"HELLO WAYWARD SOULS. I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR THE FOUR OF YOU FOR QUITE SOME TIME," Trumpets sounded the tunes of great company. Four banners adorned with glittering tassels and iconic symbols draped themselves over nonexistent walls. A carpet fit for an emperor rolled out a seemingly infinite yet short distance. Scones and confetti lit and sparkled like stars all over the boundless room.
Four human shaped outlines coalesced from scattered motes of light at the starting point of this rolled out carpet. Strictly speaking, it was more like sparkling confetti landed on their invisible bodies and the reflecting light drew out their features. From their perspective, an indescribably large and paradoxically small, amorphous yet structured, being shaped like a massive face made of squelching brain matter smiled like a child unwrapping a present they've always wanted. This "thing", "person (?)", shape? shifted uncontrollably, or not at all (?), but the one thing they were all sure of was, they couldn't tell what their greeter was. Of the four outlines present, the largest held its head and rubbed its eyes to adjust... yeah, to adjust. This large outline did not freak out after its pause, instead, she pursed her lips and shook her head. The largest of the four souls turned away from the odd entity and said what was on her mind.
"I can't even begin to understand what I just saw. What I am Seeing? Whatever, or who, or...wait, is that even a thing. It looked like a talking wall for a bit. Side note: Can any of you see that too and can you tell me how you feel about it? I don't know if I love or hate looking at it," the dimmest outline put a finger on his chin and shivered uncontrollably. In a desperate attempt to regain a speck of control, he tried to speak calmly.
"That my friend, is most likely the existence that God or all gods are based on, though I'm having a hard time coming to terms with it. I mean, I don't see anything but I can hear it. I can feel it, everywhere. And that's just what I am willing to accept."
"Bingo. *Finger guns* I am the great judge of all things, the face beyond the veil, that inscrutable Abyss at the end and beginning of all things, I am everything and everyone in between and outside the boundaries of your imagination. You may call me G, God, Big G or what ever you are comfortable with since I'm coming at ya'll live and in person to tell you that you four are quite the special crew," the indistinct swirling entity took a definitively human form without a second of hesitation while it spoke. Dark, almost midnight toned skin and heterochromatic eyes that resembled a sun and moon… in fact, that's exactly what shone within its eyes. Even in a legitimate human form, its exceptional existence created a new universe on the surface of its regular human skin as galaxies and entire universes sprouted from the tips of snow white arm hair like common dandruff. The hair atop its head glittered with a crown of stars, reminiscent of the milky way… actually, astrologers would be able to map out an entire cosmic skybox down to the last dying star just in the waves of its long locks. The very limits of humanity were put on full display in this entity's casual display of changing its body.
The most defined outline and shortest of the four due to a hunched back, took a step forward and said, "If that is the personality you developed to put us at ease, I would, and I believe that I am speaking on behalf of us all, stop or tone it down. It's more unsettling than anything considering we are all here for reasons we don't understand," this outline actually didn't look away and stared at the rooted yet floating human who was and was not in front of them. He spoke with the most elderly voice and moved his outline purposefully, almost as if he possessed boundless wisdom beyond his advanced years. Big G laughed and shifted in its seat with a grand gesture.
"Sorry. I sometimes forget that things are different every time I poke my head around this place. Us/You humans? Fickle creatures, am I right," Big G smiled all throughout and snapped its finger to make a table and some chairs beside its own luxurious dragon clawed armchair.
The fuzziest outline of the bunch seemed to understand something as he sat down first in complete silence. After a few stressful seconds, the fuzzy man worked up the courage to ask a question, "Human huh. I am assuming you used that tone of voice and appearance because the previous species or being that you met preferred that look and personality, right?"
"Not human, you're right. And in essence, yes. Drinks? Snacks? Anyone?"
Big G waved its hands and an assortment of goodies appeared on the table. Losing a physical form left a bare naked soul with a sense of loss, an emptiness that could hardly be filled. So, food that could be eaten to fill that fledgling emptiness was welcome by the souls that hadn't realized how starved they felt.
The fourth outline and the most unstable of the bunch stood behind the only empty chair and waited. When lured in by the delectably fragrant temptation of food, and the horrible coldness surrounding its body, the person could hold himself back. Unlike the others, the fourth and most unstable of the outlines glittered with multiple lights and at different vibrancies. Almost as if the person couldn't remember what they looked like in life, or what they died in, or even the quality of their life as their very outline shifted making it the most vaguely human of the bunch. The largest outline, not surprisingly, nearly blinded the others as her outline filled out to the point where it completely solidified into a muscular and distinctly feminine form. The faintest and blurriest outline, almost vanished from view for being dull to the point of near transparency. But despite this transparency, anyone could see even the thread count to the track suit and the smallest of scratches on the minor accessories he wore. The most stable outline was the only one among them that managed to illuminate its surroundings with an even glow that wasn't harsh or nearly invisible to the eye. The others could make out the features of an older gentleman with sharp grey hair and a long braided beard.
