"I gotta try."
"I know."
Those words lingered inside Cole's head for months. That eventful day haunted him in his sleep, whenever he DID sleep. For this, he could not forgive himself for his actions. His own friend Zeke, the one who ever truly accepted him. He was a like a brother, now he's gone. Cole was forced to kill him, for Conduits alike. He knew what he did was right... right? Cole couldn't decide. He thought as himself as a hero but he truly, he disagreed with that.
"Kuo. Come meet me, please." He called for one of his companions through his phone. He sat on the top of a building, where Zeke had placed many things a home would have. A mini fridge, a table with a TV across from it and a nice brown sofa. Cole sat on the edge of the buildings, feet dangling. He heard the air slicing from from Kuo's arrival in his ears, shortly after.
"I'm here, Cole." She noticed his sad appearance and sat down with him. "What's wrong?"
"It's - everything. Kuo, do you think what we did was right?" Cole asked, not even looking at his companion. Kuo sighed.
"No, Cole." She quietly answered.
"Then, why did we do it!?" He stood up and asked, voice filled with regret and anger.
"Because, it wasn't right but we had to do it! Humanity was going to die, anyway." She told him, Cole turned around and stared at the smoky but blue sky.
"My friend... is dead because of my choices. Along with Nix." Cole gritted his teeth, thoughts still buzzing about in his head.
"We had the right idea but it was executed with the wrong methods and tools, Cole. I'm sorry about Zeke and even Nix, but we can't do anything about t- what is that?" She stared at something in the distance, it glowed brightly and seemed to give off red electricity.
"Don't try to change th- what the hell IS that?" They turned at each other comically before Cole quickly twisted and jumped off the building, scarlet electricity surged from his hands and feet as he landed on and skated across the power lines. Kuo followed suit, flying and landing on building to building. After about two minutes, they arrived at the location. A Blast Core, lodged within the wall along a sidewalk. It wasn't a normal one either. The usual one's were blue with a hint of orange in the aura surrounding it. This was a solid dark crimson color with hints of black, the aura it glew was colored a faded purple, giving it a stereotypical evil look.
"A Blast Core? What's that make, uh.. ten?" He looked at Kuo.
"Cole, that's not a normal Blast Core. " She looked nervous, even scared upon this discovery unlike Cole - despite his previous demeanor looked eccentric for this. He grabbed the Blast core, ripping it from the wall. Holding in his hand, he could the energy just feeling it. It felt evil, but Cole liked things like that. This enticing feeling pushed his mind farther to use it and see what he could get. Maybe, a present from John after his release of power? He thought. As he headed back, a dark creeping feeling in the back of his head, made him momentarily forget everything else and only want the Blast Core. And he liked it.
"Kuo, I'm using it. Let's get back to the house, this should be good." They went back, following the same path. As he skated along the lines, he could feel the energy slowly become irresistible. As they arrived, Cole almost look more somehow evil than usual. The dark crack-like veins on his face and arms seemed to slightly pulsate and glow. His weapon, the Amp, originally gave off scarlet electricity. Now, it was a more sickly crimson. Kuo looked at him, with her suspicions telling her that Cole should not use it. But, Cole would throw her advice right out the window and use it, anyway. So, she stayed quiet as much as she wanted to say something. Cole held it tightly, looking at Kuo one last time before he got knocked out as always. Then, he began. He put power in it and in return got more power, and more and more. Kuo stepped back as his orange lightning turned red, then seemingly black.
"Cole?" She called out. Through the storm like "barrier" of lightning, she saw his pained face. "Cole!" The electricity surged, creating an explosion that seemed to knock powers out of Conduits, but she wasn't strangely affected by it. She heard the painful-sounding cries from Conduits all around and nearby. As the large cloud of dust settled and the lightning stopped, Kuo remained there, coughing to the dirt in the air. "C-Cole?" She called out again, but as it faded, he wasn't there. Just a black mark where he should be.
Upon the warm grassy ground in a different dimension, lay a Conduit, stripped of his peace and thrown into a new world, he must be guided by his sins and his friends. It was hours for he laid there, electricity still surging throughout his body. He gritted his teeth and awaited the pain to go away. But, life had MANY other plans. Oh yes. He stirred about after twenty minutes, groaning at the remaining pain.
