//------------------------------// // Ch. 16- Machinations of Darkness // Story: The Monster Within // by Uberdeathninja //------------------------------// Hallowed grumbled in his cave as he thought of his revenge. He thought back to the day the fetid beast tackled and flattened him, causing him no end of embarrassment. But now, it was his time to shine. He was weak before, but now he had regained all his power, and the fetid mortals that banished him would now pay. Plus, he still had to avenge Discord's untimely demise. Hallowed cackled loudly as he drummed his fingers together, his ever-present smile growing in intensity as he thought of his revenge. Oh, yes... This was gonna be bad. Boreas Stared at Luna, not even blinking. Hallowed, the round demon who's face he used as a doormat, was now back, according to Luna. "Luna, if you mean to tell me that that laughing abomination I destroyed is back..." He began. "Boreas, that's just it. You didn't destroy him. Now he's back, and you're his target." She explained somberly. "And how can you be so sure of that, Luna? Did you suddenly get a "vision"?" Boreas asked sarcastically. "No, he threw a rock through the window with this note attached." She replied, holding up a badly-written note: "Deer Mortals: I am return. Giv me hooman, or you no can has live. luv, Hallowed. P.S: I threw this rok. Ha ha, ur loozers." Boreas stared at the note, wondering how a near-timeless eldritch abomination could have such bad spelling, then he realized the danger everyone was in. "Oh sweet lord, he's back." Was what the expression on his face said. "I told you, Boreas! If he was only at minimal power before, we're going to need more firepower than you alone this time. Boreas, we need to make a new element of laughter." Luna explained. "Okay, How long will that take? A day? a week? I can hold him off until then." offered Boreas, but Luna merely shook her head, and replied somberly. "No, It's going to take at least a month to make the shell of the element, let alone fill it with power. That part alone could take years! We need you to distract Hallowed until we get a replacement." Luna replied. "You want me to distract that thing for a whole year??? Luna, I'm immortal, but not patient, and I'm pretty sure he's not, either." Boreas chided. "Not until we make a brand new one, Boreas, just until we get the replacement." Luna countered. "Celestia was always paranoid this kind of thing would happen, so she made multiple, weaker back-up elements to temporarily replace the originals until a new one was crafted. We just need a few days to get them." Luna explained to Boreas. Boreas then, in turn, simply gave a shocked look at Luna, his voice seemingly caught in his throat as he contemplated what manner of paranoia it would take to achieve this level of insanity. And, upon picking up on Boreas' thoughts, Luna replied sheepishly. "I did say my sister was paranoid at the time..." Said Luna. "Implying that she isn't now?" thought Boreas to himself, though Luna seemed to pick up on that thought, too. "Look, just buy us some time until we get the replacement. Once we have it, we can put hallowed back in the void." Said Luna. "I don't like that plan. Where are the back-ups?" Demanded Boreas simply, his face unreadable as it hid beneath his manticore-skull helmet. "Boreas, please don't..." Started Luna, greatly concerned at this point. "The Back-ups, Luna. Now." Boreas's tone became greatly threatening and impatient, and he began to bare his teeth, scaring Luna. "T-they're in the catacombs..." Started Luna. "And those are..?" Boreas demanded again, and Luna sighed, knowing she would be unable to stop the human from doing what he wanted this time, and solemnly replied. "The entryway is behind the throne. Just let me get it open..." suddenly, though, before Luna could even move, Boreas turned and stomped toward the throne room, Luna in tow. Then, he gripped the back wall behind the throne, and tore it down, throwing the whole section of wall, throne included, aside like a chunk of styrofoam. "Boreas! What the heck are you doing!?" Cried Luna as she watched Boreas deface the wall as violently as possible. "I'm improvising." Boreas snarled as he tore down the last of the wall with as few fucks as could possibly be given by a man of his temperament. "Boreas, there are seals and traps down there! You'll be killed, or worse!" Cried Luna again, tears welling up in her eyes as she thought of all the horrible things her sister put down there. "You think your sister's little toys can kill me, when she herself couldn't? Luna, Stop being adorable." Boreas smiled mischievously as he said this, and Luna blushed. Then, Boreas assumed his beast form, and leaped into the tunnel. But a second after, Celestia came running in, and her jaw almost hit the floor at the sight before her, clearly the handiwork of none other than her newest sworn enemy, Boreas. "Luna, what happened to the back wall?" She asked. Luna sighed. "Boreas is 'Improvising'." Said Luna plainly, still shocked at the impressive display from not even a second prior. "Ah." Said Celestia as calmly as she could. Boreas crashed through the narrow catacombs, completely impervious to the various traps and curses that the hallways threw at him. It was