> This Can Only End Well > by Remran > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Prologue > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- This Can Only End Well -Prologue- Well then. It really didn’t go as expected. But I suppose when you go through an inter-dimensional portal that says ‘Screw you’ to all the laws of the universe, you’re not really allowed to expect anything. Let me start from the beginning Saturday mornings can be fun, especially if you're up at 3 a.m playing games. I had just gotten up to make my 5th cup of tea that day/morning (god, your sense of time can really get skewed if you repeatedly stay up late), and while waiting for the kettle to boil, I decided to go for a walk around the garden. Putting on my coat, I quietly slipped out the back door and oh-so-tentatively closed it. I was always paranoid about my parents being woken up by the slightest noise, something of a logical fallacy when you think about the fact that I usually play games with the volume quite high. My house is quite big, and much bigger than our old one. Seriously, you could fit four of them into our current house and one in the garage (I still can't get over the fact that it's a two-story garage. I mean, WHY?) And yet the garden is a whole lot bigger, probably the biggest in the estate. Why? Because all the other houses in the estate are stupidly bigger than ours. God, I never really thought about how well off we are. Okay, that was a bit of a tangent. Let's get back on track, shall we? I was walking through the garden, and I honestly thought I saw a heatwave. "Nah" I said to myself, " Sure, the weather during the day has been pretty good for the past fortnight, but it's still freezing at night. Aw, I'll probably need to get a new glasses prescription soon." Yeah, i'm shortsighted, but I honestly love wearing glasses. I don't really know why. Damn, I just LOVE going off on tangents. I do that a lot around my friends. Bluh, back to the story. So, after hoping that what I saw was just a trick of the mind, I went back inside and poured my tea. Heading back to the games room, I looked outside the window and saw that very same heatwave. Now I was really curious. There was no way in hell that was just in my head, so I headed outside again, still wearing my coat (god I love that coat it looks so badass) I walked towards the heatwave. "Yup, actually there" I said to myself. I reached out into the wave and was only slightly surprised to find that it was warm. Then I thought about all the ways doing this could go horribly wrong and quickly jerked my hand out again. Thankfully, nothing bad had happened in the brief time my hand was in the wave. Then the whining started. It was high pitched, and I was really surprised that none of the dogs in the area had started barking. It was the kind of grating high pitched noise that you would hear in one of those 'only people under a certain age can hear this' tests. I backed away from the wave, holding a hand to my forehead to try and soothe the headache that was starting to form. Then the whining stopped. Relieved, I turned and started heading back to the house, wondering what in the hell was going on. Then I felt a force at my back, and I was knocked flat onto my stomach. I scrambled round to look at the wave, only it wasn't there any more. In front of me stood a shimmering silver vortex, seemingly distorting the very fabric of reality just by existing. At this moment in time my head was full of so many fucks. I could only stare at the thing, completely dumbfounded, as my brain tried to rid itself of all logic just so I could try to comprehend what was in front of me. I knew there was no way in hell it should exist, and yet there it was. I could imagine that if it had a face, it would be a troll, saying 'u mad?' to the universe in general. While trying not to burst out laughing at the image I had put into my own head, I shakily stood up, steadying myself. And then I heard the 'WEEEEEEEEEeeeeee!' and was promptly knocked flat on my ass as something solid and very, very fast collided with me. Thank god the grass was soft. After the stars had finally cleared from my vision, I looked around to see what had hit me. There, floating at eye level and looking down at me, was a sphere about fifteen centimeters across and high, a polished silver colour with a blue circle, which I could only assume was an 'eye' of some sort pointed directly at me. Remember all those fucks my brain was full of? What I was going through now was like trying to understand FLCL while on acid. Then it spoke. "Hi! Whats your name?" it chirruped, in a light, trilling tone. I spoke the only thing that would come to anybodies mind in this situtation. "What." So a