Infinite Harmony

A soft fluttering of purple wings could be heard through the large library as the young alicorn flew around circles in what the outside observer can only describe as ‘maddened glee.’

“Heheheheheheh!” she giggled.

In truth, however, she was merely enjoying one of the perks that came with being a royal goddess in Equestria. For now, the royal decree by Princess Celestia that made certain corners of Castle Canterlot’s library inaccessible, was lifted.

Once, where there were the biggest and meanest looking of royal guards guarding locked doors of the purest ivory in stone silence, there was now only squeals of joy. The kind only the extremely bookish get when tomes whose names had never even struck their ears suddenly become available to them.

After five straight minutes of happy flying, Twilight Sparkle finally landed on the marble tiles of this particular formerly-forbidden wing of the Royal Library, and sat at a desk there.

“Alright Twilight. Get hold of yourself! Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe in. Breathe out.”

She closed her eyes. For several seconds, Twilight repeated this until, she thought, she had reached a state of calm.

“Now--” she opened her eyes.

She couldn’t help herself.

She began tapping her forehooves together so fast that they became a blur and the shockwaves from them were causing the entire room to shake and buckle and she was giddy with excitement all over again.

“Which one should I read first!?”

Before her laid shelves with rows upon rows of brown tomes and binding books. The manner in which they towered above her made her release another small and quiet squeal of glee. As her eyes gazed over the shelves, she noted one particular book that seemed to glisten beyond the others as well as call to her. Her eyebrows arched in a curious fashion and she flew up to one of the top shelves and grabbed the book with her magic.

“Hmmm…” she said, rubbing her chin. “ ‘The Infinitus Acorum’…”

On it was the title and, emblazoned in gold, there was an infinity symbol that looked like a two headed snake eating itself beneath said title.

Sitting back at her desk, she plopped the gleaming tome onto it and began leafing through the pages containing the title of the chapters within, foregoing the Table of Contents or the Index because, hey, when you can process information at super-speed, looking at those things isn’t as fun as watching the pages flap from the right to the left and then from the left to the right at speeds that should, by all rights, cause them to combust.

Deciding on a section of the book to actual start reading in earnest, she stopped her leafing and said aloud the name of the section she decided to stop at.

“Hrmmm…‘The Legend of the Infinity Gems...’ ”

“Long ago, before time, before space, before all physical laws and everything they govern as we know it, there existed a being. An anomaly. One with might enow to bend all known fragments of reality, harm all souls within, crush all minds within, warp all space within, empower those within, and bring an end to all time within.

“It would not be boasting to call this being, this anomaly, God. The One. The True. The Absolute. The Only.

“But, this being, this anomaly, was unaware of its creative gifts, its potential. Unaware that it could split the lonesome void in which nothing but it existed in with but a thought and give birth to myriads of reality fragments that mortals could only dream of and that many of whom, were incapable of.

“Instead, as time, or whatever it’s successor was before it, passed, this being, this anomaly, God, succumbed to the lonesome void, the nothingness.

“In its never ending grief, with but a thought, it killed itself.”

Twilight’s eyes widened in shock at this. She took a step back and trembled at what she had just read, “Wh--what type of pony could do that to himself? Why would anypony take their own life? It’s unbelievable,” the purple mare thought to herself as she looked at the pages, a hoof to her mouth in horror at the idea. She was always taught that life, ANY life, was a precious thing and to take it was to lose a piece of yourself. Not in any tongue she knew, not in Equestrian, Germanian, Sponish, Prench, Griffonian, or Minotaurian, was she aware of any word or series of words that could adequately convey how heinous of a crime such an act was.

She was beginning to suspect that whoever had authored this book was a special kind of deranged, even more so than Ponyville’s famous ‘Barking Mare.’

And yet...her curiosity got the better of her. As morbid as it was...she found herself drawn back to her desk with the intent of continuing to read about this macabre legend.

She had to know what would happen next and how it would all end.

“Though from such an entropic action, the first act of death in creation, a paradox arose.

“For it was from such an entropic action, the first act of death in creation, that creation itself and all of its fragments began, along with time, space, energy, matter, and the physical laws as we know them today.

“In this being’s death, came life.”

Twilight lifted her muzzle from the tome and rubbed her temples, still trying to reconcile that somepony’s suicide could have such a positive effect.

Yet she kept on reading.

