//------------------------------// // [0] - Prelude to Knightfall // Story: Lunar Plight - [Displaced] // by Netloids Ultimatum //------------------------------// John Marsh tightened his grip on the RWBY inspired foam Keyblade as the crowd became thicker. An entire two hours crawling through the Orlando Megacon drove him absolutely crazy. Sure, he had his sister with him, but it was her fault in the first place! She knew he couldn't handle crowds, yet she insisted he come today. Of course, if the Rooster Teeth Q&A panel ever got around to opening, it may be worth it. He glanced down to the Keyblade, it's jagged yet futuristic rubber casing a beautiful crimson above the black undertones of the foam blade. He smiled as he read aloud the teeny silver cursive painted onto the base of the blade, just above the guard. "Crescent Rose." Trudging through the crowd became slightly easier as he felt his sister's hand plant itself on his shoulder, guiding him to an empty hotdog stand. Smiling to the vendor, she ordered two batches of fries, and took John towards an empty table nearby. "Sooooooo...." She began, placing her purse down and stifling laughter towards the absurdly spiked hair their mother had styled for John that very morning. "....how are you liking it?" The boy glanced down at the fries a waiter had just placed in front of him, frowning. "It's loud...and....there's a lot of people here, obviously. Kinda a rough setting to throw me into." He answered, tugging the collar of his black shirt. He opted to not put as much effort into a costume as his sister's painstakingly detailed JoJo cosplay, seeing as he'd likely never put himself in a situation like this again. Her outfit could only be described as bright, the teal trenchcoat and matching pants having costed her a small fortune to make. The white shirt beneath the coat however, was a cheap tank top they had purchased at their local shopping center. "You get used to it, promise." She gave a genuine smile, and tilted her head ever so slightly, finally taking a bite out of her fries. John did the same, quickly scarfing them down. As the two got up to return to the main area, a young woman approached them, her lavender hair swaying as she did so. She held a small basket barely big enough to carry anything she may have purchased. "Excuse me!" The woman called, earning the attention of the Marsh siblings. "Would you like a Totem of Undying?" "Uhm-" "Sure!" Connie piped up. "How much?" The girl smiled, and John's stomach began to twist. 'Must have been something in the food.' He thought, shrugging it off. "This is spare stock that we've been giving out to Con-Goers the past few months as a promotion for the Minecraft Cave update. Fell free to take one for each of you!" She held two up by small teal clips. They were some sort of metal totem, painted gold with two green slashes representing eyes. The girl clipped one to Connie's purse, and the other to the chain of John's keyblade. John let out a nervous smile, glancing to Connie, who nodded. "Thanks...uh...?" "Tara." "Thank you Tara, but we should get going now. It's been a pleasure meeting you." "Likewise John! Hope to see you again!" And with that, the girl walked off, leaving the two to continue their time at the con. 'Wait...did she just call me John?' Connie quickly tore him out of his thoughts as she checked her phone. "The Rooster Teeth panel starts in ten minutes! Let's get going!" 《♤♡◇♧》 The Rooster Teeth panel was uneventful. RWBY Volume 9 would be delayed due to continuity errors on Miles Luna's part, and the rest of the panel consisted of people asking of Yang's new arm could turn into various weapons such as a cannon, a sword, or even a flail. Today was the day John had learned that no, Yang sadly could not turn her arm into a full sized trebuchet. Either way, it was a disappointment. One that Connie herself took the blame for on the car ride home. "I'm sorry you didn't like it...I just wanted us to have fun together. Did you at least enjoy some of the stuff we bought?" John rolled his eyes again, looking out the passenger window. "It's not that I didn't enjoy it, because I did. It's just...are they normally that crowded?" "Crowded? That one was dead. Anyways, music?" "...sure." Connie fiddled with the stereo, only to receive static fuzz. "Huh. Normally we get signal out here." She turned a knob, pressed a button, then a few more. Still fuzz. John shrugged, and gazed back out the passenger window again. A shadowy figure stood in the grass a few dozen feet away, staring back at him. The boy blinked, and glanced back at the stereo that Connie was still messing with. "It's okay," He started; "the quiet is nice too." "No," The girl