Star Beings: Dawn

The Castle Of The Gods

Everything is bright. For a moment, I can't make out my surroundings. But, then things clear. Wherever I am, it's not like any afterlife I've ever heard of. I pull myself to my feet and look around. I'm in a garden that appears to be at the very heart of a giant castle, my head leaning against an ancient looking tree with lush green grass beneath me. I'm barefoot and in a nightgown that feels strangely familiar.
"Is this the thing I wore to bed as a kid? How does it still..."
Oh. The castle isn't giant, and neither is the tree. I'm just ten again. Was it all a dream? No, of course not, I've never seen this place before in my life. I get up, further studying my surroundings.  The grass feels odd against my skin and, for some strange reason, I start running around like a child, joy swelling in my lungs.
But my childish fun is interrupted by the sound of something hitting the floor behind me. I turn and am met with a rather strange sight.
A humanoid made almost entirely of Star stuff wearing a long white dress and holding what looks like a newspaper. On the ground there's a coffee mug with the words "let's have a star-ing contest" on it.
"How can you have a staring contest if you don't even have eyes?"
The odd being just (presumably) stares at me.
"Hello?"
The ground beneath me shakes, and all of the sudden I'm surrounded by various beings, all of which appear to be quite obviously something other than human. The shortest being pushes to the front, his appearance distinctly human and all too familiar.
"Anaideia... oh dear. Oh dear, this isn't good at all."
"You."
Destruction flinches at the venom in my tone. I step towards the gods. Maybe it's my imagination, but it feels as though I grow taller.
"Your child killed me, destruction. And now I'm here for some reason, because apparently it really is true that there's no rest for the wicked, even in death."
The stary god clears its throat, I think.
"Well, I do have some news. We can't allow this to happen. The world needs more than just the ten Star Beings right now. We may have to-"
"No." I whisper. "I can't go back. Not now. I'm supposed to be free, that's how this is supposed to work."
"Anaideia, we know you are mad but-"
"Shut up, you frost faced fuck." I snap at a god that I think is winter.
"Do any of you have any shame? My entire life, I was always a pawn in someone else's game. Whether it was my father's or destruction's wicked plan, I was only meant to be a weapon. I know I did bad things, but do any of you know how it feels to be used and thrown away like an old tool?"
The gods stay silent, all looking very uncomfortable. Not a one of them says anything, and my anger only grows. I feel my nightgown brush my knees. I'm growing, both in stature and in age. Did they think making me appear as a child would make me weak?
"Do you all lack empathy? Humans aren't dolls, we're all living things with thoughts and feelings. We're not actors in your cosmic soap opera! DO NONE OF YOU UNDERSTAND PAIN?????"
"We do." Two voices reply. Creation and Destruction, the twins.
"We understand," the younger says, "We understand all too well. I've fallen in love with many humans, and each time they only get hurt, and it's usually because of me. Do you think I am not upset that my children turned out the way they did? Do you think I don't grieve for their mother as much as they do?"
"I'm at fault for the deaths of multiple generations of Star Beings. That hurts. Knowing so many of them died because I was too cowardly to break rules that other gods set."
"We're the oldest of the gods, Anai. We understand."
For a moment, I believe them. They are telling the truth, but they don't understand.
And I can't make them.
"I'm not going back. I won't be a weapon again. Send me to my afterlife."
There's silence as the gods think over my demands.
"What of your uncle? And your partners?" One of them asks.
"Don't use them to save your sorry ass." I snarl.
"Anai, you need to understand that if you don't go back it's over for everyone. Every human, every animal, everyone you love. The Shadow Lords won't stop until we're gone," A skeletal figure says, "Don't do this for us. Do it for those you care about. Do it for the next generation. We understand our mistakes, and we cannot fix them completely. But at the very least, we can begin to mend them and we need you to do that."
I stare at death for a long time, contemplating her words. I don't want to be a weapon. But I also don't want my family and friends to die. I'm being forced into this, I know. But I don't have a choice. I need to go back.
"Fine."
"Ah... just a warning; you won't come back fully... we'll how do I say this? You'll come back-" "wrong?" I ask, cutting off the talking human shaped forest. He's made of dirt, with waterfalls for hair, grass for eyebrows, and thickly knit vines for clothes.
"Yes, wrong. You won't be quite human anymore. You'll be more... animalistic, I suppose? It's the best I can do, but on the upside you'll be able to heal now. Actually, you'll do it practically automatically. It may look slightly horrifying but it's better than before." Life says with a somewhat menacing smile.
"Dear, you're scaring her," Death chides.
"Nonsense."
"So let me get this straight," I start, "I'm not gonna be human anymore when I come back, unwillingly may I add, and I'm being used again. In what universe is this fair?"
"Well you do have a point..." a statue says. One look and I know it's lady Justice. She looks like a statue made of marble with the typical blindfold and robes.
"Anaideia, our patience wears thin." A god grumbles. They look somewhat normal... until I realize their bottom half is a black snake tail. The god next to them smacks them upside the head. They look identical, save for the fact their tail is white instead of black.
"Quit it, Lies." Truth snaps.
"I'll go back, but I'd like a moment alone with creation and destruction."
The gods look at eachother, deciding whether or not to honor my request. Then, one by one, they vanish, leaving me alone with Creation and Destruction.
I walk towards them, now at my full height. I stare at both of them, unsure what to say.
I opt for slapping the shit out of Destruction.
"Fuck you! Fuck you and your asshole kids!"
"When did you get so crass?"
"When I started hanging around your Star Beings, Creation."
The elder of the two falls silent whilst the younger aggressively rubs his cheek.
"That hurt y'know."
"Good. Just so you know, this is both of your faults. This hands off approach you take... it doesn't work. That is unless you want to build resentment in which case go right ahead. Go right ahead and alienate all of your followers. Why should we care?"
Both gods go silent. I sigh, take one last good look at the castle, and then turn my glare back to the twins.
"Send me back. Let's just get this over with."

Gotta love not posting Jack shit for months then coming back with three chapters within two weeks