AU Collection, Stories, and Fanart

Given Up AU

I don't know what this writing style is, but here you go.

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It goes about the same in the beginning. The timeline does not change largely as it chugged along. At most, in the beginning, there were only a few hints of differences. Maybe a slice of toast for breakfast instead of an apple. Choosing to sleep in five minutes instead of getting up.

Still, the butterfly effect is a powerful thing. Even then, these small little things point to the fact that they do not live in a set timeline like the original version does.

Just like most timeline deviations, it happens suddenly. Unlike most deviations, it happens later on, not in the beginning like most.

For in the beginning, the timeline stayed about the same. The tomb, the temple, the Rainbow Hub. Meeting and losing Scout Red Steve, meeting Orange Steve and losing Rainbow Steve. Rainbow Red, Nightmare, Dark Steve. Reverse, Void, Soul, Corruption.

The timeline moves on, bumping and changing slowly as more and more small deviations add up. They stack and stack until the timeline shifts, fate not set into the mold it was trying so hard to get back into.

The first large change was not a choice made by someone, but rather, a person. Shadow Sabre, otherwise known as simply Shadow.

Well, for now, at least. That however was in the future, and not at this point.

Shadow, had the timeline continued how it should have, would not have met a happy end. Except the timeline changed, leaving his fate up to the choices he makes.

Or rather, leaving his fate up to him when he had the ability to make the choices he wanted to. Since the large change to the timeline was not made by a choice, but rather, the lack of choice.

Unbeknownst to all, Shadow, in his creation, had all free will taken away. A mockery of what happened to Dark Steve. With no other choice but to obey the orders given to him from Void or the Darkness itself, he allowed his body, or Sabre's if you wanted to get technical, to go on autopilot.

Whilst their body went about the tasks given to them without a fight, Shadow in an attempt to get some sort of control, tried to drag down his counterpart into the Darkness. For maybe if Sabre fell under the control as well, Shadow would finally be able to do what he wants.

Maybe he would follow the Darkness, maybe he wouldn't. All he simply wanted was the ability to choose. Shadow just wanted to be able to exist how he should have been allowed to.

Yet, it became clear that Sabre held the stubbornness that Shadow also held. Fighting against the Darkness that tried to snuff out his soul better than Shadow could.

So, unknowingly, Shadow made one of his first choices, while changing the timeline. For greater or worse, it depended on who you asked. For where they are heroes, there are also villains. To the villains, maybe they just are people, fighting for what they believe is right.

The victors write the history books after all.

Shadow easing on the attempts to drag Sabre down, allowed them to connect on a level besides being counterparts. Sabre learned that Shadow was with him not just to tear him down, but because this was the only escape he had. A small connection, born from both wanting to be free.

With the attempts no longer distracting Sabre, he was able to easily fight through the Darkness that shrouded his soul. Shadow, finally free of the control that he so desperately fought against, did not sway the choices Sabre was presented with. Shadow was quite familiar with the feeling of being forced to make choices not of your own, and did not wish that on anyone.