“Ah, you’re finally awake.”
I wish I wasn’t, but so few things in life seem to be choices I get to make. For example: things like how my wrists were bound together behind my back. It’s not the first time, but would it kill these ne’er-do-wells to buy some nicer rope? I settle on a groan of discomfort as the best reply to give to this rude return to consciousness.
“You’ve fallen right into my trap, little Star Savior!” The voice is familiar, but now a headache is pounding for attention instead. “Who would have thought you’d be so easy to capture when not all shiny’ed up. Goodness, I should have tried that far sooner.”
Oh. Realization finally dawns. “...Miss’aster.”
“No no, it’s-”
“Miss’aster, you’ve tried to masquerade as another of my other rivals three separate times now. It won’t work.” Of course it’s her. Of course I’m having to deal with her theatrics.
“Hmmph,” is that a hurt tone in her voice? “No, it’s not that at all!”
“What?” I begrudgingly decide to open my eyes, ready for light to flood into the spaces the headache wasn’t already claiming in my skull. Miss’aster’s lair had been rather brightly lit the last time I’d stormed in to stop some scheme or another, but now the place had only a dim purple glow. It was almost comfortable to stay staring at the floor.
“It’s not Miss’aster anymore.”
“Got tired of this one too? Wreck’it Girl didn’t last long either.” Even with my head pounding like a drum, I had to at least hold my ground in the banter war.
“No, it’s… look.” Her voice is short, flustered. She’s never been this way when she had the upper hand before. Her next words come out in a rush. “Now it’s Her Majesty the Dark Star, Zenith of Twilight.”
A silence fills the air.
“Run that by me again.” I mutter out, hearing her feet shift about awkwardly somewhere in front of me.
A quiet sigh. “Her Majesty the Dark Star. Zenith of Twilight. Heir of the Void Betwixt, too actually. Please don’t make me say it again.”
There is no helping it now, I had to look up. I had to see this with my own eyes. Long black boots, a flowing gothic dress, a bodice that looked far too similar to my uniform’s own, and above it all was Miss’aster’s face. She avoids meeting my gaze, which to her credit is helped by the small veil over the top of her face.
The silence returns, heavier this time. Broken finally by me snorting out a small giggle.
“Yes yes yes, laugh it up. At least I don’t have to go parading around in a tiny skirt!”
“At least it’s not some edgelord cringe like y-”
“AS IF I ASKED FOR THIS!” I have barely a moment to flinch before Her hand is on my haw. A silken black glove, lifting my chin. It would have almost been exciting if it wasn’t for the anger now so clearly in her eyes. “There I am, planning my next robbery, walking back home from a nice little foodtruck, when a fucking meteor comes crashing down at my feet. Damn near pissed myself!”
She pushes me back away from her, and at least this is a return to the villain I knew. Monologuing and pacing back and forth to gloat was her normal. I might call it reassuring, if it wasn’t so damn embarrassing that this is my normal too. “-so then after that I find out I’m stuck with it. Can’t throw it away, can’t give it away, doesn’t seem like other people even see it when I’m not all goth’ed up like this.”
“Wait, what is ‘it’?”
“The sword!” She wheels angrily, a blade flickering into her hand. It’s so dark it eats the light around it, I can feel it pulling me towards its edge. “Doom’s Herald. Forged from the heart of a black hole? Fated to end the stars, destined to slay their chosen champion? A blade to end existence? The rock was very insistent that you knew about this already.”
As the champion of the stars, this felt like terrible news to me. News that I was hearing for the first time, too. Given the circumstances, I respond with the best challenge I can give. “Oh. Yeah okay. Huh.”
Miss’as-no, I guess it’s Dark Star now. Dark Star’s wrist flicks, neatly cutting down the silence as it tries to sneak back into the room. “Honestly, it’s all a huge bother.”
“Tell me about it.” It takes a moment to realize I’d spoken those words aloud. The shock on Dark Star’s face was almost worth blabbing that little secret.
“Wait, what?”
“‘Chosen champion of the stars’, remember? I didn’t pick it. A meteor fell through my house when I was a kid.”
She blinks at that and then deflates, the sword dips in her hand. “Oh.” Her gaze travels down her new outfit, then turns to me. I was still in the street clothes she’d captured me in, but clearly she was having the same thought about bodices now too. “You didn't even pick the skirt?”
“No?”
“But your butt looks so good in it!”
“What?” I felt my cheeks burning.
“NOTHING! Right, where were we? Right!” She straightened up, sword in her hand. “It’s time for you to die Star Savio-oh who am I kidding I’ve ruined the mood now.”
[Been meaning to try to get back into writing so here we go, never gonna do it if I don't just do it! Hope you enjoyed!]
what if kiss instead