Shadow Slave Cinema (reaction fanfic)

As the city was slowly waking up, Sunny finished his coffee and leaned back, enjoying his last moments of peace. He did not have a lot of regular customers, but there were some. They were probably going to start arriving soon, which meant that he would be busy for the next few hours.

Before that, however…

He glanced at his shadow, his gaze becoming distant for a moment.

People shivered, as some uncontrollably wrapped their arms around their shoulders. Although nothing was peculiar about his actions, the way he looked at his shadow was….unnerving. Like he was looking at something else entirely, his eyes like two whirlpools drawing everything that laid gaze upon them in. A couple of Saints looked down at their hands, and curiously found them…shaking.

"What's wrong with his Shadow? Why is he looking at it like that…it's giving me the creeps." Effie exclaimed as less popcorn found its way into her mouth.

"Could it have something to do with Weaving?" Revel questioned, her curiosity growing,

Ananke shook her head, "No, it's not to my knowledge whether Weaving can have an influence on shadows, I suspect that this may be related to his Aspect".

'His Aspect…'

The words hung in the air as eyes among the audience twinkled. It was a staple law, that the more information one withheld about themselves, the more powerful they were. Knowledge was power, and nothing was more powerful than knowing everything about another's aspect, from its function all the way to its flaw. The atmosphere in the room changed, like a pack of hungry wolves who had just laid eyes on an unsuspecting sheep.

They hungered to learn more about this mystery by the name of Sunny.

"But isn't his Aspect related to Weaving?" Rain questioned obliviously, new to the concept of Aspect abilities, attributes and flaws.

Ananke turned and shook her head once again and smiled, "No dear, Weaving is its own thing, completely separate from a person's Aspect. It sounds quite scary but is the reality, Weaving in itself is like an open Aspect with unlimited potential that anyone can use if selected and knowledgeable"

'Open Aspect…'

The theatre was silent. Everyone understood the absurdity of having "two" Aspects. While there were many unique and peculiar Aspects that existed, some that allowed one to mimic others, while a few even had multiple abilities. Nothing stood among what they had recently learned. Let alone having "Weaving", the self proclaimed original sorcery that rivaled even the gods, this man Sunny was now revealed to possibly have an entirely unknown Aspect.

All the Saints felt threatened.

"How is that even fair, I haven't even awakened yet teacher", Rain whined with envy as the screen changed.

Then, a familiar voice whispered into his ear:

[You have slain a Great Demon.]

[Your shadow grows stronger.]

Nobody said a word. Jaws hung open as eyes bulged, the silence was deafening. Some even raised their arms to rub their eyes in disbelief, convinced that their eyes were playing tricks on them.

But they weren't

The silence may have lasted indefinitely if not for a figure who shot up from the first row, shouting at the top of her lungs, snapping everyone back to the imperceivable reality. It was Effie.

"WHAT!? A GREAT DEMON!? H-HOW HE'S SITTING ON A PORCH DRINKING COFFEE RIGHT NOW! HOW DID HE JUST EFFORTLESSLY KILL AN ABOMINATION LIKE THAT!?"

"Impossible!" Cormac followed up, as he rose from his seat.

"This surely cannot be true, he's a mere master…" Beastmaster hissed as the rest of Song narrowed their eyes.

What little grounding the audience had built, had now been completely shattered. Who they had assumed and come to acknowledge as a special Master who lived a leisurely life….had just slayed a Nightmare Creature that even Saints would struggle with alone.

And yet he killed it, quick, silently, without even lifting a finger.

Mordret and Nephis stood still, a single thought forming their minds, as if they were interlinked.

'Another Divine…'

But this was unheard of, while Divine were a loose myth, they still existed and two of the three were currently present in this room. However, this man, Sunny, caused them to reevaluate their status.

Yes, they were capable of killing Great Nightmare creatures alone, possibly even Corrupted with enough information, time and preparation. Nephis could do so through with enough effort and even nuke the monstrosity with the surrounding area if needed. Mordret was his own army, and could create mirror creatures that could approach Nightmare creatures in rank and give them a struggle. However, Sunny had done so without revealing anything.

