Prelude to War-Anima Imperia

The history behind the new leader of the Order of the Four Seasons.

A New Threat Arises

Ready to Face the World of Remnant

And All it Has to Throw At Her.

But Despite The Simple Appearances

There is Always a Reason

Behind the Madness.

 

 

 

25 Years Before the Death of Ember

The Village of Aequo

 

 

 

            The village of Aequo was flourishing.  The discussions regarding keeping the village separate from the Kingdom of Vale were going well, more and more people were flocking to the site to start a new life, and the Violet Troupe was starting to prepare for their first ever world tour.  A young girl ran through the streets as she heard the sounds of the mighty drums off in the distance.  When she finally made it to the town square, her face fell a bit to see that there was already a giant crowd surrounding the performers.
            “Yo!  Anima!”  A voice cut through the crowd.  The young girl turned her head back and forth and then saw another young girl with cat ears hanging out up inside a tree.  Without missing a second, the young girl ran over and climbed up the tree next to the young cat girl.
            “Thanks Ember” Anima said as she sat down in the tree next to her friend.
            “Don’t mention it!”  Ember said focusing her attention back on the stage.  “They’re about to get to the good part!”  As she said this, the drums started going crazy and the trapeze artists started their routine.  Swinging from wire to wire, their movements perfectly in sync with the drums.  Anima and Ember watched with awe and excitement.  As their routine finished, the crowd applauded and the troupe took a bow.  With the performance done, the crowds of people started to disperse, but the two young girls just sat there, watching as the troupe started breaking down all their equipment.  As the trucks were starting to get loaded up, the two of them ran over to the main performers.
            “Can we have your autographs?” the two of them asked at the same time, their faces beaming.
            “Sure thing kids!”  The performers all smiled and were more than happy to sign the small notebooks that the kids were clutching so closely.  Afterwards, they all left and went on their way for the world tour.  The two girls smiled and started making their way back to their own homes.
            “That was amazing!” Ember said as she clutched her notebook close to her chest.
            “I know!” Anima said as she kept flipping through all the signed pages.  “I can’t wait until we’re old enough to join the Violet Troupe!”
            “Me too!”  As they kept walking and laughing, they ended up at the orphanage.  “Well,” Ember said with a sigh, “I guess this is my stop.”
            “Oh come on.  Come back to my place.  My parents would love to have you.  It’d be fun!”
            “Sorry, but the matron is really strict about curfew, especially with the summer months coming up and it being light later.  Maybe another night.”
            “Okay.  Well, I’ll see you tomorrow then!”  They both smiled and waved, and Ember made her way back into the orphanage.  But instead of heading straight home, Anima made her way over to the open window where the matron was standing.
            “Why hello there young Anima.  Did you have a fun day with Ember?”
            “I did ma’am.  But do you think that there is any way that she could come over to my place today and have dinner with me?”
            “Now Anima, I know your parents are very loose about your curfew, but I need to establish a sense of order for these children here.  If I bend the rules for one person, I have to bend the rules for everybody.”  Anima sighed and placed her two primary fingers on her right hand on her temple.
            “But ma’am, you must have been young once right?  What’s wrong with letting the kids have a little fun during the summer?”  The matron contemplated this for a minute, and then walked over to her desk and grabbed the intercom.
            “Attention children, curfew is pushed back to 10:00 P.M. tonight.  Have some fun in this summer sun.”  As soon as she finished, there was a loud cheer from the entire orphanage.  Anima smiled and made her way back to the front.  A few minutes later, Ember came running out the front doors.
            “Anima!  It’s amazing!  The matron decided to let us stay out later tonight!”
            “That’s awesome!  My parents should be just about ready for dinner.  What do you say we head over there right now?”
            “Sounds fun!”  The two of them started walking towards Anima’s house, watching as the sun set across the mountains of Aequo.
            “Hey Ember?”
            “Yeah?”
            “What if we both just joined the Violet Troupe right now?  Just left this place behind, learned how to perform together.  Wouldn’t it be great?”
            “That sounds amazing, but what about your family?”
            “What about them?”
            “I mean, they’re your family.  And like it or not, we’re still just kids.  Why not wait until we’re a bit older until we leave here?”
            “But I want to leave now.  I want to find my true family.”
            “Your true family?”
            “Yeah.  My parents love me, sure.  But they don’t support me.  They keep telling me to focus more on my training and not do what I love doing.”
            “Do they really?”
            “I mean, they keep saying things like “stop and think about this” or “are you sure this is the best direction to go” and things like that.  I mean, either support me unconditionally or forget it!”
            “Well, I don’t really have any parents to compare too, but it sounds to me like….”
            “Just forget it Ember.  Forget I said anything.  Let’s just head over to my parent’s place and get a bite.”  Anima kept walking but Ember stopped.  Anima noticed this and stopped just ahead.
            “I know that it’s hard to not just go in right now and join the troupe,” Ember said looking back where they came from, “but I feel like there’s more to learn while we’re here.  I want to graduate from school before I head out and see the world.  I want to experience as much as I can with my classmates before heading out into the big open world.  I do want to get to that point however.  I don’t plan on staying here forever.  I do want to see the world.  So, how about we make a promise?”
            “A promise?”
            “What do you say that once we graduate, we’ll join the troupe together.  We’ll be almost legal adults, I will have likely grown out of the orphanage, and your parents will have to adhere to your wishes when you want to leave.  We’ll take on the world together and do what we love most.  Performing.”  Ember then stretched out her fist for a fist bump.  “You with me Anima?”  Anima smiled, laughed and shook her head at her friends corniness. She then walked over and bumped Ember’s fist.
            “Promise.”

