"Omnipotent. Omniscient. Sovereign. Immutable. How sweet it is to be a god!"
Those who are afraid of the dark are often told that there's nothing to be afraid of...
How untrue.
The darkness holds secrets.
Powerful, deadly secrets.
Secrets of an eternally beating heart.
In an ancient Dwemer ruin whose name had long since been lost through the ages (now bearing the same name as the sadist that calls it home) three ominous, glowing red eyes peered out of an extravagant gold mask, watching as Divine magic danced in the palm of an ashen gray hand. Dagoth Ur's plans were coming to fruition just as he predicted. Soon, the Nerevarine would come, and whether as friend or foe, the Tools of Kagrenac will soon be in his possession.
Then he would have everything he needed to bring his dreams to light.
Morrowind would be purged of all the non-Dunmer imperfection that had plagued its beauty for far too long. The false gods would be overthrown in favor of the true powers who would rightfully rule Morrowind. The Empire would be punished for its audacity in believing that Morrowind should be subjugated to their rule.
And, most importantly, the mighty Sixth House of Dagoth will rise from the ashes of the deep past and take its rightful place among the Great Houses, who will submit or be destroyed.
'Yes... Yes, come to me, my companion of old. Come bask in my greatness and share in the fruits of my labors, as we should have done from the start.'
Dagoth Ur felt something pulse from Akulakhan's chamber, his connection to the Heart of Lorkhan giving him insight into the most recent development of his plan.
"Ah!" he said smoothly, lowering his hand and staring out into the corner of his featureless cavern as if he could see something. "Another has been inaugurated. Who has had the honor of joining the Sixth House?"
His Blight had claimed another soul, and since the Heart of Lorkhan had alerted him personally, it wasn't a run of the mill peasant or wandering traveller.
Extending his will out, Dagoth Ur began examining his latest recruit in order to judge how it may serve his cause. Yes, not a bad mind. Not much physical fortitude, but plenty of experience in politics.
"Wait!"
Something was missing from this one's mind and soul. There was no trace of a Birth sign. Even people who never knew what sign they were born under their entire lives had one, yet this individual could best be described as a blank slate. And what was even stranger was, Dagoth Ur felt no devotions.
Whoever this was had no reverence for either the Divines or the Daedric Princes, and that was something that Dagoth Ur had never come across in all his years of existence.
For the first time in a long time... Dagoth Ur's curiosity had been piqued. He had to know why this individual had no connection to Idols of worship and lacked a Birth Sign. Drawing on more of his Divine power than he would normally spend on something so mundane, Dagoth Ur delved into the memory of the small soul that had recently been drawn into his fold.
And for the second time in the last hour, something happened that day that hadn't happened in centuries.
Dagoth Ur was speechless.
He delved into a phenomena of sights and sounds that he could never have imagined even Azura's Plane of Oblivion, Moonshadow, would be hard pressed to compete with the world he was witnessing. A world... a world of sentient, talking equines of varying shapes and colors. Some flew with wings, others carried loads that Orcs would find troublesome, a select few cast bizarre spells through bony appendages on their heads.
Dagoth Ur stood dumbstruck as these equine people molded the land they called home with practiced ease. The ones possessing wings (Pegasi, according to the mind he was examining) sculpted weather like pieces of art, constructing rain, snow, and other weather, while at the same time deconstructing unwanted weather patterns so as to avoid destruction or damage to farms and dwellings. The regular looking equines (Earth Ponies) tilled land and brought in bountiful harvests that would have taken the best farmers of his time years to cultivate in less than a month.
And as for the horned ones (Unicorns)...
Dagoth Ur was well acquainted with powerful magic, but these ponies used magic for such mundane things, and in greater numbers than any cult or guild. Then he found memories that fully baffled him. Several times the memory of this weak individual met in council with some being that was obviously the leader of this strange kingdom, possessing both wings and a horn (an Alicorn.)
Over time, the meetings with the owner of the memories changed from meeting with this tall, white creature, whose bizarre, multi-colored mane and tail constantly fluttered in a non-existent breeze, to meeting another creature of similar build, though slightly shorter and being midnight blue, whose flowing dark mane was adorned with twinkling stars, both sitting on regal thrones. Queens maybe? Curious to learn more about this ruling class of pony, Dagoth Ur sifted through memory pertaining only to these two.
What he saw made the breath leave his lungs.
In the midst of a huge crowd of ponies, the owner of the memories stood beside another pony with a white coat, blue hair and mustache, and somehow wearing a monocle, his foreleg around her shoulder signifying him as her lover. The two ruling ponies stood tail to tail upon an ornate silver stage in the heart of a grand stone city, stars twinkling above. They twitched their regal necks, the taller ones horn lighting up in a golden yellow aura, while the smaller one possessed a deep blue aura.
The blue one slowly angled her neck until it stood horizontally... the full moon that stood above following until it disappeared understand the mountainous horizon. The tall one made her move, angling her neck to point her horn horizontally, but lifted it back up vertically... the sun peeked over the horizon, the night being chased away by its burning brilliance...
Dagoth Ur could take no more...
