A/N: okay, to anyone who has already read the prologue for Alternate Realities, you can skip to part 2 of this if you like, since part one is the same as before. to anyone who hasn't read it, the prologue -- or part 1, anyway -- is written as a creation myth/story, but if you don't like that style don't worry, the rest of this will be normal, i promise, but please read this anyway. i swear it's relevant. all readers should read part two because it's totally new ^_^

no disclaimer necessary here; this part's all mine

Prologue Part 1

Creation

Cosmos

In the beginning there was. But perhaps it is not so much what there was as what there was not. There were no worlds, no stars, no light or time, or even space. There simply was. And what was, was Thought, for that is all that can exist without space. And it was not so much a single thought, but rather the essence of Thought itself. But Thought can never last long in nothingness without getting bored and creating something new to consider. And so Thought, getting bored, imagined a place, and because it was the essence of Thought, a place there was. But it could not be seen and so Thought gave it lights; many, many lights in many, many places within the place. So the place became the Universe, the great Cosmos. And the lights were the stars. And Thought became the Creator.

Now the Creator is not really a person as we understand the word, but rather just an entity, a mind in existence outside what we can truly comprehend. Neither male nor female, animal or mineral, but rather all and still more. The Creator is in everything and holds part of everything that exists within itself as well as all things that have been and have yet to be; ageless, timeless. Yet for the sake of simplicity we will call the Creator after a female, for She gave birth to us all.

Now the Universe that had been created for a while was the Creator's experiment, and She played with the stars, shaping them to Her liking, fashioning the clusters we know as Galaxies. And this amused Her for a time, watching the dance of the beautiful things She had made. But She felt that her work was incomplete. And so She fashioned around some of the stars the planets. And because She was the essence of Thought, the planets were all different, though many had similarities. And this was better, but still She was not satisfied for all things were in Her control and there was nothing to occupy Her attention. And so She began to experiment yet again and She found that some planets held the potential for life.

Now life was a new thing and it took time to get it right, for, not being anything like the life She was trying to create, the Creator was not entirely sure what to make the life like. Now the tale of the creation of life is long in the telling and in truth there are many different tales, for each people has their own version. Yet life is, and all that is, is the Creator's doing. She made the first the water and the land. Then She made the plants, and next the animals. And she made each thing suited to where it grew or lived, but knowing that things might change She also gifted all life with the ability to change with the world, to adapt.

Now, recognizing the need for procreation, the Creator, in truth sexless Herself, gave all life a way to mate and make more life, though not all living things can be said to have a gender as it were. And so life flourished and the Creator was very well pleased with what she had made and for some time — for now that there was a need for the ability to mark the passage of change there was Time — She was content to sit back and rest as she watched Her new creations, and the antics of the animals pleased and amused Her.

But soon she became discontented, for though the animals lived and played as she had intended, they were not able to think as She did, and She was lonely and longed for a creature who would know Her as no other; who would have thoughts and wishes as She did and who would turn to Her for guidance. And so the Creator went back to worlds with life and, working with what was already there, She fashioned new races of beings. Most of these were similar to one another; humans or humanoids. And these pleased Her greatly, for they had many thoughts and did many things that other beings could not. And She gave to them the freedom of choice and taught them the use of tools and of fire, for while they were much cleverer than the other animals, they were very vulnerable, lacking both the built-in weapons of a predator and the natural speed and stamina of a prey animal and so needed all their greater wit to survive.

But it seemed to Her that it was unfair to gift only the human creatures with so much, especially as they now preyed on the other creatures with such skill. And so She gave to the animals a world all their own; a Homeworld where every species could live and flourish, a world untouched by humans. And to the animals that lived there, She gave them a greater wisdom than was had by other animals and so they were the Wise Beasts. And as time went on and the magical creatures were hunted more and more by the humans who sought after their power, those who could fled to the Homeworld, and it became their refuge, for the world was safeguarded from the human hunters for them by the Great Shifters, who are the guardians of Her great design.

And so life flourished and the Creator was much pleased and is content to watch us and help us and guide us as we find our way in this great cosmos She has fashioned for us, for we are all Her children and She is our great Mother.

Of Magic and Shifters

Now when the Creator made Her thought real and tangible, She did this not just with Her thought but with the Power that is the potential of being and with Belief. And because all things were made by Her with this Power and with Belief, the Power is in all things, and all things that can think can Believe. The two together are the base of Magic, for Magic at its simplest is merely the name given to the ability to believe a thing into being. The key to Magic is one must want it, and one must trust it to be enough for it to be. But because with Magic comes the ability to change the order of things so drastically, only a small portion of beings can truly touch the Magic. Nor is it an ability given to a particular species or people; but rather to the individual who is strong enough to wield it, though whether they do good or ill with it is their choice, for Magic, like any tool, is only as great or as terrible as the person behind it.