 

 

 

15 Years before the Death of Ember

The Kingdom of Vacuo

 

 

 

            The drums were echoing through the streets.  The trapeze artists were swinging back and forth across their lines, some performers even managed to work their way into the crowd to do some different routines.  The crowd applauded as the performers prepared the grand finale.  The final notes of the drums rang out into the sky, and for a brief moment, there was silence.  Followed by thunderous applause.  Everybody took a bow and the troupe started to tear down their setup.  Ember and Anima started to pack up their drums and loaded them on the truck.
            “Great job out there today!” Ember said smacking Anima on the back.  Anima winced in pain following the gesture and rubbed her shoulder.
            “Thanks.  I just wish it was enough to convince the people up top to give me one of the top lines for the performance.”
            “Oh come on.  Are you still hung up about that?”
            “Ember, we’re the best drummers here.  We should be leading the performance, not providing backup beats.”
            “Maybe, but just about everybody here has had a lot more experience than we do.  They know these routines like the back of their hand.  Heck, maybe even better than that.  We’ve only been doing this for a few years.  Don’t worry.  We’ll get there.”  Ember then held her fist out to Anima. “We promised, didn’t we?”  Anima smiled, and returned the fist bump.
            “Yeah.  We got this.”  Ember grinned and walked away to keep putting away more equipment.  Anima stood there for a few minutes, her mind wandering.  She then jumped down and made a beeline for the directors office.  She walked in and saw him filing all the information for the performers and their roles in the filing cabinet.
            “Anima!” the director said closing the drawer to the cabinet.  “Great job out there today!  You know, so many people audition for our group and do great during said audition, but can’t keep up when it comes time to perform.  But you!  You’ve faced every challenge I’ve thrown at you and met it!  At this rate, you’ll be playing at the next level in no time flat!”
            “Yeah, about that,” Anima said placing her fingers on her temple.  “Don’t you think I’m already good enough for the lead position of the organization?”
            “Well, you are good, but we’ve got a few other performers that have been with the troupe since day one, and it’d be a real jerk move on my part if I simply gave you the lead role and ignored their time and commitment to the troupe.”  Anima’s eye twitched in annoyance as the director said this, and raised a second hand to her temple.
            “But you know that I’m better than every one else here.  You should just give me the lead position for the sake of making the Violet Troupe better.”  The director sat down and pondered this for a second.  He then took a look at Anima and saw her hand positions.
            “Nice try kid.  Ember told me about your Semblance.  I’ll give you props, I’m seriously considering what you’re suggesting, but it’s not going to work on me.”  Anima put her hands down in frustration.  “Look, I’ll let this slide” the director said standing up and placing his hand on Anima’s shoulder.  “You’re young.  You feel like you can take on the world.  I get it.  But you can’t just get whatever you want at the drop of a hat.  You gotta work for what you want.  And you have the drive to get there.  Just keep working hard, and you’ll be fine.”  With that, Anima gave a weak smile then left the office.  She started walking towards the trailers, clearly upset over what had transpired.  She kicked a can in frustration.  The can went flying towards a stranger standing off to the side.  Before Anima could react and warn the stranger, he had grabbed the can out of the air and crushed it to oblivion.
            “I am so sorry!”  Anima said flustered as she lowered her head to the stranger.  “I’ve just been having a bad day, and I just reacted and I just….”
            “What an interesting Semblance” the stranger said looking straight at Anima.  “Not exactly mind control, but more manipulation of the mind to bend to a new suggestion.  How do you do it child?”  Anima looked up at the stranger with confusion on her face.
            “I’m sorry?”
            “What triggers your ability to sway minds to what you want them to think?  Is it the action of placing your fingers on your head?  Or perhaps that’s just something you do to remind yourself that you are using your power.  I am truly intrigued.”  Anima raised her head and looked at the stranger, not sure what to think.
            “Well, to answer your question, I’m not sure what triggers my Semblance.  The fingers are kind of just like you said, something to remind myself that I’m doing it.  Plus, I can’t really sway people to do what I want.  I guide them to mental suggestions in their own mind that line up with what I want.  Like if the director had even an inkling of wanting to have me as the lead drummer I could try and make that though become the main focus of his mind.  But he’s the only one who can decide whether or not to act upon it.  I can’t force anybody to obey my mental excavation.”
            “Mental excavation.  Clever.  Since you are bringing up ideas instead of forcing them into peoples heads.  I like that idea.  Perhaps you could be of some use to me.”
            “Excuse me?”  The stranger then extend his hand out to Anima.
            “Join me.  There is a greater calling in this world than simply performing for the ants beneath our feet.  Follow me, and I will show you a reality worth fighting for.”  Anima looked at the strangers hand, then turned to leave.
            “I’m sorry.  I have my own promises to keep.  And I want to keep moving forward.”
            “Very well.  If you change your mind, the offer is always open.”
            “How will you know if I did change my mind?  We tour all over the world, and it’s not like you can be everywhere at once.”
            “Perhaps not physically,” the stranger said as he turned to leave, “but I have a hand in every corner of this world.”  Anima stopped walking away and looked back at the stranger.
            “Who are you?”
            “I am somebody who is not to be trifled with.  My name strikes fear in those who know of its weight.  I am Zenoma Mortem, and I will be the god of this world one day.”  Mortem then walked away, leaving Anima to stand there confused.  Not sure what to make of it, she returned to her trailer.  Ember was waiting there already having gotten changed.
            “Hey there you are!” Ember said as she finished tying her hair into a hairband.  “The boss said we have the rest of the night off.  What do you say we check out the local food!  I hear there’s a great place that takes chunks of ice and crushes them into a near powder-like substance and flavors it with cactus juice!  Come on!”  With that said, Ember made her way out of the trailer and towards town.  Anima smiled and walked into the trailer.
            “I’ll catch up.  I’m going to shower and change first.  Message me the location on Scroll Maps when you find it!”  Ember gave Anima a thumbs up and continued on her way while Anima got ready for a shower.  As she got everything ready, she looked out the window as the sun began to set on the horizon.  She continued to gaze at it during her entire shower.  As the water ran down her body, she kept thinking back to what Mortem had said to her back there.  Wondering what could possibly be out there that was different and potentially better from her current path?  What did the world offer her outside of the life that she had established here with the Violet Troupe?  And was it possible that she could find a new meaning in the world that Mortem was talking about?  She kept pondering this as she finished her shower, got changed, and made her way to where Ember and the rest of their friends were celebrating their performance.  Ember noticed Anima approaching, grabbed a glass, and made her way over.
            “Took you long enough slowpoke!” Ember said extending the drink to her friend.  “You have GOT to drink this!  Everything they said about it was true!”  Anima hesitated but did take the drink.  Ember noticed her friends hesitation, and put her hand on Anima’s shoulder.  “Hey, what’s wrong?”
            “Ember, do you really think we’ll get anywhere on the path we’re on right now?”
            “Where is this coming from?”
            “Well, I mean, we’re still doing the majority of the grunt work here, we aren’t getting the best parts, do you really think that this is the best path for us?”
            “Anima, what’s wrong?”  Ember asked guiding them both to an open table away from the crowd.  “Isn’t this what we always dreamed of?  Touring the world with the Violet Troupe, playing music, just being the best we could be?  What happened?”  Anima pondered what Ember said, then perked up.
            “Sorry.  Long day.  Maybe this will make me feel better.”  Anima then took a big gulp of her drink and almost coughed it right back up.  “Whoo!  That stuff is strong!”  Ember laughed as Anima tried to regain her composure after taking a drink.  Afterwards, Anima laughed with Ember as they both continued to drink the night away.  They didn’t talk about what Anima brought up previously, they just continued on with their evening.  However, that lingering question of what if continued to sit in the back on Anima’s mind for the next several years, and all it did was grow and grow.