He receded back into himself and fell to one knee, panting in exhaustion.
How could such a place exist, and elude him? He, Dagoth Ur... who had lived for centuries, possessed power to rival the false idols who had kept him under their boots for so long. How had he not known?
But that wasn't what he was thinking about.
Such skill cultivating the land...
Mastery of the clouds and weather...
Magic that rivaled Mundus, and in far greater quantity than anything he had ever seen...
Individuals who controlled the sun and moon... beings of flesh... and blood.
Yes, he could make great use of such individuals. With an infinite supply of resources, and an abundance of cooperative weather, Morrowind could accumulate power that no other kingdoms could rival. Not to mention that creatures of such unnatural strength and magic would make invaluable guardians for the Sixth House.
And those two alicorns...
Only Azura has been known to possess the power to control the cycle of day and night, but these two somehow possessed the same power. And according to the memory, other than longevity, these ponies were flesh and blood like the others.
Flesh and blood that had already been proven susceptible to his Corprus disease.
They just need... more of his greatness.
"Hehehehehe, hahahahahaHAHAHA!"
With maniacal laughter, Dagoth Ur sprang to his feet and with a mighty bellow, spread more of his influence out to the source of the memories.
Fleur De Lis.
---
Back at Canterlot General.
"All is silence. The road is straight, without turning, in darkness. Now let there be an end to all things."
"All is silence. The road is straight, without turning, in darkness. Now let there be an end to all things."
Fleur De Lis had not stopped her absent minded chanting since she began. Doctors surrounded her on all sides of the emergency room, but with limited knowledge on her ailments, the most they could do was make sure she didn't hurt herself. Not that she had tried.
Fancy Pants sat in the observation room on a chair brought up from the front desk, his haunches sore from the hard plastic, but he persisted. He may not be able to be by his wife's side physically, but he was going to remain in this room and watch over her in anyway he could, and if the limitation was a room with an enchanted mirror then so be it. He wanted the first thing she saw once she was well was his loving familiar face.
But just when was that going to be?
Celestia had arrived at the hospital to explain to him that in order for them to help his wife, an expedition to this other world was required, and one that Miss Rarity and her Ponyville companions would be undertaking. Fancy could not even begin to wrap his head around the matters Twilight and her friends were dealing with on his behalf, but he did understand that it should not take long for them to retrieve the potion that would make his wife well again. Search for something in the past, winding up in the present in an instant when done, he didn't know. Maybe he should contact his friend in Ponyville, Doctor Whooves, he was always talking about wibbly wobbly, timey wimey stuff.
But the fact was it had to at least been a few hours since the princess and the others had departed, and if it wasn't supposed to take long, where were they? Fleur relentlessly repeating that phrase over and over was a constant reminder of what was happening, and it was weighing down on his heart.
"All is silence. The road is straight, without turning, in darkness. Now..."
It took a second for Fancy to notice the silence.
"FLEUR?!!" He sprang to his hooves in a second and pressed to the glass of the mirror. "Fluer, honey are you alright?"
He should have known it was pointless to try talking to her. Not only was she incoherent, but the enchantment Luna added to the mirror only let you hear into the operation room. It would not bode well for the doctor to be distracted by the screams of a patient's worried loved ones.
"All hail Dagoth Ur..."
It took a second for the small sound to register for Fancy Pants.
He reared back from the mirror, surprised and overjoyed to hear his wife say something that wasn't a mindless drawl. But the relief was short lived. Fleur's featureless expression was molding on the surface of the mirror, a wicked, ambitious smirk blooming on her muzzle.
And her eyes... her eyes had a dangerous glint in them. A twisted, sinister glint that Fancy knew his beloved wife would never have. He... didn't know where it came from, but something clicked in Fancy's mind.
This wasn't his wife.
---
Doctor Barn stood clad in his hazmat suit along with the rest of the medical staff as Fleur's words sounded quietly through the room. He turned just as Fleur suddenly sat up upon the operation table with relative ease, her eyes looking them all up and down, apparently unimpeded by her bulbous, irritated sores. The doctors all looked at each other, this being the first voluntary movement they had gotten out of her.
Maybe it was a good sign.
"Take it easy, Miss Lis," said one of the doctors steadily approaching her, "you should lay back..."
He was the one who would be laying down.
Without warning, a spiraling ball of orange light orbited Fleur's body and she stuck her horn out, striking the doctor in the chest. It held there, the only thing apparent for the next second was the smell of burning. Then the doctor's back exploded in flames, seared flesh and charred bone scattering on the floor behind him.
The doctor made a few incomprehensible murmurs around the fresh hole in his torso, before falling limply to the sterilized tile floor, motionless.
"REJOICE, MY FELLOW PONIES OF EQUESTRIA!"
The horrific, sinister voice brought the mortified doctors' attention away from their comrade that had been brutally slain right in front of them, to the disfigured mare that stood upon the operation table, her eyes gleaming sinisterly as she glared down at them with a boastful smirk.
"THE GREAT DAGOTH UR HAS CHOSEN EQUESTRIA AS THE VESSEL OF HIS GRAND CONQUEST!"
