//------------------------------// // The Island Of Phantasms // Story: Hecate's Orphanage // by BlackRoseRaven //------------------------------// Chapter Ninety Three: The Island Of Phantasms ~BlackRoseRaven Aster stood on the prow of the ship as it cut through the waters, but even the spray from the cold waves wasn't enough to keep her connected to the world. Her mouth was full of the taste of copper, and the reek of saltwater wasn't enough to hide the stink of sweat and anger that pulsed through her body. In the distance, she could see the island coming closer and closer, and she could already feel the toxic magic of Salazar painfully pushing at her body, pulsing through her veins. Veins that still carried the disease, the infection of his blood... She didn't want that. She wanted it out. But no, it was inside her, Salazar was inside her, and he would never be- “Aster, are you... do you need help?” Moonflower's voice ventured, and Aster stared up at the sky for a moment before she sighed quietly, then forced herself to turn around with a faint smile and a small shake of her head. “I am fine.” she said quietly, and then she sighed softly as she approached the stallion and lowered her head, closing her eyes as she dropped her face against him and mumbled: “I am not fine. I am upset. I am angry. I am... I do not have the words for it.” “I know, dear. I know. But you're going to be okay.” Moonflower promised with a small smile, and Aster only chewed on her lip and looked away, before the black unicorn encouraged: “You're strong. You're one of the best mares I've ever met, you know, and one of the very few I don't think is icky.” “I am not so strong. I am always told I am strong, but I know I am not. I am a coward who sold out her own family. Who tried to play both sides of the field.” Aster said bitterly, and Moonflower softened a little before the mare sighed. “I am... this is fitting, perhaps. Deserving. Punishment for my sins.” “Now stop it, stop it right now.” Moonflower said firmly, and Aster glanced up at him before the stallion said quietly: “That won't help, and you know it. Things are always... worse, when you give in to it.” “I am trying!” Aster snapped, shaking her head in frustration, but Moonflower only looked at her until she finally sighed again and lowered her head, mumbling: “I am... I will try more, Moonflower, oui. But it is just... very difficult right now. I did not expect to come back here, and even less, that we would be coming here.” Aster turned around, heading to the front of the ship and shivering a bit as she looked out at the island in the distance, thunder rumbling ominously through the dark skies above. “Do you feel it? There is something... toxic, there. It is an awful place.” “I can barely see it.” Moonflower muttered as he joined her, looking uneasily at the dark set of lumps in the distance. “It looks like... fog?” “The clouds are pulled towards the earth here. I think it is some kind of evil magic... I have never seen the phenomenon anywhere else.” Aster answered, shaking her head as she shivered a little, and then she looked down and asked quietly: “Do you think... I am becoming...” “No, I don't, I really don't.” Moonflower said firmly, before he met her eyes and forced a smile as he said quietly: “I need you to stop thinking like that, dear. Because I've already lost too many friends this week and I don't want to lose another.” “I... I am sorry.” Aster laughed faintly, dropping her head and nodding before she took a slow breath, looking back up towards the island in the distance as she murmured: “I suppose it has been... a very trying time for us both, hasn't it?” Moonflower smiled faintly and nodded, before he almost blurted out: “I had dinner with Thorn and his family!” Aster blinked, and Moonflower blushed before he continued awkwardly: “Thorn and Thesis and Hecate... oh, and Cadence! Cadence and Thesis are dating, you know. She never talks about it. She's very hush-hush about it but she certainly cares for him very much. It was a great dinner! I ruined it. I cried a lot.” Aster smiled despite herself at Moonflower, who chuckled quietly before he dropped his head and mumbled: “Do you know what bothers me most of all? The fact that once upon a time, I wanted that to happen. I wanted everyone to just... go away. I wanted to destroy the whole world, in... in a childish fit of pique that lasted five hundred years. And it hurts so much because I think of my friends and how I took them for granted and... in the end... they really were always there for me. They gave to the world. The world they loved so much, and yet they helped me end it all, too. I... I failed them.” Moonflower closed his eyes, and then he shook his head slowly before murmuring: “I hate myself for that. More than I can begin to say. How little I valued them. And that I never apologized. To any of them. I think they knew but... it's not the same, is it, as saying you're sorry.” “But at least you were able to save some lives, yes? Not your friends, but... others from that world. You can continue to keep that world alive, through those people, and through yourself, Moonflower. I know that is not much, but...” “It's something. It is something, yes.” Moonflower murmured, and then he shook his head slowly before he sighed a little and looked up at the mare. “I also feel bad that I didn't make the most out of dinner. It's been hard with Thorn lately, you know. I really... don't mind that he kissed a mare, I don't. It's more that Necrophage is... so good for him, more like what I wish that I could be for him, and I know... I know that...” Moonflower smiled faintly, but Aster only chuckled quietly before she leaned over and kissed Moonflower's lips chastely, the stallion wincing back and sticking his tongue out childishly before the mare said gently: “Now you are even.” “That wasn't the problem at all!” Moonflower exclaimed, shoving Aster childishly away, and Aster smiled as she stumbled backwards, the stallion glowering at her sulkily. “I take back everything I said. You are just another icky mare.” “J'ai faire mal.” Aster said in a falsely-hurt voice, placing a hoof over her heart, and Moonflower huffed at her before she said gently: “We can all make mistakes, no? And we have discussed this many times, too, Moonflower. I know your friends have, as well. It is not just about Thorn, but about you, too... and the one who is going to ruin his relationship is you, if you keep saying you are not good enough for him.” Moonflower smiled awkwardly, and then he glanced up to see Thesis coming towards them, the Replicant saying mildly: “He likes you plenty, you know. I'm pretty sure that you should know by now that if Thorn wanted to get rid of you, he would just get rid of you. He's not exactly shy about that kind of thing and all.” Moonflower blushed a bit, nodding awkwardly as he lowered his head before he mumbled: “I... I know. The logical part of me knows that, but... I still think-” “You don't think. That's always been your problem.” Cadence corrected as she joined them, and Moonflower smiled lamely before the mare said in a softer voice: “Look, we've all got a lot to worry about and deal with right now. Don't give yourself extra problems on top of that. Thorn really likes you and he already gave you a lecture about that whole... you know...” “The faggot thing.” Moonflower said helpfully, and Aster cocked her head curiously. “What bundle of things did he lecture you about?” she asked, and Moonflower giggled like a child as La Croix joined them just in time to hear this, snorting in amusement. “Non, non, madamoiselle. 