Okay, might as well bring in the bad news: Christmas is coming very soon, and things are going to get really hectic trying to get everything ready for that date, as well as the fact that new years will come the week after, basically. So, this is the last chapter of Living on the Edge for now, and the final chapter I'll post in fanfic net in general.
I'll try to post something on AO3, but for here, this is the last thing for a while.
I know I have a bajillion other things to update, but cut me some slack, the holidays are gonna be massive.
Also, I may have mixed up Mollie's Cliche, please let me know if I did in the comments, my mind's been all over the place recently.
Anyway, let's head right in!
"Yargh, shiver me timbers, this might be troublesome..."
Angus walked out of the castle and waited at the garden, tapping his arm as he hummed in contemplation. He had a feeling that the members of the Loud family would want to know about the history of the world, but for them to come this early... it wasn't what "they" intended, at least in Mary Sue's words.
"If what Sue said be true, then 'em beings above be mad thy script be disobeyed," he sighed and scratched his chin. "Tis' here be thy best time to move, otherwise they feel thy wrath o'-"
Suddenly, a portal to Cyberspace opened up, and from it emerged a certain girl friend of Lincoln, one of the Former Antagonists herself.
"Hey there, uncle Angus," Mollie said as she landed on the ground and dusted herself. "You called for me, right? I kinda had a hard time telling what you were saying due to your accent."
"I did," Angus smiled. "Did ye bring the translator, lass?"
Mollie reached for her back and took out a mechanical collar with a red light in the middle. She then handed it to the man, who placed it around his neck and waited until the collar lit up before he took a deep breath.
"Alright, testing, testing, one two three, aha! Much better!" the collar spoke with a mechanical voice. "Phew, it sure gets tiring trying to explain myself with my stupid accent."
"You really should take better care of your translators, uncle," Mollie folded her arms. "Like honestly, I hear you spend most of your time inside the castle, how come your translators keep getting broken."
"Oh, you know, the ghosts of the castle like to pull pranks, and one of them just so happen to be breaking very useful, very expensive translators for me," Angus sighed through the collar. "Now, the reason I called you here is because, some forbidden knowledge is being passed to the Loud patriarch and matriarch as we speak."
"Rita and Lynn Sr., right?" Mollie raised an eyebrow. "What does that have to do with me being here?"
"Well, if such knowledge is being shared, then that means the situation is becoming more and more dangerous," Angus narrowed his eyes. "In order to make sure everybody comes out alright, the Loud family alone cannot be the only ones to have this knowledge. So, I'm sharing some knowledge as well."
Mollie winced. "Wait, really? What are you gonna tell me?"
Angus smiled before he crouched down, and began to whisper in his niece's ear...
...
"Mary Sue promptly took over the original city, and became a ruler that established the Index System."
Back at the flashback, Morag, Rita, and Lynn Sr. watched as Mary Sue raised her arms, her hands glowing a rainbow energy as she summoned a massive pillar from the middle of the city, with it extending into the sky as Morag explained:
"A system that would not only classify Cliches in order to provide some sense of order to the chaotic world, but would also provide a system to classify those who used their Cliches in particular ways."
The Protagonist, Antagonist, and Neutrals watched as the pillar finished being constructed, and its top shined as it blocked the sun.
"Protagonists, Antagonists, Neutrals..."
Suddenly, a flash of energy hit the pillar and tilted it, Mary Sue promptly going to check it as the sun shone its light once again.
"And Outsiders."
Morag snapped her fingers, and the trio seemingly levitated and headed straight for Mary Sue's location, with Lynn Sr. being the first to notice and the quickest to freak out.
"Whoa, what's going on?!"
"Relax, nothing's actually happening; I'm just moving the scenery of the flashback along to give you a better look at what Mary Sue did," Morag explained. "Don't worry, I still have enough knowledge to make the environment look the same. Just... stay calm while I keep explaining, okay?"
Soon after, the trio managed to reach the spot where Mary Sue had floated, only to find a guy latching onto the side of the pillar, with what looked like clones of him trying to break in as he spoke with the woman.