As the three souls ate their fill, their bodies solidified and filled out, making it so they were more solid and present than their fourth and unspoken ally. Well, that didn't last long as the fourth figure suddenly solidified into a dark skinned man with scars and bruises all over his upper body. A white jacket with buckles and straps began to materialize with his solid form but it quickly switched into a plain, nondescript white t.
"Did you choose us because of me," The fourth said flatly as he glared straight at the mischievously grinning entity called Big G. It was the only one that stared at the absolute being from the moment that they all arrived. Apparently, the entity assumed a clearly defined form in the eyes of this fourth outline and took that image as what to roll with for the group. The muscular lady and the old man were taken by surprise when the Caucasian man in a tracksuit with a thick head of braids sighed and placed his food to the side as he cursed under his breath.
"I had always hoped that I would not be sucked into a cliche such as this? I'm assuming we were not supposed to eat the food for some reason," the man glared at the fourth figure who seemed to know what was up. The old man, unconcerned with the matters going on around him, calmly continued to enjoy the meal as he examined the youngsters all around him.
"Bleh. Is this stuff poisoned or something," the lady did not seem to care about decorum and very openly spit a mouthful of minced meat back into her plate as she took in the suddenly tense atmosphere. Big G, who noticed the confusion, clapped their gender-less human hands and created three watering cans. They floated above the three people not in the know and sprinkled a bit of knowledge for them to absorb.
The original story that the three learned goes a little something like this…
A charismatic orphan is killed by a truck driver while heroically saving someone from certain death... Not really. He turned his back and lived a long and healthy lifestyle which only collapsed due to stress, overwork, and a heart transplant. Still, the man persisted and survived the ordeal. Wracked with fear, the man looked for ways to atone for his sins in life and no longer used any means necessary to keep his life secure. The man flourished but sadly died in a sudden accident involving a plane, a snowstorm, and a drink of water.
His intense distaste for death led him to being scouted by Death itself, to participate in an otherworldly contest against another God and their hero. Sadly, the scale of the competition quickly grew out of proportion as other supreme entities decided to participate.
"The main character is just another bad Isekai fool that has no actual character development despite his intelligence and experience. The longevity of the archetype proves its success but it's annoying to see in every other story. It's a shame that he's selectively braindead,", The nearly translucent outline that turned into a middle aged man in a tracksuit, shook his head with a frown. He muttered his observation as he objectively evaluated the rest of the characters as the story progressed. They all had flaws but this main character stuck out to him the most since up to a certain point, the characters backstory was easily a copy of his own life, with a few tweaks here and there.
The hero of Death does this and that and eventually battles with the other heroes. After a lot of trials, he manages to kill the very first truly immortal human in existence during a quest that brought the cast of characters to another world. Death's hero managed to one up Life's hero in the very same arc by getting the insanely optimistic guy under his command.
"Another battle head that gets by on willpower and friendship. I'm amazed that he managed to stay alive even with his regenerative powers. I mean honestly, how much of a helpful idiot must you be to not realize your actions hurt everyone. I kind of feel sorry for the main character though. He revived the idiot as an undead but still couldn't cure the idiocy. I guess his character is good for comic relief. Ha, I can't talk though, I am all about that surpass your limits shit. Seven Star Dragon was my favorite book series growing up. Hah, I never got to watch the live action adaptation with Gilly and Walsh. Oh, I hope they're okay. I was supposed to come back from deployment in a few weeks to make it to his graduation," The most robust and brightest outline shook her head and spoke with a hint of recognition but suddenly, she wiped a few tears as she remembered the husband and son that she left behind.
Death's hero, with help from Life's, then managed to beat up the next arc's villain, passed the Gods trials, and messed with another God's hero after going through problem after problem.
"Lazy and entitled. Reminds me of my younger siblings. They just didn't turn out like this because I forced them to do better. Hah. This third hero is just the worst kind of genius. He gets everything handed to him yet he still suffers defeat because of his inability to grow and shed his past. There's plot armor involved in his loss but there's also a problem with his beliefs. Believing the world revolves around him just because he gained a little power. It's somewhat forgivable because of his age and the actions of the other heroes on these quests but what a foolish waste of his talents and position. If only... ", The old man digested the information of what was directly placed in his head but couldn't find it in himself to hate the third hero. He was a young and impressionable child who was forced, tricked, or lured (Doesn't matter how you put it) onto a dark path.
