Title: The Didact Versus Tirek
Premise: MLP: FIM, Halo. Continuing my Didact in Equestria idea, here the party (mane six, Didact, Master Chief, Arbiter, Doctor Whooves, Derpy, and Trixie) arrive at the top of Starlight Mountain, but they have to enter from the top, and a thick layer of rock is blocking the way. The Didact tries to move it, but first he must face his greatest challenge ever. More similarities to Wreck-It Ralph ahead.
Date Posted: 01/28/13
Personal Comments: For the sake of argument, I decided to use Tirek for this story.
I should have been studying biology or reading The Autobiography of Malcolm X, but couldn't concentrate. MLP was just on my mind, and I found this writer on fimfiction who really likes The Didact. I thought of discussing this story with him actually. Every time I did try to work, bad thoughts came to my head.
I've imagined other possible scenes for this story, including the Didact and Twilight going to visit Zecora, and him having to protect her from timber wolves; Didact showing Twilight how forerunner books and music work (similar to ipads or holographic touch-pads like in Dead Space, I assume), and him spending time in the train-yard working out, similar to Mr. Incredible. And maybe I do some shipping with the ponies, and then have the Didact play off of it, see how he reacts to it. He may also try to give them advice on problems they may be having and with their friendship lessons.
I also wonder how I'm going to get him to abandon his loyalty to the mantel. In the beginning, he has no interest at all in Equestria, and just wants to leave the ponies as soon as possible. Then later, maybe he becomes fascinated by them, and considers digitizing them with the composer. That's all I got so far.
I listened to "You're My Hero" from the Wreck-It Ralph soundtrack while writing this, and then "Nemesis" from the Halo 4 soundtrack. Excellent music!
At last, the party had nearly reached the top. However, just as they were about to enter, they realized that they could not enter through the front door; It had been sealed away by a powerful magic that only Celestia and Luna could unlock, since neither of them had come, they could not unlock the front door.
They had to go to the tip-top of the mountain. They knew it would take a lot of effort to dig their way from the top to their tunnel.
"Even with my magic," Twilight began, "it would take a long time to get deep enough to get into the temple. Even with ALL of us."
"Perhaps unicorn magic is not suited most for this task," Doctor Whooves suggested.
"He is right," The Didact replied. "With my abilities, I can forge our path more quickly."
"Then we gotta get you up there!" Rainbow exclaimed. "Come on, I'll fly you up!"
She was about to grab onto the Didact when Chief stopped her.
"No," he said, blocking her with his arm. He then reached around and pulled his jet pack off from his back. "You'll need this."
The Didact raised his hand for the pack, and it immediately disassembled, all the pieces flying fast toward him, and reassembling on his back.
"Are you saying that piece of junk is faster than me?" Rainbow demanded angrily.
"Normally, no," The chief replied. "But you think you'd be just as fast carrying him?"
Rainbow paused before replying. "Good point."
"We got company, ya'll!" Applejack suddenly exclaimed, looking over the side. Over the side, indeed, several Prometheans were heading up the side, some of them flying.
The ponies all braced themselves to fight. Twilight's horned glowed, as did Rarity's and Trixie's. Chief pulled his assault rife, Arbiter his plasma rifles, The Doctor his energy sword the Arbiter had lent to him.
Within moments, knights, crawlers, and autoturrets were surrounding them, all pulsating a dark purple neon light, unlike the Didact's orange.
"We'll hold them off here!" Twilight snapped at The Didact. "Get up there and clear those rocks!"
"Go for it, Dido!" Pinkie exclaimed.
"We're all counting on you, sugarcube," Applejack smiled.
"You can do it, Dido!" Derpy added.
"We will follow up the path shortly and join you once more," The Arbiter finished. He was already firing.
The Didact simply nodded and turned. He first "sheathed" his suppressor gun, then crouched down and willed his pack to activate. It flared, and with incredible speed and thrust he almost did not expect, he was launched upwards toward the top of the mountain.
The Doctor slashed into a crawler with his sword. He was actually enjoying this, despite not being one for violence.
"I still cannot get over how handy this sword is," He chuckled to The Arbiter. "I must ask again, once this is over, may I keep it? For good memories?"
"If you wish so," Arbiter replied. "We have a myriad of blades in our stock."
Finally at the top, The Didact could feel himself behind pulled back down towards the earth. The pack had given him an amplified jump rather than allowing him free-flight.
As he approached the mountain, about to touch down, he raised his arm, and let out his energy. The pointed top of the mountain glowed red, and suddenly disintegrated, as though it were a pile of powdered charcoal and embers blowing away in the wind. A nice flat surface to land on.
With a hard thud, The Didact hit the ground, and rolled to his feet. The best place for this he knew would be the center, which he rushed for. He already had a wide, circular site. He first tried raising the ground with his gravitational power, raising his arms up as though pushing against a low roof.
It was incredibly heavy, however, and would not move. He had to dig deeper and create a lighter surface to move.
He began moving one piece of the surface at a time, picking it up then throwing it off. Next, he tried spinning around, sweeping the whole area, then throwing off one large load. He leapt up into the air again, then disintegrated the crater even deeper.
He knew he was close now. Once he hit the ground with another clank, he again tried to lift the entire area. It was much looser this time. He knew he could move it.
His arms and head were aching. It had been a very long time since he had used his powers so extensively.
But suddenly, he sensed a dark tentacle of smoke lurching toward him from behind.
He dropped the site, making it shake, and spun around and pushed the tentacle back with his force.
