-Altered ending to Chapter 18 (NOT CANON, JUST A THOUGHT I HAD A LONG WHILE AGO)-
An icy hot hand closed around Pel’s entire body from behind. He felt his wings melt at its touch an instant before it seared across his upper back; giant fingers clamped across his body like burning bands. He squeezed his eyes shut and screamed like a man on fire as the air was driven from his faux lungs, futilely trying to turn into a mote. He’d never imagined pain could feel like this. It hurt more than just his body; his mind was searing white hot too.
Seconds later the hand released him, tossing him violently into a wooden post which bent his back painfully. He landed on his side on a floor which felt like laying in one of Hugo’s frying pans. Still screaming with empty lungs, Pel pushed off the floor on burning hands, opening he eyes once more as a loud clang came from behind him. The floor was shiny metal, reflecting his own tortured appearance. His skin was red and starting to blister, and his hair appeared to have been burnt short in places.
Pel frantically looked for any escape, but three walls of green tinted glass and a fourth of shiny metal blocked every direction. He threw himself against the glass, his fists just barely making light contact when he recoiled in horror. The glass has iron in it! The heat from every surface was creeping deeper inside, it felt like his Essence was burning away from the center out. He looked back toward the center, at the post he struck initially. The wooden post. He took a step, frowning at the way his foot seemed to stick to the floor. He looked down, seeing a small fleshy footprint left behind on the metal. His vision was turning blurry as silver-blue tears leaked from his eyes.
Pel stretched his hands out desperately for the post, struggling to take the last two steps toward safety. He tripped as one of his feet detached from the rest of his leg. He fell to his knees as his clothing fell to little pieces of flowers around him. He hugged the post but had no strength remaining to pull himself up. Little blue motes of light drifted upward around him like ashes caught in an updraft. Pel couldn't even feel the heat anymore, he simply watched as bright cracks of blue spread across his white skin leaking more blue lights until even his vision faded.
Is this what they meant when they talked about Fairies dissipating? For a brief instant, Pel could feel the full, undampened loss of his previous life. For just a moment he was dunked into a cold, bottomless feeling of grief and remorse for having forgotten it. I don't--
____
“Our Mother has spoken! From today onward, our new family member’s name shall be…Errapel!" Tina shouted from the stage in the center of the amphitheater. Thunderous cheers rang out from the lights in front of him as Pel stood in stunned, confused silence.
Where am I? How did I get here? What just happened? It looked like the night of his Naming. He had been standing here just like this a week ago but it was happening again. I just died, right? Again? No way I could imagine all that stuff up. He looked down and wiggled his toes. Still there. He looked at his hands and arms. No cracks and floating blue motes.
“Alright everyone! Now that The Naming is complete, it’s time for…The Nicknaming! The Mother Tree has given them the name Errapel, but what nickname should we call them by?” Tina asked.
The ceremony was continuing just as it had before. Pel opened his Self Help interface just to check.
Self Help Interface Name: Errapel Class/Race: Lesser Celestial Fairy Level: 1 Free AP: 2 Health: 14 (0.15/hr) AP Used: 0 Stamina: 16 (0.17/min) Secrets Discovered: 0 Mana: 122 (2.6/min) Things Stolen: 0 Attributes Points Added Score Description Charisma 0 6 Influences persuasiveness, likeability, and chance to succeed with certain types of magic. Clarity 0 11 Influences perception, rational thought, Mana, Mana Regeneration, Magic Damage, and ability to resist certain magical mind-altering effects. Dexterity 0 9 Influences physical dexterity and overall agility. Increases flexibility, movement and attack speed, and also increases your physical efficiency and precision. Strength 0 1 Influences physical strength, lifting/carrying capacity, and Physical Damage. Vitality 0 1 Influences overall constitution and endurance, increases Health and Stamina and their respective Regeneration rates. Also increases Poison Resistance. Willpower 0 3 Influences ability to focus, and ignore distractions. Has other effects at high level. Passive Skills Fairy Racial Traits:
Pure Magic - You are a being born of pure Mana given physical form. The only sustenance you require is Mana. You may alter your physical appearance incrementally over time at will. You have an Unlimited Lifespan, but be careful, you can still die.
Ferrous Fear-ous - Ferrous materials burn you, and interfere with your ability to use magic, and magic-like abilities.
Magical Metabolism - Any food or drink consumed is quickly broken down completely, and a portion is directly converted into Mana.
Kleptocurious - You have a strong urge to know things, and to take things. Especially secret things!
Star Touched (Celestial) - While exposed to star light, increase all Regeneration rates by 20%, and all other Racial Skills are 10% stronger.
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Earth Reincarnator [Double Secret Hidden Passive]
Requirements met for Hidden Passive "Earth Reincarnator": Die on Enna, Soul from 'Earth', minimum Level: 5.
Double Secret Hidden: This passive cannot be spoken of, or written about. Others cannot perceive this passive through any means. You cannot communicate about 'future' events that occurred in previous lives.
Earth Reincarnators can die a number of times equal to once every 5 Levels. Once a reincarnation has been used, it cannot be used again for those same Levels. (If you die at Level 5, you have to wait for Level 10 to have another backup life)
Time spent between lives increases with each death. Levels gained in previous lives become harder to gain in the next. The difficulty of regaining Levels increases with each death.
Current Reincarnation Point: Naming Ceremony
New Reincarnation Point may be decided once per week.
Active Skills Name Cost Description & Effect Fairy Wings [Racial] 1.1 Stam/min
Summons a pair of Fairy Wings, granting Perfect Flight (omnidirectional control of flight path). Speed of flight is dependent upon your Level, and Dexterity Score.
