WARNING: This is the sequel to the story The Longest Night. If you haven't read that story, then I recommend that you stop right now and read it. Trust me. I don't want to confuse too many people here. Thank you.
-HolyOrdersOtaku
Prologue: Edge
One week after the True End from The Longest Night
When one could traverse the universe at will, it seemed like it should be a trifle matter to be able to behold the Thoughtspire. In this regard, Nik was thankful of his youth in the presence of his fellow immortals as he stared in wonder at the massive construct. He could have Shifted into the building, but he enjoyed looking upon its structure. Built magically by the council's founder, the great owl Eudelus Nacht, the Thoughtspire climbed high into the clouds of Desnova. Hallways and smaller spire-like structures protruded from the main building, looking as though it should collapse from its own weight. Some of these protruding structures held large gardens, and some were living spaces for various members of the council. One of the many perks of being magical in nature was that these structures were not bound by the natural laws of physics.
Sighing as he breathed in the atmosphere of this world, which was technically alien to him, before he marched through the massive stone doors before him. He was summoned by his commander, after all; he couldn't keep her waiting. Inside the Thoughtspire, it was surprisingly empty of life. Out of the thousands of Shifters who existed, only a handful ever stuck around the Thoughtspire. Most traversed the universe or stayed on their own home worlds. Nik could only see two other beings in the entry hall; one of them was the ever mysterious and strikingly quiet Anteo Nios. He was leaning against an enclave reading from a book, most likely from the Thoughtspire's own library. "Good afternoon, Anteo," Nik stated in a friendly manner, gaining the older man's attention. Older, in this sense, being a relative term; Anteo was ten thousand years older than Nik, but didn't look a day older that twenty-five.
Without really breaking away from the book, Anteo nodded. "It's evening, actually," he answered. "I assume you just arrived from your world?"
Nik nodded. "It was noon when I left. I'm still not adjusted to the differences between worlds."
"What can I help you with, Nik?" Anteo said flatly.
I hate talking to him, Nik thought. He' so...aloof. It's almost like he doesn't care about anything around him. "Uh, right. Lia summoned me."
"And you took the scenic route, instead of going straight to her," Anteo commented. "How inefficient. She's in the library. I just parted ways with her."
"Thank you," Nik said as he waved a parting salutation to Anteo, happy to part from him. "I guess living forever will do that to a man," he mumbled to himself. He'd only had his immortality for sixteen years, so he hasn't felt the true effects of it yet. He likely wouldn't for another forty years or more.
The Thoughtspire was like an endless maze of halls, rooms, and antechambers. Some of these chambers actually had no doors or windows, and could only be accessed by a very specific Shift, so there wasn't any chance that Nik would get lost in one of those rooms. Still, he felt he understood the building's layout well enough, and he found his way to the library as quickly as he could. Upon entering, he saw only two other people. One was the old man, Brom, who was responsible for taking care of and stocking the library. Most of the texts that resided here were handwritten by him over the last ten thousand years, and anytime new information was introduced he would update the tomes tirelessly. What a boring job, Nik reflected.
The other person was the woman he was looking for. Lia Merca sat at a round, wooden table with a pile of dusty tomes stacked around her. She was lost reading the text before her, and while Nik didn't know what it was, he could guess that she was studying a world that she hadn't visited. He approached her and stood silently, not wanting to disturb her. She deftly glanced out of the corner of her eye at him and quickly returned her gaze to the book before her. "One moment," she said.
Nik always felt a sort of awe in her presence. She gained her Shifted powers not long after he did, and she was only at the age of eight when it happened. When he first saw her, she was just a fragile little girl who didn't fully understand why she had the power to glimpse into the future. Hours later, her adoptive father was killed by their shared enemy, and the shock forced her power to ignite. Her body and mind aged to that of a young woman, and her power was so mighty that it dwarfed even the council founder's strength. She killed the man who caused the Devastation, and she went on to be nominated the head of the Council. So young, yet she held the most power out of everyone Nik knew. Now her foresight was useless, thanks to a curse that Crim Yewin placed on her. Unlike the Cycle he had cast on a certain Ruby Rose, the Cycle he cast on Lia was complete; no one knew how to reverse the effects of the incantation.
