53: An Unknown Appears...
The road began to tremble as what felt like a small earthquake began to roll the earth under them. The enraged mare's eyes remained on him and he allowed it as the Elemental began to pull from the ground twenty feet away from them. He heard ponies screaming as they scrambled to get away from the moving ground. Asmara finally looked away from him and her eyes widened as the monster from her past and the one that still haunted her nightmares pulled free of the ground. Its dimensions had changed only a few feet due to the commands that the Witcher had given it. She stared, fear slowly coming to her eyes and face as it remained still and silent in place.
“Whoa, Nelly!” Applejack cried out as she and the others paused at the edge of the small town square.
Oblivion glanced to them as they all paused at the sight before them. The Royals were not far behind as Celestia teleported herself and Blue Blood down to the city with the others, joining Luna. Twilight looked to him, fear in her eyes as he stood thirty feet away from them, the Elemental between them. Asmara looked to him as the monster remained still.
“What have you done?” She asked him.
Oblivion looked to her and his will reached out to the monster, willing it to advance several steps. The others cried out and scrambled away as Asmara backed up several feet at its movement. “You wished revenge!” Oblivion yelled to her. “Now is your chance. Or will you flee?”
The Pegasus said nothing at his words while the monster was still. Oblivion reached out to the Elemental and released his hold on its movement, allowing it to move freely. The creature shifted in place and its eyes scanned over the ponies close to it. At his side Sasa stood in silence, her body tensed and ready should the need arise. The creature’s eyes finally landed on the mare that once held the gem in her possession. Oblivion could sense that a part of the mare’s body remembered the magic that came from the gemstone itself. A part of her retained an understanding of the gemstone and the Elemental itself.
As the monster regarded her the Pegasus was still as stone. Oblivion kept a close eye on the situation, should the need to command the Elemental arise. He watched as the bracelet on her foreleg flashed and she took to the air. He watched as an aura surrounded her form and her speed increased. He watched as she banked and the bracelet flashed once more. He could see the aura increase around her as it formed a bubble-like a globe around her. She collided violently with the Elemental and it staggered as she struck its head. The globe around her faded and she gained altitude once more. The Elemental roared and slammed one large foot into the ground, upending several slabs of stone and dirt. It picked one up and tossed the slab at the still flying mare. When she dodged it Oblivions own magic gripped the stone slab and brought it back to the group of them and set it aside. The mare wheeled in the air and once more charged the creature. Her bracelet once more flashed and the shield once more took its place around her. Oblivions' orange eyes followed the battle as it went on. Asmara employed much the same tactic as she attacked the creature.
Twilight and the others stood in stunned silence as Oblivion allowed the mare to fight the monster that had come from within the ground under their hooves. She glanced to the Elemental as the Pegasus collided with it once more, knocking a chunk of stone from its shoulder. She looked to the Princesses and they were watching closely as well as the monster tossed stone slabs at the mare and Oblivion brought them back. She watched as the Witcher hadn’t moved from his original place and said nothing as the fight went on. Her horn lit as she planned to teleport to his side to ask him what his plan was. He looked to him as his head slowly turned to her as he slowly shook his head.
“Chosen?”
Oblivion looked to the feline as he looked back to the fight. “Yes?”
“Why stop her from coming to you?”
“I do not need help with what I am doing.” He replied as his magic once more pulled a slab of stone back to them. “I cannot keep an eye on her as well.”
“What are you planning, Chosen?” She nuzzled his shoulder as she questioned him.
“You will see.”
The feline at his side was quiet as the mare began to tire, her anger and rage failing her. Oblivions eyes followed her as the bracelet on her leg flashed faintly and she charged the Elemental one last time. As she neared it the shield around her failed and the Elemental swung an arm toward her. A faint cry came from her as the Elementals hand gripped her in its hand. Oblivions horn glowed with azure flame as the mare struggled in the creature's grasp, while the Witcher commanded the Elemental to hold her. Oblivions' horn remained alight as he approached the Elemental, who still held the mare tightly. Around his neck, the gemstone glowed brightly as the Elemental turned to face the stallion.
“What is going on?” Asmara raged to him as her eyes fell on him. “What did you do?”
The black stallion was quiet as the Elemental waited for his command. Oblivions' orange eyes gave off a slight glow as he looked back to her. “I gave you what you have wanted for so long. You fought the monster from your nightmares and did not die from it.” He eased to her.
“That’s not what I want!” She screamed at him.
“You must realize that you can’t kill it.” He said back to her.
“Everything dies.” She snapped at him.
“Not everything.”
Asmara snarled at him as she struggled in the monsters stone grip. “Now what?” She growled. “Why hasn’t it killed me?”
