Before - Side Story

Prologue:

Darkness swallowed anything, and everything in it's path, crashing around, as blood pounded through the Phoenix. Her deep blue eyes searched for any movement, her wings folded tightly against her sides, as shivers wracked through her body. She stumbled through the darkness, tears rippling down her cheeks. "H-hello...?" She called out tentatively, her voice clearly shaking. Her pure white feathers stood out against the abyss of black that swirled around her like a stormcloud. Taking tentative steps forward, she stumbled and crashed into the ground. Every part of her being ached, as she opened her beak in a soundless scream.

A faint echo of what sounded like rain whispered and wreathed around the Phoenix's body, as the tears kept falling. Adrenaline rushed through her veins, as she raised her head and stepped forward more steadily this time, her ocean gaze still flicking around cautiously. Within a split second, light enveloped the darkness, as a loud crash of thunder reverberated around the abyss. As the light washed over her, one word stood out against the thunder. *Serendipity. Serendipity. Serendipity.*Memories flooded over the phoenix, as she stumbled, and crumpled to the ground, pain ebbing through her. An eerie warmth spread through her feathers, but still sending a chill up her spine, as a prickling sensation filled her, the feeling of being watched.

The warmth spread, leaving a trail of black over her smooth feathers, turning them as dark as a raven's. It trailed up her neck, and stopped at her left cheek, before engulfing the feathers around her face in black. Her white feathers stayed beneath her eyes, around her talons and on her tail-tips, as the warmth still radiated on her cheek. Suddenly, the warmth left her, and she was once again alone in darkness. "It... It's me..." She whispered, her midnight wings slightly open in the still air. Her voice slowly gained confidence "I *am*Serendipity" She stared up into the void surrounding her, as teardrops fell to the ground slowly, fading away into nothing as they touched the black.

"But that's all I know..." She wrapped her wings tightly around herself, covering her cobalt eyes with raven feathers. "All I remember..." Unfurling her wings, she rose to her feet, still shaking "Is it my job to find my past...?" She whispered to herself, as she closed her eyes. A blossom of white feathers curled on her cheek into a small star - no, not a star, a reminder - and she opened her eyes again.

"Who is Serendipity, really?"

Chapter 1:

She had grown accustomed to the darkness. Over time, anyone can adapt to anything, really. The midnight Phoenix glided through the Abyss, her wings staying smooth due to the lack of wind. Serendipity's eyes flicked from side to side, keeping watch for the next Phoenix to arrive. Spiralling down through the air, she caught sight of a wispy figure, moving around with a worried expression, as if lost. Serendipity glanced down at the bird sorrowfully, as she landed in front of them. The figure was tall and large, and seemed to be wearing Royal armour. A guard for Hera, perhaps. From his build, he most likely was a Fire Phoenix of middle-age, his eyes shining with determination.

Serendipity reached out with her wings, and brushed his shoulder with her wingtips. Memories flashed in front of her eyes - not her's, the other Phoenix's - and Serendipity tried her best to stop the uncontrollable shudders that wracked through her. The Phoenix backed away slowly, his eyes wide in fear, as his cloudy white shape moved further away from Serendipity "Wildfire, no" she said sternly in her quiet, whispery voice "I'm fine" The images before her faded away into nothingness, and Serendipity could see Wildfire's scared eyes staring at her, like many others' had before. *I'm not a monster, I'm not a monster, I'm not a monster.*She repeated in her mind, like a mantra, trying to keep her cool.

"I am Serendipity, Seer of Worlds. Your time has passed on Earth, and I am here to give you a second chance. This moment will determine if your spirit will travel to a place of light, or a place of darkness. The place I call home. If you descend to darkness, I will be watching over you, along with the *others.*If you rise to light, you will be able to live in peace with other spirits, and send your knowledge down to Phoenix-kind" Wildfire cautiously stepped forward, Serendipity's eyes reassuring him "Now let me finish the Reading" Wildfire's spirit nodded slowly, the smoke it was created from sending spirals into the still air.

