The Core of the complex was not what any of them had expected. Even Lightning Claw and the others that worked there were bewildered by what they saw. The cavern beyond the flooded tunnel they emerged from had no water, yet the submarine they were in floated any way, as if the change didn't matter. The Core's chamber was more massive than anything they'd seen before: it could have fit the entire country of Equestria within it and had room to spare. Only the illumination of magick'd magma on the floor far beneath them, spreading all the way to the far end of the room allowed them to see that far.
The ceiling was covered in water that seemed to disregard the normal laws of gravity. It rained in glittering droplets that glistened like diamonds as they fell, reflecting the light of the magically-glowing orange magma as they descended. The core itself was a crystalline cone-shaped structure which stalactite'd from the ceiling like a massive insect hive. It descended less than halfway to the floor, with an opening at the bottom. This may have been where VOLCANUS was hiding; like an ant in an ant hill.
But none of these things were as stunning to the occupants of the sub than that which dominated the room. In the center, in the middle of the room and just underneath the hive structure was a universe. Not a galaxy, not a planet, not a portal to another world, but a universe. Or at least, one that was forming.
At this point though, Dan was less impressed and more pissed off. The others, however, were still impressed.
"Is that..."
"Yes," Silver Spoon answered, a little in awe herself. "I wasn't sure they'd actually be able to do it but..."
"They're building another universe. They're actually building another universe," Phoenix remarked.
"They're building another freaking universe," Dan stated flatly. "Big whoop. Perhaps one of the biggest whoops in the... universe, but a whoop it is. And that bug is still getting a whoopin'. So, how do we abort this baby universe?"
"Uh, is it really okay for us to make a stance on abortion?" Phoenix asked. (Honestly, whatever people decide on that one, just don't involve lawyers. Please, don't involve your local attorney's office.)
Dan pointed through the periscope. "That thing is pure evil! This isn't a me vs. pro-life vs. pro-choice thing if it's evil!"
"How do you know it's-"
"It's dark and stormy and full of spooky crap and suspended over a lake of lava!"
"Magma."
"So that makes it evil!" Dan declared.
"That's really a broad definition of evil. I mean, you had rainbow moats installed around Cloudsdale and from what I know about you Dan, you wouldn't exactly be the first guy to turn down a giant machine reactor suspended over a lake of magma," Phoenix said.
Dan glared at him. "Stop aborting fun, Nicky. We are going to exorcise this demon universe right out of the heart of Equestria! Man your station."
"Is it an abortion or an exorcism now?" Redfield asked. Captain America, next to him, gave him a hard look and shook his head.
"YES!" Dan yelled. "Demo pones, fire torpedoes!"
"Firing exorbortion missiles!"
"Don't call them that."
The torpedo tubes on the submarine opened, a pair of torpedoes launched, but they never even came close to their destination. Ignore the fact that they were fired by a submarine, underground, in midair; they simply didn't come anywhere close. They got close to the new universe, or whatever it was that was swirling and forming, and they were transformed into a tiny series of sparks. The sparks then came together in a single, swirling ball of energy that was then absorbed by the universe, swallowed by the mass of darkness and light.
"Um... not sure, but I'm gonna say that looks like a fail," Blast Fuse said.
"How can you see it? You're nowhere near the periscope," Silver Spoon asked.
"There was no boom followed by celebration," she and her sister said, shrugging. "Even we can't use the fourth wall as an excuse for everything."
"Well, we can, technically, but where's the fun in that?"
"They never even came close," Phoenix remarked, sharing part of the periscope with Dan. (It's like this new proto-universe is a sponge, absorbing Equestria's magic and...) he looked at the edge of the room. Markers were lining the walls, all pointed towards the center. And they were glowing. (They're trying to use summoning magic somehow to change the new universe... or control it, somehow.)
"The bug didn't even bother coming out of the hive. We're gonna have to get closer," Dan announced. "Bring us up to the ceiling, Mr. Stevie and Redfield! Get us above that horrible hurricane of horrors!"