“After holding the gem for so long you don’t know anything about it. What you hold is a gem that is older than anypony here. It was stolen from a place of great power and when they finished with it they released it into the world. Your family was unfortunate enough to come into contact with it and cutting it apart only enraged the Elemental that was to protect and retrieve it.” He said to her. His voice was quiet enough to not be heard by the others as he spoke to the Pegasus mare.
“What insanity are you spouting?” She growled.
Oblivion sighed and levitated the gem in his magic. “You live because I have willed it.”
“What?!” She screamed at him.
“I command the Elemental. My will commands it and I do not wish for you die today. So I have commanded it to hold you still.”
The mare's eyes widened as she listened to him speak. “That’s not possible.” She whispered.
“I assure you I speak the truth.”
“How could you control it? That’s impossible.”
“I am a Witcher of the School of the Wolf. My emotions were taken from me a long time ago. When I hold the gemstone there is no emotion for it to feed off of and react to. You hold it then it reacts to the rage and pain you feel for the Elemental.” He replied to her. “Your pain feeds it to act in rage and attack. Without that, it is dormant, as you can see.” Oblivion released his magic and the gem fell to his chest, by the medallion. The Elementals eyes went dark as it remained in the same position that Oblivion had commanded it to stay in.
Asmara’s eyes were wide as the reality began to soak in. “That’s not…How could you…Why?” She leveled a glare at him as the reality sunk into her mind. “You are using it to torment me then?”
“No.”
“Then why?”
“Closure.” He said to her, his voice quiet.
She was still as he spoke only the one word. “Closure? You think I want that?”
“No. I know it’s not what you want. But it is what you need. I’m not saying to forgive, but even you must realize the folly of holding onto the rage you have and expecting yourself to be able to kill something that it not killable.”
“I told you, everything dies.”
“And I told you not everything. Some do not have the option of dying in peace or dying at all. You’re striving for something that is impossible. Surely you must have noticed that the Elemental will not fall. You knocked a few stones from its hide but nothing more. Not even if you have the power of a Unicorn could you destroy it? If it fell it would go back to the ground and come back twice as fierce and with the same lifespan.”
“You don’t know that!”
“I do. I have lived far longer than most ponies and I have seen Elementals like this one before and they do not fall for very long. Even if I stopped one and sent it to the ground it would return the next day. They are of the earth and soil.”
Asmara had tears in her eyes as he spoke. “It would never stop?”
“No. The only way to end this fight is with your death or to return the stone to where it belongs.”
“And that’s what you’re going to do?”
“Yes. I will be leaving from here to return it to its proper place and that will allow those connected to it to recover.”
“Or I can take that stone back and break it.” She snarled out.
“Not possible. Surely you noticed over time how the stone did not chip or scuff after the cuts that were made by your Uncle. It cannot be hurt again.”
“That’s not…”
“Possible? I assure you it is. You have wasted your life pursuing something that you have no business tangling with.”
“How come it never attacked me before?”
“You were not a threat to it. Shall I show you what it considers a threat?”
“How can you do that? By throwing emotion at it? How stupid.”
Oblivion removed his medallion and held it in his magic. The medallion shone in the sunlight and he brought it close to the Elementals hand and it reached for the medallion and the Element of Harmony that was wrapped around it. Asmara cried out in surprise as Oblivion pulled back and slid the medallion back over his head and let it settle back against his chest.
“It considers the Element an enemy. I found this out when I took it from Winter Snow. If she had been able to take the Element from me then bringing them together would have been deadly for you both. Even if she held my Element of Harmony there is no way she could have controlled it and you would not have been able to stop the Elemental from attacking the Element and probably killing you both.” He informed her.
She was silent as he explained. “So I would never have gotten my revenge, even with the strongest of the Elements?”
“No. You would have been the next one it killed.”
Sasa growled at the mare as she tried to glare through tears. The Pegasus was silent as she looked away from him and to the Elemental that held her. Neither of them said anything as the mare began to understand what he had been telling her.
As her thoughts cleared and she began to understand what he had been telling her all along. His ability to control the monster that had haunted her for years tore at her and filled her heart with anger. Her body trembled in the monsters grasp and she found herself at its mercy and by extension, his. The Black Unicorn was silent as he regarded her, his orange eyes bright. She looked to the growling tiger at his side and she knew that if she tried to hurt him the cat would tear her apart. The cat’s huge front teeth were enough to give her pause. Her bracelet was out of magic and it would take hours for it to recharge. She looked back to the stallion and found he was not looking at her any longer. His gaze was traveling around him, he seemed to be looking at the destruction of the courtyard around them.
