Enchanter descended through the old dusty vent into the unknown chaos that awaited him below in the Housing Lodge. As he crawled, Violetta’s voice rung in his head stopping him in his tracks.
“Darling, you’re inside. You can exit through the vent ahead of you but, be careful I sense ciphers in the distance.”
He stayed silent as he pressed the vent away from himself letting it fall to the floor a few feet below him. Enchanter glanced through the hole, popping his head into a dark room filled with old wooden décor. Each item was thrown about and broken; it seemed lonely as no voices could be heard nearby. He slid out of the cramp vent and dropped down to the ground holding the metal pipe in his hoof as he stood.
He searched around the room for any items he could use, picking up an old saddlebag that lay underneath the wreckage of an old cabinet. Inside the old leather satchel there were a few medical supplies and a personnel note, written in faded ink. Enchanter took the old paper in his hoof, illuminating it with his horn in order to read it in the dimly lit area.
________________________________________________________________________________
To anypony this may help,
I sit here, feeling my mind fall to the insanity that has plagued all the others. Soon none of these items will help me and I will only want more power to continue on but, instead I have chosen to leave them here for anypony that may need them. Inside I have placed a concentrated seraph filled syringe that, when injected, will increase the user’s magical ability. Also, I have enclosed multiple regenerative tablets that can help heal wounds and cure minor diseases. Please continue on, all around this city I have placed packs and notes containing my findings based on my research. If by any chance you can change the mistake that I have created please…
Fix it.
________________________________________________________________________________
As Enchanter finished reading the note aloud to himself the sound of Violetta’s voice echoed in his mind. “Amore, did you say… Seraph?” she hesitated waiting for his response.
“I believe so, it says that it will increase my ‘magical ability’ what does that mean?”
“That Seraph was created as a marvel that was supposed to enhance the powers of earth pony breeds but… it was more powerful than expected. It started a race for power and normal ponies, like us, were just caught in the middle, darling.” She responded in a despondent tone.
“Isn’t this something I should use if it’ll help us survi-“
“NO!” Enchanter was surprised by her sudden outburst. “I don’t want you to use it if there’s a chance that you’ll turn into one of… them”
“Violetta I won’t change into one of those beasts… and if we want to survive we’ll need this.” He said in a solemn tone.
She couldn’t seem to change his mind with her opinion and sighed. “Fine, no matter what you choose to do I will support your decision amore mio. All I ask is that you remember your promise to me.”
Enchanter could only hesitate as he contemplated about taking the glowing yellow liquid. It only took a few seconds for him to understand that the ends justified the means and he knew what had to be done. He had to become stronger to protect himself but more importantly to protect Violetta.
He took the syringe in his hoof pushing the needle through skin into his veins and began to inject the concoction. An overwhelming heat surged through his veins, unlike any pain he’d ever felt before. He was unable to hold back his screams as his body convulsed from the shock causing him to thrash around the room.
Slowly the pain started to subside until he was finally able to take control of his movements once again. He rose from a damaged table that he had tipped over and began to tremble as he stood up feeling strangely invigorated.
“Th-this power… it feels… astounding.”
“Enchanter stay quiet I can sense multiple ciphers heading in your direction you need to hide.”
Enchanter crouched behind the table as the sound hoovesteps began to near the front door of the apartment. In a few moments a loud crash was heard as the door flew open and three shadowy figures entered the room.
“Where is it…? I know I heard somepony around here…” Said the bleak looking stallion that seemed to lead the small group. “Search the room for anything you can find…”
The two smaller colts did as he said, chuckling slightly as they forced themselves through the room knocking items to the floor as they searched. Enchanter hid preparing the metal pipe in his hoof, feeling their presence near him. As the two walked past the table they saw the crouching Enchanter, their chuckles stopped and their heads tilted upon his unexpected appearance.
“Now what do we ‘ave ‘ere?” Asked a short, twisted colt.
“Seems like a unicorn… not quite normal now is it.” Replied his scar faced compatriot.
“Boss come ‘ere it wreaks o’ seraph…”
The larger stallion approached the others and looked down at the unicorn with a distorted smirk on his face before opening his mouth.
“Well, well lookie here… another inferior creature. I thought we disposed of all your kind down here.” It grinned down at Enchanter before reaching into the saddlebag on its back, pulling out a metallic, gem-encrusted bracer. As it slipped onto his hoof it began to gleam, changing colors until it sustained into a solid white.
