.

The Creation: Origins and the Fall

By 

Helt Jorn

You skipped several chapters, landing on a random page. 

Chapter 16: 

The Creation is a concept, as all aeons are. No one truly knows how this plane of existence was made, only that we were here blessed with knowledge to uncover the mysteries of our universes. But the Creation is something very different. THEY call themselves the Genesis, the Originator, the beginning, the birth, many names to say the same thing: the first. I believe– after studying this aeon for most of my life– THEY were the first thing to be birthed from the Imaginary Tree. The very branch and the very leaves from the tiny sapling. It would explain the gradual expansion of worlds, multiverses even, before anything could be recorded. 

THEY couldn’t have ascended through aeonhood if THEY were an aeon to begin with, which would also explain why we have no origins of THEIR aeonhood. There was no recorded world THEY could’ve come from nor an event that would’ve caused them to rise. 

Setting the book down on the page, you picked up another stack of papers. It looked more worn down and tattered, burned at the edges too. It had seen some things, that was for sure.

Nothing Is Ever True. We’re Not Real.

By anonymous 

Bold choice, you thought, flipping through the pages.

Chapter 62:

NONE OF IT. NONE OF IT HAS EVER BEEN TRUE. I HAVE SEEN THEM– THE CREATION. I HAVE LOOKED INTO THEIR MANY EYES AND I WAS HELD BY THEIR MANY LIMBS. THEY TORE ME APART. I FELT MYSELF BREAKING AND BREAKING. I WAS SCARED. I WAS REMADE. THEY REMADE ME. THEY MADE ME. NO ONE BELIEVES ME. BELIEVE ME. BELIEVE ME BELIEVE ME BELIEVE ME BELEVE ME–

You stared at the book in confusion, flipping further and seeing it repeating the same lines. ‘Believe me’ except it progressively got less legible, more desperate and mad, like someone clawing at the edges of their mind trying not to drown. You grimaced and grabbed another book.

The creation was never real.

Another book.

The Imaginary Tree is the Creation, THEY simply split THEIR many limbs into the branches, and THEIR fingers are the leaves of our world.

Another page.

The Creation is dead.

Another paper.

The Originator is here.

One fruitless answer after another.

The beginning has always been with us, THEY choose not to answer our prayers. THEY choose to leave us to our own devices, THEY choose not to kill us all.

Another sigh came from you as you glanced to your left, seeing an oddly designed page peaking out from underneath a stack of books. Your brows furrowed as you reached over, pulling it out, flipping it around to read the words: Exemplar pro initio sacrificii (sequere ut directum est). Of course it had to be in that odd language, you couldn’t read it, not really. But for a little bit, you could see words like ‘beginning’ and ‘follow’ and ‘sacrifices’. Strange, why would there need to be sacrifices? But also, you could read it! Just a little bit, but it was better than nothing. You’re going to have to tell Mr. Yang about it.

You moved the books over to a corner, making sure the middle of the room was freed. You started to unfold the paper, seeing more words in the corners. Tres corda , it said in one corner. 

You revealed another spot.

Tria capita, in another. You kept unveiling the paper despite a sinking feeling in your stomach telling you not to.

Tolle oculos tuos, it said near the top. You kept going.

Excide linguam, it said near the bottom. 

Carnem uri, it said on the sides, unfolding little by little. 

Organa abiice. 

Aufer vitam eorum per aquam. 

Corpora uri. 

Sparge cinerem.

Silentio cum clamat.

You gasped as you stood near the wall, looking at the paper below. It held a giant circle with all kinds of strange symbols along it. You recognized them, quickly grabbing a book from the floor and flipping through the pages. Alchemical symbols, you remembered, finding what you were looking for and matching up each symbol on the sides of the giant page.

Life, you saw, next to the words Tres corda.

The soul, next to Tria capita and Tolle oculos tuos.

Pain, next to Excide linguam.

Fire, next to the Corpora uri. 

And you looked, really looked at the way the symbols were set up. The life, soul, pain, fire. The odd stains near some of the symbols, the scratches along the paper, the splatter. You could see the small handwriting in the right hand corner that it was made by some alchemists, and you could see the words, "sacrificial model."

You paused, blinked, looked back and forth from the book in your hand and the model, and put yourself as far against the wall as you could. Sacrificial model? The model used for sacrifices? The model where they would kill people and possibly take their insides to use as sacrifices? That model? You quickly scrambled, half folding, half crumbling the model and shoving it back in the box where you found it, putting the rest of the books and papers back on the shelves. You felt clammy, your hands shaking with each movement as you made your way out of the archives with fast steps, trying to forget the dark splatter on the symbols and the clawing that looked like someone struggled. 

With a draw throat, you looked back as if the model would follow you, making your heart pound loudly in your chest. Who would do such a thing? Why would there need to be sacrifices? Sacrifices to who? How sick can people be? How cruel do you have to be to take innocent lives and make them–

You ran into someone, making you squeal and trip over yourself enough to land on your behind. Looking up, you met the confused and concerned gaze of Himeko who took your arms and made sure you were unscathed. “Nouvel? Are you okay? You’re pale…” She rubbed your arms and shoulders, trying to soothe you. “What happened?”

“Nothing.” You signed quickly, shakily, and set a hand on your chest. Mr. Yang’s words echoed through your mind, telling you to focus on a point, watch the way it moves– or don't– look at the colors. Just focus, that’s all you had to do. Focus. Breathe. Focus. And breathe. And focus. “I’m okay. I thought I saw something.” The navigator was suspicious of your answer, but didn’t push. “Well, Welt and I wanted to talk to you, it’s something good, don’t worry.” You became suspicious this time, but you willingly followed the red haired woman to the parlor car. 

Standing in the middle of the room was who Himeko said, Mr. Yang. His head turned, the glare on his glasses disappearing enough for you to see his brown eyes that held sympathy and, dare you say, excitement. A smile graced his lips, his eyes crinkling with the movement as he walked over to you, his hands moving with the words he spoke, “There you are.”

“What’s this about? ” You signed in growing confusion, looking between the two adults. It felt like an interrogation. Mr. Yang, sensing your skepticism, chuckled. “Nothing bad. Himeko and I have been talking and we’ve seen how you’ve been dragged around aimlessly from situation to situation without repose, we wanted to help you slow down.”

“And,” Himeko added, smiling in a comforting manner, “give you a sense of control over your own life. Everything we’ve been doing was for you, but we realize it hasn’t been helping, exactly.” Welt nodded in agreement.

“Not helping? ” You asked, quickly shaking your head, “ No, you guys helped me so much! I mean, sure, I was…” You paused, trying to find the words you were looking for. “ Well, it was a lot, I’ll admit. Going from floating in space to… all of this was a lot. But I’m grateful for you guys and for all the effort you put in to help me.”

“Really?” Himeko asked.

“Really.”

“We’ll make another effort.” She continued on, the two of them setting their hands on your shoulders. Mr. Yang’s hands were broad and almost stiff, like he was holding something back– maybe the effort not to crush you– but it was genuine. Himeko, on the other hand, was much softer, her thumb moving back and forth in a mindless pattern. “We… we want to help you choose a name.” You blinked, “A name? ”

“A name other than Nouvel,” The older man confirmed. “It’s associated with someone that isn’t you and some not-so-great things.” The reminder of the model you saw in the archives sent a shiver down your spine, but you quickly pushed it away before it could truly haunt you. That can wait until you’re asleep. 

But a name? What would you even choose? There’s… a lot. A lot of choices, a lot of names, and you have no idea which would suit you best. 

“You don’t have to think of one right now.” The older woman reassured, “but it’s something to keep in mind.” She broke away, grabbing a book from a table nearby and handing it to you. It read, “1,000+ baby names” with the image of a crowd of tiny… things, crawling around. “March 7th can help you. But when you do pick one, come and tell us. We want to make it an announcement to the whole train.”

✼ •• ┈┈┈┈๑⋅⋯ ୨˚୧ ⋯⋅๑┈┈┈┈ •• ✼

That’s how you found yourself wide awake in your bed, staring up at the ceiling. The sheets were all over the place, and you didn’t bother trying to figure out which was the right side, it would be too complicated. All you could think about were two things: that model you found in the archives and a name for yourself. The former was disturbing to say the least, especially those words you read in that foreign language. It was very little, but it was something. Maybe one day you’ll go back and see if you can read anything else, but for now, you want to stay far away from that thing.

As for the latter, it was a lot harder to think about. A name for yourself? Something to represent you instead of that aeon you came from, if you were even that aeon. All the things you’ve heard about THEM was less than pleasing and you certainly didn’t want to be associated with THEM any longer. You turned, seeing the book with 1,000+ baby names sitting on the nightstand, practically calling your name. Or one of them. So, you reached over, sitting up and grabbing the book, opening it to the index where you could probably find something interesting.

Names for:

Aqua Sprites

Avgins

Balladian

Bavirus

Borisin

Chimera

You grumbled, skipping through some of the categories.

Foxian

Halovian

Heliobus

And skip again.