Even now, she captivated all with her youthful beauty that would last forever. Very little of her childish innocence remained, as the battle she fought sixteen years ago forced her to cast aside her childish ways. Her hair was a silky, flowing brown that was grown to the midpoint of her back. Her eyes were usually brown, but when she used her foresight they would take the shape of green wolf's eyes. Her garb was a white, flowing robe with short sleeves. The robe ended just below her knees, revealing her pale legs and bare feet. She raised her left hand and brushed a strand of hair out of her eyes before she finally closed the book before her. Turning to face Nik, she smiled. "Thank you for coming to see me, Nik."
"Of course, Lady," he said stiffly, always uncertain of how to address her at times.
She sighed. "I do detest how the lot of you address me. 'Mistress' this, 'Lady Lia' that...just say my name and be done with the formalities. You're all my seniors, after all."
"True, we are your elders, Lady Lia, but we are not your seniors. You're our leader. We must show the proper respect."
She sighed once more. "I grow weary of arguing with all of you over it. I may yet give up on it. At least Fortis and Arletha show some familiarity with me." She stared off, lost in thought. "Then again, so does Fortuitus, but he just does it to be spiteful." She shook her head. "Sorry. I drifted further off topic there."
"Think nothing of it, Lady Lia."
Lia ignored it that time, knowing that Nik meant no offense. "Remember Remnant, Nik? The world you saved when you destroyed the black comet?"
"But of course."
"Tell me, why did you save a world that you had no right to interfere with?"
Nik saw a fire in Lia's eyes; something about this topic was serious, and he knew that he had to stay well behaved. "I know what it's like to lose everything and everyone you love to monsters. You may or may not know, Lady Lia, but shortly before I was awakened as a Shifter, my world was burned to ash by dragons. I was one of a handful of survivors. Even now, there are few left alive on my planet, and the dragons reign supreme. I know what it's like to be useless in times like that. I didn't want another world to face the same fate as my own."
"So, you broke the law of no interference to prevent a global catastrophe?"
"Yes."
"You know that is one of our most sacred laws. We swear to never interfere with worlds other than our own. I can no more help your world than you can alter my world. To do so would be to invoke the wrath of law. In some cases, its punishable by death. Or worse."
Nik was confused. "I'm sorry, Lady Lia, but I was under the impression that I was forgiven of my transgression? That my act was in the name of the greater good?"
Lia smiled. "You were, but now I worry that you may do it again. It's only a matter of time before you do, I think."
Nik thought hard about it. She was right. If another world faced a similar threat, and he were aware of it, he would break the law of no interference to save it. "I can't promise that I won't," was all he said.
"I don't expect you to. So, instead of waiting around for it to happen, I'm giving you a directive to do it again right away."
Nik stared at her, dumbfounded. "I'm sorry?"
She chuckled softly. To Nik, it sounded like angels were singing. "Remnant is one the few worlds that we know of that doesn't have a Shifter. Tell me, Nik, how are Shifters created?"
Nik drifted into thought for a moment to recollect the information. "If I'm not mistaken, each world actually has a conscience. The planet can make choices for the sake of self preservation, and will occasionally name one of its own populace as a guardian. In doing so, they are granted the powers of a Shifter. That's how we are initially formed."
"Correct, but there are other ways as well. You see, Remnant has, for whatever reason, decided against creating a Shifter. We know, however, what kind of change happens when one awakens. I, for example, wasn't given my power by my planet, but by the spirits of my father, my adoptive father, and the wolf responsible for granting me my foresight."
"Avent?" Nik asked.
