S1-125
A nightmare's end, a dimension uncrossed
10:31 AM
04/20/3272
Yionus's moon, Zuter - IMC testing site Echo-918
Chamber 137
Music
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption - Briefing Room & Ambience Theme
As the Shadow hunted down the Vex on Io, Michael was testing his newly discovered ability. He seemed to have the power to use a planet's terrain as a weapon, but there may be other applications for it. For example: terraforming.
As he became familiar with this ability, Michael heard a familiar voice in his head, but it was one he hadn't heard in centuries. "Still testing your capabilities?"
"Who are you?"
"At this point, you should know who I am."
"The..."
"{The Traveler?!}"
Music
Destiny - The Traveler
"Your Ghost seem to know who I am, so why don't you?"
"Sorry. I... I never imagined..."
"I understand. You were unaware it was me. Yes, I am the Traveler."
"I have a few questions to ask... if you're OK with that."
"Ask away. I will see what I can do."
"When you took your Light back from Ghaul, why was the Shadow unaffected by the return of your protective aura?"
"Ahh. The Shadow. He fought against the Light without thought once, but you have opened his mind. He seeks the truth, just as a Guardian should. He fought alongside you willingly, and even stood with you when Ghaul stood against the Guardians. It is true what he says. 'A growing Darkness only makes the Light glow brighter'. His choice of words is based solely on the truth he learned from you, and thus, from me. The Shadow has proven that he can be trusted. I have already looked through your link with him, seen his innermost thoughts. He has no plans on betrayal, and no desire for humanity's extinction. This may not be relevant to the question, but his choice of outfit and resemblance is most... intriguing."
"I see. And... why did..."
"Why did I choose you? I saw your strong spirit, even upon your birth. You were worthy from the beginning. Believe it or not, you were not the first. Those who were chosen before you did not understand the power that chose them, and they perished from their misuse. Unlike them, you did not try to control it, to manipulate the powers of my Light. You allowed it to manifest of its own accord."
"And the Taken?"
"The Taken. All but a select few have no mind of their own. The Shadow is the most powerful of those few, stronger than even the bearer of evil who spawned him."
"{Oryx.}"
"Indeed. Oryx was considered the most powerful god of the Hive, but now that he is one of the Shadow's Taken, the equilibrium of good and evil had been thrown off balance, and we have the higher ground."
"Wow... That's amazing...! So, what do you think about the World Gate?"
"The World Gate, the machine you assembled using reverse-engineered Vex technology provided by the Shadow with the sole intent of time travel. It instead allows travel between dimensions. Most impressive. Seems like the Shadow is headed your way, leaving one of his Echoes on Io to continue the hunt for the Vex. I shall oversee the hunt."
"Also, it seems that the Kell of the House of Judgment, named Variks, has some of your Light. Why is this?"
"It is true what you told him. He is trustworthy."
"One more thing... You've been literally putting yourself back together for a long time. Are you... OK?"
"I am well, thank you for asking. I wish you good luck on your adventures outside of our dimension. Whenever you have need of my guidance, or wish to consult my wisdom, call for me, but only in this dimension, where I can see and hear you."
"Very well. May your power light our darkest hour, whenever evildoers come knocking at our door."
Just as the Shadow headed over to the World Gate to run a diagnostic analysis, Michael's helmet picked up a signal... from Error Sans. It wasn't a communication channel, but a message.
"Michael, this is Error Sans! We need your help! Come to dimension 6! Hurry!"
Music
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption - Power Loss & Tension
"We have a new mission!" Michael reported.
"I'll stay here and finish the diagnostic."
Michael grabbed the Dimension Key and opened the portal, putting on a Chrono-Extractor and heading through. He went through the portal, seeing a massive landscape.
Dimension 6 - X-tale
Planet Earth - Unknown area
Open field
"Time to investigate." The green portal closed, and the Dimension Key flew right into Michael's hand. He then placed the Key right next to the arch that was made for the portal. He looked around, seeing Error Sans on the ground. It looked like he was badly injured. "Error Sans! What happened?"
"Corru... Corrupted... Sans... Nightmare... Too... strong..."
Michael looked around, seeing Ink Sans fighting, and losing, against another Sans that appeared to be made of a strange black tar, and sported a few tentacles sprouting from his back.
Music
Titanfall 2 - Triptych
"Who... WHAT is that?"
"Night... mare... Sans..."
As the Pilot approached, he took off the Chrono-Extractor, laying it down on the ground next to Error Sans. "HEY! I'd suggest you keep away from my friends!"
The being known as Nightmare Sans turned to look at him, showing that he only had his left eye. "Tch. You're just a worthless human who's nosing in on business that doesn't concern him."
"My friends ARE my concern, and I'm not just some human!" Michael spat back.
