Chapter Text
==> Be the Signless
Your name is Kankri Vantas and this is not the first life you have lived. In fact, it is not even the second time you have lived but the third. Your first life had been spent on the peaceful but flawed world of Beforus, in that life you had played a dangerous game and lost. In your second life you became the leader of a rebellion, a petty and ultimately useless attempt at paving a better future for the wrigglers that would play the game in your place. You failed at that as well.
However in this life you were given another chance to succeed. You would not fail this time, you would not fail Karkat. You were hatched in this new Alternia and you like to believe that you had been destined to watch over the Crimson Chrysalis that housed the sleeping god of blood. You were not alone in watching over the Chrysalis, the lusus Crabdad had been watching over it long before you had come across the hidden temple.
You had left your own mother’s cave, where she watches over the Jade Chrysalis with her mothergrub, to explore some of the surrounding desert. In the sands you found Crabdad and your memory of him as Karkat’s lusus led you to follow him. He seemed to recognize you as well since he did not attack you for following him, even when you both reached the hidden Temple of Blood where the Crimson Chrysalis laid in wait.
It took some time for you to gather all the information but your mother’s duty as caretaker of the Jade Chrysalis gave you somewhat of a head start. You soon became the caretaker for the God of Blood, you knew that soon the Knight would hatch from the chrysalis and a new age for trolls would be ushered in. Karkat would lead you all into a brighter future, you just knew it.
You had told your mother that all of the gods would be awakening soon. She had been startled to learn that there were more gods out there, more gods that would awaken. She had been sad to see you leave to take up your own duties for your god but she understood the call all too well. You told her where she could find you and she was surprised but delighted that you trusted her deeply enough to reveal the location of your dormant god. How silly! As if you could not trust your own mother! You had trusted her in every life and she had never once done anything to betray that trust, even when you were unbearable to her. She would always be welcome anywhere that you were.
The duties of a caretaker were rather simple, keep the chrysalis warm, keep away any plants or creatures that threatened to encroach upon it, and keep it safe from anyone that would harm it. These were all things that you were rather skilled at doing. You thought that maybe just this once you could do something right. You would not know for sure until Karkat woke up though, not until the chrysalis opened and freed the slumbering god within.
“Don’t take too long Karkat...there’s a lot that must be done for this world.” You said softly, you often spoke to Karkat’s chrysalis like this. It helped you not feel so alone in the old buried temple. You liked to think that the chrysalis got warmer when you spoke to the troll inside, that the pulsing beat within matched the beat of your own blood pusher.
The steady pulse often brought a warm haze to your thoughts, it left you feeling safe and protected. Which as a mutant was not something you felt very often in your adult life, not since you became aware of just how eager everyone but your mother was to kill you. It seemed that not even rebirth had changed Alternia, Meenah was still in charge and she seemed to of forgotten her original self once again. That was alright, the gods had defeated her once before they could do so again. You believed in them.
With your back pressed against the pulsing chrysalis you sensed the first movement from within easily. A thump against your back, out of rhythm with the pulse. Scrambling up to your feet you almost tumbled down the temple steps that led to the alter. Luckily you caught yourself before you could be damaged and scanned the chrysalis for damage. You prayed that you had not somehow managed to doom your dancestor after making it so long taking care of him.
But no...the chrysalis had not gone cold or dulled in color as a dying god would. The color was as bright and vibrant a candy red as always, the symbol of blood emblazoned boldly on the front, it pulsed with light to the beat of your blood pusher. Gradually cracks began to form, the soft sound of something thick breaking, perhaps closest to the sound of bark cracking. Soon enough the shell began to fall away and revealed the god inside.
Karkat was as young as you remember, his soft face still a little round with youth. That perpetual scowl showing off his sharp overbite. His eyes were closed as his mop of wild black hair fell in disarray his short nubby horns poking out from the mass just barely. He appeared just the same as he did in your dreams, though this time he was wearing brown godtier pajamas and large and beautiful translucent red wings sprouted from his back.
Karkat opened bright scarlet eyes and instantly set his gaze upon you.
==> Be Dad Egbert
How silly! You are not a dad! Though you think you would be a very good one! No, you are instead Benjamin Egbert, or just Ben to your twin brother Nathaniel Crocker. You are Ben Egbert and as an Egbert it is your sacred duty to watch over the Egg of Breath. You actually like this duty quite a bit, your Nanna had not been quite so fond of it but you supposed she had liked baking much better than Caretaking.
