Long story short: in the future, Alice takes over the moon, and she hates it.
Long story long:
The moon is attacked by Junko, in the form of a single, life-purified fairy. This fairy then poisons the purified land and creates expanding fields of life force that is so intense it corrodes the very material of the planetary body and begins to spread like an infection. Meanwhile, Life fairy have begun multiplying and are continually spreading their poison further. Lunarian society forms a holdout at the Lunar capital and dig in against wave after wave of fairies.
Alice shows up after several centuries of this and, after some joint fighting of making no progress, offers Makai as a bation. Shinki creates a second moon and the Lunar capital is relocated. Life continues on the moon as normal.
Which is not a good thing. Martial law had been declared and Lunar society is in a police state, which does not loosen as time passes. Centuries go, but the totalitarian policies continue.
The stress of this begins as mumbling among the moon rabbits, which escalate into pointedly concerned voices. Among them one speaker raises awareness of this issue, and is suddenly silenced without warning or explanation. People go looking, the speaker has disappeared.
The communication networks are all but completely shut down trying to keep the ideas silenced, but people have heard and what is known is only confirmed: things have not improved. The war has been over for years. They said things would get better centuries ago. Why haven't they?
The government has no answer. Instead, they continue to try to tighten the reins.
It's at this point that the Upper Courts lose control of their people.
The already highly policed lives of the moon rabbits get even more strictly monitored for perceived signs of rebellion. Talk of the state of society involves harsh reprimanding, taking in for "questioning," or both. Those taken tend to not return - at least, not in any semblance of who they were before. Brain washing become commonplace as influence is snuffed out. Talk of this occurring is perceived as a sign of rebellion and results in similar consequences. More police are sent out as more people are processed by the state and news of this inevitably spreads.
A silent wave of hysteria begins to choke the populace. Rabbits are disappearing left right and center, and no one knows why half the time. There are reports of people getting shot, and talking about it is just grounds for being shot, or worse. Just opening your mouth is enough to get one of the ten guards on the block looking in your direction, looking for a reason. No one knows what's happening anymore. No one knows if someone is late coming back from their shift, or if they have been shot or have been taken by soldiers in tinted vans, or some sick combination thereof.
Stress and panic spiral out of control as society begins to break down. Active shootouts break out in the streets as rabbits resist being taken and their comrades join their defense and engage the guards and security forces swarming into the fray. Businesses cease operation as Lunarian society turns on itself, its citizenry scrambling for cover and fighting for their lives against their own government. Fires break out, buildings are being raided and walls are being busted down by breach charges and adhoc explosives.
Makai and Wonderland, having already been provided basic humanitarian resources for the rebuilding of Lunarian society, become the targets of refugees that seem to arrive in droves overnight. Hundreds of rabbits flee for the safety of ally worlds that have said before will take them, once in secret, now publicly as civil crisis throws Lunar society into chaos. Reclamation teams are rejected at the gates in favor of the refugees, leading military forces to establish perimeters around them on their side, opening fire on anyone that tries to flee. People are gunned down as they make mad dashes for the safety of the portals, sometimes only to die seconds later on the other side as a result of injuries inflicted on the sprint through it.
Makai, ever seeking to remain neutral, does not respond to this directly. Alice does, opening multiple portals in different locations across the moon. Perimeters are established around them as well, and people trying to reach them are attacked on sight. Alice responds by declaring the refugees and any intended refugees as protected citizens of Wonderland and promises retaliation if they are engaged. The moon responds by saying that interfering with military operations is an act of war.
Soon after, refugees are inevitably fired upon as they try to pass. Alice, as promised, retaliates, breaking defensive lines with combat automatons and establishing her own perimeters on Lunarian soil. Once again, she says that refugees and intended refugees are protected citizens of Wonderland and will be defended as such. The moon does not respond.
Retaliations exchange as fights over refugees continue to break out. Long standoffs are broken by people trying to pass, and the line is pushed out farther and farther by Alice, whose troops are not only autonomous extensions of her will, but are generally unkillable due to not being alive, and which are capable of retaining cohesion even if broken apart by weapons fire. Alice is once again informed that interfering with lunar military operations is an act of war. Alice responds that opening fire on protected people is an act of war.
And then the military coups start. Perimeters around otherwise contained doors suddenly break down into firefights as ranking moon rabbits turn on their fellow soldiers and rush through large groups of people having been organized prior. Chain of command is in total disarray. Around this time, low ranking Lunarians begin to desert as well, and are seen being rushed through the portals to Wonderland and Makai to safety. Most low-ranking government officials desert in favor of the well-being of their populace. Lunarians love their rabbits, however they treat them.
