Tales of the Token Human (And other such stories)

A take on Ianite's post-disintegration in Mianite S2. Based around the song "Would You Fall in Love With Me Again" from Epic: the Musical.

Violet eyes opened with a gasp, as Ianite found herself within an unfamiliar temple. Last she remembered, her quintessence had blossomed and bloomed beyond her physical form. The young Captain had visited her in the last moments before the quintessence expanded throughout the multiverse. She had seen her world as a series of cubes, a game and story written by friends across the globe. She had seen the stories that were created within the minds of viewers of this game. Costumes made of these characters presented around the world at gatherings of like-minded people.

She saw infinite worlds in a moment. 

And then a simple temple nestled in the far reaches of the End. At least, that is how it seemed to the goddess. Her breath the only sound in the silence for a long moment. “My Lady?” A breath hitched in her throat at the voice. Ianite turned around, her hair lifting slightly in the void-touched air. The figure silhouetted in the entryway was armored, a cape draping his shoulder, and his helmet under his arm. “S-Spark? Is that you?” 

Ianite held her breath for a long moment, feeling a sense of deja vu wash over her. She had known this moment before. But also never had she known this moment. 

Spark stood motionless, a breath of silence between the two. Ianite took a hesitant step toward the man, reminded of the last time she had this moment. The young Captain kneeling before her in reverence, not love or affection. 

She had prayed for this reunion from the moment he went missing. She expected to never see him again since the quintessence had forced her body to expand beyond the physical. 

“That,” Spark murmured, “Is a difficult question to answer, my Lady.” He knelt before her, a twang of pain running through her heart at the reminder of her previous experience with the Other Spark. He continued his speech to her with an indecipherable emotion behind it.

“I am Spark- or at least… One of them. I have found myself travelling between different dimensions, finding different version of you, of me, of… the atrocities I’ve seen across the worlds…” He falters, looking away from the goddess, “The ones I…”

Ianite stepped forward, extending a calming hand toward the man. While he didn’t flinch away from it, he visibly tensed, to which she drew back her hand. “What did you see, Spark?” 

His eyes flicked up to hers, “The purge is prevalent across dimensions. Some more in the spirit of fun, but many… Many were simply brutal.” He swallowed, and his tone darkened. “I dominated all of them.” 

Ianite’s face was a mask of neutrality. Of pure balance. “I would expect only the best from my champion.” Her heart ached- she was unable to comfort the man in front of her, and his eyes… Every time she saw them, she could see the haunting view of anguish and pain. A sad smirk graced his lips, “As each version of you has said. I was a loyal follower across the realms, My Lady.” 

Follower. 

Not lover, not husband. Follower.

Ianite’s emotions betrayed her as they flashed across her face- the loss of her love, the despair of knowing this wasn’t her Spark. Again. Before the man could speak, Ianite let the walls return around her shattered heart, and she held up a hand. As she did, it brushed against a cold piece of metal at her side. Her eyes flitted over to the rapier that had appeared next to her hand. A gift from the young Captain at her grave. 

A test formed in her mind. One of simplicity that would answer all of the painful questions still lingering in the air. She presented the sword to the Spark before her, saying nothing. He took it gently from her hands, studying the sword with wonder as she studied the knight. His eyes flew over the blade, the handle, the pommel, and finally the basket hilt. His fingers traced the filigree until landing on a hidden engraving of a small set of scales. His thumb brushed the etching with comfort.

“There you are, my…” He paused, eyes lifting to study her face. His gaze softened as his eyes met hers. “Ianite?”

With that simple utterance of her name, the goddess’ eyes blurred. The tears began to fall as Spark slowly stood. “Would you…” Spark took a step forward toward Ianite, extending one hand toward hers, the other sheathing the blade with familiarity at his side. “Would you consider, perhaps… falling in love with me?” He faltered, the pain of hundreds of rejections flashing across his face. 