He had done so without any of these factors, hidden from the eyes of everyone, without even showing the tiniest form of concentration or struggle. If anything it looked like he was too relaxed, as if this was a casual everyday event for him.

Nephis slowly turned around to find Mordret, but he had already beat her to it, staring at her intently, a smile of intrigue on his face

"I guess we're not alone" he mouthed before leaning back into his seat. Sunny previously had Mordred's curiosity.

But now he had his, and Nephis's full attention.

"Are you capable of such a feat?" Noctis questioned as her turned to Daeron,

Daeron puffed his chest in response, "Naturally, as a Supreme, a Great Demon is troublesome but only in terms of finishing it quickly.", he paused.

"However, as an apparent "Master", if that's what he truly is, then this is practically impossible. I have lived long and seen many thing, however I have never once heard of a Master killing a Great Nightmare creature, let alone effortlessly" his tone solemn.

"Could he be a Saint then?" Luster questioned,

"Impossible", a voice cut him off from behind, belonging to MoonVeil.

"Saints do not just appear, they are either nurtured or carefully selected. It is rare for Saints to randomly….spawn, let alone be unheard of at such a high level. This matter would not go unnoticed from legacy clans", she echoed while quickly glaring at the cohort.

Jet returned the glare with one of equal hostility.

"It seems like your favorite cafe owner is not the harmless doll you make him out to be" Noctis chuckled, as Effie reeled, unsure whether to be heartbroken of being lied to by such a face or excited at the possibility of being integrated closer to her and the cohort.

"B-But he looks so harmless! All he does is serve refreshments and snacks all day, while satiating the desires of women!" her palm quickly slapped across her mouth at the realization of what she just said.

Numerous brows rose, in clear amusement of her statement, some secretly agreeing.

"Looks can be deceiving…" Mordret hummed

Effie sank even more as she slowly turned around, back to her seat, defeated, unsure of what she should think. She slumped back, aggressively stuffing her face with popcorn, before turning to Nephis with a look of utter gloom.

"So what princess, what do you think of two-faced prince charming?" she grumbled

Nephis looked at her, pausing, before calmly responding.

"He's a viable candidate"

Effie's eyes widened as she quickly choked on her popcorn, slamming her chest with her fist as a spew of kernels flew out. Her mouth remained open in disbelief, unsure whether she was talking to the same ice-cold Nephis that she knew, and if they had secretly been replaced.

Nephis returned a look of innocent confusion,

"What? He's uniquely strong, clearly intelligent and is an unclaimed piece, it would be nice to have another reliable member of the cohort" she said in a flat voice.

Effie continued to stare at her before closing her eyes and covering her face with her palms, a low mumble escaping through her fingers.

"Princess…please get a room, I don't care who it is anymore… just lose the teenage innocence".

Nephis blinked,

"But I already have a room?"

Rain watched her idol with wide eyes, stunned whether to be shocked by her obliviousness or saint-like purity.

'That… went better than expected.'

He had just killed a Great Demon.

Well, technically, it was his other self that had done it. His avatars were not beholden to the maximum range of Shadow Control, so there was a vast distance between them.

Currently, Sunny was simultaneously in three separate locations. His original body was here in Bastion, enjoying a peaceful life in the company of the gloomy shadow — he had kept that guy so that people had no reason to ask why he was walking around without a shadow at all.

"Other self?" Mordret catechized as his eyes twinkled at the prosperity of another like him, let alone a Divine one. A new, warm feeling, blossoming in his body in contrast to his usual hollow cold husk of self.

'Maybe we were good friends…'

Morgan clicked her tongue in annoyance,

"So his Aspect allows him to create avatars of some kind who can act on their own", she fulminated, her opinion growing even more agitated.

Cassie nodded, "It would seem that way, however there are some peculiar details, mainly how he associates them with Shadows, his unique naming of them individually and most importantly, how he states that his "original" body is in Bastion, suggesting that his avatars are their own people by themself."

"Maybe he has a rare sense of humor" Jest chuckled in contrast with his face which displayed a look of utter spite.

