//------------------------------//
// Chapter 3: Intergalactic Adventure, Part 1 
// Story: The Odyssey of Sunlight Blaze--Rise of a hero volume 3: Rise of the Shadows. 
// by Justafanfictioner 
//------------------------------//

[Less than 1 hour before Sunlight left the Earth]

Sunlight was watching one of his favorite anime. But suddenly, Discord appeared in front of him. Sunlight was surprised and shut the T.V

"Why can't you knock at the door like everyone else?!" he asked.

"I am not like everyone else, answered Discord. And since when YOU knock on doors before entering?"

"Point taken, said Sunlight. Why are you here? Our game of Ogres and Oubliettes is next month..."

"I know, said Discord. But what if i told you that i know a way to make you stronger in a relatively easy way?"

"I would be interested, said Sunlight. Does it came with adventures"

"Crazy ones, answered Discord. You have heard about the Elemental Gems?"

"Of course, they were created by Equilibrius, the Elemental God, answered Sunlight. He shaped the land of Equestria and the rest of the world as we know and created 9 magic gems, one for each Elements. Those gems where kept by Elemental spirits, who were created to ensure that each element were under control. But those elemental spirits became corrupted by the power and wrecked havoc. Equilibrius punished them, trapped them in their own gem and sent those somewhere they wouldn't be able to cause any problem.  And i know this world is the one we are actually in"

"Well, i found them scattered around this world, said Discord. But i knew this would be too easy for someone like you, so..."

"Did you scattered them in different dimension?" he asked.

"No, i scattered them across the universe, he answered. All 9 gems are on 9 different planets."

"Wait, 9? he asked. But there is only 7 since the Fire and Ice gems were destroyed during the fight against Moonlight."

"I restored them, said Discord. The power of the elements are nothing to Chaos Magic."

"How the fuck am i supposed to travel in Space? asked Sunlight. My teleportation's reach have it's limit, you know."

"How? asked Discord. With a spaceship, of course. I made one for you!"

"Hum, how fast does this spaceship goes?" asked Sunlight.

"This is the best part, said Discord. This ship use a dimensional portal system. It can create portals that will instantly carry you to the chosen destination. I already input the locations of the 9 planets where those gems are hidden."

"Where is the fun then?" asked Sunlight.

"Well, the travelling part is easy, answered Discord. For what is about finding the gem itself, this is what the fun is about. You'll see for yourself."

"Are you sure the ship is safe?" asked Sunlight. 

"Please..., said Discord. Of course it is. I don't want you to miss our next O&O session. So, what do you think? do you accept my proposition?"

Sunlight was already wearing a space version of is supersuit.

"I always knew somehow that i would be in Space, said Sunlight. So i made this suit to be able to endure temperatures way below the Absolute Zero and absorb light, heat and block cosmic radiations."

"What about oxygen?" asked Discord.

"The suit can create oxygen by itself. It have a small air reservoir that act like a purifier. When i breathe, my air will by filtered and sent into the air reservoir so it can be used again."

"Do you need to clean the filter?" asked Discord.

"Not by myself, he answered. The waste is directly expulsed out of my suit once the filter reach it's capacity limit, which is 24 hours. In the form of a long and smelly fart. But tell me, are some of those planet have oxygen?"

"Some, said Discord. I would say half of them. Well, i will directly send you into the spaceship as soon as you are ready."

"Before, i have to told my friends about my absence, he said. so they don't worry for me"

Sunlight knocked on Sunset's door. She opened and smiled.

"Hi, Sunlight, she said. Why are you here?"

"Well, he said. I am here to tell you that i am going to be absent for at least a couple of weeks."

"What is the reason?" she asked. 

"I am going to Space, he answered. Exploring the galaxies, discovering potential alien life, It is a suggestion of Discord."

"Of course, she said. Can i go with you?"

"I would love, said Sunlight. But i want you to keep an eye on Chrysalis, help her getting used to her new life. I love you, but you know that i am a sucker for action."

"I know, she said. But promise me that you will bring me in your next adventure."

"If it's not to dangerous, maybe" answered Sunlight.

She gave him a cold stare.

"I'm kidding, he said. I will even let you decide of our next adventure."

"Alright, be careful, she said. I am serious, be careful. With Discord in the mix, who know what will happen?"

"And this thought excite me, said Sunlight. And Cinder is supposed to come back to Canterlot next week. Told her that i am absent for the moment and please take care of her."

"I will, she said, holding a remote. Well, before you go, mind helping me?"

"Let me guess, he said. Can't beat a boss?"

"...Yes" she answered, embarrassed.

Sunlight looked at the screen and saw the boss in question.

"Oh, i see...Yeah, this boss is a tricky one" he said. 

"He doesn't stop creating clones of himself, and each of them hit like a semi-truck, said Sunset. They are also fast as fuck!"

