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Prologue
"Ten Hours Remaining"
Shortly before the Othinus Incident...
In a dark place that only a select few beings had tread stood one man cloaked in black armor and his face obscured a foreboding helmet. He was named Revan, and he stood with his arms crossed, thinking about the last time he had been here in attendance to a clandestine meeting over a game of chess. The man had come to enjoy that small frivolity, though his sparring partners were always so fond of comparing the games they shared to imagined gestures of epic manipulation. The man had no desire for such blunt metaphors, especially with men who ultimately nothing in the grand scheme of things.
One such inconsequential man was arriving at this meeting place just on time. He was Xehanort, a man who believed himself to be cleverer than he actually was. Perhaps confined to his own universe he was uniquely notable, but he paled in comparison to Revan and the schemes he had grown on a multiversal scale. Xehanort had many faces, but the one who came before Revan now was old and wizened. Revan found his bald and silver goatee to be eyesores, even more so when the man grinned maliciously as he so often did.
Xehanort waited a moment before he spoke. “It is done,” he said, his voice low and gravelly.
Revan nodded. “I already know.”
Xehanort lifted one eyebrow out of curiosity. “Is that so? You seem to know a lot of things before they happen, don’t you? You’ve not been using our… asset, have you?”
Revan did not reply immediately. This was not the first time Xehanort had asked about Revan’s penchant for clairvoyance. Revan had never felt the need to indulge the man before, but now it was getting past the point of mattering. “No,” he eventually said. ”I have no need for that. I’ve largely left the matter of time in your hands, after all. No, in this case, I know thanks to the reason I know many things.”
Xehanort was silent. This was more than Revan had ever said before on the matter and he was likely waiting for more. The man had an unquenchable thirst to know everything, like a dog who salivated for every last scrap on his plate. Revan sneered behind his mask. “There was once a time when I was naïve. Or… not even naïve. Ignorant, I would say. I did not even know other worlds existed, let alone my true calling. Before even the Coalition had come to be, I found myself accosted by beings who had come to my universe out of seemingly mere happenstance.”
“Ah,” Xehanort nodded. “I’ve read about this. The anomaly was a ship called the Discovery, wasn’t it?”
Revan could have done without the interruption. Xehanort wanted to flex the little he did know. Revan nodded his head before continuing.
“A battle was waged, one that dislodged a great amount of power. For the others and I nearby who understood the matters of the Force, a change happened in all of us. It was unique to the individual. For myself… I saw my future. It was laid out before me, almost step-by-step. I saw my rise to power, I saw every machination I would make, I saw a calling.”
Xehanort seemed intrigued, but not shocked. “You saw it all? Have there been any deviations?”
“Mild ones,” Revan said casually. “Mostly inconsequential. I had to work to make the future I saw reality, of course. I could have simply not acted. Certainly, that vision would not have come to pass if I had continued living in my ignorant reality. Some steps have been… more difficult than others. It was hard to account for the willfulness of others, both those who sought power and those who sought justice.”
“If that is the case, then why have we waited?” Xehanort asked. “Or is that how it is meant to be?”
Revan could sense some emotion behind Xehanort’s questions. Revan could understand why. Xehanort had been forced to bide his time for a rather long time now.
“The Great Spirits are a curious force,” Revan replied. “My visions told me they could be killed, but not how. I could not instruct you or our allies to act rashly simply because I knew a possible outcome. I did not see how Verius would die, but that you stand before myself tells me it has been done. I presume you dealt with Artorius.”
“I did. He thought he and I were acting alone. He did not understand he was being used.”
“You must know then that the Coalition will act against you soon. They have been aware of your allegiance for some time now.”
Xehanort scoffed. “I’ve done all I needed. With Verius killed, the Revanchist can finally move ahead.”
“Yes. I have sent out the orders already. However…”
“However?”