few... interesting things had happened to me in the past couple of minutes that my mind had to put together. I thought I hallucinated a heatwave. At 3 a.m. The heatwave was real. And was also apparently actually a vortex. That knocked me onto my face with a shockwave when it formed. And then out flew a silver ball that was asking me my name. After, of course, knocking me onto my ass. "What's your name?" Eeyup, the ball was speaking to me. "Um" I tried to form my words, " M-My name is-" Then my brain remembered what was happening, and wanted to know what was going on. "Wait, why?! You just knocked me on my ass and now you're demanding to know who I am!?" I barked, a bit louder than I usually spoke. It actually seemed to flinch, and lost some of it's shine with its blue 'eye' shrinking and looking slightly downward. I had actually managed to upset it. Probably the first contact with an alien species in the history of humanity, and I, a sixteen year-old boy, had just upset it? I actually felt bad for the thing, since I don't like upsetting others. That's not to say it was a regular occurance, as I usually only fully expressed myself around my friends, but whenever I make someone feel bad, I feel bad. I sighed. "Sorry for snapping at you. I've just had a confusing past couple of minutes, and I kind of want to know what's going on. For the record, my names Zidane." That seemed to cheer it up, if just a bit, and it regained some of its shine. It was quite endearing, actually. "Hi Zidane! That's a cool name!" I stared at it for about a minute, confused. No-one had ever said my name was fun before. No-one had ever said my name was anything before. If anything, I was glad that it wasn't incredibly generic( No offence to anybody with a common name). Then I realized. "Wait a minute. You haven't told me your name yet, and I don't like the idea of calling you 'ball' or 'sphere' all the time." Then it lost some shine again. Aw damn, I don't want that to happen anymore. For an otherwise featureless silver ball, it has real skill at tugging at your heartstrings. Or maybe I'm just overly sensitive. "I, um, I d-don't really h-have a name..." it whispered, barely audible. Okay, that was just heartbreaking. I knew I had to do something about it. "Right. Come closer then, let me get a good look at you." By this point I had stood up once again, and the ball was on eye level. It hesitantly floated a bit closer to me and I cupped my hands. It settled comfortably in the small groove and kept its bright blue eye on me, probably still wary of me. I would be too. It was actually quite warm to the touch, despite its metallic look. Being closer to it, I could see strange carvings on its 'skin', lightly etched in. They glowed with a subtle white light, which would explain why I couldn't see them before. They blended in almost perfectly. "Hmm.." I mused, "I think I'll call you... Glyph! How about that?" I could swear its eye sparkled with joy, and it jumped out of my hands and rubbed against my cheek. I had been so caught up in all this excitement that I hadn't realized how cold I was, even with my coat. The sudden change in temperature swiftly reminded me. "Glyph! Glyph! I love it!" he trilled, and started doing a routine in the air, his eye curved into a smile of some sort. Damn, it being so happy brought a massive smile to my face. There need to be more things like this, I thought. Then I remembered what brought me out here. The Vortex. "Uh, hey, Glyph. Sorry to interrupt but, uh, do you know anything about this?" I pointed towards the Vortex. "Oh! That! Yeah, that led me here. I was just floating along, and suddenly BAM, this thing appeared in front of me. I was so curious, I had to go through" "So you just found it?" "Yup!" Glyph chirped happily. "Well, where do you come from?" I queried. He looked crestfallen again. "I... I don't know." "Do you think it could lead back to your home?" "It might!" "'Might'?" "Weeellll, with all the variables of the dimension fracturing power an entity such as this contains, there is always the chance it could lead to some horrible cross-dimensional void where we are stuck for all eternity in a never-ending unlife, only being able to wish for a slow death that would never come." I stared at him, a look of complete surprise on my face. With the way he had been acting before, like a cheerful child, it was rather unnerving to hear him speak like that. And all in the same, happy tone. "Um. Okay then. Well. If we wanna get you back home, that's a risk we're gonna have to take. isn't it?" "Yup!" Damn, that happiness and carefree attitude was contagious "Okay. Wait here for a minute Glyph, I have to go collect some things." I rushed back into the house and quickly grabbed my phone