A young planeswalker named Adrolon wishfully thinks that vertically challenged ponies can mend an existential crisis that's out of this world.
Truth and reality, while often found complimenting each other, are very separate monsters. This observation is usually made apparent when your life becomes shattered and displaced, and before you can fit the pieces back together, you realize that you're on another plane of existence. You will then realize, like I did, that life is like a priceless vase: there will always be cracks when you piece it back together.
Anyway, the crushing reality is still with you, but the truth? The grandiose insult that comes with planeswalking is the lost sense of trueness you had with everything. You're a big walking lie, trying to make sense of it all, and there is a lot to make sense of. Those childhood tales are now trying to fillet you in some planes. Oh, and they can cast spells, too.
So, either you get power, or you run. I ran, since my chances of living were pretty embarrassing. I mean, I wasn't that bad, but the guys I were up against were ages older than me. I kept planeswalking for a good two months before I landed in a pretty, verdant, terrifying plane called Equus. That's where things got interesting.
My name is Adrolon, and I'm an emotionally-stunted-freak-of-nature going through an existential crisis. If you're reading this, the events in this journal are nothing more than a bad novel, I swear.
All story revisions, formats, literary constructs, etcetera were developed in accordance to Ezn's kickass writing guide, and the useful critique that you have provided, valued reader. Thank you.
[STORY IS UNDERGOING TOTAL REWRITE FOR THE N^TH TIME]
"Damn it to Phyrexia, not now," Adrolon growled as he wandered aimlessly throughout the Multiverse.
The interplanar medium resembled an infinitely spanning bubble bath, with each bubble being its own respective reality. A low humming noise near the first octave faintly reverberated the abyss throughout. Adrolon stood on a stellar platform among the aeons, fatigued.
He was in a place called the Blind Eternities, the interplanar medium which binds the Multiverse together. A void that consists of both Æther, pure mana, and innate energy. A very hostile place that was sure to vaporize any normal being. Luckily for Adrolon, and those like him, they were no normal beings. They were Planeswalkers, mages with enormous reserves of mana which in turn can be used to ward off the harsh environment of the Blind Eternities.
Adrolon finally felt run-down after what felt like forever. He had been nonstop planeswalking, one of the most mana-consuming acts a Planeswalker can do. To planeswalk for who knows how long, one could clearly see why he was exhausted. He had used up the rest of his mana reserves and had to rest in a nearby plane. He was still new to this whole planeswalking gig, so Adrolon had no idea where this would bring him.
Catching his breath, Adrolon looked himself over. He was a mess. He stood at an average 5' 10" with dark brown hair down to his eyebrows, tattered. He was slightly on the heavier side, but it wasn't terribly noticeable. His jagged stubble was hardly groomed; magenta baggage indenting his eyes. He wore a mana-imbued graphene composite armor set, lightweight and durable. Over the armor was a large black robe that went down to Adrolon's ankles, with a closed collar that ended at the top of his lips, and large sleeves that ended at his elbows. On his right wrist sat a mana-imbued datapad with a myriad of purposes. Finally, his weapon consisted of a halberd-staff hybrid that he used to channel spells and engage in armed combat.
All of this equipment was a testament to where Adrolon was from; an advanced super-civilization that discovered how to incorporate mana into technology. In short, they had a bang for their buck. After all, a few thousand years was quite enough time to knead out all of the wrinkles in a society, lest they destroyed themselves in the process. Remembering his situation, Adrolon began the hunt for a suitable plane to stop and rest.
Adrolon passed five massive planes before spotting a slightly smaller, seemingly less volatile plane. Adrolon switched modes on his datapad so it could determine habitability ratios. It was an upside to being a technologically-savvy Planeswalker, while less savvy Planeswalkers had a riskier chance of survival, as they blinked into existence here and there.
Adrolon felt enormous amounts of energy flood from within that same plane that he was standing in front of. Attached to this plane was an even smaller plane, jutting out and connected only by bits and pieces of Æther.
Probably a parallel universe, he thought, though I know not what they could possibly relate to.
Adrolon noticed that the radiating energy is coming off of a medium-sized planet in the larger plane. A closer look revealed a planet lush with vegetative life, an equal land-to-ocean ratio to boot. The oceans appeared to be eutrophic — chock full of nutrients, which was well in Adrolon's favor. Healthy oceans meant healthy soil, and that meant healthy and abundant food for his poor, shriveling stomach.
Despite the beauty it held, Adrolon had to be sure. He stuck his wrist into the plane, and into the atmosphere of the planet. Once the instruments on his wrist did their job, he began sifting through the habitability report, which yielded an eighty five percent chance habitability for the planet.
More of an anomaly was the orbital patterns of the planet. The star that the planet should be orbiting around was instead orbiting around the planet. The energies that leaked off of the planet were being pinpointed around the star and an orbiting moon, coalescing and altering the orbits of the three celestial bodies. Adrolon deduced the possibility of natural phenomena.
This energy, Adrolon concluded, resembles a more concentrated and precise form of mana.
As Adrolon inched closer, the energy he felt only grew.
"That's spectacular," Adrolon barely whispered, his mouth agape. "Its potency is literally resonating into the Æther."
A civilization that understands and uses mana to alter celestial bodies, Adrolon thought, is truly remarkable! It would do me well to study this plane as my mana recharges.
With his decision set, Adrolon managed to find a suitable landing zone to blink into existence there. Some additional sightseeing revealed a land mass that had four visible biomes: deserts, temperate climate zones, grasslands, and glacial tundras.
I should have no problem drawing mana from these vibrant lands, thought Adrolon as he attempted to locate the source of orbital relocation. Such abundance would yield me at full power in two days.
An inspection on the center of the country unveiled the first artificial structure that Adrolon could see on the planet. A white castle, with golden and lavender spires, was sitting aloft on the side of a towering mountain. Glimmering waterfalls flowed off the edge of a nearby plateau, adding a sense of serenity and elegance to the scenery.
With his plan put into action, and almost collapsing from exhaustion, Adrolon used the last bit of his energy to leap through the Ætherial boundary, unsure where his actions would lead him.
Retrospectively, in a castle on the side of a mountain, a large, white alicorn stiffened in surprise and fear, as she sensed that an unknown intruder had breached the dimensional boundary for the first time since the last couple ages. The sensation became more intense before it began to taper off.
Once the initial shock passed, she immediately set a historical investigation into action, beginning with a quill and parchment.
[Approximately one hour before Ætherial breaching...]
At the edge of the Everfree forest, near a comfortably-sized cottage in peaceful seclusion, The Spirit of Chaos had been perched upon a hammock all morning, sipping away at some refreshing chocolate milk as Fluttershy's choir of avians finished singing their songs.
Yet another song, Discord thought, that could make even an Ursa Major drowsy.
The reformed life had been the good life for Discord, and he relished in every moment as true happiness had reigned his way of life. Though the journey to benevolence had not been easy for him, Discord could say for the first time in his longevity that he was content with himself. He never considered himself evil nor naïve, yet he was proven false two-fold when he was persuaded by Tirek to betray the only ones who accepted him.
The Elements of Harmony were apprehensive at first (all but Fluttershy, who truly knew the goodness inside of Discord) to accept him once again, but over time, by-gones were left as just that, for Tirek would have claimed victory if it had not been for Discord to attain self-realization for his actions.
Discord liked to reflect on these events that made him who he was. Interestingly, Discord had no regrets of any kind, for he would not have his circle of friends if fate had different plans. He appreciated the fact that before you can become your best, you had to rise from your worst, and so Discord underwent a rebirth. He knew all too well what it felt like to be ousted and villainized, and he understood that this was a natural consequence after ruling pre-Equestria in the name of chaotic overtures.
Finishing up his philosophizing for the time being, Discord aroused from his epitaph of comfort. With a snap of his talon, he blinked his empty cup to his pocket-dimension of dishwashers as he made his way to the pantry, setting to prepare the usual ten o'clock tea brunch with Fluttershy.
A shame, thought Discord, that Flutters had to be called to another 'gathering of the ghouls' on such short notice.