Revan examined Xehanort carefully. He eyed the man’s face intently, trying to read his thoughts. Revan could see every wrinkle and every pore even in this dark space. Xehanort looked intrigued and almost amused, but his face did not give away his every thought. Revan knew this man was trouble, but he would need him moving forward. He had already made use of the man and his many faces too much already to cut him out now.
“Once Othinus has learned about Verius’ death, she will move ahead with her own plans, independent of ours. She will defect and recreate reality without us.”
Xehanort looked surprised for once. “Then have her killed before she does that if you know what she will do.”
“I could,” Revan said, “or I could make use of her treachery. My visions do not extend into her version of the multiverse, so I have little idea of what happens during that time. However, my visions do continue past her treachery, meaning either her plan fails, or she has a change of heart.”
“Why would her plan fail?”
“I suspect it has to do with the Great Spirits. She sees a plan that does not involve disposing of them and only will accelerate it once she fears we will accelerate our own plans after Verius’ death. Whatever the case, we can make use of her without her knowledge. I have already adjusted my plans to account for her.”
“… Very interesting…” Xehanort looked down at the ground and went quiet as if mulling over the information. “If Othinus is able to recreate the multiverse and yet fails, who can say we will succeed?”
As if such a question needed to be asked, Revan thought. “Because we will do it better,” he said. “The pillars of our reality are held up by the Great Spirits. Once they are gone, there will be nothing left in front of us. This reality will be no more, and it will be replaced by a better one. I have already seen our victory. It will happen very soon, Xehanort.”
The old man stared at Revan, probably wishing he could read the face behind the mask. “Very well,” he said quietly.
Present Day
A state of emergency had been issued at the Coalition Headquarters, located within the floating space structure known as Knowhere. The organization was still reeling from the Othinus Incident, but many knew that the Revanchist had been likely to continue their machinations even after Othinus had been dealt with. Many important members of the organization had gathered in the strategy room, listening intently to Milla Maxwell, the current Lord of Spirits, as she explained the reality of the situation.
With Othinus’ inside knowledge, the Coalition understood now that the Revanchist wanted to recreate the multiverse in some manner and hoped to accomplish this in a way different from what Othinus had done. Their plan involved destroying the Great Spirits, an act that Milla warned would greatly destabilize the multiverse.
“I can’t speak for what precisely will happen,” Milla explained, “but we are already seeing ramifications due to the death of Verius and Aska. Worlds known for a high concentration of malevolence are going out of control.”
“Our people stationed at Ragnarok are reporting that the situation there is already more than they can handle,” said Paladin Danse, a leader of the Coalition’s military forces. “Even with the help of the extra soldiers Miss Kirigiri authorized, it might not be enough.”
“And think about that on a much larger scale,” Makoto Naegi said, his voice distant and distraught. “Our forces are already tapped out thanks to the many terrorist attacks the Revanchist have carried out. We contacted the United Nations but Robin could only send us a video message in response.”
Makoto tapped at the keyboard on his desk, turning on the display screen so that all in attendance could see. A small chime played and a familiar logo unfolded itself. A calm female voice spoke.
“OFFICIAL UNITED NATIONS CORRESPONDENCE.”
Robin then appeared on the screen. His hair was a mess, but his suit was nicely made up. He smiled softly.
“Thank you for contacting us in your time of need,” he said calmly and professionally. “However, I regret that I cannot send any more assistance than what has already been sent. All of our Peacekeeper divisions are currently engaged in various operations, the Security Council is currently locked in an emergency meeting, and we have been facing terrorist attacks on UN officials and assets from the Revanchist.” He paused and took a deep breath. “I know that this is a turbulent time, but please understand that I will do everything in my power to assist you and our other allies.” He looked directly towards the camera. “Do not hesitate to contact me if you need anything.”
He signed off and the video ended. There was silence for a few moments until another in the room spoke up.
“I would like to know why this one is allowed to be in attendance to this meeting,” said Morrigan, a member of the Multiversal Emergency Unit’s coven, shooting an unimpressed look Othinus’ way.
