//------------------------------// // Chapter 8: gate crashed // Story: Fixing the balance // by BRITICAL-HIT //------------------------------// Theo stood in front of his alter-ego, with mixtures of fear and confusion filling his head. How could such a thing exist? Why did it copy him of all people? Theo's thoughts were blocked by his doppelgängers dark laughter. "Trying to summarise the situation Theo?" The Insectoid clone asked. "We do that a lot, don't we?" Theo shook his head thoroughly. "Please don't refer to us as the same person, it's creepy." Theo pleaded, slightly scared. "But I am you, aren't I?" The thing responded." But, you know, completely badass." Theo face-hoofed. "Great." Theo said." I meet myself and learn I am a complete dick, great day people." "Bitch." The clone cussed. Theo thought of something to say. "What do I call you then? Because 'thing' or 'clone' is gonna get old rather quickly." The clone thought for a minute. "I'll stick with my prior name rather than yours. Carnage!" The brute laughed slightly." I sound like a fucking wrestler, don't I." "You already know my answer." Theo said, then turning to the bodies on the floor, Ivan's in particular." Did you kill them? If so, that's Ivan off my back." "No, they ain't dead." Carnage admitted." The old green one thought she saw a snake, Ivan passed out drunk." Ivan muttered something." And the pink one is playing dead." Theo turned to see it was Pinkie. "Is the bug pony gone yet?" She whispered. Theo shook his head. "What's the point in appearing then? Giving everypony a heart attack?" He asked, slightly scared of the answer he was going to get. "I'm here for you." Carnage said." We both know you don't belong here. So my kind has the task of fixing the balance." Theo sighed, letting his guard down slightly. "Thank fuck, I thought you were going to.." Theo started, but was pounced on by his counterpart. "By killing you and your friends." Carnage said, a sinister smile filling his face. With a burst of emotion, Theo quickly used his shield spell to get carnage off him, getting back on all fours. "Ok should've seen that one coming." Theo moaned." You know I'm not going down without a fight. Wait, why didn't you kill Ivan now then?" Carnage gave a stern look. "I only kill those who can fight back." He admitted." I may be a monster, but I'm not a monster. You get what I'm saying?" "Makes sense. But I never thought a being like yourself could show honour." The said smugly. "Are we going to talk all night, or are we gonna do this?" Carnage grew impatient, Theo's horn began to glow. "Let's do this somewhere else, to avoid any damage." Theo suggested as he teleported Carnage and himself away. -0-0-0-0-0- Ivan slowly came to, with his head buzzing and his hearing distorted, unable to hear anything. Having never had alcohol before, this process was extremely foreign to him. Then again, so is magical talking horses with extra limbs. Upon opening his eyes, he could feel and see the whole room spin. It was Incredibly disorienting. He then saw made gallop over to him, trying to speak to him. What exactly she was trying to say was unknown to him until his hearing started to return. "Ivan? Ivan! Say something, anything!" She pleaded, attempting to snap him out of his spasm. He shook his head a bit, then spoke. "I regret every drop of that." He said, getting onto all fours somewhat easily." I'm never drinking again." Made laughed. "That's what they all say." She said." Come on, we need to meet up with the others." The two of them ran outside to twilight and her friends, Ivan stumbling a couple of times. Twilight approached Made. "Any sign of Theo?" She asked. "None, could only find this idiot." She moaned, gesturing to Ivan (who was throwing up on the floor)." Any luck on your side?" "We can't find him anywhere in the castle." Rainbow said, dashing back to the group and looking over at Ivan." He's had it rough." "Trust me, he's gonna get an earful once he's sober." She growled at him, still flooding vomit on the floor. A show of emotions whirred through twilights face. "Did anypony see what happened to him?" She asked the group, who responded with unsure grunts and no's. It was now when pinkie bursted into the group (after doing who knows what for the duration of the search). She seemed to have the answer. "I saw him teleport him and the Carnage away!" She declared. This rose a few questions. "Who in Sam hills Carnage?" Applejack asked. Pinkie appeared directly next to her. "Carnage is the