Apple Bloom watched as Dan and the rest of the crew struggled. It wasn't easy, being unable to do anything, unable to even see what was happening. She stayed close with her friends, and even Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara. They had come here, humans and ponies, to save them. Watching them fight was inspiring, uplifting and even nerve-wracking all at the same time.
She looked over to Marksaline, their new friend they'd met while imprisoned. Apple Bloom was worried to still see her on the ground. "Hey, Marksaline?"
Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle joined her, the latter of which tapped Marksaline's shoulder. "Are you okay?"
"So... loud..." she muttered. "They call... they call to them..."
"Who? What?"
Marksaline's eyes shot open. "THEM! THEY LISTEN NOW!!"
"Dan," Phoenix said, "she's not even paying attention to us."
And to her credit, Magic Gear VOLCANUS was not. The giant spider pony's claws dipped into the swirling mass of the new dimension, vanishing into the disc of nether and almost, reaching into pluck out orbs that might as well have been new planets. Each glowed like the magma below only with new radiant colors, the cores of new worlds. VOLCANUS examined them one at a time; some she discarded, others she placed into the core structure above her.
In truth, each "orb" was not a planet, nor a star but a possibility. Each gleaming ball of light was an idea coming to life, or that could come to life, breaching the fabric of reality itself if given enough magic. There were countless different ones- the bad ones like the possibility of nuclear war or disaster were removed, the good ones like powered flight or a favorite song were added to the core assembly. When finished, the core would then provide the necessary energy to ignite the universe, to give it its start by firing it through an eruption. The universe would then expand and annihilate everything in Equestria's current universe.
VOLCANUS was crafting the DNA blueprint of the proto-universe. Everything that would happen was already being dictated by the cores, the possibilities. Meticulously, VOLCANUS worked, sifting through near-infinity to craft a perfect new Equestria.
The massive, metal bug-creature pony looked up at the approaching submarine. "Ah, come to see my work? I'm afraid this symphony is a private show and if you choose to stay, I can't be held liable for what will happen to you."
"The squee is that thing even talking about? We're about to wreck your little finger-claw-whatever painting, so prepare to get hit with a fiery, blank canvas as we fire point-blank at your canvas!"
The Gear rolled her mechanical eyes and continued. "Come now, you can hear this, can't you? Listen... listen to your children. Listen to them as they... yearn. And burn." She placed another orb into the core and it lit up.
"She's making more than just a universe, she's sending a message," Colress said. He was transfixed on the datapad on his arm, going through numbers and lists. He looked up at the submarine's own instruments, which only confirmed what he already knew. Magnezone and Marksaline could hear it, could feel the message she was sending.
"I... I think I hear it, too. Or... or a I feel it," Lightning Claw said. His hoof raised to the side of his head, he hovered down on the ground, struggling to either listen or block out the sound he heard all together, anything to just resolve it.
"What is it?" Apple Bloom asked. "Y'all can hear something we can't. What's it saying?" Outside, VOLCANUS continued to pluck orbs, the universe turning beneath her, the core pulsing above and the Markers all glowing. Energy surged from floor to ceiling in the massive cavern, bolts of lightning and fire that heralded the beginning of creation and the end of the world at the same exact time.
"The king... the queen... they...... they listen..."
VOLCANUS raised her hooves, speaking into the swirling broth of dreams. "Mother and father, hear me! Your children make this solemn call! By their power, they have reached the heavens where you reside! I beseech thee, listen!"
A bolt of lightning echoed from the chamber, exploding from top to bottom. The light of the magma vanished into blackness. The lights of the core were and the submarine were the only things that remained.
And then, a single light emerged in front of the core.
"Child of my children, why do you beseech us? The cry of your voice does not fall upon deafened ear, why does your call echo with such ferocity?"
"Forgive me... uhh, I wasn't really sure you'd pick up, heheh," VOLCANUS joked.
"HA!" Blast Fuse and Blast Powder laughed. "We got it!"
"Because, it's like she's calling... nevermind."
"They already got it."
