Welcome to the Connection AU! This is run by odetoalostpairofkeys and echoeofalostpairofkeys.
Asks and questions are always welcome and art is always welcome (please tag us :D).
What's in here:
#Shattering3.0 - A bigger story told by my Narrator and following the Messengers (specifically Lethe, Trix, and Kyrie). Set right before Season of Revival.
#Forgotten Memories - a sort of prequel? Set long before Shattering3.0, will talk a lot about Outsiders and explain why they are feared/hated now. Focuses on Pattern and Neptune mostly, set before Season of Flight
Flower Crowns
#Stories - Smaller stories, sometimes told through Narrator or Storyteller and sometimes not.
Under Lonely Stars
Lost and Found Treasures
Conversations deep in the Forest
Coyote's Adventure
More soon!
#Sky Research Notebook - A collection of worldbuilding and random things, written by the Narrator and the Storyteller as they explore the Sky Realms.
#rambles - Thoughts about the universe, chatting about it and answering questions
I would suggest peeking at this for some worldbuilding that will hopefully make some parts (specifically the Outsiders and Beta Kids) make more sense
OCs:
#Lethe's Messengers - Any of the Messengers
Lethe
Coyote
Kyrie
Jam
Flix
Pix
Trix
Storm
Ember
Purple
Rome
Clef
#Mixo's Moths - Any of Mixo's moths
Mixolydian
Aeolian
Timbre
Marcato
Treble
Andante
Pianissimo
Melody
Harmony
Capo
Coda
Fortissimo
#Forgotten Memories - everything set during that mess
Pattern
Neptune
Sho
Pai
Mole
Tivvo
Bell
Ink
Others - all the other ones that are important
Rae
Axiom
Thorn
Dragonfly
Pattern
Kio
Sahmai
Narrators :D
Narrator
Storyteller
If you feed any of my art or stories into ai I will feed you to the krill.
Aurora! (combination of AURORA + Aurora from Child of Light)
Decided to do a crossover because I have free will and it's my AU
Aurora is the third deity in my AU, weaker compared to the other two (the Light and the Dark). She holds the power of the sun, stars and moon from before she came to the Realms. Now, she is a goddess of light and music. She has a group of sky kids that act as her eyes and hands in the Realms, called Aurora's Handmaidens. Each of them have Aurora's pendant, which she can use to call them up to her Court/Orbit. Aurora has minor control over Orbit, which basically translates to she can stop new moths from falling and hold sky kids in Orbit after they complete Eden.
She also has her friend Igniculus! (The blue ball of light, they both call him a firefly.) Only Aurora's Handmaidens and the Devs know about him, but he acts like a curious moth. His light can heal sky kids of most injuries and mend torn capes.
My Narrator knows practically nothing about Aurora and her Handmaidens and is extremely frustrated about that. She can't sneak into the Court (despite her best efforts) like she can the Office. As a result, she is mostly wrong about everything about Aurora. On that note, here's the Sky Research Notebook entry for Aurora's Handmaidens under the cut!
AURORA’S HANDMAIDENS [25A]
AURORA’s Handmaidens works closely with AURORA, as the name implies. I’ve been told by trusted sources that it was started by a small group of sky kids at the very start of Season of AURORA. Shortly after the Season of AURORA, AURORA herself took over the group and invited others. Supposedly, they just bring sky kids to witness AURORA’s concert, but anyone with the AURORA wings can do that, and there’s something… different about them. Not enough for me to be able to tell one of AURORA’s Handmaidens apart from a random sky kid, but enough to make me suspicious.
I have reason to believe AURORA meddles more than she lets on. Nothing… concrete, but I believe AURORA’s Handmaidens function as informants and possibly as her hands in some way. Nothing big, because that would catch the notice of the Devs, but small things around the realms. Again, nothing I’ve been able to confirm. My trusted source won’t talk to me right now (which isn’t my fault, by the way, completely unrelated events).
I do not have much other information on this group besides the fact that they all have access to AURORA wings. I’ve tried to join this group, but it has… proven difficult. The only confirmed member is a sky kid who I call Lune. Which is another thing pointing towards there being more to this group, shouldn’t they be open about who’s a member if they’re bringing sky kid to witness AURORA’s concert?
Aurora has also refused to talk to me. I think there’s more to her than what she says. (Further discussed in 7C-DEITIES. Also, note to self, figure out how she knows.)
Revisited: AURORA used to be a part of the LIGHT (more information in 7-DEITIES), but (the rest of this section is heavily scribbled out) Theory disproved.
Revisited: Possible connection to Outsiders? Not everything is related to Outsiders, I’m just… it doesn’t make sense. There’s gotta be some truth to those stories and the Devs are extremely secretive about Outsiders, I can’t even get Sahmai to tell me anything about them, and Kio won’t even give me five minutes to talk anymore before calling backup I’m rambling again.
Revisited: Possible connection to Twelve? Not everything is related to Twelve, likely nothing is. But AURORA might have information? Surely she’d know of the Devs, surely she’d have at least a little idea of what in the world happened. Theories can only go so far. Any information I have so far just leads to dead ends and broken trails, just like all the stories of sky kids no one can remember anymore. When the Devs want something hidden, they’re very good at hiding it. This is not the place to discuss that.
Note to self: figure out what my trusted source meant by "wishes" that one time. Sounded like a plant when they were talking about it to someone else, possibly another Handmaiden. ----- will be interested.
I decided to add a short little snippet from my Sky Research Notebook that I wrote for fun awhile ago, it doesn't have really anything to do with the picture but I think it's fun. Not really any lore implications or relevance to the rest of Connection AU beside clues to my Narrator's identity
Sky Research Notebook entry below the cut (my Narrator's thoughts on the Pirates of Treasure Reefas a group in my sky au)
PIRATES [25G]
I’m including this group because I adore them.
I don’t actually know anyone in this group, nor have I been invited to join them. I only know them because I was ‘robbed’ and then ‘taken hostage’ by them. In exchange for my freedom, I had to give up my butterfly shell.
They all have makeshift eye patches and some pirate hats they definitely stole from the theater. A couple of them have sticks they call swords. Their ‘ship’ is a small fort made of driftwood, and several of them have the surfboards from that one event not too long ago.
I encountered them while walking along the far shore of Treasure Reef, several of them were on a singular surf board. They jumped off and surrounded me, holding out candles. I lit them up, of course. From there, they demanded any darkstone I had. After finding out I only had one (that I had quickly scooped up from the ground), they decided to take me hostage instead. They poked me with sticks until I got onto the surfboard, and while several of them flew back to their ‘ship’, the others took a very winding path fraught with sea monsters and krill (some dead light kelp and a floating piece of driftwood). Eventually, after much peril, they made it to the ‘ship’ and took me to their leader.
The leader is called Captain Quicksilver, and all the other members are called Pirate [name], except for Era who was simply just called Era (they all shrugged when I asked why they weren’t Pirate Era). Captain Quicksilver decided I was going to be their first hostage and demanded I be tied up at the mast.
After listening to one of them try to teach the others a sea shanty they had apparently learned from Boatswain, I asked them who they were going to use me as a hostage for. That seemed to confuse them, so I told them that if they had to tell one of my friends that I was here and what they would have to give them to get them to release me.
After a very very secret meeting, they admitted they didn’t know any of my friends, so I told them to get a Messenger, so I could write a letter to a friend. This was their first time hearing about the Messengers, but they agreed, and after a bit where I taught a few how to fence they finally showed up with a Messenger.
The best part is that somehow Lethe managed to be the one delivering messages around Wasteland that day. So they walk in, probably having no idea what they were getting into, and they see me tied to the log that made up the ‘mast’ with a rope so loose a manta could slip free, getting poked by sticks.
Really, they should be used to me by now.
I wrote the letter after a long debate of who to send it to (Capo and Coda would join the Pirate’s side immediately and Izzi was a wildcard, but I decided against extending this adventure so I didn’t contact any of them), and gave it to Lethe (I almost wrote it to them, but they would probably just leave me there. For the same reason I couldn’t rope more of the Messengers into this). Then I had to convince Captain Quicksilver that they couldn’t hold Messengers hostage, but that was easy enough. Lethe left with my only hope of release, a letter to my dearest sibling, and then it was only an hour or two before Marcato came walking up.
As it turns out, he ignored what my letter said about bringing darkstone. Instead I had to trade my butterfly shell and Marcato’s carved wooden candle for my freedom.
Me and Marcato walked along the beach for a bit after that, catching up and chatting. I’m glad, because that meant I got to see the Pirates burying the treasures and marking it with a big X on the top.
