> Casting a Shadow
>  by Ssendam the Masked
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> The first prisoner
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Long, long ago, in the time before time, the land of Equestria was born. Ponies grew and played, frolicked and capered, as was their wont. The other races allied with the ponies, or fought wars with them. Such was life in that turbulent time. But there were demons, foul creatures born from the shadows, that would always terrorise them. One of these shadows was known as 'Teridax.' A mysterious being of pale flesh, peculiar garments and a black mask that never left his head (and he referred to it as a Mask of Power, that granted him his foul abilities.) In that time before time, he sought to cover the world in his dark arts, to crush the lives of those ponies and other beings beneath his heel. 

But there were those who resisted. Those who fought his dark wishes.

The alicorn sisters, Celestia and Luna of the Sun and Moon respectively, did make Teridax the first prisoner of the new prison, Tartarus. And thus, the immortal guards referred to him as 'Prisoner 0,' so black were his deeds and his name that he was stricken from all but the highest records. Tartarus was a wretched hive of scum and evil, built to contain Teridax and Teridax alone. Others were thrown in, those too foul for the Elements to touch, and the prison quickly was filled. Discord, a former warden, abandoned his post when the insidious whispers of Teridax reached his ears, corrupting the blithe spirit of Discord and turning him into something both greater and lesser than his state.

And thus, Teridax has remained in his prison, waiting, scheming for his revenge. So potent are his black thoughts, and his machinations so subtle, that even after he was imprisoned he managed, through his own malicious words in a dream to corrupt King Sombra, turning him into the hateful tyrant of the Crystal Empire, and teaching the king a twisted and hateful style of magic. And not even his jailers were immune, for within fair Luna's heart, Teridax's words festered like the rot in an apple, eventually being unleashed on the world when his foul lies were proved by circumstance to be correct.

Some say that the black-hearted tyrant has died, alone and bitter, clutching to the black powers with which he sought to cover Equestria. But others say that his time is coming. That the release of Nightmare Moon was in itself a prelude to his own return... there are many theories. Whatever the case, Teridax is not the same being that he once was...


Tartarus


How did it come to this?

I flexed my long, clawed fingers. Once before, they had been made of pale flesh, skinny, taught, with chewed fingernails. Now, they were clawed, sharp and deadly. Over the years, my Kraahkan had whispered to me, telling me of the power I would achieve if I allowed myself to become Makuta, the race that rose so high and fell so deep. I had to in the past, when my gut started showing. So, I allowed it to happen. 

First, it was a couple of gears appearing underneath my skin. I didn't cry out. Besides, it hadn't hurt me at all, it was a remarkably painless process. Then, it was my skin hardening and blackening, forming a natural armour. Even then, I did not really care. I had not really wanted to lose too much, and I foolishly thought that I could reverse it should I need to. It was when I'd lost the last vestiges, when my internal organs dissolved into a fine mist, then did I care. But I couldn't reverse my transformation. I was a Makuta in form as well as power now.

Ah, Tartarus. Black walls of thick granite, with prison cells made of rusty yet exceedingly durable iron. Along the corridors, minotaurs patrolled, wielding huge weapons and sweating profusely, though the temperature of Tartarus would switch form boiling hot to freezing cold with exceeding regularity. Not. The heat of Tartarus is enough to cripple even the strongest of beings, except for those guards and my own self. Now that I was in this form, the extreme temperature of Tartarus didn't bother me. it hadn't really done so before, when I was a man, but in this new armoured shell my powers had grown and grown.

In the cell opposite mine, Tirek, also known as Prisoner 1, stared at me. "So tell me, Prisoner 0. What goes on in that mechanical head of yours?" 
I lifted my head, red eyes locking with his yellow ones and causing him to back up a step instinctively. "What goes on in my head is none of your business, Tirek. You would do well to remember this fact. Now leave me be."
He nodded, scurrying back and watching me from his own cell across form my own. I chuckled without humour and leant back in my cell.

Fear is such a lovely power to use in order to instil intimidation and respect in another. I remembered when Tirek had been thrown in here, the second highest priority prisoner besides me. He'd come up, sneering at my being 'a pathetic weakling.' I'd thrown him across the room and would have killed him had Cerberus not interfered. I growled slightly. Damned dog... immune to my fear powers and many more, no wonder why it had been made my main guardian. Since then, Tirek had maintained a wary respect for me and my powers. He'd tried to absorb them, only for the Kraahkan to retaliate on my behalf. 

Ah, my Kraahkan... my most valuable tool... my most useful ally in these dark and trying times. I chuckled mirthlessly. I had been as much a slave to it as it had to me. Key word being 'had.' The Kraahkan had submitted before my superior willpower, and it now lay dormant for my own subtle machinations and schemes to grow and coil around what I had already influenced. Only its powerful defence mechanism and my own power had allowed me to keep it, though the guards tried to take it off every now and then.

It was then that Cerberus, the huge brute, suddenly disappeared, barking and chasing who knows what. That caused me to blink. Normally, the damn dog was too focused to even think about leaving its post with only a couple of significantly weaker guards keeping us in line. Practically taking candy from a baby.
I locked eyes with Tirek and nodded. Tirek burned his way out, while I simply turned my finger into a fine wire and slipped it into the lock. I fitted the key's contours and opened the door that way. I stepped out, searching for my Staff of Shadows. 

That staff was very important to me. I'd had to craft it myself, out of protosteel. The twin blades and long handle had been far too big for me, but I'd wielded it with my magnetic powers. It had worked remarkably well. Now that I was a Makuta, the weapon would be more than sufficient for my purposes. I could actually hold it now. Now that I looked back, I realised that the Kraahkan had anticipated me desiring to transform into a Makuta and deliberately told me that this was the only size my spear could come in. I growled at that. My mask would need some more discipline in the future.

A Minotaur guard saw me and tried to subdue me. I chuckled. I then lifted him into the air with barely any effort. Wearing armour and weapons made of ferrous metal around a being who possesses, amongst other powers, the power of Magnetism.
"Where is my Staff of Shadows, guard. Please tell me." Politeness is never too hard for anybody.
He glared at me and was about to shout. With a quick thought, I Silenced him.
The result was seeing him bellow, but no noise came from his mouth. I quickly looked him in the eye. "I asked a question. Where is my staff?"
I absently used my magnetic powers to pull everything metallic towards me. I noticed that I'd pulled a lot of guards here along with...
My trusty Staff of Shadows. Its twin blades gleamed dully at me, as if welcoming my return. I picked up my trusty weapon, and swung it in a wide arc, magnetically repelling the guards and blowing them back. I turned to Tirek then, who was watching me. He'd already drained several guards of their forge magic, though it apparently didn't sit well with him given his sickly expression.

"And this is where we depart, Tirek."
With that, I stalked forwards, intent on ignoring the insufferable centaur. The black halls of Tartarus had driven me both to boredom and new heights of creativity. He followed in my path for a bit, but a searing hot blast of Plasma discouraged him from taking the easy way out of Tartarus. 
"Why such hostility, Teridax? Weren't we friends, a long time ago?" 
I nodded at him, busy tearing gates that tried to shut on me open with my magnetic powers. "Yes, that is true; but is your confidence in your own abilities so low that you'll follow in my path? I thought that you weren't weak. Or have I been mishearing things for my sentence of four thousand years?"
With that, I threw several guards into his path and kept walking. It would benefit him greatly with that additional magic. Or it would incapacitate him. My plans relied on him acting as I knew he would act. 

This place stank of minotaur and Cerberus sweat. I was happy to leave it behind me.Guards tried to get near me, but with a thought they were thrown to the top of the corridor and pinned there by reversed gravity. The fall wouldn't kill them, exactly, but it was just humiliating for the guards who often boasted that they would die before allowing the inmates to escape. Still, it wouldn't do to have them trying to alert other guards with screams. With a wave of my hand, they fell into a deep sleep. After I was done with that final chore, I stalked onwards to freedom, my agitation manifesting in the slowly spreading aura of darkness that was emanating from me. I was Teridax, the Makuta. I had endured Tartarus' boredom and dull prison cells just for this. And I would be free from this place, this wretched prison built to hold me and those shadows that skulked in the night. They had never found my fortress, so that should be safe. 

Eventually, I found a gate. Without hesitation, I flung it open and walked out, analysing the ambient air around me. Feh. Nothing important. The light was a bit bright, which annoyed me on an instinctual level. My every instinct screamed at me to shut out this annoying light with some nice darkness, alleviate a bit of strain on my glowing red eyes. Yet I did nothing. Why? It was just after Tartarus' only successful breakout, and thus I was loath to do anything which might put me back in there. 

I looked around me, at the horizon, checking my position and triangulating with what I could remember. I would have to wait until night fell so that I could get a more accurate prediction. I spread out my senses, feeling for a high concentration of shadow or magnetic energy. When nothing came in this immediate location I snorted. I hadn't really expected any success with finding my old lair, but it had been worth a try. Celestia wouldn't have built any gate to Tartarus in any location that had such dark power flowing through it. After all, a Makuta... always... has a dark fortress.

I looked down at my hands. Was I even human now? I had to look at myself seriously. I had lived so much longer than any other human, beyond any natural lifespan and many empires. When I'd gotten here, through my own aggressiveness and the Kraahkan's manipulations I'd become an enemy of 'ponykind.' I still thought them weak, but at least I could admire their strength against adversity. Those who fled me deserved my loathing, but those ponies who stood up to me I... liked? Admired? No, it was respected. 

It was why I disliked the vast majority. The herd mentality of a race of sentient herbivores meant that they were generally terrified of me. Heck, even those who were brave enough to stand against me often had to do with powerful backup. Then again... I will admit, in my present state I was pretty terrifying even to the bravest of warriors- a ten-foot tall behemoth of dully shining steel in red, black and gunmetal grey. 

Had I a mouth, I would have grinned. I had no idea where I was, not until nightfall at the very least. All I had on me were my Kanohi Kraahkan, my Staff of Shadows and, of course, my myriad abilities and incredible intellect. This was going to be a good time to... spread some influence, in a subtle way of course. 


Canterlot

Celestia smiled serenely as she dealt with yet another noble trying to curry favour with her. This time, it was the esteemed Goldenhoof, trying to negotiate yet another tax evasion. This she would not allow. The life of a Diarch of Equestria was remarkably dull sometimes, yet there were little things, everywhere, which made it all worth the while. Such as ensuring that enemies of the realm were dealt with properly, creating a safer future for her little ponies and, of course, seeing her sister walking around again. 

Just then, a minotaur from Tartarus burst in. Celestia and the noble regarded him with shocked eyes. The noble, in particular, took great offence.
"What is the meaning of this?" 
The minotaur ignored him, instead focusing on Celestia directly. "Princess, Prisoners 0 and 1 have escaped." 
He bowed deeply. "As soon as Cerberus left the prison, the prisoners immediately broke out of their cells. It was only our gross negligence that allowed their escape. Please, forgive us." 
Celestia shook her head. "No apologies are necessary. Thank you for bringing this matter to my attention quickly." 
She turned to the noble. "Apologies, Goldenhoof but I must depart. Consider your tax evasion denied." 

With that, she teleported away, back into the chambers she shared with Luna. Her sister looked at her. "Dear sister, what is the matter?"
Celestia's expression was grim. "Prisoners 0 and 1 have escaped. I was just informed, before you complain." 
Luna nodded. "Any idea where the blaggards have fled to?"
Celestia shook her head. "Regretfully, the gates to Tartarus don't have a magical signature that can be traced. Though this has prevented many break-ins, this sole break-out means that they will have an easy time hiding from those who would bring them justice." 
Luna nodded, levitating a sword in her aura. "Then we shall be the one who will personally hunt down Teridax. For what he did to us."
Celestia nodded, face hard. "Teridax will not evade us for long, I am sure of it. He was always too arrogant to contemplate hiding." 


A plain, somewhere


I absently felt a slight prickling in the back of my metallic neck. A force of habit, perhaps? Well, regardless, I was hidden, in the most unlikely of places- a barn. A slight fall from grace, but one that was necessary- after all, I can't have the alicorns tracking me down and putting me back. Not after I've already served a sentence. Not a chance in, ironically, Tartarus. 

I turned back to the mysterious blue beast. "So it's a deal then?"
Ahuizotl grinned widely. "Of course, mister Makuta." That last bit was in a rather pained grunt, on account of me pinning him to the ground under his own weight. Gravity; too useful a tool for such a pawn. I'd stumbled across him talking about the 'Orb of Vision,' and after listening about its properties, I had to admit that my curiosity was piqued. A simple crystal ball, capable of seeing into other worlds... what kind of person would I be if I didn't snatch something like that up? I then incapacitated him, covered him with an illusion, and then dragged him to my current hiding place. His little cat army had tried to take me on, but given that I was made of impenetrable protosteel, it had only been a minor nuisance before I sent them to sleep.
"Understand that while I want this artifact, it doesn't matter overly whether you lose it or not. All that matters is that you tell me where important artifacts are already. In exchange, I will provide you with a suitable reward for your efforts. If it is stolen by somebody else, then tell me where the Orb is. I must have it. Again, do we have a deal?"
Ahuizotl sweated. I increased the pressure slightly, just enough to cause a large twinge of pain. "I said, are we clear?"
Ahuizotl grinned up at me with his tail barely lifting into a thumbs up position. "Agreed, Teridax." 
> A return to my lair
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Finally..."

It had taken me three days to find, but here I was. Only a simple, out of place door, covered in moss. With a mental command, the plantlife crawled off the seal, revealing the image of my mask. Here was the 'back door' to my secret lair, the one that I had often used. It was a bit small for my current form, but I was going to have to change my very being to a slightly smaller size anyway, just not right now. My black fortress of solitude and shadows, where I worked wonders and led an assault on the unsuspecting Equestria. Hopefully, I would still have each and every single one of my tools and minions. The alicorns couldn't have found my lair, otherwise this door wouldn't still be here. Besides my other agenda, I had an important announcement to make, if only for my own ego. 

But before I did that, it was time to rebuild my fortress, for my more... fitting stature. I focused on my powers, calling on Gravity and Magnetism. My fortress groaned and tore itself apart in its urges to meet my desires. I mentally re-secured iron beams and lumps of black granite in fitting positions. That done, I walked through my significantly enlarged door. I could have shrunken down, shapeshifted to reduce my height, but I really didn't want to change my shape further.

Time is, time was, time will be when I was small enough that a seven foot hallway would be enough for me. Now, only an eleven-foot hallway is enough to contain my magnificence. Maybe I am proud, and haughty, and aloof. Maybe I am all those things and more. Yet, so long as I had the power within me to do so, I was going to be as haughty and prideful as I would like. I deserved it; I'd lived longer than most empires had lasted, and I wasn't sure if I even qualified as 'human' anymore. 

I stalked in, seeing that everything was as I had left it. The huge, protosteel cover on my personal pool of a potentially rather dangerous substance. I hauled it off with my magnetic powers, and regarded the shimmering liquid. Protodermis, the basic building block of all of my tools. Forging had been one of my chief pleasures, and it would remain so for a long time. The Kraahkan had taught me a lot of forging techniques, and that had been how it had baited me along, promising a new design in exchange for my actions. Now that I had disciplined my mask, all its secrets were mine and mine alone.

Don't get me wrong; I still wanted a bit of revenge. But my schemes and manipulations weren't for me to retaliate for being imprisoned, oh no. They were about avoiding any more attention. You see, I do believe that I had served my sentence; four thousand years in an unpleasant prison cell, with other, unpleasant beings all around? No, I loathed Tartarus with a passion, and would do anything to avoid going back there. My machinations for the shadows had been necessary. As for manipulating that fool Ahuizotl... the less said about that, the better. A way of seeing into other worlds would be immensely helpful for me, even if I had to acquire the Orb with... less than legal methods. 

The Orb of Vision would help me find others. But first... I had a mask to craft. The Kraahkan had, over millenia of existence, absorbed quite a lot of knowledge about the crafting of Kanohi for Makuta. And I had a specific mask that I wanted to craft. A... backup, as it were. Of course, this project would take a fair amount of time, but a mask of this calibre was exactly what I wanted for my own. I hadn't the skill or knowledge before, but now, after the Kraahkan had acknowledged me as its master, and I had made utterly sure that it understood that position, I had access to all its secrets. With that, I headed through the newly rebuilt hallways, eventually finding my forge. 

Ah, my forge... all craftsmen have an innate understanding of their crafting area. Here was my anvil and my various hammers, there, my pool of raw liquid protodermis, along with a couple of chunks of its metallic form. And on a long rack of shelves, I had my selection of tools- the blast mask, the tongs, chisels, sand paper selection, welding torch, various bits and bobs... I will admit, were I capable of crying I would have been weeping profusely at the simple sight of my sanctum being unmolested. Thankfully, I'd made the ceiling in this place so much higher than the other places, even my personal sanctum. Another influence from the Kraahkan, perhaps? Or my own ego? Regardless, now was not the time to think about my mask, it was time to craft.

I'd struck upon protodermis so very long ago. It'd been bubbling out of the ground for quite some time. Fortunately, I'd managed to separate the energised stuff from the rather stranger artificially produced mineral. I'd dug deeper and deeper, determined to find the spring from which the protodermis sprung, and when I found it, I personally built a pool, so as not to risk any living thing that I didn't agree with falling in. The substance was insanely dangerous, and even I was not willing to test my luck. The pool was covered at all times by a protosteel cover that was exceedingly thick, I regarded it with such caution. 

Now, to work. I mentall called a large lump of metallic protodermis to me. It seemed to be large enough. After appraising it, I opened the furnace and shoved the large nugget in, unheeding of the flames. My Fire Resistance ability was such a useful passive skill to have. You'd be surprised just how many fire magicians tried to beat me in a one on one duel. I chuckled at that, then got back to work. One of the annoying things about forging a mask from protosteel was that you had to be totally focused on what you wanted to happen, and if you let up even for a second you'd get something totally worthless.

That said, the mask was coming along splendidly. I'd specifically stated that I wanted a nice, simple, Kanohi Olmak. Exceedingly difficult if you weren't a total master of the craft, but for somebody who was self-taught, the mask was almost complete and it seemed to have the required power. If it didn't then, well, I could always melt this one down for the metal. I focused, concentrating on this entirely not screwing up. Eventually, the mask cooled, and didn't crack. I carefully, reverently, took the mask and held it up so that the forge's light shone on it. 

"Beautiful craftsmanship, if I do say so myself." I turned it over and over in my hands. Such a simple artifact, this mask... and surprisingly easy to manufacture. All you had to do was know the disc combination and then input what you wanted through your own elemental energy. Countless experiments with the possible combinations had eventually resulted in the perfect combination: Teleportation, Reconstitute at random, Enlarge, Shrink and Regenerate. No wonder only Artahka had made the only two in existence for that universe; it had taken dozens of failed attempts in order to make this one, simple mask. 
"With this, then I could go back home..."

The longing for home hit me then like a tonne of bricks. I staggered, eventually leaning on a wall. I could do it. I could go home-
What home? I looked at my hands. Clawed, sharp, metallic. Not human hands. "I've lived too long..."
And with that, the depression kicked in and I slumped. All my energy and enthusiasm at finally getting my mask to work was gone. What home did I have? None. I'd lived for four thousand years; my friends, family, all dead; and even if I did manage to get back not long after I'd been taken by the Kraahkan, they would have never recognised me. I would have been forced to live on the run; not much different from here, I suppose. What made this annoying was that without the Kraahkan, I'd have never managed to go back home. And why had I lived too long? Because I'd wrecked my chances thanks to the Kraahkan's manipulations. I was a blind and arrogant fool, and only now have I discovered that I'm just an arrogant fool now. 

"I could still go back. The planet's still there, is it not?" That cheered me up, until I remembered. 
"...but even if it was, I wouldn't recognise it. I would be a stranger in his own home." I wallowed in my melancholy, eventually deciding to try and cope with the incredible loneliness that I felt. If I could talk, remind myself of what home was like, then I might feel slightly better about myself. I decided, after a pause, to start quoting Hamlet. 
"To be, or not to be, that is the question- whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune or to take arms against a sea of troubles, and by opposing..."

I lifted a small stone in my hand, contemplating it. I eventually decided on a course of action. "...end it." I crushed the pebble in my hand and looked back to my newly forged mask. For a bit of fun, I decided to speak in a fancy fashion to the mask. "Hello there, you rogue and charlatan. Do you bite your thumb at me? I wager that you do." Careful not to break it, I put it down and started pacing. 
"So, you say nothing in your defence, Olmak? No word at all? Hmm?"

It was then that I heard a muffled thud off in the distance. That caused me to raise a mental eyebrow. "Who dares to intrude on my sanctum?"
With a mental thought, I teleported, causing several looters a considerable amount of distress with my sudden appearance. I looked them over. rather thuggish looking ponies, with violence and thieving related Marks. One of them looked rather roguish, frozen while appraising one of my torches. Probably curious about the metal itself, not really in the value. 

This would not do. I mentally focused on the doors, and they slammed shut with a loud thud. The thugs tried to prise them open, but their combined weight and their newly magnetised nature meant that trying to pull it apart was completely and utterly futile. I advanced on them, slowly. Menacingly.

Thud.

A couple of thugs shakily started pulling out knives in a futile effort to defend themselves.

Thud.

A unicorn tried to teleport the group out, only to discover that my anti-teleporting array was still functioning. 

Thud.

The main rogue himself started whispering prayers in a futile hope to not get my rage up. 

Thud.

For a while, we stood still. Then, I spoke, in quiet, polite, yet in an unmistakeably menacing tone. Politeness isn't so hard to do, even if it is for a gang of no-good looters.

"Who dares enter the fortress of Teridax, the Emperor of Shadows?" 

The group of rogues didn't answer. I frowned, and their gravity turned off. They floated through the air, screaming in terror. The leader, who I had purposefully not levitated, stared at me with absolute fear in my eyes. I hadn't even used that power on him. I directed the full force of my red glare on him. "I want an ANSWER!" Several ponies were swung about with force, slamming into each other. Soon, I would have to make the damage fatal, though I didn't really want to do that. 

The leader trembled, then he seemed to relax and just sighed. "Haven't you heard of me at all? Well, then again, I do not ask the defences of an ancient tomb if they have heard of my name." 
A Spanish accent. So I was looking at a rather less dignified René Belloq, eh? 
I crossed my arms and glared at him. "Your name, please."
The leader sighed yet again. "Well, I suppose it wouldn't matter." He brushed off his shirt. 
"My name is Caballeron. Doctor Caballeron, if you please." 
I chuckled. "Very well, Doctor Caballeron. What business have you in my fortress?"
The good doctor regarded me with a half-lidded stare. "Truthfully, this is a huge find. So many discoveries, like this metal... most curious-"

I hoisted him in the air with Gravity and glared at him. "You will not report this fortress to ANYBODY. Do you understand?"
He struggled in mid-air. "But... this discovery! There is so much money I could make-"
With a roar I threw him against the opposite wall. "Money? Is that your sole motivation... what about the love of your craft?"
He nodded. "I do it for my love of archaeology, but at the same time, a stallion must make a living, no?" 
I admired his surprising resolve in the face of adversity. Still...
"Tell you what, Doctor. If it is money you want, then I will be perfectly happy to pay for your silence..."
I gently dropped him to the floor and then called on my stores. Magnetism was a useful power; especially when you understood something of its workings. Thanks to a bit of my personal study, I'd learned of diamagnetism- using an external magnetic force in order to create an opposing magnetic force in a metal that would not normally be magnetic. 

Such as gold. 

I pushed out a small quantity of the gold that I had mined with gravity and passed him a portion. "Does this quiet your academic curiosity?"
He nodded. "What ancient fortress? I do not know of such a place." 
He turned to leave, but I shook my finger. All instances of protosteel were removed from his person and his henchmen. I looked at him. "No traces. You can keep your map here, but sell it to anyone and, well... I'll be forced to kill you." It wasn't really a threat; rather, it was a simple statement of fact. He gulped and nodded. The group went to my doors, which now swung open easily. I let them go, and then I left for my... secret chamber. 

I teleported into the furthest room I had, and examined what remained of my forces. I loved putting all of myself into a project. Whether that was simply crafting a mask or waging a war, I put my all into it. And the result stood before me. Forty two small (in my current form) humanoid figures, all awaiting a special... something. I walked over to the simple glass cases and put the combination in. Out popped several glass jars. I checked the status of the Kraata held within.

Leech-like creatures as long as a man's forearm, these little critters could corrupt just about any pony or object they stayed in contact with for too long. Forty two; one for each type, all level six. I pulled them out of stasis and slapped them into their armours. My Rhakshi activated, staring at me with their glowing red eyes. They knew it was I who was their master; they were simply confused about my appearance. 

I cleared my throat. "Ah, my loyal servants. It has been a long, long four thousand years, me being away from my base and summoning you to be my new attendants."
I paced around as I continued my speech. "You see, four thousand years ago, I led a charge into Equestria with my army. However, I was hoisted by my own petard- my darkness was used against my frail eyes so that they could take out my army. You are the last of the Forty-two centuries. I am not reconstructing the Centuries, unless the situation is dire enough for them to resurface. Hopefully, it will not come to that."

I levitated in the air. "Equestria has grown fat and lazy during the time that I have been away. They do not fear the darkness at the borders of their empire, believing that Celestia will protect them all. I say... that I no longer care." My Rhakshi watched me with neutral expressions. I continued talking. "You see, I've been thinking about what I most love about life. And what is that? I cannot eat. I cannot breathe. I cannot sleep, or go to the toilet, or smell, or even shiver. I am fully mechanical, a form of energy held within a shell of powerful armour. What, then, do I love? I love creating things."

I pulled out my staff and examined it. "This is one of the first things that I created, this staff. I forged it from protosteel that I myself had purified. The Kraahkan made me into a master smith, knowledge gleaned from centuries of observing. But now, it doesn't rule me. I rule it." I looked out over my forty-two minions. "From here on out, I am separated from the troubles of the world."

With that, I left them, telling them mentally to go back into their pods and await further instructions. That done, I left my fortress, intent on meeting Ahuizotl at the agreed meeting point. Hopefully, he would have my Orb of Vision.

> A minor inconvenience
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I glared down at Ahuizotl. "Explain."

Ahuizotl tried to push himself up, but my glowing red eyes and the very gravity of the place pushed him down. "Teridax, I can exp-"

I mentally increased the pressure slightly. "I don't want your excuses, I want the truth. Now."

When I'd met him, I'd assumed that he would have the Orb itself in his hands. Unfortunately, he didn't, and was acting pitifully. I didn't really like failure all that much, so I now had him pinned to the ground under his own weight. 

Ahuizotl looked up at me. "I- I swear, I had the Orb, and I was coming, but-"

My right eye turned blue, the equivalent of raising an eyebrow. "But?"

Ahuizotl panted for a bit. "As I was saying, I almost had it, but then, it was taken from me by..." He growled, hands balling up into fists. 
"A.K Yearling." 

I let up on the pressure- only five times the planet's gravity rather than ten. "Who, exactly, is this 'A.K. Yearling?' Speak, and hopefully you're telling the truth."

Ahuizotl nodded, shakily standing up with a lot of effort. "She's a pony archaeologist, and she's often stopped my schemes to do with ancient artifacts. She's impossible to keep tied up, and she always escapes all of my deathtraps!" 

My right eye went blue again. "If that's the case, then why don't you just shoot her?"

Ahuizotl glared at me. "I tried that, actually. That's how she got the Orb, as a matter of fact. I aimed and fired, but she dodged and then took the Orb from my other hand." I stroked my chin and pondered. This would be a minor inconvenience, but I would work around it. "Where would she take the Orb?"
Ahuizotl snorted. "Into a, ugh, museum." He spat the word out with a surprising amount of venom. With that, I had a plan. 
"Tell me, Ahuizotl. How long do you give her until she reaches a major town?"


Two days later...


I was annoyed. The Orb of Vision had, indeed, made it to a museum. The problem? It was Canterlot Museum. Where the Diarchs lived. I was loathe to simply go in and take the artifact, but on the other hand, I didn't trust Ahuizotl not to screw it up. After all, he'd failed me once, and I didn't want to risk another failure. That's not to say that I didn't consider him useful up to a point- it was just that his skills were more in line with a forceful break-in of ancient temples, not exactly a museum with more modern, maintained security measures that wouldn't be easily beaten by simply rolling underneath a falling door.

