Chapter 8 Alt Title: The Beginning of the Middle of the End...Sorta

Well, you've already heard what I did in Kat Shifter's Universe, so I don't need to explain further. Of course, I've got a lot of other stories to tell you, but I don't really feel like telling them right now.

You may be wondering what exactly the chapter title means, unless you read the author's note in the last chapter. Then you already know exactly what's going to happen. Well, shall we move the plot along, dear readers?

November 8th, Relative to Home

Lately I've begun to notice something forming small 'tunnels' across the Multiverse, connecting the various Equestrias. When I investigated, I realized that I had found Auric Fulcrum's Universe, locally Administrated by a curious being only known as Thadius0. Of course, I've never really met said Admin, but the guy's a mysterious one...don't even know what the guy looks like. Auric at this point is still a pony, but he's already got his mirror up and running.

You may be wondering just how it's possible that he's still here when I explicitly mentioned that Auric had already shifted out of the multiverse. The answer to that Question is simple: Large actions by any being of significant power will ripple across the Multiverse and appear as though they had been there since the very beginning. So, in a sense, Auric was already predestined to Ascend because he had already done so at the beginning of the Multiverse...and at the end...and he just did right now...and will later. It's complicated, okay?

Moving on, I also noticed that at one point the tunnels that had up until now been only used to view outwards had also been used to view inwards. In other words, Auric found someone staring back at him. I won't pretend that I knew what Auric was thinking, but when I hacked my way into the signal I found myself nearly fearing for my life. Why? Only because THE Makuta Teridax was staring back, even if not directly at me. Given Makuta's shadow powers, I really did have a reason afraid. I learned that shadow manipulators could actually hurt me the hard way when I went to a baseline Bionicle Universe and tangled with some Makuta.

Not fun. At all.

Hoh? What's this?

A message to the good and just, from Auric? Must be him preparing to fight Teridax. Should I join him or should I join Teridax? Pfft, just kidding; why would I ever join Teridax? Cultured though he may be, I hate an obsessive psychopath no matter who he/she is. Even if they are a 10+ foot tall robotic behemoth with some 42 powers. At least most of them won't effect me...I hope. Who know what may happen with a being of Teridax's power level?

Well, I'm not too far from Auric's Universe; should I? Yes. Definitely. Let's do this. Heading there now. I...haven't moved a single inch.

What?

I'm narrating what I'm doing, right? Something isn't right here...

Oh. That explains it.

Now Using Past Tense

After hearing Auric's message to the Multiverse at large, I decided to make my way over, but first started preparing for the worst. Namely, I put everything that I thought was too dangerous into my Training Ground Universe™, and put the rest in a secret subspace chest hidden in my Home Equestria, only discoverable in the event of my death.

'Gods I hope I don't die, that'd suck like nothing else...especially considering my standing as a minor god of darkness...'

Well, with nothing left to do, I decided to make my way back to my Home for real; after all, a lot can happen in a year.

VWORPLE

Third Person Omnicient POV

In the capital of the First Equestrian Space Empire, Princesses Twilight Sparkle, Luna, and Celestia simultaneously looked up from their paperwork as they heard a sound that they had not heard in over a year.

VWORPLE

Stupefied, Luna was the first to break the silence, "Do...do We dare think it is who We think it is? Has Umbra truly returned from his sojourn?"

A pause, and Celestia offers her opinion,"I believe so, sister. Shall we meet him?"

Nearly as one, all three alicorns rose and trotted out of their shared office and into the lobby outside. Waiting for them was a familiar sight, Umbra lounging on a couch messing with some sort of advanced technology that their scientists still haven't been able to reverse engineer.

Celestia took the lead this time placing herself before Umbra's still oblivious form before smiling warmly and delivering her greeting–

–"I see you've returned quite a bit earlier than your note suggested, Umbra. How was your journey?"

I looked up sharply from my stupid omnitool–stupid thing dropped my Wifi connection again–and regarded Princess Celestia with what I can only call professional happiness. Smiling, just a little, I gave my reply,

"Glad to be back, I love what you've done with the place, Princess; though to be honest, how did you manage a space empire so quickly?"

"You left a lot of space ships behind, many of them with compatible technology and all of them with detailed info-crystals on their operation and creation. We had a lot of instant experts from those crystals; thank you, by the way. Without all of your gifts, we never would have been able to create such a large empire with so many allies."

"But still, it's only been a year! This technological growth rate is so huge it's absurd! I really didn't exp– something's wrong...I have to go. Assuming I survive the next few weeks, I will come back. After all, this is my home."

VWORPLE

As I teleported out of the Universe I called my home, I heard IT. Teridax's Signal. Just the sound of it sent chills down my spine.

Oh gods, if ever there were a way to make me hate someone more than I already did, this was it.

Well. I decided right there that prep time was over. It was time to go, whether I felt myself ready or not. Plus, a few of my subspace hidden weapons are stowed as last resorts, though I wasn't sure how much good they'd do:

...Those are basically the only two that I can really call a last resort, the rest are either Planet destroyers or just completely useless for this sort of thing. Or both.

Goddamn Yggdrasil–Looper Cluster, cheated me out of my money. Never buy an Intelligent Device off of a Looper, it's not worth it.

Four hours later, and I was hovering outside of Auric's Universe, steeling myself for the sure to be epic confrontation that would follow.

'No time like the present...I just hope I don't die...'

VWORPLE

End Chapter 8

Author's Notes:

Prep Chapter is done, let's see how long the other two take to get to their confrontation so that Umbra can jump in to kick ass and chew bubblegum...or get his ass kicked... whatever. Depends on them, really.