“Worried about the cost of the little fight you let go on?” She snidely said to him. “I’m sure those chunks of stone have hurt some pony.”
She wanted a look of shock or even pain to cross his eyes but nothing happened as he suddenly tipped his horn to the side. She looked over and her eyes widened at the sight of the pile of stone slabs that stood in a pile off to the side. “Or not.” She said aloud and huffed at the sight. “You could have stopped me before when I kicked you through that portal.”
“Probably.” He replied to her.
“So why let me fight back?”
“I am not in the business of forcing you to do anything. It is not my place to command you. I had not intended on slinging you over my back to bring you back here.” He responded to her.
“So why? Why would you even let me fight this thing here? Even though you knew it was pointless.”
“It may have been pointless but you would not have accepted that had I told you. You would have thought I lied to you.”
He was quiet as she looked away to the pile of stones once more. “So you're trying to let me realize that what I was doing was…just…what?”
“Drawing it out. It’s like a wound that has been allowed to fester too long. Eventually, you have to choose.”
“Which is?”
“Either lance it and let it heal or let it kill you slowly over time.” He replied to her.
Asmara stared at him and her eyes filled with tears as his words began to sink in. The stallion was quiet as he allowed her to process things on her own time. As he waited for her to speak his medallion trembled and he looked around him to locate the source.
“Chosen!”
Sasa collided with his shoulder, shoving him to the side, and knocking him off his hooves. The cat cried out as he rolled to his hooves and looked up to find several ponies advancing on him slowly from across the courtyard. They broke into a trot as screams began to sound out from around them. Oblivion looked up as fires began to spring up from around the courtyard. Sasa slowly got to her paws and she came to his side, a heavy limp in her right foreleg.
“Sasa.”
“Chosen?”
“Can you run?”
“Yes. But I will not leave you.” She said to him.
“You have to. I need you to help the others get ponies to safety. We stepped into something and I can’t stop this if I am worried about them and you.” He snapped at her.
The feline looked from him to the advancing group of ponies and back to him. “What do we do?”
“Lead them. Find those that need your help. Talk to them through Blue Blood.”
“Chosen?”
“Now go, Sasa. Please.” He said to her and pulled his steel sword free of its scabbard.
Sasa nuzzled him and limped to the stunned ponies. Oblivion watched as they leaped forward to gallop up to him. He planted one black hoof and a flick of one fore hoof sent Quen into place over his body. Around him, Yrden created a circle around him. He backed up a few steps and waited for them to reach him. The black Unicorn looked to the others and watched as they fled from the area to tend to the city around them. He saw Celestia and Luna take to the air and wing their way away from him. His magic reached out to command the Elemental to raise itself to its full thirty-foot height and keep the Pegasus out of the way.
The ponies reached him a moment later as they entered the circle ahead of them. The stallion in the front cried out as his hooves slowed and he reared up as Oblivions sword swung toward him and it nicked across his skin over his belly. He spun away from a mare as she lunged to him, her horn alight as she fired a blast of magic at him, trying to throw him from his hooves once more. The black stallion whirled around, his hooves collided with her chest, sending her rolling back with a scream of pain.
None of them said anything and the Witcher was just as silent and they began to spin through a dance that would only end when one or all of them fell. Oblivion was well acquainted with the dance that he was now embroiled in, the dance of death. The stallion was silent as the other four ponies surrounded him and he let his ears flick back to listen to the movement of the other two behind him while his eyes stayed on the pair in front of him. His ears flicked from one to the other as they moved. Quen still shone over his body and he reached out to the other blade on his girth and pulled the blade he had taken from the Witcher of the Cat and brandished them both in his magic. He did not dual wield often but he was good enough to use it now.
Sasa ran between Twilight and Blue Blood as they ran from house to house and tried to get as many ponies out of danger as possible and then get back to the Witcher as quickly as she could. On her other side, Blue Blood was with her since he could hear her speak. She looked to the next house and her ears picked up the sound of sobbing.
“Blue!” She cried out to the stallion as she slid to a stop. “In here.”
The stallion lunged into the house, Twilight on his heels as they called for the ponies inside to come to them. They came out of the house a minute later, three ponies ahead of them. Twilight lit up her horn and sent a blast of magic into the air to alert any guards close by to come to them and pick up the injured ponies.
“Cross?” Sasa said as the Thestral came to them, his wings flapping swiftly to get to them as quickly as possible.
“Cross?” Blue looked up at the cat's yowl of greeting. “It’s good to see you, Cross. Are you alone?”
“Yes. I can carry them, don’t worry. Oblivions training did nothing if help me get stronger.” The Thestral said to them as he bustled the two foals onto his back and then hovered above the mare with them. He wrapped his forelegs around her barrel and after making sure the little ones were holding tight he took to the air.