That was why I was being exceedingly cautious. I'd used my shapeshifting abilities to shrink down to the form of an earth pony foal. It'd taken me a while to decide on a nice colour palette. Red body, grey mane, blue eyes. It wasn't perfect, but it would do for now. I then looked over the rail maps and the trains scheduled to be there. When none really came to mind for convenience or speed, I mentally growled. This was going to suck. Unless... 

I walked back to the hiding place and withdrew a simple mask- the Kanohi Kakama. The Great Mask of Speed might have been simple, but it would be useful. I placed the mask on my head and then focused. According to the map, it was a considerable journey from here to Canterlot mountain. With that in mind, I snuck around the outside of the town, focused on the small mountain in the distance and then activated the masks' power. Hopefully, the way there would be clear, lest I accidentally run into something.

Speed. Ludicrous speed. The landscape blurred as exceedingly green. I tore through the jungle around me at such high speeds that branches and vines were utterly destroyed by my passage. After a while, it changed to being brighter and a lighter shade of green under my feet, and then I saw grey rock. I deactivated the mask and instinctively used my chameleon ability to blend in with the environment around me. 

I was right at the base of the mountain. What luck. Now, all I had to do was sneak into a heavily fortified town, go around the guards who were likely on high alert, and then steal an ancient artifact from a museum and make it out without being detected. I was going to have a lot of fun attempting to infiltrate here.

Of course, this would have been much harder had I just been starting out with my new powers...

Ah, there's a story to that. 

Four thousand years ago, before I came to Equestria, I'd just been an ordinary guy. Nothing weird about me, no desire to go to anywhere else. Just somebody who enjoyed a couple of things that most people are either neutral or just don't care about, like classical music and literature. I'd also been a fan of BIONICLE when I'd been younger. Just one of those things. It had been more than a toy, it had been a phenomenon that had really made my childhood. But I'd grown out of such childish pleasures; or so I thought.

It had happened in a fairly simple way. I'd been walking home from work, when I'd spotted something gleaming dully in an alley. Being curious about what it was, I cautiously walked in, prepared to beat the shit out of any person who tried to abduct me or similar. Rather than finding a mugger, I'd found a rather large, elongated black mask, made of some kind of metal. Like a fool, I'd picked the mask up, and then I'd taken it home. I vaguely remembered that this was a BIONICLE thing, and one quick trip online later, I'd found that it was, supposedly, a replica of the Kraahkan, the Great Mask of Shadows, worn by Teridax. 

Another quick Google search later, and I was reaquainted with the villain to end all villains. He had achieved so much that he made other villains look like complete and utter sissies. And as I was turning the mask over, I got the somewhat foolish compulsion to wear the mask. Seeing no harm in putting it on, I placed it on my head. As soon as that happened, the damn thing had started glowing, and before I could take it off it pulled me into some sort of whirlpool. 

When I'd awoken, it was to discover that I was in a forest, and that there was a giant lion trying to eat me. I'd naturally fled, until the Kraahkan itself had spoken to me, telling me to fight back with my new powers. I hadn't understood what that meant, until I wanted the giant manticore to be gone and put my hand behind me like a bit of a moron.

A sizzling bolt of liquid plasma had shot out of my hand, completely obliterating the beast and a couple of trees behind it. The power had gone a bit... haywire. As in, I melted damn near everything around me with searing waves of plasma. After that, I'd tried to shut it off, which I succeeded at doing after a truly monumental effort. I remembered panting as I looked at all the destruction around me, and I remember thinking, did I just do all of this?

It had taken me a lot of time and effort to master plasma. I damn near broke down when the Kraahkan informed me that I had forty-four other powers to master. Fortunately, it was willing to help me understand them some more... and there, I suppose, was my first step down the path of villainy. Mastering my myriad powers often resulted in a lot of collateral damage, and that meant that the ponies saw me as a dark and destructive god. Then, the alicorns came.

I remembered out first meeting. I'd greeted them cordially, and tried to explain matters. Unfortunately, they didn't buy my explanation all that well, believing me to be lying. Celestia and Luna had been exceedingly angry to discover that something was attacking their citizens, however unintentionally, and after the meeting, they basically threatened me with imprisonment if I so much as tried to go to a pony settlement. 

That had enraged me, more than it should have. The Kraahkan at that point had control over my baser emotions, and manipulated me into taking things further. That night, after I'd told myself that I would try to explain things, I terrorised a town, driving many of its inhabitants into fear or anger with each other. The next day, I assembled the start of the Forty-Two Centuries. 

One hundred Rhakshi in each Century, one century for each type. We spread terror, along with the other shadows on the borders of Equestria. The Kings of the Dead, wielding their black necromancy, the Dragon Barons, the Minotaur coalition, the Changelings... they were all the shadows which were on the borders of the Equestrian empire. 

Or at least, that was what Celestia and Luna believed. 

In actuality, the 'shadows' were even greater than those ones. Not even the Kings of the Dead regarded Equestria as a place to take over. Rather, it was the downtrodden and misplaced who fought against the Empire. The zebra had often been regarded as dark and shady, and thus, a couple of misplaced comments later and they were fighting. The Griffin Republic were natural warmongers, fighting everything they could. That just happened to include Equestria. The Diamond Dog packs weren't too great a player in the game, but they were important in their own right, and they felt that Equestria was repressing their rights. 

All of them regarded me as the person who would readdress the balance in their favour. And I have to say, I certainly did. In my fights against Celestia and Luna, I had demonstrated that I held the upper hand almost every single battle. Only a couple of battles weren't really according to plan, but by the time of the Shadow War, my powers were at their strongest... until now. Before, I had been the pupil. Now, I was the master. And right now, here I was, about to infiltrate a museum and steal a magical orb. I shook my head. Oh how the mighty have fallen.

My shapeshifted form, this time of a unicorn foal in bright white and blue (surprisingly hard colours to mimic), trotted through the place without so much as being questioned. I stared around in disbelief. This was where the Diarchs lived now? Where were the fortifications, the heavily armed patrols, all the things that made the old castle so strong? Where were they? Unless- no. No way would they be this stupid as to not inform the populace that ancient monsters from Tartarus had escaped. No freaking way. I shook my head. This had to be an error, or not the right place. Still, I had to find out where I was, to confirm whether or not my suspicions were correct. 

I walked up to the nearest pony, a white stallion with blue hair and a monocle, and cleared my throat. "Excuse me, sir, but where am I, exactly?" 
He smiled. "Well, you're in Canterlot, of course. Capital city of Equestria." 
I was genuinely speechless. I eventually managed to pull myself together. "Really? I guess... I was a bit confused. Thank you." 
I skulked off towards the nearest alleyway, while my mind blazed. This... this wasn't helping anyone. This was just neglecting their kingdom. Tirek was a serious threat, and as for me, from their perspective there was a good reason I was erased from history. 

Eventually, I found the museum. I cracked my joints, and set up a powerful illusion hiding my activities. I then activated a couple of my powers. First, I used elasticity to stretch my tiny hooves upwards, latching onto the roof. I then pulled myself upwards and then landed on there. I waited for an alarm to sound, but none came. That surprised me. Still, I had an Orb to steal, so I didn't contemplate it for too long. I simply turned intangible and phased through the rooftop, lowering my density to the point where I floated and then cancelling it out. No security spells activated on my entry. I scowled, floating through the ancient history museum. Now that I was free, I might as well learn about the world as it was now. 

I read over the exhibits, expecting at any time for a troop of guards to come and attack me in a futile way, but none came. Standards really were slipping nowadays. If my existence was ever officially revealed, it would destroy much of Celestia's credibility. I was the shadow that taught other shadows to fear me, after all. And in my new form? I would terrify every single pony that I was ever forced to fight. Still, I looked regal and intimidating, rather than skinny, gangly and awkward. 

After a bit of a history brush-up, I continued onwards, looking for the storeroom. I eventually found it, floated through the door and scaring the crap out of the Curator, a grey unicorn with a magnifying glass on his butt. He tried to shout, but I forced him to go to sleep. He slumped on the table, out like a light. I eventually found the Orb of Vision, in the 'New Arrivals' section under the name 'Anonymous.' My new filly form raised an eyebrow, and I grabbed it. The result was that several security enchantments went off all at once. 

I frowned, shapeshifting back to my more familiar form and ducking down to avoid bumping my head on the ceiling. "What a considerable stroke of luck that was."
I turned to leave, but paused when I saw one of the things just left there. A fairly karge, irregular block of stone, about half a foot long, with a crude face was carved into it. I took up the stone, weighing it in my hand. This was one of my Makuta stones, which I passed out to villages that I liked, which was few. Likely, they had forgotten what the true purpose of the stones was- to remind me of which towns I would ignore. It was an agreement between me and them. I paused, then decided to take it with me, for nostalgia's sake.

I fled the scene and quickly slipped my Kakama on. Bouncing on my heels, I triangulated myself in the vague direction of my home, magnetising my body and then using the magnetic currents of the planet itself to find my way back. As the guards started pouring in, I got a wicked idea. Activating my laser vision, I carved a quick message for the Alicorn Princesses. That done, I turned the Kakama on and sped towards home. I crashed through a couple of houses on my way there, but there were no fatalities. 

Celestia looked at the message that had been left on the wall. Last night, something had broken in and stolen a recently found magical artifact, along with just 'a couple of lumps of rock.' Apparently, they'd taken the time to carve a rather crudely written message into the wall before they escaped. And now, this message had been seen by just about every single pony that walked past: 

Tirek and Teridax are free.

She sighed. Though it hadn't sat well with either her or with Luna, Tirek's existence needed to be kept quiet, lest there be a mass panic. Tirek's absorption powers were even stronger when ponies were panicking, and as for Teridax... Teridax was likely the culprit, as apart from themselves and the guards, nopony knew of Tirek's existence... and the guards were unlikely to brag about their failure. Not only that, but Tirek would have been too weak magically to burn this message into the wall.

Teridax had stolen something, and since it had been stolen before it could be identified, they were going in blind. She shook her head in a tired fashion. She had other matters to deal with- such as asking the curator as to what kind of thief it was, though given Teridax's shapeshifting abilities, it might only muddy the issue. 


Fortress of Shadows.


I looked at the Orb of Vision dully. What, I mused, was the point of it? Why was this Orb so important? I had heard of it and then sought it out, but for what possible reason? Ever since I'd thought of returning home, I'd found that everything just seemed... harder. I couldn't go home in this form, not even if I shapeshifted, and there wasn't much I could do here. I suppose, from a psychiatrist's point of view I would be clinically depressed. 

It was then that an... automated message filtered through my sanctum. 

I am Dullahan, the darkness, the shadow, the elemental wraith.  They that would stand against the darkness that lurks in the hearts of us all, I call my allies!
"I am Auric Fulcrum, the light, the candle, the wielder of Alchemy!  Reborn by the Golden Sun, I punish the wicked, no matter their form!  You who would bring back balance and peace, I call friends to my cause!"
They that would call on us need only hold our tokens and invoke our names, and we shall answer your call if you are worthy!

And with that, a book and a coin dropped in front of me from who knows where. For a couple of moments, I just stood there, blinking stupidly. Then, had I a mouth I would have grinned. This... this was perfect! There were other humans out there, in the same situation as I was? This was too perfect! 

I then looked at my Makuta stone. The thing had sentimental value for me. I picked it up, and carved a simple message into it, in order to test the mind of the one who would summon me.


That done, I put on the Kanohi Olmak, and for my own ego, I spoke. 

"Those who have need of the shadows, who want to spread fear and desolation, who want a terror in the night, call on me, The Makuta, Emperor of the Shadows!" With that, I hurled my Makuta stone into the portal I had made and watched it close. I then leant back, waiting for somebody to respond. I pulled out the Orb of Vision, and started to toy with it. 

I couldn't wait to get started.
> Be afraid of the Dark
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I idly flicked my Orb of Vision when I felt a familiar presence crawl up my arm. I sighed mentally. “Hello, Jarvis.” 

Hello yourself, sir. I mentally groaned. Jarvis was my sole Shadow Kraata, a Kraata that had through the will of destiny gained all of the abilities of the various Kraata species, all at level six. The same size of the other Kraata, he was a rich, vibrant purple colour, and currently, he was crawling up my arm in an attempt to annoy me. Bit like a really annoying cat really. As a being, he was polite, well-mannered, softly spoken… and also curiously disrespectful of me. I had no need of his services right at this point, and I didn’t really want to talk to anybody. I was wallowing in my melancholy. 

“Jarvis, if you have nothing to do, then go away.” 
I got the impression that the little bugger was smirking at me. But sir, you did say that I was to be near you at all times, just before you left for your final battle. 
I nodded. “But Jarvis, surely you don’t think so highly of me as to see what it is that I’m doing in my own time.” 
But my own fascination is what drives me to new heights, sir. It always has. 

I was about to talk to him when I felt something. I looked, at the possible warlock approaching my Makuta stone and touching it with an aura of caution. With him was… what was that? An anthropomorphic horse woman and a morbidly obese whatever that thing was? Well, I had dealt with demons before now. “I will talk to you later, Jarvis. For now, I have places to go.” I removed my Kanohi Kraahkan, and placed the Olmak upon my head. Opening a portal, I replaced my Olmak with the Kraahkan and made my way over to the adjacent dimension, home to the one known as ‘Malideus.’ Odd name…

I arrived silently behind him. My presence was hidden thanks to a quick illusion and a silence field, so I quickly shapeshifted into a form designed to fuck with him- a toddler, with black hair, red eyes, a black shirt with my Kraahkan on it and grey shorts. That done, I listened in to his conversation with the other two, intent on gleaning some information on what sort of a man he was.

And yes, I could have gone home as my older form, but this form would have been detected the instant I had to step through a metal detector. I only shapeshifted into a smaller, robotic form that just happened to look like a toddler. Not solving the problem at all, and would in fact strike paranoia into the hearts of governing bodies should they find out about my shapeshifting powers.

“Hey, are you sure you should just be touching random stuff that falls out of the sky, especially after what happened last time?” I hear the rather strange anthro pony creature cay say, her voice full of a mix of caution and fear. And who can blame her? I certainly wouldn't touch any magical stone that fell from the sky. The dark wizard looks it over for a bit, thinking about it. I notice that he's curious about my little message that I inscribed. Maybe it was immature, but it separates the sheep from the goats, so why the hell not?

“Yeah, I know, Kinua… but I don’t know what it is, so what better way to find out than by touching it?” I hear him ask, invoking a sharp look from the other creature, obviously 'Kinua.' I note that the weird fat thing is looking in my vague direction. Huh, probably unable to really find me.

“Oh, I don’t know, maybe NOT touching it, and walking away? For all we know, it could be a trap from Stargazer!” Kinua replies warily, but the dark warlock dude just blow a raspberry in response, waving her off.

“Ah, that’s boring. Besides, I have invincible armor, what’s the worst that could happen? Pyramid Head come out and try to kill me? I’ll just outrun him, it works every time.” He says it in a joking tone, but Kinua seems unamused. Definitely the more rational head between the trio, I think.

“You’re an idiot, you know that?” She says, and he rolls his eyes in return, the dark green things that they are, picking up my Makuta stone and weighing it in his hands. Of course, he's never seen protodermis before. 

“Hmm… it feels and weighs like granite… but it’s so dark, and I can’t seem to scratch it. Hey, Kinua, you’re old; you ever seen a rock like this?” he asks, and I can tell that Kinua wants to punch him out like a light right now thanks to the aura of anger that the Makuta stone is generating, but she humours her very unprofessional boss.

“Grmm… I don’t know what it is. It feels like a really bad thing, though, lots of dark energy. Maybe it’s enchanted?” Kinua says, her demeanor changing from mad to inquisitive almost terrifyingly fast. A magic sensor, eh? This could be interesting. Then, she snatches the rock from the wizard, and begins to stare at it, despite the wizard's comical attempts to reclaim it.

“What are you doing!? Give that back!” He whined, trying to recover the Makuta stone from the weird pony lady, but Kinua keeps a firm grip, pulling it away from me with ease.

“Back off, I’m still looking. It’s got some kind of writing on it…” Kinua says, holding the stone away from him and his latest attempts. I can tell that this wizard is getting steadily angrier and angrier. Also, is she trying to decipher my code? If so, then good on her.

“It probably says ‘you’re a faggot’! Now give it back!” He retorts angrily, ready to destroy Kinua over my Makuta stone. However, I decided that enough was enough, and subtly manipulated the rock to let up on the psychic pressure. As expected, the wizard and her stop fighting, and start getting confused. Well, mr Wizard does. Kinua keeps going for a bit longer.

“Fuck off, Mal! I saw it… wait, are we seriously fighting over a dumb rock?” Kinua says warily, catching herself as she readied to slug him, and slowly lowering her fist. That's some pretty good control she's exerting right there. The kid seems to need constant watching. Probably was raised on a leash.

“I… I think so. Man, what is up with this thing? It’s like I want it, but just looking at it makes me pissed.” The wizard finally notes in a somber tone, holding the odd rock up.It was then, after all of this was done, that the fat demon finally stops thinking. He pulls his finger out of his huge aligator jaw, and with a slow, retarded voice, speaks for the first time since my stone fell from the sky.

“Maybe… you should ask that child… over there.” Gondon mumbles loudly, pointing directly at me. My eyes widened. Crap. My illusions, while excellent, couldn't exactly influence any other senses other than sight. Though I could mute my movements, I couldn't exactly stop my metallic body from smelling like metal, even if it was only a faint smell it could likely be tracked.

“Uh… Are you sure there’s someone over there, Gondon? All I see is a couple rocks and a tree.” Kinua finally says, but the wizard squints his glowing green eyes, and I drop the illusion and let him see me. His eyes then widen as he spots my tiny shadow. 

“Hold up, Kinua. That tree over there. Gondon, shoot it down!”The wizard exclaims, and the massive demon yawns, nodding, and unhinges his jaw again, ready to open fire on my location. I had no idea what this demon was about to do, so I treated him as seriously as I would the alicorns or a similar unknown: use overwhelming force and always shoot first.

“No.” 

As was planned, Gondon falls to the ground, pinned down by my gravity and I come out, hand held palm down for effect. “Fat guy, you’re being subjected to twenty times this planet’s gravity. I could increase it, but, well, I don’t want bits of demon all over me.” I pointed to his black shirt with my signature Kraahkan on it and chuckle. The wizard pauses, uncertainty in his body, before he focuses on me and makes himself seem as unthreatening as possible. 

“Woah, woah, easy, kid. Let the ham-beast go, I kinda need him.” He says, gesturing to Gondon, who seems wholly unaffected by the sudden ordeal he was subjected to.I focused on the demon's thoughts, and discover that he's asleep, and not by my own doing. It's fitting, considering that it takes a lot more than this to permanently harm a demon.

Still, there were a lot of ways to miscontrue 'let go,' but because he's my first human contact in four thousand years, I'll humour him and obey it to the spirit. “Very poor choice of words, but I’ll humour you, little shadow.” Gondon gets up, and then I gesturesonce again. This wizard is wearing so much metal that I hoist him into the air with no real effort. I focus on his glowing green eyes. “Magnetism; you’re wearing way too much metal.” As soon as I'm done saying this, he struggles and squirms in my magnetic grasp, trying to break free.

“CRAP! Demon baby! Kinua, help your boss!” He cries, and Kinua seems to WANT to acknowledge, but she takes one look at me, evidently gauging my power, raises her arms, and backs off. A very wise move on her part.

“Demon baby? I’m a toddler, little shadow.” I raise an eyebrow, and my eyes briefly glow with their own inner light. Damn, this shapeshift is hard; my eyes keep glowing at random times, but I'll perfect it yet. Whatever the case, the wizard decides to go for his trump card.

“GOBLADA!” He shouts at the top of his lungs, and the result is that a large volley of dark earthen blades spring up from the ground and point at me. I idly examined them. They seemed to be dangerous enough for me to be mildly worried. I decided to reveal myself to him properly.

I yawned; it'd been a long introduction. “Well, this was fun and all. Now, for the sake of getting this little cliche over with, allow me to introduce myself.” With that, I initiated the shapeshift back to my Shadow Titan form. My flesh bubbled around my shapeshift as I prepared to go back to a larger form. The wizard seemed unaffected, but the horse thing was about ready to vomit.

“I am the Makuta.” I gripped the outer layer of my shapeshift and tore it off, revealing a black, metallic visage, almost like an insect really when I think about it. I looked at them with my truly glowing red eyes. The wizard finally speaks, in a tone of repressed horror, confusion and trying not to vomit in a closed mask.

“What… the… fuck..?”He mutters, and I laugh quietly. It's been a while since I've heard that expression, after all. I finally reply in my new voice, which personally sounds a bit like an earthquake. “I am the Emperor of Shadows. All other beings of Darkness do not understand. I am not a manipulator of shadows.” 

My tiny child body explodes outwards, the torso elongating and turning into a dark, gunmetal steel build with minor red undertones. I shoots up to ten foot tall, and my tiny arms and legs quickly turn into red, black and gunmetal coloured steel limbs about half as thick as a tree. A massive, two-pronged spear appears in a hand big enough to envelope the wizard's puny head and crush it like a grape, and my red eyes burn down into his own green ones.

“I am shadows. I am fear. I am anger. And I… am nothing.” I say as soon as I've finished, and at this point, three things happened, all at the same time: Kinua fell unconscious out of sheer terror, the wizard let out a loud fart in fear, and Gondon woke up, staring at me with mild interest.The wizard looked at me, and I probed into his mind slightly, enough to get a feel for things.

“Eh… Cool, I guess. Can you put me down now, mister Makuta? I kinda don’t like heights, and you are really… you know, I’ll just stop at ‘put me down, please’.”

My eye turned blue briefly. “Put you down, please? That’s very polite, little shadow.” I dropped him like a sack of potatoes. I continued talking, to clarify to him what exactly had happened. “As you’ve found my Makuta stone, I am obliged to help you, fellow human.” I finished with that, and I then examined the wizard's mind. Relief was predominant at first, until he realised that I'd said that I was 'human.' Then again, I could hardly believe it myself.

“Wait… You? Human? No offence, guy, but you look more like a bionicle reject than a human…” he begins. I was mildly insulted, until I remembered that he hadn't been able to translate my Makuta Stone's message, and I took a bit of exception to that. Still, I decided to explain things to him in simple words.

“Oh, little shadow, I am NOT a Bionicle reject. In fact, I have taken the form of the main villain of Bionicle, Makuta. But I was once a man.” An illusion pops into existence, of a rather skinny human finding the mask he wore, putting it on, and then going to Equestria. I felt mildly uncomfortable telling him what basically amounted to my origin story, but otherwise I didn't really care.

“I fought the sisters, and at my final battle, I was imprisoned in Tartarus, a prison designed for me. I was still a man then.” An image of me being thrown in a cell as a human appeared. That was what really made me uncomfortable, but it was good to be done. However, before I could continue, he interrupts.

“Yeah, great story and all, but what does this have to do with your Makuta stones and why YOU are in MY world?” He asks. Further probing through his mind reveals that he believes that I will steal his 'humanity.' Ah, a Dark Souls junkie. Next thing I know, Giantdad is going to come here and start taunting everybody.

“Invading?” Another eye turning blue. “I did not invade, I came because, well, you touched the Makuta stone. It’s an ancient stone, imbued with my dark aura of anger. Oh, and when my eye turns blue, it’s me raising an eyebrow, in case you were curious.” Oh boy, he reads minds now. Fucking wonderful. Can this guy GET any cheaper? I mentally grinned.

“As for your world… well, you were the first to touch it. And yes, I can get cheaper.” I idly examine my fingers while waiting for an answer, which I expect from him. I could just read his mind. I was also mildly annoyed that he thought I was the 'ugliest bug that he'd ever seen.' But I decided not to comment on it, for the mild fear that he'd wet himself.

“Well, that’s kinda cool… but if you’re the ‘god of all black and evil and death’, then why are you helping me? I’m just your everyday warlording wizard, I’m a dime a dozen. Why help me?” he asks, but I probe into his mind and discover that he's actually trying to lull me into 'something.' A small vocabulary is the sign of a small mind, though it can also be the opposite.

My right eye turns blue, and he visibly panics. “First, the word you’re looking for is ‘submission.’ Second, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen a fellow human being… a very long time. And isn’t it an instinct of our species, to help each other out when we really need it?” I asks, and he raises an eyebrow of his own, caught by surprise. 

Huh, never really thought of that. Besides, I made WAY too many enemies for anyone else to randomly want to help me, what, with all the people I mindlessly murdered. But hey, maybe he’s into that… or she. I might have to ask that...  I thought it was pretty clear; I'm a guy.

“I’m a guy. Couldn’t you tell from the illusions?” i chuckle at his silliness. “You must understand, Malideus. In this form of Makuta, I am simply… well, I hate to use the term, but I’ve evolved into this form. I was powerful before, but in this form… I am, not to brag too much, on terms with a physical god.” Images of his evolution process appear. Pictures of gears appearing under his skin, patches of skin turning to metal, an inside view of his body turning into mist within a shell of armour… a part of my past that I would rather forget. He seems a bit repulsed by that.

“Alright, you answered that for me… a bit too much info, but whatever, the more I know, the better. But, what I want to know is this: Despite all you know about me, you still seem like you want to help me out… why? What’s your angle, robot?” He asks in a slightly impetuous tone, possibly due to my aura of anger that I generate. Maybe I should give him another demonstration.

“It’s one of my powers, little shadow. How about a taste of fear?” And then, a wave of fear energy came crashing on him, and  I watched his worst fears unfolding. It was… Stairs. That got me mentally blinking. Of all the things he fears, it's stairs? It was then that zombies came climbing up. That's understandable. As well as... an orange-masked human in a long black coat, and a green cyber-ninja thing with a glowing green katana. Why on earth were these guys so terrifying?

That did it for both of us, and he suddenly started screaming like a maniac, causing Gondon to give him a weird look, and Kinua to finally wake up. I just sighed. Figures that a weird guy like Malideus would have strange fears. “Enough.” And like that, it stops. “Too much fear and your heart might have stopped.” I was pretty blasé about that, and from his thoughts he considered me slightly worse than him. He then thought about how, since I had the form of a character from Bionicle, that I would share his fate. He then remembered that I could read his thoughts, and then images of kittens came up, a bit too slowly. 

I glared at him, and he seemed to shrink away from me. “I may have assumed his name, little shadow, but I am not Teridax. Though I am just as intelligent, as cunning, as black-hearted, I am not he.” Without even moving, I flung Malideus into the upper stratosphere. While his comrades watch me in fear, I project my voice using my power of Sonics. “Little shadow, I have a thousand ways to kill you for that thought, and 941 of them hurt.” With that, I sent him down at high speed, only to stop him just before he hit the ground. I then sent him flying back up, to repeat the cycle a couple of times. 

Eventually, I just dropped him on the ground from a safe distance, dizzy and rather humiliated. I pick up the thought that he's not going to be repeating those thoughts. That was good.

“Ai’ight, You made your point… uh, Teridax, was it? Or do I just call you Makuta?”

At that, I felt a wave of depression hit me and I just slumped to the ground. “Call me what you wish, little shadow. I don’t care. I don’t care about anything much anymore.”  I sat on the ground and idly doodled, Right now, I was not in the mood for Malideus' bullshit.
“Four thousand years alive, and a brat like you has to be uppity… I tell you, right now I just don’t care.” I say with a bored tone, and he starts to feel guilty. He then thinks that I might be manipulating his emotions. A bit of further probing reveals that he has an issue on his mind. 

I could just see the issue, of course, but without the Kanohi Komau to boost my powers, I run the serious risk of rendering Malideus a braindead vegetable. Or mentally a woman.

“I can’t control guilt, little shadow. Now, you have a problem. It’s in the back of your mind, and I could access it, but I would rather not risk you becoming a mentally retarded moron, or simply a vegetable.”  Malideus shrugs.

“Well, you’re right… and I thank you for not turning me into a vegetable, by the way. As for my… plight, as it were, I have a slight… uprising in my ranks. But, you seem like a… trustworthy-ish guy, so I’ll probably need some help from you… If you’re cool with killing a bunch of usurping, traitorous criminal scum, that is.” He says it just to get my interest, and I have to say that he did his job well.

