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thera-daydreams · 3 years

Text

INDAY

± A Trese Fic ±

[Crispin/Basilio/Maliksi/Dominic x Skymaiden!Reader]

01: Noon at Ngayon (Link)

02: Ang Kambal na Anak ni Datu Talagbusao, Diyos ng Digmaan (Link)

03: Ang Prinsipe ng Mga Tikbalang (Link)

04: Ang Pinuno ng Mga Aswang (Link)

05: (Link) 06: (Link) 07: (✓)

07: Home

⚠️‼ Warning ‼⚠️

Contains your favorite smidge of angst, depression, mentions of suicide, more character death(s), around three paragraphs of horror because of the devil himself, and the author having a hard time writing the ending because she never usually finishes her fics (which is why this nearly 9K-word chapter took overly long to write). Bewaaaare! 👻

Hearing your words, their faces morphed into those of pure worry and dismay. You cautiously wrapped the blue cotton blanket tighter around your body, uncomfortable with so many strange yet familiar people—otherworldly creatures, actually, from the unusual auras you sensed from them—in the vicinity.

"Inday?" It was Gabay who spoke, manifesting as a sphere of white light. They floated closer towards you.

"Gabay?" you asked in a low voice, eyes darting from your mentor to the strangers. "Nasaan ako? Ba't nandito si Alex at si Manong? Sino 'yung ibang mga taong nandito?"

"You... don't remember, Y/N? They're your friends," Gabay clarified, reminding you of who the others were. "Mga kaibigan mo sila. Nandito ka na sa Maynila."

Concerned, Alexandra moved closer to you and sat on the bed, taking your hands in her own. "Y/N, you've been here with us for months. Dito ka na nga nakatira sa bahay ko. You even fight with us and accompany us on missions."

You blinked, "Us?"

"Nakalimutan mo na kami, Y/N? Ouch. Ang sakit mo naman magsalita." It was a man with dark scleras and short hair who spoke. He was wearing a black, fitted t-shirt over his torso and a pair of grey jogging pants.

"Oo nga, tama si Kuya. Binibilhan ka pa namin ng pagkain after every mission. You still owe me for that lumpia and batchoy, missy. Two-fifty ang utang mo." It was another man—identical to the one that first spoke, but with longer hair. He was clad in a white sando and some basketball shorts (you really did try to avert your eyes from his muscular biceps). However, their words stirred something in your foggy brain. You thought hard (evident when a vein popped in your temple)—you were starting to remember. You were in Manila. You were in the Trese residence. You were always helping Hank, Alex, and... oh. Ohhhh.

The twins. The sons of the wargod Datu Talagbusao whose names were the same as those of Rizal's characters. The ill-fated brothers; your friends whom you had a slight crush on since the day you first met them while chasing that snatcher. They were buying barbeque that afternoon, right?

"... Crispin? Basilio?" While you started recalling, your head began hurting. You tried to ignore the ache of your mind and body and turned to the other occupants in the room. There was another man with long hair, but he had a brown leather jacket on. His denim pants looked simple, but those car keys attached to one of the belt loops said otherwise (that logo was sportscar material). Rich. You were 100% sure it was—

"Maliksi?" You rubbed your bleary eyes as you recognized the tikbalang. Of course you would. He practically chased you down and led you in circles in his huge hotel before inviting himself to your breakfast. Oh, he bought you some real good kwek-kwek, too (which had become a frequent gift from him since you got to know one another). "Ba't ka nandito?"

He smirked at you, yet there was a spark of relief in his eyes as he walked closer to your bed. "Welcome back to the world of the living, sweetheart. Tinakot mo kaming lahat."

You tilted your head, trying to distract yourself from the pounding in your skull. It was getting stronger. "Huh? Bakit?"

"You've been out for almost five days. Of course you scared the shit out of us, woman." This time, it was a pale man who answered. Like two of the other men in the room, he also had long hair (much wavier and wilder compared to them, though). He seemed intimidating and cold, but those eyes of his reminded you of a certain dog that you—ah. Ahhhhh. You remembered him now. The Prince of the Aswang whom you first met as a dog.

"Dominic?" you rasped out. Behind him were two other aswang women; his loyal and devoted servants, Viatrix and Ursule (how the names came to you, you weren't entirely sure). A lady who had a Japanese, princess-style haircut rushed to your opposite side.

"Y/N! You had us so worried, dearie." What was her name again? Rebecca? Rhea? No, that wasn't right. You remembered that she was a manananggal. Dominic's sister. You saved her back then. Healed her. Was her name Ramona? No, no—that was the kambal's late mother. Rosalinda? Rabiya? Rayna? Oh, you were getting close. Very close. It was just at the tip of your tongue. Reyna Manananggal... what was her name?

"Regina!" you exhaled. "Okay... yeah, okay. I got it. Naaalala ko na konti. Pero bakit ba nandito kayo lahat? What's the occasion?"

"Y/N?" You could definitely recognize those voices, but it wasn't chipper and as happy as you remembered it to be. The wind... a wind spirit. Two wind spirits. You stared at the two taong hangin in worry.

"Hannah! Amie! You gals are here, too?" Hank was beside them, a sullen look on his face. You didn't understand. "Hank? Ba't ang lungkot mo tignan?"

Chewing his lip, he stayed quiet. You were missing something here, weren't you? Your brows furrowed in total cluelessness and frustration, "What are all of you not telling me!?"

Ba-dump.

Your eyes widened. For a moment, your heart skipped a beat and simply clenched. Just clenched. With how strong it was, you could hear your blood rushing—echoing in your ears. Your hands whizzed to reach out to your back, where you felt two slight bumps—stumps?—that weren't supposed to be there. They almost sizzled at your touch, too. And the pain... the wildfire. It all came rushing back to you now. The flames, the burning, the ripping, and the killing.

The killing.

"Inday, si Isagani..." Gabay tried to explain, but stopped. A single, lone tear dropped to the blanket on your lap, darkening it in one miniscule spot. Your face was suddenly void of any previous emotion. All of a sudden, you wished you were asleep again. You wished that you hadn't remembered anything at all.

"... Patay na siya, 'di ba?" you repeated to yourself. "Then... does that mean...?"

Alexandra pulled you into a tight hug, "I'm sorry, Y/N. Tita... she's not here anymore." So it wasn't a dream, then. Or a nightmare. Your mother was gone for good.

How much time had passed? A week. Yes, a week. You were fine. You were okay... or at least, you tried to be. You convinced yourself to be. Whatever the clan healers and Gabay did, the burning from losing your wings was gone, thankfully.

However, it was replaced by a void. A seemingly eternal absence that spread through every single fibre of your being. It was everywhere, and because of that, you felt like you were nowhere. Every single day seemed to lose its color, even if you forced yourself to try to spring back to your feet. The world kept spinning and you just watched as it kept going. It didn't stop. You tried not to stop. You hated having to stop; you were aware that the world didn't revolve around you. You tried to go back to normal; to keep smiling like how you used to while at the same time getting used to the fact that the most important person in your life was dead. Plus, you were back to being human again. A wingless biraddali was no biraddali. You'd learned that a long time ago. This time... the emptiness just seemed emptier than what happened eons ago.

Everyone around you seemed surprised that you'd gone back to functioning like a normal human the moment you could stand up and walk around; preferring to do things on your own. But they could tell something had changed. Of course it would. It was a given when you were dealing with personal loss. On the outside, you looked like an... operational human being. Yet, if anyone who knew you looked closer, your movements were robotic; living, but not living a life. Talk, eat, clean, bathe, sleep, repeat. All your actions and words were mechanical... almost rehearsed. Everyone in the household, as well as those who visited it, walked mostly on eggshells whenever your eyes had that conditioned, faraway glaze in them.

