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You can’t decide on something, you leave it to fate.
Hmm. Fate is an interesting thing, because fate isn’t what you think it is at all.
Which is both hilarious and adorable to Fate itself, because every living being believes they have a choice. Well, they’re wrong. It’s all planned out. Not to mention, if you face a decision, the dimension automatically multiplies to create a timeline for each possible outcome. So not only do you have no control, it doesn’t matter anyway.
Does that make you feel small? It should.
However, if thinking about this is starting to make you paranoid, I sincerely apologize. That was not my intention.
Fate is...well to put it in terms you humans understand, Fate is an entity that exists outside of space and time. Fate oversees everything: All the timelines, All the variables, all outcomes...well nearly all of them. Fate does also occasionally have to step in and intervene should anomalies show up.
Fate used to be mortal, just a normal human being, before being chosen to become an apprentice of Fate.
‘Another Fate?’ you ask? Yes, there was the First Fate, but The Writer “lessened his workload” a long, long time ago. So long ago that Fate doesn’t even remember how long it’s been.
It’ll have to ask the next time the First stops by to check in.
Now if First Fate’s so old, how old is Second Fate now? It doesn’t know. It doesn’t remember, and doesn’t care enough to think about it, but if it had to give an answer, Fate would say it’s been doing this job for centuries, so older than that. (Thanks. Very helpful)
Fate is, however, old enough to have completely forgotten what it looked like when it was alive. Which is fine, it doesn’t care, and it finds that, should it have to make an appearance to a mortal, taking the form of a trusted friend in the dreams of the mortal provides the most effective outcome. That’s how it earned their title: The Dreamwalker.
Dreamwalker huffs, while observing a timeline. The Writer was around when the whole Endite thing started, and then he stepped back, leaving Second Fate to watch the mess of apocalypses unfold all by itself. Thanks a bunch, old friend.
This whole Scarlett/Eleanor situation is taking up more time and energy than Second Fate cares to admit. It really wanted an apprentice to help lighten its load. It’s a crying shame that good help is so hard to come by nowadays.
See, one thing that Dreamwalker never understood is how apprentices get chosen. Some gut feeling that tells you if a person is a good candidate for the apprenticeship, and you can overlook their entire life to see what you’re getting yourself into. However, you can’t judge the person on how they are after they gain their knowledge, because it ALWAYS is different than what the timeline already has foretold. This leaves the decision for Fate to decide if they want to take a risk. It doesn’t know if this was just a fun way for the other primordials to ‘spice-up’ the job a bit, if it should get boring, or what.
Well hardy har har, Second Fate will never understand that logic.
Dreamwalker rolled its eyes, continuing to watch timeline after timeline occasionally having to tweak a glitch so that everything stays on track the way it should. There are rules, it learned them, and it follows them well.
Second Fate sighs, having run across another dimension and timeline affected by the Reaper/Endite duo. It was getting really tired of the couple’s shenanigans. It’s draining having to watch it all and not to mention keeping tabs on the horsemen it’s now in charge of watching over?
Maybe it should...try finding another apprentice again.
...why not, all the other times have ended in disaster, maybe this time won’t. Besides, if it doesn’t actively look, the others’ll get involved and they’ll force that gut feeling to show up just like the last time it stopped and ignored it, might as well just do it yourself.
Then again...maybe it shouldn’t...all the other times you’ve been let down...all the irritation realizing that everything is left to fate. All by itself. Again.
...it made its decision quickly.
There are 3 at the moment.
3 candidates. None look promising. Isn’t that just, swell.
1- a smart young man. Very observant. Extremely open to learning things.
Fate had seen this before. And the guy turned into a cult leader. It was not dealing with a cult again.
2- middle aged woman. Wise, understanding, and yet another bad idea. The last one turned into a power crazy psychopath. Fate had to intervene and end the situation before people got killed. Not happening.
3- a baby. A freaking baby. That doesn’t even live long enough to be born.
Is this a joke? A sick freaking joke?
...or maybe a mercy to Fate?
There’s always been a silent period where candidates stop showing up for a bit after each time a proposed apprentice goes sour.
So maybe option 3 was an easy out. There’s no way the baby could possibly survive that drug in their mother’s system. So pick the option that gurantee’s not having to deal with the aftermath and get a period of time to not be bugged. Sounds good to Fate.
Fate could already see the timeline changing after its decision was made; and groaned as somehow the timeline altered for the baby to live. It was supposed to be impossible, but here it was.
Fate created an anomaly, by doing its job.
What the actual fuck.
Not only that but, this is the first decent candidate in a long time. So I guess that’s a good thing?
Oh. Oh, no.
The first decent Apprentice of Dreakwalker’s doesn’t live past 7. Second Fate might have to do something to fix that, if Everett doesn’t first.
—————————
Everett is a fucking moron.
Second Fate doesn’t know whether to be proud or insulted.
The absolute audacity of this child.
Dreamwalker observed as a 7 year old Everett was sobbing with grief as the researcher known as Christopher held them on his lap and was hugging them tight. Both look shaken, as they should, after the events that just occurred.
It took a while, but Everett finally cried themself to sleep, giving Dreamwalker the opportunity to jump into their subconscious.
It appeared in an empty park. And Second Fate could already tell it’s form was of a teenage boy. Of fucking course.
It saw Everett, staring wide eyed, not looking at anything particular until it started walking towards them.
Everett stood up, looking relieved at first, before quickly going defensive, “You’re not River.”
Dreamwalker nodded, “Correct. I look like a person you trust, as I do for all people I have to pay a visit to. I wish we could have met under better circumstances. I assume you know who I am?”
Everett narrowed their eyes in confirmation, before bitterly asking, “Why?”
