The time has come for the magic trees to speak.
Sunlight leaked through the curtains of the room. The light shifted slightly and landed on Catra's face. She groaned and opened her eyes. She sat up and screamed when she saw what was standing in the corner. Despite the scream, Adora remained asleep.
"Why are you here?" She asked.
Jacob looked at her. "I was guarding. The shadows are dangerous things."
"I'm very aware. Now leave so I can get dressed."
Jacob nodded and left the room. He was about to walk down the hall but his head started to hurt. The pit appeared in his mind before immediately disappearing. He shook his head to clear his thoughts and walked around Brightmoon.
He found many rooms in the castle. The room he was imprisoned in was empty. The room where he worked on his armor was full of new scrap metal. He found Entrapta in her lab but left before she could notice him. He continued walking through the various halls, searching for something to do.
He entered a garden. Nothing was out of place but it didn't feel right. Shadows flickered across the walls but nothing was moving. The plants were alive despite the obvious lack of care. Everything was quiet until a voice spoke from the doorway.
"I've never liked this place."
Jacob turned and saw Micah standing behind him. "Do you care for this garden? It seems to be doing well."
"The owner of this garden is gone." Micah said. "No one has been in here since. Everyone else is awake if you're willing to join us."
Jacob nodded and followed Micah through the various halls. They entered the dining room and the little group from before was sitting and eating. Micah took his seat at the head of the table and Jacob stood by the door. Adora noticed his hesitation.
"Are you coming to sit?" She asked him.
He looked at her. "No. I will not invade your space. I will remain here until your other friends arrive."
Catra groaned. "Can't you just take some time to relax? I've seen how much time you spend doing your job."
Steam came from the top of his helmet. "I should have watched you while you were poking around my memories."
"But you didn't." Catra said with a smirk.
Jacob released more steam before walking over to the table and taking a seat. As a machine, he didn't need to eat and couldn't digest food. He sat there and watched them eat before powering down and going to sleep.
Jacob awoke to find the room empty. He got up from the table and looked around. Figures appeared in the shadows and quickly disappeared. He drew his sword and quickly left the room. He walked around until he heard voices in a room. He pushed open the door to find it full of various women. They all looked at him and their eyes were immediately drawn to the sword.
"We were starting to worry." Adora called from across the room.
"You have no need to worry. I am not so easy to kill." Jacob said as he stood at the door.
The other princesses stared at him. They were unsure about their new guest. The one with blue hair was the first one to speak.
"So, uh, you're the one who's looking for… talking trees?" She asked. She seemed very uninterested in the conversation.
"Please, try to contain your enthusiasm." He said, sarcastically.
This earned a laugh from most of them. Jacob always enjoyed bringing joy to mortals. He would normally relax and enjoy the moment but he had more important matters at the moment. He walked up to Glimmer.
"I need to speak with you alone." He told her.
She looked up at him. "Can't we talk about it here?"
"No."
He turned around and walked out the door. Glimmer glanced at her friends before following him. They continued walking until they arrived outside.
"What did you want to talk about?" Glimmer asked when they stopped walking.
"I would prefer to start searching for the grove. I don't want to waste time talking to your friends."
Glimmer sighed. "They have to know what's going on. They've only just wrapped their heads around the fact that the war isn't over."
Jacob turned to her. "Your war is over. You have earned your peace. I will deal with Prime. You will stay here and not interfere."
"We have to do something!"
Flames could be seen under his visor. Mortals often frustrated him. They were slow and couldn't grasp the idea that time is something they don't have a lot of. Before he could say anything, Bow appeared in the doorway.
"They're waiting for you." He told her.
Glimmer groaned. "Come on, metal boy. They need to know how to find these trees."
They walked back to the room to find the princesses entertaining themselves. They were throwing a ball of ice around the room. Jacob walked in and caught the ball. He melted the ball with a ball of fire and stood at the front of the room.
"I am aware that you don't know what you're looking for." Jacob said as he looked at the various people.
A princess with flowers spoke up. "How are these trees different from other trees?"