The first time your unhealthy coping mechanism concerned them was when you were cooking, a month after your recovery. It was Crispin who first noticed that something was very wrong. You had been chopping vegetables while he was boiling some hot water when you just... stopped, staring intently at the sharpened knife. No matter how many times he called your name, you didn't respond. He was worried you were planning on harming yourself with the knife. It was only when he touched your hand—the one holding the knife—that you snapped out of your stupor, blinking slowly.

"... Crispin, oh my God," you whispered, turning to him shakily. His eyes grew even more worried at seeing your rattled state. He held your shoulders tight, rubbing the sides comfortingly to keep you grounded to reality. "Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God..."

"Hey, hey, what's wrong? Masakit ba ang likod mo? Is it aching again?" he inquired in a soft, gentle voice, cupping your cheeks and wiping those pearly tears away. You continued to shake, the knife clattering to the floor as you pointed at the bright vegetables. You weren't thinking right from the overwhelming anxiety in your gut. Your head felt consecutive pangs on pain. It hurt again. But that wasn't what you were wholly focused on. Something else happened.

"I... I can't see it anymore. I can't... see it. The colors, they're gone. Why? Crispin, I'm scared. Oh my god... holy crap..."

He was speechless as you started crying.

"It... It just disappeared. Nawala lang siya. 'Yung mga gulay, bigla lang naging kulay-abo." You swallowed, searching his face for answers. They had none. "What's... What's wrong with me? Ano bang nangyayari sa akin? I don't understand!"

He shook his head hesitantly, "I'm sorry, I don't know. Tawagin natin si bossing at si Gabay. Maybe they can help. Maybe this is just a temporary side effect of losing your, uh, wings. Breathe."

You bit your lip, glancing at everything around you. It was all bleak and grey now. After remembering your mother's death, all the colors had dulled, but you thought that was just your grief affecting your vision. Now, it was just completely black and white. It terrified you. This had never happened before. "Hindi... Hindi naman 'to nangyari dati 'nung ninakaw ang pakpak ko."

Crispin had no idea how to respond. Turns out, that was just the first of many trials to come.

After you lost the color in your vision, no healer or spirit, including Gabay, could make you regain it. The nights, too, had become increasingly hard for the members of the Trese residence. It was painful to sleep when almost every night, you would wake up screaming from nightmares and there was absolutely nothing they could do to help you.

Tonight, you were frantically shrieking in your sleep again. It was high-pitched; full of terror and pain, like you were getting stabbed by a murderer. Maybe you were. Usually, it would be Alexandra who'd help, but she and Crispin were out visiting Kapitan Guerrero for a case. Gabay was with another clan healer of Lady Diwata's in Visayas, still searching for a cure for whatever had taken your color vision. The Babaylan-Mandirigma had instructed Basilio to stay behind to protect you should anything happen, and it was him who ran to your room first, seeing you writhe and cry, unable to escape whatever you were feeling. Hank had followed, but after seeing that the younger demigod brother had run into your room, he let you two be with a sigh.

When did you even last sleep peacefully?

"Y/N? Y/N," Basilio called out, briskly sitting on your bed and shaking you awake. You woke up with a jolt, wheezing, clawing at your clammy skin and panting heavily—pale and sweaty from the adrenaline... the fear. He was prepared for this (with how bad all the previous nights had gone), so he'd brought a face towel to wipe your cold sweat away. If you were in the right mind, you would've appreciated his sweet gesture. But you weren't. You were going insane.

"The needles... the bugs," you sobbed, still half-asleep, scratching your arms until red lines appeared. Basilio held your wrists to stop you from hurting yourself more. "So itchy... t-there's so m-many... andami nila... they're all c-crawling over my body... hindi a-ako makasalita... o m-makahinga... at—"

"I'm here, I'm here." Basilio pulled you into a tight hug, rocking you in his arms. "There are no bugs and needles. Ligtas ka dito."

"N-Nandun siya, Basilio," you hiccuped. "Naghihintay s-siya sa akin. Sabi n-niya malapit na d-daw ang panahon k-ko. Naghihintay s-siya."

The wargod's son knew exactly who you were talking about. Hell, from all your nightmares, he and Crispin had begun calling the psychopath McBangungot. Inside, his blood boiled. Even in death, Isagani still wouldn't let you go, would he? Right now, he didn't care that his shirt was soaked with your tears and snot. He wanted to shoot somebody. Or stab them. Perhaps he could ask his bossing if there was a spell that allowed people to enter dreams so that he could end your nightmares once and for all.

"Natatakot a-ako, B-Basilio. I can't... I can't b-breathe..." You closed your eyes. Every time you did, you could see Isagani, just smiling that wretched smile of his and waiting for you with arms outstretched. Then you would see your mother, skin rotting and bones showing as that disease ravaged her from within.

Ravaged you from within.

That was what was happening to you now, wasn't it? When Isagani had your wings ripped and decimated, he'd done something to you. His deal with Sitan had done something to you. Every single day, you grew weaker and weaker. You felt your life practically slipping from your fingers every minute.

Gabay was right. Having your wings stolen and having your wings torn out were two very different conversations.

After grabbing a paper bag from the kitchen and helping you breathe into it, Basilio stayed with you that night, quietly singing a lullaby his mother used to sing to them before she passed away. He held you until you forced yourself to sleep.

You were getting worse. That much, he could tell when he visited you again after two weeks away because of business. Dominic entered your room, already sensing the atmosphere of illness and gloominess even before he opened the door. The airconditioner was on, but even the aswang prince felt a coldness which was far beyond what could be felt through temperature.

You were propped up on the bed with a pillow on your back, an oxygen mask over your nose and mouth as you scrolled down your phone, the blue light emitting from it making the hollowness of your cheeks sicklier. Noticing he entered, you turned your phone off and placed it by your side, weakly smiling at him, "Oreo."

Ah, you still called him that stupid dog nickname. He wondered how someone in your state could still even smile. Humans truly were strange and too fragile. If they previously thought you'd lost weight from not getting sleep before Isagani kidnapped your mother, you were a whole new level of skinny now. Practically just skin and bone.

Your state was distressing; almost disgusting.

"... You look like crap," was the first thing the aswang leader told you. He sat on a chair by the bed. Of course, you rolled your eyes.

"Been a while since I last saw you, Oreo," you retorted playfully. He snorted, but didn't comment on the nickname. He wasn't arguing or fighting with you much lately; he really didn't want to stress you out even more. "What brings you to this humble abode?"

Dominic frowned deeply, "The Lakan said you can't see colors anymore and that you've been having difficulty breathing lately. You're not sleeping, says the youngest son of the wargod." He glanced at the oxygen tank nearby. "Nabubulok ka lang, biraddali. Have they still not found a cure to whatever disease this is?"

You shook your head, not looking him in the eye, "Whatever Isagani planted in me, I know it's spreading... and that we can't stop it."

"So that's it?" Dominic asked, almost incredulously. Okay, maybe he still argued with you a little. He couldn't help it; some of your decisions were just... illogical. "Sumusuko ka na?"

Your eyes narrowed at his sudden change in tone, "What choice do I have?"

"You can't just give up, Y/N!" he exclaimed. He expected you to get angrier, but you did the opposite. You calmed down, and even adjusted the pillow so that you were lying flat down.

"Dominic, you don't understand," you sighed exhaustedly. "I... lost my mom... and my wings. The latter is like a death sentence to me already and add that with whatever Isagani did to me." You raised your hand, the veins on your waxy, wiry palms much more prominent that it was before. "Wala na akong gana, Dom. It's useless to struggle, so why resist?"

"You're right. I don't understand," he spoke, sitting back down and scowling. "But this isn't right... you just... just waiting to die."

"It's okay. We all die at some point," you closed your eyes. "It'll be fine."

"The Lakan is your best friend, right? You can't just leave her alone," Dominic tried to convince you. "You'll be leaving so many people behind. People who care for you. Your teacher and that human man, Hank, right? At 'yung siraulong kambal at tikbalang na 'yun. Then Regina and even Viatrix and Ursule are fond of you."

