A Draconic Meeting

by Mystic Sunrise

Mouth of Hell/The Guardian

“Well we’ve arrived,” the train conductor said to his young worker. Who at that moment was hanging up the coal shovel and his hat. The conductor was slightly taken aback all those days ago when he just showed up in Appleloosa with the request to work the coal shovel for a trip to the last stop the princess was making. He would have laughed aloud but for the dark look in the young creature’s eyes. “You sure you want to get off here? These guard ponies don’t take kindly to outsiders, and there’s nothing beyond but a living hell.”

“I’m sure,” the young passenger said as he slipped on his dark green cloak with gold embroidery. “And I'll be just fine. Thank you for the ride, I know it couldn’t have been easy on you.”

The touch of that dark paw on the Conductor’s shoulder erased every dark feeling he had. No different than a warm flame melts the snow. “Well okay, don’t say I didn’t warn you. We’ll be heading back in the morning if you change your mind.”

“No, you won’t. You’ll be leaving tonight,” the cloaked boy looked over his shoulder. His voice not so much as suggesting it, but commanding him to do so. “There are dark and evil forces at work this night, you’ll be much safer back at the last stop. So leave now, and do not look back.”

Before he could voice any complaint the boy had leaped off the train and moved up to a pair of guards. He grumbled and groaned when one look over the horizon made the old stallion agree with what the young one was said. He didn’t want to be any closer to this place than he already was.

“We’re heading back. Now get to work you slackers,” the old conductor shouted out as he started the train’s backward journey.

The guards stood there as they were handed a hoof sealed note with the royal moon symbol. The sergeant tore it open and read the contents. Feeling his blood freeze as he did so. “The princess’s last letter didn’t say they were sending another envoy past our walls.”

“It was a last-minute decision,” the cloaked boy said with a smile. All that could be seen under his hood, was a dark green mussel and a pair of bright shimmering eyes. Eyes that made even these hardened soldiers tremble more than what was beyond the wall. “I trust there will be no problems.”

“Uh… I’ll have to check with the captain, but no. No problems sir,” the sergeant said as he gave the boy a salute. “You’ll find the princess and her companion in the dining hall.”

“Thanks, but I won’t be needing dinner. I’ll just head up to their room.” Stepping toward the door he looked back. “Which one is it?”

“Third floor, far back wall overlooking the courtyard.”

Looking up the boy saw the window in question and nodded. Moving away from the door he turned to the guards and thanked them. With one bounce he pushed against a side wall and leaped off springing him upward.

The guards watched as the boy swiftly wall jumped with all the speed of a shade escaping the light. Glancing at each other and then at the note, they all gulped and turned away, returning to their duties.

***

Steel Wing laughed aloud at the joke Pearl had regaled him with as the captain escorted the two ladies to their rooms. “We hope your accommodations will be okay, we didn’t have time to outfit the rooms for royalty but I do hope you’ll be comfortable.”

“That’s perfectly alright Captain,” Twilight chuckled.

“OH yes, I almost forgot. While you two were dining, I received word that a third envoy disembarked from the train not long after you two.”

“WHAT!” Twilight and Pearl exclaimed in unison.

“Took my sergeant by surprise as well, but he had a letter from Princess Luna saying that he was her personal envoy and escort for you,” Steel Wing said as he held out the letter.

Twilight took hold of the scroll in her magic and scanned the contents.

--
To Captain Steel Wing of Castle Black

The bearer of this scroll is my personal envoy. He will be helping to escort Princess Twilight and Lady Pearl Rose through the Scar. You will treat him no differently than you would any member of the royal house. And will obey his orders just as if they came from me.

Yours in moonlight,

Princess Luna.
--

It took three reads but Twilight found something off about the scroll and what was written. But as it held Princess Luna’s personal seal she had to accept that it was real even though it made her uneasy.

“Where is this ‘envoy’ now Captain?”

“Well from what my sergeant said, he wall jumped up to your balcony and entered your room, from the outside.”

“What kind of envoy would do something as foolish as that,” Twilight exclaimed as she started to pace back and forth, trying to work this out in her mind. First having to keep her young charge from danger, not to mention herself. And now a third ‘wild card’ had just been thrown into the mix.

“OH please no. there’s only one creature I can think of,” Pearl groaned as she pressed her head to the door of her room. “Um, does this envoy have a name?”

“He never gave one, but my sergeant said he had a pair of haunting set of amber eyes. And when he was bounding over the walls. Swears he saw three tails under that cloak.”

Pearl and Twilight gave each other a quick glance and without a word barged into the room.

There, laying on Pearl’s bed, a dark green cloak covering his body, was the ‘envoy’. The hood had been drawn back and rested neatly across his shoulders as he stretched out and lifted his head up.

“Hey, how was dinner?”

“Kohaku…” was all the pair could say.

***

“Kohaku of all the stupid, foolhardy, Insane things you have ever done,” Twilight fumed and stopped about the room. Her horn practically sparking at her anger for her young student. Who at that moment was watching his teacher with amusement. “This tops them all! What made you think you could just come here! You understand as much as us what lays beyond here. Well, I won’t have it. You are leaving on that train first thing in the morning young man.”

Pacing back and forth, Twilight took long deep breaths to help cool herself down.

“I’m sorry Twilight sama but I won’t be leaving in the morning.” Kohaku yawned out casually

“You don’t have a choice in this. In the morning you are leaving and me and Pearl are going forward.”

“That might be hard, as the train already left about two hours ago.” the young fox grinned wide.

Pearl watched the interactions between her teacher and Kohaku. She had never before seen Twilight so angry. This was the kind of fury she half expected when she almost killed him. But now she was taking it out ON him. Not that she could blame her teacher, this was the most insane thing her friend had ever done since she had known him. As she looked at Kohaku she thought something was off. But couldn’t put her hoof on it. Everything about him seemed the same but for that one thing. Putting it aside she made a mental note to ask Twilight about it after this.

“What!!.. No that… How am I going to explain this to your Mother? She must be worried about you already.”

“Not really." Kohaku started to clean the inside of one of his ears with a claw briefly before scratching it. “I told her I was going to visit some friends in the Everfree Forest for the next few weeks. Since it’s been so long since I've visited them, she agreed as long as I was careful.”

“Then I'll leave you here. With orders that the guards are NOT to let you follow.”

“Good luck with that, I kept myself hidden from you for days now on that train. What makes you think I can’t just sneak out of here and follow you. Which I will if you leave me behind.” Moving up off the bed Kohaku lifted his head up and almost touched his nose to Twilight’s chin. “Besides I made a promise and I intend to keep it or die trying.” With that, he looked over at Pearl who gulped bit her lip in understanding.

“I don’t like disobeying you Twilight sama, but I will do everything in my power to keep my promise. No matter what.” With that Kohaku curled up at the foot of Pearl’s bed and closed his eyes.

Twilight looked down at her pupil. He was right, she had no power to keep him there. Even if she used magic, no doubt he could find a way to escape. He always had. During their studies, she always tried to strap him down with her strongest spells. But the young fox always found his way out. She loved that about him, how talented he was. How determined. Once he set a goal in his mind, nothing would ever stop him from achieving it.

Looking over at Pearl, she recalled his words and knew there was a promise made between them. Probably more from him than her. These two were going to be the death of her. She loved them both dearly. And wanted to protect them just as much as their own parents. Sighing she sat down in defeat and just shook her head.