"I wouldn't think so, it seems more like an extension of some already existing ability of his…" Julius muttered in thought

Revel rapped her fingers on her hand rest.

"Indeed, it seems like his Aspect is tied to Shadows, through specific details such as his description of his avatars and his proclaimed "shadow control", she sighed as her lips slightly curled.

'I wonder how he'd face against me…'

Daeron's hand tightened around his arm rest, "Shadow creatures.." he mumbled as he glanced at Windflower, who was also looking at him. They both silently nodded, as they turned back to face the screen, a single thought echoing in the back of their minds.

'Shadow God..'

Rain meanwhile was reeling.

One master was too much, but now… there were supposedly multiple!?! She grabbed her head as she moaned in agony, catching a look of concern from Ananke and Nephis.

'Doomed…we're doomed!' she wailed internally, at the thought of multiple Masters wreaking havoc in both of two worlds. Her shoulders stiffened as her face dawned a cold look.

"Surely he doesn't have any other disciples..?" she mumbled in agitation, biting her thumb, unsure whether to feel sorry at the prospect of others being tormented by him or if she was getting treated poorly while others had the VIP package

Solvanne and Noctic met eyes,

"Shadow?" she questioned, as he nodded

"It would seem so.." he remarked as they both turned back to the moving screen.

Sunny lingered for a moment, then summoned the runes.

A field of familiar symbols appeared in front of him… the runes themselves might have been the same, but they looked a bit differently. He had designed this whole thing himself, after all, tying the enchantment to his memory, perception, and the black bracelet. So, Sunny had taken liberties to change the look and feel of the field of runes to his taste.

The runes read:

Name: Sunless.

True Name: —

Rank: Transcendent.

Class: Terror.

Shadow Cores: [6/7].

Shadow Fragments: [1591/6000].

Nephis and Mordret's eyes twitched.

"So he is a Transcendent.."

"Terror!? How can a human be a Terror! That's a class of a Nightmare Creature! Is he even human?"

"6/7 cores, impossible!"

"Shadow Cores…"

The theatre was in chaos. Statements and questions were being shouted left and right in rapid fire, as eyes moved everywhere, like lasers, switching between sending secretive messages and threatening glances. Everyone was shell shocked, they couldn't comprehend what was being displayed to them.

It was as if they were seeing the stats of a God…"

Chaos only dimmed from laughing and the sounds of clapping, which anchored everyone's rationality. It was the usually quiet Mordret, who was now doubling over in laughter, almost in tears. The sight shook both Song and Valor, as Morgan felt a creeping sense of fear.

He finally quieted down as he wiped his eyes,

"Aaah, truly he is one of us…" he said in a low unsettling tone.

Morgan's eyes twitched, "Explain yourself wretch!" she yelled, causing Mordret to glare at her for a second, before his face loosened and a tactical smile crept on his lips. He slowly turned and looked down, his gaze slowly sweeping the spectators…until…it fell on Nephis.

Her eyes widened in realization of what he was about to do, but he spoke before she could act.

"Let's just say that our friend, Sunny, here is a bit….different from your usual Transcendent", his smile growing in satisfaction as he continued to tolerate Nephis's glare that could kill a Mundane on the spot."

He slowly raised a pointed finger.

"Changing Star is much more knowledgeable about such information, it's best if you look to her for answers.." he mocked.

Eyes descended on Nephis as she was completely lost. He had completely given away her identity as a Divine Aspect holder, although they hadn't realised it yet. In such a situation she couldn't escape, she had been completely trapped by Mordret who swayed side to side above with a look of amusement.

'I can't get out of this…'

She turned to Cassie, but to her dismay, she was completely stone-faced. It seemed like she had also long realised the severity of Mordret's ploy, however there was no way out of it.

Nephis stood rooted to the spot, for once in her life, rarely at a loss of how she should proceed.

Like a beacon in the dark, a hand slowly graced her shoulder, as Nephis stepped back unconsciously. It belonged to Ananke, who looked at her with a reassuring smile and gave a slight nod. Nephis paused for a second, closing her eyes, coming to a decision, before opening them and turning to face the crowd in anticipation.