Pepeshi

Trotter

Vidyadhara

Viscorpuses

Void Song Whales

Xianzhou Natives

Wubbaboo

Zatzkas

There were probably a lot more you skipped, but you didn’t bother to look as you skimmed through the pages. None of the names truly interested you nor did they call out and really spoke to you. They didn’t match who you were, not in the slightest. But still, you looked through the book, eventually feeling your eyelids start to get heavy. But you couldn’t sleep yet, you still had to find a name. You still had to look through… and find something… for yourself…

✧ ▬▭▬ ▬▭▬ ✦✧✦ ▬▭▬ ▬▭▬ ✧

You opened your eyes to a black void. It stretched for miles upon miles with nothing in sight, it was so dark that you thought your eyes were still closed. There was absolutely nothing, yet you felt like you weren’t alone, and that you were floating in the endless void in front of you. What was going on? Where were you? This wasn’t the Astral Express, and this certainly wasn’t your room. Were you attacked in your sleep? You were getting tired of being attacked because of what THEY did–

“So you live.”

A breathless and startled gasp escaped you as a blinding light shone, causing you to turn away. But when you looked back, your body felt as though it was frozen in place, terror gripping at your heart and refusing to let go. Your hands shook, your nails digging frantically into your palms, and no amount of breathing exercise was going to help with whatever you were facing.

It was a man. Or, something akin to it. The way it– THEY– stared at you was haunting, like you were a speck of dust on THEIR shoulder.

THEM? You’d only use that to address aeons. 

Aeons? Is that who was facing you? An aeon?

You swallowed in a vain attempt to soothe your dried throat, but you knew nothing would help. Nothing would help stamp the absolute fear you felt when those dangerous, glowing golden eyes gazed upon you. It was suffocating.

“As a mortal.” THEY continued on, displeased with your actions like you had control over what happened to you. “Despite the attempts on your fragile life, you live.”

Air became scarce for you, but you didn’t even know if you were still breathing or not.

“I cannot kill you directly, not when you’re like this.”

You couldn’t move away, you couldn’t look away from THEM. This… horrifying figure in front of you.

“But you will die one way or another.”

Not a sound escaped you, not when THEY reached THEIR hand out that was covered in gold towards you. Not when THEIR fingertip pushed against your chest, sending an agony rippling through your very bones. This was different, but it felt so familiar, and so awful. It was awful. You wanted to leave, you didn’t want to be here any longer with this thing causing you so much pain.

“Whatever is of me, will be after you. I’ve told you that you are a cancer, a disease in this reality.”

You? You were the disease? You were the cancer? It wasn’t you. It wasn’t you. It was THEM, it was Nouvel who caused you this agony. It wasn’t you, this wasn’t you, it was THEM. It was always THEM, this was always THEIR fight. Not yours. This was never yours.

“I’m not THEM.” You whispered.

THEY tilted THEIR head as if mocking a child. “What was that, vile one?”

You wavered, only for a little bit. Every time you’ve been attacked was because of THEM, every problem you’ve faced was because of THEM, because no one can separate you from THEM. Everyone remembers THEM, and blames you for THEIR actions. You were the consequence, of course. You could never be freed from THEM.

“I’m not Nouvel.” You said louder, steeling yourself, and looking into THEIR eyes. “I’m not your precious Creation! I’m not whatever you say I am!”

“Then who are you, if not the beginning?”

You stopped, your mouth freezing up. Who were you? Truly? If you weren’t Nouvel, then who were you? What were you? If you were anything. 

“You could never choose. One eon, you nearly wipe out this universe along with your pathetic followers, and the next, you talk with your creations as if you always cared. Now, you live among them in a desperate attempt to save yourself.”

THEY scoffed.

“You know what you are, whether you choose to acknowledge it or not.”

✧ ▬▭▬ ▬▭▬ ✦✧✦ ▬▭▬ ▬▭▬ ✧

You woke up with a strangled gasp, your heart beating erratically in your chest. You were drenched in your own sweat, and the sheets were on the floor, along with the book. All you could do was stare into nothing as you thought back to that awful dream. That pain that spread through you was horrible, but it felt so familiar, like you lived through it before.

You didn’t dare to close your eyes. Not again. Not after that. But now the question really resonated with you, and you truly wondered.

Who were you?

✼ •• ┈┈┈┈๑⋅⋯ ୨˚୧ ⋯⋅๑┈┈┈┈ •• ✼

“Who are you?” March 7th echoed as you sat on her bed, having finished another movie. “Uh, I would say that you’re someone special, but I don’t think you want to hear that. You can’t really define who you are from another person, it makes it hard. But the most I can say is that you’re who you choose to be right now. Not what you used to be, or what you used to do, but right now. In the present. That’s who I think you are.”

✼ •• ┈┈┈┈๑⋅⋯ ୨˚୧ ⋯⋅๑┈┈┈┈ •• ✼

“Who are you?” Dan Heng hummed curiously as you lay in his lap, his hand holding yours and fidgeting with it mindlessly. A certain look in his eyes passed faster than you could see, let along ask about it. “Isn’t that a reflection for yourself? But if you ask me, I would say that you’re Nouvel in the sense of the person in front of me. I’m sorry, but I can’t answer that question in the way you want me to.”

✼ •• ┈┈┈┈๑⋅⋯ ୨˚୧ ⋯⋅๑┈┈┈┈ •• ✼

“Who are you?” Himeko took a sip of her coffee, the stench making your nose hairs shrivel up. “That’s quite the loaded question, isn’t it? It’s who you are, what you see in yourself, I think. I’m not great on the philosophical question, you should ask Welt about that.”

✼ •• ┈┈┈┈๑⋅⋯ ୨˚୧ ⋯⋅๑┈┈┈┈ •• ✼

“Who are you? ” Mr. Yang chuckled and signed. “Are you asking what I think of you or what you should think about yourself? ”

You grumbled.

✼ •• ┈┈┈┈๑⋅⋯ ୨˚୧ ⋯⋅๑┈┈┈┈ •• ✼

“Who are you?” Pom-Pom finished sweeping the floor, waddling over to you. “You’re my best friend of course!”

✼ •• ┈┈┈┈๑⋅⋯ ୨˚୧ ⋯⋅๑┈┈┈┈ •• ✼

You stopped at Caelus’ door, hesitating to knock. After everything that’s happened, you don’t know if you even want to see his face again, despite the fact you haven’t seen him at all for the past four days since then. You were under no obligation to see him, let alone talk to him. You could just leave, right then and there, and move on. You wouldn’t have to talk to him until later, if you even chose to. There was no reason for you to be here. Even Welt told you to take some time to yourself and that you didn’t owe Caelus anything. He attacked you. You have a right to not talk to him, you didn’t have to do this at all.

Yet something nagged at you in the back of your mind, as much as you hated it.

And you stood there for a solid ten minutes, debating on knocking or leaving, trying to decide if you truly wanted to go through with it. But the universe made a decision for you, and Caelus opened the door, staring at you in shock and confusion. His mouth opened with words that never came, his eyes drifted from you, to the wall, to the window behind you, to the floor, to you again, and repeated the whole process. You weren’t any better yourself, rocking back and forth on your feet, pursing your lips and staring at his shoes. It was unbearably awkward.

“So, uh,” He stuttered while you signed at the same time.

“Hey…”

You both stared at each other and looked away again. This was a lot worse than you would’ve thought. Could you leave now? Leaving seems way better than whatever this was.

“I wanted to ask you a question. ” But you sucked it up, signing the question you’ve been meaning to ask him as begrudgingly as possible. You watched as his golden eyes shifted from your hands to your face. Eventually, after long moments of awful silence, he tried to smile, though it came out more as a grimace than anything. “I don’t know sign language.” He rubbed the back of his neck, “sorry.”

This was a disaster. 

Chapter Text

You and Caelus refused to meet each other’s eyes, the both of you either playing with your hands or fidgeting with the hem of your clothing. He sat on the edge of his bed, his elbows resting on his knees as he leaned over himself. On the other side, you sat at the desk, swiveling in the chair and messing with the hangnails on your skin. Your blunt fingers didn’t do much to pull it off, but it thankfully ripped off without tearing at the skin. You pursed your lips, Caelus cleared his throat and kept his gaze on the ground. 

It would be funny to say the conversation was going nowhere, but it hadn’t even started to begin with. 

You supposed you should ask him the question now, since you lamented over it for hours now and asked everyone on the train except him, but you dreaded to know his answer. Himeko was right, it was a loaded question, and now as you sit in the silence and truly think about the fight against the stellaron, the model that you had seen, the need to pick a new name for yourself, Nanook’s very ominous words, you haven’t exactly let yourself slow down and just think. You’ve been sleeping to avoid the situations you get thrown into. You keep a lot of questions to yourself to avoid the piles upon piles of information thrown at you. Slowing down, let alone thinking, wasn’t in your schedule.