“Fine, you win. Just, stay safe with us.” Turning her head she sadly looked at Pearl. “Looks like our duo just became a trio. And you gain yet another protector.”

Pearl let out an exasperated sigh as she slumped onto her bed. "Great." She shook her head as she tried to think of anything else. "There's more life in a cemetery than around here. I know the Royal Guard is supposed to be stoic. But they have more life than these ponies."

Twilight sighed, as she sat on her own bed. "It's this place. Most ponies don't leave here without scars on their mind of some kind. Or scars of any kind. If they leave it all."

Pearl tried not to think about that, as she flew over to the window. Outside was a clear view of the Ghost Fence. Beyond, the Blight glowed in an ever-shifting array of colors. "What the hay could even make this?"

Twilight joined her at the window, her expression grim. "No one knows for sure. There are a billion different theories about who and what created the Blight and why. I even straight up asked Kyoko about it during my session with her. She only said that some things are not meant to be known, and should remain forever undisturbed."

Pearl rolled her eyes. "Great. Vague answers. Are we sure Princess Celestia isn't related to her?"

Twilight giggled. "They are not related. That's just a bit too much, even for me." Her eyes turned toward the north but seemed to be a million miles away. "But I saw something in her eyes when she told me that. She knew, as much as anyone ever could, who and what happened here. It wasn't fear that stopped her from telling me. Nor even not telling Kohaku."

Kohaku didn't say anything. He had often wondered why his mother had never told more about this place. He always chalked up to his mother protecting him from something that could potentially kill him before he was ready. Was there something else though?

Pearl looked at her mentor, as she paused a moment, before sharing a look with her fellow student. "Then what was it?"

Twilight looked back toward the Ghost Fence. "She was protecting Equus by not telling anyone. She won't draw its attention back towards Equus by saying its name. If its name can even be said. And I'm inclined to believe her in this matter."

Pearl shook her head. There went that idea at least, she thought as she looked down below. There wasn't much to see. Desolation as far as the eye could see. But it was better than looking beyond the Ghost Fence. "So how the hay are we supposed to get across all of that?" She asked, pointing to the east.

Twilight didn't say anything for a moment. "I don't know. This whole place is wrong in a way that I can't explain. It reminds me of the Ashlands timeline Spike and I saw when we battled Starlight. But this? This is something else."

"This place will do that to you," Captain Steel Wing said, as he came to the door. "None of this is right. It's wrong in a way that none of us can explain. Which explains why we are so glad to see you, princess."

Twilight frowned. It wasn't the use of her title though. "What do you mean? We only left Appleloosa two days ago, if that."

Steel shook his head. "Your highness. You disappeared three weeks ago. Everyone in Appleloosa confirmed your train left on time. But nopony has seen either of you since then. You vanished from the face of Equus for all intents and purposes."

Pearl's mouth dropped in shock, while Twilight's ears fell in sympathy, while Kohaku’s face lacked all expression. "How? What the hay could do that?" She asked.

Steel shrugged. "Unknown. But the conductor was more than happy to listen to the boy and run back north as fast as they could once he dropped the three of you off here. And I can't blame them in the slightest."

Twilight pondered this. This didn't make any sense. Neither she nor Pearl had gone anywhere else. Had they? Nothing about their journey stood out as saying they had. Just another question she had about this cursed place. "Be that as it may, Pearl and I need to get to the Scar of the Destroyer as soon as possible."

Steel Wing didn't look at all happy about the idea. Even less so considering Pearl's age, for he had a daughter that was about the same age as her. But he had his orders, but that didn't mean he had to like it. "Very well. I can provide an escort to the Gate on the other side of the Ghost Fence. Past that? You are on your own. We've lost ten Rangers in the past month. I cannot risk any more."

Twilight nodded. It was far from what she had hoped for, but there was little she could do about it. "Then we will set off in the morning, captain. We could both use a good night's sleep."

Pearl yawned, suddenly remembering how tired she actually was. "Sleep sounds good right about now. I hate sleeping on trains. Give me a bed any day."

That got a chuckle out of the two older ponies. "Then I wish the both of you a pleasant night's sleep. I’ll post a guard at your door and we can start in the morning whenever you are ready," Steel said, closing the door behind him as he left the two to themselves.

Sleep was a long time in coming for both Pearl and Twilight that night.

***

Kohaku listened carefully until both Pearl and Twilight had drifted off to sleep. Thankfully it was only moments he knew both were exhausted from their journey. Sitting up, the fox sighed deeply. He knew what had happened on the train, he could feel the magic like a heavy mist in his lungs. It was this place, like the Realm of Chaos, time held no meaning.

Opening his cloak he examined himself for a moment and then nodded. “Well, time to get to work.” Turning around he went to the door and opened it. Finding both Steel Wing and a newly placed guard.

“OH, Kohaku is it? Is everything okay?” Steel Wing asked as the boy walked up to him. “I assume you can’t sleep. I can have someone bring something up from the kitchen to help.”

“No, but sleep does sound like a good idea.” Lifting his paw up, Kohaku blew against it. Sending a whiff of grey dust up to the Pegasus’s nose.

Steel Wing stumbled and fell backward, gripping the wall hard for support. “What the..” the young guard growled and charged the boy who turned and blew into his face. Before he could think. The young guard passed out cold.

“What... are... You..” Steel Wing struggled against the sleep pushing him down. As he looked into the boy’s eyes he saw they were without emotion or mercy.

“I’m sorry but things will be much easier tonight if you aren't in my way.” Leaning in Kohaku blew another dose of dust into the captain's nose and watched as he passed out. “I have a lot to do and very little time to do it.” Turning on his heels Kohaku walked down the dark hallway until he melded into the shadows.

***

A sharp rapping on the door shook Twilight from her slumber. “Come in.” She muttered as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

“Good morning Princess.” Steel Wing said with a calm charming voice. “Breakfast is ready when you and your company are hungry.”

Twilight had to rub her eyes as she looked at Steel Wing, something was vastly different. He wasn’t as stooped over, and his eyes were actually bright almost alive. “Thank you, Captain. Um. forgive me for asking but are you okay? You seem different.”

“Well, a good night’s rest does wonders. I’m not sure why but I had the most restful sleep I have ever had in this place. In fact, every guard and servant said the same thing this morning. Almost as if the whole garrison was asleep last night…” Steel Wing's voice trailed off, his eyes went blank for a moment before he shook his head “What was I saying? Bah, probably wasn’t important. We’ll see you downstairs when you're ready. OH, Kohaku said he’ll wait for you by the tree in the courtyard gardens.” He smiled and left the room.

“The whole garrison? Asleep?” Twilight muttered to herself. Something was definitely off. She heard from Celestia how dedicated to protocol Steel Wing was. More so than her own brother. No way he would let his whole garrison fall asleep last night. Her head hurt from thinking about it as she moved to wake Pearl.

“Morning already?” Pearl moaned out and leaned up looking about.

“Yes, let's go down to breakfast.” She kept her thoughts to herself to keep from worrying her young student.

***

“I don’t understand. How can everypony here look so alive today.” Pearl rambled on as she tried to keep up with Twilight's longer steps. “Last night they looked as if they were ready to lay down and die if you so much as breathed on them. It just doesn't…. Make… what!” Pearl stopped as her eyes widened and her jaw dropped.