Revisited: I went back to the Treasure Reef recently with ----- to get some samples of the light coral, and I had to go check on the Pirates. They didn’t try to take me hostage this time, but that was because they had Obsidian, one of the White Lotus, hostage. They’d been “abandoned by their friends” according to them.
I offered to help (after laughing at them for a couple of minutes, of course), but they declined. Someone was going to come back for them in a couple minutes with stuff to give the pirates, apparently.
Sure enough, Pai came back soon with a large chunk of darkstone that one of the White Lotus found in the first krill room, and he refused to give it to me for study. A large darkstone shouldn’t work any different than the small ones I have, but bigger is funner!
Known by Sho and Pai to anyone outside of the White Lotus
(This is NOT Forgotten Memories—This is after that whole story happens, Sho is still around :D)
Sho was first introduced here (as part of Forgotten Memories), but to recap and update since it's been a couple seasons for him now, he's a dramatic idiot, as seen with his commitment to the bit. He pretends to be an old man. He fell in Season of Prophecy and is not an Outsider or beta kid. Nowadays, he is the founder and leader of the White Lotus, a group that guides sky kids through the Realms. Sho loves to tell stories and legends, and he has a story for every area on the map. He can be rather drifty at times and can forget what he's talking about in the middle of a sentence, and when this happens it can take a bit for Sho to recover and get back to normal. Pai helps him when this happens, picking up the tale ends of stories or getting Sho to somewhere quieter.
Pai is Sho's friend and co-founder of the White Lotus. He fell in Season of Dreams, and Sho and Pai met in Season of Assembly. They founded the White Lotus in Season of the Little Prince, though it had a bit of a rough patch in Season of Flight. It didn't become well-known until Season of Shattering. Pai also pretended to be old to match Sho in the start, then it became the theme for the entire White Lotus and they're all too committed to stop now. Pai tends to be the one choosing routes and solving issues. He also is usually the one to invite people to join. He's pretty close friends with Lethe, they met sometime around Season of Abyss or Performance.
Sky Research Notebook entry below the cut (basically my Narrator's thoughts on the White Lotus as a group in the Connection AU) (fairly long just as a warning)
WHITE LOTUS [25H]
The White Lotus is a strange sort of group, but they’re good people. They travel across the realms, gathering wax and winged light, then go onto Eden to start over again. They’re a rather tight-knit group, but they help guide others. They are quite well known for this, possibly one of the best-known groups.
They will start at Isle of Dawn, and explore every area, stopping often and moving slowly. Sky kids tend to join them for Trials, then again in Wasteland. Since they move so slowly, sky kids tend to leave them behind for Prairie and the other realms.
They move slowly because of three reasons. First, they stop often to help spirits or sky kids, explore areas, and mess around. Second, they stop each night to share stories, songs, and jokes. Third, they all pretend to be old.
It’s really funny actually. They have beards and mustaches and bald heads, and groan about back in my day and aching joints.
As far as I can tell, sky kids can’t get old. They’re immortal beings, constantly being reborn again. And even on an immortal scale, sky kids aren’t that old! Still far younger than my best guesses of the average lifespan of the ancestors. It’s only been eighteen seasons, including the current Season of Moments, and as far as I can guess the first sky kids fell not more than a year before that. And I think even Capo and Coda might be older than some of the White Lotus, but they won’t tell me when they fell anymore because I tried to prove they weren’t old.
Either way, they’re quite well known and tend to be the best place to get the newest drama and gossip from around the realms. Since Lethe had apparently been invited to join this group once and knows all of them somehow, they’ve been spreading the word about the Messengers. I get all my gossip from them. On the other hand, however, I suspect they’re the biggest source of the Outsider Curse rumors, which… well, those stories are better than the others, at least. I don’t like them, I think they’re fake anyway, but I can’t stop them from telling stories. I mean, I’m supposed to collect stories. It’s… stupid. But it’s fine. I spoke about Outsiders more in 10-OUTS.
The White Lotus is led by two sky kids, named Pai and Sho, though it’s a bit complicated. If you ask any of the White Lotus, they will say it’s led by Sho and call him the Fool King, but Pai (often called the Jester’s Guard— another thing to note is these nicknames are only used by members of the White Lotus) is the one making all the decisions. Even Pai says he’s not in charge, Sho is, but he will admit he does most of the work. It’s quite funny. As a compromise, I’ll just say it’s led by both.
Despite being willing to guide anyone through the Realms, an invitation to join is hard to get. New members are far and few between, although they do have frequent guests that join them, such as a candle running guide named Dragonfly, a duo who hang out with them most of the time but don’t pretend to be old named Junebug and Honeycomb, and a couple of others that come and go. And Lethe, apparently. They must’ve received their invite before I met them, and they didn’t accept for some reason. And they still think they’re a loner!
(The White Lotus enthusiastically embrace the Messengers, and often send messages to each other. I mentioned Coyote delivering a message to someone right in front of the friend that sent it in the Messenger section, apparently that was two White Lotus members. Most of the Messengers have now experienced this. Another thing to note is Kyrie has somehow wormed her way into the group and apparently would've gotten an invitation to join if Lethe was not so protective. I don't think Kyrie would join even if they did offer, she enjoys being a Messenger. I'm still jealous.)
The notable members of the White Lotus are, of course, Pai and Sho, but also a sky kid named Obsidian, who I get all my gossip from. I often encourage moths and really anyone to join the White Lotus through Wasteland and Eden, and anywhere else they need.
Revisited: Sho was telling a story about a time he and some of his friends were messing around in the Citadel. Two of them were chasing another around, and had ended up launching themselves into the in-between. They had then managed to sneak back towards Sho, and had tried to yank him into the in-between too, but he ended up pulling them out instead. Then… Sho had trailed off at this point, looking very confused. Like he had forgotten the rest of the story.
Pai was quick to wrap it up and led Sho away before I could ask any questions, but I heard him later asking Pai where someone, a girl, was, but Pai didn’t know who Sho was talking about. Sho didn’t know either.
My best guess? They had gotten too close to something the devs wanted secret, and the devs made someone Sho knew disappear. There’s nothing there now, I went and searched. I might try to ask Sahmai about it, but… what would I even ask? Hey, I know someone who forgot someone, can you tell me about her? Hey, so I know I’m not supposed to know but was there anything that used to be in the Citadel? I need to be careful to stay on the non-threatening side. A mere annoyance, a sky kid with too much curiosity just exploiting loopholes.
I don’t have time to look into this more right now. But… I will in the future. Maybe. Something’s sneaky here.
Revisited: Possible connection with the Neptune that supposedly founded the Crabs? Sho apparently used to do plays and the such.
I’m probably looking into this too much. I know the devs can make sky kids vanish from memory, so there’s no reason the sky kid that Sho knew is the same one that supposedly founded a theatre group before most say it was actually founded. Chances are I’ll just find more ghost trails with no answers.
Besides, I need to focus on the sky kid in the void. I have a feeling I’m close to a breakthrough, I just need to poke Sahmai and peek around Office a bit more.
Axiom (they/them) fell in Season of Performance. They used to be your average sky kid, but they found their way into an area sky kids definitely weren't supposed to be, one of the Devs' small stashes of information. In it they learned about the Light and the Dark. They decided to attempt to make a deal with the Dark. In the process, they shattered their core. This would normally kill a sky kid, even the smallest crack is dangerous, but the Dark saved Axiom and made them into their servant. Their mental stability pretty much completely broke at this point as well.
They are addicted to power, and will try almost anything to have the upper hand in every situation. Since they have a dead core, they cannot be spotted by krill. They are still attacked by crabs (even normally passive ones). Their cape doesn't mend anymore (sky kids can mend their capes with light usually), and they can only glide. Shards still hurt them (shards are bad in more ways than just taking light), but it's only by directly touching them and it's far less than what it does to a sky kid, so they were able to dig a small piece of a shard out and connect it to a stick. They are able to control dark plants.
This fellow is responsible for 90% of everything bad that happens in Shattering3.0
Welcome to the Connection AU! This is a sideblog to kinda collect everything about it and a place for rambles :D. I (Odie) will be primarily posting in here now lol (and reblogging to main of course)
This world and characters were created by @odetoalostpairofkeys and @echoeofalostpairofkeys. Feel free to ask questions to either of us or any of the characters!
((It’s a worn notebook. There is nothing on the cover, but on the inside cover, it reads: ------ --- ------- Research Notebook. The first three words are scribbled out.))
Introduction [i]
All contents are written by ------ unless otherwise signified. Research was conducted and collected by both ------ and -----.
The realms are quite a bit different than anywhere I’ve been before. Trying to adjust here has been a bit of a struggle, but thankfully I’ve found sky kids willing to help me adjust. Not that they know my… situation. They just think I’m a moth. Which is true, I suppose.
