37AN: I hope everyone is doing well despite all the COVID-19 bullshit. Stay safe everyone!
Disclaimer: I do not own The Amazing World of Gumball, nor do I own Alaska who is the character of Amethyst Wereraven. This story is adopted from her own "Dragon Rider" story.
"Evacuatur," Gumball said, letting it role on the tip of his tongue. "That was the monster I fought, right?"
"One of many. Rumored to be endless," E-4 said as the holograms around them began to change. Their surroundings turned to that of a simple dead planet with barely any light and no signs of life. It was like a barren wasteland with no end in sight.
Suddenly, the Wattersons caught something out of the corner of their eye. It was a small puddle of black liquid that was slowly bubbling until a white eye like orb began to float above it. They watched in amazement as the puddle grew bigger and bigger over time until it began to take a colossal like shape that towered over them. Tentacles with sharp edges emitted from its back as what could be thought of as the creatures' stomach began to open and give it a second mouth. Horns were produced from its head and steam began to emit from its pours. It let out shriek that forced everyone to cover their ears.
It seems the shirk was a calling for friends as more creatures like the one before them began to appear. Some were taller or shorter. Others were wider or skinnier. Some could fly. Others had finds. A few looked no different then a human being. But one thing was for sure, they were massive in number.
"What are they?" Anais asked, observing them closely while pushing her glasses closer.
"We only have theories, but the most common belief is that Evacuator are made from what was left of the void after the Big Bang," E-4 continued as the creatures began to warp away. "The void itself was, in some ways, a living being but beyond our understanding of what it means to be alive. The Evacuators are a combination of the void, entropy, and cosmic energy, and their intelligence ranges from mindless monsters to full blown tactical genius. However, there is one thing they all share."
"A lack of artistic design?" Gumball asked.
"The need to feed.
"Oh, I know that feeling very well. I get it every ten seconds," Richard said, waving his hand in dismissal.
"Yes, but these creatures do not eat normal food…" E-4 replied, as the scene changed. "They feed on energy of life."
The family gasped as they saw the ruins of a city no different then one on their world but was occupied by humans. Or, to be more accurate, was occupied by humans. Hundreds, maybe even thousands, of corpses who looked grey and tried up lay on the burning streets of the city. Cries of fear and gunshots rang in the air as the Evacuators continued their assault on the city without mercy.
Alaska nearly threw up upon seeing a young woman getting the life sucked out of her by one of them before being tossed as side like used trash. If it wasn't for the fact that this was all a hologram, she would have tried to rip the monster a new one.
"How awful," Nicole whispered as she moved to her three children and held them close. Especially her boys who were almost killed by one of those things. "Can't they be stopped?"
"Not by normal means," E-4 replied, ending the scene much to their relief. "Any world they came to be no match for them save for those highly advanced in technology, magic, or both. For a while, the worlds the Dragons Riders connected too didn't know about the Evacuators until in a single day fifty of our worlds fell to these monsters."
The scene changed again, only this time it was on a battlefield where the Evacuators were battle what seemed to be nearly a hundred thousand dragons and their riders. Accompanying the winged riders were armies of thousands, each unique from elvish warriors to small sized frogs with mecha-armored suits. Humans of all kinds were fighting side by side wielding weapons of magic and flame or bullet and rocket. Tanks, both rolling and hovering, fired at the giant beasts as they covered their lesser protected allies. There were even giant space cruisers firing on giant mega whale sized Evacuators who looked like living leviathans.
Above them, dragons and their riders dove down unleashing various elemental breaths from fire to lighting. The riders themselves would cast spells or leap into the fray to do mortal combat with the Evacuators.
Yet despite all their efforts the Evacuators were just as powerful as the army of united worlds.
"For every world that was saved, another was lost. The war went on for a thousand years until we finally managed to drive the away. Splitting their giant hordes into smaller ones," B-4 explained. "Despite the victory, billions of lives were lost. Dragon Riders and their dragons fell in battle. Worlds were completely obliterated, and entire races wiped out. Despite our efforts, we could never fully destroy the void monsters, but we kept our vigil and began to slowly recover."
"Wait, are you saying that there are more of those things?! And that they might come here?!" Gumball cried out in fear. Great, we got lucky the first time! What if something worse come along the way?!
We'll deal with it together, Gumball, Alaska responded in his head. She cooed as she nuzzled his neck. I won't let anything happen to you.
Gumball began to feel a lot better as he felt the protective love his adopted sister showed him. E-4 then answered his questions, "I'm afraid so. Where one Evacuator appears. Another will surely follow. However, I do not think we need to fear a horde coming. At least not for some time. Until them, you will be the only one on this planet who can protect it."
"Great, no pressure. Why not ask me to cure cancer while I'm at it," Gumball grumbled, crossing his arms. "Well, okay. So why don't we look for more Dragon Riders? Can't we contact them or something?"
"I'm afraid that's not simple," E-4 said, sighing sadly. "Mainly because…the Dragon Riders are at war with themselves."
This got everyone's attention, including Gumball and Alaska who looked at each other with wide eyes. The scene changed again, showing the once great planet of Ysir, but no longer in its glory. What once was the perfect utopia of happiness and progress was now a city on fire. Dragons were fighting each other as building crumbled or exploded. Citizens ran for cover as dragon riders openly tried killing each other on the streets. Many of them were dressed in dark black armor and silted helmets with glowing red visors and seemed to be the main attack force on the civilian population. Dragon Riders in golden armor, like the one Gumball had worn, were fighting back, but it was clear they were being overwhelmed.
