Up to Fate

by Onomonopia

Tower of Fate

"Why are you here?" Nabu asked.

"Well, because in the real world, your helm got a little...compacted and you haven't been talking to me," Pinkie told him. "So I came in here in hopes that I could find out what happened to you."

"As you can see, I am fine. So leave," Nabu demanded. But there was none of the usual fire in his voice. What was once mighty and commanding was now soft and...hollow. Pinkie opted not to leave and instead began to look around the tower. "Have you gone deaf? I said for you to leave."

"Oh I heard you. But I don't think I will be leaving," Pinkie said. She walked over to a mirror and looked inside, seeing an entire other reality than her own reflection. "After all, this is the first time I've been invited to your home and I plan to see everything."

"Invited? I did not invite you," Nabu snarled.

"You didn't. But that nice young man outside did," Pinkie replied.

"Him," Nabu muttered. "No matter. Leave and return to your world at once. I am busy."

"See, that's actually part of the reason that I'm here. Because my world won't be around much longer," Pinkie said. "I had a talk with Tirek. He told me everything. How this world came to be. What the Maestro is. And how we don't have any time left. If we don't do something soon, he's going to erase my world. My entire reality. With no chance of saving it. So I need my partner. I need my friend. I need you."

For a moment Nabu didn't say anything. Then he shook his head and slowly turned away. "You come in vain. I have no answer for you. No words of confidence or strength. I am doing all that I can here. I am searching through my billions of years of knowledge in hopes of finding something to fight him with, but so far...nothing. There is nothing here. Nothing to stop that...monster."

Pinkie stared at the god for a moment, truly looking at him. It just wasn't his glow that was gone. He was...smaller. His aura, his confidence...him. A small smile crossed her face as she walked over to Nabu, sitting down next to him at a small table. On the table was a single photograph. One of an old man holding the golden helm.

"It's okay to be scared," Pinkie said softly.

"I am not scared. I am being pragmatic. We tried a frontal assault. It failed. Now we must rely on cunning and trickery to defeat this foe," Nabu replied.

"If you say so. It's eye opening, it's it?" Pinkie continued. "To see what absolute power looks like. To realize that in the face of something so strong and ancient that you're...insignificant. That you're small. That even if you fight with everything you have, it won't mean anything in the end."

"You do not know what you speak of."

"Actually, I do. Because the way you feel now...is how I felt when I first met you," Pinkie revealed. Nabu looked at the pony, who smiled as she started to look around again. "An almighty being who could erase everything with a thought. And to be face to face with such a being...it's terrifying. It makes you look at yourself...and realize just how small you are."

"Yet I never saw any of that fear from you," Nabu pointed out.

"Then you weren't looking," Pinkie replied. "I was terrified of you."

"But not anymore?"

"I've seen there are worse things to fear. Losing my family. Watching the world crumble...and being a bystander to all of it. I should have been fighting against Tirek's...no, Maestro evil all this time. I should have tried to bring more joy to this world. To fight back against the darkness and despair. Had I not met you...I would still be at that rock mine, whistling away my life and my family's life. I might have had laughter in my heart...but I didn't have drive. But you gave that to me. You gave me hope. You gave me a hope I could spread to others."

"All I sought was to bring order to a world of chaos," Nabu muttered. "It was not my intention to bring hope."

"Well you did. You gave me hope. And in turn, I could spread that hope to my family. And then to others...like Star-Swirl. Like Tirek," Pinkie replied.

"That hope won't do us any good against Maestro. No Blue Lantern can stand against him. Not even my power could stand against him," Nabu replied. "That is why I must search. I cannot confront him until I have a way to defeat him. It would be foolish to face him again."

"Got that right. Only a fool would go to fight him," Pinkie agreed. She then rose up and started to head towards the door. "Guess that makes me the biggest fool in all reality, then."

"You cannot be serious," Nabu said. "You would go against him as you are now? Without my aid? He will destroy you."

"He'll destroy everypony if I don't. I know that there is nothing I can do to stop him...but I have to try," Pinkie said. She then looked back and smiled at Nabu. "Because that's all we can do, isn't it? We have to try. Yeah, I'll fail. And he'll erase everything. But at the very least I can say I tried. For my family. For my world. Goodbye, Nabu. And thank you for all you've done. If a day comes where you do defeat him and you create that world of order you've spoken about...make it a kind one. For me."

"You still believe that I can save this world?" Nabu asked. "I was defeated. Maestro showed that he can best me. How can you have faith?"

Pinkie lowered her head and thought about her response for a moment, before she looked back at the helm with a smile. "Because you're my friend, silly. And friends believe in each other, even when everything seems at its worse. It might seem foolish...but it's the truth."