I’ve decided to start recording my thoughts (and ------- of course) because there is so much stuff here. It’s insane, really. I’m sure --- wouldn’t mind having more information! And because I’m both a goddess and simply a genius, I’ve found a way to combine this writing with the way they write here. They use light, which is fascinating. By grinding up a memory crystal and mixing it with ink, I’ve made it possible for sky kids to read this. Maybe. I haven't tested it. It’s not like I’m going to show any of them though, so I suppose it doesn't matter. I just want you to know I'm a genius.
Sky kids look at me differently when I carry this around, so I’ve taken to only writing in it in the In-Between, the Hollow, or when I know I'm completely alone. The culture around here is fascinating. I’ll need to do more research on that and everything else.
Anyway, I’m going to try to somewhat organize this, because --- will be very annoyed if I give her another loose stack of papers with no rhyme or reason. So I’ll give her a loose stack of papers first, then this notebook after she experiences the seven stages of grief. You’re welcome, ---!
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1 - Language and Writing
10 - Outsiders
24 - In-Between (OOBS)
25 - Groups (Aurora's Handmaidens, Lethe's Messengers, Mixo's Moths, Cast/Crew/Crabs, White Lotus)
(This is part of my Sky Research Notebook, which contains all my headcanons and details on how the Sky Realms works in my story, as told through my Narrator)
The Realms have the most unique record-keeping that I’ve ever seen. It’s not writing— there doesn’t seem to be any really written text, not like the other places I’ve been. Instead, it seems to be based on light. Which makes sense, considering all evidence points to the ancestors at least acknowledging the LIGHT if not worshiping it.
In the Vault, instead of any books or any sort of writing like that, all information is stored in Memory Lanterns. They are made with a stone casing that protects the memory crystal hidden inside until activated. Upon activation, light shines out of the crystal to form images and flashes that can be translated to noise and speech. Sky kids instinctively seem to be able to translate these flashes that indicate text. I have not found any information on whether the ancestors could read it instinctively or had to learn it, or used some other darkstone device to translate. The spirits… well, just go read 36-SPIRITS. And, well, due to some… clumsiness not on my part, I would rather not remind the Vault Elder I exist currently. They’d make me sweep out the Vault or sort the Memory Lanterns.
I suspect the ancient murals were made with paint much like the ink I have created for this book, but due to age and natural wear, they no longer have the subtle light flashing to tell the stories behind them. Or perhaps I simply want that to be true because it sounds cool.
This way of communicating has greatly impacted the sky kids. They used to have no true way of speaking besides telepathy through Connection. Of course, there were also message boats, memory crystals, and message shrines, but those were not very convenient. As such, most communication even now relies on emotes.
RECORDED LANGUAGE [1A]
Recorded Language is the language in the Memory Lanterns, Message Boats, Memory Crystals, Shared Spaces, and in this book with my very special ink that I made myself (you should be very proud of me!). It is recorded using light. The way it’s… understood, if that’s the right word, is through varying light waves and flashes. It reminds me of that one code with the flashing lights, but it’s not on-off like that, it’s closer to… mimicking sound waves with light, I think. Maybe.
All sky kids can understand this, even new moths. Some of the older Memory Lanterns are harder to understand, but I believe that is from natural decay.
TELEPATHY [1B]
Telepathy is the most common form of communication besides simple body language and emotes. As more and more sky kids learn Spoken, that form of communication is taking the stage. However, many of the older veterans and wanderers, as well as new moths, do not know Spoken, and as such have to rely on telepathy or emotes (or, as Loom has proven, simply ignoring everyone).
Telepathy requires Connection. As talked about in 5A-CONN, it takes about 11 candles in most cases (exceptions apply—I do not know why or when or how) to form a high enough Connection to communicate telepathically with another sky kid. The range varies, though there seems to be a correlation between Connection and distance (Mixo seems to always be able to hear Leon before me, while I can hear Marcato far before either of the twins can.) Telepathy tends to take more effort while in Eden, likely due to the Eden Crystal (Ref. 4H-REALMS), while it seems to come easily in Home (Ref. 4A-REALMS—this is hard to test, seeing how small Home is). Sky kids seem to have no problem adjusting to telepathy. They can project the thoughts they want their Connections to hear with no training. There seems to be no means of searching a sky kid’s mind, or hearing beyond what they wish you to hear. Even moths are able to do this, which strikes me as strange because Spoken, the language spoken using light, which all sky kids can read instinctively, has to be taught, while telepathy comes naturally. But enough of that.
Spirits rely on telepathy (gifted by the Connection after ascending with them) to communicate with sky kids, while they seem to be able to communicate with each other just fine (I assume this has something to do with the Spirit Guides’ Connection to their spirits and the Elders, meaning that through some way they are all Connected? This is explored more in Ref. 35-GUIDES). I tried asking the Performance Guide about this, but they gave me a bumbling answer that meant they had no idea how it works. I pretended to accept it anyway because I’m supposed to perform for Leon tomorrow onstage and I am planning on ditching and Performance knows this so I had to get out as fast as I could.
Elders use telepathy with sky kids, but I have reason to believe they can communicate with each other some other way. That, or they have insane range (further explored in Ref. 2-ELDERS). They are the ones who began teaching sky kids Spoken.
Revision: The Elders rarely communicated with each other. They do seem to have some kind of long-range Connection, but either don’t or can’t use it to communicate. As of recently, they use Lethe’s messenger service. I have some very strong opinions about the Elders that I will refrain from saying right here because it is not relevant.
SPOKEN [1C]
Now, Spoken is an interesting development. I refuse to believe the Elders came up with it, but they’re the only ones to teach it (It was possibly the devs? But they don’t like the Elders much, and it seems strange that they would… it was more likely a beta mod or maybe even beta kids. I asked Kio, but his responses didn’t give me much information, besides the fact he thinks it’s fascinating. He probably didn’t come up with it at least. He’s too… scattered? To create a new language. Well, It’s not like it’s a new language, it’s just—I’m rambling, apologies). The Isle, Prairie, and Vault Elders teach any sky kid who wishes how to speak Spoken (Ref. 2J-ELDERS). I believe they began teaching it in between Performance and Shattering, although it wasn’t widely used until Remembrance. I myself learned it during the Season of Aurora, with most of the rest of Mixo’s moths. Spoken is quite useful, as you can communicate with any sky kid you have shared light with. There is no need to spend candles on Connection or leaving it to the ambiguity of emotes. Spirits can understand Spoken, but they cannot speak it.
Spoken is spoken (ha) by manipulating the light of honks. It’s understood just like reading the light from memory lanterns or memory crystals, although it’s not instinctive. I’m not sure why. One sky kid can teach another Spoken, but it’s much quicker learned from the Elders (I’m not sure why. There has to be something that makes it easier to learn from Elders than a sky kid. Maybe it’s some kind of ability granted through the Connection to the Elder? More research needed.)
An interesting thing to note is that memory crystals can record Spoken and telepathy. When played back, they are practically indistinguishable. It only records telepathy and Spoken from the sky kid who activated it.
MEMORY CRYSTALS, MESSAGE BOATS, MESSAGE SHRINES [1D] (now including MESSAGES)
These function much like the memory lanterns mentioned before. Each of these tend to decay faster than the memory lanterns, possibly due to the elements. Like I said before, memory lanterns are encased permanently in a stone outside. Memory crystals are not, so even when placed in a little stone cave or even inside the Valley house, they fade and dissolve into nothing. I think there must also be something about the way they are made, but I haven’t been able to find out more. Message Boats are obviously expected to decay. The paper is very thin, and emits a small but steady light that can share the message the author wishes.
Message Shrines are places around the realms that sky kids may leave messages for their Connections. It only takes a little bit of Connection and appears in the form of a Connection Candle. They don’t last as long as any of the others, and most sky kids seem to ignore them. I think they look cool. I should get Rome to get some photos of them.
Messages work very similar to message boats, except the author must connect a specific Connection to it to provide the messenger a way to deliver it to the right sky kid or spirit. As such, no one can send messages to someone they do not have Connection with. I wish I could say I helped come up with this, but Lethe did it all on their own. I only helped them with the Connection part.
