Alistair continued deeper into the cavern, his slow, cautious steps reverberating off the blackened, painted over walls. The floor ran red with the blood of countless unknowns and the walls and statues of ancient Gods were vandalized with what could be graffiti or runes of some kind; with the mad scratching and painting unreadable it was impossible to distinguish. The old deities were almost recognisable, but the ever present muck had grown over them all, corrupting their images to the point of turning the once beautiful beings into something akin to nightmares. The constant shadows that writhed just out of sight, the creeping corruption along the stone work, the wet blood lapping at his soles and the warped idols...Everything screamed perverse and wrong to Alistair. The further he walked, the greater the feeling of being watched became; like there were a thousand eyes watching him through the cracks in the walls. Every dozen or so feet, Alistair tried to bolster his light as the shadows seem to constantly grow in the seemingly never ending corridor. He continued onward, the gentle humming far ahead guiding him.
The sounds of muffled battle had silenced long ago, given the illusion that Alastair had been walking for what could very well have been hours but he knew he had only been walking forward for at most ten minutes. Despite the knowledge that he hadn't been walking for hours, it did little to alleviate the profound sense of nothingness ahead and a stalking presence behind him. His steps were mirrored by something else far behind him, although barely audible he knew something was tailing him. Stopping in place, he failed to hear the sound of a foot stomping down and going silent, as if his stalker was hovering or merely never put his foot down. As he stood there in the dark, listening for any queues or the sound of an incoming strike, he heard nothing but his own breath. Even the seemingly constant, lyrical humming ceased. And then, out of the darkness, came a hushed whisper. It was faint but understandable and clearly Valetorian.
"There is no greater cause than to seek to understand the unknowable." Alistair's breath went still as he heard a faint mimicry of his voice call out from the darkness far ahead. Believing it to be whatever foul spirit or Necromancer playing tricks on him, he started moving once more and so did the thing far behind him.
"I promise this to you all, now and forever, to be a Shepherd to the lost and a teacher to those who seek enlightenment, regardless of creed or God." He once more heard himself call out, almost mocking his speech when he attained the position of Hierophant. The whispers were growing louder from all around and the creature far behind him seemed to be picking up pace.
"The new Queen Chrysalis' hive is an ally of the Archive, any who stand against the Queen stand against us as well..." He heard yet another decree, his voice carrying a threatening tone, as the voices became numerous and all around. Trying to keep the light alive, Alistair began jogging forward, catching glimpses of something horrendous staying just out of sight.
"I love you...The Gods as my witness I've loved you for so long..." His voice taunted, putting on a melodramatic voice before laughing obnoxiously at his confession. As Alistair's malice grew towards his own voice, he stomped forward, splashing the blood in all directions. With every hurried step, the voices grew louder and all surrounding.
"You can't even begin to understand what's at stake, so believe me when I say nothing is more important than solving your problem..." Alistair once more heard himself say calmly far ahead, despite the fact that Alistair estimated he should've reached the voices by now. As the cacophonous sound of violent stomping grew louder, Alistair realised the futility of running forward.
"This war will benefit no one, we should strive to understand, not subjugate." He heard himself declare, his usually soft and melodic voice taking on a harsh, condescending tone. Stopping and turning around, Alistair stood his ground and blocked out the screaming whispers that seemed to originate from the statues all around him.
"you believe you could trust the Equestrians..." He continued, saying something Alistair had no recollection saying, the voice still far away somewhere. The thundering creature was rapidly approaching, the sounds of ragged, sharp breaths echoing out. As Alistair cast a ward, projecting a translucent silver barrier, and raised his sword and flickering light defensively he readied himself with a stalwart will. Suddenly the whispers ceased as whatever pursued him stood just out of Alistair's sight. Whatever it was, its dull golden eyes staring through the darkness longingly, it towered above Alistair. Its pale, bony hands brushed against the floor and its shackled feet were bloodied and calloused. As Alistair prepared for it to approached further, he tried to examine it but found its body was obscured by a thick layer of dirtied, bloodied black robes and restrictive iron chains. It stood there, not daring to step into the light, staring at Alistair with a profound desperation. As it reached out to him, its fingers like talons, the light in Alistair's hand was snuffed out by an unseen force.
"You believed we could trust Celestia..." The voice whispered in Alistair's ear, its voice cracked and full of abhorrence. As Alistair turned around, swinging the sword while stepping back, he was befuddled to finally see a light ahead. Looking around for the giant monster or the source of the mimicry he instead found himself back at the entrance to the room, the door and sounds of battle behind him and a short walk forward towards some unknown light.
