Many of the windows remained unchanged as the gods slowly appeared in the rest of them. Mother nature took her place shortly after Sihana, and was followed by a goddess who seemed to be made of moving red stones, and then Serketh. Serketh immediately pointed towards an empty space, and a young silver crystal pony appeared at the spot he pointed to. Her eyes were solid white, and she quickly took a seat. "Sihana. Lavannah. Mother Nature. Serketh. I have not actually met any of the gods have I... Discord is the only other one I've met and I do not see him here. Who are these others?" Obsidian asked the group. Jack was asleep, snoring loudly, so Obsidian's question was directed to the other ponies in the group, who had a formal education enough to know who they gods might be.
Sihana looked around the area to identify many of the gods that have attended, knowing nearly all of them with a few exceptions. The goddess sighed before seeing the table of mortals below. Something was happening, Devokira had not arrived. The Ryborian god of death was not the strongest of all of the gods, but he was certainly one of the oldest. Just as she thought about him, her attention was focused below as one of the gods began to speak, appearing as an albino gorilla that walked around upright. "We have gathered together to discuss a pressing issue that has come to hand, this...god killer. We have received word that the Order of Tartarus would not be attending, rather remaining in their own realm to ease the tension that had been building up. Devokira of the Ryborians, Los of the Zebra, Fethina of the Griffons have been missing for the past month of so, but we have discovered what has happened to them. These three and the strongest twenty of Tartarus...are dead. Devokira survived long enough to give us some details about the killer, only saying that he looked like a skinless ape." "A human?" Sihana asked. "If that is what that race is called. Then yes." The gorilla replied. "The power of the murdered gods have been completely stripped clean, as if they had none in the first place. This killer has been categorized as an S ranked threat. There have only ever been two S ranked gods, not even the strongest of us are listed as S ranked. This individual could possibly eliminate any of gods that have attended today in a heartbeat, and we feel that the mortal realm is at risk. He gets stronger after the death of every victim and will continue to do so until there is nothing left but him" he said before stopping, drips of sweat easily being visible. "He himself is a threat, but something worse has occurred." "In retaliation upon seeing this as a declaration of war by the Elder realm, Tartarus has declared war against the mortal realm and the Elder realm." After those words were spoken, the entire room fell silent. One of the more outspoken gods just shook her head, knowing that the high majority of the gods in the room are likely not to care about the mortal race and fight for their realms. "This is ridiculous. The strongest beings in the universe fighting against each other while the innocents are caught in the crossfire." the goddess replied. "Why must we have petty squabbles that could wipe out all mortal life when we could simply eliminate this problem right now? It's a waste of time to declare a war."
"Tartarus has declared war against the mortal realm?!" Silver was furious. "That miserable son of a... how dare Haydes betray me! He called himself my friend! He knows that Equestria is under my protection! I am going to RIP OUT HIS HEART!!!" His eyes began to glow, and he drew his swords, cutting a portal to Tartarus from the air itself. "Suddenly, Silver Crescent fell asleep." Suddenly, Silver Crescent fell asleep. The portal closed, and Nightshade stood over her father, shaking her head. "He'll calm down soon enough. Now, as for the rest of you..." She looked around the room at the deities hiding behind their magic windows, and snorted in derision. "A god-killer is on the loose, and you would fight amongst yourself like foals?! Can you not see what is happening?! Now is not the time for us to fight each other! We must unite against against this threat! We must..." "You should probably be trying to figure out what he's really after." Hope's sudden interruption surprised everypony present. "Think about it. If he's only after power, he would have gone after the strongest gods first. He's obviously capable of beating you, or you wouldn't all be afraid of him. However, he didn't come after you. He's choosing his targets carefully, and stealing specific powers. He must want those powers for something in particular. Figure out his motives, and you'll be able to figure out where he'll strike next."