She had just walked into one of the most beautiful gardens she had ever seen. Four guards were posted at each of the four cardinal directions. In each corner were large koi ponds. In the center, surrounded by crystals, was the largest apple tree she had ever seen. Directly under it was Kohaku, singing softly to himself.

“Um, Twilight. Am I imagining things? Wasn’t this a desolate barren pile of nothing last night?”

“Yes, Pearl. It was,” Twilight’s voice tightened as she looked over at Kohaku. He hadn’t even looked up and acknowledged their presence. “Kohaku!”

Looking up Kohaku smiled and nodded to Twilight. Slinging his bag over his cloaked shoulders he stood up. “I’m ready to go.”

“Where… Where did this garden come from?”

“What are you talking about? It’s always been here, isn’t that right Captain?”

Pearl and Twilight spun around to see Steel Wing walk up to them.

“Kohaku’s right, The tree, and this garden have always been here. I can’t blame you for missing it last night.” Steel Wing swung his hoof Handel sword a few times and then sheathed it on his back. “It’s been Castle Black’s sacred duty to guard it ever since it was built.” Steel chuckled softly. “Slight change of plans. I’ll be the only one to escort you to the gate, I need to keep as many guards as I can here to protect the garden.”

Twilight couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She knew Castle Black’s sworn duty was to protect Equestria from the Ghost Gate and everything behind it. Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw Kohaku smirking from under his hood as his eyes focused on Steel Wing. as she blinked the expression on his face had vanished almost as quickly as it had appeared. She had heard Pearl talk about something being ‘off’ about Kohaku. But as she usually heard complaints about him from her, at least before they became so close, she dismissed it then. But now she saw it. Something was definitely off, she just didn’t know what.

“You see. Something IS off about him.”

Twilight looked down at Pearl and then over at Kohaku. “Pearl. Put it from your mind. It’s Kohaku, I think looking at the eye on the train played a little trick in your head.”

“You really think that’s it?”

“Yes, Pearl. I do. We both know Kohaku is a bit strange sometimes. After all, neither of us know everything about him.” Twilight watched as Pearl just nodded and shrugged before going over and playfully slugged her friend in the shoulder, telling him off before the two of them laughed it off. She knew it best to harbor suspicions herself.

***

Twilight didn’t know how long they walked. The sun barely moved in the sky just behind the techno-colored mist. Pearl rode on her back groaning from having trekked on the path for what seemed hours on end. The princess looked ahead at Wing and Kohaku. The pair walked side by side with Wing walking only a step behind. Occasionally the captain would shake his head and groan, but one glance from Kohaku silenced him.

‘He did something, I’m sure of it,’ Twilight thought to herself as the pair came up against a huge set of double doors. Both ten hooves high and made of iron with basalt statues adorning it depicting nine-tail creatures of mist and shadows fighting long serpent-like dragons. Across the top were words etched in what she recognized as Kanji. But the dialect was so old and archaic she couldn’t decipher it.

“We’re here,” Wing announced. Turning on his heels he looked at the princess. His smile vanished as he touched his hoof to a small crystal embedded on the right side of the door. “This is as far as I go. Please take care, Princess.” Turning around he started to walk back to the garrison.

Twilight sighed as she stood there, Peal slipping off of her back. As Wing passed by her left she heard a soft whisper that was his voice prior to whatever it was Kohaku had done. “Trust nothing you see.” And continued on as the double doors opened slowly.

“Well, here we are. I wonder what those words say?” Pearl asked as she looked up at Twilight.

“I doubt anyone knows. It’s so old, I can’t read it.”

“Abandon hope all ye who enter here.” Kohaku’s voice cut through the dim like a knife as both females turned and looked at him with wide eyes. “Every Kitsune born is taught these words when history brings up the Blight. Father himself told them to me as both warning and instruction. Never once have I seen the Blight with my own eyes. Such a waste.”

Twilight heard Kohaku sigh as he looked out at a desolate forest of dead trees on either side of a long wide path. She wondered if he was saddened more from the danger or the state of the forest beyond.

As Pearl and Twilight looked out they noticed that the sky’s color extended down to the very ground itself. Everything was shifting and shaded with various shades of red. As they watched Kohaku walk past the gates they noticed the trees grew a darker red with a thick liquid dripping from the dead branches.

Twilight moved past the gates with Pearl half trembling beside her. All around were odd-shaped rocks like ribs pushing up out of the ground. But beyond all that, it wasn’t the bleeding trees. The skeletal rocks, or even the depressing mist that brought a cold chill down her spine. It was the whispers that came from the shadows. Whispers that spoke both in Kohaku’s native tongue, and old Draconic.

But there was something… wrong about them. There was underlying cruelty and malice and hatred to the whispers that Twilight had never heard in any other living creature. Hatred for all flesh and blood living beings.

“What are they saying?” Pearl asked, trying to keep the fear from her voice, but failing. Her nose twitched as she smelled something. But that couldn’t be right. And why could she faintly hear the sounds of brass horns in the distance?

Better yet. Why was she drawn to them? A burning need had arisen in her, a hidden seed she hadn’t known she had.

Twilight shook her head, fighting off what seemed like pain of some kind. All she could see was an endless crystal labyrinth, whose impossible angles and geometries made her eyes burn just to look at them. But within these lay untold power and knowledge beyond her wildest dreams.

Kohaku stood silently in the center of the path. He could vaguely hear both Pearl and Twilight behind him. However, their voices sounded like they were leagues away from him. Shifting his gaze he saw nothing but death and destruction around him. Fossilized bodies littered the spaces around the trees as they continued to drip almost an endless amount of blood. Closing his eyes the young boy listened to the sounds from both sides.

“Failure! Betrayer! Destroyer!” Each word growing louder in his ears. Taking a long deep breath, Kohaku sat down and pulled out a small set of beads, and hung them loose around both wrists. Folding his paws together one nested perfectly under the other. He touched his thumb to the smaller fingers as he kept the pointer upright to the sky. Taking a long deep breath he started to chant as his tails created various gestures.

“Hi Fu Mi Yo I Mu Na Ya Ko To Mo Chi Ro Ra Ne.” his voice slow and gentle as he breathed slow and easily. As he did the voices lessened until all he heard were Pearl and Twilight directly behind him.

Turning around his eyes widened and quickly moved to Pearl’s side, jabbing her forehead with a claw he muttered. “Rirīsu!” dashing to the side he leaped up and jabbed Twilight directly under her horn and muttered the same word “Release!” landing on the ground he watched as both girls came out of their daze.

“What the living buck Kohaku. That HURT!” Pearl shouted as she rubbed her head.

“Kohaku, what happened! Why did you do that?” Twilight asked as she moved up to her student rubbing just under her horn with a wing.

“It was the only thing I could think of. We have a problem.” Pointing behind the pair he just turned his head to the side and gruffed to himself.

Both Pearl and Twilight turned around and gasped loudly. The entrance to the Blight had completely vanished. Leaving nothing but a long endless road on either side of them.

“What the? Where did the gate go?” Pearl fumed. “It was just there! Gates just don’t up and vanish like that!”

And there was that red rage again. Pearl managed to bite it back, but it was hotter than it had been before. Why though?

Twilight though noticed something else, and it only increased her concern and worry. “That is not the only trouble.” Getting a confused look from Pearl, she merely pointed at the ground. “Look. The gate is gone, but look at the road.”

