The Abomination called himself Ezekiel, a fitting name for a bringer of the apocalypse. Had Ezekiel always been his name? He thought it might be. Who he was before he died was a fuzzy memory and like smoke to grasp. However, it wasn't important. What was critical then was to ensure the Devouring of the Tumblr Nebula. The Empty God had sent him personally to bring some order to the attack on the nebula that contained millions of worlds.
Ezekiel breathed in the nebula's air, full of self-gratification and hopeless imagination. He threw out his four arms and took in the who glorious stench and the view of millions of worlds swirling about in the comic glitter of ones and zeros. Ezekiel stood before the helm of a Dreadnaught Shadow, a dead creature of shadow with multiple limbs claws. It could be piloted from the head, which was retrofitted with machinery to allow the crew to pilot the moon sized corpse. Dreadnaught Shadows could ferry millions of Shadows and other allies to the Empty God. Ezekiel was bringing three million extra troops to the nebula to drive the two Guardian haplessly defending the entire space out. Better yet, he would kill them and take their swords and bodies back to his master.
Ezekiel's body was made up three Accursed powers, four cadavers, and one monster. Not only did he have four arms, all from different bodies, he stood on four smoky, transparent scorpion legs and had long cords for hair draped over his shoulders. Pale yellow eyes looked back at him from reflections on the obsidian matter that made up the Dreadnaught beast. Ezekiel was clearly a second generation Abomination, as he did not resemble a corpse stitched back together. Some of those who followed the Empty God compared him to the Scorpion King. He had watched The Mummy Returns, and had then promptly killed those who pointed out the comparison. When the Door to Reality was finally thrust open, he would find every last person who helped make that movie and murder them with all four hands. It was another enraging thought.
And thinking of enraging thoughts, he had heard that the next generation would again look more humanoid in form and he growled at the thought. Monsters like himself were just what the Empty God needed. Why try to perfect what was already exactly what he needed?
The surviving Accursed, the last ten Guardian and that cowardly Tscheapwhetzar were all that remained of the once vast tribes who made up the Pact. Now they lambasted their own powerful and ennobling heritage and called themselves Accursed. They refused to embrace the full powers the devil had given them; Satan had given them the powers to shape all of Imagination and warp that power to become gods. These lost eleven spurned that power. The Empty God and his Abomination were the trues heirs of such power, and they would prove it in this war.
Ezekiel grinned to himself now as he thought about the Guardians we would soon fight. They walked the Path of Enlightenment, and those who walked the Path were unable to do all that was required of them to win in any situation. They did want to offend God, that blight who dared to govern all creation across all Realms and the Origin. Because they would not embrace the powers that could be theirs, they were not as versatile as him. They also relied on the power of Absolution. Though it was the greatest of the Eight by far, those who saw everything as literal could not comprehend the nuance of creative thought. Furthermore, no armor was without a weak point. He would find them quickly, and incapacitate them, enjoy their torturous screams, and then murder them.
That is enough self-exposition for now, he thought lazily.
Like all who used the powers of the Accursed, the powers of the Pact, he could trace all the thoughts that passed through his mind in an instant, as though they had taken up a little more than a page of space.
"Bring the beast to a halt," he ordered in a low hiss.
Shadows moved to hit a series of buttons and commands. The massive, hollow body stopped and remained suspended on the edge of the nebula.
"The Tumblrverse is ripe for the picking," a voice growled from the darkness around Ezekiel.
"Yes. We have come to claim a great victory for the Empty God, may all of Creation fall into his bosom! He has sent us here personally to oversee the execution of two Guardians and the Devouring of this entire nebula!"
Roars of approval met his proclamation. Ezekiel held up his arms to call for quiet around him.
"We will then ride the millions of Starlines connecting this place to the rest of the Realms. The remaining Guardians will be overwhelmed by our onslaught! And it all begins here! Captain, what is that world there, closest to us?"
A shadow without form shifted to a panel with outlandish symbols and read it. Here in the Realms, it was easy to get machinery and computers to navigate the vastness of Imagination. Data boards and computers could easily tell one everything there was to know about a world that floated in Imagination's expanse.
"It is the world of user Axe4Head, a moderately imaginative boy from the Origin. He is obsessed with RWBY fanfictions and even submits his own pathetic art to the internet for scorn," the captain rasped. "His levels of power show that he doesn't deserve to stand in the King's new world order."
