//------------------------------// // The Wanderer // Story: The Pursuit Of Knowledge // by -Singleton- //------------------------------// For a very, very long time, the void has been home to monstrosities which can drive men mad at the mere sight of them. Creatures like Cho'Gath, Kha'Zix, and various other nightmares have surfaced from this infernal place. But not all monsters hold true to their labels. One creature, in all of the savagery of the void, is not there to be a beast, but to be a scholar. A thinker and an observer. And so begins, the tale of Vel'Koz. But this tale does not start in the void, oh no. It begins in a much more welcoming place. A place of good magic. A place of friendship. A place, of ponies. Sunlight streamed through the windows, maroon curtains draped neatly. In a small bed lay a single lavender pony, her wings furled up, pulsing with her breathing, as she silently dreamed. She dreamed of many things. Of becoming an arch mage. Of discovering Starswirl's secret laboratory, and of something ... strange. She couldn't truly comprehend it, for the magic blurring this image seemed much more unstable, primordial even, compared to the magic she used normally. But even through the haze, she could make out three small orbs of unearthly purple light. The glow shone through the veil of magic with an intense, blinding light. Twilight scrunched her face up, and tossed in her bed. Then, out of nowhere, a sliver if horizontal light, even more intense than the orbs began to expand slowly, until it blinded her. But she couldn't look away, nor could she close her eyes. Her mind burned with the image of it. And then, it ceased. Gone, as if nothing at all had happened. But as Twilight began to shift in her bed, a low, voice rumbled deep in her mind. It was almost not there, and was completely garbled, but the very fact it was there, was what scared her. Twilight bolted upright as the voice ceased, her eyes shooting open, and the bed creaking loudly. She began breathing heavily, looking around the illuminated room. She knew it was just a dream, but the blinding light coming through the curtains did nothing to ease her. Slowly, Twilight regained her composure, stretching out her wings and legs, yawning. She dropped down onto the floor, rubbing her eyes, and making her bed neatly with a quick levitation of her blanket, and fluffing of her pillow. A bundle of blue cloth began to stir, rolling over and snoring loudly. Twilight figured spike could sleep in a little late on Sunday, he deserved it for all the help he had been yesterday. Plus , Twilight had an appointment with Fluttershy for brunch at her place anyway. No reason to wake the little guy. Twilight quickly freshened up, brushing her teeth and washing her face. She glanced at the clock. She still had a half hour to get to the cottage. She strolled down the stairs, admiring the new configuration of books Spike had arranged. He had really done a wonderful job this time. She came to her door, and yawning once more, unlatched the lock. " So .... " Twilight spun around in shock, her eyes widening, and her breathing picking up. No one was behind her. She turned back to the door, and looked out the window. Again, nothing crossed her field of vision. She shrank in her skin a little, frightened. Twilight waited there, a cold sweat running down her neck, for five solid minutes, awaiting another response from the disembodied voice. It never came. She breathed a sigh of relief, and yet she still felt like whatever had spoken to her was still there. Twilight quickly opened the door, and slammed it behind her hastily, before unfurling her wings and taking flight. It had been an unsettling morning. But things must only get better from here, after all, this was a day the two ponies had been planning for weeks. How could it not be just perfect? Flying. Gliding. Drifting. All words I have become much too familiar with ... It pains me really ... I have existed here for a very long time. So long, in fact, I cannot even recall where I came from, or how it is I came to be. And it hurts me. It hurts so very much, to not know why and how. It hurts that already, for however long I've been here, I have forgotten the few things I have learned in this place. It ... it's not fair. I'm being suffocated. Constricted by the empty and savage void. For too long, have I wandered, too long have I simply just ... existed. It's time to take a stand, for my own sake. It's time to go somewhere. I don't even care where, anywhere but this empty, barren place is fine. With a burst of arcane energy, I gathered all of the magic within me, channeling it into a portal to anywhere, just a random point in space, possibly in the same dimension, possibly in a new one entirely. The portal started as just a pinhole, and within seconds it grew, and grew to accommodate my size. I readied myself, for I knew that without the inherent energy of the void, there might be no way to return. I was taking a chance, this portal could lead to anywhere, even just another barren point of space. Or it could lead to a planet ripe for exploration and observation. I was delighted at even the slightest chance. I propelled myself forward, through the portal. And, if only for a second, and only in the back of my mind, I saw the flash of an image. It was brief, but I could easily see it. It looked as if ... it was a purple creature of some sort. It's mouth hung open slightly, and it's large eyes seemed filled with terror. But the image faded quickly, and I just brushed it off as the magic messing with my mind. As the portal closed behind me, I gazed upon a new world. A