Dawning his favorite apron, Discord hummed a tune to himself as he put on a kettle of Earl Grey. Expecting Fluttershy's return, Discord continued making merry as he prepared scones of various fillings: blueberry, raspberry, apricot, and Fluttershy's favorite, boysenberry. Discord also made carrot scones for Angel Bunny, the devious furball of pure and vile naughtiness. He began to wonder how Angel would like it if he received zucchini scones instead of carrot ones.
Well now, I'd probably never wake up again! Discord mused, laughing to himself.
He wouldn't be surprised if the small rabbit could best an ancient god of omnipotence and whackiness. And in that faith, Discord placed the tray of scones into the oven.
[Approximately thirty minutes before Ætherial breaching...]
"Bye girls, I'll see you all later," said Fluttershy as she exchanged farewells with her friends as the Friendship Summit has now ended.
It was nine-thirty in the morning, and Fluttershy was looking forward to her ten o'clock tea brunch with Discord and Angel.
"By Cranky and Matilda! I'm glad your honeymoon was nice and not crashed by a big...scary...bugbear," squeaked Fluttershy as she walked out of the Castle of Friendship. Applejack accompanied her, since their homes weren't far from one another.
"It was nice of Cranky and Matilda to visit after their honeymoon. I'm glad everything worked out even after that awful bugbear attacked Ponyville," said Fluttershy with a slight shiver.
"Sure was, Sugarcube," exclaimed Applejack. "Ah think Pinkie still has a concussion from that extreme noogie th' vermin gave 'er. Ah mean, how were we s'pose to know that it left its honey jar in Town Square the night before?"
"I'm not sure AJ," replied Fluttershy, "I'm not even sure how a bugbear can have a... honey-hangover."
"That bugbear was more ovuh' honey-holic than a honeybee in a binge pollen drinkin' contest!" Applejack couldn't contain her laughter with that one. Afterward, she cringed at her own humor.
Nearing the edge of Ponyville, both mares parted paths to their respective abodes, with Applejack going up to Sweet Apple Acres to commence the day's apple bucking quota, and Fluttershy going down to her cottage to spend time with two more friends that day. The path to Fluttershy's cottage was always a serene migration for her. While a dense patch of coniferous, supreme natural selection reigned king fifteen feet to Fluttershy's right, the denizens and predation food chain retained their positions in the Everfree Forest, rarely making an appearance past the treeline to wreak havoc on the locals that dwelled near it.
However, the usually timid pegasus had no qualms travelling near the treeline, for she has found and rehabilitated many an injured animal in the Everfree, and has befriended nearly all she came into contact with. This is why she lived so close to the independent climate. If she hadn't, she would've never found Angel Bunny. Fluttershy remembered this day very clearly – it was the very first time that she ever used the Stare.
She was still new to Ponyville when it happened. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Six Years Ago
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The mighty manticore – a lion fused with a scorpion – the vicious lord of predation. Legend shared whisperings of the Equus Gods of Old, who in a desperate attempt to rid themselves of evil, combined their shared pride and hatred into a single being, and so the first manticore – Mealøg – had been forged from the fires of Tartarus. A descendant of Mealøg; the modern manticore, had been chasing prey for hours the same day that Fluttershy adopted Angel.
Meanwhile, Fluttershy had been exploring the Everfree to study the effects of an independent climate at work, to better prepare for future journeys into the untamed frontier. Fluttershy had just finished taking notes on the observed weather patterns of the day when a high-pitched whimper caught her ear; a cry for help from something extremely young.
Making haste, Fluttershy frantically searched for the young animal in need of help, eventually coming face to face with the situation. She tried to plead for the Manticore to spare the young rabbit, only to have her negotiations fall upon deaf ears. Little did Fluttershy know at the time that Manticores did not possess reason – their conscience runs off of pure carnivorous instinct alone. As the Manticore leapt towards Angel with its massive stinger, Fluttershy's world slowed down. A sensation unlike any other began manifesting within the young pegasus, one that she had never felt before. Pure, blinding rage.
"STOP," shrieked Fluttershy as she leapt in front of the abomination.
Afterward was but a blur to Fluttershy; regardless, she gained a lifelong companion because of that event. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Realizing she had slowed her pace due to her memory, and the fact that she was almost late to the tea brunch, Fluttershy decided to hightail it to her cottage.
[Approximately ten minutes before Ætherial breaching...]
"Discord?"
Discord had heard his name, which meant that his companion was now home. Excited, Discord decided to do what any good friend would do: he would blink into existence right in front of Fluttershy to greet her! With a sharp snap of his talons, and a femtosecond later, Discord was in Fluttershy's face.
"HELLO, my dear Fluttershy!" said Discord enthusiastically, forcing Fluttershy to jump out of her skin. Out of instinct, Fluttershy screamed and leapt behind the sofa.
"O-oh gosh, Discord, I-I don't t-think I'll ever get used t-to that," Fluttershy managed to whisper with chattering teeth. Discord made no effort in containing his hearty laughter at his own antics.
"Oh now Fluttershy, what kind of friend would I simply be if I didn't properly greet you? Now up you get, I've taken the liberty of making your favorite scones!"
As soon as Discord said the latter, to his amazement, Fluttershy had recovered from her traumatic episode. In a flash, a yellow and pink smudge whizzed past Discord and into the dining room, where Discord found Fluttershy and Angel Bunny patiently waiting and seated. Knowing what they were eagerly waiting for, Discord smiled and recovered the scones from the breadbox, still slightly warm from toasting in the oven. After the distribution of delectable pastries, Discord retrieved two tea mugs and a small teacup from the cupboard and poured savory tea for the three of them.
With the serving rituals completed, the Fluttershy and Discord spent the next five minutes enjoying their brunch and indulging in conversation. Discord was happy to hear that Cranky and Matilda's honeymoon had gone swimmingly, compared to their wedding, that of which Discord was under royal business in Canterlot when the bugbear attacked Ponyville.
Some time passed before an ancient sensation crept into the forefront of Discord's mind. It was so long ago that he almost forgot what this feeling meant. Almost. He knew all too well what was happening. Before he could cast a protection ward, Discord felt the agonizing ping of a gigantic influx of energy spreading over Equus. As soon as it came, it faded.
As an echoing *BOOM* rumbled the world, Discord gripped his head as if something smacked it. A concerned Fluttershy noticed that he was grimacing.
"Oh dear, Discord, are you alright?!" Fluttershy rushed to her friend's side.
To alleviate Fluttershy's worries, Discord assured her that he was fine. In his mind, though, Discord was a nervous wreck. This was big.
What?! That's impossible! He frantically thought, The dimensional boundary hasn't been breached since I did it all those years ago! Where has the time gone?
As Discord continued reliving the past, the situation that just unfolded started sinking in. He began a cold sweat.
"Fluttershy," said Discord. An uncomfortable pressure of seriousness flooded the atmosphere.
"Y-yes? What is it?" Fluttershy squeaked at Discord's sudden change in mood.
"To be fair and honest, my dear Fluttershy, no, I'm not alright. An event of very large proportions has just occurred in our universe, the magnitude of which can throw the wellbeing of the world out of balance. Such an event on this scale hasn't happened in ten thousand years."
"Oh dear, that doesn't sound good at all! You seem to know what you're talking about, Discord, what do you think we should do?" Fluttershy paused, then asked, "Should we tell Twilight?"
"Oh, she knows, Fluttershy. Every unicorn and alicorn from here to the nearest star system felt that massive energy spike. In fact, I'd wager that she's on her way here right now," said Discord. "As to what we should do, I suppose we shouldn't let these scones get cold."
Discord has a point, thought Fluttershy, and there's some boysenberry left!
(Twilight's Perception)
[Approximately five seconds after the Ætherial breaching...]
"AGH!" yelped Twilight. "Spike, what was that?!"
"Uh...Twilight? Are you okay? Your horn is shooting spar–" *ZZZT* "Watch it, that one almost hit me!"
"Sorry, Spike! An enormous magical presence just appeared out of nowhere and–" *CRACK* "–WOAH!"
"Holy cow, since when can you shoot lightning?!" exclaimed Spike.
"Since never! Take cover!"