a bit crowded for his tastes, but he brushed it off. He had a mission, and he never backed down from a hunt, no matter how tough or elusive the prey. As he crashed through the narrow hallways, he used his sensitive nose to pick up the replacement elements' magic, which he recognized from the real ones. "Heh, And no wards or traps to guard them? Why didn't I try this sooner?" Boreas thought to himself as he reached the antechamber housing the faux-elements. As he got near them, however, a new scent filled his reptilian nostrils, but a familiar one, and certainly not one he ever desired to smell again. "Well, you certainly are good at making things easier for me, aren't you? First Celestia, now this. Really, Boreas, you're too much." Said a voice that made Boreas's blood boil. "Chrysssalissss..." hissed Boreas, his reptilian voice conveying just the emotion he wanted to; Pure, unbridled hatred. Still, despite his posture and warning, Chrysalis still remained, eager to torment the poor human even further. "Well, as much as I would love to leave you alone, Bory, I'm afraid I need those gems there." Continued Chrysalis as she looked toward the replacement elements. Boreas laughed, a sound that literally shook the catacombs, causing dust to fall. "Not likely! I need these gems here to defeat someone actually worth my time, thank you very much. Now, turn and go back the way you came, and I might just forget I ever saw you." Rumbled Boreas. "That's just it, sweetheart, I can't let you defeat Hallowed. Not yet, anyway." Chrysalis said, circling Boreas. "Mm? And why's that?" Asked Boreas with mock curiosity. "Because, He's going to destroy the kingdom, and I'm going to help him. Then, I'm going to take over." Chrysalis explained, grinning evilly. "Uh huh?" replied Boreas, not a single ounce of interest in his yellow, reptilian eyes. However, Chrysalis just smiled some more, then replied: "Indeed. But I know what you're thinking: 'Do you really think such a big, scary demon will just hand the kingdom over to me after he conquers it?'. Well, I've got a plan, big guy, but I'm not about to reveal it just yet. Now, the replacement elements, please." Chrysalis said, looking at Boreas dead in the eyes. "Ha ha, how about 'No'?" Boreas said calmly. Suddenly, Boreas felt something brush by his leg, and Chrysalis was gone! As Boreas looked behind him, however, Chrysalis stood by the box, a wicked smile on her face. "I'm sorry, but you did leave them unguarded..." She taunted. Boreas, unable to fight in his beast form in such narrow quarters, returned to his human form, and raised his fists. "Don't you dare make me have to squash you, bug." Boreas threatened, growling slightly. "Aww, no staff? Leave it with Luna by 'accident'?" Taunted Chrysalis. "I don't need magic to kill you." Retorted Boreas calmly, even though his blood pressure was quickly rising with every second. "What a gentleman." Chrysalis mocked, Causing Boreas to turn a shade of red he hadn't turned since his teenage years. Suddenly, Boreas roared, then charged Chrysalis with his fists raised. Chrysalis dodged each blow, then, when Boreas tried to roundhouse kick her in the face, she blocked with her leg, then flipped him. "Well, not so great without your morbid stick, are you? Guess those muscles really are just for show. Still, what a show, indeed..." Taunted Chrysalis. Without hesitation, Boreas quickly grabbed Chrysalis by her foreleg, then swung her into a wall, dazing her. "I'm going to eat your heart, changeling!" Boreas snarled, moving toward the stunned changeling queen. "Ugh... That wasn't very nice..." Chrysalis said as she regained focus. Then, before Boreas could act on his threat, she got up, and dodged past him. Then, she changed, becoming more humanoid, while retaining her general appearance. Then she struck a rather suggestive pose. "Like what you see, big guy?" She asked, and Boreas grew extremely angered as he witnessed the changeling mock his race's form. "What the..?! Is this some kind of sick joke?!" Boreas raged as the now rather voluptuous changeling laughed. "No, I'm just evening the playing field a little. Unless, of course, you're afraid to hit a girl?" Anthro-Chrysalis taunted, posing a little. However, in response, Boreas only growled ferociously, clenching his fists as he glared at Chrysalis, the threat of death evident in his hazel eyes. "What's the matter, big boy, angry? Wanna beat up poor old me? Then do it, big guy." Taunted Chrysalis. Boreas then roared, and charged again, getting his arms under hers, flipping her, and then pinning her to the ground. "Oh, Boreas..." Chrysalis giggled, and Boreas blushed as he pushed himself off of her. "You're disgusting!" Yelled Boreas. "Says the one that got on top of me... how lewd." Countered Chrysalis. Fed up with this, Boreas bellowed, and Chrysalis took up a defensive position. As soon as the two collided, Chrysalis kneed Boreas in the gut, causing him to double over. Then, she got behind him, put her arms under his, and pulled upward, pressing her chest into his back for extra leverage. This caused Boreas to become enraged. Not because he was losing, but because he was losing like this. Adrenaline pumping, Boreas pulled Chrysalis down, and flipped over, landing on top of her