Inheritance of the World: Volume One. Chapter Ten added. Find out Xon's identity!

[Umbra]

I know what you mean, da-clown, but I sacrificed the short episodes to be able to expand the plot more. I usually want to finish a story in a chapter before ending it (like Chapter Eight, which begins in Jack's travel to the future and ends with him travelling back and the shorts events thereafter.)

[Umbra]

Jack woke up, and rose his hand to protect him from a surge of blinding light.

- He's awake! He's awake!

He looked up, and the light faded. Leander stood just in front of him, and his smile was just as bright and the rest of his body. Jack sat up, and began to cough slightly. Leander knelt before him.

- Jack, are you alright? You passed out there for a while.

Jack smiled.

- I'm fine, just a little tired.

He then looked around. The hall looked just like he remembered it.

- How long was I knocked out?

Leander looked at his watched.

- Five, ten minutes perhaps. You haven't missed anything important. Just a few more people have came in. Speaking of people, there's a person I'd like you to meet. Come here.

Leander reached out his arm towards Jack and helped him up. Jack frowned, and remembered his vision.

- Damon, there's something I need to tell you. When I -

- That can wait. Come now, we have other things to discuss.

Leander led Jack across the Hall, through the mass of people that had appeared, until they came to an empty spot.

- Jack, I'd like you to meet one of my oldest friends.

Jack looked around, but couldn't see any reaction from anyone near. Suddenly, there was a twitch in the air and a man stood in the empty spot. Jack let out a small shriek.

- Holy mother of -

The man, who was dressed in a half-open black leather jacket and a brown shirt under it. He wore black jeans, and steel-toed boots. His hair was dark, but a string of grey covered the right eye. The man lifted his right hand to Jack.

- It's a bright new world, friend.

Jack could only stare.

- This is Michael Tenderson, also known as the Shade.

Jack stared. This is the Shade? The one who's supposed to take over after Damon when he is-

- Oh god, no!

Jack turned around, and saw something that would stick to his mind forever. Someone – no, something – had appeared in the middle of the room, a large, dark figure dressed in a robe and a hood. Within the hood, a pair of red eyes were glowing, staring right into the hearts of anyone who should have the ill faith to be gazed upon by it. Jack could feel it. The figure was much larger than a human, at least double of the size of such.

- Light! Sponge! Diviner! And everyone who stands in my way, you shall die here, today.

Jack stared at the large figure. Xon was here. What could they do?

Suddenly, the doors to the other room lifted off it's hinges and landed on the steel floor. On the other side stood Carl, Takake, and a spike-haired young man with black clothes. The youngling had rose his right palm at the door, and seemed very insecure. Carl began to speak.

- We heard some noise, and thought it was worth checking up. The doors were locked, but Jim here fixed that. And now, at least I can see it was worth the effort.

Xon stared at him.

- You really think you can stop me? I have lived more than a hundred lifetimes. I have seen more than any living man has today. Face it, kids, you will all die here.

Jack grabbed Leander's shoulder.

- Damon, he's right. We'll have to go.

Leander turned towards him.

- What do you mean? Did you know this was going to happen?

Jack sighed, then nodded. He gulped.

- When I passed out, my power activated in a way I've never seen it. I travelled into the future, rather than just seeing it. Other people could see me.

Leander stared with fear in his eyes at him.

- You travelled into the future?

Jack nodded.

- I met Carl and Rodriguez. They told me everything. They told me that you die here, today. Rick too. And me. Only a few of them survive. Shade'll live too. But the world will be different. The future is not a good one, but it's the inheritance that it'll get from our world if Xon remains undefeated.

Leander sat down.

- All these years... I've been working against Xon. Trying to get him here so that I can neutralize him. And now, you tell me that the future has already been set? That there's nothing we can do?

Jack shook his head.

- Rodriguez should be somewhere here. He was the one that told me of all this, in the future. He told me that since I have now travelled into the future, I changed the past. If I travel again, I might be able to change it. On the other hand, if I stay, we might be able to kill Xon here and now. I don't know what to do.

Suddenly, Xon turned his gaze upon Jack.

- There you are, Diviner. I've been looking for you, ever since you doomed me the last time we met. Let's have a nice reunion, shall we?