'Faggot,' ça veut dire pédé, n'est pas fagot.” La Croix said helpfully, and Aster nodded wisely as her eyes widened slightly. “Ah, merci. How strange.” the mare said thoughtfully, before she smiled over at Moonflower and teased gently: “One would never guess that you, mighty Moonflower, was a bundle of sticks.” “Oh, please. My sisters had me pegged as gay before I had my cutie mark.” Moonflower retorted with a huff, and Cadence rolled her eyes as Thesis grinned slightly. “Well, y'certainly ain't handsome in a handsome kinda way. You handsome in a pretty little filly kind of way. And I mean that strictly platonically now, don't you get no funny ideas in your head.” La Croix said mildly, and Moonflower scowled at him horribly. “Oh please, La Croix. As if I would ever be desperate enough for that that I would lower myself to the level of a stripehorse.” Moonflower said pettishly, before he straightened himself up and puffed out his chest as far as possible, adding proudly: “And I certainly would have to lower myself quite a bit to be on your level!” La Croix only looked mildly up at Moonflower, who opened an eye after a moment and added almost awkwardly: “I am calling you short.” “Oui, I get it, yeah. But y'know, short as I be in some places, I sure as hell can be sure I'm much bigger'n you in others. Brains, for one. And for another, my-” “Alright, before we start dropping saddles, knock it off. I'm not interested in finding out how small any of you stallions are.” Cadence said moodily, and La Croix and Moonflower both huffed. “Aster, do you know how to get onto that island? Maybe you should take over, the drones can only do so much.” “I will take the wheel, as long as the mechanical crew will listen to my orders. It is tricky: we must sail around the rear of the island. If something is there, I do not think we will be detected, as the sheet of fog works both ways, but...” “We should still be careful, yeah.” Thesis agreed with a glance towards the island in the distance, before he said almost suddenly: “You know, I never got much naval experience. I spent all my time either on the ground or in the air. That was admittedly the way I liked it, too. Sea's always scared me.” All eyes were looking oddly at Thesis, but he only grinned and shrugged before he said finally: “Hey, can't be perfect in every way, you know. But it just seemed like the ocean was full of, you know, bad things. You could either die or vanish, just like that. And the worst part was that all the ways you could die seemed to be slow and painful.” “It is easier when you consider that all life is a slow and painful death.” Aster said with a strange optimism in her voice, and Thesis slowly turned towards her, tilting his head until the mare gave a small smile. “The sea is no place for the weak, mon ami.” “Apparently not. Thankfully we won't be here for much longer, I'm guessing.” Thesis said finally, gesturing with his head towards the island, and Aster nodded before the Replicant instructed. “Go ahead, take over the wheel. The drones will listen to you.” “Merci.” Aster bowed politely, then she turned and left quickly, trotting across the deck in the direction of the wheelhouse. Thesis smiled in amusement as she left, then he shook his head before turning towards Cadence. He looked at her for a moment, then said finally: “Well, at least she's positive. I just wish she'd also be a little more... you know, open, about how afraid she is and how bad the voices are.” Moonflower glanced up in surprise, but La Croix snorted and said wryly: “Y'ain't the only one who's noticed, rein de la nuit. Ain't like she been doin' much to hide it.” “She's trying. She really is. I think... I believe in her, you know! I think she's going to be okay. She's... she's going to be okay.” Moonflower said almost urgently, before he glanced up as Thesis gently touched his shoulder, giving him a reassuring smile. “No one's arguing with you there, alright? I'm just worried about what this place is doing to her, that's all.” Thesis said gently, and then he shook his head slowly before he turned his eyes towards the island in the distance, murmuring: “We're approaching fast. Everyone, go and get ready. I want all of you prepared for elementals and undead. I have a feeling.” “You heard him. Go down, get yourselves ready. Let Daddy know, too.” Cadence instructed quickly, and La Croix and Moonflower both nodded, the unicorn hesitating a few moments before he hurried after the Loa towards the lower deck. Cadence looked over at Thesis, and Thesis smiled wryly at her before he shook his head and said quietly: “Hey, just because I'm not some crazy bird like you, Sazerac, doesn't mean I don't have instincts too.” “I can feel the energy in the air. But I can't see any Void presences. So you might be right.” Cadence said after a moment, before Thesis smiled slightly at her. “Hey, you know your eyes get all glowy when you look into the Astra, so you can't fool me. Also you said it was too hard to look through the Astra here.” Thesis said pointedly, and Cadence scowled at him even as she blushed ever-so-slightly. “Do they?” she asked finally, and Thesis simply shrugged, which made her sigh and roll her eyes before she muttered: “I hate you.” “You do not. You like me, at least a little bit.” Thesis replied with a wink and a smile, before he added in a softer voice: “Look, we'll deal with whatever's ahead a little bit at a time, okay? It sucks, and it's scary, but it's also not like this is the worst thing we've ever dealt with, right?” Cadence gave Thesis a brief smile, and then she said finally: “The worst we ever dealt with was... well... that thing is still out there, destroying whatever worlds he wants to, apparently.” Thesis tilted his head back and forth, and Cadence tilted her head towards him, until he finally said with a small shrug: “I just don't think it's going to happen again. Not unless he gets desperate or crazy. Not just because I have faith that our friends in the Void will do their best to keep him from doing anything crazy, but because if he really just wanted to destroy us all, he would have done it before. I mean, Hel's gone. He might be scared of Mom, but he knows how Jötnar powers work, and... I mean... it's just this gut feeling I have.” “Great. Helpful.” Cadence mumbled, but after a moment, she nodded with a sigh and said finally: “There's no point in thinking about it anyway, I know that.” “Then stop thinking, because you're giving me a headache.” Thesis said blandly, and Cadence glowered at him, but the stallion only winked at her before he said mildly: “Hey, it's true, you