//------------------------------// // Confrontation // Story: When Worlds Collide // by Lon35hadow //------------------------------// "Shadow, tell Midnight to get out of the base, we're coming in," Lone said to his brother. Shadow nodded. "Right." The two unicorns and their allies were approaching the location on the Equestria-Badlands border, where the main base of the Brotherhood of Plasma was located. They all knew they might not survive, but they didn't care. If they went down, it's fighting, for a cause they believed in, and none of them could think of a better way to do so, surrounded by individuals they could call "friend." Shadow sent the mental message, and told his brother so. "It's sent," he said. "Right," Lone said. He turned to his brother, and said, "Shadow, if I die here-" "Don't need to ask me, Lone. Yes, I'll look after Luna. You'd do the same for me with Celestia. But we aren't going to die. There may be no force in three universes like a mare scorned, but that's because they haven't seen us yet." After a few seconds, Shadow said, "It's funny. A month ago, and we were enemies simply because of chance." "And now, we're going to make sure nopony, noone, else will suffer through what we did. We'll make Plasma pay as much as we can for what he did to us, and the others." "True, and I may finally get an answer to my question, one I've had since I became a member of the team," Lone said. "What's that?" "Who created the Elements? I refuse to believe just the natural magic created those, or their would be the Elements of Chaos as well." "You really think you'll find the answer?" Lone shrugged, "I can hope." After a few more seconds of silence , Lone said, "After we met with her did you ever get the feeling there was a new part o you, but it felt like it was always there?" "You too? Yeah. I got the feeling just after we talked, and she sent us back. What do you think it means?" "I don't know, I'm not a god. I'm just a pony, not a super hero." "Maybe, but, sometimes, normal ponies are the most inspirational heroes. I mean, look at what you've done. You uncovered a conspiracy, were among the first ponies that had reached an agreement with their demons, literally, and created a lot of magic, some of which the Brotherhood uses from time to time." "Really?" "Yeah, but only rarely. You've helped change the world more than most ponies could dream of, Lone, even if only a few know of you." Shrugging, and with a smile on his face, Lone said, "Maybe, but after this, I plan on making the team a public presence. We've hidden for too long, and it's time we came out of the shadows." "You sure about that?" "Yeah. I am. I've talked with Radiant and the others, and they agree. It's past time for us to come out of the shadows, even if we enjoy them." "Fair enough," Shadow said as Ken came on over the intercom. "Nearing the location, people, ponies, and changelings. Get prepped, 'cause we're going in hard. Laugh, and you die." This got a few laughs from everyone, even John. They landed a few minutes later, and, once the ramps were lowered, got off their transports, and checked their weapons. But, while this was going on, Lone, Maruco, John, and Shadow got a strange feeling, and, with it, they could have sworn they heard someone say, Come, and find the truth. Come find me. The weird part? this felt, old, ancient. But, at the same time, young, and the two ponies felt a weird connection to it, though they didn't know why. Once they were all done with their weapon check, Celestia having gotten two magnums while in the pelicans, Lone walked up in front of them, and gave another speech. "A moNth ago, none of us would have thought we'd be here, either where we are physically, or our situation." He took a deep breath, then continued. "Regardless, we're here now, and that's what matters. Today, we end Plasma, or die trying, and no one's coming out without scars." One second. Two seconds. Three. "But we fight, not for ourselves, not for a single nation, but for an entire planet. For every mare, colt, foal and filly. Those are the stakes. That's the scale! Today, we venture into Tartarus itself, kill the demon that resides there, and come out as heroes, or we die fighting. Either's okay with me, but the former is preferable! WHO'S WITH ME?!" Those assembled before him rose their weapons into the air, and said, "We are!" "Then tonight, we dine in tartarus!" Lone yelled, activating and raising one of his swords and pointing it to the sky. He turned ot his brother and said, "How do we get in?" "Just follow me," he said, then walked ahead, the others falling in behind him. After a few minutes of walking, he stopped, and lit his horn, the literal black magic washing over his horn, and a rectangular slab of earth. The slab disappeared, reveling a set of stairs that led into the planet. "Let's go," Lone said, taking the lead into the staircase. The others followed, and, once Shadow, the last in the group, passed the threshold, the slab sealed over the stairs, leaving it, and those on it, in darkness. The unicorns, changelings, and alicorns lit their horn, bringing light to the tunnel, and they began to descend, every step echoing off the stone walls. They walked on for what felt like hours until they finally reached the bottom of the staircase, and, with it, the entrance to a large, cathedral like room, with columns spaced apart every five feet, and between each was a