Down the Twilight Path

A/N: Hello, everyone! So after a near complete overhaul, a change of editorship, and a development period that wanted to never end, Down the Twilight Path is finally ready to be published. I'd like to thank my new editors, and in particular anyone who has had the patience to stick with me up to this point. This reboot comes with a new prologue, so without further ado:

We are Team Cannon Fodder!, Inc. presents:

A XelarictheNobody production (Technical beta) 

Directed by KarateKairi (KH beta, plot comber, New Executive Head)

Written by Snowthefirst (Main author, Main OC creator, character designer, plot maker, designated whipping boy)

                                               Down The Twilight Path

                                             Prologue: It ends, it begins.

As of late, I feel a heaviness growing in my heart. It makes sense, as the first anniversary of that day is fast approaching. The heaviness comes hand in hand with nightmares of that day as well. I go over the memories over and over, in my waking hours and in my lucid dreams. Regardless it always plays out in the same way... It was the day when I was shown how little I truly know.

How the day started, unfortunately, is not much more than a blur in my memory. The clearest image I can recall is of my family and me sitting around our dinner table. In an instant the picture shattered irreparably, and for a while I lost all sense of where I was or what was going on.

When I woke up on the ground, the first thing I became aware of was the pain all over my body. I looked over myself and realized, with mounting horror, that I had been shot. The last thing I could remember was my parents shouting at Eileen to take me and run...and as I looked back I caught a glimpse of -

My thoughts were interrupted by groans of pain. The fear in my heart threatened to reach a fever pitch. Despite all common sense telling me to do otherwise, I looked around me. I almost passed out again from what I saw; my entire family lay on the floor, all bleeding from the same mysterious wounds.

"Mom! Dad! Wh-what" I couldn't get the words out of my mouth. What was going on? Who had been that man in the black coat, and what had he done to us? How had he taken us all out so quickly? And most importantly

"James, Nicole. Long time no see. I can guess you two weren't ever expecting to see me again, huh?"

How had he known my parents? I had only been able to watch as I weakly lifted my head toward the ceiling. The first time I ever came face to face with the one-eyed man in the black coat. But a glimpse was all I would get; everything was starting to fade into a void that bloomed in front of my eyes.

My body began to feel very light, as if floating on air. For a while, all I did was float aimlessly, unable to control where I was going. Then I stopped and I felt something solid form beneath me. I waited until I was sure I was in full control of myself and tried to stand up. I soon realized I no longer had my bullet wounds from my earlier nightmare, and so I had no real problem standing up.

I began to feel rather small as I tried to take in the vast black expanse all around me. The only thing visible was what I was standing on: a glass pane, covered in a smoky black stain, floating in the middle of nowhere. An elaborate design was barely visible underneath the stain, only just enough to tease at the design that couldn't be made out.

Almost without thinking, I tested the stability of the pane and finished getting my bearings.

As if in response, a voice suddenly rang in my head, "Who are you?"

"Excuse me? Who's there?" I asked. "And where am I? Assuming this isn't just a dream...is it?"

"Such careful, measured responses," the voice responded. "To answer your questions, you know full well where you are, and this is in fact a dream. Now answer my question. Who are you?"

I rolled the answer around in my head before coming to an unsettling conclusion; that as far as I could tell the voice was telling the truth, however unhelpful the information was at the moment. That being said fair was fair...

"My name is Jason. Jason Darnell. And you are?" The silence that followed seemed disappointed. I shook my head. Nothing about this made much sense, no matter how hard I tried to puzzle it out. I knew of-and had experienced-lucid dreams. But this place seemed different. Somehow, I felt that even if this was just a dream it was unlike any I had ever had. Suddenly the platform I was on began to shake, and something started to rise out of the ground. It was a trio of pedestals, each with a different item floating over it: A sword, a wand, and a shield. 

"Those who don't know themselves are destined to be lost to themselves. And yet, I feel that you have a better idea than most when it comes to the inner self. So express that. If for no one else, do it for yourself. Of the three paths before you, accept one and reject the other. And don't cheat by saying you'll accept them all. That's not how this works."

I considered this. This voice seemed to know me pretty well, and I did understand what he was saying: If you had no choice but to bring one weapon and leave behind another, what would you do? While I did wonder what would happen to the third weapon, I felt that the voice would appreciate an answer. I approached the wand, a simple staff with a blue orb rounded like a water drop on the end of it.

"The wand. The channel with which one expresses the energies within. Limitless powers at the tips of your fingers-but one slip and they will consume you, erasing all trace of you from this world. Is this the power you seek?"

"It is." At this, the wand floated into my hands before vanishing. Despite the warning laced with the weapon, the wand had appealed to me. The wand itself meant nothing, as the voice had said. It was a conduit for whatever the wielder pleased, and as such seemed ideal to me. As for the risks...well, that was just a natural consequence of wielding any kind of weapon.

"Now choose which to give up. Worry not of the third, for it will become a secondary, passive power."

Once again the voice had picked the thoughts right out of my mind. I began to have a sneaking suspicion of where I could be. The identity of the voice was no clearer to me though, and that worried me more than anything. Nonetheless...

I approached the sword, a rather basic blade with a simple hilt and no guard.

"The blade. The purest form of physical aggression, it is the domain of those who live on the brink, a constant companion. Wielders accept that as they begin with the blade at their side, so too their end will come by the blade. Is this the power you reject?"

"It is." The blade vanished, along with the shield and the three pedestals. The choice this time seemed to be between having two ways of attacking and only having one along with a method of defense. It had been a difficult choice but felt I had decided wisely. As I awaited the voice's next question, I became aware of another voice echoing faintly. It sounded as if it was calling someone.

The first voice continued, "You accept the power of the wand. You reject the power of the blade. Is this how you see yourself?"

I thought on this for a moment before answering, "This is how I see myself."

"Then it appears your time here is at an end, for now."

A cracking sound filled the air as the platform broke, and I began to fall. "But don't worry. It is only natural...you have taken the first step into true self-awareness. And regardless of where you go, take you, just remember..."

The voice began to fade. "You are the only person you can ever be. Therein lies your greatest strength, and your greatest weakness."

"Jason."

A/N: And that finishes the prologue. Now, because of the system I have set up with my editor, New chapters will take a while to arrive. But they are on their way, rest assured. Give me your honest opinion on this, okay? See you next time! Please review.