Pearl did as she was told, and felt her blood run cold.

Running off into the distance were two sets of tracks, with a third showing where she had gotten off Twilight’s back. Two sets were hoof prints, one smaller than the other, while the third were paw prints.

And each and every single one of them was filled with bubbling, boiling, blood.

Pearl gulped and looked at the bottom of her hoof. It was fine. It wasn’t even covered in blood. Yet each step she took left behind a print that was filled with blood as soon as her hoof left it.

Twilight did the same. Hers hurt like nopony’s business and were indeed bloody. But nowhere near enough to fill her hoofprints like this. “Then we were walking for hours.”

Pearl gave her a look. “But I wasn’t. And I don’t see the Ghost Fence anywhere around here.”

It was true. While Twilight lagged behind Pearl in her vision (only being ⅓ Pegasus compared to a natural born one), even she could see there was nothing to show the Ghost Fence in the distance, which should’ve been impossible.

Even Kohaku's own legs were burning. Looking at one of his paw pads, he shook his head at the damage he saw. But kept it hidden from both Twilight and Pearl’s view. “We best find a place to stay the night. The sun will be setting soon. There’s a river not far from here, and I can hear a waterfall echo suggesting a cave. Just through there!” Kohaku pointed past a line of dead bleeding trees off to the right.

“Are you sure, all I see is dead trees and nothing else?” Pearl turned her eyes toward the trees and gazed at them as best as she could.

“Pearl’s right, your senses might be tricking you in this place,” Twilight watched as Kohaku hid his paw under his cloak as she walked up to him.

“I’m sure, I’m not using my eyes. I can actually feel the water from here.” The two girls watched as he winced in pain each time his paws touched the ground. “That’s how I know it’s real.”

“Alright, I’ll trust you, but ride on my back. You're in pain,” Twilight knelt down for her young student.

“No. I… I’ll be okay once we get to the river,” He said slipping a little bit away from Twilight looking nervous. Who only nodded as Kohaku made his way to a small opening in the tree line.

“Well that was odd, Kohaku has never turned down a pony ride.” Pearl came up next to Twilight and watched her friend walk to the trees.

“I know. I think this place may be affecting him more than us.” Twilight placed a wing on Pearl’s shoulder. “Let us just keep an eye on him. Hopefully, he’ll be more like himself after a night’s sleep.”

****

Twilight and Pearl both had to admit that Kohaku knew what he was talking about. Once they had passed the treeline, they were in a rich thick living forest. And after only a ten-minute walk they found themselves at the base of a huge waterfall against a wall of mountains that seemed to stretch up past the clouds.

Her young student had even found a variety of fruits and nuts for them to enjoy as a dinner as he made a small fire to keep them warm.

Pearl watched as Kohaku had just sat there staring at the fire wistfully. “Here you look hungry,” Pearl passed him a few pieces of fruit on a strip of bark.

“No, I’m okay. You girls eat.” Getting up Kohaku walked away from the fire. “I’m going to get some more water. And perhaps wash this blood from my fur.” Bowing his head he vanished past the trees.

“I hope he’s okay, he hasn’t eaten anything all day,” Pearl sighed as she devoured a goose plum.

“I can sympathize with him on that.” Twilight swallowed a few elderberries and stood up. “This place and all that he saw, those blood-covered trees, would make anypony lose their appetite.”

Pearl had to nod in agreement. She knew her of friends' deep affinity for the forest. The night he came over to comfort her, he talked at great length about it. His love of nature almost rivaled a Pegasus’s love of the sky.

“Pearl, stay here by the fire, I’m going to go check on Kohaku. I’ll be back” Twilight watched Pearl nod eagerly and scooch closer to the flames.

The princess moved her way through the path Kohaku had taken. Not more than a minute later she heard splashing up ahead. Pushing through a few dense bushes she found a small clearing flooded with red-tinted moonlight. A small cloak was resting on the banks of the river with Kohaku nowhere in sight.

Looking around she found the source of the splashing. A shadowy figure swam back and forth in the dark waters a few times before making its way to the shore. She breathed a sigh of relief seeing three tails swish back and forth behind it. She was about to call out when her voice was stolen from her the second her student moved into view.

She only looked on in wide-eyed shock. That wasn’t Kohaku. His shape and form were right. But he looked quite like a Timberwolf. She could see the thick wooden structure of his skeletal framework. Under the bark-like skin, she saw what looked to be a mix of clay and black dirt taking the place of his muscles. His eyes glowed with a shimmering amber light as he flung the cloak around his shoulders. Picking up a glowing object from a rock, ‘Kohaku’ put it around his neck and instantly he was transformed back into a fox.

Kohaku leaned back against a large boulder and stared up into the sky. His front paws rested and folded atop his belly. “This is taking too long.” Holding up one paw he just gazed at it. “First the time warp train ride and now this.”

Twilight watched as that paw came down on another rock, shattering it into dust. She watched as he looked up and half growled. “You didn’t tell me this is what I'd be facing!!” Kohaku’s gaze then swiftly turned to the tree line behind him. “Thought you’d be listening. Any further advice you have to give me?”

Twilight watched the treeline but if he was talking to somepony, she couldn’t see him or her.

“Yeah, That’s one Idea. Not one I want to use. It took all my strength to grow that garden. And thanks again for mind-altering those guards. You're sure they’ll go back to normal once this is done?”

Whatever was said, Kohaku just nodded his head.

“Two days, that's all I have. If we aren't through this by then.” Kohaku sighed and turned away. Looking down at his shoulder as if someone had placed a paw on it. “You can do that? In here?” Kohaku watched his unseen visitor. Listening very carefully to what was being said. “That will work. She won’t agree to it, not willingly.” “Yeah like you’d do that. Since you were reformed you haven't done that level of magic. Twilight sama herself told me that.”

Signing Kohaku just nodded and turned away. “No, there's no other way. Do it, I’ll deal with the aftermath. I have one Idea I can use. It’ll mean the loss of my current magic, but it’ll be worth it to see them safely out of this hell.” Pushing himself up, Kohaku walked toward the spot Twilight was hidden by the trees. “Let's just hope she forgives us one day.” And with that, Kohaku walked past a hidden Twilight and back to the campsite.

Twilight sat there gasping for breath. She just watched in the shadows as Kohaku moved back to camp. She recognized what Kohaku was now. A golem. A living magical construct who was taking the shape of her student. She had answers to a lot of things, but an endless amount of questions that followed. She knew without a doubt ‘Kohaku’ was working with Discord. That was easy enough to figure out. But what was it they were about to do?

She needed answers. Getting up, Twilight moved back to Camp and found Kohaku half snuggled up next to Pearl, gazing into the fire.

“OH hey, Twilight.” Kohaku smiled up at his teacher. “Where did you sneak off to?”

Twilight opened her mouth but watched his eyes. Despite what he was, this was her student. As was Pearl. She needed to get him alone. She watched him shift and noticed bandages wrapped around his paws.

“Pearl was nice enough to help me wrap my paws. I shouldn’t walk anymore tonight.” Kohaku chuckled as he noticed his teacher’s eyes focus on his paws.

Biting down on her lower lip she sighed. She didn’t want to ruin Pearl’s night but if it meant her safety. Then she would just have to do so. “Kohaku, that necklace you are wearing. Could I see it a bit closer?”