Lia nodded. "You never met him, and you never will. He's dead. But he was the one who fought to save the universe from the return of the Devastation sixteen years ago. He is the reason that I'm sitting in this library. Otherwise, I'd be sitting in a different library, studying to be a proper lady in the social hierarchy. Instead, I'm here, looking after all of creation. I am one of a few who's power was awakened by an outside source." She reached towards the stack of tomes and grabbed the top most book. "And because of what happened to me, and a few others, we know how to make a Shifter. The world of Remnant didn't want to awaken one, but recent events make it clear that the world needs its own guardian."
Nik nodded. "What does this have to do with me?"
"You see, Nik, you have a soft spot for worlds that are nearly destroyed. You learned destructive magic so that you can kill that which desires to kill. You destroy destroyers, as it were. Since you went out of your way to save this world, I am putting you in charge of its protection for the foreseeable future."
Nik stared at her for a moment. "Is that a figure of speech, or do you actually know how long I'll be doing this?"
Lia put on an off put face; she was pouting. It seemed, to Nik, that she never did completely grow up from the age of eight. "I still can't see the future, I'll have you know. I meant that protecting Remnant is one of your tasks."
Now he was, once again, confused. "Uh, one of my tasks?"
"Correct," she answered with a smile on her face. "You are also to observe the native populace of the planet. Watch them, judge them, and learn from them. You are not just protecting the world, you are also searching for your replacement. You are not from Remnant, after all. I can't expect you to protect it for the rest of your immortal life, now can I?"
"I'm...looking for someone who you will awaken as a Shifter, then?" He glanced out of a nearby window. They were several floors up, so he could see over the fields to the west; in the distance he could see the tops of a mountain range. "I don't know if I can force that responsibility on someone."
"How you go about it is up to you. You can force it on someone, or you can give them a choice; it doesn't matter. Just know that most of us never had an option. I sometimes think it'd have been better if I had died sixteen years ago instead watching all my loved ones die for me." Lia sounded sad for that moment. "You may leave whenever you're ready. As I said, how you do this is completely up to you. Be covert, or be open like a textbook for the people to read as they please. Just make sure that Remnant has a guardian to defend it for all time."
Nik nodded. "Yes, Lady Lia. If you'll excuse me, I'll get straight to work." He turned abruptly, letting his long blue robe flab about violently as he turned, and stormed out of the room.
Lia stood from her seat and approached the window. She felt a sudden weight on her right shoulder. Turning, she saw that her oldest friend had leapt up and was now resting upon her shoulder; the cat Felix. "Was that a wise choice, Lia?" he asked.
Lia smiled, happy to see that her talking feline companion had returned from roaming the Thoughtspire. "I don't know, Felix. I'm still so young compared to everyone here. Two wars over the course of sixteen years has done little to educate me in the ways of making the right choices. Sometimes I feel like my decisions are just lucky shots in the dark."
"Don't doubt yourself so much," the cat said. "Give yourself some credit. If you were bad at this, don't you think that they'd have ousted you by now? There are thousands of omnipotent, immortal beings who follow you, Lia. Believe me; if they didn't think you could do the job, you wouldn't be sitting here in this library right now."
"I know," she sighed. "I'm just afraid. I'm afraid that one of these days I'm going to make the wrong decision. I have an entire universe resting in my care, Felix. I can't afford to make even a single mistake."
Billions of light years away, Remnant continued to live peacefully in its blissful ignorance of the universe around it. Beacon academy was bustling, and several large, military airships were landing at the docks. Professor Ozpin, Beacon's headmaster, stood at his window watching them land. Glynda Goodwitch stood by him, watching the ships as well. They both knew who was responsible for bringing so many ships full of troops.
Glynda sighed angrily. "Ironwood certainly loves bringing his work wherever he travels," she commented, clearly pissed.
Ozpin tried to smile, but couldn't quite form the shape. "Well, running an academy and a military makes him a very busy man...but yes, those are a bit of an eyesore." From behind, his clockwork desk began beeping, signaling that someone was at the door. If I were a betting man, I'd wager that I know who that is, he thought. "Come in."
The door opened, and a man in a white suit strolled into the room. He carried an air of authority, and he held a very pleased, yet somewhat professional smile. "Ozpin, it's been far too long!" he declared happily.