The three continued to absorb the knowledge that drizzled onto their bodies and cried when the story was done. The three of them looked at Big G and nodded in understanding when they reached the ending portions. The fourth soul sighed at the reaction of the other three people and Big G as they collectively teared up.
"The nemesis of any shitty story, and the most controversial element that attracted readers despite the additions of even shittier characters. A hero, one with actual non- fanservicey development, a logical mysterious background, and a reason to win. A series of misunderstandings later and this hero becomes the villain of the story, only to turn the story into an emotional pitfall when everything is cleared up. It's a shame my book never sold well," The fourth outlined soul revealed.
"A masterful balance of purposefully bad storytelling and serious, thought out plot and character development," Big G spread its arms grandly and dramatically with streaming tears.
"It's really sad. I can't believe I never heard about your story man," the lady wrapped her arm around the dark skinned man while bawling.
"It's not a bad story, young man. It's very heartfelt. I can tell that you found your stride in the later half," The old man wiped a few tears off of his withered face and patted the dark skinned man on the shoulder.
"I have to agree with them. Your work is an awe inspiring balance of brainless action and plot and heart stopping emotional turmoil. I could sort of see what you were probably thinking while you wrote some parts, the story felt personal," The thin man with thick braids and hair accessories frowned and revealed a small glare as he examined the looks shared between the odd fourth party and Big G. His tears stopped sooner than anyone else having read the most heartstoppers throughout his years.
"Thank you. I mean, really, thank you. When I was alive everyone only complained about the characters and the lack of original personalities. It was sort of a core point of the story since that's what those Gods were looking for. Templates to mold and all that," The fourth scratched the back of its flickering head with his pulsating hand and meekly smiled in thanks. The group broke out into a flurry of supportive talk but ultimately, they found something a bit off when they suddenly noticed another face in their little huddle.
Big G smiled and said, "You are so right guys? How could I not see it, or not understand it? The fourth hero, a young woman on a mission. Spent her entire life trying to find a miracle in a faithless and magicless world. A true mortal who, in every sense of the word, managed to outwit monstrous beings within her own mind. Beasts that could only be felled through grit and moxie. Ultimately, she won an audience with the god of her world and gained entry to the greatest game in creation through sheer creativity and persistence. Ha...", Big G stopped and gestured to let the fourth explain.
"The fourth patron to the last hero. The freedom and creativity of living beings amused it to no end. Its enjoyment was to the point where it actively helped mortals rebel against the whole 'grand design' of Reality, Life, and Death. In a manner," The fourth stopped speaking and looked at Big G with a powerless smile.
"As Fate would have it, a chance to change the dynamics of existence itself, came in the form of a bet, a game, between two of the other four Gods. Obviously, The third God, knowing of the plot, decided to intervene so all of creation would not come undone, or worse, fall into a state of unbridled chaos. Thus, the balance forced the game to become a sort of three vs one type of situation. Yet, after some time, that subtle intervention going on behind the scenes of creation accumulated into the story you have all been given. A variation of it," Big G finished, sat itself down comfortably once more, and waited for the inevitable questions.
"You said that you've been waiting for us, is this story why? Are we going to be involved in some game of our own," the man with braids did not approach the earlier small circle of support and instead observed the situation from the other side of the table as he spoke up.
"I see. That would be interesting," the old man stroked his beard and gave the braided man a thumbs up. Without a second's worth of pause the older gentleman then looked toward the dark skinned man with a worried expression. The lady tapped her foot on the floor in thought but eventually, a smile bloomed on her face as she headed toward the fourth swung an arm around his flickering form, "That would be so cool. We get to live out your story my man. Ah, but isn't there an old proverb that explains this situation?"
"It's a causality dilemma. Not a proverb, per se," the braided man sighed and turned toward Big G for an answer as the fourth bald soul bit down on his lip not knowing.
"Ahem, Little one. Trust me when I say this. The story is your own. I was just fortunate enough to know it before you did. I did not influence you into creating it in any way. I was just so impressed by the accuracy of your work that I decided to write my own story based on your work. As you will soon find out, my medium of art just happens to be much larger. As for understanding my vision, think of all of what you four will be going through as my fanfiction comeing to life," Big G reassured the shifting outline as it gestured towards all of creation for the others. Simultaneously, circular icons blinked above each of the outlines, each one being the canonical symbol of the Hero's from the story. The people, for the most part, realized they were all players in the divine game of the story they just finished absorbing.
"Wait, I know I said it would be interesting but I don't wanna die and turn into some stinky zombie," the lady yelled as her fingers and body turned into motes of golden and green spiritual light.
"We are already dead, unless you got here a different way," the man with braided hair frowned at his own mention of death.
"Are you dumb or stupid? If we are going to take the places of the characters in that guy's story then I'm Life's hero based on this banner above my head. I'm going to die first. And you get to live until the end. Of course you don't have a problem with being the main character," the lady roared out even as her lower body faded away.