Dreamwalker rolled its eyes before responding, “You know you broke the rules. You can’t intervene a death that’s supposed to happen. It’s a set in stone slot. If you save someone, another has to take the place, you know this!!”
The enby crossed their arms, “Scott dying wasn’t in any of the timelines.”
Second Fate blinked, “River was supposed to get beaten to death. You intervened.”
Ev gave a ghost of a smile, “He deserves to live. I happily accepted the consequences,” The smiled turned bitter as they spat, “Then you had to get involved.”
Fate scoffed, “If I hadn’t of intervened, you would be DEAD! Permanent death! Not ascension!”
There was an awkward silence as Fate was trying to work out why the child was so angry. The conclusion, was devastating, “...you wanted to die.”
Everett sneered, “Have you seen my future? It’s fucking awful. Riv is an amazing big brother and deserved to live! It was a win for both of us! Now, the timeline has changed! I have no clue what to expect.” After a moment of silence, they quietly muttered, “and I’m scared to look.”
Second Fate stared at its apprentice for a moment before checking the timeline itself.
Fuck.
It grimaced, “It gets worse before it gets better.”
“Dammit”
Second Fate swallowed before continuing, “Look, I’m gonna be frank with you. I’m not the best with human emotions and whatnot, but work with me here. You’re the first Apprentice of mine that I’ve actually not wanted to see go up in literal flames. And I’ve had all kinds of different insane things happen, that you wouldn’t believe. I’ve actually made a list. Please allow me to add a ‘cussing 7 yr old human shadow’ instead of another suicide. You actually have potential. I promise I’ll make it worth your while.”
The kid stared at it for a while, and deadpanned, “Fucking fine, I guess.”
Dreamwalker nodded, “Good. I promise, it won’t seem like it, but it does get better. And please, try to work on your language.”
“Not a chance in hell. You know who’s raising me.”
Dreamwalker sighed, “yes, yes I do.”
Ev gave a tiny smile, “I’m gonna be honest, I don’t really like you.”
Second Fate nodded as Everett woke up. That was fair.
Now off to visit River and to tell him he better not fuck this second chance up.
—————————
Second Fate sat in their subconscious once again. It expected to be in the form of ‘Toffee’. And was surprised to be in the form of...someone else.
A 14 year old Everett walked up to it, stumbling over their words, and clearly still in a distressed and overstimulated state, “Technically no rules were broken. I promise-“
Dreamwalker cut them off, “Jesus fucking Christ stop pretending you’re fine, you’re sleeping and you’re still shaking. Sit your ass down!”
Everett snapped their mouth shut and sank to the floor muttering, “Wow, and you told me to watch my language. If I’m not in trouble, why are you here?”
Second Fate knelt on the ground next to Ev, “I came to tell you I’m proud of you. You figured out how to bend the rules to your benefit. You should be proud of the events that will be happening because of what you did.”
“Toffee’s still dead.”
“Christopher was foretold to die when Scott was stabbed. Ethan’s name was in grey. You saving the snake had no negative repercussions.”
Dreamwalker watched Everett let out a sigh of relief. They both sat in silence for a minute before Everett broke it, “Thanks for the compliment by the way, it means more than I can express.”
Second Fate nodded, although there was one final thing it wanted to know, “I must ask, why this form.”
Everett’s eyes met the ground, “We both saw it happen.”
“Oh.”
“I get to experience my first thunderstorm. I panic, and Toffee takes a bullet to the head. I’m 14, I’ve never seen the sun, but I know what brain matter squishing against steel toe boots sounds like! That is kinda messed up, right?” Second Fate could only nod in response. “Good. Thought so. Fuck my life.”
Dreamwalker stood up. “1 year.”
Everett glanced up at it, “what?”
“1 year. Then this is all over.”
Ev stared, “Thank gods. I’m getting tired.”
—————————
It’s been a couple years.
True to Second Fate’s word, a year later Everett permanently escaped the basement. They had a lot of trauma to work through, but things are looking up and Second Fate is happy to say it and it’s apprentice have a better working relationship now. Everett has even earned their Fate title: The Shadow Agent
But now we’re at the current problem: Scarlett found 300 alarm clocks.
Where the hell did Scarlett find 300 alarm clocks?!
Dreamwalker could still hear all the sounds even as Grim and all the reapers took hours finding and turning off all the alarms outside of time and space. It couldn’t focus on watching other timelines with the ringing!!!! Second Fate had a job to do, damn it!!!
Yeah, Dreamwalker decided right then and there, it was so done with this shit.
As soon as it was able to, Second Fate could not have jumped into Grim’s subconscious faster, “Thank god you're asleep.”
Grim startled and whipped towards the voice, “I-uh-I......Levi what the actual hell?”
Dreamwalker grumbled, “Not Levi, try again”
Grim blinked for a moment before it clicked, “Oh. What do you want Dreamwalker?”
Scarlett appeared out of nowhere, “Heya!!!!”
Second Fate had to take a moment to pause before calmly looking at Grim. “You like things to the point, yes?”
“Mmhm”
“Good. I’ve had enough of dealing with Scarlett. You’re my apprentice’s problem now. Expect to be in touch with them soon.”
Grim blinked and looked over at Scarlett, “You know what. That’s fair. That’d be my response too.”
Scarlett smirked as she crossed her arms, “So, how long did it take for me to finally crack ya?”
Second Fate pinched the bridge of it’s nose, “I was around when Striker slit your throat if that tells you anything.”
Grim just stared and Scarlett whistled, “Man you’re OLD!”
Second Fate just stared Scar in the eyes, “So are you.”
Scarlett blinked, “Touchè, bitch.”