Bingo, Ozpin confirmed mentally. "General Ironwood, it certainly is a pleasure."
Ironwood chuckled. "Please, my old friend, drop the formalities." The two men approached each other and shook hands. He glanced over to Glynda, who was slowly walking closer to the two of them. "Glynda, it certainly has been too long since we last met." He approached her, ready to shake her hand with a smile.
Glynda maintained a sour looking face as she gave him a mock wave. "Oh, James," she said in an uninterested tone. She glanced at Ozpin. "I'll be outside if you need me."
Ironwood stood there awkwardly with his hand outstretched as she left the room, leaving the men alone. "Well, she certainly hasn't changed a bit."
Ozpin smiled. "So, what's brought you down here? It's not often that a headmaster travels with his students." Ozpin poured Ironwood a cup of coffee before sitting down.
Ironwood smiled and produced a silver flask, topping his coffee off with something; Ozpin assumed it was brandy. "Well, I figured it's been a while since I last saw you. And since you're hosting the Vytal Festival, it seemed like a good time to catch up."
"Well, I can certainly agree to some quality time among friends." Ozpin glanced behind him, out of the window where the airships were parking. "However, the small fleet outside my window has me somewhat concerned."
Ironwood visibly tensed up as he sipped his mixed drink. "Well, concern is what brought them here."
"I know that travel between kingdoms is getting more difficult, but..."
"Oz, you know why I brought those men here."
Ozpin nodded, sipped his coffee, and sighed. "James, we're in a time of peace. Shows of power such as this are only going to give off the wrong impression."
Ironwood leaned in slowly. "Oz, if what Qrow said is true, then..."
"If what Qrow said is true, then we will handle it tactfully. It's the Vytal Festival, James. A time to celebrate peace between nations. I suggest that you celebrate it, and that you don't scare people by transporting hundreds of troops halfway across the continent."
"I'm just being cautious."
"As am I. Until we know anything for certain, we will continue to train the bests huntsmen that we can."
"Believe me, I am," Ironwood said, sounding somewhat upset. He turned angrily to leave the room before he stopped right before the door. It opened, and Glynda entered, sliding by him to stand next to Ozpin. "Tell me something, Ozpin. Do you truly believe your children will ever win a war?" Without waiting for an answer, he stormed out of the room and slammed the door.
Ozpin sighed, sad that he'd just upset one of his oldest friends. "I honestly hope they never have to," he answered to the door.
"He's as charming as ever," Glynda stated.
"It's the military life," Ozpin stated. "It's all he's ever known. You can't fault him for that."
A silence filled the air. "So," Glynda said. "I noticed a distinct lack of Ruby Rose in my class one day this past week, and while no one gave me an excuse, she was listed in the roster as having an excused absence. Would you know anything about that?"
Ozpin smiled, remembering the advice he'd given her earlier in the week. "Ms. Rose was having an...off day. I spoke with her and gave her some guidance. That is all you need to know."
"A little cryptic, don't you think?"
"Well, let's just say that she disclosed some personal problems to me, and I saw fit to help her out. You understand, I'm sure."
Glynda sighed. "Why don't students ever ask me for help? They see more of me than they do of you."
"Maybe if you weren't so strict on them, your students would open up to you, Glynda."
Glynda glared at Ozpin. "Remind me to slip some battery acid into your next pot of coffee."
He chuckled. "I think it's a pleasure to work with you, Glynda. Thank you for all your hard work."
She blushed now. "O-oh. Well, thank you."
"We have more work ahead of us, though. Best get started on it now that the new semester is just around the corner."
A loud pop filled their ears, and they were both startled to see a pillar of multicolored, rainbow like flames appear in the middle of the room in front of Ozpin's desk. The flames died away, and before them stood a slender young man with a long blue robe. His shaggy brown hair swayed gently from the flames that licked at him moments ago, and his yellow eyes opened slowly before examining the room. Ozpin and Glynda stared at him, dumbfounded, before his gaze fell upon them.
