Shifters X

Chapter 5 - An End for A Beginning

LOCATION: MAEDA HOUSEHOLD, C-573.

TIME AND DATE: JULY 16TH, 2025.

I was at home, doing chores as usual, I mean, I gotta be a good husband instead of going to a different universe to escape my responsibilities... most of the time.
Suddenly, beside me a portal opened beside me, and Rendrils came stumbling into my universe, what could it be that put him in such a frenzied state?
''Ren!! T-There was another tear that I detected... But we're too late for it... We can't fix this one anymore, but maybe we could atleast save that universe's people? Atleast whoever we can find!!'' Rendrils was panicking.
''Right, Let's go and see what's going on!'' I say as Rendrils opens a portal, we have to be fast... If we can't save even a single person... I'll never forgive myself.

LOCATION: UNIVERSE A-011.

TIME AND DATE: THE END, BEFORE REN AND RENDRILS ARRIVE.

As A-011 Ren finished a fight with a mysterious figure and lost, A-011 Chris Maeda looked over him. ''R-Ren...? W-We gotta get out of here man!! J-Just make a portal!! Please!!!'' Chris screamed to try and keep A-011 Ren awake after the fight.
''Chris.... I'm not gonna make it, but I know that you can... I... I'll give you my Nexus arm... L-Live a long life for me... And find the one who... No, stay safe for me... Alright...?'' A-011 Ren, with his last bit of strength, grabbed Chris' arm, transferring the Nexus arm to him, and taking his last breaths before going limp.
Chris would fall down to his knees, crying at the loss of his Ren, when suddenly his Nexus arm started glowing brightly, turning from black to white, a new ability unlocked because of his pure heart. The power of Nexus evolved into the power of Voidweave, an advanced version of Nexus never seen before, only wielded when the bearer is pure of heart.
''I won't fail you, Ren. I'll make sure to live for you, and eventually find your killer...'' Chris said to himself. After mourning a little, the world around him started collapsing more, and he tried making a portal... But it didn't work, without anyone to tell him how to use the actual arm, and with the world crumbling around him, he was in a state of pure state of dread.

After a bit, Me and Rendrils managed to get to the universe, a giant tear spread across the earth's sky. ''It's worse than I thought...'' Rendrils looked around anxiously and we continued to walk around the town.
''Rendrils... Don't you realize that this is what could've happened to the other worlds we patched up...?'' I ask him, I'm worried about the state of the multiverse if these keep popping up...
''Yeah... It's fucked up, but I've never seen a tear this big before... This must have been done by someone powerful... Or it was a big interdimensional rupture...'' Rendrils had a point... But before I could respond... We found him, he was still by A-011 Ren's body, and he saw us too.
''O-Oh my god, y-you guys aren't here to get rid of me too, r-right?'' Chris asked us.
''Of course not, but if you stay here for much longer, you're getting rid of yourself, Rendrils, open up a portal back to C-573.'' I reach my hand out for Chris, and he takes it, not before taking a scrap of A-011 Ren's sleeve... Poor guy...

LOCATION: MAEDA HOUSEHOLD, C-573.

TIME AND DATE: JULY 16TH, 2025.

We all managed to get back safely to my universe... Chris was still absolutely devastated by the loss of his best friend...
''W...What's gonna happen to my reality...?'' Chris asks us nervously. ''It's... Sadly going to disappear... I'm really sorry Chris... I-I should be going back to my own reality...'' Rendrils said and went back to D-803. ''I couldn't save him... But I know he wouldn't have liked to live in another reality that isn't ours... He died protecting me, Harlow, Oliver... Even Akira... Yet they all still ended up not making it... But he told me one thing... 'Live a long life.''' After he said this, he burst out into tears... ''I-I'm only 14... It's not fair that my FAMILY g-get's taken away from me like t-this...'' He cried more and more... I never had a Chris in my universe... And he's only a teenager... I have to take responsibility.
''It's okay... It's okay now... I... Know I'm alot older than your Ren... Probably 8 to 9 years to be exact... But I'll try, and I mean this, I'll try to be a good... Father figure? I think?'' I give him a smile which thankfully calms him down a bit.
''...Thank you, Ren... Even one that isn't my own can still be my best friend... Or I guess... A fatherly figure, like you said.'' Chris smiled back at me, and soon after, Akira came home.
''Hey hun... Interdimensional visitors?'' Akira asked me calmly.
''He's not interdimensional anymore... He's staying here, with us.'' Akira looks me bold in the eye as I say this... ''Ren... Could I talk to you privately for a moment?'' I nod at the request, and we head into the kitchen.
''...Okay, lay out what exactly happened while you and Rendrils were away, I KNOW Rendrils was here because of how you never put back to vacuum cleaner and other cleaning supplies.'' Akira looks at me, she's not... mad, I hope...
I explain to her how Chris had his reality destroyed, and had his Ren killed... Her look of mild annoyance changes to pure worry about him... She hugs me before speaking again. ''He's only 14... And his version of you died for him... I will make sure he has the best life here as long as he wants to stay here. And I think It'll be great for our little baby to have a big brother while he grows up!'' She smiles at me, and I smile back too...

We go back to Chris, and... He's human now? But he was an anthropomorphic fox just a moment ago...
''Uh... I t-think the arm Ren gave me allows me to transform into a human form....'' He'd walk over to the mirror... He looked alot like his own Ren, apart from the fact that he had both eyes and brown hair instead of our white hairs...
''Well, that's gonna help atleast, since our town isn't used to seeing anthropomorphic animals... But how did you do that? Also Ren gave you his Nexus arm? But your arm is normal like this...'' I ask him curiously as he turns back into his fox form, revealing the Voidweave arm, an ability I myself have never seen before...

''Woah! Now I know three people with weird shapeshifting arms!'' Akira smiled at us.
''If you'd allow me to examine this for a bit... I'd appreciate it, Chris. No pressure tho... I know that with everything that has happened today you would rather sleep or something like that.'' I tell him, I do really care for him even though I haven't known him for long...
''I would appreciate you to look at it because I BARELY have an understanding of how this thing works!!'' Chris tells me. So I grab some supplies and devices to get started.
I start examining the arm and I use some machines and programs that I made to measure powers and abilities... ''It seems like you can do everything that people with normal Nexus abilities can do... And even more!! It's gonna take you some practice, but you already know how to use one of your abilities which is your human transformation!! If you need help with abilities you can always come to me, but you should probably go to sleep since it's pretty late, and we have a big day tomorrow!'' I tell Chris, he looks at me confused. ''Big day? For what? Is there... Something going on tomorrow?'' I look at him and nod.
''Well, there is a LOT that we have to do, we gotta get you signed into a school, since you're under 18, you're still enforced to go to school... I know that sucks but still, then we have to make sure that you get all of your legal stuff, such as an ID, and documents that you're living under mine and Akira's roof, and we also have to get you stuff like clothes, school supplies, a new phone, which I'll make sure to put multiversal modifications on so you can call people like Rendrils while he's not even in this universe... And of course stuff for your own room!! I'll make sure to try and make it look as similar to your old room as needed!'' Chris smiled as I told him all this and he hugged me ''T-Thank you!! I don't even know what else to say...'' We hugged for a bit longer until I brought him to the guest room.
''You can stay here for tonight, but tomorrow we'll renovate this into your own room!! Anyway, It's late so get some rest, alright? I'll get you a large shirt as your pajamas for tonight.'' I bring him some stuff so he can sleep comfortably sleep, and I go to mine and Akira's room and sleep myself... What a day... I'll make sure to protect him, make sure that his Ren will be happy with his life.