and a couple of other essentials, before running even quicker back out. "All right then Glyph, let's do this" Glyph's only response was a high pitched squeal. And so we stepped/floated, a boy and his hovering metallic childlike ball, into the unknown. A/N: Well, this was a redo of the prologue and GOD did I change so many things. I firmly believe this came out a damn sight better than the original, and hopefully I've left you wanting more. I even got rid of the ominous voice, but it might make a return, who knows. Don't you worry, things will be explained, I can promise you that. And yeah, the 'Zidane' and 'Glyph' are shout outs. Try to guess what from! > Chapter One > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- This Can Only End Well -Chapter One- Stepping through the Vortex was an odd experience. Think of amusement park rides that, after swinging you up really high quickly bring you back down, making your stomach feel really weird. After the queasiness finally left, I opened my eyes (I didn't even know I had closed them) and took a look around. The sight took my breath away. To put it bluntly, we were in a moonlit clearing ( Which I will henceforth refer to as 'The Glade'). To actually describe it, we were at the edge of a forest clearing, the trees towering into the sky, yet leaving a big enough gap to let the full, giant moon glow brightly down, illuminating everything not shadowed by the trees, which was quite a lot. The night sky was filled with thousands of shining stars, and I'm sure there were some constellations, but I don't know enough about the formation of them to be completely sure. I reached down and brushed my hand through the grass, which reached up to my ankles. It was incredibly soft and ,while wet with dew, surprisingly warm. There were violets scattered randomly throughout in large groups. The most striking thing about The Glade however, was a pool, completely still, that twinkled under the shine of the moon. I got up and walked over to it, and it wasn't until I was right at the edge that I noticed that it wasn't the reflection of the moon or the stars that made it twinkle. The pool was apparently made of stardust. It was simply beautiful. "Hey, Glyph. Is this where you come from?" I instantly doubted it. I found it very unlikely that anything as simple- well, okay, Glyph isn't simple in any way, but I mean simple looking- came from anywhere as incredible as this. "No, this is not my home. Where I come from, there is hardly any vegetation." He sounded distraught, but I could tell that he was as enthralled by this place as I was. I sat down next to the star pool as Glyph floated over to me. "This place is simply incredible. I'm pretty sure we're not on Earth any more. What do you think of this place, Glyph?" "It's so pretty. Right now, I don't care if we never find my home. I'd be happy just to stay here forever." That was a sentiment I could agree with, though I'd probably get bored after a while. I felt completely at peace, something I don't think I've ever felt. "WHO ART THOU THAT DARE TRESPASS UPON OUR PRIVATE SANCTUM" I jumped instantly to my feet, in complete shock as I tried to register what I was hearing, and the implications it brought. 'Okay, saying this is impossible isn't valid anymore. I just stepped through a Vortex with a floating metal ball that speaks. But if that voice is coming from who I think it's coming from, then I honestly have no idea what is going to happen next. I turned to look behind me. Striding at a steady pace towards us was a dark indigo mare, tall enough that the top of my head only reached the base of hers, her wings outstretched and eyes full of anger, horn shimmering, a spell being readied. And Princess Luna, Ruler of the Night and Co-Ruler of Equestria, bore down on me with fury and confusion in her eyes. As fast as I could, I got down on one knee and knelt before her, grabbing hold of Glyph and bringing him down to ground level. If we were lucky, we might get out of this un-banished. Luna looked puzzled by my actions, probably now realizing that I wasn't a pony. Thankfully, it seemed that her confusion overrode her anger, and she was left staring incredulously at us. There was a long and awkward pause before she spoke again, this time without the Royal Canterlot Voice. Good. I don't think my ears could have taken the volume at such close quarters."What manner of beasts are you?" I winced slightly at the bluntness of the question, but shook it off before standing up, Glyph returning to his original floating height. It took me a while to answer.Mainly because I was still overwhelmed by the fact that I was looking at Princess Luna and because I was trying to stop myself from hugging her. While I was