again, knocking the air out of her lungs with a solid "Whuff!". Then, he picked her up, and proceeded to piledrive her like the undertaker. Boreas finally backed up, but Chrysalis didn't even look fazed. "What's the matter, boy, tired already? I was just starting to have fun." She said, wiping some greenish blood from the corner of her mouth. "That's just demented..." muttered Boreas. "No, that's just getting an advantage. You see, I've always been a fan of the human body. It's just so... flexible." Chrysalis said huskily, stretching her arms and torso. "You're despicable." Boreas hissed, backing into the box of replacement elements. "Oh, Boreas, you have no Idea. But before you go flipping out, at least answer me this: Why do you protect these weak creatures, when they utterly destroyed your race and turned you into a monster?" Chrysalis asked, slowly walking up to Boreas. "I don't protect them, I only defend Luna. The rest of them can drop dead for all I care." Boreas replied. "Is that it, then? The greatest hunter in the world obeys a pony because they're friends now?" Chrysalis chided. "That's not true." Growled Boreas. "Oh, but it is. You are little more than a pet to her, Boreas. A plaything, something to use, then keep out of pity. Nopony knows this, but I know what she intends for you, human." Chrysalis purred, getting uncomfortably close to Boreas. Boreas could have easily shot his hand out and snapped the changeling's neck, but one thing held him back: He was curious. "What do you mean?" Boreas asked suspiciously, and Chrysalis giggled ominously. "I mean, she wants a weapon, an ultimate "defender" of her and her sister's precious kingdom, and you seem to fit the bill perfectly. In short, she wants to finish what her sister started: You." Chrysalis explained, grasping Boreas's shoulder. Boreas was furious with the changeling, but something in his mind told him that she wasn't lying. "And you know this, how?" Boreas asked simply. "I know many things, Boreas... Like how happy you'll be once the ponies are dead, and you've returned to your precious wilderness. I know this, Boreas... And I know you. Step aside, Boreas. No one else has to know." Said Chrysalis finally, as she put herself really close to the giant human. Boreas thought for a second, but stood still. "Fine." Boreas retorted simply, throwing the box of temporary elements at Chrysalis, and he then ran back toward the exit. Chrysalis caught the box, but did not laugh or gloat. She got the replacements, but one important thing still eluded her, the last key to the puzzle: Boreas. Boreas ran out of the hole he made in the wall, and greeted the two alicorns standing there in wait for him. "What took you so long? We've been waiting for half an hour!" Cried Luna. Celestia just humphed, looking away from the human that tore down her wall. Boreas, however, stood silent for a second, then pulled out a gem, the replacement for the Element of Laughter. "Nothing. Let's do this." He said flatly, then walked out of the room, tossing the gem behind him, toward the two alicorns, who caught it. He cast a last somber glance behind him, and went out to find Hallowed and kick his ass, hopefully for the last time. Hallowed finished burning his last town to the ground, checking for survivors. When he detected none, He hovered away, toward Ponyville. Three villages destroyed, and no one came to stop him. Maybe the human had finally fled? Who could blame him, anyway? Hallowed was now at full power, and nothing short of a god could stop him now. As he floated toward the small town, Hallowed heard a familiar roar: Boreas had finally come to fuck his shit up. This time, though, it would Hallowed who fucked Boreas's shit up, not the other way around like last time. Hallowed was unprepared last time, but now he had all his power back, and was ready for the last human this time. And sure enough, Hallowed found the human rushing toward him, beast mode ready. Suddenly, though, as the two prepared to collide, the beast stopped, confusing Hallowed. Despite the want for battle in its eyes, the human/beast simply sat there, as if waiting. Well, he would soon get his wish. Hallowed charged the colossal reptile, but it dodged, then pounced Hallowed, knocking him to the ground again, and growled at Hallowed, baring his many teeth as he did. However, Hallowed laughed maniacally at this threat, and sank into the ground, rising up behind Boreas, and casting a sphere of evil magic at him. Boreas was hit by this, but was ultimately unaffected. Hallowed quickly became frustrated with this creature's resistance to his magic, and proceeded to cast dark spheres in rapid succession, but to little avail. Suddenly, the beast charged off, toward Ponyville. Without thinking, Hallowed flew after him, blinded with anger at how Boreas constantly mocked him so, and quickly found him waiting in the town square, sitting like he'd been waiting a thousand years, and that finally burst Hallowed's bubble, enraging him beyond any point he'd ever felt until now. "DIE!!!!!!" roared Hallowed in a voice like the sound of pure evil. Boreas, however, was unfazed as the two met in the arena, their final battle about to begin. And so, with one last charge, the two met, each prepared to kill... or be killed.