"... And are you?" you pressed. He blinked at you, not understanding. A mischievous smile crept up your lips. "Are you fond of me, too?"

Silence.

Then, when you thought it was impossible, the aswang leader's ears became pink. He sputtered indignantly, scoffing as he tried to hide his embarrassment, "A-Anong pinagsasabi m-mo!? Siraulo ka din pala, biraddali. This is no time for jokes."

You waved it off, laughing softly, "I'm just kidding, Dominic. 'Wag mo nang isipin 'yan."

Suddenly, you removed the oxygen mask from your nose as you were thrown into a rough coughing fit. There was something creeping up in your throat—thick and viscous. You could taste the iron in your nose and throat. Covering your mouth, you hacked your lungs out. Dominic immediately stood up, rubbing your back to ease the pain. Neither of you expected blood to come dribbling down your mouth and nose, as well as the greenish black substance that was very similar to the miasma that Isagani had once used to kill supernatural creatures.

"Shit," Dominic cursed, looking for a spare towel. "Has... Has that happened before?"

Wide eyes staring at the tar-like mix of blood and liquid miasma you'd coughed out into your hand, you trembled, "No. Never." Your chest began to feel strange, and before you knew it, you were coughing out even more the next couple of minutes. Hank had quickly come in to help you and Dominic with the mess you'd made (the twins and Alex were out on another investigation, unfortunately). Plus, you'd barely even seen Gabay from how busy they were trying to search for a cure. When your coughing fits were done, your entire bed and the front of your body looked like a crime scene.

"... That's... an abnormal amount of blood you threw up," Dominic muttered. Even he, an aswang who regularly feasted on human innards, found that there was something wrong with the way the blood smelled. It wasn't normal. It smelled like foul sickness and death. The disease was too aggressive.

This was worse than he expected.

Every month since the tikbalang prince met you, he would treat you out to streetfoods and of course, the legendary kwek-kwek that made him stumble into you in the first place. Your strange sickness didn't change that. Unfortunately, the disease was stealing too much from you. You had lost your color vision, you would randomly feel as if bugs were crawling on your skin (sometimes, needles digging into it), and you would go into traumatic coughing fits, spitting out blood and miasma every once in a while—rendering you unable to properly breathe at times.

"They weren't lying when they said you looked like shit. You look even worse than last time," Maliksi muttered, helping you sit up while placing the bowl of kwek-kwek on the nightstand. Behind him, the twins snorted. A sleepless Alexandra was reading a book (about magic and illnesses; probably still looking for a cure to what was happening to you) while Gabay was in the form of a white cat at the end of your bed. The air in the room was somber... sterile. Dominic had allowed some medical equipment from the aswang abortion clinic to be transferred to your room; you refused to go to the hospital (knowing they probably wouldn't be able to treat you), but should anything happen, at least you had a few stuff that could maybe help.

You had grown impossibly thinner, your eyes slightly bulging out from your sockets from how tight your skin was to the bones. Your cheeks had become hollower, and the dark bags under your eyes hadn't found any rest since the night you saw Isagani in that restaurant. Strands of hair had fallen aside as Maliksi helped you up, revealing to him your slimmed neck and part of the back of the hospital gown they had dressed you in. The bones of your spine were protruding; whatever was happening to you was leeching off your life force day by day.

Maliksi wondered if you'd even last a week at this point.

"God, it's strange to see those neon orange balls so... grey," you rasped out, looking at the kwek-kwek he'd bought.

"Can you eat them? And keep food down?" Maliksi asked, concerned. You slowly nodded, removing the oxygen mask from your face.

"Don't force it, Y/N," Alexandra spoke up, closing her book. "You nearly puked out the chicken we served you for lunch."

"Nearly," you pointed out with emphasis, for once excited to eat as you saw the kwek-kwek. You happily popped a quarter of it into your mouth, chewing carefully. You continued to chew, sensing something different and smelling the snack.

"Is there something wrong?" Basilio and Crispin simultaneously asked.

"Do you want sauce? I brought some, too," Maliksi said, pulling out a tupperware of it out of nowhere (likely some horse magic). You nodded, dipping the kwek-kwek into the sauce before popping another bit into your mouth.

"Gabay, can... can you try this for me?" you requested your mentor. The cat complied, taking a slice of the fried eggy goodness into their small mouth.

"Mm, tastes good. Tastes like sweet kwek-kwek," your guardian spirit commented. "A little spicy. I don't find anything wrong with it though, Inday."

"Then... there's something wrong with me. Not the food," you realized, swallowing the remnants of food into your mouth and smelling the kwek-kwek. You set the bowl down on the nightstand, chewing on your cheek. "Gabay, wala... Wala akong malasahan o maamoy. I can't taste it. I can't even smell it now." You put on your oxygen mask and deeply inhaled the air in it. "I can't. Even the smell of antiseptic and clean air is gone. Gone. Just like how my color vision went."

As your shoulders shook, slumping down on your bed, Alexandra ran towards you and comforted you with her presence. But you hated the fact that you could no longer smell the fragrant antibacterial soap from her skin and the familiar fruity scent of her hair. The rest of the occupants in the room could only watch in pity at the scene unfolding before them.

"Putanginang gagong 'yon," Crispin muttered from where was sitting beside Basilio. His younger brother growled, "Sugurin nalang kaya natin ang Kasanaan, Kuya. Can we teleport there or something?"

"Only the sinful dead can go to Kasanaan," Crispin replied with a sigh. He hated what was happening to you. No one innocent deserved this. "Pero bossing, baka pwede mong tanungin si Emisaryo kung paano natin makikita si Sitan o si Isagani."

"I don't think that's how it works. We can't mess with afterlife stuff like that," Maliksi interjected, shaking his head. Being older than the twins, he had a little more knowledge about this than them. "But if you guys are gonna try, sasama ako sa inyo. I'll help kill him twice."

"I"ve... actually asked, but Emi isn't... sure," Alexandra replied, still determined as she tried soothing you. "Did Dominic or the other aswang call? And what about Hannah and Amie?"

"Still no news this morning, same as Gabay's progress," Crispin shook his head. "Regina and Dominic have used their many connections already, but none of them have any clue what the disease is. They called me yesterday. And Amie already tried spreading the message across the other angkan outside Manila with Hannah, but still, nothing."

At this point, you just wanted it over with. You didn't mind dying, but getting every sense taken away from you as you awaited your slow, painful death? In your mind, there was just only one thought: saksakin niyo nalang ako. This shitty life wasn't worth it.

Right at that moment, you felt a twinge of pain in your stomach. Before you knew it, more blood and miasma began spewing from your lips. With her quick reflexes, your best friend grabbed the basin kept under your bed while you vomited out the poison and dead blood cells. It was a common sight now, but it never got easier for any of you.

Wires, tubes, and tanks everywhere. Almost four months after the incident with Isagani, you'd finally gotten to the point where you were hooked up on various devices in your room (you felt that Mal and Dom probably pulled some strings to get this stuff inside). You spent most of your time just trying to sleep now—and even that was a challenge for you. Your vision was duller, you couldn't breathe without manual assistance, you couldn't smell anything, you couldn't taste anything, you couldn't even keep solid food down. Then the puking.

You were miserable. Absolutely fucking miserable. All that was left for you to sense—to feel—was your misery and grief over your mother's passing and the loss of your wings. You had become bedridden; unable to stand up with your weakened, feeble muscles. You could only dwell on the unbearable pain within you.

Had you lost hope? Yeah. You did. Long ago. As you stared into the plain ceiling above you, you couldn't help but wonder if this was part of Isagani's revenge for you leaving him. Why hadn't he taken you yet? You were ready; anything to end this life which couldn't even be called a life. You hated your situation. You didn't even want an afterlife anymore or to be reborn or reincarnated again. You just wanted to disappear into nothingness. Living was too difficult. Assisted suicide or euthanasia sounded like a reaaaaally good idea.