Pinkie walked to the door and reached out for it, taking hold of the handle. She didn't even realize that she was shaking until she saw her hoof on the door. She closed her eyes, took a moment to steady herself, and then opened the door to leave the Tower of Fate.

"Then call me the god of fools."

Pinkie turned around to see Nabu standing beside her, a little bit of his radiance returning to him. "Nabu...you're coming with me?" she asked.

"You are my chosen champion. Whether we will succeed or fail, I do not know. But what I do know is that should we try separately, we will fail. Our best chance to prevail is together." Nabu then looked over at the picture on the small table one last time, drawing strength from it. "Those are the words that Kent left with me. Words he wished for me to live by."

"They're excellent words to live by," Pinkie agreed. "But are you sure you're willing to place all your money on this horse? I'm a bit of a wild one."

"Hmm, considering the type of god that you converse with, it is no wonder. A god that only a single, pink pony believes can save the day."

"Hey, I'm your partner. I've always got your back, come hell or Maestro. We'll find a way. We have to."

"Indeed. And this god has your back as well. Now come. There is work to be done."

And then everything went white.

†

"Took you long enough," Tirek grunted.

Pinkie walked out of the temple to see the Centaur standing next to the entrance, staring at the sky. He only took his eyes off of the heavens too cast a glance at Pinkie, smirking slightly when he saw she was carrying a fully restored helm. "Of course you succeeded. Different world, same crap."

"What do you mean by that?" Pinkie asked.

"In the old world, you and your friends always succeeded no matter what was against you. Even here, in a world of my design, you still find a way to prevail against the impossible. Whatever god looks out for you, I want to know their name."

"Only one god on our side right now," Pinkie said as she held up the helm. "And even he says that it might take more than a miracle this time. So why do you keep looking up?"

"It's been about a day since you went into the helm. And in that time, Maestro must have gotten bored because he sped up this world by about half a year," Tirek said. Pinkie followed his gaze skyward to see that the stars were completely different from when she went into the helm.

"Does he always mess with time when he's bored?"

"How would I know? I met him for all of ten minutes," Tirek grunted. "Enough about the Maestro. I see that you got our only hope out of this mess up and running again."

"Yeah, I've got Nabu back. He's...not confident about our odds, to be honest," Pinkie said. "But he believes that we've got a chance. A really, tiny chance, but a chance none the less. He's still looking for that chance, but it's there. So, if you've come up with any schemes, now might be the time."

"Funny you should mention that. I've got a few," Tirek said. "The first is that we plead with him. Make him realize how much more interesting this world will be now that your helm is in it and you have obtained an incredible power. I know you may not like this idea, but if comes to that or being erased..."

"We'll keep it in our back pocket. What else have you got for me?" Pinkie asked.

"Aside from that? I was hoping you would walk out of that temple with some new rainbow related power and all my prayers would be answered," Tirek smirked. "But I can see now that no god answers the prayers of a tyrant. You haven't actually unlocked a new form, have you?"

"Aside from being a bit closer with Nabu, no. Nothing new," Pinkie revealed.

"Pity. In that case, our best bet is to reunite with your family and tell them what has happened," Tirek said. "And maybe one of them can come up with something."

"Yes...we will also have to tell them the news about...Star-Swirl," Pinkie whispered.

"He died trying to protect his friends from an impossible foe that was so far beyond him that he will be remembered as a fool for as long as this reality exists," Tirek replied. Pinkie glared at Tirek, only for her eyes to widen when the centaur smirked and lowered his head. "May we all go so bravely when our time comes."

"Tirek..." Pinkie muttered.

"I hold no love for you ponies, Pinkie, but I respect courage. And considering what Star-Swirl...and even you...are fighting against, there is no doubt within me that you have courage. A foolish, suicidal courage, but courage none the less," Tirek said. "It is why I have decided to risk it all on you. That and we're all going to die against this guy, so why not go down fighting."

"Y'know, when this all started, I thought that you were nothing more than a tyrant and a bully. But now I see that there's more to you than that," Pinkie said.

"And I used to believe that all you ponies were cowards that relied on powers far beyond your understanding to survive. But now I see that you're lunatics relying on powers beyond your understanding," Tirek laughed. He then used his magic to create a vortex in front of the pair, where they could both see an island hut on the other side. "Come. We must get moving."

"Think Maestro sensed your power?"

"I have no doubt that he did. But if what you said about him is true, then we may not have to worry for a little bit. He will want to see how this turns out. That's probably why he hasn't erased us yet. Hooray for arrogant villains."

Comments

[badninja]

Maestro is supremely arrogant and that keeps being his downfall. Now I see why Ryan can be so effective against him, he just simply flips the bird at fate and precedes to cause havoc everywhere. I hope Ryan and Nabu meet, I want to see how Nabu reacts to Ryan.

[Fluffy-Boi]

I like this Tirek. He is not kinder but he is a bit more likeable.