Celestia quickly trots down the hall towards the sealed chamber. A room she visits quite frequently after her day is done and her sister takes over for the night. The wrought-iron door creaks open to reveal the large space containing a single piece of technology that she just barely understands. Thanks to a little tome she keeps in the chamber with the Gate, she's beginning to understand how it works, even if it's a little at a time. The alicorn enters the room, heading over to the desk where said journal lays.
The Solar Princess reaches a single hoof out, pulling the bound tome closer to her and opening the cover. She carefully flips through the pages to find the chapters where he starts talking about Equestira. Hiding amongst the pages is the very schematics he drew up to build his Gate. Celestia's purple eyes scan over for anything of note. He wrote it in another language so translating it is taking up a lot of time. She stops reading and looks over to the device, stepping over to it to scan it as well. The alicorn spots a lever, easily flicking it with her magic but nothing happens. No hum of energy, no sparks, no indication that the machine even has power.
A defeated sigh leaves her lips as she flips the switch back to it's original position, dragging her hooves a bit as she goes back to the desk. Her eyes starts to look over the pages of the journal again, brow starting to furrow as she continued o carefully examine each word. Each line, curve, and imperfection hasn't been able to escape her gaze but why does the answer to this puzzle evade her so?
"Come on, Yeeticus, my friend. I know you hid the answer in here somewhere." Celestia mutters to herself as she uses her magic to lift the book up. "You wouldn't just disappear like this."
It had been a few years since she had last seen the goblin she claims as a friend. The portal would open for either her or him to walk through and they'd spend a day to catch up on their recent findings. Then the device just stopped working. No rhyme or reason, it just refused to power on and bridge a gap one day. Celestia had taken to researching the journal he left in her care. Nothing came of it, yet she never stopped trying. She felt it was her duty to at least try anything in her power to get the Gate up and running again. Time after time, nothing worked. Time after time, Celestia never gave up.
The portal has a different reaction, however, as it starts to boot up. Thrumming of energy arcs through its coils and into the crystals lining the frame. The Solar Princess doesn't take notice of the noises in the background as she has all her focus on the book in front of her. The portal flickers with arcane sparks until it just rips open with a thunderous boom. Celestia yelps as the noise takes her by surprise and turns right around. Her eyes widen further as the portal can be seen through now standing on the other side is the one she's been looking for: A goblin named Yeeticus.
He simply steps forth from a plane of existence on to hers, his boots hitting the stone ground. The goblin looks vastly different now; more plate armor is present in the form of gauntlets and greaves, a strange pack seems to protrude pipes, and his aura feels different. Stronger she might say.
"Hey, Tia." His words flowed out of his mouth, portraying a tired sense to them as he removes his goggles and hat. "Been a while, huh."
At first, Celestia can't believe her eyes, saying nothing as she takes a step forward. Then she rushes him, enveloping him in wings and hooves, squeezing him against her chest. "Where have you been?! I've missed you!"
The goblin can feel the happy tears on his cheek as she nuzzles him close. "I... I got stranded somewhere and needed to overthrow a tyrant in the process." He feels her chuckle against him followed by a sniffle as she sets him down. "I'm back now."
Tartarus is a desolate place where the worst that Equestria has to offer. Many beasties reside here, villains of all walks are kept in its lowest depths. This is where Weylan currently resides in a cage of his own and shackles that are designed to work on him. He's lost count of how long he's been sitting in this cage. He can't complain, three meals a day complete with water so he's hydrated. He isn't alone down here, there is another. They have never spoken, not that he cares, he just reflects. The silence helps with his focus on his past and those actions he's taken. He finds that he does indeed deserve this punishment.
The silence is broken when something sparks nearby that catch his attention. His eyes move up to look at the location as a gate rips the fabric of reality wide open. Out of it steps another being like him: a human it seems. Looks kind of middle aged, nicely dressed, but with an air of familiarity. Weylan can't quite place where he's seen that face before.
"So." That voice comes out smooth, almost charismatic in a way as he looks around the desolate plane he's found himself in. "This is where that insufferable egomaniac has run, hm?"
Weylan's eyes widen as he finally recognizes who is in front of him. "It can't be."
