The Grand Narrative: Aftermath

Reminisce

Slight warning of- violence? Not the greatest kind but I'm not good at describing too but it's still not something fun to read, so read with caution?
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Clark slowly opened his eyes, only to see it was dark, he slowly realized where he was and glanced over at Celesteal who was asleep on his chair. His favorite book lay on his lap, it was not the only book he read to him the day before, they spent all day reading various books. He quietly got up and snuck out of the room, going outside the house, the sun had yet to rise. He looks around his surroundings, upon looking at a specific area, a memory flashes over him.

Celesteal— no, Claud stood near little Clark, watching him admire the plants all around him, there were various flowers and ferns in the field.

"Careful not to get near that rose bush, you'll accidentally hurt yourself there"

"It's okay dad, I'm careful!"

He happily walks around, stopping to pick up a flower, however, in a moment- something or someone had tackled him to the ground. Claud watched in horror as the creature began clawing and scratching Clark as he could only scream and call out for his father.

"Stop! Don't hurt my son" Claud angrily threw himself onto the creature and tried to throw them off Clark, everything was a blur but eventually the creature ran off injured badly from Claud's attacks. He quickly ran over to Clark, at the verge of death and missing an arm.

"D-dad..." his voice sounded weak and faded, Claud held him closely, in an attempt to comfort his son.

"It's okay, I won't let you die this way, just hang on for me, Dad will make you feel better..."

He takes one more glance at his father, smiling faintly before everything faded to black.

Clark realized after the flashback he was crying, and wiped away his tears. He gazed in the distance for a while, thinking to himself, the sun began to rise.

"I better head back inside before dad wakes up"

"Too late"

"Ah- dad, what are you doing awake this early-"

"Same question goes to you, I sensed that you got out of the room but didn't mind it until you've been gone for quite a while"

"I kind of wanted some fresh air, but maybe I've gotten too much of that"

"What do you mean?"

Clark points at a direction.

"That's where it happened, didn't it? When I was almost killed"

"I.. You remember it more clearly now don't you"

"It's not that bad, ever since the first flashback to it, I've gotten the strength to handle it. I'm not the kid you've known back then, I'm stronger than that"

"Hm, impressive but I'm sure that wasn't the case when you awoke from that coma"

"That's true, but I've learned a lot from Anshine and Stratosfear within a year or so"

"Would you ever consider them as secondary parents?"

"Well, yes and no, yes as they've taken care of me when you were dead and no because you're my parent, not them"

"Alright" Celesteal's gaze seem distant, Clark takes notice and pulls his father into a hug. He gives his father a comforting look before slightly frowning.

"You're not the most perfect of a person, but I know you are a good father. Just with a very awful past, like, why did you do that to them? Anshine and Stratosfear especially! What's wrong with you?"

"... I had my reasons and I know it was bad, but there wasn't a moment I felt regret for it, that's for sure."

"And what exactly would that reason be, to use people for something so dumb!"

"I was young, I clearly didn't know what I was doing, misguided as one may say. Once I realized how bad this all was, I can't take it all back, I just had to go through with it"

"Huh, how exactly misguided?"

"I did not exist out of nowhere to learn things on my own, I lived in a place where clouds are sentient and powerful beings, they created me. Peer pressure isn't a good thing, I've never had a proper childhood and worse enough someone used me for my capabilities and my fathers just look at me in disappointment, rather than comfort me about the fact that I was used." He said in a bitter tone, Clark look at him in shock.

"What? They only just did that? That's bad! You didn't even know what you were doing until it was too late!"

"Mhm, though it overwhelmed me that I ran away to multiple dimensions. I ended up creating Yawgate in the process and he... He's a friend to me, my first ever friend, then we found Everi and I wasn't in the best state of mind, I've never been taught anything well enough, my mind was a wreck. I just, did what I did to make something fun out of it, but it was so wrong, it's all wrong- I-"

"Calm down, this will do you no good dad, you're making yourself stress over something from the past. Besides, you're making an effort to make it up to them, you're improving"

"I..."

"It's okay, it's going to be okay Dad, the past will not haunt you further- unless do you want to seek closure by visiting those... Clouds again"

"After running away? I don't think I can show my face around there again, but they're your grandfathers in a way"

"They're your- our family, maybe they regret what they've done now? You're going to be cooped up in the past if you don't at least try, they must miss you, if they truly cared for you"

"I'll think about it, but I don't want to go there anytime soon, I'm not prepared, I have so much stuff to do first"

"When you come there, can I go with you?"

"Of course, I don't want to go alone anyway"

"We should go soon, unless you want to stay here for a while?"

"Stay, I have things to say to you, since there's probably many questions in your mind, I will answer all of them"

"Even personal ones"

"No-"

"Why do you wear glasses, as your disguise form I mean"

"I think it's a nice addition to my look, I have style"

"I don't think that's stylish to m-"

"It's what I'm comfortable with, leave me be"

"Whatever you say, Dad"

"Let's just go inside and have some breakfast, I'm sure you're getting hungry from all this talking and we didn't eat dinner"

Clark nodded and followed Celesteal as they headed back inside the house.