"What is happening?" Alistair exclaimed quietly, finding himself genuinely confused for the first time in a very, very long time. With little else to do aside from standing in the darkness the steadfast mage continued onward, trying to notice any traps or enchantments. Despite the long, seemingly endless march he'd been on prior he saw no magical indication or traps that would've landed him in a pocket dimension or a similar location based trap.
Once more, the humming picked up with gusto as the unseen woman was present once more. The statues and walls to his side, no longer repeating, showed later stages of decay and corruption. With every step forward the blood beneath him seemed to get colder and take on a more adherent state. As be began wondering how there could be so much blood flowing in such a confined space, Alistair found his answer. The pathway led up a carved set of stone steps into an atrium of sorts, the massive spherical room had four pathways in the four directions and looked like it once cast light down from above if the collapsed stone roof is anything to go by. The floor below and the stone walkways above were littered with corpses of different races and factions. Some were old, like the once fabled warriors of house Stoneshield, some were new if the updated Royal Guard designs were anything to go by. All of the bodies were in various states of rot and seemed to expel a viscous black substance that polled in the concave center of elevated area along with the red blood. Burned and mold covered scrolls and books littered the floor and the broken marble tables, signs of the once decadent buildings past, but the destroyed decor and bloated corpses were of less importance compared to the humming figure standing before the pools of blood and other substances in the center.
"hmmm...All shadows fade and the terrors flee~...hmmm..." The creature sang with sickening cheer, enraptured by her work. From behind it look like it could be Equestrian, it wasn't wide enough to be a Griffin or slender enough to be a Zebra but too small to be a Deer. Her body was shrouded by a long, flowing black and purple robe stained by the blood and black substance. Her robe was tattered allowing him to see her festering, pale, silver fur covered limbs. She rested on the floor before a great, pulsating ball of dark energy in an act of supplication or possibly worship. The second Alistair stepped closer towards the center, she raised her head and looked behind her with a wide, welcoming smile.
"Welcome Lord Alistair, last of the perfected Humans and lord of nothing." She greeted, standing on shaking legs. Her fur looked like it would have once been a lustrous silver but was now dirtied and stained with a viscous substance. Her face masked by a thin, obscuring veil that did little to hide the burning red of her wide eyes that stared at him with reverence. Compared to the shambling monsters outside, still banging loudly against the shield, she was pristine and lovely looking but trying to compare her to a Pony like Faded Scroll was like comparing a poisonous weed to a colourful flower. She had all the basic necessities, all her limbs, a lack of clear injuries or scars, her fur and eyes seemed less rotten yet were dulled and full of a strange light, nothing monstrous or vile aside from the rot that seeped out of the ends of her limbs and an almost beautiful smile yet something told Alistair this pony was more corrupt than the mindless beasts he'd faced. She walked with an ungainly strut hindered by layers of old robes and corroded armour.
"What are you?" Alistair demanded to know, refusing to lower his guard. His question seemed humorous to her as she guffawed with a cracked, harsh voice.
"I'm what's left of your people, those who suffered silently for so long, and am I'm so happy to see you, my Lord." She assured, her cheerful voice and beaming grin convinced him that she believed she was speaking truthfully.
"I don't remember telling my followers to become...Whatever you are, besides, I'm sure my followers are out there fighting off your monsters." He refuted, disbelieving the idea that anyone who followed his ideology would resort to something so disgusting. Once more, she laughed loudly with a sinister tone.
"They are nothing more than blind children writhing in the refuse of a broken world they can't hope to understand; they're only fit to be fodder for those who accept the truth and give themselves wholly to the nothingness." She declared with spite and hunger, gesturing to the room full of corpses and the feeling of wrongness.
"I'd rather teach the blind then lead monsters...What are you? I won't ask again." He ordered, a scowl growing with every word she spoke.
"I, and so many more, are the result of a betrayal...Celestia's and yours." She spat back, her smile wavering somewhat as she regarded the Human. "Millennia upon millennia of sorrow, disgust and augur...We've all been waiting for so long for repentance..For you come and bear witness to our rebirth." She offered, holding out one of her dripping, dissolved hooves in a welcoming gesture.