know. You do enough thinking for the both of us. Actually, you do too much thinking for the both of us. So seriously. Just stop thinking for a little while.” “I'm going to punch your face down your throat.” Cadence said moodily, and then she flexed a hoof slowly as she added grumpily: “And any time I'm not thinking I'm apparently killing things or the Swan takes over or something.” “Is it really so bad when the Swan has control?” Thesis asked in a gentler voice, and Cadence looked up at him sharply. But when the stallion only continued to look at her, she hesitated, and Thesis took the moment to prod carefully: “If you and the Swan are one and the same, maybe that's why-” “We're not!” Cadence said forcefully, and then she bit her lip, looking quickly back and forth. But there was no one around; only drones who were calmly going about the chores on deck, keeping the ship running efficiently. All the same, the mare lowered her voice as she stepped closer to Thesis, as if afraid someone was going to hear as she muttered: “We're not. The Swan and I are... we're different, okay? We're two parts. It's like you said, I'm... I'm not the Swan. I'm not the Swan.” “I know, Cadence. I know, okay?” Thesis reached up and squeezed the mare's shoulders gently, smiling at her before he said quietly: “And it doesn't matter to me who or what you are. But what matters is that you can trust yourself, and the you inside yourself, do you understand?” “The Swan isn't me.” Cadence said stubbornly, but that was only a deflection, a cheap attempt to start an argument, and one that Thesis easily stopped by simply putting a hoof on her nose, making her wrinkle up her snout as she scowled at him. “Take it off before I bite it off.” Thesis responded by squeezing firmly into her nose and pulling her head down, making her eyes widen slightly as she was forced to lock gazes with him, before he said softly: “Don't run from this and don't try to just pick fights to... fight your way out of reasoning with me or yourself. You're better than that.” “No I'm not.” Cadence mumbled, her eyes flicking away before she closed them and sighed softly, deflating visibly. “I'm... I'm really not, Thesis, that's exactly the problem. That's why I have to tell myself and everyone else over and over I'm not the Swan, because... I know that I am.” “No being self-deprecating, either. Come on, your whole team already has self-esteem issues. I don't need you jumping on that bandwagon too.” Thesis said gently, letting go of her nose, and the mare wrinkled up her snout before she stiffened up in surprise when Thesis hugged her tightly. “Look. Just think about it. Maybe the reason you're so goddamn tired and frustrated is because... you need to learn to share a little. And not handle all the burden on your own.” Cadence looked down for a moment, and then she asked the stupid question that made her feel like a stupid little filly, that she knew was idiotic to even think, even though it was the first thing that always leapt to mind these days, even though it was her greatest fear: “But what if you like her more?” “I like you. I like all of you. And the only parts of you I like more are the parts that can't cause me excruciating pain when I disagree with you.” Thesis said gently, and Cadence glared up at him before he leaned forwards and kissed one of her ears. “Which I guess are just these.” Cadence rolled her eyes, then she smacked the stallion with her horn before she grabbed him by the head and shoved him backwards. She glared at him, but he grinned back even as he rubbed slowly at his muzzle, before the mare looked away and hesitated... I have no desire to steal him from you. But you do not fear that. You fear that I will be honest with him. You fear that I will not lie to him, as you do. the Swan said softly, and Cadence fought to repress a snarl, but she knew Thesis knew anyway, and that just added to her frustration, to the sense of- Do not deceive yourself. It is not that you have made me more powerful. It is not that I have become stronger. I am only more alive, and you find yourself with fewer reasons to reject me. We are the Swan, Cadence. Not I alone, and not you. Both of us, together. “I don't... I just... shut up, shut up...” Cadence muttered through her grit teeth, and then she flinched before she felt the Swan pushing at her to take over- Her reaction was immediately and violent, stomping a hoof down hard enough to crack the floorboards beneath her as Thesis winced in surprise, the ivory mare baring her teeth as she almost flung the Swan away, but there was a strange satisfaction that made Cadence scowl- See? When you desire to defy us, you do. When your subconscious and conscious align, you overpower us. Cadence shivered a bit, and then she shook her head shortly, thinking of the Swan, how easily the Swan overrode her any other time now, how it felt more like- Stop this, Cadence. Do not lie to us, or at least not to yourself, most of all. You envy us. You enjoy our power. And you like the excuse we provide you to bring down pain and punishment on those who harm you and those you... we... care for. And how could anyone ever blame you for that? Who would not kill for an excuse, for a reason to strike out, mercilessly, against all who would do harm to them and theirs? “That's not... I just...” Cadence gritted her teeth, before she turned and glared out at the ocean, grabbing the railing of the ship as she shouted: “What do you want me to admit? That I'm just... another screwed-up, revenge-seeking murderer? I just... I don't want to be that. I know I am. I know I can't hide from it. I know that...” Cadence stopped, then she stared out miserably into the wild emptiness of the sea, breathing slowly before she said quietly: “I'm... I'm not going to go into the same old rants and swears and curses because... it really doesn't matter. And I can't lie to the Swan and I can't lie to you, Thesis. I like it. I do like it. I enjoy fighting, and I like killing. It fills me with... it feels like what I was meant to do. And I don't want to be this way but... I don't want to change, either. No, that's a lie. I want... I do want to be this way. I don't want to change, but I do want to be... who I am. I... I like who I am.” Cadence laughed faintly, then she shook her head slowly before she stared out at the cloudy skies above the roiling ocean, whispering: “She's right, you know. And at first she was just Danzsöngr, the logic, the cruelty of the Swan. Now she's... she's the voice of my conscience, both good and bad, but always there, always whispering to me, even when I'm not listening.” Thesis approached and silently wrapped a foreleg around Cadence's shoulders, and she closed her eyes as she lowered her head, breathing slowly in and out before she muttered: “I hate you so much.” “I know. But I like you. I do. Even though you're scary. I'm not going to make comparisons, and I'm not going to say it's a good thing. I guess it's not, Cadence. But... I love you all the same, for you. That's part of you and I wouldn't change that part of you.” Thesis said softly, and Cadence