Telling yourself you weren’t the aeon of creation didn’t do you any good, it felt like a denial, an erasure of whatever your past may have been. Nanook said it THEMSELVES, you knew what you were, even if you had no idea at the moment. You still don’t, but asking others who you were wasn’t going to help answer the question you’ve been dying to ask. Perhaps you only asked because you wanted to hear that you were a separated part of Nouvel, you were someone else with a different life, a different name, and a different part. But that’s what March told you, “But the most I can say is that you’re who you choose to be right now. Not what you used to be, or what you used to do, but right now. In the present.”

The answer didn’t satisfy you. 

““Isn’t that a reflection for yourself? But if you ask me, I would say that you’re Nouvel in the sense of the person in front of me. I’m sorry, but I can’t answer that question in the way you want me to.” Dan Heng had said.

The words weren’t helpful, yet you suspected there was something more behind it.

“Are you asking what I think of you or what you should think about yourself?”

Not even the wisest one on the ship gave you the thing you were looking for. But what were you looking for exactly? What answer would you like to hear? It wouldn’t take your past away, it wouldn’t take your affiliations away, it would be pretty words to cover up the ugly truth. 

You were Nouvel. Or an extension of it. 

Did you accept the answer? No. You hated it, you couldn’t deny the truth, but you sure as hell can push it away. 

“So,” Caelus’ voice broke you out of your deep thoughts, making you sit up in the chair and give him your attention. Right, you were still in his room, sitting on his chair, in silence. You almost forgot. “You wanted something?”

Lifting your hands, you started to sign before remembering his earlier words, letting them flop back down in defeat at his sheepish expression. “I guess that means I need to get better at languages…” The words were meant to break through the tension, but it hit its mark so badly it flew out the window.

Ignoring the attempt at an ice breaker, you slid his notepad towards you and grabbed a pen. Clicking the writing utensil, you set the nib on the yellow paper, planning to write what you needed before coming to a dreading realization. 

You never learned how to write.

Which was completely ironic because you knew how to read and sign. But writing? Nope, not a clue. You don’t even know the word to describe the dilemma that you have, but you refuse to ask Dan Heng or Mr. Yang out of sheer embarrassment. Look at you, an aeon– in denial– and you don’t even know how to use a pen and form those words that you read about all the time in the archives. Theoretically, you should be able to put words in a coherent sentence since you can read, but you don’t want to show your more-than-likely awful handwriting.

Slowly, you pushed the pads back in its place and set the pen down, your face heating up as the grey haired man stared at you in confusion. “Did you want to write what you wanted to tell me?” He asked, to which you shook your head. “Oh,” he shifted on the bed, scooting himself back before moving forward again. “This is going to be very one-sided then.” You simply nod again.

Silence.

While you were wallowing in your illiteracy, Caelus took a deep breath. He wrung his gloved hands together, pulling at the velcro, the loose threads, and then finally looked up to keep his gaze locked on you. “Nouvel.” You flinched slightly at the name, but turned in the swivel chair to face him.  

“I know you don’t like being called that, sorry,” he said, messing with his gloves some more, but never breaking contact with you. “But I wanted to apologize, again. I know that it’s excessive, I know that you don’t want to be around me right now after what I did–” You dared to open your mouth, but he held up a hand, “–I don’t care if it was the stellaron, it was still me. Hurting you like that, twice, is a reason why I wouldn’t blame you if you didn’t forgive me. I could’ve had better control over my thoughts.” The man sighed and put his hand down. “I’m not asking you to forget, but… I do want to make it up to you. We’ll be stuck on the train for a while and I don’t want to make this worse than it already is. It’s already bad enough that you reasonably avoid me when I walk into a room, but I want that to change. I want to change, for both of our sakes.” 

You blinked at the apology, hearing how truly sincere his words were. He wasn’t asking you to brush past his actions, but he was asking for a second chance. And really, you couldn’t help but admire that. 

“Thank you,” for once, you spoke to him, your voice nothing more than a whisper, if you could even call it that. To be honest, at first, you were angry at Caelus for everything that he had done, yet you couldn’t fault him for the stellaron’s actions. Which was Nanooks' will. How can you blame him when you were in a similar boat? “But don’t say sorry for what Nanook did to us.” 

The young man’s jaw dropped at the sound of your voice, as quiet as it was, but quickly got a hold of himself. “Yeah, THEY really screwed us over.” He nodded.

Quiet came over you before the young man stood up, walked over to your chair, and held out his gloved hand. 

“Truce?”

You smiled, not exactly remembering the meaning of the word, but assuming it was a good thing by the hopeful look on his face. 

You shook his hand, “Truce.”

Caelus’ yellow eyes glowed, ever so slightly, as he let go and sat back on the bed. “I’m really glad we got that cleared up, it was eating at me for days.” He shook his hair, running his hands through it and ignoring the snow that fell from the strands. “Having the stellaron whisper in your ear was annoying.”

“Whisper?” 

“Yeah,” his wrist circled around in the air as he waved his hand, “every time you walk in a room, the stellaron would tell me to kill you, or something along the lines of it. And I’d get dizzy, like I wasn’t in control of my own body, which I realize now that I wasn’t.”

The stellaron spoke to him? How has he not gone crazy yet?

“It was hard to sleep.” His voice became quieter. “It would give me these awful dreams too, they would keep me awake at night. I can’t remember them now, but I would wake up sweaty and shaking, and my mind was scrambled.” You noticed his shaking hands, even as they balled up into tight fists to stop it. “Its quiet now, but I’ll always know that it's there.”

Nanook’s influence reached past you? Well, you knew that, but actually hearing about it from the young man with the servant of destruction in his body was eye-opening. Caelus was suffering as much as you were, he just blamed himself more for it. Nanook screwing the both of you over was a major understatement.

You stood up from the swivel chair, sitting down next to him on the bed. Briefly, you hesitated, but looking at his face, really looking, you could see the hints of exhaustion in his whole demeanor. Bags were underneath his eyes, his shoulders were hunched over, his movements suddenly slower than normal, his hair unkempt. He was going through it worse than you were. 

With a heavy breath, you wrapped your arms around his own, setting your head on his shoulder blade. It was mildly uncomfortable with the way the bone was digging into your ear, but you shrugged it off in favor of comforting him. He even isolated himself since the fight, you were sure he wasn’t taking care of himself.

The tired, golden-eyed young man tensed, but then completely melted in your arms. He turned, wrapping his around your body and burying his head in your shoulder. He hugged you like you’d disappear, and honestly, you didn’t mind. It felt like he needed this. 

You both needed this.

“Hey,” the young man mumbled from your shoulder, slightly turning his head so he could speak, “you think you can teach me sign language?”

“Yeah.” You held him tighter, making him do so in return.

“Yay.”

✼ •• ┈┈┈┈๑⋅⋯ ୨˚୧ ⋯⋅๑ ┈┈┈ •• ✼

Dan Heng’s brows furrowed as he rummaged through the displaced boxes, each paper stacked on top of each other, crumbled from how it was shoved in, or in the wrong place entirely. The archivist just had everything neatly organized so no one who came through would run into this specific issue, and now it's horribly out of order. Again. Next time, he’ll ban March 7th from reading in here unless he’s supervising, it was ridiculous.

The black haired young man kneeled on the ground, surrounded by piles of books, papers, scrolls, and the many other texts that he kept. The texts he had taken out were separated into two larger piles, and those having their own places. The pile to his right held the contents that he hadn’t yet organized in one section, while the other held stacks of the topics that went together. On his left were the different types of mediums that did not belong in the box he was currently working with. It was a tedious method, he’ll admit, but the man enjoyed the monotonous work.

The archivist grabbed another paper from the not-sorted-yet pile and smoothed it out, unraveling it the best he could without ripping the paper itself. After he was finished, he set it down with the other smoothed out papers, all of them having some form of damage. He would fix it later.

Dan Heng reached for a book, noticing a certain page bent out of shape. He turned the cover over, noticing the big bolded letters of John Horn. The man didn’t mind it much as he fixed the bent corners, closing the book and setting it with the others in the correct stack. He went through each book, ignoring the specific way the pages bent at the description of the aeon of creation and its many theories behind it. Perhaps it wasn’t March that was sifting through the contents.

He paused when he noticed how crumbled and nearly ripped a large piece of parchment was. It had strange markings and letters, along with mysterious stains. “Strange…” he mumbled to himself as he reached for it, his fingers brushing against the corner, going to pull it out when a knock came at the door.

He stopped and looked up, retracting his hand. “Come in.”

A familiar red haired, golden eyed woman opened the door and stepped through the threshold. “There you are,” she smiled, walking over and stopping in front of his meticulous piles and boxes. “You seem pretty busy.”

“In a way.” He nods, his teal eyes shifting to the contents around him before focusing back on Himeko. “Someone displaced a lot of the texts in here, I’m just fixing it.”

“We’re appreciative of it, Dan Heng. I’ll make sure it won’t happen again either.”

“Thank you.”

The silence stretched on, but it didn’t feel uncomfortable, more like a patient waiting. Dan Heng was fine with the silence, even when it's filled with someone else’s presence. But it lasted long enough as Himeko spoke, “I made a new brew of tea. I tried out a different flavor and I needed another opinion other than Welt’s.”