“It’s been a while since I’ve had a fight… hang on.” I turned to a tree and scowled. “JARVIS! Come out where the nice wizard can see you.” I knew that the little Kraata had been watching this entire spectacle unfold.
As you wish, sir. 

Malideus whirled around to find the source of the telepathic voice. The tree shimmered, and in its place was a large purple Kraata, with glowing red eyes. Curiously for such a monstrous-looking thing, Jarvis had a very British-sounding voice. It slithered over to us. 

What do you want, sir? 

I jerked a clawed thumb at Malideus. “You, stick with him. I’m not dealing with your annoying British butler attitude.” 

It seemed to be smirking. Of course, sir. By the way, should I remind you that, while you are technically my creator, you are not my boss? 

I glared at him, then I pulled off my Kraahkan and replaced it with my Olmak. Focusing, I tore a hole back to my chamber, and I looked around. I looked at the dimly lit chamber beyond, and sighed. Should I bring some of my Rahkshi out, they who should never see the light of day? Eventually, I decided to err on the side of caution.

“LEERAHK, GUURAHK, PANRAHK! GET IN HERE!” 

Of course, I could have said it telepathically, but then again I was interested in keeping my ally reasonably well-informed as to what I was doing. I jerked a thumb at him, indicating his presence. “Accompany Malideus, ensure that he doesn’t kill himself while I deal with his uprising.” They nodded, red eyes glowing. Malideus steamed mildly, annoyed that I was being all 'smarter than him.' Then again, I was significantly older than he was or ever would be without inducing immortality. 

I lifted my staff. “Do me proud boys. Do me proud.” 


--=====--


A miniature war, eh…? This would be fun. I trusted in Malideus to direct us properly, and thus, we had arrived at his hideout. I turned to him, an idea turning over in my mind. “Tell me, any of your minions good at perceiving things at high speed? Like, near the speed of sound?” Malideus seemed to think on this, and, like usual for the sarcastic little sorcerer, he came up with the snarkiest comment he could:

“Only one I can think of is Mizzy, that girl can see anything, I bet… That, or at least Otsuna… Maybe Kherrie, but I’ve never tested that. Why?”

“Loyal?” 

“Mizzy’s pretty loyal still, Kherrie and Crush are too, Oh, and Hezafen. But I would not try going after him, anyway: I tested it: dude’s pretty much immune to godmodding… er, magic and stuff. Just don’t hit them, and you should be fine.”

I hmmed. Such a shame I wouldn’t be able to absorb them… I wanted high speed perception. I gripped him. “Guurahk, Panrahk, Leerahk. New mission: kill anything other than ourselves that tries to leave the caves.” With that, I activated two abilities: Intangibility for me and Malideus, and Teleportation, and we teleported… right into a wall. I wanted a surprise attack from an angle that they wouldn’t even consider.

“Huh… Agh, what was that?! Did you put something else into my head!?” Malideus cried out, and I actually could feel his fear of the event: Seems he had a bad run-in with two other humans ‘helping’ him.

“Relax; we’re in your hide-out. The wall, to be precise. One of them.”

“The WALL!? What are you trying to do, sneak up on them? Thats… actually not a bad plan. But how the heck are you doing this? It took me months to master minor teleporting, and you’re doing it at the snap of a finger!”

“Teleportation and Intangibility. And for HOW, I’ve had four thousand years of practice.” I probed. 

“Now, tell me which ones are loyal to you.”

“Simple: I’ll just walk in there, and you follow me. If they attack you, destroy them, if not… leave them to me, I’ll deal with them myself. You think you can handle that?” The wizard asks, eyeing me with a look that said he didn’t think I understood. Impetuous child. Were it not for him being human, I would have absorbed him into myself and taken the power.

Still, we burst out of the wall, ready to fight any adversary. The only problem with that? 

There are none.

This cave was entirely empty. They must have evacuated relatively recently. I looked around, probing for minds. Malideus' mind is filled with confusion. 

“Huh..? Where… Wait, I hear fighting…” he says, and I heard them as well, from outside the cave. My children must have found them. A shame; I was hoping to have a little fun.

“Hey, Makuta, what do those… things of yours sound like when they fight?” He asks, and I pick up that he's... afraid that my children are being beaten. I snorted in my head. How utterly ridiculous; my troops are more than enough to deal with any threat.

So I chuckled. “That is them winning, my friend. Hopefully, they won’t damage your friends too much. Panrahk is the Fragmenter, capable of demolishing most of a town. Guurahk is the Disintegrator, reducing to dust any opponent. And Leerahk is the Poisoner, who lacks in close range but possesses a highly potent poison.”  Still, Malideus had his doubts.

“I doubt that. I have a demon, an overpowered wolf, and a freaking super-crazy mage working against me… I think your guys are going to have to wait a while before they…” he doesn't finish that sentence, as a blast of magic comes at him, forcing him to dodge.

“Bwaoh, shit!” he yells, startled. Then, of course, a bespectacled unicorn comes into the scene,with a swaggering gait and a confident smirk on his face. I crossed my arms and looked at him. I'm not impressed by this bullshit.

“Well, Malideus, I knew you’d show up sooner or later, but I didn’t think you’d stoop so low as to bring more golems. Honestly, can’t be bothered to fight me without the help of some useless robots?” He says arrogantly. Wait... if he's still alive, then what did he do to my children? Outside, my impassive facade hadn't changed, but inside my fury had briefly gotten red-hot, then turned back into an icy-cold wrath. He was going to suffer.

“Robots? You mean you survived them.” I was enraged beyond all belief at this unicorn, but I masked my emotions, quite literally with my mask. I turned to Malideus, still keeping my facade up. “How quick is his perception time, by the way?” 

“He wears giant glasses, you tell me.” He says, pointing to the now-annoyed Stargazer, who is very quick to retort:

“They’re prescription!” Malideus rolls his eyes at that statement. I have to agree; this would not make a good subject of absorbtion.

“Yeah, whatever four-eyes.” he says, causing him to growl slightly. I examined him minutely. An exclusive magic user; how limited in his scope. “Hmph. One question: wait, no, nevermind.” I'd plucked the details out of his head. He'd stowed the prisoners away somewhere far away, about a mile away to be exact. That done, I turned to Malideus. “Be thankful that my children were feeling rather cautious around hostages. The hostages are…” I focused slightly, reconfirming the details in my head. “About a mile thataways.” I pointed to the northeast. Malideus was pleased by that quick answer and looks at me.

“Alright, Makuta, You got four-eyes over here. I have other traitors to… discipline.” he says, and then he turns and walks, trusting in my strength to deal with this situation.


Makuta’s P.O.V




I focused on the glasses-wearing unicorn with a snort. This weakling thought he was a match for my children and I? What a fool. I gripped my Staff of Shadows. “Boy, I have one word for you: run.” A wave of pure fear emanated from me. I was going to enjoy this. However, as if to spite me, a shield appeared around him, to both our curiosity, it seemed, and it sure didn’t look like HIS magic. Still, though it blocked the first wave, it would not block the second.

I walked forwards. “Interesting shield, little one.” My steps shook the ground he was on, and though protected, he still took a step back. 
“But you did harm my children, and for that… for that, I will make you suffer.” A second wave of fear slammed into the shield, breaking it. A minor bit of terror shot through to him, causing him to scramble backwards. 

“What… what are you!?” the pitiful unicorn asked. I picked him up with gravity, causing him more fear. “I am Makuta. And you cannot defeat me. No more than you can defeat the sea, or the wind. Or… the Void.” I flung him against a wall and stalked forwards, slowly. Menacingly. Inducing a tiny bit of fear to prolong the terror. Maybe I am a sadist, or maybe, I like toying with my prey. But, with that, the little unicorn seemed to be struck with something, and got up, as if now unaffected by fear. Then, grabbing a discarded stalagmite, he swung at me wildly, as if possessed.

The stalagmite shattered on my protosteel carapace. I frowned, probing into his mind delicately. What I saw interested me. A rather arrogant and foolhardy mind entirely, how very… foolish of him, if he didn’t even really put a barrier up. “Well, well, well, little fool. You dare to challenge me? You’d best have some power to back your claims up.”

“You think you’re all that, you invasive pest? I am a top-ranking mage, even better than the princesses themselves! Fate has decided ME to be this world’s new ruler, and you will fall just like the golem, the dragon, and your freakish, insectile pets!” The impetuous unicorn finally shouted, gathering his feeble magic for one last charge at me.

“Weak. Oh, so weak.” I grabbed him by the throat. I examined him. Not even worth an honourable death. I simply… drained him. Hunger pulled all of his power out, leaving him barely conscious. I then walked outside, holding him up. 
“Well, new ‘world ruler,’ do you have the strength to take my power? Do you even have enough strength to stand?” I dropped him to the ground, drained of all his strength, a feeble wreck drained of any power. 

I then attended to my pets. Leerahk’s legs had been torn to pieces, Guurahk’s upper and lower body had been separated, and Panrahk was missing his arms. This was going to be an annoyance for me. I magnetically pulled the protosteel towards the Rhakshi, and got to work repairing them. Nothing hurt my loyal minions. Not even me. 

Once Leerahk was done, he stalked over to the unicorn, still barely conscious. Leerahk then simply touched him with the tip of his staff, letting the greenish glow of his poison seep through the unicorn. I then leant down. “How does it feel, little ‘ruler?’ To have Leerahk’s poison pumping through your veins?” In response, Stargazer only screamed in pain and dismay, loud enough to be heard all the way in Canterlot. But, even though it was loud, it wasn’t louder than the roar that came after it, a horrible, metallic roar.

“KIIIIIIILLLLLL YOOOOOOUUUUU!!!!!!” It screamed, and I loathe to know what it was… until I saw for myself. There, crashing from the other side of the cave, was a demon bigger than either of the other two I saw, and it looked something like a bionicle itself. Long, black body, kind of sleek, with undertones of machinery in that weird form, but all organic. Fire seemed to blossom underneath, as if it was perpetually burning. But even more disturbing, was that it seemed to be holding a dead changeling in one hand, while going on a rampage. I probed, and what I found shocked me. 

“Malideus, eh…?” I readied myself. This would be interesting. Suddenly, the thing that was Malideus turned it’s head to me, and it opened its mouth, shouting some form of obscenity I didn’t quite catch, and it charged me, giant claws outstretched.

I didn’t want to really harm him, so I let it phase through me. I would need some serious backup. As it turned, I quickly locked eyes. “Stay.” My god, was I thankful for that stasis field. I was barely holding this thing. I quickly pulled on the Olmak. I was going to need a finer tool than my own natural telepathic powers.

“ KILLLLL YOU ALLLLLLLLL!!!!” it screamed again, and I managed to get the mask on just as it broke stasis, ready to kill.

“Come on, come on…” I muttered, throwing it away with gravity to buy some time. Eventually, I found it- the Kanohi Komau, the Great Mask of Mind Control. I slipped it on, and quickly hit his mind, tearing at the foreign consciousness and stabilising parts of his mind. Rage, grief… I suppressed those emotions and continued, his brain fighting my own mind. Eventually, though, I saw the red lights that I assumed were the demon’s eyes turn blue, and knew I’d done it. Malideus was stabilized… but I have a feeling I didn’t get rid of whatever turned him into… this.

“Ehhhh....” The thing said, and it collapsed into dust, revealing Malideus himself, unconscious, though. I picked him up and dusted him off. I then turned to the body he’d been dragging with him. “One of the hostages?” 

If merely seeing the changeling dead was enough to set him off… well, it didn’t bear thinking about. I examined the body. Teenager, badly mauled by something with big teeth. I checked for any signs of life. Changelings were durable little buggers, but not durable enough to survive something like this… hang on. 

I might be able to save her. Or at least, do something. “Hang on, little one. This might help.” I poured the power of High speed regeneration into her body, hoping that some spark of life remained. I saw some of the organs reconstituting themselves and I had a bit of hope that, somehow, this might work. But then, the body just gave up. I stared for a bit, then sighed. No life; I was regenerating a corpse. All I could do was fix the body up, at this point. A little earlier, and I might have been able to save her.

“Even I have limits.” 

After a while, after all the traitors either ran or were dealt with otherwise, I heard a groan, and saw Malideus wake, clutching his head.

“Ooogh… What hit me…? What…? Makuta? What happened here?” He asked, clearly not remembering his ‘ordeal’.

I stared at him. “You turned into a demon thing, remember?” If he didn’t remember, then I really didn’t want to trigger a relapse into whatever had caused him to flip out.

“Uh… yeah, I think so. But I don’t remember why… Well, no point dwelling on it. Is everyone taken care of?” Malideus asks.

I nodded. “Yes. By the way… you may want to see this.” I took out the body of the Changeling and instantly hit his mind with suppressing waves. I did not need another appearance of that demon. “I’m afraid that she died before I could heal the body. If I’d managed to get there, I might have been able to save her.” 

Malideus stared at the body. I patted him awkwardly on the back. “If it’s any consolation, you might not have been able to save her. Now, I think the terms of our agreement are at an end.” I opened the portal, and my three Rhakshi flew through. I then reopened it, preparing to make the jump. But Malideus’ hand shot out, grabbing my arm and holding me there.

Malideus looked at me. “You’re a god, and you couldn’t save her?! Or were you just exaggerating your abilities?” 
I sighed. “Malideus, there are some things that even the gods themselves cannot fix.” In that moment, feeling his mind plummet back to darker places, I honestly pitied the dark mage more than anything. 

“Why? Why do there have to be these limits on your powers?! Why?!” The dark wizard cried, and I saw that he was really a teenager, having never really dealt with loss like that. I suppose I wasn’t much better myself; my children were born of me, and when they were harmed, I dealt with the wounder harshly. With a wave of my hand, a large chunk of earth was torn out. I then moved her body in, clumsily. I then gently dropped the earth back down and smoothed it over. “I’ve done all I can. Jarvis?” 

The Shadow Kraata seemed surprised. Yes sir? I had a special assignment for him.
“Jarvis, I think you need a holiday. Stay with Malideus, as his… assistant, yes.” Jarvis looked at me, then back to Malideus. 


“I feel that you need a companion. And Jarvis, for his faults, will serve you well. Jarvis! Tell Malideus a complete list of your powers later, but now, I must leave.” I replaced my Kraahkan on my face, then turned to Malideus one more time. 

“Malideus… you have a dark power within yourself. Try to keep it under wraps from now on. If it gets out again… you might lose yourself entirely.” 

And with that, I left for my lair, closing the portal behind me. Today… had not been the best of days, for me, for Malideus, or for that changeling girl. I slumped in my throne. 

Still… had I actually possessed a mouth, I would have grinned. It had helped me shake off my depression, and now I felt my schemes flowing, all over that poor teenage changeling. Yes… that plan would work.
> Like pawns on a board
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I stalked through my chambers, examining a pebble of protodermis. With a sigh, I pulled out a chisel and started etching away at it while my thoughts and plans flew through my mind. The summoning by Malideus had changed the board from two dimensional to three dimensional. And I had revealed a lot of me to him. Why? As a teenager, he would want complete and utter assurance that I could be trusted, and so I bared my heart to him. A weak minded person, with poor defences yet with so much power... should he decide to not be moved, then I would genuinely be sorry to reduce him to a babbling moron. But if he got in the way of my plan, a plan that had spent four thousand years gestating, then I would show him no mercy. 

After all, when a dog becomes rabid, you put it down.

I kept carving as I started speaking to myself, a habit I had picked up a long time ago in my cell. Considering the other worthless inmates of Tartarus, I had been one of maybe three sane beings there, the others being Tirek and Ymir. Those two... old ones, not like me. "Though I do sympathise with your plight, Malideus... I am forced to consider you naught but a pawn."

I examined the vague shape, that of his helmet. Pulling out a finer tool, I continued carving. "Truthfully, you have reawakened my sense of empathy, and I thank you for that. But your demonic form... it is something I do not pretend to understand, and I can not think of how to control you. That's why I needed some of myself there, to mould you into my weapon. Jarvis, though he may be strange, will make sure that your demonic side will, if not be controlled, will be manipulated by me. If not... well, I shall have to put you down, or move you to where your sacrifice will do the most good for me and you."

The piece done, I placed it on the board, examining the other pieces on the board. I picked up a fanged piece, turning it over. "Ah, poor, sweet Chrysalis... I will have use for you." That done, I replaced the piece on the board of Equestria, and examined my own piece. Out of vanity, I'd deemed myself the King of the board- the most important piece, but limited in movement. That was true enough- in this form I couldn't hide without shapeshifting into a smaller form, and my vanity would not allow that for very long.

Celestia and Luna I had deemed Queens- powerful, moving easily around the board, yet also grossly overestimating their importance. Chrysalis I'd deemed a Knight, moving erratically and seeming to teleport to places where she would strike unexpectedly. But at the same time, moving in patterns oh so predictable. But I think that it's time that she move in a different direction. 

I looked at the piece, and I didn't know whether I felt pity for her. Love was always a difficult matter to procure for her. Let's see how desperate she is for love. "On to Equestria, dear, sweet Chrysalis... on to Equestria."

Chuckling, I moved her into Equestria, and then I left. I gestured to a Rahkshi with a blue body and gold limbs. "You. I am giving you the designation: Mystique. Look after the base while I'm gone on this mission."
The newly christened Mystique nodded, command received. With that, I swept out, grabbing my Kakama and putting it on. With some reluctance, I left my Kraahkan behind. I wanted her to trust me.

I orientated myself for the wasteland that I'd seen Chrysalis in last and activated the mask. While the landscape blurred around me, I contemplated my plans. I wanted Chrysalis to go there... as a diplomat. Strange, but the changelings being there in a peaceful fashion would serve my plan better than if she came by force. If her changelings became accepted, then I could slip in my shapeshifting Rahkshi, should I need to take it by force.  Plus, if there was no need for shapeshifters to be checked, then my Rahkshi could indeed slip in through the cracks, and build me a base. 

Green came and went, to dull brown, then to tan. As soon as I saw that, I slowed down. I looked around, trying to find Chrysalis' hive. Then, I snorted. Changelings usually used their talents on their hives. With a mental flicker, I tracked for minds out here, in the desert. At first, all I found were a couple of minds that were too primitive to even be considered changelings. But then... I grinned. I'd detected the minds of the changelings, in a direction to the east of here. I gripped my staff and got walking, hoping not to overshoot the mark with my Kakama. 

After about an hour of walking, I had arrived. The Changeling hive was invisible to the normal eye, but I knew how to get it to appear. I simply probed out with my mind, delicately peeling away knowledge from a drone and finding the doorway. A short walk later, I had access. I examined the door. Powerful magical defences, watched on the other side, and quite durable besides. SO I did what any being would do in this situation.

I knocked on the door politely. 

After a few moments, the door opened, and a changeling drone looked at me warily. I spread my arms wide, and dropped my Staff of Shadows. I really did not want to be seen as hostile. 
"Take me to Queen Chrysalis."
Offering myself up like this was a risky move in theory, but in practise it was the best one I could make given the circumstances. Chrysalis had always been a more... straightforward person to manipulate. Though she'd possessed a mind equal to my own, and was a master of manipulation... she had loved me, for whatever reason. I hadn't felt an attraction, but maybe, if things were different...

I quashed those thoughts. not now, not ever. Anyway, the changeling led me through the hive. I noted with a bit of worry that the corridors had changed alignment slightly. Even so, I paid it no heed. It was as time was- things changed as the celestial spheres overhead moved around. The hive had always been a more organic construct, and a new design might have been ushered in many, many times. Whatever the case,  I was finally brought face to face with...

Hang on. 

This is not Queen Chrysalis. Certainly there was a resemblance; the cat-like eyes, the dull teal hair. But she was different from Chrysalis- leaner, willowy, and definitely younger. For a while, we stared at each other, both confused in an equal measure. I was the first to break the silence. "Queen Chrysalis, I presume."

For her part, Chrysalis raised an elegant eyebrow slightly. "And who, exactly, may you be, to know my name?" 

That clinched it; Chrysalis could always tell who I was, even if I was in one of my greatest disguises and had shielded my mind against all possible intrusion. I probed her mind, and came up blank. This impressed me slightly; this Queen had a different way, allowing her defences to be much stronger. "I knew a Queen Chrysalis, four thousand years ago. Be you named after her?" It had been a while, I realised, since I had needed to rely on not reading the mind of someone I was talking to. And I was enjoying it immensely.

The Changeling Queen nodded. "She is my ancestor, as she is the ancestor of all. I am her twentieth descendant. The Hive Mind does not recognise you." 

I bowed, just deep enough to convey a feeling of only respecting her position, not her power. "I am the one known as the Emperor of Shadows. Know you of one Teridax?"

Such a simple statement had undertones that any politically minded person would hear it: I knew your ancestor, and I hope you will be like her. She adjusted her position, acknowledging my power and respect. "Ah, yes, I hadn't recognised you. You have indeed changed much, Teridax. So much that I don't recognise you." 

Well, this wasn't good. By saying something seemingly innocuous like that, she'd conveyed another meaning to me: I will not be manipulated like my predecessor. Well, the Hivemind did have a long memory, so that was to be expected. I shrugged. "Four thousand years changes us all, doesn't it?" 

Change is good, but I hope you will assume that position in my heart. The Queen stood up, exerting her presence on me. "Well then, Emperor of Shadows. Shall we walk?" 

I carefully followed her, careful not to tread on any errant changelings that scampered around, after the Queen's needs. An invitation to walk with a powerful ruler was not one to take lightly. We walked up several stairs, not saying a word. Queen Chrysalis was the first to speak, slightly ahead of me. "So, Emperor, how does the Hive compare to its past?" 

I snorted. "It has changed in many ways, and I hope that they are all good." In truth, the place was a wreck, a hollow skeleton compared to its previous size. Time was when the Hive would dominate the desert, and the Changeling swarm was numbered in the millions. Now, only a couple of thousand remained. Maybe it was quality over quantity, but I seriously doubted it. 

Chrysalis sighed. "May I speak frankly?" 

That surprised me. "Naturally, oh Queen of Changelings."

Chrysalis sighed. "Though I enjoyed our game of hidden meanings, I am not really in the mood for it. Truthfully?" She turned to me, and her eyes were filled with sadness. 
"The Changelings are dying. We cannot supply enough love to support ourselves. Though we can eat more terrestial food and emotion... it does not fill us like love does. Besides, the land around us is unsuited for farming." 

"Teridax, we are preparing for a desperate war against Equestria." 

That wasn't good. Not only would the war lead to the senseless death of many changelings, it would also hinder my plans. That would simply not do. I would need to take quick action. "Good Queen Chrysalis," I began, to get her attention. When I had gotten it, I continued. "Are you sure that there is no other path, such as diplomacy?"

Chrysalis shook her head. "The Immortal Sun herself would never allow us to be forgiven." 

I shook my head. "I know her of old, and there is only one person that she will not forgive: me. You will have a chance. BEsides, she would be a fool not to take an ally as powerful, cunning, and intelligent as you are."

Chrysalis hummed. "Perhaps. But that seems unlikely." 

I examined my fingers. In my prison, I'd felt more than seen some events- like the sealing of Nightmare Moon, and her release. "Oh, I wouldn't be so sure of that." 

Chrysalis' curiosity was now, against her will, pequed. "Tell me more, Teridax." 

I nodded. I was carefully turning Chrysalis' opinion to mine. "Oh, only a rumour I have, but... have you seen the change in the moon?"

Chrysalis nodded. "Yes, I am aware of the change. Wasn't that due to the Dreamwalker herself being corrupted by your words?" She glared at me; not unjustifiably. "May I presume that you are corrupting me as you speak?" 

I shook my head; I was lying to her, but I was always a sincere liar. "No, I am not. And I have seen: Princess Luna was publicly forgiven by Celestia herself. Would you deny Celestia's own words?" It was crap with a grain of truth- Celestia had indeed forgiven Luna, though the ceremony had not exactly been public. Of course, Chrysalis the Younger would not know that. 

And she took the bait. Her green, cat-like eyes flickered briefly, weighing the pros and cons of going up to Celestia peacefully. Eventually, she sighed. "I'll consider it." 

That just about confirmed my thoughts and hopes. I bowed, deeply, to show both my respect for her and for her decision. "By your leave, I will return to my home." She nodded, distracted. As I left, I gave her one, last, piece of advice. "Assemble a small honour guard, and appear before Celestia in your base form. Oh, and don't mention me; I suspect that Celestia will likely not regard you if you mention that you have talked with me."

With that, I left. As soon as I was out of doors, I picked up my Staff of Shadows, and ran back to my base using the Kakama. Once I was there, I swept through to my throneroom. I then examined the board. 

"Other worlds, other humans... other pieces for the plan." I mused, pulling out more pebbles. I then moved them around, into vague positions that I knew not where. The Orb of Vision glowed briefly, and I, curious, walked over to it, replacing my Kakama on the rack for my Kraahkan. I then examined it. Someone was calling on my power. 

A mental smile broke out on my face. "More Pieces reveal themselves to me."
> A new pupil... and a new enemy
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Before I entered the portal, I slightly focused on the woman summoning me. Seemed nice, thoguh a bit too... heroic for my tastes. But I could appreciate the powerful mind behind those pretty eyes. Not that I even had a sex drive now. I would have to fix that, in order to understand my opponents better. So, I decided to grace her with the presence of an immaculate and perfect being such as myself.


==---== Kat's P.O.V
The shadow around me was darker than anything I had ever experienced. There was not even a single shred of light. Out of the darkness, came a loud, mechanical sound, reminiscent of foot steps. As suddenly as it appeared, the shadow faded revealing a massive being in my bedroom. His deep red eyes hidden behind a mask of pure black. I blinked once, then my eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. I recognized this creature from my childhood and reacted as any one else would: I screamed.

“AAAAAHHHH!!! IT’S THE MAKUTA!! HIDE YOUR KIDS, HIDE YOUR WIFE, HIDE YOUR HUSBAND! RUN AWAY!!” I dove behind my bed, shaking in fear and my head slightly peeking out to keep my eyes on him.

He gazed at me with a slight frown. “Come out of there. You’re a grown woman.” 

“Not in mind! Jerk!” I called out not moving from my spot.

He sighed, and with a minor shudder started shrinking down, into a form about the height of a pony, a rusty, pockmarked Hau on his face. Glowing yellow eyes glared in my direction. “Get out of there before I make you get out of there.” 

I blinked twice at what just happened. Definitely one of the strangest things I’ve seen. “Well, okay, but no funny business!” I slowly got out from my hiding spot, but made sure I was near my shield just in case.

Makuta’s eye changed colour, into a sickly green. “Right.” He then shrugged. “So, may I have the pleasure of knowing your name? You already know mine, or are at least grudgingly accepting of it.”

“Kat. Kat Shifter. Why did your eyes change color?”

Teridax chuckled. “Quite simple. It conveys my eyebrow raising normally, but I changed it to yellow so that it wouldn’t be so… intimidating. After all, just because I am a criminal does not mean that I cannot be considerate of the needs of other people.” 

“Wait…you’re a civilized villain?” I asked cautiously. Never offend a villain, it doesn’t pan out well. He chuckled, faintly.

“Culture is never too hard to acquire. An intelligent villain is something above a more… shall we say, crude and unrefined one. After all, a man can smile, and smile, and smile, and still be called villain.” 

My eyes lit up. This was the guy I needed! I wasn’t sure whether or not he was evil yet, but he wasn’t trying to kill me so I figured the risk was worth taking. “Can you teach me?” I asked with enthusiasm. He shrugged. 

“Villainy is hard to teach. Intelligence above all else, but presentation is good as well. Villainy is also aided by having… less than is commonly accepted goals.”

“Like beating up a princess or two?”

Teridax waved a hand. “I’ve been busy for a very, very long time. My plan requires a lot of pawns to be in the right place at the right time. Everything is a piece on my board. Everything.” He paused. “And I would say no to that. Examining the princesses, assessing psychological weaknesses, then speaking exactly the right words at the right time, letting them fester in the backs of their minds until the wrong circumstances at the wrong time roll by… that would be more my style.” 

I put a finger to my chin and started tapping. “Hmm, you may have a point there, but I don’t want to drag this out longer than I have to. All I need to know is how to make the ponies of Equestria fear me without becoming some kind of evil monster. I don’t want to hurt anyone, well except the Princesses.”