Doctor Barn didn't know what was going on, but he needed no other motivation for his next decision. "CLEAR THE OPERATION ROOM! EVERYPONY OUT NOW!"
They need not be told twice. They all scurried for the exit as fast as their hooves could carry them, slamming into the hallway frantically. Doctor Barn took up the rear.
"It's futile to resist," said Fleur with a smug tone, leaping from the table and giving chase. "Dagoth Ur's will is absolute, none shall defy..."
She ran headlong into the magic healing bubble, backpedaling while shaking her head. Snarling, Fleur's body became encased in electricity, throwing a thick stream into the transparent wall blocking her path. Doctor Barn stood behind the room's double doors, reenforcing the forcefield with his own magic.
"Quarantine this section of the hospital," he said through his concentration to a nearby orderly. "And activate the emergency protocol, we must contain whatever this is."
"But sir, if we activate the emergency protocol you'll be trapped in here with that mad mare," said the orderly.
"Are you blind or just plain stupid?" Doctor Barn pointed to a red line on the ground just in front of him. The line indicated the limit of the containment field the emergency protocol would put up, a field even more durable than Shining Armor's. The orderly nodded and sped down the hall.
A second later an unbreakable field relieved Doctor Barn of his burden, leaving him free to regroup with the rest of the hospital staff to plan their next move.
---
Fancy Pants fell to the floor, his wide eyes leaking fat tears as he watched his wife bombard the shield keeping her contained within the operating room with a variety of offensive spells he had never seen her use... the smoldering body of the doctor lying right behind her.
"No..." he mumbled as he clenched his eyes, a torrent of agony swirling within him. "NO!" He seized the chair in his telekinesis and hurled it at the mirror with all his might.
It shattered into countless pieces, scattering twinkling shards everywhere. Fancy sat up, panting with exertion, gazing forlornly at the image of his frantic wife, still reflected in the multiple shards scattered about. How had such evil befallen her?
What had caused this change in behavior?
Fancy didn't know, but what he did know was that one way or another, the situation had taken a turn for the worst. Only one option was apparent to him, and while it already seemed like they were already going above and beyond, only one thing could help now. They needed that potion more than ever.
Grabbing the largest shard of the mirror in his magic, Fancy sprinted from the hospital towards the castle.
---
Twilight and her friends, their preparations complete, stepped through the ominous glowing green portal that had opened within the throne room.
Celestia, Cadance, and Shining Armor stood with bated breath.
Then nothing happened.
They shared a look of intense worry between themselves. According to Twilight, this trip should be instantaneous, at least from their point of view. But Twilight and the others did not reappear as soon as they vanished as predicted.
"Something is wrong!" said Shining Armor, slight panic creeping into his voice. "Twilight should be back by now."
"Calm down, Captain," said Princess Celestia regally, but was unable to keep the worry out of her voice as well. "Maybe Twilight miscalculated."
"Aunty, this is Twilight we're talking about here!" rebutted Cadance, her voice quivering.
Celestia knew her niece had a point, having sculpted that brilliant mind herself (though, regrettably not as much as the Woodland Man, but let's not open up that wound).
"Where's the Black Book?" said Shining Armor determinedly. "That monster, Hermaeus Mora, is going to tell us were my sister is."
"Shining!" whimpered Cadance, her voice emotional, "Twilight said if she didn't automatically reappear, it means the journey took longer than the amount of time that separates our time... or..."
"She isn't dead," said Shining Armor in a barely restrained voice. "Twilight has been through perilous situations before and come out triumphant. And she is even stronger than she was while facing Nightmare Moon, and Discord, they all are."
It sounded like her fiance was trying to convince himself that Twilight hadn't met an ill fate. But she couldn't bring herself to believe the worst just yet. Twilight was resourceful, and had her friends, and Princess Luna by her side. Whatever had happened, Twilight could deal with it, she knew she could.
She had faith in the grown mare her little charge of old had grown into.
Celestia herself, had an unexplainable spark of hope in her soul too. Despite having witnessed first hoof how thoroughly one can be consumed by the passage of time, she knew Twilight had not been overcome by whatever trials this Morrowind place might have in store. Something had to have happened other than Twilight and her expedition having met with tragedy.
"PRINCESS!"
They all practically jumped out of their skin as the throne room doors burst open, revealing an even more frantic Fancy Pants than last time. Shining Armor face hoofed, at this rate they would have a permanent dent in the wall behind the doors.
"How long until Miss Rarity and her cohorts are ready to embark?" asked the panting Canterlot elite, his voice carrying the tone of someone who wants to scream, but had no breath to do so. The frantic sprint over had left him exerted and exhausted.
"Fancy, what is wrong?" asked Cadance, her gift with love telling her that Fancy's worry for his wife had increased drastically.
"No time to explain," he panted, his body recovering as he took in more gulps of air. "How much longer until the expedition gets underway?"
Celestia looked at Cadance and Shining Armor worriedly before trotting closer to Fancy Pants. "It has already begun, Mister Pants. My student and her friends departed not too long ago, along with my sister."