“Hmm?” Kohaku took his pendant in paw and looked at it for a moment then without a word pulled it from his neck and tossed it toward Twilight. “Sure. it’s just a good luck charm Sweetie Belle gave me.”

Twilight caught the pendant in her magic. She expected the magic that changed him was contained in the pendant. But since he didn’t change it couldn’t have been that.

“If you want you can keep it.” Yawning wide, Kohaku rested his head down on his front legs and closed his eyes. “Good night girls.”

Pearl draped her wing over Kohaku’s body and smirked. “Is everything okay Twilight?”

“Yes Pearl, I… I’m just worried about him.” Twilight laid down on the other side of Pearl and draped her wing over both of her students. “And you as well. This journey has been anything but easy. You get some sleep, I’ll keep watch over you both till morning.”

“Okay,” Pearl yawned and rested her head against her teacher’s foreleg. Within seconds she was fast asleep.

‘They can’t do anything to me if I’m awake and watchful,’ Twilight thought to herself. ‘Discord, I'm so going to have a long talk with you after all this is over.’

Twilight watched as the campfire burned in front of her. Her eyes fixated on it as she started to see shapes form. It was an old game she played with Celestia. But usually, she did it with clouds. As the flames danced she saw the shapes of her friends. And family dancing about.

A soft melody whistled through the trees. Shaking her head she shivered a bit as the one enemy she didn’t want to face reared its ugly head. Closer and closer did it stalk her until it pounced. Within the span of a heartbeat. The enemy claimed her and she fell fast asleep.

Kohaku had waited until he heard the gentle breathing of his sleeping teacher and the not so gentle snoring of his best friend. Pulling his way free from Pearl’s warm wing he kissed her forehead. Walking around to Twilight Kohaku knelt down and took his pendant from the ground and placed it around her neck.

“Please don’t think bad of your student Twilight sama. I’m only doing this because I love you.” With that, he leaned in and rested his head up against hers as the pendant started to glow. Getting up he stumbled backward and fell to the ground, weakened and dizzy.

“It’s done, she’s all your's Discord. Just do it quickly,” Kohaku said as an amber tear fell from his eyes.

***

Discord watched as the magic began its work. “This is for your own good, Twilight. And maybe one day, before the end of all things, you’ll forgive me.”

He was going to catch hell for this. No way around it. But he, more than any other alive at that moment, knowing how much of a knife’s edge Twilight and Pearl walked.

Pearl was already teetering. One solid push and the Blood God was waiting to claim her. But it was Twilight he was concerned for.

If this worked though, then it would be for the best. But if not? Fluttershy would never forgive him.

***

Twilight woke up and looked around. Pearl and Kohaku were nowhere to be found. Panicking she got up and ran through the forest, screaming their names. She looked everywhere for any sign of her students when she came to the river where she saw her student’s secret.

Standing there was not Kohaku or Pearl, but Princess Celestia herself, her face locked in fury.

“I warned you Twilight!” Celestia’s voice echoed like thunder. “I told you it was a mistake for you to meet the dragon queen. Did you listen, NO!”

“Princess? Where are my students?” Twilight panicked, looking about hurriedly

“They're dead Twilight, you lead them to their deaths! You lead everyone to their deaths. You brought the very wrath of Tiamat down on all of Equestria!” Celestia’s voice cried out in a deeper rage.

“Because of you, mah family’s gone Twilight!” Applejack slowly emerged from behind Celestia. She was scared and bleeding, around her neck was the farm girl's Element of Harmony which was cracked down the center.

“Because of you, that monster burned all my animals.” Fluttershy slowly walked out from behind Applejack. Missing a wing and a scar down her left eye. “And worst of all my little otoutochan Kohaku. I’ll never forgive you for that!”

“Fluttershy I… Applejack?” Twilight stammered. Feeling her heart grow weaker.

“Oh don’t try explaining yourself, Darling. You can’t. My little Sweetie Belle didn’t even get to say goodbye to him. At least she’s now gone with him. But I’ll never see her again. All thanks to you.” Rarity moved out to the opposite side of Celestia. Like Fluttershy and AJ, her Element was also cracked.

“That dragon bitch even destroyed all of Cloudsdale. There’s nothing left but whisps,” Rainbow Dash yelled as she moved up and slammed her hoof across Twilight’s face. Sending the princess to the ground. “None of us should ever have trusted you.”

“You used to be fun. But nothing’s fun now. Just look at the state of Ponyville,” Pinky said quietly. Her once bouncy mane now all flat.

Turning around, Twilight was frozen to the ground, finding herself now on a large mountain overlooking Ponyville. Helpless to watch as Tiamat and her mates laid waste to all of it. Houses smashed while ponies burned alive.

“Please… no more. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for this to happen,” Twilight sobbed. It was all her fault. She knew the price for following her student out this far. And now she was paying the price.

“Sorry doesn't cut it now Twilight,” Celestia chimed in yet again. Turning Twilight around she gently placed her hoof under Twilight’s chin. “I should never have made you a princess. That was a mistake. There is only one pony now I can trust with this.”

“And that is me!” Sunset Shimmer announced as she came in from the shadows, wearing Twilight’s Element of Harmony crown.

“You know what to do, my most faithful student.”

“Yes. Let's do it, girls,” Sunset commanded as she lit the Crown up with her magic. In reply, all five mares responded in kind, their cracked Elements uniting with Sunsets in a rainbow of power. Directing it at Twilight who was struck dead in the heart.

Twilight could feel the power of the elements rips through her very soul. Her screams echoed across the valley. Payment in full for all the suffering she brought to every pony. ‘Is this how it felt… every time we did this to another?’ Her thoughts questioning before her mind went blank

***

“Twilight, Twilight! Please wake up!” Pearl screamed as she shook her teacher’s shoulder.

“Here’s the water, help me lift her head up,” Kohaku’s voice twitched in Twilight’s ears as she felt cool crisp water slip down her throat.

‘Was it all just a nightmare?’ Twilight thought as she slowly opened her eyes and saw the faces of her two worried students. “Wha… What happened.”

“You fell asleep Twilight sama,” Kohaku chuckled as he set down his water bottle. “I noticed it when I had to get up to use the bathroom. So I kept watch all night for you. But about an hour ago you started having a nightmare.”

“It was horrible. You wouldn't wake up. I was so scared!” Pearl cried as she hugged Twilight’s neck. “Even Kohaku was worried about you.” That alone got a blush from the young boy. “If it wasn’t for his mantra I was worried you wouldn’t wake.”

“Eh, it was nothing much.”

“Really? Thank you, Kohaku I,” Twilight tried to get up but a firm set of paws kept her down.

“Um, let's take it easy for a bit yet there’s something you should know.” Kohaku bit down on his lower lip. Pearl herself just lowered her head. “There was this… aura around you. I tried to stop it but… I’m sorry I couldn’t.”

“He really did try Twilight. He fought it tooth and claw, so to speak,” Pearl sat next to Kohaku.

“Will you just tell me what’s wrong. I…” Twilight moved to stretch her wings, a morning exercise she never once failed at sense Rainbow explained it to her. But this time she felt nothing. Taking in a deep breath she looked to her side. Her wings were gone. “What… I. I’m a.”

“A unicorn again.” Kohaku sadly turned his head to the side. “That's… not all.”

“What do you mean?” Twilight looked at her student.

“The aura took something more.” Turning his back to Twilight he slammed the ground with his paw. “It took your magic, all of it.”

