Magiswords Darker (Final Days Side Arc)

Magiswords Darker (Final Days) was an unreleased a side-story that takes place during the same time of Toon Wars: The Final Days, where Captain Zange and her ghost ship crew accidentally warp to a timeline where Lyvsheria was manipulated by the Syndicate to bomb CN City and all the other shows in Cartoon Network. It was released exclusively on the Mighty Magiswords Amino and later in a journal post on Frozarburst's Deviantart. Though the story dialogue was incomplete, the story itself was fully written.

The name, Magiswords Darker, was later reused for a miniseries in Toon Wars Legacy, following a similar premise.

## Story

After a quick but dangerous mission in the Ghost Zone, Captain Zange and her crew escape from the local creatures chasing them when regaining control of the warp drive. Though their run was successful, their hyperdrive malfunctioned prematurely and caused them to transport to Lyvsheria. As a results, the engines were compromised and needed immediate repairs, forcing Plunderbite and Professor MaBarnacle to stay behind in orbit above the planet to fix the damages. They insist Nyando, Trenchard and Zange return back down to Earth with their ship's drop shuttle to let Bimm know Nyando and Trench are safe. However, when they land, they learn from a past version of Cattus and the look of the castle that the entire land of Lyvsheria are set on destroying all the other worlds in their universe, quickly letting them know that they've stumbled across an almost entirely different timeline by accident. With no Toon Force existing nor any contact with any individuals like Danny Phantom or Jimmy Neutron, they are forced instead to investigate Rhybloflaven and try to stop them until the rest of their team fix the ship. Nyando and Trench go down to the village while Zange stays behind at the castle to assess any changes. This leads to her finding the castle in it's prime and a multitude of photos lined up on the walls with giant "Xs" marked across them as major targets; most especially Steven Universe, OK KO, and Teen Titans GO. The captain, pretending to be from this timeline, asks Reginald what this means and he explains the story of CN Crossover Nexus learning of a major jealously and hatred toward all the worlds they claim as responsible for disgracing their very existence as lowly cartoons. Together, Princess Zange of this timeline and the new Bad Guys for Hire lead Lyvsheria to self-proclaimed justice after allying themselves with the Syndicate, borrowing much of their extra resources to construct an entire missile field capable of nuking several planetary targets simultaneously.

Meanwhile as Nyando and Trench revisit the now manipulated populace of Rhybloflaven, they encounter Zonq, who notably died during the Siege of Rhybloflaven, who indirectly tells them they're in a different version of the past where the Toon Wars never happened but is just beginning to take shape with Lyvsheria as its first faction. Nyando deduces that Bimm and Familiar may still be good and willing to listen to them when they ask what the Grand Plan really is. Back at the castle, Zange is confronted by her past self and gets into a fight with her and her guards while Plunderbite and Firefly, Momotaro's dragon, go down to the surface to check on the team after making no successful contact when they repaired the ship. Nyando and Trench visit the now decrepit Adventure Academy to meet Bimm and Familiar who were busy trying to find Cyrus' bird Frank Paul in his nest even though according to Bimm no animal seems to like either of them. Familiar is tasked suddenly by Prohyas via his magiphone to meet back at the castle in search of the princess after she disappeared to fight her alternate counterpart, but Bimm stays behind with Nyando, at first attempting to kill Trench for punching her and Familiar in their stomachs in a past episode ("The Lanolion Sleeps Tonight") only for Nyando to shield him and state that she already hurt him in his timeline ("Curse of the Werecat"). Bimm complies and vents to Nyando about her frustration with the very concept of their world and her obligation to follow along everyone's routines despite her reluctance. Nyando himself explains to Bimm that in his timeline, she was very similar to how she is here, but after Quest for Knowledge and Fusion Wars, she became one of Rhybloflaven's well-known heroes when she took the initiative on her own terms and participated in one of the greatest battles of Lyvsheria (Magiswords: Echoes). He also tells her about the Toon Force and their goal of ending the war the Syndicate had started 5 years ago, but insists on hearing from Bimm about why Lyvsheria wants the other worlds in the universe dead and what the Syndicate told them to turn them against it. After she explains the meaning behind the Toon Wars, Nyando internally goes into a downward spiral realizing how everything he learned from the team including the ill effects happening to the people in Rhybloflaven, such as their seeming collective mind, add up. Mighty Magiswords was the only other cartoon that was harshly affected after cancellation and had the chance to keep functioning afterward only thanks to the Syndicate's influence. But Nyando implores her that their way of handling the situation is wrong and that the Syndicate are evil. Convinced, Bimm teams up with Nyando and Trench and the three of them set out to revert Cattus and Familiar to good believing they can help stop Lyvsheria's missile launch.