Fancy finally took notice of the pulsating green portal framed in gold. It would have baffled or awed a normal person but all Fancy noticed was the lack of returned explores. "Then where are they?" I was told they would be returning the instant they left."
"We are debating that ourselves," said Princess Celestia, Fancy's expression becoming mortified. "But we will..."
'THUMP THUMP'
Celestia's hoof flew to her breast, thinking that all the stress was getting to her.
'THUMP THUMP'
This time it was loud enough for Celestia to realize that this thumping, this obvious heartbeat, wasn't originating from her body.
'THUMP THUMP'
That one originated from outside.
"Do any of you...?" Celestia's question caught in her throat when she looked up and saw that Cadance had a hoof over her heart too, but had now realized that if hadn't originated from her body either.
"Cadance, honey, what's wrong?" asked Shining Armor worriedly.
"Please, princess, what has become of the expedition for my wife's cure?" asked Fancy Pants historically.
'They can't hear it,' realized Celestia.
Twilight and her friends hadn't returned, Fancy showing up again, more frantic than ever, now a disembodied heart beat.
'THUMP THUMP'
Something told her this was all connected.
"Fancy," she addressed him regally. "Why have you returned? Has something happened to Fleur?"
"Rejoice, my brothers and sisters. We have been chosen to join the Sixth House. We will all stand tall beside the mighty Dagoth Ur, in all his glory."
The voice was distorted, like being emitted from a cheap walkie talkie, but it was unmistakable as Fleur's.
"What... what is that?" gasped Cadance, looking for the source of the voice. "I thought Fleur was to ill to even speak?"
Fancy gulped and levitated the fragment of enchanted mirror he had grabbed. He needed to show them what had transpired, but oh what his wife had done.
Celestia, Cadance, and Shining Armor all beheld the reflected image of Fleur as she sat restrained in the operation room, casting random spells in random directions that then exploded against the forcefield that bound her...and the motionless equine figure that lay in the middle of the room with her. The seared hole in his back indicated he was no longer with them. The three looked horrified.
"What... what happened to Doctor Stethoscope?" asked Celestia.
Fancy could not answer, though he didn't need to.
'THUMP THUMP'
The loudest beat of all almost knocked Cadance and Celestia off their hooves. They knew that they could not ignore it anymore, so galloped to the nearest window.
'THUMP THUMP'
Just in time to see the clear blue sky ripple like a lake with a stone thrown into it with that pulse.
"By the moon..." Cadance gasped, trembling.
"What is happening?" inquired Celestia.
"Cadance, what is wrong?" Shining Armor asked again.
"What has become of my wife?" asked Fancy, though he knew not to who. "Why has her condition changed?"
'THUMP THUMP'
Another ripple fluctuated across the sky.
"Can...can neither of you see or hear this?" asked Cadance to Shining and Fancy.
"Hear what?" responded Shining Armor.
"I..." Fancy was obviously trying hard to take his mind off his wife enough to respond. "I hear nothing."
'THUMP THUMP'
"Do not resist, my brothers and sisters, it is a glorious future that awaits us all."
Celestia and Cadance shared a glance.
"Did you hear that, Cadance?"
"Yes, Fleur's words co-responded to that heartbeat?"
"Heartbeat?" inquired Shining Armor, feeling his chest.
'THUMP THUMP'
“Dagoth Ur, my Lord, we are all at your command..."
"GGLLAAAAAAGH!"
That wasn't Fleur's voice.
"Ggggllarshhhh."
But that animalistic snarl was.
They all surrounded the mirror fragment in Fancy's telekinesis and we're horrified by what they saw. Oily black tendrils were extending from black vortexes that surrounded Fleur from all sides, her hissing at them like a cornered animal. Before she could defend herself, tendrils attached themselves to Fleur's limbs, hosting her into the air.
She screamed in agony as she was suddenly bathed in a sinister yellow-green light.
"FLEUR, NO!" Fancy dropped the shard, and Shining frantically dove to catch it.
"Hold on, Fancy, I don't think Hermaeus Mora's intent is to harm your wife," said Celestia as she grabbed Fancy Pants in her magic.
"LET ME GO AT ONCE!" screamed Fancy as he struggled within the princess's magic, "THAT MONSTER..."
"All is silence. The road is straight, without turning, in darkness. Now let there be an end to all things."
Fancy stopped struggling as they all stared at the reflection. Fleur's limp body lay suspended in Hermaeus Mora's grip, monologuing her phrase once more.
'THUMP THUMP'
Celestia and Cadance looked up at the barely rippling sky.
"What is happening?" asked Cadance.
---
Dagoth Ur doubled over, clutching his right arm. Looking down at it...he smiled under his gold mask. Tiny black tendrils weaved across his dark flesh.
Hermaeus Mora, so you finally grasp how dire a threat I am to you and your wretched kind...
Not to be outdone by this... this pretender who dares call himself a God, Dagoth Ur threw even more of his will out, sending it crashing into the new obstacle that barred his path like a tidal wave.
---
"Treachery, Princess of Love. This is treachery."