world which intrigued me on the deepest level. I could sense that the ground was composed of various mineral components, and it even held trace amounts of iron and magnesium. The nearby life forms were stationary, producing glucose through a unique form of photosynthesis. The light streamed through the trees and hit my eye. My senses were overloaded by the cornucopia of scents and sights. I began scanning the surroundings, taking in as much information as I could possibly stomach. This was the beginning, of a beautiful, beautiful thing. Twilight continued to soar through the air, her mind settling down. It was hard to not think about what had happened. Was her mind really just playing tricks on her? Was it Discord's hand, stringing her along like a puppet for his amusement? No ... it couldn't be. Discord couldn't be behind this. It had to be something else ... The image! It began to come back to her, the image of the orbs, and the blinding light they gave off. It must be linked, in some way to the voices she's been hearing. It had to be. It just had to. As Twilight dipped a bit lower, letting herself glide slowly, she noticed something was very wrong. She could see smoke rising from the ground below, but she couldn't quite make out what was giving it off. That is until a bright flash of purple energy exploded below and ... Twilight opened her eyes, noticing that she was still gliding, and she was still in the air, if somewhat low to the ground. Great ... Now she was seeing things. This had to stop. It was making her paranoid, and luckily no one had been around to see her have what she could only assume looked like spastic fits of terror. Right then and there, she promised to head straight to the medical clinic to get a diagnosis. Twilight had never seen or read any books involving lucid hallucinations as vivid as the ones she was experiencing. It scared her, and even hurt her on the inside to feel so helpless and ignorant. Fluttershy's cottage came into view, the lavender pony letting herself glide down towards it, and land gracefully near the entrance. Those flying lessons with Dash were really paying off, despite the pain it was to get up each Saturday morning. Twilight knocked on the door, and took a deep breath. 'Just relax, everything is going to be just fine.' Fluttershy quickly answered the door, greeting her friend politely, and emitting a soft *squea* as she led Twilight into the kitchen. On the low table there was a stack of a dozen pancakes on a large plate in the center, with croissants on each of their plates. Besides the plates were glasses full of fresh orange juice. It all looked delicious. Twilight sat down, and thanked Fluttershy kindly for the meal. And that's when the visions hit. Twilight fell over, slumping onto the floor, her eyes rolling into her head as she let out a moan of pain. Her vision went black, the world fading quickly from view. But then, just as quickly as the world had gone, it exploded into a cacophony of sounds and discordant mixtures of colors, swirling around her. Slowly, a figure seemed to form in the mess of the hallucination. A blinding light came from three small orbs. And then the eye began to open, flooding her brain with images of a barren, desolate place, where horrible monstrosities resided. She wanted it to stop. For it to end, and for there to be just silence in the world. The colors assaulted her as the eye opened fully and wide, a dragon-esque pupil forming in the center of the bright purple eye. It was terrifying, and yet comforting, for in this eye she could see a great intelligence. "I can see you ... interesting ... your thoughts, your wants, your fears, your deepest desires and repressed memories. What's this? A scholar? You seek knowledge then, the most valuable resource of all ... As do I ... These reserves of knowledge you hold are meager, but it shall have to to content me for now ... " The voice trailed off as the eye scanned Twilight's horrified face. "Thank you, for your contribution ... " , the voice ended, the hallucination ceasing, as the world began to whirl around her, the colors returning to that of the cottage, and of her friend kneeling by her side. Fluttershy's face was filled with concern and worry, but Twilight took no heed to her friend questioning her. Twilight was sure the hallucination was over, yet there it was. The eyeball creature, perched on a hill nearby, and clearly visible through the kitchen window. It looked as if it was waiting. Observing her almost. Twilight watched the creature for several second, before the large eye began glowing brighter, along with the three orbs right above it. The creature seemed to float as its three tentacles rose beside and over its eye, positioned in a triangular shape. Sparks of purple electricity crackled off of the tentacles as the creature channeled a massive amount of magic into a beam of pure energy. Twilight's eyes widened in horror, adrenaline kicking in, seemingly slowing the passing of time by just enough for her to throw up a barrier around herself and Fluttershy. The electricity cracked off of the tentacles as a beam of energy surged through the window, disintegrating the small cottage , and straining Twilight's magic, struggling to keep back the intense magic at bay. It seemed as if the eye monster would never stop, waiting until she could bear it no more. Twilight kept the barrier up though, and within a few seconds, the beam of energy sputtered, and died with a loud conclusion to the death ray. As the dust and smoke settled, the house was revealed to be in ruins, animals in cages nothing but dust, and the cages themselves