Ianite stood, her cheeks wet, her mouth fallen slightly open with shock. “I… Understand if not.” He muttered as he slowly closed his hand. Ianite’s hands shot out and grasped his in hers. She felt the calluses, the strength, and the scars across the tops of his hands and his fingertips. Her fingers traced the familiar lines across his palms as she looked into his eyes. 

“Is that truly you, my love?”

With those words, Spark and Ianite fell into a sobbing embrace. The moment seemed both far too short, and yet, eternal. Ianite was the first to pull back, taking Spark’s face in her hands. 

“I have fallen in love with you in every dimension- every timeline. Every iteration of you and every iteration of me- we find love.” 

Spark brought up his hand, and cupped Ianite’s face. He stared at his goddess, his love… His wife. “How long has it been?”

“Ten long years.”

(A reimagining of Mianite S2’s chaotic reintroduction to Ianite with a little less chaos)

A silence fell over the house nestled away in the far reaches of the End. Lady Ianite held her breath momentarily, straining to hear any sound. One from an enderman, a growing chorus fruit… anything- but the realm had gone silent, save for the nearly imperceptible sigh from the open doorway. “My Lady?”

The goddess turned just enough to see the figure shadowing the doorway. A long lost silhouette that never left her memory. One that had been gone from her life for a decade.

“Spark? Is that you?”

She noticed the shape of the lopsided grin crossing the figure’s face- one that she knew well. It took only two words to have her flying across the room to embrace her truest love.

“It is.”

With that, she crashed into the man, her arms wrapping around him in as tight an embrace as she could muster without crushing him. The warmth emanating from his body brought immediate comfort to her soul, and she melted into his supporting arms. That is, until the man’s arms awkwardly returned the embrace with a couple pats on her back. Ianite pulled away, studying the man’s face in front of her. 

“Spark, I don’t understand… Do you remember me?” She asked, a drop of desperation lacing her tone. The man smiled again- Spark’s smile, yet somehow… different.

“Of course I do. Do… you remember me?” 

Ianite pulled further back, and glanced away. The figure knelt before her, a knight to his queen. “They said you were trapped within your dreams, my lady. That the taint monstrosity encroaching upon the town is due to your subconscious. I wasn’t sure whether that was true, or some other sinister force.” 

A shiver ran through the goddess’ body. “I prayed it would never resurface. It killed my son’s wife and daughter the last time it spread.” Her eyes darted away as she held back tears. When she looked back at the kneeling figure, she paused. A whirlwind of thoughts clouded her mind: the taint, Spark, Freya, Alva, death, her dreams… “Spark,” she finally asked, “where have you been?”

The man’s head lifted, eyes sharp and determined. His words were laced with frustration and apology, though gentle. “We had a devastating fall. Several months long.” He sighed and caught Ianite’s gaze over red glasses. “It seems as though no one here recognizes us, despite everything we’ve accomplished. But you… You remember?”

Ianite’s face contorted with confusion and disbelief. “Months? I don’t understand. Have you been in Dagrun? You disappeared ten years ago.” 

The young man’s eyebrows lifted in surprise at her words, and his own sputtered out of his mouth with far less decorum than previously held. “I- We- We’ve been in Dagrun for a month.” His words floundered briefly again, “Ten years we’ve been gone?”

Ianite attempted to swallow the growing lump in her throat, covering the tears attempting to fall. “I think,” she began, taking a deep breath to steady herself, “I understand. You came from the other world.”

As the knight looked at her in confusion, Ianite looked back with numbness. 

“You’re not Spark. Not my Spark.” 

It was obvious now that she looked closer. While a pair of lost shades could account for the red pair on his face, this not-Spark was the spitting image of her Captain when he was still a Captain. Her Spark was an Admiral. And while this young man was as handsome as her love, it lacked the years they had spent together. The family they had grown. The love of two people, not a knight and his goddess. 