Wonderful, Ezekiel thought malevolently. This was one of the reasons why God did not deserve to reign. A pathetic boy given access to great power, but he squanders it with fan fictions and poorly drawn images, when he could be composing symphonies or writing material that could change the world. He can dip into Imagination, he might have even toughed these Realms at some point. But now he wastes all of that Potential on the internet and dumps into a nebulous wasteland like Tumblr. Oh yes, he deserves to lose everything! His defeat will be our sacrament and valuable sacrifice to the Empty God!
"Is there a Starline from Axe4Head to the boy's Star?"
The captain raised what was misshapen head and nodded. Great news. If they could attack the boy's Star, where his own imagination and all his ideas dwelled, a kind of personal pocket universe for each individual person in Reality. If Ezekiel and his armies could take this Star, they could cull all of boy's creativity and Devour his Potential, the God-given ability to act for himself, to think, and to create across all realms of existence.
Ezekiel let out another hiss. "Excellent. I crave the taste of blood. I will have Axe4Head's Potential within the hour. Send a message to the armies and to the incoming fleet. We will take that planet, and once it is dead, we will use its mangled remains to connect with Gilgamesh."
Gilgamesh was the forlorn first generation Abomination who had not been able to break the Guardians' hold on this nebula, the Tumblrverse. Once Ezekiel had had his fun, his armies would meet up with Gilgamesh. Then he would take control entirely of subjugating the Tumblr Nebula, wherein he would prove to his god that his kind were the superior breed of weapons, the true Abominations.
Madame, the high leader of the Order, was in a pickle. She and the rest of the Order wished desperately to aid the Guardians in their budding war with the Abominations. They had seen the reports, and in some cases, had even seen with their own eyes the horrors these monsters brought to the Realms of Imagination. They destroyed entire Stars, corrupted Starlines, and invaded worlds lying outside the Stars. The Realms were quickly devolving into a mess.
The Order abhorred any kind of disorder to the Realsm, whether that be crossovers between unrelated worlds and stories, pirates and merchants traveling the Starlines, or simply travelers being where they shouldn't. But they especially hated this chaotic war. The Guardians, defenders of the realms and preservers of all Creation, were the Order's greatest role models. The Order itself was named as such, because the organization sought to restore the Realms to the state they had been before Accursed like the Tscheapwhetzars began migrating all over and conquering different worlds and Stars, using their abominable Doors to travel. They had made the Doors, which were just that, doors that allowed instantaneous access to any world or mind, so they could prey on it. It was a good thing that there was only one Tscheapwhetzar left. The only problem was that the Order would have to work with him.
Well, they didn't really have to. They could have chosen to ignore the suggestion from the Guardians and go about their own business. Madame knew, however, that if they ever wanted to fight alongside the men and women they revered so much, they would to grit their teeth and meet with the Door building monster. If they could show the Guardians their willingness and ability to work with such an unpredictable man as the last Tscheapwhetzar, they were sure to be incorporated into the Guardians' military and help rescue the Realms of Imagination from the Empty God and his hordes of Abominations and Shadows.
Madame sat at her desk, rubbing her temples in a heavy massage. Her work space was immaculate, with everything in its perfect and proper place. She was the very embodiment of order. Madame was not her real name, but like all others in the Order, she used a code name, and she had assumed this one when she was appointed as the group's leader. She was a short, Asian lady with her hair shorn short in a pixie cut. She wore a conservative layer of makeup and had only simple jewelry on.
She slowly opened her eyes and thought, We must go through with this. The Guardians would not have suggested this unlikely alliance unless they wished to test how ready we are to work with them. We must be then brave and smart. I do not doubt the courage of even half in the Order, but who is the wisest choice to send?
That answer was easy enough, the Silver Knight was hands down the best option. He was a reformed Star Pirate, one who raided along the Starlines and sold stolen ideas to other Stars. He was very experienced in combat, had refined and excellent leadership skills, was charismatic, and he was very imaginative. However, sending the Silver Knight was out of the question. The Guardians had been preoccupied with the Abominations and had noticed the Star Pirates audacity and cunning in infiltrating and robbing thousands of worlds and Stars. They were a wild card that could easily throw the entire long game of this growing war.
The Silver Knight was to personally meet the pirates head on and bring them to heel or eliminate them. He would also take their bases of operations and cut off their movements. He would then repurpose their resources to containing the plague of Abominations. It was too large and important of a task to entrust to anyone else, other than herself, and she was needed to act as a liaison to the Guardians on their different worlds.