Plunderbite and Firefly eventually reach the missile silos after Captain Zange had effortlessly beat her past self to a pulp just before Cattus, Familiar, and the pirates, now allied with the Bad Guys for Hire, could arrive to intervene. Both Plunderbite and Firefly defeat the pirates together while Zange chases after a confused Familiar to tell him what's happening. Seeing the defense grid online outside, Firefly swoops out the missile bays to disable them for a safe flight back to the ship, which MaBarnacle slowly brings down into the atmosphere in view of the city. Both Vambre and Prohyas notice it and try to bring it down with their Magiswords, but MaBarnacle personally comes down to fight them, easily avoiding their attacks and combos and feeding the Knowledge Magisword unimportant information. Seeing they're in a losing battle, they quickly retreat down to the missile hangar where Cattus is busy trying his hardest to incapacitate Plunderbite with his Whirlwind Magisword. However, at the same time, Nyando, now allied with Bimm, arrives to try and help. Trenchard easily bashes the former warriors out of the picture so they can focus solely on Cattus, who's conflicted with current events. At the same time, Familiar would be confronted by Zange and told about their timeline and why she doesn't want to hurt him; in addition to how he can still be better than what he currently is labeling him by his real last name from the Toon Wars "MaBarnacle." She most importantly wants him to be safe because of all he's done to save the planet multiple times in the Magiswords Trilogy and their own relationship developed after Echoes. Realizing what he's about to do by helping the Bad Guys for Hire, Familiar tells Zange to go back to her team while he goes to the maintenance shafts of the silo with a way to put a permanent end to the Grand Finale before it begins in a short amount of time. Back in the hangar, Cattus attempts to incapacitate Nyando when he figures out that he along with Plunderbite and Captain Zange came from a different timeline. Unfortunately for him, due to Nyando coming from a more experienced and advanced timeline, his mass outweighs the strength of the Whirlwind attack. Questioned, Cattus reveals to Nyando from his perspective exactly why Lyvsheria hates the other cartoons and more about the viewers and network that neglected their's. Nyando tries desperately to convince Cattus that what he's doing is evil and that he'd never be this way no matter what anyone told him. Cattus still persists under the influence of the Syndicate's words believing himself to be a follower of the Bad Guys for Hire and absolute justice. But Plunderbite believes him to be more of a leader, better than Vambre and Prohyas and capable and brave enough to go above and beyond his limitations, mentioning the most important things he's done to save the world and the universe, as well as he and Bimm adopting Nyando and helping Plunderbite and MaBarnacle reunite with their missing children after several years away. Heartbroken and regretful, Cattus breaks down into tears and embraces Nyando and Bimm, who equally realized the extent of her role in the main timeline. They especially ask for forgiveness remembering how they neglected to defend Witchy Simone prior to this event where she was the only one who opposed the Syndicate and their manipulation only to be betrayed and killed by Vambre and Prohyas.

Before they could go any further, the reunited team are again cornered by the Bad Guys for Hire upon recovering from Trench's combo. They manage to trap the lanolion in an electric web against the ground with a Magisword combo and attempt to kill Nyando with a full-powered Knowledge Magisword converted into a super weapon with the Homing Beacon Magisword. In mad retaliation, Bimm gets in front of her son and prepares to attack the two with her Ball of Yarn Magisword, only to get shot by the blast directly in the stomach. Though critically wounded, she still lives and Cattus immediately blasts the Bad Guys for Hire with an incredibly powerful wave from his sword that blows Vambre into the exposed high voltage of the control panels and causes Prohyas' face to become warped into a more sinister version of himself. Meanwhile, Familiar successfully convinces Phibby Croax, who was in charge of monitoring the explosives before launch, to somehow sabotage the mission. The two of them along with Nyando and his group are rescued by Professor MaBarnacle with the dropship and Firefly and taken back to the main ghost ship for immediate take off out of the atmosphere. Though defeated, Vambre and Prohyas still keep their confidence high as they still have the missiles and Grand Finale to get to. Just as they press the primary control switch to fire the rockets at the scheduled launch ceremony in front of the entire populace at the castle, they along with the land are instantly destroyed in a devastating explosion when the Magimissiles detonate prematurely as per Phibby's false instruction.