“If you were, you would remember me.” Young-Spark’s face fell with confusion and pain. “My Lady, I-”

Ianite stiffened at the moniker. “I need some time alone.” She stated quietly, and stalked out the door through the trees. 

***

Ianite could hear the voice of Other Spark shouting for her. She had found herself sitting on a swing that her Spark had rigged up for the two of them to enjoy together in their early relationship, and became a wonderful playground for the family to enjoy together. How lonely it felt with no one sitting beside her.

“My Lady, I would still like to talk with you!” 

The voice had grown closer. Ianite looked around at the trees and foliage surrounding her. It mostly looked the same, but there were no longer toys strewn about, “Probably in some Enderman’s horde at this point” Ianite thought, with a slight huff of a chuckle. The space looked both loved and empty at the same time. Small gashes in the bark of the trees where Helgrind and Martha had practiced their stick wielding skills. A woven mat, once strong and sturdy as a makeshift floor for an imaginary tree house, now hung limply over a branch. The ghost of love still haunted the small area, yet only a breath of feeling held on.

“Lady Ianite?”

Ianite sighed heavily, a slight shudder running through her as her name was spoken by the so familiar voice. Other Spark stood behind her aways, giving her space, but the relief of finding her was evident, “I was worried that you had gotten lost- or, well… you probably wouldn’t have gotten lost here in the End, but…” 

The goddess tensed and interrupted the blathering, “Did you come here out of spite? Sent by my son in retaliation for that- thing I apparently oozed out of my nightmares?” She spat. 

Other Spark was caught off guard at the question, but collected himself quickly, “No- no, my lady. I…” He looked around, trying to find something to focus his thoughts, but was interrupted once again. 

“I guess I should be thanking you for saving the town from my nightmarish manifestations.” Ianite muttered quietly. “I deserve it all for what I’ve done.”

The young knight made his way around the trees, giving Ianite space to breathe, but knelt before her once again- though more casual. “My Lady,” he began gently, “you don’t deserve spite. It’s not something you can control, right? Besides, it was the taint that led me here.” Other Spark smiled slightly, offering an air of ease to the goddess.

It took quite some time before Ianite felt open to speaking again. Her eyes wandered over Other Spark, taking in the slight differences between him and her lover. Finally, her gaze landed upon the sword at his side. The filigree of the basket hilt was distinct, and caused a breath to hitch in her throat. Other Spark took notice and took it from its sheath to hand to the goddess. 

Ianite hesitated for a moment before taking it and wrapping her fingers around the hilt. The heft of the sword flooded her mind with bittersweet memories, and she let out a small sob. “This is your old sword. Well,” She breathed, "It’s Spark’s old sword. But,” she smiled sadly, “You’re not Spark. You’re the Other Spark.”

Other Spark looked at her, confusion evident in his face. “Is… Spark my dad?” That garnered a genuine laugh out of the goddess. Other Spark stared as she returned the rapier. “You must come from another world, yes.” Ianite wiped a tear from her eye. “Spark was my lover and partner for life. He-” She faltered, not wanting to face the difficult truth once again. “He disappeared ten years ago. He gave me my children.”

Other Spark looked at her, mouth agape and rapier only half returned to its scabbard.

“What?”

 Ianite stood, stepping toward this young Spark and putting one slender hand under his chin and gently lifted his face toward hers. She took a few moments, seeing the differences between the two men, but spoke the only one that had caught her eye each time.

“His shades were green.”

Other Spark and Ianite shared a gaze, both wanting to share more, but neither willing to breach that chasm of difficulty.

Anise picked up a crying child out of its crib and began to bounce with it with gentle shushings. The child's mother was due back at any time, and it was up to Anise to rock the baby back into slumber. She hummed a gentle tune, and sent a silent prayer to the Beat to give her help finding the right song for peace.

"Sleep, little one. I know you miss your mama, and she will be back when she can, but we all have to do our part to keep each other safe."

