The Shift

The Shift is a fanfiction by L1quid and is the Wings of Fire adaptation of the film of the same name.
It is in the perspective of Shift.
==Synopsis==
Infinite worlds.Endless choices.One way out.
Shift's world is perfect. He has a loving family, who resides in Sanctuary, the safest city in the world.
But that world is suddenly ripped from his talons when an accident takes him into the multiverse and he meets up with a mysterious stranger who promises him everything if he follows him. When Shift refuses, he is thrust into a hellish nightmare only a dystopian author could dream up.
Determined to get back to his timeline, Shift must outsmart his enemies - including himself - before its too late and everything he's built crumbles to dust.
==A Guide to Pern==
<tabber>
|-|=
Click on each tab to view the Guide to Pern.
|-|BeetleWings=
Description: a combination of SilkWings, HiveWings, and RainWings
Species Adaptations: can shoot a form of flaming silk known as "flamesilk", can shoot venom from teeth, can detect threats within surroundings with antennae, have stingers in wrists, can shoot acid from tail stinger, poisonous teeth
Homeworld: continent Pyrrhia, planet Pern (formerly); continent Pantala, planet Pern (before extinction)
|-|Dragons=
Dragons are the native lifeforms of Pern. They were created when the human settlers genetically modified the original native lifeforms to be larger, stronger, and sentient for military purposes. However, this backfired, when the dragons thought for themselves and overthrew their creators in an event known as "the Scorching".
They are divided into eleven species - BeetleWings, HiveWings, IceWings, LeafWings, MudWings, NightWing, RainWings, SandWings, SeaWings, SilkWings, and SkyWings.
|-|HiveWings=
Description: scales in shades of yellow, orange, and red; four dragonfly-like wings; patches of black scales here and there on bodies
Species Adaptations: although many do not have any, some have differing "abilities" based on genes and environment, including shooting venom from teeth, stingers in wrists, shooting acid from tail stinger, and poisonous teeth
Leader: Monarch Jewel
Homeworld: continent Pantala, planet Pern
|-|Humans=
Description: skin in all shades of white, brown, and black; bipedal (walk on two legs); two arms, hands, and feet; sexual dimorphism (males are taller than females); wear different forms of clothing, with material from surrounding environments
Species Adaptations: can create tools from surrounding environments
Homeworld: planet Earth (origin), all across the universe (after spaceflight technology development)
|-|IceWings=
Description: scales in shades of white, grey, and blue; forked blue tongues; serrated claws to grip the ice and other surfaces
Species Adaptations: can breathe smoke-like ice from their mouths ("frostbreath" or "freezing death-breath"); can resist all forms of cold and shades of light; very sharp eyesight
Leader: Monarch Snowfall
Homeworld: continent Pyrrhia, planet Pern
|-|LeafWings=
Description: scales in shades of green and brown (accenting colors can be any known color); two leaf-shaped wings
Species Adaptations: can gain energy from sunlight, knowledge of plants, some individuals have "leafspeak" (a form of chlorokinesis)
Leader: none, are guided by the SilkWing Assembly (alongside the SilkWings)
Homeworld: continent Pantala, planet Pern
|-|MudWings=
Description: scales in shades of brown, with orange and gold scales seen occasionally; thick, armored scales; nostrils on top of snout like crocodiles and alligators; muscular and beefy stature
Species Adaptations: can hold breath for one hour (sixty minutes), can breathe fire if body is warm enough, can camouflage into the earth and the waters of swamps/marshes, exceptional strength, resistance to heat and fire if hatched from a blood-red egg
Leader: Monarch Moorhen
Homeworld: continent Pyrrhia, planet Pern
|-|NightWings=
Description: scales in shades of black or darker shades of other colors; silver scales scattered on undersides of wings, resembling a sky full of stars
Species Adaptations: can breathe fire, can blend into shadows and dark areas, can foresee the future or read minds if hatched under any of the three moons
Leader: Monarch Glory (see recent literature on the NightWing Exodus)
Homeworld: continent Pyrrhia, planet Pern
|-|Proto-Dragons=
Description: a combination of all known dragons of planet Pern; were the size of birds-of-prey before being experimented on
Species Adaptations: varied, although the majority could breathe fire
Homeworld: continent Pyrrhia, planet Pern (before extinction)
|-|RainWings=
