Confluence

by Endless Madness

Chapter 1: Garruk's Arrival

In Equestria's capital city of Canterlot, many beings lived and carried out their day-to-day routines. The variety of those who lived there ranged from the smallest rats in the sewer to the largest dragons who guarded the nation's gold depository. Those who primarily lived there, however, were ponies. These relatively small equine creatures were the backbone of Equestrian society, the bread to the delicious peanut butter and jelly sandwich that was law and order. They also happened to be one of the most common sentient beings in the universe.

Well, that particular universe, anyway.

On this day, the spark to a perilous and strange war was about to be ignited. It all started when a strange being appeared within the walls of the capital.

This particular being was known as Garruk Wildspeaker, a rather large (and hairy) fellow. He appeared to be a human, which in itself would have been strange; however, he was something more. He was a planeswalker, a sentient and powerful being with the ability to travel the Blind Eternities between universes. As a planeswalker, he was also a powerful mage.

Garruk was in Canterlot for one reason and one reason only: Liliana Vess. The witch was a fellow planeswalker such as himself, but she was twisted and amoral. She sought only her own gain and others' pain. And she needed to be killed.

That was where he came in. He had been chasing her across the Multiverse in hot pursuit, but she was always one step ahead. But this time, he felt that he could end it once and for all. All he had to do was seek audience with the rulers of this strange world and ask for their assistance in finding Liliana.

As Garruk strode along the stone paths of Canterlot, he ignored the strange looks he received from the pony citizens. They were of no concern to him, as most had never done so much as hit another creature in their entire life. His real prey was lurking somewhere in this plane, and he knew just the way to find her.

A stallion dressed in royal guard armor stepped in Garruk's path, a mistake that few dared to make. "Excuse me, sir, but you're not allowed to-"

He pushed the pony aside, not slowing his pace as he advanced on Canterlot's castle. "Out of my way, horse. You're not who I'm after."

The guard looked surprised at this. Who did this overgrown ape think he was, ignoring an officer of the law? He hurried after him, once again stepping in front of the man. "Stop in the name of the law. None may see the Princesses without proper appointment."

Garruk towered over the stallion, an irritated look on his face. "This is an emergency. I don't have time for invitations." Once again, he stepped around the guard and continued on his way. The castle was only a short distance away now. He was so close to his goal, he could practically-

A rather dull blade poked Garruk in the small of his back. Slowly, he made a 180-degree turn and found the guard there once again, a spear gripped between his teeth. "Nopony may pass unless they go through me."

The man had no time for this. In a flash, he yanked the weapon from the pony and snapped it in two. "Well, I'm not a pony," he said before tossing both ends of the spear aside. The stallion did not move, his eyes widening and his hooves rooted to the ground in fear.

"Uh, right! Go on ahead, mister!" Before Garruk could do any more harm, the guard had darted away like a frightened foal.

Garruk let out a small chuckle. No simple equine would stop his hunt for the witch. He hurried off for the Princess's abode.

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Shining Armor was on his usual patrol around Canterlot Castle, just like any other day. He was itching to be done with guard duty so he could return to his wife, Cadence. They were taking a brief vacation from the Crystal Empire for a while, which meant that Shining had to once again assume his duties as captain of the watch. Sure, he was grateful for the job, but it sure did get boring after a while. Nothing ever happened during guard duty.

The captain's thoughts were interrupted as a guard galloped over to him, his tail between his legs. "Sir! Sir! Something's happened!"

Shining Armor blinked. "What is it, soldier? Somepony steal a sweetroll?"

"Much worse, sir. There's a big talking ape wandering around the streets. And he broke my spear!"

The captain chuckled. "Ha! You had me there for a second, soldier. Pssh, an ape."

"With all due respect, sir, this is no laughing matter!" The guard looked anxious. "It's heading right for the castle!"