Jacob cleared his throat. "These trees have been known to whisper among themselves. They are arranged in a circle of 12 trees. The current information on them is that they require a focusing point for the voices. This is normally a magical object of sorts. The last recorded object of use was a large boulder with runes carved into it."
"But are they physically different?"
"The trees will take the appearance of nearby trees. They have a way of blending in."
The princesses sat in silence as they processed this information. These trees were going to be difficult to find if they can look like other trees and have no physical differences.
A princess with pincers had a question of her own. "They'll be easy to find, right?"
Jacob shook his head. "It depends. The only thing that can help us find them is if we look for circular formations with a rock in the middle."
Glimmer cleared her throat loudly. "I'll get Entrapta to search with her robots. For now, we will stay here and wait for her results."
"I will not stay here." Jacob said as he put his sword away. "I will search for the grove."
"No." Glimmer said as she stood. "If you want our help, then you will follow my plan. Nobody will get hurt if we follow the plan. You will stay within Brightmoon if you want us to help you."
Jacob stormed out of the room. He made his way back to the garden and sat in the center. The plants gently swayed in the wind. He felt a presence behind him. He turned with his sword raised and found it pointed at Catra's throat.
She pushed the sword away. "Watch where you point that."
"Why do you keep following me?" Jacob asked as he sat back down.
"I'm the only one that remotely understands you. Sparkles wanted someone to make sure you didn't run off."
"So she sent you?"
Catra shrugged. "She figured you wouldn't hurt me."
"Her optimism amazes me."
Catra crossed her arms. "Why do you want to find the trees so fast?"
"The faster I find them, the faster I can stop my father." Jacob sighed. "I know your friends are trying to help but I can't form a plan to stop him until I get this prophecy."
"If these trees can see the future, then shouldn't you ask other questions?"
Jacob chuckled. "They may be able to see the future but they can be cryptic. I planning to ask about who the next hero will be."
"Looking to quit? According to your memories, you haven't been the hero very long."
Jacob laughed. "It's only been 5 million years. The Time Master is already preparing for the next hero and I thought he would appreciate this knowledge. If the next hero already exists, they may be able to help me."
Catra rolled her eyes. "You are always focused on this war. It's going on for millions of years. I'm sure you can take some time off."
"I'll take time off when my father has been defeated."
Catra sat across from him. "Do you know how you're going to do that?"
Jacob let out a long sigh. "No. He is fated to die in a particular way but I'm not sure if it's the right choice."
They both sat in silence until a voice spoke from the door. "Perhaps I can be of assistance."
They both turned to look at the figure in the doorway. It wore a crimson cloak and mask. At the center of the forehead, there was a red stone. Its eyes were outlined in black and completely white. Jacob didn't recognize this person but Catra did.
"Shadow Weaver." She said.
The figure in the door chuckled. "Is that who this is? I felt that this would be more comfortable for you but the pain you're feeling suggests otherwise. I will find a different form."
Clouds of black smoke surrounded this creature. Four insect-like legs came from the cloud and were followed by a tall and thin body. Two arms came from the thin body and they split at the elbow to form two forearms on each arm. Its four hands had four fingers each and were webbed. A skull-like mask covered its face and red hair jutted up from its head. Two small, purple eyes could be seen in the mask. The black smoke faded and this very different creature stood before them.
"You look stunned, Jacob." It had a soft and female voice. "You have seen me before."
Jacob shook his head to clear it. "Hello, Loodvigg. I was not expecting you to be here."
"Shadows are always expected but I am not so predictable."
"Who are you?" Catra asked.
"I am Loodvigg, Celestial of Shadow. I heard your question and I will help you find the answer."
Jacob stood. "I know it's my destiny but it doesn't feel right. I'm supposed to save everyone but I don't know who that applies to."
Loodvigg just smiled. "The difference between right and wrong is not always clear. Perhaps the past can answer this question."
Before Jacob could speak, a humanoid shape emerged from the shadows and pulled the stone from his sword. It gave the stone to Loodvigg. The stone glowed brightly as the black smoke surrounded them. It rose to create a dome above them and everything was dark.