Description: scales in all known shades and tints of colors in the universe; ruff behind ears; fangs in mouth; prehensile tails
Species Adaptations: can camouflage by changing the coloration of their scales with the chromatophores in their skin, can shoot an acid that degrades all organic matter from fangs
Leader: Monarch Glory
Homeworld: continent Pyrrhia, planet Pern
|-|SandWings=
Description: scales in shades of yellow and light brown; scorpion-barbed tail; forked black tongues; rippling dune-appearing spine
Species Adaptations: can breathe fire, can camouflage into desert sand, heat-radiating scales, can go a long time without food and/or water, highly tuned sense of smell and hearing
Leader: Monarch Thorn
Homeworld: continent Pyrrhia, planet Pern
|-|SeaWings=
Description: scales in shades of blue, green, and purple; gills on neck; webs between claws; bioluminescent stripes all over body
Species Adaptations: can breathe underwater in all bodies of water, well-tuned nocturnal vision, can use tails to create large waves or to kill enemies
Leader: Monarch Coral
Homeworld: continent Pyrrhia, planet Pern
|-|SilkWings=
Description: scales in all colors of the universe; four butterfly-like wings with appear at age 6 during a process known as "Metamorphosis"; antennae on head
Species Adaptations: can shoot silk from wrists after "Metamorphosis", can detect threats within surroundings with antennae, some individuals can shoot a form of flaming silk known as "flamesilk"
Leader: none, are guided by the SilkWing Assembly
Homeworld: continent Pantala, planet Pern
|-|SkyWings=
Description: scales in shades of orange and red; enormous wings
Species Adaptations: can breathe fire, can fly faster than an average dragon, high endurance and stamina, can resist all forms of cold
Leader: Monarch Ruby
Homeworld: continent Pyrrhia, planet Pern
</tabber>
==Prologue==
The black dragon surfaces on the lake he has landed in.
He looks around as he gains his bearings, and realizes something.
This is not his world.
He sees the rocky shoreline up ahead, and swims towards it, despite the pain and bleeding from one of his talons.
He heaves onto the pebbly lakeshore, recuperates himself, and studies his wound.
He curses himself for not taking supplies with him when he stole the device from that animus.
The dragon shakes himself like a wet dog emerging from a body of water before walking alongside the rocky paths that lead to the lake.
He does not wonder what this lake is or who lives on it, as that would detract from his mission – to return to his world.
He continues walking until he’s gotten inland in a wooded, green pine forest. The dragon stops and begins fiddling with the black-and-gold cuff on one of his forearms.
He begins clicking in the code when something beside him opens.
The dragon turns his head, pausing his work, and realizes that he stopped in front of a white, wooden cabin.
Who opened the door was an odd, white dragon. Of course, he did recognize what species this dragon was – a NightWing, like him. A leucitic NightWing at best.
The white dragon realizes him, puts down whatever she has, and holds up her talons to show she isn’t harmless.
The black dragon doesn’t trust her, and continues fiddling with the device.
“Sir”, the white dragon calls. “Do you need help?”
The NightWing looks up at them.
He shakes his head. He doesn’t want to speak to anyone in the multiverse, lest it screw the timeline he was in.
He continues punching in the code before he fizzles out from the white dragon’s view.
The black dragon is Shift, and he is on a mission to return home, to his reality – the one those know as Wings of Fire.
==Part One==
===Chapter 1===
The day that Shift met the love of his life was originally one of the worst days of his life.
When the NightWing heard about how the messenger system was being replaced by technology that could deliver messages faster than the fastest SkyWings, he knew his livelihood was over.
So, he did the only sensible thing that one did when they learned their lives were over – drink alcohol.
The Ivy Boulder was the only good place where Shift could drink his sorrows away.
He stared down at the letter he was holding in his talons, reading it over and over again as if he were immersibly studying an alien language.
Dear messenger, it read.
As you may have known for a while, the dragons and humans of Pern have been working on a technology that could deliver messages instantly across the world.
And that time has come.
From this day forward, messengers are obsolete.
But do not fret! We still need those who are able to upkeep the systems needed for this technology.
