A Cracked Star

[Stella]

 

“Mhmm, my head is killing me.” I say scratching behind my ears. “Mom, what happened to me? I feel like I’ve been asleep for days now.” Waking up I find my head feeling like I have a hangover from drinking too much with my family. 

 

“I-I’m sorry. . . *hic* . . .I don’t . . .*hic* . . .know why this happened.” A woman says, “This isn’t my fault.” Hearing a voice that sounds similar to my own but also slightly different, I look over to find a wolfkin on her knees crying as she apologizes to someone. 

 

She has white hair turning purple and black as it reaches down to her waist, same coloration on her ears and tail. Golden orange eyes that remind me of the sun. Her clothes are torn and bloodied, unlike any style I’ve ever seen or heard of. Did Spotibrisk come out with a new clothing line? Obviously it wouldn’t be bloodied like it is though. I don’t know why she is crying but I think the pressing matter is figuring out who she is. 

 

“Who are you?” I call out as I get out of the bed I was lying in. At this time, I take the chance to look around where I am, the sun and moon are hanging high up in the sky at the same time? And the sky, it’s not even blue, am I dreaming right now? 

 

As I’m looking around, I feel something hug me from behind. Turning to face it I find the woman earlier who was crying now hugging me and crying even harder than before. Not knowing what to do I just lightly rub her head as she cries.

 

“I. .*hic* . . I thought I killed you both.” She says as she presses her head closer to me. “It was so *hic* hard to not think about it *hic* when every time I learned or thought of something, I’d have a memory *hic* from either one of you appear.”

 

“Look, I don’t know what is going on but can you calm down? I think you’re misunderstanding something or mistook me for someone else.” I replied hoping it would calm her down at least so I can get out of this hug. I’d like to just get out of it but the woman is shaking as I hold her. 

 

What happened to her, is she having a panic attack or something? What did my mom always do when I couldn’t calm down growing up? 

 

Taking a moment to think before grabbing the woman and sitting her on my lap as I sit back down on the bed. As I attempt to make the woman relax, I notice my own hair color, exactly the same from the woman I’m holding. What’s going on, why do I feel so relaxed with her? 

 

Think, what is the last thing I remember? Building in the crafting district collapsed, I found out my mom was hiding the fact she knew about my soul injury all this time, and the last thing was when I . . passed out walking back with Sierra.

 

Wait then how am I here, actually where is here? This place looks barren of life and the only thing I have to go off of is the fact that the sky is dark purple and the sun and moon are both showing in the sky. If it wasn’t for the fact I feel so at peace here, I think I’d be panicking right now.

 

I take the chance to pull up my status page as the woman in my lap starts to calm down, just small whimpers can be heard from her. 

---

Stella Vamir (Campbell)

Titles: Children of the Stars

  Broken Soul Anew

  ???

 

Race: Astral Wolfkin

Racial Skills:

Fire Affinity: I

Ice Affinity: I

Earth Affinity: I

Space Affinity: I

 

Class: Scuti’s Horizon

Level: 3

Skills:

Archery: III

Tracking: II

Astral Shift: I

Soul Sight: II

Unique Skills:

Dryad’s Knowledge: I

---

 

What the, how did this happen? I don’t even know where to begin, wait, I do, and she’s laying in my damn lap. Fuck, now I’m just confused, I need this woman to be able to answer my questions. I could shake her or throw her out of my lap, that should get her attention.

 

Honestly,  what’s the deal with my name? I don’t know of anyone in the family with that last name and I doubt I was married off during the time I was unconscious. Not that my parents would do that to me to begin with.

 

My title is another thing that caught my eye quickly, it’s changed, I don’t understand how, the implications of this leaves me with so many questions. How did my soul heal? Am I truly healed, what side effects will I have? Is the woman in my lap the cause of my change? Who even is she?

 

I think quickly as I continue down the status page before seeing something that truly stops my thoughts.

 

My race has changed. My race changed?

 

I quickly stand up, forgetting about the woman that was in my lap as she falls to the ground. She looks up at me with a confused face. I grab her by the shoulders as I start to question her anger rising deep within me.

 

“What did you do to me?!” I yell at the woman. “Where am I, huh?!”

 

The woman I’m holding starts to tremble as she shakes her head. “I-I don’t know, really I didn’t do anything.” She claims as I shove her away from me. “Just let me explain, as best as I can. I’m just as lost as you.”

 

“How, it’s just you and me on this barren land. Do you not see the situation we’re in?” I exclaim while throwing my arms out to emphasize the place we’re in. “The sun and moon are in the sky at the same time. The sky itself looks like nighttime decided it had enough of being dark all the time.”

 

“Stella, please just listen to me.” She says

 

“Oh so you know who I am?” I point out, “Did you do research about me before deciding to go through whatever experiments you’ve done?”

 

“I did no such thing.” She says. “Until a few days ago, I had no clue who you and Dawn were.”

 

“Is that so, answer this then, what’s my favorite food then?” I ask before catching what she said last.

 

“Why would I know-” She says clutching her head, as she looks to be in great pain before continuing. “You favor drinks more than food. B-But if you had to choose, then you favor roast pork.” 

 

“See, I wasn't wrong then.” I say, struggling to keep my emotions in check. 

