Falling.
Falling and burning.
Neither of these was really happening, as there was neither space to fall or heat to burn, but was the closest Richtofen’s mind could get to describe.
And it feels incredible!
There had been something about the whole prospect of eternal darkness and pain that he found to be somewhat, perfect. It was everything he praised throughout his life.
Ironic to find it moments before my ‘death’…
He looked to his side, the key of darkness still charging.
Nightmare really thinks she can get away with this? Let’s see about that!
Using his telekinesis he got the device closer. A few adjustments were made. He had read about theoretical intra-dimensional travel using the Void, but it was all theoretical.
If any of that was right, my body will change to survive in the new universe. But I won’t give up my magic!
He cast an intrinsic shield spell around his horn and brain. Incredibly painful, but would avoid them to be lost on the transformation. He could feel his body begin to lose cohesion and fade onto the void.
“FIRRE ALREADY!!!” He shouted at the device, no noise exiting his mouth for there was no air to propagate the sound.
The Key of Darkness glowed strong, and a vortex sucked both machine and pony.

__________________________

Sector 688. 1 week before Nightmare Moon return.
“ANOMALLY DETECTED ON SECTOR: 689. PROCEED TO EXAMINATE.”
The collective’s voice roared through the Borg probe. Its occupants linked on a hive mind as the ship jumped to warp and arrived at the destination.
“Life form detected. Enveloped by shield. Unknown species. Shield source unknown. Assimilate.”
Richtofen was beamed aboard along with the device.
“Where am I?” He looked to his own body.
He was now a bipedal creature apparently. His front hooves had mutated to long extremities, five strange claws on each end.
Probably for manipulating of tools.
His hind legs went through a similar transformation, and the knee joint bent the other way now. He ran his hand on his head and let a sigh of relief.
His horn was still there.
“We are the Borg. Surrender yourself. Your biology and knowledge will be assimilated. Resistance is futile.”
“How wonderfull! Is that a challenge? Do you think you can defeat me?” Fools. I will have a use for their ship anyways…
“Resistance is futile. Do not resist.” The drone in front of him said, raising a hand to Richtofen’s neck.
“No you don’t!” His horn glowed, and the Borg’s arm melted.
The drone looked at his melted member. A quick analysis made by his ocular implant confirmed that the member of the species 9001 (as this new creature had been registered) had no known form of weapon. It also detected a high level of Psychokinetic energy coming from the creature’s horn. The Borg encountered species that could use telekinesis before, but never for such thing as agitating ones atoms to the fusion point.
“Resistance is futile.” The drone said.
Richtofen looked to his side; two other drones were coming his way.
They work like a hive mind. They also seem to have technology attached to their bodies. Perhaps I can use that to my advantage…
“Resistance isn’t FUTILE!” His horn glowed and exploded on light. As he looked around, the drones twitched on the ground. A seizure caused by a short-circuit on theirs implants.
As I thought. An EMP spell and they are harmless.
However, the Borg’s started to stop moving, and slowly regain control.
Well, not so harmless. I can fix that…
“Die.” He said, with a simple and calm tone. The drones started to shake again and their skin began to boil. Their implants turning into molten metal as his spell heated them up.
They were dead, but Richtofen knew that there were more. He used a quick scan spell.
40 other creatures. This will be fun! But I think I may have to leave one or two alive. I need to know how to operate this ship.
He cracked his neck. His horn glowed as a ball of fire came to live on his hand. Three other drones came through the corridor.
“Herr Doctor is here!”