"You think I came here to join you freaks? You're nothing more than repugnant, diseased corpses puppeteering the remains of my people! I would sooner slit my throat then become one of you!" He refused with a violent tone in his voice, visibly hateful towards the Pony.
"All will join us sooner or later, your anger is misguided..." She shrugged off, rolling her eyes at his display, before lowering her head. "I will ask once more, will you join us?" She repeated, the flicker of a crimson light beneath her hood. She stood there stock still waiting for Alistair's response but sighed when he refused to speak to her. "So be it." She said with a heavy sigh. Just as Alistair raised another ward, she fired a colossal beam of fiery black magic that created a screeching sound as it impacted against his silver wall.
"Untote drehen!" Alistair cried out, causing his sword to glow a bright golden hue as he dropped the barrier and rushed her. With a gasp of fear, she seemed to disappear into a wall of shadows and vanish. As Alistair stabbed his blade into the darkness, it dispersed and allowed him to see her standing on top of a pile of corpses.
"You will succumb sooner or later!" She declared with a hoarse, guttural tone as she levitated several Minotaur corpses and hurled them at Alistair. Dissolving into magical matter, Alistair rapidly flew towards her, reformed, and began slashing at her. With a yelp, she stepped back repeatedly and pulled out a crooked dagger and, while Alistair was stepping forward, she lunged at him and shoved it into his right shoulder. She cackled, but screamed as Alistair slashed her body and magically repealed her away, shoving her into a stone pillar.
"What did you-Argh!" Alistair began, only to scream in pain as he watched his physical form mutate, his right arm going black and leprous. The pain was unlike something physical, it felt like she had torn into his very soul. Realising he'd be hexed, he regarded her with a mix of hatred, confusion and fear.
"As I said, you will succumb." She reaffirmed, smiling at the sight of the small mutation. Taking action, Alistair cleaved his right arm off using his sword, causing his limb to disintegrate into ash and for the purified stump to secrete his magical, gaseous energy.
"You would willingly tear yourself apart to avoid a hex? Curious." She mussed, intrigued and baffled by his actions. Shrugging off the holy, burning nature of purification, He teleported next to her and smashed the stone pillar apart using weight manipulation. As rubble rained down on them, he deformed again to avoid the crushing stones. Moving away from the pile before reforming, he looked at where her crushed body would be and sneered.
"Stay down and die with dignity wretch." He spat with contempt, looking to where his arm should be. Before he could examine the ball of blood and magic in the center he heard something rumble and with an explosion of dark energy the dark mage emerged, bloodied but alive.
She said nothing, instead snarling like a wild animal, darkened blood running down her torn up face, as she grasped her sacrificial knife and limped towards the center of the room. As Alistair ran towards her, eager to end the battle before it can continue, only to raise another ward and jump back as she plunged the dagger into the black orb causing it to pulse with dark energy, pushing back everything aside from the corrupted Pony. As Alistair dropped his magical shield, he reinforced the enchantment on his weapon as the dark mage removed the dagger which looked more like a living greatsword. The sacrificial dagger had been manipulated, the small knife reinforced by a fuller and center ridge of sinew and hardened blood and an edge of sharpened bone. The sword lacked a cross guard or a pommel, resembling a misshapen, unrefined slab of biological muck yet Alistair knew better than to undermine a skilled dark mage or necromancer's weapon.
With a cackle, she turned to Alistair and shoved her right hoof into the orb causing the disgusting object to pulse once more and, with a groan of pain, she absorbed a copious amount of soul energy and radiated an intense amount of power. With a sudden burst of speed, she rushed Alistair swinging wildly causing him to raise his sword, block the brunt of the barrage, and wait for her to slow down. After her flurry of hexing blows were halted by his blessed blade, he kicked her back forcefully and swung at her with a much slower, but more precise, style that forced her to block multiple blows from multiple angles while winded. Pressing his advantage, he throw his sword into the air, grasping it with his magical force, and took a step back while he pulled out his tome. Seeing this as a time to attack, she walked towards him with her guard up, only to be stopped in her tracks when the sword seemed to act on its own accord. While Alistair was proposing the ancient book, she was fending off the sword as it harassed her from all sides, switching positions whenever the Pony seemed to try to strike it down. As Alistair found an appropriate spell Talon flew below her guard and hacked at her back left hoof, the golden enchantment cutting through her magical defenses and flesh alike, causing the wound to bleed profusely while she took a knee.
"Coward! Come here and fight me!" She challenged, frustrated and annoyed by the swords distracting assault.