Twilight Sparkle has always been a magical prodigy with an affinity for the arcane arts. Ever since she became an alicorn princess, her power and array of spells have grown ten-fold. However, the amounts of magic she was feeling flow throughout her body was quite frightening to the young Princess of Friendship. Energy was literally crackling out of her horn at a quickening pace, as her magical reservoirs began to overflow.
When that happens, Twilight pondered, pure magic will violently rush out. Suddenly, Twilight had an idea. I need to burn some of this energy before I accidentally blow the whole castle up, she speedily thought.
Twilight figured that Discord might know what's going on. She should have no problem teleporting to Fluttershy's cottage with this sheer amount of energy.
"Spike! I need you to stand back!" Twilight yelled over the loud hum of pure energy. "I'm going to get to the bottom of this! I'll be back soon!"
With that statement, Twilight began charging a teleportation spell, the immense energy causing the floor to crack.
*WHAM*
A crater resided where Twilight once stood, now well on her way to find an explanation. Before she knew it, Twilight was standing in Fluttershy's living room, catching the attention of who she was looking for.
"Speak of the Princess and she shall come!" A familiar, mischievous voice began to snort.
"Discord, Fluttershy," Twilight said while recovering from her backlash, her horn still sparking here and there. "Did you feel that?"
"If it's that dreadful energy wave you mean," said Discord, "then yes. I'm just recovering from a migraine it caused me."
"And what about you, Fluttershy?" Twilight asked. "Did you feel anything?"
"Oh, no I didn't, but judging from Discord's reaction, it couldn't have been pleasant. I wonder what caused it...Discord said something about someone entering our universe before you came," explained Fluttershy. "Also, we heard what sounded like a distant explosion, a big one."
Both mares turned to Discord, eagerly awaiting an elaboration. Discord had no idea to break the news, so he decided to give it to them straight.
"Twilight," Discord began, "I assume Princess Celestia taught you about me when you studied with her, correct?"
"Right," confirmed Twilight.
"Then you know that I have access to other dimensions," Discord continued.
"Correct," said Twilight, "stories of Old claimed you created a pocket-dimension of cotton candy, where you would throw your enemies to indulge in sugary goodness for all eternity!" Both mares shuddered at the thought of sugar-overload.
Hmph, Discord pouted, looks like the grape vine is still going strong, Celestia, he thought.
"Anyway, what I'm getting at," said Discord, "is that a force from outside of our universe has breached the dimensional boundary for the first time in ten thousand years. The results of such an event could be catastrophic, more so than even my power."
At the closing of Discord's explanation, Twilight's pupils expanded in wonder, excavating her clear thoughts from her jumble of confusion to think of the big questions.
Somepony from another universe, pondered Twilight. Think of what we could learn!
The new information Twilight was processing made her question everything she thought she knew.
Imagine, she thought, being able to see other universes. Maybe Princess Celestia knows about this.
Twilight thought intently, trying to think of a game plan. Before she could speak, Discord broke the silence.
"I know what you two are thinking, my friends," said Discord, "and I think me, you, Fluttershy and the rest of the Elements will be contacted by Celestia very shortly. We should gather everypony else and prepare for our task."
With no objections, the three went about their plan in double time. Equestria's history books were about to be rewritten. If only they knew of the poor, young Planeswalker who only wanted some food and rest, barreling in from the Heavens.
A deafening noise erupted behind Adrolon as he breached the Æthereal Boundary. His vision blurred and cohesiveness thrown askew, he had not the slightest inclination that the ground was rushing up to greet him.
"Ugh..." he groaned, then shouted, "what?"
He became somewhat alert and noticed a huge gust of wind was pushing at his torso. He looked down at his bird's eye viewpoint, only to see terrain sprawled out across the horizons; mountain ranges, verdant grasslands, dense forests, rustic villages that he hadn't seen before, and the castle were the sum of its parts. It appeared to be around midday. A cloud whizzed past his head before it finally dawned that he was in a freefall.
"BY THE GODS! WHAT THE FU-"
Adrolon continued to challenge the arid peace with loud obscenities as he achieved terminal velocity. He calmed down and his mind began to clear once the adrenaline wore off.
"I must have accidentally set myself off course when I stumbled back there," he said to no one in particular, "a rookie move indeed, Adro."
I probably have some time left before I should figure out a way to survive this, he thought. Strange, I'm already beginning to absorb energy from the landscape. What to cast, though...
He pondered and weighed his options. He observed the cloud line below him, and came to a startling realization: he didn't have as much time as he originally thought. The cloud line was eerily close to the ground, and Adrolon would be passing through it shortly. He began thinking faster, searching for a solution. He mostly used blue and green mana, and seldom used black mana. He never sat right with white or red mana.
Though white Auras are vastly superior in abundance and efficiency, he surmised, I suppose a green protective Aura will be the best approach. Which Aura spell would be most effective, though? Blast!
He then began to focus all mana absorption on a forest to his left, drawing only green mana into his system. He would need as much as he could get. He thought back to his time in other planes, remembering what kind of spells he learned, and which would serve best in his plight. He remembered an Aura he had learned in the realm of Argoth that had been passed down for many generations. It relied solely on green mana and forested areas; the more forests near the caster of the spell, the more power and toughness the caster acquired.
That's it! Adrolon's mind exclaimed. Perfect for my situation. There's miles of forest just off to my left. For safe measure, he altered his trajectory so he would land closer to the forest.
Adrolon had just passed through the cloud line, with only about one thousand feet to go before impact. He steeled himself; it was now or never. He channeled all of his green mana so it would sit at the surface of his entire body, ready to be used. Taking one last look at the landing zone, a grassy knoll near the edge of the forest, due south of the village, he closed his eyes.
"Here goes nothing, I suppose," he said. He took a deep breath and clasped his hands together. A surge of green mana encased his entire body, taking the shape of lumber-esque armor plates. He was ready.
The Supercity of Hæmeryth glistered in the early morning, as the glass and steel behemoths of society blinded its inhabitants, amplifying the sun's reflection. The entirety of Planet Eridiæn was bustling with activity around this time, with Hæmeryth as the hub of a larger system. The major hub. The Orbital Superspeedway ran through the outskirts of town, a mega highway where trains and other means of mass transport can import and export goods — and citizens — either across the country, or up into space. The infrastructure of the entire planet ran on the power of mana. Without mana, the levels of technology here would have never been developed.
In one of the trains speeding towards town, with an extra large coffee and a fresh copy of The Eridiæn Post Gazette newsprint, an eighteen year old Manætheologist by the name of Adrolon was on his way to work. From a young age, mana and physics came naturally to him, and so his parents persuaded him to attend school to study the science of mana, or Manætheology. He couldn't thank them enough for doing so, for he was having the time of his life trying to uncover the secrets of one of the most ambiguous forces in the known universe.
Adrolon was sitting in a large, silvery train car with other patrons, reading his newspaper. The train coming from his suburban town didn't have that many people or stops for that matter, so he enjoyed the quaint migration. It merged off onto an exit on the Superspeedway, continuing its route towards the city.
Adrolon was viewing the Interplanetary Stock Exchange section of the print, to check on how his field's economy was doing, when the conductor addressed the passengers.
"Passengers of Myr Township, Outbound East, this is your conductor of this morning's commute speaking," said the train conductor from the overhead audio system, "we are now entering Harbor District of Hæmeryth at approximately three hundred and twenty seven miles per hour. Our final stop before the loop will be at the intersection of Qaucia Boulevard and the Rænnor Orbital Elevator. Please refrain from moving until the train has come to a complete stop, and use caution when exiting the train car. We hope you enjoyed the ride, and thank you for choosing Eridiæn Planetary Transit as your form of travel this morning. Have a wonderful day!"
Exactly as the conductor said, the train stopped in front of the Rænnor Orbital Elevator – the largest of its kind on the planet. The elevator itself was actually six elevators put into one; three for passengers, and three for freight.
Adrolon exited the train station and walked down Qaucia Boulevard, passing hordes of people, going about their business. He passed entrances to skyscrapers, stores, performers, street vendors, mages, etcetera. There were no cars on these streets; the city implemented a system that allowed citizens to fly personal vehicles in unrestricted airspaces. Still, that didn't make it any less difficult to weave one's way through the city.
