#ToACyberpunkAU

[bastet-c-haddock]

"DASHED HOPES" CHAPTER 5 IS OUT NOW ON MY AO3!

This time, the focus will shift towards Krel Tarron.

Prince-in-waiting, now Embassador of Akiridion-5 on Earth.

The war took its toll, even in the ever optimistic akiridian.

Also, Happy Belated Valentine's Day!

This Chapter is for you, Krexie/ Krouxie Shippers!

[bastet-c-haddock]

DEAR FOLLOWERS OF THE "Tales of Arcadia Cyberpunk AU", I'VE COME TO BRING YOU A NEW CHAPTER under this story's new title:

"Dashed Hopes"

The Plot thickens...

The Embassador has called upon a broken soldier and a hollow wizard. The War, its wounds and consequences will rise as two past allies reunite after years of isolation.

Ready to face the Ghosts of the Past?

[bastet-c-haddock]

Ruined...

War...

Fire...

Defeat...

The ravaging end of what was once...

Wanna know how that happened?

[bastet-c-haddock]

Disclaimer: This is Part 2 of my Tales of Arcadia Cyberpunk Alternate Universe. So please, if you wanna catch up. Here's Part 1.

Also, The events depicted on this AU, are my version of how everything unfolds after Trollhunters Part 3, 3Below Part 2, Wizards and Rise of Titans.

With that out of the way...LET'S GO!

....................

ToA Cyberpunk AU 2/?

As I flee from my first awkward meeting after 3 years, I keep my attention and eyes on the rogue carrying the holo-purse of the akiridian lady who screamed. Why she was out instead of her human host is none of my business...

Anyway, this thug runs strangely fast, I doubt he's human, but it's hard to know. The darkness of some of the streets, along with the crowded city make it really hard to focus on a thing. Still, If being the Trollhunter taught me anything, was to focus on a fight and finish it as soon as possible. One way or another, while I have my mind in my training-turned-instinct line I catch a glimpse on the thief: looks like a troll with a really long tail, something weird, even for Arcadia. Their hooves striking the ground like an gazelle of some sort. Knows exactly how to move and where to climb, the last is easier form them thanks to their huge spiked claws. The only thing I can clearly see, is their head, as it is covered in a small old cloak.

We run through the city, avoiding vehicles, trashcans and other people roaming around. I no longer think about the purse, but on the creature stealing it. Never thought to see a Troll moving that fast and accurate, like and assassin would. At the end, a dark alley way becomes my dead end. Some trash cans and boxes lay around, as well as some abandoned metal shipping crates like the once that used to arrive from the bay. I look around, trying to get a last look at the thief, but nothing peeks out until...another blue mark appears on my sight: those two circles with the line crossing through.... a tickle and pain at the back of my mind! Why?!

I feel like my brain starts glitching, that graffiti on the wall means something to me, but...Argh! Ahh! It...STOP!

"He doesn't recognize it...what a shame..." someone blabbers in the dark. My eyes can focus while my head hurts, rushing through the memories I still mantain, and others...I can't clearly recall.

"Maybe he isn't the one! Are you sure you followed the instructions?" Another voice said, it seemed deeper than the first but I can't really tell. I'm trying to walk away, my mind's spinning at the flashback that cover my sight and blurr my mind.

"In Deya's name, OF COURSE I DID! EVEN 'HE' RECOGNIZED IT!" The thief? I no longer know...He? Krell? I don't...I don't...

...........

The scene worked as a charm, who would've thought he fell for it? Not that I'm glad his unconscious but, how else could I get to see good old Jim Lake Jr again?

Seeing him after years of thinking he was dead was...shocking, to say the least. Even with that mask...those eyes, those scars, even the hoodie...everything brought back so many memories, including the Arcane War, 3 years ago.

-Good work, Neala. Everything went according to plan!- I congratulate my false thief, a tall and athletic troll who has always worked in the shadows, now serving as a spy for me and Commander Zadra, who never fails to be at my side.

-Thanks to you, always heard you were a genius but, never thought it was true- said Neala, taking her cloak off before coming out of the dark place she hid in. -How did you know he would pass out by seeing the sign?- curious, as always.

I was about to answer when another voice came through from behind me. -He didn't...- Zadra's bright blue hair announced her arrival, after all, she was our victim at today's play. -He guessed at it, as he often does...- bluffing, why am I not surprised?

Neala's eyes opened wide, shocked by the game I was playing -You were guessing?- a bit mad, who could blame her?