"Very well Whelp. Heiliges Sperrfeuer!" He decreed, his lyrical voice booming with a mighty inflection. A golden halo of blinding light formed above Alistair before flying into the air and fracturing into numerous incandescent shards. As Alistair pointed towards the injured Pony, he levitated his tome as well and began walking towards her. In an instant the bolts of light rained down on the crippled mage, causing her to scream in agony, as she attempted to block them with her sword. After all of the bolts faded after impact, leaving her scorched but alive, she stood once more and charged Alistair with her blade pointing directly at his heart. Despite the sudden action snapping her injured leg, she moved with an unnatural ferocity.
"Reinigen." Alistair cast calmly, his palms glowing with an intense white light. When she was within striking distance of the Human, she began swinging feverishly while casting simple hexes from what he assumed was her horn under the robe. He backpedaled slowly, dodging the bolts and balls of black magic while knocking the blade away with his palm. When she began stumbling over her own feet, he lunged forward, pushed the sword out of her hooves and grasped her forehead. As she tried to bite, punch and kick him with a base, animal like intensity Alistair muttered a complex, ancient prayer. As he held onto her, Alistair began using the stored, holy magic to force it into her body. Although violently fighting back physically and mentally, the wounded Pony could do little to stop him as he forced the darkness within her to be expunged. Howling at the pain of the rushed, painful exorcism, the enchanted red light in her eyes, the black corruption around her limbs and the pale discoloration to her fur began to fade; despite the demonic presence within her fading she still fought back. With a swift, jerking punch that surprised him, she reached for her disfigured weapon with shaking hoof and plunged it into Alistair's torso. It wasn't the sensation of being impaled that shocked him, it was the feeling of something primordial and malicious within the blade trying to tear him apart from within that did.
"W-What?!" Alistair sputtered out, realising his mistake. Although a normal weapon can merely incapacitate or destroy his physical form, an enchanted or cursed weapon can damage his metaphysical form and the corrupted Pony somehow possessed such a thing. Grunting with agony Alistair hurriedly destroyed his physical body, causing the weapon to drop to the floor, and used his energy to wordlessly cast an immensely powerful healing spell. As his darkened, almost bleeding, true form slowly regain its normal look with newfound luster it hovered over to the limping, panting and convulsing creature. From her twitching movements, rapidly eye spasms and fluctuating voice Alistair gathered she was fighting herself, or what infected her body to be precise.
"It'll take a lot more than that to destroy me, you loathsome fiend." Alistair remarked as he enveloped the Pony in his magical cloud and restarted the purifying spell, this time causing the Pony to scream in pure agony and shine golden. When the exorcism was finished, he gently placed the Unicorn on the floor, her body wrapped in robes. With great effort, Alistair reformed though still unable to regrow his right arm and still 'bleeding' magic from his chest wound.
"Gods...I'm too careless..." He chastised himself as he examined the multi-coloured, thick substance he bled before bottling some of it in another vial hidden within his robe and placing it next to his other collected sample. Turning to face the inert Pony he did a cursory scan of his surroundings, pleased to see nothing else ready to strike for once.
"Please don't be dead..." He pleaded, the act of rapidly and unprofessionally removing any corruption to one's soul often being fatal. As he turned the Unicorn over and opened her robe to examine any wounds, his breath was caught in his throat and tears came to his sapphire eye.
"H-How?!...Why would you-?" He asked quietly, horrified yet relieved to see his old assistant Dawnstar. Her red mane was faded, her silver fur closer to grey and where her stump once resided sat a black and twisted horn, yet it was her. Clad in a necromancer's robes and covered in welts, dirt and cuts, Alistair was lost and appealed at what he saw. Silently, he mended her wounds while she laid there unconscious on the floor. He had a thousand questions, yet they could wait. With newfound contempt for his surroundings, he turned to the ball of black blood and magic and prepared to destroy it.
"Interesting, wasn't aware a lesser creature could break my connections...Though it's no surprised you would be able to..." A strange, monotone and hushed voice mused from within it. It's voice was like nails on a chalk board and when it spoke Alistair winced in pain. Regardless, he readied for whatever would come next and prepared for a fight.
"You did this to her? What in the name of the Pantheon did you do?!" The enraged Human demanded to know, approaching the ball. As he stepped closer, it morphed into a massive, dripping ring of energy that created a image of something Alistair struggled to see. Whenever Alistair looked directly at the image, he felt his mind burn and a chill run down his spine.