As much as you wanted to join Team Trese again, you couldn't. And you could only usually talk to either Gabay or Hank about whatever investigations they were having while they were gone. You couldn't remember much now... just something about a freaky mayor doing some shady stuff in Bilibid while—

Beep. Beep. Beeeeeeeeep.

Oh. The EKG monitor beside you flatlined. What great timing while you thought about death. Your last thought was whether Gabay would find you dead after they came back from getting you a fresh pair of sheets and pillowcases downstairs. Your last sight?

Two dark shadows covering the room in total blackness. One of them appeared on your right side, kissing your knuckles, "I'm here, mahal. It's time for us to go."

The other one—larger and much taller—leaned over you as your heart pumped for the last time, his dark scleras poring over your features. A god.

"Hello there, biraddali." Sitan's smiled practically reached his eyes. "Ah, your friends would be very surprised to see this right after sealing Talagbusao away."

With that, your life ended.

The fight was done. It was over. Everyone gathered where the Puno ng Balete was, tired from the battle with the wargod who'd been getting on their nerves for the past few supernatural cases. Everyone was present to assist the Babaylan-Mandirigma and the Kambal in their cause: ang Prinsipe ng mga Tikbalang, ang Pinuno ng mga Aswang, ang Reyna-Manananggal, mga taong hangin, Kapitan Guerrero, and more of their allies.

"Tapos na," Alexandra panted, having gone through the Dragon's Gate. She was still a bit bothered by what Talagbusao had monologued regarding her late sister and father, but who knew how much lies he was spewing?

It was when everything had calmed down that the Emissary suddenly appeared in a flurry of moths before everyone. She approached the Babaylan-Mandirigma, then bowed, startling her lover. "Ibu, the Goddess of Death, asks for your assistance, Lakan ng Sangkatauhan. It is a matter of great urgency. Paumanhin, but we must hurry."

The Lakan's eyes widened at her girlfriend, who would only usually bow and address her with her titles when it was regarding supernatural matters. About their... jobs. "May nangyari ba, Emisaryo?"

The others watched as the woman with a veil lifted her head, her mouth tight in a grim line, "I am afraid that the last biraddali has passed away recently."

There was a period of stunned silence amongst the onlookers.

"No, no... that... that can't be true. Just now?" Alexandra whispered in denial. "Hank or Gabay would have called to inform us, at least!"

"Holy shit," Maliksi mumbled, completely shocked. He knew and had tried to prepare for your death—all of the people present here did—but no matter how much you tried to prepare and accept death, it would always shake you. From beside him, the aswang prince and the wargod's twin sons had more or less the same reaction.

"... Ngayon lang?" Dominic mumbled to his sister, who was also startled by the news.

"That is what is strange, Alexandra," the Emisaryo explained. Through her powers, she was able to summon a portal from their current location to the Trese residence. On the floor of your room was an unconscious Hank. "I only found this human in the residence... as well as the biraddali's—" She paused, feeling the sullen atmosphere as they passed through the portal. "—cadaver. But her soul is nowhere to be found, which is unusual. There had been an intruder."

Your dead body lay on the bed. To the untrained eye, it simply looked like you were asleep, finally at peace after everything you had gone through. But for people who dealt with the supernatural on the daily (and were members of the mundo ng mga kababalaghan), there was a disturbance in the room. Someone had been in it.

"Bwiset, pumunta ata si McBangungot dito," Basilio hissed, jaw clenched as he saw that you were now lifeless. You were like a doll, limbs splayed out strangely. You weren't supposed to be like that. You were supposed to be healthy, active, and happy!

"Meron din siyang kasama," Crispin sensed as he helped his brother move the knocked out Hank to the sofa in your room. "Isang diyos. The energy is all... bad and icky, too. Iba siya sa ama namin."

"Malamang si Sitan," Regina finally said something, trying not to look at your skeleton-like form on the bed. She'd seen hundreds of corpses but yours was one of the worst. "Who else would it be? We just sealed Talagbusao away."

"We... can try to track their trails with the wind," Hannah offered, opening the windows. Amie nodded along with her, using their powers to revert to their air-like form. They flew out into the open.

"Si Gabay? Sinama din siya?" Dominic asked, the usual scowl on his face deeper. As dead as he was, he didn't want to see you dead, too. He turned to his two loyal servants, silently signalling to them to help the wind women in searching for a trail. Ursule and Viatrix gave a solemn nod, then quickly vanished in a blur.

"Unlike Talagbusao, I have no idea what Sitan is like," Alexandra quietly said, sitting on your bedside and holding your hand. Inwardly, she was angry at herself for not being there in your last moments. She had spent those moments being taunted and provoked by a wargod about her past. Now, her present—her best friend—was gone, too.

"I must say, today has been quite an interesting day."

Guns, arrows, a knife, and a pair of claws were pointed at the new voice. They hovered before your corpse protectively. Sitan—looking inhumanly handsome just like the Bible's Lucifer—raised his hands in surrender, chuckling at their reactions.

"Relaaaax. I'm just here to watch the end of the show," he defended, an impish smirk on his face as black apparitions scattered in the room. "Your precious biraddali and her guardian spirit are all safe and sound. I'm letting them speak as of the moment." Sitan glanced at the Emisaryo, waving his hand at her. "Ah! Ibu's Emissary. Here for a soul already, so punctual, as always. You'll get the soul scheduled today, no worries."

The others didn't let their guard down nor release their defensive positions. Sitan scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Oh, please. So testy, every single one of you. I can taste so much negativity in here."

"How do we know you're not lying about Y/N?" Maliksi challenged.

"Well, that is up to you, mortals and immortals," he hummed. "I've already gained my prize and my part of the deal. Isang napakasamang kaluluwa ang nakuha ko sa araw na ito. I'm in a very good mood, if you haven't noticed. Hindi ko na nga isinama ang apat na alagad ko dito. You should be thankful I'm offering peace."

In his hand materialized a miniature version of a soul, particularly, a certain someone they knew and loathed. Isagani.

"You liar! You said that if I ripped her wings out, I could be with her in the afterlife!" Isagani's soul snarled in the palm of the god's hand. "You promised that in death, we would be together! Pinangako mo 'yan sa akin!"

Sitan grinned—he really did look like a creepy Cheshire cat. "I did, naive one. I let you be with her in death. In the afterlife. Nagsama naman kayo."

"For what, thirty damn minutes!? Puta!" Isagani screeched, his miniature soul practically in flames. The same flames you felt when he inflicted that disease on you while tearing off your wings. The same flames that were born from Kasanaan, the village of suffering. The same flames that came from Sitan himself. "You tricked me! Niloko mo ako!"

"Niloko?" Sitan slyly tutted. "Ah, but it was never stated in our agreement centuries ago how long you two would be together. You should've specified you wanted to be together in death forever."

"No!" Isagani refused. "This wasn't our deal!"

"I gave you the power to take what you wanted in exchange for your soul. If I recall, you had no money or blood sacrifice to give," Sitan cooed, changing his face into a grinning baby's (frankly, the others were disturbed at the sight). He reverted his face back into an adult man's. "I told you to cause some anarchy here and there... to keep me entertained... and you did. Well done," he mocked. "Are you not pleased with the success of our contract?"

"Bullshit!"

He turned to the spectators, who couldn't believe he just easily reduced Isagani—who nearly killed them all and practically killed you from the inside-out—into a filthy, sobbing mess. To Sitan, it was as effortless as breathing. "See, kids? This is why you never make a deal with the devil." His face morphed into something more horrific; burnt, scarred, and decaying as he stared at the people you deemed friends. Sitan was something out of a horror movie (and that was saying a lot given their identities and occupations). "The terms and conditions can be so... easily twisted. The devil always find a loophole... you get what you want, but you lose what you have." Sitan's voice became childish, sending chills down their spine. "Ehehehehe, hihihihi, hahaha, ahaHAHAHAHA!"