Suddenly, a young woman that stood next to Jack faded into thin air. Jack gasped, and Xon smiled at him.

- You're not safe anywhere, Diviner, I have the power of creating illusions, including covering this, my real appearance. That girl has been one of my eyes and ears here. And of course, I have her original power.

As he spoke, Xon began to levitate, and soon he were flying far above the floor. Jack stared at him, gazing in fear. He can steal the power of anyone he kills. How can he be defeated? If he should kill someone that can't be hurt, he'll be invincible! But then, Jack remembered something Future Rodriguez had said. Xon can only use powers at the same status as they were when he first obtained them. They won't evolve.

Jack grabbed Leander's arm, and pulled him backwards. Then, the Light disappeared. Xon stared at the very place that one of his arch-enemies had mysteriously disappeared into thin air.

- How in the name of...

Jack smiled.

- There is more to my power than you can ever know, Xon. The Light is in a safe place for now. You can't reach him.

Xon shook his head, and rose his arms towards Jack. They were glowing with red energy, the power that dwelled within him.

- I wouldn't be so sure of that. As soon as I claim your power as my own, I'll be able to reach him. And then, the world will burn.

Jack thought of the future he had seen. Did Xon already possess the power to do that? Destroy the entire landscape? Or did he cause something that did so?

- Xon, I don't fear you. I have seen the future, and by committing these certain acts now, I will prevent you from doing so!

Suddenly, Rick ran up to Xon and with amazing speed and agility jumped up onto his back and began to attack him.

- I'll never let you take these people down, Beast. Never, under any circumstances.

The fact that a human was lying on his back didn't seem to disturb Xon at all, given the fact that he only was around double the size of one.

Jack shook his head as Leander appeared next to him again.

- I don't think so. We're here to stop Xon, and do it when the time is right.

Xon smiled at Jack, and raised his arm.

- You really believe that yourself, Diviner? There is no way you can stop me, not even with your power.

- Did I ever say that I were going to defeat you here and now? No, I didn't. Future comes first.

Jack began to run up to Xon, and with his power fully loaded, he touched the dark skin, and felt strong pulses pass beneath it. Then, he released his full strength. A split second later, Jack, Rick and Xon had disappeared. Leander’s eyes looked around the hall, but couldn’t find any trace of what had happened. A tear came forth in his left eye, followed by a stream of such. Jack had sacrificed himself to banish Xon. Rest in peace, friend. Michael stepped up to him.

- Are you alright, Damon? I’ve never seen such a force. Surely that Xon is taken care of now. Right, Damon?

Leander only stared out, like he didn’t hear Michael’s voice.

- Fine, if you don’t want to speak about it, then I won’t either. I just hope that Jack feller is OK. I’ll go and check if anyone’s hurt or missing.

Leander nodded, then turned to his old friend.

- Go and awake the Mind. Tell him we’re at crisis level here. Tell him that the first event has happened.

[Cyber Altair]

i get what you mean but sometimes ending the story in the middle gets people exited and anticipated and that's a secret to a great fanfic.

nice episode by the way.

[Umbra]

Ok, perhaps not entire stories, but sub-stories. Like Chapter Eight. And I also value a good cliffhanger.

[Umbra]

Jack woke up. He was freezing; he looked around and saw that he was in the middle of a fierce blizzard. He could barely see anything, the snow freezing up his eyes and slowly spreading hypothermia throughout his body. He began to dig down into the snow, trying to cover himself from the strong winds. He had learned somewhere that the snow could shield you from harm in strong weather. He had probably said it to a few people in his life. However, now it became very useful, Jack thought, as he dug himself deeper into the snow.

He gradually felt the biting cold grew easier to handle, and was replaced by a more numbing cold. One by one, Jack lost the feeling in his limbs. Yet, he didn't freeze too much. He closed his eyes, and he slowly fell asleep.

 

The following day, or at least that's what Jack thought, he woke up and pulled his head out of the snow. It was now quite comfortable in there, but most of Jack's body had gone numb and he felt like walking, so he climbed out. The blizzard had passed by now, and the weather was clear. Not far away, Jack could see some tents and a fireplace between them. He smiled, and it felt like it was for the first time in centuries. Slowly, he stumbled towards the hamlet while the numb slowly faded from his limbs.