________________________________

The Borg probe stood still in the cold void of space. A small trail of smoke escaping his side.
“Two fine specimens!” Richtofen announced.
He had killed 41 Borg drones. Although he didn’t know, that was enough for him to be feared and admired all over the galaxy. In front of him two drones stood, paralyzed by his telekinesis; a Vulcan woman n her 70’s and a Romulan girl in her 30’s. The two drones had different implants. The Vulcan a servo-amature tool. The romulan an ocular implant and assimilation tubes.
Suddenly, an alarm rang through the ship.
“What does it mean?” He let go the telekinesis on the Vulcan drone, leaving it free to speak.
“Vessel detected in an intercept course. Ferengi scout ship. Crew of 3 to 5. Prepare for boarding and…” He cut her off.
“Let the prey come to the hunter…”
A few seconds passed, and tingling noise was heard by the other side of the wall.
“You mean there are only two Borgs?” One asked.
“Yes, two Borgs and an unknown creature.”
“That would be me.”
Richtofen looked at the two pathetic creatures. They were smaller and painted an orange tone. Their ears bent all the way to their foreheads and were enormous, and they were surprised by his presence.
“Oh! Another scavenger? Well, you are out of luck, seems like you have no ship. We could give you a ride out of here. For a price… My name is Nig, by the way.” The one on the right said.
“Hello Nig. I am no scavenger. I need no ‘ride’ out of this ship. I killed its crew and took two as my personal servants. This is my ship now, and I don’t think you should be here.”
“You killed 41 Borgs? You are naked! That is the greatest lie I’ve ever heard!” The left one said, pointing his disruptor at him. “And according to Rule of Acquisition number two: Keeping what you found is not stealing; I claim this ship for myself!” He shot, but the ray never hit Richtofen.
“What the …” His gun was thrown to the ground, and he and his employee were floating a few inches from the ground.
“I see you think you are dangerous. Ridiculous. I offer you a choice: You give me every piece of knowledge you have and get away from this place as fast as you can, or, I kill you now with a single thought.”
“Okay, okay!!! It can be arranged!!! This is your ship now, right? We would be happy to sell your our library for a single dead Borg! What about that? You will still have forty of those left! Think about it!” The Ferengi was panicking.
“Oh! You want to negotiate! Let me tell you my business proposition! You will give me all of your knowledge OR…” He looked to the ferengi on the right. Richtofen’s horn glowed and the man stated to scream, after a few seconds, his skin started to burn and the screams ceased.“…I will burn you from the inside out just like I did to that idiot over there and take it by force!”
“Oh dear Grand Nagus forgive me! Okay, you can have it! For free!” He pressed a button on his clothes. “Beam me and the guest up Crav!”
There were a few lights, and he stood now on the other ship. The sound of energy charging was heard.
“Hands up you…”
“STOP CRAV!!!’
The Ferengi with the disruptor looked at his boss.
“Boss, he is unarmed. Where is Nig?”
Before he could say anything Richtofen’s horn glowed, tossing the disruptor to the ground.
“I burned that idiotic creature from the inside out, just as I was going to do to you. Thank whatever gods you believe that your boss stopped you from doing anything stupid.”
“You what?” Crav asked.
“He burned Nig from the inside! Now go! Get our pads! Get him the all the books!”
“I would also like some clothing. It seems to be necessary to use them here.”
“I will get the clothes!” The boss said. Dashing through the corridor just as Crav came back.
“Here we have a little of everything. What do you want? We have manuals, schematics, novels…”
“I said everything.” He stated.
“Okay! That will be tw…”
“I have no intention of paying.”
“WHAT? You think I am going to let you rob us like that? I better…”
Richtofen’s horn spoke for itself. The ferengi started to choke as a tight aura of magic squeezed his neck.
“Oh, I am truly sorry. You were saying?”
“For the love of all gold Crav! I told you to leave it be!”
Richtofen’s let the ferengi go, looking to the boss.
“Here, have this.” It was a simple tunic. Made of some kind of black tissue. “It is very comfy. Just please let us go!”
“Ok. I am in a good mood today. Take me and this stuff back to my ship. One last thing…”
“Yes?” Crav asked, his hand massaging his neck.
“You wouldn’t happen to have some tulips, would you?”
“You mean tulips as in flowers? I can replicate some…” The boss said.
“Good. Send them too. And don’t come back.”
There was another glow; He was back to the Borg probe. The stack of pads on his right and the tunic on his left. A few seconds later, a few tulips appeared. He grabbed one and took a bite.
“Good. Now, where were we?” He said, looking to the two Borg drones.

_______________________________

Sector 606. Present.
He was proud of his work over the last 13 months. He had not only learned everything about this universe, but also had two servants and was about to fulfill his dreams .
He named the two female Borg drones after the most powerful creatures form Equestria: the Vulcan woman became Celestia, with her higher stature and sneak thinking. The romulan girl became Luna, focused mostly on combat and assault attacks. It made him feel good, having the two alicorn sisters reduced to the post of mere servants of his.
He had even painted them accordingly. Celestia’s armor plating was white with a sun on her chest and Luna’s was dark blue with a crescent moon. Their personalities were mostly unchanged however, still focused on serving him as he was the leader of the Borg.
His ship also had changed. The original Borg probe design only on its core. 7 days after his arrival another scavenger ship came by. But this time he let himself go wild and killed the whole crew. It wasn’t hard, only 8 people. He learned to use the replicator and studied a few more days before he started to reprogram the drones. It was hard; one error and they would try to assimilate him, but Richtofen succeeded.
The two servants worked for him and welded the two ships, making an entirely new design out of the simple geometric probe. He called it Die Dunkle Herz, The Dark Heart in its mother language, Germane. It acted as a mobile base of operations for him. The base of the Void Reich as he called it.
Another ship came by a month later. A pirate ship looking for an easy prey. It was also defeated and from its components the Die Glock was built. Every month he would go to a space-port and buy supplies. Turns out borg components are very expensive and a good source of profit.
His quarters were more like a science lab them actual quarters. Borg components and scavenged tech lying around, tables that he used for medical experiments on anyone foolish enough to attack him. His library, his pride. All the knowledge of the Borg on it. Everything they knew, he knew. On top of it, there was the panoramic window. Covering almost the entire wall, it gave him the relaxing view of the cold space outside.
The key of darkness sat on the center of Die Dunkle Herz, waiting for energy. In Equestria it would use the ambient magic, sucking it out of anything living as a parasite sucking a victim’s blood. Here, it needed something else.
“Milord?”
“Yes?” Richtofen asked.
“We’ve found a suitable power source for the device.” Celestia said. “It is in a federation research station on Clathe IV. A dark-matter fusion reactor.”
“Very good. Prepare the Die Glock for it. Bring it here. Take Luna too, I don’t want to risk.”
She nodded.
The Die Glock was the scout ship he used to get supplies. A perfect ship for hit-and-run, even against a federation outpost. It would be perfect for the act.
He watched the ship leave from the window. With a touch on the panel on the side of it, music filled the air.
Soon.