"Yeah, I saw."
"Child of my children, voice of my cherished offspring, your song does resonate on high. Tell us now why you would have need of us." The light spoke. It was beyond that of any signal, beyond that of any feeling, like the fabric of space and time were but pieces of paper that this voice weaved through to reach the intended listener. Like a stone impacting the water's surface, every syllable created ripples that pulsed and moved throughout, carrying the feelings and intended meaning of every word spoken.
If the proto-universe was being used as a phone, it was as if heaven itself was answering the call.
"Oh! Uh, yeah. Sorry... again, this is like, just wow, meeting you guys. Are you really Tia, Lulu and Cleo's parents?"
"We are Eternal and Everlasting. You reside within our domain as a creation of our charges. Know that we are the King and Queen of Equestria, for now and forever more. By our grace does your world know light, life and love. By our will does your world know direction, discovery, definition. By our rule did your world know peace, progress and prosperity. By our power does Equestria know harmony... and by our judgment do you know condemnation."
"C-condemnation?" VOLCANUS asked. She made the mech-equivalent of a swallow. "Uhh... yeah, that's what I wanted to talk to you about. Equestria needs you, we need you to save us! The planet is going to be wiped out, the majora is here!
She doesn't want to use her power, but the fate of Equestria is-"
"You would ask us to save you." It was not a question. They all knew that.
"Umm... yeah?"
"As you were created with singular purpose, so to were those whose voice you echo. Yet like them, you fear this duty for what it shall render you when done. Child of my children, you need not be afraid. It would avail you not; your fate is sealed,
duty-writ and absolute."
"Umm... oh crap." It was then she realized her mistake. Or at least, the Director's mistake.
"Child of my child, as you echo your creators, we echo ours.
You are correct in your assessment that Equestria's end is nigh, but you call to us as if we would give our aid to you.
Yet our judgment remains; you are forsaken, child."
"Your parents hate you, too."
The light disappeared and the magma suddenly 'turned back on.'
"Holy crap..."
"That's... new," Captain America commented.
"Did... did the gods just tell us we're screwed?" Redfield asked.
"Y-yeah," Phoenix nodded. "In more words, yeah."
"Wow," Blast Fuse was stunned. She and her sister held each other, almost feeling Dustchu's presence as he watched over them, both frightened and feeling helpless. "At least we still have each other," Powdy said. "And Dustin."
"And Dustin," Fusey nodded.
"Dan...," Phoenix began, "I think things just got... a lot more complicated," he turned. "Dan?"
Dan walked in from below decks. "What are you guys doing just standing there?" He was carrying a bunch of diving suits.
"Did you hear anything that was just said? What pretty much the King and Queen of Equestria just said?" the lawyer asked.
"Kind of," Dan said, setting the suits down. "It was really loud and I felt like my teeth could hear it but I kind of wasn't paying attention. But that doesn't matter- we need to get off the sub."
"Why?"
"Because I just set it to self-destruct."
"Oh. Squee."
Hahahah, that...golden!
You damn straight! Ya'll are my baby girls!
Damn fine chapter man, this, Epicness~ And damn... things are looking tough for them, hope they can make it out of this!
Good show!
"Where's the Kaboom? There was supposed to be an earth shattering Kaboom!"
"The majora"? Like from Majora's Mask? I'm not sure if that's been brought up before now...
Wow, those parents are dicks, I guess it's time to take custody away from them.
I really wish I hadnt spent three hours yesterday reading through the Top 100 toughest bosses in video games. MewTwo was only 67.
Volcanus is doing a Magrathea cross 6th Chamber cross teh core of the constructed planet I drew in my school book as a child?
Has Pinkie been reading my notes again? Then again this is a much better read that, he pressed teh button, and inside near uncountable trillions of probabilities were simulated through all time in virtual space and sorted for the player to select as they played through 256 questions.
Course parents are annoyed, there they are, barely a couple milennia into their first decent aeon beach holiday, not even got the deckchair set up and already the kids screaming and bawling and throwing its toys out the pram.
