Chapter Text
”How did she?”
”Don’t you dare-” The voice boomed.
Bang
Swoosh.
Down
Down
Down
Down the hole she tumbled.
Into the black space with no light. The wind and strange current that pulled her this way and that was welcoming. Defying gravity and tossing her upward, leftward, rightward and upside-downwards as the tunnel changed directions without rhythm or reason. Like a Willy Wonka elevator on crack.
She should be scared. Terrified of hitting a bottom to this black void and splatting like a pancake… but this strange tunnel and it’s darkness didn’t scare her. She felt relief more than anything. Relief after what felt like eons of bright lights, loud voices and Angry Looming bodies.
Falling wasn’t so bad. The darkness had a welcoming sensation to it. Like the embrace of blackened wings. Telling her to just close her eyes and let it take her. She’d end up wherever she needed to be. And that was better than where she’d just been.
The bright light forced her eyes to open as a light emerald orb shone light down the tunnel and was approached rapidly. No. She was approaching. That was a wall.
It expanded and formed an outline of a circle before carving out a hole. A hole that Y/n was promptly thrusted through at an alarmingly fast rate. One that humans perhaps shouldn’t be launched at for their own safety.
While the grassy hill was softer than the marble palace floors she’d slid across during the previous part of her escape, it did little to stop her momentum as she was yeeted from the knot in a tall bristlecone pine tree. Neither surface was going to win an award for ‘Best Surface to Be Slammed Upon’ this day.
Her body bounced like a rag doll onto the ridge of the grassy knoll before she tumbled head over heels down it. Unable to stop, all she could do was cover her head and wait for her body to stop or hit something.Preferably the first option. Finally, her legs came down in a wide V, digging into the dirt between the grasses, sending a numbing shock up her body. Her upper body leaning forward as she came to a complete stop.
Thank. Fucking. God.
She was sure she might throw up if it had continued. Did she even have anything to throw up?
Her lungs still felt like they were burning from running so fast. She huffed and puffed as she simply sat in that moment of tranquility. Silence. Her mind struggling to focus. The smell of freshly cut grass filling her nose even though this grass looked like it hadn’t been cut in years, perhaps decades.
There was a light thud to her left and something hard brushing against her hand. Y/N slowly looked down as light emerald energy faded from the old school wooden baseball bat. She moved the strange object into her lap, running her fingers over it. The teal energy dancing off the bat and onto her fingers. It didn’t hurt. It felt familiar. Right. Like something she’d been missing her whole life.
Her head was pounding, no, her whole body was. It was hard to focus but she knew one thing.
This staff- Could she even call it that in this shape? Staff? Rod? Wand? Magic Stick thingy. Well, This bat had let her escape her captors. Had let her use… what she assumed was magic? Holy shit magic… was magic real? how- Why was it so hard to think?
Siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiip.
Y/n froze and slowly she let her eyes drift to her direct right. There in the grass beside her, no more than 10 inches… Was a person in a pair of white sandals with gold detailing and a pair of white jean shorts?
The silence grew and the stranger said nothing. Had they even noticed her? How could they not?
Y/N let her gaze move higher up. The figure wasn’t even looking at her. Their gaze was upward… Every. Single. Floating. Eye. Was looking upward.
Oh god.
She noted their human yet non human appearance: Face hidden by their top hat that had sunglasses on it. A white Hawaiian shirt with gold flowers on it. They looked like a manikin of sorts. A very tall manikin sporting vacation wear… Sure, she could roll with this. They weren’t being hostile toward her and at the moment that was fucking great. Good, Less running, less thinking.
Curiously in her daze, she looked to whatever held this person’s interest and felt her shoulders lower. A skyline of dazzling stars and swirling galaxys unlike anything she had ever seen before. It was something she could stare at for hours if given the option. Like a campfire but with more colours.
There was the faint sound of a click, like that of a mouse as he reached up and waved his hand. A trail of pastel colour appearing.
They continued for a time, controlling this MS Paint like sky line before speaking, ”About time you got here.” The figure spoke before taking another sip. “You are certainly are-…” They turned and their many eyes locked on her.
Y/n tensed, like a deer in headlights, unsure what to do. The world was getting dizzy.
“Huh.” He squatted down, taking another sip of his wine, “Not who I thought I was talking to… My Bad. Thought you were someone else… hm.” Their voice trailed off. The eyes looking this way and that.
Y/N just started. Maybe if she didn't move, everything would be okay.
”Do you have a name little one?” He asked.
Y/n couldn’t find words. Her mind felt blank, unable to process. She slightly shook her head, feeling her body begin to sway with even the slightest of movements.
”Cat got your- Oh no no no no, stay awake. Here.” He let go of his wine glass which just produced little wings and fluttered in place.
He reached over to keep her from falling over. Y/N flinched but leaned into the hands. His thumb ran across her forehead and into the headline. The cut that was bleeding mended and healed in an instant. The sensation was cool and soothing. “ Jeeze, You are not having the best welcome are you?” He said, waving his hand over her eyes as well. Her mind cleared as he did so. “There. Given you a little pick me up. Head a little clearer now?”