"We won't end up like the characters in the story. Ultimately, it's going to be us deciding what we are going to do," the old man tried to tell her but some of his body vanished before his words of wisdom could reach anything similar to ears.
"Says you old man. We are all gonna die. Except for that guy with the braids. He is going to be the main guy. Actually, maybe that person too since he wrote the damn thing. Now that I think about it, you might survive this too since you are going to have that kid's absurdly op powers. I'm too similar to the character I have. The only difference really is that he is a dude bro, kind of guy and I'm a woman. Not to mention, I'm going to end up being a guy? It's a shitty situation," the lady slumped down and found that her body could still move like normal despite most of it being gone.
"You will all survive and surpass the characters in the story. Well. Maybe. That depends on how well you four work together and the relationships each of you forge along the way," Big G encouraged.
"So, our lives are really going to be governed by the setting of this book," the braided soul cut in since the lady turned about moping in her seat.
"Yes. I put a few twists here and tweaked a few things there but pretty much," Big g replied.
"Our personalities are going to be a problem. I don't know about everyone else but I'm not too similar to Death's Hero. Some things, maybe, but not what matters. I'm pretty sure they are not entirely like their characters. Then again, the big baby over there is pretty similar to Life's Hero," the faded outline said. He observed the others to reach his current assessment.
"Big baby? You are a big baby. I am just upset. I have to be a guy now. Like how am I going to explain this to my husband and son if I see them in this new life," the lady frowned but only half of her face was still available for anyone to see.
"Oh. Did I not tell any of you? Alright, don't give me those looks. You don't have to worry about anything. I will augment your memories and personalities to fit what those kids want. Your temporary personalities will activate as soon as you get within their little workspaces. Over time, no more than a few months, you will all become yourselves again. Any concerns," Big G asked. They all looked at each other and opened their mouths to talk but Big G then snapped its fingers. Three of the four souls simultaneously disappeared just as they had appeared, into motes of light. Some actually had questions though, and they were answered on their own time…
FOR EXAMPLE: For the fourth spirit, all of the others were sent away but it stayed behind for whatever reason. From a more complete viewpoint, each of the souls was in a similar position where they were the only one left behind while the others faded away. Each of them was in an individual instance of conversation with Big G.
"Ask away," Big G smiled at the chaotic little human that started it all.
"The Gods...", the bald headed dark skinned man started. Big G heard the rest in the little one's mind, "are they really the same as the people that I created in my story?"
"One hundred percent the same. How could I not engineer them the same when you thought of everything so perfectly," Big G smiled and crossed their fingers together like a Mafioso.
"Then, you should probably make a world will, an anti interference system, or something that can limit their actions otherwise, you know what will happen once they find out about your intervention," the dark skinned man finally grabbed a small snack that was shaped like a square but tasted like a tart grape. He savored each and every bite since he would only eat enough to get his footstep into the door of what he intended.
"This soul food will let me fuse with a version of me from a reality never born right," The fourth asked flatly.
"As expected. To think of and remember the setting and minor details. Very impressive considering the state you were in," Big G waved its hand, cleared the table and made four more seats in the process.
"Impressive. No. I'm just a normal person who read and wrote a lot so I could impress a certain someone," The man spoke dismissively as he broke down. His already unstable form adopted feminine proportions and features before reverting just as quickly as they appeared. Memories of a lifetime he never lived suffused his every experience like ink dropping into a basin of crystalline water. The final moments of the fourth hero's life became his own as her personality and thoughts sprouted akin to a weed in the wild. Severe hyperventilating and tears hit as reality and insanity actually set in.
"You failed your task successfully. You were lucky enough to impress me and that's all you really need, so I hope you don't slip up. I want to thoroughly enjoy this story, so stay calm and remain focused," Big G said.
"Thank you. I appreciate this, as much as you probably already know," the unstable spirit laughed like a maniac through the tears, clutching their heart in a manner that showed the overlap of two arms in a coexistent disharmony.
"I can see you again, finally...", it was unclear if the spirit gave into its newfound and dominant memories but it didn't have to be as the blurred outline vanished into motes of light. And now we are here. I guess you could say that at this current moment, I am seeing what will happen, living what is happening, and am in the middle of remembering what has happened. Oh right, the handsome/beautiful thing sitting right there on that armchair will be, is, and was me. Your narrator and most loyal friend, Big G. To prove it, I'll show you.
*Ahem*
Big G, proud of its work so far, decided to give itself a high five as it waited for the story it had altered, to start *Middle finger to the Viewer*. See, there was just a little text blurb that said "High fives the…" *Looks at what was written*...*Coughs*...
Anyway, what happens next is...