Adrolon stopped in front of an enormous building, reaching his destination. The sign on the glass building read Welcome to the S.H.A.S.M.: The Supercity of Hæmeryth's Association for Science and Mana.
The city's names are so damn long!, thought Adrolon as he entered the skyscraper.
The entrance room was vast and comfortable. Plants were stationed here and there, lights gave the illumination one would expect from a café, and the walls were chalk white. Chairs were aligned on the walls, in case there was a line. Luckily, no one was in front of Adrolon at this time of day. He walked right up to the counter as per his morning ritual.
The secretary behind the counter was a stumpy woman of withering age. She wore oversized glasses that hung on the bridge of her nose, and a lot of jewelry. She noticed Adrolon approaching.
"Identification please, young man," the elder croaked in a cackling voice. Adrolon handed her his ID card.
"Adrolon...Queerville, is it?" she asked him, stifling her laughter.
"It's pronounced 'Q'kerav–'," began Adrolon as he caught on to her unorthodox humor, "I believe we've been over this before, Miss Eden." He smiled.
"Oh! I'm sorry dear, I must have misread," said Eden as she let out her laughter, handing his ID back. "You pass security as always, Adro. Have a good day at work, sweetie."
"Thanks, Edie," said Adrolon, walking toward the elevators, "see you at lunch?"
"Wouldn't dream of missing it." Eden swiftly responded. The elevator doors opened. "You have a big day ahead of you. Go change the world, young man."
Adrolon nodded and walked into the elevator. He entered in which floor he wished to go to – the 152nd – and finished the rest of his coffee as he waited. He observed the city before him slowly shrink as he gained altitude. An audible *sigh* broke the muffled harmonics of the elevator. A thick atmosphere of nervousness was fogging the perimeter.
I hope everything goes according to plan, Adrolon thought. He was fidgeting with his coffee cup. Over one year spent on this single mana-propulsion theory.
He opened a bag that he had brought with him, and opened a folder containing a report titled:
[The Principles of Mana-Propulsion and Efficient Interstellar Travel]
A name was imprinted underneath the title.
[By: Adrolon Q'keraviel, ManD., Department of Mana-Tech Applications, The S.H.A.S.M.]
At the demonstration, just set the energy cannon and flip the switch, thought Adrolon. He finished running the math through his head. You can do this, Adro. You will get the funding and you will make history this day.
The elevator gave an obnoxious ding and opened, revealing a large white room with hallways going this way and that. Adrolon promptly exited and made his way to a larger hallway on the opposite side. Two armed guards, with black armor and mana-rifles, were guarding the entrance. They looked in Adrolon's direction; their visored helmets hid any expression they might've shown. The guard on the left spoke up.
"Knock 'em dead, Doctor," he said with a modicum of respect.
"Not literally, Doc," said the gruff-voiced guard on the right, "we'd like to keep our jobs."
"Ha! You and me both," replied Adrolon as he passed both of them. The three snickered, and Adrolon continued his journey to Judgement Day.
Adrolon entered a gigantic propulsion laboratory. In the center of the lab, lying under a sterile tarp, was the pièce de résistance of the entire program that Adrolon and his team had worked so hard to achieve. His three colleagues, who came early to set up, were suited up next to the device. He approached the trio; Adrolon's best friend met him halfway.
"A-dro!" the lanky man called out to Adrolon. The man also donned a suit, like the rest of the trio, except his helmet was taken off. He sported a black goatee and short, black hair with thick brows. His voice waffed a heavy accent with a smooth tone for someone in his late thirties. Needless to say, he was envied my many.
"Hey, Mikæl," said Adrolon as he shook Mikæl's gloved hand, "are you ready for the show?"
"Da! As ready as I will ever be, my dear friend," Mikael responded. He patted Adrolon's shoulder and said, "'The Beast' – she is all ready for showtime. All you must do is fancy her sweet spots, and make pretty with the higher pinheads when finished, ya?"
"You got it, Mik. I'm going to go suit up before our psychotic President gets here," said Adrolon.
Soon afterward, Adrolon was standing next to his colleagues, all wearing identical lab equipment. The clock read seven thirty in the morning. The team took a collective deep breath.
Come on, it's showtime, Adrolon thought.
As if on queue, a short, no-nonsense man with a parted taupe postiche led a group of ten high-ranking officials into the laboratory. The man stopped in front of the quartet of scientists, raising his thin eyebrow at Mikæl expectantly. Mikæl nodded at him, notifying the man that the demonstration was ready.
The man leaned toward Mikæl and whispered in a nasally, uptight voice.
"Should this demonstration fail, Mr. Jzenkischshev, you will lose your funding, and your jobs. Are we understood?" asked the man.
Mikæl, who was never a fan of the man standing before him, decided to bite back.
"Should this demonstration fail, Mr. Director," Mikæl began in his thick accent, "I will find you and go after your toupe, like fly on shit! Are we of capiche?"
The Director slowly reached up to touch his hairpiece. He became fearful of the grinning, giant Manætheologist standing over him.
"You... you wouldn't dare," whispered the Director. Mikæl slowly shook his head as the Director scurried to the officials.
The Director cleared his throat, adopted his stern mask once again, and began introductions.
"Mr. President of the United Coalition of Eridiæn, proprietors of S.H.A.S.M., and ladies and gentlemen of the City Council of Hæmeryth," he began, "may I present to you... the future—" The Director snapped his fingers, "—of interstellar travel."
Heeding the Director's signal, Adrolon and his team pulled back the tarp, and unveiled a twelve feet by four feet gray-steel cylinder. At one end of the device, an attachment that appeared to be a vacuum chamber — truly, a void — sat stoic, with wires and tubes connecting to the main chassis. The other end appeared to be an exhaust port, used for propulsion. In the center of the contraption, a small (however bright) ball of golden alloy shone brightly inside of the chamber. On the exterior sat buttons and light fixtures that only the engineers themselves knew which did what.
After a moment of silence, the President spoke.
"That's it?" asked the President, pointing at the device, "that's what our three hundred billion credits went to?"
The President was a tall and stern man with slicked, black hair and an aura of wealth. If one looked closely, one could almost see the silver spoon hanging out of his mouth.
Hearing the venom in the President's words, the Director tried to soothe his temper.
"Oh, now, Mr. President, sir," said the Director, who was ever so slightly trembling, "this is only a miniature prototype of much larger aspirations, you see, and we still have over two hundred bi—"
"What can it do?" the President demanded, who did not even register that the Director was speaking to him. Adrolon smirked.
"Well, Mr. President," said Adrolon, "if you follow us, we'd be more than happy to oblige your curiosity. We'll give you a complete rundown of the M.A.Y.T.I.D.E.: Mana Augmentation Yielding Tritium Into Deuterium Electromagnetically."
"We call her 'The Beast', for short," said Mikæl.
After some time of explanations, the group made their way to the center of the M.A.Y.T.I.D.E. The President tried his damndest to follow along, yet the science was way in over his groomed head.
"—and inside this titanium chassis lies a ball of precious tritium, and when that stream of condensed mana makes contact with this ball, the tritium undergoes a chemical change into deuterium. The energy emitted is thus shot out of the exhaust port that you see in the front. In short," Adrolon paused, "the M.A.Y.T.I.D.E. produces free, clean fusion energy using the natural abundance of mana-based energies in the known universe."
The President's mouth was agape. A blind person could see the money signs rolling around in his eyeballs. Free energy?
Nothing is free, a thought in the President's mind whispered.
"I want to see it at full power. Right. Now," demanded the President. The Director immediately panicked.
"Bu-but sir," quivered the Director, "we don't have the proper shields; we need to run the demonstration at ten percent of its maxi—"
"I want to see this thing in action right this instant, Director Lorwyn!" the President bellowed. "Or I will take your funding, buy myself a gilded bathroom, then wipe my ass with the rest of the money if you do not fire this thing up NOW!"
A tension with the viscosity of lead made its presence known in the propulsion lab. The sociopathic President of the entire planet was ordering Director Lorwyn and the team of scientists to risk many lives in the name of monetary gain and coercion.
