Work Text:
Listen:
You are in a daze right now.
The day is Monday, the 26th of the month. A short, cheerful chime resounds through your room, and the lock screen of your phone shows the time to be 4:01 A.M.
You pick up the phone from its spot on the ground beside yourself, squinting against the bright light of the screen as it buzzes a second time, signifying an incoming message. Curious, you decide to take a look and see who it is that has enough free time to message you at such an hour.
The contact name that appears before you is... ah. Not quite a surprise, but not someone you expected to be up at this time, either.
"The Simulated Universe has been updated once again."
"Meet me in the office for testing when you return to the Space Station."
The messages are short and straight to the point, in typical Akaba Reiji fashion. You let out a cross between a sigh and a yawn, mark the contact as unread for good measure, and shut the phone before settling back down in your small cot.
Little luminescent stars of various colors fill your vision as you gaze up at the ceiling -your first choice of decoration in what was once a plain, empty room- and slowly but surely, as the hum of your thoughts begins to quiet down, and the Stellaron's pulse settles into a steady rhythm, the gentle tug of sleep pulls you down, down, down.
You do not know who you are, why you're here, or what you're going to do next.
The day is Monday, the 26th of the month. When Yuzu -the other amnesiac two doors down the hall, who proclaimed herself your friend after knowing you for exactly five minutes- barges into your room to wake you up with a paper fan to the head, she says it's already 9:30 A.M.
You scramble out of the room immediately after, plastering an easygoing smile as you jog down to the parlor car, saluting Conductor Classikuriboh as you pass by them. Navigator Youko greets you at the breakfast table with a wave and a plate of honey-drizzled pancakes, and it takes everything in you to not hug her on the spot.
(Sometimes you catch yourself thinking that the Navigator and her husband would make good parents in the future. You have no idea where this specific thought comes from -you don't know the first thing about parents, after all- but the statement rings true to you all the same.)
Yuzu joins shortly after, all sweet words and innocent smiles, as if she hadn't just smacked you out of bed a short while ago. Conversations start up and veer off, delving into topics of cooking, music, the IPC's newsletter and many others besides, and when breakfast is finished, you look at the empty plates and an idea springs to life in your mind.
"Hey, wanna bet if I can balance these on one finger all the way to the kitchen?"
The suggestion is immediately shut down by an even stronger swing of Yuzu's fan, and you could swear it leaves a little bump on the side of your head this time. You let out a dramatic sniff when no one offers their sympathy and condolences; Yuzu just stares at you like she's judging an idiot (that's probably exactly what she's thinking), while Youko shrugs neutrally and disappears down the hallway.
"Traitors, the lot of you." You huff, voice cracking under the pretense of mock hurt. "And here I thought the Astral Express was a kind and welcoming family..."
"We are kind and welcoming, you're just not using the one braincell you have." Yuzu fires in retort, moving to pick up Classikuriboh and shoving them in his face. "Seriously, Yuuya? You want the Conductor picking up all those glass shards after you?"
Oh, she did not just pull the Conductor card.
As if on cue, Classikuriboh lets out a series of loud squeaks, wiggling out of Yuzu's grip and shooting the pinkette their nastiest glare. They pull up a small tablet and type in an impassioned message, then place it on the table for everyone to see.
"Hey!" The message reads, as indignant as the little furball who wrote it. "Classikuriboh can handle broken glass and stupid passengers just fine, but Classikuriboh refuses to be manhandled like this! Put some respect on Classikuriboh's name and let me clean the couch in peace!"
Yuzu blinks in disbelief, head swivelling slowly between you and the Conductor. You barely manage to suppress a smug grin as she gives Classikuriboh an apologetic bow of her head-
... Hey, wait a minute.
"Did you just call me stupid?!" You yell after the Conductor, who goes right back to cleaning the couch like nothing happened at all. "Rude!"
Truly, you had no one to support you in this cruel world. Hmph, so be it! You'll just leave them and stay at the Station for the day- see how they'll manage without your entertaining antics.
You whip out the phone and check the messages, then send a "Sure, I'll see you there!" to the young Genius's invitation-
"You're going to the Space Station?"