looked at him almost bitterly, but the stallion only smiled briefly in return before he said quietly: “I don't care about you because you're perfect. You're flawed, and that's a large part of what makes you beautiful to me. The fact that you keep going. The fact that you haven't lost yourself to these instincts. The fact that you're... you.” Cadence looked over at him, and Thesis smiled a bit before he said quietly: “Isn't dating a femme fatale supposed to be like the epitome of hotness, too?” “I hate you so much.” Cadence muttered, scowling out into the distance before she grumbled: “That's why Shining left me, you know. Miss Take, she was the whole... secret agent femme fatale long-legged fancy-ass-” “Well, your ass is nice, but it's certainly not fancy. It's a tight, muscular ass.” Thesis said mildly, and Cadence twitched and glared at him before he said gently: “You can't get mad at everything everyone says, Honk.” “I hate that nickname.” Cadence grumbled, but Thesis only smiled wider, and she knew he knew she didn't really hate it, which just annoyed her even more. “What are you so happy about?” “You.” Thesis said simply, and then he hesitated for a moment before he leaned in and kissed her lips quietly, murmuring: “I can't love the Swan any more than I love you because you are the Swan. And I can't hate the Swan because I can't hate you. I know you need some work, but... lucky for you, I like a fixer-upper.” “Anyone else. Anyone else, and I'd throw them off this goddamn boat right now. Whether it's true or not.” Cadence grumbled, shaking her head shortly before she dropped her head with a quiet sigh, closing her eyes and muttering: “You need fixing more than me.” “A lot more, yeah. But that's why we're good for each other.” Thesis stopped, then he glanced around to make sure they were alone before he hesitated, and Cadence frowned at him curiously. The stallion licked his lips, and then he suddenly smiled before he shook his head and looked at the island, murmuring: “Look. We should get ready to land. Uh... just... I just want you to know that no matter what happens, I'm going to do everything in my power to help you and keep you safe and protect you, whether you like it or not.” “That's very masculine of you. And out of nowhere, too.” Cadence said slowly, and Thesis simply shrugged before she scowled when he shoved her gently away. “I'm not going to let this go. We're going to talk about it. You're not going to be like-” “You?” Thesis asked with a quirk of his eyebrow, and then he winced at the sour look Cadence gave him as she slowly flexed a hoof. “I'm not dying. I just... talking to you right now makes me realize that I really want to be... open with you and honest and trust you and... I want to...” Thesis fumbled a little for his words, before he glanced over his shoulder as hooves approached, the stallion instead asking quickly: “Moonflower, did you put stuff aside for Aster, too?” “Oh, I think Sombra is doing that, yes.” Moonflower said as he approached, looking curiously between the two before he asked awkwardly: “Do you uh... need me to go?” Both Thesis and Cadence blurted out excuses, making Moonflower stare for a few moments before he smiled awkwardly and turned to leave. But he almost immediately ran right into La Croix, who winced and stumbled out of the way before he grumbled: “Watch it, y'idjit.” “You're an idjit! Uh. Come on, La Croix, let's... help me with... tying my shoes.” Moonflower fumbled, and Cadence groaned and rolled her eyes as she rubbed slowly at her forehead, as La Croix only stared, nonplussed, at Moonflower. “Moonflower, it's fine. It's fine, okay?” Cadence said moodily, waving a hoof, and Moonflower gave her a lame smile before the mare sighed and shook herself out, storming past the Loa and unicorn as she muttered: “Let's just get this over with.” As Cadence stormed away, Moonflower looked with embarrassment at Thesis, but the Replicant only gave a wry smile and a shrug, waving a hoof as he said softly: “Don't worry about it. Cadence is just uh... working through a few things right now, that's all. We all have our own burdens, after all.” “Yes. I suppose that's true.” Moonflower smiled briefly, even as he continued to blush a bit before he mumbled: “I'm trying... I'm trying very hard to value my friends more.” “I know. And that's great. But don't try too hard, huh?” Thesis smiled a little in return, saying quietly: “Half the fun of being a friend is so you can be there for other people when they need it.” Moonflower smiled awkwardly, then he glanced over his shoulder in the direction Cadence had gone as La Croix murmured: “Guess we can't argue with that. But it'd sure be nice if sometimes Cygne would remember that herself.” “She will.” Thesis promised, before he turned his eyes out over the ocean, saying softly: “Not even Swans are made out of stone.” Cadence grimaced as the dinghy ran up onto a small beach, the mare leaping out into the shallow waters with a splash to grab the side of the ship and pull it forwards with a grunt into the soft sand, her muzzle wrinkling up at the reek of the clouds swirling around her as she muttered: “I can feel the electricity in the air. Not even Pegasi could do this. Not even weather magic could have this sort of effect. It has to be Primordial presence.” “Because I didn't just say that five minutes ago.” Thesis said mildly, and Cadence gave him a sour look through the fog as he helped her pull the dinghy onto shore, before he added in a quieter voice, his visor glowing like a ghostly lantern through the fog: “Let's keep the chatter to a minimum and move in quick, though. There's a very strange energy reading ahead.” Cadence nodded, stepping forwards and scowling a little as she brought down her own visor, readings flashing over the glass before she grimaced and muttered: “I'm getting a lot of static interference. Is that from the fog?” “Nope. These things are shock-proof, they should work even if the rest of our equipment got scrambled by an EMP.” Thesis replied with a brief shake of his head. “It must be from the signal ahead. Thorn could probably tell you what it is, but I sure as hell can't.” Cadence grimaced a bit before she looked back as the others hopped out of the dinghy, Aster laughing a little as she said quietly: “It feels no different than it ever has, here. This is an awful place, the remains of a thousand forbidden magics and dozens of dead ships. We are in a graveyard. Ghosts are to be expected.” “I can deal with ghosts.” Thesis muttered, before he asked: “Have you ever been here before?” Aster hesitated for a few long seconds, before she finally admitted in a murmur: “Twice, oui. Neither time I... I care to remember. We were... harvesting bodies. Looking at... 