"Shortly after the Index System was created, one person, followed by several others, decided to try get into the interior of the system, and figure out the ins and outs over how it actually worked."
The woman folded her arms and spoke with an authoritarian voice. Not that the couple could understand, since there was no sound.
"Mary Sue, being someone of infinite benevolence who also had better things to do than turn those invaders into blood stains on the wall, decided to make a deal with them: they would be allowed to exist outside of the system, to work without being bothered by the limitations it would impose on all people within it."
The man tilted his head as the woman kept speaking.
"But in exchange, they would not prod further into the inside work of the Index System, or indeed, they wouldn't get involve in any of the conflicts created by it. Be it a fight between a Protagonist and an Antagonist, or some other type of conflict, they, as an Outsider, would keep to their own business and not get involved."
The guy laughed and slapped his knees.
"The Outsider laughed, asking out loud what would be the consequences if they refused."
Mary Sue focused her eyes and glared at the guy as they laughed some more. A burst of rainbow energy emerged from the glare, causing their clones to vanish and the person to nearly collapse.
"They soon came to regret the question, and the role of Outsider was established soon after."
Morag snapped her fingers, and the scenery changed, this time to show Mary Sue sitting on a throne in the middle of some sort of throne room, with one shadowy figure yelling at her while guards stopped them, before the woman snapped her fingers, prompting the guards to take the offending figure away.
"However, not everybody was on board with being ruled by Mary Sue. Many people shouted their complaints, even went ahead and confronted the woman on their own. But Mary Sue would always have the last word, and those who opposed her would always be sent away, no matter how good their arguments were."
Mary Sue smiled as the figure was taken away, bidding farewell with a cocky grin.
"And thus, the Maverick role was born."
"But wait a minute," Lynn Sr. said. "I was told that Mavericks emerged after the Trainerbot conflict?"
"Information is a very easily manipulated utility, Mr. Loud," Morag explained. "Even now, what I'm telling you is what I've been told is the true story. But really, with many winners and losers across the years, it's become impossible to tell which is true history and which is is just hearsay."
The couple exchanged looks, then nodded. "Thanks for telling us this, Morag. We really appreciate it."
"The story would've had to be told eventually," Morag smiled. "I'm just glad that the first ones to learn about it are the descendants of the Loud duchy. Now, how about we keep talking about the past? There's still more to cover."
The couple nodded, and the explanation continued...
...
Finally, back at the former antagonists' treehouse, Stella checked her phone while Cookie and Girl Jordan finished baking some cookies, the demon lord reading the message she got from Lincoln with visible concern.
"Alright, these should be ready!" Cookie chirped. "Hey Stella, would you be up for a little snack?"
"... I'm afraid I won't be able to do it," Stella sighed as she wrote a reply. "Lincoln just asked me to come to his house. He apparently needs to tell people about something important that I was present for
"Well, which event is he talking about?" Girl Jordan asked. "You were present in a lot of events."
Stella paused and lowered her head. "I'd rather not talk about it. Just... I'll be gone for some time, behave while I'm away, okay?"
A pair of wings made of black fire sprouted from Stella's back, and she promptly flew off in the distance... just in time for a portal to cyberspace to open, and from it to emerge a visibly shocked Mollie.
"Hey there, Mollie! How did your visit to scotland go?"
"It was okay, brought my uncle a new translator," Mollie paused. "And he taught me about something in return. Something he claims to be forbidden knowledge in the current era."
"Well, we used to be Antagonists; those guys always seek forbidden knowledge to take over the world or something," Girl Jordan remarked. "And if it can help us with our mission to protect Lincoln, that's oughta be good, right?"
Mollie looked elsewhere and scratched the back of her head, prompting Cookie to state:
"You don't have to tell us if you don't want to, but if you do, we'll keep it a secret."
Mollie eyed Cookie and Girl Jordan, who flashed a thumbs up before doing the "my lips are sealed" gesture, and after taking a deep breath, the girl started:
"He told me about something called... Plot Armor."