“In this being’s death, arose six gems. Six gems said to contain the fractured remains of this being and all of its creative abilities within.

“Yet make no mistake: whomsoever wields all six gems will not use them for the purpose of construction. Rather, their power will corrupt their wielder, if said wielder is not already corrupt, for the sole purpose of wasting such potential for destruction instead.

“For the stench of the original being’s death is strong in its six remains and in all mortal hands, it WILL turn the wielder towards embracing death as the ultimate absolute of reality like the original being did long ago.

"Beware of these gems of death. Beware of them, these gems of death that bend reality, hurt the soul, crush the mind, warp space, bring  power, and end time. Be wary of them, these Infinity Gems, for in all mortal hands, they will doom all fragments of reality to die.”

Twilight sat the book down from her magic, her eyes still in shock about what she had just read. Could it be true? Could there be a pony just wishing for death on a universal scale? Could there be a pony resourceful enough to gather these gems and accomplish such a macabre goal?

She shook her head at that question.

Of course there was. There was a being bent on chaos after all who could warp reality to his whim on a planetary scale.

Narrowing her eyes in determination and the desire for knowledge, she took off to where Celestia was holding court, wanting to find out more about these stones and creature.

However, she was unaware of events transpiring elsewhere.

For in this vast multiverses of worlds and beings, there were places where the destinies of man and equine were being played out by creatures with powers far beyond those of mortals.

**********************************************************************************************************

A few short hours ago...

    Deep in space, within a dimensional partition separated from the rest of the universe long ago, there laid two distinct worlds ruled by a great yet divided race called, The New Gods.

The first was a planet of infinite beauty, pristine goodness, and ruled by a benevolent people. This world, New Genesis, was an Eden for all who came with heroism in their hearts and a burning desire to see light prevail over the cosmos.

The second, was an inverted and distorted mirror image, known as Apokolips. A literal hell on earth, with massive torrents of flame belching into the atmosphere from firepits in the ground that dotted the landscape with frightening frequency

The people here suffered from being enslaved by a monster who fancied himself not ‘a’ god, but THE GOD.

THE NEW GOD OF EVIL!

This creature was known as Darkseid. “Desaad, turn the scanner to quadrant 615,” he said, leaning forward as he sat on his throne, putting a hand to his chin.

    “Yes, lord Darkseid!” a man in a purple cloak said as he raced to the side of his keyboard and began to type the sequence into the keyboard that sat next to a spherical holographic display, showing stars of many bright colors swirling around one another.

    Silently, the mad god watched as the globe zoomed in on one of the stars, showing images of men in costumes fighting criminals and standing against beings in grab just as strange. As his red eyes gazed at the world that unfolded before him, his mind was taken back to an event that happened only a few years ago.

Of a war between two massive titans that were much closer to having the divine right to call themselves God than even he, though he would not admit it to anyone and would reduce any being he told this to, to their base atomic components with his O-Mega beams if he did. A war between his Universe and another, similar one. These two ‘Gods’ had set up a competition between their champions to determine which Universe would live and which would die. He had no part in that war, nor did he care.

    The war, however, introduced him to a being with just as much ambition as him and just as much of a great desire to see them carried out. Though they had a fight over...certain ideological differences, he had discovered a fact about that world that had piqued his curiosity.

When the two Gods had left this world and separated the Universes again, he had thought the item he wanted to gain was lost to the ages.

Recent events proved him wrong though.

    “S--sire! It seems that this universe is slowly dying from an unusually powerful zombie infestation!” Desaad said, cowering in fear as Darkseid glared in anger. “b--b--but it seems that this universe is very close to the one that we’re searching for! I believe that if we go to the next one, we’ll find the main one you seek.”

    “Very well then. Continue your search for Universe--616,” Darkseid commanded, his voice low and deep. Smiling, he admired the bright red gem that sat in the middle of the device as it glowed brightly in the center. He would have to thank whoever sent that gem here to Apokalips, for it was that gem that had sent him on his quest the being similar to him.

    “Sire! We have found him!” exclaimed Desaad as the screen zoomed in on a large starcraft shaped like an alien skull.

    “Excellent,” Darkseid said, leaning back in his chair. Letting loose a low chuckle, he smirked devilishly. “Hack his comm system. It is time to have a conversation with the ‘Mad Titan’ once again. If all goes well, perhaps it might even by me more time before we inevitably clash once more.”

