WIEAW: The Revenge of Trixie

Chapters

0: All Things New
1: The Terminal Revisited
2: Blackest Night
3: A World of Fear

0: All Things New

Summer time in the World of Giants was not all fun and games, reading a book in the sun, and enjoying a picnic with your friends. It wasn't about the giant oak trees that seemed to spring with red lilies or the large bodies of water that surrounded some of the land. It wasn't even about the fact that the ponies that chose to visit the world were seemingly the size of ants or that most visitors were overlooked as a whole.

It was mostly due to the fact that whoever noticed the guests often called on a hunt for the ponies who foolishly came to their world.

Vinyl Scratch, the former commander of the Warriors of Purity, knew most of the various worlds by heart and knew the rules that came with whatever world she choose to visit. As such she knew exactly what weapons, armor, and gadgets to bring along with her whenever she visited another unchecked world. Seeing how her army now no longer needed the flying airship she had constructed she now used it as a moving base for her and her friends. It was now a warship with a bunch of weapons and armor that likely made Shining Armor wonder what she had done to the ship.

"Come on guys," Vinyl said into her ear piece as her motorcycle dodged a tree, "We've got to get out of her before the giants realize what we have gone."

Yes, Vinyl Scratch had constructed a working motorcycle and was currently riding it through a forest as she tried to find where she had left their ship. She had left Lyra Heartstrings, her weapons expert, on the ship with the weapons primed, ready to fire at whatever enemy appeared. The giants, as a rule, were not the best type of people that Vinyl had ever meet and they were already mad at her for trying to find one of the seven keys to Oblivion's prison.

Of course she thought they might actually get away scot-free, until she heard some angry creature howl at the moon in pure anger.

"Are you kidding me?" Vinyl asked, bringing her motorcycle to a stop for a few seconds, "They had to release the bloody trolls on us."

She wasn't kidding, the giants had caged up some of the most vicious creatures that existed in their world and she had seen several of them face to face. As such she knew that the giants had enslaved the native trolls, huge creatures with hard as stone hides and punches that could level normal villages. She was terrified of the trolls and was thankful that her old soldiers didn't see them during the war against Oblivion, fearing the sight would have sent most of them away in fear.

"Octavia, Derpy," Vinyl spoke into the piece again, hoping her friends would respond this time, "I'm nearing the airship, but I'm not sure if we'll be able to out fly the trolls when they get to us. I need you guys to abandon what we came for and get back to the ship asap."

"Stop shrieking Vinyl," came Octavia's voice, "otherwise these idiot giants might discover that I'm near the edge of their encampment."

"I don't want to lose anyone else," Vinyl said, starting her motorcycle back up, "Trixie is out there among the stars and I am not allowing anyone else to fall because we failed to understand the forces at work around us."

She rolled along the dirt path in time to avoid a tree stump that would have fallen on top of her head, but when she looked back she noticed the black eyes of a troll behind her. She groaned and accelerated to a higher speed, whipping between trees as she heard the noises of the quick paced troll gaining on her. From her previous visits to this world she knew that there was a cliff somewhere near her immediate position, a cliff where she and her friends had left the airship and Lyra behind.

"Hey Lyra, you there?" Vinyl asked, moving out of the way and barely being missed by a boulder, "I've got two, maybe three, hostiles following me back to the airship. Any chance you got some of our bigger guns ready to rip or stun these moronic trolls?"

"Hey hey hey, this is Lyra Heartstrings," came a voice in the air as the giant ironclad airship appeared in front of her and the troll, "We've got clear sunny skies with a chance of rain later on. A nice day for a nice pursuit in the forest, following a mare in a motorized machine, and a chance of the Polarized Cannon!"

Energy rippled through the air and tore right into the troll that was on Vinyl's tail, tossing him backwards into the forest an burying him in a blanket of stone and dirt. The one troll that had been tossing boulders also fell, but this one was blasted right into the center of the giant's camp, which was only going to make things worse. Vinyl heard the war drums and almost cursed, the two trolls they had taken down now fueled the giants for war all over again. She only hoped that Octavia made it out okay, otherwise they were going to be in for one rude awakening soon enough.