 

 

 

10 Years before the Death of Ember

 

The Village of Aequo

 

 

 

            Anima was standing by the cliffs overlooking the sprawling landscape just beyond the valley of Aequo.  So much green vegetation, a lot of wild creatures running throughout the plains, and so much possibility.  She had tried to shake off the thoughts that she had, but she found she could no longer keep walking this path.  She smiled, and made her way over to the main office where the director was stationed.

 

            Ember finished practicing a run of music, and put her drumsticks away.  She started making her way back to her trailer and saw a group of Troupe performers training with who looked like one of the locals.  She walked over and saw that it was the local hero huntress Traci Grover leading a group of performers in combat lessons.  There had been a lot more Grimm attacks recently, so the Troupe leaders decided it would be best for everyone to understand at the very least the basics of combat.  Some of the performers struggled, but people like Ember managed to pick up on it super quickly.  Because of this, Traci had even asked her to come over a couple times to learn some more tricks and techniques in order to help protect others.  Ember decided that she shouldn’t bother Traci while teaching the other performers, so she kept walking back to her trailer.  As she was making her way towards the trailer however, she saw Anima shaking hands with the director.
            “Sorry to see you go kid” the director said.  “You were one of the best we’ve ever had.”
            “I know” Anima said with clear anger in her voice.  The director turned back inside and Anima turned to leave.  But as she did, she saw Ember standing there looking at her with shock and horror.
            “Anima, what did he say?”
            “Rats” Anima said as she turned to leave.  “You weren’t supposed to hear that.”
            “Anima!  What’s going on?!”  Anima didn’t pay any heed to her friend.  She just kept walking towards her trailer.  Ember ran over and grabbed Anima’s arm, stopping her from progressing.
            “Let me go Ember.”
            “Why?  Why are you giving up?  Didn’t we promise?  Didn’t we say that we would do this together?”
            “Perhaps.  But we were just kids then.  Now we’re stuck in a rut.  We haven’t progressed at all during our performances, we’re still performing below the top seats in the band, and it’s the same thing over and over again.  I’m destined for greater things Ember.  And I’m going to go find them.”
            “You’re giving up just because you haven’t become the top performer yet?  We’re still learning Anima! We…..”
            “It’s been over seven years Ember!  And we’ve barely progressed!  We should be the ones leading the performances, not these old farts!  We should be at the top!  Well you know what?  I’m done sitting around waiting for nothing to happen.  I’m going to take up my own destiny and forge my own path.”
            “So you’re giving up just because you aren’t the head honcho around here?  Anima, Vale wasn’t built in a day.  You need to be patient.  I mean, look at me!  I’m in the same boat as you but I’m still willing to keep learning. This is what we love doing!  And I’m not going to just give up because I’m not in the hall of fame after only a few years!”  Anima, as if she didn’t even pay any attention to what Ember said, turned and extended her hand.
            “Join me Ember.  I know somebody who could help us.  We could be a part of a greater purpose and become even greater than we could be if we stayed here.  We could change the world.”
            “But what about our promise?  What about our friendship?”
            “This can be the next level of our friendship if you just follow me.”  Ember looked at Anima’s hand, then back at her friend.  Tears formed in her eyes as she looked and saw that Anima’s eyes were no longer the bright and energetic eyes she had known all her life, but rather cold and self-centered.  She turned away.
            “You just want the easy way out.  You just want to be at the top right away.  You’ve always been like this.  You’ve had parents who pampered you and people who always supported you.  Whenever you did something wrong and somebody tried to correct you, you lashed out.  And when you found out that it takes constant hard work to move forward in the world, you give up.  I hoped that this would be different.  I hoped our promise would be enough to keep you moving forward.  But it’s clear what your desires are.  If you want to give up and take the easy way out, fine.  I am going to continue working hard and chasing our…no.  My dream.  I will continue moving forward while you give up and stop.  Goodbye Anima.”  With that, Ember ran off, struggling to fight back tears.  Anima seemed unfazed by all of this, went back to her trailer, gathered her belongings, and started making her way westward to Vacuo, where she knew he would be waiting.