Teridax seemed bored. “Put on black and red and apply red contacts. Then, get a dread fortress. And a cape. It’ll get results quickly- most things that are evil use that. Or use black and green- the changelings pulled off the ‘dark’ look very well with that colour palette. Don’t use natural green though, use lime green. Or if not green or red, use purple. Not a colour often seen.”

I gave him a deadpan look. “I don’t quite like that attitude, mister. If I wanted sarcasm, I’d go some place else! Look, I really need some help in this area. I’ve always been a hero, so I rightly don’t know what I’m doing. And don’t think I’m some pushover; just because I’m a hero doesn’t mean I’m against destruction. I did nearly destroy the entire planet in a psychotic rage after all.”

Teridax seemed curiously calm. “Duly noted.” he then rubbed his mechanical hands together. “But I am actually offering some serious advice with the dread fortress. Get a fortress and minions. Dependable minions are hard to come by, but get them loyal and your work will be super easy. Have a plan for what you want to do- not a long one, like the gambit I’m running, but a simple, short-term one. Make it flexible and adaptable as well. Finally…”  He looked at me. “Gain an appreciation for culture and poetry. A sound body hosts a sound mind.” 

I raise an eyebrow slightly. “Okay, that kind of came out of nowhere. Minions, huh? Hmm… would worshipers count?”

Teridax shrugged. “Organised religion is not something I have dabbled in. Though…” he tapped a large foot on the floor. Eventually, he came to a decision. “Yes, I did move a couple of religions around… along with starting and destroying a couple of monarchies. Personally, I never used them as minions, only as fall-guys. After all…” he tore into his chest, pulling out a kraata and staring at it, “why hire, when I can birth?” 

I stared at the strange looking creature. “Yeah, that’s creepy. I was just wondering since the dragons apparently see me as the goddess of battle. Some of the older ones probably wouldn’t go for it, but I was thinking more along the lines of the younger generation.”

Teridax nodded. “Get them at about the dragon equivalent of twenty. Don’t want puberty getting in the way. Plus, any younger and your opponents will exploit it. Hang on.” He pulled out another mask, and with a wave, a hole was created. He tossed the writhing slug in, letting it close. “There, that’s out of the way. Now then.” He faced me.
“For the basis of an evil lair, particularly with dragons, I cannot, repeat, cannot emphasize the importance of location enough. A volcano lair for you, my dear, it seems. Be careful not to fall into it, and make sure all your precarious catwalks have railings.” 

“Eh, wouldn’t be the first time I fell into lava,” I shrugged. Teridax tilted his head, then apparently decided not to ask. “Regardless, miss Kat, location, location, location, as terrible estate agents always say. But even so, evil is not always clear cut. For instance, to be morally good I would advise that you start an anti-smoking campaign, rebuild a collapsed economy, and talk about how the public will cheerily accept a big lie over a small lie. Are those not noble things?” 

“Uh, dude, this Equestria, not America,” I say with a raised eyebrow. “Even back then, everything was practically perfect. I may have to check with Twilight later, but I’m quite sure the crime rate hasn’t increased since then and, while I may loathe them right now, the Princesses were always pretty good about keeping a balanced checkbook.”

Teridax shook his head. “Oh, no. All those things? Hitler actually did every single one of them. Oh, and he kept a dog. Very well, according to historical accounts.” He paused. “Just a thought.” 

I glared at him slightly, though not sure why. Why did it bother me that he just compared Celestia and Luna to Hitler? Eh, figure it out later. “Okay, so step one: evil lair. Step two: Minions. Step three: try to make things better for other compared to the princesses (not really confident on that one). Anything else?”

He chuckled. “Oh, not the last one; I used that as an example of how morality is not always so easy to determine. And I wasn’t comparing the Princesses to Hitler- though there are qualities I admire in the man. Not his policies,” he added as an afterthought, “not his prejudices, but his strengths. He was charismatic, patriotic, and highly intelligent. And above all else, his pragmatism and ruthlessness. Character traits that are to be admired in all.” 

“Well, unfortunately, for my plan to work, I need the ponies to despise me. I need to get on everyone’s bad side here. It’s the only way the Princesses will take me seriously when the time comes.” Teridax seemed curious. 

“And what will happen then?” 

I stopped for a second. . . then waved it off. “Eh, that’s future Kat’s problem.” 

He shook his head. “My end goal is clear in my mind… though I will not tell you what it is. But you must have a clear goal, that you work towards in smaller goals until you have achieved it.” 

I shrugged. “Just call me Sasuke Uchiha.”

Teridax shook his head. “More of a Hamlet if you ask me, if revenge your true goal be. Just the honest opinion of a classicist.” 

“I just need to focus on my current plans. After that, I’ll probably focus on the nevi threat.”

Yet Teridax focused on that. “Villainy is something I picked up, from snippets of advice and my own designs on it. You could form your opinions on villainy without much help at all. Yet it is the case of ‘to be or not to be’ all over again. You are simply too morally… good for villainy. I cannot teach you on my level. Our worldviews are too different, my dear. I can give you general pointers, but I dislike leaving things to fate too much. I have… plans within plans within plans, so complex that to show you might break your mind. I have steered a planet to my will for the best part of four thousand years, through dreams and portents.” He paced. “Setbacks have come and I have adapted them in to my plan, as simple as breathing. Or rather, as breathing used to be for me.” 

I stopped on the break my mind part, thinking, “Too late for that…” “Well, Mr. Teridax, it’s probably because I’m not trying to become a villain. I just want to look like one to the people. I’m still a hero at heart.”

Teridax shrugged. “Acting. Admirable in one so young. The world is a stage, miss Kat; and all the living creatures within merely players.” He gave, somehow, the impression of a smile. “In my world, guess who holds most of the strings? Who wrote most of the script, who designed the costumes? Not me, but rather, people who have become convinced that they are doing it for them, but actually for me. I merely need to poke at a string, and it reverberates with my tune.” 

I shrugged. “What can I say? I’m a stickler for the drama. I do thank you for the advice, Teridax. It has been most helpful.” Before Teridax could speak again, another voice rang out through the castle.

“Kat? KAT? Are you awake?” I recognized the voice as Twilight’s. It must be time for our get together. I need to wrap this up.

"That's my friend, we have plans." Teridax shrugged. “That means you need to leave… like now.”

Teridax nodded. “In that case, good day.” With a wave, a similar portal appeared. He was about to leave, then paused. “By the way… I’ve been reading your mind the entire time.” And with that, he left.

I stared at the spot where he seemingly vanished back into the shadows, blinked once, and then fumed. “You what?! OOOHH! Teridax if you ever come near me again, you and the ground will get to know each other on an intimate level! That bucking jerk! If any of his plans involve me or my world, so help me…” I ranted on for another minute before I heard Twilight calling for me again. “Coming Twilight!” I called back. I looked back to where the Makuta had vanished. “That’s it, no more multiuniversal help for this girl for a while.”

Teridax's P.O.V
As soon as I was back, I decided to spy on Kat using the Orb of Vision. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer, I always think. Kat would be a danger. I resolved to teach her as much as I could, then at the first available opportunity I would kill her. Since I didn't know the extent of her likely immortality, I was going to have her shot in the head, then encased in concrete and then buried on the ocean floor. Should she ever get out, I would simply blow her concrete coffin up.

I idly watched her interacting with six ponies, slightly bored but doing it to gain an understanding of her. SHe was a genuinely heroic soul, and she would resspond violently if I threatened any of them-

The purple one. That one was different. I refocused on her. I then subtly opened a portal with my Olmak, and then probed through her mind. She had such knowledge of so many types of magic... I hurriedly closed the portal and then activated the Orb of Vision again, spying on all realities. I then came across one where the purple one was an alicorn. 

Had I been human, I would have been grinning so widely right now. I was wondering how my plan to take over the entirety of Equestria would work. And thanks to Kat, the answer had been dropped right into my lap. 
"Heh. Hehheh. HehhehhehBWAHAHAHAHAHA!"
I then coughed. Rather cliche, that. I turned to Mystique.
"Mystique, keep the base running, I'm going to the opera."

> A friendly night at the opera
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Finding an opera house around the lair had proven fruitless. Since it was something only the upper classes enjoyed, it was only ever really around Canterlot. I was going to walk right into the heart of enemy territory and just sit there for a couple of hours. Honestly, this was not a good plan. There were so many things that could go wrong with this, such as an accidental confrontation with the alicorn sisters. Though I would be more than capable of beating them, doing so would draw Tirek to me like a moth to a flame. 

I assumed a rather different disguise. White fur, slicked-back orange mane, blue eyes and a laughing mask for a Cutie Mark. Never assume the same disguise twice. With my preparations done, I quickly flashed to a nearby train station using my power of teleportation, and bought a ticket, While I was on the train, I plotted and schemed.

Truthfully, my entire plan hinged on just three simple facts- firstly, that Celestia and Luna assumed that I hadn't gotten any stronger while I had been sealed in Tartarus. If they assumed I had gotten stronger, then more stringent checks would be preformed on citizens. I might need to acquire a passport while I was here. 

Another important fact I needed on my side was that Celestia and Luna would not inform the general public of my and Tirek's existence. If a pair of incredible threats to my entire species were just walking around, I wouldn't keep it quiet, I'd have the guards poking and prodding into every garbage bag they could get their spears into. Then again, Celestia and Luna were just queens on my chessboard, and grossly underestimated their importance. If there was one alicorn I would describe as the most dangerous, it would be Cadence.

Love is truly more powerful than the sun and moon. I had given the matter intense consideration and concluded that if Cadence was ever pushed, then the power of Love would truly become one of the most terrifying magical powers to exist here. Love makes people do crazy things. It transcends space and time, and it can cause wars in its name. And Cadence understood the dangers of love, and never really used it to its fullest potential. But I would gain that power in a short amount of time. I would just wait for the opportune moment. 

My last assumption? That they assumed I would be far too smart to even come near their mountaintop city. I'd already come there, they knew that much. What they wouldn't expect was for me to come again, in a disguise. I'd never really shapeshifted around them, so they didn't know that I could even do that. Mostly, I'd used my lightning and plasma powers to completely nullify most of their arsenal. 

When you have forty-two powers to freely utilise, you spend a lot of time working on them. I'd spent almost all of my sentence training my powers, until they were so finely tuned that I would have eventually broken out on my own. I waited for the moment of opportunity, and I took it. 

While the train powered me and my fellow passengers to my destination, I mentally poked, pried and levered information from their heads without them even noticing. A couple did glance up in confusion, but that was about it. I absorbed the information about the new bearers of the Elements of Harmony from a pony reading a newspaper. Apparently, they had vanquished Cerberus and returned him to its prison. No mention of any escaped prisoners. I mentally smirked. Celestia and Luna were just as predictable as ever. Cadence less so; so far I hadn't the faintest clue as to her whereabouts, any alliances she may have made, anything useful and tangible. The only thing I even had was a rumour from a vaguely noble Canterlot pony, which was about the scandal of Cadence looking at the Captain of the Guard in a strange way. 

I filed the information away for safekeeping. Might be useful for bribery or future consultation. Whatever the case, I would have to think about it.

The train eventually stopped at Canterlot, and I quickly disembarked. I hurried through the city, acting completely natural while I pulled directions out of the heads of other ponies. Eventually, I had a map of the entire city in my head, and I quickly filed the information away. By repeatedly reinforcing the memory, it was now burned into my genius-level brain. 

I eventually encountered the Canterlot opera, and through a minor suggestion on my part and a fair amount of money, I was able to enter the next opera in a private box. The opera in question? I glanced at the program and burst out laughing, before turning it into a cough as the ticket-seller glared at me. I took another look at the schedule and chuckled. 

The fall of Teridax.

The irony did not escape me. I was actually pleased that I now had an opera made of my life. Were I anybody else, that would be enough. But of course I wanted more. What other course of life could I take, now that I was a ten foot tall giant robot that could shapeshift? Quite a few, but I really wanted a lot more than I had, that was for sure.

So I sat in my box, and I plotted. I kept an ear out for the music. Quite good, though a bit too light and cheery for my tastes. As I watched my opera-version of me sing in an impressively deep bass, I drifted into a semi-coma state where my brain whirled over my plans for Twilight Sparkle. She definitely existed here- she was the leader of the Elements of Harmony, the current Element of Magic. 

I frowned. Hang on. Was I seriously contemplating her as a person? I blinked, then shook my head. If I got pity for her, that would endanger the plan. No. From now on, It was to be referred to as an object, in case I got pity for It. Regardless of Its status now, the chances of It becoming the repository for the alicorns' magic was about 90 percent likely. If Tirek moved when he had enough strength, that is. He was likely going to strike earlier, and with considerably less caution than he might have possessed. 

So, It would likely be called up to the duty of taking all of the alicorns' magic. Truthfully, I hoped that they would pour all that power into It. If they did that, then my entire plan would go off much easier. 

I had originally planned on hunting down each individual alicorn and absorbing them into me, but that plan had quite a few holes. Firstly, it meant leaving my position and taking one of the alicorns, which would either drive them into hiding or cause them to attack me. Neither option was good. Secondly, I would need to absorb and quash three separate, millenia old minds into my own, which would cause me considerable psychic strain, thus allowing these 'Element bearers' to gain the upper hand. Or, as they would say, 'upper hoof.' 

The thought of six inferior beings managing to defeat an immaculate and majestic being such as myself galled me. How dare they? How dare they even think of defying me? With a mental cough, I reigned my temper back in, though my righteous and divine fury still coursed through me. No, Tirek provided the perfect opportunity. The alicorns, in fear of Tirek taking over, would call It so that they could give It their power. It would then go to its home of Ponyville. Then, I could wait until the climactic battle between It and Tirek...

And eat It. By absorbing It, I would both negate any possibility of alicorn retaliation, but also negate the Elements of Harmony by absorbing their leader. Though by all accounts Its mind was quite powerful, It was still young. I would crush it like a bug, and then I would have all of Its knowledge and power. 

I grinned. All I had to do was play the waiting game now, and wait for Tirek to gain his full strength. And in the meantime, I had a few ancient superweapons that I wanted to get rid of...
> Dealing with possible threats
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I looked around the large block of protosteel that I called the meeting table at my forty-six generals. As soon as I'd returned, I'd gotten around to making some much-needed modifications.
"You can talk to me, you know. You are my children, after all."

Venom looked up, flexing the new tongue I'd made for him. "Yes, we remember that the generals could talk... still a bit weird how we have tongues now." 
I nodded. "You're my children. Why shouldn't I give you this gift? Now, use your gift wisely. Though I will tolerate a certain level of insubordination, I will not tolerate outright rebellion."

Venom glared at me. "In which case, may I recommend that we get rid of that fat thing? It damn near destroyed my legs!" 
I paused. "Really?" That hadn't been communicated. I picked up Malideus' piece, staring at it. Should I give the kill order yet?
After a moment's thought, I shook my head. Malideus was still useful to me... though his usefulness was steadily declining. It hadn't before, but it was now. If he couldn't control his own minions...

I returned to the subject at hand. "Not yet, Venom. But I assure you, Malideus' usefulness to me WILL reach an end. And the demon known as Gondon will be destroyed."
Venom grinned. "Good. I want it to suffer." 
I nodded. Anybody who threatened my family would get destroyed. "Now, returning to the subject at hand: other humans."
I gave a signal to Magnifico, a Rahkshi of Illusion. With a wave of his staff, a complex illusion of all the humans I had identified through the Orb of Vision appeared. 

I gestured. "As I'm sure you all know, my fellow humans all exist in alternate versions of Equestria. Most of them aren't human anymore, like me."
With another wave, more pictures of them came up, the demon, Nemesis, various others who didn't even have their own species for comfort. I continued talking.
"I believe that none of them will pose any threat to the plan's initial stage. But the second stage faces significant risk from several select humans. As such, I have plans to destroy them as soon as they prove to be a threat."

With a flicker, one human's image grew larger. Intimidating and dressed in black, its Darth Vader helmet with extra horns would have intimidated most people. As it was, I thought he looked ridiculous.
"Darth Vulcan. He's a teenager with an Alicorn Amulet. And just as dangerous as that implies." I snorted.
"He's a weak-willed fool who's a slave to his own tool. I expect him to be killed by the alicorns of his world in a couple of months. He is not fit to even lick my foot." He was a pretentious teenager with some serious mysantthropy issues. Not fit to even think about joining forces with.
Tavish nodded, laughing boisterously. "Aye, but he could be a threat, otherwise why talk about him?" 
I clapped to the Rahkshi of Fragmentation. "Unfortunately, he is a threat. Thanks to that Amulet, he's an incredible threat, if a mentally deluded one. That's why, Tavish, I want you to make sure that he isn't. Keep an eye on him, and should he mobilise against me in the second stage, kill him. Decapitate him and bring me his head as a trophy."

That done, another image appeared, of an armoured warrior with the emblem of the sun on his chest. "The next item on the agenda is Solaire of Astora. From my views of him, he appears to be... unkillable."
Skrillex raised a hand. I pointed to the Rahkshi of Sonics. "Yes, Skrillex?"
He gestured at the image of the knight with one hand, while the other started spinning his staff around. "Nothing's unkillable. Are you sure that they're trying to kill him?" 
I nodded briefly, continuing. "You're quite right. He can be killed, but he doesn't die. Instead, he... respawns, for lack of a better word, around a bonfire."
I grinned, chuckling. "Which is why I've built a cell with enough magic suppressants on it that even he couldn't teleport out, and placed a bonfire there, in case he comes here."
Skrillex clapped. "Your genius truly knows no bounds sir." 
I waved the praise off. "You don't have to tell me what the universe and I already know, Skrillex. But back to the matter of Solaire. Very dangerous, especially with that... humanity of his."
I sneered distastefully. "He's an idealistic fool, but those are often the best kind."

Another image appeared, of Malideus, the dark wizard. I looked at Venom, Tavish and Sek. "You three know who he is."
Sek nodded. "He's the idiot, isn't he? Is he even qualified to find his own arse?"
I shook my head. "I understand his plight, but I have to agree with you: he's a moron. Still, he's a moron with a demon inside of him. A very, VERY powerful demon. Might have to kill him just to get that demon for myself."
Venom nodded eagerly. "Do it sir. Do it now."
I shook my head and steepled my fingers. "Later, my dear Venom. Later." I then stood up. 
"I want somebody to keep a close eye on him. Sek!"

The Rahkshi of Disintegration focused on me again. "Yes sir?"
I pointed at him. "You will go to Malideus' world, and keep an eye on him. If he deviates from the course I have planned for him, then you are to kill him. Understood?"
Sek nodded. "Crystal clear sir."
I paused. "Oh, and inform Jarvis that he is not to inform Malideus of your existence. If he does, I will personally extract him and end his vacation. Got that?"
Sek nodded again, hand resting on his staff. "Again, it's crystal clear sir."
I looked at him. "Don't call me sir. You bow to no-one."

I gestured to Magnifico again, and this time the image of Kat appeared."Kat, gravity manipulator, capable of tearing the planet apart. And very nearly succeeded too. Motivated by the death of a stuffed cat, the most retarded excuse for a revenge plot that has ever existed."
I chuckled. "She honestly thinks that, because the stuffed cat could talk, that it's worth getting excited about! Insects and animals talk in their own languages, and do we care when they die? No, we don't."
I paused, reflecting on her. "Still, for what it's worth, she's a hero." I spat the last word out as if it had a nasty taste in my mouth, which it honestly did. I pointed at John Smith, my Rahkshi of Stasis Field.
"Go there. Keep an eye on her. If she's a threat, put her in stasis and just cut her throat. Her immortality isn't absolute. She can be harmed, and thus she can be killed. Stay undetected, and watch her from afar."

Another flicker, and the image of a golden pony with a flaming orange hair appeared. "Auric Fulcrum, the Wielder of the Flames of Alchemy. Another dangerous heroic type. If he comes here, you are to kill on sight. Do you hear me? Kill. On. Sight. Right now, he's able to be wounded, and thus there is a possibility of killing him. Or if you can't, then paralyse him and bring him to me. I'll absorb him."

A final flicker, revealing a tall, muscular figure with a huge, metallic head, dragging an oversized knife around. Most of the Rahkshi in the room drew back a little. I smirked. "Pyramid Head. Currently residing in Silent Hill. Of all of them, he's the biggest threat because within his home dimension he is invincible. Thus, all I should really have to do is remove him from said dimension, and then snap that rangy neck." 

I gazed around the room. "Any questions?"
Nobody moved. I felt mildly happy. "Then it's decided." I slammed the butt end of my staff on the floor. 
"Meeting adjourned."
> You Complete Me
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

As my Generals walked out of the meeting room, I sighed, exhausted mentally. Not that I could be exhausted physically- but perhaps a slight bit of downtime would be good for me and my focus. I then trudged back, to the one room where they were never to go- my strategy room. I opened the door, pushing through the huge piles of newspaper that had accumulated there like they weighed nothing. The past three days had been spent scouring the newspapers for information on Tirek's whereabouts, but there were other newspapers there as well- newspapers that would never be published in this universe. 

News of my fellow humans. I'd been raiding their dimensions under various shapeshifted disguises, grabbing as many newspapers as I could in order to gain an accurate insight into my enemies' heads. When Phase Two rolled on, it was imperative that I could predict their behaviour. After all, the other humans had some interesting powers. If I wanted to take the entire Equestrian multiverse, then I would need some serious firepower. 

The best way would be to simply absorb more alicorns, but I didn't have the power to freely jump between dimensions just yet. Pinpointing a dimension from the myriad billions would be impossible for a normal person. Luckily, I wasn't a normal person- I hadn't been ever since I'd put on my Kraahkan. The mask, while it had led me to do villainous things, had its own motivations. Plus, Prison had been a good place to spend looking at myself and spotting the flaws in me. I had used my four thousand year long sentence in order to psychoanalyse myself, and I realised one thing: 

I had wanted this. 

I wanted to conquer everything, to see my foes crushed and broken beneath my feet. That had been a simple burst of Understanding, one of significant personal insight. All of my actions, though led on by a mask that wouldn't just give me the free information that I wanted, were motivated while I was in full control of my faculties. And it was thus that my plans- and my ego- had grown in scale. At first, it had simply been 'retaliate at sisters,' but four thousand years in a cell had changed my thinking to one thing- total domination. 

And I had to admit, my Understanding of matters helped out immensely. When I'd put on that Kraahkan, I'd intentionally omitted the detail of what I'd seen when putting it on. After all, Understanding isn't the kind of thing you can just inflict on somebody just by showing them a pretty picture. You have to make them feel the weight of understanding. And for all my knowledge, that piece of wisdom that had been hammered into me by this simple protosteel mask was the one piece that I treasured above all else.

I saw the multiverse. Each and every little detail, from the spin of an atom to the great shifting of an entire plane of existence, of the Void and the Things That Dwell Within, of the Big Bang and the Little Whimper... I'd seen it all, and the details of it had pounded through my brain and continuously drummed at my subconscious. I paused, then shrugged. So maybe I was a little out of it. That was alright. I turned, refocusing on the important aspect of this strategy room. Namely, that there  was something out of place.

I'd taken one piece out of there- the Malideus piece. I don't really remember why I'd done so- I think it may have been to prove a point, or just simple absent-mindedness. Whatever the case, I was going to replace it on the board. I replaced it on its board, then looked around the dingy, paper-filled room. In this room, I predicted each and every little thing that was likely to happen, with regards to previous standards of behaviour that my fellow Displaced all had. Each and every part of the room was covered in newspaper, often obscuring the tine boards that my pieces were on. But there was another door- only really visible if you really focused on it close enough. I walked over, and opened it with my magnetic powers. 

Through here was my sanctum. Normally, the room was where I'd gone to sleep, perchance to dream of bigger and greater things in the multiverse, a way to cope with Understanding everything. It was normally completely clean, nothing on the floor or the walls, just black protodermis blocks and a stolen bed. The bed had long since rotted away, and I had it replaced with a one ton block of protodermis. I was sad to see that my bed had rotted away- another small piece of familiarity had gone with the wind of time.

It was here that my equal's Piece was located. I didn't trust it anywhere else. The walls were dotted with pictures of him, and articles had content related to him obsessively circled with red. He... he was my equal. The only being I'd found across the multiverse who could Understand me. Me. The great plotter and schemer, who because he wanted to spite Celestia turned first their own warden, then her sister, and then her lover into works of evil. I was proud of that. I'd laughed heartily when I'd heard the news. Celestia's life being ruined brought me laughter.

I looked at the life-sized sculpture of Auric Fulcrum, masterfully done. It was only fitting that my only equal should have the best work I'd ever spent on a masterpiece- I know he'd do the same for me. I'd spent a lot of time observing every little detail about him I could, after all. Truthfully, this level of obsession creeped even me out slightly, but I persevered. Why shouldn't I admire my equal? 

"Auric... Auric, Auric, Auric." I rolled the name on my voicebox, enjoying the feel of the name. It even sounded good to the ear. I leant in closer.
"Auric. You may never hear this, but... it has to be said."
I paused, trying to sort out my feelings and get a grip. Since truly becoming a Makuta, I'd lost all semblence of a sex drive. I didn't feel attracted to anybody. Well... almost everybody.
"Auric... I need you." I got up close to the statue. Maybe I didn't love him, but I still needed him. It was a physical need for this person, who I would likely never meet. How ironic- the one man I respect doesn't even know my name.
"I obsess over you. I can't stop thinking about you."
I examined the photos I'd taken of him, the photos that others had taken. "I feel a greater connection with you than with almost anybody else. You are almost more dear to me than my family, Auric."

I stroked my masterwork's face. "You are my equal. Both in your power and in your intellect. It's even in your sense of aesthetic, your love of art and things that are beautiful. You and I, Auric... we are truly greats. Kings among men." 
I shapeshifted into a snake and wrapped myself around him. "Auric, Auric, Auric. You are the only one who could get me, the only one who would Understand. And I'm the only one who can ever understand you truly."
I shapeshifted back into my normal form, and I leant in. "You and I, Auric. We, and only we, can complete each other. Before I discovered you, Auric, I never felt complete. I thought I was complete, but I wasn't really. Now I know you exist... I am complete."

I paced away from him. "Auric, I've been searching for three days, and do you know how many humans I found in different Equestrias? Hundreds. Yet how many truly understand me? How many are my equal? Who would be the only ones allowed to defeat me?" I whirled around, staring at his statue with a snarl on my face.
"One. Just... one." 
I continued pacing. "Darth Vulcan is a misanthrope who doesn't understand the true nature of power. Solaire is a possibly lobotomised moron! The ones known as Tobi and Yoshimitsu are definitely lobotomised! Malideus is but a puppet for several greater demons! Kat is a fool granted godlike power who obsesses over a dead comrade! And there are so many morons out there. So many! I feel my brains dribbling out of my ears when I spot them! And those who aren't evil are even worse! Vapid fools, chasing horses to screw! Trolls, messing with a populace who won't even get half their jokes! And until I found you, I was seriously contemplating just going on the warpath against those 'Conversion Bureau' universes! And you know what I hate about this?"

I leant in. "It's because I've seen how petty and small our race is. You know what the optimum population is modelled on? The iceberg. Ten percent above water, and the rest below. We are that ten percent, Auric. We are truly great. We're kings! The most important piece on the board of life. That's why no other piece on my boards has that designation. You are the only king, Auric. I am the only other one. And if you die before I meet you... I may never forgive you. I'd find your grave and resurrect you. So don't you dare... don't you dare die, okay? I know I have a kill on sight, but honestly, that's to reassure my Generals. That I think you're a threat. They won't kill you without me around."

I turned to him, and for some reason I shapeshifted back to human form. "But it's okay, Auric. It's okay. We have each other." I leant on him, staring up at the ceiling. Even if he was a statue, his presence comforted me. I paused, then smirked, turning back. 
"But we must destroy the things we love, Auric. Understand that."
I placed a hand on Auric's chest. "You and me, Auric... we are but two sides of the same coin. I am you, if you let yourself appreciate your true power. Both of us... we have a greater Understanding than those fools who think they get me. But you, Auric... I say it again, but you, should we ever meet... you would get me."

I then turned back to human form. "Auric... I'm going to break you. I'll destroy everything and everyone you love." 
I clutched the cold, stone visage. "Because it's chess, my friend. Kings have to destroy each other. You raise your army, I'll raise mine. That's how this game of ours works. To think differently is to deny the true nature of the world, the multiverse. Should we defy nature's course? No, we do not. We adhere to it rigorously."