"I gave her what she desired, the tools of her revenge." It justified, its voice grating to him. Trying once more to look at the being, he only caught glimpses of a swirling darkness with ever watching eyes and a gaping, spewing maw before he was forced to collapse to the ground in pain, his eyes searing with pain while his mind felt like it was tearing at the seam.
"What are you?!" Alistair screamed out after gaining control of his body once more, his brow dripping with sweat.
"I am like you, incomplete. I will be made whole and you will bear witness Alistair...It will be your saving grace." The being stated, his voice flat and calm yet its words reverberated in Alistair's mind, causing his teeth to chatter softly.
"If you think I'll stand by and watch you desecrate my people's remains, my people's civilization, then know this...I'll destroy you...I'll burn every last disgusting monster you bring back from the grave, I'll raze my own ruins and leave nothing behind to stop this insidious crime of nature. I won't let my people be denied their right to rest...If you think I will let this stand you're wrong." Alistair decreed, his voice full of zeal and conviction, as he stared at a corner of the image refusing to look directly at the mass of appendages and darkened flesh.
"Such assurance, such passion, such hubris...You don't change, do you? It matters little what you do, Alastair, only that you're alive in the end." It dismissed, unmoved by his words. Wordlessly, the image dissipated and the blood reformed into a sloshing mass of potential power.
After calming his shot nerves and stopping his body from shaking, Alistair stood tall and approached the ball. After inspecting the sphere, Alastair plunged his hand into the ball and gasped at the euphoric feeling of overflowing power. After Alistair got over the initial head rush, he confirmed his suspicions. The writhing, wriggling feeling of soul power was presence and with it the whispers and cries of the trapped beings. Some were Humans from long ago, some were wild, confused animals and others were other races from all over the world. With a concentrated effort, he began channeling his magic into the object and began the Rite of Release. After chanting briefly, the sound of escaping souls overpowered everything else. The ball of blood exploded apart, releasing the victim's souls within. Most disappeared almost instantly, some sang his praises while others seemed to fly off in various directions. Regardless, soon the oppressive atmosphere of the den gave way to the calm, serene quiet of nothing. The festering corpses littering the room slowly faded away into nothing, the unnatural, wiggling shadows retreated into the darkness and the sounds of distant battles faded before the sounds of raucous cheers rang out. Although the black sludge and blood still littered the area, the caverns seemed exercised for the most part and Alistair considered that a victory.
Limping back towards the giant double doors, covered in blood, missing an arm, bleeding profusely with a long lost friend on his shoulder, Alistair stared off into the distance wondering what he had just seen and what that foul creature meant.
"Huh..." Snowfall exclaimed, dumbfounded at the sudden shift in the situation as she grasped her left arm to stop the blood flow. Just moments ago they'd been swarmed from all sides sans behind them by a seemingly endless horde of monsters and now they stood among piles of ash and dried bones. As the shield fell, the Archive Guards cheered with a deafening amount of pride and valour. Meanwhile, Chrysalis' honour guard quietly tended to their dead with subtle pride and relief.
"I...I don't know how long we could've held out...But it was admirable indeed!" Faded Scroll surmised, beyond mentally and physically drained as he took a knee and huff. Noticing his state, Snow offered him a paw and let him lean on her for stability. "How many did we lose?" Faded continued as he surveyed the wounded and deceased. Most of the collective was in one piece, mostly, and the wounded could be helped yet some were far gone; their blood pooled on the floor amidst their discarded weapons and tomes.
"five among your lot, thirteen of my own." Chrysalis responded without looking away from her task, too busy helping her wounded drones.
"I see...Thank you for your aid, we apologise for your losses, we had no idea what we were stepping into." Scroll expressed his gratitude and regret in equal measures as he began trying to cast a mass healing spell, only to give up halfway through with a sputter from his horn.
"Your apology means little to me, drones are easy to replace but good guards aren't. I did this for Alistair, I'll expect him to come to my aid when I beckon and rest assured I will." She responded, apathetic to his words, as she continued with the tedious task of mending her people's wounds. Aside from the occasional grunt or sneer in pain, she remained silent.
"Shit...I know we'd lose someone but I was kinda hoping we wouldn't.." Snowfall lamented, her brushed visage adorning a shadow obscured frown.