Sunlight grabbed the remote.

"Look the expert in action" he said.

Sunlight began the boss fight. Sunset watched him with stress and fear. Sunlight was doing pretty well, dodging or parrying incoming attacks. Then, he did something Sunset never thought of.

"You acted too defensively with him, he said. Sure, they hit hard and they are fast, but they are frailer than a twig and also, this boss have a fatal weakness"

Sunlight smashed and slashed the clones, in a couple of hits, the boss made more and more of them, seemingly becoming more tired...Until...he was unable to make more of them, completely exhausted.

"What?! said Sunset. Wait, what?!"

Sunlight then defeated the now vulnerable boss in less than a minute. Sunset was surprised.

"So, all i had to do was slashing and hacking through his clones until he couldn't make any more? asked Sunset. No wonder why his clones hit like a truck. Making them drained his stamina. How could i not realize that sooner?!"

"This was not obvious, said Sunlight. The game want you to play defensively against this boss, when all you have to do was «hack and slash» through his clones. It took me a few attemps before discovering his weakness."

"Thank you, she said. I will finally be able to beat this game."

"Good luck, said Sunlight. Take care of yourself!!"

Sunset hugged him before he left. He hugged her back, then returned in his room.

"I am ready, Discord" he said. 

Sunlight was teleported inside the spaceship.

"Don't worry, said a miniature Discord, floating in front of his face. The ship can pilot itself, I put a button of your suit that will instantly bring you back to your ship from anywhere, anytime. It is virtually indestructible and could survive a black hole no problem."

In a second, Sunlight was floating in Space, he looked at his left and saw the Earth in all her beauty. The ship, without any warning, opened a magic wormhole and passed through it.

"Hey, i was enjoying the wiew!" he said. 

"You will have plenty of time to enjoy the view, i can promise you" said the voice of Discord, coming from the ship.

The ship entered in the planet's atmosphere and landed on what seemed to be water. Sunlight used the ship camera to look at the surroundings.

"What is this place?" asked Sunlight.

"This is a planet known as Aquaria, answered the ship computer with the voice of Discord. 100% water, no land. This place is basically one big ocean. The Water gem is somewhere in. Be cautious, this planet is the home of sea creatures that you don't want to mess with. Well, good luck!"

"A planet only made of water, uh? said Sunlight. Guess i better use the pearl the seaponies gave me."

Sunlight left the ship, with his suit on. As soon as he touched the water, the ship immediately locked itself and went to space. Sunlight turned himself into a merman with the pearl and dived in the water.

"I should have asked about the size of this planet, he thought. But from what i've seen from space, this planet must be 3 time as big as Earth. Exploring it will be long. Discord said that a lot of sea creatures were living in this Ocean, maybe some of them are friendly. I do have a sonar in my suit, and i can sense nearby magic energy. But even with those two assets, it could take me months to find the gem. Knowing Discord, he certainly gave the gem to a giant, powerful sea monster."

Sunlight swam for hours and hours, during which he saw tons of beautiful sea creatures, from giant multicolored fishes, to giant clams, weird shaped sharks and whales, to enormous red glowy jellyfish. With the pearl, Sunlight realized he could communicate with those creatures and until now, none of them were bothered by his presence. In fact, by luck, one of the sea creatures, a giant sea turtle, told him that there was a city not far away.

"Are they hostile?" asked Sunlight.

The sea turtle told him that they were only hostiles to agressive and violent creature with destructive and murderous intents. Sunlight thanked him and started swimming in the direction the sea turtle showed him. Fifteen minutes later, he saw lights and what seemed to be a city. He looked closer and found the entrance, surrounded by ferociously armed humanoid fish-like aliens. He even sensed a forcefield around the city and noticed many watchtowers equipped with cannons. Sunlight removed his costume, that he judged would not help him, and swam closer to the entrance, before being spotted by the guards. Sunlight let the fish humanoid aliens circle him. He heard them talk.

"He doesn't seem to be agressive" said one of the creatures.

"He is relatively small" said another one. 

"I am not here to treathen your people, said Sunlight. I am a good guy where i come from."

The sea aliens looked at each other.

"Bring him to our queen" said one of them. 

"We will soon be fixed weither you're lying or not" said a second one.

They escorted Sunlight for a couple of minutes. While he was walking in the city, he was amazed by the beauty of it. It was a spectacle of colors and lights. He finally arrived in the throne room and saw a tall, very beautiful, white, blue, gold and black alien fish woman. Her face was human-like, covered partially of fish scales. Her body was also human-like, with two arms and two legs and even a breast. She had webbed hands and feet. She was wearing an elegant dress. Sunlight was mesmerized by her eyes.

"Well well, she said. What are you bringing me this time, dears?"

"Queen Atlanta, said one of the guard. This half-fish half... half i don't know what creature tried to enter our city."