Shining Armor gasped. "We must stop it, then. Gather as many soldiers as you can so we can detain it. I'll go and track it down." He was off like a shot towards the main gate of the castle to cut off the creature.

It only took him a matter of seconds, in his heightened state, to reach the gates. In front of him stood the largest and ugliest gorilla he had ever seen (Though, why a gorilla would wear clothes and carry an axe eluded him). Shining stomped a hoof on the ground and addressed the monster:

"You're not getting in there, buddy. Back away from the castle before I'm forced to arrest you."

The primate regarded him angrily. "What are you and all your little horse friends compared to one of my friends?" He whistled, and a gigantic four-legged beast crashed through a building and in Shining's direction. The stallion barely had the time to react; he lunged to the side just as the beast's horns pierced the air where he had been not moments ago. It skidded for a short distance before turning around and preparing for another run at him.

But Shining Armor had a plan. His horn glowed reddish-pink and he fired a magic aura at the creature. Arcane bindings encircled its legs, toppling it over and temporarily ending its rampage. He returned his attention to the ape. "You'll go no further. Stop now and your punishment won't be too severe."

But the hairy creature shook its head. "I will not be bound to the shackles of your laws, little pony. I don't have time for this." It turned and stomped off, continuing towards the castle. The captain of the guards knew he could not let this happen. He galloped after the ape and leaped into the air in an attempt to tackle it. But the hairy one did not even flinch. Before the captain could comprehend what had happened, the ape had shaken him off his back and thrown him a considerable distance. Shining collided against the wall of a residential building and collapsed on the floor.

"Wow, that is one... haa... powerful ape." He rose to his hooves with a great deal of effort. Looking forward, the guard saw that the primate was charging inside the castle. He had to protect the Princesses! The unicorn followed behind, his sense of duty overwhelming his immense fear.

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The sun goddess Princess Celestia sat upon her throne as she had done every day for over a thousand years. Her sister and fellow goddess, Princess Luna, was at her side. The two were currently listening to a cabbage vendor's complaints:

"Those pesky little foals are always knocking over my cabbage stand!" the stallion said. "Not to come off as rude, Your Majesties, but I wish there was a law against it. Don't you think it's-" Behind the vendor, the large and intricate double-doors burst open with a loud crack. Standing in the doorway was a giant creature that Celestia recognized as a human.

"I seek audience with you," he said bluntly, lumbering across the royal hall towards the alicorn. The cabbage vendor yelped at the strange figure and galloped out of the hall in a hurry.

The sun goddess stared at this man for a time. She was a bit shocked, to say the least; humans had been extinct since the early years of her reign. Not only that, but she could sense powerful waves of mana emanating from him. "You are not from here," she concluded after a short time. "Welcome to Equestria. I am Princess Celestia, and this is my sister Princess Luna."

The man stood rigid, neither bowing nor threatening. "I am Garruk Wildspeaker, and I'm looking for someone."

Celestia knew at once what this creature was doing here. "Wait a moment. You are a planeswalker. Just as we are." She gestured to her sister. This fact filled the Princess with worry. Never had there been a fellow planeswalker to arrive from another land! She had hoped that it would have stayed that way.

"I am. But it is not you who I seek. I'm hunting for a necromancer by the name of Liliana Vess."

"A fellow planeswalker, we assume?" said Luna. "We have not seen or heard of another until your arrival. Perhaps thou art looking in the wrong plane."

Garruk shook his head. "No. She is elusive. The witch may be hiding among the swamps and bogs of your land for malicious reasons."

Celestia did not feel comfortable around this individual. Just from his appearance, she could tell that he was a master of green magic: spells that involved summoning creatures and strengthening them. Typically his kind cared little for rules and society. "If that is the case, Wildspeaker, I will have my royal guards capture her. But we will have no 'hunting' in this land." Her voice turned stern. "We are a peaceful civilization. If anything were to interfere with our way of living, I would not be pleased."