The diabolical grin he had violently split his face open, making brain guts burst out of his head (it was a traumatic sight even for the immortal aswang present). From his humanoid form emerged a creature which seemed like a hellion from the gates of Kasanaan, springing out as if it was the Chestburster from that Alien movie. It was a demonic, hairy, bat-like creature that sent the cross hanging on your wall (as well as the rosary on your bedside) into flames. He immersed himself in the shadows, black scleras turning a bloody, glowing crimson that became the only things visible in the umbra. Sitan's serpentine laughter and Isagani's wails would echo in the room for minutes even after they left in phantasms of darkness and voodoo. Lights started flickering, sounds of a haunting melody played out of nowhere, and blood with some pungent black liquid began leaking from the ceilings as well as the walls of the room. Large rats came out of nowhere and a typhoon-like draft from outside cracked the glass of your windows. It was like the Exorcist in real life.

All the while, your cold body remained still—untouched on the bed. Eyes closed from the repulsive disarray Sitan had caused, Alexandra could only hope Gabay had done something to save you.

Why else would your mentor not be present here with them, mourning your death? It meant that the guardian spirit of the rainbow had something up their sleeve, now that Isagani and Sitan were out of the picture.

"Tiwala lang," Alexandra held your hand tighter. "Babalik si Y/N." The rest of the people in the room hoped for the same thing.

In Gabay, they trusted.

"That exit nearly made me shit my pants," Maliksi muttered.

"Much worse than Talagbusao coming out of the General's body," Dominic commented. He thought he'd seen and done terrible things as an aswang but Sitan's display easily overtook the Top 1 spot.

"Absolutely," Crispin and Basilio said at the same time, cringing at the damage done to your room. "... Hank's going to have a fit when he wakes up and sees this."

You didn't exactly know what happened nor were you in the best headspace after you died, but you did know that you had been in Isagani's arms for some time as he whispered sweet nothings into your ears before he was dragged out by someone. Or something. You weren't sure. The afterlife was a strange place. You felt like you were just floating in the air, as light as a feather. Weightless. Free. You might as well have been a cloud.

Then you found yourself into a place that looked like your cute little apartment in Vietnam, just... brighter and different. A good kind of different. Dreamy, almost. You could see colors again. You could feel the sunlight as it seeped through the window. You could smell the small potted plants by the sink and feel the roughness of the mahogany table under your fingertips. You could breathe so deeply and smoothly it felt like you were dreaming. Did you even need to breathe? Or eat (and taste food again)? Maybe you didn't. This was the tranquil afterlife. No nightmares were here.

It felt like you were more alive now than when you were in life. How strange.

"Inday." You turned around, seeing Gabay in their original form of a huge ball of light. It was like the day they first met you in your earliest weeks as a volunteer.

"Gabay?" You blinked. "Patay ka na rin?"

"... No. Not yet, at least," they answered mysteriously. Was it just you or was Gabay's voice sadder for some reason?

"Ba't ganyan ang boses mo?" you asked, leaning on the table (only then did you realize you had been standing and even walking around—you hadn't been able to do that in a while). "Malungkot ka ba, Gabay? But I'm at peace now. Why are you worrying?"

"It's nothing," they said. "I knew this would happen."

"This?"

"Your death."

You didn't understand. "I knew it, too. Everyone did. It was a death sentence the moment my wings were torn out. I'm supposed to go now."

"It had to be done. It was the only way." You still had no clue what your teacher was saying. They flew closer to you, resting themselves on your cupped hands, like you were lifting water from the lake with them. This was one of the rare occasions Gabay let you hold them while they were in a non-human or non-animal form. "Inday, this is the only way to save you."

"Save... me?"

"You have to die to be saved. To be revived and cleansed of the miasma—for me to be able to do what I'm going to do now," Gabay told you gently.

"But I don't need to be saved...?" you said to your mentor, shaking your head. "I'm in the afterlife now. I can move on. I can be with my mom. Maybe I can even meet my dad. Reunite with my sisters. And Isagani is weirdly nowhere to be found. I can go."

"No, no. You had... have a life ahead of you, Y/N," Gabay revealed. "A life with your best friend, who's currently trying to hold back her tears while she holds your dead hand. A life with your new family and friends." Before you could speak again, you heard someone else talk.

"Anak."

You swerved around so quickly you thought you died a second time. It was your mother, her spirit—all dressed in splendid white—smiling at you. Beside her was the man you recognized as your father from pictures, in matching brilliant white, too. And beside them...

"Hello, sister," the souls of the six late biraddali chorused. Their voices were so melodious. Wonderful. Familiar. They weren't dressed in white, but the colorful, silky robes you remembered them dancing in during your days in the heavens. Indeed, in person and up close, they looked like goddesses. Nymphs, too. Even if the six if you didn't look remotely alike, the silvery, almost transparent wings on their backs reminded your of your lost heritage.

You felt yourself tearing up, wanting to hug them. However, your parents and sisters shook their heads, stopping you from launching yourself at them. "Huh...?"

"Y/N," one of your sisters—the eldest one—spoke. "It's not your time yet today."

"What are you saying? Patay na ako!" you exclaimed.

"You are," your dad agreed. "But you won't be for long."

"Wh—? For long?"

"We're actually waiting here for someone else," your mother disclosed with a half-sorrowful, half-joyful smile. "They're right beside you."

Gabay? Why? You didn't understand. Why were they waiting for Gabay and not you?

"I don't think she remembers what happened right after Isagani disappeared with Sitan," your second and third eldest sisters said simultaneously. Your fourth ate tilted her head at you.

"Dear," she pointed out. "You don't notice it? Why you see colors again? Why you can feel, smell, touch, taste, and breathe again? Why you feel so alive?"

"It's not just because the disease is no longer in you and because you've died," your fifth ate shared.

"You're whole again, sweetheart," your mother reached out to you, but never touched you. Her hand was just a breath away from your cheek. "Do you not know why?"

"They're beautiful, you know. Much more than ours and your old ones," the sixth eldest biraddali giggled. "What do they call it in this generation? An upgrade, right?"

Mas lumala ang simangot sa mukha mo. You really didn't understand, "... Upgrade? What exactly are you talking about, ate?"

"Bunso, your feet aren't touching the floor and it's not because you're a ghost," the wise, eldest biraddali hinted. "Look behind you."

Then, you saw it. You hadn't realized you'd been feeling it the moment Isagani vanished. This was why you felt complete again. Behind you was a set of large, butterfly-like crystalline wings. They were bigger and stronger than your old ones, too. The thing that stood out most about it compared to the ones that were torn out? They lightly tinged with colors of the rainbow, like faint watercolor on the finest silvery-white tapestry of the heavens. It dawned unto you why Gabay was the one your family was waiting for to cross the other side.

"Gabay..." you barely whispered. "Please don't."

"Don't be dramatic, Inday," they chided. "It was always meant to be this way. The student isn't supposed to die before the teacher. And after consulting all the clans' healers only to find no cure, I knew this would be the only solution for you to live again."

"You... You gave up your life to give me wings? Is that... is that why you're here in the afterlife?" You didn't know what to feel. It wasn't anger, no. It was more of frustration and heartbreak. Sadness. "Iiwanan mo na rin ako?"

Today, you'd be losing another loved one, too.

Your mentor didn't answer the question, instead throwing another back to you. "Remember when we first met before I mentored you? When you asked yourself if this... biraddali thing was like Sailor Moon or Winx Club? I didn't get your pop culture reference, so I spent some time watching those stuff." Gabay laughed. It was full of mirth, as if they didn't just do what they just did. "Now? I was thinking more of Barbie Fairytopia. I made sure that those new wings of yours would be better and prettier than the troublesome old ones. Ako pa! You would receive all my powers and your sisters' gifts to you before their deaths would be strengthened, too."