The stallion lifted his hoof, pointing it at Enchanter. “Looks like I’ll have to exterminate you myself… What a pleasure it will be.”
Enchanter held the pipe up rushing toward the group of ciphers; only to be pushed back by an invisible force that tossed him across the room until he hit the far wall behind him.
“Agh… Wha-what was that?” Enchanter asked Violetta as he gasped for air.
“He’s using an alchemic centralizer; it gives him the ability to use magic with the power of the magical gems on his wrist. Amato, you can’t beat the three of them just run… please.”
Enchanter stood up, aching from the toss, staring at the large stallion that had thrown him with such ease. As he stared at his assailant, his anger quickly took control of all his thoughts until only a violent rage was left inside him.
The three ciphers stood tall watching as a bright light emanated through Enchanter’s horn, hastily enthralling the room in its glow. Before the group could react, a quick telekinetic force knocked the two smaller colts to the ground and ignited them in a fiery blaze. As the larger stallion readied his attack, the light engulfed his hoof, pulling the alchemic centralizer away and bringing it to Enchanter. The device slipped onto his hoof carefully and the light began to dissipate around them centering directly on the bracer as it pointed in the direction of the now frightened stallion.
“How does it feel? How does it feel knowing you’re going to die by the hoof of an ‘inferior’ creature!?” Enchanter asked rhetorically as a surge of electricity escaped his hoof, shooting toward the cipher.
~*~
He took the items he needed from what remained of the corpses and continues his journey, seemingly unscathed by the choices that he had made. With his natural magical abilities being amplified by the seraph and the included centralizer to help focus the power, Enchanter was truly a force to be reckoned with. At this rate escaping would be as simple as… “As simple as what, exactly …?” Said the familiar disdained voice of the doctor.
“What is it that you want? I have nothing that you could possibly nee-”
“You’re so very wrong when you say that.” The doctor chuckled, interrupting Enchanter. “You, my dear friend are the largest part of this crazy puzzle and if you want to escape safely with your… wife then I suggest you follow my instructions.
“Why should I listen to you?” Enchanter demandingly asked.
“Because… I know what it is you’re searching for. You could care less about the machine parts. You’re searching for something more valuable, you’re searching for your memories aren’t you?”
Enchanter gritted his teeth and ignored the statement. “I’m looking for a way out and that’s it.”
Again the doctor laughed maniacally at his words. “Escape? Why would you want to escape a world that you helped create?”
“What do you mean that I helped create?”
“I’ll answer all your questions in due time but for now we must say adieu.”
“No, answer me now! Who am I!? ” His voice echoed through the empty hallway he stood in, as he waited for a response. After a few moments of silence he began to walk again, not forgetting the promise he made to his beloved Violetta.
As if on queue with his thoughts Violetta’s worried voice chimed into his mind. “Amore mio, are you there? Is everything okay? I wasn’t able to talk to you; I think someone blocked my telepathy. Are you safe?”
“I’m fine Violetta, I just had a conversation with the doctor.” He heard Violetta gasp quietly. “What did he mean when he said that I helped create this place?”
Violetta didn’t respond.
“Please, sweetie I really need to know.”
“It’s been a while since you’ve called me that amato.” She said happily. “Fine, I’ll tell you.”
“Thank you Violetta.”
“We were Doctor Moonstruck’s assistants.”
“Moonstruck?”
“Yes, he was brilliant, almost as brilliant as you amato, but he made the mistake of trying out an experiment on himself and that made him… insane.”
“Is he the same doctor that has been trying to kill us?”
“He doesn’t want us dead amato if he did we’d already be dead. He needs us for something, I’m not sure what for but, I don’t think you should listen to anything he says.”
“For now let’s just worry about the parts.”
“As always, you’re right Amore mio. Head down the hallway and take the elevator downstairs. Don’t worry I don’t sense anything down there so it should be safe.”
Enchanter proceeded down the dark hallway, carefully checking inside each desolate room for items that he could use. He found a few cans of fruit and bottles of water that he placed in the saddlebag for later when he was back with Violetta.
He walked down the empty hallway until he reached the elevator. As he pushed the button, the sound of the mechanical winches raising the platform was heard reverberating through the tunnel until it finally reached his floor. The metal gates opened and he entered, pressing the only button there was that led directly to the basement of the building.