He closed his eyes, as Serendipity held her wingtips to his broad shoulders, her breathing light and slow. A rift in the Abyss opened, pouring light into the black void. Beyond the passageway, rows of spirit-phoenixes were waiting for Wildfire to join their ranks. "Wildfire Burning out Shadows, this is the Passage of Light. This walkway will make your final decision, before you may join your friends in the Beyond. Good luck, and safe wishes" Serendipity spoke the words she had said to hundreds before Wildfire, and watched the light close around him. *He'll be there in no time, I can tell.*Glancing to her right, Serendipity looked worriedly at the pulsing line that led to the Passage of Dark. It twitched like a beating heart in shades of purple and black, and Serendipity quickly turned her back. *It's my job. Just my job. There's nothing personal about it. Come on, Serendipity. You've survived years of this. One Phoenix can't change your life.*

"But it was him..." She whispered to herself, as she turned to face the shadows of those in darkness "It was Wildfire...".

*It's my job. Just my job. My job is my life now. But I knew him. I knew Wildfire.*

*What was my life before this?*

Chapter 2:

Serendipity could feel the cold seeping into her bones slowly as she approached the entrance to the Place of Shadows. As the Seer, she had to keep the dark spirits in line, but that meant leaving the Beyond on it's own. The black Phoenix landed on the grounds of the Abyss, her talons seemingly touching nothing. Serendipity extended a wing out into the darkness, as the Passage began to open. Swirls of dark purple rushed in front of her vision, as a dark light flooded into her eyes. She closed her blue orbs, and inhaled deeply, before stepping into the Passage.

Around her, moving shapes writhed around, chanting out her name. Every time she came here, a new piece of her withered and died inside. Serendipity took in a shuddering breath, and continued her seemingly calm steps into the Place of Shadows
Of course, a Seer's main role just had to be checking on the dark spirits. Hey, Aether Zenith, you go about your business while a perfectly fine Phoenix wanders amongst dead antagonists. Serendipity shuddered as she felt a wisp past by her, and her pupils dilated to black orbs. Flicking her gaze around, she was spun around to come face-to-face with a familiar troublemaker; Burnwind. Burn was a tall, and stocky-built Fire Phoenix with copper feathers and golden ear-tufts. His amber eyes smirked down at her, his feathers fading to black dust at the edges.

"You don't need to always come check on us, Seer" He purred, eyes glinting, as Serendipity stepped back, trying to mask her fear of the Dark Spirit. "You know very well that it's my role" She replied back smoothly, and quickly side-stepped past him. Serendipity could feel his demonic aura behind her back and she continued to glide through the Place of Shadows. Seer, Seer, Seer, come out, come out, come out. The voices echoed around Serendipity, but she forced them back out. She could feel her urge to curls up into a ball and cry alone in the darkness, but she forced it out. Reaching the centre, she didn't need to open her eyes to see the spirits, she could feel their whispering sliding around her, seeping into her feathers, heart, soul. "Why didn't you send him here?" One of the spirits whispered, a Lake Phoenix by the means of her dark aqua feathers "You know he was meant to become one of us"

Serendipity felt smaller than she ever had before "What do you mean?" She said coldly, placing confidence into her wavering voice. "Wildfire Burning out Shadows, Hera's personal guard, died via execution for disobeying a guard's code for years behind Her Majesty's back" The spirit spoke, her voice flooding through Serendipity's mind "It's not true!" Serendipity spat, eyes dilating "I read his memories. I saw his past. He was a loyal soldier!" Her heart pounded as she forced back the dark matter that was crawling into her bloodstream "Wildfire was not executed, he died in battle!"
The spirit cocked her head as Burnwind stepped out from behind her "Maybe you don't want to read his memories, Seer of Worlds. We can see them. We can see any of his memories. Any of your memories" Serendipity froze, her wings folded tightly against her body.

"You... You know who I am?"

"But of course"

"You know... his memories?"

Burnwind nodded silently, his eyes glinting.
"Of course we do. It's your fault, Serendipity" He spat out her name like it was a foul taste he couldn't free himself from.

"Wildfire died for you"

Author's Note:

wELL lOoKiE hErE.

aNoThEr fOrGoTtEn sToRy.

AnD nOw aNoTHeR HiAtUs. ￼