“And honestly, if she says she cut ties with Revan, why did she kill Aska when she supposedly didn’t have to?” added Ludger, a member of the Coalition’s strike team.
"As I've said before... It is as the same as when a human attains such great power, when he becomes above the laws imposed upon him, loath as I am to compare myself to a human. I simply did it because I could. However, upon the realization that there was no reason to go on killing them when I possessed the ability to control them, that was that."
Othinus, former absolute goddess of the multiverse above all, reduced to a 15-centimeter tall fairy, crossed her arms and crossed her legs atop the structure that she was sitting on, looking pointedly toward Morrigan. Her voice had a power and assertiveness to it that was hidden well by her otherwise comical size, but the piercing gaze from her one eye was certainly nothing to scoff at.
"That aside... It's quite rude to speak of someone as though they aren't there, human."
"Ahem."
From there, a certain young man cleared his throat, as though to cut in before anything happened. The young man named Touma Kamijou, who was also currently doubling as the aforementioned structure that Othinus sat atop, resting comfortably atop his spiky, yet fluffy hair.
"N-Now, now. Let's not antagonize. It's all about the process of paying it all back, right?" He said with a nervous chuckle, admittedly feeling uncomfortable to a few different degrees, between the obvious unease between Othinus and the rest of the room, as well as the boy simply feeling out of place while everyone else spoke of these multiversal affairs.
“Regardless of the damage that’s been done, we have to protect the remaining Great Spirits,” Milla said, cutting in. She clearly was no fan of Othinus, but she knew there was no time for arguing. “Othinus holds no sway over them now. I have asked them all to hide, though not all of them have listened. I can’t say for sure where Muzét and Shadow have gone.”
“But you do know where the others have gone?” Ludger asked.
“My coven has taken in Origin,” Morrigan said. “He is under many protective spells, but I am afraid he is in danger. The Revanchist are mobilizing forces to attack where is being housed as we speak.”
“They are currently preparing to attack Asgard as well,” Makoto said. “We have Volt stationed there. Nick Fury has asked us to send forces as soon as possible.”
“Celsius is similarly being protected,” Milla said, “but I do not believe the Revanchist know of her location yet. Pluto has decided to act on its own, but I do know where they are located. I do not imagine the Revanchist will be looking for them immediately either.”
Paladin Danse nodded. “So, the top priorities are Origin and Volt for the moment. Our remaining forces will have to be split if we hope to protect them both.”
"And we'll have to move fast at that."
From there, the voice of Kyoko Kirigiri, leader of the Coalition itself, appeared before everyone, stepping into the room. Though her face was little more than furrowed and labored like it often tended to be, her body moved with a sense of rapid and immediate urgency.
"I should reiterate if anyone's out of the know, but since we've officially declared a state of emergency, the organizations have agreed to override the Multiverse Directives, given the circumstances," she said swiftly.
"To that end, we've been granted authorization to act as swiftly as possible. The multiverse isn't out of the woods yet, so we'd do well to make good out of every second here. Is that understood?" She asked, not out of any patronizing feeling, but out of a true desire to confirm that everyone was on the same page.
Those in attendance nodded in agreement with Kyoko. The Revanchist had been planning for a very long time now so there was no doubt their actions would be swift, decisive, and destructive.
With a sigh, Ludger crossed his arms. "Where should I go?" he asked.
"Um, well, Wanda Maximoff is already with the MEU's forces, while Cosmo has gone ahead to assist the Asgard group," Makoto said. "I think, for now, you should stay among the forces protecting Knowhere."
"Very well..."
"I shall get going then," Morrigan said casually. "I should thank you for transporting the comatose girl to me. She was needed for our defense."
"Her name is Jennifer," Makoto said bitterly, looking away.
Morrigan sensed the edge in Makoto's quip and pointedly chose to ignore him. "I hope all goes well." With a bit of magic, Morrigan was then gone. The group waited dejectedly in silence for a few moments before continuing their discussion on the battles ahead.