-No, no, no! Let me explain: I supposed he would react strongly to it because of what he may or may not remember, and in what level of trauma he could have that image in his mind. Sounds confusing but I guessed that he would've burried the concept of that image so far into his subconscious that he would react against the sole memory of it- I point out to the best of my ability, even gesturing with my hands as we go along. Neala just stares at me, hopefully she understood.

-Alright...so...what's the plan from here?- The troll asks me some moments later.

-We'll take him to a safe place.- Zadra answers, sincere as she always has been. -The time is working against us and, if our intel is right, he might be the only hope we still have-

-Zadra is right- I elaborate as the commander picks Jim up from the floor and I get close to Neala to give her the next pack of instructions. -Now, We still have one left to catch. Fortunately enough, he might be easier- as I tap a small holo projector on my wrist, the image of a certain ex-wizard comes into view.

-He seems...familiar...- my spy looks at him, reminicing -Isn't he..?-

-Yes...- I add, following the motion -Hisirdoux Casperan, the actual leader of Merlin's Revolt. He and his group exist outside the bubble, in the resting place of his old master, where he created his headquaters. I have some contacts on the northern border of the bubble, he will help you enter and exit the city without any trouble- I explain as I show her who to talk to and how to get there.

Neala nods -Fine, I'll take my blades. Only Deya knows what's out of the bubble.- writing down he info in a little notebook she always carries. -Anything else I should know?-

My eyes avoid hers, as I think on how to put to words this last instruction -He...doesn't use his magic at all since the War. Douxie isn't much of a threat but...the wizards around him might be hostile. Don't harm them, just tell them I sent you. That might be enough...-

-Noted...wait! If he doesn't use his magic, what do you need him for?- The facts strike Neala at the last moment.

-I got that figured out, just make him come, ok?- I reply, hoping she will understand once more. She nods, not questioning anything else. And as such, she wears her cloak once more and goes back to the shadows, not to be seen again.

I sigh at the end, looking back at Zadra. I really hope this works...for Arcadia's sake...

[bastet-c-haddock]

ToA Cyberpunk AU 1/?

"Attention citizens of Arcadia..."

That uneasiness takes over, that voice roaring through the dark city thanks to the speakers located throughout the streets.

"The city's center will be closed down to the public from tomorrow until further notice. The reason for this has yet to be explained, still, no one is allowed into the main state building, the plaza and the clock tower. Be tuned for more info down the line"

Sometime ago, that voice used to be good news, a bright light at the start of everyday. Now, sounds hollow, almost dead, as if the joy was sucked out of it since the day the sun stopped shining onto this town.

A black bubble encapsulates the city, making each moment eternal.

Sunlight was replaced by LED and Neon Lights, placed into every corner of the town just so anyone could see where they where standing in this black hole. The town grew more in the last 3 years than in all of its history because it became a Sanctuary to every living creature. Troll, human or...akiridian. From a small town to a city, Arcadia was no longer the place I grew up on. Now, it is a place where forest are scarse and the air is hunted by the ghosts of the past.

How did we end up like this?

The eternal night didn't took hold of the world, as Gunmar wanted. Morando's threat over humankind was vanquished as well. But the Arcane Order...was too much for us...for me...

I was no longer the Trollhunter, I couldn't be the one on the frontline guiding the attack. I was left sitting on the bench, looking as everyone I loved perished because I wasn't able to wield Daylight or...Excalibur for that matter...

Despair drove me to keep hidden where I once lived, now...I'm nothing more than an urban legend living on a wreckage of a house.

Me...the last Trollhunter

Me...James Lake Junior, the ghost of Merlin's champion...

I still remember when Kanjigar told me "I had to fight on my own". I proved him wrong so many times but...at the end...he was right. How could I be so blind?

. . .

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Her voice as calm and soft as always, her gentle embrace helping me get by once I was my old self again. Everything was shifted, my height and weight were smaller from what I had been the last year or two. Being human again after being half troll was...weird. Claire, against everything, was there. "Last time she saw you, you were...different. Don't you think she'll be worried?" Concerned, yet sweet.

"She's right, Jimbo!" Tobes replies, as concerned as her. "Wouldn't you like to rest before confronting Dr. B?" For once, Toby was trying to make me change my mind, maybe with a reasonable logic. An hour before, I was a monster, lost in a magic indused rage, and before that, I was wounded with a magic shard for a little over a month, even before all of that, I wasn't able to properly sleep for...who knows how long! Weirdly enough, that only fueled my desire even more.

"Guys, I only want a thing right now..." as I said that, a glimpse of a very familiar and nostalgic sight can into view. "My home..." I whispered as I desperately wanted to run to the front door. Claire and Toby followed me, seeing as I tripped over the sidewalk, drunk on my homesickness. I could already feel the warmth of the living room, the clean smell of the kitchen, the dust on the basement, the fabrics of my bed and most of all, the sweet scent of my mother's loving embrace.

