What Sirius Did Next

[kingandy]

With the ending of the Artificer LRP campaign, the creators - rather than writing an official aftermath - invited the players to posit their own endings.  Sadly, shortly thereafter the forum collapsed, and only one of my characters got their fanfic closure.  Find below my second go, the continuation of Mr Sirius Vance, which takes a subtly different tack, and is rather more meta.

I apologise in advance for the cumbersome use of italics, but I couldn't think of a really suitable punctation for certain parts.




The screaming ended, as did the screamers, torn apart by the very threads that made them whole. The released binding energy surged forth from the Star Chamber as a wave of soft blue light, flooding the city from arch to arch, briefly making every citizen aware of the connections that had always existed, binding person to person as the purest form of empathy, of simple human compassion.

And, suddenly, the light snapped back inwards, leaving no trace that it was ever there save in the minds of those it had touched. In the streets, each combatant was reminded that he faced his brother, his sister. In the face of universal brotherhood, what revolution could stand?

~~

Sirius gently awoke to find himself in what he recognised as a care bed in one of the wards of the apothecary guild house. The quickening of his breath garnered the notice of Grandmother Igraine, who chanced to be nearby.

"Ah, Sirius," she said, "You're awake. Excellent. Mara, please remove Brother Vance from the critical list," she instructed the girl next to her. Sirius recognised her. A student, perhaps? Regardless, there were more pressing concerns.

"The city," he breathed, finding the words unexpectedly hard to shape, "Out of danger?"

"As much as it can be," replied Igraine, "For the time being. At least all of the nonsense in the streets has ended. People seem to have taken to the notion that conversation is preferable to murder."

"Heavens," he muttered. "And the nobles ... listening?"

"Of course," she answered, with the certainty of one who had never had cause to doubt human nature. Presumably, Sirius imagined, she had always been of the mind that this could all be sorted out if people would only sit down and talk it through like civilised folk.

"It's already been decided," continued Igraine, "That a council will be formed. The details are still to be arranged, but they will need staunch advisers and wise counsel..."

"Counsel for the council?" Sirius winced even as he spoke, but he simply couldn't let that one go by.

"Quite so," she agreed, pointedly ignoring both the needle and the pain. "I would hope that you would number among them." Sirius' face must have shown surprise, for she quickly continued: "I've always respected your intellect, but we must be honest; you are no apothecary. A mind such as yours shouldn't stay a humble lecturer all its life. I believe it is time for you to serve a higher purpose. Besides, your various social engagements have moved you through most of the circles in our city. I can think of no-one better suited to bringing us together."

"Hmph," Sirius grunted, closing his eyes with a satisfied smirk. "I'll think about it."

~~

Time turned, and the tapestry wove itself anew. Sirius Vance did not take a seat on the council - a council formed in equal parts of nobility and common folk - but he did serve as an advisor, lending his keen insight to any and all quandaries the council faced. It was probably the best arrangement for all involved; saddled with such a tiresome thing as responsibility, Sirius would have done his best to shirk his duties. On the other hand, presented with regular intellectual challenges, almost by way of a hobby, he could not help but invest his full mental energy in finding a solution. In fact, it would be fair to say he had more influence on events in the city than any one council member; the councillors came and went, missed meetings or had other responsibilities to attend. But no force under the heavens could keep Sirius from sticking his nose in where he had been told they could manage without him.

So the city prospered, in every way such things can be measured. The population expanded, no child went hungry or unclothed, education spread through the city like a disease. The opening of the academy led to great advances in the understanding of threadweaving. Lalenth became a city of wonders, art and enlightenment. And, of an evening, Sirius took walks in the city's lush gardens, simply breathing the air and feeling the city move around him.

~~

"It's all very nice," said Sirius on one such walk, to nobody in particular. "But it's not real, is it?"

Ah?

Ah.

What was your first clue?

"Hum," he continued, raising one eyebrow quizzically. Either he was intrigued by this means of communication, or the question had genuinely surprised him. Perhaps both. "Honestly, I was expecting 'How did you know?' Which of course is a harder question. It was lots of little things, really, holes in the narrative, turns of phrase. The convenience of it all. But the first clue ... hmm. Igraine," he decided. "She does respect me, of course, but would never say it to my face. That would deny me the pleasure of constantly seeking her approval. Also, she does not consider any calling to be higher than that of healing. Now, your turn. What exactly is going on here?"

Evidently, it was time for explanations.

We are in the Moment. The ritual to remove the Paragons was successful, but it is not yet complete; the threads across the city are taut with potential. In this Moment, before they snap back into place, we have the power to weave the tapestry into a more pleasing shape.

Sirius mulled this over for a moment. "Pleasing? To what end?"

We want to write you a happy ending.

His face screwed up. Not with disgust, exactly. More a sense of distaste, or disappointment. "Oh, please don't."

No response came in words, only a sensation of confusion. Sirius sighed and put on his classroom voice.

"No ending is really happy. It's inherent to their nature as endings. 'And they all lived happily ever after...' That's not an ending. That's the denial of an end, a prolonged state of perpetual well-being. Life isn't like that. In life, all endings are unhappy. To a greater or lesser degree."

Then what would you have us do?

"Nothing. Don't change a thing. Let things play out as they will. Leave me with the potential - let me shape my own ending."

Very well. We have just the thing. And Sirius?

"Yes?"

I'll miss you.

His eyes twinkled as he grinned a lopsided grin. "As will I," he said, finally, with a nod.

~~

The screaming ended, as did the screamers, torn apart by the very threads that made them whole. The released binding energy surged forth from the Star Chamber as a wave of soft blue light, flooding the city from arch to arch, briefly making every citizen aware of the connections that had always existed, binding person to person as the purest form of empathy, of simple human compassion.

And, suddenly...