They all turned to the center of the room and four of Hermaeus Mora's vortexes appeared, their eyes blinking.
"WHAT IN TARTARUS HAVE YOU DONE TO MY WIFE, YOU MONSTER?" screamed Fancy from within Celestia's magic.
"Calm yourself, Fancy," said Celestia gently. "Hermaeus Mora is aiding us in this endeavor, and I believe that hasn't changed."
"Correct, Celestia," said Hermaeus Mora, his attention drawing to Fancy, who couldn't help but tremble in his presence. "I am shielding your spouse from the one who seeks to manipulate her..."
"Manipulate!?" responded Fancy and Cadance.
'THUMP THUMP'
Celestia looked outside at the rippling sky worriedly.
"Hermaeus Mora," began Celestia, looking to the tendriled monstrosity. "Please, tell us what has happened, what is with these pulses? What has happened to Twilight, her friends, my sister?"
"My champion and her compatriots have met with nothing they could not handle."
"Then why haven't they returned?" asked Cadance, everypony in attendance wanting that answer to.
"I have... miscalculated," answered Hermaeus Mora without the slightest change in tone.
'THUMP THUMP'
"Do you wish me to tell you what is pulsating through this world?"
Celestia felt dread in her soul, but managed a nod.
"Heartbeats... heartbeats from the Heart of Lorkhan itself."
Fancy didn't understand what those words meant, but Cadance, Shining Armor, and Celestia all dropped their jaws. It didn't take much to connect the dots.
"Then that means..." Cadance could not finish.
"Dagoth Ur, the orchestrater of the Blight... has set his sights on Equestria."
If they weren't scared before they were now.
"How can this be?" asked Shining Armor in a small, worried voice, "according to Twily, he's been dead for centuries."
"As I said before... I miscalculated..."
"And what, pray tell, did you miscalculate?" asked Celestia in a stern tone.
"Dagoth Ur... his power...I have underestimated him..." explained Hermaeus Mora. "Somehow, against all odds, he is reaching across time and filling her with his will and purpose."
Celestia set Fancy to the ground, but his hooves could not support him. He fell to his belly, recollections of Twilight's explanation of this divine villian playing through his mind. A villian that now had its claws in his beloved wife.
It was too much.
He fainted.
Though it would seem no one noticed. Celestia, Cadance and Shining Armor were too focused on this news to notice the passed out stallion.
"How is he doing it?" asked Celestia.
"Dagoth Ur has the power of a Divine, little is beyond him. Even the passage of time."
"But how can he be doing this when the time he was in power was two hundred years ago?" asked Cadance. "Even you are unable to manipulate time like this."
Hermaeus Mora seemed to hesitate for a moment."It is with great effort that I admit this...but Lorkhan always has been and always will be... the strongest of et'Ada... his power... surpasses mine."
That came as a blow to the ponies. "And you didn't mention this before?!" rebutted Celestia angrily.
"I believed Dagoth Ur dead... and as I said... even I failed to predict that the Heart of Lorkhan contained enough of Lorkhan's power to reach through time and space."
"Wait, he is stronger than you," said Shining Armor in realisation. "If you are shielding Fleur from his influence, then eventually..."
"Yes, Captain, even I can not hold him off indefinitely."
Celestia and Cadance looked at each other with wide eyes.
'THUMP THUMP'
The sky rippled again.
"How come only we can see this?" asked Cadance worriedly.
"You two are alicorns," explained Hermaeus Mora, "You are more attuned to this realm than others... therefore, you can see what influence Dagoth Ur is having on this world."
"'THIS WORLD'?" All three ponies still awake caught that.
"What do you mean? Dagoth Ur is able to channel his will to Fleur's body now, but how could he be influencing the entire world?" Cadance looked out of breath. "What does he even want with her?"
"It's not just her she wants... Dagoth Ur has set his sights on all of Equestria."
Everything... felt so cold for Celestia, Cadance, and Shining Armor now.
"Wh... what?" mumbled Celestia, sounding more scared than she has in years.
"Dagoth Ur has learned about Equestria through his link with Fleur. He has seen the inherent abilities of you ponies and it intrigues him. Now he intends to subjugate you all to his will...to aid him in his conquest of Morrowind. And it is this influence that is responsible for my champion's and her friends' absence.
"The influence of the Heart of Lorkhan is warping the flow of our two worlds' timelines. Equis's present is being ripped from Nirns present, slowly being dragged to the Third Era of Nirn."
Throughout this explanation Hermaeus Mora retained his normal tone, but as of now the ponies where white (or whiter) with horror.
"And... what will happen when our time and the Third Era link up?" asked Celestia.
"Dagoth Ur will have enough influence through Fleur that he can manifest a Blight storm in Equestria. The same corruption that has infected Fleur will be spread to all denizens of this realm, subjugating them to Dagoth Ur for all eternity."
This was it.
This had gotten out of hoof. Despite what had happened to Fleur, the risk had grown too great. This had to stop.
"I'm going after them," said Celestia, approaching the portal. "I will retrieve my sister and the others. Once we return we close the portal, if it ceases to exist, Dagoth Ur won't be able to spread his influence to Fleur."