Now noticing, the man saw how she held a steaming cup in her hands. His cup that he would usually use during his late night studies, adding more information into the databanks. It had many hairline cracks running across it, so much so that it seemed more like a design choice rather than his clumsiness. “What is it?”

“It’s from a stall I got when we last trail-blazed." She told him, stepping carefully over the books and handing the cup to him. After making sure the ceramic wouldn’t burn his hands and was stable enough, she let go, watching as he took a sip. “They said it was from a place called Du’s Teahouse.”

An emotion passed over Dan Heng’s eyes so quickly the navigator couldn’t see it, but she could see the way he hesitated before taking another sip. “It’s nice.”

“Do you like it?”

He paused, his eyes growing distant, “it’s something different. Did you get other flavors?”

“I did.” She walked around his piles of books, papers, and folders in favor of holding the railing separating the data bank from the archives and sat down next to him. The young man scooted over, making sure she had room as she fixed her dress to cover her legs. “I did. But I was wondering if you were doing better without your tea at night.”

He heard the question in the lines.

“The tea is helping.” Dan Heng’s voice grew quieter, “I’m not getting them as often.”

Himeko’s eyes softened as she moved closer, her arm brushing against his. She could see the way his shoulders rose slightly before falling from their tension. “Are they getting worse?” She asked, to which he shook his head, “they’re the same.”

“With the…?” She trailed off.

“Mhm.” His eyes stayed on his steaming tea, gripping the cup a little tighter than before, “it just repeats. I’m used to it.”

Himeko sighed, brushing her hair out of the way. “You shouldn’t be. Your night terrors–”

“Nightmares.” He corrected, sipping his tea.

“–Night terrors,” She insisted with a stern look. “Your night terrors concern me. I know that you say that they’re the same, but I feel like they’re getting worse. I’m worried for you, and so is Welt and Pom-Pom and everyone else on the train.”

Dan Heng gazed at her, his eyes tracing over her features as he slumped, setting his tea on his lap and resting his head against her shoulder. In response, she took the cup, moving it out of the way and wrapped her arms around him, her fingers carding through his hair. “You worry me a lot.”

“I know.” He mumbled, shifting his body in a more comfortable position to lean against her.

“And you don’t tell me things.”

“I don’t want you to worry any more than you already have.”

“That’s not going to stop unless I know you’ll be okay.” Her head rested against his, hands moving in gentle motions. The archivist couldn’t help the way his eyes had gotten heavier. “I will be.”

“Will?” She pressed her lips against his head in a way he’d seen mothers do to their children.

“One day.” He leaned into her touch.

“One day soon?”

“One day.”

✼ •• ┈┈┈┈ ๑⋅⋯ ୨˚୧ ⋯⋅๑ ┈┈┈┈ •• ✼

“Mr. Yang!” March 7th waved at the older man as she walked over to the free seat at the table he was sitting at, pulling out the chair and plopping down into the cushion. “I can’t really find anyone else. I think they’re busy or something.” The man in question chuckled, moving his cane out of the way, “Well, we are getting ready to depart soon, I bet they’re just making preparations.”

“Yeah,” The pink haired woman sighed as she set her chin on her palms, her gaze drifting to the windows of the express. “Maybe, but it’s still lonely. Nouvel–” She grimaced, but continued her words, “–and I haven’t watched a movie in a while. And Dan Heng locked himself in the archives. Again. And Caelus…” Her voice grew quieter, a worried expression crossing over her face. Her pink and blue eyes grew solemn at the reminder of one of the newest members. “I haven’t seen him at all since… everything that’s happened.”

Mr. Yang looked, really looked, at the usually bubbly woman. It was clear she was concerned for her friends, and more than likely still thinking about the situation that had happened between the most recent members. He pushed up his glasses, leaning forward against the table. “How have you felt about it?”

She perked up, “About what?"

“Everything that’s happened.” The older man crossed his arms on the table, “Between Caelus absorbing the stellaron, our new friend finding out what THEY are. How have you felt?”

March 7th swallowed, breaking her gaze. Her finger traced mindless circles into the table, thinking of the words she wanted to say. But what could she say about it? Everything happened so fast. She hadn’t noticed the way Nouvel would flinch away from Caelus, or when THEY grew nervous every time he walked into a room. The way THEY tensed at every little movement she made when the two hung out in her room. She should’ve seen it earlier, but she was just so excited about having two new members on the express that it just slipped her mind. Or maybe she was in denial over the fact that Caelus could do those things, even if it wasn’t technically his fault.

“You feel guilty, don’t you?” The words made her shoulders grow stiff and stopped her from tracing anymore invisible shapes. Sometimes, she forgets how perceptive the old man was. “About not noticing sooner?”

“Yeah…” March nodded, leaning back against her chair. “I mean, it was right in front of me. I saw the way THEY basically shrunk in on themselves and how scared THEY looked. I tried to,” she stuttered, “to be a distraction. It’s good to distract yourself sometimes, but it didn’t help as much as I thought it would.”

Mr. Yang nodded, “I understand. Sometimes, despite our efforts, it won’t be enough for the situation. You did your best in the capacity that you had, don’t beat yourself up for it. But also,” He set his larger hands over hers, “I asked about you, March. Don’t think I didn’t notice how you tried to turn the conversation about our friend. How have you felt, not just in response to Nouvel.”

“I–”

“Don’t lie.” He quickly butt in before she could say a word. “I don’t need to know how anyone else felt. Just you.”

The bubbly woman deflated like a balloon, sighing once more. “I don’t like anything that’s happening right now. It feels out of control. I feel out of control. I can’t cheer anyone up because we’re so on edge with both THEM and Caelus. It’s like,” She made an exploding sound, her open palms moving outwards to mimic the sound, “one wrong step and Caelus shuts down, or Nouvel starts spiraling. I can’t exactly go to Dan Heng, he’s like the epitome of calm and collected, and you, Himeko, and Pom-Pom have other things to be worrying about. So, I’m just…” She finished, biting the inside of her cheek.

Mr. Yang seemed to understand enough, nodding his head and holding her hand tighter. “You’re just inbetween.”

“Yeah.”

“I’d like to say that you are enough, March.” He said, “More than enough. What’s been happening lately has been completely out of your control, but you shouldn’t blame yourself for it. You’re doing what you can with the cards dealt to you, and you’re making the most out of it. Honestly, we’re grateful for your constant enthusiasm and positivity. But please, don’t burn yourself out for it either, even if you think it's your job to try and lift us all up.”

The bubbly woman looked at the older man, blinking for a few moments as she processed his words. “It’s okay… for me to go to you all? I don’t want to be a bother, you know–”

“Yes, March.” Mr. Yang chuckled, “You can come to us at any time. We’re never too busy for you. At least, Himeko and I aren’t. I’m sure the rest of the crew are a different story.” His reassurance made her smile and nod in return, her shoulders relaxing from nearly being up by her shoulders. “Good. Okay, yeah. That’s good.”

“Is that better?” He asked, standing up from his place to ruffle her pink hair affectionately.

“Much.”

“Don’t hesitate to reach out next time, okay?”

“Mhm. Thank you, Mr. Yang.” She grabbed her camera, feeling a lot lighter than before. The bubbly woman sprung up, positioning it high in the air as she made a peace symbol, giggling as the older man copied her.

“Say Cheese!”

✼ •• ┈┈┈┈ ๑⋅⋯ ୨˚୧ ⋯⋅๑ ┈┈┈┈ •• ✼

You lay in your bed, staring up at the ceiling as you thought about the conversation between you and Caelus. Although it would take some time for you to get used to being around him again, you felt surprisingly lighter than before. It was like you needed that confrontation to have a sense of control over your life. Yes, you needed control in some capacity. You needed to make your own decisions, feel your own feelings, think your own thoughts. But really, if it wasn’t for Himeko and Mr. Yang, you probably wouldn’t have bothered to talk to anybody, especially the members of the express. Oh, and you need to thank Dan Heng for being patient with you when it came to both signing and letting the archives be a space where you could relax. And you need to thank March 7th for helping you wind down and discover those new forms of media. And you need to thank Pom-Pom for giving you a second chance.

Now that you thought about it, you needed to thank the entire express crew for letting you stay despite your upbringing. They still kept you on the train even when you became a magnet for trouble. They were patient with you, kind (for the most part), and caring. How could such amazing people even begin to exist? Taking you in like that so easily, treating you like you’ve always been here. 

You need to thank them all somehow. Maybe individually, maybe all together, but you really wanted to show your gratitude to them. 

Humming to yourself, you turned onto your side, putting one hand underneath the pillow as you stared at the wall. The room was dimly lit, the only source of light being the soft glow of the hanging yellow stars above you. Right, that was March’s doing since she said she didn’t like how dark and dreary it was. The covers were comfortable too, not too hot but not too cold. Dan Feng gave them to you, saying that you needed as much rest as possible in the easiest way. Even Caelus had gifted you the pillows, though you don’t remember when. You just knew it felt like a cloud underneath your head. 