"Gabay, I'm not kidding! I'm being serious here!" you cried out. "Why? Why did you—"

"Y/N," they began. "I've watched over you ever since the heavens decided to create skymaidens. You're my student. My apprentice. Practically my daughter, too. Masungit ako pero mahal ko naman kita. I only want what's best from you." Gabay glanced at your other family members. "We want what's best from you, and that includes you being complete."

Your lips wobbled, "But... you're leaving me. All of you are. Paano ako magiging kumpleto kapag wala na kayo lahat!?"

"You won't be alone, Y/N," your parents and sisters assured you. "You have those friends of yours. Your new family. Even so, we'll always be here for you."

"Think about it this way, Inday," Gabay assured you, gazing at the wings now attached on your back. The scarred stumps that used to be there were a hundred percent nonexistent now. "I'll be your wings forevermore. From now on, I'll always be there for you that way."

The ball of light morphed into a somewhat angel-looking, androgynous, humanlike being that kissed your forehead. You inhaled deeply, doing your best not to bawl your eyes out. You were stronger than this. You wouldn't disappoint your teacher like this, "... You'll be my wings? Promise me that you won't completely leave me alone?"

"I will always be a part of you, Y/N, wings or not," Gabay smiled, crossing over to the other side of the room where the rest of the family was.

"So will we," your sisters and parents added, also smiling. "Live, Y/N. For us."

Wiping your eyes, you hesitantly nodded. "Okay. I'll try." Inhale. Exhale. Breaaaathe.

"I'm not leaving with just that," Gabay rolled their eyes. This would be the last of the hundreds of times they'd done that to you.

"I will," you vowed genuinely.

"Ayan. Ganyan dapat," Gabay poked, satisfied at your answer. "That's the spirit."

Everything was now shining with a pale yellow blinding light that engulfed the whole area. The apartment around you was no more, and you couldn't help but close your eyes to shield yourself. So... bright... so... bright!

"I love you," you shouted out to all of them, squinting through the light. "Gabay, Mama, Papa, mga ate! I love you so much!"

"We love you too!"

"And Gabay?"

"Hm?"

"Thank you. For everything." You smiled at the guardian spirit, holding back your tears. "See you soon."

Gabay chuckled, "Just not so soon, okay? Come back when you're old and happy."

That was the last time you heard from them. For a moment, you thought you glimpsed Ibu's Emissary leading all of them away, but before you could think more, it all went black.

More than a week had passed since Gabay disappeared and you had died. The only hope they were holding onto was the fact that your body didn't decay at all. Not one bit. There was no smell and no signs of deterioration. Aside from the fact that you were motionless and lacked a heartbeat, you looked like you were asleep. After Sitan had wrecked your room, they had transferred your corpse to one of your Late Tito Anton's rooms; one that was more sealed away and secured by spells. The bed you lay in was a simple single type, and your worried friends would often come in everyday.

Every day, it was the girls who would clean your body. Today, Regina had given you a sponge bath while Hannah dressed you in a fresh set of clothing—backless, so as to air out the remnants of flesh which was once your wings. Amie was brushing your hair quietly, and Alexandra was there checking if the runes on the floor had changed. She had casted a spell to inform all of them if something about you had changed. For the past ten days, nothing did, but they continued to wait. Your body not rotting away meant something good, right? All of a sudden, Regina gasped, alarming the other women in the room. The runes around your bed glowed white, too. "Look!"

"What is it? Anong nangyari?" Alexandra rushed to your side. Her eyes widened as she saw your chest begin to move up and down subtly, "She's... Y/N is breathing! She's breathing!"

"Her skin, too," Amie pointed out. It had suddenly started to fill out from all the weight you had lost over the months. Slowly, you looked less like a skeleton and more of... you. The healthy you. The hollows of your cheeks and temples fleshed out, then the dark, ghastly purple bags under your eyes faded away. The supple, healthy color in the apples of your cheeks and the plumped skin of your lips returned as blood rushed through the rest of your body. The blue bruises on your arms and legs from how brittle your skin was—especially the delicate vessels beneath it—also vanished. Amie, who was in the middle of combing your hair, noticed that it regained its liveliness and color back.

Hannah placed an ear over your chest, "Her heartbeat... it's back! Buhay siya!"

However, your eyes didn't open yet. Your other allies had poured into the room like a wave, hearing the loud commotion in your usually quiet new room (the spell Alex had casted told them, too). Hank got there first, then Maliksi, who saw Hannah listening to your heart. She nodded at him with a relieved smile, and the tikbalang prince felt like a huge weight—one that had been bearing down on him for the past few months—was lifted off his shoulders. His body sagged in relief. Dominic came in next, his hair all messed up from speeding to the Trese residence from where his hacienda was. He came as soon as he heard the news. He also noticed that his sister was there, still holding the damp sponge for your bath, in awe at what was happening. The twins came in the room last, the grocery bags in their hands dropped to the floor. They had never run and flew so fast in their entire lives.

Inky white markings, the ones that characterized your legacy and identity as a biraddali, enchantingly swirled back into your skin. If one looked closely, they weren't completely white anymore; they had a faint, iridescent gradient that shimmered more in the light.

Then suddenly you sat up stretching (honestly, the unanticipated movement spooked the others in the room). Something behind you which was as pearlescent as your tattoos was unfurling, too. Everyone stared as a kaleidoscope of colors fanned out on your back like a stained glass window painting in the Notre Dame Cathedral.

You rubbed your eyes, yawning as your lethargy began to clear up. The first thing you noticed was the entrancing, glittering patterns on your skin. "What...? Ano 'to...?" You blinked slowly, trying to adjust to seeing such vivid, marvelous colors once more. Processing, processing (medyo sabog ka pa, eh). Then, you felt something flutter on your back. When you turned your head to check what it was and saw it, you audibly gasped (and promptly fell off the bed in amazement). "Holy sh—may pakpak ako! What...!?"

On your back were a pair of glorious, prismatic wings. Only then did you remember what happened to you. Sitan and Isagani, then Gabay and your family, and then—

"Inday?" Hank was the first to talk.

"Whoa," Maliksi and Basilio couldn't help but breathe out, seeing you alive and those wings. "Damn."

"Your wings are... they're out of this world," Crispin complimented, already wanting to touch the fluttery things.

"... An angel," Dominic whispered (more to himself, actually, but everyone else heard it and none of them could disagree). He then laughed to himself, "Biraddali ka talaga. A maiden sent from the heavens... but risen from the dead. Never in my life would I have thought I would see this."

Hank and the other girls were the ones to slap some sense into them (they all looked like deers in headlights and your non-simp friends didn't want you to get so creeped out right after you'd returned from the afterlife). Alexandra pulled you into a tight embrace, and you practically melted in your best friend's warmth. It was the best feeling anyone could ever ask for after dying and becoming alive again.

"Welcome back," she whispered in your ear. She couldn't describe how grateful she felt that for once, her precious person wasn't taken away from her. Mentally, she prayed to the gods and thanked them for letting this happen. Squeezing her, you glanced at your other friends, smiling at them.

"I'm home."

(End.)