I bumped into the door, trying to keep balance as I tried that night 2 years ago, the night I came home as a half troll. As that memory ran, I stopped my hand from opening the door. She was going to have a thousand questions about how, why, when. Everything...

"Jim?" Claire whispered from behind, placing her hand on my shoulder. "Is everything ok?" Confused because I was hesitating after running down the street to get there.

"I'm...scared..." I reply, remembering how worried my mother was when I fell over that night. "What if...I...she..." my mind was running, my anxiety was making my thoughts blurry. Once again, Claire looked at me, her dark eyes being my beacon of light.

"Everything is going to be ok" those worlds coming from her, made me throw my anxiety aside for a moment. I was still nervous but...the only way to find out how everything was going to play out, was by entering the house.

I open the door, hesitant, someone's in the kitchen...

"Walter! You returned earlier!" Her voice, as warm as ever. Sweet, like a nursery rhyme. Walks from the stove to the open square on the wall that lets her see directly to the entrance. "How was your...day?"

Our eyes clash for a moment, her expression changes from happiness, to disbelief. And there I stand, like the eighteen year old youngster I was once, frozen by a sight I never thought I could get to see again and I now wish I still had.

She walks slowly, from the kitchen, to the access directly in front of the entrance door. Her face doesn't change, but her eyes glisten. She comes closer, slowly, fearing her eyes were lying to her.

"Jim?..." she muttered in disbelief, getting closer by the second. Her hands slowly moving upward, until they embrace my face, carecing my scarred cheeks. "Jim, is...is it really you?".

I could only left out a nervous giggle, trying to keep my tears at bay. Her touch makes the clock run back in time, back to those good old days, when there was only me and her against everything. When I promised her I would never leave...

"Hi, mom...It's me..." only those worlds leave my mouth, as I try not to whimper like a kid, but that dumb smile in my face, alongside my glistening eyes speak volumes. Luckily for me, she looks the same.

At a moment's notice, she hugs me like she had never done before, stroking my hair with her hands shaking like crazy. I can hear her weeping her heart out, but she's also giggling. I hug her back...

"I missed you!" I whimper as my silent tears run across my face.

"I missed you too! I missed you so much!!" She replies, as we let the clock go by endlessly, trapped in a melancholic bubble. Her embrace is all I ever wanted since I left to New Jersey, her warmth, her sweetness, every last piece of love I always got but never fully appreciated. Just being with her, already felt like home.

"Welcome home, kiddo" . . .

. . .

I no longer remember how she passed away, I guess my mind blocked it so I could keep my sanity. Was it that bad? I no longer know...

And now...here I stand, alone in this empty house. Few things still work, others have become dust gathering ornaments. Against the bright city surrounding me, this feels stuck in time. The walls are cracking, the paing is rotting away and the dust stains everything with its gray color. A color that fits me perfectly now...

Heavy footsteps come and go through the house, all coming from my tired feet, who no longer wish to act as intended. My body moves around only when needed, like when I need go search for something I can eat.

Since I'm dead to the public eye, I have certain liberties. I can steal anything I need, since tracing me always comes to a dead end. It isn't something I enjoy, but I don't have any other option.

When social structure was reorganized, humans were left at the bottom of the priority list. Because they used to be the former residents of the town, they soon became the hosts for the refugees, specially to akiridions, who felt no shame whatsoever on having their hosts turning into servants. Other aliens came by, reinforcing the control over us, because they were stronger than us. As far as I know, there are still groups who search for some level of equality, but none have spoken up. I can't give you names, mostly because I don't know any, but sometimes, while going through the streets, I can see a symbol on some walls: Two circles one inside the other with a line crossing them horizontally. Seems familiar but...I can't put my finger on it.

Sometimes...I wonder how everything could have been if I had fought.

If I had been the Trollhunter when the Arcane War came upon Arcadia. We would´ve won? I don´t know...but...I miss them...I wish I had protected them like I did before. If only Excalibur had given me a chance...

. . .

The night falls over the city -my only marker of that is on the clock I still have on my room- And my time has come to go gather the essentials: Food, water and maybe a rogue to deal with. Those have become abundant for the last month, probably because of that treaty everyone is mumbling about. 

Supposedly, the queen of Akiridion 5, among with other heads of state, will sign a document. No one knows why but the sole temptation of a big fish roaming through the city has caused some criminals to rise. I have no doubt that a revolution is coming, I can sense it. This comes as an opportunity to “recover the town”, but I think we lost it a long while ago. Either way, I won´t get involved.

