Casting a Shadow

by Ssendam the Masked

Okay, I can work with this

I looked at the Orb and checked it again while Chameleon kept talking. "Sir, he was just- disintegrated! I couldn't stop it!" Chameleon had been keeping an eye on Tirek for a long time, only returning to gain a power incrase from the Energised protodermis. With that, his camouflage extended to his very aura- he could be disguised as any creature, and not even I could detect him when he was like that. Tirek had been under near constant watch since my escape.

And now Tirek was dead. That threw the entire Plan down a deep pit of despair. I took in a deep breath for effect. "So Tirek is dead." I was angry; angrier than I ever had been in the past. Chameleon looked like he'd cry at the failure of his mission. I shook my head. What was in the past was in the past. And not even the Vahi could change that. I immediately tried to assure Chameleon that none of this was his fault. He couldn't have known about Tirek disintegrating, so I would never be too harsh on a loyal subordinate. "There there; it's okay. You were right to report as quickly as you could. If I cannot scry this universe's Tirek, it can only mean that he has been killed."

I looked Chameleon in the eye. "I want you to leave my strategy chamber. All of you, just go." My Rahkshi generals milled about, uncertain. "Please, just... leave. Just leave, right now, that's good." They eventually left. When the door was closed behind them, I took a deep breath for effect, then let it out again. I then looked at the wall. Setting the Orb of Vision down on the table gently, I walked over to it. I then punched the wall in fury.

"FUCK!"
With that, I immediately went into planning overdrive. I was not going to let this opportunity go to waste! I consulted the Orb again. Currently, the Elements of Harmony were having some family member from Manehatten over. I needed to delay Auric and his allies, and I also needed to find who hindered my plan. If I was a more suspicious man, which was hard, I would say that the only logical criminal could only be-

My eyes widened for a moment, before I groaned. "Umbra Shadow-walker."
He was the only one who could have done it. The only being with enough power to disintegrate Tirek so utterly, and consign him to the Void. The only one who could dodge my assumptions by acting like an idiot. I'd underestimated him for not having understanding; not a mistake I would make again. Having Understanding was an advantage, not an automatic win card.

I growled, consulting the piece I'd made of him. I'd at first considered him a sycophantic moron, but now I saw the little viper as lower than Starscream. I started to crush it in my hands as I considered my options. I was going to kill that little viper-

It was at this point that a stray line of pure black code floated past my vision. I quickly grabbed it, studied it. It seemed to be made of shadows, and was connected to... oh. Oh, this was too rich. My eyes turned a sickly-green with pleasure as I chuckled. Let's show him how some one with understanding programs a universe. No mistakes, nothing left to chance, and NO stray lines of code just floating around for any shadow manipulator to catch onto.

I pulled it out and scanned it. Then, chuckling, I started to program my own additions while my mind calculated a new, improved plan. This one would have fewer risks and a larger window of time. Truthfully, I was curious as to why I hadn't just done this in the first place. It would be so much easier to create my own magic-absorbing monster, rather than wait for Tirek to eventually make his move.

I casually worked around the blocks and firewalls he'd already installed, to check who the main Admin of this universe was. He'd made it himself and Lady Fausticorn. Well, that wasn't good. Chuckling, I locked them down to being users, then made myself Admin. I then added in a line of code that would deal with Admins who would die here. He was an Admin in power, he would likely not die easily- except, that is, if his soul was regarded as a viral entity.

Any exiting consciousnesses trying to get to the Void would be regarded by the Universe as dangerous glitches in the Universal code, and would be contained and reformatted- in other words, reincarnation. Just to make sure that he couldn't pull any nasty tricks out, I added in a clause that disabled Subspace, Ether, other dimensional artifacts... although I also added in clauses that would recognise my soul as allowed through my little 'reincarnation' clause. I refused to be hoisted by my own petard like that.

Then, I identified the original styles of programming, and if I'd been human I would have grinned. I grabbed the shadow code, and programmed in several additions- neither Fausticorn or Umbra could change any of this programming without my express permission- and thanks to Umbra actually doing what I'd wanted of him, I would never need to allow any other changes.