± Author's Note ±

Aaaaaaand, cut! 250 blocks limit reached and nearly 9000 words done! Sorry for the long wait, but I didn't want to rush an ending too much from the pressure (so I took my damn time and chilled). I originally planned on a sad one where Inday died in the end and didn't come back, buuuuut here we are. Isagani got what he deserved, too. Road to spinoffs and a masterlist, here we go! 🏃‍♀️🎬

I hope you enjoyed your moments with the Simp Squad in the finale. Sanaol kinakantahan ni Basilio ng lullaby. Hmph, swerte niyo. 😤🙄

Anyways, ya'll know it already: comments n' constructive criticism are very appreciated! Hit those heart, reblog, and follow buttons for updates of my other work. It both relieving and stressful to finally be able to finish one of my more successful fics. Salamat sa suporta, everyone! Gotta finish my Dominic x Reader oneshot now. Bye! 🥰💞

Taglist: @belladaises @binibiningbabaylan @4kodzuk3n @sparklingmallow @severuslovebot @holyshxtangel @marinac15 @space-flamingo @pippethealien @kashasenpai @disappointmentpastry @hornehlittleweeblet2 @seijohoe @monimiin @ibelievein2dmensupremacy @tinybonksharkcop @hannalogies @banisuoh @genshin-idiot @lemonnie-kimmie @haliya-mori

#trese #trese netflix #trese 2021 #crispin #basilio #maliksi #dominic #x reader #kambal x reader #crispin x reader #basilio x reader #maliksi x reader #dominic x reader #trese x reader #thera.writes

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thera-daydreams · 3 years

Text

INDAY

± A Trese Fic ±

[Crispin/Basilio/Maliksi/Dominic x Skymaiden!Reader]

01: Noon at Ngayon (✓)

02: Ang Kambal na Anak ni Datu Talagbusao, Diyos ng Digmaan (Link)

03: Ang Prinsipe ng Mga Tikbalang (Link)

04: Ang Pinuno ng Mga Aswang (Link)

05: (Link) 06: (Link) 07: (Link)

01: Noon at Ngayon

Back then, long before you were born, your mother used to work as a katulong of the Trese Family and was very close to its matriarch, Miranda Trese. Coming from the province, she was no stranger to superstitions—even more so after knowing the work of Miranda's husband Anton Trese, who was actually the Babaylan-Mandirigma of Manila.

Years later, after giving birth to you around the same time Miranda gave birth to her twins (one a stillborn, unfortunately), it was you and Alexandra who became best buddies instead, as different your personalities were. You two had practically grown up together and you yourself heard countless stories of the supernatural from your Tito Anton. It wasn't that hard to believe when he and his sigbin companions would sometimes come home tracking blood prints on the floors (which you'd helped your mother clean up). Heck, you'd even met Señor Armanaz, the Great Stallion himself and the ruling tikbalang of the Armanaz herd. That pretty, white-haired diwata seemed extremely fond of you, too, which was evident when you'd sneak in with Alexandra to Tito Anton's meetings and she would smile (even wave) at you happily.

You had absolutely no idea why the fae-like lady was so nice to you, but you weren't complaining at all!

However, in spite of your experiences with the supernatural, you and your mother always believed that you were normal humans. In actuality, that was who you were for the majority of your childhood. It was only until Miranda herself saw a vision of you—a much older you—fighting the monsters of the Underworld alongside her own daughter. During dinnertime, Miranda told your mother that she saw you blessed by the heavens with powers that would aid in the battle against evil.

It sounded absolutely ridiculous, right? Yeah, your mom thought so, too.

Your mother only laughed it off as she placed a steaming bowl of tinola in front of Alexandra's brothers, who instantly dug in like they haven't been fed in years.

"Boys! Dahan-dahan lang," Anton reprimanded his sons. "Or else you'll choke and the soup will come out of your noses!"

"Okay, Papa."

"Grabe ka naman, Miranda. I doubt that anything like that's going to happen to my daughter," your mom chuckled, watching your little hands try to feed Alexandra with a piece of chicken. "Unlike you guys, our lineage isn't anything special. Ordinaryo lang ang lahi namin."

Miranda sighed, looking at you and her only living daughter enjoying your time being kids, "I guess you're right. Baka panaginip lang talaga 'yun."

Anton glanced at her knowingly. Although he was aware that you and your mom didn't dabble in magic or anything like they did, he knew that whenever Miranda—one of the Seven Seers—had such vivid dreams, it was something of great importance. But he decided to say nothing, understanding how much your mother wanted to let you live as normal of a life possible in this household.

That was when you were seven years old. One year later, Miranda died fighting against a group of aswang who decided to betray Anton. Said man found the eight-year-old Alexandra hiding in a corner behind the waterfalls, scared and holding Sinag close to her heaving chest as she tried to hold her tearful sobs in.

Of course, a few days later, you and your mother attended the funeral with the mourning Trese family. All the brothers had done their best to stay strong, especially for their little sister who didn't fully understand yet what just happened. Little you ran towards Alexandra, holding her hand tightly as her mother's casket was lowered. Around you were various comrades, both human and non-human, paying their respects to their bereaved allies.

That day, as you turned your back to return to your mother's arms, you knew you would never forget the feeling of numerous unearthly eyes following your every movement.

Even they could sense that there was something about you, a so-called regular human child. You smelled human and had the aura of one, but there was something they couldn't place. It was like a tiny rock getting into your shoe, not coming out at all.

Much changed after that, but you and Alexandra remained close together. To your dismay, just after you graduated elementary, you and your mother had to move back to the province to stay with your sick grandparents. The last thing you could remember was kneeling in the back of the car, looking sadly through the rear windscreen as Alexandra and her brothers waved goodbye to you.

More than a decade had passed since then. You used to write letters to Alexandra, but after Hank told you she had to undergo the trials of the Puno ng Balete, you haven't heard from her (although Hank did disclose that she'd managed to come home safely, which was a great relief to you). You didn't blame her; you knew Tito Anton had passed away in the five years she was gone and that she had to take over the title of Lakan, as well as the Babaylan-Mandirigma of Manila. It was a demanding job! You remembered Tito Anton sometimes staying up all night—breakfast would be served and he would still be in his study, going over paperwork. On other days, he would be gone for consecutive nights handling cases all around Manila. You could only pray Alexandra was fine.

Your life had continued on, as well—you took care of your ill grandparents until they died, helped your mother in the province, went to a good highschool, then earned your degree in another prominent city that wasn't Manila.

Your mom actually recommended that you go to school somewhere else, given the constantly rising number of attacks in the capital of the country. And so you did. Life was hard, but normal until then.

The funny thing was that, when you reached the age of twenty-one, you finally understood why those supernatural creatures kept looking at you weirdly as a kid (and why Lady Diwata liked you so much).

What was even funnier was that the dramatic revelation came to you when you weren't in the Philippines. It was after you freshly graduated college, when you were traveling all over Asia to volunteer in charity projects. It was always your dream to one day expand your horizons not only beyond your province, but the Philippines itself, while also doing good in the world.

And here you were, walking that path you dreamt of.

The organization you luckily managed to become a member of provided everything you needed, and every few months, you would move from country to country. Because of that, you'd already been able to travel to so many places. First it was Thailand, then Indonesia, China, South Korea, India, Japan, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Malaysia, and currently, you were in Vietnam. Visiting those places was fun and gave you a whole new perspective of the world you lived in; it was a... learning experience, too.

Still, that incident happened when you were in Thailand, when you were the last one in the rented apartment balcony taping up the boxes for the donation drive tomorrow. Yawning, you cut more duct tape and stuck them to the open boxes tightly.

"Inday," someone said from behind you. You didn't bother turning around, thinking it was one of your fellow volunteers looking for you this late at night. Probably your roommate. She was the only one who usually called you by your nickname instead of your real name.

"Hmm?" you hummed, taping up more boxes. "Papasok na ako sa kwarto, Lyn. I just have a few more boxes to close. Alam mong mapapagalitan ako kung may hindi madidistribute bukas."

"Hindi ako si Lyn."

You paused, then slowly turned around, flinching at the sudden bright light that shone right against your eyes. For a moment, akala mo namatay ka na at hinaharap mo si San Pedro.

It was a glowing figure in white whose face you couldn't clearly see, which frightened you even more.

"Ay, mama!" you exclaimed, shielding your eyes and falling to your knees. Then, you gasped loudly, patting your body and panicking with closed lids. "Oh my God, am I dead? Nasa heaven na po ba ako?" Your lips wobbled. "Ngayon pa nga lang ako nakaalis ng Pilipinas... I haven't even done all the things I've wanted to do! Hindi pa ako nakapagpaalam sa nanay ko—aray!"