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Final Chapter
Prologue
"Ten Hours Remaining"
Shortly before the Othinus Incident...
In a dark place that only a select few beings had tread stood one man cloaked in black armor and his face obscured a foreboding helmet. He was named Revan, and he stood with his arms crossed, thinking about the last time he had been here in attendance to a clandestine meeting over a game of chess. The man had come to enjoy that small frivolity, though his sparring partners were always so fond of comparing the games they shared to imagined gestures of epic manipulation. The man had no desire for such blunt metaphors, especially with men who ultimately nothing in the grand scheme of things.
One such inconsequential man was arriving at this meeting place just on time. He was Xehanort, a man who believed himself to be cleverer than he actually was. Perhaps confined to his own universe he was uniquely notable, but he paled in comparison to Revan and the schemes he had grown on a multiversal scale. Xehanort had many faces, but the one who came before Revan now was old and wizened. Revan found his bald and silver goatee to be eyesores, even more so when the man grinned maliciously as he so often did.
Xehanort waited a moment before he spoke. “It is done,” he said, his voice low and gravelly.
Revan nodded. “I already know.”
Xehanort lifted one eyebrow out of curiosity. “Is that so? You seem to know a lot of things before they happen, don’t you? You’ve not been using our… asset, have you?”
Revan did not reply immediately. This was not the first time Xehanort had asked about Revan’s penchant for clairvoyance. Revan had never felt the need to indulge the man before, but now it was getting past the point of mattering. “No,” he eventually said. ”I have no need for that. I’ve largely left the matter of time in your hands, after all. No, in this case, I know thanks to the reason I know many things.”
Xehanort was silent. This was more than Revan had ever said before on the matter and he was likely waiting for more. The man had an unquenchable thirst to know everything, like a dog who salivated for every last scrap on his plate. Revan sneered behind his mask. “There was once a time when I was naïve. Or… not even naïve. Ignorant, I would say. I did not even know other worlds existed, let alone my true calling. Before even the Coalition had come to be, I found myself accosted by beings who had come to my universe out of seemingly mere happenstance.”
“Ah,” Xehanort nodded. “I’ve read about this. The anomaly was a ship called the Discovery, wasn’t it?”
Revan could have done without the interruption. Xehanort wanted to flex the little he did know. Revan nodded his head before continuing.
“A battle was waged, one that dislodged a great amount of power. For the others and I nearby who understood the matters of the Force, a change happened in all of us. It was unique to the individual. For myself… I saw my future. It was laid out before me, almost step-by-step. I saw my rise to power, I saw every machination I would make, I saw a calling.”
Xehanort seemed intrigued, but not shocked. “You saw it all? Have there been any deviations?”
“Mild ones,” Revan said casually. “Mostly inconsequential. I had to work to make the future I saw reality, of course. I could have simply not acted. Certainly, that vision would not have come to pass if I had continued living in my ignorant reality. Some steps have been… more difficult than others. It was hard to account for the willfulness of others, both those who sought power and those who sought justice.”
“If that is the case, then why have we waited?” Xehanort asked. “Or is that how it is meant to be?”
Revan could sense some emotion behind Xehanort’s questions. Revan could understand why. Xehanort had been forced to bide his time for a rather long time now.
“The Great Spirits are a curious force,” Revan replied. “My visions told me they could be killed, but not how. I could not instruct you or our allies to act rashly simply because I knew a possible outcome. I did not see how Verius would die, but that you stand before myself tells me it has been done. I presume you dealt with Artorius.”
“I did. He thought he and I were acting alone. He did not understand he was being used.”
“You must know then that the Coalition will act against you soon. They have been aware of your allegiance for some time now.”
Xehanort scoffed. “I’ve done all I needed. With Verius killed, the Revanchist can finally move ahead.”
“Yes. I have sent out the orders already. However…”
“However?”