Twilight’s eyes widened as she leaned back in shock. Closing her eyes she tried to bring a spark to her horn, but there was nothing in her to bring up.

She tried Cadance’s breathing technique. Usually, it was really good for times like these. But no matter how hard she tried, it wasn’t working. She also noticed that the pendant had disappeared. It didn’t take long for it to click. “We will be having a talk about this, Kohaku. But not right now. We still have a long way to go, and I’d rather get this over with.”

Kohaku could see in her eyes that she either suspected or flat out knew what he had done, but kept it to himself for the moment. “It isn’t that far now. A day at most if we are lucky.”

Pearl didn’t look convinced. “How? The Scar is supposed to be really far in. We didn’t walk that far yesterday, did we?”

Kohaku nodded and shrugged. “I guess we just walked further than we thought.”

Twilight found something fishy about that. But she had nothing to go on but her gut feeling. “Whatever the case may be, I believe we should get started. If we’re lucky, this road goes all the way to the Scar.”

Pearl didn’t look all that convinced, and a part of her wanted to stay here for a long time. But they couldn’t, no matter how much she wanted to, so she dutifully fell in beside her teacher and Kohkaku, as he led them back the way they had come.

While the road itself remained the same, other things had changed. The trees still dripped blood that collected in pools at their bases. Embedded into the bark were skulls of every kind that let off a low pitch keening that set their teeth on edge if they listened too closely. The shapes that they had once thought were boulders were revealed to be actual bones of every kind.

“What are these supposed to be anyway?” Pearl asked after a time, as the trio passed under and through a colossal rib cage that put Canterlot Castle to shame in terms of size.

Kohaku shook his head sadly. “Dragons. These are all dragon bones, eastern dragons to be more precise. As well as those of my own people. From very long ago.” Kohaku sighed, placing his paw on the tooth of a fox skull that was as large as the dragons.

Twilight’s ears wilted, as she placed a hoof on his shoulder, while Pearl gasped happily and flew off to the top of the rib cage, almost dragging Kohaku along with her. “I didn’t think they could be so big?!" She all but squeed.

Twilight giggled. “You haven’t met the former Dragon Lord Torch. Dragons can grow to be quite large if he’s anything to go by.”

“Eastern Dragons especially. There was a legend that one dragon wrapped around our world and by dragging his tail. Created the great rivers.” Kohaku walked to the edge of the rib next to Pearl. “Or was that one of my kind. By dragging his nine tails across the land. I forget they were both the same size. And I was only two when the story was told.”

Pearl looked at him. “You can get this big?”

“Well, maybe not this big, I should grow to at least my father’s or grandfather’s height. Somewhere around ten to thirteen hooves in height. And that’s just from the base of my paws to my ear tips. Larger if you count the tip of my nose to tail tip. That can get up to twenty at least.” Kohaku taped his claw against his chin. “Only the ancient Yokai Kitsune could ever hope to reach dragon size.”

Kohaku couldn’t help but laugh as he watched Pearl’s brain come to a screeching halt at the idea. “What? Did you think I was going to stay this size forever or something?”

Pearl couldn’t make her brain work to form a response, her mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water.

“OH common, you saw how big my mother was. Did you think that was just a trick of the light?” Kohaku moved in closer and practically touched his nose to hers. “She was between eight and nine hooves high. My big sister Kazumi stood seven hooves. And that was only at age eight hundred.” Kohaku watched carefully as his friend's eyes blinked as she continued to mouth like a fish before falling onto her rump.

Sitting down in front of her, Kohaku continued to ramble on. “When I was younger I used to ride around, fully stretched out, between father’s ears. Feeling the wind against my fur as we cloud strided across all of what you now call Equestria.”

Pearl finally managed to get her brain working again. “I find it hard to see you that big. And okay. I did kinda think you might’ve pulled something on me with your mom’s size. I don’t have any other Kitsune to go by.”

“How about this, when you're all done here. I’ll take you on a tour of our old ancestral home. Maybe its size and scope might make it easier for you to understand.” Kohaku stretched his three tails out, snapping each one against the air. “Even Sweetie Belle couldn’t rightfully believe it at first. And she spent almost three months with me by that old temple. Even Twilight can tell you. After all, she saw me as a shadow fox with all nine tails. I was quite large.”

Pearl nodded. “Deal. Assuming nothing goes wrong, and I don’t need to explain to everypony why Twilight didn’t come back with us.”

“It’s not her I’m worried about not coming back,” Kohaku whispered softly, unsure if Pearl heard or not. Gripping the rib Kohaku bowed his head and slid off, using his claws to slow his fall from the top all the way down to the ground.

Pearl didn’t hear it, as she flew back down. But Twilight did, and it only made her worries increase. She made a mental note to talk to him as soon as she could. Preferably without Pearl, for Twilight didn’t want to add to her student’s own worries.

***

In hindsight, Twilight really should’ve known better, as they stopped once again so Pearl could get a closer look at some dragon bones. Her student couldn’t get away from something like this if the fate of the universe depended on it sometimes.

That wasn’t to say that Twilight herself wasn’t interested in what they passed. She was, and it was tearing her up inside not to study these as much as possible. Especially since even less was known of eastern dragons than those Equestria knew of, and good luck trying to find a living Kitsune other than Kohaku. Or even a deceased one that she could learn so much from.

But there was something… wrong in the air. Very wrong. The air was thick and humid, and there was the faint smell of something that Twilight didn’t even want to think about. And from the way Kohaku sniffed the air, he could smell it even better than she could.

And Kohaku himself was on his last legs. Every time they stopped, his breathing was becoming more and more labored, he was constantly checking under his cloak, and from the few quick glances she had been able to catch, Twilight could see his body was decaying literally as she watched.

Golems were not her specialty. But Twilight knew that whatever magic was keeping his body alive would not last much longer and that whatever magic held it together couldn’t keep up with the rate of decay.

Pearl noticed Kohaku’s failing health, and it did little to help her own anxieties. In fact, it only made them worse. And whenever she asked him how he was or suggested he should rest longer. All Kohaku said was. “I’m fine… let's just keep moving,” and continued to walk on. Confirming he was more stubborn than anypony alive.

“He can’t do this forever,” Pearl said, once they continued on.

Twilight shook her head. “No, he can’t. But without my magic, I can’t forcibly send him back to Castle Black, or the Gate. And I don’t know if I even could if I had it. It’s not just his stubbornness either.”

Pearl didn’t like the sound of that. “Then what is it?”

Twilight shook her head, as the ground began to rise gently. “There’s something in the air. I can feel it. It hates magic and all who use it.” She paused. “No. Hate is too nice a word. This is a primal and ancient loathing and disgust for magic and all who use it.”

“I don’t feel it as bad because my magic is gone,” Twilight said as she looked past Pearl and over at Kohaku, who at that moment was coughing hard. “And your magic isn’t much more than a drop or two, being as young as you are. But for Kohaku, unlike Ponies who simply have and use magic. For creatures like Kohaku and Dragons, magic is their very lifeblood. And his is ebbing fast.”

Pearl bit back a retort. The red rage from earlier had returned, and she was just barely holding it back now. Her frequent stops to look at the bones wasn’t just her curiosity and love for dragons.

It was to keep herself from snapping and saying or doing something she would regret to her teacher and best friend. “Then I hope we’re almost to the damn Scar already. I hate all this waiting,” she fumed.