Another one was coming at him. He parried this one likewise, but a third was too quick for him, and sent him flying back until he smashed into the side of the crater. He grunted in pain. Nothing was broken.
"This is where your story ends, old friend!" A voice shouted.
The Didact knew this voice all too well. He looked up and saw the face he thought he would never have to face again after their last encounter.
"Tirek," he gasphed dumbly.
Tirek was nothing like he had remembered. He was much worse. He seemed larger than before, and he indeed wore Promethean Armor on his legs and arms and body and hide, glowinng the purple neon that the knights bore. A thick, dark aura of pure evil and the darkest magic emanated from him.
"Because of you, Didact," Tirek announced, containing a mix of joy and mock, "I am now the most powerful being in the history of Equestria!" He laughed wickedly. "Not only can I take over Equestria, but now with this new army and power, I will travel beyond the stars and conquer the universe! Nothing short of a super saiyan can stop me now!" Again, he cackled menacingly
The Didact had remembered digitizing saiyans, such powerful creatures they were. Tirek must have looked into the composer's data and learned about them. He hated to admit it, but this monster, this being of the most evil of magic and science, terrified him.
"I should thank you," Tirek continued, "...but it would be more satisfying to kill you!"
Later, The Didact was beaten and bruised and cut. The could not defeat Tirek in this state.
The rest of the party had caught up to him now. The ponies had tried using their elements of harmony against him, but even that did little to harm him. If anything, it only injured him for a moment, a moment The Didact, Chief and Arbiter had tried to make use of and hit him hard, but it only succeeded in enraging the monster even more.
Finally, The Didact got a plan. He realized there was only one way to defeat Tirek at this point. He had hoped there was another way, but after a calculation, he realized there was none.
He looked over at the ponies, all tired and hurt, but all still beautiful, these precious creatures. If it meant they would be safe, it would be worth it.
"Ponies!" He shouted. He pushed back Tirek again with one hand and held out his other toward the ponies. "Lend me the power of the elements!"
"Okay!" Twilight nodded. The six all concentrated their elements. The jewels glowed, and a burst of rainbow essence shot out and landed in the Didact's free hand.
"What good will that do?" Tirek chuckled. "You just saw. I am beyond the elements now!"
"It's not for you!" The Didact replied. He then threw the rainbow essence at Tirek's arm. It latched on for a moment, and the purple light turned orange.
That was the opening The Didact needed. With his left hand, he again gripped Tirek.
Tirek squirmed against him, trying to break free. The Didact held on tight. It was difficult for him to hold on. It was as though he were holding a critter that squirmed and bit and clawed and tried to break free of his hand.
With his right hand, he tapped his left wristguard, pulling up his orange touchscreen. Pushing and moving around the buttons and cursors quick, he finally did what he needed to do.
"What did you do?" Tirek demanded, his arm turning purple again.
"I gave an order to the composer," The Didact replied. It has two settings; obliterate, and digitize. I have set it for obliterate, and in a moment, it will fire upon this exact spot.
"What?" Tirek shook his head in shock.
The Didact turned to the ponies. "Twilight, Trixie," He ordered, "Your magic has been granted immunity to our technology. Teleport everyone to a lower region on the mountain, then activate your forcefields! Protect everyone."
The ponies all looked shocked by the order. Trixie turned to Twilight for words, but was answered with a determined look. Trixie nodded. She understood.
"What about you?" Derpy asked.
"I am not coming with you," The Didact replied.
"You're crazy!" Tirek shouted. "You'll kill both of us!"
"I am aware of that," The Didact nodded.
"No way!" Rainbow Dash snapped. "We're not leaving you up here alone!"
"Do not throw you life away!" The Didact hissed back. "You must live to fight another day."
Tirek continued to struggle against him. The Didact now had to use both hands to hold him down.
"Rainbow, there's nothing we can do here," Twilight said to her sternly.
"We can't just leave him here! There's gotta be some-"
"Pegasus," The Arbiter cut her off, "The Didact has made his decision. We must honor him."
Rainbow glared at everyone, for a moment unable to accept this, but she finally settled down. Everyone else stood together. Twilight's horn glowed, and in a flash, they were gone.
They would be safe now. The Didact turned back to Tirek. It was just the two of them now.
"Let me go!" Tirek demanded.
"I will not!" The Didact replied monotonously.
Tirek continued to struggle and squirm, desperate to break free of The Didact's grip and save himself, but to no avail. The Didact, despite all the pain in his arms and head and fingers, would not let go.
Up above them, they looked up, and they could see the faint glow of the Composer in the sky, charging up. It would be any minute now.
"I never imagined that I would die fighting against the mantle, rather than for it," He found himself saying loud enough so Tirek could hear.
"Huh? What?" Tirek stopped thrashing for a moment.
"My duty, my destiny, I had always believed, was the immortalization of the universe and all of its living creatures, save the ones deemed unworthy. Those would be eradicated. I now see the error in my mission. Life is too precious to be stored away into data. It must be allowed to flourish and thrive on its own, to explore both the beauties and horrors of life, and await its own time of reckoning. I think now I understand what my dear Librarian had believed in, and why she had given her life protecting the humans."
"You... I don't know what you're talking about!" Tirek hissed. He started thrashing again.
His shadows slithered off from his legs and started biting and clawing and slicing into The Didact, but still he held on. He would hold on right until that final burst of light, the light he had always used to destroy his enemies, came to collect him and deliver him to his final destination.
NOTE: If I do write this story, I'm not sure if I'd have The Didact die this way. I would maybe like him to die for this ending I have planned, and for him to die fighting Tirek or King Sombra.