"He didn't put out a fight, though, said another guard. He didn't resisted and followed us without any problem."

The queen swam to him, observed his body and looked him directly in the eyes. Sunlight was still dazzled by her eyes. She returned to her throne.

"You can calm down, she said. He is not here to cause us trouble."

The guards lowered their weapons and left the throne room immediately after. 

"Welcome to New Coral City, said the Queen. Home of the Marineans. Before you ask me any question, i want to ask you a few ones."

"Go on, your majesty" said Sunlight. 

"Who are you, where do you came from and why are you here?" she asked.

"My name is Sunlight Blaze, i am from a world called Equestria, localized on a planet of the name of Earth and i am here to retrieve a magic gem from my world that grant the holder absolute mastery over water."

"Hum, a magic gem, you said? she asked. That grant to his bearer total mastery over water? What else do you know about it?"

"Uh, this gem contain the spirit of a powerful water deity gone rogue, answered Sunlight. A nice sea turtle told me about your city and i thought i could ask you if you could help me find it."

"So, this magic gem is from your world?" asked Atlanta.

"Well, i actually live in two worlds, said Sunlight. This gem is from the world of Equestria, a world filled with magic. It was teleported in this universe by a powerful being with 8 others. And my source told me that the Water gem was in your world. If this is the case, your planet is in danger."

"I think i might be able to help you, she said. Recently, my scouts reported the news that a city close to our Kingdom was completely destroyed. The only survivor of this massacre told us that a giant, terrifying, violent and mindless monster attacked the city and destroyed it in less than a minute. There is no creature on this planet that can do this kind of thing."

"Maybe this creature entered in contact with the gem, said Sunlight. And it's sheer magic power corrupted him, but there is something weird about this."

"What do you mean? asked the Queen. Speak!"

"You said there was only one survivor, answered Sunlight. If the creature was the size you described it, then nothing or no one should have been spared. And if the attack lasted less than a minute, no one would had the time to escape."

"Now that you said that, said the Queen. It is suspicious indeed. You don't think that he is..."

"I am not sure, said Sunlight. When and where did you brought the survivor after this incident"

"This happened yesterday, said the Queen. As for the survivor, he is actually in our supervision."

"I would like to ask him a few questions, asked Sunlight. I have to be sure that my suspicions are true"

Atlanta asked two of her soldiers to escort him to the place where the Marinean that survived the attack was being held captive. Sunlight told the guards to get away from him and seek reinforcement, in case things went wrong. The Marinean looked at him. He immediately sensed an intense magic signature coming from the creature. As for the Marinean, he felt the stone he was keeping on him react to Sunlight's presence.

"What are you? he asked. You are clearly not from this planet. You don't have scale on your face of your body..."

"I am not from this planet, said Sunlight. You are right about that. The Queen told me that your city was attacked by a giant monster and that you were the only one that survived."

"This is true, said the creature. The attack was sudden and over in less than a minute. Everything was destroyed and everyone was killed, well, everyone except me..."

"I find it hard to believe, said Sunlight. An attack that sudden and a destruction that fast, no one on the city should have survived."

"I was not in the city when it was attacked, answered the Marinean. I was on my way back when i saw this monstruosity attacking my city, i was far from it and even if i was close, i would had no chance against the creature. So i watched, completely powerless, the destruction of my city. I don't know why this monster attacked us...no creature on this planet is that powerful or even that big"

"This could explain the fact you survived, said Sunlight. I think that this monster might be a sea creature corrupted by the magic of my world. Like a magic gem that contain the power of the Elemental deity of water. It is a dark blue, shiny ovaloid gem."

The Marinean realized that the person in front of him was not an idiot and knew he had the gem in his possession. He was tempted to tell the truth, but the water deity inside the gem twisted his emotions and thoughts.

"You can't lie to me, said Sunlight. I know you have the gem in your possession. I think you are the one who destroyed the city. Be a good boy and give me the gem before anyone get hurt."

The creature smiled and punched Sunlight very hard in the face, Sending him crashing against a wall.

"This was an accident, said the Marinean. I didn't intended to destroy the city. Yes, i have the gem you described in my possession, and i will not give it back"

He showed it, stuck in his chest.

"An accident? asked Sunlight. I understand now, you couldn't control the power of this gem and caused the destruction of your own city. What do you want to do with it?"

"My people and i were looked down by every other kingdom of this world, He answered. While this city and all the others were flourishing, and their population, living a life of luxury, Our was struggling to survive, we tried our best to grow, we tried to make alliances with other kingdoms, but we had nothing to offer that they didn't already had. I never wanted to destroy my city. But i will destroy every other one on this planet, then built my own."

"I won't let you, said Sunlight. Violence is not the way."

"Then i will destroy you first" said the Marinean