(This is part of my Sky Research Notebook, which contains all my headcanons and details on how the Sky Realms works in my story, as told through my Narrator, who is sometimes wrong about things because I enjoy the unreliable narrator trope too much :D)
(This one is very much my own world building, very different from the original game, but has lots of relevance to my story and characters)
(Also very long, about 2.4k words)
There are several things that every sky kid is warned about. First are Krill (also known as Dark Dragons), and Wasteland in general, of course. Avoid the spotlight. If it spots you, hide, don’t try to fly away. It will catch you. Surprisingly, there are no warnings about Eden, probably because… well, you just don’t talk about Eden to a moth who hasn’t gone yet. I suppose it’s just the way the culture is. Then there are the ones about hackers. If someone forces a Connection, get away. If someone is walking with legs that seem broken, get back Home. I will talk more about hackers in 5-CONN.
And then there are the two that seem… a bit more strange.
Look out for sky kids with a blue cape with a black inside. Look out for those with masks that are decorated with a diamond pattern on one side and blank on the other. Look out for the Beta Kids. I will talk about them more in 15-DEVS.
And look out for those with a book. They are Outsiders, and extremely dangerous.
When Lian first warned me about Outsiders, I thought he was joking, to be honest. Of course, research showed that Outsiders aren’t just a fairytale, they existed and still exist. And most of them are perfectly fine individuals! I know quite a few Outsiders apparently.
First off, let me define some terms.
An Outsider is a sky kid whose mind (and possibly spirit/soul/name—more study needed) existed somewhere else as a being with free will before coming here and inhabiting a sky kid body, though they do not remember it. They apparently get glimpses and flashes of who they used to be — a thing that seems to unnerve them. They have books. ----- and I are exceptions to this, due to our unique situation. (I wrote more about why I think they’re here in 9D-CYCLE REV 22A- 22C-CYCLE REV2 see current cycle theory).
An Outsider’s Book is a book with paper and a commonly black, white, or gold cover, that the Outsider can summon and dismiss at will. It has a peculiar magic to it, unlike anything else here.
A Native is a sky kid whose mind (and spirit/soul/name) has never been anywhere else. I believe they are created by both the LIGHT and the DARK (Ref. 9D CYCLE-REV See current cycle theory or 2-SKYD). Again, ----- and I are exceptions to this, due to unique circumstances. As far as I can tell, there are far more Natives than Outsiders.
Devs are another exception (more research needed on AURORA — see 7C-DEITIES).
There seems to be a fear of Outsiders, even among Outsiders themselves. There is no good way to tell an Outsider from a normal sky kid without being able to see the magic, and even then Outsiders look remarkably similar to sky kids. This changes if they have their book out. As soon as one pulls out their book, their magical signature changes to something completely different. I’m not entirely sure why yet. The books don’t appear to do anything besides provide the Outsider a way to write stuff down. It also has a pencil, pen, crayon, marker, or some kind of writing utensil with it at all times. These cannot be used on anything except the book.
I haven’t been able to learn much more about these books because Outsiders tend to hide them away and only pull them out while they’re completely alone, if at all. I know quite a few Outsiders but none of them are aware that they know I know, and I would rather not cause them stress. There are some outsiders who have forgotten about their books completely.
An interesting note here is that Outsiders all know how to write in a language I haven’t seen anywhere in the realms. It seems to be consistent in all the books I have seen, which isn’t a lot but it’s still strange. Perhaps the biggest thing to point out here is that it’s actual physical writing. There are no records of the ancestors using physical writing, as they simply used light instead. And sky kids instinctively “read” light, so there is no reason for writing to exist now (I have talked about this more extensively in 1-LANG and 11F-CULTURE).
Some Outsiders, upon completing their first journey, don’t come back at all, choosing to instead stay up in Orbit. I have found plenty of Outsider moths, but rarely find Outsider veterans (note: this might be because they learn to hide their books). Many Outsiders I’ve met that have stayed are usually somewhere between scared to downright petrified of Eden (note: I do not know many Outsider veterans). Of course, this may mean nothing because plenty of Natives are also scared, and some (two— probably more?) Outsiders show no fear towards Eden.
I believe the fear of Outsiders has originated from stories that are probably not true. There’s obviously some truth in them, but many of them contradict each other. I’ve compiled summaries of two of them, representing most of the common themes in stories at large.
STORIES [11A]
THE LEGEND OF THE DARK DRAGON TAMER AND THE CORRUPTOR
This one was being told at the forest bonfire, by a sky kid named Vikzar. I do not believe any of it is true, since they are only three seasons old. My best guess is that the whole Outsider fear started somewhere around TLP. I did choose to include it because it is one of the most common stories about Outsiders, though characters and places are often changed around. It starts with the basis that Outsiders are evil, or at the very least, dangerous to be around. This is one of the most obvious reasons most Outsiders hide the fact that they’re Outsiders.
It starts with a quick introduction of Wikzar, the Dark Dragon Tamer, and then jumps immediately into the action. The Corruptor, who was an outsider, had kidnapped two moths, so Wikzar jumped into action and confronted them. The Corruptor fought back, summoning waves of darkness. Wikzar ends up using one of their krills to distract the Corruptor and grabs their book while they aren’t looking, which they then have a krill destroy. The Corruptor immediately faints, and then the Wasteland Elder shows up and takes them away. Two crabs hanging out nearby turn back into the two moths that the Corruptor had kidnapped and sing Wikzar’s praises.
Obviously, this is not a good source, but it’s a good example of how Outsiders are treated by some. It also ties Outsiders to their books, which seem to be an important consistency in many stories. If the book is destroyed, the outsider is defeated. Similar stories are repeated throughout the realms by sky kids. Considering the only good way to tell an outsider apart from a native is if they have a book out, it probably isn’t true. If you take the book away, they’re just a sky kid, so I don’t think just destroying the book would do anything besides maybe take away the hypothetical power? I’m not sure how they would even get power from their book anyway. All it does is provide a place to write stuff down.
THE OUTSIDER CURSE
This one was told by an Outsider, I believe, but I do not know for sure. It’s hard to tell sometimes, because Outsiders are almost no different than Natives (further reason this fear is unfounded). It was told by a member of the White Lotus, named Erasistratus, while they were resting for a bit in the Valley of Triumph. They told it to me and five others who were traveling with them for a bit. We were all veterans, except for one butterfly.
They started it by saying it was their old friend (when I talked to them afterwards they admitted they didn’t know any Outsiders. Were they talking about themself? Or just repeating what everyone else says?). Their “old friend” had been just like any other sky kid, or so they thought. However, as time passed, they seemed to drift away, talking to themself and lagging behind the group. Erasistratus tried to ask them what was wrong, of course, but they refused to respond. Then they saw them with an Outsider’s book. Erasistratus ran away because they knew that if an Outsider wrote in their book enough, they would go insane, but they continued trying to reach out to convince them to forget about their book. The friend refused. Eventually, they snapped, and summoned down shards on their entire group of friends. Erasistratus started taking a more heroic role here, though I assume that’s because they had an audience who wanted a story rather than learning about Outsiders. They drew the Outsider into the Eye of Eden, where both died and ascended to Orbit. The Outsider stayed there, barred from going back to the Realms.
I am not sure how much of this is true. Afterwards, I pressed for more details, but Erasistratus only answered a few before slipping away and avoiding me the rest of the trip. They claimed to not know any Outsiders, and the story was just for entertainment. I believe most of it is false, especially the part about shards. There were no shard falls until Season of Shattering, and this would’ve happened before then, sometime during Season of Flight it sounded like. It seems like most of the story was just repeating the general sentiments around Outsiders while adding a personal touch to make it seem more real. I included this because it brought up the fact that it’s the books that make Outsiders evil, rather than Outsiders being inherently evil.
These types of stories often involve either the Elders or Aurora stepping in to stop the Outsider or getting the Outsider to Orbit where they stay. Only a few mentioned Outsiders just disappearing, which would be a sign of the devs stepping in. This further points to the fact that these aren’t true, because there would be way more stories of just disappearing. I asked the Wasteland Elder what they knew about Outsiders, but they wouldn’t say much. Just to be careful around those acting strange. I think that that was more meant as a warning against hackers. But if the Elders aren’t stopping the attacks, and there aren’t more stories of the Outsider simply disappearing, it means the stories are wrong. If there truly were Outsiders going crazy, there would be more consistent stories and surely the devs would step in.
Most stories about Outsiders seem to fall somewhere between these two stories, either Outsiders just being evil or corrupted, or Outsiders falling victim to some curse. Either way, it always warns sky kids to be wary of those with books. The ones with the premise that Outsiders are simply evil are often more heroic tales of defeating them, usually with the speaker being the main character, or a couple of the more famous sky kids. Several feature the White Lotus, though interestingly enough it’s never the White Lotus telling those ones. They seem to enjoy the more cautionary curse stories.
