//------------------------------// // The Reclaimer // Story: Destiny: The Five // by THOSEideas //------------------------------// Shimarak leapt from his Throne and tackled the creature in the fire, it was hard. The creature dropped it's rod and grabbed the back of his neck while they toppled through the fire. It picked him up and threw him against a support beam for the roof, the impact caused it to shatter and bend. Shimarak shook his head to clear the fuzziness from it before running at the creature with a different tactic in mind. When he got close he feigned a right stroke with his claw, and the creature blocked it as expected. He then grabbed the creatures leg with his left claw and pulled it towards him. The was set off balance and let go of his right arm to find better support, he used this to his advantage. He dug his right claw into the neck of the creature, ignoring the sharp pains that spread across his hand as the creatures flesh splintered and stabbed him. The creature brought up its un-occupied leg and kicked his two lion legs out from under him, causing them to both fall into the fire. Shimarak could see the red haze of blood cloud his vision and he cared for nothing but the death of this being that caused him such pain. He pulled himself on top of the creature and started mindlessly tearing away at the beasts neck. The creature punched him in the head and chipped his beak but he ignored it in his rage. Shimarak felt something loosen and he stopped clawing, instead he grabbed the creatures head and pulled it away from its body. Sparks and a black liquid spewed everywhere as the head pulled away what looked like a webbing of veins with it. He cawed in triumph and tossed the head away before scrambling out of the still burning fire. He quickly patted out the fire that still licked at his arms and belly before turning back to his defeated foe. A searing pain registered in his brain as a still burning log was brought down onto his head and exploded in a shower of ash and splinters. Shimarak took a step back and blinked his unfocused eyes up at the headless beast that now towered over him, it should have been dead. He backed up as the beast lunged for his neck and tried to strangle him, he quickly went on the defensive as he thought of a way to kill it. The beast paused and picked up its rod, proceeding to point it at him. Out of instinct he dodged to his left, behind his throne. The wall behind where he had previously been, exploded and rocked the stability of the building. Shimarak took to the air and thanked his quick thinking when his throne blew up and sent bone fragments in every direction. If he had stayed, he would have died. Shimarak decided that letting this beast use its weapon was a bad idea, so he resumed in taking it on in hand to claw combat. He dove down and once again speared the beast, this time managing to pin it to the ground and getting the advantage of tearing its arm a couple new rivets. The beast managed to get its pegs underneath him however, and it pushed upwards, sending reeling backwards and tripping over a piece of his throne. The beast was on him in seconds, the incredibly heavy being managing to pin him down while smashing its rock hard fist into his head. Shimarak managed to catch its fist in his claw before he smashed his other one into the beings shoulder, shearing the joint and half tearing it from the body. The being didn't stop fighting however, using leg techniques to fight the bewildered Shimarak. Did this creature not feel pain? Shimarak decided that if he was killed by this being then he would have died an honorable death. The beast was at a serious disadvantage, it could only use one leg at a time, and that left it's other one open. Shimarak faked a lunge at the creature before grabbing it's outstretched leg, that had meant to kick him in mid-air, and used his legs to push off the beasts body propelling him across the room. Shimarak landed and dropped the severed leg to the ground, he turned around to see the beast laying on the ground with a growing puddle of the dark liquid around it's body. He sighed in relief and sat back on his tired haunches. The long house was a mess. The roof was ready to cave in, the back wall had been blown out, his throne had been destroyed. At least the creature was dead. Shimarak looked back at the creature and watched as it slowly dissipated into nothing, replacing it was a glowing blue ball that hovered in the air. Shimarak had a feeling he knew what it was but he couldn't quite place it. That is, until the creatures body re-appeared and exploded in a cloud of fire, it's body intact with two arms, two legs, a head, and its weapon secured in it's hands. Shimarak felt a roaring pain travel through his head and a memory he never knew he had, took control of his body. "Are you sure? Because