**********************************************************************************************************

    On board the ship, within the command center, a large purple man dressed in a blue outfit stood vigilant in front of a window to the side of him and his command throne. His black eyes gazed across the lifeless landscape of space as it passed by the window. “Isn’t lovely, my lady?” he asked of no one in particular, placing a yellow gloved hand onto the window. “An endless void of death and dying that stretches out for miles. A potential graveyard of death all ours to enjoy,” the man continued to say, just stealing a glance over his shoulder at a statue of a female grim reaper. “Tell me, lady death, what can I do to please you?”

    The statue remained silent, keeping a quite look upon the purple creature before ‘her’.

    “What’s that, my love? There’s a new player in all of this?” the man asked as he walked up to the statue, caressing its chin softly.

    “Lord Thanos!” yelled a soldier as he ran into the chamber.

    “What is it, fool?!” Thanos boomed, looking down at his little lackey.

    “There is a man on the comm link! He says that he has something you might want,” the soldier said, leading Thanos into a large room that had a holographic display in the center.

    “Put him on,” Thanos said, looking at the display in the center.

    With a light fuzz and static, the holographic image came into view, revealing Darkseid as he stood with his hands behind his back.

“Greetings, Thanos.”

    Thanos’s eyes opened wide as the memory of the battle between him and Darkseid came flooding back.

“Darkseid! Prepare all batteries for fire!”

    With a cold calmness, Darkseid raised his hand, “Parley. I trust you have rules of engagement in your Universe?”

“Of course. After all, it is those rules that say it is better to fire first upon a known enemy and make inquiries later.”

“Hmmm...while I cannot deny the logic of such a strategic and tactical policy, in fact, I myself could have benefitted from its use in the past, what would you do to yourself if you later found out that killing me now would ultimately bring you two steps back from embracing your ‘Lady Death?’

    Thanos stared at the screen, into Darkseid’s soul-less red eyes with a gaze equally as soul-less.

    Neither of them blinked.

After ten seconds though, Thanos let out a sigh of disappointment. He rationalized that firing upon Darkseid would leave a bad taste in his mouth because he did not like the idea of using his weapons on a fool. Especially a fool leading him into something he’d likely regret like a moth to the flame.

“Very well. Why have you requested an audience with me, Darkseid?”

    Darkseid smiled as he lifted up a red gem from the device and held it in his palm, “I figured, this may interest you.”

  “An infinity gem! But, how?!” Thanos asked, “I thought that those ‘heroes’ had taken the gauntlet away from Adam Warlock and split the gems up a year ago.”

    “Ah, so that is what happened,” Darkseid said, looking deeply into the gem before him. “It seems that a powerful mage of yours split the 6 gems off into three universes to prevent them from joining onto the gauntlet once again. It so happens that the power gem fell into my plane of existence and through trial, error, and the sacrifice of many of my slaves, we were able to access its unfathomable power to peer through realities and talk to--”

    “--good for your slaves,” Thanos said, waving off their memory. “Now give me my gem and I will search for the other five on my own. You’ve surely leached off of it enough to have energy reserves that would allow you to send it to me without needing it to power the machine you’re presently using to have this conversation. The fact that you’re holding the gem now is evidence of that. ” Thanos demanded, holding out his hand.

    “No. I have a different offer,” Darkseid pulled the power gem away from the screen. “You see, I have a more enterprising offer. What if I were to tell you that, while using the power gem to scan the multiverse, I had found a similar power source in another plane not too far from here?”

    “What!?” Thanos asked, shocked at the news as he rose from his chair.

    “Yes...it seems that, while my men were peering through multiverses, they discovered gems that have similar energy to

the Infinity Gems. Ones that represent life as much as these gems can be used to represent death. They are called...the elements of harmony,” Darkseid said, standing to the side of his screen to show an image of five necklaces and a tiara with six gems inside them. “The items that they adorn are of little consequence. What is important are that those six gems resonate with the virtues of life: Honesty, Loyalty, Laughter, Kindness, Generosity, and Magic.”

    “I care not for life, only death,” Thanos said, showing not an ounce of kindness in his words.

    “I am quite aware of your hopeless Nihilism, Thanos,” Darkseid said. He rubbed his jaw with the back of his hand as though it was sore. “In fact, I can still feel the blows we exchanged when our conflicting mindsets lead our bodies to conflict.  That being said, I seek to RULE life, and those gems will be useful in that goal,” Darkseid said, bringing up an image of the elements next to him on the screen.