'test results.' Neither were very pleasant.” Thesis nodded, before he asked: “Do you remember enough to act as a guide?” “I... suppose, yes. But I am only familiar with one route, to the guard tower in the center of the island. I will try and lead you there, but since Salazar is dead I do not know what will have happened to the defenses he created.” Aster said almost apologetically, shivering a little as the red veins pulsed eerily beneath her skin, almost seeming to glow. Cadence grimaced a bit, looking nervously at Aster for a few moments and how the stress and the environment seemed to be affecting her, making her strange condition that much worse. She thought for a moment about interrupting, about asking Aster to leave and head back to the boat, but then the winged unicorn looked up with a small, strained smile and promised: “I'll do my best. I would... I want to do my best to help. It is the least I can do.” “Just you don't push yourself too much, mademoiselle. I ain't as good at the whole proverbs thing as Papa Sérénité, but even I know that bons nageurs sont à la fin noyés. You already done lots just gettin' us here.” La Croix advised, and then he smiled reassuringly when Aster looked at him almost worriedly. “I ain't about to turn down further help either, though. Just... want you to know not to push yourself. That's all.” “Merci, La Croix. Tu es trop sympa.” Aster said softly, before she turned her eyes forwards as the veins seemed to settle a little, the eerie crimson light fading as she murmured: “I am alright. Oui, I am in control. I will guide but... perhaps Madame Cygne and you, Commandant Thesis, could lead.” “Of course.” Thesis gestured with his head to Cadence, and the mare nodded back as she strode up beside him, Aster falling in behind and smiling as Moonflower automatically ran up beside her. La Croix and Sombra brought up the rear, and Cadence glanced back once with a brief smile of approval before she turned her eyes back ahead as Thesis said quietly: “Let's head towards the source. Keep us informed, Aster.” Aster nodded, but she remained mostly quiet, guiding more by gesture and hesitation than by speaking. The group of ponies made their way slowly through the cloud-suffocated island, following what Cadence realized shortly was a dirt path through weedy grass, what looked like broken fences and old, rusted power poles looming now and then out of the fog towards them. Cadence frowned uneasily: as they began to make their way up a rockier, harder path that seemed less natural and more like it had been carved and bludgeoned into the face of the earth with crude tools, she saw more signs of... not civilization, no, but ruin. Broken lights, shattered barriers, pockmarks and claw marks and... blood. Cadence halted, kneeling quickly as she brushed a hoof over the bloody ground before she grimaced and muttered: “This is fresh. But it... it stinks.” “Chemicals. La Croix?” Thesis asked quickly, and La Croix scowled, opening his mouth as he came forwards before his eyes widened slightly in surprise. He leaned down after a moment, touching around the blood before he muttered: “Oui. You be right. The smell be because this is old blood, that's been... brought back to life, so to speak. Made to run again when it done dried up long ago.” He paused, then straightened and added quietly: “I'm guessin' Nzambi. I don't know the hell they be doin' here, though, Bondye be gone. Locked up in exile, not dead... I ain't dumb enough to throw him into the Void when our friend be diggin' up that cemetaire.” “Who else can control the Nzambi? What about Veliuona?” asked Cadence, and La Croix bit his lip worriedly. “Nzambi be... they be a little different. But maybe...” La Croix grimaced, looking anxiously away. “Look, either way, if they be here, it be bad. But if somethin' managed to wound one like this, and there ain't no corpse around? That means it either chased the Nzambi off or killed it and dragged the body off for a quick meal. Both of those things be real mal.” “Yeah, I get it. Nzambi are dangerous. Whatever did this has to be more dangerous.” Thesis summarized, before his eyes flicked up and he muttered: “I picked up that signal again, it's getting stronger. Aster, are we still following this path?” “Ah, oui, yes...” Aster said distractedly, her eyes roving back and forth. She looked pale, Cadence thought; pale, but those veins were pulsing eerily through her flesh, bright and unnatural... “We must keep going. They are just up ahead... the tower, I mean. The tower is just up ahead.” Moonflower shifted nervously, and La Croix scowled before he said slowly: “I can scout, y'know, make sure 'sall safe...” “No. I want you following behind us, stay in a defensive position. If we are dealing with Nzambi, they'll already know you're here, anyway, from what I've heard.” Thesis instructed, and La Croix nodded with a grimace as Cadence frowned over at Thesis. But Thesis only gave her that look, and she decided to let it go for now, before he turned his eyes ahead and said quietly: “Let's go, guys.” Cadence glanced back at her team, but they had already fallen into position without waiting for her signal: something that annoyed her only a little with Thesis leading the way. She instead turned her attention back ahead, scanning ahead with her own visor even as static fluctuated across the glass, the mare muttering: “I can't read the distance marker, it keeps changing.” “Well it should, we are getting closer.” Thesis said helpfully, and Cadence gave him a sour look before the stallion asked in a more serious voice: “What about the energy scale? Are you getting large fluxes there or a gradual increase?” “Is that what you're using to judge distance?” Cadence caught on to what Thesis was saying before he had even said it, reaching up to tap her visor once before she smiled slightly as the stallion looked over at her with surprise. “I did actually learn a few things from Hecate, you know. I know how to change the detection settings, too.” “It should function fine with whatever you have it to. Just keep an eye on the signal source and let me know if that goes haywire for you, too.” Thesis answered, before he glanced over his shoulder and started: “Moonflower...” He paused as his eyes roved to Aster, who looked disconnected from the rest of the world around her, and he cleared his throat before continuing slowly: “Moonflower, keep track of the energy cycling in the air around us. Let me know if you detect anything weird.” Moonflower nodded, his horn lighting up faintly before he grimaced and muttered: “Strange. I feel my magic being muffled by the clouds, but there's no sense of antimagic... it isn't like that weird fog we saw before, either, it's... a different sort of unpleasant. It's... it's wet and cold.” Those were odd descriptors for magic, but La Croix scowled as he muttered: “I agree. I feel it too, coverin' up my spirit. Ain't pleasant, whatever else it is.” Cadence frowned, but she couldn't feel it herself: there was no sense of muffling or unpleasantness. Thesis asked her in a glance if she could feel it, and she answered him with her own look back at the stallion, who smiled oddly at her before he nodded once and said soothingly: “Just hold it together for now. Come on, we're almost there. Right, Aster?” “Right. Yes. Right.” Aster blinked a bit: Cadence was relieved to see she came back to the world at least a little when she was directly addressed. The winged unicorn smiled