"Oh but it is, Weylan." The figure speaks with a smirk, not even bothering to acknowledge his very presence, just his voice. "You aren't the one I'm here for. I'm here for the red one."
As if on cue, the other presence rises it its hooves. A centaur of red hue makes itself known as its finger wrap around the bars. A curious look on its face as it stares the newcomer down. The figure just smiles at him as his eyes give off a glint of something in explainable.
"Lord Tirek, it's your lucky day. You get to help me in humiliating someone who has done the same to me."
"Sister, are you sure he is going to help us?" Luna's voice carries a good amount of uncertainty and worry.
"He will. He won't leave us on our own." Celestia answers while they hurry down the hall. "Don't tell me you don't trust him already."
"He did leave us for a few years, do you not remember?" Luna asks, apparently not sharing in her sister's hope.
"Twilight and her friends could handle whatever was thrown at them." Celestia answers as a simple known fact. "This is a different problem, so it requires a different solution."
Her words had rang true with the younger sister. It had only been a few days and a lot has happened. Tirek has returned to Equestria, but not in the way it was supposed to happen. The centaur arrived way too early and far too powerful already, he wasn't with Discord either. Instead he had come back with some other creature, but the dynamic is off, almost like Tirek is the one being bossed around. All magic of the ponies had been consumed by the red creature but his companion seems to have something else in mind. They enter the chamber where the portal is running. They waste no time running over and hopping through.
On the other side they are met with a warm and rather sizeable office space. A fire crackles from across the portal, filling the room with a comforting heat that almost makes them forget their current problem. Large oak bookshelves line one of the walls while the goblin they're looking for sits opposite at an equally large desk that is quite too big for the small creature that sits at it. The portal closes behind them as his red eyes glance up at them from the parchment he's writing on.
"Ah! If it isn't my good friends Celestia and Luna!" A big grin graces his features as he sets his quill down. His eyes glance down to their flanks and it fades just as quick. "What happened to your cutie marks?"
"Tirek has come back..." Celestia answers while approaching the desk.
"He wasn't supposed to come back for a while now." Yeeticus cuts in, causing Luna to look at her sister.
"He knows?"
"I've always known, Luna." His smile returns a bit. "There's more to me than the stories they tell of my name."
The way he says the second part of his statement sends the hairs on the back of Luna's neck on end. "Has she told you what's going to happen then?"
"Tia here has told me what's supposed to happen." Yeeticus answers, his eyes moving back towards the Solar Diarch. "What changed to have caused Tirek's early return?"
"A creature much like Weylan is helping him instead of Discord." Celestia explains. "I feel that Tirek is the one going to be betrayed in this instance."
The goblin scoffs at the mention of Discord's name, waving his hand. "Bah! Chaos Gods are a dime a dozen, they all tend to act the exact same." His posture shifts as he leans in closer. "This human... what about them is off to you?"
"They keep Tirek on a particularly short leash, constantly reminding him of what lays at the end of their journey if they succeed: ultimate power to conquer all of Equestria."
"Let us be honest, sister. Tirek is not the most sharp of minds." Luna states. "I doubt it would not take much to convince him to ally."
"I don't think it's wise to under estimate our opponent." Yeeticus says as he pushes his chair back and hopping out of it. Letting his full uniform be on display for the two. "However, I doubt Tirek is the main player in whatever is going on. Come, come, we have something to discuss."
Tirek is impatiently pacing in front of the gorge to some measly pony ruins. He has all the magic of Equestria at his finger tips and he's wasting by waiting for some lowly creature to finish whatever it is he's doing. He should be out there tearing the landscape asunder! No, instead he's playing guard to this creature that should be beneath him. Instead h let his head be filled with the promise of power he couldn't possibly imagine, and all he had to do was cooperate. Just a little longer then he can stomp this creature under his hoof or his fist.
"Everything is set." He hears the voice of the creature that released him as he climbs out of the gorge.
"Then what, are we supposed to wait?" Tirek grumbles with rather annoyed huff.
"That would be the idea." The creature seems to just smile. "He should be catching word soon, then he will come running."
"You're sure he will come to save them?" Tirek asks with a bit of curiosity.