Venquis remained silent but eventually nodded in reply. "I agree. He must have wanted this to happen, forcing the gods and the two realms to destroy each other while he picks off the ones he wants. He must be working his way from the bottom before heading towards the top. But...Devokira. He's possibly the second most powerful god in Tartarus, and it was implied that he obliterated. This killer is possibly much stronger then we all believe he is." He turned around to face Nightshade specifically, while also pointing at Silver. "He must be saving both of you for something. I believe we move against hi-" The Eriborian was cut off as a large display screen was projected showing the mortal realm. It seemed that the war had already begun, portals the size of castles began to appear across the mortal realm like wildfire. Alongside the endless hordes of Tartarus itself, the mortal's were taken by complete surprise and were quickly overwhelmed by sheer numbers. As soon as Tartarus invaded, those in the Elder Realm began to appear to combat the forces of hell. This took the whole room in absolute surprise, including the gods. "I DID NOT AUTHORIZE THIS !!!" Sihana bellowed like the sound of thunder itself. "Whoever went ahead with this, I'll kill RIGHT NOW!!!. The Ryborian goddess then looked at the mortals and switched to a calmer tone. "Those in Tartarus must have been planning this. I know that the majority of the gods do not care for mortals, but I wont stand by as innocents die. While the gods are fighting, I'll task the army of the Elder Realm to ensure the safety of the mortals. I need to speak to Faust about this. In the meantime, find whoever is responsible for this madness and kill them." The Ryborian goddess then vanished from the window and left the meeting entirely.
"I find this funny. With her gone, I'm the god closest to the mortal races... And I agree with Sihana. That was very unnecessary and the mortals are ours to protect. I believe we have been acting stupid. I think it's time we stop "being foals" and meet in person. As a show of honor to this..." Serketh's tone was dead serious, and seemed different from how he normally spoke. His image shook slightly, and then he stepped out of the image and fell to the ground, landing on his feet and brushing off his suit. "I will go first. Demi-gods." He bowed to the ponies. "Now. Those of you who believe we can get over our history for the sake of those that matter will follow me. Those that don't... consider yourselves enemies of me and Sihana. Corruption and Life." Mother nature was quick to leave her image. "The fact this is even a question for anyone sickens me." Jack an Obsidian looked to each other, mildly confused, yet happy at the same time. "We have much to talk about brothers and sisters. Make your decisions, and WHEN you choose to join us, bring your champions. Lilllith, to my side please." The crystal pony walked over to Serketh, and Demitry appeared beside her. Serketh's eyes scanned the group of gods, watching for signs of fear.
"Wait... what's this about 'Champions?'" Hope suddenly realized, with a feeling of intense dread, why Silver and Nightshade had brought her along. "No! No way! I did not sign on for this! I've never even fought in a real battle!" "I am sorry, Hope-of-Tomorrow, but this is how it must be." Silver stood up, and looked at the young halfling with something approaching pity. "When I led the Night Guards, we were the best of the best, and your parents were the best I'd ever trained." Nightshade huffed indignantly. "Present company excluded, of course." Silver rolled his eyes and continued. "Both of your parents possessed powerful magic. When you were born, I sensed both magicks within you. Your potential is beyond that of any Unicorn. You are destined to do great things, young one. I am truly sorry that this is being forced on you before you are ready, but the situation is dire. I cannot protect the Mortal Realm alone. Nightshade and I will track down the god-killer, but we need you and the other Champions to protect Equestria while we are away." Nightshade nodded. "The forces of Tartarus are strong, but I know that you can hold them off. Now, as the new-ascended Goddess of Change, I ask you this: Hope-of-Tomorrow... daughter of two kingdoms... will you be my Champion? Will you protect the world, as I would?" Hope sighed. "Whatever."
Venquis felt strangely happy about his decision despite the world starting to end, but eventually felt the sheer despair shiver down his spine when he thought about the mortal world, more specifically his kingdom and his wife. Not to mention that after the statement Demitry had made, he knew that objecting would be a moral mistake and treason. He then smiled at the gods. "Why is saying no even a possibility? I accept." The Eriborian replied.