 

 

 

 

Three Weeks Later

 

 

The Kingdom of Vacuo

 

 

 

            Anima continued to wander through the streets, looking all over for any form of clue that could lead her to the man who she spoke to all those years ago.  But Vacuo was a maze.  One that was not meant to be solved by outsiders.  Unless you lived there, there was no chance you would ever find where you were supposed to be going.  There was a part of herself that kept saying to give up and just go back to the Violet Troupe.  Back to what she had always known.  But Anima was not ready to give up.  Not yet anyways.  The words of Zenoma Mortem kept ringing in her ears, and she refused to stop until she either heard them again or became deaf because of them.  Suddenly, she was grabbed by a shadowy figure, and dragged into a nearby alley.  Reacting quickly, she grabbed her walking stick and swung it at the figure.  The stick connected with the body of the figure, but in the blink of an eye, the figure pulled out a pair of chakrams, and slashed the stick into pieces, and pointed the blades at her throat.

            “You only live because he permits it” the figure snarled at Anima.  “We don’t take kindly to random people poking their noses in places they don’t belong.”

            “You said he” Anima said, almost ignoring the weapons at her throat.  “Is he here?”

            “What do you care?”

            “At ease Lord Aeris” a new voice spoke up from the shadows.  As soon as Anima heard the new voice, shivers went down her spine.  She remembered the voice from so long ago.  As the new voice walked forward, it became clear.  It was Zenoma Mortem.

            “At last…” Anima said with a sigh.

            “What do you know about…..!” Lord Aeris started yelling pushing the blades further into Anima’s throat.

            “Quell your rage young one” Mortem said raising his hand.  As soon as he said this, Lord Aeris pulled back her chakrams and fell to one knee as Mortem passed her.  Anima simply stood there, awestruck at the power he commanded.

            “You have returned at last young one” Mortem said with a smile.  “Tell me, what do you wish?”

            “I wish to do more” Anima said placing her hand on her heart.  “I am no longer content with simply being like everybody else when I know I am far superior to them.  I want to change the world.  I want to shape things the way that I believe is best no matter who hates me for not seeing the truth.”  Mortem smiled at this and pointed at the ground in front of Anima.

            “Kneel” he said with a low growl.  Anima quickly fell to one knee and lowered her head.

            “You are stepping into a much larger world than you ever thought possible.  Things you thought were set in stone will crumble and fade.  You will face trials far greater than any you have ever faced before.  Are you willing to give your loyalty to me no matter the storms that come?”

            “Without question or hesitation until the world is as it should be.”

            “Then rise Anima Imperia.  And welcome to the Order of the Four Seasons.”

 

 

 

 

 

5 Years before the Death of Ember

 

 

The Wastelands of Vacuo

 

 

 