“Safe flight!” Blue called out to him.
The Thestral looked down and nodded as he vanished above the houses. “Next!” Sasa shouted and led them onward.
“Sasa, is Oblivion okay?” Twilight asked her as they ran.
“Yes. He will be fine. If he needs help he can command that the Elemental help him.”
Blue stared at the feline as he related the cat’s words to the purple Unicorn. “He can control it?”
“Yes. That gemstone he wears can control it. He doesn’t have enough emotions to make it attack out of his command. So it answers to him. I don’t know everything about it but he can use it.” She stopped at another house and pushed against the front door. “Inside.” She called to blue Blood.
Twilight’s horn lit up with her aura as she blasted the front door from its hinges. “Come outside!” She yelled into the house as a foal and a stallion stumbled out of the house.
“Thank you. The door was blocked!” He said to them as the purple mare sent a blast of magic skyward once more.
“You’re safe now,” Blue said to him and they all looked up to the sky as one of the royal guard descended and picked them up to take them to safety.
“Keep going. Twilight said. “Sasa lead on.”
The feline forged ahead, despite the pain in her shoulder, and led the two Unicorns forward. “We are getting to the end of the street. Where are the others?” She asked as they got to the end of the street and Blue Blood sent out a golden blast of magic into the air.
“Blue!” A voice called out from above them.
“Silver?” Blue recognized the armored Pegasus. “Where are the others?”
“Your friends are by the park, Miss Twilight. They are moving through the parkway houses.” Silver related to them.
“How far do the fires go?”
“They stop a mile ahead of the blue districts.” He replied. “The fires are getting pushed back but the damage is pretty significant.”
“At least the fires are getting pushed back. Any known casualties?” Blue asked him.
“A few dead yes.” He replied with a sad expression. “But most that we find are injured. So far as I know only around five are dead. The rest injured or scared."
“Where are Striker and Vantage?” Blue asked. “I thought the four of you had been put into a group due to the training from Oblivion.”
“They went to him.” Silver replied, a slight smile on his muzzle.
“They did?” Twilight asked. “Why?”
“Oblivion trained the four guards that went with him to hunt the Leshen. Because of that, we were put into a specialty group that is going to be under his command to hunt monsters.” He said to them. “But now isn’t the time to discuss this. Come. I’ll lead you out of danger and to the others. Other teams are covering the other direction so your magic is needed elsewhere.”
The two Unicorns nodded and Sasa backed up from them. “You’re going to be okay now. I need to get back to him.” She said aloud to Blue Blood.
“Be careful Sasa. Keep him safe, we just got him back.” Blue said to her and he rubbed a hoof over her head and she purred in reply.
“I will. Be safe.” She said to them and whirled to leave them behind her as she galloped back to The Witcher.
Oblivion snorted as he backflipped away from a hard buck from one of his attackers. The mare he had kicked was standing off to the side, firing magic at him and waiting for an opening. His body was used to combat but his body was tired and worn from his journey to return to Equestria. He could sense that Sasa was a distance from him and he focused on the ponies ahead of him. The group of four lunged to him and he sent a gout of Igni and they cried out as the flames licked at their flesh. The Black Unicorn was still quiet as he conserved his energy and only attacked when he was going to be able to drive them back. The flames faded and he lunged ahead, his blade licked over the pale stallion's shoulder and embedded deep into the meat of his shoulder. The pony screamed and pulled away, blood splattered the ground as he rolled away.
Oblivion reared back as two of the remaining ponies lunged to him and he released his claws and they tore at the ponies who were closest to him. His claws tore at the neck of the mare and she cried out and pulled back. The remaining stallion spun and a solid buck landed on Oblivions lowered chest and diaphragm. He grunted as the kick pushed him back and he staggered as his breath was violently pushed out of him. He snorted and tried to get to his hooves to avoid them. He looked up as a blast of magic tore toward him and he turned his head to allow the magic to impact his neck and not his face.
A sound of impacted metal caught his ears and he looked up to find a pair of armored guards standing in front of him. “Sir?” Vantage looked back to him.
“Vantage?” Oblivion started to get up but paused as he pulled air into his lungs.
“I got you.”
A pair of hooves pulled him to his hooves and he looked to the other guard. “Striker? What in the Gods name are you two doing here?”
“We can explain later, Sir.” Vantage said to him. “I think we have the fight to finish.”
"We stand with you, Sir.” Striker said to him and they took positions on either side of him.
“Very well.” He agreed and stepped forward, the two guards flanking him.