Lucky for Vinyl she boarded the airship without any more problems, which was good seeing how the entire world was one problem after another. Parking the motorcycle was easy and Vinyl quickly ran to the top deck, where she was surprised to find Derpy Hooves already waiting. The mare was currently holding some sort of explosive, something she had learned to make in her spare time, and was already launching several at the tree line.

"Cool it Derpy," Vinyl commanded, checking for the last member of their squad, "We don't want to blow Octavia sky high when those explosives we left at their camp go off."

Part of their plan was to destroy the cages containing the other creatures and set them on the giants, which was part of why Octavia was so close to them at this point. The other part was to make off with the object they had come to retrieve, something that they had been promised was waiting here for them. Octavia was to plant the explosives, insuring the caged creatures could escape, and retrieve the item from the giant chief's hut.

"It is quite alright Vinyl," came Octavia's sweet voice from behind her, causing Vinyl to turn and find her best friend smirking at her, "Don't worry, I made off with what we came to get. So feel free to let loose with all the explosives Derpy."

The area around the airship ignited in flames, the fire racing all the way back to the giants camp and tearing down whatever was in its path. The forest Vinyl had ridden through was going to soon be a blazing inferno, trapping the camp of ruthless giants between the flames and their soon to be former slaves. It served them right, but Vinyl knew that they really shouldn't be trying to make the citizens of the other worlds angry with them.

"The gateway is open," Lyra happily said, referring to the doorways between the worlds they traveled on, "I bet the Gatekeeper is waiting for us when we return. He's probably got bad news for us or something this time."

Vinyl sighed; the Gatekeeper was an ancient being that not even she understood. All she knew was he maintained order between the worlds of the universe and would tell her and her friends if he had discovered anything important. He was like their guardian angel of some sort, if you could call the age old stallion an angel.

"Okay then," Vinyl said, turning to face the gateway, "Let's go home for now."

1: The Terminal Revisited

The Terminal, the gigantic world between worlds, was the one place that contained all the gateways that linked one world to another completely different world. Equestria Prime, the normal Equestria without any insane killers or citizens that actually lashed out at their rulers, was linked to the Terminal and thus linked to the other versions of itself and the other worlds. The lower levels of the world were full of life, ponies and people from all the various worlds gathering together and sharing their collective knowledge with each other.

The upper levels were where the silver crafted gateways, the links between worlds, rested, far above others so they wouldn't walk into a random world on accident. Each of the gateways had a magical sign, a signature, that allowed the citizens of the Terminal to know exactly which gateway lead to which world. There was a designated part of the Terminal that was like a huge train station, gateways constantly moving as the citizens moved from one world, to the Terminal, an then onto another world.

It was here, or more like above the entire plaza, that the airship known as The Leviathan entered the Terminal, hovering above the citizens as it entered the even larger Shipyard.

The Shipyard was a huge location of the Terminal, one part that rested between the lower and upper levels, where all the airships gathered when they were not in use. There were usually a dozen ships anchored there at any given time, but there was a special area left alone for the airship that belonged to Vinyl. It was here that she and her friends landed their airship, but instead of walking off the deck they teleported back to the station so they could greet others.

Vinyl, dressed up in her old commander's uniform, walked tall and proud as she and her friends appeared in the midst of all the other citizens that were leaving the station. Octavia carried the item that she had picked up from the World of Giants, a tightly wrapped item that was as long as her body was. Vinyl had no idea what Octavia had found, but she knew that it would be revealed to her and the others once it was presented to the Gatekeeper.

"Ah, Commander Scratch," said a voice as none other than Shining Armor, still sporting his suit of armor, joined their little group, "I was wondering when you and your friends were going to return from the World of Giants. I trust that the giants left you all alone and didn't cause a lot of trouble during your search?"

"Oh, they were the same old giants," Vinyl causally answered, eying a stall as they walked by, "They sniffed us out like a bloodhound does, shrieked at the night sky, and loosed the bloody trolls on us."

"They did what?" Shining said, nearly shouting the words out of his mouth.

"We blew their cages open and let them have the fury of their slaves," Vinyl continued, not really caring about his small outburst, "which is part of the reason we went there and not someplace else. Its not everyday that we find information about a real possible location of where Trixie might actually be and discover that the people of that same world are doing something seriously wrong."