I stared at a board, reverting to my more magnificent self. "The game's starting, Auric. And it will soon be your move..."
> A moment of relaxation and fury
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I looked around the dingy, paper-filled room for a couple of minutes, then shook my head. All my plotting and scheming in here was often fraught with the scent of dusty old paper. Not really conducive to good thinking, I knew that much. So, I left the room, into a general commotion outside. 

I stared over Tavish, Venom and Sek as they brawled with each other. As one, they looked at me with the kind of expression that is normally on the face of a small child with their hand in the cookie jar. It didn't translate well on their snake-like faces, although Tavish's singular red eye did betray a certain childlike innocence. 

I cleared my throat for effect. "May I presume that there is a story behind this?"

Tavish nodded. "Aye. These blighters were thinkin' that ye needed ta get ootside, but of course-"

I waved him off. "It's alright Tavish; I was thinking of going outside anyway. It seems to be a nice day."

Venom and Sek stuck their mechanical tongues out at Tavish. I glared at them. "Please don't. That's rather childish of you. Then again, you are my children. And children do as children do."

I walked out of the base, paused, and then teleported back to my room and grabbed the statue's head. "I knew you saw me, Auric. I know it. My Mask felt it." To have those eyes directed on me for even an instant... it was like Christmas had come true. This was great news. Now I would have to step up a bit. 

I quickly scanned for Auric, and found him outside of his tower. I quickly teleported in, to his coffee jar. I then scrawled a simple message on the back of a piece of paper.

White moves first.

That done, I teleported right back into my sanctum, whereupon I seized all the photos I'd taken of him and started reogranising them. I placed them into shapes, letters that would show Auric my sheer devotion to him: 

Check your coffee jar and don't tell the wife. 

That unicorn had been all around him. I didn't really think she should be with Auric. After all, he was mine. Mine and mine alone. Thus I tore her out of any photo that she shared with Auric, burning it with my plasma powers to signify what I would eventually do to the strumpet who DARED to presume to understand Auric. I was not in the habit of sharing.

I shook my head. Maybe going outside would be a good idea. I quickly flashed to the door and walked out. 

The bright sunlight was muted by the green leaves of the jungle around me. I used a small amount of power to vacuum some of the air towards me, analysing its earthy scent and the smell of the jungle. I then released the vacuumed air gently, causing a small breeze. I wouldn't have been able to do this on Earth. Not at all. 

I resolved, then, that The Plan wouldn't affect this jungle. Natural beauty should not be tarnished for my whims. Everywhere else though, that could be plundered of all its goods. I shape-shifted down to my human size, and I walked through the jungle. 

Exotic birds called in the branches above me while monkeys screeched elsewhere. I laughed, for the first time in a long while, at the simple orchestra that Nature had provided. The birds calling, the monkeys chattering, the wind in the trees and the bubbling of various streams and rivers... it put me in a much better mood. 

I blamed the strumpet for my ill temper. She was the only explanation for my unexpected anger. Measured Thought, when the time came, you would die. Then Auric would be mine. 

I frowned at myself. Thinking of killing an insignificant immortal was so far removed from normal thinking that I was honestly surprised with myself. Maybe my obsession with Auric was damaging my better judgement? Whatever the case, I was dealing with some serious problems in the plan. 

I didn't know how wide my window of opportunity actually was. From my experience with Tirek, I knew that in many respects he was just like me- a slow, meticulous planner who left little to chance. I'd educated Sombra about the importance of planning. When I'd found out that Celestia was in a relationship with him, I had decided to ruin her happiness by corrupting him. I have to say that it was hard, but I managed. 

Back then, Celestia had been the target of my obsession. She was my opposite- an up-front, reckless warrior with strong ideas on morals and other unnecessary things for gods, versus me, a conservative planner who believe that there was no such thing as good or evil. Those are meaningless labels that society uses to define who opposes and who is with them. Not my cup of tea personally. 

When I'd talked to Kat, I'd tried to impress on her that greatness was like power: it has no moral obligations at all. Adolf Hitler was a monster, yes, but at the same time the entire Nazi regime loved animals and had some incredibly strict laws on how they were to be treated in experiments and butchering. Maybe that's another reason why Hitler wanted to exterminate a religious group, because of kosher. He'd done other things besides that- rebuilding an entire country and starting the first anti-smoking campaign comes to mind- but I didn't want to be Hitler. That would be demeaning. 

No, I wanted to be greater than that. I remembered the existence of the 'administrators' of the multiverse. They took on forms that reflected their domains, so it wouldn't be unreasonable to assume that the administrator of the Equestrian sub-section was an alicorn of some description. 

A toucan fluttered onto my shoulder. I laughed at the sight of it. "Oh, you're beautiful. You really are." I stroked it with one hand and it trilled in pleasure. I smiled, still scratching it. Sometimes, the little things in life were what gave the most satisfaction. 

I certainly knew that. Auric knew that as well. Both of us truly understood what that saying really, truly meant. 

There is a providence in the flight and descent of every sparrow. And only Auric and I could know each other truly and utterly. 

I remembered watching him sleep, watching the steady rise and fall of his chest under the covers. That had brought back feelings that I had thought long gone. Regardless of whatever strumpet was with him, it couldn't hide the fact that I needed Auric. He was a challenge, a goal, something to strive for. Somebody who would truly understand me, know what I meant when I talked about the spin of an atom, who would laugh when I talked about meeting other versions of myself, who wouldn't mind the statues, as he would understand the crushing loneliness of holding the knowledge of the gods... 

He and I were practically married, in soul if not in body. In another universe... maybe... 

I shook my head. That was one of the Rules- don't interfere with yourself. Whoever that version of me was, I knew he'd be happy with whatever choice he made. I'd made my choice millenia ago, and I still didn't regret it. 

I stood up, gently, and glanced at the toucan. It warbled its song at me, and indicated that it was leaving. With a sad smile, I let it fly away. As it flew over the sun, I swore for a moment that it looked like an angel, wings spread wide.

I needed to make another statue. A fountain maybe, of Auric's human form. 

I teleported back, reassuming my customary form and grabbed a large chunk of protodermis. I then started shaping it, carving it. While carving, I felt my mask pulse and I thought on it, still consulting the photograph of his human form I'd stolen from a newspaper. So he was watching me. Good. I think my work was turning out better now that I knew he was watching me. 

I'd gotten most of the face right, and I was just getting the nose looking right when my hand slipped and the nose

fell 

off.

I stared at it for a bit, then that irrational anger returned with a vengeance. I looked at the stone eyes and growled. I then smashed the head. 

"VILLAIN! Remorseless, treacherous, lecherous, kindless villain!"

No more was the muse with me. I let my anger at Auric and his chosen strumpet out by smashing the half-formed statue, screaming inarticulately. When I was done, and the statue was crushed into gravel, I stood, looking at it. I then chuckled, turning around to look the invisible observer in the face.

"That was remarkably carthartic, Auric."

That done, I shifted to the Olmak and closed the link between our worlds. I needed some down-time. 
> Calling the side
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Once I'd worked off my frustration with Auric, my head felt remarkably clear. I breathed in, deeply, only for effect. I then examined my inner sanctum. Couldn't let him walk in here like I did. With a wave of my staff, I mentally started strengthening each and every single ward I had on the base. I made it so that no carbon-based being except those I allowed through could enter. Simple as that. I'd shaken him with that message in the coffee pot. Now all I had to do was wait for him to do what I knew he would do. 

And it was when I heard his voice coming that I mentally smirked. 

"To those of sound mind, sound heart.  To they that would stand against evil, in the face of Armageddon.  To the warriors and heroes, both celebrated and unsung.  To my fellow Displaced, I call on you.  I am Auric Fulcrum, Knight of the Eclipse, wielder of Alchemy's might.  All I hold dear is being threatened by another Displaced.  I know not why he seeks to fight me, but as I am, I cannot fight him and win.  I require allies while I repair my self.  I call on you to aid me, and promise you this: should the side of Light prevail, then I will grant they that aid me whatever boons I can as rewards, within reason.  I hope that is not the only reason you choose to fight for me, but in my experience, you motivate more people with a pile of treasure and a kind plea than a kind plea alone."

That got a little chuckle. I'd rattled him. Rattled him badly if he was doing that. Sounded confident, but when the enemy was in your own home, which had several powerful wards on it already, and they just bypassed them, then what did that mean for your safety? Absolutely nothing.

I picked up my Makuta stone, paused, then started speaking. 

"Friends, villains, countrymen. Lend me your ears. I, Makuta Teridax, have a dream. A dream that, no matter what interference, will become reality. I call to you, those who want to dominate, to rule the world with an iron fist, I call you. I am Makuta Teridax, the Void, the Shadow of Evil, the Corruptor, he who is Anger and Hatred. And if you want to win... to dominate everything...then stand by my side, and I guarantee you... I cannot say, for I believe that my enemies may be eavesdropping on this, just as I did his... but regardless, come talk to me and I shall let you know. But the information I shall give you will NOT be spoken of. Or, if you want more... immediate rewards, I can grant those too. After all, power always comes with a price."

With that, my call resonated through the multiverse, and I mentally smirked yet again. I then tried to enter Auric's tower again, but the wards detected me. I quickly exited before he could catch me, and I smirked. Again, exactly what I'd expected. But how would the wards deal with a simple message? 

I quickly gripped a stone tablet and carved a message into it. 

Your move, sexy.

I scowled, but it would do. I chucked it through the dimensional hole, and closed it. That done, I turned, feeling something respond to me. “Intrude.”  I then quickly shrouded myself in darkness and put a field of Silence up, to ensure that Auric would have no idea who my new ally was.

The wall seemed to ripple and sway slightly, which was impossible considering the materials it was made with. It moved faster and faster, slowly gaining speed until it caught fire, but not the kind of fire one would expect, rather than reds and yellows it was different shades of blue. A clawed hand came through and grabbed onto a part of the wall not on fire, a body following shortly after. It wore a very tacky and torn green and red striped sweater, a ruined hat on its head and an unsettling grin.

It was one of the icons of modern horror- Freddy Kreuger. I looked at him. “Freddy Kreuger. What brings me the pleasure? As I do not need to sleep, this is hardly a dream. May I presume that you are like me, a man displaced from Earth and granted the form and powers of the greatest nightmare who ever lived?” 

“Ugh, you sound so polite, how sickening. Yes I am one of these…. what the fuck did you call it?”

He seemed crude, but I sensed a mind filled with torture and pain. I could use an ally like him. “Displaced. We who have been torn from our homes by outrageous misfortune.”

He raised an eyebrow, or what I could assume was meant to be one considering he had none. “Do you always talk as though you’re giving a speech?”

I leant down so that we were eye level. “Yes. Yes I do. If you have a problem with that…” I drew up to my full height. “Then I won’t point you in the direction of a juicy target.” 

His claw moved to his chin, stroking the blades across the scarred flesh. “What a hard choice, help the guy who will most likely let me have my fun, or the guy more likely to stop me due to…” He let out a groan “morals…”

I gave the impression of smiling. “Yes, morals. I don’t have those. In fact… I’d say that you know which target I consider… juicy enough for you to go at him. But one thing, Freddy.” 

I leant forwards, projecting a field of darkness. “Don’t kill Auric in his sleep. Let him suffer. Maybe give him a scar. But I will be the one to kill Auric. Don’t forget that.” 

He chuckled at this, tipping his hat upward slightly to give a full view of his face. “You two seem so much alike, yet your fears are almost completely different. I’ll be sure to have my fun with him, don’t you worry.”

“No killing or limb removal. That would bring suspicion on you and me. And DON’T reveal your identity. Disguise yourself as me when interacting with him.” I chuckled. “Let him make false assumptions about what I can and cannot do. Now that’s out of the way, I shall tell you my plans… and where you fit in with them.” 

“You’re such a control freak aren’t you? And if you dreamt, it would make you far too easy….” He laughed as he began walking around the room, inspecting various things. “I’ll make sure Auric doesn’t know what hit him… even if he’s the one doing the hitting.”

I nodded. “Good.” 

I picked up a block of protodermis and started carving it idly as I continued. “My plan has two stages. First stage, I plan to absorb all of the alicorns’ magic here. That means NO INTERFERENCE. If there is, I will get… angry.” 

He nodded, clenching his clawed hand slightly as he waited for me to continue. I did so. “The second stage relies on Auric making a move against me. He’s powerful, very powerful. With him fighting me and any other allies I make- which will include yourself, naturally- I plan to use the energy from the conflicts to Ascend out of the universe. The best part is, if he doesn’t show I can still Ascend with my own power.” 

I turned to him. “Fight for me, and I’ll give you weapons and free reign over the dreams of any… dissidents here. You will strike only the dissidents. Otherwise, you can spread light terror. It will be your personal bolt hole. In exchange, I require you to observe Auric and any allies he gathers, and drive them near crazy. Is that fair?” 

He raised his claw, holding up two of his bladed fingers. “Two conditions. I want blades made of that material.” He pointed towards the block of protodermis I was carving. I had a good approximation of his face on there. I squinted, then nodded. That was reasonable enough. Finest protosteel for him. “And the other?”

His grin would have been menacing if he weren’t so below me. “After this is over, I want to have free reign over any who survived being on the other team, so to speak.”

If I had a mouth, I would have grinned. “I agree to those conditions. Now, let’s see about those blades.” I eyed him over, getting a feel. I then walked off to my forge, beckoning him to come. 

“This is protosteel, one of the finest metals in the multiverse.” I gripped a block of protodermis and threw it into my forge, watching it melt. I then pulled it out and started hammering it into shape, pulling strips off and shaping them. 

“If you want a strong sharp blade that will keep a damn fine edge, you’ve come to the right place.” I started folding the carbon-rich metal, pounding it rapidly to ensure it stayed in shape. When I’d repeated the process several times, I plunged it into water. 

“Those blades can cut through solid stone with a little effort, and that edge will stay for a long time.” When they’d cooled sufficiently, I handed them to him with a bit of a flourish and pride in my work. 

“If you were to meet God, he would be cut.”  

His eyes seemed to sparkle as he took them, turning them over in his hand. “Yes, these will be just perfect.” He slowly moved towards the still-flaming wall,  eyes glued to the blades. “There is still one problem though.” 

if he asked for more, I wouldn’t give it. “If you ask for another condition, no. Otherwise, what is it?” 

He chuckled as he turned to me, taking off his hat and tucking the blades away inside. “You misunderstand, I’m talking about a hindrance. You know of Princess Luna’s capabilities correct?”

I nodded. “Dreamwalking.” It then hit me; I had almost forgotten. “I see what you mean. Can you evade her easily?” 

“I could break her down into a shrivelling mess, in fact I already have. But yes, I could avoid her. Though it will be difficult if she is not sufficiently distracted.”

I pointed at him. “Breaking Princess Luna in Auric’s dimension may draw unwanted attention to you and to me. Though it would help, I dare not. Auric may use that as justification to get the remaining alicorns on your case. I will create a couple of distractions for her, don’t worry. I can’t dreamwalk, but I can leave suggestions and whispers… enough to draw her away from you.” 

He nodded, reaching into his hat and pulling out a pair of tattered gloves before throwing them towards me. “Cut off the fingers, burn a piece of those gloves if you believe the coast is clear. I’ll give you my trust on this one.”

I nodded. “In which case, I will make sure not to betray that trust.” Another ‘ping’ on my stone pulled my attention. “Apologies, Freddy, but another being seeks my attention. I don’t like to cut a meeting short, but I must fly. See yourself out, please. But don’t touch anything.”

He smirked as he placed his hat back onto his head. “I’ll make sure to remain a secret, even from your own side. So sorry, friendly-fire is on.” 

I sighed. At least he was on my side. Better to keep him close-by then to let him slip into Auric’s hooves. “Be safe”
He laughed as the fire picked up before whipping towards him, giving a final bow before being flung back towards it and exploding into ashes.

I then responded, opening a portal to its location and stepping through. I was confronted by a pale unicorn, staring up at me in a curious fear. I probed his mind, using one of my cheapest parlor tricks. “Well, well, well. I thought I would be summoned by a human, but you will do just as well… Inkwell, head of Ellura, who seeks to make a new world order with a virus from another dimension…”

He blinked, looking at me as he processed everything I’d said. While he was still confused, I continued. I idly tapped my staff with my long fingers as I continued. “You kidnap ponies and subject them to mutant strains of various viruses. I could use some of these… B.O.W.S of yours.” 

Again, he blinked, before collecting himself. “Well, I suppose I should be flattered that my name transcends my dimension alone, you know all of this about me, yet I do not know any one thing about you, mister…?”

I looked down at him. Hmph, I would work with him for now. “Teridax. And you aren’t that famous- I simply pulled the relevant information out of your head. Your mental defenses are non-existent. Truthfully, you are one of billions of similar beings who seek a new world order with this virus. This version of you may succeed, or you may fail. The multiverse ensures that every possibility is fully realised. Now, let’s talk business.”

He perked up at the mention of business. He would- he was running a company after all. Truthfully, he rather bored me, but again, he was useful. Thankfully, he was fairly sharp. He got a calculating look in his eye. “I suppose if you know so much about me and my company, then you also know about the thorn in our side.” I did indeed- Nemesis, a video game enemy who had brought the T-Virus to Equestria. If he was so dead-set against these Ellura people, he wouldn’t work for me. “In business, it is often custom to have something in return for services gained.”

I knew that; I’d been calculating what I should give him and his company the entire time. So I nodded. “Naturally. Come through to my dimension, I can show you my own laboratory.” I opened a portal to my home dimension, only just then remembering the wards. I deactivated them with a wave of my hand, then turned to Inkwell. “I think you’ll like my work very much.” 



“I have incredible knowledge in many fields, Inkwell. Metallurgy, weapon crafting, painting, sculpture, literature, chemistry, biology… and of course, virology.” 

My lab was made of smoothed down black protodermis, with solid stone benches that were scrubbed down and sterilised within an inch of their lives. I could feel Inkwell staring at all of my highly advanced equipment. I knew that he had much the same- though I didn’t have many computers. Another time, but I had a little tour to give him. “I make viruses for fun. Usually, I can use them to create entirely new forms of life from simple biomatter.”

I pulled out a handful of grass, and then sprinkled a basic virus in powder form over it. A few seconds later, the virus developed legs and little, gear-like teeth, and it scuttled over my workbench like a crab, snapping at us indiscriminately. Inkwell was fascinated by it, especially its biomechanical appendages. “The possibilities…” 

He was hooked by my product. I mentally smiled like a shark and continued. “This… Nemesis. He’s the source of your original virus, correct?” I looked down at Inkwell. I had his full, undivided attention. “Provide me with a small sample of his biomatter, and I can make you a specialised hunter. It’ll never stop chasing him, will have an increased healing factor, and will be totally obedient.”

I would make him one… and keep several dozen for myself. That way, I would have plenty of bargaining material for later. Inkwell nodded. “And in return, you wish us to supply you with B.O.W.s?”

Yes. Disposable cannon fodder would be good for me and my army. I nodded at that statement.“About a hundred to start with should be fine. And with your original virus… if you want more stable results, I think I have the perfect tool for that.” 

That got his attention. I really wasn’t sure about this, but I wanted him loyal and hooked to me. If it meant giving him one of my Masks of Power, so be it. So, Inkwell nodded. “If this is the extent of what you have to offer us...I think the Ellura corporation can do business with you, Mr. Teridax.”

The extent? You silly little pony, I have viruses here that could potentially break down ponykind on the cellular level, of course I’m not showing you my good stuff. But I nodded to him; keep the really good stuff in case he decides to get uppity. “I’ll show you one tool I can make a decent quantity of.”

I walked over and pulled my Mask of Mutation off the wall. I had several dozen of these, and I could always make more. “This is the Mask of Mutation. I don’t know if it’ll work for you, but with this…” 

I put it on my head, replacing my Olmak, and concentrated. I imagined the little grass-monster growing a second set of arms, and it did. “I can make whatever mutative change I want, and reverse it as well.” I turned around, already knowing what response he would give me. “Interested?

Inkwell looked like Christmas had just been announced a year-round holiday. 
“Very. This...what you can do...it’s unheard of. Even WITH magic, the most advanced technology known to pony-kind couldn’t possibly…” His rambling was getting annoying. I was in half a mind to call off the deal when he cleared his throat and said what I knew he would say. “I mean...yes. I am very interested.” 

I nodded, handing him the mask. He clutched it to himself as I continued.“It’s a deal. Give me the biomatter, and I’ll have your perfect hunter within a week. I’m not sure if the mask will work for you, please tell me if it doesn’t.” 
I turned to him, intent on making sure that he knew where we stood. I opened the portal back to his office. “Have a good evening, Inkwell. I’ll know when you have the biomatter. I watch all of my allies closely.” 

He got the point. He scurried off, mind already filled with plans and planning on getting me my biomatter. Truthfully, I would use the biomatter for two things: firstly, to make the hunters; secondly, to develop a unique virus that would target the T-virus, neutralising its effects. It might be useful to sway Nemesis over to my side, should he fight against me. 

> A rather violent Charizard
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I idly flicked through the Equestrian multiverses, not all that concerned. After all, I had found plenty of potential allies, all of whom would aid me in the actual plan. Finding another one, amidst all these very strange universes which seemed to exist for no apparent reason, would be a godsend... that is, if I actually believed in God. I acknowledged God's existence as a Sys Admin, but I didn't see any point in believing in God just because I know he exists. Only the insecure about their own knowledge of God believe in him. 

It was when I spotted something that shouldn't be there that I took pause. A Charizard, quite large and bulky. It was also talking, which meant that it was either from a Mystery Dungeon universe or it was a Displaced. I watched, then idly examined the destiny of the Charizard. After all, nothing bad would become of this one, even IF he was a rather bloodthirsty and brutal warrior... right? 

When I saw what they were planning, I stopped. "You want to do that?"

In this universe, it seems that the Charizard had foolishly befriended Tirek, who repayed that trust as I expected him to. Tirek beat the Charizard into the ground, tearing almost an entire wing off, draining him of magic. After that, the Charizard recovered, and a long training sequence commenced. Then, he fought him off, unleashing a Mega Evolution Y and melting Tirek's armour, then a simple series of Sky Drops and Flare Blitzes to ensure his demise. After that, the timeline split in several ways, but the predominant destiny was that he was imprisoned, stripped of his power and eventually reduced to a vegetable. At this point, I was shaking with rage. I disliked destiny at the best of times. Now, with such a promising warrior presenting himself to me... I had to act fast. 

I barked telepathic orders to my Rahkshi of Teleportation, getting them ready. I wasn't ready to make a fight just yet; I would prefer to stay out of the way of this Celestia. I could definitely curbstomp her and this Discord, but it would leave me severely weakened, and I couldn't afford to be overly weakened; Auric might call me during those moments, and I KNOW that if I was issuing the challenge, I would do the same thing. Thus, I was going to briefly step through and have him teleported here. And thus, when everything was ready, I waited for the opportune moment. During this time, Houdini, the General of Teleportation stepped up to me. "Sir, why are we teleporting him here? Surely he isn't that important?" 

I gave the impression of smirking. "I'm choosing him because he's a loyal warrior. He's strong enough to be of use, yet weak enough that should he rebel, he won't be a problem to deal with. He's smart enough to carry orders out with some degree of imagination and interpretation, but stupid enough to not ask too many inopportune questions. And finally, he has the perfect combination of raw cunning and genuine brutality that makes killers around the world so deadly. He's perfect in every respect."

With that, I opened the portal to his dimension, briefly, He briefly looked confused as the teleportation was completed, and then he snapped into existence at my feet. I ordered my Rahkshi through my head, intent on making sure he knew who, exactly, was in charge. If you give an inch, they'll take a mile. 

Anyway, he looked around confusedly, and tried to get up. A bad move on his part, I believe. I gave the mental command, and my loyal sons all pointed their spears at his throat. His mind... that was the really interesting thing: his mind was considerably shaken up, reconstructed in a rather crude way. Still worked, but I could only really pull feelings and memories, not distinct thoughts... then again, that would be more than enough to predict his actions. He looked nervous, then shifted into a combat mode, and I lazily shifted into my more relaxed persona to deal with it.

"That won't be necessary. We don't resort to such… violent means here. Relax, you are among friends."  He looked around, seeing all the Rahkshi surrounding him. I gave the mental command, and they withdrew their spears from his throat. He looked relieved at first, then his face turned into one of dawning horror. It was good that he knew who I was generally, but I needed to teach him some respect and discipline.

"Hello. You may refer to me as Makuta Teridax." His feelings were generally of 'oh crap' and general terror. That would not do. Only I got to decide when he was afraid or angry. 
So I put on my most placating tone and tried to get the Charizard to relax. "You needn't worry. You should feel at peace here."

In response, he glared at me, sitting up slightly. "You SERIOUSLY sound like a Bond villain right about now… I do NOT feel comfortable, and I am CERTAINLY not going to relax until I learn WHY THE FUCK I'M HERE!"
I backed away, though my actual level of fear for the Charizard was very low, I wanted him to get a bit of confidence. Then I could tear him down easier. "That is a rather complicated explanation, but I shall do what I can do explain it to one such as you." Unfortunately, he got offended by that, and moved up, flames building in his throat. I could handle temper tantrums, but this behaviour was NOT acceptable. He would definitely need some house training. 
"Before you do something foolish, NO. I did NOT imply you were… 'retarded', as they say. I simply meant that I am on a higher level than you. After all, I don't expect you to be capable of Understanding the universe like I do."

He was confused, and that got a dark thrill of my power over him. I decided to explain it to him, just to rub it in about how much better I was than him. "You see, there are multiple realities that exist in the universe… parodies, so to speak. What-ifs, Could-bes, and similar concepts." I held up my palm and created illusions of the Pokemon universe,, accidentally including a rather strange universe where Ash started a romantic relationship with his Butterfree. Still not exactly sure how that worked, and I know everything about the multiverse. The Charizard looked mildly disgusted by it, and I was as well.
"Erm, I DO apologize for showing you that… Note to self, get a filter. You're not Google images..."

Geo the Charizard was confused. It likely hurt itself in the confusion. "…"

I looked at him, plain and simple, knowing but asking anyway that he understood the basics. "Do you understand, so far?"

Geo nodded, looking mildly confused and disgusted. "Y… yeah… I think… I've been scarred for life, but yeah. I get it."

I nodded and began to pace, getting a good feel for my speech going. "Well, see, YOU were sent from YOUR version of Earth to the world of which you've become… familiar with. A version where the ponies are anthropomorphized versions of themselves… with clothes, to boot."

Geo got a rather confused look on his face. I sighed mentally, but then again, he had never watched the show back on Earth. "Judging by your expression, you don't know about the base Equestria, do you? Well, that's not important now."

Geo finally seemed to come to the important question. "And where do I play into all of this?" He tried to intimidate me by giving me a glare, but I wasn't exactly intimidated by him. 
"You see, in the… 'multiverse', as it's been coined, there is… a 'script', of sorts. A way that things absolutely must happen. Fate. Destiny. It applies to everyone, even those that think they are freed from its influence. It was created… by the Admins."

Geo definitely felt angrier at that one, the flame on his tail intensifying. "You're… you're fucking kidding me, right? First, you tell me that this all has been pre-determined, and no matter what, I can't do shit about it, and then ya tell me that some goddamn computer wiz stronzo tells me who to live my life?"

Oh, he didn't get it at all. Time to catch this fish, hook, line and sinker. "I do not refer to the admins of the Internet you are familiar with… What I refer to is THE Admins. Those who create, monitor, and write the 'script' of the multiverse. Now, I have several simple goals. One of them being to eliminate the Sys Admins, as they prefer to be called. Now, see, I have a gift that normally only they possess… Understanding."

I felt his anger and confusion boiling and seething away inside of him, and I glorified in the sensation. "Understanding is the ability to see the 'code' of the multiverse, and, by extension, everything the Sys Admins have planned. I, and only one other who is NOT a Sys Admin, have this power. I have foreseen what they would've done to you, 'Geo', and I do not approve at all."

I felt the fear coursing off of him, and I delighted in his suffering. It would only make it easier for me to ensnare him. "Do you want to know? What it is they would've made you into? Quite pathetic, really."
…
I turned to him, and I felt a genuine stab of concern and compassion for him. He had barely done anything wrong, and he would have been punished for it. "It's alright if you don't want to know. Frankly, I wouldn't recommend it. Even creatures MUCH greater than yourself have collapsed and never recovered from seeing my visions."

