Chapter Text
999,999,998,000 B.C.
Somewhere in the vast emptiness that exists between dimensions
A shift in the air.
Well, not air, really. A shift in the boundless emptiness that exists between worlds. An uncomfortable and somewhat somber change in energy, something that wasn’t quite like anything that had been felt by the being that received it.
The Axolotl’s gills twitched, almost imperceptibly. Such a powerful and divine being would be used to things going wrong by now. Infinite souls across infinite universes making infinitely many decisions for all of time never fazed the Axolotl. They usually didn’t intervene unless called, or in the rare case a situation had spiraled out of any sort of control and threatened the very nature of every reality.
The Axolotl’s first instinct was to ignore it. But something felt… different. The Axolotl didn’t know why, not yet. Unable to explain this feeling, just knowing that if nothing was done, something bad would be on the horizon.
They turned away from dimension 56(4)?/, in which a society of sentient clumps of moss had been particularly fascinating to observe for the last 3,000 years or so, and drifted towards the strange feeling.
From far away, through the inky blackness, the Axolotl could just barely make out something. Something tiny and yellow, glowing softly, still and alone.
That’s strange. They could have sworn there was a dimension somewhere around here. One of those flat ones one could pass right through, or watch from above as the inhabitants carried on with their lives, unable to see or comprehend the third dimension, none the wiser to any creature who might watching from above.
The Axolotl drifted closer, wondering if they had somehow found a pocket of the multiverse they hadn’t explored yet. It looked so similar to a place they had been before, but something was… missing.
When the Axolotl arrived at the scene, it was far from anything they could have anticipated. A tiny yellow triangle, a Euclydian if they were not mistaken, hovering in space alone. They didn’t seem to notice the Axolotl approaching, appearingly preoccupied by a tiny object in their hands. Smaller than an atom and shifting between dazzling colors imperceptible to the eyes of most, it held the triangle’s full attention as it glowed and dimmed in rhythm, like a heartbeat.
The triangle didn’t make a sound as the Axolotl drifted closer. They were shaking, tears welling up in their single eye and spilling onto their hands. Shaking hands, presumably once yellow to match the rest of their body, were badly burned, blackened fingertips twitching uncontrollably with every teardrop that stained them.
The Axolotl may have been omniscient, but in periods of peace like the one they were in, they usually didn’t tap into it unless necessary, for their own peace of mind. But something about this being fascinated them, and they wanted to know more. Glimpsing into their void of limitless knowledge of every being in the multiverse, which usually sat untouched at the back of their mind, the Axolotl quickly came to know of Cipher’s story.
The Axolotl usually paid no mind to situations like these. Tragedies must happen, that is the universe’s way of keeping balance. But something about this boy’s story nagged at the Axolotl. There were infinite futures for Cipher, infinite ways in which his story could continue. And the Axolotl didn’t feel too good about most of them.
And there was something… else. A touch of sympathy, of pain for Cipher that the Axolotl felt. They knew better than to get involved. They had a whole universe to watch over, after all. If they were to comfort and take care of every lost and hurting child they came across, nothing would ever get done. But…
The Axolotl began to turn away. But something stopped them from leaving. They knew they were about to make a terrible decision, one that they would strongly regret later. But the thought had already crossed their mind and there was no going back now.
With a sigh, the Axolotl watched as the triangle fell into a deep trance, eye fluttering closed. The Axolotl motioned upward with their front leg, pulling an unconscious Cipher into a shimmering blue bubble that enclosed around him. A calm washed over the boy’s soul, and his features relaxed, his memories of the preceding events to be taken from him to spare his sorrow. Soon all would be forgotten, all of the pain erased, ease of mind repaired, and innocence regained. A lonely and drifting star would once again find its place in the universe.
The Axolotl turned and slowly drifted away, bubble in tow. For once in their existence, they weren’t sure if they had made the right choice. They didn’t know what would happen, and some part of that scared them just a little bit.
But that was something for tomorrow. For now, both beings needed their rest. They had a long road ahead of them.
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Nineteen sixty-something
Dimension 45’\
Glass Shard Beach, New Jersey.
A chill, gentle breeze traveled across the shore, making its way against the warm, dry sand as a reminder that summer was coming to an end, soon to be replaced by the first cool weeks of early September and the start of a new school year. It made the hair on the boy’s arms stand on end, a chill traveling down his back. He began to realize he had slightly misjudged the day’s weather, and longed for a light jacket. Debating whether to run back to his bedroom to retrieve it, the boy checked his wristwatch and decided it was in the interest of time to wait.
He checked his watch again, wondering what was taking his brother so long. Perhaps Stanley had become distracted by another rabid opossum and ran off after it in an attempt to make it his pet. His thoughts were interrupted by a familiar voice off to his right. “Hey Sixer! I found something! Come see!” Stanford turned with excitement to see his twin brother further down the beach, standing at the entrance of a cave. He smiled. No matter how many times they had failed in their search for buried treasure, Stanford would never tire of exploring caves on the beach with his brother. “Coming!”
He started his jog down the beach, grinning. The twins were on a curfew, needing to be home in an hour for dinner so they could get ready for the first day of school in the morning. Seventh grade sounded very exciting to them, and very grown-up and serious. The twins would definitely be busy, and their trips to the beach would likely slow to a halt until the next summer.
But for now, there was just enough time for one more adventure.