Among the attackers there stood one giant black dragon above all. He was as dark as night and towered over buildings themselves with his spikes being sharp enough to skin an elephant with but a scratch. Many dragons, around fifty or so, tried to attack him but his dark armor and white rune wings were able o destroy them all with but a blast of energy or slice from the blades of his wings. Standing above the dragon, doing nothing but watching the carnage, was a large being that they couldn't see well due to the shadow over him. Yet just by looking at him they could tell he was the most powerful warrior on the battlefield.
The evidence was further proven when he raised his hand and unleashed black lightning across the battlefield. The streaks of blackened bolts went right through the screaming victims who were turned to dust with but a single cry of pain echoing out of them before oblivion. The black armored soldiers raised their weapons in victory and saluted their leader whose dragon roar in response.
"W-what happened?" Gumball asked.
"Civil war," E-4 gloomy explained. "The war against the Evacuatur had left us very weakened. Some believed that extreme measures needed to be taken in order to insure the survival of their worlds. One of them was one our greatest champions, Sautantius. He and his dragon, Gravarth, began preaching that Dragon Riders being the protectors of worlds was not enough. We had to have supreme authority and control of as many worlds as possible in order to ensure that our people were save from the Evacuaturs."
"Let me guess, dictatorship with him in power?" Darwin asked, already seeing the result like so many in history before.
"Yes. Many of our brightest and strongest either joined him or fell in battle trying to resist him. The greatest universal civilization had been destroyed by its own hand. The Dragon Riders and those who could escape fled from Ysir through the Warpgates. Where they are now, I do not know. Nor do I know the condition of the worlds Sautantius has begun to take over in the name of protection."
"But doesn't this just weaken the riders overall in their fight against the Evacuatur?" Anais pointed out.
"Such was one of many arguments presented against Santantius, but power and fear can blind a man. And Santantius lost his world in the war against the Evacuatur. One doesn't remain the same once that happens," E-4 said, as he soon ended the hologram and the familiar showings of the family's house appeared around them. "Santantius kidnapped many dragon eggs to raise them and their riders in his image during the civil war. Alaska's was to be one of them. However, her mother, Ziri, and her rider, Carnexus, had managed to warp you to a world where neither Dragon Rider nor Evacuatur had touched. This world. All to keep you safe at the cost of their lives."
Gumball instantly felt the sorrow and anger in Alaska's heart as she began to tear up, but hid her face in his fur. Gumball, taking her off his head, calmly began to hug and stroke her as he felt some of her hot tears wet his shirt. "But the Evacuatur's have found this world. What about the bad Dragon Riders?"
"I do not know. I was supposed to wake up years ago, about the time Alaska had hatched, but I fear traveling through dimensions must have delayed it," E-4 stated as he got in Gumball's face. "Regardless, you must begin training to be a Dragon Rider. You only managed to win that one victory thanks to a combination of luck and the auto-combat system designed for beginner riders. If you are to prepare yourself for the battles ahead, you must be better."
"But I never asked for this!" Gumball shouted, holding Alaska close. "Don't get me wrong. I would never trade Alaska for anything in the world, but why should we fight in a war we never asked to be involved with in the first place!"
"I agree, my son is way to young to be risking his life like this!" Nicole seconded, putting her foot down. "I don't want to lose my son for real like I almost did today!"
E-4 sighed and looked at Gumball with sympathy in his robotic eye. "I understand this is a lot to take in, and that you'd rather be living your normal lives, but that is no longer an option. The moment you bonded with Alaska your destiny was changed forever. Even if you don't want to fight, the fights will come to you and they will involve innocent people. Can you really stand by while seeing what happened today happen again over and over without you doing anything?"
Gumball opened his mouth to respond but paused. He thought about the lives that had already been taken because of the Evacuatur he had defeated earlier. He thought about Mr. Yoshida and how sad Misami had been losing her father. He thought about the danger that Darwin, Carrie, and Penny had been in. The destruction and pain that had come with the Evacuatur's actions.
Sighing, and cursing for not being more selfish, he lowered his head. "You're right. I couldn't sit by."
"Gumball," Nicole said, but her son held his hand up.
"Mom, I know this is going to sound cheesy and maybe I'll get sused by Disney or Marvel for this, but with great power comes great responsibility. And while I may not be the most noble of people-"
"Or the smartest," Anais said.
"Or the bravest," Darwin added.
"Or the strongest," Alaska added her two cents
"Yes, we get it! Thank you!" Gumball shouted, glaring at his siblings before turning back to his mother. "The point is I can't stand by and let others get hurt when I have the means to stop it. I…I don't think I can forgive myself if it happened."
"Me too!" Alaska said, getting back on Gumalls' head. "If these jerks want to mess with our world we'll face them together."
"…no," Nicole said, closing her eyes. Gumball was afraid that she was going to yell at him, but to his surprise she hugged him and whispered, "We'll do it as a family."
Smiling, Gumball hugged his mother as Alaska also wrapped her wings around Mrs. Watterson. The others soon joined in as a the family promised to be there for each other. E-4 just looked at the scene and sighed, "Darn it. I want a hug. Why couldn't I have been made with arms…"