responded, glancing back to the road ahead of her. "You wanted music, so you'll get music." "Connie, it's fine-" "No, I can get it." "At least watch the road-!!" She jolted up, her eyes meeting the truck straight ahead of her. As she attempted to fix the radio, she had veered into the opposite lane, and directly into the path of a sleep deprived trucker, who just couldn't steer away in time. Connie twisted the wheel to the right, only for the truck to clip the back end of her car, sending it spinning, and eventually tumbling, all too quick to comprehend. John heard screams, whether his own or his sister's, he was unsure. Then a pop, followed by a green flash. As the vehicle finally stopped, wheels up, his vision began to go black. Another pop and another flash, and he drifted into unconsciousness. Tara watched from a distance, regret plastered oh so clearly on her face. Turning, she walked off into the night. Everything had been set into motion. "Please, please be worth it..." 《♤♡◇♧》 The Everfree forest was a treacherous place. Untouched by Equestrian magic, and happy to consume any underprepared pony who dared to enter the sprawling forest. Yet Twilight Sparkle along with her newfound allies had managed to not only find their way to the Castle of the two Sisters, but summon the Elements of Harmony as well, and fight Nightmare Moon head on. Yet here Twilight sat defeated in the throne room of the ancient castle, the larger mare cackling above her and her friends. "And thus, thou art defeated. Face demise, little pony!" The mare's horn glew cobalt as she readied her final spell, one Twilight knew would kill her. She closed her eyes, awaiting for the impact that never came. A collection of gasps was heard from behind her, and as she opened her eyes she could only marvel at the heavily armored bipedal figure in front of her. As his girthy sword pushed against the Alicorn's horn and held back it's magic, he looked to Twilight Sparkle. His glowing purple eyes shining through the horned helmet that covered his entire face in a dirty and rusted grey, he let out a scoff. "Only a fool would trust six children with the fate of the world." He stated, his gruff yet booming voice leaving a momentary look of disbelief on the face of Nightmare Moon. "Find cover, Lady Twilight, and take the fractured Elements with you. The princess is on her way." The armored being faced Nightmare Moon again, pushing her to the ground with his sword. "It's been far to long, Luna." He took a step forward, a chain wrapped over his left shoulder and hanging near the right side of his hip clanking against his armor as he did so. Nightmare Moon stood again, also taking a step forward, her wings flaring as she sized up her new opponent and readied a spell once more. "Indeed. Treachery shall not be forgiven, Garland!" The being known as Garland raised his sword as Nightmare Moon fired her magic once again, only for it to circle around him, seperating into several smaller projectiles. The blade of Garland's sword launched itself from the hilt, revealing a ten foot chain connecting the two as he swung it around, absorbing the magical blasts into his weapon. Nightmare Moon ducked under the blade as he did so, launching herself at him as she narrowly avoided the circling chain. She made impact, launching Garland into the retreating ponies who had barely scampered out of the way. Gripping his sword tighter, it began to glow an evershifting color, the dark rainbow aura nearly unnoticeable. Garland climbed back to his feet as the cackling Alicorn approached. "If I cannot defeat you this way, then I'll simply have to-" "Enough" Another voice boomed, this one more motherly and welcoming. The two opponents looked towards the entrance to the throne room. There stood Princess Celestia, alongside Twilight and her five friends, all wielding the newly repaired Elements of Harmony. Nightmare Moon's eyes widened at the glow of the Elements, and with a quick flap of her wings, she took to the air through the decaying roof. Celestia took to the skies after her as Garland dropped his sword to the floor, unwrapping the chain on his torso. Spinning it behind him, he tossed one end high towards the dark Alicorn, who failed to notice it flying through the air until it had wrapped around her left wing, seemingly smelting into itself and ensnaring her. She let out a gasp as Garland tugged the chain towards him. Celestia readied a spell of her own, blasting Nightmare Moon back into the throne room, where Garland tugged again. "Now Lady Twilight, fire the Elements of Harmony!" Snapping out of the state of awe she had found herself in, Twilight closed her eyes, the glow of her and her friend's Elements glaring