"Aunty, wait!" said Cadance, torn between Fleur's condition and Equestria's newest threat.
"Stop, Princess." a tendril threw itself around Celestia's withers.
"Don't try to stop me, Daedra," said Celestia dangerously. "I can't allow such a threat to my kingdom to continue."
"Have you forgotten? My champion and her compatriots are protected by the Gray Cowl of Nocturnal's identity hiding magic. If you step into my realm, make no mistake, my brethren will notice you."
"That doesn't matter now," rebutted Celestia, "whatever they can do can't be worse than what this Dagoth Ur is planning."
"Don't be so sure, plus, you seem to be under the false conclusion that Dagoth Ur is channeling his will here through the portal."
"How can he not be, this started as soon as we conjured it!" said Celestia.
"Coincidence."
Celestia blinked. "What?"
"The portal isn't how Dagoth Ur is channeling his presence into Fleur's body... in fact... it's your only chance now."
Celestia stopped resisting the tendril around her but it still held her. "Explain, NOW!"
"Corprus, in essence, is an extension of Dagoth Ur's will... the same as the small chunk of my essence that has taken root in this world... Fleur's condition of Corprus is acting as a bridge for Dagoth Ur to find presence in your world, same as me."
Cadance and Shining Armor blinked at each other. Shining Armor said,"Then that means..."
"This would happen regardless, portal or no portal."
"Then we need Twilight and the others to be quick," said Cadance hurriedly. "If Fleur is cured, then Dagoth Ur has no means of..."
"Have you forgotten?" interrupted Hermaeus Mora. "The potion my champion sought after isn't a cure for Corprus in essence... it only negates the negative effects. Even if Fleur received it, her body is permanently riddled with Corprus, therefore, she will still act as a bridge for Dagoth Ur."
Celestia was doing a pretty good impression of one of her student's test freak out fits. What could they do now?
"Hermaeus Mora, please," pleaded Celestia. "How can we stop him?"
"There's but one solution," he sounded almost intrigued. "My Champion... her friends... your sister... must confront Dagoth Ur, and destroy him before he destroys all of you."
Celestia stopped fidgeting in worry, her mane drooping. Suddenly a hollow laughter left her.
"Aunty, what is wrong?" Asked Cadance.
Celestia looked at her with glistening eyes. "Twilight and the others chose to undertake this endeavor because of the risk Dagoth Ur posed, and this new Thu'um ability was the best chance if that became the case. In a way... maybe it was fate."
"But Twily..."
"Look after Fancy, you two," Celestia turned to the end of the room with the throne, "RAVEN!"
"Yes Prin.... AAAAAAAGGGGGHHHHH..." Celestia's secretary ran into Hermaeus Mora's tendrils in her haste, but passed through them like they were incorporeal.
"Prepare a letter to Spike..."
"Make haste, if Dagoth Ur succeeds in incorporating ponies to his cause, not even the Nerevarine will be able to stop him. History for both worlds might be altered."
'THUMP THUMP'
'THUMP THUMP'
'THUMP THUMP'
---
Morrowind, Mount Assarnibibi...
Seven equine figures sat panting in the dust of a small mountain foot alongside a small scaly figure.
"I... don't think they saw us..." panted Applejack, fanning herself with her Stetson.
"Don't think... matters," panted Rainbow, pointing at her band.
"Well, we know that they don't prevent confrontation, so it was best we flee," said Rarity.
"Spike, are you okay?" asked Twilight.
"Don't fuss over me, Twilight," said Spike, holding a gold twinkling claw to his neck. "Those rubes ain't never tangled with a dragon before."
"But did they hurt you?" asked Fluttershy worriedly. "Pinkie said that they wanted to eat you."
"Yeah, and their leader even got a bite," said Spike, lowering his claw but his friends looked at him in worry and shock. "Nothing to worry about, the moron didn't know how tough dragon scales are, I have been poked deeper by Rarity when I'm a pincushion for her."
Rarity blushed.
"Hey guys, look at this."
Pinkie was standing before a great stone obelisk, grey and brown in color and built at the foot of the mountain. They gathered around it, taking notice of the mural of a feminine figure sitting cross-legged, two other figures standing behind her. Writing was etched beneath.
To Luna it was illegible, but for Twilight and the others it stood out clear as day and all seven read at the same time:
Assarnibibi shrine.
This is were Malog Bal oversaw the 99 lovers of Boethiah and gave birth to Amalexia, mother of Morrowind.
"Ninety nine?" Inquired Rainbow with a smirk. "Man he got busy!"
"RAINBOW," scolded Rarity, "such profanity in front of the princess."
But Luna didn't appear to have heard. She stared at the shrine with a look of deep disgust.
"Mother of Morrowind," she mouthed. "Why do the people of Morrowind revere her so? Was it not her and the other Tribunal members that defied Azura, daring to become gods and bringing her wrath upon them, robbing them of their beautiful golden complexion? And didn't she turn on her fellow Tribunal members when that ill-gotten power waned?"