The smoke dissipated and they found themselves in a dark landscape. The ground was a black stone. Spires of this stone jutted out from the ground in many places. The sky was dark and the only light was the moon that was high in the sky. A black palace could be seen in the distance. It was a large and perfect structure. High walls surrounded it.
They walked to this palace but did not enter the gate. Catra stared up at the tall walls but Jacob was not amazed at this large structure.
"Why did you bring us here?" He asked.
Loodvigg chuckled. "We are not really here. The stone can create illusions of the past. You are only seeing the events."
Jacob scoffed. "I don't need to see them. I already lived them."
"Where are we?" Catra asked.
"We're in the first dimension." Jacob said. "My father built his kingdom in this dimension."
"You may have lived here," Loodvigg said. "But you haven't seen everything."
Suddenly, The Overlord burst through the gate and sped past them. They looked behind them as a large, gray vehicle slowly rolled up to the palace. The surface of it was smooth without imperfections. A long barrel jutted out from the front of it. It had a large glass cylinder on the back of it. There was a glowing blue substance in the glass. It stopped a few feet from The Overlord.
A loud and deep voice came from it. "Move."
"Why must you do this, brother?" The Overlord's voice was still a whisper but it was softer. "Why can't we live in peace?"
"In these dimensions, there is no room for destruction. Only creation will thrive."
Jacob had never heard this voice before but he still recognized it. He knew when they were. He was never told the full story of what happened on this day and now he knew why.
"Father created us to be better than them." The Overlord objected. "Light and dark can live in peace."
The barrel lowered until it faced The Overlord. "Light will reign above darkness. I created these dimensions so light can thrive. Darkness will die and there will be peace."
"We must retain the balance. Light and dark must be equal. Father told us what would happen if the scales were tipped."
"That old man left billions ago. It is time to take what's mine."
The large barrel raised and pointed at the palace. A large bullet was shot from it. It went through the walls and landed in the center of the throne room. A few minutes passed before it exploded. A wave of light came from it.
The outer walls crumbled as parts of the ceiling caved in. The throne was completely destroyed. The outer landscape was transformed. As the wave of light passed, the dark landscape turned to sand. The spires became sand and fell. In the place where the bullet exploded, there was now a large and deep pit.
A large, black sword appeared in The Overlord's hand. He charged at the machine. In response, it lowered the barrel and fired a shot at him. This explosion sent The Overlord back through the gate. He landed a few feet from the pit and the sword fell into it. Its point buried itself in a boulder at the bottom.
The Overlord struggled to stand. "You won't get away with this. I'll kill you."
The vehicle rolled up to the gate. "You will try but you know your fate. You will die by that sword. I may not know who will kill you but I do know that it won't be painless. You will never kill me."
The Overlord laughed. "How can you be so sure? The future is uncertain and always changing."
"I am the Source. I will never die."
The vehicle turned and began its journey home. The Overlord was left to look at what was left of his home. Suddenly, a portal opened and a black knight came through. He held a sword at The Overlord's throat.
"Where is the sword?" It asked.
"You should have stayed." The Overlord said. "My kingdom was destroyed and you could have stopped that."
He turned to face the knight. "Why did you have to leave, my son?"
The illusion faded and they found themselves still in the garden. Jacob fell to his knees as he thought about what he saw. Catra was left with more questions and Loodvigg returned the stone to the sword.
"I don't understand." Catra said.
Loodvigg sighed. "Not everyone does. Light and dark are said to represent good and evil but not everything is so black and white."
Jacob stood and faced her. "My father didn't start this war. Why did you show me that?"
"This war can end in many ways. You must decide which way is the right way. You only saw one way to end this. I gave you a new perspective in hopes that you will see more choices."
"So I'm not supposed to kill my father?"
Loodvigg smiled. "That is a choice for you to make. Now, I must be going."
"But I have more questions."
"And you will get the answers one day."
Loodvigg faded back into the shadows.