Revan examined Xehanort carefully. He eyed the man’s face intently, trying to read his thoughts. Revan could see every wrinkle and every pore even in this dark space. Xehanort looked intrigued and almost amused, but his face did not give away his every thought. Revan knew this man was trouble, but he would need him moving forward. He had already made use of the man and his many faces too much already to cut him out now.
“Once Othinus has learned about Verius’ death, she will move ahead with her own plans, independent of ours. She will defect and recreate reality without us.”
Xehanort looked surprised for once. “Then have her killed before she does that if you know what she will do.”
“I could,” Revan said, “or I could make use of her treachery. My visions do not extend into her version of the multiverse, so I have little idea of what happens during that time. However, my visions do continue past her treachery, meaning either her plan fails, or she has a change of heart.”
“Why would her plan fail?”
“I suspect it has to do with the Great Spirits. She sees a plan that does not involve disposing of them and only will accelerate it once she fears we will accelerate our own plans after Verius’ death. Whatever the case, we can make use of her without her knowledge. I have already adjusted my plans to account for her.”
“… Very interesting…” Xehanort looked down at the ground and went quiet as if mulling over the information. “If Othinus is able to recreate the multiverse and yet fails, who can say we will succeed?”
As if such a question needed to be asked, Revan thought. “Because we will do it better,” he said. “The pillars of our reality are held up by the Great Spirits. Once they are gone, there will be nothing left in front of us. This reality will be no more, and it will be replaced by a better one. I have already seen our victory. It will happen very soon, Xehanort.”
The old man stared at Revan, probably wishing he could read the face behind the mask. “Very well,” he said quietly.
Present Day
A state of emergency had been issued at the Coalition Headquarters, located within the floating space structure known as Knowhere. The organization was still reeling from the Othinus Incident, but many knew that the Revanchist had been likely to continue their machinations even after Othinus had been dealt with. Many important members of the organization had gathered in the strategy room, listening intently to Milla Maxwell, the current Lord of Spirits, as she explained the reality of the situation.
With Othinus’ inside knowledge, the Coalition understood now that the Revanchist wanted to recreate the multiverse in some manner and hoped to accomplish this in a way different from what Othinus had done. Their plan involved destroying the Great Spirits, an act that Milla warned would greatly destabilize the multiverse.
“I can’t speak for what precisely will happen,” Milla explained, “but we are already seeing ramifications due to the death of Verius and Aska. Worlds known for a high concentration of malevolence are going out of control.”
“Our people stationed at Ragnarok are reporting that the situation there is already more than they can handle,” said Paladin Danse, a leader of the Coalition’s military forces. “Even with the help of the extra soldiers Miss Kirigiri authorized, it might not be enough.”
“And think about that on a much larger scale,” Makoto Naegi said, his voice distant and distraught. “Our forces are already tapped out thanks to the many terrorist attacks the Revanchist have carried out. We contacted the United Nations but Robin could only send us a video message in response.”
Makoto tapped at the keyboard on his desk, turning on the display screen so that all in attendance could see. A small chime played and a familiar logo unfolded itself. A calm female voice spoke.
“OFFICIAL UNITED NATIONS CORRESPONDENCE.”
Robin then appeared on the screen. His hair was a mess, but his suit was nicely made up. He smiled softly.
“Thank you for contacting us in your time of need,” he said calmly and professionally. “However, I regret that I cannot send any more assistance than what has already been sent. All of our Peacekeeper divisions are currently engaged in various operations, the Security Council is currently locked in an emergency meeting, and we have been facing terrorist attacks on UN officials and assets from the Revanchist.” He paused and took a deep breath. “I know that this is a turbulent time, but please understand that I will do everything in my power to assist you and our other allies.” He looked directly towards the camera. “Do not hesitate to contact me if you need anything.”
He signed off and the video ended. There was silence for a few moments until another in the room spoke up.
“I would like to know why this one is allowed to be in attendance to this meeting,” said Morrigan, a member of the Multiversal Emergency Unit’s coven, shooting an unimpressed look Othinus’ way.
