I looked around the dingy, paper-filled room for a couple of minutes, then shook my head. All my plotting and scheming in here was often fraught with the scent of dusty old paper. Not really conducive to good thinking, I knew that much. So, I left the room, into a general commotion outside.
I stared over Tavish, Venom and Sek as they brawled with each other. As one, they looked at me with the kind of expression that is normally on the face of a small child with their hand in the cookie jar. It didn't translate well on their snake-like faces, although Tavish's singular red eye did betray a certain childlike innocence.
I cleared my throat for effect. "May I presume that there is a story behind this?"
Tavish nodded. "Aye. These blighters were thinkin' that ye needed ta get ootside, but of course-"
I waved him off. "It's alright Tavish; I was thinking of going outside anyway. It seems to be a nice day."
Venom and Sek stuck their mechanical tongues out at Tavish. I glared at them. "Please don't. That's rather childish of you. Then again, you are my children. And children do as children do."
I walked out of the base, paused, and then teleported back to my room and grabbed the statue's head. "I knew you saw me, Auric. I know it. My Mask felt it." To have those eyes directed on me for even an instant... it was like Christmas had come true. This was great news. Now I would have to step up a bit.
I quickly scanned for Auric, and found him outside of his tower. I quickly teleported in, to his coffee jar. I then scrawled a simple message on the back of a piece of paper.
White moves first.
That done, I teleported right back into my sanctum, whereupon I seized all the photos I'd taken of him and started reogranising them. I placed them into shapes, letters that would show Auric my sheer devotion to him:
Check your coffee jar and don't tell the wife.
That unicorn had been all around him. I didn't really think she should be with Auric. After all, he was mine. Mine and mine alone. Thus I tore her out of any photo that she shared with Auric, burning it with my plasma powers to signify what I would eventually do to the strumpet who DARED to presume to understand Auric. I was not in the habit of sharing.
I shook my head. Maybe going outside would be a good idea. I quickly flashed to the door and walked out.
The bright sunlight was muted by the green leaves of the jungle around me. I used a small amount of power to vacuum some of the air towards me, analysing its earthy scent and the smell of the jungle. I then released the vacuumed air gently, causing a small breeze. I wouldn't have been able to do this on Earth. Not at all.
I resolved, then, that The Plan wouldn't affect this jungle. Natural beauty should not be tarnished for my whims. Everywhere else though, that could be plundered of all its goods. I shape-shifted down to my human size, and I walked through the jungle.
Exotic birds called in the branches above me while monkeys screeched elsewhere. I laughed, for the first time in a long while, at the simple orchestra that Nature had provided. The birds calling, the monkeys chattering, the wind in the trees and the bubbling of various streams and rivers... it put me in a much better mood.
I blamed the strumpet for my ill temper. She was the only explanation for my unexpected anger. Measured Thought, when the time came, you would die. Then Auric would be mine.
I frowned at myself. Thinking of killing an insignificant immortal was so far removed from normal thinking that I was honestly surprised with myself. Maybe my obsession with Auric was damaging my better judgement? Whatever the case, I was dealing with some serious problems in the plan.
I didn't know how wide my window of opportunity actually was. From my experience with Tirek, I knew that in many respects he was just like me- a slow, meticulous planner who left little to chance. I'd educated Sombra about the importance of planning. When I'd found out that Celestia was in a relationship with him, I had decided to ruin her happiness by corrupting him. I have to say that it was hard, but I managed.
Back then, Celestia had been the target of my obsession. She was my opposite- an up-front, reckless warrior with strong ideas on morals and other unnecessary things for gods, versus me, a conservative planner who believe that there was no such thing as good or evil. Those are meaningless labels that society uses to define who opposes and who is with them. Not my cup of tea personally.
When I'd talked to Kat, I'd tried to impress on her that greatness was like power: it has no moral obligations at all. Adolf Hitler was a monster, yes, but at the same time the entire Nazi regime loved animals and had some incredibly strict laws on how they were to be treated in experiments and butchering. Maybe that's another reason why Hitler wanted to exterminate a religious group, because of kosher. He'd done other things besides that- rebuilding an entire country and starting the first anti-smoking campaign comes to mind- but I didn't want to be Hitler. That would be demeaning.
No, I wanted to be greater than that. I remembered the existence of the 'administrators' of the multiverse. They took on forms that reflected their domains, so it wouldn't be unreasonable to assume that the administrator of the Equestrian sub-section was an alicorn of some description.
A toucan fluttered onto my shoulder. I laughed at the sight of it. "Oh, you're beautiful. You really are." I stroked it with one hand and it trilled in pleasure. I smiled, still scratching it. Sometimes, the little things in life were what gave the most satisfaction.
I certainly knew that. Auric knew that as well. Both of us truly understood what that saying really, truly meant.
There is a providence in the flight and descent of every sparrow. And only Auric and I could know each other truly and utterly.
I remembered watching him sleep, watching the steady rise and fall of his chest under the covers. That had brought back feelings that I had thought long gone. Regardless of whatever strumpet was with him, it couldn't hide the fact that I needed Auric. He was a challenge, a goal, something to strive for. Somebody who would truly understand me, know what I meant when I talked about the spin of an atom, who would laugh when I talked about meeting other versions of myself, who wouldn't mind the statues, as he would understand the crushing loneliness of holding the knowledge of the gods...
He and I were practically married, in soul if not in body. In another universe... maybe...
I shook my head. That was one of the Rules- don't interfere with yourself. Whoever that version of me was, I knew he'd be happy with whatever choice he made. I'd made my choice millenia ago, and I still didn't regret it.
I stood up, gently, and glanced at the toucan. It warbled its song at me, and indicated that it was leaving. With a sad smile, I let it fly away. As it flew over the sun, I swore for a moment that it looked like an angel, wings spread wide.
I needed to make another statue. A fountain maybe, of Auric's human form.
I teleported back, reassuming my customary form and grabbed a large chunk of protodermis. I then started shaping it, carving it. While carving, I felt my mask pulse and I thought on it, still consulting the photograph of his human form I'd stolen from a newspaper. So he was watching me. Good. I think my work was turning out better now that I knew he was watching me.
I'd gotten most of the face right, and I was just getting the nose looking right when my hand slipped and the nose
fell
off.
I stared at it for a bit, then that irrational anger returned with a vengeance. I looked at the stone eyes and growled. I then smashed the head.
"VILLAIN! Remorseless, treacherous, lecherous, kindless villain!"
No more was the muse with me. I let my anger at Auric and his chosen strumpet out by smashing the half-formed statue, screaming inarticulately. When I was done, and the statue was crushed into gravel, I stood, looking at it. I then chuckled, turning around to look the invisible observer in the face.
"That was remarkably carthartic, Auric."
That done, I shifted to the Olmak and closed the link between our worlds. I needed some down-time.