#(spoilers: There's going to be Rinceflower in it as well)

[kamy2425]

"The Meaning of Death" (Discworld Fanfic) Chapter 6: Dreams and Wishes

[Context for Tumblr Users: Rincewind and Eric have appeared in Coin's dimension]

There was something about this place that Rincewind reminded him of. The memories of a little picture book began to unfold. Not of the place nor whoever gave him that book, but just the image of one single page. A sourcerer whose hands spread wide apart as the magic around him flowed colorfully across the page. It was that single image that has given Rincewind that glimmer of self-discovery. It is what led him to become a wizard in the first place.Rarely has Rincewind reminisced of a past where he wasn't a wizard. Much less, a memory where he wasn't running for his life. It made him questioned where had all this bad luck started. And...if it was even possible to have that small feeling of not looking out for any danger or being scared. Just his eyes glued to a book, unaware of the world outside. He felt rather guilty of having that feeling. He even remembered the sillier times where his young self wished to be that figure in the book.

And it is what Coin has become. It is what this world is. 

There stood Rincewind, a wizard of no magic, and a little kid who has all the magic in the world. What would have happened if their lives were switched? To live in the fantasy that Rincewind always dreamed of? He didn’t have to imagine. 

Rincewind looked around. A world of just magic. A world that lives on one singular page. Never to flip on the other side. For Rincewind, it felt…kinda lonely. With all the magic in the world, Rincewind won't possibly be able to replicate that warmth and the comically banter that happens in the Mended Drum. There won't be a morning where Cut-Me-Own-Throat Dibbler would try to sell him questionable meats at a fair price, or that isolated but cozy solitude that the library in the Unseen University provided, nor its librarian.

Coin raised his hands as plush chairs manifested from the ground to his two visitors. For himself, he sat on a large tree stump and wiggled his legs happily as he stared at the two with his golden brown eyes.

“Oh! Drinks!” Coin gasped, “That’s what’s missing!”

He clapped his hands together as a little cloud shaped all the drink he could conjure up.

Eric waved his arm, “Lemonade sounds great, friend!”

Pop! Lemonade with a handful of ice cubes landed onto Eric’s grip. Coin moved his head towards the other guest, “Do you fancy one of those adult drinks? A cup of beer, perhaps?”

“No, thank you…” Rincewind waved the little cloud away from his face, “I’m still flavoring Eric’s uh…delicious mystery soups from earlier, thank you all the same.”

“A cup of water perhaps, then?” Asked Coin as his eyes were holding Rincewind’s guilt hostage. 

“Water would be nice!” Rincewind quickly responded, “Thank you.”

He couldn’t find an opening to throw the drink in secrecy, so Rincewind had no choice but to drink it. He was surprised that it was just regular old water. Just without the pesky muddy-flavor. So really, this water was the most water that Rincewind has ever tasted in his whole life.

“You must have so many questions for me, do you not?” Coin asked.

“Well, um…” 

“After I escaped the Dungeon Dimension because of you,” Coin explained without much of Rincewind’s response, “I fixed my mistakes. And I decided to create this world. For myself.”

Rincewind jumped in place as Coin teleported from behind him and pulled onto his robe,

“Go on!” He said cheerfully,  “Ask me anything! I’ll make it for you!”

“I um…okay uh…” Rincewind struggled as he wasn’t good at talking to children, “Some new pair of socks would be nice.”

Coin chuckled and produced some red-colored socks with star patterns on them, “I can produce a brick if you'd like to continue that fight.”

“No, I’m okay with just the socks thank you.” 

I must be dreaming! He scratched his head, but actually, according to Eric he WAS dreaming. So what can he do? Wake up? What kind of danger would his body be if he doesn’t? Actually, now thinking about it… when was the last time he slept? Sleeping is nice and all, but Rincewind has learned something valuable about the art of wakefulness: 

The more times you close your eyes, the more you’ll miss the danger coming straight at you. 

“Excuse me,” Rincewind stepped away and dragged Eric along, “He just made me socks.”

“I can see that.” Eric replied, “Are they not your size?”

“No, it’s not that! They fit like a glove!” Rincewind shouted, until he remembered he wasn’t alone and lowered his voice, “Fit like a sock, I mean.”

“Look..uh….oh!” Rincewind leaned closer at whisper length, “He’s making wishes, isn’t he? And yet, you’re not like…asking him for any like…I don’t know, riches? babes? the whole ruling the world thing?

“Oooh, that!” Eric laughed, “Oh, no I’m way past that!” 

“What do you mean?” Rincewind glared as Coin just walked casually at their not-so-secret conversation.