Shining seemed surprised, because once the words left her mouth he just shut up and bowed his head in respect, allowing the group to move on. The Co-Commander was not usually one to be easily silenced, but after his death and then his rebirth he learned not to mess around and argue points. He was content to let Vinyl and her friends do their thing, tracking Trixie across the worlds and restore peace wherever it happens to be broken.`

Ahead of them was an amusing sight; a Cadence that was wearing the royal gown of the Crystal Empire and a Chrysalis wearing a simple dark green gown. The two mortal enemies, that was what most ponies would normally assume when staring at them, were actually chatting as they approached the group. Chrysalis had some small bags in her saddlebags and Cadence had one of her own, indicating that they had gone shopping for a bit. Vinyl grinned, she was happy to see ponies who would normally hate each other getting along just fine.

"Hey girls," Vinyl called, getting their attention easily, "How's it going?"

"It is going good Commander," Cadence replied with a smile, clearly enjoying her week off of duty, "Chrissy and I were just doing some shopping. I'm getting some things for the palace and Chrissy...well, she can tell you herself."

"Your so sweet Cady," Chrysalis said, nudging Cadence with a hoof, "I bought some supplies for the members of my race who are trying to establish connections to the rest of the Changelings on the other worlds. I have a large order to fill out, but I thought that I might be able to split it with some of my more trustworthy followers and get it done quicker. So far I have a third of the list completed, so it should take me the rest of the day to finish it. If you seen any Changelings running around with shopping bags and a list just tell them to meet me at the fountain near the station when they're done."

Vinyl and her friends nodded their agreement and let the two mares continue on their shopping spree.

After the defeat of the Dark Lord Oblivion three months ago ponies from both sides of the war began to hang together, like Cadence and Chrysalis. Ponies would hang around the various worlds with their former enemies, forgetting their hate for those who opposed them in the past. Pinkie Pie, formerly known as Pinkamena, had simmered down to a more peaceful tone, meaning she wasn't prone to violence and kicking the butts of whoever annoyed her.

The Gatekeeper, the immortal alicorn who watched over the universe, always rested in the highest peak of the Terminal, a place known only as the Sanctum. It was there that he could left alone whenever he felt the need to ignore other ponies and rarely welcomed others in for insight on their lives. The only ponies he actually allowed to visit were Vinyl Scratch, her friends, and Shining Armor, when he actually choose to visit. And, seeing how he liked to be away from most ponies, he had the largest collection of books and other collectable items he had spent the entirety of his existence collecting.

So far he had yet to collect everything that he had put on his list, a long checklist that existed in a single book he kept under lock and key.

As usual he was reading a book, a rather large tome that he had sent Vinyl to recover during her first years in the hunt for the Seven Keys. Those same keys that once held the only way for Oblivion to escape from his prison were now on display in his Sanctum, separated from each other in the seven areas he had made. The book was said to be one of the larger books of the dark arts, one that contained the keys and tools to creating a truly devastating evil army.

"Hey Gatekeeper," Vinyl greeted as she and her friends entered the Sanctum, "How you doing?"

"Ah, the young Vinyl Scratch and company," the Gatekeeper said, a bookmark appearing in the book as he faced the group of four, "I see that young Octavia has a bundle in her hooves. Tell me, what is it that you have found?"

Octavia went over to a table, laid the bundle on the wood, and then unwrapped the entire thing, displaying what was underneath it. What they had found was a staff that was as long as Octavia was, one that was carved from an ancient type of wood by the energy it gave off. There was a silver and gold swirl dancing about the staff, likely caused by the very power they all felt from the wood. At the peak of the staff rested some sort of blackened gemstone that gave off a eerie red glow, something that would make anyone tremble.

"I have not seen a staff of this power or design in over four thousand years," the Gatekeeper said, studying the gemstone with some interest, "I had thought that the wood used to carve such a staff had been destroyed, but it seems that I am quite wrong in that regard. Where did you find this weapon again?"

"The World of Giants," Vinyl answered, shaking her head, "inside the chief's hut. What is it?"

"I...I do not know," the Gatekeeper said, "but I know that, given enough time, I can recall what this is and exactly what it was meant to do. For now it shall remain locked away in the Sanctum, until we can discover what the magic is for and turn it against whoever created it. I have heard rumors of a new enemy, one who rules by fear and fear alone. This weapon may very well be connected to this new enemy. I will tell you more when I discover more myself."

As the Gatekeeper turned away, taking the ancient staff with him, Octavia turned to her friends.

