Author's Notes:

This particular (and frankly more expanded) episode is more of a direct reference to the RP that started it all. More specifically to the being who partly brought about the events in said RP in the first place, in an attempt to do his part in saving a world he was only tasked to watch indifferently.

The Piano Hall: A RDNA-verse Tale

1996

The room lay quiet and empty under the moonlight. But had anyone around noticed, there was a strange, almost bat-like shadow cast on the carpeting. The cloaked figure it belonged to took a moment to stroll past the various items and decorations. It hadn't entered his mind exactly why he chose this particular domain to go about. Perhaps it was just that time of year again.

In many ways, the Piano Hall was very much as quaint, though elegant, as in the old days. Very few living now, he knew, could attest to that by this point in time. And showing himself to them seemed out of the question.

The figure had been assigned to this world as its Guardian centuries earlier. As per his duties, he looked on history unfold in all its tragedy and beauty; and for a time, it was more on the latter. But for all the revolting and admirable people he came across, the closest he had to "constant reprieve" weren't even human; indeed, they were even more of an enigma than Homo Sapiens. In the wider scheme of things, human beings came and went with startling regularity. But what had once been idle curiosity over these "Nations" turned to fascination and eventually, a sense of attachment, especially to the likes of Francesca.

As a prime rule, the being was not to interfere in this world's affairs, nor do anything to significantly warp reality, let alone interact with anyone; few, if any, knew of his very existence. But he had long gone native by the time the Terror struck. After generations in the job, he had the knowledge and abilities to counter the Collectivists. By all accounts, he could have helped save the Lost Nations before it was too late.

And in the end, it meant next to nothing. Bound as he was by the Crossdimensional Council's code, he was forced to stand aside as the world was thrown into chaos, completely useless in doing anything. Yet in the time since, he was forced to make do with what little he could do in the hopes of one day finally giving this world a chance, at least, to make it right again.

"Things cannot go on like this," he muttered, inasmuch as it resembled it. Not far from him, and in a sense all around him, New Austria slumbered, continuing to go about the motions of normalcy. But he knew more than that.

He, like the rest of his kind, couldn't see into the future, but it was clear that the existing cold war could only lead to a conflict that would more likely destroy everything or even paint the entire world Red than bring closure. Neither would the sanity of the Free Nations last indefinitely. If the Reds didn't get to them first, mass insanity would probably finish the job for the madmen. Something would have to be done.

In the meantime, he watched with slight amusement as a lone guard was making the rounds. The clock on the side desk chimed at 12:16 AM. There was no sound coming from the piano, apart from a very faint trace of a whisper that he tried to shrug off. For a moment, he considered slipping into the personification's room to take a look but thought nothing more of it. A decision, small as it was, had been made.

"Sweet dreams, New Austria. Someday, I hope you'll be ready..."