 

Why are my emotions so out of control? I never had this issue before now, like they’re stronger than before. I can only think of two things, my soul being fixed, and my race changing, evolving? 

 

“NO!” She shouts. “No, you have it wrong, I don’t know how, but I have not only your memories, but Dawn’s as well. I see them constantly without warning. I wish I could make them stop but I’ve had no success in that.” 

 

“By seeing memories, you mean, everything I’ve experienced?” I ask

 

“I don’t know.” She says looking towards the ground. “I truly don’t know, the memories usually aren't complete and come at random times when certain phrases or ideas are brought up.”

 

“So you haven’t seen my entire life?” I question her.

 

“No, but if you ask questions about your life then the chance of an event being shown to me is pretty high.” She says. I can feel a headache coming up as I digest what she said. 

 

This situation is just bizarre, waking up to find my entire being has changed and now I’m stuck somewhere with a woman who apparently has access to my memories. Not even mentioning the fact that my race has completely changed, great, I’m back tracking now.

 

“*Sigh*” I ran my hands over my face before looking back at the woman. “So, what’s your name?”

 

“Name?” She replies.

 

“Yeah, what do I call you? I can’t keep calling out to you like this.” I say

 

“I don’t have one.” She mumbles, too low for me to hear.

 

“What was that?” I ask.

 

“I don’t have a name.” She says, loud enough for me to hear this time. 

 

“What? No, you have to have one, your parents have to have given you a name right?” I asked her, not fully believing what she said. 

 

“I really don’t have a name; when I woke up I couldn’t remember my own life.” She says, staring at me. I can see anger and irritation growing on her face as she stands up. “I don’t have a clue if I even had a life before recently.”

She walks off stomping her feet before stopping at the other bed, I can see that there was another woman sleeping on it to my surprise. She has the same face structure and hair color as the woman standing beside the bed.

“For all I know, whatever happened to you and Dawn could have resulted in my existence being created!” She yells, her face scowling as she turns to face me. “Do you even know what it’s like to have no memories of your own life, but of two other people!? I can’t go a single damn day without having a headache from remembering an event either one of you went through!”

 

“No, I couldn’t imagine that.” I replied softly, walking towards the bed. 

 

“Of course you don’t.” She scoffs, “You clearly aren’t having any issues with your own mind or personality. I feel myself changing, every day, the more memories I acquire from you two, the more I lose sight of what was me. If I even had my own personality to begin with.”

 

I’m at a loss of words as she finishes, this is something I have no clue on how to help something like this. This does make me wonder, are they just another part of my soul? Clearly from the woman’s words, the other woman, Dawn, had her own life before this happened. 

 

As I stand in silence, I notice something happening to the woman that was asleep. On her right hand, her skin color starts to change to that of the night sky as it slowly moves up her arm. Growing transparent as it melds into her original skin color before it stops around halfway up her forearm.

 

I feel something reverberate through my body as I look towards the other woman before noticing that my right hand is also changing the same way, glowing as the color stops changing. As the glow starts to recede, a white armored gauntlet is left in its place. It covers only the top of my hand stopping right before the wrist.

 

“AAHHHH!” Looking over, I see the woman falling to the ground clutching her head as she screams.

 

Bending over I grab her shoulders to face her. “What’s the matter?” 

 

It takes a while for her to calm down, her screams eventually turn into small whimpers as I hold her.

 

“I-I-It’s one of Dawn’s memories.” She says, shivering as she clutches her now armored hand. “She’s . . . He, oh my god, I didn’t ask for this, I don’t want to see this.” She looks up towards Dawn, terror in her eyes. 

 

“What happened?” I ask.

 

“I’m fine.” She says slowly standing up, “Believe me, I’m fine, I’d just rather not talk about it.” 

 

Looking at her, she struggles to make it to an empty bed. Her tail movements remind me of a hurt animal. She’s clearly trying to avoid talking about it, whatever it was she saw. I’ve never seen anyone show fear as clearly as that. 

 

Giving up, I bring up a topic from earlier. “So what should I call you?” 

 

“Whatever sounds good I guess.” She replies.

 

“Oh come on don’t be like that, what interests you? You have memories from two different people. There has to be something that you like or find interesting right?” I say, motioning a wide area with my arms. Only to get a shrug from her in response. 

 

“Why do you have to make this difficult?” I sigh, “Would you like me to just throw out a bunch of names and see which one you like?” 

 

She doesn’t say anything, but from the movement of her tail, I’d take it she is fine with that idea. 

 

“Alright, that’s a start then.” I start to brainstorm a bunch of names as I pace around slowly. “Hmm, you don’t remind me of a Betty, maybe Teresa? No that doesn't fit, Luisa?” 

 

I start to say a bunch of names, trying to catch any different reactions that would point towards a name she’d like. I can’t think of anything that would interest her, I could always try saying names my mother thought of for my younger sister, yeah that should work. 

 

“Helen, Emma, what about Nancy?” I ask, “Really, nothing? Gods above, you’re making this more difficult than this needs to be. Okay uh . . hmm, what about Arya?” Her tail starts to quickly beat against the bed at the mention of the last name. I just stare in disbelief at her as she starts to nod her head.

 

“Oh come on, that’s like the bottom of the barrel for names.” I say.

 

“Then you should have given better ideas. Besides, I like the sound of Arya.” She says while showing a small pout.