Glynda raised her wand, ready for a fight. "Who are you, and how did you get in here?"
The man didn't answer, but instead turned to face the door behind him. With a wave of his hand, the two onlookers heard a clicking sound; he dead bolted the door without touching it. Returning his gaze to the professors, he stared at them with serious intensity.
"I asked you a question, piss eyes," Glynda taunted. "Who are you?!"
"I'm looking for the one in charge," he answered calmly, not even flinching at Glynda's wand. "Which of you would that be?"
Ozpin stood up. "That would be me," he answered. "My name is..."
"Ozpin...yes, I know you're name. I assumed you were the master of this facility, but didn't know for sure." He glanced at Glynda. "There is something that I must discuss with you in private."
Glynda growled. "How dare you ignore me!"
"Glynda, calm down," Ozpin stated. "He doesn't appear to be hostile. If he intended to attack us, he'd have done so by now." He turned to face the strange man. "I'm afraid that whatever you have to talk about must involve Glynda as well. I confide everything to her, I'm afraid."
The man shrugged. "Very well." Snapping his fingers, an exact replica of Ozpin's ornate chair appeared behind him. Sitting down, he crossed his legs and folded his hands in his lap. "My name is Nik Stoll. We have much to discuss."
"Such as?" Ozpin asked.
"You have a student named Ruby Rose, correct?" Ozpin nodded. "Has she had any sort of nightmares lately?"
"Shouldn't you be asking her?" Glynda asked.
"I could, but I'd rather not reveal myself to very many people at the moment."
Ozpin nodded again. "She told me about a terrible dream she had where everyone was killed by Grimm."
"Was a black comet involved?"
Ozpin arched an eyebrow. "How did you know?"
"Because I destroyed that comet a week ago. Her nightmare wasn't a nightmare; it was a memory of a failed life in an alternate timeline. Rest assured that your world is safe...for now."
"What do you mean 'for now'?"
"Well," Nik said, forcing a fake, but professional smile. "That's what I'm here to discuss."
Song: Edge- dotHack/Liminality OST
Author's Note
*Sigh*. I really didn't want to do this...but at the same time I did. Woe are the ways of an author. In the end, we're all liars. We say it'll come out at this time, but it actually comes out at that time; we say we won't write something, but something deep inside us compels us to actually write it. Keep in mind, I don't feel pressured by any of you to write this story; I just can't win an argument with myself to save my life.
So, here we are: the sequel to The Longest Night! If you haven't read that story, I will tell you right now to STOP! This story is confusing enough even with the context from the previous story; don't make it harder on yourself. Go! Read The Longest Night if you want to read this story! You might hate me for it, but it's better than being confused unnecessarily.
I'm sorry, this story is full of my original story. I've accidentally assimilated Remnant into my universe of stories. TT_TT You have no idea how large that is. I don't exaggerate when I say it's a universe. I've been teasing it, testing it, and writing it for these 6 long years, and even if I published book 1 today, I'd still have 10 more years left before I finished the entire series. On the plus side, I know how it goes...I'm gonna stop talking about it now. It's not even available to read yet, but I still get excited when I talk about it. Maybe if I got off my ass and edited that first fucking book, I could publish it by next year...oh well.
So, here we go. I hope this story works like I want it to, and I hope you don't hate it. Really, this worries me so freaking much. I do have good news, though. Absolutely NO time-travel/alternate universe shenanigans. This is the True Timeline of my stories, which can't be changed. So, that's one less thing to be confused about. Also, I will try to keep the setting primarily on Remnant so as to avoid more confusion. The only Shifter we'll see a whole lot of is Nik Stoll and his...choice. Who will agree to become Remnant's guardian? Who has what it takes to become immortal, watch their loved ones die over the years, and still selflessly protect the planet? I don't know. Do you know? Let's read on and find out.
(On a side note, this being a part of the True End means that I can't bring anyone back from the dead should they be killed in the story. Any death from here on out is perma-death.)
Till next time~! :D
