#I promise you won't regret even if you don't like wof the art and aesthetic is just gorgeous

[h4zardousch3micals]

Performance Of A Lifetime - Prologue

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Wow. I can't believe I actually finished writing something for once lol.

I really tried to make sure I wasn't copying Plushii-gutz's Fallen Stars (which you can read the first part of here, please do it's fantastic) but "bad things happen to the Celestials" is a really niche topic so I'll absolutely take this down if it's too similar ^^"

Content warning for brief mentions of injury? Also keep in mind that if I'm able to continue this it will get darker so keep an eye on this segment for content warnings and stuff

So, uh, yeah?

___

Celestial Island was quiet, at first.

Amongst the shattered bricks and swirling sands, twelve stone statues stood motionless. Anyone that could see it knew it was a tragedy, but few truly knew just what had happened here. One sculpture sat at the middle of the island, as though it were the centerpiece. It stood tall and magnificent, with its staff held high into their air. Its expression was strange: so calm and yet so petrified with the strangest hint of sadness. Not even a critter dared to move, as though the entire monster world had plunged itself into silence as a form of respect.

That was until, a little boat appeared on the horizon. Two pairs of curious eyes watched the island: crimson red and penny brown. They had been observing this strange place for a while now, only just gaining the courage to approach.

"...Oh my Galvana..." One uttered, their soft voice barely above a whisper, "Is it really? Do you think it—"

"Looks like it." The other replied.

They didn't want to believe it, they couldn't believe it, "...But how do you know for sure?"

"Let's take a look."

The water was an inky black as the smaller one grabbed the oars and started rowing again; the moon sparkled and shimmered in each hypnotising circle of ripples. When they reached the side of the island, they scrambled clumsily up the mess of floating boulders and ancient bricks. The more timid of the two nearly fell off, hitting their back on the sharp rocks and only narrowly being caught by the tail. They could feel something crack as they struck the cliffside, but it subsided after a moment and no tingling or numbness followed - they prayed that meant they hadn't damaged their spine.

"Come on." Though they didn't offer any sort of concern through their words, even though the darkness their worried expression was as clear as day.

"I'm fine." They reassured, dragging themselves up the rest of the way. When they saw what lay before them, their jaw dropped, "It- It's really?"

"By the stars..."

A dozen statues stood before them: as tall and as mighty as the legends claimed. Floating chunks of the Island displayed each element's symbol, as though they were the information plaques in some kind of museum. The ground felt unstable beneath their feet, as though the whole island could crumble away at any given moment and yet, paradoxically, so strong and sturdy that it could survive the end of an era a thousand times over.

"Wh-... What's wrong with them?" The one with the quiet voice whimpered, sympathetically glancing at two sculptures which resembled a tiny-but-mighty fae and a column of crystals. Something felt very, very wrong; as though they had stumbled upon the most forbidden secrets of the universe.

The other ran their hand across the fluffy mane of one statue. Instead of shifting and moulding to the movement like fur should, it remained as still as, well, a statue. The cold stone seemed to sap the warmth right out of them, "No life in 'em... Like statues..."

"What?!"

"Statues... Statues!" Their eyes widened at the realisation, as though everything made sense now, "Remember that Island off in The Storm? With the living statues?"

"Yeah..." Though they had never visited themselves, they knew well the stories of the artificial and alien Wublin Island. Ancient scrolls suggested that the monsters there were connected to this place through their creator: so it made logical sense. An awful thought crossed their mind, "Do you think—"

"Yes, something happened here." They didn't need to hear the end of that sentence; their colleague was extremely predictable.

They waved their paw frantically in front of one of the carving's faces, as though that would wake them up, "What are we gonna do? We have to tell someone, right? Let an archaeologist know or something?"

"And tell them their Gods fell out of the sky dead as a doornail?!" They bristled, a mix of anger and disbelief swelled into a furious screech, "That'd create chaos!"

"Well what are you suggesting we do?" They yelped, fearful of their teammate's outburst despite being physically much stronger than them.

Neither dared to utter a word for a few too many uncomfortable seconds, as though neither dared to wake the slumbering deities that surrounded them. Then, they got an idea. It hit them like a meteorite, the whole world suddenly morphing into a new reality as the pieces fell into place. It was ridiculous - dangerous, even - but it might just work. And if they were able to pull it off: they'd be the most powerful beings to ever walk this planet. Maybe even more powerful than...

"We do what we always do..."

"...we put on the performance of a lifetime!"