//------------------------------// // Spoils of war // Story: Abstract the dark's revenge // by The Psychopath //------------------------------// It had been a few hours since the attack on Ponyville and Canterlot, and the crimson warrior had been driving his strange vehicle endlessly. It seemed that the princesses were now fully unconscious. The other mares had started to babble on about what had happened, trying to ascertain the situation. Twilight, however, was the most worried. How did her teacher end up like this? What were those creatures and those crystals? And, more importantly, who was that warrior? As these questions began to eat her up, Twilight decided that the best way to get these answers was to get back to the deck and question the one who helped her. She waited for everypony to become distracted, then quietly crept up the stairs. She shielded herself from the sudden gust of wind blowing away, making sure that everything in its path would be caught in its hold and be tossed around like a ragdoll. Twilight erected a tiny barrier of magic around her face and walked towards the front of the "ship". The stairs led to the back, which slightly irritated the unicorn at this strange positioning. She leaned slightly around a corner of the cabin, only to see that the warrior had removed his helmet. It was a minotaur, a crimson colored minotaur. Everything about him was red. His skin was a slightly dark shade of red, while his hair took on a brighter appearance as it reached the bottom of his neck. His horns were even stranger. Like the helmet which rested upon the ground near his cow-feet, the horns twisted once then stuck out straight. He seemed to emit some sort of aura about him that disturbed Twilight, who was dragged out of her hiding spot by the surprising awareness of the minotaur. "Come out of your spot, unicorn. I know you are there." Twilight walked into the open, frowning a bit and rubbing her shoulder in embarrassment. "I just wanted to thank you for helping us back there. My name is Twilight Sparkle, by the way." "One of the elements of harmony?" "Y-yes. How do you--" "My order knows many things that you could only dream to learn. My name is Crimson Scar. I do not know my true name, but this one will suffice." "Not your real name? What do you mean?" "Let's just say that I do not remember it. Something required to join my guild is to forget your true name. Enough of the formalities. I believe, however, that you wish to know what has just happened?" "Yes." "Then I need to know who those two mares you were carrying were. They seemed so familiar." "That's because they are the princesses." "WHAT?!" the sudden news caused Crimson to jolt the wheel of the boat, nearly tipping it over. "That can't be possible!" "I know! It's the truth, unfortunately." "The only Crystallion that we know who was capable of draining the magic is Abstract the dark, and he has long since died." "Who?" Twilight asked with a heightening of her voice. The minotaur pulled a few levers and pushed on a tiny white crystal next to the steering wheel. This crystal began to glow, and the boat began to drive itself. It was much better than Scar at avoiding the stones in the pathway. "There we go." Crimson said after brushing his hands. His iris and pupils were just as red as the rest of him, and two scars bore down his face and onto his neck. Twilight placed a hoof on her mouth in shock. "Do not worry. It is only a curse. This is why I am this color. Now then, as for your explanation, what you encountered was a crystallion." "A what?" "A crystallion. These beings look like your alicorns, only, they are all male." "Then how did they reproduce?" "Through Crystaxual reproduction. Before you ask, it requires a crystallion to place his genes within a crystal of his choosing, then messing around with the dna using his shadow magic. The process was always successful, but there was one in particular, who was not meddled with, by a rather precarious crystallion. At birth, they looked exactly alike, although the younger one was, of course, very tiny compared to his 'father'. This one was named Abstract the weak. Why? Because, if one looks at the ancient records, that crystallion was the weakest of all the crystallions in those species' history. However, they forgot that they take their power from darkness and sorrow, and thus, they created the most powerful of crystallions. He surpassed the emperor in strength ten-fold, but, thanks to a good friendship between both, and a strong sense of loyalty, Abstract the dark obeyed this crystallion. When the day had finally come, the crystallions emerged upon the world in great catastrophe. They destroyed all the cities in their path and enslaved every single race they came across. This was the start of the Crystal Wars. No matter the joint effort of ponies and griffons, the crystallions were too much, and any efforts to tame one of the great monsters of Equestria proved pointless. That is when my race came in. We, apparently, were quite effective at destroying the crystallions, as all minotaurs are endowed with great strength. Thanks