Now at first this was fine, and those who could touch the Magic found many uses for it. Some learned to see into the future and tell of what might be, others learned to heal wounds and treat the sick, still others used it to protect their people. But as time went on, the magic users learned more and more of what they could do and the Power began to show itself more strongly. Some of the magic users found that they could do more than the others; some were able to change their shape — to take on another creature's form, others found that they could use the Magic to travel great distances in hardly any time at all, and some could even travel through Time itself. These were the Shifters, so called because they could shift their forms and/or the Space-Time continuum around them.

Now when these greater Powers began to emerge, the Creator was troubled. It was not that She begrudged the people the abilities, but rather that those abilities gave the people another ability; the power to change things, to mess about with Her design. And so She decided to create a race of very powerful Shifters whose task it would be to safeguard Her creation from the meddling of the other, lesser Shifters.

Now, seeing how mostly only humans and humanoids were gifted with Magic and knowing how they tended to hunger after power, the Creator did not make Her new race of guardians from them. Instead She went to the Homeworld and there She took the lions, who are the kings among beasts, and formed from them a new people. They were also lions in original form but with all the powers of Shifting and other Magics as well. And to them She gave the task of keeping the order of things. To help them in this great undertaking the Creator gave to these new Great Shifters a greater understanding than any other creature in the workings of time and space and Magic and Her design for the Cosmos. And so the Order is kept.

Prologue Part 2

White Lioness

She lived outside. Outside of everthing. Outside of the Prides, outside of Families, outside of the society. Outside even of time and space. So if Her people needed to see Her, then this was where they had to come. She could see the two young lionesses as they approached, shivering. It was cold here, dark and empty. Surely nothing was meant to live like this — at least, nothing normal.

"Come on," the larger of the two urged, the slit pupils of her emerald green eyes swelling with apprehension. "We have to do this."

"I know that," hissed her companion, whose fur was rippling. She inhaled deeply, then sighed. "Right. Let's go."

Together they padded forward, not sure exactly where they were going, but knowing, somehow, that it was the right way. In a place outside time and space, it didn't really matter which way you went. It was all about where you were going.

They never could have said how long it took. Trying to dredge up a concept of time in a place without it is a little like to trying to dredge up logic while dreaming; it simply can't be done in way that makes sense. It could have been forever, but equally it could have been no time at all. Maybe it was both. But eventually they found Her — or perhaps She found them.

"Little kits, why do you come here? This is my domain. It is no place for mortals." Her voice was like the cry of the wind, like the roar of a lion, like water over rock. Timeless. Ageless. The two shivered in the darkness, looking around for any sign of Her, but all was blank.

"Well, younglings?"

Finally the larger of the two stepped forward and crouched down, bowing her head and letting her ears fall to the side in respect.

"We would beg a boon, Memory Keeper."

"Speak of this boon."

It was a command, not a question. The lioness swallowed and her tail twitched slightly.

"We wish to learn of other magics, Eldest," she said. "But we wish to do so as part of the culture of origin, so we will need to go somewhere where we cannot be recognized. We beg permission to visit one of the forbidden planets."

It was a bold request. But it seemed to suite her for though the young lioness was clearly unnerved by her strange surroundings and by Her presence, or lack thereof, her speech did not waver or betray hint of any other fear. She purred; it had been long since any last dared make such a request and, perversely, it pleased Her. But there was still the other one. She needed to speak for herself here.

"And you, small one?" She asked. "Do you desire this as well?"

The smaller lioness started ever so slightly at suddenly being addressed. She hid her fear well, but She could smell the sour tang of it, and was pleased. Not by the fear, but by the courage demonstrated in the hiding and defying of that fear.

The lioness moved forward and crouched beside her friend. "Yes, Mother, I too wish for this to be. I too beg this boon." The word Mother was an honorific title, meant to indicate the highest respect, rather than direct kinship. She did not often hear it applied to Herself, but She could not help responding to it with warmth.

"Very well, my kits," She said, stepping forward and revealing Herself to them. They blinked and stared as the light that came into this nowhere, from nowhere, shimmered off of Her strange, iridescent white fur. "I shall find you a school of magic. Somewhere where our kind are unknown. Where we have perhaps never been," She blinked Her eerie diamond colored eyes, "or, perhaps, have simply been forgotten."

A/N: okay, so originally i wasn't going to write or at least post this until i was done with Alternate Realities, but it's frustrating writing multiple stories and i guess i feel like enough of that one is posted that it's okay to go ahead and start working on this one, which is the sequel/prequel to it. however, that much being said, this is very much a work in progress and i would really love some feedback so please let me know what you think or any ideas you might have. i have only a very loose plot line for this so if anyone sends me an idea that works or even just tickles my fancy i'll try to work it in somehow ^_^

on that note --- this prologue... i kind of feel like maybe i should split it up into two separate chapters, but i'm not really sure. if it had been a published book, then it would have been. if you think i should split it up let me know, otherwise, just think of it as two separate -- but related -- things.

alright. enjoy ^_^

~SilverKit'sFire