Y/n touched her head. She hadn’t even realized there was an injury until he had touched it. Yes, that was right. A bullet had grazed her. Magic? Yes, magic had hit her too… She could think straight again. She felt like she’d been on auto pilot until now. Just trying to survive. Get away. Go home.
“Y-Yes. Thank you.” Her shoulders lowered slightly, “ uh, it’s Y/N.” She stated, remembering his question from before.
”Y/N… Good name. ” His eyes locked on the bat “How did you come upon that?”
Her grip tightened a bit on it. She thought a moment, the memories coming in blocks. “I-I didn’t steal it if that’s what you’re asking.”
”I never implied that. Go on, humour an old man.” He crossed his legs and picked up his wine glass, not seeming to mind her hostility toward him.
”Um…” She tried to think. How to explain the insane day she was having? Day? Days? How long had this been going on? It was hard to tell time where she’d been. It was always so bright. How much should she tell to a stranger… who had just helped her. Who had just healed her. Maybe it would be okay.
“um some people locked me in a room with it? And I used it to come here?” She looked around. Had she truly escaped? She wasn’t sure where here even was.
“You’re fine for now.” He said, confirming her worries. “That is very interesting. Only one other woman has been able to use that. How old are you?”
”34?”
He leaned forward, his eyes narrowing, Y/N leaned backwards. He was looking at her but at the same time it felt like he wasn’t looking at her. It made her skin start to crawl.
”Ah, I see what’s happening now.” He tilted his head back and forth. “That’s very clever.” He leaned back and took a long sip. The words should be a compliment but then why did his tone sound so sad?
”I’m sorry?” What was clever? Why was he poking her-
“You should want to get back home, correct?” He said, getting back to his feet.
”Yes.” The word shot out of her lips before she even had time to think about it. She did not want to be here. She wanted to go home. Where people did yell at her or shoot at her.
The wine drinker sipped his drink, “Walk with me.”
Y/N stood up and followed them.
”Now, it’s not gonna be easy. I’m afraid that mode of transportation is a bit fickle which is why we don’t use it anymore but for a human you don’t have many options. You don’t got the juice for the modern version… You’re basically digging holes between planes, places and worlds.” He explained. “It’s going to be a long trip. Lots of little pit stops but keep going. You will get there.” He grabbed her hood and flipped it over her head, “Keep your ears hidden. Only Humans have Ears like that. It’s a dead give away that you’re still alive.”
Y/N quietly nodded along, taking in all this information. Not quite sure she wanted to know what he meant by that.
”That stick is yours now. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. In time, you’ll get the hang of that magic you seem to have unlocked.” He led her back to a tall Bristlecone pine but the colours were off. It’s pine needles were every colour you could think of. Like someone had slapped a Colour picker over top the tree.
Y/n looked at the bat in her hand, at the fellow with many eyes and then the tree they stopped at. A pit growing in her stomach. “This isn’t a dream, is it?
”No, my dear. You are very much awake, I’m afraid.”
”Not earth?”
”Not earth.” He confirmed.
”Can I have some of that-”
”No Wine and interplanetary shifting.”
”fuck…” She huffed, trying not think about it but the question came out anyways, “Am I where I think I am?”
”Best not think about it too hard. Or your brain will get all mixed up again.” He took another sip of wine before resting it on a branch of the tree that seemed to have grown just to hold glasses of wine. He clapped his hands together and a blank road like map appeared. Using a sharpie that changed colours, he made two circles with dashing lines between them.
“This is where you came from. And this is here.” He explained, “ It’s best to keep a visual guide when you’re learning and just traveling in general. It will help you get a hang of it.” He handed it over and she tucked it away into her zipper hoodie.
”Right…” She was willing to believe anything at this point. The sky was no longer the limit.
He poked her chest again but it didn’t feel like he had touched her skin. It felt deeper like he was touching her very essence. She was frozen in place. It forced her to pay attention to his words but the physical action didn’t make her afraid. Regardless of his strange appearance, she didn’t feel like she was in any danger at the moment. No, this person’s presence was reassuring.
“You made your last one when you were scared and fell out here. Now, picture Home. What that means to you. The feeling. The Want.” He explained.
Why were this person doing this? How did they-
”Focus.” He snapped his fingers, turning her to the tree. “ No time to think questions. Think of home. That Warm fuzzy feeling. Of being happy. Now focus.”
Y/N closed her eyes. Home. Family. The feeling of a warm embrace. Of being wanted. She let those feelings bubble up in her chest. She placed her hand on the tree as shimmering light emerald green magic left her hand and formed another portal in the tree.
”Well, It was nice meeting you, Mr.-” He simply waved for her to hurry, she didn’t need to know his name.
Her smile only grew. It was nice to know that it wasn’t all bad here. “Thank you.” She said softly before hopping into the tunnel.
He mumbled to him as the portal closed, “It’s the least I can do. The rest is up to you” He drank the rest of the glass as the silhouettes of Angels came in view. “Now, who am I giving an earful to for interrupting my Retirement?”
Just one day. He just wanted one normal day to fucking doodle in the sky. Maybe add a few diamonds…