-and were it not for the fact that you're still seated in a chair, Yuzu's intrusion would have surely sent you jumping five feet in the air. As it stands, all you do is flinch and turn to her with your best face of utter betrayal, to which the pinkette just rolls her eyes.
"Don't look at me like that, it's not my fault you're so easy to distract." She turns over her own chair to face yours and moves from behind you to sit down. "Anyway, what's this about seeing Akaba? Does he want your help again? Is he pestering you to test his little game? You know you can just block him, right?"
"Sheesh, Yuzu, slow down! It's no problem, really. I don't mind helping him out with the Simulated Universe- I mean, it's actually pretty fun, and I get to contribute to a cool scientific endeavor while I'm at it. Seems like a pretty good deal to me!"
"Well, if you say so..."
"I do!" You grin at her, hoping it comes off as reassuring. "Besides, there's nothing entertaining on the Express when we're restocking supplies, and I really don't want to just lounge around and do nothing all day."
"You could always help Yuuto with sorting the archives-" Yuzu begins, only to be immediately cut off by the frantic waving of your hands.
"Oh nononononono- nope, nuh-uh, no way. I don't know how he's fine with staring at books and words for hours on end, but I would spotaneously combust if I so much as give it a try!"
Yuzu stares at you. You stare right back in desperate defiance.
She rolls her eyes again. "Fine, fine, go out and touch grass or whatever it is you do for fun. Just don't stay out for too long, okay?"
"Yes, mom!" You salute with a sunshine smile, and dash off not a moment later for fear of a third encounter with the paper fan of death. The last thing you hear before exiting the parlor car is "we're not bailing you out if you do anything stupid!"
Fair enough, fair enough.
None of that matters.
The day is Monday, the 26th of the month. The clock at Akaba Reiji's office reads 11:13 P.M the moment you enter the Simulated Universe.
Just like the last few times, the simulation begins with a fizzle of purple, and then the world around you begins to take shape. The plain walls of the Leo Space Station appear before you, and in a matter of minutes, you find yourself standing in the supply zone, just a couple meters away from a small Antibaryon.
"All systems are stable and fully functional." Akaba's voice drones from his post. "You may start the test run now, Trailblazer."
Nodding, you will your trusty bat into existence and approach the spherical machine, resolved to swiftly put the little thing out of its misery. This run is supposed to be for testing a new feature called Blessings, where you acquire one each time you defeat one of the enemies scattered around the map- an easy enough task, considering the many times you've gone up against said enemies by now.
The Antibaryon retreats into the void after a single strike to its core, and the four Baryons you encounter right after are defeated just as easily, though they take a little longer due to their number and the way they keep bouncing out of range. And so, a few minor battles won, occurences and events gone through, and a bunch of random Blessings obtained later, you reach the first stage of Elite enemies, featuring a centaur-like Voidranger... uh, was that the Trampler or the Reaver, again?
Well, it doesn't really matter, anyway. A hit to the ranger's back takes it by surprise, and from there on it's a game of dodging energy beams and distracting the enemy with Imaginary summons of various shapes, until you manage to charge up a strong enough strike to its weakest point, ending the battle in one fell swoop.
You allow yourself a moment to breathe as the Voidranger disintegrates into particles of data, and your own band of cartoonish animals vanishes in a shower of sparks soon after. One last sweep of the stage confirms it as fully cleared, and so, with a confident smile, you step into the portal leading to the next stage...
... and promptly freeze when your feet touch nothing on the other end.
Hold on, what?
Thousands of small lights twinkle as far as your eyes can see, a few opaque orbs and a smattering of dark rocks dotting the horizon alongside them. Stars, planets and asteroids, you notice after a beat- it seems that the new domain is themed after outer space.
... Wait.
No.
That can't be right.
The only time you were abruptly thrown into space was the very first testing session, the one where you came into contact with... an Aeon...
The realization hits you alongside a sudden wave of heat and wind, forcing you to shield your face against the burning sensation. What the hell was that?