You sometimes like to think of the Egg of Breath as your son, it is a little silly but you like to think that the when the new god is born that they would like having a family. For centuries your family has cared for the Egg of Breath and the Egg of Life. Each side of the family tending to one Egg. Unfortunately your brother Nathaniel and yourself are the last of your family and as such are the last of those able to care for the Eggs. You hope that the gods awaken soon because you are not sure that you will be able to have a child in time to take care of the task after you are gone.
“Please wake up soon son. I won’t live forever like you.” You chortle lightly at your own slightly morbid joke.
The Egg as always does not respond. It just sits there every day glowing a gentle blue and pulsing steadily like a heartbeat and surrounded by a gentle air that sometimes seemed as though it were breathing. The symbol of your god was emblazoned on the front of the egg. You thought of the Egg of Life and how similar they looked despite the different coloration and symbols. You also wondered how your brother was fairing with his own Egg.
You knew your own egg was supposed to awaken and become the new god of the winds. It was written in you Sacred Tome. They would be born and you or one of your descendants would help to nurture them into adulthood, until they were ready to take their place on the seat of gods. Your tome was actually rather vague about how to do these things and how your god would ascend to adulthood. It was also vague about how many other gods there would be if there were even any more than the god of life your own brother was caring for.
An unusual sound had you pausing in your sweeping of the temple floor and looking to the alter where the Egg of Breath sat. Concerned you creased your browns and stared steadily at the Egg, it seemed the same as always, at least until a large crack split down the side causing you to drop your broom. You rushed to the egg a horrified pit in your stomach. No! Centuries of care and you allowed the Sacred Egg to come to harm! How could you?!
Yet the egg did not dim, it remained bright and seemed to only grow brighter as more cracks appeared. Your eyes widened as another thought crept in, you did not dare to hope! You could not help but to hope!
Your hopes were rewarded as the blue eggshells fell away to reveal a very young looking being. A child caught in their teens with dark skin and a mop of black hair, they wore soft blue clothes that looked very much like pajamas. On their chest was the symbol of your god, the Heir of Breath.
The child-god opened luminous blue eyes and grinned so widely at you that you were certain your heart had stopped with joy. You were so proud!
==> Be The Ancient Gods
You are not powerful enough to be the ancient gods. You would be driven mad if they even deigned you worthy enough to look at. No it would be best to forget this foolish notion and continue messing about in the affairs of mortals. Perhaps a snail? That may be more your speed.
==> Be The Ancient Gods
We already told you that you are not strong enough to be the ancient gods! Do you want to suffer an eternity of madness and suffering? Well too bad, you shall have none of that today. Here be someone nice and safe, perhaps the Dolorosa. She is quite lovely after all.
==> Fine: Be Dolorosa
You are the Dolorosa and if you were honest with yourself you had not completely believed your beloved son when he told you that the gods would be awakening soon. In fact you had forgotten it rather quickly and simply continued your duties as you always had. You were diligent and dedicated, the virgin mothergrub at your side and assisting you every step of the way.
Though seeing the cracks forming on the Jade Chrysalis and how excited the mothergrub seemed your thoughts fell back to the night your Kankri told you that the gods would wake. Your eyes welled with tears and a warm smile pulled at your dark lips. It seems that your son was correct and the new age was finally dawning. You had begun to lose hope that things would ever change yet here she was.
A vision of grace and beauty she looked similar to yourself in your own youth. The same horns, a similar face, why she even had the same teeth and a similar body type. Though there were major key differences. Namely that she glowed with the pale light of the stars! She wore beautiful dark clothes with the symbol of the Sylph of Space on her thorax. Rich jade wings sprung from her back in brilliant and yet delicate looking wings.
She was beautiful and you knew that your life had not been for nothing. She would help to save you, to save all of you from the oppressive rule of the Tyrian Tyrant. You could feel it in your bones, this young god was meant for great things. Your blood pusher ached to look upon her even as you smiled so widely at her.
The young goddess opened her eyes a deep and glorious jade meeting your own jade green gaze. She smiled at you and suddenly everything was just as it was meant to be.