Sasa galloped through the city, racing back to where still Oblivion fought. Her shoulder burned from the attack earlier but she refused to slow or let it stop her. Her body flowed over the ground as her natural grace allowed her to cover a greater distance with the least amount of effort. She could sense that Oblivion was tired and he needed to rest, but she knew that he would not be able to rest yet, not until this was over. She was glad to hear that Striker and Vantage would be joining the Witcher ahead of her and she allowed herself to go as fast as she dared with her injured shoulder.
She came to a sliding stop as a scream caught her attention. She looked around her and began to scan the surrounding buildings. Many of which were still on fire and she stopped as the door a house ahead of her was thrown open and a pony fell out of it. She trotted up to see that the pony had died and she looked inside to see a small foal sitting in the middle of the doorway. The foal cringed at the sight of the large cat and she blinked as he whimpered and began to cry louder. She looked around, hoping to find a pony that could tend to the foal but her eyes found nothing that could draw attention to her and her need for aid.
“Oh my.” She whispered to herself and walked slowly to the foal. “Hold still little one.” She willed it as she spoke to herself.
Her jaws went gently around the small pony and she gripped him as tightly as she dared. Her front teeth made it difficult for her to grip him but she made sure to have a strong grip on his mane and what little skin that she dared to hold in her teeth. The pony whimpered and began to sob as she carried him out of the house.
She looked down the sides of the streets and tried to focus on what little sense she had in the World Spirit through Oblivion. She focused on the light that came from those she was close to. The closest to her was Luna. She focused on her and began to trot toward the mare. The foal whined in her jaws and she slowly broke into a run to get him to safety. As she raced forward as she could hear the sound of wood snapping around her. The foal cried out as she jumped a fallen tree and his cries made her pause. She lowered him to the ground to get a better grip on him and he started to paw at her to get her away from him. He rolled onto his back to stop her from picking him up. She snarled and the tiny pony went still as she rolled him to his hooves and picked him up once more. Her jaws held him as gently as she dared and once more began to run to safety. She focused on Luna's signature and slowly she neared the Alicorn Princess.
“Luna, where are you?” She said aloud and began to search the skies as she navigated the burning streets.
In her jaws, the foal was quiet as he curled up into a ball to avoid the fires as the enormous cat cut down an alley to avoid the fires. The feline slid to a stop at the sight of the fire at the end of the alleyway. The foal began to cry once more as she scanned the area around her. Her eyes found a slim pathway that had been made by a fallen roof and she jumped to land on it, digging her claws into the wood and she slowly scaled the roof pathway, with the foal in her teeth. She reached the top of the roofline and she began to scan around her, a dark blue Alicorn caught her attention.
“There you are.” She said to herself and after making sure the roof was safe she lowered the small pony onto the roof and inhaled.
Her roar shook the rooftop and the foal cried out as he covered his ears with his hooves. She watched as Luna spun in the air and saw the saber cat and flew toward her. Under her paws, the roof shuddered and Sasa reached down and took the foal roughly in her teeth. The roof began to give way and she gathered her muscles and leaped for the roof next door. She gasped as she missed the roof and she felt the impact of magic as it gripped her and the foal in her jaws.
“Oh thank the Gods.” She breathed as the Alicorn’s blue aura carried her and the foal a safe distance and then to the ground.
Sasa felt grass under her paws as she was sat down in the nearby park. Luna dropped to the ground and went to the felines head. Sasa gently set the baby pony on the ground and looked to the mare.
“Sasa, did thee save him?” The Alicorn asked her.
The cat nodded and nudged him from his place on the ground. As he uncurled from the fetal position he was in he saw the Moon Princess and began to cry loudly. She reached down and picked him up gently in her hooves. The Alicorn held the baby close as she tried to comfort him. Sasa started to leave but a loud cry stopped her as she glanced back to see the foal reaching for her. She went back to him and pressed her nose against his fur and he gripped her fur with his hooves. Luan stroked his mane and back as the feline purred, trying to calm his cries.
“Thou made a new friend, Sasa.” Luna said to her.
Sasa shrugged and nuzzled the baby until he calmed. Luna held him close and used her magic to check him for any injuries. She could tell that Sasa’s teeth had cut his neck a bit but it was not enough to do any lasting harm. As the baby quieted and released the feline's nose the mare held him close to her body.
“We will stay with him, Sasa. Thou are needed elsewhere. Oblivion will need thy help.” The mare said to her and held the foal close as the feline nuzzled her as well.
Sasa turned and fled from them as she raced for the stallion’s location. As she ran over the wreckage of houses and lives her mind went over what this could have been. When they attacked Asmara looked surprised as well. So the feline was sure that they were not with her. But that still left the question of who they were and why they were doing this. She pushed such thoughts out of her mind as she came out of smoke and into the courtyard. She was glad to see that Oblivion had indeed been joined by Vantage and Striker. The two guards were at the stallion's flank and they were countering attacks from the three ponies around them. Sasa looked up as a blast of magic glanced off of Strikers' armor and the Pegasus growled at the impact.