Minutes turned into an hour, and the patrol that had gone out had still not returned. And the Beat had yet to bring a tune to her lips. "I know your mother is close. She has to be." Anise muttered to the child, who had long since fallen back asleep. 

It took a few minutes before Anise heard anything from outside the shelter. It was distant, and it was… loud. There must have been zed, or something equally nasty chasing the patrol.

Finally, the music bubbled from Anise's soul, an old, soothing prayer from the Broad Way. 

"God on high, hear my prayer.

In my need, you have always been there.

She is young, she's afraid

Let her rest, heaven blessed 

Bring her home, bring her home,

Bring her home."

She hummed the remainder of the song, rocking the babe in her arms. She tried to cover the sounds of thudding feet and shouting voices, as to not wake the baby. 

The door slammed open and shut quickly as a gore-covered Vegasian named Maupin ran breathless through the door. The shock paused Anise's song, and the baby awoke once more.

"Big horde." He said through heavy breaths. "Had to run. The others might have been overwhelmed. I dunno."

Anise took a deep breath, resuming her bouncing and rocking with the child. "Will you keep an eye out for Leah? I promised I'd keep an eye on the little one here until she got back."

The silence from Maupin was almost deafening. The look on his face was all it took to tell Anise all she had to know. 

"Was that her final infection?"

Maupin shrugged. "Hard to tell with her, know what I mean? But… it's not like she wasn't ready for it."

The rover nodded, and glanced down at the child in her arms. "Already experiencing loss beyond compare. You poor little thing."

She sat in the rocking chair in the corner, resting the baby on her chest. "I guess it's just you and Auntie Anise for a little bit. Hope you like showtunes. I'll do what I can to find closer family, but you may just grow up as a Virtue, if that’s what it comes to."

There are moments that the words don’t reach, there is suffering too terrible to name. You hold your child as tight as you can, and push away the unimaginable. 

Anise stared out at the falling rain in the twilight. A snippet of a tune hummed through her mind as the caravan finally slowed. “We’ll rest here for now.” The driver called out to the passengers, “Don’t want to overdo it the night after the Purge, amirite?” He halfheartedly chuckled into the awkward silence of the group as they settled in for the night. The Rover curled up next to her husband for warmth and comfort, and the feelings of the meet washed over her in a mix of music and emotion. Father Ascended’s horrific murder at the hands of the Paladin… Read about the 'ideous murder, Profane, religious murder! The poor old bishop, What a shock! Seen walkin' wiv 'is daughter, A moment prior to slaughter! The shepherd tendin' to 'is flock!

Her own baptism into the Kings Court, and the Muses of Flesh and Bone… How ‘bout a dance, what do you think? I’ve got some moves that I’d love to show ya. Let’s find a spark, and dance the night away.

Advent’s baptism into the Sainthood of Ashes… So let your light so shine before men, let your light so shine. So that they might know some kindness again. We all need help to feel fine…. ‘Let’s have some wine!’

The election of the Triumvirate… He's very attractive in the North, the Yorkers like his chances. ‘He's not very forthcoming on any particular stances’

The talent show… Join us! Leave your fields to flower. Join us! Leave your cheese to sour. Join us, Come and waste an hour or two, Doo-dle-ee-do

The Purge… City on fire! Rats in the streets, And the lunatics yelling at the moon! It’s the end of the world! Yes!

The battle against the Paladin… Track down this murderer he must be found! Track down this murderer he must be found! Hunt out this animal, who runs to ground! Too long he's preyed on us, but now we know, the phantom of the opera is here deep down inside! 

Natalie and Pisces lying dead in the road together… Dyin’ ain’t so bad. Not if we both go together. Only when one’s left behind does it get sad.

So… Much… Loss… Melpomene, Natalie, Pisces, Amelie, Cirice, Pigeon… More, if the Sainthood hadn’t been there to bring them back. Probably more that Anise wasn’t even aware of still. 