"He will have to, I've made it so that he must." There's a sort of sick smile on the creature as Tirek peers down at him.
"Who is this 'he' you keep referring to?" The red centaur giant now questions.
"Only the most annoying of creatures to grace these planes: a goblin."
The corridor the two sister are being led down feels much like the ones found on their own ships back in Equestria. Except these halls are furnished with carpets and décor that makes it feel homey and warm. They come across hoof traffic in the form of all kinds of creatures they've never seen before. They look on in awe as the creatures they pass by or make room for them don't even question the newcomers' presence. Some were far larger than the minotaurs they've come to know. Others are smaller than the goblin they've come to know. All of them seem to have one thing in common: uniforms that suggested they all serve on a naval vessel. It doesn't take them long to figure that it's the one they are on. Suddenly everything lurches forward once, causing the two alicorns to stumble while their goblin companion doesn't even seem bothered by the movement.
"Sorry about that, ladies. Sometimes there's.... turbulence... out here." Yeeticus apologizes with a smile over his shoulder.
Celestia looks at her goblin friend, not for the choice of word, but for the pause. "What do you mean?"
"Well... just take a look for yourself." He tells them while pressing his hands against a pair of large steel doors.
The goblin, despite his size compared to the doors, easily pushes them wide open to a command deck. Various other creatures that both are the same species as their friend and some are much like Weylan when he was around, seat themselves at various machines while communicating. What's the most enthralling of all is what lays beyond the glass panes of the deck: a vast sea of colors and what looks like stars. Shades of blues and purples shift to shades of reds and yellows. Constantly giving way to one another all the while stars seem to shine their light through the colored hazes. The sight itself is beautiful in a way they couldn't describe.
Yeeticus looks to them and smiles a bit at their loss of words. "That, my friends, is the Planar Sea. I consider it a sort of Realm between Realms. An intermediate that separates planes and universes from one another." His hand gestures out towards the glass panes. "Quite the sight, ain't it? As much as I'd love to show you girls around, I do believe we have some business to attend to."
The sisters give him a slight nod, causing the goblin and gently ushers what they believe to be an officer back along side him. Luna looks to her sister and nods at her. Celestia, glancing to her lunar sibling and nodding in turn before stepping forward. She clears her throat, aware she is probably the better speaker of the two. Especially being the most likely to make public appearances, events, and the like.
"As you are aware, Tirek has escaped Tartarus early with the aid of something we have no idea on who or what they are. When they came to the palace for our magic, it seemed as though they already hit the other Princesses before moving on to us. Twilight, our niece, my sister and I, and all ponies of Equestria have lost their magic to Tirek with the guidance of this new threat. One that promises him greater magic than he could dream of." Celestia goes on to explain probably more for the current crew on the bridge and Officer than her goblin friend. Whom of which just watches her with a grin. "We come here to ask for your aid in subduing both Tirek and his unknown compatriot and help us restore magic to our world."
"What do you think, Harper should we help?" Yeeticus looks up to the officer who they guess is his name.
This Harper looks down to the goblin with what appears to be a knowing smirk. "I think you now my answer, boss. Always willing to lend a hand where it's needed."
"Excellent. Send a scouting party forward to Equestria to observe the current situation. From there I will work with Celestia on a plan of attack." Yeeticus claps his hands together, rubbing them a little too eagerly.
"Understood, sir. I'll send a unit out immediately." Harper responds, saluting his superior before marching out of the bridge.
"Come, come. You both must be starving after a trip like that." The goblin smiles at both of his friends, beckoning for them to follow.
When he took them to the mess hall, they were kind of expecting it to be all military dress much like the one their guards use back on their world instead of finery. They figured with how this place is ran, it'd be more military. They suppose it is in some regard, but the head is far from looking like a serious commander, just some goblin with a knack for building. Speaking of which, said being sets down two plates of fruit salad in front of them, breaking them out of their somewhat trance. Both look down at the food in front of them with some confusion. Their eyes soon look up to the goblin sitting across from both.
"Yeeticus." Celestia is the first to break the silence. "If you have any idea on what's going on. Please, tell us."
"I have a theory." He admits before looking around, both having make sure that they're somewhat secluded and away from nosey ears. "I don't think you're going to like it."