The feline looked up and saw her target. She crouched down and began to stalk toward the Unicorn, hiding among the remaining bushes and fallen trees. As she neared her the mare shifted and she stilled in place. Her aqua eyes focused as she burst from hiding and attacked the Unicorn mare, who screamed as the enormous tiger filled her vision.
Oblivion heard a scream and he chanced a look up as Sasa savaged the Unicorn attacking them from afar.
“That looked like it hurt.” Striker yelled as he flicked his sword around to land on the pony’s hock, forcing him to drop his weapon, exactly as he had been taught by the Witcher.
Oblivions Wolven Steel slid into the flesh of his direct attacker, earning a shrill cry from the pony as he pulled back and fell a few feet away, his blood coloring the ground ahead of them. Oblivion turned to the two that were remaining and his magic gripped the gem around his neck and commanded the Elemental to take the remaining pony into its other hand and contain him. The Elemental gripped the stallion, who cried out and tried to pull away from the monstrous creature. The final pony prepared to attack the group of ponies, a last ditch effort.
“Vantage?” The Thestral looked to the black Unicorn. “Can you knock him out?”
The Thestral grinned and looked to the pony. “Yes, Sir.” He inhaled as the pony lunged for them.
Sasa covered her ears as the Thestral released a scream that shook the air and the pony in front of them screamed as the sound tore over him, shocking his body and ears enough to force it to shut down. He fell unconscious to the ground ahead of them. Vantage wavered for a moment and Oblivion gripped his armor, holding the stallion upright.
“Vantage?”
“I’m okay sir.” He replied and shook himself. “It’s been a while since I used that.” He replied.
“Well done.” Oblivion praised the Thestral. “Now can you explain why…?” Oblivion paused as his body sank to the ground, exhaustion finally catching up with him as he sat and breathed.
“Sir?” Striker was at his side a moment later.
“I’m all right. It’s been a long few weeks.” He admitted and tried to pull himself to his hooves but found that he didn’t have the energy for it.
“Chosen?”
“I’m all right Sasa. Just worn down.” He said aloud to her. “Striker, bind that one so when he wakes up we have him ready for questioning.” Striker nodded an went to the fallen pony to tie him up with the cuffs held in his armor.
The feline came up to him and sat down in front of him, her head pressed against his chest as a deep purr rumbled through her. The black Unicorn was quiet as he sat still, allowing his body to recover some of its energy before he stood once more. After several minutes he could feel that it would take time for him to stand and move once more.
“To the depths with it.” He cursed and his magic summoned a vial from his bag.
The stallion pulled the cork on the bottle and swallowed its contents. He set it aside and breathed out as the foul tasting brew went down his throat and he could feel strength surge through him, allowing him to stand on his own hooves once more. He sent the bottle back to the saddlebags. The guards were quiet as he got to his hooves and shook himself. His magic slid the swords back into the silver sheathes on his back and he looked to the Elemental that was towering over them.
“Sir?” Vantage asked him.
“Yes?”
“What was that? You looked completely worn out and now your better.” Striker spoke up as well.
“That was a dose of Swallow. It’s Witcher’s potion that regenerates wounds and strength.”
“Can we use it?” Striker asked.
“No. Potions I use are meant for a Witcher and us alone. They are lethal to others.” He replied to them.
“Oh. Water is good for me. I like water…and breathing.” Vantage said to them.
Sasa chuckled and nuzzled the armored ponies in turn. “At least all of you are all right.”
“We’re fine Sasa,” Oblivion said to her. “But that does not explain why both of you are here versus out with the other guards.”
“Oh that. Well. Since monsters are still around Princesses Celestia and Luna decided to create a small group to tend to the monsters. Since the four of us were trained by you, she put us under your command.” Striker explained.
“Under my command?” Oblivion said to him.
“Yeah. You’re the monster expert but having back up can’t hurt. So when there is a monster to hunt the four of us will accompany you to tend to it.” Vantage added.
“Lovely,” Oblivion replied, sarcasm in his tone.
“It will be fine, Chosen. They know how to work with you. It’s better than taking green ponies with you every time.” She pointed out to him.
“Fair point.” He said to the feline. “She makes a good point. It will be easier to tell you four what to do than four greenhorns.”
“See? Perfect. And it gets us out of the castle.” Vantage chuckled.