Finally, I added in that Umbra needed to request my permission by simply, metaphorically, licking my feet and begging for entrance. To ensure he didn't hack his way through, I added several powerful firewalls and made a complicated password that was specifically designed to be incomprehensible to a fifth-dimensional entity. Failing to enter the password would result in the offending consciousness being deleted.

I then examined my Kanohi Vahi suspiciously. Careful examination revealed his little shadow programming in there. I growled at that, and added in additional codes that would ensure that his goods would be automatically stripped of this self-destruct function. I then literally tore this piece of shadow programming out of the mask, leaving it fully useable.

I smirked. "You little viper. You are definitely a huge problem to me. However, I can work with what you've left me."

With that, I walked out, going to the lab. Once there, I tapped at a portion of my left arm, revealing a compartment. Trypophobia didn't bother me at all- in fact, I would make sure to appear as if I was a giant piece of cheese to freak my foes out. I selected what I'd had to use to gain my samples- a prison glass with a rock stoppering it. Still, the reddish fluid within hadn't leaked out at all. I closed the compartment and poured the DNA out. While in Tartarus, I'd been in fights with Tirek pretty much all the time- certainly enough to get enough biomatter for what I was planning to do.

I was going to recreate Tirek, but as a fully loyal minion with greater efficiency then he'd had before. That's the kind of idea you have when you have other versions of yourself giving friendly advice. And it was friendly advice- if you can't trust yourself, after all, you can't trust anyone. Though I was re-evaluating my trust of Umbra Shadow-walker significantly after he'd wiped Tirek out of existence like some crude boor. Honestly, some people have no manners.

Meditation and a lot of boredom had shown me the 'melting pot' point where every single different version of me existed. Including, ugh, several variants where I was heroic. I had nothing against heroes, but I don't think that I would be a very good one. Maybe my other versions had better ways of relating to those beneath me. It had helped out a decent bit with my abilities, but where it had really helped was in my planning. After all, I could visualise just about every likely outcome, and plan accordingly.

Still, I couldn't predict everything with absolute certainty. So for those, I had several contingencies in place. Those were mainly in the form of D.N.A samples from various creatures I'd fought in the past, all lovingly preserved in case they were ever needed. This wasn't all of my Tirek blood either- I had 'vials' all over my body.

I called for Dracula, and he came. "What is that you want, sir-"

I shook my head. "Dracula, how many times must I say this: please don't call me sir. Call me Teridax, or Makuta, instead."

Dracula nodded. "Indeed, si- Teridax," he modified hastily when I gave him a knowing look. He then turned to the small petri dish filled with demonic blood. "What is this, exactly?"

I looked him straight in the eye. "Pilfered blood from Tirek. I plan to make a new Tirek, but more efficient."

Dracula realised what I was asking. "And you want a sample of my DNA to help out." It wasn't a question.

I turned around, analysing the dish for any signs of curdling. None, of course; demonic bodily fluids were resilient as all hell. "This is not something I would force you to do. It is your decision. I'll regenerate the part of the body I'll remove, and you won't feel a thing. Besides, I can make it more efficient without your bodily tissue, but it will be more difficult."

Dracula shook his head. "It'll be no problem." He opened his armour, and I carefully extracted him. I pulled out a scalpel, and gently made him sleep. I then applied some local anaesthetic and petted him on the head, gently. I didn't like leaving one of my children in such a vulnerable state, but it had to be done. This done, I carefully took a small portion of his side off, adding it to the demonic blood. I then resealed the wound and woke him up. He was replaced within his armour.

My eyes turned green again. "There, see- not even any scarring."

Dracula nodded. "I'm pleased to have helped you, si- father."

I nodded. "Thank you, Dracula. I mean it." I hugged him stiffly, then patted him on the back. "Well, keep within the vicinity; I might need some help later."
He nodded, backing off a bit.

I carefully analysed these two different DNA samples, then got to work. I pulled out another vial of viral fluid- bright pink in colour, its purpose was to help break down and recombine DNA in such a way that a new creature would be created. I added the virus, and in a few minutes the biomatter was combining and bubbling away. I then moved it to an area I deemed the 'Life Table' and doused it with a bright green virus meant to facilitate growth. I then pulled on both my Mask of Mutation and my Vahi.