A group of twenty armed guards stormed the lab at the sound of their President yelling, taking up arms.
"Sir, is everything alright?" one of the guards asked the enraged President.
"You," the President said as he addressed all of the guards, waving his hand in their direction. "I order you to euthanize these scientists and Director Lorwyn if they do not activate this machine in thirty seconds!"
The armed guards took up positions beside the President; their rifles pointed at Adrolon and his team. They immediately made known who they were siding with. The proprietors and members of the city council have since stepped off to the side, watching from afar in fear.
Gods be with us, thought Adrolon, all of these bastards are completely mad!
"Ten seconds!" the President shouted at the scientists.
Adrolon, Mikæl, and the rest of the scientists looked to Director Lorwyn for instructions, only to be offered none — it appeared that the Director had undergone shock. The proprietors and members of the city council were escorted out of the room.
"Five!" yelled the President.
A bead of sweat formed on Adrolon's brow. Something had to be done.
"Four!"
Mikæl closed his eyes. He would die doing the very thing he lived for.
"Three!"
Director Lorwyn was having a full-on panic attack. How did all of this mess escalate so fast?
"Two!"
Another member of the scientists started sobbing. Her fiancé just proposed to her last night...
"On—"
"We'll do it!" screamed Adrolon. All eyes, in shock and awe, were glaring daggers into him. He shuddered at the attention.
Mikæl spun Adrolon around, and looked him right in the eye, as if Adrolon too had just gone mad from stress.
"My friend," said Mikæl, a grim undertone forming in his voice, "you know not what 'The Beast' is capable of. If she blows... it will certainly be of the end times for us."
"Mikkie, buddy, Adrolon whispered; tears brimmed in his eyes, "we're gonna die at the hands of that fucking psychopath anyway. Eden told me to 'change the world' this morning... I'm gonna miss her, Mik."
Adrolon, with the weight of the situation finally catching up to him, started hopelessly crying. Mikæl had never seen Adrolon cry like this before; this was pure, unadulterated despair.
"Even in facing certain of death, you do as Miss Eden says, my brother," Mikæl reassured Adrolon, before turning to the rest of the scientists.
"On signal, executive protocol number thirty-seven, code black: Crank 'The Beast' until she can no longer be tamed," Mikæl whispered to them, before facing the President.
"What will it be?" the President asked, still fuming.
"We will commence executive protocol number thirty-seven, code black, immediately," said Mikæl.
Adrolon and the two other scientists got to work on the M.A.Y.T.I.D.E.; one cast spells as another punched in the measurements. Adrolon was tasked with keeping the tritium core stable under the immense pressures of maximum power. After all of the preparations were complete, a loud whirring noise erupted from the machine.
*WWWWWWWWHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHRRRRRRRR*
"Ah," said Mikæl, "she has awoken."
The President began pacing towards the M.A.Y.T.I.D.E., only to receive immediate protest from his guards.
"Mr. President, keep your distance," one of the guards yelled, "who knows if that thing is stable!"
"Guards," said the President, as he continued his way to the furious machine, "keep these scientists and Director Lorwyn on tab, I want to see what I'm investing in!"
Director Lorwyn, upon hearing his name, snapped out of his near-death experience. He saw the President strutting toward the vacuum chamber of the M.A.Y.T.I.D.E. He was too late.
"Sir, NO!" screamed Director Lorwyn.
The President was standing in front of the vacuum chamber when he felt a sudden, forceful tug at his attire. He was lifted up into the air, and strewn where gravity dictated.
"WOAH!" yelped the President as he was lifted up. "Wh-What's going on?!"
*WWWWWWWWHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHRRRRRRRR*
In all of his madness, in all simplicity, the President believed himself to be immortal. He had not realized the errors of his approach, and by the time his sanity partially returned, it was too late. The M.A.Y.T.I.D.E., roaring at full power, had condensed a partial black hole vortex inside of the vacuum chamber. As one would expect, the vortex began sucking everything in its path — even the President — into the tritium core. The system began to overload.
"Gods above," Adrolon said to no one in particular, "we need to stabilize right now!"
"Adrolon!" Mikæl yelled over the deafening whirring of the machine. "If 'The Beast' does not kill us, the guards will! We need to keep prez alive!"
Adrolon looked to where the President fell through. His feet was dangling out of the vacuum chamber, slowly being dragged to his demise. Agonizing, primal cries for help filled the chamber, as the President's atoms were being stripped from his very body.
"You pull prez out, I will stop my Beast!" With nothing more to say to anyone, Mikæl dove into the controls to shut M.A.Y.T.I.D.E. down before it blew.
Adrolon acted without thought. He couldn't remember what Mikæl told him. All he knew was that he had to keep the President alive; that meant emergency extraction, from a black hole in the vacuum chamber, without dying. Near impossible, most would think in his position, however, Adrolon had nothing to lose, for the guards will surely kill them regardless.
Adrolon rushed over to the President. He cast an emergency anti-gravity Aura on himself — for situations not as severe as this one — yet it was better than nothing. He peered inside the vacuum chamber, struggling to keep his balance. The sight that Adrolon saw would be engraved forever into his mind.
One of the most protected people on the planet, the most politically powerful person on the planet, was slowly and painfully melting in front of Adrolon. As the President's atoms were being taken by the black hole, the skin on his body started falling apart due to a lack of strength.
A large sheet of graphene, lodged in between the President and the tritium core, was the only thing keeping him from vaporizing instantly. The President's bones must have been weakened, as Adrolon's ears made out sickening crunches coming from the President, as the immense gravity well slowly crushed him. The screams and groans from the dying man became unnatural as his vocal chords collapsed.
Adrolon frantically tried to pry the President from the vacuum; however, the skin on his ankles simply peeled off with Adrolon's attempts. He vomited, and the President was unconscious. Suddenly, Mikæl reappeared to address the exhausted scientist.
"Adrolon!" Mikæl screamed. "I cannot stop her, you need to—"
Before Mikæl had time to finish, the graphene sheet keeping the President alive gave way, allowing the deformed man a swift death. The system, which was on its final straw for a while, reached critical mass, and all of the energy gathered throughout was released at once. An explosion of epic proportions completely engulfed the propulsion lab in seconds.
Adrolon, who was about to die, felt a strange twinge erupt in his heart, as if a Spark of sorts had ignited the fires of inspiration inside of him. Adrolon had combated the terrible energy with his own explosion, from within.
A mana vessel, one that Adrolon did not sense before, suddenly poured out and covered his body with a protective Aura of pure energy. White light filled the entire peripheral as the blastwave finally reached him.
...
*BOOM*
...
The dust settled; the thunder faded. Blinding rays were reduced to streaks of yellow from the outside. Adrolon stood with a start, trembling with a terrible case of shell-shock.
Did I... just survive that? Adrolon thought.
He looked for his three teammates, nowhere to be found. All of the guards were unrecognizable, as was 'The Beast'. Through the litter of body parts, there was one other survivor, and Adrolon heard his hack and gargle.
"Mikæl! Oh gods, Michæl..." Adrolon yelped as he embraced his friend. "L-Listen, Mik, I'm getting you out of here!"
"Ad–" *Cough* "–Adro," Michæl hardly whispered his name. "Eden said you had the Spark..."
Adrolon laughed at the unusualness of it all. He continued to cradle Mikæl in his final moments.
"Eden... said I had what?" Adrolon asked, laughing in genuine confused.
"Adrolon, you must leave this place, friend," Mikæl weakly commanded, "they'll be looking for you."
"I... I can't leave you like this, buddy," said Adrolon, tears brimming with sadness.
"I will be fi–" *HACK* "–ugh, Adrolon," said Mikæl, "my time is almost up here, my friend."
"And until then, I will be here at your side," Adrolon retorted, "you can't get rid of me that easily, bud..."
At the appearance of his best friend slowly fading into the darkness, Adrolon began sobbing for his friend.
"...like fly on shit..." Mikæl barely whispered. "One last thing, before I go, Adrolon."
Adrolon could only look on in sadness, as the inevitable swept over his considered brother.
"The fire...has risen...and you...rose...with it..."