From the old streets of the phantom of a house I live in, to the bright lights of the city that we still call Arcadia. I go by with the same old blue hoodie, one of the few good memories I still hold close. Obviously, my face is covered. I don´t fear being recognized, It just makes it easier to blend with the crowd. Another gloomy 21 year old who survived the war and stuff like that.

My head is empty while I scout around, looking for a good target. 

Most are other people who buy for themselves, “hosts” to some other alien who gives them permission to go for groceries. I don´t bother them, they might have more problems than I do. Some faces are familiar, from school, from our old daily lives, maybe from my mishaps as the Trollhunter, but none of them recognize mine...Luckily keeping me off the radar.

“Ow!” lost in my own thoughts, I don´t notice someone coming straight at me until we bump into each other. They react at impact, stumbling for a bit, the same as me. “Kleb, look where are you going!” their voice seems awfully familiar...why? I turn my gaze to see this stranger. A guy with dark hair, copper like skin and a backpack, he´s taller than me, his hair on a half man bun but his eyes...strike my memory like...Lightning...lightning in a bottle...LIGHTNING ON A BOTTLE! Krell?. . .

Our eyes lock for a moment, looks like he recognized me as well. Damnit!

“Jim?” he asks, a smirk forming in his face. Suddenly his eyes shine, with hope? Why?! “Jim Lake?” asks again, hoping I will answer. What do I do? I stay silent, when suddenly...

“HELP!” a stranger screams close, as the fast steps of a burglar run past me. “Help me please! Everything I have is on that thief´s hands!” screams once again, this stranger saved me without knowing it. As fast as I hear that, I run past Krell, towards the thief. This is my chance!

[bastet-c-haddock]

The Aftermath...

(CYBERPUNK AU AHEAD)

The war is over...

But the cost was higher than anyone would've expected...

Than he would've expected...

Parts of everyone laying on the ground, armors and weapons, burnt or covered in ice or roots.

The arcane war left no winners, but it left a couple survivors, including the last trollhunter...

He held the helmet in his hands, one of the few pieces that was left almost unharmed. The purple helmet brought back memories of when it was forged...and for who. That old vespa, a wholehearted gift from his first father figure, and Claire...the last person he expected to leave him alone in this desolate world.

He dragged her in...

And now she's gone...

[bastet-c-haddock]

Part 3 is up and Running!

It gets really intense, really fast.

Be careful!

ATENTION CYBERPUNK AU FANS!

All of the written content of this AU will be posted and updated on my brand new AO3 account!

This Fic will be updated at an irregular rate, but I'll keep posting the announcements of each update here, on my twitter and my Instagram!

In case you aren't familiar with this AU, I'll leave a list of links of the material under this topic.

The art piece that started it all:

The first chapter:

The second chapter:

Aftermath (for the Ship Meme):

Any feedback, comments or ideas will always be welcome. Here or on AO3.

I'll take every opinion into consideration.

Hope you enjoy it!

[bastet-c-haddock]

WELCOME TO MY BLOG!

Here you can find Tales of Arcadia, Mexopolis, Dreamworks, Hollow Knight, BatIM and LoL Fanart. As well as some original stuff.

I'm a Mexican animator and Illustrator with several projects coming (some are already out for Spanish Speakers only)

If your looking for a certain AU or Fanfic of mine, here's a List to help you out!

Tales of Arcadia:

Neala, Gumm Gumm Hound (Troll FanOC)

Dashed Hopes (ToACyberpunkAU)

Dreamworks:

Charlotte and Max (Ugly Doll and Cowboy Mouse)

Cristopher Cricket, Far Far Away's Best Bard

Mexopolis:

Lunaverse (Student Exchange AU)

League of Legends:

Flashlight (Arcane from Vi's PoV):

Hollow Knight

Mint Leaf, Drya's Vessel (Fan Vessel)

Some other concepts may appear but that's the main rundown.

I'm also working on two comics. One is High Fantasy starring some ancient cultures and forgotten creatures (Lissvaennia) and the other is an Urban Fantasy Shonen-like featuring a group of Renegades and a somehow...quirky romance. (Twilight Parade)

More updates will be available in...

My other social media accounts, which are:

Facebook: Bastet Cat

Twitter: Bastet Cat (@BastetCHaddock)

Instagram: bastet.x.cat

YouTube: Bastet.C.Haddock

Also...Commissions are open!

If you like my work and want some of it for your own, send me a message. It would be a pleasure working with you!

Any comments, questions or anything you'd like to tell me, I'm all ears! My Asks are always open.

Adoptables here: DND ELVES!

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