“Appropriately managed, I could force all of my slaves, to bow before me in undying loyalty even the best of my indoctrinators could not achieve. To force the people of any world to give themselves to me and so much more. Picture it! The virtues of life all at my command! The seeds of Yargsil at my fingertips! Such a tool would be better than the anti-life equation itself! And that, is where you come in.”

    Thanos leaned forward in his chair with his chin in his hand. He looked to the side for a moment in consideration before facing the screen again. “I am listening,”

    “I will have my men come to you and upgrade your ship for multiversal travel. Afterwards, you will go into this world of harmony, and simple pluck the elements from whatever meager defense the natives can bring forth,” Darkseid said, bringing up an image of the world in question from orbit.

    “And how exactly do I benefit from all of this?” Thanos asked, sitting back in his chair.

    “You? Why simple,” Darkseid said. “Once you give me the elements, I will give you my universe's infinity gems and allow you to return to your world with those gems. I will have the power to dominate life in my universe and you will be a few steps closer to annihilating all life in yours. As...intriguing as it is, I care not for your universe or what you do there. I only care about ruling and dominating my own. See how we stand benefit mutually?”

    Thanos sat in his chair for a few moments and smiled. “Yes, I do. Send your men over, and we can begin.”

    “You are so kind,” Darkseid said as he terminated the transmission.

**********************************************************************************************************

    “Sire? Why are you letting that mad man have the gems so easily?” Desaad asked.

    “Simple. I love bringing a man to the heights of happiness and joy, only to take it away from him at the last second as his hopes and dreams crumble. When our Mad Titan presents the elements before me, I will succeed where last I failed, and bring him to his beloved lady death. With him departed, the elements and the gems, will be mine and I will possess all facets of life and death.” Darkseid said, as he sat in his throne.

He watched three separate events from the projector unfold before him. The first was of his Parademons appearing next to Thanos’s ship via boom-tubes with the necessary equipment to upgrade his ship. The second was of two Equines, one purple with wings and a horn, and the other with wings and a Rainbow mane leave a train station and enter a city with an immaculately white palace. The third was of Superman and Wonder Woman fifteen into their charity contest of strength.

“I will rule over all.”

**********************************************************************************************************

    As Rainbow Dash waited for her friend to finish up with her business in Canterlot, she turned her eyes to the local

Wonderbolt hangout. A smile came to her lips as she walked to the bustling bar and grill place, listening to the sounds of the ponies as they mingled and talked about their routines and their daily lives. As she neared the door, she was stopped by a very large pegasus, “Excuse me, but Wonderbolts only, kid.”

“Look, I was told by Spitfire herself that I could come and visit anytime I wanted,” Dash said, a defiant look in her eyes.

“Look, kid, if I had a nickle for everytime I heard that old story I would--” the bouncer was about to begin but was interrupted by a feminine voice.

“You would have enough to buy me the palace itself. Yeah. We all heard that one Dad!” Spitfire said, using her light-yellow hoof to push aside the large pegasus, “ Welcome to club Sky-high, Dash.”

“Thanks,” Rainbow Dash said, smiling at seeing the fiery-maned pegasus, “I’m glad you invited me.”

“Hmmm, lets see: Top graduate at the academy, best young flier, and you the second fastest flier I’ve ever seen. Yeah, you might as well be a Wonderbolt now, so why wait to let you in the best club in existence,” Spitfire said, placing a hoof onto the shoulder of the blue pegasus.

A cocky smile came to Dash’s lips as they walked into the bar, glad to be complimented. However, her basking was quickly interrupted by a table being thrown over and a large yell being heard.

“I SAW IT, I TELLS YA!”

    “Yeah, yeah. And I bet you saw Tirac dancing with muffins too. A lot of people see things when they are near death and crashing at that speed,” a pony with a yellow mane and blue coat said, drinking her cider, “It’s a natural reaction, Streak.”

    “I’M NOT CRAZY BLAZE!!” The white pegasus said, thrusting out his hoof at his squad mate, “I swear to Celestia that before you caught me, I saw it! It was heavenly, with ponies, creatures I had never seen, and other things all running around me like they were in a race for their lives! And I was there with them! I didn’t make it UP!”

    “Ok, I think you had enough to drink man,” a light blue pony said as he took the leg of the rambling stallion and took him out of the club.

