//------------------------------// // The Inside Man // Story: My Little Forumites are Magic // by Mx Story Anomalax //------------------------------// Tune heard the knock and smiled. It was time. Pinkie had just finished her speech, the others distracted. Typo got up to see who was knocking at this time of night. Typo answered the door and then a hand was put against his chest. It was Razedd and he was speeding up his age by hundreds of years. Typo looked shocked and couldn't pull himself away as though he were being electrocuted. Jordan looked back as the violin started, a power radiating out from Tune. Jordan shoved Typo out of the way, keeping him from aging too much as they all fell asleep except for the enemy. All four walked into the room quickly and were about to start massacring the players and ponies, but Gia got up with green spines and blue scales, seeing the entrants, realized what was going on from what she had been told, and felt betrayed before she shoved Tune to the side, causing him to stop playing. He had forgotten about Gia's narcolepsy. Gia was fast, radiating her sylph of mind powers around who she assumed in this case would be her team-mates. She shoved her claws into Tune's throat, causing him to choke on blood, before she pulled it out, seemingly either jaded or aware that sometimes you had to go to the extreme to help another person. Gia stood up and glared at the entrants as the others started to awake. Gia shouted at Spike to get the ponies out of there, and he complied quickly, feeling the relationship between them somewhat similar to Twilight and him. He led them all to the side of the room as the other players got up. Vark and Phynicxs were fast to determine their spot, starting to sing and dance around the ponies and Spike, creating a wall between them, Twilight helping by creating the bubble. Phynicxs was inside, daggers taken out, and was ready to pull out some voids if necessary. The room was getting crowded. Ying immediately took out his eraser sword and went after Razedd and Gilda, Typo following him into the battle. Ying swung across Razedd who just waggled his finger at him and went forward in time, getting behind Ying and reaching into his captchalogue deck. Typo was fast, bringing out the pinwheel and throwing it in an arc to try and kill Razedd but trying not to injure Ying. Razedd pulled out, looking behind him, and went back into the past. Now there were two Razedds attacking Ying who had to jump to the side to not get hit, feeling the space change over and over again, Typo having to change his original intent and throwing the pinwheel at the two time players. Jordan and Smeareyes went after Illusive and Chiri. Chiri was fast, coming up to them faster than a space player and started punching Jordan again and again, but befoe he could get more than four hits, Smeareyes slashed at him with the chakrams, but was unable to get a solid hit when he was hit hard in the chest by Illusive's axe. Jordan had kneeled but quickly got back into the fight, bringing up his artificial hand and squeezing it, focusing on Chiri's wrists, squeezing them tight. Chiri was surprised at this and tried to pull his hands away but was unable to as Jordan started putting gashes into Chiri's body, who just seemed to absorb them. Jordan had forgotten that he was a knight of doom. Smeareyes was on the ground hurting bad his personality splintered. But he knew what to do, and started screwing with his emotions, trying to overcome the ones that were trying to mix together. He held his head in his hands as he tried to sort himself out, having dropped the chakrams. It was becoming too chaotic. There were too many heirs of time, and sometime during the battle they had fished out Ying's other sword. The sword Ying called the Frozen Flame. Typo was getting beaten down so hard and fast, having to parry multiple weapons at a time, and was getting sick of it. If he could just concentrate for a second he'd be able to use mind and Razedd's time against him. Ying was getting tired, fast, slowly destroying one of his own, prized weapons by having to block and parry blows, which made the sword chip a lot, and was starting to crack. Ying was pushing himself to his limits, using the potential he had to move fast enough to blur his form and constantly switch positions within a second. But the heir of time was holding them back. Gilda wasn't helping either, often times getting in a really good hit on them but thankfully never taking them out with her claws, and whenever they tried to attack her she'd either get saved by the heir of time, or she'd turn into breath and float away to try again. Ying and Typo were both happy that Gilda hadn't yet realized her full power. The ponies were safe, but they didn't know how long that would last. Chiri was worse, constantly getting hits and knocking Jordan and Smeareyes senseless. Illusive was making it