Sincerely, Queen Ruby
A glass of beer was placed on the wooden countertop.
“Here you go sir”, the bartender said.
Shift looked up, and took a few coins from the leather bag that hung around his neck. He placed them into the MudWing’s thick talons. “Thanks mate.”
The NightWing sighed, rolled up the letter, and placed in inside his bag as the brown dragon left.
What was he supposed to do?
He couldn’t help with the digs that were going on now. It was only recently known that dragons were a genetically-modified species, created by those they had considered “prey” and “inferior” for millennia.
He definitely couldn’t assist the LeafSilk Assembly, as he wasn’t from Pantala (and their rules specifically said that no Pyrrhians were allowed into the kingdom).
Hmm… What else could he do?
He took a sip of the crisp, cold drink when a white dragon sat next to him.
“Well, that’s the most pathetic dragon I’ve ever seen.”
Shift turned his head. To his surprise, an IceWing was sitting next to him.
What was this dragon doing here? Confronting her fears about her archrival? Or was this a dare?
Probably a dare, his gut told him.
“I’m sorry, what?” Shift said.
“You just look so sad sitting here like this.”
He gave her a look. “I’m in… a bar. How is that-?”
The IceWing interrupted him. “No no no. It’s fine, I just happen to like sad dragons.”
“Oh really?” the NightWing retorted.
“Yeah.”
“Well, you see that’s pathetic.”
==Differences from Film==
*The film occurs during the 2020s.The Shift (2023) - Wikipedia The adaptation occurs after the events of The Flames of Hope.L1quid's notes for Wings of Fire: The Shift
*In the film, "shifting" is one of the Benefactor's powers that only he and his followers can use through the use of a mysterious device. In the adaptation, "shifting" is brought about by a magicked device only Benefactor and his followers can use.
*In the film, "shifters" is the term used for the Benefactor's followers; "disruptor" is the term used for the device the Benefactor and his followers use. In the adaptation, this is reversed.
*In the film, verses from the Biblical book of Job are shown throughout the film to tie it in with its inspiration. In the adaptation, this was intentionally removed for flow and thematic reasons.
*In the film's prologue, Kevin is alone in the multiverse "shifting" from one world to the next. In the adaptation, Shift is going through the same thing, except that someone from the multiverse recognizes him and wants to help him, but he refuses.
*In the film, Kevin and Molly meet in a hotel bar, when Kevin is drinking his sorrows away because of the stock market. In the adaptation, Shift and Caribou meet in a rustic Sanctuary bar, when the NightWing is drinking his sorrows away because technology has replaced his job.
*In the film, Daniel (Kevin and Molly's son) is "shifted" when he wanders from them in a grocery store, which is perceived as kidnapping and murder in their universe. In the adaptation, Ursa (Shift and Caribou's daughter) is not "shifted"; rather, she is kidnapped and is later brutally murdered when she wanders off from them.
**This change is actually a criticism about the "multiverse" aspect of the film. While L1quid has no problem with the use of the multiverse in science-fiction (albeit its overused too much), they believe that it should not dictate everything and everyone in that type of world.
*In the film, Rajit's daughters sing This Little Light of Mine for Kevin when Rajit mentions how Kevin's manuscripts are giving hope to others. In the adaptation, the dragonets representing Rajit's daughters sing My Love Has Gone Across the Sea from The Wingfeather Saga to convey the same thing. (This is also a deliberate reference to the series.)
*In the film, Kevin goes through the multiverse to reach Molly whilst escaping the Benefactor. In these universes, he sees multiple versions of himself. In the adaptation, the same scenes occur except that the worlds Shift goes through are the worlds of L1quid's worlds (including their scrapped worlds), alternate universes they created (both on the wiki and not), and franchise worlds that they know. Alternate versions of Shift are not seen.
*In the film, an alternate Kevin is shown going through the same process that the main Kevin went through at the beginning of the film when the main Kevin decides to use a gun to blackmail the Benefactor. In the adaptation, it is a different type of dragon going instead of an alternate Shift.
*In the film, the Benefactor mentions that his army ("Lancers") consists of multiple Kevins, Gabriels, etc. from different universes who decided to work for him. In the adaptation, Benefactor's army consists of multiple species that decided to work for him. They either work for him in other universes or in their own universe.