Try as you might, you can't even begin to look for an answer. A buzz of static starts in your ears, mingling with the acute rush of scorching air, the harsh crack of rocks breaking, the discordant boom of stars dying-
It is a symphony of ruin all around you; a glimpse into pure and utter annihilation, brought by a force unknown and unseen-
Except, you know exactly who's behind this.
You've drawn their gaze before, after all.
A blinding flash, a literal supernova, heralds the arrival of death incarnate themself. Eyes of molten gold lock onto stunned red, bearing down on you with the weight of a thousand suns-
It is burning.
You are burning.
You cannot look away.
This is Destruction, you find yourself thinking, as the fabric of reality fractures into numerous shards. Your gaze holds the Aeon's against your will, even when the edges of your vision fade into the dark.
This is Destruction, a voice that is not yours whispers, low yet clear above the din of everything, as the universe itself collapses before your eyes, as the Aeon turns their back on you with a sigh.
This is your destiny, in each and every life.
The light around you dims down like a candle, and all sound tapers off into a low hum. You tip your head back and close your eyes...
Then everything goes white, and all is quiet
....However, what you do know is this.
The day is Monday, the 26th of the month. When you come to once again...
... you do not know what time it is.
"Hm, you've regained consciousness. Can you hear me?"
You blink your eyes open at the voice, and sure enough, the pristine space that is the 83rd Genius's office greets you in all its plain glory, its owner leaning on the wall beside your sitting form. Right; you were at the Station to test out Akaba's newest update to the Simulated Universe, and then-
"Something... something went wrong back there." You mutter, pushing yourself up. "You said nothing about an Aeon showing up, so what happened, exactly?"
"I'm afraid the answer to that is still inconclusive." Akaba says, smooth and level, if not for the minute tremble that tails the end of each word, outing his otherwise well-hidden shock. "Nanook's appearance was not expected at all in such an early stage, and even stranger is that their behavior does not quite line up with the expected parameters, which is a curious anomaly in and of itself."
You shake off the ensuing flash of recollection -ruin, death, destruction- and blink, confused. "Eh? How so?"
"A fact you may be unaware of is that, while some Aeons are willing to communicate with others, some are actively averse to any form of contact, and may react negatively to being seeked out. The Destruction falls under the latter category, according to all past records, and forcing you out of the simulation corresponds with that trait... but the issue at hand is the fact that they weren't seeked out- it was the opposite that happened."
Akaba's gaze slips past yours, downwards, and you place a hand over your chest in response. The Stellaron pulses within your form where a human's heart should be- quiet and dormant, yet a constant reminder of what you are, of the danger your mere existence poses, and the reason you stand here to begin with.
"You think it has something to do with all of this." It is not a question, because it needs not be such. You both know the answer very well.
Akaba nods in lieu of saying yes, anyway. "A relatively likely possibility, but one that must be studied in further detail and from several angles before being taken for granted."
"Huh, so you'll need me for more tests soon? Should I expect another message from you, then? Or maybe a phone call?"
"Only if you're still interested in carrying on with our agreement. Remember: you help me gather data to refine the Simulated Universe, and I will help you answer all questions about yourself to the best of my ability."
You smile. It comes out a little sharper than you'd have liked. "I guess there's only one choice to be made, in this case. Well, I'll see you in the next patch update then- for now, good sir, I bid you adieu!"
Not bothering to wait for a reply that wouldn't come, you push yourself off the wall and towards the office door. Just before you pass through, you glance at the little clock lodged at the far corner of the room, and per the message the ornate arrows read, it is now 2:08 P.M.
As the door closes behind you, you allow yourself one more moment to reflect on all you've seen and heard.
This is Destruction. This is your destiny, in each and every life.
The words puzzle you, and perhaps they'd be alarming to someone else, but right now, pondering them gives you no such worries.
Who's to say anything about your fate, anyway? It is a fickle thing; a tapestry woven through one's choices and actions at each turn of life, unpredicatble and impossible to determine...
And as far as you're concerned, yours is only just starting. After all, the one voice that managed to pierce past the fog of your memories had left you with two things to know:
One: Your name is Yuuya.
Two: Your destiny is yours alone to write.