"Loss and conflict go hand in hand Snowfall and you did well in your role as commander, don't let the loses detract from your victory. We lost five warriors, but we held the line against countless beasts, that is a testament to our ability to operate as a force...The time to mourn will come, for now we celebrate our success and tend to the wounded." Scroll comforted with a proud grin towards his student while advising their next course of action. Although she couldn't get her mind off the deceased, her eyes constantly flicking back to where they rested, she admitted to herself it could've been worse. With nothing else to say or do, the fatigued group of wannabe heroes and Changelings licked their wounds and covered their dead with respect. A little while later, the thick doors behind them began opening with a groan; prepared for whatever could be thrown at them, they readied for another onslaught only to lower their guard as Alistair limped out of the darkness.
"My lord, what happened?!" Scroll questioned with alarm and worry, noticing his missing arm, gaping chest wound and dark blood stains. His eyes were foggy with thoughts and his composure was wavering. Approaching the band of soldiers and Changelings, Alistair came back to reality and looked at everyone with a proud, calm smile.
"It's alright, I merely stepped into more than I bargained for." He dismissed, hiding his doubts with a cheerful mask. "For now, we should return to the Bibliotheca." He ordered, pausing to cast a mass healing spell that fixed the majority of everyone's wounds.
"Is that Dawnstar? What is she doing here?" Chrysalis demanded to know, quizzical at the long lost Unicorn's sudden appearance.
"Either she was a prisoner to whatever caused the creation of these bastards, or there's more going on then I thought; either way she's unconscious for the time being." He addressed, equally uncertain as he adjusted the resting Pony on his shoulder.
"Weird Pony aside, what the hell happened in there? You like you got run over by a Tinbox...Twice." Snowfall inquired, examining the seemingly grievous wounds that the Hierophant was smiling in spite of.
"Well...After walking into what could've been a pocket dimension or a time loop trap, I arrived at the epicenter of all of this mess. After separating Dawnstar from a spirit of some kind, I destroyed a ball of blood, biological material and dark magic...I gather from all the bones and ash it was the conduit for the life force these monsters leeched off. Fade, can you sense anything else down here?" Alistair asked of him, trying to ignore his somewhat disingenuous retelling, stepping past the crowd who were marveling at their Lord who seemed to not even notice his condition.
"No my Lord, after these savages decomposed I've sensed nothing living aside from us, thank you for your help." He answered, closing his eyes to perform one last thorough check of the pit, before bowing respectfully before Alistair.
"No need to thank me, it was a pleasure to rid the land of these things. How are you two holding up, you both don't look too well." Alistair asked, frowning as he examined the battered Sage who was hobbling around with his staff and the assistance of the equally wounded Snowfall.
"I'll live my Lord, don't mind me." Faded Scroll dismissed with a warm grin, shaking his head slightly.
"I've had worse, though I'd rather get back home sooner rather than later." Snow chimed in, hobbling slightly due to her brushed knee.
"If you say so, but when we get back I'm healing the rest of everyone's wounds. Come on, let's find Braeburn and get the hell out of here." He ordered, causing the wounded pack to smile in spite of the horrid state of everything. collecting their gear, wounded and dead they moved onward. Moving to the front of the convoy, Chrysalis eyed Alistair with a stern look of suspicion.
"What aren't you telling me?" She whispered with a hint of ire, seeing through his facade.
"Not now, later." He promised, dropping his placid mask. The second his tone shifted, she realised the severity of the situation; gone was the calm, collected composure, replaced with a look of doubt and dread. With little else to say, the pack of soldiers traversed back through the darkened tunnels, the sounds of shifting ashes and broken metal the only noises to be heard echoing throughout the darkness.
The mood in Appaloosa was tense to say the least, the usual hospitality and welcoming demeanor of the quaint frontier town lacking. The streets were lined with patrolling guards, the hastily constructed walls surrounding the town maned with Ponies and cannons alike. The local constabulary had all but been liquidated and replaced by a contingent of guards due to the rising and unprecedented threat of bandits in the region. The locals cowered in fear behind their walls or waited anxiously in their motley militia, unconvinced by the guard's efforts. Flanked on both sides by armed and armoured guards, Twilight and her companions waited outside the barracks.
"What the hay happened out here? I don't remember seeing more swords than pies the last time I was here." Rainbow Dash asked as she eyed the passing guards and locals, both armed and on edge.