melted and smoldering. Hesitantly, Twilight lowered the shield, looking toward the hill top where her aggressor had been. He was gone. Twilight fell over onto her back from her sitting position, exhausted. She had never seen anything this powerful, or raw in nature. The magic the creature used seemed to resonate with instability. It was frightening, for even the darkest of magics she had studied were never used in such an unrefined state. The repercussions on the physical form of a pony would kill them instantly. But this ... thing ... this monster, could stand it. It could use the pure energy of magic, in its most destructive form. What's worse, she thought is that despite this, the beast seemed to have no thought of killing her, Fluttershy, and all the animals in the house. Sure, she had faced Nightmare Moon and Discord, but neither of them wanted to kill anyone really. Even King Sombra and Chrysallis weren't on the same level of this thing. At least they knew they were killing someone, but this creature, it seemed, was not doing it out of hate or contempt. It was doing it for some other reason, for it had no reason to just blindly attack her. It must be linked somehow to what she was told in it's message to her. You seek knowledge it said .. As do I ... It seems as if the beast is capable of not only advanced thought, but of learning and growing. What Twilight had on her hooves was much worse than a Chimera or a Manticore or even a Hydra. What she was facing, was creature more highly evolved than even her, with the means to easily kill anything that gets in its path, and with no remorse or empathy to those it killed. This was much worse than anything she had ever faced, and despite her encounter with it, it seemed doubtful anyone was going to believe her, or Fluttershy, who was passed out on the floor, passed out from shock. But in lieu of all of this, what scared Twilight the most was not even the fact it had tried to kill her, but the simple fact that she was no longer the scientist. She was not the one conducting the experiment, nor was she in control in any way. She was now, but another test subject, helpless to alter the outcome of the creature's sadistic experiment. Hmm ... Melting points for structural materials remains inconsistent ... As does the point at which ... well I'm not sure what it was. The quadruped seemed to channel a sort of energy to deflect the plasma. An energy shield essentially. Interesting. I shall have to run more tests to conclude my hypothesis ... I levitated through the tree line, still observing the ravaged house. I took note of the lethargy of the lavender creature, scanning its appendages. It appeared to resemble an equine in nature, but a bit smaller. It also had wings and a horn that sprouted from its back and head, respectively. Ah, here's something, it appears this one is named Twilight Sparkle, and she is an alicorn. This is remarkable, there is information in here dating back thousands of years, and to nearly every subject on at least a basic level. I underestimated her reserves of knowledge. They shall prove quite useful ... Intriguing ... To date, two subjects have survived preliminary testing. I shall further investigate the means through which this was accomplished. For now though, its time to lay low and let the ripple effect take its course ... Still, I have this creeping feeling that I'm missing a very important piece of the puzzle. Despite my lack of knowledge of this world, I feel as if I'm missing the grander picture of things. While yes this quick increase in data is useful, it doesn't tell me anything about this world or how it came to be, scientifically. Only creation myths and such are stored ... It says something about "Princesses" wielding vast amounts of energy. Now where is it ... ah yes here it is ... That's ... unique. Perhaps these myths aren't without a grain of truth to them. Canterlot, Celestia, Luna, Cadence, Shining Armor, Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow-Dash, Cloudsville, Ponyville, Fluttershy ... These seem to be the most frequently referenced places and names. Interesting. I continued to flick through my newly acquired database, until I decided to pay this, Rainbow Dash a visit. Element of Loyalty hmm? Important then is she? I shall conduct testing on her at a later date. For now, I think I'll keep an eye on Twilight ... Meanwhile on Runeterra ... "What do you mean a spike of energy? A void anomaly?", a towering arch mage asked. "Sir, we detected a large blast of void magic near a frontier town. It seems likely that another creature has come through the portals, but no sightings have been reported yet ...", an armored guard promptly replied. The arch mage stroked his beard, contemplating a recourse. The wizard ordered the soldier to leave him, and the servant departed with haste, shutting the large metal door behind him. The mage continued pondering possible actions to take. He looked towards the rest of the council of "Summoners". They were all concerned about another incursion from the void, and it showed on their faces. "What would you suggest then? It seems nothing has gone terribly wrong yet, so I suggest we secure the area of the arcane pulse and send out a sear-" "No ..." , an old, white haired man said. " ... I can feel the creature's presence ... But it is not of this world." "Well of course its not of this world, its an abomination of the void!", shot back another wizard. "No my brother ... it's not like that. It's literally not of this world. It does not exist in our realm. I can feel it's energies near the frontier town, but its not there. I can only