 

*************************

 

Shade walked quickly up the stairs, his mind wandering freely. It had been several years since anyone had met Mind except for Leander himself. Mind was one of Leander's oldest friends, but not many knew of his power. Shade was one of the lucky few, even if he didn't count himself as lucky. Mind's power was dangerous, and could easily been used against them. Therefore, Leander kept him safe and away from the rest of the world. Finally, he stopped outside a steel door. Next to it, there was a code panel equal to the one outside, with the twenty-one Major Arcana symbols printed. Shade quickly entered the twenty-digit code that Leander had taught him all these years ago and forced him to memorize it, and the door glided open. The room inside was luxuriously furnished, with a double-bed, silken sheets, a Persian carpet, an oak desk, and a golden candelabra placed neatly on a circular table in the middle. However, Mind was lying on top of the bed, staring out the window. He didn't even take notice to Shade entering.

- Hello, Harry.

Mind didn't look at him.

- Damon? Is it you?

Shade shook his head.

- No, but I'm a friend of his. He wanted to tell you something.

Suddenly, Mind sat up and turned towards him. The old face was wrinkled and aged, but looked at Shade with the piercing eyes of a hawk.

- Well, if it isn't Michael! I haven't met you in ages!

Shade smiled. He hadn't met Mind in almost thirteen years. The old man's memory was better than it first seemed.

Then, Shade realised the absurd in the situation. He was thinking about the Mind himself.

- Anyway, Damon gave me a message to give to you. I don't understand it at all, but I think you'll do.

The Mind looked concerned.

- Well, what was it?

- He said that were at crisis level, and that the first event has happened.

At these words, the Mind's eyes flung open.

- Did he really say that? Did he use those exact words?

Shade became really worried at this point, but nodded. The Mind shook his head.

- Then, history really does repeat itself. Becomes quite repetitive after a while, don't you think? Anyway, we don't have much time. That means the Iron Ring is dissolving. I'll need to speak to the Diviner. Where is he?

Shade stared at the old man, that suddenly seemed to be fresh and agile again.

- I wish I knew.

 

******************

 

Denmark, 617 AD.

 

Jack sat down by the fireplace. The local residents didn't seem to care; they just stared at him and his strange clothes. However, they didn't seem to be as confused as Jack thought they would be. It's almost as if they recognized him. They were quite many, about twenty of them, and one of them was dressed in a thick fur coat and wore a wooden staff in his right hand. Jack suspected him to be the leader.

- Jack?

Jack turned around, and saw a man in a grey suit. He smiled at Jack.

- Rick? How did you get here?

- Same way as you did, I suppose. We time-travelled. Must have been one of those wormholes that you'd hear so much about these days. Or, them days.

Jack was confounded.

- Wormholes?

- I'm just messing with you, Jack. I know it was you, and your power. Speaking of powers, there's someone else I'd like you to meet.

He then said something in a language Jack couldn't understand, and one of the villagers, the one Jack though to be the leader of the village stepped up.

- Jack, this is Rimgar, original Diviner and leader of the Blessed.

- Welcome, friend.

Suddenly, Jack could understand everything they said. He was shocked, and almost fell backwards. Rick smiled.

- Feels strange, doesn't it? Seems like our blood also gives us the power to communicate with those that have lived in the past. Or something, I just took it from the top of my head. Anyway, the people you see here are tribe members of Rimgar and Olaf Xandersen, brothers and sons of Xander Olafsen.

- Who's this Olaf?

Jack was confounded.

- Oh, you've met him. We just call him something else. We can go meet him, if you want to.

Then, Rick and Jack walked up to one of the tents. Inside it, a man was sitting by a fireplace and trying to warm himself up. Jack recognized his face instantly. The eyes weren't glowing, and the skin was normal rather than so dark that the sun itself could be absorbed by it, but it was indeed him.

- Jack, I'd like you to meet Olaf “Xon” Xandersen. He is currently the oldest man alive, with a total age of thirteen-hundred years.

[Phantom Roxas]

When's the next chapter gonna be ep?

[Umbra]

I'm focusing on LotT for now, but if the interest is big enough, I'll continue on this one.

[Phantom Roxas]

Okay, thanks