"Misery."
The blue-haired witch opened her eyes. She was dressed in a sleeveless green top, dark green pants, and flat brown shoes. In her hand, she held a brown staff. She had pale skin and a blue crescent moon tattooed on her left cheek. She had bright red eyes. Seeing her master, Misery descended from her seat on top of the throne, floating gently down.
"What is it, Doctor?" Misery asked.
"I want to confirm that all of the Mimiga on the island are in our custody," replied the Doctor. The Doctor was a tall man, but the Crown sitting atop his head added to that height, making him seem more intimidating. Not that he wasn't. He had a slight hunch in his stature. He wore a lab coat and had thin rectangular glasses that glinted in such a way that one could never make out his eyes.
Misery answered, "Mimiga Village, Grasstown, and the Plantation have been thoroughly searched. Save for that one scientist, all of the Mimiga are accounted for."
"Good. And what of Balrog? Where is he?"
Misery furrowed her brow, puzzled. Now that she thought about it, she hadn't seen him for several hours. He was nowhere near the Throne Room. "Strange," she mused. "I'm not sure where he is."
"Well, no matter. The spell is fully prepared. It won't be long now."
"I understand, Doctor, but I wish to ask you something." Misery stepped toward her Master. "Are you sure you wish to follow in Halda's footsteps? I know you're aware of how brief his reign was. Would it really be wise to-"
Misery never saw the punch coming. All she could recall was being slumped against the stone wall, covered in debris, supposedly dislodged from her impact. She looked up at this human through half-glazed eyes, wincing from the pain. This creature had hit her many times before, but never this forcefully. Misery looked up fearfully into the eyes of her Master.
The Doctor's glasses glinted dangerously bright. "Watch your tongue, Misery. Don't you dare lump me together with that weakling. Halda failed because he had no plan. It's no surprise to me that he was defeated. However, my plans are far more ambitious than his. I'm going to surpass him sooner than you can imagine."
"Yes. Please, forgive me, Master," Misery gasped painfully, averting her eyes from her master's gaze.
"The spell will take some time to complete." the Doctor continued, flying up to the second level, The King's Table. "Heal yourself. I need you in peak condition for your next task. Do me a favor and...take out the trash," the Doctor said with a sneer as he vanished into the ceiling.
"Yes, Master," Misery mumbled. She cast a healing spell on herself, closing her cuts and numbing the pain in her head. It wasn't perfect, but it would have to do. Misery returned to her position on the throne, awaiting the intruder.
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"Graaaaah!!"
Quote sidestepped the behemoth's charge with ease, slashing it with his Blade as he dodged. He spun and faced the beast, pulling out his Spur. The monster was about two and a half meters tall and must have weighed almost 300 kilograms. Quote was about to start charging the weapon when the monster turned, opened its mouth, and let loose a volley of magic blasts. Thinking quickly, Quote pulled out his Bubbler and made a protective wall of bubbles. The magic projectiles dissipated harmlessly against the wall. Quote released the trigger on his gun, and the remaining bubbles shot toward the monster at blinding speed. It was hit by the barrage, unable to protect itself. There were now many cuts on its body, blood pooling in the grass. It broke Quote's heart to see this poor creature, this once-harmless Mimiga, now a raging death machine, suffer as it bled out. Quote switched to his Spur once again and began charging the weapon. The rabid Mimiga, programmed to kill because of the accursed Red Flowers, charged blindly at Quote. However, the damage it had accumulated was taking its toll, as the beast ran much more slowly, each step causing it pain. Quote heard the click of his weapon, now fully charged. He raised the gun and pointed the barrel to the Mimiga's face.
"I'm so sorry," he said, releasing the trigger. A massive laser shot out of the gun, nearly knocking him backward from the force. The shot hit the Mimiga in the forehead, blowing half of its head open. The Mimiga immediately fell to the ground and twitched a few times before lying still, liters of blood pouring out all at once.
Quote rubbed his eyes. He couldn't cry, but it was the closest he could come to doing just that. He felt absolutely miserable. The body of the Mimiga shrank down to its original size, the ugly wounds it had suffered now covering nearly the entire body. The somewhat humanoid rabbit-person was only about 1 meter tall. Quote thought back to when he first met the Mimiga people. The peaceful villagers welcomed him despite their own struggles with the Doctor. Quote was eternally grateful to them, especially to King, the village leader, whose sword now hung by Quote's side. They took him in when he had just awoken and was dealing with amnesia. He couldn't even remember who he was.