worse by trying to either chop their heads off or get in a good hit to knock out their hearts. Smeareyes was readying to give up, and started to think, trying to come up with a plan, and finally decided maybe he should take out the time chakrams, especially considering every time he spared a glance to the others the heir of time was getting closer and closer to taking them out. It was utter chaos and furniture and party decorations were being destroyed and sent flying by the battle. Jordan spent most of his time protecting Smeareyes and himself, having to use his life sense to his fullest, occasionally trying to use the telekinesis in his hand to send the enemies flying, but often missing. He wasn't quite good with it yet, and it required concentration that he strengthened and created. Things were looking really bad, but Smeareyes had one hope left that could change this battle around. --- The castle was magnificent; although pretty bare and white. There were some tapestries hanging, and a few long carpets with designs of Equestria's... No, the world's history. It also included Discord and sometimes creative liberty was taken in making them, turning them into a fictitious account of history. It was pretty beautiful, especially how artfully designed the golden ages were. Kraine, a troll girl with a turbulent past walked with the Lord of Time himself. After her session's success, she had lived for awhile in peace, but soon found that she deeply desired the action that had made her life so full before. She was an expert in war, being one of the oldest Sgrub players. She had been the result of the condesce's iron-fisted rule - a product of an age of war. She and her older, once reluctant soldier companions had been able to enter the game as well before the Vast Glub occurred. Her green and the camos she had built in her session stayed with her wherever she went. She was a pro. And she wanted more. Kraine had travelled a long time going from place to place until finding Gallifrey and hearing about a lone, exiled traveler of space and time. She followed the rumors she heard wherever she went in one of the troll's old warships, and made it to the planet that the doctor was currently travelling around. Long story short the doctor had to enter the game despite knowing their session was doomed for failure. Especially because those in the session didn't always listen to him and did their own thing. Kraine had snuck into the session through one of the players, and befriended the doctor who had almost been killed by his entrance. He was a pony now, much like the others. The doctor, however, kept going despite this, knowing that it was something that had to be done, even if it led to destruction. But before the session could fall to the hands of death, Kraine had befriended him as one of the few sane people in the session, even if he was a little eccentric. She helped him escape the session before anything could get too messy, abandoning the place and regretful that he had failed to save a planet, and frustrated that he'd ended up having a hand in it. And when they left the session... Well, we'll get to that later. Kraine frowned, saying the surroundings were not bad. Doctor Whooves, as he had been nicknamed by Kraine, started talking about how he noticed many of the designs were similar to worlds he had gone to in the past, and wondered if there had been external influence on this planet. But at the same time he, of all people/ponies, knew that some things were just universal constants. They were here for an audience of the ruler of the area (after hiding the Tardis), needing to talk to her desperately if they had any hope of keeping the "demon" at bay. They had convinced the guards the severity of their information, and it helped that Kraine's appearance was very similar to players who had already come here and, most of them, welcomed by the princess. When they got into the room with Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, they bowed respectfully, and Kraine started her case. "There is a great evil here." Luna responded, "WE ART ALREADY AWARE OF THIS INFORMATION YOUNG TRAVELERS." Doctor Whooves and Kraine looked at each other, befuddled, questioning looks on their faces, as Doctor Whooves decided stating how old he was wouldn't be a very good move. Doctor Whooves was the first to speak in his charismatic voice. "You... Already know?" "Yes, the lord of doom has attacked already, and we already have a defense set up against them." This sent the two travellers for a loop. "There are... Other players here already?" Kraine asked. "Yes, you're a little late to the party aren't you?" Celestia chuckled. Kraine nodded, starting to understand. "There is a different threat here. And he will be here soon. The fact that there are other players here is inspiring." Celestia raised her brow. "Why?" Kraine continued, stepping forward a little bit, "we