Conjunction Episode: The Tale of a Star

Centuries Ago

Long ago, something star-like floated high up in Infinite Dendrogram’s night sky.

It was best described as a jet-black mass of rock hanging in the border between outer space and the planet. It spent its days bathing in sunlight, gathering it within itself, and then releasing any excesses come nighttime.

The light emitted allowed it to blend in with the countless stars brightening the night sky, and because it didn’t seem to belong to any constellation, the astronomers of that era often described it as a “vagrant star.”

That term couldn’t be less fitting. It was no star, but a type of monster.

An elemental, to be precise. It wasn’t even special enough to wear the crown of “UBM.” Though the fact that it had never seen others of its kind might’ve made it “unique,” it wouldn’t have come as a surprise if it had been discovered that others like it were floating around in other skyscapes.

But its mind was much like that of a plant, so the existence of its kin, or lack thereof, didn’t bother it at all. It merely bathed in light during the day, and shone as a star during the night, paying no heed to anything around it and displaying no signs of consciousness.

No joys or woes, no friends or foes — it was a being made up of nothing but itself.

However, it eventually underwent a major shift.

It was caused by a light. Not one coming from the starry skies above, but from the planet down beneath.

For a shine coming from below, the light was unusually strong. So much so that it entered the creature’s field of vision and caused it to become something entirely different. What it actually saw was lost to all but itself, but the sight’s effect on it was very clear.

It stopped being a mere decorational object up the night sky. Neither rock nor plant or animal, it became an entity. It became the epitome of fear.

Thus, with great dread in their hearts, the people began calling it “Blacksky.”