"It seems like this man holds… a Divine Aspect" she echoed in the theatre.

Eyes bulged in shock at the statement, as everyone was at a loss of air.

Jest leaned forward with a completely serious look on his face, "You mean to say..?"

Nephis nodded,

"Yes, this man is a Divine Aspect user, which allows one to grow and ascend ranks beyond a human to what he is now….that of a Terror. Additionally, one can have up to seven cores which they can fully utilize, making them infinitesimally stronger than any person of the same rank…even challenging one of a rank above."

"I would know….as I am also Divine Aspect holder, and a Titan at that" she said in a defeated tone, before pausing and shooting daggers at Mordret.

"This Mundane, by the name of Mordret just so also happens to be a Divine Aspect holder, while it seems he would prefer if someone else would announce it for him" she growled in a threatening tone that caused the other cohort members to shiver, unfamiliar with the display of aggression from Nephis.

Eyes once again swept back to Mordret.

He glanced around, still smiling, before raising his arms and shrugging.

"Well…. the cat seems to be out of the bag" he cooed before taking a dramatic bow,

"Yes, ladies and gentleman, I am also a humble Divine Aspect holder…but the revelation should not be taken too seriously." he said in a sing-song voice.

Rain's eyes bulged,

"B-But you said you were a Mundane just like me!" she yelled in protest.

Mordret looked at her and pushed his lips, as if trying…to pout, although the achieved effect was only an uncomfortable shiver that ran through the audience.

"Did I? I must have…forgotten" he said in a condescending tone, causing her face to flare with rage

"Enough." Daeron boomed, preventing things from escalating.

The room was once again silent. Kim, Luster, Rain and Julius shivered uncontrollably in excitement. A Divine Aspect holder! A real one, in the flesh! It was just a seamless fantasy that floated through the world that everyone paid no mind to.

But now that myth was all too real! A seemingly fictional deity!

While excitement was alive in the room, something else was also alive. Something quite the opposite.

It was resent.

Both Song and Valor were in a turmoil at the revelation, although they both suspected, it had finally been confirmed for both of them. Both had one of the two powerhouses on their side supposedly doing their bidding, but it was not enough. They were too much of a danger, and the longer they breathed, the greater a threat they became.

And now…

There was a third.

One who hadn't pledged allegiance, a lottery ticket in the open, waiting to be claimed. But could they even reel in such a person? Having a Divine Aspect was tantalizing enough, and would alone earn them one of the highest spots between the two major clans.

But Sunny was different.

Not only was he a Divine, but he was supposedly connected to a Daemon and held the secrets to Weaving, a sorcery that none could match. Something that rivaled the Gods. All while holding animosity towards both Song and Valor, hiding from the world for some unknown reason.

Morgan could almost feel steam rising from her head in contemplation. Battling between making him an asset of Valor and quickly silencing him. But now, it seemed like such an execution was impossible.

Her eyes narrowed,

'We need meet whatever goal this thing has and quickly leave this place'

"What does it mean by Shadow fragments?" Solvanne questioned while looking between Nephis and Mordret.

Nephis paused, before raising her chin.

"I-I'm not too sure. To form a new core, one must fully saturate their existing cores. Once that is complete, a new one will naturally form and the process will repeat."

She blinked for a second, something flashed in her mind, before disappearing,

"However…I have no idea what these "Shadow Fragments" are in place of what should be Soul shards", she said in an uncertain tone.

"Well it's only natural!" exclaimed a voice,

It was Noctis.

He smiled, "After all, it is only natural for a child of Shadow to need Shadow Fragments to grow".

Daeron and Windflower's eyes widened,

"You imply..?" they questioned,

Noctis scoffed,

"Of course! What else? Sunny here is clearly connected to the Shadow God!" he exclaimed, pausing in thought, before smiling and continuing.

"Though I do find it strange, Shadow is not the social type.." he joked,

As routine, another deafening wave of silence overtook the theatre at the revelation of the news.