are here, trying to run from the Lord of Muse. But the idea there may be players here may put us at an advantage." Luna was first to speak. "WHO ART THOU ENEMY YOUNG TRAVELERS?" "The Lord of Muse has been destroying universes for hundreds of years, working under a greater threat. We aren't sure of his origins, but we do know that he must be stopped, and if not stopped, then avoided." Doctor Whooves added, "He has destroyed so many universes, always starting with destroying the planets where more players are born, your highness." Celestia began to look worried and she asked them if there was anything they could do. Kraine responded, "We have made extra copies of the game, for situations like this. We mainly do it to attract the creation of new universes, working together with those who take the risk to play and trying to help them succeed in their mission." Doctor Whooves questioned Celestia, asking if there were any creatures here that would be brave enough to attempt the game, telling her that the start of the game normally started the end of the world. The cogs in Princess Celestia's brain were turning, starting to question the implications of Rainbow Dash's death. She didn't know much about the game, but she knew more than anyone how destiny has a way of working into beautiful things. "There is one group, young travelers, and I will send you their way." Doctor Whooves and Kraine looked at each other. And both stated the same word. "Allons-y." --- Smeareyes had to do this now or they'd surely die. He pulled out the glowing time chakrams and got ready. Jordan was knocked back when Illusive threw his axe at him, having no choice but to block it, using both hands and trying to slow down the axe with telekinesis. He was slowly losing his hope that they'd get out of here alive. Starting to lose hope that they'd be able to save this planet before it was destroyed. Smeareyes was fast, jumping straight at Illusive and spinning, the chakrams digging into his gut. Illusive felt small portions of his body around the gashes disappear and he started to bleed out, some of his organs falling before they appeared next to him, but completely fucked up as though it had been run over by something and split apart by a shredder. He grimaced and knew if he died it'd probably be a just death. And then he remembered who he was working for - a lord of doom. The prince of hope brought his hands up like he was lifting his hands to the sky. "You can't defeat us when right and wrong are so subjective!" Jordan and Smeareyes were taken aback by this. They hesitated, starting to question their ability to die. They weren't sure why they were giving this second thoughts, but they were. Chiri came in and was about to punch them so much their lights would go out. Gia had opened up a dimensional gate, wielding two glowing cat claws, getting in front of Smeareyes and Jordan as they nearly fell. She slashed open Chiri and headbutted him, keeping up the combo and hitting him with her legs in a ferocious combo before blowing fire at him, nearly burning off his body. Chiri fell to the ground, dead. She slashed open the dimension and hopped inside, her heart and mind guiding her. Illusive was stunned and started looking around, unsure about this. He couldn't even sense Gia's hope. Did she even have hope anymore? Tune was questionably getting up, and started to play the violin again, singing and mixing bard of hope with bard of mind. The protagonists were getting slower. Typo felt himself slow, and so did Ying, and that was when the heir of time and Gilda got hold of them. Gilda cut Ying's throat and followed up by stabbing him in the temple. And after that she broke off one of his horns and putting it into the captchalogue deck the others had given her. Typo felt himself growing old fast and it lasted for a minute until he was old and decrepit, falling down. During this minute Gia surprised the prince of hope by appearing above him and stabbing him in the head before disappearing. Illusive fell. Razedd and Gilda were heading toward Phynicxs and Vark, who were getting ready. Phynicxs was aware how hard it would likely be to take out Razedd's void, and was preparing to take out Gilda's. But another hole opened up in space, below Gilda, and Gia brought her cat claws up to stab Gilda in the neck, but Gilda had a good grasp on her class and aspect, using light to destroy light. She had taken a step back, almost as though she was cognizant of the threat, but ended up looking shocked as Gia came up out of the hole. And Razedd stabbed her in the back, severing her spinal column before throwing her off to the side. Gia was enclosed in a frozen fire - like a field of stasis. Gilda was shaken but Razedd was blood thirsty, his time clones walking a doomed timeline and readying to kill Jordan and Smeareyes. Smeareyes and Jordan were in stasis, but when brought out they'd die soon after. Phynicxs