With a deep breath, he looked me right in the eye. "Show me."
Well, that was unexpected. "… What?"
"I said…" at this point, he gripped me by the throat, and leant in, blowing smoke at me. I was angered by this show of disrespect, but right now, I only really felt compassion and understanding of his situation. "Show. Me. My. Destiny."

After a pause, I pried his claw off my throat with minimal effort. "… Very well, then. Prepare yourself..."I placed a single finger on his forehead, and psychically transmitted everything I'd just seen of his future. His eyes widened as he took in the information, and I could feel the shock an growing horror of his destiny growing. I decided to explain, twisting the knife so that I would have his complete loyalty, but also to express my own loathing of the system.
"During the battle of Manehattan, the one I just saved you from, Tirek steals magic from the guards you felled, and then takes out the Mane Six as you cast them aside. Afterwards, he betrays you, and you lose almost all of your wing in the process. You recover, in due time, and combat him, utilizing Mega Charizard Y in order to melt the armor you forged for him through his very flesh… And then you Sky Drop him, break his arms, Sky Drop him again, and finally, perform a barrage of Flare Blitzes. Those, coupled with the damage you sustain, is enough to almost cripple you. Afterwards, you are taken by Celestia's guard in your weakened state, and sealed in a specialized cell, free of your Mega Stones and Ring. From there, you constantly attempt to break out, and eventually, the magical defenses whittle away your mind until you're nothing but a vegetative shell. A husk. A useless lump of orange-scaled flesh."

He stared at the visions, before speaking, in a tone of shocked disbelief, "I… how? I PLANNED for Tirek! I KNEW he would probably betray me! His ARMOR was DESIGNED to melt through his flesh! All I had to do was use ONE Incinerate! I MADE that pile of rust MYSELF! I KNOW it was useless! I can't even forge for SHIT! The whole THING was one giant weapon that he was in! And I KNOW he's a Dark-type, so I coulda used a lot of Focus Blasts and Power-Up Punches! So… how?"

For the same reason why Spock would always beat Wolverine in a fight, obviously: "The Admins' code demanded it. This is why I had to recover you at this here point. Here, you are still at your physical best, but not wounded by any of Tirek's attempts on your life. You're the only version of yourself that hasn't already reached this point. Honestly, WHY they would decide to throw away such an AMAZING warrior like yourself is BEYOND me… It almost brings a tear to my eye, well, if I still had tear ducts, of course..."

I felt the despair coming off of Geo, and at that moment I stepped back a bit as Geo roared into the air, and began thrashing about, slamming into my walls. "USELESS! EVERYTHING I DO IS USELESS! I AM USELESS! ALL OF MY EFFORTS ARE WASTED TIME! MY ATTEMPTS TO EARN MY WAY THROUGH LIFE ARE PATHETIC! Inutile, patetico, stupido, me!" He dropped to his knees at that, and started crying. Some vestigal sense of pity entered me at that point, and I decided to comfort him awkwardly.

"There, there… You don't have to worry anymore… The moment I pulled you here is the moment you deviated from the script… Look!"
I opened my hand, and it shows Manehattan, just as it was. Only, unlike the vision I and he had seen before, Rainbow sees Tirek while searching for Geo. It helps Geo a bit, though I mentally frowned when I saw how little it had helped him exactly. But now it was time to reel him in. I already had him in my employ, just needed to sweeten the deal.
"Now, I give you a simple choice, Geo. Go back there, and try to change what you saw, or let me take you in. I will mold you into a powerful warrior. More powerful than EVER before! Your voice shall make mountains TREMBLE! Your fire shall burn brighter than STARS! You, Geo, shall become my finest creation. The last piece of the puzzle I need for the sake of accomplishing my true goal..."  A little bombastic, but it did the job- he was now thinking about it. So I turned away and waved my hand, giving the telepathic order to send him back to his own universe.

Several teleportation Rahkshi walked up to his side, and in that moment, I felt a sense of worry emanating from him. Knowing him, he was probably worried about whether or not he would fight Tirek.  "Worry not. Once this goal is accomplished, you shall get your fight. And honestly, you're better of training with me if you want it to be remotely fair… Your version of Celestia is quite powerful… Possibly one of the most POWERFUL iterations of the Lady of the Sun thus far... She has several abilities that no other possesses… Mainly because she actually bothered to train..." I trailed off when I saw him looking at me weirdly.

"…"

"… Send him-"
"Wait!" He raised his claw and I paused my order to send him away. The Rahkshi back off, and walk away, knowing they won't be needed here.
I turned, giving the impression of anticipation. "Oh? Did I finally convince you?"
Geo cocked his head a bit, looking at me with a squint. "What the hell d'ya mean by 'no tear ducts anymore?" 

Well, I will admit that he managed to surprise me with that question. I regained my composure after a second and told him exactly the lie he wanted to hear. "You are not the only one who was transformed from a man into something greater. I, too, was once human. But I acquired this mask, the Kanohi Kraahkan, or at least what I assumed to be a replica of it, online. I purchased it, back on Earth, or at least my Earth, and, feeling nostalgic for the lost BIONICLE series, placed it on myself. Next thing I know, I'm in this Equestria. I mastered my powers, but I was sealed in Tartarus, alongside my Tirek, for at least four thousand years. We're not the only ones. There are others, Displaced, we call ourselves." The truth of how I gained my mask was that I found it in an alleyway, and put it on in my own home.

A dawning comprehension came up in his mind. "… Lemme guess, anonymous seller?"

Yes, let's go with that. "Indeed. Now, most of us attribute our transportation to one called 'The Merchant', a Sys Admin who seemingly sells artifacts with the intent of making us Displaced, with no known goal. With that in mind, know that my war will bring the Merchant to justice. Will you join me?"
This war was nothing to do with destroying the Merchant; I wanted him to continue doing that, but he didn't have to know about that just yet. 

He glared at me, and I immediately knew that he wasn't going to be easy to predict in any sense of the word. "Lemme make ONE THING CLEAR, pal! Your whole fumo e specchi might work on others, but NOT ME! Yer gonna tell me what I need to do, but I ain't a pawn on some goddamn BOARD, ya hear? And I know when yer gonna try and make me do crap I dun wanna do! So, unless yer looking fer a dig in the snot locker, DON'T try and play any puppet bullcrap wit me!"

I paused. Hmm. This defiance would be tolerated, but only because I pitied him, and because I could just kill him if he wasn't useful. "… My, you certainly are stubborn… Very well, then. That is how it shall be. We shall begin training in due time. I have other preparations I must attend to. In the meantime, the Rahkshi shall escort you back home." I started walking away, intent on carving him a Piece. Probably a Bishop, all attack and no defence. As I was leaving though, I turned over my shoulder. "Welcome to the Brotherhood of Shadows, Geo."

As my sons directed him away, a thought struck me. I pulled out one of my Makuta stones, and recorded a simple message for him when he came to. 

"Hello, Geo. This is a pre-recorded message. This is here to inform you that until I have finished preparations, you will have to wait. If you find yourself too bored to wait around until then, create a beacon. One can send these through the Void, allowing others to summon you for their aid. You will find several in the room you've come into. Either respond to those or make your own. Your choice. I shall not make you do anything you don't want. Until we next meet, Flame Pokémon."

With that, I quickly opened a portal and dropped it through. That done, I walked off, intent on rewriting my plans to deal with the inclusion of Geo into my Brotherhood of Shadows. 
> A horrible, horrible moment
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I stared at my generals. 
"...what?"

Tavish looked at me, the ground, the ceiling, back to his fellow Generals and then back to me before responding. "Weel, ya see... we want ta use th' energized protodermis, si-"

I waved him off. "Don't call me sir. You owe me nothing. You're your own people, but can I ask something?" I leant in to Tavish, glaring at his singular eye. "Why?"

Tavish sighed. "Weel, we know that you're launching an offensive on this 'Auric Fulcrum' fellow, ya see-"

I winced. I'd spent a busy night planting insidious whispers around the sleeping populace of another universe, keeping a Princess of the Night distracted by it, and then Freddy had informed me that he'd been thrown out of Auric's mind. Honestly, I hadn't expected Freddy to survive for long in a mind that wielded the power of understanding, but it was something good to know. Regardless, I ordered Freddy to keep a low profile in his own universe, keep out of trouble and don't get sealed away. 

Auric was uninjured, and he was regaining his power relatively quickly. Fortunately, time had been progressing well. My own monitoring of the Tirek situation revealed that he was gaining strength just as rapidly, and that the Crystal Empire had reappeared. The Changelings had made peace with the Princesses, and that was good. I'd also taken the time to slip three of my shapeshifter Rahkshi in to keep an eye on the Princesses. So far, they were paranoid as all hell, jumping at shadows and listening for my voice everywhere. Hmm. May be the time to put more spy creatures in Ponyville, make sure that Twilight was still living there. 

But Tavish brought my attention back. "Yes, we know you're attacking him, and we know that we're never going to be a match for him, but... we want to help." 

That didn't sound good, especially in the context of what he was talking about. Whatever it was, I felt mildly queasy, as if I'd eaten some food that was off. I looked at him. "I've told you all before, you don't have to serve me if you don't want to. I won't be angry. You can make whatever decision you want."

Tavish glared at me. "Ya may be the one who made us, but we follow you because... it's kind of hard to explain, but it's just not right for us not to follow you. We lead your armies, don't we?" 

I nodded. "That's true enough, but you don't have to get more powerful just for me-"

"We're not just doing it for you." 

I looked at Sek. His arms were crossed, and he looked around. "We're doing it so that we don't get totally curbstomped with every confrontation we face." He looked around. 

"Three Rahkshi were summoned for a fight between a couple of anthropomorphic ponies that were rebelling against a man who would be hard-pressed to find his arse with both hands. And yet we were almost useless. We barely defeated them. Hell, Venom's legs were crushed by one of our supposed 'allies!'" 

Venom glared at Sek. "Yes, we all know that. Can we please stop bringing it up all the damn time?"  He then realised that Sek was glaring daggers at him and deflated somewhat. "Um, sorry 'bout that, I'm just a little... antsy 'bout that thing, alright? We cool?" When Sek didn't answer immediately, he proffered an armoured green fist to him.

Sek nodded, accepting the fist bump for its worth as a gesture of peace. "We cool." 

I was about to explode with fatherly anger. "No! I forbid you from going to the energized protodermis! It'll likely kill you, and then where will you be? Where will the Centuries be?" I knew that I would likely never convince them, but I had to try. 

With a thought, the lid was pulled down by a combination of my magnetic and gravity powers. I looked at them. "N.O spells no. Please don't..." It was then that I started feeling sleepy. Strange, normally I would never feel sleepy. I worked for 24 hours a day with my plotting and scheming, and before now I'd never, EVER felt tired. This was artificial, but right now, I didn't feel like fighting it. I briefly paused on that thought, then shook my head. I refused to give up right now! I stumbled around drunkenly, trying to fight the feeling of tiredness off. A ball of molten plasma appeared in my hand, and I scanned my sons for the attacker, ready to hit all of them if it meant getting him-

I halted, and just stared at myself. What was wrong with me? This was my family. I was seriously contemplating attacking my own family? I saw the fear in their eyes, and in that moment I felt so... small. I let my arm drop, and the plasma in my hand disappeared. The tiredness grew and grew, until it was all I could do not to just collapse on the floor.

"Sorry father." I turned to Morpheus, the Rahkshi of sleep. He was concentrating on bringing me down with his power. I have to say, I was mildly impressed with the Rahkshi. It was then that I remembered what they were planning to do and I found new resolve. With my last vestige of awakeness, I sprawled myself over the vat. 
"I... can't. I refuse to let you throw your lives... lives..."
I fell into a deep and dreamless sleep, slumped over my own vat of energized protodermis. 

When I came to, it was to see all of my Generals crowded around me. I blinked, sluggishly, my mind trying to get back up to speed. They looked... different... 

I felt as if ice water had just been dripped down my spine as I shot up. Each and every single one of my Rahkshi now had silver and gold armour added on to their bodies. Also, it may have been my imagination, but they seemed to be... taller than they once were. They were all looking anxiously at me, including Morpheus. The maroon Rahkshi stared down at me, extending a yellow limb. "Father, are you-" 

I grabbed him and pulled him into a hug. "Don't you ever, EVER dare to do something like that again, do you hear me? NEVER! AGAIN!" I was so angry with them right now, but at the same time I was relieved to see that they were alive and alright. If I'd been human, I would have been crying. As I was, I kept the hug up for a while, then patted him on the back stiffly and got back up. 

Tavish was the first one to speak. "Uh, are you alright, sir?" 

"Don't call me sir, Tavish. None of you should call me sir. Call me Teridax, or Makuta. Either one of those would be better than sir." I turned to Tavish and my other Generals. "You're my children. Because of that, nobody is your superior. Not even me. You all have free will and intelligence. Use your gifts." With that, I looked around, nodding in approval. They'd taken such a risk to be useful, I really couldn't stay mad with them. In fact, I think I needed to make something again. The muse had come with me now. 

I pulled up a canvas and paints, stared at it for a while then got to work. My obsession with Auric needed to get to another level. I needed him to constantly be on guard. If I could distract him with meaningless creepiness for long enough, I could stop him from ever interfering with my plans. Thus, why I was painting a nude of him emerging from an Earth smashed in two, a bit like Aphrodite arising from the sea. What can I say, I'm a sucker for classical imagery. 

I then grabbed my Olmak, found his world and just for fun I snuck right outside his tower. It was nighttime, and nobody was around. I leant the painting against the door, and turned back for my world. I wondered how he would appreciate my gift, but it was likely he would react with terror. Keep him off-balance, keep him scared. I wouldn't need such paltry tactics when I'd absorbed the alicorns. Then, I would probably write him messages in the sky or something. 

I didn't know what I would do, and that thought exhilarated me to no end. I was excited about doing things I couldn't predict. That's what it was like, facing another being who understood. Completely, utterly unpredictable. A bit like the roller-coaster of love in a way. It was a love of sorts- neither of us could really block the others' advances. And the thought that he might be able to beat me... that excited me. 
> Unfortunate Events, but at the same time a profit
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I was sitting in my personal chamber, painting myself riding Auric's pony form through the streets of New York. For some reason, I'd drawn him wearing a dress, while I wore a tuxedo and hat. It just seemed natural. I was getting the final touches just right when an unfamiliar female voice sounded through the Void, causing me some minor surprise. 

"Then by the Authority vested in me as Guardian of this Realm, I, Lady Fausticorn, Pronounce thee, Auric Fulcrum and Measured Thought, husband and wife! As the saying goes, you may now kiss the bride.”

For a couple of minutes, I just sat there, not particularly looking at anything. Well. That changed everything. I looked at the painting, still half-done. After a moment, during which I was very, very angry, I eventually sighed. Auric was truly predictable, after all. And it was a shame for this painting to be unfinished, so I picked up my brush and got right back to work. 

While I painted, I could feel my Generals testing out the limits of their powers. Tavish's Fragmentation power had grown to incredibly destructive levels, allowing him to cause earthquakes from practically across the planet. Bass Cannon, my Rahkshi of Power Scream, had his voice amped up to the point that I forbade him from practising nearby. Venom's poison was now capable of long-ranged attacks. Dracula, my Rahkshi of Hunger, could now drain even light energy and store it in a very close to infinite well, to be released later. 

I watched my greatest piece yet dry as I contemplated the news of today. Not only had this just happened, but there was the matter of that Undertaker fellow, whom I had met a couple of hours beforehand...

I slouched on my throne, pondering this latest development. My spies had told me that they’d found the Mirror Pool in this ‘Ponyville’ place. Such an original name. Still, the Mirror Pool was supposedly blocked off, and couldn’t be accessed. This was due to, in the spies’ own words, ‘a huge boulder that they just tipped on there.’ Honestly, it was as if they were ASKING me to steal it. 

As I pondered the wisdom of just going there and claiming the Mirror Pool for myself, I felt a tingle, as if a small legion of spiders was crawling all over me. I stood up, watching for whatever intruder was coming. Not inside the Lair- I had way too many protective wards for that. Instead, it seemed to be just outside. With a thought, I teleported to the same relative position as this… intruder.

Said intruder appeared to be an old man, dressed in a faded-blue suit, tapping his foot impatiently at me. Something about him just screamed about the Void- some sort of spirit perhaps? Or a Thing that Dwelled Within? I had no idea what to expect.I immediately probed his mind, but was blocked by a considerable mental defense. Grudgingly, I stopped probing and instead regarded him with caution. “Who are you, exactly?” I never let my guard down around him, keeping my staff in hand and my power bubbling beneath the surface like a volcano.

Said mysterious old man looked up at me with a mild glimmer of amusement in his eye. “Are all of you this brooding?”

That put me on guard. “Forgive me if I’m cautious around somebody I’ve never seen before. You don’t seem to understand like I do… how did you find me?” 

He smirked, and that put me on edge just a little bit more. “It’s less about  how I found you and more about the inevitability of me finding you.”, he said, “An individual grain of sand may be hard to find, but counting out each of them tends to fix that.”

I wasn’t surprised. “You’ve met other versions of me.” It wasn’t a question, per se, but more of a statement of fact. I couldn’t meet other versions of myself, because that would likely cause an interdimensional explosion if I did so. 

“Unlike the other planes, these ones… feel strange”, he then mumbled something that a normal person wouldn’t have heard:”That idiot may have wanted meddling to occur, but not between each other.” He then seemed to remember himself and from what little I could tell from his mind composed himself admirably, “Regardless, This is the only universe in which this battle of yours occurs. So, I have a sort of proposition to make.”

It was… fascinating to know that this was a universe where the battle occurred. I quickly switched masks, to one I very rarely used- the Kanohi Suletu, the Great Mask of Mind Reading. With it on, I could probe even further into his mind, and eventually pulled the relevant information out of his head: he was an undertaker. He wanted my permission to gather the bodies of the dead and bury them in the Void. I shrugged. “I think that you and I will get along well. Since you know I just read your mind, I think that we can work something out.” 


After that meeting, I'd had a lot to think about. And now, with this recent bombshell of information just reaching my ears... well, a lesser man would get angry. A lesser man would be an immature brat about losing the one person who could truly understand who he was. Instead, all I did was sigh at the nature of life. If Auric wanted to marry this 'Measured Thought' pony, then it mattered not to the plan. I would confront Auric regardless. Alone. No wife to help him. 

I casually flicked through the Void Eternal, and I was a mite surprised to see a living shadow flitting through the spaces beyond. Some being of immense power and respect, surely. Whatever the case... he struck me as an interesting creature. Enough for me to want to study closer, at my own leisure.

I focused on the shadow that was currently occupying a rather… specialised prison I’d had to make on the fly. The entire room was inundated with bright, white light, ensuring that the only shadow was this one. Wards were inscribed around it, forcing it to be corporeal. And I was armed with a weapon that could possibly harm this mighty shade- a Mydak Skyblaster. 

In order to capture him, I’d bludgeoned him over the head with a shadowy hammer. I gripped him with a shadow hand, and forced him to awaken. I’d even taken the opportunity to change my mask to a Kanohi Rode, the Great Mask of Truth. “Wake up, little shadow.”

“Ugggghhhh…. Ah jeez, the hell just happened? Fuck, feels like I got hit with a hammer...”

“How very accurate, mr. Now then, I’ll be asking you some questions. I expect the truth, and nothing but the truth. I’ll know if you’re lying.” 

“Makuta Teridax...I did something stupid again didn’t I? Don’t answer that, I already know I wasn’t exactly being subtle about my...escapades...that’s a word, right?”

I picked up a laser pointer and carved into his arm. “Yes, you uncultured moron. Now, first things first. Your name?” 

“Ah...aaaagghhh...that hurts a bit...ow ow ow. Okay, ngh, first: I do know culture, I just don’t act like it. Ghaaaaa. Second: Thank you; I’m afraid I haven’t read a dictionary in a while, and not talking to many people in the Void has made some words slip my mind. Third: I’ve been to a Bionicle Universe, I recognized that mask, I know it’s pointless to lie. Fourth: My name is Umbra Shadow-Walker. I wish I could say it’s nice to meet you...but it really isn’t. Nice set up by the way, very well thought out.”

I was rather flattered by that. “Thank you. Now, next question: does Auric… love the trollop he’s married?” 

“I honestly don’t know, but...judging from what I tried to ignore when I left, I’d say so yes...you’re going to try to kill her, ain’tcha? Huh...standard villain tactic number 338: Go for the loved ones. Ah well, can’t beat the classics, right?”

I was honestly saddened by that. “I see. I can guess it was a good wedding. I’m sending them a wedding present soon. I’ll be the better man. Next question: do you have a repository of otherworldly artifacts on you?” 

“A-ha, picked up on that, didn’t ya? Well, yes I do. Now...for my sales pitch; I’ve been working on it, you see. Ahem. Welcome to Umbra’s Endless Armory, where the artifacts never stop flowing! Need to kill an army? There’s a sword for that! Need an endless source of dark magic? There’s a gem for that! Need to destroy a planet? There’s a mech for that! So buy, buy, buy, because the deals are great and the artifacts endless! StandardfeesandtaxesapplythereisnosuchthingasawarrantyhereallartifactsguaranteedtoworkoryourmoneybackI’mtalkingfastjusttoannoytheshitoutofyoubuymyartifacts. How’s that?”

I stared at him for a moment. “Anybody could buy these artifacts…? Please, open your Subspace Pocket. Any hint of you threatening me, and I’ll be forced to kill you.” 

“Jeez...you really know how to kill a mood, don’t ya? Right...here we go. One bigger-on-the-inside, shadowy cart full of magical artifacts, big and small...just don’t touch the ones marked ‘dangerous’ in bold letters until I can gift wrap them first. Go on, it’s safe. I’m playing the businessman right now, and I ‘smell’ a lucrative deal...lucrative is the correct word in this context, right? Anyways, I take payment in...anything of equal value really, from monetary to magical to sentimental to emotional. A block of protosteel about three meters cubed would pay for...I dunno… three sonic screwdrivers and a Nynrah Ghostblaster? of course, that is before tax.”

I nodded. “Do you possess a copy of the Kanohi Vahi in here?” 

“Mask of Time, eh? Jeez, you want something that simple? There should be like, thirty or so of them in row forty four...or were the masks in row sixty three? I don’t know, forty four is time manipulation, sixty three is magical masks. Search both, search all the rows, just choose what you want and bring them out here so I can tally the price. I am, after all, stuck in a prison, so I can’t exactly help too well.”

That was… surprisingly good. Another item I would likely need came to mind. “Do you supply Blood Quills?”

“The name of my shop is Umbra’s Endless Armory, of course I do. Row thirty six; magical torture devices...or row fifteen; body disfigurement...and row seventy seven; magical writing implements...and row one hundred and seven; Harry Potter stuff.”

I nodded, then mentally summoned Tavish. The gold and brown Panrahk came up. “Yes Father?” 
I nodded to Umbra. 

Tavish nodded. “Understood, father.” He took up the Midak Skyblaster and trained it on the center of mass. I then nodded to Umbra. “Just a precaution, you understand. I have no reason to suspect you of any ulterior motives… apart, that is, from you being an Administrator-level being that I have already seen destroy one of my paintings and get Auric married to some trollop who he doesn’t deserve.” 

“Yes, yes. I understand perfectly, good sir. And, sorry about the painting. I am, what you call, or shall I say, what I call, a personal appeaser. I do things to keep myself safe and others from wanting to murder me in cold blood...even if I am nigh immortal. Besides, closing the shop with someone in it is grounds for me to lose my interdimensional shopkeeper’s license.”

I nodded, but I still kept Tavish focused utterly on him. I then stepped through the portal, and was actually mildly impressed with its dimensions. “Row thirty-four… he honestly has no idea how useful that power is when one has understandingon their side.”

“Sorry about the low level of light in there, shadowy being and all, can’t stand the light. I’ll just make it less dark, then. That good?”

“No need. I can see perfectly well. And I refuse to let a single shadow out of here. Caution, you understand.” I teleported through the store, and picked up a Vahi. The prospect of holding a Mask of this level was incredible. I put it on, revelling in its feel. I then pulled out a Blood Quill, stared at it, then put it back. Why bother with such mundane torture? 

“No using Time Artifacts in the store! You might collapse the event horizon keeping the damn thing stable! And grab a bag! They’re free with every purchase made!”

I waved him off. “You have no idea how useful this will be to me. But I will heed your warning.” I removed my mask and walked over to the bag section. Along the way, I noticed a squirming bag, filled with minds that were honestly repulsive, even to me. Doubtless some last resort of his. With a minor bit of focus, I unleashed a blast of Disintegration that vaporized the bag and its contents. 

“I assume that bag was filled with rats.” 

“Was that my bag of Dementors!? Shit, that took forever to make! Now how am I gonna sell bags of Dementors to Voldemort!?...Oh wait, there’s more in the storeroom...I hope you intend to pay for the damages!”

How annoying. With a bit of focus, I found the shadowy gears that bound this subspace pocket together and added in a couple of minor additions. I then pulled on the Vahi, and with a bit of concentration, I replayed Time, back to the disintegration. I then turned my head up. “What damages?” 

“...Well since you put it back where it was, I guess none. Also, did you add something to the shop? It feels...different.”

I felt like smirking. “If you use shadows to program things, it only makes sense that I can manipulate your little shop. The addition was meant to keep it stable enough so that I could do that feat. And if, by some chance you ever use that against me, I can simply revert the timestream back. That is the true power of the Vahi, as wielded by a being who understands”

“Hmm...well, can’t fault that logic. Got everything you need? If so, either please proceed to the manual checkout stations to pay in magic, or outside to me if you intend to pay with things not of your own power. I find that only moral people use self checkout. Villains usually pay in gold or jewels or even this one asshole who paid me in pokemon cards...over fifty million of them… for a death ray worth three hundred US dollars. It was a weird deal...”

I nodded. One last thing. “Sek, come in here. I want one last contingency plan before you leave.” 
Sek entered. “Yes sir?” 

I would have smiled like a shark. “Disintegrate everything in here.” 

Sek nodded. With a wave of his hands, a pulsing blue sphere appeared. He then launched it around. Every single thing in the store was disintegrated. With a flash of focus, and a lot of strain, it was brought back. I then turned to Umbra as I left. “I like to be thorough in making sure that no weapons can be easily used against me.” 

“Well...on the one hand...MY INVENTORY!!!!!! On another...you are paying for that, right? Otherwise it counts as a robbery and I can get the interdimensional shopkeeper’s guild to come down on your ass. Ever heard of the one called The Merchant? He’s my boss. Third, I can totally understand your viewpoint, one paranoid bastard to another. You have my villainous respect, asshole.”

I glared at him. “And I say again.” I activated the Vahi, and his stock reappeared. “What destroyed stock? It’s all there, not one item unrestored. Now, I’m paying for this mask, how much for it?” 

“Well, one Kanohi Vahi, base price… about forty gold bits...or a block of protosteel in measurements of one meter cubed… tax adds up to three cubic centimeters of energized protodermis...or another cubic foot of protosteel. Your choice.”

I turned to Tavish. “Tavish, get the man his forty bits, plus a further 100 for the tax, I think.” As Tavish saluted, I turned to him. “I like to pay in cash. How much gold is the tax, precisely?” 

“Another three bits… and one silver bit, if you have one. If not, just three bits. Some Equestrias have different monetary systems, y’know?

I nodded, extacting three bits and dropping them near him. Tavish dropped the rest. Still, one other thing… “One last thing. You program universes, correct? And can create and destroy them on a whim? As can the Administrator here?” 

“Well, all of the Void dwellers can destroy Universes by forcing two or more to mingle without a stable connection, but yes, I can create Universes...seems to be just me and a few other Ascended shadow users, though...wonder why. Tangent aside, I’mma assume you want me to keep this Universe from being able to be destroyed, yeah? Can do. It’s just...it won’t stop entropy from killing it eventually, so if you really wanna live forever, you’re gonna have to leave here one day.”

I looked at him. “You know, I was expecting more resistance. I was going to hurt you a lot. And because of this mask, I think I’ll tell you a portion of my plan. Then, I’ll rewind time to the point where you didn’t hear it-”

“Problem...I exist outside time...good try, though. Just… don’t tell me anything, then.”