portrait of one image of Plasma or another. Ken, Lily, and Maruco walked over to one, which pictured Plasma as a bipedal creature with ashen gray skin, his height more so than a fully grown Hydra. He had six, ruby red, oval like eyes, and a maw of teeth, four arms, the bottom ending in a three pronged claw, the top being normal hands. At the joint between his back and waist, there was a tail that ended in a wicked scorpion like barb. "That's him," Ken said. "I can't believe it. He really is the same as the one we faced." "Hard to believe that he's still alive after what Miller did, isn't it?" Lily asked. "Yeah," Maruco said, "but when you're what he is, it makes sense that he'd be hard to kill." "True," Ken said as he noticed the others going on ahead. "Come on, the others are getting ahead." The two other Spartans nodded, and the three of them sprinted after the rest of the group. "Something's not right," Shadow said after ten minutes of silence. "There should be a ton of guards, but there isn't any. I don't like this." "Yeah, same here," Garrus said. As they trudged on, Luna, Celestia, Metamorpha, Chitinia, and Applejack began to feel a darkness in their minds, whispering for the deaths of the others in their group. They all went on for ten more minutes in silence, until they came to a hall that Shadow recognized. "This leads to the throne room the Conclave made for Plasma. It connects to the rest of the base." As soon as he said that, a horde of members of the Brotherhood, all wearing black cloaks, all with swords or daggers. "KILL THE HERETICS!" one yelled, pointing his sword at the group. He was the first to fall as Hades put a needler round in his head. "Oh, shut up," he said before unleashing a volley of pink, crystalline needles at those in front of them, many of the Brotherhood members dying from the needles exploding. The others that were used to killing opened fire as soon as the first pony fell to the ground, Lone rushing in with his swords, cutting the Brotherhood to ribbons.The ponies that weren't use to killing attacked ten seconds after, but there were still plenty of targets to hit. After nearly ten minutes of firing, the last member of the Brotherhood group fell dead, his head cut off by Lone's energy sword. The unicorn deactivated his sword, and said, "We're close to the heart of this place." "How can you tell," Rainbow said. "The amount of guards. They'd only put the most amount of guards at the most important location of the base." "He's right," Shadow said. "I was on guard duty for that place after I joined the Brotherhood, and there were a lot of guards here, less then the amount we just killed, which means something's going on, and, if my contacts are right, then they're trying to raise Plasma again, which means we need to hurry." Before any could respond, a deep, soothing voice was heard, saying, "It's too late for that, Shadow Specter." They all then disappeared in a flash of light, only to reappear in an entirely black version of the Canterlot throne room. "I have already risen," Plasma said as he appeared, sitting in the throne, showing he could change his size at will, as well as his appearance, as he now looked like a normal human, except for the fact his two eyes were entirely red as rubies. He wore armor reminiscent of ancient Knight armor, as it covered every inch of his body. The chest piece looked like a dagger filled mouth. "Plasma," Ken growled, and this was heard. "Ah, Kenneth Orochi, what a pleasure it is to see you again, as well as Lily Danchova and Maruco Smith. I imagine you thought I was dead with your old comrade, Miller, or am I wrong," Plasma said with a toothy smile. "And do not think I've forgotten you, John-117 and Thel Vadam. It was you two, and that AI companion of yours, that destroyed the Gravemind, a division of my mind, but still me. I hold no grugde to you, Sawn, nor you Hades, as you have not stood against me before, but you will pay for your actions." He then took a deep breath, then looked at Liara and her ship mates. "And, of course, the remaining squad members of the famous Commander Shepard. I enjoyed killing you comrades before you arrived. A fitting revenge, as it was Shepard who destroyed my incarnation as the Reapers." Upon seeing their faces, he let out a small chuckle and said, "Yes, I am the true mind behind the Reapers you faced, even if I was not their guiding intellect to begin with, and I will enjoy making you pay for their destruction." He then looked to the ponies. "And the famous Elements of Harmony, as well as two of Equestria's leaders, or, rather, former leaders, a changeling leader, and, along with being two of the greatest thorns in my side in this universe since your ancestor, my two decendants, Lone Shadow, and Shadow Specter. What made you think you could stand a chance against me, a god by many standards, and survive? "Us," Metamorpha said as she and Chitinia changed into their pony forms, and they, along with the other Bearers, changed into their Rainbow forms. They launched an attack against Plasma, but he simply batted the attack aside, shocking everyone. "Did you truly think that would work? I am far more ancient then the Elements, and much more powerful. Even then, they only work on those that consider themselves evil or chaotic. My daughters should have told you that when they gave them to you six." Upon seeing the shocked expressions, he chuckled again and