"So," Vinyl asked, a grin appearing on her face, "Which world shall we visit next?"

2: Blackest Night

Okay, so choosing the World of the Black Sun wasn't the best choice Vinyl had ever made, but it wasn't like her friends had objected to her chosen destination. The World of the Black Sun was like any other world; it housed some of the strangest creatures in the universe and it's citizens lived their lives as peacefully as possible. Of course there was the issue of the fact that their sun was a giant black mass in the sky that darkened the entire land when it was out, which meant that the crops were grown by moonlight.

So the world's order was backwards. Vinyl had no say in how the various worlds across the universe worked.

Ponies regarded them as they stepped out of the gateway and onto the dirt of the town they happened to appear on the outskirts of. The town resembled Ponyville, which was true seeing how the town had every single feature that the real Ponyville had down to the nails. But the four of them were here for business, searching for another piece to the puzzle that would tell them where Trixie ran off to.

"So, why did we come to this remote outpost again?" Lyra asked, eying some of the assembled ponies around them, "I know we're looking for Trixie, but this seems to be the furthest point from where she was last seen."

"We're looking for a stallion by the name of Black Trinity," Vinyl replied, mostly to herself even though her friends heard her just fine, "He's supposed to have found something that may be connected to our search for Trixie, something that could potentially zero in on where she might be located. If we had that we could use that eerie item we just found earlier and figure out who might be threatening the safety of the worlds and Trixie at the same time."

The problem was that they didn't know if Black Trinity was a unicorn, a pegasus, or an earth pony. For all they knew he could very well be a Changeling trying to play games with them and had nothing better to do at the moment. Vinyl hoped that he would be willing to aid them in their quest and wasn't messing with them, otherwise she would have some fun showing him what happened to those that messed with Vinyl Scratch, Commander of the Warriors of Harmony.

The four of them trotted into the town, allowing the gateway to close until it was ready to be used again by either them or the townsponies. As they walked they kept an eye on the stalls, acting as if they were travelers looking for some interesting items they would bring to their loved ones back home. If anypony had overheard their earlier conversation they couldn't have guessed at who they were looking for or what they were seeking.

Vinyl knew another truth; the ponies that walked around them weren't as dumb as their counterparts in Equestria Prime and made sure others knew it as well. To call one of them an imbecile, in front of everypony else, was a sentence that either ended in staying in the Canterlot Prison or immediate death. That was why Vinyl hadn't said anything about the ponies to her friends; she wanted to prevent losing another one because of something they would have done. There were bigger things to worry about in this particular world; like the dangers that lurked in the forest nearby.

"So, where is this 'Black Trinity'?" Octavia asked, receiving a glace from several of the ponies that were around them, "I assume we have some lead, otherwise we would not be here looking for him."

"That is why we have come here first," Vinyl replied, stopping in front of a bar called The Dragon's Breath, "The only lead I could get on this stallion's whereabouts is that he frequently visits this bar and it's patrons. If anypony could remember anything about Black Trinity then it has to be the ones running the bar that he comes to almost every single day of the week. If we're lucky he might even be inside the bar right now, which means we can talk to him fast and move on before somepony asks questions."

As they walked into the bar Derpy kept her good eye on three ponies, all dressed up in black robes, that waited at the end of the street. Her other eye noticed another three ponies at the other end of the street, dressed in the similar robes of the ones closest to her. She was Vinyl's scout, her lookout for danger thanks to her eyes that could see both directions without giving anything away. If she thought there was danger, even the tiniest little hint, she would speak her mind to Vinyl when they had time to do so.

Six ponies dressed up in black robes on both ends of the street the bar was on was definitely something she would have to tell Vinyl about.

The inside of the bar was nothing special, just a simple open area filled with dining ponies and a huge sit down bar that had nearly every seat taken at the moment. Vinyl spotted an open booth at the back of the room, one that would allow her to easily survey the entire bar and the ponies that walked in and out. They took the booth without a second thought, Derpy and Vinyl taking the row facing everything else while Octavia and Lyra sat across from them.

A unicorn stallion approached them, but Vinyl knew he could be trusted somewhat due to the fact that he was wearing some sort of hat that had the symbol for the bar on it. He had an ashy grey coat and a short raven black colored mane and tail that was cleanly cut, suited for his profession of choice. The only strange thing about him was his cutie mark, one large black triangle turned upside down that held a smaller red triangle, turned right side up, on the inside with red lines branching off from the points.