"Technically, that has yet to happen, Princess Luna," said Twilight, "but you're right, she doesn't deserve any of this. It's mostly just that the people's reverence of her power grants her their respect, I assume."
Spike opened his mouth to add his piece when his cheeks suddenly bloated up like he was about to be sick.
"Spike!" said Rarity worriedly. "Are you okay, darling? You didn't catch anything when that foul creature put his filthy mouth on you, did you?"
His response came in the form of a belch. A stream of green flames exited his mouth, which solidified into a scroll with a gentle pop. They all blinked as it fell to the ground between them.
"Huh, maybe it's just junk mail," said Pinkie nervously.
They scowled at her.
They all knew it had to be a letter from Princess Celestia, nopony else sent letters via dragonbreath. But Equestria was separated from them by two hundred years, nopony in their time should have even blinked yet. Let alone write a letter.
Nervously, Twilight scooped up the scroll, broke the royal seal, unfurled it and traced it with her eyes. Her eyes grew bigger by the second and when she staggered to the left to be caught by Fluttershy, they really started to worry. Twilight was known to freak out but never like this.
"Twilight, what the hay is wrong?" asked Rainbow worriedly.
"Yeah partner, what is up?" asked Applejack.
"Does my sister have pressing tidings to report?" asked Luna.
"I got it," Spike snatched the scroll, cleared his throat and read:
My dearest student.
I regret to inform you that the situation has grown ever more dire. We have discovered on our end that Fleur's condition is acting in similar respects to Hermaeus Mora's fragment of essence that allows him passage to our world, and has regretfully led Dagoth Ur to our door. Even now he endeavors to spread a Blight storm through Equestria, making us his minions in his quest to conquer Morrowind for his own. And to make matters worse, according to Hermaeus Mora, this is having the side effect of yanking the time streams of the two worlds out of sync, dragging Equestria's present to Morrowind's past.
When the two meet, nothing will stop Dagoth Ur from spreading his toxins through our home, and not only that, but Hermaeus Mora theorizes that with Equestrian magic on his side, not even the Nerevarine will be able to stop Dagoth Ur. Hermaeus Mora is blocking Dagoth Ur's connection to Fleur, but he won't be able to do it indefinitely, so I am sorry Twilight, but as of now time is of the essence. Hermaeus Mora says the only way to stop this is to destroy Dagoth Ur before his Blight sweeps through Equestria, so that now takes precedence over finding the potion, that will have to be after.
I am sorry Twilight, but you, your friends, and my sister must face Dagoth Ur, for the fate of both Equis and Nirn.
Be safe, all of you.
Sincerely, Celestia.
A steady breeze carried away a scrap of paper that originated from Equestria, depositing it into a lava pit miles away from its point of origin.
Eight figures stood stock still as they digested this horrendous news.
"No, it can't be," moaned Applejack.
"The Blight storm, in Equestria?" In her mind's eye, Rainbow saw Cloudsdale swallowed up by an ominous red cloud.
Fluttershy was too terrified to speak. She imagined Angel bunny flopping around in pain before keeling over, green goo flowing from his mouth just like that Cliffracer under his still, lifeless eyes. She trembled. The rest of her animal friends lay next to him.
Pinkie saw her family's rock farm...a red sandstorm engulfing it... five equine outlines lying motionless in the quarry... one clinging to the fallen Holder's Boulder.
Rarity saw Sweetie Belle, sitting with Apple Bloom in a red wagon being pulled behind Scootaloo and her trademark scooter as the Crusaders tried desperately to outrun the red miasma that had already engulfed Ponyville. It was a futile effort as red dust soon swallowed up the tiny vehicle. Three youthful screams called out the names of their big sisters before going silent.
"What are we doing?!" snapped Luna, her face a twist of a serious scowl and burning desire to fight. "We have just received word from my sister that this heathen from which the Blight has originated from has set his sights on our home, and unless we act, he will spread his plague to others as he has done to Fleur. We have no time to waste, we will hunt this 'Dagoth Ur' down and make him rue the day he ever threatened our home!"
They sat transfixed for a moment longer before Luna's words sunk in.
"You're right Princess, now isn't the time to tremble in fear," said Rainbow, punching the air. "Now is the time for action!"
"Darn right," said Applejack, stomping a hoof, "Dagoth Ur, that varmint's going to wish he never crossed this Apple."
"Violence is something that I find appalling, but this time I will make an exception," said Rarity, her baby blue eyes morphed into a formidable glare. "Poor Fleur De Lis is a good pony who never deserved what has happened to her, I will not stand idly by while others suffer from the same fate."
"If everyone turned into a flesh zombie to fuel a genocidal mad god's twisted ambition, they won't be able to party ever again," said Pinkie Pie, pulling her party cannon from nowhere. "Well Equestria's number one party planner will not let that happen." She fired her party cannon into the air, confetti in the shape of hearts (real organ shaped hearts) raining down, tiny hammers and miniscule daggers falling with them. "Watch out, Dagoth Ur, we're coming to spoil your party."
"Mmhmm," was all Fluttershy could say. She was scared out of her wits, but all she had to do was remember what was going to happen in Equestria if they didn't do something.