At this point, society has ceased function. Almost all businesses are abandoned and utilities are grinding to a halt. Running water stopped about a weak prior, food is running scarce, and rolling brownouts continue to cause mass sagging and darkness as batteries drain and solar energy fails to meet the demands of the city that left its lights on across every block and street.
Alice sends one more message to the upper courts, explaining that she is prepared to escalate this if need be, that she is literally feeding the forces that they are mobilizing against her, and that she has heard serious talk of Makai considering closing its portals, and that her own supplies can cease at any time. She wants to know how much further they have to push this.
Lunarian society responds first via messenger. Because no delegates remain, they are forced to send a pet moon rabbit with the message. This particularly unintelligent rabbit forgot the message it was supposed to deliver. It is sent back home.
The rabbit returns with a written version of what was intended the first time, offering unconditional surrender.
Full military pullbacks are initiated. Alice peacefully enters the inner chambers of the high courts. An official state of occupation is declared, and once full-scale disarming is complete, all refugees are informed that it’s safe to come back home now. Battered and skittish rabbits trickle back into the war-torn streets, under protective watch of Alice’s automatons, the organized rebels that remain after the fighting, and the handfuls of Lunarians that abandoned their country in favor of their people’s safety.
And that's how Alice took over the moon, and she hates it.
1. Alice works as one of the executive heads of a coalition of construction and robotic engineers responsible for the overseeing and management of mega-scale engineering projects. Usually it’s dyson swarms
2. In the competition on who can transcend humanity the best, Alice is quite vocal on the mechanical and bio-synthetic routes. Most of her friends are AI humans and the only organic component in her body is her brain
3. Alice has a very large habitat reserved for her out in the Kuiper belt, where she spends most of her time feeding information to her ‘pet’ dedicated research supercomputer. She finds something about watching something she saw be made from scrap and rock ponder the nature of its own existence to be beautiful
4. Earth is largely uninhabitable and most life there exist in domed cities and climate controlled farms. 99% of humanity floats around in orbit of the sun in floating habitats of every shape and size
5. Some bored engineers slammed comets and a moon into Pluto until it was large enough to be classified as a planet, then tried to make a holiday out of it. The holiday part didn’t work so well because…well…no one lives around it, really. It’s also going to be mostly molten for a while so no living on it, either. Oh well, moral victory)
“Ah, so wish to of that one? Interesting, few would speak of him, and even fewer so openly.” It was hard to make out the figure seated in the tavern, the poor lighting and the attire of the individual making it difficult to to pinpoint anything that could give away the figure’s identity, though the voice allowed one to identify the figure as a male, and a younger one at that, and his way of speech was unusually archaic, especially for someone sounding as young as he did.
The tavern was an older, run-down place, inhabited by the down and out the occasional foolish and brave soul, a few of whom were sitting with the man, wanting to hear what he had to say attentively, though sceptical of his story.
“Well I can see that you’re all still interested in what I have to say” he started, smiling to himself. “Well come around, be silent, and listen closely, for I will not be repeating this tale” He nodded and took a deep breath, and began his story.
“In seedy taverns, such as this one, and dark sidestreets, there are whispers and rumours of worship of a little-known god, called upon only by the desperate and angry, when all other avenues are exhausted, when they feel that they are truly wronged, and naught is done about injustices committed against them, they call upon him and his power and rage to eliminate those who had wronged them.
The Thirteenth, the Avatar of Wrath and Rage, He-Who-Was-Wronged, Vengeance, he is called by that and many more by his adherents and detractors both.”
He paused, taking note of the expressions on the faces of his audience, some rolling their eyes at some of the names he had mentioned. He chuckled.
“Yes I suppose these names aren’t particularly...imaginative, but they are some of the more...popular names that he has been called by” he again smiled to himself, then shook his head and continued.
“The stories of his origins and true nature are as varied as the names he is called by. Some believe that he is just a different aspect or avatar of Rhalgr, the destroyer, or even of the Fury, Halone. Others believe him to be a Primal, the ideation of a concept given form through aether and worship, or a forgotten miqo’te god. A more popular story among some, is that he is just a mortal who sustains himself from the aether of those he kills, though I personally believe that to be a touch too outrageous for my tastes.. Some still, whisper that he was once mortal, a great and powerful hero. who after suffering innumerable betrayals and heartbreak, forsook and cursed the Twelve and Hydaelyn, who in turn forsook and cursed him, granting him eternal life, always doomed outlive any and all he drew close with, and so in return he decided to gather up the lost and the forsaken, those filled with immeasurable rage and elevate himself up to godhood.