Jacob turned to Catra. "You will not speak of anything you saw here. We do not need to spread this information."
Catra nodded and walked away. Jacob stood there for a moment before pulling his sword from the ground. He wandered the halls as he pondered the new information.
An hour later
He was walking past the garden again when he noticed that someone was following him. He continued walking and took several turns. The figure followed him. He went into a dark room and shut the door behind him. A few minutes later the door opened and a small figure entered. He lunged forward and grabbed a handful of hair. He turned on the lights to find that he was holding a small woman by her long, purple hair.
"Why are you following me, Entrapta?" He asked her.
Entrapta looked up at him. "You know my name?"
"Yes. Now, why are you following me?"
Her eyes lit up. "They said you were a machine! I want to test you. Can I test you?"
Jacob released her. "No. I do not have time for this."
He tried to walk away but she grabbed him with her hair. An electric current traveled through him and zapped her. She fell to the floor and he was free. He walked out and closed the door behind him. He walked around until he found the others. They were sitting in the room from earlier but the other princesses were gone.
"Did you find the grove?" He asked them.
Glimmer looked at him. "Entrapta's robots couldn't find anything. We looked for ourselves but not much stood out. The trees are just trees. Are you sure it's here?"
"Yes. You said you didn't find much, which means that you found something. Did you find anything abnormal in the forest?"
Glimmer sighed. "We only found some guy in armor. He was walking around and started following us. We put him in a cell but he hasn't said anything. He didn't even fight us."
"Take me to him."
They walked to the lower levels of the castle. Glimmer would have teleported but didn't want to startle their guest. They entered a large chamber and saw a knight standing in the circle. His armor was rusted and his back was towards them.
"He's obviously been out there for a while." Jacob said as he observed the stranger.
At the sound of his voice, the figure raised his head. He turned around and saw Jacob. His entire face was hidden by his visor.
"Born from darkness, brought to the light." It said.
"You know who I am?" Jacob asked.
"The dark prince destroys fate, trusted engineer raises 8."
Jacob turned to the others. "Leave. I need to speak to him alone. He won't talk to you but he'll talk to me."
"Are you sure?" Adora asked.
Jacob nodded and the others left. He grabbed a chair and brought it to the cell. He sat in it and stared at the prisoner. After a few minutes, he asked his question.
"Who are you?" He asked.
"To replace the fallen with something true, to fix a mistake and start anew." Was all it said.
Jacob thought for a moment. "Why do you speak like that? Did something happen to you?"
"Rusted knight faced a calamity, the ancient grove caused his insanity."
"So you've seen the grove. Do you know where to find it?"
"In order to hear its rhymes, you must atone for your crimes."
A gasp from the door caught his attention. Jacob turned and saw that they did not leave. He got up from his chair and stormed over to them.
"I thought I told you to leave." He said.
"What crimes is he talking about?" Catra asked. "I didn't see anything like that in your memories. Why is he speaking like that?"
"I will tell you about my crimes later. As for why he's speaking in rhyme, the grove must have caused this. It probably shattered his mind with visions of the future. We need to get to that forest and we're taking him with us."
The others protested but he didn't listen. He walked over and stabbed his sword through the barrier. It shattered and the knight stared at him. He was about to grab him but the barrier reappeared. He turned and saw Glimmer staring at him.
"We need to talk about this before we start letting the prisoners loose." She said.
She grabbed everyone and teleported them to the meeting room. Catra immediately ran to the nearest plant and threw up in it. Adora ran over to help her and Jacob threw his sword into the wall.
"Why did you do that?" He asked. "He knows where the grove is!"
"You can't just set prisoners free." Glimmer said. "They have to be watched. He seems crazy, anyway."
Jacob pulled his sword out of the wall. "Whoever this is probably messed with the trees. The way of using them is very specific and it's obvious he failed."
"You lied to me."
This voice was different. They turned to the door to see the rusted knight and the mind demon. Bill didn't have much of a face but he didn't need one. His anger was clear to see.