Oblivion looked up to the two ponies that the Elemental held and he could see Asmara glaring daggers at the captured stallion. Oblivions eyes widened as the stallion aura was fading and he commanded the Elemental to set the pony down in front of him. The pony fell to the ground, foam coming from his mouth.
“Dammit,” Oblivion said aloud as his magic covered the pony, trying to revive him and remove the poison.
“Chosen…He’s gone.” Sasa said to him as she sniffed the body.
“Shit.” He cursed as his magic faded from the pony and the body was still.
“Sir?” Striker said to him as they drew up on his sides. “What happened?”
“He killed himself rather than be questioned. I can’t save him from it. It’s too strong of a poison.”
“I thought you could heal though?” Vantage asked.
“I can. But I can’t fix what he did to himself.”
“It was acid,” Asmara called out to them, from above their heads.
“Acid?” Vantage questioned as the Elemental lowered her to their level. “That’s not an easy way to go. It’s pretty painful.”
“I assume it was. But he didn’t even whimper when he swallowed it.” She related to them.
“That’s odd.” Striker said as he looked to the Witcher.
“Not unheard of though. It’s caustic and fast.” He replied.
“How so?” Asmara asked him.
“Concentrated acid is strong enough to melt the airway and destroy everything in its path when ingested. I’ve seen what acid from a few monsters can do to flesh and it’s not pleasant. Doesn’t matter what it’s trying to burn through. Flesh or metal, most can’t stand against it.” The Witcher informed them.
Vantage grimaced and Striker looked like he was going to be sick at the information from the black stallion.
“Wow. Yeah, not a good way to die.” Asmara commented and looked down at the pony from her place in the monsters grasp. “So now what?” She asked him.
“Now? We find out who these ponies were.” Oblivion replied to her. “But first, what do we do with you?”
Asmara shrugged absently. “At this point, I really have no desire to fight you or this thing...” She punched at the Elementals stone grip. “Anymore. So can you let me down?”
“Will you stay on the ground without being shackled and not fly away?” Oblivion asked her.
“Fair point.” She replied after a moment’s thought and leaned back into the monster's hand. “Even if I did fly away, couldn’t you just bring me back?”
“Yes. Though I haven’t had time to test teleporting a pony.” He admitted to her. “I can teleport Sasa but I haven’t tried another pony.”
“Yeah. Please don’t test it on me.” Asmara added and went quiet as the others returned. “Oh goody, the others are back.”
Oblivion ignored her sarcasm as the others approached him. They all looked to the five bodies on the ground. “The farthest one fell to Sasa, these two to myself and Striker, and this one killed himself rather than talk. We did capture that one alive though.” He admitted and pointed to each pony as he spoke.
“That’s good to hear. Are they connected to you, Asmara?” Celestia asked.
“No. Not my circus, not my monkeys.” She quipped back and looked to the questioning Royal.
Oblivion cocked an eyebrow at her choice of words but said nothing in reply. “We can question him when he comes to about what this was.” He replied as he motioned to the destruction around them.
“Can you fix it all, Oblivion?” Twilight asked him.
Oblivion looked around and tilted his head slightly as his eyes scanned their surroundings. “Perhaps.” He replied as his horn lit and he pushed out his magic to cover what he could and his eyes widened as he pulled back his magic as the World Spirit shuddered under him and he shook his head. “Not all at once.” He replied.
“Are you serious?” Asmara jabbed at him. “You can repair all the damage?” She laughed at the thought and stared at the stallion.
“Given some rest, I should be able to get to most of it. But at the moment I don’t think it’s a good idea at this time.” He said to the others, ignoring the incredulous stare from the Pegasus mare.
“That’s true. Ya did just get back from a long journey.” Applejack piped up as she approached him. “Ya look pretty spent.”
“He was until he downed some portion of his, now he seems better.” Striker said aloud, earning him a blank stare from the Black Unicorn. “Sorry.” He cringed down under the glare and looked away from the unicorn.
“You’re just asking for an ass-kicking, aren’t you?” Vantage jabbed him. “You’re on your own if he decides you need more training.”
“What?!” Striker looked stricken as he looked at the Black Unicorn. He gulped and jumped to hide behind Blue Blood, who looked back to him. “No…” Striker whimpered from his hiding place.
“We shall see,” Oblivion replied and the Guard cringed at his words. The stallion stepped away from them and went to the unconscious pony. “We should move him indoors and check to make sure that he doesn’t have any poison hidden on his person to avoid him committing suicide,” Oblivion said to them as he levitated the unconscious pony.
The others nodded and followed close behind him as the Elemental also moved with them, carrying Asmara, who groaned as the monster carried her. “Put me down, damn you!” She shrieked as the monster followed obediently behind the Witcher.
