The Conflux Maelstrom was devastating. As all five shards of Alara collided together in a mass of chaos, Nicol Bolas roared with villainous laughter. The Dragon watched in awe as his plans came together. He watched as dissention happened throughout those orderly enforcers of Bant and Esper as the world was ravaged by Jund natives and Grixis demons. Bolas felt mana surge through him. It was exhilarating. Oceans of mana surrounded him. A bountiful cornucopia of ill-gotten power at his fingertips.

"Nicol Bolas!" A voice shouted behind him.

Ajani Goldmane. Persistent swine. Bolas hadn't bothered to turn around. It seemed the leonin was able to breach his defenses from the Conflux. But, no matter how powerful Goldmane was, he couldn't take hold of the true power within the Eye of the Conflux.

"Ah, Ajani Goldmane. What business have you here?" His voice echoed deep throughout.

"I've come to confront you!"

Bolas stifled a laugh, "You dare defy my power? You're a fool. You think you can defeat with the power of companionship? Where are your friends again? Oh yes, I remember. I killed them. Your pridemates are but specks of dust."

"My pride will not die in vain! Together, with my fellow planeswalkers, Justice will always be dealt! Your evil must be cleansed!"

Bolas turned to the leonin. Standing with him, were Elspeth Tirel, Sarkhan Vol and Tezzeret. The last two, being former servants of him.

"I haven't the time for you." The dragon waved his claw, "Go bother another godlike being. As for you betrayers, I will make you know fear."

Ajani roared and brandished his twin headed axe.

"Do you really want to do this, Leonin?"

Ajani bared his fangs.

"Then run. Run as fast as you can. That's the only way you could possibly survive this."

Ajani yelled a battlecry and charged forward.

Bolas raised his two hands. Dragon lightning blasted from them, bombarding them with magic.

Ajani used spells to increase his strength and speed. He leapt off the ground, aiming the head of his axe at the dragon.

Out of the corner of his eye, Ajani caught sight of a glint of gold. He turned to see Bolas's claw about to backhand him off the face of the multiverse.

The mass hit the Leonin like an archmage's force magic magnified a thousand times. Ajani was sent flying into the edge of Bolas's magical defense against the Conflux. He screamed in pain as he made contact with the barrier, taking in all the unstable power from outside.

A bolt of white light blasted Bolas's jaw. It didn't hurt, but he found it offensive.

"You imbecilic little brat!" Elspeth had been the source of that light, "Die." Bolas raised his foot and let it slam down upon Elspeth. She held her spear up as to create a shield. The dome of magic surrounding her sunk half underground as Bolas crushed his foot into it. Granted, the Conflux made it stronger, but it was still nothing. Bolas crushed the barrier and crushed Elspeth underfoot. He removed it. Damn. She was still alive. Invincibility magic. Of course.

Bolas caught Tezzeret's spike of metal without even looking. He crushed it and sent a hail of fire upon the artificer.

"There is no greater folly than standing against me, Tezzeret. You of all people should know that. I save this spell for all who betray me. Cruel Ultimatum!"

The artificer screamed as Bolas invaded his mind and made him suffer horrific agonies.

Bolas turned to Vol, "You as well, Vol." Bolas snapped his fingers. Sarkhan clutched his head. Until Vol simply imploded and ceased to exist. Bolas chuckled, "I have got to stop doing that. Bad for my health."


Ajani stood. Thanks to the excess of mana, he was able to heal himself. He tightened his grip on his axe. He created two portals into the Aether. Soldiers from all manner of worlds marched from them to assist their summoner in battle.

This was a gateway for the Bant armies, led by Rafiq of the Many, to enter the Eye of the Conflux without dying in the maelstrom.

Bolas turned back to Ajani after dealing with Sarkhan and Tezzeret.

"An army? Adorable. But you realize that by bringing these men here, you've killed them all, yes?"

"They nobly volunteered to help me defeat you, dragon."

"Nobly? This is a suicide mission."

"Fire!" Ajani shouted.

The Bant army released the contents of their loaded artillery. Flaming rocks and large heaps of magic flew through the golden sky.

Bolas conjured magic from the Conflux in his claw. A white, blue, black, red and green orb circled the golden magic in Bolas's grasp. The tiny piece of the Conflux siphoned off bits of magic that would counter spells and destroy boulders, resulting in zero hits by the artillery.