uneasily, then shifted slowly before she looked back and forth, whispering: “I apologize. I just keep... losing focus. I don't know why. After all, everything is... right here. Right in front of me... all the answers, all the things I've been looking for...” Aster broke off as her head tilted strangely to the side, and Cadence frowned over her shoulder, but Aster suddenly seemed to snap back to reality as they reached a fork in the path, pointing to the right and the road that led up a natural stairway of jagged rock. “There. The tower is up the path. On top of the mountain.” “Alright. Watch your footing. Let's take it nice and slow.” Thesis said calmly as he gave Cadence a quick head signal, and the mare nodded, half pleased and half annoyed as she took point and leapt quickly up the natural, broken steps, grimacing a little as she noted that the fog immediately grew much thicker, muffling even the sound of her hooves hitting the hard stone as much as it blinded her to all but the general shape of things around them. She was only a few meters ahead, but Cadence felt completely separated from the group, the faint sounds they made as they followed behind her like whispers from a great distance away. She frowned as she climbed higher and the clouds only thickened and worsened, feeling unsteady on her hooves not from the jagged ground beneath her, but the fact she could barely make out where she was standing, gazing nervously down at her own feet like a child- The Swan hissed at her, and Cadence looked up as she stepped forward and something horrific lurched out of the fog towards her, her eyes widening as she snarled and immediately snapped a dagger up to the ready. But the thing didn't move, and Cadence stared at it for a moment before she shivered in disgust and horror as she realized what she was looking at. She forced her dry throat to become unstuck as she looked back over her shoulder, shouting as loudly as she dared: “Hey! Found something!” After a few moments, Thesis and the others joined her, and Aster moaned low in her throat and looked away as Moonflower grimaced and her father murmured a short prayer. But all of them couldn't help but study the eerie scarecrow hanging from a wooden T in front of them, the corpse reeking of fresh rot, features gaping and twisted in a way that Cadence couldn't describe. Its jaws were too wide, too large, its eyes too small, its face covered in both torn and wrinkled flesh, like the bones had sprung out here, but the features had crushed-in there and left too much skin behind. Cadence noted that its body was eerily deformed as well: the barrel shortened, the limbs unnaturally long and spindly. “What the hell is it?” Cadence asked, and Thesis gave her a wry smile. “Here I was hoping you could tell me.” he replied, before he glanced over his shoulder, hesitating a moment before he asked La Croix, even as his eyes lingered on Aster: “What do you think?” “Been dead a long time, but it was movin' pretty recently. Sure you see it too, Cygne, the fresh blood and all.” La Croix said quietly, pointing at the recent wounds in the creature's chest. “We got this thing in Darkwater, 'scalled 'strangled.' The strangled are all screwed up from some sort of trauma, it literally crushes and twists their spirits so much, it warps their bodies.” “We become outside what we are inside.” Thesis muttered, and then he shook his head before he asked quietly: “Do you think these have been here long?” “I'd guess so. Ain't something that happens overnight.” La Croix glanced towards Aster, hesitating a moment before he shook his head and returned his eyes to Thesis when he realized the mare was off in her own world again, gazing off into the fog. “Uh... I uh, guess that the best thing we can do for now is keep movin', though. Ain't these strangled that got me worried. It's whatever did this to him.” “Alright. Cadence, take point again. We'll follow.” Thesis said finally, looking back and forth through the fog, just able to make out what looked like a path continuing up the mountain to one side... and I can't tell if that's forest or just tall rocks on the other. Either way, I want us out of here as soon as possible. Cadence nodded to the Replicant, glancing at her unsheathed dagger before she decided it might be better to have it ready, just in case. She kept it floating beside her as she turned and began to make her way up the mountain, before she frowned when the Swan whispered in her ear: There are disturbances in the Astra. “Are there?” Cadence muttered, trying to pretend she wasn't interested as she made her way up the mountainside: the path was getting steeper and more uneven, and she thought strangely that it seemed like parts of the mountain had crumbled away, or perhaps even been subject to some kind of force that had knocked chunks of stone loose. But what the hell would do that? “That signal is getting a lot stronger.” The Swan was silent for a moment, and then it answered the question Cadence had tried not to ask: It is very simple. It is because we are one with the Astra: we see through it with more than sight alone. “Great. Real neat. Tell me when you do something useful.” Cadence grumbled, before she winced when she felt the Swan grasp her firmly, halting her in her tracks. “Goddammit, I know you're... not even really there, so how can you-” The others are not as fast as you. You do not need the Astra to sense their presence. And their presence has receded because you have moved too far ahead. the Swan... chastised? Scolded? Either way, Cadence didn't like it, the ivory mare scowling immediately before the Swan chided: Do not be a child, Cadence. You are not a child. “And I don't know what the hell you are, but I don't like it.” Cadence grumbled, even though at this point she did have an idea of what the Swan was. Sort of. She shook her head to clear it, then sighed and turned her attention forwards, shrugging off the Swan as she muttered: “I'll wait for them at the next... wherever I can find a good place to rest. The last thing I need is to get ambushed on this ledge.” She shook herself out, then continued quickly upward until the path brought her to a wide plateau. But the mare didn't need the Swan to tell her something was wrong, even as the fog cleared just enough for her to make out the shape of distorted trees, to hear the leaves rustling as the wind blew through them- Except there's no wind. Cadence's eyes flicked towards the sound of shivering branches, before a soft hissing started to rise through the air. Immediately, she stepped backwards and rose her dagger, her eyes locked on the source of the noise as that hissing rose another decible- Behind you. “I know.” Cadence grumbled, waiting a moment longer before she suddenly kicked both rear hooves out, slamming them into the face of the monstrosity that had been crawling up behind her and knocking it off its hooves with a squeal. Screams of frustration immediately rose up all around her, and Cadence grimaced as long-limbed, thin-bodied pony-monsters leapt in on every side, lunging eagerly towards her with their gaping mouths