            Anima spun her staff around and loaded a fire Dust crystal into the cartridge.  She then pointed the end of her staff and flames erupted towards the charging mole crab in the sand.  The creature shielded itself from the incoming attack, but in that brief moment, Anima rushed forward, engaged a dagger-like blade at the bottom of her staff, and ran it right through the head of the animal.  The mole crab shrieked for a brief second, but then keeled over dead.  Anima then pulled her weapon out and cleaned the blade.  There was a clapping behind her. She simply smiled and continued to clean her weapon.
            “Kind of surprised you decided to come all the way out here old man” Anima said turning to face Lord Mortem.  “Last I heard, Lord Memoriare was following up on a lead on the potential location of the Dragon Grimm and you were going to follow up with him on that.”
            “All in good time.  The Dragon will be mine soon enough” Lord Mortem said admiring Anima’s handiwork. “I must say, I am impressed.  It takes great skill to recognize the range and overarching abilities of one’s semblance to reach an even higher peak.  Not in a million years would have I suspected that your mind manipulation was also a form of telekinesis that you could use to manipulate Dust and other elements.  Very impressive child.”
            “If you don’t mind my asking Lord Mortem, why just the Dragon Grimm?  There are plenty of reports of leviathan-type Grimm across all of Remnant.  What makes this one so special?”
            “The fact that this creature not only had to be sealed away by Ozpin and the maidens of the past, but it also has the ability to spawn Grimm at will.  That is the key to finding the path to the Dark Realm.  And the next step in the plan to bring all of the members of the council together as the new rulers of this world.”
            “And yet I don’t find myself at that table.  Why am I not a part of your council Lord Mortem?  You know I’m better than any single one of them.  And for goodness sake, you plan on giving a seat to the representative of the White Fang?  I’ve heard the next in line for the seat is just a child.  You truly plan on giving a fool like that godhood?”
            “You speak of the Taurus family?  It is true, young Adam is a bit young for a position of such power, but he is loyal, which will benefit us in the long game.  Plus, it is important that the Order keeps good faith with the White Fang and the Faunus who align with that particular cause.  Their numbers boost our already growing army.  I have no desire to lose that asset anytime soon.”
            “So what?  I’m to play second fiddle to a child?”  Anima said growing more and more angry.  “I followed you on this path because you promised me something greater.  Something more than I could even imagine.  But here I am, just toiling away out here in the desert for….”
            “Enough child” Zenoma said exerting a powerful force.  Anima backed down almost immediately.  “Something that you have yet to truly grasp is how to watch and learn how the long game is played and what that means for the rest of the world.  While it is true, the current members of my council will gain a substantial amount of power, you on the other hand have a much more crucial role.”
            “Let me guess,” Anima said as she pulled out her weapon.  “Stand on the sidelines and follow your orders until the day I die.  I’m…..”
            “You are to be in charge of the Olympus has Fallen protocol.”  Anima fell silent as Lord Mortem said this. She put her weapon away and started to listen with a more intent ear.  “Even in the most perfect world created by my hands, there are people who will resist such a world.  And when we do take over, resistance will be at its strongest.  That will be the turning point between victory and defeat for the Order.  And in case we are defeated,” he fell silent, but continued.  “In case I am defeated, you are to spearhead the process in which we reclaim our lost power in this world.”
            “Me?  Why me?”
            “Depending on how far along in the plan we are when we do finally make our move, the world will be in a very fragile state.  Everything will be shifting and far more likely to fall back to a world where we don’t exist.  That’s where you come in.  Your ability to influence people to our cause will be instrumental in ensuring that we do not fade into nothingness.  You will lead the Order in my stead, and will enact plans to make sure we survive depending on what will happen and what will transpire.”
            “How could I possibly prepare for all of this?  There are too many variables.  Too many possibilities.”
            “I know.  That’s why we have help.”

 

 

 

Vacuo Headquarters of the Order of the Four Seasons.

 

 

 

            Lord Mortem placed his hand on a touch panel, and it swung open to reveal a giant computer surrounded by piles of old books and tomes.  The room had a very dingy smell, almost like a library that hadn’t kept their books up to code very well.  Lord Mortem gestured Anima to follow and they walked over to the primary computer console.  Lord Mortem then typed in a code phrase and the computer came to life.  From there, several screens lit up and were displaying all kinds of information.
            “What is this?” Anima asked wide eyed.
            “This, is the Monolith” Lord Mortem exclaimed raising his arms up to capture the grandeur of the system.  “It has information from Remnant’s first day to its current day.  Information that is critical to how the Order functions.”
            “How does this tie into the Order?”
            “Millenia ago, the Order of the Four Seasons was created as a log.  A list of all the Maidens that walked the earth, each and every one of their incarnations.  From the first four sisters to the heroes who fought in the Great War.  They all are logged here.”
            “All of these old books are lists of Maidens?  How does that help us?”
            “Save your questions for after my explanation child.  This log was created by none other than Professor Ozpin, the son of the great Wizard who gave the Maidens their powers.  He had hoped that it would never let their memories be forgotten even if time itself would forget they even existed.  However, as time progressed, Ozpin began to neglect his quest to keep this log updated, so the Order began to meander.  They then decided to gather as much information as possible about the world at the time and logged it all here.  From the experiments of the Wizard to the dimensional rifts created by the daughter Salem, everything was recorded.  And once it was all recorded, they then decided to take that information and use it to benefit themselves.  With all the knowledge they now possessed, they could easily manipulate the kingdoms of the world to their whim.  Be it with haunting information from Remnant’s past, or information about their present that only the Order knew about.  From there, we grew like a great tree, planting roots in every corner of the world until the rulers of the world were nothing more than leaves on a branch that fed the Order the information it needed to survive.  And now, we are here.  The Monolith has the recordings of all information gathered, as well as another unique feature.  It has the ability to predict the future.”
            “How is that even possible?  I have heard of people with Semblance’s that involve limited foresight into the future, but nothing like this.”
            “The computer takes data from everything it has learned from the past, and uses an algorithm to create the most likely scenarios that will play out in the future.  For example, if the Kingdom of Vacuo attempts to make a move in terms of reclaiming a lost oasis, the Monolith can tell us if they will be successful given the information of all the old oasis’ in Vacuo and their impact on the land as a whole.  There are even old logs about ancient magics that can be performed to do all sorts of things.  Spells to open doors into the Dark Realm, enchantments that can bring back the dead, even curses that can hurt the most dangerous of foes when they least expect it.  Each of these can play a role in how the Order move forward in the world of Remnant.”
            “If this thing has all the answers, why do you need to scour the world for where the Dragon was sealed away?  Or where the other Maidens are for that matter?”
            “Not that simple.  First of all, when Ozpin stopped paying attention to the Order, that meant we stopped getting direct information from him.  So anything he did in secret was lost to the sands of time.  Alongside that, some of the old parchments are incomplete, having rotted away from age.  So that means not everything is not completely accurate.  As a result, we must go off the Monolith’s best calculations and also go off old legends.  And beyond that as well, the Monolith only acts on what is known to be possible.  There are several variables that could lay outside the margins of fate predicted by the Monolith.  Even if the prediction says there is no possible way we could fail, without key data that could change the tide, the computer is still limited, and we could still be defeated.  And that’s where you come in young one.  If we are ever defeated and the protocol is initiated, you must use this machine in order to successfully generate the best possible outcomes to ensure our survival.  No matter what happens, we look to you to make sure we will one day rule the world.”  Anima, still trying to come to grips with everything that Lord Mortem had told her, faced him and fell to one knee.
            “I am yours to command my lord.”