"Good evening and welcome to The Dragon's Breath," the stallion said, placing some menus on the table, "What can I get for you four lovely mares?"

"Some cider to start with," Vinyl immediately answered, without even glancing at the menu, "and we'll take whatever information you have on a stallion named Black Trinity."

The stallion's eyes widened before he said, "Four ciders coming right up then."

As the stallion walked away Vinyl turned to Derpy, her eyes conveying her unspoken question.

"There are six ponies waiting at the ends of this street," Derpy quietly explained, one eye watching for danger around them, "I didn't see any weapons or their faces, so it's too early to tell if they'll give us trouble or not. They're dressed up in black robes, which means they are hiding themselves from somepony."

"That is likely us," Vinyl said, her glasses keeping her eyes hidden at all times while she looked out at the room, "We might have our first encounter with our new enemy in this very bar, so I want each of you to be read to draw your weapons at a moments notice. We're here for information only, so try not to pick any fights that are completely unnecessary."

The stallion arrived not a moment later with a platter carrying four mugs, which were placed in front of them without a moment wasted. However, instead of leaving them immediately after placing their drinks, he pulled up a chair and sat at the edge of their table.

"I asked the manager about a Black Trinity and I was told to answer every question you had," the stallion said, placing the platter sideways next to him, "so right now I am off duty until all your questions are cleared up. So, what can I clear up for you about him that you don't already know?"

"We have one question at the moment," Vinyl responded immediately, "Does Black Trinity actually exist or is he a cover created to hide his true identity?"

"Of course he exists," the stallion remarked in surprise, as if somepony would question if the pony existed, "He usually comes into the bar on a Wednesday, when it isn't too crowded so he can be in and out quickly after he drinks a few cups of cider. Most other days he comes for a quick visit with the manager, usually ordering something that can be picked up later on and he pays upfront. There have been several instances where he's been attacked by our more drunken patrons, but he seemed to handle himself fine when he tossed them against the walls with his magic."

"That clears up one question we also had if he existed," Vinyl said, shaking her head, "We wondered if he had magic, but your explanation proves that he is a unicorn of some skill. How the other question we have is this; where can we find Black Trinity?"

"He is said to reside in the heart of the Everfree Forest," the stallion answered nervously, as if the answer might bring about unexpected consequences, "I have been there at least three times in the past, making deliveries that I was ordered to complete by the manager. I know the pathway to his house and that is more than most ponies could ever say."

While they were talking Derpy noticed a group of six ponies, each wearing a black robe like the ones she had seen earlier, enter the bar. They stood at the very front of the bar by the door, blocking the entrance so nopony could leave even if they wanted to leave. If the group wanted to leave they were either going to have to fight their way through, which would entice the drunken ponies into a fighting rage, or they could leave through the back door. That was under the assumption that the bar even had a back door.

"We have company," Derpy spoke softly, so the other four alone could hear her, "Six shrouded ponie shave entered the bar, blocking the front entrance so none can leave. Their motives are unknown, but I suggest that we move to the back entrance as fast as possible."

"Attention you drunken imbeciles," one of the shrouded ponies, a mare by the sound of her voice, shouted to draw the attention of everypony to her, "We are members of The Vigilants of Fear, an order dedicated to following the Dark Mistress and her teachings. We have come here, to your pathetic attempt at a bar, to post this bounty on a pony who has stolen from our Mistress. The bounty is set on the head of a unicorn stallion by the name of Black Trinity at the cost of three thousand golden coins, dead or alive."

"Hey, she called us imbeciles," Vinyl shouted, imitating one of the locals as if she was drunk, "GET THEM!"

The entire bar broke out into a fight as the drunken patrons of the bar attacked the unsuspecting cultists, several being based into the wall before they could even make a move. When the true chaos, that being both sides fighting with both magic and the items around them, erupted it was a clear sign for the group to escape. The strange stallion lead them to the back of the bar, where there just happened to be a back door that ensured their escape. Before either group realized that the ones responsible for the fight were missing it was already too late, the five of them were long gone.

