//------------------------------// // Act 3 Chapter 38 // Story: Collision Code // by SSJRandomMaster //------------------------------// Act III: Collision of Wills Chapter 38: Extreme, Desperate Measures ------------------------------------------ Corey looked around, his eyes darting around the corridor that had manifested around him. He’d been here before. It seemed so familiar, but felt so different from what he knew the place looked like. In these crystal halls, there was nothing else, just him, standing alone at an intersection. Nothing but silence greeted him, but he had a feeling that…   A blood-curdling scream echoed through the halls, and Corey flinched. Something in him told him to call out after it, but he couldn’t muster the energy to. Instead, he looked around. The chill bit into his hands, but he ignored it. With a resigned sigh, Corey knew looking for the direction was useless. He was just about to go down any random direction when a warmth enclosed around one of his hands, as if someone was holding it. He stared at it for a couple of moments, wondering what it was. It felt as though someone, far off, was calling to him—   The warmth slowly faded away, leaving the cold chill to engulf his hands once again. With a saddened sigh and a shake of the head, Corey shoved both hands into the pockets of his jacket and began to walk. It wasn’t long, before that first scream was followed up with another, and another, and Corey clenched his teeth, urging himself to keep moving.   “You can’t run from what you’ve done…” echoed a hauntingly familiar voice. He couldn’t tell exactly whose it was, but he could hear some of “himself” in it. Corey didn’t respond, but he picked up his pace.   As he continued to trudge through the hallways, he could hear something. His ears, tucked under his hood, twitched as he registered the sound. It took a while, but eventually he could make it out. It was sobbing, and he could hear distinct tones among them. Quite a few of them belonged to those from Equestria, but what really got to him was the fact he could even hear people from his home realm too--he could just vaguely hear his mom, his sister…   Corey stopped for a moment, shivering. He saw some movement in the crystal beside him, but he didn’t care enough to acknowledge it.   “What have you done!?” Corey flinched. That was Ivan’s voice. It was a bit distorted, but it definitely sounded enough like him.   “You self-righteous idiot…” Leo said, infinitely colder than Ivan was in that moment, “Those were your true colors, weren’t they?”   “I-it wasn’t…” Corey mumbled, more of an automatic defense than anything.   “How can you be so sure…?” The indistinct voice returned, echoing around him, “It only took a few choice words and actions...not to mention all that text.”   There were a few angry shouts, and Corey walked away, not even bothering to pay attention to where he was going. He had to get away from this. His pace quickened and quickened until he was finally running. All around him, the screams, sobs, and shouts of anger wouldn’t stop.   “Just what were you thinking!?” yelled John’s voice.   “Were you thinking at all? I don’t think you were!”   “This could have been...avoided…”   “Maybe it would have been better if he’d never existed to begin with…”   “Stop…” Corey hissed, not having the energy to shout back. A voice had been growing in his head ever since this all started. It was getting louder and louder. In fact, it wasn’t even in his head anymore.   “Why should they?” That same voice had taken over for that inner voice, “Can’t handle the truth?”   Corey hadn’t even paid attention to where he was going. He briefly lifted his head, and only skidded to a halt when he realized he was about to run headlong into a single, solitary crystal. He stopped mere inches from it, fog pouring in from all directions now. Resting one hand on the surface, Corey paused, feeling more tired than he ever had in his life. Was this all really still a dream?   “What I did...it’s not who I am…” Corey weakly whimpered, trying his hardest to filter out everything, “It can’t be me…”   “Are you sure?”   The proximity and clarity of the voice made him jump. It definitely sounded like his own voice. Corey lifted his head. It was definitely his reflection in that crystal, wasn’t it? So then, where’d…   His reflection grinned wickedly, something which Corey definitely wasn’t doing.   “Can you really claim to be who you think you can be?” asked his reflection, his voice now mixing with someone else’s. Then, one side of his reflection’s face began to melt, shifting until it resembled a face that Corey definitely didn’t want to see.   The side that had “melted” had changed to be red fur. The blue eye underneath glared at Corey with a psychotic intensity that was matched by the smile.   “No…” Corey whispered.   “We really are the same, you know,” This time, it was definitely Slayer’s voice coming out, “We both destroy things we don’t like, all for our own self-gratification…”   “Stop…” Corey said, “I’m not…”   “Why bother denying it?” asked the reflection, “In the end, you’ll just wind up going too far… then we’ll become the same for sure…”   “No…” Corey said, his jaw tightening as his free hand clenched.   “There’s nothing you can do! Or is it nothing that you want to do…”   “Shut...up…!” Corey threw out a punch, trying desperately to mute the assault from within the crystal. The punch made impact, and Slayer laughed maniacally, even as the crystal, together with his reflection, cracked. Corey looked up, his eyebrows twitching as he watched the reflection. Then, abruptly, Slayer paused, hacking up blood. A few moments later, his image shattered from within the crystal, as though he were made of glass.   