Effie rubbed her head and whined in complaint, "Too much…too much…this is too much! We need a breather!"

"I agree, I feel like I've just been thrown into an ocean with weights around my body" Saint Roan moaned as he leaned back. Tyris reached over and grabbed his hand, giving a reassuring squeeze, stirring a smile of comfort from him

The only person who didn't seem to be hit by the mountain of news was Julius, who seemed to have already braved the summit and was now impatiently waiting at the top, for more.

To their horror, the screen once again changed, eluding to a new scene. Audible groans could be heard, clear that some were not mentally prepared for another barrage of world changing information. Fortunately, although rare, the screen seemed to have sympathy for the crowd, as what it showed seemed to be the conclusion of the scenario.

Well, anyway.

That was for his third avatar to worry about. This Sunny had nothing to do with it. Dismissing the runes, he stood up and stretched.

It was time to open the shop.

As the final image flashed, the screen once again dissolved, reverting back to its original blank white state with no new statements.

Few heaved a sigh of relief.

"Well quite the opener I'd say!" Noctis chimed without a hint of agitation and fatigue,

"Indeed, quite exhilarating!" Julius remarked with equal enthusiasm.

And audible pause took place before Julius coughed, signalling everyone's attention.

"Now that the first viewing seems to be over, it's best that we should evaluate what we have learned." he said in a professional tone

"Indeed" Cormac nodded,

"The most obvious piece of information is that this man, Sunny, is a wildcard. He holds a Divine Aspect which makes him one of the strongest people alive, second only to the Sovereigns. As if that wasn't enough, he is connected to the Daemon of Fate and holds knowledge about Weaving which has the potential to change everything."

He paused, gathering his words.

"Not to mention, according to Lord Noctis, he is suspected to possibly hold the lineage of the Shadow God, which has been an elusive mystery since the beginning of the Nightmare Spell. All Lineages have been claimed by legacy clans of unquestionable power, so it a shock that as a single person, he has found the lineage", his words humble

"With this, we can confirm that the titles he holds are indeed truthful to an extent, although their exact definition is not crystal…" he finished.

"Who's to say that he's not from some long lost clan that held the Lineage, before it disappeared from the world?" Revel questioned.

Jet stood up in response,

"He's not. He's far from any uptight legacy package, if he found the Shadow Lineage, it was through his own efforts and perseverance" she defended,

Beastmasters eyes narrowed,

"And what gives you the confidence to say that about someone you're just meeting?" her words resonating with the other audience, as they agreed in silence,

Jet paused, seemingly unsure of herself, before replying,

"Call it…intuition, from one slum survive to another" she said in a low tone, causing the eyes of both Saints from Song and Valor to twinkle, as if mocking her origin.

Effie snorted,

"He's looks far from any slum inhabitant I've ever seen," she said with enthusiasm.

Cassie slightly shook,

"The change that comes with ascending is not to one's will, it is not their choice when the Nightmare Spell rebuilds them after every trial…" she said in a silent tone, gaining a look of remorse from the rest of the cohort.

"Anyway", Morgan cut in

"Whether he likes it or not, he needs to recognize himself as a danger to us and the rest of the clans. Someone unknown with such promise and power rising from the shadows will not be tolerated" she said in a low voice before pausing and flashing Song a smile,

"So whenever this ends, he'll pick a side whether he likes it or not" she said in a mocking tone,

The eyes of Song flared as they prepared to retort, Daeron closed his eyes in annoyance as he sighed, preparing to once again intervene.

'Brats..'

Unsuspectingly, something else came to his aid, garnering the attention of everyone.

It was the screen, which was now flashing new statements,

[You have completed the first viewing]

[Please collectively come to a decision and choose your reward]

It flashed once again, causing some to gasp while others eyes glistened at the new information.

[Summon a person you are familiar with to join the viewing]

[or]

[Gain a piece of knowledge of the Forgotten One, lost from history]

Nobody said a word at the revelational information displayed on the board. This changed everything for better or worse. Already they were rapidly gaining info about the man by the name of Sunny, and now they had an opportunity to better their position.