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More please
You have to deal with RL first. This was a good chapter. Some typos, but nothing really to make it too bad. Hopefully you'll be back soon after RL is dealt with. Asmara, I really hope you've learned your lesson.
I got to know does Twilight have feelings for Oblivion? Can't help but notice.
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You'll see!
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I look forward with great interest.
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I will do my best!
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True.
He's one salty bastard.
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He banged a djinn, a succubus, three different sorceresses, that dragon girl from the second game, a vampire, a shape shifter and a satyr I'm pretty sure a pony would not turn him off especially if it was sentient.
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I forgot to add that he was missing ingredients. I always ran out of the booze that was needed. Lol. I'll go back and redo that part.
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I suppose... Though by the later portions of the game(s), you're usually swimming in booze, and of the highest quality too... How you can run out often is beyond me, unless you like to consume... ;-]
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The Bah'ro are a race of beings in the Myst universe. D'ni have the ability to link to other Ages, but the Bah'ro have many, many more abilities (incl. the ability to "link" at will). In any case, these creatures were enslaved by the D'ni (for use of their powers), and a big portion of Uru (the entirety of the core game, in fact) is about returning their totems back to the Bah'ro cave to release them from their binds.
Here's how it is depicted in the game. What you don't see from the screenshot is... well... that just below the cave, there's a sea of stars. The cave is suspended in nothingness, and can possibly function as a form of "guide" between worlds, if one tries...
Also, the parallels between the two - the entire idea of Myst is about a race of people who can travel the probabilities in the Universe. In fact, their central thing is the Great Tree of Probability - a literal tree is depicted, by the way... (wilting, because The Grower has been absent for millenia, I understand) That sounds vaguely familiar. ;]
The whole point behind the D'ni is that they can "write" a book - a description of some place - that can then be used as a portal to "link" there. Understanding of it is split between two groups - the "old D'ni" who believe they're creating these worlds as they write, and the "reformed D'ni" (incl. the characters who guide the protagonists) who understand that they're not creating anything, but rather selecting for an already existing destination with each more precise description.
This serves as the dramatic conflict (creating and (ab)using freely vs only finding) throughout the series. I can't help but notice heavy parallels between the Myst lore and your own. Not saying it's intentional, but it seems a bit too close to be an accident... :-)
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was totally lost and was scouring Google.
Okay. Now it makes sense. I have not played the MYST series so that explains my confusion. The tree idea came to me since I was working on an MLP Custom depicting the Tree of Life and the roots from it. Though the Myst one sounds interesting and I may end up reading more about it if I go to use it at a later date. Thank you for explaining. I
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Mind that I gave you the "I'm double-parked" version of the whole thing - the Myst lore goes into much more depth than this, and is an excellent source of inspiration. The imagery alone can be, that's for sure...
Though the games end up being walking simulators for lengthy periods, so be aware, but there's always something to see, a clue to uncover. A lot of love went into these worlds, and it shows in how they look, sound, and tell their story. A lot of "show me, don't tell me" too, which is always helpful - organic puzzle-solving.
The fun bit, for me, was that all of these events were already in the past, for the most part - I was just the "along for the ride impromptu archeologist", uncovering the events that transpired perhaps no later than a hundred years ago...
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Oohhh!! I may have to find a walkthrough online or I'm sure a friend probably has it and watch it. If I vanish for a bit that might be the cause.
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I don't think it'll help the "witcher" part of the story, but it'll certainly help to inspire a bit of the "multiverse" part, at any rate.
As for the witcher... You know when people (and consequently, witchers) make the most mistakes? When they think they're right, and when they think they're safe. That whole pitchfork fiasco? Yeah. You let your guard down... things get ugly.
I think what this story needs now is someone Oblivion fails to protect (but later bonds with greatly).
What does make a monster? You kill to survive, I kill for profit... but what if that profit helps someone? Who's to say I'm wrong? Who's to say you're right? And more importantly, who is to say that I can't be "not wrong" and you can't be "not right" at the same time? That world is almost exclusively suspended in grey and gray morality, with the occasional orange & blue.
The Witcher series has almost always been about jumping to conclusions, hatred based on uncertainty and the unknown, fear... and blurred lines. "If I have to choose between evil and evil, I'd rather not choose at all." is a pretty sentiment, and that's all it ever is, because you can never stay truly neutral. Even walking away is a choice. Hell, even inaction is a choice - you're choosing to have the Universe make the choice for you.
Food for thought.
There are also two signs in the books, Heliotrop and Somnus. The first is basically anti-magic (you can imagine mages' reactions to a witcher just kool-aid manning through a powerful spell and chopping his head off). The second puts the target to sleep.
He should have used his own magic to overpower it. Much safer.