    “I’m telling the truth! I touched the Speedforce! Its real! The Speedforce is real!” Streak yelled as he was dragged away out of the bar. “IT’S REAL I TELLS YA! REEEEEAAAAALLLLL!”

    “...The Speedforce?” Dash asked, looking at Spitfire curiously.

    “You never heard of the legend?” Spitfire asked.

    Rainbow Dash shook her head. “I think mom told me about something called the Speedforce, years ago, but I forgot it.”

    “It’s an old speedster’s legend. About as old as a pony’s been running,” Spitfire said as she offered a seat to Dash and ordered some drinks, “Everypony who has ever run extremely fast, flew fast enough to create sonic booms, or has moved fast enough to leave a trail owes their energy and lives to the Speedforce. We get our energy from it, it helps us move so fast, and it keeps us going. When we die...we’ll go back into the speedforce and continue running for the rest of eternity, like a heaven for runners.”

    “Wait, I remember now,” Dash said as she took a long drink of her cider, “Mom said once that when we see a lightning bolt, it’s a runner breaking through the Speedforce to have one last race.”

    “My mom told me that too,” Spitfire said with a smile, “There’s another part of the legend that says, if a pony were to become fast enough, break through every barrier in existence, that she or he will be able go into the Speedforce and race all of the fastest ponies who have ever lived, there. Of course, he or she would have to live as well.”

    “Wait, you’ve broken into the Speedforce?” Dash asked, her excitement peaked.

    “Thats the legend, though all who’ve tried have failed and ended up like Streak over,” Spitfire said, pointing towards a window where the aforementioned white pegasus was leaning against.

“IT’S REEEEAAAAALLLLL!”

    “The fastest ponies in history are running there,” Dash though to herself, “Excuse me, I’ve got to go!”

    “You’re not seriously planning on trying to go through all that, are you?” Spitfire asked, once again pointing toward Streak.

“REEEEAAAAALLLLLL!”

    “Hey, you said second fastest. I need to be the best. And if anypony can make the impossible real, its me!” With that, Dash ran out of the bar.

“I was just joking when I said you were the second!” Spitfire yelled after her before looking at her cup with sullenness, a hoof on her chin. “You are the fastest.”

Dash, however, could not hear Spitfire as she ran to the training grounds, determined to prove herself to be the best.

********************************************************************************************************

Several miles off the eastern seaboard, between Metropolis and Washington D.C. to be specific, the ocean was awash with yachts, cruise vessels, pleasure boats, and motor boats. Big or small, rich or poor, they had all assembled beneath a cloudless quilt of skyblue and had encircled a small island no wider or longer than the Nimitz Class-Aircraft carrier that floated on stand-by along with dozens of coast guard vessels.

After all, even at a peaceful international charity event where all of the spectators were armed with mere binoculars, spy-

glasses, and monocles, it paid to have back-up ready to rescue civilians in case the superheroes they were watching were otherwise preoccupied by sudden and hazardous developments.

It also, paid for the heroes to have some semblance of back-up, even though the odds of the heroes in question needing help from mere mortals like the U.S. Military was nil.

Said heroes stood at opposite ends of the small island that was drawing so much attention. As the sun was a few minutes rose to its highest point in the sky, they both stretched out their muscles until they felt limber. Once they did, they walked towards the center of the island, both not daring to take their respective eyes off of the other.

Upon reaching the center, they stopped before a table, carved from the rock of the island.

They continued to stare at one another.

The first hero was Friedrich Nietzsche's fantasy incarnate, wrapped in a red, yellow, and blue.

The second was Susan B. Anthony’s fantasy incarnate, wrapped in red, white, and blue.

Superman’s facade of seriousness shattered and a warm smile grew from ear to ear on his face.

Wonder Woman’s serious facade of seriousness shattered and a warm smile grew from ear to ear on her face.

“Diana! It’s been too long,” said Superman.

“Likewise, Clark.”

The two of them leaned over the stone table and gave each other a big hug. Perhaps hugs that were a little too big. Both felt the other’s arms dig rather uncomfortably into their respective spines.

“So--how was--your latest--swaray--into--space--Diana?” Superman asked in between breaths.

“Eh--you know--topple one--Inter-Nebular--Totalitarian--Regime--and you’ve--pretty much--toppled them--all,” Wonder Woman said, also in between breaths.

