Us. Always.|karlnapity|trans quackity au

Chapter 34: breathe

Tw: hospital imagery (whole chapter)

🎶🎵This Chapter's Song: YKWIM? by Yot Club (have I used this before??)

- Quackity pov, the present -

Phil flies, the Aether a blur around him. Somehow, although I'm not moving my body, my body is moving with him.

He has that same otherworldly quality about him, his normally drab hair glittering like spun gold, his robes somehow greener than the grass around us, he almost glows with sheer vitality. Life.

"Phil." I state. "I know about you and Kristen." There's nothing accusing in my tone, just statement of fact.

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"It was the heart, wasn't it."

"Yeah."

"Thought so."

"Are you angry?"

"At you? No. Of course not. I'm angry at HIM."

"Why?"

"Why?! He almost- no, scratch that- he DID kill you. A murderer, someone who ends the life of another, does not deserve the life I gave them."

"Well I'm alive now, aren't I?"

"Not the point. You're a Two-Lifer, but anyone else would still be talking to Kriea right about now."

"What- Who-"

"Kriea is Kristen's divine name. It's what the Mizians knew us as."

"I knew that. I studied Ancient Mizu for quite a while. What I mean is, what's a Two-Lifer?"

"Technically, an anomaly. You're only the second one of all existence. You were destined to die twice."

"Everyone dies twice."

"You were destined to die twice physically."

"So I have two chances at existing?"

"Yeah."

"And I just used one up?"

"Yep."

"Woulda been really useful to know that BEFORE I died, y'know?"

"Well I'M sorry if there were no differences on the soul."

"What?"

"Last time there was a blemish on the soul. You ever heard of Faerin?"

"The 'immortal' adventurer?"

"Yeah."

"He was a Two-Lifer?"

"The only other."

"I thought he was a myth."

"No."

"Oh."

"Well, kiddo, this is your stop."

Phil and I somehow stop dead (alive?) in front of a portal.

Through it, I lay in a hospital bed. Karl doesn't move, although day becomes night and day again. Medical staff and friends come in and out, swarming like ants over my barely functioning body.

"Is this a timelapse or something?"

"Time moves differently in the Aether."

"Ah."

"Oh, and get back in there NOW. If you don't  get back to your body FAST, they'll pull your life support."

"What's so bad about that?"