through her eyeslids. Garland closed his own eyes, feeling slithers of the blast being absorbed into his mighty sword. Then, something different. He felt something was off as the blast stopped. He opened his eyes, expecting the worst, only to find his pony allies staring towards the end of the room, where a sniffle and a sob was heard. Celestia was first to approach, lifting a pony half her size out of the rubble. Garland recognized this pony, and made his own approach as she began to stand. Plunging his sword into the floor beside him, he bowed on one knee, lowering his head. "Princess Luna….welcome home." Celestia cleared her throat, and motioned for the knight to stand. "Sir Garland, as much as I would like to….discuss your presence tonight, I feel it would be best if you took these six brave ponies back to their homes." Garland crossed his arms, before pulling his sword from the floor and turning to the six ponies behind him. "Let's go." 《♤♡ Several Hours Later ◇♧》 John picked himself up from the cold brick road, only partially aware of his surroundings. "Connie…?" He called; "Hellooooo??" A cold hand met his shoulder from behind, and a gruff voice whispered into his ear. "I'd suggest you keep it down boy. Your presence here will alarm the citizens." John jumped forward before he finally bothered to turn around and look to the man. A knight adorned in rusty old armor that had very clearly been a shining silver at one point stood tall with a mighty broadsword somehow sheathed on his back. A horned helmet covered his entire face, and the clear shreds of what was once a decorative royal purple cape pinned to the fronts of his shoulders and hanging just below his shoulder-blades flapped in the winds of the night. John let in a slow breath, as he grasped what he was seeing. "Your…Garland, from the first Final Fantasy, right?" "First?" The man questioned. "Uh…yeah." "I see. Yes, I am Garland, however, I am not a threat to you. I didn't expect to find another human in this world for a very long time... Follow me to my home. I will take care of you until I can safely introduce you to this land's ruler-…ruler's." John narrowed his eyes at the knight, tightening his fists. "Whoa! Stranger danger, no way! You think I'm gonna fall for this?! Where's my sister?!" A cold metal in his grip suddenly made itself known to the boy, and his mind raced as he glanced down at Crescent Rose. "I do not know wherr your sister would be, or if she was even transported with you." "Bullshit! We were together at the con, then….the crash….where is she?! Tell me before I beat it out of you!" Garland let out a deep laugh, one that echoed across the night sky even after he stopped. "A key? You mustn't be serious boy. I've no intention of harming you, but even then you will not defeat me with an oversized housekey." John let out a growl. "Then I'll show you! I'll kick your ass and make you give me Connie back!" Garland smirked under his helmet, unsheathing his sword. "Do not hold this against me, child." John charged, swinging his Keyblade to the left as he did so. Garland thrusted his sword into the ground, effortlessly blocking the attack, only for another blow to harmlessly bounce off of his armored torso from the other side. "You are fast, however…" Garland pulled his sword from the ground, and readied another swing. "…you do not have the strength or equipment to even make a scratch in my armor!" Swinging the flat of his sword into the boy, Garland chuckled as he flew through the air and into an alleyway nearby. Hs made his way fo the alley, eyeing the unconscious figure slumped against the now indented wall of someponies brick home. Yet it was all to easy. He shrugged, heaving the boy up. "Twilight…I can only pray you've made the right choices." 《♤♡Journal Entry #1◇♧》 Name: Garland/Real Name Unknown Source: Final Fantasy (December 18, 1987) Garland has been around Equestria for a very long time, and although he holds some sort of connection to Princess Luna and Princess Celestia, it seems to be strained. His disappearance four-hundred years after Nightmare Moon's banishment seems to have had some effect on Princess Celestia as well. Garland's sword is capable of absorbing even the strongest of magic, protecting him from magic based opponents very easily. The mystery as to how he knew of Nightmare Moon's return, and where she would be remains just that, a mystery. Name: John Marsh Source: [???] John Marsh has always been an avid lover of flashy fantasy and sci-fi entertainment, even going as far as to handcraft a Keyblade based off of Ruby Rose's (RWBY) own weapon, Crescent Rose. He shuts out the world, opting instead to lose himself in a good book, of even an interesting