(GE Copy)

Unwritten Stories: Gems

In my wild experimentation, I decided one day to make a story and see where it went... We all know how that one turns out. It was a piece that started out as a ‘what if’ for imaginary friends, but imaginary friends is kinda BS so what if that imaginary friend was real, but just treated imaginary. Sounds complex, not actually, but it pretty much was stitched together out of wants and desires rather than fulfilling an actual narrative; a kind of, invent someone cool to be your partner kind of escape. Make them whatever you want, loyal, dependable, a down right waifu –YES SIR I WENT THAT DIRECTION.

It went for about 4 years, and ended around the time Emnity’s Lost Prodigy started production, where I ended about 4 other stories about the same time before going to university. I had a lot going at once. Not sure what started it, might have just been that I was missing my old home. It was a hard period of my life and I gotta admit that I wasn’t exactly the best me that I could have been. It was a nice escape to vent my frustrations, try on a different mask, really just see how far I could take it.

So, self insert character, we’ll call him Max this round, because if you remember correctly, I suck with coming up with names that don’t just sound like drunken gibberish. He, and/or she was an intersex character, and before you call the whistle, yes, mommy issues ahoy! Mother (who had no established name), was ashamed of their kid, and risen them as a male in secret. Whenever anyone was around, Max would have to fix themselves more masculinity, because no one in the family knew the truth. Grandma was a busybody, and gossiper, who frequently visited. Also took place in the same house as Cathoris’s Legacy, yes, in Summerland, yes it’s a running theme. Refer to (Castle Rock?) or wherever that famous writer was from.

Max wasn’t just born special, but blessed as well. The later revealed backstory was that Yo... I mean, um... Fi... We’ll name her Layla for the time being, and hope there isn’t one already with that name and a copyright attached. Layla, a forest spirit saw the baby, and decided at that moment to abandon their role as a guardian in order to protect the child and gave their life. She walks as a wandering spirit, and is invisible to everyone, until one day the kid starts to notice her. This is where the pseudo ‘imaginary friend’ trope comes in. Well, the mother absolutely hates it, because the kid sounds like a nut case, and will not deny what he sees. He can see, hear, and barley feel her presence. Worst of all, is that he can prove the spirit exists, and mother digs her head in the sand, often retorting viciously. It is at this late integer of time that I feel I should mention that my mother in real life was a calm and decent person, most of the time, and I was not abused.. But, being the psychoanalyst that I was, got a lot of inspiration from people’s lesser qualities by inflating them well beyond reason. God bless my mother, but yeah, I had some mommy issues growing up.

Also, in honour of my dear late Grandmother, she was not used as a template for the one in the story. Just to clear things up.

One day Max and his kitsune forest spirit, yup going with that theme again --Look, I channelled all my fur-issues into Herosae Kitsune to save you all the trouble of hearing it every iteration. Anyway, they happen upon an old antique shop. The real world inspiration for this store might even still be in business, too... In the shop they find a magical stone, which if you read the title of this one, is the first of many. The stone seems to freak some people out, as it reveals the spirit’s real form to mortal eyes. She can interact with things in the world again, and even be felt or heard. Naturally, they buy that shit. Max takes it home to see his loving mother, and proceed to torment her with the sad reality that she rejected for so long. She always did know, but wanted to believe that it wasn’t true.

If you’re wondering where the Dad is, it’s because Max didn’t have one. And yes, I pulled from my real life actual tragedy for this one, because I wasn’t to happy with my mother at the time.

Upon returning to the antique store, they come across more stones that seem to have magical effects; and this is the start to the most depressing journey into magic you’ll hear about today. Obvious shenanigans occur, why wouldn’t they use these stones to cause havoc on the unsuspecting public. Like freezing peoples hair, turning door handles into jelly... A lot of these ideas were shipped straight to Nephesh for a discount.

I don’t know when it started, but... Being intersex, Max was also curious about the other side of the coin and seemed to be able to pass pretty well, even picking up the attention of a male interest. Layla figures that it would be best if Max had a real love interest but realizes that she just don’t feel that way after all. Max is stuck in the middle having to uphold a persona, and eventually looses their boyfriend-to-be when they find out that Max has a knobb. I feel like I’m giving away all my trade secrets today...

Max, feeling rejected goes on with this for more chapters than I can even remember, with two intermissonary hiatuses until it got a backbone to it. Introducing, ‘guy’... Who I also have no name for, we’ll call him Steve. Steve one day shows up at Max’s house insisting that he needs to speak with the lad who he doesn’t even know. Argumentation occurs, but having a strong ass nature spirit with actual fighting magic, Max doesn’t think too much of seeing what the man has to say.