After a long time stuffed in the dining/conference room Darius was just overly pleased to get out and return home.Then his father spotted a portal and stepped through followed by Darius, once they arrived he spotted his old teammates gathered around. "All this time I was dealing with taxes and building commemorative statues when I could of met with you guys... wait let me guess its the bucking return of dark plague. Though I am pretty much not in my prime at the momement seeing as how im pretty much 67 years old." All that time Darius was pretty confused at what was happening. "Dad, care to explain who these ponies, deer and whatever the hay those are." After a bit of explaining Darius' confusion was gone and the possibility of being able to kick some flank somewhat appealed to him. ((sorry about the time between my last post. Anxiety due to school took the best of me.))
The Eriborian then thought the possibility of Plague returning, wondering if Midnight would be hot on his tail. He knew that nobody had seen Midnight within several months, could he possibly have become a victim of Plague, even if Plague was the killer ? "I already have a bad feeling of what we are going to expect." Venquis said. "The last thing I want is this blasted war to become longer the the war against the Phoenix Queen, or the War of the Two Kingdoms as it is apparently referred to in the history books. Let's hope that this is over and done with quickly."
Silver Crescent looked around the room, and nodded. "So, it's settled. The gods will work together to hunt down the God-Killer in the Elder Realm, and our Champions will work to protect the Mortal Realm from the forces of Tartarus. If there are no objections, I would like Sihana's Champion, Venquis Razona, to lead the team of Champions." (Also, if the God-Killer is what I think it is, we're going to need an OOC Chat.)
(Made an OCC chat anyway.) Venquis raised his hoof towards his left as it began to glow a bright purple before shooting the magic at the wall. It seemed to stop half-way as it created a portal for the Champions to travel through. It was certainly not as... professional in presentation as Jack's portal was, but it still got the job done. "We'll leave right away. Let's hope there is still a mortal realm to save when we get back." Venquis said before walking through. "Let's get a move on."
"Okay but what about me, silver and people. You know the people who aren't from a race of ponies who can live for a long period of time and so can stay young and in prime fighting condition for a long time. We may support you but not in overly strenuous combat." Robin said before pulling out something for Darius. "Son, seeing as you've got this big adventure coming up. take this to go with your crossbow." Robin then handed Darius the centuries old rapier of the grandmaster of the nightingales which once belonged to Cobraheart. The blade made from a meteor which crashed into the everfree so is pure black. "Thanks dad." He sheathed the rapier and headed over to Venquis before remembering he left his helmet back at the hotel but he felt he didnt really need it that much.
Jack and Demitry followed behind Darius. Lillith quickly ran over to Silver. "Master Silver. I never properly got a chance to thank you for handling my chaotic side back in my creator's mansion. Even more than that, I think you may have influenced him to the point of leaving behind his title as a dark god. So, officially, thank you." She then turned and ran off into the portal. As more gods came out of their images in agreement with Serketh, just as many seemed angered and vanished. Obsidian watched and kept track of which one did what as he stood at Mother Nature's side. When he started towards the portal Mother Nature held him back and shook her head simply saying he wouldn't be joining them. "This is going to test everything we live for. The gods are going to be at a true war over the mortals who themselves are going to be struggling to survive said war, and all of this also has an assassin hunting us. We can only spare so much force on all fronts." she quickly explained.
Mortal Realm, Various Locations With many of the races losing their homelands quickly due to the overwhelming force by Tartarus, all of the races who had currently survived the war of Armageddon moved to the far north towards Equestria, Ardelan and The Hive, transforming the three nations into enormous citadels of defence. Deer, Buffalo, Zebra, Equestrian, Ryborian, Griffon, Changeling and Dragon putting their differences behind them and uniting as one to prevent their extinction. With the assistance of the warriors of the Elder Realm whom are loyal to the major gods who had not waged war against another, the Mortal and Elder alliance put the war against the hellish forces of Tartarus on equal ground.
Nightshade looked concerned as Hope disappeared through the portal with the other Champions. Silver noticed her concern, and placed a reassuring hoof on her shoulder. "She'll be fine. Holly and Hemlock will look out for her." Nightshade grinned. "Yeah, you're right. I pity anything foolish enough to try and take on those two." No longer worried, she turned to Obsidian. "I'm going to need to your help with something..." She placed a hoof on his forehead, and concentrated. "Okay, got it." When she removed her hoof, she was holding a small glowing orb, which she tossed through the portal. "You have the ability to speak with animals. Such a skill will be quite useful for my Champion, so I made a copy of the magic." She laughed. "It's about time the pups had a speaking role!"
