(I just can’t resist to write something for this photoshopped pic for Halloween. It’s too beautiful! So here’s a fairy tale for an early QZGS Halloween. <3
Also x-posted on AO3 as Symphony of Lost Souls.)
Once upon a time, there was a man who could trick even the Devil. He utilised well his strategies as well as shamelessness just to benefit from all the contracts to the maximum. When he died, the God in Heaven couldn’t receive such a shameless soul, and the Devil was tricked into promising that it couldn’t take his soul away. Thus, the Devil didn’t allow him to go to Hell. Instead, it left this shameless man an infinite battery just so his soul would wander the Earth.
The battery was unlike Stingy Jack’s burning coal. Without the right tool, it was useless, and the shameless soul would have to wander aimlessly in the darkness forever. However, even when he died, luck was still with him. The wandering ghosts felt for him, so they found him an electric lantern in the shape of a carved pumpkin.
The shameless soul then carried his pumpkin lantern, wandering the dark realm of the Earth where human eyes couldn’t see.
Eternity was indeed long. The shameless soul kept wandering, staying at times near Internet Cafes. Sometimes he whispered secrets to fortunate players who could hear.
Online gamers wished that thy might be lucky. Thus, they hanged instead put snacks in their carved pumpkins just so this ‘God of Gaming’ would accept their treat and help them instead of tricking them with miseries.
There was a rumour that a gamer who tried putting Pecking Duck in the carved pumpkin once heard this secret about getting additional skill points.
On the other side of the world, another man had died. Those who held him dearest wept and wept, yet they couldn’t find it in their heart to bury away such exceptional beauty from the surface of the world. They cried until their tears turned into rivers and rivers from lakes. They couldn’t let this man rot.
The penguin fairies immersed the man’s body in fragrant herbs and ancient medicines, then bandaged him in finest silk, hoping upon hoping that this beautiful body would never rot.
“Should we also place him in a glass coffin?”
“Fuck! He is no Snow White! He should be a Prince!”
“But a glass coffin is better than a mummy’s coffin!”
The penguin fairies argued for 3 days, 3 nights until they learned on the 4th day that some fangirls had stolen their handsome mummy.
Those fangirls carried the mummy away and hid him in the piano shop which belonged to one of their parents. It was Halloween, and this shop too was decorated with carved pumpkins.
The fangirls didn’t want people at their party to suspect their disappearing, so, glancing longingly at the mummy, they had to leave for the night.
The candles inside the carved pumpkins shone bright. Just like in the ancient times, they often led lost souls home. So the mummy returned to life.
In the realm of darkness where souls were immortal, the melodic sound of piano rang through the night, inviting another wandering soul there.
“And I thought I’d lost you forever.” The shameless soul with the pumpkin lantern and infinite battery smiled. “When it’s not Halloween, my world is so dark it’s boring!”
Tapered fingers, wrapped in silk, moved upon the piano’s keyboard, playing a song to articulate his mind in place of spoken words.
Michael Ortega. Miss You.
It had been years since this man’s death. He had been waiting for years until this day. They could finally meet.
The song died.
“I’m a mummy. You…a cursed soul.”
“Hmm, what kind of mummy could move so fluidly as you? You even played the piano!”
“…You never visited.”
Days after days, before this, the mummy had put so many treats that he remembered the cursed soul was so fond of in pumpkins he carved by himself. Yet, the cursed soul had never come.
“It was too dark. I lost the way.” The wandering soul said. “But I’m here now.”
The mummy got up, pulling the cursed soul in his arms. The mummy still had his body, yet the soul inside was that of a dead man. A dead man’s soul was different from a living man’s soul. So when they held each other, it was their souls embracing.
“Well, since you’re here, how about a PK?” The pumpkin lantern in the cursed soul’s grip swung slightly as if the hand that held it was trembling.
The mummy unfurled some of the bandages from his hand. “Okay.”
“Then, lead the way. I can’t see so far with just my lantern.” The wandering soul held the mummy’s hand.
The mummy smiled. He then glanced behind the shameless soul. There, a certain ghost was floating, laughing merrily at them.
“Thank you.” The mummy whispered softly.
And then, in that dark, dark realm, wandering souls gathered. Only to watch the lovers PK.