Though there are other whispers that those who tell of that are more often than not found dead, killed by what appears to be a spear through the chest, an archaic weapon these days, yes, though no murder weapon is ever found.”
“Wait, why are you telling us that part about him forsaken and been forsaken by some old gods if that’s gonna get you killed” one of the youths interrupted, with nods and murmurs of agreements from her fellows.
The man sighed again. “’tis a story of those meeting that fate should they share that tale” he replied with irritation “though if you really wish to, feel free to speak of it and test it out yourself”
The woman remained quiet.
“Good, now let me continue, and with no interruptions, we are nearing the end of this tale” he said, pointedly glaring at the interrupter, before continuing on.
“Regardless of his origins or his names, three things are always consistent with stories and worship of him: 1) he is always depicted as a male miqo’te 2) he is always depicted as wielding a spear and 3) he invoked and worshipped by those who feel they have wronged and oppressed. As a result, it is more common to see shrines and evidence of worship of him among those in society who are looked down upon, such as the poor, the lower castes, the peasantry, slaves even. But worship of him can especially be found amongst the peoples whose lands have been invaded and oppressed, praying to him to free them and their lands.
Though in these times of strife and uncertainty, with the rumours of this era drawing to a close and people unsure if this star will survive such an event, more and more people are calling upon him, not wanting to leave their lives and return to the aether with their grudges unfulfilled”
With a shrug at the last statement, the man was finished with his tale, his small audience sitting in silence, taking in his words. Some were still sceptical and thought it all a good story and how odd or twisted some people were. Others seemed to be more convinced at his words, to the hidden amusement and glee of the man.
“W-was that all true?” someone finally spoke up.
Another shrug from the man.
“Mayhaps” he replied. “Certainly not all of it, lest this man truly be some unholy combination of Primal, aetheric vampire, godly avatar or cursed fallen hero, but I suppose there could be some grain of truth to this story. Though it was you lot that wished to hear of him, I just passed the tale along. Now move along, my throat is parched for liquor, my belly aches for food, and I have no more stories I wish to share” he finished dismissively, making shooing motions at the group, continuing to do so until in ones and twos, his audience got up and left the tavern.
After they left, the man called over a server and ordered a drink and a meal. Nursing his drink while his meal was being made, a figure made its way to his table and sat down opposite the man.
“I’m not taking any more stories or qu-oh it’s you”
“How rude, though not that I have expected much manners from you ever since our first meeting” the figure replied as he draped a red scarf over the back of a spare chair. “Though I must admit, that was an...interesting tale you told those youths” he continued. The figure, a male hyur in an impeccable white suit and with a forgettable face raised an eyebrow at the man.
The man shrugged. “Your lot certainly didn’t do much to endear yourselves to me” he replied. “Well the kids had somehow found out that I was the man you asked if you wanted to know more about him” he finished, almost dismissively.
The man in the suit scoffed. “You mean yourself”
The man shrugged again. “As much as it pains me to have to talk about myself in such a way, I’d rather not be arrested or more likely, sent to a hospital. People these days aren’t exactly going to believe you if you claim to be any of what I spoke of”
“Oh it doesn’t pain you at all” the man in the suit retorted. “You revel in it, you enjoy the reactions you get from others that hear your story”
“You’re right” the man chuckled, “’tis quite amusing to see people react, but also to hear the rumours of me they spread, even if I’m the one that made up most of those rumours in the first place”
The man chuckled again, before sobering up and looked to the man in the suit. “What brings your here? Your kind are not ones who would come in and speak with me on a whim, especially not you”
It was the man in the suit’s turn to chuckle before he answered the man. “Oh you should know this already Una’to. The pieces have fallen into place, and the Rejoining is once again at hand. I would once again offer you a chance at becoming one of our members”
The man, Una’to, paused for a moment. The man in the suit almost never called him by name, not unless it was serious. “Truly?” he asked his slightly confused look turning into a feral grin as the man in the suit nodded his head. “This era has gone on over-long, I shall look forward to seeing it ending!” he paused for moment, considering the other man’s offer before shaking his head. “You should know my answer by now. I won’t join you, I enjoy being worshipped too much, but I would be more than glad to assist you”
The man in the suit shook his head. “You’ll accept one day Una’to, and I will be there to welcome you with open arms”
“As if” Una’to snorted, before raising his glass. “But today I shall like to toast to the upcoming Rejoining, and the upcoming Umbral Era, here’s hoping it won’t be as pissy and small as it was last time!”