said, "Yes, Celestia and Luna are my daughters." He brought his left hand up. "Now, I think it's time for you to change into something more appropriate." He snapped his fingers, and Luna and Celestia, along with Metamorpha, Chitinia, and Applejack, fell to the ground, screaming in agony. Orbs of darkness encircled them, and took on darker shades of their coats, or at least their preferred coat colors when in their disguises, in the case of Metamorpha and Chitinia, and their screams eventually died down, and the orbs receded. In the place of those that once lay there in agony were five new ponies, each with various coat colors, and each wore a set of armor that looked like a nightmare had become armor, gaping maws for the chest pieces, and full faced helmets, with slits for eyes. The five of them got up and walked to the bottom of the throne, then turned to face their former allies. The one that was once Celestia now had an orange coat, with her mane and tail being true fire. Her armor was rust colored, and on her armor over where her cutie mark would be showed a sun with numerous trails of fire coming off of it. Solar flares. The mare next to her that was once Luna was not Nightmare Moon, but somehting new. Her coat was still as dark as the aforementioned mare's, but her mane and tail were a dark yellow. On her armor, a silver colored thing over where her cutie mark would be was a moon over the sun. An Eclipse. The one that was once Applejack now had a darker orange coat, and a darker mane and tail color, almost as if she had lost all color and liveliness. Where her cutie mark would be on the armor, a brown, much like tree bark, colored armor, were three withered apples that none would eat. A Devastated Harvest. The one that had been Chitinia was now Nightmare Rarity, with her armor being a dark grey, with the edges of the armor looking organic, as they flowed like water. The one that had been Metamorpha looked almost exactly Twilight, only taller, and her coat was now the same color as the majority of Twilight's hair had been, and the once pink stripe was now a navy blue. The mark on her armor was a sickle, instead of a starburst, a setting sun behind it. A Twilight Sickle. They are now my enforcers,"Plasma said in a cold tone. "you're friends are no more, and nothing in your possession can bring them back, not even your love for them." From behind Plasma's throne, Cadence walked out in similar armor, only her coat was now blood red, and her mane and tail were an ethereal pink, her armor colored a light, cyan blue. "I give all of you a choice," Plasma said as he sat down on his throne, "Surrender to me, and live; Fight, and become my prisoners; or die. Which will it be? Make no mistake, though, Lone Shadow and Shadow Specter. Your lives will end today." "Only if you can kill us yourself," Lone said, which only got a satisfied smile from Plasma. "So be it," he said in a deeper, threatening, almost robotic voice. Lone, Shadow, John, and Maruco were then thrust up into the air by an invisible force. "I was hoping you'd say that," he said in his first voice. A large horde of Brotherhood members, more then they faced before being teleported in here, came into the chamber then, and surrounded the others. After only three seconds, they threw down their weapons, though it was obvious they didn't want to. "Lead them to the cells," Plasma ordered his enforcers, who simply said, "Yes, My Lord," before leaving the room with the horde and their former allies behind them. Plasma got up from his throne, but did not move. "The four of you have been the most painful thorns in my side that are here at present. There are others, many others, but they are not here, so I'll have to settle with you four for now." He paused, then said, "I sense the touch of the Librarian on each of you." He chuckled with what looked like a knowing smile. "Oh, if only she could help you now. But, alas, she can not, and you are at my mercy. You have failed to defend this world, and it will soon fall to me, and then, the others you know of. After those. Well, there are more than three universes, after all." He took a deep breath, and said, "Now, the four of you will experience what happened to me in this universe all those years ago. You will be banished to the void, and there is nothing you can do to stop it," he said in an icy calm manner as he raised his hand, an orb of red energy forming in his palm as it faced the two Spartans and two unicorns. "Goodbye," Plasma said as he fired the orb of energy. It traveled to where the four were being held, and exploded jut as it came close to them, a flash of light being the result. When it faded, there was nothing left of the four. Not a speck of ash, nit a single molecule. It was like they had never even existed. Plasma let a small smile out. "Now to find the rest of lone team, and kill them," he said as he vanished in a flash of light, the real threats killed or imprisoned. But, if he had payed attention, just as his orb of energy detonated, Plasma would have seen a rainbow colored flash of light around those he had killed, and would have seen them vanish a millisecond before the detonation. Secondary authors note's: Plasma has risen, and the only ones capable of stopping him are dead, in his service, or imprisoned. The story is not over, folks. What does Plasma know about The Librarian, and what was that flash of light? Next few chapters!