"Your little friend here has some interesting things on his mind." Bill said as he rested a hand on the shoulder of the knight. "Why don't you tell them what you told me?"
The knight straightened as he spoke. "A demon unlike no other, will rise up to kill the brother."
"A demon unlike no other." Bill recited. "I may be crazy but that sounds like me. As for the brother part, I'm not sure."
Jacob lunged at Bill but only went through him. The knight was there but Bill was only an illusion.
The demon laughed at his attempt. "The point is that you lied to me and broke the deal. I won't come after you today but the prophecy will make you wish I did."
"You're insane." Jacob told him.
This earned another laugh from the demon. "Sometimes you need a little insanity to see what's real. I'll help you out. It's not your crimes that the trees are searching for. Don't worry, I'll be back."
Bill faded and the knight fell to the floor. Jacob picked him up and set him in a chair. The others were stunned at what they saw. They have seen many things but a floating pyramid wasn't one of them.
"Who was that guy?" Catra asked.
"That was a mind demon." Jacob told her. "His name is Bill Cipher and he really doesn't like me."
"What does he want?"
"He wants something that I've been keeping from him. He wants the dimensions for himself and will stop at nothing to achieve it."
"What do we do now?" Bow asked.
"We need to find those trees." Glimmer said. "If this prophecy can help stop that thing, then I'll do whatever it takes."
"Then, we need to get any information we can from this guy." Jacob said as he turned to the rusted knight.
The knight looked at him. "12 stand tall to answer the call."
Jacob leaned down to his level. "Who are you?"
"A hero forgotten to time. A hero will pay for his crime."
"You didn't answer the question."
The knight turned to the corner. "Return to where you came. Kingdom destroyed, Source is to blame."
Jacob looked in the shadows and two red eyes stared back. Before he could do anything, black fog poured from the corner and the room was shrouded in darkness. The fog faded and The Overlord stood in the middle of the room.
Adora summoned her sword. "For the honor of-"
A large, black tentacle rose from the floor and threw her into the wall and her sword fell to the ground. Her friends attempted to help but black chains wrapped around them. The Overlord ignored the rusted knight and approached Jacob.
"Where is the grove, Jacob?"
Jacob backed away from his father. "I know what happened. I know what the Source did but you can't destroy the dimensions. We must find peace."
The Overlord chuckled. "The Source turned down peace millions ago. I need to know how the Source dies and the trees are the only ones who know. Tell me where they are and I'll let your friends live."
"I don't know where they are."
"Too bad."
Black chains erupted from the floor and wrapped around Jacob. He was pulled to the floor. His father pulled a black scythe from the shadows. He was about to swing his weapon but the sound of metal stopped him. He turned and saw that the rusted knight was now standing and the sword was in front of him.
The knight looked down at the sword. "Insanity's curse plagues the rusted knight. Heal his mind with the sword of light."
The Overlord watched as the knight grabbed the sword. A blinding light came from the sword and the rusted knight was gone. Standing in his place was a knight in white armor. The armor shined as brightly as the sword. He turned the sword upside down and stabbed the point into the ground. A wave of light came from the sword and the black chains disintegrated.
He pointed the sword at The Overlord. "This is not your dimension to rule. Leave or I will be forced to take action."
The Overlord backed towards the shadows. "You cannot defeat me. It is not your fate."
A beam of light came from the sword and The Overlord was forced into the shadows. A scabbard appeared at his waist and he put his sword in it. Then, the knight turned his attention to Jacob.
"Some things never change." He said with a laugh. "How do you always find yourself in these situations?"
Jacob stood. "It's been so long, old friend."
"It's only been a few centuries."
"No. You've been missing for over 3 million years."
Adora stepped forward. "Um, who are you and can I have that back?"
The knight turned to face her. "I am Levi Gladio, hero of the 17th dimension. Why do you want my sword?"
"I can just summon another one but I don't think you should have that."
Levi drew his sword. "Would you like to test my skill? I am certain that I will beat you."
Jacob cleared his throat. "I should mention that we're searching for the Grove of Dodona. Do you remember where you found it?"