Garruk frowned. "You don't know what you're dealing with. Vess will sow seeds of death and decay in your land if she is not cut down." He made a slicing motion with his hand to emphasize the point. "She desires nothing but power, and she will eliminate anyone that stands in the way of it."

The man craned his head behind him as the doors opened yet again, revealing Shining Armor and a small band of soldiers. "There's the hairy one! Arrest him!" The guards charged at him, spears at the ready. Garruk tensed and raised his heavy axe in preparation for battle.

But Celestia ended it before it began. With a quick blast of magic, she separated Garruk from his attackers and confined him within a magic bubble. "Garruk, I will give you one final warning: You can leave this plane of your own volition, or I can send you to the moon for a few centuries to consider your wrongdoings."

"My wrongdoings? It's the witch that's doing the wrong!" he shouted from within the bubble. "I must eliminate her! I must-" His last warning was not heeded, however. Garruk and the bubble disappeared with a flash.

Shining Armor wiped his brow with a foreleg in relief. "Good work, men! And... Princess Celestia, of course."

"Tia!" cried Princess Luna. "Stop thine lunar antics at once, please! Do you not remember what happened the last time you sent somepony to the moon?" The moon princess shuddered.

"Are you forgetting something, dear sister? I couldn't have sent him to the moon without the Elements of Harmony, anyways. It was a mere bluff to scare him off, though it didn't really work."

"Then where didst thou send him?"

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Garruk mumbled something about bananas and opened his eyes, looking at his new surroundings. The planeswalker was trapped in a stone room behind a set of metal bars that prevented him from leaving his prison.She hadn't sent him to the moon, thankfully, but to some dungeon.

He was about to cut down the bars, but his axe was gone. He spotted it just outside of the cage. Determined to escape, he tried to destroy his prison with magic. Unfortunately, the spell simply fizzled and died out. He tried again, but it ended the same way.

"Damn. Must be shrouded in some sort of spell. I can't break it at all." He had one last trick up his sleeve. He might be able to shift out of this plane, then shift back in again somewhere else. He concentrated with all his might. But something was stopping him. This prison was far more advanced than he had realized, for he couldn't leave! Perhaps he was simply tired from casting those spells.

From behind the planeswalker, a tiny homonculus also stood within the prison. "Now, how did I end up here...?" he spoke aloud, single eye widening as he saw Garruk. "Oh, hello. Do you know which way I would go to get to Ravnica?"

Garruk groaned. The moon sounded pretty tantalizing right about now.

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Celestia gave her sister a look. "It does not matter. The point is, we can't have any more planeswalkers here. Outsiders will cause chaos and calamity."

"What about the one he spoke of? The one named Liliana?"

The sun goddess thought. "Yes, he could be telling the truth. Shining Armor, take four guards to Froggy Bottom Bog in search of any strange goings-on. If you find another creature like this one, do not try and confront it. Contact me immediately."

The captain saluted. "Yes, Princess!" He turned and left with a hoofful of guards in tow.

Luna turned worriedly to her sister. "Dost thou think this means what I think it means?"

Celestia nodded. "We must speak with Twilight Sparkle as soon as possible."

Author's Note:

Shining Armor, Captain of the Guards (3)(W)(W) [3/3]
Legendary Creature - Unicorn Soldier
First strike
Other Soldier creatures you control get +1/+1 and have first strike.
When Shining Armor enters the battlefield, put two 1/1 white Soldier creature tokens onto the battlefield.

-Endless Madness

Comments

[ThatClosetBrony]

Yeah, I guess that's an okay card. Broken in tribal.
Also, Fblthp NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoo
Oh, and is the pre- or post- Chain Veil? Cuz right now Garruk is a scary-ass motherfucker. I mean, +1: Destroy target Planeswalker? Holy shit. Garruk, Apex Predator would fuck up Celestia and Luna. Although, I have no idea how he would gain loyalty to you. He should have been like Sarkhan the Mad.