Not half an hour later the five found themselves in the Everfree Forest, someplace the crazy cultists would never think to look due to the amount of monsters that roamed the pathways. They let the stallion from the bar lead the way to Black Trinity's house, leaving the rest of them to fall in behind him and keep watch for anything dangerous. There were always the normal dangers that came with the Everfree Forest, such as the timberwolves and a hydra or two, but then there were other monsters that most would never know about.

"You have come on a bad day," the stallion said, moving a branch out of the way while making sure they didn't walk into any dangerous plants, "Today is a special day, where the black sun and the red moon cross paths for about an hour. It is an eclipse that disrupts the natural order of the world, blocking the gateway from being used and encourages the monsters of the Everfree to attack travelers for no reason."

"I have heard of such a time," Vinyl remarked, swatting a twig out of her face, "It is often referred to as the 'Blackest Night' and if we get stuck here during that time we'll have no choice but to stay until the event is over."

"It is more than that," the stallion continued, "It is said that during the eclipse, that happens once a month, the Dark Mistress, the same those cultists mentioned, comes and visits us. Its during this time that she takes three unlucky ponies with her, corrupting their minds and bending them into the cultists you all saw. She's going to keep coming until someone defeats her and her army, otherwise the worlds will be facing enslavement all over again. We'll have to get to the house, gather some supplies, and get a gateway open before the eclipse happens, otherwise we'll be stuck here longer then necessary."

The area around them seemed to shift, the air shimmered for a bit, and the ground changed until they were confronted by a marvelous sight. Resting in front of them was a house, a cottage the size of a two story building, with a tower stretching into the sky right next to it. The place looked well taken care of, not like the rundown shack that Lyra had personally been expecting or the single story place Octavia envisioned. The stallion chuckled and took off his hat, which contained a key that he used to unlock the door to Black Trinity's private house.

"My friends, allow me to properly introduce myself," the stallion said, his eyes shifting to reveal a red color to them, "I am the stallion known by the name Black Trinity. I am the stallion that has been messing with the Dark Mistress of Fear for the last couple of weeks, jumping from world to world to prevent her from finding me. I should have known that the Gatekeeper and the Commander of the army that bested Oblivion would find me first and I made it so they would come to me before my enemy arrived.

Forgive me for the deception, but if it was common knowledge that I was the real Black Trinity then someone would have ratted me out to the Vigilants of Fear long ago. I tried to send word to the Gatekeeper that I had an item that would aid him in dealing with his new adversary, something stolen right from under her very nose. While it is unwise to open a gateway in the heart of the town again I would recommend opening one at the top of my tower, where we have the best chance of escaping."

Vinyl and her friends moved to the tower, only entering the bare house because it was the only way to enter the tower without busting a hole in the wall. Trinity moved with the speed of a tempest, gathering what appeared to be some sort of metal cube and placing it in a bag before joining them in the tower. The gateway was already opened, the swirling mass glowing as if the unicorn had known today would be the day he would be leaving the world behind for a long time. Vinyl was surprised by the stallion's ability to prepare so quickly, she could have used somepony like that during the war with Oblivion.

"We will visit the Gatekeeper as soon as we arrive," Vinyl said, the group approaching the gateway, "We'll show him the item you stole from our new enemy and hopefully we'll gain something to defeat her. Hopefully we don't run into an emergency when we arrive there."

Black Trinity smiled, knowing that if someone said something like that it was likely to happen. Still, he was happy to leave this world and was willing to travel to more worlds so he could beat this enemy. Maybe he could be of some use to Vinyl and her army after all.

3: A World of Fear

Vinyl and her group stepped out onto a pad in the Terminal, not surprised to find that the area was busy and that Trinity was actually surprised by the sights around them. They didn't stay long, as Trinity took out the cube he had brought with them and twisted a part of it, the gateway they emerged from shimmering as it changed worlds.

"I was right," Vinyl commented, eying the cube, "That cube has the power to change where a gateway leads those who enter it. Meaning you could force an enemy to enter the gateway with the belief that they're going to a world they want and you could drop them off in one they would rather not be in. Very dangerous if misused."

Trinity caught the look she was giving him, but instead of saying anything he returned the cube to the bag and approached the gateway. Derpy giggled and followed the stallion in, the rest of their allies taking a step forward into the swirling mess of magic and disappearing from the Terminal. Vinyl just hoped she wasn't regretting grabbing some warriors and extra weapons.