Finishing the last order of business, Celestia and Luna looked over their hastily-formed council following the events of the humongous magical impulse that had plagued the peace of Equestria. Since the energy wave fizzled into nothingness, the Royal Diarchy received reports of widespread migraines in unicorns shortly after; from the Crystal Empire, all the way to Griffinstone. Since the Elements of Harmony were not present, Celestia decided to brief them on the situation soon via 'Spike-Mail', as it was nicknamed.
"If there is nothing more to say," began Celestia with a sense of closure, "We believe this will be a good point to end this emergency council. Thank you, our little ponies, for attending in a time of such confusion. Your input on the situation at hoof is invaluable to use against the unknown. With that said, Luna and I will carefully consider your words before a decision is made. Again, we thank you. Luna?"
Luna gave a nod to her sister, and spoke.
"And remember, dearest subjects," said Luna, "the information discussed at this council is on a need-to-know basis. We ask that you do not share this information with anypony until authorized, lest we risk widespread panic across Equestria. There are snacks and refreshments in the Royal Plaza for all of you, as our way of thanking you for attending on such short notice."
The convening of the greatest minds of Equestria, regarding the dimensional boundary breach, had drawn but one conclusion: whatever that magical impulse was, it was not natural. However, to Princess Luna, this was no need to call upon a national emergency, nor perceive this as an act of war, as the rest of the council had thought. To the Princess of the Night, this was a learning experience.
As the gathering finished, Luna and Celestia were alone, save for eachother. Since no onlookers could witness Celestia's plight, the Princess of the Sun let her true colors flow in front of Luna.
"While it certainly is frightening, Tia," reassured Luna, "you must also admit that this is an exciting time!"
Celestia, who was at this point unfazed by Luna's constant crave for adventure, simply smiled at her sister's optimism.
"Exciting how, exactly?" Celestia asked.
"Think about it for a moment," began Luna, "an interdimensional being! Do you know just how much we may learn from it?"
Celestia furrowed her brow as her sister's optimistic impulses continued to conflict her.
"You're right," said Celestia, "there could be a treasure trove of secrets to pillage. However, we don't know the full extent of the situation."
"Oh puh-lease, Tia," scoffed Luna, "you're so stressed that you've started using your court-speech again. Remember, sister dearest, we are philosophers and scientists that have lived for twelve millennia!"
"Yes, Luna, I know. But times are different. We can't just announce to the modern world that a being with unknown intentions, with immense magical power, has appeared in our dimension. We don't even know where they are. News spreads too fast, and widespread panic would surely follow."
"That's part of the challenge," said Luna, smirk in tow, "and challenges are fun."
"Shouldn't you be sleeping, or something?" asked Celestia
"Shouldn't you be writing a letter?" Luna retorted.
After some well needed giggles, Celestia knew she had been bested by her beloved sister, and resolved to contact the Elements of Harmony.
With haste, Fluttershy, Discord, Twilight, and Spike temporarily parted ways to search for the remaining Elements. Fluttershy flew to Sweet Apple Acres to retrieve Applejack. Spike volunteered to retrieve Rarity as Twilight flew to Rainbow Dash's house, and Discord teleported into a very busy Sugarcube Corner to retrieve Pinkie Pie, much to the amusement of Pumpkin and Pound Cake.
Since Spike went to Carousel Boutique in search of Rarity, he was tasked by Twilight to help her get to the Castle of Friendship in the event that she suffered a migraine, from the massive magical impulse from earlier. Spike strode ever vigilant to his beloved's home, rapidly knocking on the door. A very disgruntled Rarity answered the obnoxious battering.
Even when she's vicious and cranky, thought Spike, she's still the most beautiful mare ever!
"Ugh," said Rarity, wincing as the sun's rays caused her head to pulsate in pain, "what is the meaning of this barbaric rattling, Spike?"
"Sorry for being in such a hurry," said Spike, "but we may have a crisis on our hooves. Twilight wants everypony to meet in the castle and wait for a letter from Princess Celestia!"
"Can't the crisis wait?" Rarity whined. "I just broke out the emergency ice cream stockpile for severe headaches!"
Hearing his true love raise her voice caused Spike to break into a cold sweat, fidgeting his claws.
"W-why not... take the ice cream with you?" asked a nervous Spike. He chuckled uncomfortably.
Rarity pondered for a moment at Spike's proposal. Walking while eating? How unladylike! Complete, unadulterated heresy. However, Rarity's Element prevailed.
I suppose I could risk being seen as a hussy just this once, thought Rarity. After all, there's a potential crisis at hoof, and that means a threat — *GASP* — to fashion everywhere!
"Very well, my Spike-y-wike-y," said Rarity. Spike sighed in relief as she hauled an unnaturally huge tub of neopolitan with her. "Let us be off, at once!"
Spike's jaw hung agape at the pace of which frozen delight was consumed by the time he and Rarity arrived at the castle. Standing outside of the main door, Rarity noticed Spike's expression towards her empty tub of ice cream. He eventually came to at the thundering sound of Rarity dropping her empty tub.
"Where's the logic in combating magically-induced migraines with brain-freeze?" asked Spike.
"When you are practiced, such as I," began Rarity, "the sensation of brain-freeze becomes a novocain of sorts."
"That's deep," said Spike. "Deeper than your tub of ice cream."
Rarity and Spike entered the main corridor of the castle and made way for the map room, where the six Elements, plus one Spike, may sit in circumference and observe all of Equestria. Around that table-map sat the other five Elements and Discord.
Discord erected from Rarity's seat and greeted her. "So nice of you to join us, Rarity!"
"Hmph!" said Rarity. "That ice cream wasn't going to enjoy itself!"
"That ice cream seemed to clear your migraine, silly!" exclaimed Pinkie.
"Wait a second, Pinkie dear," said Rarity, "how did you know I had a migraine? Is this another one of your "Pinkie Sense" abilities?"
"Nope," said Pinkie, "apparently, an interdimensional being of immense power breached through our dimension's barrier using sheer magical power alone —" *GASP* "— and a magical shock wave was created by the extra-dimensional energies flooding in, giving every unicorn in Equestria a huge headache! What a meanie!"
Pinkie received strange looks, like that of which a professor would receive when explaining advanced quantum astrophysics to children.
"...Okay, can somepony please say that in Equish?" asked Rarity.
Just then, a fiery belch erupted from Spike, revealing a scroll with the royal crest of Equestria adorned. Spike promptly laid the message out on the table for all to see.
"I hope this answers some of our questions," said Twilight, beginning to read the letter.
Dear Friends,
As Discord might have told you, something unorthodox is occurring in our corner of Equus. This is the second time in recorded history that an event such as this took place, the first being when Discord entered our dimension about ten thousand years ago.
A being from outside our universe has entered it earlier today. When it entered, a magical shock wave roiled across Equestria, causing unicorns everywhere — myself and Luna included — to suffer from sudden migraines.
That being said, it cannot be predicted what aftermath this will bring. While we're not sure of the being's intent, everypony must be ready for anything that may happen. So far, after the initial event, it's been awfully quiet; eerily so.
If you are all ready and willing, I wish to ask of your assistance again, dear friends. Should you all accept, a catastrophe may be prevented.
Please help us locate this being and learn of its intent, whether it be malevolent or benevolent. Luna will search the dreamscape this night while Shining Armor and Cadence will keep their eyes peeled in the north. I will keep the citizens calm and collected while this flurry of activity commences. It is not required for you to report to Canterlot for this mission, but it would be greatly appreciated if reports of your progress are sent regularly.
Furthermore, the information contained in this letter is not to be shared with anypony, lest we risk widespread panic across Equestria. And no, Pinkie Pie, we cannot throw this being a "Welcome to Equus" party. I hope you understand.
Please reply posthaste with your acceptance or rejection. Thank you.
Your friend, Celestia.
Twilight looked around to her friends after reading. She watched their expressions, which surprisingly were not ones of fear, but of excitement. After the letter was read by everyone, Twilight asked the million-dollar question.
"Well, everypony," said Twilight, smiling, "are you in? Do you accept Princess Celestia's request for help?"
"Yee-haw, 'nother adventure!" exclaimed Applejack. "Count me in!"