“Darling there should be a few decommissioned teleport units below with the parts that we need.”
“Ok I’ll try my best, sweetie.”
“Oh amato you’re making me blush.” Violetta said laughing a bit.
With the elevator reaching its destination, he exited and found himself in a room filled with old wooden crates. Enchanter read the labels of each one; many were opened and seemed to have been ransacked before. Only one box was left unopened and was labeled ‘Unit-3-sg (decom)’ atop the box were a few hole, probably for ventilation to the machinery inside.
“I take it this is what we’re looking for.” He spoke aloud to Violetta as he began to open the lid.
“Yes, darling inside there should be the parts we need. It shouldn’t be anything heavy, most likely a few cables, gems, maybe-“
“Maybe a little filly.” He interrupted quietly as he stared down at a scared filly that pressed itself against the corner of the box. The frightened young pony was in a tattered old dress and no taller than Enchanter’s leg. As the scared unicorn filly finally looked up at him, Enchanter noticed that her eyes seemed to be a normal shade of green, unlike the creature that he had seen with the Big Sire only hours earlier.
A moment of silence was had by the two until the sound of her stomach rumbling interrupted the moment of confusion. Enchanter remembered the items that he had found in the rooms and quickly pulled them out before opening them with his magic and hoofing them to the hungry filly.
She carefully took the food and started to eat the preserved fruit, hastily finishing it in a matter of seconds. The small pink filly dropped the empty can on the ground then started to drink the bottle of water before looking up at Enchanter again. She seemed less wary than before as she walked up to him, raising her forelegs up against the side of the box closest to him. Enchanter levitated the filly, with ease, until she was standing beside him.
“Darling I sense a large source of power there. It’s extremely close to you; it seems to have just appeared out of nowhere. You should hide before it finds you!”
Enchanter looked at the little filly with worry as he took her hoof in his, forcing her to follow him as he hid behind the box.
“Amore, it’s following you, run! Get out of there!” Violetta said frighteningly.
“Following me? There’s nopony in here except me and…” Enchanter stared back at the pony following him and came to a realization.
“And who Enchanter?”
“Th-the little filly I found inside the crate.”
“Little Filly? What’s her name?” She asked quizzically.
Enchanter looked down at the confused filly. “Do you have a name sweetheart?”
She nodded. “Um… yes… they called me… Sonnet Jennisus. I mean, I think that’s my name.”
“Did you hear that Violetta.”
“Yes darling, you should just bring her up with you when you return. It can’t be safe to leave her alone down there in this state of chaos.”
“You’re right, anyways I can’t find anything else in here we could use so I’ll head up soon sweetie.”
Enchanter still held Sonnet’s hoof as he led her to the elevator and pressed the button letting it start to rise up.
“Sonnet, do you know where your parents are?”
The small filly frowned and lowered her eyes to the floor. “I-I don’t know where they are… I don’t think I ever knew.”
Enchanter smiled at the filly comfortingly and patted her head. “Don’t worry, I don’t know where my family is either but we can find them together Sonnet.”
Sonnet smiled back gently at Enchanter. “Okay than, mister…” She felt safe speaking to him and stayed by his side as they reached the living quarters’ hallway.
“I’m sorry I was in such a rush I forgot to introduce myself.” He said politely as he started to lead her down the corridor. “I’m… um Spirit Enchanter, but you can just call me Spirit if you want.”
Sonnet blushed and nodded slightly as she followed Enchanter into the dark room where he first emerged. Sonnet looked around at the scorched bodies that lay scattered on the ground and froze in her tracks.
“Th-those were the stallions that h-had me in the box… A-are they dead?”
“Yeah.” He blatantly answered.
“Good.” Sonnet replied back in an emotionless tone.
In silence Enchanter raised himself and Sonnet into the vent so they could return up to the lobby for some much needed rest and hopefully some peace from the chaos.
For now it seems that Enchanter has found a new companion in the depths of the Housing Lodge but, what part will she play in all of this. Soon her story will be heard and some questions come to light and others will only become more confusing in the city of Euphoria.
AN: Sorry for the extremely late chapter I've been working on some art and other prospects but I will try to keep the chapter updates fluent, Thank you for reading, I appreciate it and remember all criticism is appreciated as well.