Volcanus is sorting through the next probabilities, but does it have safeties to avoid sorting the current universe, or due to the conflict, is that one that has already been moved into the discard pile, thereby keeping the closed time like curve intact? Meaning that non paradoxical, like MIB Marble, its something Dan can FOG and run with leaving Volcanus to be on the recieving end of the resulting paradox disjunction?
A new chapter means it's ~Sunday~
Now lemme see here *dons reading glasses* ...
Still chasing Bug Bot, okay ... Wait-Vuce Grip and the rest of the Bringdown Brigade are trying to to-what-what-WHAT?! Our universe did NOT agree to this bullcrap and we deserve better! If you could cheat on her and make a new universe without so much as a 'I think we should see other people' then you Sir are not worth her time! And she's keeping the car too!
I won't dwell on this subject long, but Dan has a point: it's evil so anything goes! (Phoenix is also right, please don't drag your local attorneys into it) ... that's all I'll say on this particular subject, thank you!
Wait, Celestia, Luna and Cleo's parents are called Eternal and Everlasting? Well the King and Queen of Equestria need regal names ... meh *shrugs* Also: HAH! BugBot got told! Wait a sec, so does this mean Vice Grip's entire 'make a new universe scheme' depended on the King and Queen of Equestria judging them fit to be saved ... when Vice Grip himself has already proven himself to represent the worst of Ponykind? This dude is either super arrogant or just that sure what he was doing was right, either way I'd love to see his expression at this point!
Well, I really can't imagine how this can get any worse (pretty sure I'll get proved wrong)! Now for my favourite quotes:
I'm both terrified and find this oddly funny at the same time, subject matter aside. But Dan is right in this case, anything Vice Grip's Crappy Crab Bot makes is evil! Except for crab sticks! Which are delicious!
Dammit Phoenix, stop ... stopping the fun! Also, love that name (I'm awful I know!) Blasties!
Dan keeps finding new ways to say 'kick your ass', don't ever change Dan-tastic One
The fact that the arguable scariest (Necro)Pony on Team Dan is (I think) scared makes me scared ... Which in turn makes me remember there's about a thousand and a half Markers (just an estimate) in the room makes me worry about a Necromorph infestation ... Whelp, it would still be easier than dealing with Vice Grip!
And that's everything, just gotta wait for the terrifying (and most likely weird) conclusion to this particular mess.
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"Eternal" and "Everlasting" are titles. The King and Queen have been corrupted beyond measure by time, loss, darkness and sorrow. They now believe themselves to be the only deities in their world, power unmatched throughout creation. They speak in powerful honorifics and simultaneously. King Eternos/Cosmos or whatever fan-giving name is their real name, as with Queen Galaxia or Galaxina. In truth, they are beings so powerful and immortal that they have passed beyond caring for such trivial matters, believing themselves to have transcended their duty and ascended to the divine. So their names are more or less whatever you, Dan and everyone else decides to call them; they refer to themselves as almighty and all-powerful, in terms they believe that they think their subjects can understand. They feel all that is not of their doing is unworthy of their attention and they consider humans as barely more than animals.
As revealed in a couple bloggies, the K and Q built a new kingdom in deep space after exhausting their search for the ReCreator, the Fausticorn. They didn't find her and after untold millennium, they lost all love in their hearts for Equestria and their daughters, now consumed with the obsession of perfection and building something beyond their creators, transcending Hasbro and the previous MLP generations. They've gone mad with power and secretly fear destroying Equestria and their own daughters... yet now they've twisted their duty around.
So, they're insane. Kind of like the jealous husband who murders his wife to prevent her from cheating on her, their fear has twisted their love into some kind of abomination of sorrow, insanity and grief. In short, they're older than time itself, they're bat-shit fucking crazy and they rule a space empire of multitudes of aliens that worship them, they have deity-level power and control and they don't fucking care. About anyone, anything or anywhere but their own kingdom they've created for themselves which is opulent and decadent in ways that would melt Rarity with their sheer elegance.