it would be easier if we all did it." Dorish Manik looked at Eriana-3 with a quizzical expression, she had just proposed that she would clear out a room full of Hive by herself, if she died, then she could be revived, but it was a needless risk. "I am sure, besides I have a new trick I want to show you." Eriana-3 ran into the room and shot all the Hive she could, she put up a great fight until the Knight that she hadn't noticed stabbed her through her metallic heart and tore her in half. Dorish had been ready to run in and revive her, but Eriana burst into flames and ignited the Knight in a blaze of fire. She then relentlessly killed the Hive without taking a single bullet in response. Shimarak got up off the floor and was greeted with a hand pressed against his throat. Eriana effortlessly lifted him off the floor and was about to snap his neck when a familiar voice broke through the dust and smoke. "Eriana!! Don't kill him, he may have answers we need, for Luna's sake." Eriana grudgingly put Shimarak down and he grasped his own neck and drew in a shuddering breath. What had he become? What had he done? Where was he?! Luna blinked back tears as she re-appeared in a room with an oval table in the center. She looked down and gasped at what she saw, it was a galaxy, stars swirling around the center and Nebulas swishing through the gaps. It was something that rivaled what she could make. "beautiful isn't it?" Luna looked up to see her sister standing next to her, gazing down at the swirling masses with as much awe as Luna had. "Tia! Where are we?" Instead of Celestia answering she was answered by a much more powerful voice. "We are in Eternity, at the moment, Eternity doesn't last for ever though, so we might want to get a move on, yes?" Luna saw a being that radiated light from it, it had four arms and two legs, it also seemed to shift and change from a liquid to a soild constantly. "In answer to your unspoken question, I am life. Not what you expected? Ha, I aim to please. I see that my brother, Death, has chosen Aetheon's side, probably to spite me as he always does. Good to see you Luna and Celestia, I see Twilight and Cadence are fast approaching. Ooh! This is a surprise, Discord my marvelous nephew! Who persuaded you to join us? Was it that Fluttershy? Well good on her!" Discord popped into exsistence a few feet away from Luna and scoweled at Life. He then stared down at the basket full of Lemon's he found himself carrying. Before, Luna could ask what the Lemons were for, she was interrupted by Twilight and Cadence's arrival. Both of which seemed dazed until they saw each other and did there usual greeting. "Sunshine! Sunshine! Ladybugs awake! Clap your hooves and do a little shake!" They both giggled together before noticing the rest of the occupance. Their smiles grew larger. "Now that everyone is here, lets get started shall we? Alright first on the agenda, is to view the battle ground. If everyone will take a seat." Life waited for all the creatures to take a seat, he even waited patiently for discord to pass out Lemonade. "Alright, I will tell you this now, my brother is going to have the time of his life with this war, even more so if they win. Which is entirelly possible. My brother doesn't care who's life he takes, even if its mine. He also doesn't care that if I die, then he dies as well. His goal is to end all life, luckily, Day, Night, Time and Choas will still exsist if all life ends. Unluckily..." Life gave a sypathetic look a Cadence and Twilight, "Unity, Love, and War will not. So let us make out job to NOT end all life and give our subjects a prosperous and eventful life span. To the Maps!" The table became transparent and showed a planet with a Star and Moon orbiting it, beyond that was a multitude of other stars and planets that orbited it. "This is our battlefield, our defences range from the Sun, the Moon, and pure and utter Choas, thanks to you Discord." "My pleasure." "Their offense, massive world eating armies, a darkness that can block out the Sun, a foothold upon this planet that needs to be severed as soon as possible." The image zoomed in on the central planet and stopped when it found an enterance to a cave. "This is the location of the Changelings and the Hive. Ever since the arrival of Shin Malphur and his Death-defying team -my brother was as pissed as when I was born- the Hive have been growing an army, they have also managed to spawn a new type of Hive, a more fearsome beast then the likes of my traveler has seen. Which remindes me." Life stood up straight and snapped his fingers before raisng two arms above his head and two in front. Slowly an image of a white sphere appeared in Life's fromt hands, which he gently placed above the table and snapped his fingers again. "To our offense, I add a Galaxy saving Army, and their beloved Traveler."