On a slightly different note, I think Flix saw me with my notebook. I haven’t been able to talk to him or Pix and Trix at all, let alone be in the same area as them most of the time now. Doesn’t this prove that this is being taken too far? I’ve found no danger in knowing Outsiders, and no evidence of any curse.
How would they all react if they knew they were friends with multiple Outsiders?
EVIDENCE [11B]
I tried to talk to Sahmai about the Outsider curse, figuring that if anyone knew that I could reasonably get to without being captured and questioned, it would be Sahmai.
And, well.
There must be some truth in it, if he reacted like that. That idiot actually called the alarm on me! Well, it was Kio, technically, but Sahmai tried to stop my escape. Kio, I expected, because he always tries to do that after a couple minutes of chatting, but Sahmai usually just rolls his eyes and gets back to his research. They tried to get me caught!
The next time I visit I will bring my modified memory crystals and hide them in their favorite study area. That’ll show them.
OUTSIDERS
This is what Lian told me, when pressed. Mixo refused to talk about it. I… have reason to believe that Mixo had some moths that were killed. I… nevermind. This does confirm that it happened. I believe this is the most true form of events I can get right now. Most of the sky kids who witnessed it first hand have since ascended to Orbit or vanished.
There used to be a lot more Outsiders (I do believe there is a steady flow of Outsiders still coming— they just hide it better). They started showing up just like normal moths, but they had a book with them. They seemed perfectly fine, but some were prone to random visions that would make them violent. (No evidence of this now. Was this true back then or something that was made up and then generally accepted?). They would seem normal, and then suddenly try to attack anyone nearby.
Then one day, they found a way to use the books to gain more power. Several went on a rampage, and it didn’t end well for anyone involved. Until one day, they disappeared. (Dev’s influence? It would explain Sahmai’s reaction…)
Lian warned me to be wary of anyone with a book, and to not bring it up with Mixo again. I…
It’s an interesting situation.
I personally do not believe that Outsiders are any trouble. I do not know what happened back then, but I believe that the fear isn’t fair anymore. There haven’t been any other issues that I’ve heard of. It could be possible that devs take care of them as soon as they start, but I have no evidence of anything yet. Furthermore, I know several Outsiders who are not violent or have any magical powers at all, so there has to be something else that caused it back then. It’s not fair to just say all Outsiders are dangerous.
Lethe also warned me to watch out for those with books. They looked sad as they said this. Was it because they knew another Outsider who ended up hurting sky kids? Or because they were effectively warning me away from themself? I don’t think they know I know they’re an Outsider.
I think it’s best if I leave the situation there, for now. It’s… complicated.
"Hey Lethe! Fancy seeing you here, out delivering messages?"
"Yeah. Candle-running?"
"Mostly just wandering aimlessly."
"So you're hiding from someone?"
"Wha- No! Of course not!"
"…"
"…I might be supposed to be performing right now."
"Didn't you skip the last time too?"
"I haven't practiced! And Aeolian gave me a really hard piece. And it's a really pretty piece but it sounds horrible right now and I know it'll sound gorgeous if I actually practiced it but I haven't."
"And so you're wandering the Forest instead?"
"I know, I know."
"Why don't you just go perform it anyway? If it's really as bad as you make it sound, Aeolian will just have you play it again later, right? You can call it practice."
"No, I can't. Aeolian loves this piece. He'll be disappointed if I don't make it sound good, and I know I can make it sound good. I just… haven't practiced it. In my defense, I've been busy!"
"Busy wandering around the Forest?"
"I've been… doing research. Obviously."
"In the Forest?"
"What are you doing this deep into Forest, anyway? No spirits are around here, and no sky kids either, Mx. Don't-Get-Distracted. You missed the main path by almost an hour."
"…it was too loud in the Wind Paths."
"Fair enough. Hey, hey, don't feel guilty. Everyone deserves a break. You most of all. It's been… what, only a couple weeks, and you've already got a steady stream of messages going through?"
"Mostly from spirits, because the Guides are encouraging them to try it."
"And yet there's a few who consistently send messages to each other, and more sky kids noticing every day! Your little project is growing pretty fast! So it's fine to take a break every once in a while."
"Didn't you tell me to get busy?"
"That was when you were sleeping all the time. On my island, too. It's not good to be sleeping too much, and it's not good to be busy all the time either, crab-brain."
"Who says it's your island? Can you even own an island?"
"It's my island because I was the first one to declared it mine."
"Doesn't the Flight Guide own all the Wind Isles?"
"Stewardship over the Wind Isles. And I bought it from her, obviously."
"With what candles?"
"Are you calling me poor?"
"Considering you seem to spend your days either existing purely to be a nuisance to me or wandering around doing 'research', I think I can safely say you don't have the candles to purchase an island."
"Hey! Is that all I am to you? A nuisance?"
"No, of course not. You also make for good krillbait. And you're a great example of what not to do for the younger Messengers."
"Wowwwww, I see how it is. At least I know how to have fun."
"I personally don't find the idea of getting stuck in the ground fun, but you do you."
"That was one time! Twice at most!"
"There was the time-"
"Don't list them off. I prefer to live in ignorance."
"Sometimes I question if you can tell the difference between a candle cake and a krill's spotlight."
"You'd get fooled by a fake moth even if they had an elder's mask on."
"And you'd get fooled by one of the Theater's mannequins."
"That was only one time and it was because of Capo."
"...you actually got fooled-?"
"Nope! Never. Obviously."
"Ah, of course. Never."
"Never ever. Glad we agree."
"I better get back to the route."
"Fair enough. I'll probably stay out here for a bit longer. Gotta wait until Aeolian stops looking for me."
Trix, Pix, and Flix meeting Purple for the first time!
Read it on AO3 here! Or under the cut below (Pretty long, 4,138 words)
Lost and Found Treasures
Ah. You're back. Should I be suspicious? Once may be a coincidence, and twice is fate, but three times is on purpose and four times is a sign of a stalker. Now, don't get offended, I just think it's funny how I avoid this place for a few weeks and the day I come back, well.
You show up.
And right before I was going to… do some stuff.
I asked around, you know. None of the sky kids who know about this place knew you. And forgive me for being cautious, but this place isn’t really one you stumble upon by accident. And you only showed up when I was here. Trust me, I’d know if you showed up when I wasn't.
I suppose it doesn't matter. Not too much. We're still at the fate stage, and I hold way more secrets than you do.
You've come for another story? Hopefully you did, because there's nothing else here for you. Come, sit down. Have some bread- wait actually, don't, not that bread. That's the bread that Izzi made me to try to kidnap me — long story, and not the story for this time. And I want to use it to trick- to trick someone else. I don't think I have any other treats here, so I guess you can just sit down.
You remember Flix, Pix, and Trix? Well, here's another story about them, and my most favorite sky kid ever besides Fortissimo. This story was pretty recent, actually. Way more recent than the last one, which was… what, right before the Season of Performance? Around then. So yeah, a couple seasons ago. Maybe even older than you.
Did you think they were still butterflies? They're all full veterans now! Though, they haven't changed that much, to be honest. They're still inseparable, except when going into Eden of course. They've all joined Lethe's new project thing too. You know, the thing that all the spirits have talked about forever? If you go to Grandma, she won't shut up about it, and all of the spirit guides will tell anyone with enough Connection about it. Lethe offered me an invitation to join, but I decided I would rather just keep bothering them instead.
Maybe that'll be the story for next time. Right now, listen to this story.
There was a moth. And they were horribly lost. They had been here for a good amount of time, judging by the purple scribbles marking one part of the wall matching the smears all over their hands and arms. They clutched a small purple piece of chalk in one hand, and the other they kept on the wall, following the three lines that got them into this mess. They had tried everything they could think of to get out besides giving up and going Home. They couldn’t go Home yet, they weren’t that desperate. They needed to find their way back to the Guide to ask where they could find more treasures like the one in their hand. If they went Home, it would take forever to find this place again.
It wasn’t their fault they were lost. After all, the Wasteland is a very confusing place.
They had gone there looking for Winged Lights and the spirits they had missed on their first journey. Of course, they had tried to find someone to guide them, but no one offered any help even though they had sat at both benches until the white candles each burned out. Only three other sky kids had approached them. A moth on their first journey who wandered off after only exchanging a few words, too drawn towards Eden’s Call, then a sky kid who, after lighting them up, bowed and backed away without even sitting down. The third chatted with them for a bit but refused to help them, instead suggesting they wait for someone called White Lotus to help.
So, of course, they had decided to come down on their own, determined to get the winged light.