"Celestia told me things had gotten bad down here, but I didn't think it'd have gotten this out of hoof..." Twilight remarked, trotting back and forth nervously as she awaited to see Captain Braeburn.
"I'm sure Braeburn will clear things up when he shows, the lazy colt's always dragged his hooves. Maybe this 'Alleystar' fella has something to do with all this nonsense?" AJ interjected, trying to disarm the situation with a small ounce of humour. Despite her cheerful demeanour she was feeling the sense of dread in the air as well.
"I'd stake quite a lot of bits on this ruffian having something to do with all this pandemonium, though I wouldn't expect bandits to be his strike." Rarity added, brushing a small layer of sand off her saddle bags, while she scrunched up her face pondering the state of everything.
"I don't know girls...Maybe it's just a coincidence? I mean, Celestia even said she dosen't know if this Mage has come back." Fluttershy countered with a quivering voice, obviously hoping Celestia was mistaken to be worried over everything.
"Yeah, and maybe this Al guy is just misunderstood! I mean, sure Celestia and him fought and everything, but he sounded kind of nice!" Pinkie Pie suggested, her usual optimism and spunk never failing to rub off on the rest of the dower group.
"I hope he's a kind Mage as well Pinkie, but he openly fought against the Princess and the whole of Equestria as well...I doubt he's calmed down in all the time he's been thought dead." Twilight deflected with a neutral expression as she continued to pace, her attitude towards other, recently resurfaced immortals long since been jaded.
"Well, what about Discord? He's a good guy...Mostly." Spike offered as he rested on one of Rarity's extra bags, fishing a quartz out of his much smaller and more convenient rucksack.
"Yeah, it seems kind of ignorant to write off people so easily...Not that I'm calling you ignorant or anything!" Starlight added before hastily backpedaling, waving her hooves frantically and apologetically with an embarrassed expression.
"No, you're right, both of you. I'm sorry, it's unbecoming of me to act so callously especially as a Princess." She responded with a mix of self-deprecation and annoyance. "I suppose it's unhealthy to think people can't change huh?" She continued with a nervous chuckle, her disappointment in herself obvious. Just as she was about to complain about Braeburn's tardiness, the doors to the hurriedly constructed and poorly maintained barracks opened and out stepped a Buffalo covered in light, metal armour wielding a gargantuan shield that resembled a wall of bronze and a standard issue captain's dagger.
Her brown, shaggy fur was braided or kept back so as to not interfere with her armour and arms, her red and blue facial markings were on full display, only somewhat obscured by her steel helm. Her face was expressionless and scarred, a veteran and experienced soldier Twilight surmised. Despite her scars and markings, her bronze eyes and soft features made her look less like a tribal warrior and more akin to the often beautifully groomed Equestrian Guards. Although they were relieved to finally talk to somepony who looked to be in some position of power, they were all confused to not see the dusty yellow Stallion.
"Princess Twilight Sparkle, welcome to Appaloosa. I'm Commander Thunderclap, Second in Command of the Appaloosa Royal Guard battalion. How may I aid you?" She announced with a well rehearsed but respectful tone as she stood at attention and saluted. Her deep, even tone was somewhat unnerving but had its own charm.
"Nice to meet you Commander, though I was hoping to talk to Captain Braeburn; I'm afraid there's an important issue I need to discuss with him." Twilight informed with a small bow to greet her. Her words didn't sway the Commander, though there was a noticeable shadow of dread on her like most of the soldiers.
"I'm afraid that's impossible at the moment, my Princess, Captain Braeburn and his platoon have been declared MIA." The Commander reported, looking her in the eyes as she broke the news. The group reacted in a multitude of ways, ranging from confusion and dread to fear and sorrow.
"W-What? What do you mean MIA?!" Applejack screamed, holding back her tears, as she refused to believe her cousin could've died or gone missing.
"Please restrain yourself. Let me explain, about four days ago he went out with his platoon to patrol the edge of the Equestrian border. It's routine to scour the ruins to the South within our territory frequently due to the defensive benefits they could give to any opposing forces. He was expected to return by nightfall or send up a green flare if he was delayed, red if he was under attack...No signals were given and his forces never returned. I dispatched a scouting party to discover what happened, but there's only so far I can send people out without risk of further losses...After two days with neither a signal nor evidence of his demise we had to declare him missing." She informed, her even tone and matter-of-fact explanation failing to quell the farmer's fears.
"So you're just gonna leave him out there?!" She shot back, anger in her green, teary eyes as she stared down the Buffalo.