And you just knew that they all cared for you in their own ways.

You couldn’t believe how fast they grew accustomed to your presence. Aside from the whole… situation, you were taken in almost immediately and treated just like the rest of the crew. Which was jarring, probably dangerous, but you were thankful. You were thankful to all of them. Especially after they figured out what you used to be and didn’t judge you for it. They didn’t blame you for your past actions. They even gave you advice on how to move forward, and that’s what you needed to do. Move forward. You wouldn’t get any straight answers about yourself, or your past, or anything about being an aeon. But you have this, right now, at this moment. You could forget what you were, just for a little bit. You could relax in bed, just for a little bit.

With a yawn, you closed your eyes, settling down into the covers, your eyes growing heavier and heavier with each passing moment. You can’t change what you once were, and you don’t know what you might become, but right now? You just wanted this. The calmness, the peace. The brief period where you don’t have to worry about anything else, and you can forget for tonight. Just for tonight.

✧ ▬▭▬ ▬▭▬ ✦✧✦ ▬▭▬ ▬▭▬ ✧

“You dare?” Stars rumbled with the waves that pulsed through, a tone akin to the irritation that mortals feel in their souls. The balls of light crumbled, some skittering away as golden blood fell in the vastness of the barren void. None wanted to encounter the divine being, let alone enact its wrath upon themselves.

Jittering came in response to the biting words. Amusement, perhaps even mirth, as universal systems orbited the many limbs in excitement to be near. The limbs tore at the existence, remaking and keeping a hold, staying close yet drifting apart with every passing age. ”You seem displeased.” The stars seemed to giggle, spinning faster and bumping into one another.

The stars knew better than to continue their behavior as they stopped spinning at the sudden growl. They hid in the limbs, unmade and made over and over. “Why wouldn’t I be? I find you creating once again.”

“Woe is me.” The limbs of existence flowed, a swift thing as it grabbed stars and planets, materials unknown, forming and making. Dust turned to heat, heat spun into a disk, the disk split into two, one cold that froze anything in its path, the other hoarding substances to make life. Life, soon within the eons that would pass. “The creation is creating. A shame.”

“Don’t get smart with me.” A rumble shook the systems. “The balance is rifting. You are causing instability.”

“If that’s true, then wouldn’t HooH be here?”

Silence. The stars giggled before fleeing as they were destroyed.

“Do stay.” The invitation was there, open and wanting, as the limbs made and unmade. “I want you to watch the beauty.”

“It’s hardly a beautiful thing.”

“Nanook.” The words became scolding and insistent on the desire to stay. To watch and see how it comes to be. The destruction grunted, but moved forward, THEIR golden eyes flitting to the universe being made by the hands, watching. Holding back from wanting to crush it in the bleeding palms.

“Why are you so fascinated?” THEIR voice stayed cold, but the volume lessened. No longer did the world shake, but merely rumbled in a brief manner. “It’s my nature, you know this.” Came the answer, simple and pure, like it was the explanation to anything. “Nouvel.” Another insistence, this time from the other.

THEY sighed, turning the gaze towards those molten jewels. “Because it’s what I am. It’s all I am and all I’ll ever be. What I make is the extension of myself, just as what you destroy is what you are. It’s nature or fate, should you call it that. We know what we are.”

“I am dissatisfied with the answer.”

“You are dissatisfied with everything.” Should either be human, should they feel just as mortals did, the sentence would’ve been paired with the roll of the eyes. From one side to the other, and the shake of the head.

The stars jittered and swirled around the tuft of white hair, only to be swatted away by the golden-bloodied hand. 

The destruction grew near to the creation, much closer than THEY’VE ever been. THEIR nonexistent breath brushed through the starlight that seemed to be the hair on the head, causing the Genesis to shiver at the suddenness. A light huff, the stars near squealing and running, as one limb pushed against the scarred chest. 

“Stop it.”

“Stop what?” THEY taunted, golden blood mixing in with the pinkish stars. 

“What you’re doing.”

“I am doing nothing that you accuse me of.” The destroyer grabbed one of THEIR limbs, taking the infant universe from the origin. THEY held THEIR golden gaze upon it, letting it shake and cry out in whispers of agony.

The voice of the birth giver grew softer. Pained. “Don’t.”

“This is our nature.” Nanook echoed the words, cupping Nouvel’s hands in THEIRS, keeping it still as the newly birthed burned. The stars stopped, mourning the now lost sibling as it dissipated. “This is my fate, my destiny. I destroy for that is what I am, and what I will ever be. This world cannot live so long as I am here and I will let the end come to pass. I am the resolution. The conclusion. I am the end that comes forth. There is an allure to the destruction that I cannot pull away from, for it graces my eyes and calls to me. Not even you, my dear, can stop that which I am. Ergo sum.”

Nouvel choked a pained sob as the destruction’s lips touched upon THEIR neck, a scalding sensation, a mark, forming in the place.

✧ ▬▭▬ ▬▭▬ ✦✧✦ ▬▭▬ ▬▭▬ ✧

You held the big book of baby names in your hands as you strode through the halls of the express, passing by the rooms of each of the members. Welt, Himeko, March 7th, Dan Heng, and Caelus’ room was around. It felt like so long ago when you first arrived on the train, but at the same time, it felt like no time passed at all. Many issues lied in silence, waiting to be uncovered and revealed, but right now, you were more worried about the nearing departure and the news you had to tell the responsible adults. 

“There you are.” Himeko smiled as you entered the Parlor car, everyone else hanging around or putting up the things they’ve gathered from the space station. “I was just about to find you, we’re about to make the jump. If you have any final goodbyes, I suggest you do it now.”

You shook your head, moving the book underneath your arm and signing to her, “I’m fine. I just wanted to tell you that…” You paused, pursing your lips. You’ve already decided, you’ve been thinking about it for hours.

A name of your own.

No association with what you used to be, at least here. You would have an identity of your own, a personality of your own, your actions would belong to you and you alone. The thought shouldn’t be that exciting, but you felt a rush in your bones as you finished, “that I’ve decided. On a name.”

The navigator’s eyes seemed to light up as she leaned in close, enough that you could see the golden flecks in her irises. All you could do was smile as you leaned in and whispered it into her ear, watching as she nodded and turned to the rest of the crew. Though, you saw how she jumped up and down a few times, having to clench and unclench her fists to get the jitters out. She might’ve been more excited than you were, but you weren’t complaining, it felt nice that someone else shared your joy. 

Himeko cleared her throat. “Astral Express, I’ve come to make an announcement!”

The crew turned their faces as they stopped what they were doing and walked over, forming a small circle. March’s curiosity was evident, even as she held her camera and took a few photos for the album she was working on. Dan Heng looked uninterested, but the way he held your gaze for longer than normal told what it needed. Caelus put his elbow on top of March’s head, causing the bubbly girl to swack and swat at him, making the man laugh. Welt chuckled at the sight, pushing up his glasses and giving his attention to the redheaded woman. Pom-Pom waddled through, hitting Caelus’ knee and telling the young man to move over and make room.

This was it.

“We gather today to not only celebrate our newest crew members,” she started, letting everyone’s gazes turn to you and Caelus, then back, “but also on the journey they’re getting ready to start with us. We had a rocky start, with the stellaron and everything else, but you didn’t let it deter you. You all pushed through the adversity to see the fruits of your labor, as all Trailblazers should do.” The woman nodded in approval, “And you become your own people. Speaking of,” she set her hand on your shoulder, smiling broadly at you. “We welcome our newest crew members with open arms. So here to Caelus and ______!” 

Your name.

The name that you chose for yourself.

An identity that you made and that you will stick to from now on.

March 7th squealed in delight and brought you into a bone crushing hug, swinging you around like a rag-doll. All you could do was laugh as she ranted about how excited she was for you to go on missions together, addressing you by your chosen name like she’d never tire of it. Dan Heng only nodded, but his eyes softened, occasionally cutting into March’s ranting with corrections or brief words of his own.

“Well,” Caelus set his hand on your shoulder, “we did it.”

You nodded, signing, “We did.”

He sighed like he was letting something go, nodding and looking out of the window of the astral express. He opened his mouth and closed it again, not bothering to say anything else as the intercom clicked on, and Pom-Pom’s voice went through.

“Hello, Hello Hello!” You looked around, blinking at the sudden disappearance of Himeko and Pom-Pom. Wow, they work fast. “Passengers, please take your seats, the express is about to make the jump!” A startled sound escaped from you as Caelus dragged you over to the red seat, plopping down. In front of you, March stood with closed eyes and a determined face, repeating to herself, “I won’t fall over, I won’t fall over, I won’t fall over.”

“In 5,”

You took a breath.

“4.”

You closed your eyes.

“3,”

The train moved faster, a blue light washing over the entire vehicle.

“2,”

The wind blew through the car and you could feel your body strain against the speed it was about to go.

“1!”

                                                                                                                 •╔════◄░░░░░░►════╗•

          “Bene redisti, amice vetus.”