"Oh, hell. That one hurt. So, I wonder what's new... What the hell?" As tried to get up, something caught his eye. They area he was in, a grassy plain with a village in the distance. Not a town, but a actual village. "That's... different." Cole surveyed his surroundings, nothing but grass and dirt for a while besides a VERY dark forest pretty close to him. "Yeah... no." Cole cracked his knuckles, thinking of what his new power could be. He could feel a new power surging through him, he tapped into it, feeling this new power.
He concentrated a large amount of power directly to his hands and was presented with a "blade" of blood red electricity known as Gigawatt Blades. The power felt familiar to him, but he didn't honestly care. He swung the blades around and trained for a moment but stopped when he heard a groaning noise of somebody or thing nearby, waking up. Cole quietly sneaked towards there until he found the source. A somewhat over-weight being wearing a green vest with a slightly-dirty white shirt with a image of two black dice on it and a pair of very dark green shorts.
Otherwise known as Cole's best friend that he killed, Zeke Jedediah Dunbar. Cole current expression went to a mix of happiness, sadness and definite surprise.
"Whoo, boy. That.. lightning. That definitely hurts." He heard Zeke say to himself. Cole quietly but quickly approached Zeke. He tapped his friend on the shoulder, he responded with getting up, turning around all so suddenly and shooting his "attacker" with his magnum he held in his hand. Cole stumbled back and rubbed his chest in pain.
"Shit, Zeke! It's me. Calm down!"
"I know! That's why I'm shooting!
"You dick." Cole and Zeke stared at each other for a few seconds before busting out, laughing.
"I can't believe it's... you." Cole regained his composure, wiping a tear of mirth away.
"I could say the same. Hey man, I... uh.. heard what you talked about with Kuo."
"You did? I-I was serious, I didn't want to, truly. But, -"
"You did what you thought was right. I get it, man." Zeke stopped him. Cole still looked quite distraught. "Hey, I forgive ya. I really do. But, right now... There are more important things at hand." Zeke glared at him, Cole straightened up and smiled confidently for the first time in months. Zeke nodded, Cole did the same in return.
"Right, first things first. Where are we?" Cole questioned, rubbing his head.
"No clue." Zeke bluntly answered.
"Okay. Then, we head towards the village before rain starts pouring and I die from shorting out." Cole advised, remembering last time he met water with his powers.
"AH SHIT!"
He mentally shuddered at the memory.
"Good idea."
They then proceeded to walk towards the quite large village in the distance. The wind slapped against their faces as tiny water droplets began to fall. Cole picked up his pace and continued to the village. Zeke looked at the darkening sky, the clouds got darker as the storm got worse by the second. As they arrived at the village, their faces went to blank. There in the village, was small colorful horses with marks on their butts. Zeke and Cole stood there with a blank expression.
"Cole?"
"Yeah?"
"We're in Hell."
"Yep."
The "horses" noticed the two new beings and stared at them with fear and curiosity. Then, the two caught the eyes of a certain pegasus. She looked down and saw them, one of them looked... well... sick. He wore a red and black shirt with a white t-shirt beneath. A pair of black pants with a strange design around the side accompanying the attire. What really caught her eyes was his pale "skin" and the rustic device on his back. He looked... evil, to say the least. But the other made her chuckle, a somewhat overweight being wearing a green vest with a dirty white shirt and a pair of dark shorts. She also overheard their comments.
"So, this is hell?"
"Makes sense for you, brother. Not me."
"Are you sure? You suggested I go take down the cops or I take those blast shards from those people, right?" He smirked at Zeke and crossed his arms.
"You did them, anyway."
"Yeah, 'cause you suggested it and it sounded good."
"Can't argue with that logic. Hold up, I think one of them coming up to us."
Honestly, they amused her. They didn't SEEM like a threat, but she wanted to make sure. Carefully but surely, she made her way from her cloud to them.
"Wow, they can fly?" Zeke noticed.
"So can I. I can shoot lightning from my fingertips, as well. I highly doubt they can do that." Cole huffed.
"Nope. 'Cause they got hooves, Cole. They don't have fingers." Cole laughed at that and Zeke did too.
"I see what you did there." Cole replied, still chuckling.
"So, who are you?" The flying "Horse" asked them as it approached.
"Did you just talk?" Cole asked, questioning his sanity.
"Yeah, why?"
"Horses can't talk."
"Okay, not a horse, pony."
"That's answers the height thing. How can you talk?"
"I have a mouth, don't I? What else would I use it for?" They both chuckled at that, confusing her but she got it seconds later. The thought made her blush. "You're sick." She stated.
"Come on, we're guys. Oh, anyway. Can you help us out with something?"
"If it involves my mouth, I'm out."