imagine that it would have an active camouflage of some sort ... But still, what doesn't make sense, is that the energies seem distorted, scrambled almost. As if ... As if it was there, but in another plane of existence. That would explain the distortion of the magic coming through to our realm. Yes .... That's it, it must be!." The council broke out into debate, arguing back and forth over the plausibility of a trans-dimensional creature. After a heated discussion, the magi concluded that within the vast unknowns of the void, it might be entirely possible for such a being to exist. Therefore, they concluded it was best to prepare for an incursion. "Brother Corvus, I apologize for the timing, but a new champion recently requested to join the League of Legends. She goes by the name of Mackenzie, and she is adorned by one of the finest techmaturgical suits I have ever lain eyes upon. I personally feel that she is worthy of joining the League after the proper formalities and tests have been conducted. What say you then?", a mage spoke sheepishly. Brother Corvus took a deep breath, and exhaled, letting the new candidate's attributes wash over him. He began to speak in a somewhat grave voice, " I feel, as if she requires a test. Something more than what is normally required. Bring her to me tomorrow evening, and we shall discuss her entry into the League, and that shall be the last I hear of Mackenzie. This council meeting is adjourned for the time being. You may return to your quarters or practice in the summoning room. I wish to be undisturbed for the remainder of the day. Now be off with you!" As the wizards returned to their rooms, a few heading off to the training room, Brother Corvus began to formulate a bold plan in his head, slyly smirking to himself, even as he cloistered himself in his room. The trials of a new champion, were underway. "Twilight! Twilight! Please! Please wake up! Please!" Twilight heard the echo of her friends voice, her vision blurring back into focus. Above her was Fluttershy, tears streaming down her face, her eyes wide and reddened by the vicious sobbing. " Oh my Celestia Twilight! I thought ... I thought you had ... Never mind, what matters is that you're okay! Thank Celestia your okay.", Fluttershy spoke through the sobs, trying to contain herself, while she wrapped her arms around her lethargic friend, hugging her as tightly as she could. "I'm glad too, Fluttershy, but if you don't stop crushing me, I might not make it anyways." , Twilight responded in a playful, yet spent tone. Fluttershy released her friend, looking into her eyes with two teal orbs of utter relief and joy. But even as the two ponies recovered, limping out of the destroyed building, and starting on the road to the Library, Twilight could've sworn she saw the shifting of shadows behind her. But too exhausted from her spell, and too determined to flea the area, she dismissed it, hurriedly limping over the bridge and down the road. A fatal miscalculation. "Mackenzie, you must promise me one thing. And one thing only. You must promise to return victorious, for if you cannot accomplish your mission, I fear the council could fall to shambles from this disgraceful practice. I know the risks, and I'm willing to take them for the safety of Valoran, but that responsibility, now rests upon your shoulders.", Brother Corvus said to his armored ally. He inhaled deeply before, lifting his arms, performing various signs with his hands, and beginning the formation of a portal. Energy sparked from his fingers as the large circular rune stone in the center of the room began to glow brighter and brighter, until a cerulean portal formed, its energy swirling malevolently. "Ive managed to home in on the creature's location, but I cannot be certain how long the portal will hold, nor how safe it will be to pass through. Make haste Mackenzie.", spoke Corvus. Mackenzie towered over even Corvus at eight feet tall in her Heaven-Guard armor. The pauldrons elegantly drooped down into the shape of teardrops, with burning green amulets in the center of each. Her chest plate was a simple piece of magic infused titanium, with a large teardrop in the center that glowed a jade green. Her leg armor was delicate looking, yet durable, fitting the form of her muscular legs, and ending in sturdy shoe plating. Her whole suit of armor shone in an unearthly silver aura, while her helmet was an ornate master piece. Designed in the shape of a corinthian helmet, it was engraved with various markings depicting water and typhoons, with reinforced glass covering the open sections, two burning green eyes shone through the helmet. A crest of jade green feathers sloped down gently behind her helmet, stopping just at her neck. Within each palm was a series of intricate circuitry, leading to the fingertips of her gauntlets. Attached to her belt was a small metal rod, and an oblong, curvy triangle. Slung on her back was a small metal case of peculiar proportions, with sections of ropey metal showing through. Mackenzie suit of techmaturgical power armor was infused with arcane energies, explaining the green aura of her energy. Mackenzie solemnly nodded, accepting her responsibilities with pride, and edging over to the swirling vortex of energies. "Good luck Champion. May your quest prove successful warrior.", Brother Corvus encouraged, the portal now starting to wane. With one final, grim look towards Corvus, Mackenzie jumped into the portal, the hurricane of energy engulfing her. Her quest had only just begun. But even as she plummetted through the portal, unsure of her fate, the creature watched. And it was ready.