Steve informs them, out of the kindness of his heart that they are in grave trouble, because of the stones that they carry. You mean it’s time for plot? YES! Of course it’s time for plot!

Couple thousand years ago, there existed seven pure stones that were created by powerful hands much greater than us (More on that later). They were powerful tools that could reshape the world. One day, some greedy buttmuch came by to steal them for himself and accidentally broke them. The shards were scattered throughout the world, each with a different function, though with 7 copies of each. The divine being, was not pleased with this, and demanded that the thief return the pieces himself because it was his fault that it occurred and then offered a bounty upon each completed stone. 1 wish, as a sign of penance.

With them scattered about the world, some land in oceans, some land in volcano’s, how on earth is someone supposed to find those ones? *Shrugs*. Being broken from the same piece, they have a conductivity to one another, and lead people together. Let’s do a science experiment and waste some time; what do you think people would do for a wish? You guessed it, kill, slaughter, and maim anyone for a chance at having anything they wanted. So, why is Steve so nice? Because he cannot figure how a kid got a hold of it and, can’t bring himself to it. Max, being reluctant to give up his stones, especially the one that brought his (technically) dead kitsune to life (Should probably mention she needs to hold it at all times to work...) Max offers Steve a deal. They collect stones to give and/or trade with him in exchange for his waifu’s corporeal visage. Just coz it’s a writeoff story don’t mean I can’t be poetic about it.

Steve agrees, and gives Max a special gift. It’s a special weaved bag that masks the presence of the stones, and will keep everyone safe while they do so.

One day, when Steve shows up, someone arrives at the party when the stones are being traded and not under protection. Combat ensues, and to save Steve, Max under the guise of a feminine appearance pretends to switch sides and seduce the aggressor before accidentally executing them with a gemstone that did a lot more than just knock the guy out. Steve, witnessing all of it, becomes increasingly worried about Max and the psychotic reaction he had to it.

One day, the cops show up, having evidence of who killed the man, and take Max in for questioning. Being old enough, they take him to court on threat of going to prison. His mother doesn’t believe him, he has no friends outside of his fox girl GF, rejected by the people he wanted to love, and decides to escape the law. Always met with his alter ego, Max becomes increasingly cocky and lives off the thrill of being a rebel. His intellect actually gets a moment to shine and it is revealed that he’s always been really intelligent... Probably should have forshadowed it earlier, but I figured this was a good time to put it in the story. Man I was a cheap ass with this. Max takes the journey to become the most terrifying criminals that the world ever knew, for fame, and for the thrill. He even stages instances with law enforcement, where he can gain notoriety and fame along his escapade to his final destination. He meets some people along the way, none of which are important. One dude that likes brawling, one gang that he gets initiated into for the fun and fucks off. Purely living off the adrenaline, and anger he feels inside. This was my first dabbling with characters who became villains, and have to find a way out of it. I had some real problems in my life at the time >.>

Final stand, long chase, supernatural shit happens, another guy shows up to take the stones that are in use and a large battle occurs. Max is forced to take another life on camera, putting fear into the world. Eventually he is gunned down in a blaze of glory and declared dead in his prime...

So, that’s the end, right? F**K NO! Max’s standing on the top of a building, watching them take away his clone! Watching his masterpiece fade away, he laughs, leaving his old life behind him. He hopes that acts like that will scare people into treating other’s better, with the fear that they might just snap under the pressure and go postal, but only deludes himself. Feeling the remorse and regret of taken two lives, he tries to justify it; that it’s just what had to be done, and that there were two less murderers out there, but the weight haunts him the rest of the story. Most of it anyway.

Using the stones to make another clone, which is modified to be permanently appearing female, the clone walks to an orphanage. Max claims to be two years younger, and abused with massive trauma and medical issues to slash and burn any of the trail leading back to him. Max takes on the new name of Samantha, and is registered back into the system as an unknown origins case due to trauma and amnesia. Happens when you’re beaten within an inch of your life, had your privates seared with a hot iron, and have a massive head wound... Or so people gave to the benefit of the doubt. Worked like magic, right?

With nowhere else to go, and being tired of moving from place to place, Samantha returns home to see how things turned out, expecting to get some respect after it all. Of course, the mother isn’t very happy, being called the mother of the worst person to exist. Guess that’s biting Samantha in the ass now, with that self fulfilling prophecy stuff and all that. Whoops. Anyway after a lot of arguments, Samantha convinces her mother to adopt her from the local orphanage in Penticton, before disposing of the mutilated clone: And just like that, a new person is born exactly how they wanted to be and everyone lived happily ever after, with more mental scars and baggage than conceivable. At least until Samantha meets some girl named Alex who puts the moves on her.