"If I can't throw them a party," said Pinkie Pie, "I'll give them interdimensional cake!"
"I wonder what kind of animals lived on their world," said Fluttershy. "I'm in!"
"I wonder if their sense of fashion matches ours," said Rarity. "Oh, I'm eager to find out!"
"I was always with you then, Twilight, and I'm with you now!" exclaimed Spike.
"HOLD UP!" yelled Rainbow Dash. Everyone in the room looked at her with concern at her sudden outburst.
Rainbow met their looks of concern with her own looks, as if they all had gone collectively mad.
"You mean to tell me that you've never even met this being-dude," said Rainbow, "and you already want to be their friend?"
"Well Dashie," said Pinkie, "that's only if they're not a total meanie-pants!"
The others voiced their agreement with Pinkie, all except Discord.
"You all have good intentions," said Discord, "and it really is heartwarming, but I must agree with Dash here."
"What do you mean, Discord?" asked Twilight.
"To be honest, I'm not originally from this dimension," said Discord as audible gasps were heard. "As Celestia said, I first entered this one about ten thousand years ago, but before that, I traveled other dimensions. What I saw was not pleasant, even for me. Let's just say that the inhabitants were... less than hospitable."
The truth of Discord's words seemed to put a damper on the Elements' moods to the Draconequus.
Perhaps that was a little much, thought Discord.
"Now, everypony, that's not to say that this being is purely evil," said Discord, "I just want you all to be careful, my friends; who knows what they're capable of. So, count me in as well."
The Elements, including Spike, all nodded in understanding at Discord's wisdom, except Rainbow Dash. Everyone turned and faced her, expecting her answer. She huffed in annoyance.
"Fine, I'm in," said Rainbow, "but I don't have to be happy about it! At the first sign of trouble, we kick their flank!"
"Then it's settled!" exclaimed Twilight. "Please take a letter, Spike."
Black infinity. That was all that Adrolon could see. Wherever his neck craned, he was met with the same hospitality. He trudged forward, though it was fruitless; no matter where he moved, it didn't feel like he moved anywhere at all.
What he was trying to achieve, even he didn't know. Time distorted itself in such a way that Adrolon believed himself to be ages old. He unsheathed his staff and charged a ball of light at the end as he took inventory of the situation. Though the light revealed nothing in the void, it nevertheless gave him a sense of security.
He hummed in thought. "Let's see," he said, "I entered that plane after travelling the Blind Eternities for who knows how long. I then impacted the ground, barely managing to save my ass with Blanchwood Armor..."
He looked around one last time, then stared at the nonexistent floor.
"Yup," he concluded, "I'm officially lost."
"How can you be lost, when you haven't moved an inch?" Two other voices spoke in unison behind Adrolon, causing him to nearly jump out of his skin.
It sounded demonic; two voices — one high-pitched and one low-pitched — combined. Hearing it caused skin to crawl, much like hearing an unholy screeching sound. Adrolon didn't just hear the voices, he felt them, as the words reverberated and pierced his very core. Reluctantly, Adrolon turned around to face the being. What he saw formed a pit in his stomach.
The being looked less like a man and more like a shadow. It was missing the top half of its head, and where a head may have once sat, only smoke rolled out. Above its ears protruded two massive horns that gave the aurora of eternal dread. It wore long, black, severed leather robes with bits and pieces of metal. The most disturbing part was its finger and toenails, black, long and gruesome.
Adrolon opened and closed his mouth multiple times. He looked around in all directions before finally speaking.
"I-er, well, uh," he began to fumble, "who... are you?"
The being slowly floated towards Adrolon as it spoke. "I am what appears when someone experiences extreme fear in their lives. I have travelled far in between worlds on my own accord, seeing creation and beauty wherever I go. As such I have experienced the fear of many, and made priceless creations using that fear to force humility on those who think they're impregnable. I am nightmare incarnate. You may call me Ashiok, the Nightmare Weaver."
"I see," said Adrolon, taking some time to absorb this information, "and why have you sought me out then, Ashiok?"
"You, Adrolon Q'keraviel, have blood on your hands," said Ashiok, causing Adrolon's eyes to widen in surprise. "Your greatest fear is helping others because you're afraid that you will hurt them, much like how you killed your colleagues in Hæmeryth."
"So you've peered into my nightmares?" asked Adrolon. Ashiok nodded.
"Precisely."
"Well, for the record, I did not get my team killed. The planet's psychotic president was going to kill us anyway!" shouted Adrolon.
"That is where you are wrong," said Ashiok. "I have also sifted through your subconscious, and found that you have repressed memories of that event. It was completely preventable."
"I — what?" Adrolon was dumbfounded as Ashiok began to fade. The infinite blackness began transforming into a blinding whiteness. "How did y—"
"You will soon realize the severity of that event, Adrolon," said Ashiok. "It is time for you to return to the world of the conscious. We will meet again, farewell."
After that, silence.
Before Adrolon could protest, he was already opening his eyes. He was pinged with a familiar, uncomfortable sensation of pins and needles throughout his body. It didn't take long for his eyes to adjust to the deflux of light. He allowed the sensation to subside before sitting up.
He looked around before realizing that he was sitting in a body-shaped indent in the grass. He struggled, managing to stand up as he felt pops of bones and soreness erupting from his body. He stretched, eliciting more popping sounds from his back as it was being realigned from laying in his awkward position.
He analyzed his surroundings. To his left was miles of lush grassland, where an orchard of apples spanned across the horizon. To his right was the forest, where unnatural sounds echoed from. Adrolon could see green eyes peering at him from deep inside the forest.
Well, that's certainly creepy, thought Adrolon, and the sunset isn't helping, either. He turned back towards the orchard. I should probably gather some food before starting a fire, and I don't think those farmers will mind if a few apples disappear.
Before setting off, Adrolon gave himself a once-over. While his armor was fine, his robe was ripe with grass and dirt stains. Seeing this caused Adrolon to grumble miserably.
"Figures," he mumbled, "I just cleaned my robe days ago."
His mood slightly soured, Adrolon set off to retrieve his supper.
The trip to the horizon wasn't as far as Adrolon had anticipated. Before he knew it, he had a pouch of five enormous apples to feast on as he constructed a fire. Since he had trouble casting fire spells, due to him not wielding red mana, Adrolon had to rely on a shard of flint and the halberd portion of his staff to produce a spark on a bushel of tinder. The results did not come easy as night draped the young planeswalker.
He sat close to the flames' warmth in a strange land, munching on delicious apples. He contemplated the events in which he arrived, and what he should do next. He audibly sighed, stumped.
I don't even know what the locals look like, thought Adrolon. The structures have a mixture of Elven and Kithkin designs, though it's hard to say.
He let his thoughts wander as he rested. From Eden, to the M.A.Y.T.I.D.E. Event, to Mikæl, to his loved ones, to it. Ashiok, it's name was. What Ashiok spoke of made Adrolon shudder in guilt and confusion.
Repressed memories? he pondered. How could he possibly have access to my subconscious? Then again, Ashiok's like me. A wanderer of worlds. Who knows what he's capable of?
Ever since the M.A.Y.T.I.D.E. Event claimed the life of Planet Eridiæn's most prominent figures, Adrolon vowed to never underestimate anything ever again, no matter how small it seemed. The more he thought about Ashiok, the more he considered that Ashiok himself may be a manifestation of Adrolon's own fear and guilt. His mind's way of coping with the traumatic event, so to speak.
Well, he said it himself, Adrolon thought. He's what appears when someone experiences fear. Plus, I don't think anyone could look like him and survive. Although... knowing how the Multiverse likes to be reason's nemesis, I must take into consideration the possibility that Ashiok is very much real.
A large yawn escaped Adrolon as he wrapped up his train of thought. The events that recently unfolded put him through the wringer, even though he was unconscious for hours. He tossed another pile of large sticks into the flames before he took off his robe.
I'll try making contact with the locals after some proper rest, he thought. Absorbing more mana wouldn't hurt either, in case I have to defend myself.
Adrolon laid down and draped his robe over his body. After some shifting to get comfortable, which was difficult to do on the hard ground, he once again left the realm of the conscious.