“Then lucky for all of us, because we’re here,” Kohaku called out from up ahead, standing at the top of a large hill. Quickly catching up, Twilight and Pearl finally saw the full scope and horror of the Scar of the Destroyer. As the pair watched over toward the scar, Kohaku groaned and collapsed to the ground. His back up against a large dragon arm bone while his paw clutched his chest.

Turning his head to the side he smiled. “Now that’s a sight I never wanted to see.” Before them was a vast scar across the ground. Broken open as if some great creature had dug its claws in and ripped it apart. Not unlike how he could with a pumpkin. Magma oozed from the wound pouring down into an endless black hole with no bottom. His sister once said that the scar went all the way to the center of the world itself. Seeing it now, he believed her. Around every rock and burning tree were shadows that slithered about in what he could only describe as sexual pleasure in the destruction that was done to the world. The thought of that only made him shiver and sick to his stomach.

Beyond the initial destruction were mountains that were not naturally formed. Even from this distance, he could feel the magic emanating from them. Ancient and powerful and hating everything that didn’t belong. He felt that hate like a knife in his very soul.

“I… I can’t look anymore... It’s too much,” Kohaku weakly whispered to his teacher and friend as he turned his head to the side. His paw clutched over his heart harder as his breathing grew far weaker than before.

That was all Twilight could take. “Kohaku. I’m begging you. Not as your teacher, or as a princess. But as your friend. Go back to the Gate. Go back to Castle Black. Go back, and don’t look back. You’ve done everything you can. This is something Pearl and I must do alone.”

“Please Kohaku. Just for once listen to her.” Pearl clutched her friend tight around the shoulders, burying her face in his neck. “I hated having you here, every damned second. But this is killing you. Please just go back, I can’t lose my best friend.”

Kohaku smiled as he closed his eyes. His paws came up and hugged Pearl softly. “I can’t do that. Not yet.” Pulling Pearl away from his body, Kohaku dug his claws into the bone behind him and weakly pulled himself up. “If I do, what will you two do about that?” and pointed his paw toward the shadow growing ever closer.

Both Twilight and Pearl turned around and fell back a few steps. What was before them was something out of a nightmare. Its shape was not unlike that of a dragon, but it bore a half-decayed head of a fox. The exposed skull jaw had no teeth but was broken all around in a resemblance of teeth. As it opened its mouth to scream the stench of death and decay filled the area. Its tail was almost as long as its body, as it swept aside and struck both Pearl and Twilight aside as if they were feathers before striking Kohaku. Sending the boy flying upward into the archway of a giant rib cage.

As Twilight caught herself from the blow she heard the sickening crunch of Kohaku’s body as it struck both the bone above and the ground below, and knew most of his bones were now broken. Gasping she watched as he struggled to get back up on his paws. She saw Pear slowly get to her hooves. “Pearl. Run. Get out of here! Find whoever Tiamat sent, and just go! I don’t care anymore.”

Pearl shook her head. “I’m not leaving you!”

Twilight shook her head. “Pearl. If you never listen to me again, then please, listen now. We can distract it long enough for you to escape. Don’t make all of this for nothing.” She smiled as she let her tears fall. “And tell my family, my friends, and Princess Celestia, that I love them, and I always will.”

Pearl looked at Kohaku’s broken form. His body twitched and only vaguely moved as the monster moved toward Twilight slowly. Her young body trembled as she looked between them both. “I love you too…” she whispered and turned to run as hard as she could, half flapping her wings to aid her movements. Unawares that the beast turned its head from Twilight and sprinted toward Pearl.

“NO!!!” Twilight screamed as she dashed after the beast. As she caught up, the unicorn bit down on its tail tip and dug her hooves into the ground. Only to be drug through the dirt, her weight almost nothing to the beast as it descended on Pearl.

Kohaku looked up and watched what was going on in slow motion. He pushed on his paws desperately trying to move. “No.. not like this. Dammit, all to hell.” Closing his eyes he took a long deep breath and looked inside of him. He was broken inside and out now. ‘Master… you made me, you gave me everything I needed for this… Let me fulfill your wish.’ Inside his mind, he came to a locked door. One that his master warned never to open unless there was no other choice.

Pushing on the lock the door swung open and was greeted by a swirling shadow. “I know you're there. I can feel you, you’ve been a part of us for years now. Desperately clawing to get back out. To take this body for your own. Well, take it. I have nothing left.” Kohaku bowed his head as the shadow reached out three of its long tails. As they came within an inch of the boy’s heart he gripped it tightly like iron. His body was fake, a construct. But part of his master's soul resided in him. And it was the one that could fulfill his desires.

“Yes, you’ll have it. But you will serve me” Kohaku grinned as he spoke in discord’s voice.

Pearl screamed as she looked over her shoulder and saw the demon’s outstretched decayed claw about to grab her mane. Only to be stopped by a dark green paw, holding the creature like an iron trap.

Both Pearl and Twilight looked to the side and their eyes were wide. Kohaku had shed his cloak. Now both girls could see the decay on his body, the half wooden skin that was falling apart only now held together by shadows under it. Kohaku’s amber eyes half shimmered purple with chaos energy.

“Kohaku?” Pearl muttered as she fell back and looked up at her friend. Who now stood as tall as Big Mac, three tails made of reeds and wood swirled behind him. With three more made of shadows.

Kohaku gave a soft nod to Pearl as he brought his leg up and kicked the demon hard, sending it flying into the very rib cage he himself was flung to. As Twilight was flipped up, Kohaku caught her and set her down by Pearl, both girls now wearing a look of utter confusion.

Twilight looked at the ground where Kohaku had laid earlier. It was now blackened and broken like every ounce of life had been drained from it.

“Nobody touches my girl.” Kohaku’s voice was now deeper. Like talking into the hollows of an old oak tree. Leaning in he dashed outward toward the monster and met it in combat.

The creature lunged outward but Kohaku deftly shifted to the side and struck under the arm. Sending the limb upwards as he lashed out with a kick to its midsection. The beast then responded by striking Kohaku on the back with it’s tail forcing Kohaku into a summersault roll before spinning around and faced the beast, both arms ready for striking.

A grin coming to Kohaku’s face he leaped up and the pair continued their strike and faint dance, their blows breaking the outside layer of their decaying bodies. Black ooze dripped from the beast as blood-red liquid dripped down from Kohaku, soaking the ground in a bizarre yin yang.

The large beast roared as it opened its jaws, a black sphere of chaos energy formed before launching itself at Kohaku. Kohaku met the blast by grabbing it with both paws and sent it flying behind him. With a groan, he knelt to the ground as one shadow tail slowly vanished and he shrank a few inches.

Pearl blinked, trying to make sense of what the hay she was watching. “What? What happened? What happened to Kohaku?”

Twilight blinked, her own brain slow to make the connections. “I... I can’t say it’s happening all too fast.”

Kohaku growled and leaped forward, slamming his front paws directly against the beast's shoulders, driving it into the ground as he continued his assault. Breaking the beast's wings and tail. Ripping them apart as the second of his three shadow tails vanished. Followed quickly by him being flung back to the gates of the scar. Sliding to a halt as he coughed up what looked to be blood, his weaknesses quickly returning.