was starting to panic, her best friends trapped and most likely going to die. She was about to cry, not knowing if there was a way to even remove the stasis. The Frozen Flame had been one of Ying's favorite swords for many reasons, but he'd never talked about it - whether that be what went into making it or its full capabilities. They tried looking in the registry but the materials were always static, as if something important had been added to it. Phynicxs' hope was destroyed, and even if it hadn't been, she felt like her light had been destroyed. She was about to resign and accept her fate, looking down as Razedd and his clones got closer, along with Gilda. Vark was already singing and dancing, clicking her artificial leg on the floor as though trying to get it warmed up. She focused her energy into her body, some of it going into her leg and causing small vibrations, knowing that she'd need some more. Having been told about Gilda and how she had killed Rainbow Dash, Pinkie's crush (Pinkie Pie having talked to her about it at one point,) and was getting more angered the closer Gilda came. It was even worse because of Gilda's smirk. She thought she'd won. Well news for you bitch, Detective and Avenger Vark is ON THE CASE. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=mG4Ug7EWUbA Vark jumped forward, putting both hands out and kocking the heir of times away in surprise. Obviously Razedd didn't know any bards of cute. Vark bared her teeth and jumped at Gilda who turned into breath. Vark shouted a lyric down at the floor and at the breath, causing her to be pumped up into the air and creating a small crater in the floor and dispersing the breath slightly. Vark twisted into the air, her anger rising, tears forming into her eyes and kicking the wall, sending out a sound that made everybody double over and hold their heads except for Tune and the ponies inside of Twilight's bubble. Everyone but the bards and those in the bubble felt extremely nauseous and many almost threw up. Phynicxs had trained herself in many ways, and despite feeling dizzy she knew what she was doing, taking the opportunity to do something heroic. She jumped at the main Razedd, brought her knee up and bashing it into Razedd's chin before using the blood that Razedd now had in his mouth to force his eyes open. Phynicxs glared deep into them, accusations running across her tongue as the light in his chest occurred. Phynicxs reached in and pulled out a spinning pocket watch - as though it were a screwed up compass. Phynicxs felt anger surge into her being, forcing the blood that was keeping his eyes open and ramming it through his eyes, causing him to scream and go blind. Razedd stumbled away, trying to use his time powers but was having a hard time bringing up the strength that came so natural to an heir. Razedd screamed again, shouting blasphemies and creative obscene words at Phynicxs who brought her daggers out, threw the watch at a wall, and stabbed her dagger at it, cracking the case. This caused Razedd to scream as parts of his body started getting all wibbly wobbly. Phynicxs stabbed it again, making the crack grow larger. Vark ignored Razedd and his slowly disappearing time companions and went after a surprised Gilda, jumping forward at her. Gilda looked bruised and damaged but it was barely anything. Vark sent three punches Gilda's way and the energy went right through, but pierced the breath in a way that it parted in certain areas. Vark was getting tired of this and was about to try and take out the anklet that Gilda used. Vark went after her again but this time she grimaced and turned into breath, dispersing and flying quickly out the door. Vark screamed obscenities as Phynicxs kept stabbing the watch until finally the unusually hard glass broke and the dagger penetrated the face of the watch, a tear going straight through it, the watch stopping permanently before starting to turn into crystal and fall away. Razedd screamed harder and felt like he was being pulled apart as blue crystals started growing from the top of his head, the tips of his fingers, and the ends of his legs, and surged up before consuming him and shattering. Tune saw what would probably happen to him and ran away to Gamarya, a rainbow aura starting to fill the room. Razedd was surprised when he felt his body. He was lost in the void, but he saw the others except for Tune and Gilda with him. There was also an additional person who wore witch of rage clothing. She looked permanently pissed off. Razedd was wary of her, definitely not wanting to get on her bad side. Yet somehow he felt that wouldn't be as much of a problem as it probably would. He heard a voice in the void, and everyone except the witch of rage looked around. "Yes, master?" "I have brought you all here to give you a choice. To serve me unquestioningly or accept your deaths. And I promise you, it will be a double death."