Brash, unrelenting, and angry at the world, Alex, short for Alexah, (don’t call her that) will not stop until she gets Samantha all to herself, and sexually harasses her in the meanwhile. Samantha, having just came back from the dead so to speak, isn’t exactly too keen on the world finding out that she’s got a peener. She also has her kitsune girlfriend, who, after finding out about it is pretty pissed and nearly kills the bitch.

Samantha and Alex start fighting, and both discover to be adept fighters, before becoming intense sparing rivals. Eventually they start to pick up on the other’s story and Alex turns out to be an actual abuse victim, who’s awaiting a court hearing after murdering their father. Samantha feels guilty about this; knowing both what it’s like to take someone’s life, and as if she was responsible for encouraging other people to become violent after the big chase, instead of the good she intended by it. Alex from a young age was abused sexually, her mother couldn’t do anything about it, and was crippled anyway. One day, after Alex refused and was beat, she took a knife and bore it through his heart when he wasn’t looking. So, yeah, she guilty AF.

Alex then moved out of the house with her mom in order to live a new life, but her old one weighed overhead. She was angry, and learned her romancing tips from the greatest asshole alive. Samantha sympathized with Alex and becomes friends, still rivals beating the shit out of one another but Samantha opens her pouch to heal Alex with her healing gems. It follows a slice of life adventure of them trying to overcome their dark pasts, with Samantha using some magic and intellect for good, and overturns the court case. Don’t ask how, I don’t even know how court cases work. MAGIC! I did file the serial numbers off Cheech and Chong though, just for the fun of it.

Alex falls in love with a pastor’s daughter, who’s father will not allow it and there is a whole arc dedicated to that. It was nice to see Alex finally find someone to love, and it gave her hope.

The occasional magical confrontations occurs, where Samantha breaks down harder and harder with each battle and ever life she has to take, for her selfish use of the stones; all while trying to be the strong one for everyone else, and has an inevitable mental breakdown.

There is a really cool school teacher I should mention before he becomes relevant. His sister is super into the occult. There isn’t much to say about it but it was a major character for a while with his cynical methods and insulting people without them knowing it. He hated his job, and his life felt meaningless, but he got a wicked sense of humour.

Oh, hey, remember how I said I took the whole ‘father leaves’ page from the book of my life? Well, this is the second deviation... God bless my Father, may he rest in heaven’s arms... What if Samantha’s dad didn’t take so kindly to being fucked over and became a villain instead. I had daddy issues, too, kay? He wasn’t too happy, especially having his precious son that he wasn’t allowed to see anymore, become the scourge of the land under the watch of the woman who hurt him before.

Samantha runs into him, who identifies his kid underneath the disguise. Samantha tries to get to know him, until realizing that he is a complete asshole who let his angry corrupt him. She tries to reason with him but he ostracizes his son.

One day, after all the chaos, Summerland gets black marked by a secret society of gem collectors as a hotspot and sends a high ranking member to investigate, and puts another mark on Samantha. Oh shit, the stones fucked her again. She should have just left them... But she didn’t. Rookie mistake, life was perfect and she didn’t even notice until it was too late. Oh look... More baggage I can lay on her. Remember when I said this was the start of the most uplifting journey into magic you’ll hear about today? Yeah, I didn’t. Instead of giving in, Layla protects Samantha and barely gets out alive.

Not sure how deep the threat is, they continue up on the Alex has a GF plot, go to church and find the hidden society linked to it... And before any people of faith get uppity about this... You just read a bunch of gay ass shit to get here, and you wanna draw the line at it happening in a church? It was mostly Catholic anyway, (Fight me) (Actually, don’t). The high ranking member informs Samantha that Summerland had become a hotspot for gems and with their massive collection, that they are in grave danger.

Unable to continue to live in peace, they return to living on the road, and Samantha feels even more guilty for everything that has happened, having to leave behind her life once again.

Going somewhere that they are certain no one will find them, Samantha and Layla return to where they first met, in a small, real life location that I’ve already talked about and are too embarrassed to admit. I grew up there, and it’s full of mystery, obviously I overused the heck out of it. Layla takes them into the nature haven where she used to live and discovers another forest spirit, who took over. This spirit wonders why Layla left her post. Guess she needs a name too, huh? Call her Auri, like the music band that you should totally be listening to. Anyway, Auri looks at the desolation of their land, with some other spirit trying to crowd in so she leaves and joins the party. Auri and Layla start mingling like sisters and become deeply attached to one another.

They discover beings of higher power, who reject everyone as they’ve been tainted and are unclean... This is actually a great time to talk about small details that haven’t been mentioned so far, and the subtle world building that was made over half the story ago.