This is just too frustrating… We are such a small organization, and our goals are so high. We have little enough man power as it is to see that the Silver Knight succeeds in his job, let alone dedicate man power to this Tscheapwhetzar and whatever harebrained scheme he's been cooking up!
Madame got up and began circling her desk, deep in thought. The Order did know what the Tscheapwhetzar had in mind. He was gathering a group of villains from throughout the Realms, murderers from different stories, to forma kind of Suicide Squad team to send into the heart of the battles in the Tumblr Nebula. They were supposed to locate the Quill of Inspiration, the Calamus of Canon, an all-powerful device capable of rewriting any story or world in Imagination!
How can he be so stupid as to entrust monster and bad guys to search out a pen that could undo us all!? How can the Guardians allow this? Do they believe that he won't succeed? Do they want us to keep an eye on things in case he does? Are we to stop the villains from using the Quill themselves? That must be it, and so my options are even more limited. Arg! This is too much. All I have is a headache, not answers.
Madame returned to her desk and swiped along its surface. A magical keyboard and screen appeared along the fine wood. She hot one button and it beeped.
"Call the Silver Knight to Madame's quarters at once! I have an urgent matter to discuss with him."
Another female voice responded in the affirmative. Madame then reclined, but kept her magical screen and keyboard up. Jerkily, she stabbed her finger into the screen and selected names, which brought up pictures and profiles on members in the Order. She was pulling up a list of possible candidates for the mission to accompany the Tscheapwhetzar woe begotten team of villainous misfits. Their faces popped up in the air around her, creating an obtuse halo about her head.
She knew she needed someone who could move with the crazy decisions made by a mad man. This would mean selecting a more unorthodox member of the Order, which was rare in an organization that prized rigid adherence to the way things were first created. Tscheapwhetzars were all about Corruption as they called it, the ability to influence anything that had been made in the Realms and repurpose it to their own devices and plan. Their name meant "collector and corrupter" after all. They could not create on their own, so they stole. They were master thieves, creating split timelines wherein they could pilfer ideas, characters, and even entire worlds without alerting the Guardians or the Originators, people back on Earth who had first imagined these ideas that were being stolen. The world's last Tscheapwhetzar was said to have stolen thousands of worlds. He was a monster, and was there anyone in the Order who could peaceably deal with him?
"Madame, you summoned me," the Silver Knight spoke from her doorway.
He was tall, African man in his late twenties, possibly early thirties. Madame never asked exactly where he was from or how old he was. He had been a broken man when the Order took him in. She had thought it best not to pry, and so had the others. Silver Knight had a proud profile with a distinguished nose and full lips. He was very muscular, as his tight short obviously stated. He carried himself with grace and confidence, very much unlike how he had when he first joined the Order. He was a man who caused many women and girls to blush, and he spoke with refined accent.
"Yes, it is a very important mater. We must select one of our own to join the Tscheapwhetzar on a foolish mission to retrieve the Quill of Inspiration," Madame fretted. "And I can't decide for the life of me who should go and who should not!"
"Ah, the Calamus of Canon," Silver Knight breathed. "It is a treasure, much like El Dorado, that has been sought for centuries. Are you sure this is not some great joke?"
"The Guardians said we should do it. They would know if this were a farce or not," she answered.
"Yes. Yes they would," the knight agreed slowly. "Why not send all of these men and women you have brought up?"
He gestured to the profiles circling Madame's head. She shook her head fervently and sighed.
"Come now, you know there is a war going on and that our resources are tight. I can't send all of them! I can afford a small escort of troops and scribes willing to assist in the venture, but that is it!"
"First of all, let me ask, where does the Accursed hope to find his prize," Silver Knight asked lightly, pulling up a highbacked chair.
"He believes it to be in the Tumblr Nebula."
Silver Knight let out a low whistle. "That is a war zone right now, and any treasure hunt there could end with a hundred year detour down a pointless comment thread. I am amazed myself that the Abominations are even attacking the place, aside from the lucrative and well connected Starlines of course."
Madame squinted at him and wondered how much of the old pirate had just surfaced then before she said, "Yes, it is an odd place to look. It is a great hiding place for whoever stuck it there, or if it went there of its own accord. I really can't say I know much of the Quill. Our man or woman will have to look more into it on the go."