The beast writhed and twisted wildly, pulling half of its body out of the whole, ripping itself apart, the sickly sounds reaching Twilight and Pearl who winced. The creature screamed out and lunged yet again. Only not at the beast that was attacking it. But it’s original target. The weakest of them all, the filly. The beast couldn’t let this girl reach the scar. He needed her, desired her anger. It’s master.

Kohaku watched as the beast reached its bony claw out toward Pearl. Mustering all his remaining strength he lunged forward and stood in front of his friend. Only to have the claw slam through his chest, and stopped inches from her eyes. Wrapping his paws around that claw, Kohaku smiled and sent a wave of chaotic nature energy through his body. Vines ripped through him, tearing Kohaku apart from the inside out and wrapped around the beast. Quickly and quietly turning it into the land's only living tree. “You see… I said you’d make it out alive.” With a blood-filled laugh, Kohaku collapsed into Pearl’s arms.

Pearl went stiff from shock. The sight of her best friend impaled by that monster broke her heart. Screaming, she caught Kohaku and held him tightly. How was she ever going to explain this to his mom, his family, and worst of all, to Sweetie Belle? “No… no, you can’t die. Oh, gods please don’t leave me Kohaku!” Leaning over her tears fell down to his face, who only remained silent as his paw tenderly caressed Pearl’s cheek.

Twilight watched as the beast became a tree and her student’s body returned to normal. She had seen such power wielded by Kohaku before. Only then it was destroying Ponyville. Now, it served a better purpose. She had to wonder if Kohaku had planned this from the start. If he knew what was waiting for them. She made a mental note to ask when she got back to Ponyville.

Turning to Pearl, Twilight knelt down and put a hoof on her student’s back. “It’s going to be okay Pearl. Honestly, Kohaku isn’t leaving you.”

Looking up, Pearl turned her tear-streaked face up at her teacher. “How can you say that. Just look at him. He’s dying.”

“No Pearl, he’s not,” Twilight said with a sigh. “That isn’t Kohaku. At least. Not the real one. He’s a golem. A magical construct made, in this case, from wood and any other materials he could find. He has a piece of his master’s soul in him, hence why he could act and behave almost exactly like the one we know. Take a closer look. That’s not even blood on you or him. Open your eyes and see with your heart.”

Pearl looked up and turned back to Twilight, looking closer she noticed that the ‘blood’ had a familiar scent to it. Something oddly pleasant. Lifting her hoof she sniffed and blinked “Tree sap? Your bleeding tree sap.”

Looking up, Kohaku laughed aloud. “How long did you know?”

“Since that night at the river, I saw your body in the blood-soaked moonlight,” Twilight smirked and looked at him. “I have to say your construction is very impressive.”

“Kohaku did his best. But it was Discord who brought me to life.” Turning his face back to Pearl he smiled “We’re very sorry for doing this to you. But it was the only thing we could think of, Discord knew of the ‘guardian’ and I couldn’t let you face it alone. Neither of you would have survived.”

“So you left the most powerful part of your soul in the golem. Good thinking. I do have one question. That letter you gave the garrison. Was that really Luna who wrote it?” Twilight smiled.

“No, that was also Discord. And it was he who moved us closer to the gate.”

“But his powers don’t… Oh, I see. That's why, he couldn’t use his power so he used mine,” Twilight fumed and closed her eyes. “He better return them when this is over.”

“It could have been a lot worse. I only had two days and the trip from that campsite would have taken a week. Please. Don’t think too badly on us.” Turning over to Pearl Kohaku leaned up and kissed her cheek “You ether, we only did this because we love you both. And I’m glad.”

“Glad. For what? Deceiving me. Making me suffer like this?” Pearl sniffed as she turned her head.

“Glad I could die in the arms of a filly I love.” Closing his eyes, Kohaku instantly dissolved into nothing but dirt and a few pieces of wood.

***

Kohaku groaned as he suddenly woke up, clutching his chest. Both Sweetie Belle and Rarity looked over at him.

“Well look who woke up, you missed half the movie silly.” Sweetie Belle giggled and passed him the popcorn.

“OH yeah, missing half of ‘Twilight’. Big loss there.” Kohaku chuckled as he nuzzled warmly up against his girlfriend. “Sorry. I'm just not that into romance movies.”

“Then why did you accept the invite?” Applebloom asked as she turned around followed by Scootaloo.

“Yeah, all you’ve done is snuggle and fall asleep against Sweetie Belle and… and I think I just answered my own question,” Scootaloo turned back around and pushed up against the edge of the sofa.

Kohaku just chuckled and closed his eyes. His body ached all over and knew why. Every memory and experience of his doppelganger had just flooded his mind and body. He could have done without the feeling of somecreature thrusting its claw through his heart. But he was happy that Pearl was alive and safe. He kept his promise just like he said he would.

Sweetie Belle turned and looked at her fox. There was always more behind those amber eyes than he ever said. Leaning in, she kissed him gently on the lips. “Pearl and Twilight okay?”

“As good as anyone could be,” he replied as the warmth from her kiss cured his aches and pains. “We’ll tell everyone tomorrow. They’ve waited three weeks, I think one more night won’t hurt for such good news.” Sweetie Belle just nodded as she watched Bella and Edward kiss on screen. The three fillies awwed together as Kohaku just groaned.

‘Sparkling vampires… someone stake me.’ Was the only thought in his head as he rested it on his girl's shoulder before falling asleep once again.

***

Pearl and Twilight didn't move for a time afterward, still too shocked at all that had just happened. Neither looked at the newborn tree if they could help it. Pearl was still upset that Kohaku had pulled what he had on them, no matter that it worked and it had saved their lives.

Oh, she was going to give it to him when they got back to Ponyville. Pinkie Promise.

Finally, Twilight got to her hooves and placed a hoof on her student's shoulder. "Pearl. We can't stay here."

Pearl gave her a look. "Go where?" She gestured to the living hell before them. "Where the hay are we even supposed to meet this... whoever Tiamat sent, anyway? I can't see anywhere we could."

Twilight looked as well. There wasn't a safe place she could see for miles. The road continued on down past the ever-burning trees, before dead-ending at one of the lava streams. Beyond that was nothing but the lifeblood of the world oozing from the open wound into the bottomless pit. If she squinted, Twilight could just barely make out patches of solid ground in several places. Beyond that lay the mountains.

Twilight's ears fell, as the two began to descend from the heights down into the lowlands. "I don't know. The letter didn't say. Only that we would know them when we met them."

Pearl groaned, trying not to look at the shadows that slithered between the trees. "What is it you immortals have with being super vague, anyway? Why can't we ever get a straight answer?"

Twilight giggled. "I used to feel the same way with Princess Celestia. I think she's trying to sound smarter. She isn't the supreme chess master ponies make her out to be, nor does she know literally everything. No one is ever that good."

"Then you are wiser than most ponies, youngling," a deep voice like thunder said, stopping Pearl and Twilight in their tracks, as a large draconic shadow loomed up behind them as it landed.

Turning around, the girls gulped in shock and fear at what they beheld.

Author's Note:

Alright. Since I hate putting these in the story itself. This is a good background sound effects for the Blight. https://youtu.be/CaQvz-i4umc. And this one for the Scar of the Destroyer https://youtu.be/HQhbpltbK0s.

Both of these come from the Music of 40k channel on YouTube. Who along with Arch, KiriothTV, The Outer Circle, and The Race for Terra, are my favorite Games-Workshop, Black Library, and Forge World related channels.

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[NicLove]

royal Unicorn