Cleo is an adopted sister, essentially the spirit of Equestria created by the Fausticorn by semi-accident after Equestria, the King and Queen were created. The Director is a majora, a spiteful spirit of annihilation that has destroyed the previous 3 and a half Equestrias but now regrets her actions. She is a Faceless One, a majora that feeds on negative emotions, misery and suffering but for some reason, no longer wishes to be what she is. As I've said before, her body is made of a collection of discarded ideas and deferred dreams, concepts like Celestia being a queen instead of a princess and Pinkie Pie being a white pony named Surprise. Half-formed dreams and ideas compose her being, screaming in agony perpetually across her skin in a state of half-existence, longing for their desired birth and feeling utterly hopeless and abandoned.
Vice Grip is a scientist and the son of Equestria's last earth pony chancellor to hold the office before the position was replaced with mayor. Vice Grip's father was a famous inventor who lived 1000 years ago and died under mysterious circumstances, which leads Dan and Twilight to believe it was an assassination. Somehow, Vice has survived through the ages and feels Equestria and he himself have been robbed of a rightful future and now seeks to create an Equestria ruled by science instead of magic, failing to realize that the two are pretty much the same.
Vice Grip was fired for his repeated failures and his lack of business understanding. The Director then used Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara and aged them up, promised them riches and wealth beyond their wildest dreams and had them run FIST in order to maintain the technological aspect of her plan. The Director's goal is to prevent Equestria's destruction by causing it prematurely any way she can- hence why Fallout: Equestria keeps showing up. She cultivates multiple options in an effort to protect her "friends"- Dan, Twilight and the others. Her physical form is held together by the frozen title card of My Little Pony Tales which is wrapped around her like a cloak. She can summon things from other worlds to Equestria, but cannot detect things that were not summoned by her.
Marksaline is Fluffle Puff's big sister and Fuzzle Puff's sister-in-law, as well as the godmother of their children. Marksaline was born like the Director- a living entity created by conflict added to the universe of Equestria. She represents the living spirit of ideas, concepts, feelings and other things that have been summoned to Equestria, using her powers to interweave them within the tapestry of the universe in order to "make them whole again." She speaks through her horn, which is itself a Marker and capable of detecting thoughts and emotions from other universes and ponies throughout Equestria, a process called convergence.
Marksaline was originally a fluffalapon royal guard and high guard to her sister, Princess Fluffle Puff. When the CEC cracked open Equestria when Celestia and Luna were just fillies, triggering the Age of Exodus, Marksaline was exposed to the Marker the CEC recovered.
She was taken aboard the USG Aegis when she was transformed into a necropony, killed most of the crew and caused the ship to crash into Equestria's moon.
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Wow, I feel sorry for Cleo ... don't care what happened to Vice Grip, I still hatez him!
Wait ... Omaigawd ... I just realised this will literally be a case of Dan vs Gods ... I'm scared! Hold me BAB Zecora!
Whelp, if anyone can do it ... Dan can!
Thanks again for the chapter and this little history chapter, even though I just wanna hug Cleo now, it was brilliant to hear!
Your Eternal Fan ^_^
P.S Also, cos they sound like they will be big villains ... think I'll dub them as Galactus and Galaxia
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Cleo is secretly STILL one of the main characters and you've probably already hugged them. And thanks as always!
The King and Queen are kind of pricks. ... I like it!
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Not kind-of. They're a-holes. And they talk at the same time, in honorifics and they speak like they're high and mighty all the time... because they kind of are. So it's really annoying and they can end you with less than a thought.
So the Director asked for help from Insane Immortals and they responded with, "No, you're fucked."
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Accurate assessment.
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Imagine if a mad scientist worshipped a crazy demon-god that existed in another dimension or something, and they created a machine to talk to them and asked them to send down their power. And then that demon-god turned out to be real but instead of doing what you expected it to, it gave the scientist the middle finger. Kind of like in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door when Grodus awakens the Shadow Queen and she blows him up and tries to take over the world herself. Dump truck gets fucked.