Is what they should have thought.

But quite the opposite was taking place.

Both Valor and Song glared at each other. In reality this was a fight to see who could gain one more ally on their side to better their condition. And neither was about to let the other get away with their wishes. Morgan was the first to act.

"I propose that we summon a smith from Valor that can be trusted. With their knowledge of sorcery, we gain a higher probability of hearing an opinion about what this place is and how it functions".

Her claim was met with a snarl from the third row,

"Trusted? Please! The word "Valor" and "trusted" are like fire and ice, it is impossible for them to coexist" Beastmaster exclaimed in a hostile tone,

Eyes of the Valor Saints flashed, as Morgan dawned the smile of a maniac,

"Oh? And what would you propose, you miserable orphan? Summon your wretched mother herself to the scene to deal with all of us?" she cooed in a sadistic tone,

Visible flames ignited in Beastmasters eyes as veins bulged on her forehead,

"YOU DARE!?!", she yelled quickly standing up, as the other Blood Sisters followed her movement with equal fire in their eyes.

Valor also rose in response, but the tension was shattered by an audible bang that reverberated in the room, silencing both sides.

It was Daeron, who had brought down his fist with enough force to dent his hand rest. His patience had run dry.

A threatening rumble resounded in the room,

"NONE of you will fight while we are all here, as it seems you are so blinded by your childish spite that you have forgotten that violence is prohibited here"

Both Valor and Song slightly shifted, quickly recalling the ominous warning from before, realizing they were seconds away from feeling the wrath from one at the level of a God. Daeron took a deep breath before continuing.

"Neither your King nor your Queen will be summoned here, if you have the slightest amount of political intelligence you would realize such an act would leave your capital and people vulnerable to whatever horrors lurk outside your walls."

His eyes flashed as his voice echoed even deeper,

"Nothing is more PATHETIC than a ruler who abandons their people, and you imbeciles have the gall to take that choice away from your rulers and bring them here without accordance of their will",

Silence hung in the air as both Valor and Song averted their eyes, like children who had just been told off by their teacher. He was right. Summoning the King or Queen would leave either Bastion or Ravenheart vulnerable to dangers and other clans who would take notice, nor could they imagine how either of the Sovereigns would react upon being dragged against their will into a foreign space.

Yet, neither was willing to give up. They refused to allow the other to gain an advantage. Something had to happen, a saving grace was needed to relieve the tension and find a middle ground. Fortunately, Effie abruptly stood up with wide eyes.

It seemed she was about to be that saving grace.

"Ling!" she yelped in panic, garnering a few looks of confusion.

"Ling?" Noctis asked in confusion.

"Yes, Ling!" Effie replied as she turned around to face the others, a rare look of panic on her face.

"My son was in a memory I had on me before I was dragged here! With this place having severed us from everything he's currently trapped inside!" guilt blooming on her face.

"What about your husband? Can't he deal with it?" Jest said, a look of pure annoyance,

She frantically shook her head,

"NO! He's currently on a mission in Antarctica, it's unknown when he'll get back and who knows what happened to the memory he's in when we got pulled in here!, her stress growing clearly.

Silence hung in the air as others grasped the plausibility of the danger her son was in.

But nobody moved.

Although heartless, nobody reacted to Effie's pleading, understanding that their judgement and decision couldn't waver just because of one kid and her negligent mother. Sacrifices were a given. That was something all awakened knew.

Some averted their gazes, looking at the ceiling and curtains in silence, as Effie remained standing alone at the front.

To her happiness, Daeron responded.

"I agree that the child should be brought here. I shall not have the misfortune of an infant's life on my hands because of the ego of some people here" he snarled, casting his gaze around the room, as some turned away to avoid it.

Saint Roan an Tyris stood up,

"W-We also have a daughter, Telle. Although she's Awakened and takes after her mother and can handle herself, it's unknown how long we'll be here. It will garner panic in the poor girl which I can't bear to imagine" he said in a stammering tone. Tyris nodded in agreement.

Ananke also joined the movement, slowly standing up with a warm spokesperson smile.