As Nightmare Sans turned back to Ink Sans, Michael formed an Andromeda Cannon, building up tremendous energy to blast Nightmare Sans.
Music
Destiny - End of the Line
The beam completely emancipated one of Nightmare Sans's tentacles, somehow turning it into a shower of tiny black and purple cubes. "GYAH! WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT?!"
"OK, my Andromeda Cannons never had THAT effect before." As Nightmare Sans regenerated the limb, Michael summoned three more Andromeda Cannons.
"What ARE you?"
"The question is 'Who am I?'. I am Michael W Johnson, ace IMC Pilot, and chosen by the Eye of the Traveler."
Nightmare Sans let out a boasting laughter. "OK! This is more like it! A worthy opponent!"
"I think it's time for you to die."
"Pfpfpf... As if!"
Music
Titanfall - You Are Marked for Death
A giant circle of rock spikes formed around them, outlining an arena. Large rock pillars also started jutting out of the ground, and Michael was standing on one. Seven Andromeda Cannons appeared, each with a full charge.
"WHAT IS THIS?!" Nightmare Sans demanded.
Two massive rocks came out of the ground, floating in the air for a short time before Michael used his powers to fling them straight at Nightmare Sans, who dodged one and managed to get hit by the other. As Nightmare Sans recovered, Michael formed another spike from the ground, having it come out and pierce his opponent in the chest before bringing up three more, furthering the attack. Nightmare Sans seemingly melted, but reformed on the ground moments later.
The Andromeda Cannons opened fire, and he was incapable of blocking the concentrated blast. Nightmare Sans seemed to have survived, but he was greatly weakened by the attack.
Before anything else could happen, a dark energy slash rippled through the air, whizzing right by Nightmare Sans's face. Any closer and the goopy skeleton's head would have been sliced apart.
Music
Destiny - Long Live The King
Michael looked toward the source of the attack, seeing the Shadow. "How did you get here?! I closed the portal!" His question was answered when he saw Error Sans standing there. He was the one to opened the portal.
"I'll take it from here." The rock spikes and pillars sunk back down into the terrain as Michael went to fall back and let the Shadow handle Nightmare Sans. "Ready for your end?"
"I'd ask you the same thing, whatever you are!"
"They call me the Shadow. I am the Taken King. I am the untold nightmare of all evil. I... am... Death." Nightmare Sans versus the Shadow. The battle began.
Music
Destiny - Regicide
They stood on either side of what was the arena Michael had previously lined out. To compliment this, Michael raised the arena walls back up. The Shadow pulled out his Darkscythe, ready to fight. Nightmare Sans was always ready for combat; this was no exception.
To begin this fight, the Shadow sent out dark slash waves, which Nightmare Sans managed to avoid.
Nightmare Sans created a spike in the ground, seemingly comprised of the same gelatinous substance he appeared to be made of himself. The spike rocketed at the Shadow, who dispersed into black particles before impact, reforming behind Nightmare Sans, then called out in his original language. "⟒⊬⟒ ⍜⎎ ⏁⊑⟒ ⋏⟟g⊑⏁, ⟟ ⊑⏃⎐⟒ ⋏⟒⟒⎅ ⍜⎎ ⊬⍜⎍."
From the open portal came a large Taken form, flying in to aid the Taken King. "What was that?!" Error Sans was freaking out.
Michael knew what it was. "Ridley... Eye of the Night..."
Ridley flew into the air, ready to attack on command. "⎎⟟⍀⟒!" The Eye of the Night released a black fireball at Nightmare Sans, blasting him.
"So, you just have your own forces at the ready?"
"Some evil, I kill. Other evil, I take. The Taken have no will; they only do as I command, nothing more, nothing less." Ridley swooped in, crashing down on the ground feet first. It was then that Ridley had unleashed a flurry of punches, landing many of the hits before releasing a black fire breath. Nightmare Sans was being given a run for his money.
As Nightmare Sans recovered from the sudden flame attack, Ridley grabbed him, then threw him to the feet of the Shadow, who held the Darkscythe up into the air, ready to strike with a glowing blade.
Nightmare Sans deformed, avoiding the slash, then attacked as he literally put himself back together. A spike came out of the ground, impaling the Shadow.
Music
none
At that moment, they were all still and silent, looking at what had just happened. One of Nightmare Sans's attacks penetrated the skeletal structure that comprised the Shadow's entire form.
Ridley had retreated back through the portal for unknown reasons as the Shadow seemingly went limp.
"It must be quite an honor to kill Death. Heh heh..." He turned to the group, ready to strike.
It was then that an echoing laugh could be heard. Everyone turned to look at the source, seeing that the Shadow was laughing. "Ha ha... Ha ha ha... AHAHAHAHAHA! That... TICKLED!" The spike was broken apart like it was nothing, and the Shadow was unaffected by the attack. He was truly deathless.