"Of course." Levi said. "Finding the grove was easy. I will take you to it but I must return to the Hall of Heroes afterward."
"What about those words you were saying?" Glimmer asked. "What did it mean?"
Levi tilted his head. "I don't recall. The last thing I remember was finding the grove."
Jacob rested a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sure the Source will understand why you disappeared. Now, let's go find that grove."
Levi took them to the forest. They walked for several hours and Levi continued to say that they were close. He took them deeper into the forest. More hours passed and they were still walking.
"Can we take a break?" Catra asked. "We've been walking for hours."
Levi stopped. "We're here."
They entered a clearing with a large boulder at the center. Surrounding them was 12 towering oaks. Large roots stretched from the trees and into the ground. Several roots resurfaced and wrapped around the boulder. Runes were carved into it and they glowed a bright green.
"Welcome to the Grove of Dodona." Levi said as they entered.
"What do I do now?" Jacob asked.
Levi pointed to the boulder. "Put the stone in and ask the trees."
Jacob walked to the boulder but it was a bit taller than him. He climbed to the top and saw a small hole. He pulled the stone from his sword and put it in.
"How do I stop my father from destroying the dimensions?" He asked.
The runes glowed brighter before becoming dark. The sky flashed with green lightning and the trees spoke their prophecy:
9 will suffer a curse they must bear
Mistake from the past, a promise to keep
Aid from the king in the fiery chair
Patricide fated and a faithful leap
8 will rise from rust and ash
Source's bane, dark blade can reap
Light and dark, destined to clash
Through silence and death, Sound must be faced
Fate's ship, from the sky it will crash
A journey made with dire haste
One by one, dimensions will fall
A king's reputation will be defaced
Worth proven, 12 stand tall
A fatal chance, he must take
Stars descend to answer the call
Lightning will flash, the ground will quake
The time has come for the Source to wake
The runes started glowing again and the stone popped out from the boulder. Jacob returned the stone to his sword and walked back to the group.
"It's a lot but I'll figure it out." He told them.
"I must return to the Hall of Heroes now but I'll keep an eye on this dimension." Levi said.
He opened a portal and went through. This left everyone staring at each other while they thought about what to do next. Jacob was about to speak but the sky darkened again. Black chains pulled them from the grove and walls of obsidian rose to surround it. Jacob managed to get over the walls before they grew too tall. He looked towards the center and saw his father standing on the boulder.
"What do you want now?" Jacob asked.
"I only want what I've always wanted!" The Overlord yelled.
He swung his scythe and cut the boulder in half. The runes faded and the trees began to die. Dark tentacles wrapped around the trees and kept them alive. The grove was ready for one last prophecy. Jacob tried to stop him but found himself tangled in chains once more.
"How do I kill the Source?" The Overlord asked.
The leaves turned to dust and cracks formed in the trees. Fire erupted inside the trees and they began to burn. They crumbled to ash but not before speaking their prophecy:
For darkness to reign and stand above all
The book must be found, the guardians will stall
Written by Time
Forged in rhyme
Pages hold the key to the Source's fall
The last of the trees fell to ash and the boulder crumbled to dust. The grove was dead and The Overlord got his answer. He quickly summoned shadows and disappeared. The obsidian walls faded away and the chains broke. Adora rushed in with her sword but all she found was Jacob standing in a clearing.
"What happened here?" She asked.
"I need to go." Was all he said before opening a portal and going to the Hall of Heroes.
Meanwhile in another dimension
The clouds parted as a stone tablet fell from the sky. 12 stones were encased in the tablet. They glowed brightly as they hurtled towards the ground. The tablet hit the ground and shattered on impact.
The stones have arrived.
If you were wondering, the first poem is called a Terma Riza and the second poem is a limerick. Sadly, the 14th hero will remain unknown until the time is right. The 9th hero has been found and will help Jacob defend the dimensions. I hope you enjoyed the chapter.
Leave a review if you want to. I would love to answer some questions that people may have.