 

 

 

5 Years Later

 

The Fall of Aequo

 

 

 

            Anima never thought that she would ever see her old home again.  Let alone that she would see it this way.  Burning, everything falling apart.  Nothing surviving.  And that was what they were there to ensure.  That nothing survived.  Lord Memoriare had called in that there were some survivors that managed to see more than they should have.  And while Memoriare was merciful enough to let the children live without the memories of what they saw, Adam Taurus was not so forgiving.  While he did concede to the power that Lord Memoriare carried, he did request the presence of several agents to ensure no other survivors remained.  As Anima continued to walk through the burning remains of the village, she heard something.  The sounds of a struggle.  She ran over and saw several Order and White Fang soldiers being knocked back by a powerful force.  Not stopping, Anima saw the remains of a burning house, and several soldiers being knocked back by a warrior who seemed to be wielding what looked like billy clubs.  The young Adam Taurus rushed forward, but the warrior made quick work of him, dodging his blade and slamming him to the ground with her right hand.  As Adam fell, the flames seemed to spark back up, revealing the strangers face.  The light crept up, and when Anima saw the face that stood before her, she clenched her fist in anger.  The warrior also looked up, but when she saw Anima’s face, her own face turned paler than snow.
            “Anima?”
            “You should have joined me when you had the chance, Ember.”  Without saying another word, Anima rushed toward Ember and they started fighting.  Ember didn’t do much outside of defend at first, she was still in shock at what she was seeing in front of her.  But that faded away quickly, and she began to fight back.
            “How could you?” Ember yelled.  “How could you?!”  Anima didn’t say anything in return, she just continued to push forward.  She continued to fight without regret or remorse.  They kept going back and forth.  But then, in a brief moment, Ember flung her weapons forward, hoping that she could ricochet them off some nearby debris and knock Anima off her feet.  However, Anima anticipated this, and released a fire dust cartridge she had stored in her staff, creating a ring of fire that burned the clubs before they even flew past her.  Ember tried to react and defend herself, but before she knew it, Anima had done three swift moves.  One to knock her off her feet, two to stab her in the abdomen to break her aura, and three to stab her in the heart, ending the battle.  Despite the extremely painful strike, Ember muffled her voice to try and mask her pain.  Anima smiled a sick smile and leaned in and whispered in her ear.

            “Putting on a tough act for me?  Such a pity Ember, to know that all this time, you should have sided with me.”  Ember, coughing up blood, managed to let out one last sentence.

            “I…….protected…….them……from you…….”

“You protected a few.  How noble.  But now you will die alone.  Like you deserve.”

“I have….and always…..loved you…..old friend…..”  And with those final words, Ember’s life faded from existence.  Anima removed her weapon from her former friends limp body.  Adam slowly got up and walked over to Anima.

“I will inform Lord Mortem of your kill.  He will be…..”
“This was your kill Adam.”

“I’m sorry?”

“This was your kill.  That is what you will tell Lord Mortem.”  Adam seemed

confused by this,   but didn’t question it.  He simply made his way down to the basement and continued his search with the other soldiers.  Anima took a knee next to the corpse of Ember, and whispered,
            “You were trying to protect something, weren’t you?  Well, I promise you this.  One day, I will find whatever it is you were willing to die in order to protect, and I will destroy it with my own bare hands.”

 

 

 

Paths Following the Fall

 

Fall of Aequo - Atlesian Revolution.