"No." He stopped and chuckled again, finding that one funny but dirty. "Can you help me find somewhere to hold up until the storm passes. Water is bad for me."
"Why?"
"I can control electricity. If I touch water, I short-circuit." He bluntly told her.
"Can I see?"
" Uh, ...sure." Cole held up his hand and red electricity surged around his hand. Cole fired a bolt of the surging lightning, hitting the ground and placing a small hole in it.
"That. Is. Awesome!" She stared at Cole with amazement in her eyes. Cole thought nothing of it and continued with his question.
"Yeah. I can use fire too. But, back to my question." He noted.
"Uh... pretty sure Twilight won't mind. Follow me." They followed her, while getting each others names across, to this "Twilight Sparkle". Weird name, Cole thought to himself.
"Here we are, Cole. Hang on." She knocked on the door of the tree hey approached. It had two sets of windows, a door and a balcony with a telescope standing on said balcony. They heard steps approaching the door and voilà, another pony opened the door.
"Rainbow, this bet- Who are they?" She quickly asked, curiosity biting at her.
"That's Cole, the other is Zeke. They need a place to stay."
"Well, I can help one of you out there."
"I just need shelter from the rain. Rainbow said if Zeke can stay here, I could stay with her?"
"Sure, come in." They AGAIN followed a pony in, the smell of paper met their noses. Books. Books everywhere.
"Hey, Treeception." Zeke joked. Cole just chuckled.
The room they were in a couch, a chair and a purple beanbag. In the room across from them, many books lined the walls and in the other, was the kitchen. Following the flight of stairs that went up seemed to go to her bedroom and the bathroom. Following the set that went down, brought you to her lab and more books. This place was littered with books.
"Okay, before anypony stays here. I need to ask you guys a few questions." Twilight told them, Cole nodded.
"Shoot."
"Where are you from?"
"Hometown: Empire City. State: America. Planet: Earth."
"What are you?"
"I'm a race of bipedal creatures known as humans but Zeke calls me a sub-human as , because I possess powers unlike most people. I'm a Conduit to be precise. Zeke is just a big human, ain't you?" Cole stared at Zeke, who in turn was glaring at him. "We're 'friends' by some cases. We just have trust issues."
"Cole... There may be some problems with your request. We don't know if magic will interfere with your 'powers'..."
"Well, let's try."
"Hold on." Twilight's horn began to blow before Cole felt a strange sensation around him, it was a odd feeling to be honest.
"So, why did you have to do that?" He asked as she stopped.
"Because, Pegasi live on clouds. They have natural body magic that allows them to use clouds as a house or anything, really."
"Ah. Rainbow?"
"Let's go. I hear the thunder getting bad." They both walked out the door, leaving Zeke and Twilight alone.
"So, what is this place?"
~~~~~~~~~
They got to where Rainbow's "house" would be, shortly. The rain turned into a drizzle but Cole knew it was going to get worse.
"So, how you getting up? I don't think I can carry you." Cole used his Lightning Tether, confusing Rainbow at first, but he was pulled up. She was surprised to see that.
"That's awesome."
"I could also use my Static Thrusters but that one is so much more fun." Cole stood at what would be the doorstep. Rainbow pushed open the door and it was Cole's turn to be surprised. It was a actual house of clouds. Cupboards, a couch, table. A full house of clouds.
"I don't usually use my house. So, forgive any spiderwebs. If they got up here." Cole just walked around, feeling the cloud under his shoes and his hands as he placed them on things. He laid down on the couch and almost fell asleep instantly. It was like the softest bed possible ever created. Cole just moaned it absolute pleasure as he rested on the couch.
"What are you doing down there?" Rainbow called out from upstairs. Cole thought of something, holding back a laugh.
"Masturbating!" He yelled back. Cole snickered at the dead silence he received from that. Rainbow sternly walked down, staring at him. Cole finally busted out laughing at her face. "Y-you should see the look on your face!" He gasped.
"That's not funny. That stuff would get stuck in the cloud."
"That's why it would be funny! You'd- you'd probably step in it." He kept on, busting his sides open. Rainbow was suppressing a smile of her own at this point. "What if it rains from t-this cloud? It'd get all over people!" Rainbow finally let the gates open and there went a wave of laughter following Cole's.
"Imagine their faces!" She laughed at it, Cole joining her. After a few minutes, their laughter died down as they laid on the floor, gasping for breath.
"Yeah, we're get along just fine." Cole stated.
"Yeah. We are."
That's all, folks!