plot The Cosmic Battle to Save the Thread

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

Ember relayed the information to Shadow mentally.

[BringerofShadows she/her]

“What are we waiting for?”

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

Quote

@xinoehp512, Shadow is caught up. And Star is in pain.

 

Edited June 28, 2019 by Shard of Thought

[xinoehp512 he/him]

1 hour ago, Inklingspren said:

I was thinking that she could fade in and out of existence. 

Quote

That could work, I think.

Tom rubbed his forehead. "Star, I..."

He groaned internally. The red serum was supposed to have cured her! But apparently... 

"What would it take," he asked, "to convince you that you aren't a villain?"

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

Just now, xinoehp512 said:

Tom rubbed his forehead. "Star, I..."

He groaned internally. The red serum was supposed to have cured her! But apparently... 

"What would it take," he asked, "to convince you that you aren't a villain?"

Star turned away. "Pheonix convinced me before..."

[xinoehp512 he/him]

Tom sighed and turned away. Another reason to find Pheonix, then.

Out loud, he began giving instructions. "Ember, Shadow- you start navigating the ship toward Pheonix on your side. Tom and I will start on the bridge. And Star and Xino..." he trailed off thoughtfully. "How about you go look for the Shadow on this side? That could help us figure out a way to cure her."

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

1 minute ago, xinoehp512 said:

Tom sighed and turned away. Another reason to find Pheonix, then.

Out loud, he began giving instructions. "Ember, Shadow- you start navigating the ship toward Pheonix on your side. Tom and I will start on the bridge. And Star and Xino..." he trailed off thoughtfully. "How about you go look for the Shadow on this side? That could help us figure out a way to cure her."

Ember nodded. "I just... find his mental signature and steer us there?"

"I could help," Star said, weakly. "I just feel a little... lightheaded."

[BringerofShadows she/her]

“What do you mean, ‘cure me’?! I fused myself with the other universes’ Shadow!”

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

Quote

I couldn't figure out how to unbold all of it, sorry. Sometimes copying and pasting gets weird. 

Star’s eyes rolled into her head and she fell backward onto the table. If someone didn’t catch her, she’d bruise her skull. 

I am sorry, came TVG’s voice. Hopefully, when I am finished, her burns will have retreated. On the table, Star’s eyelids began fluttering rapidly. 

 

 

 

2

Spoiler

 

 Star kept falling for a few feet. When she landed, she was on a black, marble floor that stretched as far as the eye could see. And above… Star gasped, her stomach dropping. The black sky was littered with trillions of stars of hundreds of different colors. She found herself tearing up. 

“Ah, there you are,” came a… familiar voice. Star turned. A woman in a dark purple cloak with a golden clasp stood a few feet away. Star looked up from her black leather boots to her smiling face. 

It was Star’s face. 

She paled. The woman’s hair was different - much shorter than Star’s own - but that was her face.

“You… you’re me.” The woman chuckled - or… no. Not a woman. She was younger than Star had originally assumed. 

“No, my dear. Once, yes. But not any longer. You’ve grown.” Star cocked her head.

“Are you… the violet goddess? My master?”

“Yes and no. But mostly yes. TVG’s just a puppet, really. Even this is just a manifestation and not even a physical one at that. I needed to talk to you, Star. Because I can’t let you give up.” Star’s twin came closer, sitting on the marble floor beside her. She pointed at the marble floor. “What do you see?” Star regarded her reflection in the marble floor. The burns were on her face. It shocked her. Hesitantly, she touched a few fingers to her singed, reddened skin. Those blisters… She hadn’t even realized how bad it was. 

“I see a selfish monster,” Star said honestly. “A pathetic girl who can’t move on from the past. A failure as a villain and a lousy hero. She’s ugly. And the only reason she’s still alive is because… because she deserves to suffer.” A few tears made their way onto the marble floor. The purple-cloaked figure beside Star sighed softly, putting an arm around her waist. 

“What good is a story without suffering and darkness? I’m sorry you have to hurt, Star. But you’re a Narrator yourself - you understand. You know, when Marsh died, I was heartbroken too. I understand you better than anyone else in the entirety of this universe and all other realities. I’ve gone through it all with you."

“Perhaps that doesn’t mean anything to you. I have a rather cold perspective, depending on how you look at it. All I want you to know, Star, is this.” She took Star by the chin and looked her head in the eyes. 