I made a couple of changes to it, in order to make it look like the spitting image of Tirek. Now all I had to do was wait; but did I have to? Instead, I activated the Vahi, focusing on it and willing time to go faster for that lump of biomatter. It accelerated through its stages of growth, supplied with a bit of shadow magic from me.

When it was done, I had a Tirek lookalike standing in front of me. I approached him. "How do you feel, Tirek the Second?"

Tirek the Second looked up at me with slavering jaws. "Hungry for magic."

I would have been smiling. "Your mission is to acquire as much magic as you can. Use all of your skill to ensure that you absorb as much magic as you can."

Tirek the Second lunged for me, but my Stasis Field automatically activated, trapping him. I shook a finger. "Tsk tsk tsk. Manners. There's a world out there for you to absorb power from." I threw him a cloak, and moved away form him. He then collapsed on the floor, and wrapped himself with the cloak. I turned to him. "Drain that instead."

That done, I decided to get back to my wedding gift for Auric and his wife. I teleported to my workshop and looked at it.
A two-tonne block of finest protodermis, ready to drop. No message, nothing creepy like that; I was going to make a marble statue of Auric in human form riding his lover, as another wedding gift later on. I would drop it within Canterlot; no way to hide it. The greatest magical and scientific minds of his world would clamour to study an alien element. And Auric would be sufficiently distracted by it that he wouldn't pursue me so readily.

Author's Note:

Teridax is more than a little annoyed with the fact that Tirek was killed, but he's found a way to work around that.

In the next chapter, Lightning Dust will be no more.

Comments

[Imperium Bedlam]

So that's what you meant.
Alrighty then.

[Imperium Bedlam]

4654974
Forgot to mention.

With that, his chamoflage extended to his very aura- he could be disguised as any creature, and not even I could detect him when he was like that.

There's no 'h' in camouflage.
Good chapter and good day to you sir.

[Ssendam the Masked]

4654971
Yes, yes we did.

I'm not sorry, and neither is Teridax. I'd like to see Umbra's reaction when he tries to get in and is given an 'ACCESS DENIED.'

[Felixdragoon]

Tirek is more than a little annoyed with the fact that Tirek was killed

Shit, I'll bet he is.

[Ssendam the Masked]

4655053
Wait, did I seriously write that?
Damn, I'm slipping.
Okay, it's fixed.

[Felixdragoon]

4655056 Happens to people who think forward. Don't worry, this fantastic story more than makes up for it.

[Bysen]

Is this a bionicles cross over?

[Ssendam the Masked]

4655070
yes. yes it is.

[TSLsmokey]

Y'know... Something tells me Teridax and Hades(KI:U incarnation) would get along quite well. Both are pretty evil and come up with very ingenious ways to win... and they both love to mess with their opponents in varying ways.

[Dubious]

4654971 4655003 But why continue a contest my character wins simply by being? Serious, fuck your logic, they have their own. Shameless plug.

[ninjaguy77]

Wait. What is lightning dust again? And what did he do for teridax to decide to kill him?

[Nova_Blast]

I looked Chameleon in the eye. "I want you to leave my strategy chamber. All of you, just go." My Rahkshi generals milled about, uncertain. "Please, just... leave. Just leave, right now, that's good." They eventually left. When the door was closed behind them, I took a deep breath for effect, then let it out again. I then looked at the wall. Setting the Orb of Vision down on the table gently, I walked over to it. I then punched the wall in fury.
"FUCK!"

am I the only one that thought of this scene from downfall
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7PmzdINGZk

[Hekate Sketch]

4655053

It seems Tirek has been taking lessons from Trixie.

[SwimmingDalek98]

… I'm gonna enjoy this.

[ThatClosetBrony]

So how does Teridax know how to program a universe again?

That's the kind of idea you have when you have other versions of yourself giving friendly advice. And it was friendly advice- if you can't trust yourself, after all, you can't trust anyone.

I most certainly wouldn't.

In the next chapter, Lightning Dust will be no more.

YES. DEATH. ME GUSTA. Too much happy fun times on this website.

[Grankuwaga]

So can he only edit his universe or he the same as Umbra now?

[Epic Brony 4 Life]

No message, nothing creepy like that; I was going to make a marble statue of Auric in human form riding his lover, as another wedding gift later on.

Bravo, good sir!
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