"Then we will wish to have someone who has an extensive background in history, creating, or research. Preferably all of them," Silver Knight said, leaning forward.
Madame quickly selected three profiles. "Chronicles, Writer, and Professor. These are the three more unorthodox members who fit those qualifications."
She had all but spat out the unfavorable term and glowered at the three pictures now hovering before her as she dismissed the others.
"Professor has no field experience," Silver Knight said, indicating the forty year old woman with thick glasses.
"And she has little imagination, to be honest," Madame sighed. "So, between Writer and Chronicles? I think Chronicles has the ability to find out everything we need and to keep the proper tabs on all of the Tscheapwhetzar's cronies. He would be able to determine their weaknesses quickly and eliminate them should they prove troublesome."
"That is true," Silver Knight agreed. "But Chronicles had almost no ability to adapt. He is too rigid. When you refer to him as unorthodox, you mean that he has a lax understanding of what makes up order."
Madame sighed. That was the truth. The man had no idea how to tidy his quarters, or how to write a good report. The fact that he chose the code name Chronicles was a big joke within the Order.
"But Writer is so young," Madame protested.
"Yes, but he is not impressionable. He will watch the Accursed like a hawk and not be swayed by temptation," Silver Knight noted. "He had field experience, and is adaptable. He might not be the best researcher, but he is creative and quick thinker. Give him a good staff and adequate resources, and he'll do whatever job you set before him."
"True," Madame admitted. "Very well, I cannot abode thinking about this much longer, send for him!"
It was not long before Writer showed up in Madame's quarters, shining with sweat and excitement. The eighteen-year-old Hispanic guy was lean and tall, with thick spectacles on his nose, magnifying his eyes. He gave the other two a nervous, toothy smile as he drew near. Silver Knight rose and got another chair from the wall for Writer to sit in. Madame did her best not to massage her temples and keep her voice even as she spoke.
"Writer, before I give you the details of an assignment Silver Knight and I have in mind, I would like to know if you are willing to be involved with a matter that could very well go against what we hold dear in the Order. Could you do it, whatever it is, and keep the information of this mission and its nature to yourself and only your highest superiors?"
Writer gulped a little and then responded, "Yes, I could do that. For the good of the Order, I mean! I let me just say that it is a real pleasure to be honored with such a vital mission!"
"Don't get too eager, or be too thankful just yet," Silver Knight chuckled. "You don't even know what you are in for yet."
"But Silver Knight, I want to be a part of whatever it is. Things are going badly here in the Realms. Are we not supposed to bring order? I have been sidelines many times where I felt I could have made a difference. If you offering me a chance to help out, I'll take it," he said earnestly and quickly.
Madame and Silver Knight shared a glance, before she said, "Very well. Silver Knight, please close the door. Writer, we have spoken with the Guardians about working together to fight these monsters they call the Abominations. Recently, we have learned they have infiltrated the Tumblrverse."
Writer whistled loudly as Silver Knight shut the door with a snap and stood guard.
"For now, the Guardians in their wisdom have suggested that we team up with the Tscheapwhetzar for a special mission," Madame continued
"What kind of mission would be so important that we lay aside out values and work with that monster," Writer gasped.
"To find the Quill of Inspiration, the Calamus of Canon, an instrument powerful enough to rewrite entire worlds and do untold damage to any Star," Silver Knight spoke up.
"I read about it a few times. I thought it was just a myth," Writer said in terrified awe. "We can't let the Tscheapwhetzar or the Abominations have it!"
"Our sentiments exactly," Madame said coolly. "And what's more, the Tscheapwhetzar is assembling a team of villains from various stories and Stars to help retrieve it. It's pure madness. Whatever could he be planning?"
"None can guess what goes on in his rotten brain," Writer said tersely. "But if we know what he is planning, then let's stop it!"
"We will, but we will do it from the inside," Madame confirmed. "You will join up with the Tscheapwhetzar, taking with you a small group of support from within the Order. Scribes for research and a few guards. You will be provided with links to direct information and contact with the Order. You will keep us updated at all times on your whereabouts, the progress of the mission, and the state of those whom the Tscheapwhetzar sends for find the Quill."
Writer thought for a moment, and Madame started getting uncomfortable. Was he going to now back out? Could he handle such a task? Was the pressure already getting to him before anything had even started?