open hideously wide. They were rapid but clumsy, misshapen things that Cadence easily dodged out from under when they attacked, before she swore in surprise as one of them suddenly lunged in and seized into her, biting uselessly against her armored shoulder. She rammed her shoulder up, shattering teeth with the force of the shrug before she turned and slammed a hoof across its face. And to her surprise, the monstrosity crumpled under the blow alone, the other misshapen things squealing in frustration and fury before most of them suddenly turned and bolted away, only one remaining to try and tackle her. Cadence caught this one, then spun it around and slammed it down on its belly, twisting its forelegs up behind its back and disregarding the sickening crack of breaking bone as she crushed it under her weight. It struggled weakly, but it was easily pinned and restrained, and Cadence scowled as the thing wriggled and hissed: it was maddened, mutant, and awful, but... not exactly tough. A few moments later, Thesis emerged through the fog, hurrying towards her before he grimaced in surprise at her captive. He hesitated only a moment before saying quickly: “Moonflower, Sombra, secure the area. La Croix, can you take a look at that thing?” “I'm on it, boss.” La Croix grimaced a bit as he knelt carefully, then he shivered a little as he reached carefully out towards its face, flinching only slightly as it snapped at him with its foaming jaws before he managed to touch the end of its muzzle, muttering: “Ain't dead. Ain't quite alive, either, but... these things ain't dead, whatever else they are. Definitely ain't good, either way.” Cadence frowned at this as Aster shivered, then the winged unicorn covered her face as she turned away, whispering: “Salazar's failures. The ones who would not obey, the ones that... did not turn out how he wanted them to.” She shook her head slowly as Cadence studied the winged unicorn intently, before La Croix muttered: “Oui. It's some kind of disease. Makes 'em into nasty dead things. Ain't nothin' we can really do about it, but you'll wanna avoid getting bit by 'em. Won't be pleasant.” Cadence scowled at this as she glanced at her scratched-up pauldron, before she grumbled: “At least they don't have too strong a bite, then.” “Just gotta get deep enough in your flesh to get to that sweet old sang. I mean... just be careful, y'hear?” La Croix said awkwardly, looking lamely over at Aster as the mare shuddered and took a slow breath. Moonflower and Sombra both approached, one looking nervous as the other frowned ever-so-slightly, but Aster seemed to come back from her fearful daze, turning her eyes towards Thesis and saying quietly: “There are many of them. We should try and be fast. The tower is just up ahead. Up above and up ahead.” Thesis frowned a little at the mare, but then he shrugged before turning his eyes to Cadence, asking: “You okay with staying on point for now?” “Yeah. I'll handle it.” Cadence said with a quick nod, before she glanced down at the zombie-thing she was still pinning. Then, without a second thought, she simply slammed her elbow into the back of its neck, cracking its vertebrae and leaving it paralyzed and squirming uselessly on the ground. Aster twitched and looked quickly away, and La Croix winced as Thesis looked pointedly at Cadence. The ivory mare only glared back as much as she could, however, ignoring the flush at her collar before she grumbled something as she spun away and hurried off, back onto the path leading upward, vanishing quickly into the fog. But the unnatural cloud-cover at least seemed to be thinning as she headed up further into the mountain: now she could make out more than vague shapes around her as she ascended some kind of beaten wagon-road that was lined with broken, mangled fencing, the tops of trees pushing out of a ravine to the far side, while the mountain wall rose steadily beside her to the other, covered in natural, jutting spikes of rock that would make it impossible to climb... for normal people, anyway. Cadence was tempted just to fly above the fog, but she had a bad feeling that as annoying as the cloud cover was, leaving it and making herself a giant target in the air would be far worse. So instead she crept along, admittedly relieved when sounds started to lose their muffled tone: she could hear Thesis rallying the ponies behind her, and the sound of hooves crunching through dirt, and the sound of gently rattling chains... Cadence looked up, and she shivered but didn't stop as she found herself rounding a corner that was guarded by three more of the dead scarecrows, the gaping zombies seeming to follow her with their eyes as she continued uneasily up the path. She stopped when she found more bloodstains, frowning a bit as she studied the pattern: she had seen this kind of spatter before. She hesitated for a moment, before her eyes narrowed slightly as she heard the distinct clack-click of a hammer drawing back, sensing sharp eyes on her and a weapon being aimed- Cadence spun around, one of her wings snapping up and glowing white a moment before the bullet pounded into it, and the Nzambi snarled as it fumbled the high-powered rifle in its hooves, immediately straightening and shouting something angrily. Cadence felt the Swan take over her body as she heard the Nzambi on either side of her leap out of hiding, one of them leaping free from a pile of debris and the other flinging itself down from a ledge above. They were incredibly fast, and yet it was nowhere near fast enough as the Swan raked a dagger over her head, point-down, and caught the Nzambi trying to drop on her under the jaw with her blade, the end of the weapon punching out the top of its skull before the zebra corpse was flung savagely to the side to smash into its companion. Above, the sniper swore as he struggled to reload his rifle, but the Swan only flicked her horn sharply, sending a blast of white flame at the creature that sent it scurrying for cover. She turned as the Nzambi on the road with her flung off its stunned, brain-pierced ally, instead swearing at her before it reached for something in its jacket. But then it gasped in surprise and disbelief, light flooding out of its sockets as it breathed fire for a moment before its entire body turned to ashes, the Nzambi crumbling away to dust as La Croix withdrew his hornet needle from the remains of its corpse, muttering: “Almost feel bad for that one. You okay, Cygne?” “Right as rain.” Cadence answered, flicking her wing absently a few times to send a few charred, broken feathers free, before she scowled as the Nzambi she had pierced the brain of picked itself slowly up, glaring at them furiously. “Hey, asshole. Who the hell are you working for?” “Real smooth, Cadence.” Thesis said wryly from behind the zebra-zombie, and the Nzambi didn't even have enough time to turn around before it was snared in a magical prison courtesy of Moonflower, who scowled as he emerged from the fog with Thesis and Sombra, Aster following uneasily behind them after a moment. The zebra-zombie struggled, then hissed in frustration