Music
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption - Dark Samus Boss Theme
Just then, two Echoes appeared beside him, aligned with the real one in a triangle shape that began to spin as the three levitated slightly above the ground, commencing a new attack.
The rapidly rotating triangular orientation of the Shadow and his two Echoes traveled quickly in a wavy path toward Nightmare Sans, who failed to avoid the attack. "GACK! What in the...?" A part of his gelatinous form seemed to crust over, becoming solid and destructible. "...oh no..."
The Echoes vanished, then the Shadow jabbed the bottom end of his Darkscythe into the solidified portion of Nightmare Sans's arm, destroying it.
Nightmare Sans attempted to retaliate, but the Shadow was too fast, getting out of range and summoning two Blighted Andromeda Cannons, which now resembled black T-rex skulls. They blasted Nightmare Sans with pure dark power, making almost the entirety of his body destructible.
The Shadow dispersed into black particles, reappeared right in front of Nightmare Sans, then shattered the crusted portions. Nightmare Sans was outmatched, and he couldn't run. This was it. This was his end.
"Please... NO MORE!" Nightmare Sans pleaded.
"I will end this, but it won't be quick or painless."
Music
Destiny - Bow to No One
The blade of the Darkscythe began glowing with Ascendant energy. With a single slash, Nightmare Sans's fate was sealed. What remained of him crusted over, then crumbled to depleted dust as the Shadow's strength surged exponentially.
Music
none
"I needed that. Welp, he's dead."
"Michael, care to explain?" Error Sans questioned.
"That was the Shadow's signature move; the Grasp of Death. He absorbed Nightmare Sans's life energy, which strengthened him."
11:19 AM
04/20/3272
Yionus's moon, Zuter - IMC testing site Echo-918
Chamber 137
Once they returned to the testing facility, Michael reached to close the portal, but was interrupted as what looked like a knife whizzed past his face, as if it were a bullet.
Music
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption - Berserker Lord Boss Theme
On the other side of the portal was a child, which appeared to have a demonic smile.
"Cross Chara!" Error Sans exclaimed.
"Heh... Round 2." The entity, Cross Chara, chuckled.
"They just killed Nightmare Sans. What make you think you have a chance?" Ink Sans questioned.
"That bag of bones from this world was only holding me back, but now that I'm free, I can destroy everything, kill everyone, in every world!"
"Not gonna happen! You will meet the same fate!" Michael and the Shadow jumped back through the portal, going back into the dimension.
Dimension 6 - X-tale
Planet Earth - Unknown area
Open field
Once they were through, the Dimension Key was pulled out, closing the portal. Cross Chara would not escape.
Michael was the first to act, summoning three Andromeda Cannons.
Cross Chara was fast. TOO fast. Fortunately, Michael's hypersensitive senses allowed him to keep up, with each blast from the Andromeda Cannons managing to come surprisingly close.
Just when Cross Chara least expected it, Michael raised a massive slab wall from the terrain itself, cutting off his target's path. With that, he pulled out the Spitfire, aiming down on Cross Chara as she recovered.
While Michael was dealing with Cross Chara, the Shadow talked with the Sanses. "So... Cross Chara? She's that other entity I saw in Cross Sans's mind."
"Yeah, that was a very peculiar case. I couldn't figure that out myself." Error Sans stated.
"It looks as if that reversion de-merged them or something." Ink Sans surmised.
The Taken King was perturbed. "Yeah, this is weird."
Music
none
Just then, as Cross Chara leaped at Michael, the Pilot launched a grappling hook from his left forearm. It penetrated Cross Chara's head and skull, lodging itself in the bone, before Michael yanked the line back down, harshly slamming his opponent into the ground. Not believing that to be the end, Michael got his Spitfire back out, unloading a considerable amount of lead into Cross Chara's cranium before severing the spinal column with the blade of his Data-Knife. No way Cross Chara was coming back from that.
"Well, that was... short and efficient." Error Sans commented.
"We're done here. Let's head home." Michael put plainly.
With that, the portal was opened with the use of the Dimension Key. Michael and the Shadow said their good-byes and departed to their own dimension.
Cross Chara shouldn't have done that, and now she's dead.
The whole 'tiny black and purple cubes' thing was inspired by this movie called Tron: Legacy.
Strangely enough, this also reveals some dimensional confliction. Michael's Light-powered abilities won't just kill a being originating from a world made of data, like these Undertale worlds, but they DEREZZ them! The Shadow's dark powers will simply scab over, petrify, and erode them.
But Michael didn't kill Cross Chara with his Light. Just the 'Curb Check' Titanfall 2 Pilot execution... and some ballistic firepower. This explains why she didn't break apart into tiny cubes upon death.
See you guys next time.