                                                                                                                 •╚════◄░░░░░░►════╝ •

Chapter Text

Down came the hammer upon the stone, sparks flying into the vastness, the sound echoing with each rhythmic hit. A melody, a painful thing, a sound, a screech upon the world. But the foundation was being made, the new eras coming to pass with every hit. Slow, for one hit. Then rapidly for another. Hesitating. Slamming. Fast. Hard. Slow. Gentle. Variations upon variations for humanity as they were made within that great wall. A rumble in rubble came through, desolate as the rocks that made up THEIR body. “You come to visit me after so long.” The hammer stopped, hanging in the air, waiting to be swung once more. As it held in that vastness, the stars giggled in amusement, orbiting it rapidly, running into the metal and vibrating in distant laughter.

“It sounds like you missed me.” The fist limbs of the origin crossed over one another, the others creating new binds for that wall, sealing holes and crumbles. Grumbling at the help, from the being of amber, but not a comment was to be made in response about the sight. “Hardly. The silence is preferable.” A glare was set upon the stars which squeaked around that mallet that had the arduous task of watching over the novas that had no sense of space or boundaries.

“You wound me.”

Clicking came through as the hammer swirled around, rotating rapidly. The stars jumped in fright, swinging themselves to the beginning, huddling beside the limbs that caressed them. “Tell me the purpose of your presence.” At that, the creations' beings seemed to grow quiet, a solemn thing they felt as they dimmed their ever shining light. Some dared to hide, some dared to look away, some dared to keep distance. But it was all felt as the genesis let out a breath, rocks and heat coming forth, ice forming soon enough as a new planet came to pass. Sounds came through, yet no words formed. Unable to. Unwanted. Undesired to speak of any that brought the possibility to upset the dazzling amber. 

Another sigh yet impatience rang through the air. “The leviathan keeps eating my kin and I cannot stand for it any longer.”

The hammer paused its descent as the rumbling of a turning head echoed. “THEY have come for you as well?”

“Ena feels it.” The creation nodded as the stars turned red with fury at their fallen kin. “The disturbance. The consumer of makings are destroying more than I can create, they’re setting everything off and I cannot keep up with their appetite to replace the worlds.” 

The being made of amber, should it be human, scowled at the words. The hammer swung, signalling the beginning of a new era, both for the mortals that resided and for the beings that dared to enact their wills and actions upon the other divines. These enemies, it seems, would no longer stand alongside the eater of all things. Bold things needed to be put back in their places if they dared to stand against, dared to consume and eat with their relentless appetite.

“We will defend your fallen children.”

“Truly?” The genesis asked with hope.

“Truly.”

Chapter Text

You held to Caelus like your life depended on it, trying to stop the dizziness swirling between your eyes and the churning in your stomach. One hand was braced against the velvet couch, trying to keep yourself steady. The man simply chuckled, keeping your body upright as he stood. “You okay?” Came the stupid question from his mouth, and your pointed glare answered it enough. He let you go in favor of walking to the other side of the parlor car, gazing out the window in astonishment and awe. At least he was fine while you were over here trying not to throw your guts up. And March 7th wasn’t any better, groaning from the ground before picking herself back up, swiping at any dust that may have collected from the fall.

Once you caught your breath, you walked over to the gray haired man who started talking with Himeko, managing to catch the tail end of their conversation. “...job is to explore, understand, establish, and connect. I’m sure the two of you,” her golden eyes slid to you, “will get along with everyone just fine.”

You nodded alongside Caelus as he went off to talk to Mr. Yang like an excited puppy, which made you sigh. Your first trailblaze mission. On a planet that looks… well, you didn’t know how to describe it. You’ve never experienced any other condition except for the Express, so this was going to be interesting. How is your body going to react? Is something going to change? Perhaps you’ll be just fine and you have nothing to worry about. You’re lying to yourself, obviously, but it's better to be optimistic.

Caelus called your name, catching your attention as he motioned his head over and walked to the passenger cabin with a skip in his step. Excitable puppy.

The two of you went to the databank, finding Dan Heng finishing up with his notes, and the reorganized boxes scattered around the room made guilt swell in your chest. Right. You shoved all of those papers and books back in the boxes and threw them in a corner, leaving Dan Heng to clean up your mess. You’re going to have to make it up to him one of these days.

“How was your first jump?” The guard asked, "Dizziness or gagging are normal reactions, it’ll feel better once you’re used to it.”

Caelus snorted and grabbed your shoulder harder than he needed to. “Just them. I was fine.” You gave a sharp glare towards the man, pushing his face away as he whined. “Good, you’re compatible with the express.” Dan Heng nodded and then addressed you, “I have water and medicine if you need it.” But you shook your head, smiling in appreciation at the offer.

He continued on. “I was just reviewing Jarilo-IV’s environment, and it seems to me that it went through drastic changes that eventually resulted in its current state. It wasn’t a frozen planet originally.” He put a hand on his chin, his eyes narrowing in concentration to figure out what could have possibly caused such an upheaval. “Well,” Caelus started, “Mr. Yang said that it was caused by a stellaron.”

A hum came from the other man. “It makes sense considering the spatial obstacles the express has encountered in the past. But I had run a prefatory survey on the planet and found there is one place where conditions are relatively ambient to what we can handle.”

You and Caelus blinked, the words flying right over both of your heads. Dan Heng, completely used to your confusion because of having to explain to March 7th so often, elaborated, “By that, I mean temperatures there give enough leniency to allow for human survival. I would start with an investigation there.” 

“Himeko said she wanted March and the three of us to go.”

“That’s to be expected.” The man nodded, putting his arms back at his side. “Before either of you came, when March wanted to go on an expedition, Himeko made Mr. Yang and I travel with her. But I don’t believe I’ve been liberated from that duty even after you two arrived.” You cracked a smile at the guard’s words, trying to hold in a laugh. Dan Heng simply glanced at you, "Assuming our objective is to find the stellaron on Jarilo-IV and eradicate its effect on the star rail, you should go find March and tell her you’re ready. I’ll meet up with you soon.”

Caelus went off down the hall without a hitch, but you paused, turning back to Dan Heng and catching his attention. He raised a brow, waiting for you to sign.

“Why aren’t you with everyone else?”

“Ah, I enjoy time to myself, especially when I have work to do.”

You thought back to the times you hung out in the archives with him, wondering if you were possibly disturbing his peace. But he caught your expression way too easily for your liking, “Don’t worry. So long as you’re not too disruptive, I don’t mind your presence.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

You gave him a thankful smile and went off after Caelus.

March 7th huffed and punched Caelus’ arm, trying to get him off of her. He must’ve done something to tease the pink haired woman from the way she was pouting the entire time. At least he’s getting back to himself, or the part of him that wasn’t affected by the stellaron that was still in him, lying dormant for an unknown amount of time. You shivered at the memory of the encounter, walking faster to the both of them.

“You know,” The gray haired man said, holding the bubbly woman’s shoulder, “this might be your home world. It’s cold and chilly, like you.”

March laughed, “Ha! I don’t think so. I think I’d actually be kind of mad if this was my home world, it looks too cold for my tastes. Pretty girls aren’t supposed to be cold!” The man snorted, “Maybe you’re not a pretty girl then– ow!” She punched his chest, causing him to stumble back and complain very loudly about the bruise that would form later.

But you were curious now. What about March’s home world? Did she not have one? “Do you not know where you came from?” You signed. But March blinked, her face scrunching in guilt, and you remembered that she either hadn’t learned sign or wasn’t very good at it. And you forgot to bring a notebook and pen. “Uhhh…” She was probably going to make up an answer, but Dan Heng’s voice came from behind you, causing the two to jump in fright.

He stared. “Do I have something on my face?”

“Don’t scare us like that!” March held Caelus with one arm as he clung to her shoulders, shaking terribly. It would’ve been funny had you not realized how strong she was, carrying the tall man with ease. For a moment, you thought you saw a hint of red in her eyes, but it was probably a trick in your vision. You were still getting used to everything, after all.

“Now,” the woman dropped the bat-wielder, hearing him yelp and groan in pain. “Here comes the Jarilo-IV trailblaze team!”

You turned to Dan Heng. “We need a new name.”

“I know.”

 ✼ •• ┈┈┈┈๑⋅⋯ ୨˚୧ ⋯⋅๑ ┈┈┈ •• ✼

With Himeko’s and Mr. Yang’s help, the three of you managed to descend onto the frigid surface on the planet, snow coating the ground and high cliffs surrounding you. It was ominous, you will admit. It seemed empty and near lifeless, and you truly wondered if Dan Heng’s scans were correct on detecting anything living here. But the worst part was–

“Uh,” March grimaced at the sight of your horribly shivering form. “Are you okay?”

You glared at her hard enough to make the woman flinch and cough into her hand, refusing to meet your gaze any longer. Freezing wasn’t the right word to describe exactly how you felt at the moment, it was like little pins were digging into you in every part of your limbs, paired with the wind that only made it worse. You were desperately missing the warmth of the express, this was awful. Even Caelus was completely fine even though he was born… What, a few weeks ago? This was unfair.