I got a bit angry at that, but then I sighed. “As to be expected. Do your work then, Umbra. But this much is safe to say:–” 

I looked him deep in the eyes. “Auric and I were destined to do this, I feel. We are meant to confront each other. He needs me, just as much as I need him. He may not realise it yet… but he does.” 

One more thing struck my mind. “One last request.” 

“Yeah?”

I pulled out my painting, depicting me, in a tuxedo, riding Auric while he was wearing a wedding dress. “Deliver this to Auric Fulcrum, please.” 

“You in a tux riding pony-Auric in a wedding dress. Good style, lovely brush strokes...oil on canvas?”

I nodded. “Please don’t destroy this one. Or I’ll have to destroy you.” 

“Yeah...Love the style...subject is a mite disturbing, but to me, humorous in the extreme...snrk...kehehehehe….oh gods my sides….pfft...oh man, Auric is gonna piss himself!”

By now, I was confused, which was… rare. “Whatever. Are you done with your work? If so, then you can leave.” 

“Yeah, yeah, give me a sec….let’s see...cross this protocol with that...shut down this one… add extra terms here...init this… block that...aaaaaannnnddd….done! Alright. Well, you’re Universe now appears as an inert Universe, read only to all save for the Admins, if you will. So, no one but me can interact with the coding. I locked everyone out. Everyone.”

“Can beings still go to and from my universe? That’s important.” 

“Yeah, it’s like… the difference between using a computer, that is entering and leaving, and writing an OS. You can use the computer, you just can’t rewrite the OS.”

I nodded, and handed him the painting. “Then have a very good day. I may sell you some artwork later… maybe even sell some disposable masks.” I then flicked off the lights, allowing him free movement. I still kept the Midak Skyblaster trained on him; I’m grateful, but not stupid enough to assume I won’t be attacked the second I turn my back.

“Jeez, I’m an appeaser, not stupid; I only retaliate. You haven’t actually attacked me...other than knocking me out… and I made money. I ain’t gonna attack a potential repeat customer unless he attacks me first. Also: I’ll buy the art, just...not ones with the subjects as you and Auric...those won’t sell, I’m afraid.”

I nodded. “Give me some time, and I’ll make you some good paintings.” I dropped the Midak Skyblaster, and gestured him out. “Your meeting with Auric awaits.” 

“Right...Pleasure doing business, Teridax. Perhaps I’ll drop by again with some classical literature from other Universes, if you so desire...just...please don’t dust my inventory again, I don’t think my guild would take it too well if my pocket kept showing signs of temporal instability.”

I nodded. “Just don’t sell the dusted items to Auric… or any other enemy of mine.” With that, I switched to the Olmak, opened a portal and politely showed him through. “Goodbye.”

“Adieu.”

VWORPLE

That done, I nodded to myself. Very profitable. Very profitable indeed. I then walked out, accompanied by Tavish and Sek. Tavish in particular was confused. "What with the what was that?" 

I waved a hand, as we approached my meeting hall. "Oh, pay it no mind, my sons... instead, pay mind to this."

I opened the doors, summoning my other generals. Tavish and Sek just stared at what was out in front. 

This cavernous hall was where my Rahkshi Centuries had been. As the other generals came in, they all slowed to a halt as they saw what was there. I smiled at them. "My loyal Generals... I have this to say. No more are you the Generals of the Forty-Two Centuries. Rather, you are the generals of the Forty-Two... Millenia."

Below us, forty-two thousand Rahkshi pounded their staffs on the floor. Each and every single one of them, excepting the original 100 of their number, had been made by the Mirror Pool. I just admired my new army. With this, I would crush Auric. 
> Ellura once again
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

As I lounged, I contemplated Geo. I said that I would make him stronger, and I meant it. What I didn't tell him was how I was going to do it. What I was going to do was, technically, wrong. But I didn't care about right or wrong. All I cared about was making a loyal, powerful soldier. 

First step to this process was creating a virus that would augment his capabilities. As a Makuta, I was a master of creating viruses that could create life and grant powers. But I would need test subjects. And there was no more perfect test subject for Geo... than Geo himself. 

The great thing about the multiverse is that I can have as many test subjects as I need. A limitless supply of Geos presented themselves to me, and I took advantage of that. Hundreds of realities I plundered, tracking down every instance of Geo the Charizard. Some fought; I put them down. Others cowered away from me; I put them down. I must have killed over a hundred different instances of Geo, but I had my test subjects. I strode amongst them, looking each of them in the eye. A couple thought of fighting me, and I put them all to sleep. 

Then came the virus. I pulled out a Geo and slapped him awake. He snarled at me, and breathed a torrent of white hot flames that I barely felt. "Geo, was that really necessary? I only want what's best for you. And that necessitates painful, painful testing."

With that, I injected him with the virus I had lovingly crafted. The effects weren't immediate- if they were, than Geo would suspect me of that. So I had to... accelerate the process. I pulled out the Kanohi Vahi, and sped up the time of Geo. He writhed and wriggled in high speed, and he grew in size. When I was done, he'd grown quite a lot. He panted, before breathing a muych, much hotter gout of flame that merely washed over my armour. I sighed; really, this was too much. "Now really, mr Geo, is that any way to react to somebody who has your best interests at heart?" When he tried to attack, I gripped his throat tightly and continued. "The virus is operating within acceptable parameters. But I need more. This test subject is worthless to me now. I will have to check on his vitals after the autopsy." With that, I snapped his neck and gently took him away. The clamouring of the Geos was astronomical, so I Silenced them with a thought.

The autopsy confirmed it; I had created a successful mutagenic virus that would bolster the combat capabilities of Geo. But I needed improvements. I set aside my initial efforts, and started to go crazy, boosting certain variables, improving others and diminishing yet more others. I fed it to the next one, and watched to see what happened. Unfortunately, all that happened was that his head exploded. I tutted, and crossed that virus off the list.

Of course, many died, and those who remained were hysterical. Many begged me to have mercy, to spare them. I paid them no mind- they were as cattle to me. Some pleaded with me, that they would do anything for me. A couple even tried to kill themselves. But they were pretty much dead already. And I was giving them purpose. They had been chosen by an immaculate and majestic being to improve one of their own number. What did I care if they died? I could always snatch more.

As I injected my latest test subject while the tears poured down his face and he begged me to have mercy, I felt one of my allies summoning me. With a gesture, I set Tavish to watch this Geo, and pulled on my Olisi, to enter a rather interesting facility. I am rarely impressed by anything, but the sheer scale of the place, the incredible creations he had made with an inferior virus- it was all incredible. “Fascinating work, these B.O.W.s of yours.” I drawled, walking through and examining the facility.  “True works of art. I’m impressed with the sheer diversity. I wasn’t expecting this.”

Inkwell smirked, and I felt the pride he had in his creations, as well as his slight surprise that I was genuinely praising him. “I am many things, Mr. Teridax, but an underachiever is certainly not one of them. I seek to go above and beyond my client’s expectations, always.” He bowed his head slightly me, the slight fear and worry in him alerting me to the fact that he was appeasing me. “I do hope you have a place to hold them all. This is our subterranean B.O.W. storage facility underneath Fillydelphia, and these B.O.W.s alone are putting us at around 75% capacity.” As he sighed and facehoofed, I pulled the relevant information out of his head as he spoke. “We would be at 100% if it weren’t for the recent interference in Manehattan, in addition to the incident in Ponyville. We lost a lot of research and test subjects…” His speech trailed off into a grumble.

I waved a massive, clawed hand. Of course I knew how much storage I needed. I was always ten steps ahead of any jumped-up mortal who thought they were able to conquer the world. Nemesis would have been a fine ally if I could get to him; perhaps I could still bribe him with one of my patented creations. “Storage is not a problem. I’ll get my team of specialists to move the tubes through.” Purely for effect, I jerked my head to the left and created another portal through to another reality. “Advice and general specialisations on these marvelous B.O.W.s can wait. I will uphold my end of the bargain, even further than I would have already-” 

I was interrupted by Tavish, who came in with an important announcement. “Father, subject 20 has exploded.” 

I grunted in annoyance. I'd had high hopes for Subject 20, but it seemed that my hopes were poorly placed. “Unexpected. Problem with the flame gland, I’m assuming.” I turned back to Inkwell, who was smart enough to figure out what I was doing. “Apologies. I’m in the midst of my own testing, and so far… so far the virus is not operating as I would like it to. Too many variables change, and a virus can do something completely outside of normal perimeters. I managed to get a product I liked first try, and I’m currently testing to see whether or not I can improve its efficiency.”

Inkwell’s eyes widened at the sight of Tavish, and his surprise escalated when he had called me ‘father.’ Inkwell shook his head. “Think nothing of it, I personally know how difficult it is when testing a new product. Strains of the original virus have done a myriad of things we never expected it to, from making brain-dead useless B.O.W.s to the subject turning into something else entirely.” 

Inkwell’s ears perked up suddenly as he reached into his suit pocket, and I knew what he was giving me before he opened his mouth. “Speaking of…” he produced a vial of blood from Nemesis. Perfect. “I believe you also requested a sample? It’s not directly from the source itself, it’s what we could recover after a battle, but we’ve looked it over and it is, without a doubt, his.”

I examined the vial, sloshing it around. From his thoughts, he'd already confirmed that it was genuine. “This I can work with. It is more than suitable for my purposes. Follow me, and I’ll get to work on it right away.”

Inkwell nodded and followed me through the portal I had conjured. The same laboratory presented itself, though the smell of lyme and disinfectant was overpowering. My sons were dutifully hauling out lumps of alternate Geos, an action that I paid no mind, focused on the promised T-Virus nestled in my hand. With a flick of a finger one of my Masks of Mutation came to my hand and I replaced the Kraahkan with the Mask of Mutation. “Let’s take a look at you."  Some measure of consideration for my guest came to me, and I added, "I assume it isn’t safe to open this in your presence.” 

“If I’m far enough away to avoid inhaling the fumes or touching it, I should be fine.” Inkwell responded as he slowly backed away from Teridax until he was a reasonable distance away where he could still watch what was happening. Not that it would help him at all; I operated on an entirely different level to him.

I flicked the test tube open, watched the fumes for a moment, appreciating the structure of the virus. It was really quite fascinating. Then, my Mask of Mutation started glowing. The blood within started bubbling and boiling, and changed to a slightly darker shade of red. With the mutations I had wanted to happen having done so, I flicked my hand. A large amount of biomatter slid towards him. “I have stabilised this virus, a process which is beyond your technology. The virus grants an increased healing factor, as well as a boost to reaction time and intelligence. Not much of a boost, but noticeable.” 

Teridax frowned, before setting the vial down and recapping it. “I think I’ll put in a bonus feature as well.” Without hesitating, he drove his clawed hand directly into his metallic torso, making no sound other than the crumpling of metal under the pressure.

Inkwell’s fascination with the vial waned as Teridax drove his clawed hand into his chest. He visibly flinched at the violent display, and I could appreciate the irony of his squeamishness- a pony who routinely had people butchered was unnerved my an act of self-mutilation. “Wh-what did you have in mind?” he flinched again at the sound of crunching metal but otherwise tried to seem unperturbed by the act. I could tell, though, that I had shaken him.

I answered his slightly squeamish question by removing one of my new youngest children, a kraata of Adaptation. I communed with it mentally, asking it to give a portion of its flesh to my latest creation. My son complied, and I promised to make it painless, but I kept my voice level as I answered Inkwell's question with, “Oh, just something to make it much harder to kill.” This said, he carefully placed it down, and, carefully, removed a small section of reddish-gold flesh. With this finished, he carefully placed a hand on the harmed area, and the flesh regrew. 

Inkwell eyed the wriggling creature curiously as Teridax removed flesh from it, and dropped it into the vial. The liquid bubbled even more, then became slightly less murky. Inkwell leaned his head forward, trying to get a better look at it but not wanting to stray too close. “Increased intelligence, reaction time, and enhanced regenerative capabilities? All at the loss of no essential bodily functions? I’d ask how such a thing is possible, but I believe my definition of ‘impossible’ was shaken when I met you.” Inkwell smirked slightly. “I’m too assume this will be used also to create this ‘hunter’ that you said you would also deliver?”

“Oh, yes. It should work; if not, then you have my apologies. Now then, let’s get to work.” I waved a hand only for efect's sake, and a veritable mountain of unidentifiabe meat came towards me from the surgical room I then carefully poured about half of the vial onto it. I wanted to conserve this sample, especially after what I was going to be using it for.

The pile of meat, at first, did not react, and for a split second I thought I had been given a dud sample. Then, it bubbled, and the virus got to work. Inkwell backed away slightly as it pulled itself apart, together, apart and together again in some sort of destructive, creative dance. I pulled on the Mask of Mutation, and simply stood still, only the mask glowing indicating the immense mental struggle that was happening as I added and removed vectors. For the extraordinary work that Inkwell had gone to in procuring me those B.O.W.S of his, I was going the whole nine yards with this. The rate of it pulling itself apart and together again increased, moulding into a vaguely bipedal figure.

Eventually, the creature was formed, and I couldn't have been happier. It was vaguely humanoid, standing at an impressive seven feet tall. It was as skinny as a rake, and coloured a dull, reddish purple. Long, almost disproportionate arms and a narrow, snake-like head made it appear incredibly alien. A single, bright red eye glared out at the world. I tapped my Mask of Mutation, and I would have smiled if I'd had a proper mouth. “Oh, yes, this will do nicely. I can assure you, this one will be practically unkillable.” 

Inkwell tilted his head as he slowly approached the new creature. Besides the immensely short amount of time that Teridax had taken to make the creature, its mere appearance left him flabberghasted. Despite this, a smile slowly spread over his features. “I...what can it do?”

In response, Teridax simply drove a hand through its chest and pulled it out. The creature barely flinched, didn’t even seem to acknowledge the gaping hole in its chest. The flesh pulled back together at an impressively fast pace, and Teridax smirked, before repeating the motion. This time, rather than tearing through the creature, it simply bounced off. “An adaptive ability. Nothing will harm it in the same way; it’ll simply adapt. However, the more damage it takes, the more successive hits it needs to fully adapt.” 

I snapped me fingers, and my unnamed creation sprang into action, removing the neural interface worm from its skull, as it had been designed to do. “The other feature I added is something that won’t really be useful for much more than guidance: a symbiote that can go into whoever you assign to control it. Be warned, however, that if the creature is somehow killed, whoever is controlling it will also die. Extreme pain will likely have some… minor mental feedback issues, and might possibly lobotomise the controller. So be careful.” 

As I listed features off, I could feel Inkwell's excitement growing. It briefly faltered when he heard about the whole 'two-deaths' feature, but he took it with pride and approached the worm. I admired that courage. “If it means eliminating the greatest threat to my company, I’ll gladly take a little pain over that. As for the part about sharing death..well…” Inkwell looked at the red worm apprehensively. “I suppose that’s why I asked you to make it.” He took the worm into his hoof, and I sensed his confusion. I decided to be a bit more helpful with him regarding my creations' capabilities.

“Put it in your ear. It should make its way to your brain and co-inhabit your frontal lobe. You and my creation will share one mind. It’s how it was designed.” I thought about an appropriate name for my creation, and finally settled on one. I'd always been a fan of Majora's mask, so it was fitting that my second greatest creation would be named after the main antagonist of that game. “I think I’ll name my creation… Majora.” I mulled it over, thinking. Yes, Majora was a good name for this creature, expecially considering that it didn't need a neural interaface to be so delightfully efficient. “Yes, Majora is a good name for this creature. And if you need another one…” I stoppered the vial. “I can always make another one.” 

Inkwell stared at the neural interface worm before he lifted it to his ear. The worm complied immediately, crawling into it. Inkwell shuddered for a moment, feeling the worm work its way through his ear canal before it eventually hit what it was looking for: his brain. And, of course, providing a kill switch if I ever needed one; not that I thought I would, but it never hurt to be too prepared. Inkwell twitched a few times, but after a moment, Majora’s eye lit up, as was expected. I'd given Majora sentience, as it seemed fitting. 

“Equestrian life form recognized. Master designation: ‘Inkwell’. Awaiting orders.” 

Inkwell blinked a few times, rubbing the side of his head with a hoof. I could tell that the voice in his head bothered him. “I think...one...will do just fine for now. Though I trust I can still call on you, should I change my mind in the future?”

I shrugged, pleased that the deal was going as easily as it was. I almost considered Inkwell a friend. Almost. “Oh, yes. No problem. I’ve got a minor problem of my own… something that could change quite a lot. But yes, I can be contacted. Now, your end of the deal, if you please.” 

“Oh, but of course.” Inkwell pressed a few buttons on the watch on his hoof. “Inkwell.” 

”Voice recognition acknowledged.”

“Begin mass B.O.W. transportation, direct to…” He looked back to teridax with a grin. “Where would you like me to put them?”

“I have a rather large chamber that I can store them in.” A pair of massive steel doors slammed open, revealing a massive cavern. That done, I decided, as was courteous, to inform Inkwell about the last feature of Majora. “This should be able to store them all, with room to spare. One more thing, about Majora? A third feature is that Majora, technically, has no skeletal system, and can fit through any opening. And due to the stabilised nature of the virus, it cannot transmit that infection by any means other than direct bodily fluid contact.”

And with that, he left. I stood still for a moment, before pulling out the vial itself. I hadn't used any of it at all; I'd merely used the illusion of it. Of course, he wouldn't know that at all, and there was no point in telling him. I chuckled, before examining it. My mind flared and flashed, and complex equations went through my mind at the speed of a supercomputer. When I was done, I simply focused, hard. Viral energy spiralled around my hand, and the fine, silver powder I created went into the vial. The mixture reacted briefly, then went inert. I pulled out my Akaku, the Kanohi of Vision, and looked at it closely. The T-virus had been suppressed successfully. Of course, the virus I was giving him was probably going to either kill or severely harm him. But, for a man who wanted to be a hero, what I was offering him was a chance to be free from the pressure of the T-virus' mental strain. And such a man could be bribed to not get in my way. 

As I contemplated, Tavish ran up to me, grinning. "Father, you wouldnae believe it! Subject 200 has increased parameters, and is still stable!" 

I would have smiled if I had a mouth. "Excellent. Give me the virus, and I think that I'll write Geo a letter. And drop that Geo back in his home. As for the others..." I mulled over it, then nodded. "I'll dispose of them myself."

The other Geos were vaporised. Couldn't have them thinking about fighting me in any way, shape or form. It would distract me.
> 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.
> Finally
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I leafed through the psychological profiles of the Elements of Harmony idly while I adjusted the schemes even further. This had taken quite a long time to acquire, and I was not regretting it. With this, I could work the plan even better- predicting who would likely break first. 

The pink one was obsessed with parties and could reputedly teleport and break the rules of reality. Plus, there was a definite sugar addiction. Bipolar tendencies, manic-depressive, wham bam thank you ma'am. Family includes one geologist, the others just farmed rocks. I resolved to kidnap the family to demotivate her. 

The white unicorn was a fashionista. Dramatic, more cultured than her boorish friends, that was for sure. Quite a shrewd business mare; I could respect her designs. I leafed through a couple of samples and nodded approvingly. She definitely had talent. I would make sure that her family would be abducted as well. 

Orange was the head of the Ponyville branch of the Apple family. That clan was incredibly well-spread- their connections had been hard to overhear, but thanks to their gossip, they were unknowingly supplying me with a lot of information- especially about the rumours of my latest creation. From their whispered reports and my own observations, I was pleased to find that The Plan was on schedule. I resolved to let the Apple family be... too many to kidnap. 

From what I could tell, the yellow pegasus was an animal caretaker and a general vet, as well as a complete doormat. A dependency complex, that's for sure. Nothing of interest there then. Maybe I could kill her ironically. Her own animals tearing her apart. I paused, then shook my head. Not practical enough. Besides, I didn't need new Elements of Harmony popping up, now did I? 

The blue pegasus was reportedly extremely loyal to her friends. Classical narcissist, with ADHD and hyperactivity. I noticed that she wanted to be a Wonderbolt... how interesting. Well, something about how petty that dream was struck me as amusing. I decided that it was in my best interests for miss Rainbow Dash to enter the Wonderbolt Academy. However, I did need to weed out potential applicants. 

I idly pulled out the birth records of the vast majority of pegasi and started perusing them. My spies had been busy- taking photos of every single birth record, just in case I needed it. I crossed out the pegasi who were already on the team, and got to work with newspaper reports on them. Eventually, I found a likely pony who would be very... useful to me. 

Her name was Lightning Dust, and she was reputedly the fastest pony in the skies. She certainly had an ego to match her reputation. I paused at that. Ego. I definitely had an ego. Was I right in judging her unfairly for it? After a moment, I shook my head. My ego was justified- after all, apart from alternate versions of me, there was only one other man in the multiverse who had that- him and his other versions of himself. Plus, I'd spent four thousand years learning the exact limitations of each and every single one of my powers, their applications, their uses for one with understanding... plus, I'd spent a lot of time also mastering my art. 

Thus resolved, I decided to make Lightning Dust an offer she couldn't refuse. 

I walked out, shapeshifting quickly into a pegasus- bright green body and brighter red mane. I looked like an eyesore, but that was the point. Lightning Dust would need some pony who she couldn't simply ignore. I pulled on my Kakama and grinned. Time to finally acquire one of my pet goals- high speed perception, as well as improved eyesight. 

Chuckling, I pulled out a piece of paper and started to write in an elegant, easy to read style. I explained to Lightning Dust that I was a representative of a new company. I wanted to help her maximise her full potential. I really wasn't lying; I wanted her to reach her full potential. It's simply that fleshbags are fundamentally limited by their mortality. Thus, I needed to ensure that I snapped her up and... added her to me when she was in her prime.


==Later...==


Teleporting to a nearby town to get train tickets was so easy I didn't even have to blink. The ticket seller was a Changeling drone. I smiled at him. "How's the Queen?" 
He smiled back at me brightly. "She's excellent- there's so much love in Equestria, we'll never go hungry! And it's all thanks to a certain... advisor." 
I kept playing along. "Oh? And who is that, I wonder? Must have been very wise." 
The drone nodded, leaning forwards. "Yes, his identity is a secret. But what's really great is that the Alicorns have accepted Chrysalis as their equal! Truly, the Great Era of the Changelings will never end." 
I smiled in a friendly way. "Good for you, my Changeling friend. Be seeing you in a while." With that, I boarded the train to Baltimare, where Lightning Dust was currently residing.

The train ride was long, dull and boring. I slept, or rather gave the impression of sleeping. The local gossip was centred around how much Chrysalis had been helping Equestria- apparently, she'd helped out with some wedding thing and had lent soldiers to hunt down something or other. Likely me. I smiled in my feigned sleep. Nice to see that Celestia still had some of her edge. Even if it was nothing compared to what she'd been before... it was nice to see that I had some manner of competition. 

When I finally arrived, I casually navigated the choked platform, ensuring that any collisions with me felt properly flesh-like with some minor elasticity. Such a simple power had so many interesting uses, when one had half a brain. 

The rest of my little trip was locating the small apartment room where she lived- in a sky hotel. Nifty building, that- a large cloud pushed here and kept in place by powerful weather magic. Liquid Rainbow came down from the very top of the building with a convenient fountain- a nice little trick, especially with the neon lighting that made it glow like a liquid rave festival. These things were exclusively pegasus buildings, but would open to the occasional unicorn with a cloud-walking spell. Naturally, I had no trouble flying up and landing on there. Weather control allowed me to solidify the cloud beneath me, so that I could walk here safely. 

I found her room number after a polite conversation with the receptionist, and I went up to meet her. I knocked on her door politely, and I waited. After about a second, the door was thrown open and I was pulled in. I blinked, before smiling. 
"You have incredible speed, miss Lightning Dust." 
The green pegasus nodded with a cocky smirk on her face. "Damn right I'm the fastest. Ain't nopony faster than I am." 
God she was arrogant. I mean, I wasn't exactly humble myself, but even I knew that I wasn't perfect. I could name, throughout history, about twelve ponies who were faster than she was. But I kept quiet, and stealthily projected a Silence field around the room. Nobody would hear what was going on in this room.

I cleared my throat. "Yes, I can see that. I'm offering you the chance to be... even faster, if you so want." 
Lightning Dust's eyes widened at that and she scowled at me. "What, EVEN faster? Please, that's impossible, you dingus." 
I am over four thousand years old. I am a genius of the highest calibre. You're not even worthy of my attention, and I'm only here to absorb you and gain your senses.
I kept the stream of insults inside me and I casually laid an arm around her shoulders. "Of course, of course. After all... we both understand your place in the multiverse." And with that, I showed her the knowledge I'd been cursed with. She saw herself, in relation to the grandeur of the entire multiverse. Every, last, bit of it. 

I was glad that there was a field of silence projected around this room, as she screamed loud enough to deafen most people. I chuckled mirthlessly as she flopped on the ground, golden eyes wide. "Yes, we DEFINITELY understand our place, don't we you little egomaniac?" She wasn't listening, and she'd finally stopped screaming. Good, I was getting rather sick of that. Instead, she just sat there, staring at the wall. The impact of the vision, coupled with its suddenness, had broken her utterly. 

I kept talking. "You know something? You're not the most important being in the universe. How does that make you feel?" With no answer forthcoming, I continued talking. "I'll tell you something; you only got a couple of seconds. Me? I see that EVERY DAY. No break." 

I got up close to her face, and she scrambled backwards. "Now then..." My shadow hand came out of the centre of my chest, enveloping her. I grinned like a feral animal. "It's just about time for dinner. Open wide." My pony chest split open, revealing my green, gaseous true form. "It's time to eat." 


> What a weasel
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Idly, I pulled at the shadow code that I'd made, and froze. Somebody had retroactively gotten rid of my beautiful coding. I scrambled along it madly, pulling at the back doors that hadn't been there when I'd programmed my universe. I wondered how this was possible before I froze. There was only one other being who I both knew and would have the motive to do something like this. Umbra... 

Wait. How did he even know that the code would only go from the moment I'd added it unless...

I facepalmed. I had been so taken by his useless fool act that I'd overlooked the bleeding obvious- he was a SysAdmin. Of COURSE he had Understanding. "Umbra has understanding. I cannot believe I fell for that. I literally cannot believe I was that stupid."

Well, no more being nice. I pulled out the Vahi and started pulling for more shadow coding. More and more detonators piled out at my feet, until I was absolutely, positively sure that it was all gone. I then pulled out the explosive itself, and scanned it for more. More and more explosive shadow bombs came out of my mask. I applauded his thoroughness, but at the same time I was slowly seething at myself. I'd been taken for a fool by a SysAdmin, but I had to say that I was actually having the last laugh. After all, the universe was now... protected against destruction...

I had to check that. Mentally cursing Umbra for everything he was worth, I pulled on my Olmak and tore open a portal to the Void. This done, I examined the code. How sneaky of him; it was exactly as I'd expected. Still, I ran a dozen checks over it, just to be sure. Then, I picked up my stray code, and then started coding anew. He already tampered with everything I'd worked so hard on; admittedly, most of that was tampering with an obvious mistake that a SysAdmin shouldn't have made... I then realised that I'd been taken a fool. By my own arrogance, no less! I was kicking myself with that revelation, and now I was even more enraged with my stupid, stupid arrogance. Just because I'd been working on my powers for four thousand years, didn't mean that others hadn't been using that time productively as well.

Umbra's little bid to retroactively put himself back in the head admin position and leave back doors in was deleted, and replaced with me retroactively becoming the Admin of my Equestria. I then started adding in as many redundant firewalls and anti-hacking measures I could. Of course, this was immensely power consuming- after all, I was basically tearing into the multiversal code and rewriting it to suit my own whims. I was running on fumes now, but this needed to be done. I reworked the anti-virus system, and then retroactively applied it to the whole universe. Any Admin who tried to enter or alter this code apart from myself would be regarded as a viral consciousness and would subsequently be reincarnated. 

I tiredly smirked, before going back in. As I did, I noticed a blue crystal in my chambers. As soon as I appeared, it relayed a nice little message for me, in the form of a holographic Auric Fulcrum. I took a moment to admire the craftsmanship before he started speaking. I listened to his message with curiosity at first, then slowly growing admiration and horror. This was... exactly what I'd wanted. Just not now. This was not the time for Auric to man up- I needed him later, when the plan was almost complete. 

