Strange Aeons: Shadows of the Past

by R. A. Howard

"Strange Aeons" could be considered a sequel to my previous short story "The Letter: A RWBY Fanfic" (and for that matter, "Back on the Road"), though you honestly don't need to read them to understand the new story. That said, you should be fully caught up on the first three seasons of RWBY as this story takes place probably a month or so after the ending of the third Season. The title itself is a shout-out to horror writer H.P. Lovecraft, whose Cthulhu Mythos has insinuated its way into the hearts and souls of many stories over the decades.

Addendum note: As I know of the tendency to look up stuff on Wikipedia (with resultant accidental inaccuracies), the Gepárd M3 is 74 inches long.

Prologue

Something was wrong.

She glanced from monitor to monitor, tracking a power surge building within the superconducting tunnel junction. It wasn't from the solar arrays; they still showed nominal. The energy was extraneous to the panels, being drawn somehow from within the system. But there were no other connections! And this was just a test run! A simple mapping of the gravitational spaces of local space-time!

Murphy had its teeth in the reins; dark matter was being drawn in while one screen flashed warnings that a Portal was forming, one that lacked a destination. She rushed over to the power feed and cut the line from the solar arrays. The screen flickered and then stabilized as energy continued to be drawn from within. Several seconds later she heard crackling as power arced within the quantum computer. She backed away as several months work was lost... as if on cue, the monitors flashed and went dark.

The stink of ozone filled the air while a pocket of shadow formed by the ruined computer bank. Low growls echoed down dark paths from the pocket of shadow, and a form, two, a third, emerged into the light. The first, a shadowy bear-like creature froze at the terminus, caught in frozen air. The others with wolf-like visages leaped at her even as she wove the air around her, one missing as solidified air deflected it from her, while the other struck true, blood-red claws piercing the hardened air surrounding her and cutting through her blouse and leaving a line of thin cuts in her flesh. She tumbled from the blow and smashed into a chair which broke as it stopped her just shy of the table. The cuts bled profusely before she placed a hand on them, shifting part of her focus to pulling the cuts closed and knitting flesh together. If not for the shield, she'd be dead.

But she could sense It now. Its essence, the core of Its being. She remained on the ground, reaching out with her mind at the alien sentience, and as her mind brushed It she felt It recoil in pain. Anguish. Surprise. It shrieked, writhing as It collapsed within Itself, shadows forming from black flesh and then evaporating in one huge mass that lingered for moments before leaving no trace of its passing.

The remaining shadow-beast backed away and then turned to leap for the window. It smashed into it and clawed Its way through. She pulled herself erect and rushed to the window. More of the shadowy monsters lurked outside, perhaps a half dozen forms. There were several of the wolf-men similar to the two that first attacked her. Others resembled the shadowy bear still trapped in the prison of frozen air she'd woven. There were odd two-legged beasts sniffing the air, and a flock of crow-like creatures which took to the air. The largest of the beasts was a scorpion. It had to be ten feet long, its stinger shimmering in the morning light, casting off the darkness and transforming into a vibrant gold that contrasted to Its black flesh.

She rushed to the door, pulling a switch placed prominently to one side; the gentleman she'd rented the house from had warned her of grim things that stalked the night. Metal storm shutters slid down, locking the shadow-beasts out, except for the lone shadowy menace trying to pull as far away from her as her prison of air would allow, its mind swirling in fear and hate. "Grims, hmm? Well, it's dawn, so if light sent you packing, that lot would be gone now." She sighed and the door shuddered as something struck it. "I don't want to kill you. But you're leaving me no choice."

The door shuddered again, and she closed her eyes. It was another of the shadow-bears. Already Its mind was starting to congeal, to harden. But there was a spot... she reached, brushing it, and felt pain, anguish... and a sense of shock from others out there. The minds were moving further out, waiting at the edge of the trees.

That wouldn't work again. Their minds were already adjusting. Touching whatever It was on the other side tore her up inside. But those monsters didn't seem to know that. This would give her time. She went to her backpack and whispering "Gepárd" pulled out a scoped anti-material rifle significantly longer than the bag; on its end the M3 was over an foot taller than her. It had once taken out the engine block of a semi. That scorpion wouldn't stand a chance.

The shadow-bear remained huddled in Its prison of air, trying to avoid being seen. She gave a snort and rested the Gepárd against the table, and with two more whispered words started pulling rebar and thick metal loops from within the pack. It would be wise to chase that thing into the bedroom and barricade It in. The walls should be thick enough to hold It, once she got some of her stuff out. That air prison wouldn't last forever.