show. Although his personality is lacking and his social skills are on par with a plastic cup, his fierce loyalty to the few friends he does have makes him a phenomenal ally, and an even better friend. Name: Connie Marsh Source: JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Connie Marsh is a sucker for all things anime, and she isn't afraid to show it. Although we haven't learned much about her, we do know that she was in fact brought to Equestria alongside her brother. We'll update this entry once we find her! Name: Tara Source: [REDACTED] The future can still be changed, that much I've learned. Nothing is set in stone, yet at the end of the day, Chaos always reigns above our world. I will set things right. 《♤♡◇♧》 Garland sat his teacup down on his small wooden comfortable, placing his helmet back upon his head as hoofsteps echoed through his cabin. "Garlaaaaaaand…? I'm back!" He let out an annoyed grunt as a smaller purple Alicorn entered the room. His curiosity increased tenfold at the human figure slumped on her back. "A little help?" "Of course Princess Sparkle." Garland grabbed the figure bridal style, taking note of it's punky outfit. It was very clearly a female, adorned in a teal trenchcoat with matching jean pants and white top underneath. Her brown hair was tied into a singular ponytail, and her blue eyes open, yet glazed over. The knight kicked a door open, leading to a long corridor, doors of all shapes and sizes scattered throughout. Reaching a dull brown door his own size, Garland kicked that one open as well. Inside sat two beds, one of which was occupied by the boy with the key. Setting her down into the empty bed, he left the room, raising his hand and casting a star shaped seal upon the door, locking it. Returning to the livingroom of his cabin, he found Princess Twilight Sparkle refilling his teacup, as well as filling one of her own. She took a sip, and passed Garland's own cup to him as he sat down, which he placed to his right. "So…" She began, nervously eyeing the knight. "…now that Princess Luna is back to normal, do we even need the Light Warriors?" "Yes." "Nightmare Moon is gone, and now everything should be back to normal. Why would we need them? We can find the Nexus on our own." Garland sat up, lifting his helmet enough only to sip his drink. Swallowing the hot tea, he placed the cuo back down and let his helmet fall over his mouth once more. "The Light Warriors will ensure things STAY normal. It is just as you predicted all those years ago, Twilight." "My prediction has been proven inaccurate over and over and ove-" "But this time you were dead on. All of this was set into motion because the Nexus of Evil escaped unseen, correct? So now we track down the Nexus, and end this hellish loop." Garland stopped, softly gazing into the mare's dark purple eyes. " And once we do, all of this will disappear. You would have had no reason to summon me, and you'd have no reason to hunt down and displace the Light Warriors. Thousands of years of pain, all gone in an instant." "Garland…the Chaos that the Nexus of Evil brought….I don't think it can be stopped. You weren't there when it ravaged my home and destroyed the future. If we aren't careful, it could happen again." "Then you've answered your own question. The Light Warriors can defeat the Chaos. Have you found the other two?" Twilight Sparkle glanced to the floor, a frown evident on her face. "…no…" "Then keep looking tomorrow. Get some sleep Twilight, and I will keep the children safe." 《♤♡Garland Report #1◇♧》 Twilight has been traversing through the worlds using some sort of mirror. I don't fully understand it, but I suppose I don't need to. My job is to train the Light Warriors and keep them alive long enough to either see the rise of Chaos, or destroy the Nexus of Evil that possessed Princess Luna centuries ago. Whichever comes first, I have faith in Twilight's plan. It was her who taught me how to not only use spells, but to tap into my Mana and develop my own. That boy recognized who I was, and said "from the first Final Fantasy?". The first? That would imply they made more. I wonder what they would be at now? I wonder….what year it is back home? So much has happened today, and I haven't even made contact with the Princesses yet. I can only wonder, once Chaos is defeated will I be returned home, or will I be erased? 《♤♡Secret Report #1◇♧》 Garland is right, the Light Warriors can belp us track down the Nexus of Evil, allowing us to stop the rise of Chaos before it even happens. The Elements of Harmony have been restored, and Nightmare Moon defeated. That makes Chaos less likely to emerge so soon, which will give us more time to prevent the Great Decay.