“And honestly, if she says she cut ties with Revan, why did she kill Aska when she supposedly didn’t have to?” added Ludger, a member of the Coalition’s strike team.
"As I've said before... It is as the same as when a human attains such great power, when he becomes above the laws imposed upon him, loath as I am to compare myself to a human. I simply did it because I could. However, upon the realization that there was no reason to go on killing them when I possessed the ability to control them, that was that."
Othinus, former absolute goddess of the multiverse above all, reduced to a 15-centimeter tall fairy, crossed her arms and crossed her legs atop the structure that she was sitting on, looking pointedly toward Morrigan. Her voice had a power and assertiveness to it that was hidden well by her otherwise comical size, but the piercing gaze from her one eye was certainly nothing to scoff at.
"That aside... It's quite rude to speak of someone as though they aren't there, human."
"Ahem."
From there, a certain young man cleared his throat, as though to cut in before anything happened. The young man named Touma Kamijou, who was also currently doubling as the aforementioned structure that Othinus sat atop, resting comfortably atop his spiky, yet fluffy hair.
"N-Now, now. Let's not antagonize. It's all about the process of paying it all back, right?" He said with a nervous chuckle, admittedly feeling uncomfortable to a few different degrees, between the obvious unease between Othinus and the rest of the room, as well as the boy simply feeling out of place while everyone else spoke of these multiversal affairs.
“Regardless of the damage that’s been done, we have to protect the remaining Great Spirits,” Milla said, cutting in. She clearly was no fan of Othinus, but she knew there was no time for arguing. “Othinus holds no sway over them now. I have asked them all to hide, though not all of them have listened. I can’t say for sure where Muzét and Shadow have gone.”
“But you do know where the others have gone?” Ludger asked.
“My coven has taken in Origin,” Morrigan said. “He is under many protective spells, but I am afraid he is in danger. The Revanchist are mobilizing forces to attack where is being housed as we speak.”
“They are currently preparing to attack Asgard as well,” Makoto said. “We have Volt stationed there. Nick Fury has asked us to send forces as soon as possible.”
“Celsius is similarly being protected,” Milla said, “but I do not believe the Revanchist know of her location yet. Pluto has decided to act on its own, but I do know where they are located. I do not imagine the Revanchist will be looking for them immediately either.”
Paladin Danse nodded. “So, the top priorities are Origin and Volt for the moment. Our remaining forces will have to be split if we hope to protect them both.”
"And we'll have to move fast at that."
From there, the voice of Kyoko Kirigiri, leader of the Coalition itself, appeared before everyone, stepping into the room. Though her face was little more than furrowed and labored like it often tended to be, her body moved with a sense of rapid and immediate urgency.
"I should reiterate if anyone's out of the know, but since we've officially declared a state of emergency, the organizations have agreed to override the Multiverse Directives, given the circumstances," she said swiftly.
"To that end, we've been granted authorization to act as swiftly as possible. The multiverse isn't out of the woods yet, so we'd do well to make good out of every second here. Is that understood?" She asked, not out of any patronizing feeling, but out of a true desire to confirm that everyone was on the same page.
Those in attendance nodded in agreement with Kyoko. The Revanchist had been planning for a very long time now so there was no doubt their actions would be swift, decisive, and destructive.
With a sigh, Ludger crossed his arms. "Where should I go?" he asked.
"Um, well, Wanda Maximoff is already with the MEU's forces, while Cosmo has gone ahead to assist the Asgard group," Makoto said. "I think, for now, you should stay among the forces protecting Knowhere."
"Very well..."
"I shall get going then," Morrigan said casually. "I should thank you for transporting the comatose girl to me. She was needed for our defense."
"Her name is Jennifer," Makoto said bitterly, looking away.
Morrigan sensed the edge in Makoto's quip and pointedly chose to ignore him. "I hope all goes well." With a bit of magic, Morrigan was then gone. The group waited dejectedly in silence for a few moments before continuing their discussion on the battles ahead.
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Final Chapter
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