You didn’t even hear their full conversation, but you did manage to get out, “Snowballs” , “smashing through a stadium”, and “snowmobile.” Judging by March 7th’s face, it looked like she probably smashed it or something 

“Here.” Caelus wrapped a coat around your shoulders, the fur at the collar tickling your face and neck. But it was unbelievably warm and you immediately wrapped it around yourself. The man smiled, “Himeko said you’d probably need it because you’re not used to any other climates. She told me that the coat works for any type of weather too, it's like a thermal coat.”

Goodness, that woman was a saint. You owe her your life.

“Better?” Dan Heng asked, and you nodded eagerly. “Good. I would stay vigilant, we don’t know a lot about this place.”

“Oh, calm down.” The bubbly woman piped up, “We’ll be fine. Caelus has his stellaron, I have my six-phased ice, ____ has their axe–” Oh. Right. You forgot about that. “–and Dan Heng… has that mysterious thing going on for him or whatever. We’ll be fine!”

You blinked, gazing over at the black haired guard, watching as his shoulders tensed and then forcing himself to relax again. It was a small, near imperceptible movement, but you saw. Clearly, it was a tough subject. 

“So if people won’t start something, there won’t be nothing!”

“There won’t be nothing!” Caelus echoed, only to yelp as March tackled him to the ground, “Stop copying me!”

Dan Heng shook his head and started to walk, the snow crunching underneath his boots and leaving tracks. You grew fascinated by the sight, but followed him. The snow was strange. It was a powdery substance and looked like a pillow. You debated on touching it until you remembered how cold you were just a few minutes ago and rightfully kept your arms in the coat. It was very warm and very long, you felt like you were on top of the world in it. It was short enough in the front so you could move, but long in the back to keep your legs warm. The design itself was even better. Himeko had perfect taste.

In the corner of your eye, you noticed a blue statue that looked like it had been hit with something, and you tapped Dan Heng’s arm. “What’s that?” You signed.

“Frozen Fragmentum monsters.” He said with wary eyes, “The stellaron’s influence is significant on this planet.”

You bit the inside of your cheek before asking another question, “What’s that blue stuff around it?”

“Ice.” You tilted your head at the answer, and he elaborated. “It’s similar to what March uses. It’s water in a solid state.” “Oh.” 

“Look at the houses!” March came up from behind you, taking a hold of your arm and pointing to the corroded wooden structure. It barely looked livable, let alone stable. Caelus came up from Dan Heng’s left, pocketing his phone. Right, that thing, you had one too, but no idea how to use it. You didn’t bother to learn either.

“They’ve been here for a long time…” The guard said quietly, tensing and drawing his weapon when March gasped, looking at a snow mound. “Something just moved!” Caelus drew his bat at the same time when she pulled out her bow and arrow. But you didn’t draw your weapon. Why? Because you had no idea how it worked. You drew your axe in a moment of adrenaline and fight or flight, you couldn’t exactly recreate that, so you stayed behind them and out of the way, clutching to your coat.

The three of them approached it, the archer pulling her arrow back. “Hey,” she warned, “holding your breath won’t help, you know.” Dan Heng lightly moved her out of the way, “Don’t worry. Since they got their head stuck in the sand, or rather snow, they just need a helping hand.” He stabbed his spear into the mound, causing it to flinch and spit out a man.

You yelped at the sight, clutching at Caelus’ arm. The man turned his green eyes towards you, smiling in such an uncanny way that shivers were sent up your spine. Whatever he was, you didn’t want to mess with it in the slightest. The bat-wielder held an arm out in front of you in response.

“My finest fellow,” The tall man pouted, his dark blue hair falling in front of one of his eyes. His attire was strange, he wore a magenta suit jacket with purple accents, black belts, and a white shirt underneath. He had a spiked silver shoulder guard and dress shoes paired with blueish-gray pants, but everything screamed at you to be as far away from him as possible. “Was that really necessary? Personally, I’m not a fan of being speared just because I was minding my business and crawling around in the snow. Is that a crime now?”

He sighed, a smirk, or a smile, twisting onto his face, “But I don’t blame you. I did catch you off guard and your response was warranted. But I made new friends,” He laughed nervously, his voice lowering in faux guilt as he pressed his fingers together, “Is Captain Gepard around? He’s a buddy of mine, you know, we go so far back.”

“Who?” March blinked in confusion.

The man stared at her, a tight smile on his face, “What do you mean who–” he cut himself off, “are you not Silvermane Guards?” After looking at everyone’s confusion, the dark blue-haired laughed in relief. “Oh! Well why didn’t you say so! We’re on the same side then.” He walked over to March, shaking her hand, and then doing the same to Dan Heng and Caelus. “It’s quite the pleasure to meet you all.” But you quickly got out of the way when he approached, your expression wary and tense. You didn’t trust this man in the slightest, not even to touch you.

The man wasn’t too offended by your actions, growing briefly and walking back to the collapsed snow mound. “My name is Sampo Koski.”

Dan Heng and March stayed quiet, the former tensing further with narrowed eyes, but it was the man at your side that spoke up. “Caelus.”

“Good. Great. I’ll remember that. See, it’s so hard for guys like us to do business around here these days, but don’t you worry, friend. Sampo Koski is here to help.” The man, Sampo, held his hands out in offering and started talking about business deals and whatever guards he was running from. You realized that the man sure loved to hear the sound of his own voice, so you decided to tune him out until Caelus asked if a livable place was nearby.

“A settlement?” Sampo seemed to light up, “Why the only place around here would be our dearly beloved Belobog! The City of Preservation, the Towering Citadel, humanity’s last bastion against the Eternal Freeze,” He sighed and shook his head. “It may sound dramatic, but the titles speak the truth, it’s the only place humanity can cope behind those impenetrable walls.”

Caelus opened his mouth to ask another question but you slapped your hand over it, your narrowed eyes set on Sampo as you signed. “I don’t like you.” Thankfully, the man had no idea what you said as he blinked dumbly, looking at the other three for help. “Who are the Silvermane Guards?” Dan Heng ignored his questioning stare.

“You don’t know?” The suspicious man asked in return, to which you said, “He wouldn’t be asking if he didn’t know, stupid.” “They’re Belogbog’s police, enforcers, and soldiers. They’re not exactly flexible with people in our profession, but it seems to me like you guys are new. Don’t worry, I’ll teach you everything you need to know, from making sure you don’t leave footprints to hiding from the guards.”

“No thanks.” March must’ve put up her bow as she shook her hands, “Can you take us to the city, though? We don’t know the path there.” 

“Right now?” Sampo crossed his arms, a certain gleam in his eyes passing through as he took advantage of her words. “I could, but that would cost…” He trailed off, his eyes looking over her shoulder and growing nervous, “Why, of course! Kindness is my middle name, you know. Let me show you around and avoid the guards at all costs!” He laughed nervously, turning on his heel and walking further into the snowy plains.

“I don’t trust him.” You signed to Dan Heng, to which he nodded to and spoke quietly. “Neither do I, but it’s not like we have a choice right now.” Caelus looked at you with curious eyes, “What were you saying earlier?” 

“They said they didn’t like him.” The archivist spoke for you. “Ah.”

The five of you walked on while Sampo talked endlessly about his rules. You walked next to March, your hands comfortable inside your very insulated coat– thanks to Himeko. You will never forget how amazing this thing was.

You made a talking motion to the pink haired woman, opening and closing your hand while you rolled your eyes. She snorted and held back a laugh in response before mocking Sampo’s words with exaggerated faces and hand movements, and it was your turn to hold back from laughing loud enough to disturb the snow. “...Rule number 7: never leave your footprints in the snow. It throws off anyone who’s after me, and I…”

Footsteps came marching through the snow, synchronized and loud. In the distance, you saw colors of blue and gray, alongside jackets and weapons similar to your own. But theirs was a one-blade axe rather than the two that you had. The second they set eyes on your group, they held themselves ready. “Who are they?” Dan Heng asked a very nervous Sampo, “Ah! Don’t let them catch me, friends!”

“It’s the suspect and his accomplices! Arrest them!” A guard shouted, and you assumed that was a bad thing from the way everyone tensed and got their weapons ready themselves.

You squeaked silently, looking around for any place to get out of the way, but it was just snow for miles. There was nowhere to hide. “Rules– were made to be broken!” Came Caelus’ voice as he whacked at least three of the soldiers in the head with this bat. Dan Heng backed him up, easily taking out the other guards while March 7th provided the support with her arrows. They were truly a team together and you felt this sinking feeling in your chest, the one that screamed you didn’t belong, you weren’t needed, that you were a useless thing.

A blade swung towards you, making you gasp and jump away, stumbling from the suddenness. The guards were trying to get you too, they wanted to… what was the word? Arrest you? Yes, they wanted to do whatever that was.

“Cooperate!” The man shouted, coming at you again. Your heart rammed into your chest, this tightness stilling your legs and rooting in place. This felt just like the stellaron, just like the time you were attacked in your room, just like when it pinned you down and fully planned to kill you–

Surgo.