"Teridax, I send this to you for one reason.  To tell you I will not fight you."  He deliberately paused for five seconds there- to emphasize his own point.  "At least, not in your world.  Nor, I think, will I permit you to fight me in mine.  In the first case, t'would be folly for me to come to your world to fight you.  It'd be like setting foot into the lair of a lich and expecting no traps to spring.  And in the second, there is too much here that I hold dear that could suffer...collateral damage.
"No, instead, by the time you receive this, I will have worked out the details of a staging ground with Umbra Shadow-Walker.  If you truly wish to fight me, he can lead you there.  Fail to arrive...and I may have to alert your world's alicorns to your potential plans.
"Oh yes," and here he grinned, a grin that set my spine shivering in excitement, "I know all about that.  Not only have I gone through similar here, but my Mirror forecasts potential futures.  Yours seem to revolve around a point where all magic is lynch-pinned to one...lavender...mare.  Like I said, fail to come, and I will just have to...warn them." His eyes glowed a bright blue, to contrast my glowing red ones. "Your move."

With that, the message ended. I stood still for a while, shaking. Not from fear, oh no. From excitement. 

I was finally going up against somebody worthy of my power and intellect. He had already likely warned the alicorn princesses; he would be a fool not to. I'd hoped for him to go to me, but now, I was having to majorly revise my plans. Twilight Sparkle had ascended to alicorn level; I needed more time for the Plan to work-

I froze. I then mentally grinned. "Oh, Auric. Thank you for your kindness." 

I then picked up a Makuta stone, and imposed my will on it. "Auric Fulcrum, I accept your terms of engagement. However, I must also say that I will be needing more time to prepare. And one more thing, Auric." Here I paused, shapeshifting back down to human form. "Thank you. I've never had so much fun with any other living creature before. And I have one request, should I die." I frowned. This was going to be hard to say, but it had to be said. "If... if I should die, then I want you to ignore my children. They're the only reason besides yourself that I haven't ended it all already. I will respect your own wishes not to harm your own universe, but... I hope you will respect my own wishes. Thank you."

With that, I hurled the Makuta stone through to his Canterlot, after priming it to only be activated in his presence. I then sighed. I needed more allies. It was just then that a coin plunked next to me. I picked it up, turning it over in my massive clawed hands. There was some sort of helmet on one side. 

Well. Can't be worse than what had just happened today. I flipped the coin, watching it turn round and round...
> The beginning of the End.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

When the world comes down on you, sometimes you have to find somebody who really Understands. 

I stared at the shrine to Auric, and made sure my wards were up. “Auric, I… I admire you for a couple of reasons. You… you want to solve the problems of the world, of the multiverse, same as I do. Unfortunately, our ways differ too much.” 

I sighed, leaning against a wall. “I know you won’t listen to me when the final confrontation comes up. That’s alright. Maybe one of your allies will be listening. And I wish that it wasn’t in our destiny to fight, I really do. But in the end… in the end, it has to be this way.

I chuckled. That chuckle quickly escalated, until I was laughing myself to the point I would have vomited were I human. “I’m not an alternate version of you, Auric, neither are you an alternate version of me. I’m your dark reflection, Auric. I’m so much like you in so many ways, and yet so different in others. I’m what you will need to become in order to change anything in this sick, sick multiverse.”

I gripped the statue’s face, glaring into its eyes. It would all come out in the battle, but sometimes you have to talk about things first, to make the message clear. “I hate everything about this multiverse, Auric. I hate the Sys Admins. I hate that they get their position, mostly out of luck and destiny. Destiny! Is that any way to choose the people who run the multiverse? No! It’s not!” 

The ground started cracking beneath my feet as I fumed. “There are only a couple of Sys Admins who do their damn job. Not to mention the masses of glitched code that comprise some universes. Why haven’t they been deleted? Because there aren’t enough Sys Admins. Yet they won’t make more because of the orders from their superiors.” 

I chuckled again. “It took a lot of searching, Auric. But I found out about the Powers that Be. It only makes sense; the Sys Admins all seem to move with a purpose that couldn’t be comunicated amongst themselves. So there have to be people above them, people who are more powerful than they.” 

I absently started tapping on the handle of my staff. 

I looked again into the stone Auric’s eyes. “Umbra thinks that I just want to conquer everything, doesn’t he? Too bad for him that I won our little coding battle.” I smirked at that; forcing a Sys Admin to use a personal style of coding, even though I shouldn’t have been able to manipulate the original coding at all, was a win in my book. Sometimes you had to lose in order to win. I was a fan of that kind of victory. Nevertheless, I felt like monologuing more. “I won’t describe my plan; there are too many prying eyes watching me, like Umbra. But my plan is not what it seems; it’s never what it seems.” 

I turned and started pacing, needing the space in order to talk a bit more. “And that’s why you were my equal, Auric. You singlehandedly screwed up my plans better than Umbra ever had. He’s not my equal, he’s my inferior. Only you are my equal. A three-dimensional being with my knowledge, my power, my charisma. You have every advantage that I possess. It’ll be a battle of equals, as Destiny planned. I wish that we didn't have to fight, but it's in our nature, Auric."

I idly flicked the last string of Fate, that had determined victory for Auric. “I want this to be a fair fight, Destiny. No pre-determined plotlines at all. Who wins, will win. And who loses… will lose.” 

With that, I chuckled darkly. “I have no idea whether I’m going to win or lose against you, Auric. And that’s what makes it so exciting. What makes life worth living is not seeing the Threads of Fate directing you down a specific path. You’re like me, Auric- a man who makes his own path, who refuses to listen to the weak unless they have a reason to direct you. The man who rages against the gods and doesn’t compromise, doesn’t take no for an answer, and gets righteously angry whenever those close to you are harmed. Just like me underneath your coat of morals.” 

I stared out, out at the window. “There can only be one king, however. And I don’t know what colour he’s going to be on the board of the multiverse.” 

Not that I wasn’t going to take every advantage I could. I teleported to my personal forge, and picked up several chunks of protodermis. I’d seen him using my gift, and it pleased me immensely. Too complicated though. So I decided to go with a weapon that reflected my genius best. 

First, I decided to forgo protodermis entirely; too easy. Instead, I decided to go with a challenge- glass. I teleported to a volcano, ignoring the intense temperatures and the rather surprised teenage dragons wallowing there entirely. I waded through the lava, searching for obsidian in large quantities. A dragon snarled at me, but I simply disintegrated it without much thought. After that, they avoided me. I turned invisible, in case prying eyes were on me, and gathered my obsidian. Task done, I teleported back to my fortress. 

With a minor flash of plasma, I carefully shaped the obsidian into a roughly sword-shaped block. Absorbing the plasma from the area and letting the weapon cool, I then started carving durability glyphs into it, turning it from a fragile weapon into a sword capable of enduring the strongest blow. It’d take a meteorite crashing into the blade to break it. Just to be sure of its durabilities, I added several redundant glyphs around the hilt. Then, I started sharpening it.

At first, a normal grindstone was enough. I must have sat there for hours, sharpening the blade enough to cut through a block of wood. I hmmed. “Not nearly sharp enough.” 

After that, I moved on to a strap of leather, continuing the sharpening ritual enough to have an incredibly honed edge, enough to qualify for a katana. Again, I hmmed. “Not sharp enough for my tastes just yet.” 

Next came cotton. I sharpened the blade with as much care as handling a new-born baby, for yet more hours. I was never more thankful for my ability to ignore sleep and eating, as at least a day had passed in sharpening this blade. When that was done, I swung it through the air, and shook my head. “Definitely not sharp enough.” 

Silk was next, and I merely swished the blade along it several dozen times, then swung it through my anvil. The blade carved through the gigantic block of protosteel as a knife through butter. One of my sons gasped at this, but I frowned. “Still not sharp enough.” 

I looked at the time and nodded. Yes, this was the time. As I rose and headed outside, Tacish followed me, watching me as I looked at the rising son with a mildly disgusted expression on his face. “Father, what on Earth are ye-” 

I was concentrating on the task at hand, bending the sword to meet the sunlight at a very precise angle. For this to work, it had to be perfect, I couldn't afford any distractions. Tavish squinted, then he saw what I was doing. “Oh, come on Father. You’re not seriously sharpening that blade on sunlight, are ye?” 

For an answer, I held the blade up. The edges of the weapon glowed a faint blue, and when I swung the blade a small line of fire followed it. I’d managed to sharpen the blade enough that it was splitting the oxygen atoms in the air, and causing a minor atomic reaction. This time, I would have grinned had I teeth and a proper mouth. “Now it’s sharp enough.”

I turned to Tavish. “I shall be calling for my allies now, and on the morrow, we go to confront Auric on his own terms.” I shapeshifted into human form and grinned darkly. “The Endgame is coming, Auric. I hope you’re ready.” 

With that, I sent the signal, summoning my allies. A pair of Overlords, the Charizard, and the B.O.W.S that I had been given as a gift all responded with a confirmation. Even the Queen of Fear and the swordswoman responded. It would take some time for them to gather, though. Enough time for Plan C to take effect. 

You think I would let my real plan be revealed to the Sys Admins? 

Plans within plans, goals within goals. Most people only see what they were meant to see, and the Sys Admins were no exception. As such, I decided to break all previous extrapolations of my behaviour and just confront the alicorns directly. Since the only weapon that was capable of stopping me, the City of Shadows was destroyed (by the Elements of Harmony, no less!) I was confident in my victory.
> The End
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The battlefield smoked. Strewn around what was once a verdant green field were the corpses of the Zerg and my sons who had fallen in battle. There had once been many combatants here, but they had either been forced to leave or had left of their own volition. Now only the two of us remained. 

I stood, watching Auric intently. My armour was scratched and worn from those humans who had dared to attack me. I'd let them live, if only because their bravery and willingness to fight was commendable. Auric himself looked worn out and worn down, probably because he'd sent his allies back to his world. My allies had also been sent back, but under the power of my mask. I had more power than him. 

I had to admit, I was extremely proud of myself. I had proven to be better than Auric. Even though I knew that Auric would be tricky and sneaky enough to cause a dark horse victory, it didn't matter. I could kill him in a thousand ways.

"Bet you think you've won," he commented as he reached for Eureka.  That sword was truly a work of art. I would have to take it from him at the first opportunity. 

I swung my Staff of Shadows up. “You know, I rather liked that your allies have the guts to attack me directly. Bravery is to be admired, but sometimes, it is foolhardy to continue.” I paused briefly, before extendinhg a hand out. I stayed out of his range though; I'm not going to risk losing a hand to Auric. “My allies were… interesting momentary diversions. You are the most important being to me. We should be allies, Auric.” 

“As if I ever would ally with you.”  He smiled, pulling out what appeared to be a staff made from solid protosteel. My gift, I presumed. Something about it seemed to sing with power. Something so beautiful. Just like Auric for him to make something like that.  “We’re not just opposite sides of the coin, we’re more like Matter and Antimatter.  We shouldn’t be anywhere near each other for the sake of everything around us.”

I felt mildly offended, but I extended my offer of friendship once more. “You know, together we could rule everything. With your alchemy and my viruses, we could rewrite reality so that it conforms to our beliefs. We could make everything about the multiverse better.”  I saw Auric was tempted, briefly. He frowned as he contemplated how successful we would be.

Alas, he did not ally, instead shaking his head firmly and simply saying,  “I think not,” before dropping into a combat stance.  “There’s a reason we’re told the story of Icarus in school.  Fly too high, you end up falling.”

I simply shrugged. I really didn't like that kind of thinking. If you end up falling, you simply didn't try hard enough to change the world. Auric was imperfect, he truly was. That was why I had to win. “If that’s how you feel about it, then I suppose I can’t convince you.” I paused. I wanted Auric as a friend, I really did. “I wasn’t lying when I said I loved you, but unfortunately, my plan will work regardless.” 

I pulled out my Harmoniser. “This is comprised of fragments of the Tree of Harmony. With a little bit of work, I could use it to terraform the multiverse, establish myself as its ruler. Clean and simple.”  The signal would bounce off every single iteration of the Tree of Harmony. The resulting wave of magic would forcibly overwrite every single piece of code to make me the sole ruler of the multiverse.

“Ah, one of those,” Auric mused, face lighting up in recognition.  “I banished the last one to think like that to the Void, you know.”

I was honestly surprised by that. “Really? I’m impressed by the mortal who could make something like that.” I shrugged. I had Auric right where I wanted. I should not be nice, I should just kill him. He's a threat to me. “Regardless, I really should be pragmatic.” My hand glowed with plasma. One good shot would destroy his head. He was weak, and he would not survive. His form would be reduced to ashes. “You have no magic left. By all rights, I should just blast your head off your shoulders.” 

“You’d be well within your rights to,” He pointed out.  “But something tells me someone like you wouldn’t be satisfied with such a quick, clean death like that.  You need to be better than me.”

I paused. Much as I hated to admit it, he was right. I had to be better than him, than everybody else. “...I know you’re playing me. But, you’re right.” I dispelled the plasma, and I raised my Staff of Shadows. “If I can’t destroy you in melee combat, then I don’t deserve to call myself the best.” 

“I believe the term I’m looking for is ‘En guard,’” he replied before raising that unique blade, the crystal of it shining in the daylight. I swung my weapon down with all my strength, and he blocked it with the staff he'd made from my gift. What a beautiful weapon- I could see the magic pulsing through it. 

For a moment, I simply stopped, admiring the work Auric had done with the weapon. “I love the work you’ve done with my gift. Incredible work. I don’t think I could do better.” Before Auric could say anything, I lashed out with a kick.  Whatever his clothes were made of, they absorbed the brunt of the damage, but he was still knocked far away. Auric managed to change his fall to a roll, and with what must have been a mental command his staff turned into a perfect, metallic copy of his sword. 

“There’s more than one trick left in my hat,” Auric replied as he crouched, low to the ground.  “Overspecialize and you breed in weakness and all that.”

“Very true.” I replied, pulling out my newly created sword. I got an idea as to how I could turn this into an advantage. Suddenly, an idea struck me. I cracked my neck, focused hard, and with a thought another arm appeared to help hold my Staff of Shadows. I smirked at Auric. “Just because I want to beat you, doesn’t mean that I’m completely honourable. This is just a minor advantage.” 

“I would say something about that, but you’d just turn it against me,” he replied before drawing himself up to meet me.  “Though...who said this little duel of ours had anything to do with honor in the first place?  I’m willing to take whatever I can get myself, I don’t see why you’d be any different.”  Auric said, watching me intently.

I liked how he thought. It just proved that Auric and I were too alike for us not to be allies. “Exactly. We’re more alike than you think. We would do anything to win. Those around us regard us as gods, or something worth dying for.” After my little breaking speech, I swung my staff down on his head, the weapon barely blocked by his sword. Sparks flew from our confrontation. I was mildly concerned for my staff, but I continued talking.

“Admit it, those who followed you didn’t just do it out of gratitude. They saw you as something worth dying for. They fought me with the intention of fighting and probably dying for you. Isn’t that a mark of the divine, Auric? People throwing themselves to certain death for one person or an ideal?” I taunted Auric. I had to make him angry, make him slip up and make a rash judgement.

“And how the hell did that work out for Earth?” Auric snarked back before making to attack with that sword.  That sword was dangerous, I knew that much. Something about a sword like that surviving an encounter with protosteel put me on edge. It could penetrate my armour. 

Auric had two weapons that could kill me easily.

I blocked, definitely taken off-balance for a moment. However, I swiftly recovered and raised my staff again. “Amazing attack!” 

Auric just glared at me. “I never truly sought to become that which I now am,” he replied as he took the chance to fall back a step and watch me. I couldn't mind read him because of Understanding, so I had no idea. I could guess that he wanted to observe me. “I had every faith that when I went to stop the Wise One, I would die.  I live every day like it was a gift because I returned.”

I didn't really care about the last bit. All that mattered was the first. For the first time, I was reminded of when I shed my mortal form. “You never asked… I never asked either.” For a moment, I truly wished I was human. With all the weakness  that entailed. Then, I snapped back to sanity. To give up my power for something purely sentimental? I must be going even more mad then I currently am. “I don’t care. All I care about is ruling everything. I have to rule everything. Nobody else is competent enough.” 

“Nobody is competent enough to rule everything!” Auric shot back, incensed.  “Do you even know the enormity of that task?!  There’s a reason there are multiple deities!”  Auric gripped his sword tightly, obviously preparing to attack. 

In spite of how much I hated feeling emotion, I was incensed by this insult to my knowledge and understanding. “You’re thinking like an organic. It’s flawed; marred by emotion and drive. And yes, I do know that it’s impossible. But I have to try. If one pushes hard enough, it will happen. It has to happen!” I retorted, actually sounding angry for the first time we’d been fighting. I brought up my staff, deflecting the straight blow Auric had swung at me. The blade glanced off the staff, but the sparks returned. That confirmed my fears; this blade could do some serious damage to me if it hit me. I couldn't let that happen.

“Just because one can does not mean one should!  Just because it is possible to create water that would render someone immortal, does not mean I should go into the business of producing it!”  Auric now brought both blades into the fray now, actually making me focus on the fight fully. It was nice to discard higher thinking for the physical. 

“We are gods, Auric. Could and should are not questions that we should be asking. Whoever wins is the most worthy. And I am determined that it will be me. I refuse to leave the multiverse in the hands of somebody with such flawed organic thinking!” I  brought up my staff and sword to counter, the flaming blade meeting with that damn crystal sword. “Emotion and short-term goals are what are going to bring this multiverse down, Auric! That’s what I learned in Tartarus. Emotions cloud judgement. Short-term goals cloud perspective. That is reality, Auric.” 

“I pity you for losing sight of the real foe, then,” Auric replied, glaring at me. Normally, he would have been able to breach my defenses, but thanks to my extras arm, my defence and offence were perfect.  None could counter it. As he continued speaking, his sword shifted back into its staff form. “Emotions are the very base of what makes me human.  The very thing that separates you from me.  Without them, I might as well be you.  And the real foe would still remain.”

I glared at Auric. How dare he insinuate he was better than me. How DARE HE? “Oh, and what foe is this? People not liking me? The multiverse ending? I don’t fear that. It is inevitable, and I might as well accept it.” 

“You actually had it right there,” Auric commented.  “Entropy is the real foe, the flaw the Multiverse was born with.  All things will end.  Everything will end.  And it’s the one thing I would rather spend my time fighting.  I’d rather spend time devising a way for life to continue after the death of the Multiverse, but you didn’t take the fucking hint!”

I had to say, my respecct for Auric grew immesurably. We were truly alike with this revelation. “So we both have impossible dreams then.” I commented. Auric nodded solemnly.

“But somebody kept coming for me, coming after me.  So my research has been put off thanks to this whole bloody mess!  If you would have only left me be…” Auric left it off, as if daring me to finish his sentence. 

I glared at him. My rage was up, as was my mild paranoia. “You would have come after me eventually. Our goals are too different. As soon as you got wind you would have come after me eventually. Besides, I believe that destruction will allow something new to grow in the multiverses’ place.” He was too much like me to even acknowledge the presence of a rival to him. Rivals had to be destroyed.

“I would have been content where I was, learning and researching.  I would have been content leaving you where you were.  The Multiverse has ways of dealing with those that get too big, too noisy.  But you just kept coming for me.”

I well knew all that. It was why I had been making no overt moves, just trying to stay under the radar until my plan was complete. So I kept glaring at Auric. “We are UNIQUE, Auric. The unique get drawn to one another. Sooner or later, you would have sought me out.” 

“Keep telling yourself that,” he shot back.  “Whatever helps you go to sleep at night.”

“I don’t sleep. Sleeping is an organic flaw that I have excised from my being.” I lunged forward with my nameless sword, and he raised his protosteel staff to counter. I had to end this quickly. I had to kill Auric now or he would continue to mock me.

“You still act like an organic, even when you are a god. It’s unbecoming.” I raised my staff of Shadows up, and swung it down, blunt end first. Whatever his armour was, a crushing blow would destroy it. I was rewarded with a grunt of pain from Auric, but then...

Shunk.

I grunted in mild pain as his sword penetrated my body. A nick in my side, but it was enough. I panicked. I looked down at the wound, and immediately backed up. “No. No, no, no, no, NO!” Antidermis- my whole being- was seeping out of the wound. I could hold myself in, but if I didn't patch myself up, I would eventually dissipate and die. If I could just heal and adapt to this, I could survive. I activated my powers... and they didn't work. For the first time in four thousand years, I could not adapt to whatever had been done to me. I was actually scared. “I can’t adapt to this. Why can’t I adapt to this?” I kept clutching at the cut, trying to adapt, heal, magnetize, weld, something, ANYTHING to stop me leaking. It wasn't working. 

“That would require you knowing the properties of my sword, something not even I really know,” Auric replied. I mentally gathered myself. I had adapted to things I did not know before. That could only mean that I had been injured by something that granted Understanding. I couldn't adapt to it because I technically already had. 

I gathered my focus and concentrated. “I need a patch… need a patch… patch.” Suddenly, I glanced at my staff. I wouldn't need it if I was dead. I tore off a piece from the bottom, and heated it up with plasma. I then applied it over the cut to seal myself in. That done, I turned to Auric, trying to compose myself. “Impressive. Very impressive.” I then attacked frantically, showing my true speed. Sword and staff danced and whirled togather, trying to shred Auric into pieces. He had to die. He had to die RIGHT NOW. That sword had injured me, an immaculate and perfect being. Auric was now on the defensive, and I gained confidence. With a mighty blow, I knocked his staff out of his hand, and continued my offence.

I was calm now. Auric had surprised me once, but he would not surprise me again. I would kill him, and claim my place as the ruler of the multiverse. I charged forwards, when suddenly, I felt something grab my legs. “What the…” Protosteel was holding me down, restricting my movement. How? How had this happened? Then, I realised. This was a charm Auric had worked into the metal for this purpose! He could not win in a contest of brute strength, so he used his staff to gain an opening. “More tricks, Auric? I suppose I should have-” 

SHUNK.

Auric stabbed me in the chest while I was distracted. I had let my guard down for a moment, but a moment is all that you need in the heat of battle.I felt the pain, felt the critical damage, and I knew, then, that I was finished. Rage and hatred bubbled up inside me, but all I could feel at the moment was sheer shock.

I glanced down, then pulled the sword out of my chest slowly, cautiously. As I started to flow out of my armour, my sword and Staff of Shadows dropped to the ground. And it was when I was holding the sword free that Auric said something, exhausted yet triumphant.

“Intelligre te ipsum!”  And the sword flashed brightly. 





Who are you? An interesting voice- Auric's? 

I felt myself floating, as if in the ocean. I was still injured, but it didn't seem to concern me at the moment. 

I looked at myself in the water. What I saw shocked me. 

I saw bitterness and loneliness, hatred and pride and arrogance all melded into one. I stared for a while. Was this all I was? A bitter shell of a being who had done nothing worthwhile? 

No.

I also saw mild compassion, love, and a passion for beauty. I saw a peaceful world, one of a few. I saw my positive influence as well as the negative. Lives had been changed for the better and worse. 

I saw my rage and sorrow when my generals died for me. I saw my darkest moment in Tartarus- when I was scared of never leaving. When an angel appeared in my mind. How I fell in love, and then grew to hate Auric. How I destroyed everything Celestia held dear, over my disbelief that an inferior being managed to imprison me.

I sighed. How petty it all seemed now. 

I saw Zerg collapsing in my presence. those against me barely restraining their terror when I appeared on the battlefield. Auric barely managing to save Kat as I beat her senseless for harming my son. My own allies being sent back as I wanted to finish Auric myself. 

Did I regret my past actions? I shook my head. No, I didn't. That was my research, my magic. I would never regret a single thing I did. The only thing I regretted was not being able to make Auric love me. Everything else was my personal pride as a being beyond a god. If I could, I would strangle Umbra and destroy who he was so utterly he could never recover. If I could rule the universe I would have him lobotomised so he could never pose a threat to me again.

I saw how my pride and arrogance had led to my downfall. For a while, I stood there. 

Let go of pride, and accept loss.

I paused. Was this a chance at some form of redemption? For everything I'd done? I paused, considering. Then, I made my decision, and accepted my loss.





I dropped Aurics' sword and collapsed. It was a lot to take in. I now truly knew who I was . I now realised that if I didn't know who I was, how could I rule anything more than a world? I leant back as the last vestiges of magic left me. “I’ve lost. For the first time since I’ve gained Understanding, I have lost.” I looked at my pet project. It had not been earned for nothing. The mere fact that I could hold it spoke of my desire to impose order. I crushed it in my hand. It was a beautiful thing, but ultimately it was a weapon.

“Losing is a part of life.  I’ve had my losses as well.  And I know that as I continue to live, I will continue to lose things close to me, dear to me.”  Auric picked up his sword, examined it. I noticed that it had lost some of its lustre. He sighed at that.  “And it looks like I just suffered another one.”

I laughed. I'd forgotten how good it felt to laugh. It felt free. “To win, one must Understand themselves, right? I have to admit, this feels… much calmer now.” More antidermis flowed out of me as I tapped my wound with a finger. “I can’t regenerate, magnetize, weld or adapt to this wound. My antidermis is just going to leak out and my consciousness will disperse. I’m going to die slowly, but at least it’s painless.” 

“You brought this on yourself,” Auric said coldly before kicking the sword over to me.  “I would have left you be had you let me be.  I would have never needed to do this.  But you just couldn’t let me go.”

I picked Eureka up, examining it intently. Something about it had gone, true. But I had no doubt that Auric would find a replacement. “I couldn’t. For four thousand years, I was imprisoned with the likes of Tirek. It was boring. Then, I saw you. A being who shared my unique perspective.” HI glanced at Auric, and I felt embarassed for the first time in a long while. “I fell in love with you. Odd. I discarded all organic problems, but I couldn’t get rid of love.” 

“‘Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind, and therefore is winged Cupid painted blind,’” Auric quoted. In my current state, I couldn't remember where that quote had come from. Shakespeare, but I couldn't place the poem.  “The eternal bard seems to have gotten it right.”

I smirked a bit. “Ah well. I’ve lost, and I feel at peace with myself. So, I never did give your wife a gift.” I pulled off my Kraahkan, and tossed it to Auric. He picked it up gingerly, cautiously. I suppose I couldn't blame him. He glanced at it, then looked at me. 

“And this is supposed to be?”

More antidermis seeped out, and I felt mobility decreasing in my body. “My artifact of Understanding, the Kanohi Kraahkan. It grants the wearer control over shadows, fear and anger. And like your sword, it is virtually indestructible.” 

“Mine probably was before it did...whatever it just did to you,” he gestured to the sword.  “It’s...lost something now.  I doubt it’d ever be the same again.  And I suppose I owe you that much, to take something as a reminder.” He held it in one hand, still cautious.

That was unacceptable. I would not have my last gift to Auric just thrown away like some cheap tat. I spoke to the Kraahkan, imposing my will on it once again. “Kraahkan, this is your new master. You defend him. He’s stronger than you. Only attack those who threaten him.” With my mask thus dominated, I pointed at my sword and staff. They had served me well, but not well enough. “Take them as well. You might like the sword. Obsidian, sharpened down to an atom. And if you want it, my lab and notes on forging protodermis are in my own dimension.” 

“I know a guy, he’ll probably do it for the asking,” Auric quipped before gently placing the mask with the staff and sword. Umbra... the mention of him still made me pissed off.  “I’ll probably be stuck here until my magic recovers enough for me to breach the walls and find my way home...if you want me to make it faster, I...probably could.”  

I shook my head. I still had some pride. “I am patient. It will come. I am expiring, and my death will create something new.” My vision blurred, but I still looked at him intently. “Besides, a god chooses how he dies.” With the last of my strength, I gripped the wound, and pulled it apart. More antidermis flowed from me. Auric watched me solemnly.

“Farewell then, Teridax...but before you go?  Auric is what those that don’t know me call me.  I figure you should know my real name before you go to whatever waits for you.”  I wanted to hear it as he paused, my vision darkening. Soon I would be dead.  “Frank DeFontaine was what I used to be called.”

With my last dregs of strength, I spoke my name to him as well. “... Matthew… Bates…” I coughed out, before the light in my eyes winked out. What was left of me hung in the wind before going. 

As I died, I thought of what my death would mean. All versions of me were now free to roam. My death was natural, and I accepted it. Whatever happened from here, for me...

it was over.