War. It's no recent thing. Even thousands of years ago, war has ravaged across the worlds and planes of existence, each entity and element struggling to stay afloat above the endless desperation of others. This is the story of one such war.
Ginyu, the Master of Gravity, looked out across his land. Today was a peaceful day. He inhaled, letting the air fill his lungs. It was cool and refreshing. Lucky me, he thought. I get to breathe this air a thousand more times today.
If his element had been at war against Air, he might have been more worried. Or perhaps if he had been at war with Death, he might be wearing a gas mask. But Air was being peaceful, and Death was busy battling Life - a private war between two old archenemies that never seemed to stop.
Ginyu sighed. How he wished to be like Air, at peace with the world. Alas, Gravity was at war with Earth, and had been for the past few months.
The Gravity Element was currently based in Rhodes, Greece. Training troops and defending his land was Ginyu's main concern, as his element dictated some time spent on technological developments rather than attacking. Only recently, for example, had he discovered the method of upgrading his soldiers - very useful, but often too expensive to justify. His best men were working on developing more upgrades, but their progress was slowed by the constant threat of Earth.
Through his window he could see a great statue - not just any old statue, but one of his most prized possessions. It towered above any other building in the city, standing proud and tall - but also vainly, for it was a statue of the Master of Gravity himself. His very own testament of his power on par with the gods. His very own Colossus.
Ginyu had many things to do today. Review the Armagio construction site, activate the Accelerator, check the Otyugh farms - he shuddered at the thought. Otyughs were powerful, yes, and certainly versatile, but they were awful creatures to fight alongside. They consumed anything in their path - enemies, friends, even themselves. If he recalled correctly, they'd been created from a stolen Abomination. They were indeed a genetic abomination.
First, though, he needed to send out the next platoon of Graviton Mercenaries.
He left his office, taking heavy steps down the grand corridors of the Gravity Palace, his old firemaster armour clinking and clacking as he walked.
He entered the War Room, his Nymph poring over the great map. His interest peaked at the creature's presence, he decided that the Mercenaries could wait.
"Nymph. How progresses the war?"
The orange woman turned her head towards him, floating like a ghost. Her whole body blinked like a failing light bulb as she shifted in and out of the Spell World, eternally. Her life was hell through no fault of her own, and Ginyu knew that. But she never complained.
"Not well, my master. Earth is pushing in from the west, and their Shriekers overpower our Mercenaries. We're sending out as many as we can, and can hold back the flow, but..."
"But what?"
The Nymph exhaled a long, hard breath before speaking. "It's the Antlions, sir. None of us expected them. They burrow under our defences and attack from behind. There's a reason they've always been so underpowered, and that was why - they have the element of surprise."
Ginyu shook his head. "Surprise. The 13th Element."
He passed his hands across the map. A tiny wooden model of himself stood atop the city of Rhodes, with the Nymph and a couple of most of the creatures of Gravity. Only a few inches to the west was a row of Shriekers and Antlions.
"How far west are they?" he asked.
"On the island of Chalki, sir, and moving in across the sea as we speak."
"And what of Water? Are they allowing this?"
"Water is occupying itself with Fire. Sir, with all due respect," the Nymph said, her voice raised a little, "we must deal with the Shriekers - Water's petty troubles with Fire are none of our concern!"
Ginyu shook his head again. "For every ten Mercenaries we send, a single Shrieker can take them all. You know what we need to do."
She stared at him blankly.
He mouthed one word: Overdrive.
The Nymph was shocked. "Sir, surely you can't-"
"I am the Master of Gravity. I do as I please."
The Nymph began to back away. Her phase shifting became more rapid. "Sir, I can't authorise that! It's experimental!"
"We have no choice."
Six Armagios followed Ginyu and the Nymph to the Accelerator: a great metal tube, extending deep underground and then curving back up, which could be aimed at any angle into the sky. It was a genius invention. A Catapult with the ability to Accelerate its fodder? It was perfect!
"Armagios!" he shouted. The great metal beasts listened, their armoured plates sliding endlessly across one another, protecting their supermassive core.
"You have been specially trained for one thing. To be accelerated. Today, you will know greater glory. Today..."
He pulled a lever on the side of the Accelerator, opening a secret panel. Behind this was a keypad, into which he punched a secret code. The gentle hum of the Accelerator stopped, then started again - this time it rose to a high-pitched crescendo, deafening those nearby. His voice, however, out-boomed the mechanical beast.
"TODAY! YOU SHALL UNDERGO OVERDRIVE!!"
Ginyu sat at the controls of the Accelerator. He turned off Catapult and Accelerate, then turned on Overdrive. He'd never had a chance to use it, and couldn't help but grin at the thought.
"I would like to point out that I don't condone this." said the Nymph. "But while you're at it, you might as well enable Momentum, in case they have defences."
The Master of Gravity smiled at her, then flipped the switch she had suggested. He whacked "GO" as hard as he could.
The Accelerator began sucking on pipelines like a child on a straw, gobbling up Gravity quanta. The pillar farms' quanta reserves depleted and they struggled to refill. All other processes in Rhodes ground to a halt as the Accelerator drained the city of its reserves.
One by one, the Armagios were launched into the Accelerator. Their speed increased to tremendous levels, and each could feel their health decreasing - but as it did, they became far more dangerous. Such was the balance of Overdrive.
They wouldn't have long to live after leaving the Accelerator, but once in the air there was nothing they could do to speed their flight, except wait.
The first Armagio was bombarded from the end of the Accelerator, and flew into the air.
Far above the world, it could see everything - but being a machine, it didn't care. The sun baked down upon it as the Master of Light watched with curiosity. Far below, Water fought with Fire, steam rising in mass from the sea. On the horizon, hundreds of bolts of Lightning crackled continuously over the landscape as Aether fought something - it was surely winning... but then the Armagio realised that the lightning was simply repeating over and over - the Master of Time was using Reverse Time to actually play with the lightning, taunting Aether.
The Armagio stopped rising, and began to descend. Its health entered dangerous levels, but the damage it could do reached its climax.
As the Armagio drew close to the Shriekers, it was charged with power. Far away, Ginyu saw only six great explosions, then silence.
"Sir." the Nymph said. "The Master of Earth is here to officially announce his surrender."
The Master of Gravity nodded. "Let him in."
The Master of Earth entered Ginyu's office, faking polite awe at the grandeur.
"My Master, my rightful victor." he said, bowing at Ginyu's feet. "I present to you a token of my respect... my Pulverizer."
Ginyu's eyes gleamed with greed, and he reached out to touch the legendary weapon.
But when he did, it became charged with Gravity quanta - and the Master of Earth smiled.
He placed his whole weight on the weapon, wrenching it out of Ginyu's grasp, and brought it down upon the floor. With a tumultuous CRACK, the weapon was activated.
The floor shattered into a thousand pieces of marble. The cracks spread through the palace and across the city. The Master of Earth smiled again, and Earth quanta appeared in his hands - he was about to cast a spell.
Ginyu tried to stop him, jumping forward as fast as he could, yelling at the top of his voice - but it was too late. An Earthquake boomed through the palace, sending ripples of earth through the whole city - damaging countless buildings, collapsing barracks and farms, destroying exactly three pillars - but the worst damage was yet to come...
Ginyu's eye was drawn to his most prized statue, but there was nothing he could do. It was already toppling.
Ginyu grabbed the edge of his desk, his knuckles turning white with pressure, his face showing only despair. His statue, his statue was destroyed.
These days, only rocky remains and rubble serve to remind people about what towering construction once stood in that place. Some even say that they hear Ginyu's anguished scream, carried by reminiscent wind through the ages...