Too much sand, a cast of crabs, two dark dragons, another cast of crabs resulting in the loss of two winged light, more sand, finally a small lantern to restore their light, and then a boat ride and another krill later, they had ended up at a broken boat. A Spirit Guide greeted them and said something about colors and red, but the moth was distracted by a winged light they spent forever trying to get to, and then a spirit leading them into the caves, and then running away from more crabs. Luckily most of the crabs were flipped, and there was enough wax around to keep their light full.
So really, they had been lost long before they found the three lines. They had no reason to blame the three lines for getting them lost. Of course, they still did.
Don’t laugh at them! They’re trying their best. Weren’t the Realms so big and confusing when you were a moth, too? It’s only with familiarity that it becomes so small. There’s only a few places that feel endlessly big now.
Isn’t that a bit sad? I remember getting lost in the Wind Isles, or wandering through the Forest aimlessly, or feeling like the race down the mountain in Valley could last forever. There’s a strange sort of peace in getting lost, and a strange sort of thrill from not knowing where the next step will bring you. Don’t you ever wish you could experience it all new again, like a moth?
Ah, you’ve caught me monologuing instead of storytelling. My apologies.
It was in these caves that they found the first line. A yellow line, drawn near the floor as if from a crab. It wasn't like the lines that made up the murals, it was flat and dull, refusing to give off any light. It seemed out of place, which is what caught the moth’s attention.
They had followed it through the caves until another line joined it. A green one, just as flat and dull as the other. And yet… it seemed to call to them. Another line joined the two a few steps later, a bright red. It spun through the caves, leading to a small crack. The end was too far away to see.
The moth had decided then that they would follow the lines, too curious to turn back now. They had slid into the crack, their cape scraping against the stone. It was longer than they expected, and they almost turned around—
And then there was nothing underneath their foot.
They had tumbled forward, falling a short distance before hitting the ground with an oomph. I’m sure they were regretting following the lines in that moment, but the next had made everything else worth it. As they had pushed themself up, pulling out their candle to better light the dark cavern, their eyes caught on the wall next to them.
They had never paid much attention to the murals scattered around the realms. On their first journey, they couldn’t. Not with the way the mountain in the distance sang in their ears. Back then, they had often wondered how others could stand still or spend too long messing around or even going in the opposite direction from Eden’s Call. Now, after their first journey, they could understand. But even then the murals still were boring to them. They were just flat pictures from ages ago, why would they focus on those instead of the butterflies dancing around, or the playful mantas singing their songs, or the birds following the breeze? Why would they stop to look at the murals when there were entirely new areas to explore? Why would they pause when there were so many other things?
And yet… they had found themself staring at the mural in front of them. It wasn’t like the other murals they had only glanced at before, there was something about it that caught their attention. Perhaps it was the way it didn't glow but instead seemed alive with colors, greens and blue and reds and yellows. Perhaps it was the way it filled up all the space, instead of leaving gaps. Perhaps it was the way it seemed centered around three sky kids.
A yellow one with tassels on their cape. A green one with a witch's hat. A red one with a bow on their head. Yellow, green, red. Just like the lines. And right beneath the mural, were the three lines.
The moth had reached up, touching the mural. The three sky kids were flying above grassy fields, mantas diving through the air next to them. That was something the moth had seen others do so many times before. They had tried to join some once, but they didn't have enough light to be able to keep up with them.
They had decided to follow the lines again. They were this far in, so why not continue? Only a few steps away, another mural was revealed. It showed the same three sky kids, this time sitting under a bright yellow mushroom to avoid the rain. A small creature was with them now, an orange fox. How many times had the moth hurried under the mushrooms as the rain sapped their light away?
The lines led on. The next mural had the three sky kids and the orange fox sitting at a campfire with a huge moon above them. Probably laughing and chatting with each other. Was that how they had met? Had one sat at a bonfire and the others came to sit next to them?
The next mural showed the three sky kids stacked on top of each other, the yellow one leading through Wasteland. A krill was drawn above, and crabs all around. The moth glanced away. Sitting and waiting at the benches hadn't worked for them, and they had no guide. Maybe if these sky kids had been around they could have joined them? They felt... longing, though they didn't know the name of the emotion. They were, of course, only a moth.
They moved on. The lines were still going. The moth walked forward, looking for the next mural, when they found their treasure.
Or, rather, they kicked it, and it left a long streak of purple across the floor. That caught their attention immediately.
They picked it up, turning it over in their hands. It was unassuming, just a soft purple rock, but it left their hands purple. They looked down at the line it left on the floor, then up at the three lines on the wall. Then, hesitantly, they put the rock to the wall and dragged it across, letting a purple line join the other three. It fit right in.
They made some more lines, just to experiment. Then a circle, with a smaller circle inside, and then a bigger circle around it. They drew spiraling shapes, like the shells in Isle that they had tried to collect before Eden's Call drew them away. Short little lines, then a big box entirely filled in with purple. They used their cape to draw several lines reaching from the ceiling all the way to the ground. Dots of purple growing into overlapping circles like the scales on the fish they had watched in Daylight Prairie.
Finally, when their treasure had been shortened to only a fourth of what it had been, they stepped back. They didn't dare use it all up before they could find more. Hadn't the Guide outside said something about colors? Could they find more from them? They just had to find their way back to them, but they should be able to just follow the lines back out. Right now, though, the lines were still leading forward.
The moth came to the next mural, pausing to admire it. The three sky kids, yellow, green, and red, were sitting on purple sands, watching a meteor shower. The moth wished they knew where that was. It seemed beautiful. Or maybe they just wished they could have someone they could see it with. They almost turned away from the mural before an idea struck them.
They hesitantly put their treasure against the wall. It almost felt like they were doing something wrong, something against the rules, but no one else was here. And maybe it would make it come true. They drew a fourth figure, all in purple, watching the meteor shower too. It was... a wish, though they didn’t know that word.
They stepped away. They needed to go find more of their treasure, then they would come back. The moth turned around to go back the other way. They left the meteor shower and passed their mural, the Wasteland one, the bonfire, the one under a mushroom, and finally the first one, the sky kids flying high above the grass. And then they passed the meteor shower. And their mural. And the Wasteland, the bonfire, the mushroom, the green fields. And then the meteor shower.
This is when they realized they might be wandering in circles, which made no sense to them. The lines had led them in here, so how could they just be leading them in circles now? There had been a start, so how could they not find it? There had been a point with only one line, just the yellow one, and then the green and the red joined it later, but they couldn't find that spot anymore. Where had it gone?
They let out a chirp, listening for Eden's Call, but it just led them to a wall. They didn't dare go Home yet, how would they be able to find their way back? They didn't have any light in their cape, they had used it all to reach the higher spots to draw.
And here we are.
There was a moth. And they were horribly lost. Purple dust decorated their hands from drawing on the wall with their treasure. They had tried everything short of giving up and going Home. It wasn't their fault they were lost. Everyone gets lost once in a while. And the world is so big to a small moth, so many wonders to explore and things to learn and colors to see. So many sky kids to meet. So many stories to tell.
The moth continued walking, one hand tracing the three lines, hoping that they would bring them back to the start even though they hadn't yet, the other clutching their treasure. Walking in circles in the dark cave, the only light their own... and from a crack in the ceiling?
The moth froze, staring at the crack. They hadn't been able to see it before, but now it was lit by a warm glow. Too warm to be from the sky, not red or blue like a krill's spotlight. Not the same pale blue of a spirit either, so it had to be a sky kid. They could help them get out!
Out of the crack dropped one grey sky kid, then another, and another. All short, less than half the moth's height. The moth hurried up to them, holding out their candle, silently begging them to share light. They at least needed a little bit of light, so even if these sky kids wouldn't help them they might be able to fly out.
After a moment, one finally pulled out their candle. The grey hiding their features faded, revealing a red-caped sky kid with a large red bow on their head. Just like the murals. The next one to pull out their candle had a yellow cape with tassels bouncing around with every movement. They held a plush fox in their other hand. The third, once they pulled out their candle, had a dark green cape with a black hat on their head.
It was Yellow, Green, and Red from the murals. It had to be. They even had the orange fox! They bowed to the moth, and the moth scrambled to bow back. It was them!
Wait. They would see that they had doodled all over the wall. And they had even drawn over one of the murals! They must've been the ones to make the murals, but the moth had gone and ruined one. Oh, and now Green was pulling out a round lantern on a stick, and Red was walking over to where they had scribbled all over with purple. In the brighter light, it seemed less like a masterpiece and more like random lines. Nothing like the murals. The moth could only watch as Red called the other two over, pointing at it. They couldn't tell what they were thinking, though they could probably guess. Yellow came up to them, honking inquisitively and pointing at it.