as Moonflower warily floated it down to the ground, Thesis instructing calmly: “La Croix, can you squeeze any info out of this guy? Moonflower, make sure to keep his spirit bound. That's more important than his body. Cadence can pretty easily break his body if he tries to run away.” “Thanks, asshole.” Cadence said sourly, even as she glared at the Nzambi and cracked her hooves threateningly. The Nzambi scowled, before it hissed in frustration when La Croix approached and said contemptibly: “Ain't nothin' to get from this one. We should just throw this mudbug back in the bayou, let done be done. Doubt he can parlez, considerin' this one ain't linked to Bondye but probably some wannabe witchdoctor.” The Nzambi snarled back in its own dialect at La Croix, who grinned wryly before the Nzambi looked around at the other ponies, struggling inside the orb it was trapped in as it growled: “Do you hear me? Our Queen will destroy you all.” “Your lady don't scare me none. What she gonna do? Or maybe I should say he do, 'cause we all know what a rein is.” La Croix said mildly, and the Nzambi hissed at him furiously. “Go ahead, La Croix, mock the goddess. It seems you haven't learned anything from your exile, punguani.” the Nzambi growled, before it gestured upward and hissed: “The Goddess of Cursed Shades is doing the bidding of a great master. Through her, we will survive and thrive, the true disciples of Bondye, those who have earned the title of witchdoctor. We will turn your weapons against you with the help of the msaliti-” “The msaliti, really? Y'ever heard to never trust a betrayer, boo? 'Cause, you know, they like to betray and all.” La Croix said flatly, and the Nzambi only sneered. “Oh, we know he will betray us. But the msaliti will make himself useful before then. The metal sky horse is insolent. He thinks he's smarter, more cunning than us. That is why he will fail and fall.” the Nzambi said contemptibly, before he scowled as he pushed uselessly against the barrier again, growling: “Let me free.” “Sure, mon ami. You want me to do it or Cygne there?” asked La Croix evenly, and the Nzambi finally grumbled and stopped struggling, glaring sulkily at the Loa through the shield before the stallion asked, locking his eyes with the Nzambi: “Tell me the truth. Why are you here?” The Nzambi seemed to struggle against an invisible force for a moment, before it finally slumped and scowled. He didn't answer as he chewed slowly on his lip for a few seconds, and then he  lowered his head and muttered: “We were run out of Darkwater. All of Bondye's loyalists. There's no place for us there anymore. Not when we are still loyal to Bondye, to his ideals. So we must serve whom he served. We must serve alongside and beneath the ones we recognize.” La Croix looked down thoughtfully, before Thesis asked: “How many of you are here, then?” The Nzambi responded by spitting some nasty-sounding words in its own language at the Replicant, who cocked an eyebrow before he asked La Croix mildly: “So on a scale of one to ten, how amazing does he think I am?” “'Bout a negative.” La Croix replied, and Thesis huffed before the Loa promised: “You be set free, mon ami, so long as you answer a few questions. Understood?” “Don't break your word, Loa. You know what happens to spirits who break their word.” the Nzambi said warningly, but La Croix only smiled and nodded, and after a moment the zebra zombie nodded grudgingly. “Fine. There are twenty of us.” “Twenty?” La Croix's eyes widened in surprise. “The hell is a whole-” “Seventeen now.” the Nzambi steamrolled, looking at La Croix distastefully. “All trained. Priests and witchdoctors.” La Croix grimaced, and then the Nzambi added almost carelessly: “And yes, they are all prepared. Weapons, artifacts, and equipment. They are ready for you, La Croix. In fact, we have been expecting you.  We will seize the secrets buried here and use them to steal the souls.” Aster shook her head vehemently, suddenly leaning forwards and shouting: “No! There is nothing here, there are no secrets! Allez! Allez au diable!” The mare snapped her horn out, sending crimson lightning ripping across the Nzambi and making it howl in agony as it spasmed uselessly in the prison created by Moonflower, La Croix shouting for attention, but Aster only glaring as the crimson veins pulsated over her face and body, her eyes maddened as she hissed: “I will devour you, impudent dog!” The Nzambi twitched, helpless, before La Croix suddenly leaned over and grabbed Moonflower, blurting an apology before he shoved the unicorn hard and disrupted his concentration with a crackle of green lightning. The prison around the Nzambi shattered, sending it crashing to the ground, and Aster flinched as magical recoil burst over her: just long enough for the Nzambi to hurriedly abandon the corpse it was occupying, the evil spirit lashing hurriedly free from the corpse and vanishing into the air. Except Cadence could still see it: the floating zebra was clutching at its own chest, making whooping, gasping breaths, eyes staring with something like terror at Aster as the winged unicorn slowly recovered. And then the Nzambi suddenly looked at Cadence, seeming to realize that it was being watched, and it snarled at her before it spat some insult, then spun around and left, floundering through the air wildly, Cadence noted, and looking back over its shoulder, afraid and humiliated. No. Terrified. Absolutely terrified. Cadence shook her head slowly, and then she turned her eyes towards La Croix. Moonflower was scowling at him, but he seemed much more worried about Aster than anything else, even if he wouldn't so much as look at her. Cadence could feel it, though, as her eyes roved towards the winged unicorn, but Thesis grasped her shoulder gently before she could say anything, saying softly: “Let it go for now.” Aster slowly looked up, blinking a few times before she straightened, smiling shakily as she murmured: “I... I apologize, pardonnez-moi, mon amies. I have made quite the fool of myself... I... my temper got the better of me. That is all. Are you all okay?” There was silence for a moment, and then Moonflower laughed a little before he said finally: “Yes. Yes, we are all fine here, of course. You're sure...” “Oui. I am fine.” Aster said forcefully, before she shook her head and blushed a bit, mumbling: “I am fine. I... may we continue? The tower is ahead. Ahead and above. It is where we must go.” “I agree. Let's keep going. If the Nzambi are as well-armed as these three were, we're in for a fight, and they'll know we're coming. Plus it sounds like Veliuona is up there, and she doesn't like me nearly as much as Melinda does.” Thesis said, and the others nodded. But as they fell in again, Cadence couldn't help looking uneasily back over her shoulder at Aster, at the way the mare walked with her head drooped, even as Moonflower hurried up beside her to encourage her, and she was reminded of when they had first met silly Jeanne de Brittany, who had such great hopes and dreams, but who in the end had nearly been the victim and servant of a much greater evil.