Up at the top of the ladder, is the first thought that came into the world, the one that created it. From there it regressed through corruption until you got to mortality, those who were fitted to die but weren’t quite there yet. You know, people. Just above that are the spirits, above that is those that make the world move, and finally the architects that made the stones... However, once your soul detached, you fell through multiple phases of oblivion. The first being a ghost, holding only the memories you had. After time, the malice you held onto manifest, causing your image of the world to become more corrupt. As your mind decayed, you’d become more deranged until you were a distorted figure unable to hold it’s form any longer and will no longer exist, which was the bottom level. Abyss. There doesn’t seem to be any way of retaining yourself after this, as it perpetually decayed... But it wouldn’t be much of a story if it ended there, would it? If their hatred could keep them alive, they became denizens of the underworld, and potentially regain their mortality as a soulless creature of malice and destruction who’s only weakness is to be purified out of existence.

In the background there was a family reunion that the mother forbid Samantha from visiting in case someone recognized her as Max. Samantha shows up anyways out of the blue on her way back into town, to see her favourite people who don’t actually know her and realize that that past that she cherished died when she faked her own death. Father shows up, exposes the truth about Samantha. Apparently, he did some dark dealings which I thought too convoluted to explain earlier, and has joined a mofia type in order to exact revenge, and sold his son up for the price of the gems he was carrying, because the father figured that’s what ruined his son. Apparently a lot of gems is a high prize and it attracts another dark force to claim them due to the tip from Samantha’s Father. He tries to protect Samantha and fails. Layla and Auri face an actual living denizen from the underworld. After a narrow victory, in their weakness, the secret society swoop in, steal the stones and banish Layla... TO HELL!... We went with the Catholic ascetic of this one... Heartbroken, Auri throws herself in head first to follow Layla and is unsuccessful, and Samantha hands over her crystal cluster to spare their lives.

Down to nothing but brass tacks, Samantha contacts her teacher, with the occult sister, and tracks down some way of going to hell and break Layla out. At the bottom level, is a desolate world of ash where all the corrupt souls became nothing and their corpses created the floor. Deep underneath in tunnels are the original fortresses that were constructed by the secret society to hold prisoners. Basically a very metal rendition of Catholic Hell-scape design, thus making the image for everyone to fear. I’ll probably get in trouble for that one. Anyway, they break Layla out, and escape with their lives.

Unable to accept what happened, and what continued to happen, Samantha takes the backup reserve of gems she hid, and whatever they commandeered from Hell, and plot to fight the society. From there revolved around a game of 4D chess, staked out at the haven as a base of operations and using the teleporting stones to move clones into places as they tried to discover who was at the top. At home, Samantha would live a normal life, to distract the society as a person without stones, and then on the other side of the world have a clone to infiltrate the society. This worked two fold, tie up the loose plot of home while all this dragged the story away, and follow it up with a progression of intrigue.

Final battle, Samantha infiltrates the hidden sanctum, and gathers enough gems to finish the pure stone undetected, but is unable to complete it. She finds the original thief who was behind it all and became a denizen; that through his wishes managed to gain immortality, and other three wishes to grant him the power over man through the shadows. He beats Samantha, takes the gemstones, completes the stone and makes his wish but it is unheard as the higher being’s voice echoes within the chambers “You’ve had your wish granted so many times at the hands of other’s who’s blood is upon your soul... It intrigues me, child... What is your wish in all this?”

Samantha wishes for the power to end the cycle once and for all, and is struck by lightning and it is granted. The soul within begins to corrupt, and she fights it, split in two. One portion of malice and hatred, the other of grace and forgiveness, both wanting the denizen dead. Grand fight, you should have seen it. Layla and Auri on the sidelines, distracting the main guards for the showdown to occur, main tower of the Vatican shatters with two powerhouses going full ham like a season finally of DBS. Samantha’s split mind working in overdrive, being practically untouchable, ripping the denizen limb from limb and still manages to loose from inexperience.

The divine being looks down upon the two, and strikes the power out from the Denizen “You’ve had your time in the sun. It is time to lay old wagers aside, for there is new hope in the world and I will not have it quenched. Do you think that you’re hand alone could fracture such stones? From grace I gave you a chance to redeem yourself. Do you not think I could have restored it within only a will and it would be done? It was your job to restore what you had broken, and you have failed the reason I gave onto you in return, to learn from it... But this one, seems to know better than you... It fights the evil within it, though it wishes to break free, and has passed the test this world has come short on...” The stones float away, coming back into being from around the world to form back into the stones, and are taken away. “Perhaps it is not time for such tools to be given...” And removes the stones from the world. The Samantha clone disappears, and with the slate wiped clean, peace is restored. Samantha, Layla, and Auri can finally return home, having been forgiven for their transgressions and can live their lives bringing understanding to others instead of teaching it fear and arrogance.

Oddly it was about repentance, but I didn’t really think about that at the time. Oh well.