regaining my composure, she looked at me, slightly annoyed. "Well, can't you speak?" Composure: Regained. " Yes, I can speak. Both of us can. And since you want to know, I am a human, and Glyph here" I thumbed at the floating ball "is... well... he's a..." It was at this moment in time that I realized I didn't actually know what Glyph was, exactly. "Um, Glyph? What ARE you?" He stared at me for a moment, blue eye wavering a bit, before finally he spoke." I... I don't know what I am. All I know is exploring ruins and then finding the Vortex which led me to you." The poor guy looked so sad. I would've given him a hug if it weren't for the fact that Luna was looking at us, completely dumbfounded. "A... human? And a silver ball that doesn't even know itself what it is?" She mulled this over in her mind for a couple of moments, before addressing me again. "You, human-". I cut her off," I do have a name. Kinda rude that you didn't think to ask, Princess Luna." She looked shocked. But, I suppose that if you were an immortal, all powerful being that knew of every creature in your world and suddenly found two completely knew ones, one of which knew who you were and had actually cut you off, you would be too. Then it dawned on me that this couldn't end well. Oh crap how am I gonna explain this think dammit think oh god why did I have to be so smug. While frantically thinking, it occurred to me that Glyph was probably just as clueless as Luna was. I figured I would explain it to him later. "You know who I am and yet I know nothing about you nor your floating friend." Her voice was completely still. I had a hard time figuring out whether she was angry, surprised, confused or even scared. "You must also know that my sister and I have complete knowledge of every species in Equestria.You know that we are two of the most powerful beings in the land." Luna had gotten quite close to my face, and I could hear anger growing in her voice, yet she still displayed no emotion. I have to admit, Luna is pretty ballsy. She probably thought that I was more powerful than her (HA!), yet she showed no signs of fear or worry. "I ask of you this: How.How do you know who we are?" Ah, crap. Time for the biggest bold-faced lie I have ever told. I motioned for Glyph to be quiet while I spoke. "How do I know all that, you ask? You know how you use magic? Well, where I come from, magic doesn't exist. Unless, of course, you believe that magic is just sufficiently applied science. You see, the top scientists of my people have managed to create a device that allows us to see into other dimensions." Okay, technically a TV is basically that, but from what I can tell, only FiM is an actual universe. "However, we have not yet been able to travel to other dimensions - and don't ask me how the dimensional viewer works, only the people actually working on it know that." Luna had a look of pure shock on her face during my 'explanation', but at the mention of us not being able to travel through dimensions, she looked confused."If you cannot travel from your own world, then how did you get here?" "Oh, Glyph and I just used the Vortex over there." I motioned in the general area of the Vortex. "It somehow brought us here. I don't think we'll ever find out how it works." Her eyes widened upon seeing the Vortex. What she said next, however, had me worried. "You came through that? Don't you think it's a little... big? For just the two of you?" I turned towards the Vortex."What are you talking about? Surely it's not that... big..." Okay, so I didn't mention it before, but when we stepped through the Vortex, it was around the size of a normal door. Now? It was about as big as a house. "Uh, Glyph? Was the Vortex that big when you went through? 'Cause I sure as hell don't think it was when we went through to here." "No," Glyph replied, "The Vortex I took was about the same size as the one we used. And I don't want to alarm anyone, but, uh, I think something is coming through." "Anything coming out of that is gonna be MASSIVE. And I doubt it's gonna be the friendliest of creatures. We have to get to the trees, now." I started running, Glyph flying after me. Luna wasn't budging. "DAMMIT LUNA, MOVE!" "I have faced plenty of creatures, many hundreds of times my size. My sister and I sealed away the very anthropomorphic personification of Chaos. I doubt anything coming through that gate would prove much of a threat." She sounded very sure, and she probably could take most anything that appeared. But I wasn't going to take that risk. "Luna, we've seen a lot of things in other worlds." She was now focused on me. "We've seen many like our own. Many where there is hardly any conflict or strife. But we've also seen some of the most terrifying