The Beat continued its skipping- not settling on one specific song for quite some time. As the emotions and memories flowed, the music shifted accordingly. From the joyful, to the morose, to the angry, and defeated. Until finally, the song settled. The Beat was there to remind her… why. What did the Kings and Queens of the past wish to spread to the world? Anise closed her eyes to begin her slumber as the message rang out in her mind, dampening the sounds of the rain. Let there be life, and a song for me. You will be burned

But you will see the sun

You will bear blisters

On your feet as you run

Before you are done

Let there be life

Oh, let there be life

And a song for me

Let me feel the touch

And swear you won't resist

You will be cheated

But you will be kissed

Let nothing be missed

I say you'll exist

And let there be life

And a song for me

There will be no more confusing yourself

No refusing yourself

No more delays

There’s only the call to respond to

Task to get on to

The work of your days

So let it begin

And one day, let it end

Let it fall to pieces

And what’s meant to will mend

With life to lend

And days to spend

Jasper was your best friend.

Agnes, it's your chance for life

Let there be life

Let there be life

Let there be life

Take back your life

“My Daughter……”

Skyler shoved a pillow over her ear, attempting to drown out the pain in her mother’s near forgotten voice. The trek she had taken into the Dreamlands- No Skyler had to remind herself- into the mind of Jörmungandr, had taken far more out of her than she had ever imagined it ever would. The memories weren’t all bad. The picnic on the mountain, being tucked in for the night: Skyler was stunned at how perfect it had all felt. Everything- well, almost everything- had played out exactly how she remembered, even more clearly. Everything wonderful about the time she had spent with her mother had come flooding back with every intense emotion that her younger self had felt. It was freeing, and exhilarating, and Skyler couldn’t help but to revel in the feeling of having her mother back, even for a few moments.

Then the woman. Ms. Wilson. Or Mayweather, or whoever the fuck you are now. She knew something, but who wants to break the bad news to a kid, right? No, she was a familiar, and far-be-it for her to tell this child who probably didn’t know anything about the shrouded world she was born into. She may have been doing her fucking job, but she could have at least…. “Fuck. Of course she couldn’t have.” Skyler grumbled as she threw the pillow across the room. “Fucking… Fuck!” The tears forming on her tired eyes stung, as she hastily wiped them off her face in a failed attempt at staying composed.

The hushed conversation at the door still weighed in Skyler’s thoughts. Broken phrases here and there about burning, allegiances, whose fault it was…. All jumbled together with Silvermist’s innocent condolences, Sherry’s well-meaning, but distracting worry for her familiar.

“I’m going out for a while, sweetie. I’ll be back… later tonight.” Desiree’s eyes dart toward the figure at the door, flashing briefly with rage toward the person, but her voice never faltering. “Okay, mommy.” Skyler answered, still somewhat distracted by the bowl of half-eaten oatmeal in front of her. “Don’t open the door for anyone unless they know the secret password, okay?” “Mhm. I promise.” The two Reed girls locked eyes, young Skyler barely noticing the tears forming in her mother’s eyes.

Suddenly, arms fly around Skyler, shaking her from the reverie. “I’m so sorry.” Skyler moves slowly off the bed, shuffling her way across the room to her thrown pillow. She grabs the pillow and holds it to her face with her arms wrapped tightly around it. Her body falls back onto the bed with a muffled thud, followed shuddering breath and a muffled scream. Why had Silvermist chosen that particular moment to speak, to hug, to express condolences in those last few moments before the dream would have ended? She didn’t know. She thought I would know what she meant. Right?

Skyler wracked her brain, desperate for the moment, scraping the very back of her mind for the final moments she had with her mother in their little kitchen.

“I’m going out for a while, sweetie. I’ll be back… later tonight.” “Okay, mommy.” “Don’t open the door for anyone unless they know the secret password, okay?” “Mhm. I promise.”