bug pony who scared everypony. Theo teleported both of them away to avoid damage." The group looked at her with shock, especially Ivan and Made. "We need to help him, he won't stand a chance against that thing!" Twilight shouted. "Then why go off by himself?" Made asked." He's either brave or stupid. Possibly both." "Is there a way to track his teleport?" Ivan asked, having recovered slightly. Twilight shook her head. "We don't have time. We need to find him before its to late." Twilight looked at the group." We should split up to cover more ground. Made, could you and Fluttershy check around town?" "Got it!" Made declared, Fluttershy following closely afterwards. "Rarity, Applejack, you two keep checking the castle in case they're still here somewhere." Applejack nodded. "On it Twi." Applejack nodded. Rarity gave a quick look at Ivan before leaving. Twilight then looked over at Starlight. "I'll stay with Pinkie and make sure Ivan recovers." She told twilight. Ivan looked at her. "Aww, I didn't know you cared." Ivan moaned sarcastically, causing Starlight to roll her eyes. "Thanks Starlight." Twilight smiled." Me and Rainbow will check near the mountains nearby the castle. If you need us, look there." Twilight set off, but rainbow hung back for a moment to speak to Ivan. "Your friend must be pretty stupid to take on that thing on his own." Rainbow told him, smirking slightly. "Must be a theme for you three." "You get used to it." Ivan moaned, still feeling slightly sick. After Rainbow Dash left catch up to Twilight, Starlight walked off to do something, leaving Ivan alone with Pinkie Pie. This was the last thing he needed.. -0-0-0-0-0- Theo should've thought his 'less damage to buildings' plan a bit more carefully. Maybe then he wouldn't be lost in the woods with Carnage nowhere to be found. All he had to do was keep walking forward, being ready for anything that happens. Then again, anything could happen. This was a world filled with talking ponies, for Christ sake! So, there was a pretty heavy emphasis on 'anything'. Well, anything except a teleport. The sheer force needed for Theo to perform the last one was to taxing on his mind that he doubted he could perform another spell for some time afterwards. The only choice he had was to keep going. Theo kept walking, knowing an attack could come from anywhere. "Peekaboo.." Carnage said, his sinister tone being at its creepiest. Yet, dispite the obvious horror movie shout out, Theo kept going. "I can see you.." "Shut the fuck up!" Theo snapped, now annoyed. "I have enough references with Ivan, and the lack of hands means I can't face-Palm at his failure without looking like a complete dipshit in public, so shut, the Fuck, UP!" "Oo, didums. Does baby wanna cry?" Carnage asked sarcastically. "Man up, eermm, pony up. Colt, stallion up? This worlds language makes no sense, man. I mean. Gaaa, you know what I mean." "Why aren't you getting this shit? Aren't you from this world?" Theo asked. "My kind exists between the boundaries of all the different dimensions, making us interdimentional bouncers, so to say.". Theo rolled his eyes. "I thought bouncers square up to people rather than.." Theo was interrupted by Carnage jumping on top of him. "You know, one day, I'll learn to shut my mouth." Carnage began to pummel Theo, beating him up. "Say uncle!" Carnage said darkly. Theo tried to struggle out, but couldn't escape from his attackers grips." "Why the fuck do you always jump on me? It's becoming a trope now." Theo complained. Three orbs of pure, green, raw magic appeared around Carnage, as he spoke again "say it." "Uncle, Uncle!" Theo yelled, hoping his sinister adversary would let him go. "I don't think so. I think I've waisted enough time on you." Carnage boomed. "Wish I could say I enjoyed myself. Maybe next time I won't be forced to copy an egghead. Any last requests?" Theo looked to his side, and looked back at carnage. "Yeah. Do you think you could stay still for a few seconds?" Theo asked, being greeted by a confused look from his captor. "What do you mean by.." Carnage started, only to be interrupted by a beam of aqua coloured magic, knocking him out temporarily. Starlight then emerged next to Theo, making sure he was alright. "How did you find me?" Theo asked her, kinda confused. "I tracked your teleportation spell. Twilight said it would take to long, so when she left with her friends and Made to find you, I did it." Starlight explained. "Don't know how you managed such a distance." "What about