 

 

 

            After Aequo fell, Anima continued to work in her role of serving the Order in the shadows.  She kept working with the Monolith and all the information it had to offer.  During this time, Lord Mortem continued to put his plan into motion.  The original plan was to enact the plan in the Kingdom of Atlas and cause the world to crumble from there since the majority of the military was in Atlas, and the rest of the world would fall much easier.  However, when Anima got word that Lord Mortem was speeding up the plan to attack the world during the Restoration Tournament in Vale, she quickly started to make preparations.  She sealed off the room of the Monolith, only tuning in through Order sanctioned frequencies to keep tabs on the outside world.  She did not participate in either the Second Battle of Beacon nor the Battle of Vytal.  During this time, she calculated what was happening.  What it must be like for the members of the council to finally achieve godhood, and how anyone on earth could possibly stop Lord Mortem and his armies.  However, on the day of the Battle of Vytal, Anima stopped receiving information altogether.  She assumed at first that it was simply radio silence due to a battle.  But days turned to weeks, and there was no response whatsoever.  She was concerned, and almost considered destroying the entire computer room with her inside so that no one could ever find the information stored here.  However, she did finally receive word that the battle ended.  It was a transmission from Lord Aeris declaring that the Olympus has Fallen Protocol had been initiated.  Confused, afraid, and concerned, Anima transmitted the coordinates to the surviving members of the Order’s council.  Once Anima was caught up to speed, she took this information and plugged it into the Monolith and let it do its work.  Once the algorithm was complete, Anima began enacting plans in order to ensure the Orders survival.  First, when she heard of the Vacuo uprising, she recognized an opportunity to bring more soldiers into the fold.  After Jaques Schnee requested the cease-fire between all the other Kingdoms and Sienna Kahn planned on attacking at night, she had an inside man tip off the armies that the White Fang was attacking.  Once the attack failed, the Order scooped up the remaining stragglers and added a much needed boost to their armies.  After that, they began trying to figure out what they could do to try and regain their lost power.  Anima saw an opportunity when she got word that Whitley Schnee was upset with his father’s actions regarding the Vacuo Uprising.  Using this anger, Anima planted herself as the therapist for Whitley and kept stirring up ideas in his head about killing his father and taking over the company.  While it did take some time, Whitley finally gave in to his darkest thoughts and launched the Atlesian Revolution.  The Order remained a neutral party for this conflict, because Anima knew the true prize would come after the war.  When the four Kingdoms rose victorious, Anima did everything in her power to try and slip in suitors that could take over the company from Weiss, ultimately giving the Order access to the largest amount of Dust in all of Remnant.  Including sliding in suitors that could possibly win Weiss’ hand.  But unfortunately for them, they failed to get someone up at the top alongside Weiss.  Anima was ready to create an even longer and more elaborate plan to try and ensure the Order’s survival, but then news reached her ears.  News about one of the heroes from the Battle of Vytal who was from Aequo, starting to show signs of inner struggles and demons.  Anima saw this opportunity and took it with vigor.

 

 

 

Two Years before the Graduation of Team BEAT

 

 

 

The Island of Patch

 

 

 

            Nathan walked into the office, his therapist sitting in her usual chair.
            “Hey Katie” Nathan said, his voice sounding very tired.  Katie smiled, and motioned towards the empty chair.
            “Take a seat and we’ll get started.”  Nathan obliged, and laid down on the chair.  “Now, what has changed since we last spoke?”
            “Not much to be honest with you” Nathan said running his hands through his hair.  “I mean, I am happy with my life right now, but I just feel like there’s something missing.  Like I have some kind of purpose and I can’t possibly reach it with the current path that I’m on.”
            “I see.  And where do you think this issue stems from.”
            “I don’t know.  Maybe from me?  This is my life after all.”
            “I don’t think it’s that at all” Katie said placing her fingers on her temple and looking directly at Nathan.  “I think, the world is not accepting you and your own personal desires, and you should make them accept your desires or cast them out of your life.”  Nathan pondered this, then a scowl formed across his face.
            “Yeah, you’re right!” Nathan said as he almost leapt out of the chair.  “All I want to do is what I think is best for the world, and all the world tells me to do is sit down and give up!  Well you know what?  I’m going to ignore the world and do what I think, no.  What I KNOW is right!  Forget what my friends and my own family is telling me!  If they don’t support me, they aren’t truly my family!”
            “There you go” Katie said with a sick smile.  “Now you are recognizing the true root of the problems that surround you.  And you must cut them all off.  Forge your own path.  Forget what others say or think.  Forget what happens in the wake of your actions.  Find your true family.  You must do what is best no matter the cost.”  Nathan smiled alongside Katie at this revelation.
            “Thanks Katie.  You always know how to get to the real root of my problems.  Same time next week?”
            “I look forward to it.”  Nathan got up and made his way out of the office.  Anima then stood up, smiled, and walked over to her communicator.  She then typed in a message regarding the updates that she had recently made with Nathan.
            “Plug this information into the Monolith.  It might be a few more years, but he’s almost ready.”

 

 

 

Day of Reckoning

 

 

The Wastelands of Vacuo

 

 

 

            As the airships began to circle the compound, Nathan and Natalie both started suiting up for the upcoming battle.
            “All right!” Nathan spoke into his helmet microphone.  “Everybody knows the plan.  We get in, we take names, no one from the Order leaves alive.  No prisoners, no wounded, this ends today.  Are we ready?!”  There was a loud cheer throughout the airship as Nathan said these words.  Natalie walked over to him and placed her hand on his shoulder.
            “Gotta say bro, you’ve gotten better at these big speeches.”  Nathan smiled in return and offered Natalie a fist for a fist bump.
            “For Ember” he said.  Natalie smiled and bumped his fist.
            “For Ember.”  They both then returned to their proper stations, while Anima looked on with a sick smile on her face.
            “You failed Ember.”