With Magiswords completely gone and only 4 people from the show remaining, Clockwork suddenly appears from the Ghost Zone of the main timeline to offer to bring them to a new timeline where they can relive their lives in a better version of their world on their own terms. Cattus and Bimm along with Familiar and Phibby happily accept the offer and thank their alternate family for turning them back to good and introducing them to a better future. After the 4 teleport to the new timeline, Clockwork ensures that he made sure the Syndicate anomaly would never return. Unfortunately, the reason he's come to Captain Zange and her crew personally was to make sure they don't warp back to the main timeline as Toon Wars: The Final Days is currently playing out.

## Characters

### Toon Wars Timeline

* Captain Zange
* Plunderbite
* Professor MaBarnacle
* Nyando
* Trenchard
* Firefly
* Clockwork

### Mighty Magiswords

* Cattus the One Blade
* Princess Zange
* Vambre Warrior
* Prohyas Warrior
* Zonq
* Reginald
* Bimm
* Familiar
* Pirates
* Phibby Croax
* Frank Paul
* Ralphio
* Grup
* Mr. Packard

## Time Placement

In real time, this story takes place around the same time as Toon Wars: The Final Days, which is the last arc of the Toon Wars. In the original Magiswords timeline, it occurs in an unspecified time after the series' last episode, "Let's Team Up, Because we aren't Bad Friends," as well as the Cartoon Network special, Crossover Nexus. Like the actual Toon Wars Timeline, the Syndicate were responsible for attempting to manipulate other cartoons in the Nicktoons Saga, but this time start with Mighty Magiswords before trying to go for anyone else in their universe. This decision would later be their undoing and as a result would lead to the complete destruction of the original Magiswords timeline and the creation of a new one borrowing much of the series' elements with stronger improvements.

## Trivia

* This side story strongly reveals that the version of Mighty Magiswords present in Toon Wars is that of a completely different timeline that borrows several elements from the original series. The main difference being much of the lore behind Lysheria and much of its cast, as well as the events of Fusion Wars never occurring in the show.
* Though Frozarburst doesn't remember who mentioned this, one fan believed that Magiswords Darker was the result of Kyle Carrozza, the original series creator, trying to get back at Cartoon Network for canceling the show and neglect while it aired. Though it sounds accurate, it can be debunked as the Syndicate were revealed in-story to have been the people who manipulated everyone.
* This story was originally going to be released as a 2-part episode for Toon Wars: Shorts, but was instead moved as a bonus story for the Magiswords Trilogy after Echoes.
* Though not explicitly mentioned, the reason Firefly is with Captain Zange is because Momo let her borrow him for a mission in the Ghost Zone. This decision would quickly prove to be a wise choice on her behalf as he's not present in the opening carnage in the final arc.
* Zonq makes his only appearance in the Toon Wars Series here to give Nyando more depth and remind the audience how different things are in his version of the timeline. In Magiswords: Echoes, Zonq was one of Nyando's friends who died during the Siege of Rhybloflaven when the Echo Martyr Towers fired down on the surface.
* Although Magiswords Darker is solely centered around Magiswords, there are characters from entirely different shows still being mentioned; Clockwork himself appearing personally since Nicktoons: Nega War from Danny Phantom.
* While the very reason as to why the Toon Wars have occurred is still uncertain from an audience perspective, the Syndicate have been revealed to be the result of an anomaly in time and space that caused them to kickstart the events of the series.
* Since Nyando, Captain Zange, Plunderbite, Professor MaBarnacle, Firefly, and Trenchard are all present as being away from the main timeline, their appearance on the roster of Toon Wars: The Final Days is labeled as "Missing in Action."
* Interestingly, though this version of Bimm present in the story is the one from the original Magiswords series, she's a lot more cynical and aggressive this time around. This is due to her frustration and distinct loathing of her life in Rhybloflaven. Even though she was shown to have been happy in the past outside of the shorts, it is revealed in-story that she and Familiar were just following tradition and warrior routine and internally felt forced to do so in order to sustain a good life. Her aggression also extends to the point where she doesn't hesitate to attempt to maim or kill Trench or the Bad Guys for Hire for past actions. Similarly, Cattus becomes more loyal and unwilling to listen to reason until Nyando and Plunderbite manage to get through to him on a personal level.
* The name "Bad Guys for Hire" was coined by a user named after Vambre on the Magiswords Amino when asked for help by Frozarburst.