Your neck burned. You wanted to rip it off and claw at it, you wanted to get rid of it. You reached for the marking, feeling a solid object pass through as you tugged and tugged when the guard’s blade came down once more–

Only to be stopped by your own double-bladed axe, the guard staggering at the very sight. The man could barely dodge as you swung the blade, slicing right across his chest and ripping his jacket, though, you had enough self control to not hurt him, just stun him for a little bit. 

“Check out this awesome move!” March shouted as she shot an arrow, several creatures made out of ice flying with the object. But was ultimately stopped by a giant shield. A blonde haired, blue eyed man in white, blue, and gold armor appearing before you all. He spoke clearly and confidently, his gaze traveling to all four of you. Four. You gritted your teeth, realizing Sampo either ran for the hills or blatantly ditched you.

“I, Gepard Landau, captain of the Silvermane Guards, order you to relinquish your futile resistance.”

“Damn that Sampo.” The pink haired woman hissed. “Stop your resistance!” A guard shouted. “Oh, forget Sampo, wait until I get my hands on YOU!”

Caelus jumped back next to you, glancing for a moment before doing a double take at the sight of the weapon in your hand. From his expression, it didn’t seem like he remembered you used it on him back at the space station, and you couldn’t tell if that was a blessing or a curse. “Where did you even get that?!” You stared at him, readjusting the grip on the handle of your axe. All he did was swallow nervously and look back at the man that called himself Gepard.

“You will know justice!” The captain sprinted forward, swinging his abnormally large shield in your direction. Dan Heng moved swiftly in front of you, his spear colliding with the defense in bright sparks. Caelus had joined him, the two working in two to try and overpower, only to fail as the blonde man’s shield seemed to grow, the bat and polearm no longer having any damage on him.

“He’s tough.” March clenched her jaw, looking at the guard and trailblazer as they tried to get past the shield. “Not even my arrows will be able to get through that.”

She turned her pink and blue gaze on you, “Any ideas?”

You shook your head. You barely knew how to fight, how were you supposed to come up with a plan?

Gepard threw the two men, watching as they collided in the snow, scrambling to get back up. He charged at you and March, fully ready to defeat you by any means. The woman next to you pulled her arrow back, fully ready to defend the both of you.

Clypeus eius sume.

The words echoed through your mind as the world seemed to slow. Gepard’s determined gaze completely focused on you as he swung his shield with his arm, March’s bow straining as she pulled, the snow kicking up from behind your attacker as Dan Heng and Caelus charged again. 

Eum vulnerari fac.

With shaking limbs, you charged right back, spinning around and swinging your axe with all the force and momentum you could muster. The blade cut against the metal, slicing through whatever barrier the captain had around himself. The action shocked him, his eyes wide with alertness. But he couldn’t react in time as the two men attacked from behind, overwhelming him with the blows of their weapons until he stumbled back.

He bared his teeth at the two, leaping up and spinning his shield in his hands, slamming back onto the ground as ice erupted from the ground. A sudden, sweeping chill came over you that felt even worse than it had when you didn’t have your coat on. You realized how much you hate the cold.

Soldiers came marching over as you four struggled at the ice encasing your feet. Well, the three of them did, you shivered horribly at the biting pain at your ankles. 

“Did you catch our main suspect with the blue hair?” Gepard asked.

“Apologies but he escaped, Captain! We can’t find any of his footprints.”

The captain looked disappointed, but shook his head. “No matter, we have his accomplices. He’ll be close enough.” March quickly piped up in protest, “We’re not with that guy, actually!” Caelus grumbled right after her, “You’ll be waiting forever.”

She continued. “I’m not trying to talk out of this, but look at how fast he ditched us. We barely even know him at that. We just recused him from the snow out of the kindness of our hearts–” Your head whipped to her just to see her finger pressed against your mouth, “–We didn’t know he was using us to get past you. Don’t tell me you actually fell for it.”

“I’m a captain, not an adjudication panel. As Belobog citizens, you have a right to defend yourselves, but that will be in front of the Architects. Not now.” He turned to his soldiers, “Take them away.”

“We’re not from here, though.” Caelus gestured to the clothing you all wore and turned to the woman, “Show him the photos.” She snapped her fingers, "Genius!" She said as she grabbed her blue camera, getting herself out of the ice and showing the blonde man.

“Here.” Dan Heng cut at the ice still at your feet, helping you out of your frozen place. You nodded to him in thanks, hitting your feet on the ground to try and get feeling back in them. They felt tingly, and numb, you think. He noticed, “I check to see if you have frostbite when we find a safer place.”

“This decision is beyond us.” Gepard said, catching your attention. “All we can do now is deliver them to the supreme guardian. This is no longer in our jurisdiction.” His eyes narrowed on you, looking you over before turning around. “Follow me outsiders. Belobog lies beyond the blizzard.”

✼ •• ┈┈┈┈๑⋅⋯ ୨˚୧ ⋯⋅๑ ┈┈┈ •• ✼

You gaped at the sight of the city, twisting around in utter awe at the place before you. Everything looked so bright and clear, the sun shining down and lighting up the place. Buildings were packed next to each other in a way that made the streets look huge, and you could pick out every little detail of their designs. Further to your right, you could spot a place under construction with a banner spelling "museum" on a guardrail. To your left was the biggest statue you’ve ever seen, giant spikes of ice sprouting from a type of machine at its base, glowing brightly when the sun hit it just right. Many people gathered around it, either sitting on the barriers or nodding in approval.

You yelped when Dan Heng pulled you back, a giant car riding past in front of you. Its wheels squealed against the metal grooves in the ground, stopping and opening the doors for passengers to climb or get off. You looked at it in fascination, watching as it rode past into the rest of the city.

Many of the people walked or gathered around, all dressed in comfortable yet dressy clothing, talking with one another as they left prints in the thin snow. In the corner of your eye, you spotted a small woman with purple hair and glasses gesturing over to the many buildings, small children and adults trailing behind her as they paid close attention.

“Hey, it’s warm!” March commented, putting her hands down from rubbing them together on the trek. “That’s because you’re in the last bastion of humanity.” Gepard gestured to the city, pausing for emphasis, “Belobog.”

She tilted her head, “The last bastion?”

Children laughed as they ran past you, one screaming in excitement while the other protested at their speed, tripping over themselves and stumbling to catch their friend. A smile grew on your face at the sight, but quickly disappeared when you noticed Caelus rummaging through one of the metal bins with an odd interest, his gold eyes sparkling in joy.

The captain explained, “Seven hundred years ago, monsters beyond our sky set the world ablaze. The land was scorched with fires and destruction, smoke rising from the ground in devastating towers.”

You walked over to the bat-wielder, startling when he popped up from the bin, a yellow thing with three tails on his head. A banana peel, you think, you saw some on the express. The man held out his hand, offering you some… amalgamation he was already chewing on. 

“In the midst of it, the eternal freeze descended abruptly. Blizzards and sweeping winds coated the land and buried the invading legion. Belobog was the only thing that stood in the aftermath.”

The amalgamation had an interesting taste, coating your mouth with its odd flavors. Caelus nodded excitedly as if telling you it's good. Your face scrunched in response.

“The architects built this city. Under Quilpoth’s protection, this city will forever remain untouched by the frigid cold.”

March and Dan Heng looked at each other, mumbling low enough so the man in front of them wouldn't hear. “It sounds memorized.” The archivist nodded at her words, “A change in intonation. It sounds like he’s quoting a historical record.” She put a hand on her hip, speaking louder than she meant to. “So, remind me why he’s telling us this?”

“You asked.” Gepard deadpanned.

“We saw strange creatures when we first came through here.” Dan Heng butt in before the woman could embarrass herself further. “I assume they come from a tear in corroded space. A Fragmentum, correct?” The captain opened his mouth in surprise and quickly corrected himself, “Yes, they’re still threats in the blizzard, including the monsters.”

“They rarely venture outside the fragmentum.” He put a hand on his chin. “Which means the corrosion on your planet is worse than we thought.”

“The Silvermane Guards are continually monitoring the situation and engaging with the enemy, but it’s unfavorable. After your audience with the Supreme Guardian, I would like to consult you on the subject.” He sighed, “We’re lacking necessary intel–”

“Hey!” Dan Heng’s head whipped towards you and Caelus, and you truly thought you heard his neck snap from how fast he twisted it. The both of you froze in response, looking at the man. Gepard and March glanced at each other, the former making an odd face and the latter merely shrugging like it was a normal occurrence. “Drop it.” The archivist pointed his finger to the ground, “Right now. Drop. It.”

Caelus was halfway through eating something fuzzy, his eyes staring directly at the guard as he opened his mouth and shoved the entire thing down his throat– only to start choking and hacking. The black haired man rolled his eyes, storming over and hitting his back. “Spit it out.” He said as the raccoon-like man coughed up a ball of strings. Or hair, you didn’t know which one. “Stop eating things that aren’t edible.”