Ivan?" He asked, curious as to why he was left out. "He's drunk, so we left pinkie to look after him." Starlight told him "Man, I almost feel bad for him." Starlight looked at him confused. "What's a man?" Starlight asked. "A man is the pitiful being Theo once was." Carnage moaned, getting back on all fours. "A being without magic, wings or true strength. "Try saying that to Bruce Lee or Chuck Norris." Theo mumbled. "Shut up and be glad your alive." Carnage shouted. "If it wasn't for this bitch, you'd be dead. So I'm gonna return the favour." Another magic orb appeared above Carnage, significantly larger than last time. Out of fear, Starlight attempted to teleport away, but failed. "Why isn't my magic working?" Starlight yelled, trying to muster up every ounce of the energy within her. Carnage let out a large chuckle. "This blast absorbs magic around it to improve its own power. One would call it overkill, I call it checkmate." He explained. Theo froze. For once, he didn't know what to do. He and Starlight were cornered, and without a hasty teleport, they were finished. What little he knew of magic was useless, as it would simply be absorbed by his fiendish counterpart. What little options he was left with were either incredibly unlikely to work, or just stupid. His one choice was to wait and hope someone could help them, or an opportunity arose where he could counter. "Wish I could say it was nice knowing you, but it really wasn't." Carnage declared before sending the orb quickly towards them. Starlight flinched, preparing for the blast, her face laced with fear. Within moments, Theo felt something within him, something he never felt before. It was as if every fibre of his very being was beginning to scream. However, it was not a scream of terror or pain, it was a scream of power, of raw desperation. This sudden spike in strength filled his horn, extending from it and forming a blade. It buzzed with green energy, seeming lethal to the touch. The orb seemed to split as it touched the blade, sending its fragments in two different directions, exploding after hitting some trees further away from them. Starlight opened her eyes, realising she hadn't been hit yet, only to see what was just described. Theo looked at carnage sternly. "Hey buggy boy! You missed, bitch!". Theo declared, his statement brimming with pride, with a pinch of sarcasm. Carnage gave one look at Theo, before vanishing into grey smoke. The only expression that could be seen on his face could only be described as fear. The large sword on Theo's head dissipated, and he turned to face Starlight. "Are you hurt?" He asked her, now seeming exhausted. "Yes, thanks." Starlight returned, still shaken from the possibility of death. Theo stumbled slightly, but recovered quickly. "Good, that means I can pass out without guilt". Theo moaned before falling to the floor, passing out almost instantly. Starlight quickly ran over to him. "Theo? Theo, wake up. Theo!" She pleaded, hoping he'd hear her, but it was no use. She did notice he was still breathing, so he was mostly safe. If anything, he needed medical attention quite quickly. Almost from nowhere, Twilight swooped down to the clearing Starlight was currently in, suddenly shocked to see her pupil with Theo. "Starlight? What are you doing here?" She asked her, seeing as she's saw her at the castle not long ago. "While you were gone, I tracked the teleport Theo did." She told her teacher, looking down at Theo. "And it's a good thing I did." "What happened to him?" Twilight asked, rushing over to him. "He passed out after protecting us both from Carnage. We were going to get hit be a magic orb, and we're both stopped from using magic." Starlight paused. "But he somehow managed to break that the rule and activated his magic to turn his horn into a sword, then passed out." Twilight quickly checked over Theo. "We need to get him to a hospital, quickly!" Twilight declared. "Starlight, can you get help and tell his friends he's safe?" Starlight was already stood up. "One hoof ahead of you Twilight!" She declared, teleporting away instantly. Twilight quickly placed Theo in a safe position while she waited for help. Something didn't sit right with her as she went through what starlight told her however, something in particular. "But there are no sword spells in current existence!" She thought, clearly confused. "Could Theo have made a new spell completely?" She sat looking over Theo, now believing there was more to this Colt than he's letting on..