**This change is directed more towards a "realism" factor for the storyline.
*In the film, Rajit and his family come under attack by Lancers when the Benefactor tries to prove that Kevin is a bad person. Kevin then distracts the Lancers to save the family. Rajit is later sent to the hospital to recover. In the adaptation, the dragons representing Rajit and his family are brutally killed by Benefactor's henchmen after he tells Shift that he's not good.
**This change is directed towards a "gore and realism" factor for the storyline.
*In the film, when Kevin reunites with Molly in his universe, he tries to convince her that's he never initiated their divorce before the Benefactor "shifts" him back to the dystopian world so the film can wrap itself up. In the adaptation, when Shift reunites with Caribou, she rejects him and gets him arrested on charges for being a "stalker".
**This change is directed more towards a "realism" factor for the storyline.
*In the film's ending, Kevin defeats the Benefactor by refusing to help him. As a result, he is "shifted" to the universe where Molly is a single mother (and a nurse) and becomes the step-father of her daughter. In the adaptation, Shift is returned to his universe (mainstream Wings of Fire), now knowing about the multiverse. He then decides to start his life over, with his true fate unknown.
**This change is directed towards "realism" factor while also leaving readers to speculate what happened to the main protagonist.
==Trivia==
*L1quid has always wanted to do a Wings of Fire adaptation of a novel/book they like. Their top contender was The Giver, but was scrapped as it was already being done through the rewritten plot of These Alien Dragons (the plot inspired one of the books).L1quid's Wings of Fire fan-content
*The header at the top of the synopsis is one of the taglines for The Shift, mainly used on its posters.
*The snippet that was written before the actual plot replaced it was loosely based on a clip for The Shift where Kevin and the Benefactor meet for the first time, and where "shifting" is seen for the first time. Despite this, it was mainly inspired by L1quid's tactics for an AI game based on The Shift, wherein the goal is to defeat the Benefactor by talking to him.
*Originally L1quid wrote fanfiction known as The Kingdom of Forests, which expanded upon the ending of The Flames of Hope (and its consequences). It was later scrapped as it dealt with the political consequences of the book's (and the arc's) ending, and L1quid lost the "spark" to write it. The Shift replaces this, and instead touches upon the societal consequences of the original novel's (and arc's) ending instead of politics.
*This is the only other fanfiction where the main dragons from L1quid's series appear. The first was Polycarpa.
**This is also the only fanfiction where a glimpse of L1quid's original series is seen, as the "glimpses" on this wiki are its adaptations.
==Notes==
On December 7th, 2023, although L1quid has set up the page for when they see The Shift and are ready to write the adaptation, they found a 25-minute snippet of the film on its website. (The film itself is 2 hours long.) They are adapting that snippet first before doing the rest of the film.
----On December 9th, 2023, L1quid saw The Shift and is ready to write the adaptation and has a few things they know will be a deviation from the actual film. (These will either be for adaptation purposes or for gore and realism.) However to grasp the scope of the film (and to get the plot in order), they will need to rewatch it again, which they hope will do in the future.
So beware of spoilers! (And a Mature Warning tag has been slapped onto the page for "gore and realism".)
----On December 22nd, 2023, The Shift was pulled from theaters (as it had a limited release) and can now be streamed for only subscribers/VIP members on the film distributor's website.
Because of this, L1quid is putting a hold on Wings of Fire: The Shift until the original film can be released for free or until a DVD version of it is released. (The 25-30-minute preview of the film is still up on the internet as of December 27th, 2023.)
----On April 14th, 2024, L1quid is no longer working on Wings of Fire: The Shift due to project changes. As a result, this page will no longer be worked upon. (The changes from the original film will be kept up, so readers can know what L1quid wanted in the Wings of Fire adaptation of the Angel Studios film.)
==Gallery==
File:Shift (coloring page (holiday 2023), wings of fire).jpg|Holiday 2023 coloring page of Shift the NightWing by L1quid.
==References==
Category:Content (L1quidMarbl3)
Category:Fanfictions
Category:Fanfictions (Fanon)
Category:Inspired by Fiction
Category:Fanfictions (Completed)
Category:Genre (Adventure)
Category:Mature Content