Writer looked up at her and asked, "Can I have one request?"
She blinked and answered, "What is your request?"
"I want to bring a character in on this that I have made. His name is Revolver Ricardo. He is a vigilante with the powers and drive necessary to take on just about any villain the Tscheapwhetzar may procure."
Madame leaned forward more. "Have you given this creation thorough thought? Would he be strong enough to stand side by side with beings made from accredited individuals back on Earth?"
"Yes," Writer said resolutely. "He is very capable. He has an extensive back story and he had powers and weapons that allow him to fight seemingly undefeatable foes."
"I like the idea," Silver Knight spoke up. "In fact, it gives me an idea of another character we might add in. One that could shake things up and probably make the Tscheapwhetzar reveal his hidden hand sooner than he would normally."
"Really? Who do you have in mind?"
"I think we should discuss that once you have decided if Writer gets his request or not," Silver Knight smiled.
Madame turned back to Writer and said, "It is done. I will see to it that we open your Starlines and pull him through."
One quick thing then," Writer said hurriedly. "He cannot know that I am his Originator."
"I think that would go without saying," Madame eyes flashed. "We are about order after all. No thing or person should exist without its Star, unless it is a native to the Realms. Even they must be reined in."
"They will be soon, if all goes according to plan," Silver Knight said softly.
"Very good," Writer said, smiling again. "I will not let you or the Realms down."
As he got up, Madame said, "We may very well have to play this by ear. The Tscheapwhetzar will take the lead on this. It is your job to observe and plan for when we put a knife into his plan's back, or preferably his."
"As you say," Writer said, his mouth twitching a little. "I will leave now to prepare. Will the group be assembled by yourselves?"
"Yes. They will specifically selected and informed," Madame assured him. She then waved for him to go. Silver Knight let the younger man out and then reclosed the door. "I can't shake a growing sense of dread."
She hated admitting such things, even to herself.
"Nothing is safe or certain in warfare," Silver Knight, moving to take his old seat.
"You speak the truth. Okay, so who do you have in mind to be the wrench in the Tscheapwhetzar's schemes?"
Silver Knight gave her a wicked smile.
Am I a villain for the things I do? I am trying to save the Realms and redeem one soul and a love story, so great it has moved my heart. But in the process I have stained my hands black with blood, and I am about to accost a child… And yet, I feel driven and pulled to do so, if only for the promise I made so long ago.
The Tscheapwhetzar strode under the canopy of the RainWing forest. The humid air threatened to lacquer him with perspiration, but the cooling spell from within his robes kept him comfortable. He Willed himself to be unnoticeable to the dragons swinging by their tails overhead as he neared the NightWing encampment within the forest. Dragons didn't particularly care much for humans on this world, but he would rather them not trying to make him a new pet or play thing just in case, or in the case of the NightWings, a small snack.
The NightWings now belonged mostly to the rainforest kingdom, over which Queen Glory reigned in all her magnificence. The Tscheapwhetzar figured her name was appropriately given. He personally enjoyed the tales of this world, which two handfuls of young dragons working together to stop two monumental wars and ensure a future of peace between the once warring nations of dragons. There was one dragon here, however, who had been the catalyst for violence: Darkstalker.
Darkstalker had once been one of the most powerful dragons on the planet. He was now a small, magicless child. In his current state, he would do the Tscheapwhetzar little good. Darkstalker would be a powerful asset in his plan to recover the Quill of Inspiration and keep it safe from the Abominations. Furthermore, he would serve well for the experiment the Tscheapwhetzar was conducting.
Long before any of this, the Tscheapwhetzar had been one of the Realms' greatest villains. A monster who had destroyed entire worlds and corrupted many Stars. He was so fearsome that even the Guardians had shied from attacking him. They had hoped the Virus within him would destroy him, but it had not. Instead, he had only grown in power. Hellbent on a path of self-destruction, it had been a miracle that had turned him about, introduced him to the Path of Enlightenment, and brought him to this moment. Though he had worked hard to redeem himself, he could not help but see himself as a villain still. Hos work with other villains was to see if they could be reformed as well, and if they could find genuine happy endings. If they could, he hoped desperately that it would mean he could find one, too.
