//------------------------------// // II: Darkened Understanding // Story: War of Understanding // by Kaffeina //------------------------------// The War of Understanding II: Darkened Understanding Meanwhile at the Legion of Doom... Unlike the previous location, eagerly lit with light gray walls and beautifully decorated, this castle held a dark presence to it. Where the other had light, this had dusk, where the other had shade, this had darkness. The only light came from the oil lanterns placed along the table. At the end of the room, Makuta Teridax, in all his metallic glory, sat atop a dark throne. Before him, at a long table, sat all those he had successfully recruited and one lone stranger. The stranger seemed almost disinterested and the Makuta chose to address him. "What has you so unenthused, my unknown guest?" the stranger merely raised an eyebrow at his words and when he spoke, his voice sounded wavy and dreary, monotonous and distant. The rest of the table listened intently. "Unlike those here, my reasons for being here at not related to your fate, their fates, or the elimination of those who oppose us, for in truth, they pose me no threat at this time nor will they for some time, or in some cases ever," the shaded being answered, pure blackness allowed no variation in his depths. He had no face, and no defining features, "Perhaps I may enjoy what is about to occur, however." "Watch your tongue," Pyramid Head, his voice graveled and animalistic, commanded. The stranger waved his hand dismissively and looked back to Teridax when the massive butcher's knife flew clean through him only to crash into the table with a heavy bang, pulling the beast to the side. The stranger looked down at the massive object that now lay through his body. "Oh look," he said, "I've been impaled." The room went deathly silent as the figure stood up and walked through the table as if it weren't there, "As if a knife could actually kill me," the entity snorted, "far more dangerous things have tried." The entity leaned against the wall, further confusing the people at the table as Teridax let out a sigh. "If you would," he winced, "refrain from trying to kill one another for the moment, we have a strategy to discuss." They all took their seats, the stranger remaining against the wall. The others glared at him, before the shade took a step forward. "Before we decide, there is something you all should see," the being sounded smug and a mass of shadows flurried forward before coalescing into a three dimensional image of another table. The figures solidified and one of those seated at the table started cursing loudly. The figure was frail and wore a dark robe upon his form, white wrinkled face furrowed in anger. "How dare my brother attempt to-" Teridax chose to interrupt with a loud cough. "What is this?" He directed the question at the entity, "And how am I to trust you aren't Umbra in disguise?" "Why, that's just the Heroes forming a strategy of course. Seems like this, Aranea Highwind, is attempting to control the armies they have a some sort of general. Sadly, I don't know much or anything of her," the shadow shrugged, "And the other question is unimportant, Aaron retired some time ago." "And why, pray tell, is my brother there?" the angered lich asked. "Trust me, Lich King, your brother is perfectly fine and quite excited about this plan," the entity laughed, "Although, perhaps I should have let Teridax come up with something prior. He is the leader, after all." The lich's eye twitched in anger as Teridax shook his head in disagreement. "Ingenius," Teridax admitted, "And they do not know who he is?" "None, though that's to be expected as more Wild Cards have entered this play than I remember from what I know," the silhouette responded, waving his hand at people on the screen. He began writing in the air with his finger and names appeared above each participant in the image. "Comparatively, you just have me. That is, not that I am weak, but you only have me as a Wild Card, though I don't doubt they know I am here." "And how do you plan to assist us?" Teridax asked, staring at the shade as two red ovals manifested on what seemed to be it's head and came quite quickly to represent eyes as it squinted. The entity looked up at the holographic projection, then back to Teridax, then back to the projection. It squinted again and remained silently staring at the so-called master of shadows. "What?" Teridax asked. "Did you HONESTLY just ask me that question?" the entity retorted, one black hand pointing at the image above them, specifically pointed at the Lich King's brother. "Frankly, I'm no longer surprised I heard you lost after hearing that." It then shook it's head and the red eyes closed as a sigh echoed throughout the room before Teridax let out something that was a mix between a scoff and groan. "My question was in regards to other matters of assistance, I had assumed you were going to do something else as well," Teridax responded, the metallic sheen of his body causing a beam of light to run across the wall as he waved his hand in minor annoyance. The entity blinked and then nodded slowly. "Well, yes, I could, but seeing as I currently have a few other matters I have to deal with as this takes place, which I assure I will be present when possible, the best I can do is offer you part of my army. The meddling cat wants my help and she did make quite a lucrative offer this time," the entity held out his arms and the entire castle began to rumbling and it quickly became an eerie and almost impermeable black before all settled down and the light returned. What had once been a solid wall in part of the castle was now a window that overlooked a field of dark monsters, various shapes and sizes, displaying all kinds of creatures. One such being entered the room and his strange form was one many of them recognized, though the dark mist and miasma that emanated from him were new. As was his color scheme, pure red eyes stared back and his coat and skin were all a shade of dark grey. "Discord?" Teridax muttered. The entity merely laughed. "Yes, but he is mine now," it brushed the draconequus' head with one hand. "He will lead my troops and fight along side all of yours. I leave you all to it," the dark silhouette vanished without a single trace and the room went silent. "I still don't like him," Pyramid Head grumbled. Another figure looked at the place the entity had been before commenting. "Nonetheless, he has style," the man cloaked in deep brown robes with black gloves commented, "And that, you cannot deny." Pyramid Head grunted in response. Teridax merely chuckled and made his way out of the room as his council followed in silence. Discord, in all his dark glory, followed in silence as he stared at the mutilated man with the blades attached to his fingers. A familiar striped shirt and worn out fedora made it clear to those who knew who this was. "What's his problem?" the man questioned. The lich, not unsurprisingly, shrugged, but another one of the many there finally answered. It was a ghost of some sort, or so it seemed. Either way, like the entity from before it was possibly incorporeal, however, it lacked the presence, the sheer pressure the other had exuded. "You, probably," it said, a smirk gracing it's face, "That thing emanated fear, primordial fear, and this," he gestured at Discord, "is one of it's minions. You, are a nightmare that kills people. A simple conflict of clashing strengths." The nearby Charizard laughed, "Can't believe you didn't notice that, leave it to Shade." Several others in the group chuckled as well, getting a roll of the eyes from the man. "Freddy Krueger of all people not noticing another nightmare," another chuckle. "Really Geo?" Freddy retorted. This time the Charizard shrugged in response as the door before them opened and light filtered down on the group. Yet another cloaked figure towards the front immediately bent down to take a look at the creatures before him. "Hm, some of these are corporeal and some are not," it commented offhandedly as it prodded one of the creatures with it's hand. "That certainly is interesting Dominus," Teridax answered as he looked out at the half of the extremely large courtyard and the swarm of strange creatures. After a moment the makuta raised his hand and the ground shook as a large portal materialized and a swarm of metallic bipedal creatures marched forth. Spears, swords, and a variety of weapons were held forth as the moved in formation to stand before Teridax. Following suit were several of his allies, their forces each moving forth to stand in the courtyard, a sizeable army far beyond what they expected their opponents to muster. Finally, as the last of the soldiers came to a standstill, the second cloaked figure removed his hood and birdlike mask to reveal a dark skinned man, his black hair a mess atop his head and his eyes lacked any shine, whisps of black floating through his eyes. As he raised his hand, a dark flame of violent indigo appeared in his hand and he threw it into the sky. A large magical circle of unfamiliar runes to all below appeared and each soldier glowed briefly with deep blue light before the circle of flames vanished. "I believe that covers what I was requested," the figure said. "Indeed it does, Master Stire," Teridax nodded, "You may do as you wish." "This fight of yours sounds intriguing..."