~The other side~

Lightning flashed and thunder boomed, causing Vinyl to snap her head upwards as rain hit her glasses from the mass of black clouds that hung far above them. The rain was a pleasant surprise, as most the time when she first stepped out onto a new world she was greeted by angry natives, enemies who wanted her blood, or the old Elements of Hate. From what she saw it seemed like they were high up in the mountains, standing on a really wide cliff that the gateway choose to deposit them on. She couldn't control where the gateway's deposited them, so they was no way of knowing if they would step into an enemy compound or right off a cliff.

At least the cliff was wide enough so they didn't fall to their deaths immediately.

"The cube doesn't always work though," Trinity responded, his eyes scanning the mountain ranges around them, "I designed it to change where the gateways deposit those who use them, but it seems that no matter what I do I cannot control where we arrive. The cube is incomplete and I am afraid that it shall remain that way, unless the Gatekeeper wanted to do something with it."

Vinyl stopped paying attention as she stared down at the valley that rested between all the mountain ranges, staring at what was actually a military base. If the world they had visited was supposed to have no residents living around the gateway, or in the immediate area, then why was there a base at the foot of the mountain the gateway was on? She knew that there was something strange at work, something that made her consider the fact that they might not have completely destroyed the remnants of Lord Oblivion or his army of hateful ponies, dragons, and angry creatures from across the universe.

If Oblivion, the Lord of Hatred, was still alive than all her hard work putting him and his armies down would have been in vain and then they would also have another enemy to fight.

"Why is there a base sitting down there?" Vinyl asked, her horn charging up and drawing her sword out.

"There shouldn't be one," Trinity replied, staring at the compound with concern, "Last time I was here there was nothing sitting here except for rocks and pieces of mountains. I guess it is possible for some villain to have come here, to this remote outpost of the universe, in order to make it so there is no chance of them being discovered."

Before any of them could react another gateway opened up, only this one was located in the compound and everypony that was stationed around it dropped to their knees. What emerged from the red gateway was what appeared to be a regal pony, walking on long thin legs, wearing a black cape that was wrapped around its light blue coat. On its back was a long wooden staff, similar to the one that they had captured when they messed with the giants not too long ago, and a hat that seemed to cover its head. Whoever the pony was they would have to get closer if they wanted to figure it out.

"We're going down there," Octavia said, already starting down the path towards the compound, "We need to figure out if there's something else going on that we're not aware of."

Vinyl gave herself a smile, if there was anypony she could count on she could always count on her Second in Command Shining Armor and her best friend Octavia. Where's Shining Armor would have gone back to the Terminal to bring back supplies to build a base where this new enemy couldn't see them Octavia wanted to get some recon before they did anything rash. They quietly trotted down the mountain side, or flew as the case was for Derpy, and they reached the compounds gates without being detected. Whoever had arrived had given them the perfect opportunity to invade their personal base without being detected.

Vinyl nearly had a heart attack when they rounded the corner and retreated immediately, as they had nearly walked into a guard that was a cross between a dragon and a pony. Vinyl recognized the creature, as they were the hate filled dragon ponies that made up Oblivion's army. To see one of them here meant that her earlier thought about Oblivion surviving might have been accurate and if he was alive than she needed to put him down before he rose to power again.

"This isn't good," Vinyl whispered, the group sneaking around the guard and into the compound, "We need to see if they're holding Oblivion here and, if they are, then I need to do what must be done to secure the safety of the worlds."

Then she noticed a sign on the wall that pointed into the compound with one of the things listed as a personal room for one Oblivion, confirming her suspicions even more. With a burning desire to make sure the worlds were safe she traveled down the hallway, following the signs as she passed some guards. Before they even realized that she was there her sword cut them down, making her pause so she could deposit the bodies into a storage room.

The room that Oblivion had been given was bare, leaving a barely used bed and some facilities that could be used as a washroom and a cooking station. If Oblivion was alive then the room would have shown signs of ware and tear, but with how the room looked Vinyl was beginning to think that he was still gone. That the room was just preparation for the arrival of a long dead monarch actually upset her and made her feel like a complete fool for thinking he was still alive.

"I didn't think you would actually fall for this," a voice behind them said, four thuds hitting the ground as something hit her in the back of the head, "but welcome home Vinyl dear."

That was the last thing Vinyl heard before she blacked out.