The Doctor had been abducting the Mimigas of the island and feeding them Red Flowers. The flowers were the source of all of this misery: they made the Mimigas grow massive and rabid, transforming them into living weapons that obeyed the Doctor. They were a force to be reckoned with, and the Doctor was amassing an army of them.
The worst part was, this was the third time Quote had dealt with one of those monsters. What's more, it scared him a little when he thought about how easy that fight was. The first two times, it had taken all of his concentration just to pull through and survive those battles. Now, he wasn't even winded. Quote had grown so strong compared to the time he first woke up, when he was barely even able to defend himself. Quote gritted his teeth and turned toward the spire that loomed in front of him.
"This ends now," he said as he stormed into the Throne Room.
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Curly Brace let out a sigh of relief when she stepped out onto the Balcony. The girl ran her fingers through her long blonde hair, which was now a tangled mess. Where her ears would be were two green disk-shaped radio transmitters and receivers. Each one had an antenna coming out the top. She wore a red sleeveless top that showed her midriff, red pants and brown shoes. On her back, she donned a jet-pack called the Booster v0.8. Her skin was pale white and she had bright blue eyes. Curly had just fought her way through a massive cave littered with monsters, and she was exhausted. It had been just as dangerous as the time Quote and she fought their way through the Labyrinth. Doing it solo, she found out, was incredibly taxing. Curly had been injured not half an hour ago. Yet, here she was now, up and fighting. Curly couldn't see how Quote had done it for so long.
"I really thought we weren't going to make it that time." Professor Booster's remark was met with unamused stares from the rest of the group. Curly hadn't just fought through the grinder; she had done it while escorting three people. The professor was an older, short man, and rather pudgy. He wore a lab coat and a very strange pair of glasses: they were bright red shades and seemed to serve no purpose other than shield his eyes. They surely didn't improve his sight, and they could be very dangerous if they ever broke.
"Well, we did make it, so quit your whining," said Momorin. "I swear, you've been a pessimist as long as I've known you." Momorin Sakamoto was a woman of average height and had dark green hair. Curly wasn't sure if that was her actual hair color, or if it was dyed. She wore a lab coat as well, as she was part of the team of scientists that had come to this island not too long ago. She was also the mother of Kazuma and Sue. Sue was currently being held by the Doctor because the witch Misery had turned her into a Mimiga. Kazuma, on the other hand, was nowhere to be found.
"Oh, it hardly matters now," said Itoh. "Look. The helicopter's still there. Let's start on it right away." Itoh was another one of the scientists who came to the island. Normally, he would be about as tall as Momorin, but his situation was unique: he was a Mimiga. Like Sue, he had been transformed into one by Misery. This had actually proved to be of little consequence, as Itoh was still perfectly capable of building fantastic machines, even in his state.
"All right," said Curly, cocking her Machine Gun. "You three get the helicopter running. I'm going to help Quote beat the Doctor."
"Not a chance," Momorin interjected. "You may be different from us, but even I can tell you're at your limit. If you try to fight the Doctor now, you'll just be killed."
Curly turned toward Momorin. "That doesn't matter to me. Quote's fighting for his life, and everyone on the island. I need to help him in any way I can." Curly paused, glancing at the ground. "Even if it means sacrificing myself."
"Absolutely not. You can't die now. You need to stay alive. Not just for us, but for him as well." Curly looked up, surprised. Momorin smiled and placed her hand on Curly's shoulder. "You gave him the Iron Bond, remember? You promised each other that you would be together again. I can tell how much he means to you. And I'm sure you mean as much to him." Curly's body began to shake. Her eyes squeezed shut as she cried quietly, although no tears fell. Momorin was right. She couldn't die now. Still, she couldn't bear the thought of Quote fighting the Doctor alone.
When at last she regained her composure, Curly asked, "Okay. What should I do?"
Momorin nodded. "The men and I can take care of the helicopter. Still, we may need you to protect us in case someone attacks. We'll give you a shout if we need you. In the meantime, why don't you go get some rest in the house over there?" Momorin indicated a makeshift shelter a little ways beyond the helicopter. It was evidently a temporary shelter, as it looked less like a small house and more like a large shed.