"Guys, hold it!"
Spike stood between all of them, flailing his claws. "Guys... we can't do this..."
"Spike, don't be stupid," said Rainbow, "you read what Princess Celestia said, that no good wanna be God is threatening Equestria."
"We gotta do something," said Applejack.
"But what will happen if we do this?" said the baby dragon frantically. "If we destroy Dagoth Ur, what will happen? The conflict between Dagoth Ur and the Nerevarine is one of the most phenomenal events in the history of Nirn. If we alter it what will happen? Because of the incident with Hermaeus Mora and Queen Chrysalis, Equis and Nirn are now connected." He may be a lout sometimes, but Spike's upbringing with Twilight was poking through his youthful demeanor again. He could see things most his age would fail to grasp.
"What if we change something that alters the event to the wedding... what if, instead of Hermaeus Mora...we get one of the other Daedric Princes... just like Twilight fears."
Some of the others' resolve diminished when remembering that possibility.
"It is irrelevant," said Luna sternly. "Celly said that if Dagoth Ur gains control of Equestria, not even this 'Nerevarine' can stop him. If we don't intervene, Equestria is doomed."
Spike made to argue the point Twilight made at the start of this, but a purple aura sealed his mouth.
Twilight had rejoined them, but her face was expressionless.
"I know you agree with Spike, sugarcube, but we have no choice," said Applejack. "We must stamp this vermin out if he is threatening our home."
"No one messes with Equestria while I'm around," said Rainbow.
"It's futile," said Twilight in a voice so small it could barely be heard.
"I know it seems so, darling, but we can't stand idly by," said Rarity.
Twilight didn't appear to have heard her.
"Ever since I learned about the evils of this place, I was determined to prevent anything from coming through to Equestria," said Twilight meekly. "But... it is futile..."
They looked at each other worriedly.
"Twilight, what are you talking about?" Asked Spike.
"First Hermaeus Mora, then children summoning creatures from the depths of Oblivion, Fleur's condition of Corprus, now Dagoth Ur himself," Twilight looked to the ground and trembled. "No matter what I do, monstrosity after monstrosity from Nirn finds its way to Equestria. It can only mean it's too late to stop Equestria from experiencing the horrors of Nirn, in fact, I bet it's been too late ever since Hermaeus Mora sent his accursed book to our world..."
Fluttershy whimpered. "Twilight... oh my dear."
But when Twilight sprang up her eyes burned above a smirk. "And if that is the case, so be it. Let them come. But we will not stand idly by and just let the horrors of Nirn run rampant in Equestria." Twilight turned to each of them as she spoke. "Very well, let's do it. Let's find Dagoth Ur and teach him a lesson, courtesy of Equestria's strongest group of friends!"
They stood shocked for a second at her sudden turn, but the ponies smiled proudly.
"Now you're speaking my language, egghead," said Rainbow Dash, grabbing Twilight's withers and noogieing her, much to her annoyance. "Admit it, I am rubbing off on you."
"But Twilight, what about all the time stuff?" said Spike, not quite convinced yet. "What happens if we change things for the worse?"
"It's futile, as I said Spike," said Twilight as she waved Rainbow Dash off of her, proud of her number one assistant for his grasp of what was happening. "You can't stop two speeding trains on a collision course." Applejack and Rainbow laughed at the analogy. "But your argument has merit, Spike. We can't just go up and confront Dagoth Ur."
"But Twilight..."
"Rainbow, Dagoth Ur is a God, remember," said Twilight, "only one thing has the power to destroy him."
The eyes of all of them grew wide.
"The Tools of Kagrenac!" whispered Applejack.
"Right," said Twilight, "only they have the power to sever Dagoth Ur from the Heart of Lorkhan."
"Than we simply must find these 'Tools of Kagrenac.'" said Luna.
"We may not need to, your Majesty," said Twilight, looking to Applejack, "AJ, you give good advice."
"Me, what did I say?"
"At the Nightmare Night festival you said Princess Luna should go with the flow," said Twilight determinedly, "that is what we will do, we will go with the flow of history. Another is already seeking the Tools of Kagrenac, for the express purpose of destroying Dagoth Ur, same as us."
They all gasped as what Twilight was saying became clear.
"The Nerevarine," said Spike.
"That's right," said Twilight, "no need to alter history when it's already on our side. We will find and join forces with the Nerevarine, and together we will hasten the demise of Dagoth Ur, as stated in the history books."
"OH MY GOSH, OH MY GOSH, OH MY GOSH," said Rainbow excitedly hovering above and covering her mouth with her hooves. "Not only are we going to meet the Nerevarine, but we're going to take part in the epic battle between him and Dagoth Ur!"
"BEST WORLD THREAT ADVENTURE EVER!" said Pinkie, tackling her airborne friend in a bear hug.
"If we have a plan, we must make haste," said Luna, turning to Twilight and offering the Infinite Dimension pouch. "Twilight..."
"Gotcha," Twilight said, pulling the Oghma Infinium from the depths. "Oghma Infinium, where is the one known as the Nerevarine located currently?"