beasts imaginable. Some can drive men insane even if they are just glimpsed. Some have destroyed countless races over billions of years in a vicious cycle. There are many that could destroy, or corrupt, or conquer this world in a single day. I don't know if you have ever seen inside the gates of Tartarus, but any demon or fiend in there pales in comparison to any of the eldritch abominations that we have seen. So please Luna, GET TO COVER!" She didn't need any more encouragement, and she looked terrified. I promised myself I would make up for this. Right now we had bigger things to worry about. From behind the cover of trees, we could see the Vortex pulse. Whether or not it did that when Glyph and I came through, I have no idea. But I'm pretty sure it didn't send shockwaves through the forest. I glanced over at Luna. She was actually melding with the shadows, the only things visible her eyes. Through the Vortex pushed a head. A scaly, reptilian head about the size of a double-decker bus, three amber eyes, the size of dinner plates on each side. Fangs as long as a grown mans leg and as sharp looking as a razor lined an eerily grinning mouth. Four horns, as thick as tree trunks, two on the top of the head, two curving down along the side, all ending in wicked points. The mouth opened, and roared in a voice that shook me to the very core "I.AM.BELIAMUT. > Chapter Two > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- This Can Only End Well Chapter Two So, we've seen dragons in the show before. Yeah, they're massive. They probably would be scary in reality. But compared to this guy, they are goddamn PUPPIES. He gives fuckin' Alduin a run for his money as one of the most badass and terrifying dragons-if that's what BELIAMUT, as he calls himself even is- in the history of everything. And I hadn't even seen the rest of him. I looked at Glyph. Little guy was terrified, if his shrunken eye was any indication. I couldn't see her clearly enough to be sure, but Luna probably was as well. Me? I've seen some scary shit, nightmares usually being the worst (What your own mind can do to you). But nothing, NOTHING, could have prepared me for the sheer horror that was running through me at that very moment. You know the way we have an instinctual 'fight-or-flight' built into us? My body was in complete 'run the FUCK away from there right goddamn now' mode. But I couldn't. I was frozen in place. Then Luna uncloaked herself from the shadows and stepped back into the clearing. "HEAR US, BEAST FROM ANOTHER DIMENSION." Oh great, she was using the Royal Canterlot Voice. The head turned towards her, eyes filled with curiosity. Luna wavered slightly, the full force of its gaze upon her, before glaring back up at the monster. "WE ARE PRINCESS LUNA, GODDESS-PRINCESS OF THE NIGHT AND EQUESTRIA." I could only stare at her, completely stunned by what she was doing. Which was probably suicide. "Princess Luna? Leader of this world, I presume." I'm pretty sure that my ears were about to explode thanks to the combined loudness of Luna's RCV and the beasts incredibly loud voice. "We rule this land with our Elder Sister Celestia, Princess-Goddess of the Day." "Both Princesses. Both Goddesses. Immortal, would I be correct?" "You are. We are two of the most powerful beings in the land. We also like a modicum of respect, as we are sure you do, and request a formal introduction, rather than our eardrums being blasted out." I couldn't help but groan, at both Luna's hypocrisy and her bravado. Strangely though, the beast was, well, courteous. "Of course. I apologize. My name is Beliamut, God-Emperor of the Void Dragons." Luna turned to look at the tree Glyph and I were hiding behind."Well, human, have your people seen him in this... dimensional viewer of yours?" Dammit Luna, WHY did you have to draw his attention to us? "There is another here?" Oh, crap. I reluctantly stepped out from behind the tree, Glyph using me as cover. "Yes, and for gods sake Luna, I've already told you, my name is Zidane." I stood next to Luna and looked up at Beliamut, trying to hide the fear in my voice and body. "You do not look of the same species." Up close, his voice was powerful enough to blow my hair back. "We're not. We come from a completely different universe, or world, or dimension I'm not really sure. In fact, we came here through the same Vortex you are sticking out of right now." "Not of this world? How interesting. Tell me... Zidane, you only gave your name, no title like the Princess, and neither you nor that floating ball look as impressive as her. Would I be correct in assuming that you are of lower standing in your world?" Well, that was quite a rude question, but I was too scared to do anything about it. "Well, depending