 

 

 

All the Pieces Are in Place

We Have Reached the Boiling Point

Everything Will Change

At a Point We Can’t Take

Anymore.

Author's Note

Please read/review/enjoy!

Reviews

[JayG]

Well, you did ask…

Your degree, and all the training that went into it, is the biggest problem you face. Because of it, you’re thinking in terms of plot-points, visual action, and camera angles—externals, in other words—where fiction for the printed page is presented in terms of motivation/response and protagonist’s viewpoint—internals.

Because of your background you’re thinking in terms of the performance as a whole. And as a result, you, the narrator, are explaining what the reader would see on the screen, were-this-a-film. So for all practical purposes, the reader learning detail ABOUT the situation from an unknown speaker. But verbal storytellers perform, and the emotional part of the story comes via HOW they tell the story, through verbal and visual techniques that don’t make it to the page.

You begin, for example, with: “The village of Aequo was flourishing. “ That’s a verbal storyteller setting the scene. For you, who know where we are in time and space, the society the village is part of, the season, the time, and the situation, this calls up a mental picture (or more likely, your visualization of all that called up the words). For the reader who has none of that? It’s context-free data and as it’s read, irrelevant.

You introduce the “Violet Troupe” as if the reader knows them, knows what they do, and wants to hear that they’re doing well. Will reading more clarify? Sure. But will a reader who’s saying, “What?” do so? A lack of context is not mystery, and a reader has no assurance that the author will clarify, so… In short, it’s a rejection point for an acquiring editor.

We next meet a generic “young girl.” But, my granddaughter is seven. She’s a young girl in my mind. Is this girl seven? Dunno because only you can see her. And of course, many people see a young girl as twelve, or… So there’s no meaningful visual to go with the words. Is this young girl our protagonist? Apparently not, given that we’re not in her viewpoint and she’s nameless.

The short version: You’re telling the story when you should be showing it. And since our medium lacks the ability to reproduce sound and vision, the term “showing” must take on a new meaning: viewpoint. We must move our storytelling seat from where the camera can take us to somewhere it can never go: into the mind of the protagonist, where we will be made to know her world as she does, from within the fleeting moment of time she calls “now.” In film, you tell the story from the outside-in. On the page we tell it from the inside-out. Emotion-based rather then fact-based, and character, rather than author-centric.

If we know what matters to her, as she knows it and in her “now;” if we know her needs, desires, mandates, and what she sees as possibilities—and see that through the lens of her personal biases and background—our reaction to her perceptions will have been calibrated to hers, and our decision as to what to do/say next will be hers.

In film we record her reality. On the page we live the story AS HER. Think of yourself reading a horror story. Are you hoping to know when the protagonist feels terror? Or do you want the author to terrorize you, and make you afraid to turn out the lights?

See the problem you face? Not only were you not aware of the mandates and restrictions our medium places on us, because we learn only nonfiction writing skills in our school days, we’re not even aware that another methodology exists. So pretty much universally, when we turn to fiction for the page we use the report-writing skills we’re given in our school days.

What’s funny is that you went for your film training because you realized that the schooldays training in presenting fiction was useless in the film industry. At the same time you knew the same about being a surgeon, or an engineer. But like everyone else, you assumed that since we were taught how to write, and the profession is called fiction-writing…

If only.

So here’s the deal, and it’s an easy fix, though not instant. What you learned about the structure of a story, and organizing it so far as event-progression, still works. But where a scene on the screen is related to a location, or a unified time progression, on the page it’s a unit of tension. On the page the viewpoint of the protagonist becomes paramount, and is what controls/provides the ambiance of the scene. For an expansion of that thought, with examples, you might try this article: https://jaygreenstein.wordpress.com/2011/09/22/the-grumpy-writing-coach-8/

For more on what I mean by telling a story from the inside out, try this one: https://jaygreenstein.wordpress.com/2015/05/13/inside-out-the-grumpy-writing-coach/

And if it makes sense, pick up the book the article recommends. It’s an older book, and the entire chapter of research can be replaced by, “Use Google.” But that aside, it’s still the best book on the nuts-and-bolts of writing I’ve found to date. In fact, the articles in my blog are, for the most part, based on his teachings.

So have at it. And while you do, keep on writing. It keeps us off the streets at night.

Jay Greenstein
https://jaygreenstein.wordpress.com/category/the-craft-of-writing/

[Miles W.]

Thank you for the breakdown. This is something that I've always have been looking for when it comes to improving my own writing. Like you said, my profession is in film and it clearly shows in my writing. I have had the advantage of writing for mostly my friends who can follow my style fine, as well as colleagues in creative writing classes that can keep up with my style and are learning themselves as well. This is something that I've always felt I've lacked when it comes to my writing. Somebody to point out the exacts of what could be improved with my writing. I will venture to improve as I continue to write and move forward. Thank you for taking the time to write this review and for being direct.

[Shep]

So much for friendship between the two girls. ... And now the evil has been released. Man this is getting good. Loving the details and the story. I can tell you worked hard on this. Awesome job. Please return the love

[Miles W.]

Thanks for the review!