The moth stared at them, trying to figure out what they were trying to say. Yellow paused, tilting their head, and then slowly pointed from the moth to the mural. The moth continued to stare, then it finally hit them. They wanted the treasure back. Which... well, it hadn't been theirs in the first place, and they would be able to find more, right? Now that they knew it existed, they could get more. The moth slowly opened their hand, and forced themself to offer the treasure to Yellow. It looked pitiful now, a small rock instead of the long one it had been before the moth had used it.
Yellow shook their head, pushing the treasure back towards the moth. They clapped their hands and gave them a burst of confetti, then turned back towards the other two, leaving the moth completely confused. At least they got to keep their treasure? But what had Yellow been asking about then? Or maybe they had been disappointed that they had used almost all of it. The moth watched nervously as the three sky kids walked along the three lines, leading to the meteor shower mural with the fourth sky kid scribbled on top. Would they be offended? Would they be mad?
They seemed... curious. Not mad. They weren't stomping like the Pouty Porter, weren't shaking their finger or waving their fists at them like they had seen some others do. Instead, they just seemed to glance between the mural and them. The moth gripped their treasure in their hand, though that didn't do much to hide the evidence. Yellow had already seen it, and even if they hadn't, the moth had purple dust all over their hands and arms.
Green took a step towards them. They pointed at them, then to the purple figure in the mural. Unsure and uncertain about what they were trying to say, the moth bowed to them. Green nodded slowly, looking back at the mural.
Before they could regret it, the moth pulled out a Connection Candle. It lit up the space even more, revealing it to be much smaller than they had thought. They knelt, offering it to Green.
Green stared at it, then glanced back at Yellow and Red. They didn't do anything, though Red turned away a little. Were they going to accept it? Would they let them join their journeys, make murals with them? Or had the moth screwed up when they stole the treasure and drew over their mural? There was a beat of silence, then another, and another, almost unbearable, and finally the moth prepared to stand up and dismiss the candle—
Green accepted it. Connection flowed between the two, warm and comforting. Before it could even fully settle between them, the moth turned to Yellow and offered another candle. They accepted it easily, and the moth turned to Red. Red hesitated a bit, glancing between Yellow and Green, but finally accepted.
Yellow pulled something out of their inventory suddenly, a glass bottle that light streamed out of in bubbles as they opened it. A spell, the moth had seen others use them before. A table formed out of light in the cave. Yellow hopped into one of the seats, gesturing for the moth to do the same.
Once they climbed into one, the Connection flowed loosely around them.
“Hello, moth.” Yellow said as Green and Red climbed into the other seats.
“Hello,” the moth responded, hesitating before adding on, “Yellow.”
Yellow laughed, then turned to poke Green, who swatted their hand away. Green turned to the moth. “Do you have a name, moth?”
The moth hesitated. They had thought their name was moth for a bit, since that was what everyone had called them, but someone had explained that that was more of a title, than a name. They were a moth because they were young. Those with brown capes were moths. “No, Green.”
Yellow laughed again. “Are those our names?”
Were they? They had to be. They matched the sky kids in the murals, and they each had a line to go with them, and each line was a color. Of course they were their names. “Yes, Yellow.”
“Alright. I suppose they are.” Green giggled softly. “Does that make your name Purple?”
The moth glanced down at their treasure. Purple. They had drawn their entire mural purple. And there was a short section of purple line joining the other three. They had drawn a purple figure joining the sky kids in the last mural. They had drawn over it, messing it up, but Green, Yellow, and Red weren't mad. They had accepted their candles. The moth rolled their treasure in their hands, thinking. They... would like that name. Purple.
“Yes. I think it does,” Green decided. “Hello, Purple.”
Purple. That was their name. And it matched the others!
“Purple, have you finished your first journey?” Red asked.
“Yes, Red.” Purple responded proudly.
There was silence, before Yellow nudged Green again. Green glanced at them, confused, and Yellow gestured towards Purple. Purple watched confused as the two gestured at each other. Green finally seemed to get the message, turning towards Purple. “Would you like to go on a candle run with us? We're going to go through Wasteland and then to the Starlight Desert, then to the top of the Vault.”
Purple nodded eagerly. Oh, this was perfect! This was what they came here for anyway, and now they were leaving with their treasure and three new friends! “Can we also get the Winged Light, Green?”
Green glanced at Yellow. “Yeah, that'd be easy enough,” Yellow said. “Ready to go, then?”
“Yes!”
And so Purple left that day with their purple treasure, a new name, and three new friends. It’s quite funny actually, I think both Flix and Pix consider Purple to be Trix’s moth, since she accepted their candle first, and I don’t think Trix knows this. It doesn’t matter that much, since they’re together all the time anyway, but Flix always pushes for Trix to take charge more often around Purple, which has done wonders for her self-confidence. Of course, Purple somewhat became the Messenger Moth once she brought them to the Wind Isles.
Trix bringing Purple to the Wind Isles is the best thing that has ever happened here. You see, when Lethe organized the Messengers, none of the others really knew each other. Kyrie and Coyote hated each other at first glance. Trix, Pix, and Flix kept to themselves, and Storm and Ember were the same way. Rome was intimidating everyone else, and Clef only had eyes for Rome, that lovestruck idiot. Jam was only there for Kyrie, and avoided Lethe as much as possible. And there was only so much I could do, trying to trick them all into conversation and pulling pranks to get them to get along better.
Purple brought everyone together. They soon brought chalk to the Wind Paths, making everywhere you looked colorful. Truly, nothing brings sky kids together more than a moth wandering around drawing on everything. They would drag sky kids around to look at their latest masterpiece, not caring about the different little groups because they just saw them all as friends. And it worked! For the most part. Lethe and Jam still tend to avoid each other, but they can actually hold a conversation and I think they apologized. Rome still won’t talk to most of the others, but that’s because of different reasons, and the others enjoy talking to her because it’s hard to be intimidating when a moth has insisted on drawing flowers all over your arms and face. And Coyote and Kyrie only say they hate each other now!
Anyway, that’s all I have for you. Now shoo. I need to do what I came here to do in the first place.
Come back another time, if you wish. Based on the patterns so far, you’ll somehow manage to show up while I’m here. I’ll tell you another story.
I finished it against all odds :D (if you saw this earlier no you didn't shush)
Sky Research Notebook entry below the cut (basically my Narrator's thoughts on the Messengers as a group in my sky au)
LETHE’S MESSENGERS [25C]
I’d like to be able to take the credit for pushing Lethe into starting this, but really it was all their idea. I just pushed them to do something besides sleep on my island, so they decided to start a business (although they are not earning any candles, nor plan to). I wish I knew their thought process in this because that is fascinating.
Lethe officially formed the Messengers a little after Season of Moments started, but they were inviting sky kids throughout Passage. I received my own invitation right before Passage started, but I know I was the first, and they waited a bit before beginning to invite others. Unfortunately, I had to turn them down in favor of both continuing my research and also to be able to continue to bother them without the threat of being fired.
Lethe has set up the main base in the Wind Isles. They have completely taken over one of the outer islands, and have stuff on almost every other island except the main one. And mine, of course. My island is barely big enough for me and Lethe, so they couldn’t have put any of their stuff on it. Flight Guide doesn’t seem to mind the new clutter everywhere, in fact they seem to encourage it. The other spirits don’t mind.
The purpose of the Messengers is to deliver messages between sky kids, spirits, and Elders. Spirits are the ones that tend to use it the most right now, though I believe that’s because news is spreading by word-of-mouth and many sky kids tend to just teleport to friends instead of sending messages to them. You can only send messages to friends, of course, so most just teleport. It seems that most of the sky kids are sending it to friends they haven’t talked to in a long time, or are sending it just as a novelty. Apparently one sent a message to their friend, and Coyote delivered it to the friend in front of them. It sounded very sweet, to be honest. I’ve used this to send random stuff to Lethe, like rocks and sand and insults. I tried to convince Kyrie to send Lethe one of the birds I caught once, but she did not agree.
In order to send a message, you first have to get a hold of a piece of light paper. This is the same paper the message boats are made of. You can buy it from the Sleepy Merchant, the Forgotten Arc, or in the Wind Paths. If you just ask Lethe, though, they will likely give it to you for free. They get a steady supply from Flight Guide. You can write (and I say write as in the method of recording described in 1A-LANG) whatever you want or wrap something in it (it has to be small enough to completely cover it). Once you’ve written or placed what you want in it, all that’s left is to embed it with a Connection to tell the Messengers who to bring it to. That line of Connection is what Messengers follow to deliver the messages.