“That--good to--UH--hear,” Superman said, sweating. “WHEW! You’ve been--working out--haven’t you?”

“Yep--unlike---some men--I could mention--I can’t just--take a--dip in the sun--to maintain my--physical--fitness. I actually--have to--work at it,” said Wonder Woman, also sweating.

“That’s--not what--Shayera--told me.”

Wonder Woman huffed. “Fine--it’s easier--for me--than a--typical--mortal woman--but--it’s still harder than--what you--have to do.”

Both of their backs made a cracking sound at that very instant, eliciting gasps of pain from the both of them.

“What--do you--say--we--save our strength--for the--arm wrestling--competition?” asked Superman.

“Sounds--fine--with--me,” said Wonder Woman.

The two immediately let go of the other and stumbled a few steps back as though their backs were hunched. After a few moments spent catching their second winds, they stretched themselves out again till they could once more stand fully erect and went back to the table. They both placed their right elbows on it and locked their right hands together.

“Ready?” asked Superman.

“Does Hermes like skirt chasing Iris?” said Wonder Woman, smirking.

“You know, this is just for a charity. There’s no need to be so competitive.”

“Don’t let that stop you from giving it your all. I know it won’t for me.”

Superman, despite himself, returned the smirk. “Alright. Just don’t get upset with me if you end up losing on international television and your rogues make cracks at you for it.”

“Pretty big ‘IF’ if you ask me.”

The seconds ticked by.

A cool wind had descended upon the area, chilling all except the two heroes on the small island.

The sun had reached its Zenith.

And Superman and Wonder Woman gave it their all in the greatest arm wrestling match the modern world had ever seen.

For one whole hour, every man, woman, and child, including the Coast Guard and Navy, gazed in abject awe. Bets had changed and altered faster than a certain Scarlet Speedster and few people dared to look away from the inspiring spectacle lest they miss any sudden upsets.

For the first fifteen minutes, they noticed how both of their arms had not bunched an inch from being parallel to the table head.

In second quarter of fifteen minutes, they saw Wonder Woman begin to falter and come half-way to losing.

In the third quarter of fifteen minutes, they observed Wonder Woman make a tremendous come back and force Superman’s hand to come half-way to losing.

In the fourth and final quarter of fifteen minutes, Superman and Wonder Woman had once again returned their hands to where they were in the beginning of the match.

Once more, it was anyone’s game.

“Wow--I’m--impressed Diana,” Superman said through gritted teeth. “You’re--strength--has really--improved.”

“Thank--you--but I--think--you’ll be--REALLY impressed--when--you’re-- beaten.”

“Huh--last--I--checked--I’m still--a long way--from--”

Simultaneously, a voice sounded in both of their ears via their JLA communication devices. A familiar, dark, and brooding one.

“Superman. Wonder Woman. Get to the Watchtower. Now,” said Batman.

The two of them placed their free hand onto their respective ears and in unison, said, “Kind of busy now!”

“Now!”

The two of them sighed.

“How--serious--is it?” asked Superman.

“Clark...when has something I’ve ever had to call you and Diana up to the Watchtower for ever NOT been EXTREMELY serious?”

“Yeah--guess--that was--kind of a--dumb question--wasn’t it?” asked Superman.

“I--agree,” said Wonder Woman. “Though--I fear that--if Clark-- and I--don’t settle this--charity--business--once and for--all--we--never--will.”

“Whatever. Just make sure that you end it within the next three minutes, or I’m having J’onn port you up here with or without your consent. Batman out.”

Superman and Wonder Woman grimaced.

Wry grins were next to appear on their faces.

“Well--you heard--the man,” said Wonder Woman.

“Loud--and--clear,” said Superman.

“So--what--say--we--finish this up--quickly?”

“I’d--say--that I’m--more than--happy--to--oblige!”

Two heroes struggled to use up what strength they had left in their respective right arm in a minute.

One hero, through sheer attrition, managed to break this stalemate in the following thirty seconds.

The other, in the following thirty seconds, attempted to turn the tides and ended up having to cede more and more ground…

until…

in the following two minutes...

in a triumphant shower of rock, dust, and water…

the first hero, had won.

Not a second afterwards, and they both disappeared in an aura of cerulean light.

In their wake, they left the table and the entire island beneath splintered in half.

They also left behind a minor tidal wave that shook all of the ships floating around the island, including the Nimitz class air-craft carrier...