"We do not like our position as it is." Luna interjects with some annoyance. "So please just tell us what idea you have already."
"Well, as you both know, I disappeared for... quite some time." He goes on to tell, both sisters nodding. "I had some things that needed my attention, then I got stranded."
"Where?" The solar sister asks.
They watch as his face turns a little bit remorseful. "Home." He simply states as his eyes seem to find no focus. "Yet, it wasn't my home. At least not the one I knew, the one I grew up in. It was different and some I once could trust wasn't who they were here. They took power by force and I did the one logical thing I could think of at the time: I helped a revolution, became its head somehow, and I found myself fighting their war. I recruited, I planned, I ordered. I even took his own spies from him! We fought a long war, we fought eachother, and before he could land a final blow, I forced a plane shift on a scale I've never attempted before and stranded us both to the Sea."
"What happened after that?" He isn't sure which of the two asked between bites of their food.
"I.. I'm not sure. I blacked out and then when I came back, I was in the medical bay of my ship."
"So, who is it and what do they have to do with us?" Luna clearly asks.
"Jharin, and I fear he has found a way out of the Planar Sea." The goblin adds. "If he has, then he's found out where I've been."
"Is he like Weylan, that creature you tangled with years ago?" Celestia shoots out.
"Worse, I feel he may have taken up a disguise to hide his true shape to fit in with the population. In reality, he is a supremely powerful dragon with equally powerful magic."
"Well, if he is just a dragon then we can take him once we get our magic back." Luna boldly states.
"Not this one." Yeeticus looks at the lunar sister wit a cold stare. "You're dragons have nothing on these kinds of dragons from my plane."
An hour is spent with the the goblin explaining Jharin's exact nature. He isn't sure what his goal is especially if he's targeting the poor ponies of Equestria. Yet, if he found them then it may have something to do with Yeeticus. This speculation is what causes a bit of anger to boil inside of him. Thankfully he doesn't have to keep speculating as one of the ship's crew members walks right up to the table.
"Sir, the scouting report." A feminine voice states before placing an envelope on the table and sliding it over.
"How long has it been?" Celetia asks the crew member.
"An hour." Yeeticus cuts in as he opens the envelope to loo at the report. "They work fast or there won't be much. Ah, it appears that Tire is guard old ruins of a castle."
Tirek is tired of waiting. This puny creature assures him that the wait will be worth it. For their sake, it better be. He keeps his eyes trained on the horizon just in case something comes up. It has been hours, he grows weary as he spies nothing out of the ordinary. That is until something comes walking out of the tree line. Whatever it is, it's tiny, even smaller than he current creature that aided his escape. It's almost adorable. He could easily crush it if this was the opponent he would be promised. Yet, he can just taste the unbridled power of unknown magic emanating off of the being. It is intoxicating.
Then a voice booms from the being. "I'm looking for Tirek! Know where I can find him? Big, Red, probably has a god complex or overcompensation issues!"
Tirek only grits his teeth. "You are foolish to have come alone! You shall perish for you insolence!"
"The thing is..." The creature replies with a smugness of endless bounds. "... I never come to a fight alone."
Almost on cue, a massive mass of metal slowly appears out of thin air while floating high above the trees of the Everfree. The creature does a little bit of a flourish with his hands before bowing. Little to the knowledge of the giant centaur, this is only one piece of a larger plan conceived by this tiny creature and little did Tirek know that there was more hiding amongst the bushes. Then it happens after it completes his bow. Almost a dozen flares of explosive powder erupt, producing sounds louder than thunder. One impact after another hits Tirek's body. The centaur raises his arms out of reflex to cover the incoming blasts against him.
Yeeticus sees this as his chance and starts to make a dash for Tirek's legs. With some hopeful luck he could just run right under the menace and find the one who freed him. The boom of the cannons are music to his ears as each section fires in sequence. The reality of it is that he knows they wont break the magic energy that coats the centaur's body, at least not immediately. Timing, as it seems, is not on his side as a mighty roars erupts from the lungs of Tirek and a blast of energy cuts right through the tree line right where the the clearing meets. Just in time to catch a certain green creature bravely running towards him. He rears up a massive fist and sends it careening down to in the path of his would-be assailant. As his blow is about to land, a hole opens up below. A pain shoots up his arm from his fist not only from the sudden stop but also a pressure being subjected on his fingers.