on how my government classes an underage common citizen, then I suppose you are." I figured that being as polite as possible to Beliamut was a smart move. Didn't exactly wanna piss him off. "How interesting. I am curious as to the little floating ball trying to hide behind you. What is it?" Glyph floated out from behind me, his single eye staring up at the Dragon-God. "As I have explained to Zidane and the Princess, I do not know what I am. In fact, Zidane gave me my name." "More and more curious. I must admit, it is nice to finally talk to other beings. I rarely get such conversation out of my own people." Okay, so maybe he wasn't as bad as I thought he would be. Hell, he was downright pleasant. I mean, if you can get over the whole 'Dragon-God-Emperor from another dimensional plane' thing. "I don't mean to offend, but I honestly thought this would turn out a lot worse. God only knows what could have come through that portal." "Yes, this has definitely been a most enlightening experience." Luna said, "It strengthens my opinion that not all frightening beings are overtly malevolent." She looked downcast while saying this. "I just wish it didn't take so long for my friends to realize that." Damn it Luna, why you so woobie? I really wanted to give her a hug. I didn't though, kinda would've ruined the moment. "Oh yes, I know for a fact that I am quite terrifying. But ask yourself this: Do you not think that to earn the title of God-Emperor of the Void Dragons, I would have to be antagonistic?" I did not like where this was going. Beliamut turned his head to me."Human, I know you recognize my name. I have seen your world. I took it from your mythology. Think." Then it hit me. Beliamut. Be. Lia. Mut. Behemoth. Leviathan. Bahamut. "Oh, shit." "Now you understand. I took my name after three of the most destructive beings in your mythology." He roared as he said the next words. "I AM BELIAMUT. GOD-EMPEROR OF THE VOID DRAGONS. ALL THAT I SEE, I. SHALL. CONQUER." Through the Vortex came two massive forelegs, each rippling with giant muscles, ending with four razor-sharp talons. And within an instant, Luna was wreathed in the white-hot flames blasting from his mouth. "LUNA!" I screamed. No. That can't be possible. SHE CAN'T BE DEAD. I couldn't move. I was frozen with shock and horror, hardly able to process what I had just seen. Beliamut turned towards me, and as I stared into his mouth I saw the glow of embers growing in his gullet. I probably would have been disintegrated if Glyph hadn't shoved into me, propelling us both towards the trees. We took cover a split-second before the flames roared past, incinerating dozens of trees in the direction we were running. "FUCKING HELL. WE'RE NOT GONNA LAST A MINUTE!" I decided to risk looking out from behind the tree. Beliamut was staring, seemingly confused, at the spot where he had blasted Luna. I was wondering what he was looking at, before I saw it: There was no corpse (thank god). Instead, in the clearing smoke I saw a purple fog of some sort. Of course! She can take Nightmare Moons form at will, who's to say she didn't retain any of her powers? Beliamut roared at the fog, trying to make it dissipate, but it simply split and reformed, floating above his head, before Princess Luna reappeared on top of it, her horn glowing and eyes burning with rage. "FOOLISH BEAST. DID YOU HONESTLY BELIEVE YOU COULD DISPATCH US THAT EASILY?!" A storm cloud formed above Beliamut, and Luna called down two bolts of lightning. They struck his head with a blinding flash, and when I could see again there were two charred areas, near his snout and his eyes. However, it did not look like they had burned through the thick armor plates. Beliamut shook his head, trying to force Luna off, but she simply flew up, before calling down another bolt. This time, it collided with the eyes on the right side of his head. I grimaced as I witnessed one of them burst while Beliamut roared in agony. Luna prepared to call down even more lightning bolts, but one of her wings was clipped as the dragon swung wildly. She went crashing to the ground, but was up in an instant, conjuring a protective barrier as flames washed over her. I turned to Glyph. "We have to help!" Glyph stared at me."Grab hold of me." I looked at him, confused."What? Why?" "Just do it." He was creeping me out, mainly because he sounded incredibly calm. I grabbed hold of him, and felt pain run through my mind, before seeing various images flash before my eyes. Different kinds of weapons. Swords, axes, warhammers, pistols, machine guns, shotguns, before finally settling on one. As my vision returned, I saw Glyph's 'skin' start to ripple, before he stretched out into a cylindrical shape. "Glyph! What the