“When I look at you,” she said solemnly. “I see a little girl. Broken by an unforgiving world that didn’t deserve her. A masterpiece of words, love, and emotion that dared to hope for something more and was met with scorn. Who had everything torn away from her and was left with nothing but a darkened shell. And then, despite it all, she crawled out from a pit of shadows. No help. All alone. She transformed herself into a reflection of the cold darkness around her and slowly lost her mind. And just before she ran herself in the ground at full speed, a few voices convinced her to pull up.” An image of Pheonix’s face appeared on the floor before Star. He was smiling brightly, his hair at full roar. “She was in so much pain,” the Author said, her voice breaking. “But she stood up. She looked the darkness in the eyes and said, ‘Storm. You.’ She became a hero. Oh, she made mistakes. And they hurt her so deeply. But it didn’t matter. She had beaten herself."

“And now I see you… covered in burns. Physical manifestations of a belief that eats at her every day, of a terrible past. But you can beat this. I know you can.” She snapped her fingers and in the marble reflection, Star’s burns melted away. Her hair was tied back in a braid and adorned with a crystal tiara. The projection of Pheonix winked, a blush on his usually pale cheeks. Star found herself sobbing. Warmth blossomed in her chest; an unshakeable feeling of peace and determination. 

“Do you love him?” Star’s master asked reverently.

“Yes,” Star replied. It was true, too. She’d been denying it for some time now. “I was so scared, but… yes.”

“Good. Then you’ve been severed from me completely. Pheonix has a heart of gold, but that’s not enough for me. For you, however, he is perfect. He will be returned to you. I promise…” With that, the vision faded.

 

 Back on Tom’s ship, Star’s body quivered violently. For a few terrifying seconds, it seemed she would bounce right off the table. Then, she ceased all movement. Slowly, her chest began to rise and fall with breath again, but she was deathly pale. As blood began to return to her cheeks, however, the burns and blisters receded. She blinked awake in tears. And smiled. 

[BringerofShadows she/her]

“…What…The Hell.”

[xinoehp512 he/him]

1 hour ago, Inklingspren said:

“What do you mean, ‘cure me’?! I fused myself with the other universes’ Shadow!”

Tom shook his head. "Not possible. Thread opposition, remember? The only reason Butt was able to fuse was because 1. he went over before the worlds fully split, 2. the Narrative matrix there is trashed, and 3. the idea of Butt Venture is tied to that universe."

36 minutes ago, Shard of Thought said:

Star’s eyes rolled into her head and she fell backward onto the table. If someone didn’t catch her, she’d bruise her skull. 

I am sorry, came TVG’s voice. Hopefully, when I am finished, her burns will have retreated. On the table, Star’s eyelids began fluttering rapidly. 

Spoiler

 

 

 

2

  Reveal hidden contents

 

 Star kept falling for a few feet. When she landed, she was on a black, marble floor that stretched as far as the eye could see. And above… Star gasped, her stomach dropping. The black sky was littered with trillions of stars of hundreds of different colors. She found herself tearing up. 

“Ah, there you are,” came a… familiar voice. Star turned. A woman in a dark purple cloak with a golden clasp stood a few feet away. Star looked up from her black leather boots to her smiling face. 

It was Star’s face. 

She paled. The woman’s hair was different - much shorter than Star’s own - but that was her face.

“You… you’re me.” The woman chuckled - or… no. Not a woman. She was younger than Star had originally assumed. 

“No, my dear. Once, yes. But not any longer. You’ve grown.” Star cocked her head.

“Are you… the violet goddess? My master?”

“Yes and no. But mostly yes. TVG’s just a puppet, really. Even this is just a manifestation and not even a physical one at that. I needed to talk to you, Star. Because I can’t let you give up.” Star’s twin came closer, sitting on the marble floor beside her. She pointed at the marble floor. “What do you see?” Star regarded her reflection in the marble floor. The burns were on her face. It shocked her. Hesitantly, she touched a few fingers to her singed, reddened skin. Those blisters… She hadn’t even realized how bad it was. 

“I see a selfish monster,” Star said honestly. “A pathetic girl who can’t move on from the past. A failure as a villain and a lousy hero. She’s ugly. And the only reason she’s still alive is because… because she deserves to suffer.” A few tears made their way onto the marble floor. The purple-cloaked figure beside Star sighed softly, putting an arm around her waist. 

“What good is a story without suffering and darkness? I’m sorry you have to hurt, Star. But you’re a Narrator yourself - you understand. You know, when Marsh died, I was heartbroken too. I understand you better than anyone else in the entirety of this universe and all other realities. I’ve gone through it all with you."

“Perhaps that doesn’t mean anything to you. I have a rather cold perspective, depending on how you look at it. All I want you to know, Star, is this.” She took Star by the chin and looked her head in the eyes. 