Upon reaching the main chamber of the Elder Realm, the Ryborian Goddess had encountered the one she had been looking for, Faust of Equestria. The Divine had a worried frown on her face, she encountered nothing but bad news since this war began, and when it concerned the god-killer, it was going to get much worse. The two of them began to walk besides each other. “How many more?” Sihana asked Faust in her usual tone. “About 12 since the war began. By the end of the first week, it’s likely to hit nearly 100.” “12!” Sihana exclaimed. “We’ve lost 12 gods already? At this rate, we’re going to all get killed by the end of the month.” “There’s worse news. Even with no gods on either side, the war in the mortal realm could last as long as a century maximum. Plague and the dark ones have taken full control of the military. If they manage to continue the war...” Faust said. “I know...I know.” Sihana replied. “Oblivion is right at the door and we are holding it as long as we could. How is this killer doing this?” “We have no idea. He appears before his targets and just... throws them around like toys. What is worse is that the killer has help.” “Help?” The Ryborian goddess replied raising an eyebrow. “Four other human like figures. They just appeared roughly an hour ago, but we know that they are connected to the killer. They are on other sides of the mortal realm, tearing apart anything that stands in their way.” “Are they powerful ?” Sihana asked. Faust just went silent for a minute, starting to sweat. “In terms of a power comparison between them and both of us. We don’t even come close.” Faust began. “We’re dealing with a unprecedented threat. Out of all the chaos, why do they choose to destroy us?” "Because this is the perfect opportunity to exterminate us." The pale goddess replied. "I'm going to suit up. I'm ending this now..." The two of them remained silent as they made their way towards the Citadel ,also known as the Eternal Palace, the main palace in the Elder Realm where the major gods of the realm rule their own subjects. They knew that deep down, not all of them would survive this war. (*Said like a baseball announcer* And here come the roleplayers'!)
"Alright then. Ladies. Gentlemen. Those that don't have a gender because that's a thing. I believe it's time we discuss our problem. Sihana and Faust are most likely going to contact us with more information because we all know there has to be more to this killer than meets the eye at first glance. Do any of you have any information, besides it's humanoid and is out to kill us?" Serketh spoke as soon as the last of the champions had gone through the portal. His eyes slid across the group of gods. "This is a time where we cannot spare fear. If you had a spy who may have discovered about the killer while trying to spy on one of us, we will not do anything in retaliation of the fact... No takers?"
"I can help you with that." A bearded human figure appeared in the chamber, and approached the group. "Obviously, I won't help you with that, but the fact remains that I can." Silver didn't hesitate. Drawing his Blades of Tartarus, he rushed at the bipedal creature, slashing furiously. The human grinned, grabbed Silver by the throat, and effortlessly snapped his neck. "Silver Crescent. Utterly fearless, as always. Your greatest strength, and your greatest weakness."
"Who are you? What are you doing here? Let him down. Comply with all this and we wont have to kill you." Serketh stared at the human, expressionless. The other gods took fighting stances, preparing for the most obvious outcome of the human not complying. Obsidian did the same, his eyes glowing yellow in preparation. Down on Equestria the champions stood just past the now closed portal. "Alright. We've got a lot of ground to cover and a lot of ponies to do it with. Who's going where?" Jack pulled a disk out of his cape and it hovered in front of him, producing a holographic map of all the areas of battle going on.
"He's an echo. Nothing more." Nightshade wisely kept her distance. "This one is called the Destroyer. A mere shadow of the one that created me, but still powerful. He exists only to cause suffering. His only goal is to destroy everything in sight." The Destroyer laughed. "And there's nothing you can do to stop me. I know everything about you, Nightshade. Every strength. And every weakness!" "That may be true, echo, but what of them?" Nightshade grinned as she looked at the others in the room. "You have no connection with my companions. They can hurt you." She vanished, and appeared beside the Destroyer. Still grinning, she whispered in his ear. "They can kill you."