hell is going on?! What's happening to you?" "We. Are going. To help." The cylinder separated into six smaller ones, though they were still connected by rings surrounding them at the end. Where the cylinders began, a box started to form, with what looked like a stick emerging from it. Near the cylinders themselves a handle formed, this time going horizontal after starting vertical. On the stick a round button appeared, and finally on the box a familiar blue sphere appeared. "Uh, Glyph? Did you just do what I think you did? And if so, how in the hell did you do it?!" For lying on the ground directly in front of me was a goddamn minigun, proportioned so that I could carry it. "Instinct. I sensed danger, and a memory surfaced. A figure of some kind, telling me I could do this. And besides," The eye shone brightly. "You're in danger." I grinned, then picked up the minigun. I walked out into the clearing. Luna was still holding off against Beliamut, but I could tell that she was being worn down bit by bit, though the dragon himself didn't look to be in such a good shape either. A lot of his head plates had cracked and there were a lot of burn scars on his forearms. "Luna!" I yelled. Both of them turned towards me, and at the same time "You are still here?" I grinned at them. "Yeah, we're still here. Luna, I have a plan. I don't even know if it will work, but it involves magic and you're a goddamn Alicorn." "But first of all: Beliamut?" I set the barrel spinning. "DAKKA DAKKA DAKKA!" I held down the trigger and let lead fly, aiming for his arm. The bullets impacted, and although they didn't seem to penetrate his armor, it still stung enough for him to lift his arm away from the burst. "Luna! His other arm!" Bolts of lightning struck it, and he instinctively jerked it away. And without his forearms supporting him, his head crashed to the ground. He was dazed, but I could tell he would recover soon enough. Luna shouted at me, "What is your plan? And what is that device you are holding?" "I'll tell you later. Hopefully my plan is simple enough. Send him back through the portal, then close it. If that's even possible, I mean." "Very well. But how will we send him back? We are ants compared to him." "I'm not sure. Do you have some kind of magic that can push him through?" "I would think that a focused telekinetic blast would be enough, but I need a few moments to ready it." "Okay, but try to do it qui-" I was cut off as one of Beliamuts arms was forced back through the portal. "Huh, that didn't take you long at all." "Of course not. Now, how are going to close the portal?" "I'm not sure..." Then I remembered what I saw before I saw the actual portal. A heat wave of some kind. "It's a wild guess, but I think the portal is heat based. Do you have ice magic of any kind?" "I do," she forced the dragons other arm through the portal,"but this time I actually will need to ready it." "Fair enough. Now, we just need to send his head back." Beliamut lifted his head from the ground,"Human, Goddess, I will not be denied. I will rule this land. This I swear." "Luna, on the 'Dah', blast him." "Wait, wha-" "FUS RO DAH!" Luna managed to understand what I meant, and Beliamut was blasted back into his own dimension. "Now Luna! Close the portal!" Her horn flared, and I felt a sudden chill in the air. "Human, Goddess. You have attracted the attention of us, we who are infinitely your better. The time shall come for us to conquer this world. You will feel the wrath of the Void Dragons." "Luna, hurry it up." I was worried. I could feel the portal start to pulse again." He's trying to get back through!" "Hahaha, not at all. Simply, a ...parting gift." "Now what the hell does that mean?" Now I was puzzled. A 'parting gift'? It was incredibly cold now, and I could see my breath in the air. The portal started to waver, rippling slightly. It was then that I saw a smoky green orb emerge from the portal, quickly heading straight for Luna. She's focusing on the ice spell. I can't let that thing hit her, no matter what. Muttering an apology, I threw down the minigun/Glyph, who quickly reverted back to his original state, and ran to intercept the orb. It was still a few feet away, but I knew that by the time she had finished the ice spell, she wouldn't be able to react quickly enough. So I dived in front of it. It hit me in the chest. I stood up, feeling perfectly fine. "Huh. That went better than expected. I honestly thought something bad was going t- GAAAAAHHH!" I felt an intense pain rush through my entire body, like every cell was on fire. The pain was actually blinding me. I heard a faint *pop*, which was presumably the portal closing, and then two concerned voices, before I felt a rush of air. I blacked out.