“Well, the thing is…those wishes were something I wanted because everyone else wanted it, you know?” Eric explained, “Everyone in my town just, constantly going Eric, when are you getting a girl? Eric, when are you getting a real job? Eric, why are you such a lazy piece of-”

Rincewind immediately blocked Coin’s ears as Eric was mumbling in silence. Rincewind shook his head no as Coin laughed at the exchange.

“....Anyways, those things were just someone else’s wishes. And I believed ‘em.” Eric sank his shoulders, “I thought I wanted them.”

Coin stepped in and placed a hand on the other boy’s shoulders, “Our wishes and destinies had been shaped by someone else’s.But it shouldn’t define what we are underneath it all.”

A moment of philosophical silence flowed through the timeless breeze.

“Is it really that simple?” Rincewind asked, much more to himself than the crowd around him.

“May, I?” Coin extended a hand and pointed at the wizard’s head. “I wish to see the world and what’s become of it.”

Rincewind hesitated, there’s been times where cursed books and animated hats took a peek at his mind. Only, he was always close to death in those times. If something were to happen now, in this peaceful looking world, then it would probably be a good way to go about it. The wizard sighed as he leaned down on the ground and said, “Alright.”

They both closed their eyes. Coin could see all the events that occurred on the wizard’s timeline. All the failures, all the chaos, and all the little moments where he was at death’s door steps, unfolded within himself. 

“You have lived a pretty interesting life.” Coin pointed out, “To unknown lands, impossible dimensions, to even being in the far ends of the universe itself.”

“Look, I know what you’re about to say, but-”

“It must have been awful.”

“...why, thank you.”

…

Far away in the forest, a group of hooded figures observed the various footprints left on the ground.

The leader of the pack crouched down on one knee as he dipped his finger in the soft muddled floor. He lifted it up and gave it a strong whiff. It really was pointless, but someone had to do it for the whole atmosphere of the thing. At least he hesitated in giving it a taste sample.

“The box.” Said the leader, “It’s been here.”

“Gosh,” responded one of his minions, “You can tell all that with just a whiff?”

The leader pointed far off into the distance. It looked like the owner of those footprints rested, leaving a wide rectangular hole in the mud. Afterwards, the trail goes back to tiny little feet marching straight forwards. 

“Yes, I’m pretty sure.” He stood up and lowered his hoodie. The man was bald, but he covered that up with the number II marked on his forehead. He had to find someone to take out one of the lines, now that he has ascended after the whole fire fiasco a while back. It might look uneven, but everyone would know who is in charge.

“Men!” He shouted, “We find the box, we find the Wizard! We find the Wizard, we find our Orb!”

The group cheered in unison.

“We will not rest! We will not eat! We will find the Orb of Knowledge until our very last breath!”

“I prefer to breathe, to be honest.” Whispered one of the minions in silence, “It comes with living, after all.”

“Everyone!” Shouted the leader, the group stiffed in place. He swung his sword and aimed at the setting sun, where the footprints continue on the other side, “Forwards!”

The group vanishes in the distance, leaving their own trail behind as well.

…

Even further back, little demons looked over some of the same footprints. They were very confused about the additional number of feet that came along with it. 

“The wizard has an army!” Shouted the youngest demon of the group, “We’re doomed!”

“Not doomed!” 

The demons turned their little head towards the voice. While it appeared to be the shortest of the group, it made up with its longest looking horns sitting on top of its head. He moved to the front of his army and turned towards them.

“I, Killer Buzz the Second,” Said the leader, “Promises you, revenge will be all the sweeter once that Wizard is dead!”

The army cheered.

“Do not fear those shoes!” He pointed, “They are but lesser beings! What we make in size, we make up for it in numbers!”

The army cheered loudly. 

“We will not rest until we feast on the blood of our enemy!”

“Yes!!!”

“We will honor Lord Beetlebuzz’s death! His past might have been lies, but his legacy will be the truth!”

“Yess!!!”

“And if push comes to shove, all younger demons will be the first to be used as bait!”

“Y…”

The sound wave of the crowd died, but quickly found the momentum again, “...yay?”

Killer Buzz nodded in reassurance as he turned his back and pointed his pitchfork straight ahead.

“Forwards!”

The little army of demons marched. Their bodies were visible until reaching the far end of the grassy hill.

Notes:

I've only seen one or two one-shots that had Coin in it. He's such an interesting character and a really great foil to Rincewind's whole Wizard thing. If you're interesting in the story, give it a full read in AO3! My first time writing about Discworld, and I hope I can provide that familiar warmth and magic that these books provide. I may not be an expert writer just yet, but I love Discworld, and hopefully this will help me get better at it!

Read the other chapters on AO3 here!