Chapter Zero - Let The Games Begin!
LOCATION: THE GRAVE LORD'S CHAMBERS
DATE: Friday, May 12, 2017 AD
I sit upon my throne, watching the embers of the rain flow from outside my window. The beasts that roam my yard... my pets... hunger. They seek something new to eat.
My boredom grows heavy... I know not how long it will take until my insanity becomes evermore violent.
"Master? Are you doing well?" I hear an all-too-familiar voice call me by my title from behind. I sigh and turn my head as my impish servant, Kiala, comes into view, wearing her usual black maiden dress that reveals her bright pink thighs, shoulders, and face. Her four glowing yellow eyes show true concern, and her pitch black hair is neatly tied up into two mid-length pigtails, telling me that she took my advice on her fashion disasters to heart... how pathetic.
"Kiala... what have I told you about knocking?" I ask her, hoping she catches onto my annoyance.
She does and recoils back. "S-sorry, Master! It's just that... w-well, I... um... I did knock."
I point my right finger at her, causing the collar around her neck to tighten, forcing her to her knees as she tries breaking free from the collar's grasp... but to no avail.
"Then knock harder next time, or go away! Understood?!" I angrily ask, turning to face her eyes-to-eye.
With tears running down her cheeks, she weakly nods her head. She can't speak, however, as she's making too much choking noises.
"Don't let this happen again, or you'll end up like your mother! UNDERSTOOD?!" I ask her again, this time with more authority in my voice.
She nods her head again, and I release her from my grip. "Good... now speak, or leave."
"I-I... I..." she begins, but decides to tear up and run outside my room, quickly closing my door behind her.
I sigh and sit back down on my throne before waving my hand in front of the mirror before me. "I do suppose another adventure is long overdue. I haven't been able to slaughter anyone personally in a long time... and surely I am in need of more zombified slaves, anyways!"
I grin before snapping my right fingers. Immediately, a crystal ball appears over my lap, levitating in midair.
"Now, then... I have plenty of zombified demons, plenty of obedient demons, and plenty of pets... but I'm having quite a shortage on birds. I wonder what in the Multiverse I could find?"
SUBJECT: JAY FALCON
AGE: 32
GENDER: MALE
RACE: AVIAN
STATUS: MARRIED, SIX HATCHLINGS, TWO FLEDGLINGS, ONE EGG.
PLANET: SKYHAVEN
LOCATION: THE GREEN DESERT
The glass ball immediately fills up with black smoke, before a moving image plays within.
I am able to see a seven foot tall Avian biped with white feathers, green eyes, and a short, dark-tipped yellow beak that arches down.
He wears a bright tan coat, dark brown combat pants, black and brown combat boots, and a bright tan rag over the lower half of his beak. He's carrying a sniper rifle and running from one stone building's corner to another... all while other Avians fire their weapons at him.
A couple more Avians are right beside him, each dressed in a similar fashion, and firing their weapons towards their distant enemies, each of which are wearing dark blue and red uniforms.
The sand of the environment that he stands in is, as the location's name implies, green, and from the looks of it, he is currently in a seek and destroy mission with his fellow squad mates.
"Ah... Captain Jay Falcon of the White Crows... a fine example of loyalty and respect, as well as discipline and honor. Oh, what would his squad mates ever do without him? Well... they would probably die... but why don't we find out?"
"Hm... come to think of it, I could also use a simple human zombie, as well... someone who could at least last more than a few seconds, before being torn apart by my pets... if not for skill, then perhaps just sheer dumb luck?"
SUBJECT: JUSTIN DANIELS
AGE: 23
GENDER: MALE
RACE: HUMAN
STATUS: SINGLE
PLANET: EARTH
LOCATION: NORTH AMERICA
The glass ball covers its contents in black smoke again, revealing another image.
A young Caucasian man with dark brown hair and bluish green eyes and a small amount of facial hair pops into view.
He is wearing a green polo shirt neatly tucked into black work jeans, and has black tennis shoes on over black socks that cover his feet.
In his hands, he carries a baseball bat and walks from a convenience store towards the road, traveling home after a long Thursday night at work.