Tireks pulls his arm back as the portal starts closing. Looking at where it once was with mild fury and curiosity. The answer to such a question soon to be answered by another esoteric portal that rips open before him. Its size rivalling his own. Yet even more puzzling is what steps through; A massive bipedal machine that looks like it runs on gigantic boiler combined with tesla coils. The robot has to duck just to exit the portal, but once out it rises to a height just taller then Tirek. Cannons of some kind adorn the shoulders near the top while a smaller set of traditional guns stand at the sides of its head.
Tirek scoffs a little at the sight. "I had no idea these ponies were capable of creating such things of this size."
"This ain't Equestrian." The familiar voice of that puny being calls out from atop the machine's head, standing proud. "This I built myself to fight foes like you and your master."
"He is not my master!" The centaur bellows in anger. "Tirek bows to no master!"
In his fit of rage, the red centaur attempts to throw another punch. The machine grabs his balled up fingers in its own metallic palm with its own fingers clamping down and twisting his arm out of the way. What soon follows is a sucker punch to the jaw. The sound that rings out is a cross between metal and flesh. To be somewhat more specific, metal hitting flesh with such force that it makes the immovable object take a few steps to the side. Leaving him in a daze that he wasn't even expecting to be in.
As the blows start to rain down on Tirek from the massive machine as it looms above him. One punch after another is thrown as the red centaur is doin his best to cover himself from each one. Being put in such a position only helps to fuel the building rage. It hits a boiling point, Tirek yells out and with a fury to match, he lets loose a powerful beam of magic that knocks the machine a few steps back. However, it was ready for a counterattack, the crackle of lightning forming in the air as dark clouds start to form over the area.
It's at this moment that Celestia steps up next to the Elements of Harmony while they watch the ensuing fight. They all gasp out as the reprisal of Yeeticus' machine is a strike of energy from its shoulders. The snap of artificial lightning blasts that tear through the air, creating their own boom of thunderous fury. This doesn't stop Tirek from charging and colliding with the colossal robot. Grappling with the metal titan in an attempt to take it down. Instead he gets pushed back a few steps, then the two titans start coming to blows.
Celestia takes this as her cue. "Girls, go while Tirek is busy."
"There goes my catalysts."
Yeeticus smiles as he catches sight of the Elements running across the field behind them towards a chasm. Soon this will be all over and he commands his colossal to press the attack, giving Tirek its all. The titan of a machine heeds his call, punching once, then another before unleashing a full salvo of ranged right into the centaur's body. Tirek is pushed back farther while the crackle of energy fills the knuckles of the robot. Left hook followed by an uppercut is enough to put him on the ground. Earth shaking steps start to fade away as the machine seems to go towards the treeline and sink into a portal. This leaves the goblin smiling from across the field. About to celebrate victory well earned when a burst of rainbow light emits from the chasm.
Then it just vanishes.
Yeeticus tilts his head at the sudden disappearance of the rainbow. Watching get replaced a second later by a different light, a separate kind of magic that isn't supposed to be there. This isn't how it was suppose to go. Something is to plan here. They were supposed to bring magic back to Equestria and he was going to chase down Jharin. So what went worng?
"Something go wrong with your plan, Yeeticus?" The familiar tone of Jharin comes to from behind.
The goblin growls a little as he turns to face him. "What did you do?"
"What I'm going to do with every other universe you've had the gall to grace with your presence that you hold oh so dear."
The goblin looks to the sky as it starts to crack like glass above him, revealing different settings. His eyes fall and continue to look at the changing landscape as it morphs. Stuff is fading and being replaced entirely. His forces are on full retreat back to the portals they came out of while Celestia and Luna are galloping towards them. They barely get out his name before just entirely disappearing from reality. The ruins are swept over to be replaced with a castle of magnificent construction, but something feels off about it. Yeeticus knows what just happened.
Jharin used magic to combine different timelines, now smashing realities together, and placing a countdown timer on this universe as a whole.
What have I done...