But, the soldier had already begun their assault. Volleys upon volleys of dragon arrows flew through the sky as masses of cavalry advanced on the dragon.

Bolas summoned an army of his own. He thought it was all a game! It was just a game to him! His soldiers were faceless, wearing golden armor with an iconic pair of horns covering it. Even their weapons resembled the dragon's horns.

Bolas's army retaliated against Bant, archmages releasing dragon flames and warriors igniting their weapons in death magic.

Ajani stared wide-eyed as the forces of bant were decimated by Bolas's army. The feeling of desolation within Ajani was near indescribable. The horror of brutal slaughter in front of him destroyed him mentally. He really had just sent these people to die. It was his fault he couldn't stop Bolas's agents in the first place. He was a murderer. He killed these soldiers. Innocents who only wanted safety for their families and friends.

Regretting your folly? The dragon was inside his head. Ajani didn't care. I wouldn't blame you.

"How could I have done something like this?" Ajani spoke aloud.

You knew you never truly had a chance. You convinced yourself you could win through conviction and teamwork. Such is the fate of those with moral compasses.

"Morals? Is that why they're dying? Because I was trying so hard to be a good person?"

Your close mindedness was your downfall.

"No! Each and everyone of these soldiers knew the risk of facing you, dragon! I will not stand idly by as your servants genocide masses!"

White bands of magic rippled against Ajani and his axe. He let out a mighty roar before charging into the battlefield.

Bolas sent a rippling lightning bolt through the air. Ajani knocked it out of his path with his axe and slammed his weapon into the ground. Light shot through the ground, bolstering his allies and blasting radiant magic at Bolas. He stumbled a bit, but was otherwise unharmed. He was however, infuriated.

Bolas got down on all fours like a regular dragon. His claws colliding with the ground crushed both his soldiers and the opposition's.

He spewed hellfire from his mouth. He scrambled like a salamander across the field, then pushed himself off the ground and landed upright, looking down on Ajani. He gave a great roar, ripping the land from its place with its sheer power. His wings expanded as storms gather upon the sight of their battle.

"How about we settle this like true planeswalkers, Goldmane. In a battlefield of the Blind Eternities. A true testament to a archmage's abilities. A duel of Planeswalkers."

"Let's." Ajani growled.

Nicol Bolas began to shimmer. He was planeswalking. Ajani concentrated and could feel himself doing the same. He reappeared in...not a plane. Rather a space between them. The battlefield was a mountain range, filled with pulsating maelstroms and storms and lightning.

Bolas ominous shadow loomed over head. The only thing visible of the dragon was his silhouette and his glowing emerald eyes. Ajani cried out and struck at Bolas with a streak of white magic Bolas countered the spell and jettisoned hellfire from his other claw. Ajani pulsed with invincibility.

Ajani summoned a mass of creatures.

Bolas damned them to hell. The dragon then proceeded to unleash a flurry of unrelenting dark magics. Ajani suffered through every terrible, agonizing, painful spell.

"Your attempt was admirable, Goldmane," the dragon cackled, "But you're wasting my valuable time. Yet, your pathetic ideas lie in shambles, Planeswalker. Where is your arrogant pride now? I am a god. I am fear incarnate. I am chaos. I am the sole most powerful being in the multiverse. To be able to stand against me is truly impressive. As a parting gift, I will give this nugget of wisdom. Do the innocent pay for the crimes of the guilty? Of course they do. That's the fate of the weak."

"No!" Ajani strained.

"Goodbye, little hero. Obliterate."

Before Ajani planeswalked, the last thing he saw was a flash of red light. The last thing he thought of? Cowardice. As he moved through the Blind Eternities, he counted his blessings that he was able to escape. He continued to remind himself of the power of Nicol Bolas. Alara was to be forever lost. Bolas's machinations were too much for any plane to survive. If the multiverse were ever destroyed, Bolas would be the cause of it. The thought made Ajani shiver. He only hoped that some of his allies would make it out alive.

In the back of his mind, Ajani could hear a little voice whispering, "Long live the Emperor of Planes. Long live the God of the Multiverse. Hail the great conqueror. The Forever Serpent. The bane of all that lives, dies and has yet to be birthed. Hail Chaos. Hail Bolas."