Corey sighed. He paused, finally removing his hand from the cracked crystal, trying to gather his thoughts in the silence. For a few moments, it really seemed like he was going to receive a brief respite from the constant assault. That was when he heard a savage scream, like one whose mind had left him, and it sounded so familiar that Corey looked back to the crystal.   “N-no…” Corey stuttered, in total disbelief.   Within the cracked crystal, his reflection had appeared again, but this time, there was nothing in its eyes but total savagery. His eyes had turned red on green irides, with purple smoke coming out of them. And, though Corey was sure he had no magical aura of any kind around him, his reflection had a black aura, and was glaring at him with an intense bloodlust. Corey froze.   His dark alter ego then moved forward, throwing out a punch. Corey didn’t move, and was blasted backwards when the crystal shattered from within, pelting him with the debris and sending him falling through the fog. Eventually, Corey landed hard, surrounded by nothing but darkness once again. Or did he just not open his eyes? He couldn’t tell anymore.   “Who am I kidding…?” Corey whispered bitterly, a familiar pain gripping him, filling him with all the guilt and self-loathing that entire situation had left him with tenfold, “I still almost became a killer, stopped only because it wouldn’t serve him…”   Corey didn’t stand. Though he couldn’t muster the energy to even cry anymore, he was still tearing up.   “No matter how hard I try, this will be the end result… I’m doomed to follow my wrath…”   Corey could have sworn he’d saw a distant twinkle somewhere in the darkness, but didn’t know what it meant. He slowly got back to his feet, and as he stood up, he felt a brief warmth encompass him, like something was breathing some kind of life back into him. He almost felt like he heard a voice, calming in nature, calling out to him, but he couldn’t place it. However, just as quickly as the sensation overtook him, it faded away. Corey hung his head, his jaw clenching.   “There’s no hope for me…” Corey growled, shaking his head as the warmth dispelled, “This space is mocking me...and I...I can’t…” Lost in the darkness, Corey began to meander forward, not caring about what was coming next in this never-ending nightmare... ------------------------------------------- Twilight wasn’t sure how long she’d stood there waiting. She wasn’t sure what John was planning. He’d just gone back into the dream realm without saying anything more than for her to trust him. She did trust him, that was true, but she couldn’t help but feel uneasy as she was forced to wait for the unexpected. After several minutes of waiting alone, John finally returned to the waking world.   “It’s done,” John didn’t move from his sitting position, or even look up at Twilight when he spoke up.   “What’s done? What did you do?” she asked.   “I did the only thing I can, Twilight,” She was going to speak up again, wonder what he was talking about. She was stopped, however, by a knock at her door. John stood up at that moment, his body stiffening as though he were preparing for something.   “No matter what I say, I need you to side with me…”   Twilight blinked at this, wondering what he meant. She turned back to the door as it slowly opening. Someone stepped through, and the sight of him caused Twilight’s blood to boil.   “Kurama!” There he stood, the very fox that had put her friends through such hell was now standing in her home. Gritting her teeth in anger, Twilight’s horn began to flare as she prepared for battle, but someone stopped her.   “John, what are you doing?” Standing between Kurama and herself stood John, whose eyes were locked on to the fox.   “I called him here…” said John.   Twilight’s eyes went wide in surprise as she took one step back from John. She couldn’t believe what she’d heard. “Why?”   “Because he’s out of options,” Kurama cackled, “To strike a bargain with your enemy… I wonder, just how much of a blow to your pride was that?” John didn’t react at all, his face still having a chillingly calm expression.   “And yet, you agreed to it,” Kurama’s eyes narrowed as he snarled at John, placing his hand over his chest, right where the gem still held strong, he growled.   “As if I had a choice!” ------------------------------ Kurama felt much better after his last confrontation. Even at the disadvantage he had, he’d still managed to come out on top. Now he’d stricken Rainbow Dash with his curse, increasing his victims to three of the opposing team’s members. His powers were still growing. Soon, the gem on his chest wouldn’t be a problem anymore. Wanting this to happen sooner, he chose to go out on the hunt once again. This time, he decided upon a bigger target in the eyes of the whole town, one whose downfall would certainly cripple everyone in Ponyville: Mayor Mare.   “Well now, I must say, you are one of the few not to fear me on sight,” Sitting on the seat of her office, Kurama stared on at the restrained mayor. Tattered and beaten, her attempts to fight back were ineffective. Now, she hung by her arms which were bound to the wall, her feet several inches above the ground. Weak from her fight, Mayor Mare couldn’t offer anything more than a low groan in response.   “Well then, it appears my fun with you is over,” Kurama said, rising from his seat. Slowly, he walked up to her, savoring the moment. Placing his hands to her chin, he lifted her head so that she could see his eyes, “But your torment will continue.” A wicked grin split his face as his other hand glowed with his magic. He was going to send her where he’d sent everyone else, and he was going to enjoy it. When the locals found out, they were sure to crumble…   “Farewell, my dear,” His hand came very close to her hand, but before he could make contact, the wall beside her seemed to burst open. Before he knew it, something had grabbed on to Kurama’s throat and he was being pushed through the other wall. Through two rooms he pushed, finally meeting the end of his rip as his back made contact with a brick wall.   The room spun for several seconds before Kurama regained his composure. He could now see who attacked him. Standing over him was John, his face unreadable. His eyes, however, burned with hellfire. This was all Kurama could see. He’d seen a glimpse of those same eyes in someone else, and the end result was unpleasant. Feeling the risk level was already too high, Kurama opted to leave, his body beginning to fade, but this time John didn’t give him a chance.   Bringing his head forward, John slammed him back into the brick wall again, his body returning to focus. “It takes you five seconds to fade away from the dream realm. I only need one to stop you.”   John’s claws extended around Kurama’s throat. He could feel them digging into the flesh of his throat. If John had any mercy left, he was certainly at it now.   “Golden Oaks Library,” John continued, “You are going to head there on your own, right now. No detours, no backup, and no running away. You and I will settle this face-to-face.”   Kurama looked at John for a few seconds before chuckling. “I suggest you end it now, or else you’ll never get the chance again,” He said, staring daggers, “You’ve started to show me what lay beneath that heroic mask you wear. I know you’re capable of it, so come on! Do it!”   He was practically daring John to cross that line. John didn’t react, though; he wasn’t going to give Kurama that satisfaction.   “Be it by my hands or not, it will happen, Kurama,” John said, “It’s only a matter of time.”   Kurama blinked, unable to tell if John was bluffing or not. With his free hand, John tapped at Kurama’s chest. Though it didn’t appear in the dream realm, he knew very well he was talking about the gem, which was on that spot in the real world.   “The gem stuck to you has another function, one I had a very hard time convincing Twilight to add, but had it done. It’s our last contingency against you. If we can’t stop you in time, Twilight will activate it. And when she does, the gem will turn all your magic against you, and result in an implosion that not even you will be able to defend against.”   John could feel the smooth movement of Kurama’s throat as he gulped. He could tell Kurama was taking the bait.   “How this ends falls on you, Kurama. So, what’s it going to be?”   Kurama glared at him for several seconds. His options were thin. Even if he ran away, he couldn’t be sure that it wasn’t just a good bluff.   “Very well, but on one condition,” Kurama said, “If you want a fight on your terms, then you will have to fight me at full power.”   There was a long pause, several minutes passing without anyone saying a word. With a sigh, John nodded and took a step back, releasing his grip on Kurama’s throat.   “Deal.” ----------------- Twilight remained silent. She’d never added anything like that to the gems she’d prepared. She would never even humor such an idea. But Kurama didn’t know that. He did know that their backs were against the wall, and that a good portion of their friends were in danger. This was a bluff in every way, and John needed her to support it. She took in a deep breath.   “Never in my life did I think I’d resort to something like this, but you’ve given us little choice, Kurama. If even for a second you try anything funny,” To add to the ruse, Twilight’s horn lit up, and the gem did as well, Kurama’s eyes flickering as this happened, “I won’t hesitate.”   “Very well,” Kurama said, “Let’s get this over with.”   Both John and Kurama stepped closer to one another, stopping in the center of the room. The air grew heavy with anticipation. Twilight prepared to cast her magic given a signal.   “You will come to regret this decision,” said Kurama.   “You’re probably right,” John said. In the back of his mind, he wondered: what was it he was going to regret?   “Twilight…” Twilight nodded, her horn glowing brighter along with the gem. The magic inside of the gem began to expel as cracks formed. She braced herself, unsure of what would happen when the gem was deactivated. Taking a deep breath, she undid the spell. The gem’s glow faded and it fell from Kurama’s chest, falling to the ground.   Everything went silent as it fell, the gem slowly making its way towards the ground. When it finally hit, the gem shattered together with the silence. As soon as it did, Kurama’s tail count went up to eight, his magic beginning to surge. However, he wasn’t the only one. John’s eyes began to glow as well, but it was different than before. The glow continued to shine as the magic engulfed John’s body.   “Begin!” As Kurama shouted, a strand of magic shot out from both of their heads: Kurama’s strand was purple, John’s was white. The two met in the middle and began to spiral around one another as they battled with one another. The sound was too much to ignore, and the others ran in from the other room. They could only be shocked at the sight of Kurama and the magical display in front of them.   “What’s goin’ on??” asked Applejack, but Twilight was too focused on the event to answer. Everyone could only watch in silence as the spiral of magic continued, forming a dome around them both. Both began to levitate as the dome completed itself. They were trapped inside. No one could get in, or exit the dome now.   At least, until the outcome of this battle was decided.