to our contribution, the crystallions were all destroyed. Well, all but one. After seeing his friend die at the hands of one of my ancestors, Abstract fled into the crystal caves from whence he came. He was sealed up and we had thought that he had died. A problem with fighting him was his ability to absorb the magical essence from a being full of magical power. This is how all the unicorns who faced him perished without a scratch on their body." Twilght's eyes widened in horror. "Oh no. Then that means that..." "No. I do not believe so. Your princesses might perish, but their stamina is most excellent, so it will not be now. If they can restore just a nano-fraction of their magic, they can live as earth ponies for the rest of their lives." Crimson looked at Twilight from the side with a grin. "Unless you are willing to retrieve the essence?" "Yes." "Good. Then we will have to consult the master on the 'how to'." "There are the elements of harmony. They were cast...out...if that monster is truthful." The two looked behind them to see a very weak Luna struggling to keep herself conscious. Her legs were wobbly and her mind was aloft. Rainbow Dash and Rarity got the princess before she fell. "Cast out? My dear Luna, Abstract does not throw away such gems of conquest! It was seen in his personal hideout during the Crystal Wars. So many things apparently 'destroyed' were kept there. Besides, I do not believe that the Elements of Harmony will do anything to him and get off my head." Crimson had his arms crossed while Pinkie Pie was lying down on his head with a little smile on her face. "Whyyyyy? It's so comfy here." "Off." "Fine." Pinkie Pie pushed her front hooves on the warrior's horns and performed a quadruple forward flip before landing perfectly on the ground. "That was might impressive Pinkie." AJ was quite impressed, as suggested by her tone of voice. "What didja mean by 'the elements won't work'? They've always worked! I mean, sure, we didn't get to use them on Chrysalis, but that's because she caught us after an awesome fight." Rainbow asked shamefully. "Simple. Chrysalis may have been 'evil' by your point of view, but she was simply following what she needed to feed her hive." "Then what about Discord? You're not going to say he isn't evil too?" Twilight shouted with a concerned look. "I didn't think he was mean," Pinkie Pie whine. "Yeah, well, you're more on the chaotic than anything else Pinkie Pie." Rainbow laughed as she tried to help her friends with Luna. "No," the minotaur said blandly. "What?" said four collective mares. "You heard me. If you do not learn that chaos is an essential part of life and existence, then there is no point in letting you keep the elements. Discord was simply having fun his way. As far as I know, he wasn't killing anyone." "No, but--" Twilight was cut off again. "And Nightmare Moon." Luna shied away. "She was still Luna. Why do you think all of those traps were mostly non-lethal? She was holding her evil back." "How do you even know about that?" Rarity squinted with her question. "Like I said to your friend, my guild knows a lot." "And why...why will the elements not work..." Luna gasped. "Because Abstract is pure evil?" Fluttershy had said. She was tending to princess Celestia who had yet to awaken. Everypony stared at the timid pegasi who, for the first time that they knew, spoke up in presence of a stranger, a stranger who smiled, nonetheless. "Yes. And sorrow. While the majority of crystallions had the others to call 'brothers' and father, Abstract had nothing. Even his 'father' rejected him. He was a cast-out, a stow-away, a failure, and through this, his powers grew tremendously. With this power, he took revenge on those who had ruined everything he could have held dear, and feasted upon their own darkness, turning them into nothing but dust." "That's horrible! How did he live it through? Did he have some animal friends after all this time?" "No. He had nothing, and he wanted to be alone. Whatever he did, he has gone far beyond the age limit of a crystallion. I know not what he must have found, but it must be why he was able to conjure up that army of shadows and manage to corrupt everyone that you knew." "Whadda ya mean? Big Mac ain't no traitor!" AJ responded in a huff and hoof-stomp "No, but that dome of darkness was used before. It was created to have rebels submit to the crystallions' reign before. However, it required the conjoint efforts of ten crystallions to create it. Creator knows what levels of power he has attained." "This all fine and pretty, really, but what does this have to do with the elements being ineffective?" Before Crimson could speak, Pinkie Pie started to bounce wildly in front of him. "It means that he has no good in him. The elements would take the good out of somepony and use it against them with increased power. Since he is nothing but negative energies, he can't be affected." The pink party pony stopped bouncing and gave a great big smile. Everyone, even the minotaur, had their jaws gaping open. Crimson then regained his posture and began to laugh. "Exactly! I'm