Chapter 4: Homeward Bound

Homeward Bound is the fourth chapter of The Mazkertis Paradox. In this chapter:
 * Shattered Mirror Kakamu decides that the time has come to lead the rest of the Shattered Mirror Universe natives in the Original Universe back to their home, announcing his resignation to The Reformed Second Brotherhood of Makuta.

Plot
Shattered Mirror Kakamu touches down next to the portal he helped to build with Dukamu on XTR-686. To his surprise, he finds the corpses of two warriors there, Marlon and Luux, neither of whom bear any similarities to previously encountered Dark Universe warriors. This leads SMK to believe that they had come through from a universe other than the Dark Universe, which meant that the portal could possibly be configured to lead to other universes, such as the Shattered Mirror Universe. SMK reflects on the ill-fated attempt to conquer the Original Universe that he orchestrated several years prior, and decides that his people should be allowed to return home instead of hiding among the people of the Original Universe. While thinking of a method he could use to gather the rest of the Shattered Mirror Universe natives in the Original Universe, SMK remembers the thought-projection technology that he detected upon entering the The Reformed Second Brotherhood of Makuta's base beneath the surface of Stelta-Stal. He teleports there, hoping that the technology was not damaged by Blackout's forces during the Battle of Stelta-Stal.

When SMK appears on Stelta-Stal, he is immediately attacked by the Rahkshi-Nui created by Xikila, which sees him as a deserter. SMK manages to destroy one of its arms, but Kivalon commands the titan to stop before it can crush SMK's armour with its other arm. Kivalon is also annoyed by SMK's desertion, but gives him a chance to explain himself. Upon learning that SMK has a number of powerful warriors loyal to him, and that the portal on XTR-686 can be calibrated to go to another universe, Kivalon suggests that they go to the UG to kill Dukamu's army "in their sleep". SMK is horrified by this idea, and suspects that Dukamu's evil is starting to rub off on his brother, which is the reason why Kivalon fled to the Original Universe in the first place. No longer believing that he can stop Dukamu with or without his army, SMK pushes past Kivalon to get to the thought transmitter, making it clear that he intends to lead his people back home and leave Kivalon to fight Dukamu alone. Enraged, Kivalon tries to stop SMK, but SMK blasts him with chain lightning and traps him inside a stasis pod. SMK then uses the thought transmitter to contact every Shattered Mirror Universe native, telling them to meet him on XTR-686 in three days.

Three days later, SMK buries Marlon and Luux while he waits for the first of his kin to arrive. A ship lands nearby and five figures in spacesuits walk down the ramp, their leader being Shroom.

Characters

 * Kakamu (SMU)
 * Kivalon
 * The Rahkshi-Nui
 * Shroom (SMU)