From there, you need to find a Messenger to deliver it. Messengers can be identified by their bags and their pendants. All sky kids can see the bags, though the Messenger is still grey until you light their candle. You can either flag a Messenger down or drop by the Wind Isles to give to Lethe. After giving it to a Messenger, they will bring it to the Wind Isles for the next delivery (or just deliver it if it’s on the way). Messages to sky kids tend to take longer to deliver than messages to spirits, since spirits can reliably be found in the same spot, while sky kids tend to wander.
Lethe, Coyote, or Rome (and sometimes me if I’m in a helpful mood) sort out the messages based on realms. Lethe decides who gets sent where and with who. Messengers go in at least groups of two, except for Lethe who goes on their own. Most teams will do two to three realms, delivering all the messages in those realms, picking up any, and often candle running on the way (despite Lethe’s suggestions to keep focused).
For the Elders, each one has a special bell Connected to a bell in the Wind Paths. When one rings their bell, Lethe sends a Messenger directly to the Elder, who will bring the message directly where the Elder needs. There have only been a few instances of this occurring, mostly for testing purposes. The Elders have their own way of communicating with each other (Ref. 2-Elders), so using the Messengers is just a novelty for them. I will refrain from stating my opinions of the Elders here because it is not relevant, but I will say they have a way to communicate and simply don't.
On a bit of a more personal note rather than notes on the group itself, Lethe has gotten very protective of their Messengers (they hate it when anyone calls them their Messengers but it’s true!) since creating this group. They used to send Messengers out just as individuals, but after Jam got hit by a krill (which was her own fault) they started pairing them up, and making them each check in before and after a delivery. Also, when Pai joked about “stealing” Kyrie for the White Lotus, Lethe got very annoyed, which is really funny because they’re usually friends. I believe he said it just to annoy Lethe.
Creating and managing the Messengers has been good for them. They enjoy it, I can tell. It’s been good for the rest of the Messengers too!
Alright now that I’ve written that all down, here’s a summarized version.
Leader: Lethe (sponsored by Flight Guide)
Purpose: Deliver messages all around the realms.
Main Area: Wind Isles
Members (as of Season of Moments): Clef, Coyote, Ember, Flix, Jam, Kyrie, Pix, Purple, Rome, Storm
Honorary members (not allowed to deliver messages): Fortissimo (Blue), ------ (Lethe will let me sort letters and wander on deliveries with them but I'm not allowed to have a bag or a pendant unless I join officially)
Sho fell in season of Prophecy, only a couple days before Neptune. He finished his first journey, and then found Neptune and attempted to lead her around. A few weeks after Neptune completed her first journey, Pattern fell, and Sho and Neptune found her and attempted to lead her through the Realms with only a little more success. Sho enjoys guiding sky kids and telling stories, and loves being dramatic. He ends up taking Neptune's advice and goes all into the old act.
He seems a bit tamer than almost everyone else in his friend group because they're all a bunch of dramatic idiots. He's not an Outsider or a beta kid, but he knows a lot about beta kids because Pattern doesn't care about keeping secrets from him despite being supposed to.
Neptune gave him the nickname Fool King after he refused to take off the crown. Sho's friend got the nickname Jester's Guard (I will draw him too soon).
Forgotten Memories will be a (hopefully) short series about stuff that happened in the Connection AU before my Narrator showed up to poke around and tell stories, mostly focused on these two and a couple of others. (It's also know as "doing anything but writing my main story")
Pattern (green petal cape): she/her, fell in Season of Dreams. She's a bit of a wildcard all of the time, she loves causing a bit of chaos and making people laugh. She is fairly agile but a pretty clumsy flier. She is an Outsider (and this was all before Outsiders got the bad reputation, so she didn't hide it) and she had her book out a lot to write everything down. She is also a part of the Beta Kids, a secret (ish, a lot less secret back then than it is when the rest of my characters are around) and exclusive group run by a team who call themselves the Devs (who aren't sky kids btw, something closer to a deity). They help make sure the realms don't fall apart. I'll probably (hopefully) explain the devs and the beta kids better later.
Neptune (blue cape and ice cream hair): she/her or they/them, fell in Season of Prophecy. She is very dramatic and loves to be the center of attention. She loves theatre and performing, and came up with several scripts to wrangle her and Pattern's friends into acting out. She is also an Outsider, but mostly used Light Paper to record her scripts so their friends could read it. She used her book to keep track of ideas and drafts. She is also a part of the Beta Kids.
(Neptune does not know about the flower stuck in her hair Pattern put it there without her knowing :D)
And now meet the reason why it's called Forgotten Memories!
:D
Anyway character introductions under the cut
Starting on the top row, Tivvo! Tivvo enjoys playing and teaching music. They are a beta kid but spend most of their time in the Realms teaching their students.
Then we have Neptune, who y'all already know (she and Pattern were introduced here), but just to recap she enjoys theater and creating scripts and stories to drag the rest of the crew into acting out. She wants to create an official theater group with the help of the Rhythm Guide. She is a beta kid and an Outsider and often uses her book to draft ideas for scripts.
And then Pattern! Another y'all should know. She enjoys causing chaos, specifically with or towards Neptune. She is a beta kid and an Outsider. She looks up to Sho kind of like an older brother. Bell is her moth, in the sense that she met them first and brought them into the group.
Sho, or as known in this group, the Fool King! More on him here, but to recap he acts like an old man most of the time, fully leaning into that act. He refuses to take off his crown despite most of them teasing him about it, leading to the nickname "Fool King" which he loves. He enjoys guiding moths and others.
Bottom row on the left, we have Bell, the youngest! They were found by Pattern, but Junebug and Sho end up taking care of them and showing them most things. Everyone adores them and think they can do no wrong. Bell can get away with almost anything due to this reputation.
Junebug! A chibi who loves to sing and dance, often ends up taking the lead role in whatever script Neptune comes up with. Mole calls her Fish because of her cape.
Then it's Mole, another chibi. He likes exploring oobs and racing around the Citadel. They also enjoy hiding just oobs to jump scare sky kids walking by. Him and Pattern get up to lots of chaos! In the future after the events of Forgotten Memories, they become Jam's mentor.
And finally, Ink! Ink is one of the moths Sho guided through Eden one time, who followed him home. He acts like an annoying younger sibling, and all of the others treat him like an annoying younger sibling. He loves theater.
Sky Research Notebook entry under the cut (My Narrator's thoughts on this group)
MIXOLYDIAN’S MOTHS [25F]
This is obviously the best group there is.
Mixolydian and Aeolian were both taught by the same musician, and they continue that tradition of music. Mixolydian enjoys adopting moths, guiding them through the realms and up to Eden. After that, if they stick around, she’ll bring them back to the Valley House to meet the rest of the siblings. Aeolian teaches everyone how to play instruments and read music, and some music theory if they’re interested.
Aeolian pretends not to like moths, but he does have a heart. Otherwise he would’ve fed Capo and Coda to the krill long ago!
Mixolydian and Aeolian both work closely with Performance Guide and the Crabs, and we often have concerts at the Theater (which reminds me, I need to go practice. Or find a better hiding spot than last time). As I said before, Mixo’s Moths also join the pit for performances. Aeolian requires everyone to do it at least once.
Aeolian and Mixolydian go on candle runs somewhat frequently, sometimes inviting the others too and sometimes not. They also go to Eden, and then on a short winged light run after that. After going on a candle run or Eden run with just the two of them, Mixolydian gathers everyone who is at the Valley House and shows off trinkets and treasures she found, telling a story to go with each one and then giving it to someone. It’s become enough of a thing that those at the Valley House will go and alert the ones who aren’t there that Mixo’s coming back soon so no one misses it. The others will use these treasures for betting against each other on when Mixo will get a new moth, or what the next show at the Theater will be, or other stupid stuff like that. It's become a bit of a currency among us, which is fascinating to me
Oh, and how could I forget? Each one of Mixo’s Moths has a musical name. I think it’s very fitting.
Leader(s): Mixolydian, Aeolian
Main Area: Valley House
Members (as of Season of Moments): Timbre, Marcato, Treble, Pianissimo, Melody, Harmony, Capo, Coda, Clef, Fortissimo, Purple (Crescendo)
Lethe is an Outsider. They used to be obsessed with their missing memories, but after many seasons of no progress, they gave up on them. They're usually a bit of a drifter, but after starting the Messengers they settled and became a bit more of a mother hen.
Lethe braids their own hair (and Trix's while they traveled together)
They tend to be more in their head than in the world. This is why they tend to trail off while speaking and are easily startled. Lethe is often perceived as mysterious, but they are quite awkward. They also tend to stick with their first impressions of anything, they make an opinion and stick to it.
They adopted a moth named Coyote at the end of Season of Shattering.
I will talk more about the Outsider part and a bunch of other lore stuff soon! I promise!