impressed." "Thank you," Pinkie answered. "Now then, we are approaching the camp. Prepare the princesses. We will have much to discuss." Along the rounding horizon, a very large camp full of white tents and camp-fires that seemed extremely busy could be easily seen. It was amazing to see it. There would be much to discuss indeed. However, for the time being, perhaps Abstract had something planned? "Yes! YES! FINALLY! I will finally make them pay. I even have my first war trophies." Abstract spoke gleefully. He had the elements of harmony floating right in front of him as he stood in the partially destroyed throne room. The little mount leading to the throne had been torn halfway by a rising crystal, and the seat was barely hanging on its remaining hinges as is. Several pieces of brick were scattered here and there, while a gaping hole in the roof revealed the sky to be as dark as Abstract's body, as well as some shadow creatures rebuilding the broken pieces of the castle with crystals. The now sub-serviant slaves were all bowing down before the crystallion and his trophies. They were awaiting a response. The entity of crystal laughed maniacally as he lowered the elements slightly and turned to face his new subjects. "Good. I have freed you from the pathetic rule of the alicorns, and have placed you all under the new rule of the crystallions. You shall now address me as Emperor Abstract. As you now serve me, I suggest you return to the basic duties you were performing with your weakling princesses. HOWEVER, I order you all to begin repairs on my fortress as of now. Take pieces of the crystals scattered everywhere and rebuild this pile of stone. The area where the tower has fallen shall be my quarters. Get to work now!" "Yes, Emperor Abstract!" The ponies immediately set out, while the crystallion gave sense that he was smiling with an utter sense of satisfaction. However, once everypony had left, he straightened himself out and lowered his jewels gently upon the ground. Hopping down the destroyed steps of the throne, he decided to take a little stroll around the throne room to think things over. He was over-excited by the happenings, and with the knowledge that nothing remembered his race, he felt happy and insulted at the same time. Stomping around the room, he began to speak to himself out loud. "They actually dared to forget my own species. Those grotesque bastards. This CAN tip into my favor, however. I'll need a map, a quill, and ink. I'll take in the amount of soldiers here, and enhance their numbers with my shadow army. The darkness shall spread until everything is under my rule. I shouldn't worry about the dragons, as I can corrupt them just as easily. Hmhmhmhaaa. Now then, my race..." Abstract paused for a moment and blinked several times after a sudden realization. He used his wings to keep himself aloft as he stared at his two front hooves, then, he "smiled", his entire body following with cracks and bristles. "Yes...I wonder. Perhaps, with their magic, I could..." The cloud accompanying Abstract everywhere exited his body and swirled around two gigantic crystals standing side-by-side in the room. It seemed happy. Abstract ran towards the crystals and stood against them. He hit them a few times with his hooves, horns, and wings. Then he placed his head against them, and finally, tried to feel their energies. "Perfect. With the magics of those alicorns, these crystals, and my own genes and shadow, I shall restart the glorious existence of the crystallions. Now then." Abstract slammed his hooves against the two crystals and began to pour his shadow magic into them, allowing the darkness to take the form of something remotely similar to a pony. The things, unfortunately, began to dissipate. "With the magic of the alicorns, I GIVE YOU LIFE!" The left leg of Abstract glowed in a bright pastel color, while the right took the appearance of a starry mane, irritating the cloud who hissed in protest. As the magics began to seep into the crystal, they floated around for awhile, before converging onto the central masses. The new emperor "smiled" in joy as he saw them change and morph in front of his emotionless eyes. The forms had become stable, despite having a strange appearance hidden by the shadows already present within. To be sure, Abstract waited in front of the giant towers in contemplation of his new sons. He waited for hours, until being finally certain that they really were going to live. He backed away slowly while being swirled around by the cloud. "Yes. Perfect. Now then, a few days of wait, and I'll get my awaited sons. Yehehes! But, for now, I shall begin my plans to conquer this land of ponies, and exterminate the minotaurs like they did my own." Abstract walked out of the throne room and slammed the gigantic wooden doors shut with his magic. What he didn't notice, and he should have, was that there were some weird miniscule flashes within the crystals. The entities were...changing somehow. Becoming something different. In four days, the crystallion would know what his sons would truly look like, and how powerful they would be at birth.