"Truly in this matter, children should take priority. Whether anyone here is a parent or not, they should be able to sympathize and understand a parent's concern for their children", she said in a soothing tone.

A wave of understanding spread among the crowd as heads slowly nodded in acknowledgement, even Song didn't have the audacity to retort, only remaining silent.

The only one who didn't seem to agree, was Mordret, whose face was visibly contorting and twitching with rage, which Morgan took notice of and found pleasure in.

Ananke clapped her hands, garnering the attention of everyone present,

"So! I propose we choose to summon Ling to quell Saint Effie's concerns, and then after the second viewing, Saint Roan and Tyris may summon their daughter Telle. Any objection?"

Silence had never felt so pleasant as the room came to a decision, the Blood Sisters looked at each other for a few seconds before sighing and nodding their heads.

Effie was elated, "THANK YOU!"

She turned around to ask for Ling, before stopping and slowly turning back to face Daeron, a smile of gratitude on her face,

"Thank you!" she whispered,

Daeron smiled, "A parent should always take care of their children, our purpose is to protect" he replied in a calm tone.

Effie smiled,

"Well he can more or less protect himself as Saint at only four years old! I was mostly just concerned he would completely raid the pantry by the time this is all over!" she laughed before whipping around, leaving Daeron in visible shock

"He's a wha-"

Before he could finish speaking Effie cut him off, raising her voice to the screen.

"Uhh.. I choose my son Ling!" she yelled, her tone a mix of confidence and uncertainty.

The Screen responded as it flashed, and a new light rose from the ground at the front. It quickly dissipated, taking the shape of a larger than average four year old. His skin was tanned with curly chestnut hair, on his face a look of utter fear.

"LING!" Effie yelped in excitement as she barreled towards him, scooping him up in her arms before he could even breath.

"Mom… where are we?" he whined in confusion.

Effie smiled, "Don't worry Dumpling, we're just gonna watch a…special movie before going home. Our own little vacation!"

Ling smiled, the honest smile of an innocent child, successfully piercing the hearts of the Blood Sisters.

"I like movies…" he mumbled,

Effie turned around walking back to her seat with him in her arms. Ling peeked his head around and looked at the seats, noticing the gazes focused on him. He hurriedly turned back around, burying his face into her neck as if to hide.

"Who are all these people?" he whispered in a hushed tone.

Effie peeked over his head and scanned the crowd, pondering, before smiling.

"These are some acquaintances" she said in a careful tone,

Ling blinked.

"What's dat mean?" he innocently asked.

Effie looked at him, nuzzled against his face before dropping him to the floor and leaning down, pointing at the front row.

"Be polite and greet your uncle's and aunts," she calmly replied.

Ling beamed, vigorously nodding before, bounding over to the seats. He paused, before greeting every member of the cohort, getting respective responses from all of them. Reaching Morgan he did the same, however he got no response as she coldly looked at him. Undeterred, he gave her a friendly wave and moved towards Ananke.

He paused, unsure of how to greet her. But Ananke beat him to it and smiled leaning forward,

"Why hello there little cub! Who might you be? ", her voice soft and melodious.

Ling smiled "My name is Ling, and i'm the strongest four year old in two worlds!" he proudly remarked as he puffed his chest out.

Ananke chuckled, "What a bold statement little one! Would you mind protecting this old lady?"

Ling nodded in agreement as he climbed onto her seat, Ananake scooting over as she made space for him, Effie smiled at the scene.

"Thank you, he can be quite the handful" she said while reaching her seat next to her

Ananke returned with a polite nod.

The screen once again flashed, as people prepared for the next scene to be shown.

However, nothing changed and instead, new statements blinked on the screen.

[Please select what you wish to witness]

[A spiteful disciple]

[or]

[A Fated reunion]

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Ta-da! Ling is here!

If you are happy to see him here then you should thank the user by the name of "Readarex", as they questioned whether I would add Ling or not.

Truth be told, I was always planning on adding new characters, but Ling never crossed my mind! When the comment met my eyes, I immediately knew I could write some heartwarming interactions!

Cheers! :D

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