“When I look at you,” she said solemnly. “I see a little girl. Broken by an unforgiving world that didn’t deserve her. A masterpiece of words, love, and emotion that dared to hope for something more and was met with scorn. Who had everything torn away from her and was left with nothing but a darkened shell. And then, despite it all, she crawled out from a pit of shadows. No help. All alone. She transformed herself into a reflection of the cold darkness around her and slowly lost her mind. And just before she ran herself in the ground at full speed, a few voices convinced her to pull up.” An image of Pheonix’s face appeared on the floor before Star. He was smiling brightly, his hair at full roar. “She was in so much pain,” the Author said, her voice breaking. “But she stood up. She looked the darkness in the eyes and said, ‘Storm. You.’ She became a hero. Oh, she made mistakes. And they hurt her so deeply. But it didn’t matter. She had beaten herself."

“And now I see you… covered in burns. Physical manifestations of a belief that eats at her every day, of a terrible past. But you can beat this. I know you can.” She snapped her fingers and in the marble reflection, Star’s burns melted away. Her hair was tied back in a braid and adorned with a crystal tiara. The projection of Pheonix winked, a blush on his usually pale cheeks. Star found herself sobbing. Warmth blossomed in her chest; an unshakeable feeling of peace and determination. 

“Do you love him?” Star’s master asked reverently.

“Yes,” Star replied. It was true, too. She’d been denying it for some time now. “I was so scared, but… yes.”

“Good. Then you’ve been severed from me completely. Pheonix has a heart of gold, but that’s not enough for me. For you, however, he is perfect. He will be returned to you. I promise…” With that, the vision faded.

 

 

 

 Back on Tom’s ship, Star’s body quivered violently. For a few terrifying seconds, it seemed she would bounce right off the table. Then, she ceased all movement. Slowly, her chest began to rise and fall with breath again, but she was deathly pale. As blood began to return to her cheeks, however, the burns and blisters receded. She blinked awake in tears. And smiled. 

Xino lowered his sword uncertaintly. "Star?" he asked. "Are you alright?"

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

Just now, xinoehp512 said:

Tom shook his head. "Not possible. Thread opposition, remember? The only reason Butt was able to fuse was because 1. he went over before the worlds fully split, 2. the Narrative matrix there is trashed, and 3. the idea of Butt Venture is tied to that universe."

Xino lowered his sword uncertaintly. "Star?" he asked. "Are you alright?"

Star shivered. "I'm... I'm fine."

[BringerofShadows she/her]

“Fine. Find the other Shadow. But as I said before, I specifically remember fusing my self.” BoS returned her focus to Star. “What happened? I heard TVG…”

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

Just now, Inklingspren said:

“Fine. Find the other Shadow. But as I said before, I specifically remember fusing my self.” BoS returned her focus to Star. “What happened? I heard TVG…”

Star sat up on the table again. "I... got told what I needed to hear."

[BringerofShadows she/her]

“Why so vague?”

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

"Some experiences aren't for everyone to hear."

[BringerofShadows she/her]

“Excellent point.” 

@xinoehp512

[xinoehp512 he/him]

1 hour ago, Inklingspren said:

“Fine. Find the other Shadow. But as I said before, I specifically remember fusing my self.” BoS returned her focus to Star. “What happened? I heard TVG…”

Tom shook his head, worried. She'd been out in the chaos; who knew what had happened to her?

1 hour ago, Shard of Thought said:

Star sat up on the table again. "I... got told what I needed to hear."

Xino let out a sigh of relief. "That's good," he said. "We've got enough problems as is..."

All of sudden, Tom snapped from his reverie. "Ah, where were we?"

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

Just now, xinoehp512 said:

Tom shook his head, worried. She'd been out in the chaos; who knew what had happened to her?

Xino let out a sigh of relief. "That's good," he said. "We've got enough problems as is..."

All of sudden, Tom snapped from his reverie. "Ah, where were we?"

"Well," Star said, "we need to get moving. Where can we find Shadow's... other half?"

[xinoehp512 he/him]

Tom shrugged. "I'd go back to where you last saw her and track her from there."

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

Just now, xinoehp512 said:

Tom shrugged. "I'd go back to where you last saw her and track her from there."

"Alright." She sighed. "This is where we part, I suppose. We ready?"

[BringerofShadows she/her]

“Yeah, yeah…”

 

@Shard of Thought

@xinoehp512

@Shard of Thought

@xinoehp512

Edited June 30, 2019 by Inklingspren

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

Star's eyebrows shot up. "Wait!" she cried. "What about Butt? I promised him I would protect him; that includes keeping his sentience. How are we going to get him back here?"

[BringerofShadows she/her]

“Like he deserves your compassion…None of us do…” BoS grumbled. 

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

"I made a promise. I'm not about to break it. And of course he deserves compassion; he was controlled by all of us, forced to do things against his will. I'm so sorry he's hurt you though. I... It kills me."