Some future point in time...
"Happy birthday Mom!" smiled one of Jen's daughters.
Jen happily took the gift. Was she really 27 now? God, the time really flew by. She had been a slug-girl for a very long time, something that was perfectly fine for her now. Her life as that boy Jon was... interesting to think back on at this point, but not particularly relevant to her current life. Not that relevant anyway, any more then the experiences of childhood are.
She was married to a drow named Timothy, and things were... well 'normal'. Her job was going well, and she enjoyed it immensely. Moving house was probably the most nerve wrecking thing she had done since giving birth to the two children.
Jen unwrapped the present. It was a picture her youngest daughter, Madeline, drew of the family. Jen couldn't help it as she smiled. "Thank you..." she said hugging them preciously.
"D'you like it?"
"I love it, thank you dear," she said softly patting her daughter on the head.
Something very strange then caught her eye. In the hallway, there seemed to be another gift? Was it from her friends? Who in the world would give her a present like this? It seemed very odd.
Jen took the gift and opened it, and was even more intrigued by what they were. There seemed to be...a number of gaming gifts. A deck of cards, a chess set and... a die? But when she looked at them more closely, she was even more confused.
The chess piece had a queen that looked like... a slug-woman? The King looked like her husband? She then looked over the various cards. They... they were pictures of her friends from almost 10 years ago! She recognised them all. Each one was done so perfect. It didn't even look like a photo, almost... three dimensional. It must be something new? Technology had marched on considerably in the last couple of years.
What kind of a gift was this? She thought it was a rather clever gift admittedly, but... this was still very strange.
Then there was a note she found. Maybe this would explain?
"The game has started..." She turned it around and found an address.
Jen sighed. She had been expecting this... it was just the way things worked now.
This was her moment in time... it's just that it started it the future... and will affect the past, and all she had done when she changed the world.
Instinct told Jen that this was important... she had to be here on the eve of her birthday. Every instinct was telling her to go, the pull of magic itself... and that it was not something to fear, but something that was simply... natural? Normal? It was hard to know. It certainly wasn't a biological instinct, as much as a spiritual one.
It was where it all began, when both herself and Kayrn made that wish... so long ago, and made... well... everything happen. All the strange creatures, the curious stars at night, twinkling in rainbow colours... when they appeared years ago. When Earth itself started to become more wild, and fantastical creatures appeared... and Gaia herself woke up, to be part of their lives now.
She touched the tree, and was not too surprised to find her hand go through it. In magical circles, this was known as an 'event'. It happened now and then to people... but never to Jen herself. She crawled forward on her slug-foot, with no fear... none at all. That surprised her most... even as she crawled into the darkness, and found herself looking into the abyss itself. She wasn't standing on anything... all was shrouded in a curtain of night.
"Jen," said a voice. "You came." The voice was neutral, neither male or female...
"I felt... I had to..." said the slug girl. "What is it you want?"
"You are the Wisher of this world... and the time has simply come, to play the game of history" said the being neutrally.
"I know of the Events. The Games. But why now? Why me? I have nothing I desire, or wish to change."
The strange creature was vaguely humanoid, Jen could tell. but there were curious single points of light. Like it wore small diamonds or stars, a cloak of sky itself... Jen didn't feel fear from it exactly. The feeling that it was right to be here... to confront this creature, as if it was... fate? It looked to Jen once more, with orbs as planets, as a picture of the Earth appeared in front of them. "This world has no past, little Wisher," it explained softly. "It has a future... of course. You forced a future upon this world... upon every life form. Now you have to justify all you have done... and create history."
"Justify? I did the best I could!"
"Of course you did," said the being gently. "All in your position say that. But justice demands... a trial. Especially for one as you, Wisher... that has affected billions, and billions of lives."
"How does playing this game tell you anything about me?" demanded the slug girl. "I have a family I take care of... my children... and the children of all who were once human and still human. I couldn't wipe them all out either."
The dark creature nodded. "The only punishment here Jen... is that which you feel, you deserve yourself. It is not for me to judge... but you. But we can only know that... after we play. Each piece we play, is a battle in the past... and each step, you will see the resulting future... of the Earth. Your fate.. will be decided after."
"I don't want to play such a game!" said Jen quite adamantly. "Look- I didn't want to hurt anyone when I made my wish a decade ago. But it was done! And people adapted... they are fine now!" Jen looked suspiciously at the being. This was not at all like an event she expected. "Wait.. are you the Enemy?"
"The Enemy? Ah... no. They are now the 'Defeated'. In every time, in every place, they are simply known as the Defeated... because that is all they can be, as a result of your actions." said the being. "Now it is our turn to play."
"And... if I refuse?"
"Then this age starts with no past. and this world will suffer many paradoxes. You have to decide what its history is to be now... it is the only way, to ensure a future... for anyone. You know this is the truth, Wisher..." It rolled the die. "The game always starts with a Number... choose. But know this... the real story starts, from this point..."
Jen looked at the multitude of shifting pieces. Different colours, different numbers... different people. She had no choice though... if she really believed the world is better off as it is now, she had to play the game...
...and justify it all.