Curly nodded. "Good luck," she said and turned toward the house. She could already hear the scientists discussing what would surely need to be repaired and how long it would take. Curly smiled as she walked. Finally, everyone was going to get off this godforsaken island. During the time she had spent on the island, she never felt safe. There was always something hostile, some danger around the corner, something that wanted her dead. The island was not a friendly place. It amazed her sometimes that she'd managed to hold out for so long. Taking care of the Colons, four orphaned Mimiga children, had been both the happiest and most terrifying episode of her life. Curly had been overjoyed at being a mother to the children. At the same time, that's what scared her so much. She would never forgive herself if she had failed to protect them. If Quote manages to defeat the Doctor, everyone could all return home safe. Curly realized that Quote and she didn't have a home to which they could return. Oh, what was she thinking? Momorin would be more than happy to take them in.
Curly looked up and realized that she was already at the building. She opened the door, thinking only of how great a nap would feel. The room was modest: a bed and a bookcase were all the furniture she found. Curly was about to get in the bed when she felt a chill.
This was no ordinary chill. She had felt this chill once before: the one time she met the Doctor. That time in the island's Core room, she had been repeatedly submerged in water during the fight of her life. Despite that, she knew the chill she felt was not from the water; it was from being in the presence of that madman, the Doctor. There was an aura about this man that radiated evil. It was terrifying.
Certain she was about to be killed, Curly pulled out both her Machine Gun and the Nemesis, her trusty weapons that had saved her life too many times to count. She pointed them to where she felt the presence. To her surprise, she found herself looking at a tile on the floor in a corner. The Doctor was nowhere to be seen.
Curious, Curly walked to the unnatural spot. Upon closer inspection, the tile looked cracked. And was it her imagination, or was there the ever-so-slight sensation of a draft? Curly prodded the tile with her Machine Gun. The tile crumbled under the sudden weight, falling into... a pit.
Curly stared down into the pit that had suddenly opened up. There was a bit of an orange glow coming from within.
And there was a presence. An evil presence. A presence so evil, so ancient, an abomination so terrifying that it shouldn't even exist.
Curly ran out of the house, her whole body shaking. She had to get away. Away. Far away. Anywhere. Anywhere was better than here. Once she felt the chill leave her body, the presence gone, Curly sat, taking deep breaths, trying to calm herself. Whatever that... thing was, it was unnatural. And the most terrifying thing Curly had ever encountered. She finally managed to regulate her breathing. When she looked up, her eyes went wide from shock. Out of thin air, in a matter of seconds, the sky had been completely filled with thick, menacing, black storm clouds.
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"Aaaahh!"
Misery fell to the ground, exhausted and beaten. Quote had entered the Throne Room when he saw Misery, waiting for him. It had been a fierce battle, but Misery just couldn't keep up with Quote's tenacity. Misery had thrown everything she had at him: lightning, magic blasts, creatures, massive boulders, anything. She hurt him at first, but within minutes, Quote had learned how to dodge all of her attacks. The soldier had become much stronger than when she first met him. What had once been a weakling had now bested her in combat. Misery hadn't foreseen this. Perhaps the boy before her... No. Wishful thinking. Besides, Misery knew where her loyalties lay.
Quote was turning to ascend into the next level of the tower when he heard chuckling. He turned back toward his defeated foe.
"You don't understand, do you?" Misery said.
"What do you mean by that?" Quote asked, finger back on the trigger.
"It doesn't matter if you kill me. It's too late for you now. My Lord's plan is too far along now for you to stop."
"You're wrong," said Quote, a look of fiery determination in his eyes. "I made a promise to Sue, Momorin, Itoh, Kazuma, and the professor. I'm going to defeat the Doctor and restore peace to this world." To his surprise, Misery just started laughing harder.
"No, you really don't understand. You've already lost! Everything has gone exactly according to the Doctor's plan! Just look!" Misery cried, extending her arm sideways.
Quote turned to where Misery was indicating and gasped. One of the sides of the Throne Room contained no wall, apparently by design. He had a perfect view of the skyline. What Quote saw scared him. Thick, black clouds completely obstructed his view. They had not been there a minute ago. But there was more to them: they felt malicious, evil.
"What are they?" Quote whispered, his voice shaking. Misery said nothing.
Quote turned toward her. "WHAT ARE THEY?! WHAT IS THE DOCTOR DOING?!"
Suddenly, there was a flash of light. Pain immediately coursed through Quote's body. A shuddering gasp escaped Quote's lips before he collapsed to the ground.
