Bravery's ascension

by Stucks-24_6

The shard and the message....

The sun had set, the luminous moon hung over the land like a giant eye only to be blotted by the thick clouds of smoke and death. The magnificence of the night had been soiled by the mists of fear and sorrow that floated across the land like a poisonous gas, infecting the very air of Equestria.
Slowly placing his helmet on his head, Bravery started to crouch and sneak across the precarious drop that lay below him whilst he trotted on a flimsy beam supporting the remains of a destroyed skyscraper. Fortaancus was waiting for him on the other side and was holding the beam to support Bravery's descent. Fear was at its peak within Fortaancus and Bravery as the terrifying sounds of necromancy soldiers and roaring fires grew louder and more constant by the second.
Bravery tried to ignore all he heard and concentrate on reaching the other side. All of a sudden, Bravery quickly lost his footing and started to fall until Fortaancus launched a small retractable claw that caught on Bravery's armour. Bravery hung by his right hind leg as Fortaancus struggled to pull him up, Bravery's armour made him heavier than usual and was starting to slip off.

"Swing yourself Bravery" Fortaancus whispered loudly, if Bravery could create enough momentum, he would swing directly up to Fortaancus. Bravery started to move himself to create a pendulum motion and as time went by Bravery found himself swinging right into Fortaancus' arm waiting to catch him.

Fortaancus successfully caught Bravery and pulled him up with both arms, "You should advise the lunar guard to find a lighter material for that armour" Fortaancus said huffing from the effort of lifting Bravery up.

"Thanks Fortaancus and I will keep that it mind as well" Bravery said smiling for the tiniest moment, feeling relieved of the heat and fear he was feeling before.

There was no time to lose, they could not afford to fail this task. Bravery and Fortaancus had been instructed by Princess Celestia and Luna to find a way into the command and control centre of the necromancy soldier's. When they said 'command and control' they were talking about one tall black crystal which contained weaponry, armour and by rumour prisoners. However, it was the necromancy portal that was the objective. If it could be captured then then Bravery's allies would have the upper hoof in this battle; the portal was designed to transport soldiers to the exact location of King Sombra according to the archives of Canterlot from which being unprepared could provide an opportunity to strike the tyrant down.

Bravery and Fortaancus jumped down from the building into dustbin that broke their fall. The giant black shard that towered over the destroyed city was now within sight. Fortaancus took hold of Bravery and launched his claw to the top of narrow building where they could both see all there was to see. The noise made by the claw was silent but sudden and sharp enough to make Bravery jump a little in surprise, then he realised they were being instantly pulled up to the roof within a matter of seconds.
When they quickly reached the top of the building, Bravery pulled out an enhanced telescope and observed the foreign obstruction that lay before the ruins.

Bravery was intrigued to see that there were no patrols or guards positioned anywhere around the black shard not even those who could fly were to be seen. "We continue to run out of time Bravery, what is out there?" whispered Fortaancus as he slowly crouched down looking at the base of their vantage point.
"Nothing but this unbearably prominent shard that you see in front of you, there is no form of security what so ever Fortaancus" Bravery whispered back.
Bravery gave the telescope to Fortaancus and took up Fortaancus's position as the evigilator.
"You speak the truth Bravery, but I do not like this, there is too little activity for this shard to still have its significance." Fortaancus said quietly folding up the telescope and handing it back to Bravery.

Suddenly, after Bravery stood up he and Fortaancus felt an agonising sting in their heads and they both fell to the floor in unrelenting pain. Bravery and Fortaancus endured seconds of the pain until they heard a deathly and ominous voice in their heads speaking to them both simultaneously.

"Your attempts to save your unworthy kind and land will lead to more death and suffering including yours. the voice said sounding very angry and hateful "For too long did you underestimate the power of fear and death, by the end of this day those powers will rip you apart and leave your rotting carcasses and drying blood on the very soils of what is to be my new empire!!!! the voice continued slowly raising in volume by each word. "Out of superiority and hatred I will slaughter the arrogant leaders you call Celestia and Luna, I will have their heads along with the fool Fortaancus who thinks he can stand in the way of death itself, I will slash at his chest, tear out his heart and singe it into my throne where it will rot there for all eternity, as will all of you if you dare to stand against my will!!! the voice boomed inside Bravery's and Fortaancus' where it finally died down into a sort of whisper. "Your choice will determine your fate ponies of Equestria, submit to me......or DIE!