Darkstalker's story had distressed him, and he wanted to give the misguided dragon a second chance, but he would have to earn that chance. This was an opportunity to kill a few birds with one stone. The problem was getting the old Darkstalker back. He was now a small dragonet called Peacemaker and stripped of all his powers by a spell written on his own magical scroll from so many thousands of years ago. But there was always a way of undoing that which was impossible. He was a Tscheapwhetzar after all! His powers were meant for corrupting and breaking the rules!
In a pocket hidden in his robes was a mason jar filled with blood and with a spike that could be made into an earring. It was a hemalurgic spike made with Atium and hadium. The spike had been driven through a Returned who had been filled with Stormlight. A very tricky process that. The Tscheapwhetzar had personally killed the returned with the spike as it glowed red with the lightning power of his corruption; a villainous thing to do for certain. This spike would allow him to pin the essence of Darkstalker's soul, which he would take from Peacemaker, that which still remember deeper than flesh or magic, who he had been. He would rebuild the string as Kelsier once called it, and use another dragon from Drachonia to form Darkstalker's new body.
The corruption in the spike did even more. It would allow Darkstalker to draw on Breath and Stormlight to power his spells, instead of relying on his own soul. With some proper guidance, his soul would be untouched from temptations for power, and he could cast any spell he could hope for. In that state, it would be the perfect condition to test his resolve and ability to repent in the fires of a dangerous test.
Coming along on this test were Bill Cipher, acquired from his stone prison in Gravity Falls in a similar manner as what would happen with Darkstalker, and Huon, a High Executioner taken from the ranks of the Steel Inquisitors nearly two hundred years before the fall of the Final Empire. Of course, he could not also forget the Aizen, whom he had taken from the Soul Society as his Contract with Ichigo played out. It did his heart well to see him and Rukia come together at last, even if it was against Kubo's canon story. However, it was not a fully happy tale, with more war and with Ichigo having to share his heart… The Tscheapwhetzar was a villain….
There was also the Order, which had unexpectedly reached out to him and asked to join in on the venture. They said the Guardians had recommended they assist him. The truth of the matter was clear to him, the Guardians wanted the annoying organization with all of its stuffiness off their backs for a little while, and he was going to have to play babysitter. Well, he was going to get some usefulness out of them one way or another.
As he entered the NightWing village, he saw the funny transition the tribe was making from a normal day's routine to the old NightWing routine. Hope, once known as Foeslayer, was causing quite the trend with advocating it. She was Darkstalker's mother, kept alive for thousands of years by a cruel spell of ice and death. Now she was free, and happy. She would still remain happy, even after the ghastly visit that was coming. This was the canon after all. It should remain separate and free, while the Tscheapwhetzar and his allies ravaged the Realms in war to prevent the rise of an unspeakable tyrant.
Oh, he was ready. A dreadful, wonderful ecstasy flowed through him as he prepared his spells. The future was bright with blood and explosions. It was going to be dark too, and for that he needed a stalker of darkness and evil. He had further plans if Darkstalker succeeded. There was a strange world that he needed a foothold in. The dragon might just be the key… Plus, he would blend in with all the other dragons of course. A broad smile spread on the Tscheapwhetzar's face as his purpose pulled him to the home of Hope and Peacemaker.
Hope was still trying to get Peacemaker to adapt to the proper lifestyle of a NightWing. That meant sleeping during the day! She had finally got him to curl up among some lush leaves and sang him to sleep. She just wished that he would stay that way for more than an hour so she could get some much needed sleep herself. Just as she settled into her own bed, she saw a dark shadow swallow half her hut.
She wanted to scream, or even move for her son, but something held her in place. A massive, black dragon with red eyes and flowing gold veins stepped out of the darkness. He waved a deadly claw over Peacemaker and black residue floated from her son.
"What are you doing to my son," Hope managed to gasp.
"I am gathering some of the essence of Darkstalker," the strange dragon said softly.
"But Darkstalker is no more! He's Peacemaker now!"
"Shhh… You don't want to wake him. He is Peacemaker now, but Darkstalker's soul is still in there. I am gathering it so that I can rebirth your son," he explained to her.
Hope felt like someone had just rammed a blade into her gut. Why would anyone want to do that? She tried moving for her son, to save him, and save everyone, but again, she couldn't move.
"If it will bring you some comfort, I will remove any memory of this meeting. But even before that, know that Darkstalker will be given one more chance to become someone good. A dragon who chases away the darkness of evil. That is in his name, which you gave him. I will help him become that. I hope that someday you will see it."