The S.H.A.S.M.'s alarms were blaring throughout the massive complex. Adrolon was running for his life. Corridor after corridor, faster and faster. He needed to escape. Just barely could he make out what the intercom was saying.
"Alert, alert! This is not a test! Radiation containment breach on floor one-five-two, sector five! Extensive damage and casualties reported, President unresponsive! We have a suspected terrorist on thermal, terminate with extreme prejudice! All units report to floor one-five-two, sector five immediately!"
Adrolon continued his daring escape. The guards would surely be hunting him down, and he did not want to die. Just as he entered a clearing, barrages of energy bolts from mana-rifles whizzed past him. Adrolon spotted a group of six guards opening fire on him. As if on instinct, a shell of mana encapsulated Adrolon as he decided to run into another hallway.
"Don't let him get away!" The guard's robotic voice bellowed as they gave chase.
As he ran, Adrolon looked around for an indication of where he was. He spotted a sign ahead that read "152 S.H.A.S.M., Sector 6: Composite Armory" in its electric blue lettering.
Maybe a weapon and armor will make this easier, Adrolon frantically thought. He saw a hallway that read "Prototype: Mana-Imbued, Graphene Composite Armor". That's it, there!
He dashed into that hallway as more energy bolts just missed him. He tried to bide more time and closed off the hallway before running into the corresponding room. Another scientist got in his way.
"What are you doing?!" The scientist was shouting in Adrolon's face. "The whole building's on lockdown, you can't be in here!"
Adrolon tried to weave past the man, to no avail. The scientist noticed that the door to the hallway was shut, preventing a group of guards from getting in.
"Why on Eridiæn is that door closed? You're inhibiting those guards from getting in!"
"That's the idea, you imbecile!" yelled Adrolon.
"Well, I'm not going to be arrested on your crimes!" With that, the scientist ran to unlock the door. Adrolon panicked.
"NO!" screamed Adrolon. He reached out to grab the scientist, only to accidentally fire a wave of mana at him. The scientist slammed against the tempered glass door, unmoving. A pool of blood formed under the scientist's head.
"...By the gods," said Adrolon. He looked on in horror at what he did to the poor man.
Adrolon started over to help him, but quickly thought twice when he saw the guards bashing the glass. Tempered glass was strong, but not impregnable; it would break soon. With no time to spare, and a silent apology to the dying man, Adrolon rushed his way to the prototype armor.
It was intimidating to say the least. It was a sleek set of graphene composite armor, all mana-imbued for extra protection. Graphene, being an assortment of carbon atoms, was stronger than diamond. Not as strong as carbyne, but it was cheap to manufacture. It was also a superconductor of various energies, including mana, which only served to amplify the effects of spells cast. Adrolon had heard the rumors — the armor that he was about to steal was to be the guards' newest uniforms, by orders of the now-dead president.
"Cool toys, boys," muttered Adrolon, "unfortunately for you, I need it more right now."
He spotted a control that said "Equip" on the button. He hit the button and stepped inside the sterile chamber where the armor sat. Multiple appendages began gripping the armor set, detaching various parts of it. It appeared to be opening up for a body to fit inside. Adrolon turned his back to the armor and spread his arms; his assumptions were correct.
The first thing that was attached to his body was the gauntlets. Once on his forearms, they locked into place by the machine, with a pair of armored gloves to boot. He noticed a datapad was present on his right forearm.
Next attached was the torso armor and leg braces. The torso had various pouches on the stomach area while the leg braces had a large pouch on the left hip. On the right hip was something that Adrolon had never seen before — a halberd-staff, an extendable one at that. The halberd portion was also made out of graphene for armed combat, while the very top housed a strange looking crystal. Adrolon suspected that it must be used for channeling spell attacks.
What finally came was the helmet, which, to Adrolon's surprise, came from the back of his torso armor. The helmet's various parts went over his face, all clicking into place at the nose. A head's-up display revealed the status of the armor, as well as various other statistics.
The machine adjusted the tightness of the armor to perfection. It felt as though Adrolon was wearing nothing at all. As he twisted his body, he spotted a spare black robe in the corner of the chamber. Adrolon recognized this robe — a robe that guards with high mana reserves wore, to signify that they were mages. Seeing it appropriate, he donned the robe over the armor, zipping up to the collar, which ended at the top of his lips. He slid his arms through the large sleeves.
This armor was for a mage! thought Adrolon.
Amazingly, the entire process took only ten seconds. He was ready to roll. However, a sound of shattered glass made him groan inwardly. The sound of multiple footsteps storming in only made those groans more prominent.
"WE HAVE YOU SURROUNDED," one of the guards said, "EXIT SLOWLY WITH YOUR HANDS UP, OR WE WILL KILL YOU!"
He had no choice but to comply. Adrolon did as the guard said, while closely observing the room around him. Any windows in the room had guards swarming on rappelling gear. Perpendicular from the windows were two exits, one on each side, which was blocked off with about fifty guards. The hallway that Adrolon had entered through had only those six original guards, however, making for an easier escape.
Adrolon was relieved to see medics tending to the man that he had accidentally injured. Now focused, Adrolon summoned a shield of mana that encapsulated his entire body.
"Disengage your shield immediately!"
Hmm... thought Adrolon. He saw the injured scientist and medics move off to the side, towards a stretcher. Not going to happen. Now would be a good time to try out that halberd-staff.
He reached down and grabbed the handle of the staff, clicking a button near the top. The staff extended to full length with an audible *SHINK*. A barrage of energy bolts brought Adrolon to attention.
"Enemy not compliant, open fire!"
"Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, OH SHIT," said Adrolon as he struggled to maintain his shield. He pointed the staff towards the entrance that he entered in.
It's now or never, get out of the way or get blasted! thought Adrolon. The six guards were unmoving as Adrolon charged a spell into the staff.
"Move!" bellowed Adrolon as the beam of mana shot forth. The guards did just that — they dove out of the way. Immediately after, Adrolon dashed forward, into the broken glass door, while waves of energy bolts continued their barrage.
As he burst into the hallway, Adrolon ran towards some windows that he had seen earlier. He fired a beam of mana at them, shattering the windows instantaneously. He looked back once again, and what he saw made Adrolon turn chalk white. A juggernaught — a heavy artillery guard — had her rocket launcher pointed right at Adrolon's feet.
SHE HAS A ROCKET LAUNCHER, Adrolon screamed in his head as he leapt out of the window. The juggernaut fired.
Two beings observed the dream unfold from a distance, watching Adrolon fall from three thousand feet. A distant explosion was heard.
The first being appeared to be a large golden statue. It wore black robes and was surrounded by a purple, ethereal aura. A murder of crows flew around it from above. It spoke in an ominous, hollow voice.
"You're sure," said the first being, "that he is the missing link to our plans?"
"He is the perfect candidate," said the second. "He is weak minded. I've seen this personally through his repressed memories of killing his planet's president. It was so traumatic that his subconscious altered some memories, to make the experience less painful."
"And when he sees those repressed memories," said the first, "you will bring him to me, and I shall... persuade him to be our influence."
"He'll definitely be at his weakest point," said the second. "You're the God of Deception, it should be child's play to you."
"Maybe so," said the first, "yet I am bound to Theros, while you are free to travel to any world you please. You are the only one that can follow him. Thus, you are being trusted to fulfill this mission, and reap the rewards you will."
If it had eyes, the second being would have narrowed them.
"A wealth of knowledge, you pledge," said the second.
"I have lived for eons while you exist on extended mortality," said the first. "What I shall teach you, should you succeed — no one will stand in your way."
The second being scoffed. "You're lucky that I'm desperate."
"I'm prompted to say the same," said the first.
Just then, the two beings saw that a blinding light erupted from in front of Adrolon before he impacted the ground. As soon as it appeared, it disappeared — Adrolon with it.
"He's entered the Blind Eternities in this timeframe," said the second being, "the dream will be ending soon."
"Very well. Stay in contact regularly," said the first, "it would benefit us both if we were on the same page."
"Agreed," said the second being. "We will speak again soon, Phenax."
The two beings faded out as the dream collapsed around them.