"Justin Daniels... the perfect choice for balancing things out! While not as strong as most of them, he makes up for it with his wits and his natural-born running speed... and oh, how he'll be running, indeed! It's too bad his health and his immune system isn't as good as he would need it to be..."
"And now that I think about it, they will not be able to breathe in this atmosphere without a proper plant to aid them... maybe a living one, like... oh, I don't know... how about a Treant? Someone who could make good firewood, perhaps?"
SUBJECT: TOROTH
AGE: 124
GENDER: N/A
RACE: TREANT
STATUS: SINGLE, ASEXUAL
PLANET: EDEN
LOCATION: THE FORBIDDEN GARDEN
Once more, the crystal ball changes its view towards another individual. This time, the scenery remains dark, but I am able to easily see through it, and spot the figure within.
A Treant... a treelike biped with two large stumps for legs, two thick clawed branches, and leaves for hair. This one once had glowing yellow eyes, but the lack of sleep has caused red outer rings to form inside each.
"Ah, Toroth... now you're quite the infamous one, aren't you? A runaway who was framed for the murdering of your village chief? Yeah, I don't think they'll be missing you of all people... no friends, no family... nobody will even know of your disappearance... and in due time, your very existence will be forgotten! Hmm... how deliciously sad, indeed..."
"Oh! Now that it's crossed my mind, I should probably get a Magic User in the field! Someone who could at least put up a challenge for my pets... they grow bored as well, after all..."
I snap my fingers, but notice that nobody shows up on my crystal ball. This infuriates me, and forces me to toss the ball out the window.
"Damn it! Why can't anyone learn how to use magic, yet?!"
Suddenly, I stop myself from speaking. An idea then pops into my mind... a deliciously disturbing idea.
"Maybe... they don't all have to be bipedal? After all, I'm also looking for new pets!"
At another snap of my finger, the crystal ball reappears. Then, after the black smoke shows up, the ball reveals one last location for me.
SUBJECT: TWILIGHT SPARKLE
AGE: 18
GENDER: FEMALE
RACE: PONY, UNICORN
STATUS: SINGLE, FOSTERING ONE CHILD
PLANET: EQUULEUS
LOCATION: EQUESTRIA
The fourth figure appears before the crystal ball, sitting on her sofa, reading a book. Rather than a biped, however, she is a quadruped, and doesn't have any hands or feet, but hooves.
Her coat is lavender colored, and her mane and tail are purple with a single pink stripe adorning it longways. She also has bright purple eyes, and her body shape is similar to that of a pony, yet alien in facial features... almost like a cartoon character, with eyes big and bulging like that of a character from an anime or a manga. On her flanks rests a pink star-shaped symbol that is known by her world's inhabitants as a "cutie mark".
What's more, though, she isn't wearing any clothing, but doesn't appear fazed by that detail. If anything, the only detail she's focused on is whatever is inside the book she's reading.
"Twilight Sparkle... the beloved young student of Princess Celestia, herself! Now that would be quite an interesting catch, indeed! Perhaps when she's under my control, I could have her actually teach my worthless servants how to properly handle magic!"
"Ah, but how she will be missed by her friends, her family, and her beloved teacher... oh, well. I'm sure someone... or rather, somepony else will be there to take her place... eventually."
At that, I clap my hands together and grin mischievously.
"Well, then. It looks like we have our contestants here! Let's see where to start them off at..." I snap my fingers again, and the crystal ball changes its contents once more.
A red grassy hill with a worn down shack at the top appears within.
"Ooh, 'The House of Haunted Hill'! An old time favorite! It's been eons since we've had any fun up in there!"
The ball changes its inside into a four-way split screen with the four chosen characters I will be using.
I lift my right hand in the air one last time, as a white fog appears around it.
"Well, then. Jay, Justin, Toroth, and Twilight... let us see just how long you all can last!"
I hover my hand between my mouth and the crystal ball, take a deep breath, and puff my cheeks up.
Finally, I blow the fog into the crystal ball with a powerful gust of wind, causing the characters within to look around confusedly and worriedly.
"LET THE GAMES... BEGIN!"