You'd felt something hit the back of your head. Hard. It was the glowing figure in white, but now you could see their unimpressed face scowling at you.

"Kalma lang, Inday. Hindi ka pa patay, pero makinig ka nang mabuti," they shushed you urgently (you weren't sure if they were male or female). "Do not be afraid. I am a messenger from the heavens, and I bear great news!"

"Great news...?" you trailed off, then your eyes widened excitedly. "Like, nanalo ba ako ng lotto? Isang milyon? Bilyon? Hala! Wait, is this a Mama Mary moment? I'm not ready to be the next immaculate conception!"

They glared at you, making you shut up instantly. "Sorry, I'll shut up now," you apologized with a mumble. This person (thing?) was kind of... strict. Whatever did you do wrong? You were just sleep-deprived and running on energy drinks (as well as kape).

"I have come to tell you that you are the vessel of the last skymaiden," they revealed, arms wide open. The light around them seemed to grow even brighter, making you squint. You felt like you were about the go blind! "Ikaw ang huling biraddali, Y/N L/N."

At ayun, zero brain cells remaining. Tunay na nagloading screen ang brain mo. Nag-error at nagcrash pa nga siguro, eh.

"... Ha? Ano?"

You blinked, completely speechless—as seen by how wide your jaw had dropped open. It wasn't that you were unfamiliar with the biraddali, it was just that you'd only heard of them once when you were just a young child. Your Tita Miranda had mentioned they were long gone from the world of the supernatural.

"Oh no, me? A biraddali? You're joking," you stuttered out, pointing at yourself. "Aren't they extinct or something? And, uh... not human?"

They nodded, "Yes. It is correct that everyone in the mystical world thought that the biraddali were long gone, even before the colonizers came to conquer the native lands. However, before the skymaidens all disappeared, the youngest and most powerful one among the seven sisters sealed her soul away to the rivers of time until the strength of a heavenly being was needed to help purify the evils of the world." The figure floated closer to you. "That last biraddali's soul, along with its corresponding power, traits, and knowledge, had chosen to reside deep within you the moment you were conceived."

Honestly, how were you even supposed to react? Your life was nowhere near ready for something like this. Was this a prank by your friends? Your colleagues? The light around this person seemed too authentic to be fake, though.

You stayed in shock for an entire minute, silent. The being in front of you only waited for a response.

"Ano 'to, Sailor Moon? Winx Club?" you whispered to yourself, before slapping your own cheek and scolding yourself. A stinging red mark was left on your face. "Inday, kakamanhwa mo 'yan! Nasosobraan ka na ata, matulog ka na!"

Sighing heavily, you rubbed your face tiredly, still in disbelief that you—according to this stranger—were apparently some old soul from a species of ethereal beings that were long gone. It sounded like something out of those reincarnation webnovels you got addicted to. What now, you were the MC? Wattpad ka, girl?

"Look, this is a mistake. I still have to wake up early tomorrow to give out the donations," you spoke to the glowing being (or whatever it was), laughing nervously. "I'm sorry, but I think you have the wrong person. Either that or I must be hallucinating from sleep deprivation, because I'm definitely not a divine creature. You're probably just a product of my imagination. Sorry, I'm going to bed."

Bang!

At that moment, the power in the building went out. The only thing you could see was the thing who assumed you were a biraddali (they were so bright they were like a flashlight in the dark for you).

"Brownout?" you blinked. It felt wrong, though. It was eerily silent. "Did a fuse blow up?"

"Nagsimula na ang iyong unang pagsubok, Y/N," they announced seriously. "Creatures of the dark have already begun to take over this building. You may not have noticed, but all throughout your life, you have always been helping and giving. It is your nature as a being descended from the heavens themselves, and now, it is time for you to accept your destiny."

"Hoy, sandali lang! Sandali, sandali!" You were absolutely wide awake now as you heard the sounds of strange whispers around you. It was terrifyingly creepy, much creepier than whatever you'd seen back in the Trese Residence (and you'd seen a lot in that house). You did not want to be a part of a horror movie-like lifestyle. "Don't I have a choice in this?! I—I don't have any training or fighting skills! Hindi ako Alexandra Trese o Babaylan-Mandirigma! I'm not ready for this, holy sh—"

The candescent creature raised a brow at you, "Inday, I just told you that you have the power of a lost mystical being. And tell me, if you had the power to save your companions in this building from the forces of evil, would you save them?"

You were silent, knowing the answer.

"Well?" they prodded.

You bit your lip, "Oo naman. I'm not heartless!" But you were a little impulsive. And apparently, insane.

"That's what I thought. I just need you to believe in yourself," the being encouraged, gentler this time. It transformed into something smaller and rounder—like a ball of light. "Ikaw ang huling biraddali, Y/N, at marami kang kapangyarihan. Isa dito ay ang pagtulong sa mga nangangailangan, lalo na laban sa masasamang nilalang."

Bestie, what had you just gotten into?

You swallowed apprehensively, then nodded in determination, "Sige. So, how do I save the people in the building? Biraddali were said to be able to shapeshift, right? If I remember the tale correctly. Oh my God, I can't believe this is happening to me right now."

"That's just one of your abilities, but I'll teach you. I'm actually your guide," they replied confidently. "With me, you'll be able to master your powers and exceed your capabilities in no time!"

"Wait! Anong pangalan mo?" you asked breathlessly, following them as they speedily flew out of the room. "Grabe, slow down! I'm not athletic! I haven't even exercised this week, goodness."

"... Gabay. Ako si Gabay."

Despite the adrenaline and fear running in your veins, you still grinned up at the ball of light, "Okay. Nice to meet you, Gabay."

This was just the beginning of your supernatural combat training abroad. When you returned to the Philippines three years later, you were stronger, faster, and more powerful than you'd ever felt before. It was crazy.

Oh, that guy who tried to rob you when you came back to Manila was crazy, too. The two identical-looking men in dark suits and white ties—you wondered how they were surviving the heat in that attire—could only watch in awe as you chased down that man who stole your bag while doing acrobatics and parkour.

"Uy, Kuya Crispin, sino kaya 'yun?"

"Ewan ko, Basilio."

"... She's kind of pretty. Type ko. Type mo rin ata."

"The more important question is, paano niya na nahuli ang magnanakaw?"

"Oo nga, no? One in a million chance 'yan dito sa Maynila, haha! Ang astig ni ate!"

(Next Chapter.)

± Author's Notes ±

Ayieee, type daw tayo ng kambal! 😌

How the hell did I write this entirely random thing in one day? 2k+ words? Ano daw? 😃⁉️

You know, this was supposed to just be a Trese one-shot or a bunch of drabbles for the characters I'm currently simping for... but it turned into a full-blown, shameless self-insert slash crackfic. Kakacellphone ko 'yan. 🤦‍♀️

Nagresearch pa ako ng articles about Filipino skymaidens because I wanted something similiar to the Japanese celestial maidens (tennyo). Very random idea but why not? Gusto ko ng badass Y/N na hindi takot lumaban sa mga mumu! 👻

Also, pagbigyan niyo nalang ang matandang 'to kasi ilang taon na akong hindi nagpopost ng mga writings ko. May track record pa naman ako bilang author na hindi nagtatapos ng mga fanfic, hehe. I also haven't read the comics so please forgive me for any inaccuracies and of course, misspellings/errors. Gusto ko lang matapos 'to para makakabalik na ako sa Jujutsu Kaisen. 🥲😗

Anyways, comments and constructive criticism are welcome! Hit those heart, reblog, and follow buttons for updates! Just comment if you want to be tagged in the next chapters. ❤

#trese #trese netflix #trese 2021 #crispin #basilio #maliksi #dominic #x reader #kambal x reader #crispin x reader #basilio x reader #maliksi x reader #dominic x reader #trese x reader #thera.writes

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