Misery's staff was drawn. She had managed to gather enough magic to summon a lightning bolt while Quote was distracted. Misery let out a sigh. She had won. With nothing left to do, Misery returned to her seat atop the throne and closed her eyes. All that remained was to wait for the Doctor to finish casting the spell.
Misery did not have to wait long. She had been feeling the magic in the air rise steadily for the past several minutes. The magic suddenly spiked, and the whole island began shaking. Misery opened her eyes and looked up.
"Eight hundred years..."
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A dark stallion wearing gold armor threw open the doors or the royal throne. "Princess!" he cried.
Princess Celestia nodded toward the guard, fully expecting his sudden entrance. "What have you found out?" she asked.
"Nothing much, I'm afraid," the guard said. "The weather ponies seem to have no control over these clouds. As a matter of fact, they seem to be getting stronger!"
Princess Celestia cursed under her breath. "Thank you. Please try to find out anything you can about those storm clouds. Dismissed." The guard left abruptly.
Princess Luna turned to her sister. "I've rarely seen you this worried over something. Do you have any idea what's happening?" Celestia looked out the window at the pitch-black storm clouds that had gathered only twenty minutes ago. Eyewitnesses had stated that the clouds appeared to manifest from thin air. The pegasi couldn't do anything about it: they would pass through the clouds like any other pony. Celestia almost immediately issued a state of emergency and sent all of her guards to inspect the freak storm. The front had grown enormously: it was now covering nearly half of Equestria.
"Sister!" Luna hissed. "Do you know what's going on?"
Celestia glanced back to her little sister. What Luna saw in her older sister's eyes sent a shiver down her spine. The look was almost unrecognizable. Celestia seemed distant, lost in memories. Her eyes were full of fear and sorrow.
"You know what's happening, don't you?" she whispered.
Celestia stared at the floor. "I pray that I'm wrong, Luna. I really do."
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"Haven't you found anything, Spike?!" a purple alicorn called from the balcony of Ponyville's library. She was leafing through a large pile of books on Equestrian history. Nothing she found said anything about what she was seeing.
"Nothing!" the young dragon yelled back. "I have no idea what that thing is!"
Twilight looked up and saw a cyan pegasus flying toward her. "Rainbow Dash!" Twilight called. "Any idea what it is?"
Rainbow looked worried. "Nope. No clue. None of the weather ponies have ever dealt with clouds like these. We can't even touch them." Twilight cursed. She was hoping to learn something useful from her friend.
"Spike, try to find a weather book on intangible storm clouds," Twilight said.
"On it," said Spike. At this point, Twilight was just desperately grasping at straws. Being the new princess of the nation (though not in charge, as that was still Princess Celestia's duty), she felt the responsibility for informing and protecting the citizens of Equestria. Not knowing something unnerved her greatly. The only one who might know something was the princess.
"It's getting bad, Twilight," Rainbow said. "Ponies are starting to panic. Not even I can calm them down." Twilight sighed. She doubted that she could ask everypony to remain calm when she was on the verge of a panic attack herself. She hated feeling so helpless, only able to wait and see what happened.
"Twilight?" Rainbow murmured. "I'm scared."
Twilight looked up at her friend. No. She could not let her friend down now. As afraid as she was, Twilight knew that what she needed to do right now was remain confident. "Don't worry, Rainbow. I don't know what's happening myself, but I'm sure the princess does. We just need to get in contact with her. She'll know what to do. Spike?" Twilight called into the library.
"Yes?" Spike appeared, holding a book. It was one that Twilight had already looked through.
"Take a letter, please."
Spike was about to grab a quill when something happened, causing everyone to stand and just stare at what they were witnessing. Far in the distance, a little outside Canterlot, a massive red bolt of lightning broke through the center of the storm, presumably striking the ground. Almost immediately after the strike, thousands upon thousands of tiny red bolts began spider-webbing from the eye of the storm to the edges, striking within the clouds. A glowing red aura appeared in the storm's eye, then suddenly flashed dangerously bright. The three shielded their eyes, blinded. When at last their vision returned to normal, they looked again and gasped. The storm was gone; it had completely vanished without a trace. But there was something else, something new, where the eye of the storm had once been. Everyone stared, dumbfounded. No one, not even Twilight with all her years of research, could explain the phenomenon that they saw with their own eyes.
In the sky was something impossible.
In the sky was something terrifying.
In the sky was a massive, floating island.