Flight Speed: 6.9 Meters/sec (7.5 in star light)
Mote [Racial] - - Transforms you into a mote of light, granting Perfect Flight. You can fit through most openings, even really tiny ones! Flight speed is limited to 1/3 that of Fairy Wings. While in mote form, you cannot use or benefit from other Skills. The brightness of your mote form is variable from "tiny ember" to "lantern". Maximum brightness increases with Level.
Level 1 again. Earth Reincarnator...that seems busted. Does everyone from a different world get a special hidden passive? If I had died on Enna for the first time after years and years and 100 Levels...would I even have the will to do it all again? There has to be a bigger downside than just making it harder to regain Levels, right? The shouting from the Fairies around him came to a tie, just like before. Just like before, Tina was the tiebreaker which once again ended with his Nickname being Apple.
I don't even know where to start with this. I can die once for every 5 Levels, so by Level 100 I'd have 20 lives. How much longer would I stay in limbo by that point? Pel remembered the unadulterated feeling of raw loss, anger, grief, sadness, and fear he experienced in just a short moment. The thought of being trapped in that for minutes, hours, or longer would have had him sweating on stage if his body had the ability. He covered his face with his hands as he considered what to do with this information.
Tina announced the end to the ceremony, sending everyone away in a flurry to start their parties. She took Pel’s hands in hers and pulled them away from his face.
“I’m sure you have a lot of questions,” she spoke gently. Pel just laughed, on the verge of hysteria.
"I died on Earth, and now ag- *Chough* and now, I'm a Level 1 Fairy. I have lots of questions." Pel choked out. I really can't mention dying again.
"You mentioned being reborn earlier, yes? Is 'Earth' that someplace you were before?” Tina asked.
"Yes, I was a H- wait. Don't ask a bunch of questions, but I was a Human on Earth." Pel told her. He remembered the previous burst of questions from his first iteration of this part of his life. Watching Tina clamp down against the questions this time as she quivered not to burst was humorous.
"Thanks for the warning," Tina said after calming down, eyeing Pel suspiciously. "How did you know that was going to happen?"
"Do Fairies get born with racial knowledge? Or any memories of their past lives through The Mother Tree?" Pel asked, trying to come up with a way to redirect any questions he wouldn't be able to answer.
"Mmm, personal knowledge, no," Tina shook her head. "But sometimes more general stuff like the name Enna, or Gladeheart. Which, by the way, is the name of this world and the name of The Mother Tree respectively."
"Well, I think my memories from my life on Earth are mixed into some general knowledge of Fairies," Pel threw out hopefully.
"That makes sense," Tina clapped her hands and smiled. “The Naming is a powerful ritual for Fairies. Or anyone for that matter. Being named grants access to the Self Interface. It also binds you to the world, and for Fairies it also binds you to The Mother Tree.”
I remember all this from last time, better just nod, Pel thought as he nodded along to her words. I don't want to seem like I have too much 'general knowledge'.
Tina grabbed his hands in hers, looking into his eyes. “I’m sorry Apple, but I have something to say that you aren’t going to like.”
"I already know," Pel interrupted. "My memories are fading from my past life."
"Wait, how did you know that?" Tina asked, confused.
"Because I've already forgotten my old name. It makes sense that I'll lose even more," Pel explained. Although, it feels like I can remember more than before I died. Is that because I'm Level 1 again? Or because I died and felt everything anew? I'm definitely going to write things down this time.
“Correct," Tina nodded. "Incidents of rebirth like yours aren’t exceptionally rare, despite what you might think. It happens from time to time, usually among the Humans. I’ve heard of several in my lifetime, and I don’t normally travel very far from the forests.” Tina patted his hand. “I've heard that one common factor across all of the people reborn is that after their naming they begin to lose some of their memories of their past lives. I don't know how much you'll lose, I've heard anything from just names and faces, to the majority of an entire life of memories. Hopefully not that last one, nobody would be able to stay who they were if that happened."
"It's still scary to know it's about to happen. I'll probably write down as much as I can remember before it fades away," Pel said. And surprisingly more clear than you put it last time. Then again, I'm more calm right now and she isn't rushing to get things out.
"Hey, that's a great idea! Why didn't I think of that?" Tina rubbed her chin. "Well, what do you say? Let's go find a party!" She tugged his hand, leading him up the steps toward the edge of the amphitheater. "I know a great place for a drink!"
I'm definitely not drinking that birthday brandy this time! Pel thought as they looked down through the air at the happy lights and Fairies flying between parties.
"I'd like some clothes first, if that isn't a problem," Pel said.
"Sure, we can go to Clovers, she'll get you covered! Oh, and this is a great time to give you your first flight lesson!" Tina said with that same mischievous grin.
Time to ruin her fun! Pel jumped from the ledge before her hand could snake around and shove him from behind.
"Hey!" Tina shouted indignantly from above. Pel flipped around to look at her as he fell, her lip was pouting outward as she watched him fall away. He summoned his wings a moment later and hovered in the air as he waited for Tina to catch up.
"Hrmph, good work," Tina complimented begrudgingly. "Follow me to Clovers," she waved, heading off into the distance still visibly pouting.
I wonder what other things I can change, knowing everything that's yet to come? I'll definitely have to come to grips with pretty much burning in an iron furnace at some point, too. Pel's thoughts stayed carefully away from thinking about that for the time being. Maybe I can stop Ri from leading everyone into the tunnels? Maybe I can find a way to convince those Humans to let me go with them from the beginning? Or try sneaking away to the trading post? Pel followed Tina to Clover's as his mind continued to whirl with thoughts and speculation.