The darkness was gathered in the palms of the large dragon, who then blew a rushing wind towards Hope. It blew away the darkness, the mysterious visitor, and any memory of what had just happened. What no one knew, what the Tscheapwhetzar had just invaded and taken his spoils. What came of it next, not even he knew for certain.
Miranda walked along the cracked outer hull of a white crystal ship. Her long, black hair flowed freely with the wind, sometimes obscuring her beautiful, freckled face and deep green eyes. She wore white robes and battered white armor. The ship she walked along was a truly magnificent ship, despite its damage. Like all other Guardian warships, it was shaped like a broadsword. It had the ability to morph its crystal body to form any kind and amount of gunnery needed for battle, and its own sword appearance wasn't just figurative. The entire ship could hold the people inside nicely in place at it swing through the air and cleaved enemies, ships, and even worlds in two. It was a vessel that should have easily cut its way through the Abominations and their hordes.
However, that had not been the case.
The Guardian was retreating. She had lost most of her army and all of her ships but this one. Survivors were scattered through the Tumblr Nebula and were being hunted down. She had been separated from Christine, the older Guardian who had accompanied her to secure the nebula against the enemy. Miranda now knew how her husband must have felt when… No, she would not dwell on that disaster. That terrible heartbreak. So much lost…
Miranda knew that help was coming, though. The Guardians would not let this defeat stand. The Tscheapwhetzar was also committing himself to the battle. She had even heard that the Order was getting involved. Well, every little bit helped. She had to remain positive, though that was difficult given her current circumstances.
Robert was right, the Abominations have no clear strategy here. They are swarming hundreds of worlds within the nebula and attacking threads and hubs of creation at random. Tumblr was already a mess, but they are even sloppier! No denying they are effective however, she grumbled inwardly.
There was a sudden message over the intercom pin attached to her flowing white robes, like a Star Fleet communicator. "Guardian Miranda! There is a world up ahead that is being attacked by Shadows, possibly even an Abomination. What are your orders?"
Miranda reacted immediately. "Hold our course and wait for me to get there!"
The crystal morphed, forming a hole, and she jumped back into the ship. Inside, it looked like a plush manor, despite the beating it had gotten in battle. She ran down the corridors with blinding speed. Yes, she could have gotten to the control room more quickly, but she needed to collect her thoughts before arriving. Were they capable of levying battle? Was it worth it if they could? The Guardians couldn't afford to lose one of their own. There were only eleven of them left by now.
Robert, I am so sorry for ever judging you harshly. True, she had never said anything to him. But she had judged him nonetheless for his humiliating defeat. She now tasted it for herself. Please forgive me. Oh Lord, please be merciful and let me and my own survive this day!
Once in the control room, she saw that they had magically conjured an image of the world. It was turning gray and steadily becoming black. Shadows like carnivorous ants and celebrating demons danced and burrowed along the planet's surface. It was unrecognizable. They had already been long too late to help save whatever it had once been.
"What was that world," she asked quietly.
An officer clad in royal blue with golden sashes answered crisply, "It was a crossover world entertaining any story that merged with Steven Universe, my Lady."
Miranda had heard about the show, but had never bothered learning about it. She still grimaced and ordered that the ship steer clear of the carnage. As her orders were obeyed, she saw a monstrous thing rise up from the cracking shell of the planet. A great beast with six wings and many yellow eyes rose up. An Abomination.
"Turn on whatever audio we have," Miranda commanded to the orderlies around the magical projection of the dying world.
A terrible voice boomed from all around caused even her to shake. "We kill so that life may be taken into the bosom of the Empty God and be made anew! Soon all will be brought before him, the great King, and made one and perfect!"
Miranda found herself transfixed with what she saw and heard, she wasn't able to pull away as the yellow eyes turned on her and the voice spoke again, "Tell the rest of the Guardians that they are not worthy of the Devil's Pact. We shall claim all its powers and merge Reality and Imagination into a perfect whole. First, we must cull the unworthy. You are all going to die by our hands!"
"Shut that off and get us out of here now! We need to find Christine or anyone, who can help us," Miranda yelled, trying to keep the panic from her voice.
How could those Abominations know? How did they know about the Pact? And they wanted to merge Imagination and Reality! Such an act would have consequences beyond anything she could ream. Very, very bad consequences. She needed to find safe harbor and regroup quickly. The other Guardians would need to know about what she had just heard and learned.