"As I said, I can't risk losing more squads or platoons to an unknown threat. We're understaffed, low on supplies, low on morale and in need of reinforcements. Protecting Appaloosa and the neighboring lands is our number one priority, and as such I can't afford be wasteful; I'm sorry but I can't risk deploying a large scale search and rescue or recovery operation out into no mare's land." Thunderclap apologised, the stress and pressure mounting which each passing hour adding to the bags under her eyes and the weight on her shoulders.
"I didn't realise it was this bad down here..." Twilight quietly remarked, dumbfounded at the once prosperous towns dire state.
"No fault of your own Princess, no one expected the Royals to intervene." The Commander dismissed, not surprised by the admittance of ignorance.
"What if we helped look for him? I'm, like, the fastest Pony in the world and Twilight's crazy good at magic!" Rainbow offered, bragging somewhat while adding her own advice.
"The offer is appreciated, but all of you are civilians and we can't keep you all protected if you go out alone...I don't want a Princess and her entourage to die or go missing while I'm only on my third day in command." She refuted, shaking her head causing the helmet to shake slightly.
"What if I promise to aid the town? If you can give me a small team of Ponies to escort me through the desert, I promise to oversee the transfer of supplies and soldiers down here. I had no idea the town was in such an abysmal state but I promise to fix this." She offered with a confident, convinced look while trying to appeal to her.
"I know you're powerful but-"
"I'm sorry, but we've all been in fights before, I've got my guards with me, I have the support of Celestia to go out into the desert and most importantly Braeburn is a friend. I can't leave him to die and I refuse to go back to Canterlot empty hoofed." She interrupted, her tone stressing her conviction to act immediately, causing Thunderclap to raise a brow at the diminutive Alicorn.
"You're twisting my hoof here My Princess...Fine, I'll allow one final expedition to find the Captain but I'm leading the expedition; if a Princess goes missing I'll be dishonourably discharged or worse." She gave in, sighing with immense annoyance towards the member of royalty. "I take it you want to depart immediately?" She continued, looking at the setting sun with suppressed ire.
"Yes please, time is of the essence." Twilight thanked, failing to notice the slight frustration in her gaze. Bowing, the Commander parted ways to prepare for the sudden operation.
"Do you think this Mage has something to do with Braeburn's disappearance?" Starlight inquired, her eyebrow raised quizzically as she watched her teacher sigh.
"Most likely, these kind of things seem to tie together from my experience." She agreed, past experiences telling her she was about to uncover a powder keg again.
"I know Brae's out there, he ain't dead..." AJ reassured herself, trying to keep the self doubt and sorrow out of her mind as she wiped away the sweat dripping from her forehead.
"The guys tough, he'll pull through whatever the heck's going on." Rainbow added on, patting her friend on the back reassuringly while offering her one of her common, cocky grins.
"Yeah! Burns is way too awesome to let some Mage or bandit stop him!" Pinkie chimed in, her beaming grin somewhat infectious as Applejack started to smile.
"Thanks y'all...I'm fine, really." She weakly replied with a smile. As her hooves stopped shaking, she took of her hat and dusted it off if only for something to do.
"Don't worry dear, we'll find him and we'll make whatever ruffian pay if they hurt him." Rarity guaranteed, causing Applejack to laugh at her dainty threat.
"Sounds like this just got a whole lot more complicated huh?" Spike rhetorically asked Starlight as he hopped off Rarity's baggage and stretched his limbs.
"You can say that again...At least it's not Chrysalis this time." Starlight remarked, remembering her first major crisis with a small grimace.
"Don't remind me about her, it took forever to get that cocoon slime out of my scales." He announced with a audible shudder causing Starlight to giggle somewhat.
"This is far more troubling than I imagined...If he kidnapped Braeburn, Celestia will no doubt see that as an act of aggression." Twilight muttered, trying to foresee the coming events or at least plan ahead.
"I think there's too many variables to jump to the worst conclusion though it is strange how close together these two incidents are." Starlight chipped in standing next to Twilight who shared her worries.
"I guess we won't know until we find him. If we get into trouble out there, remember, ward first-"
"enchantment second and then strike. Don't worry Twilight, I don't plan on messing up if we get into trouble." She concluded, cutting her off somewhat, before sharing a reassuring smile with her mentor and best friend.
As Thunderclap stepped outside, a platoon of guards close behind her, the small group fell in line and prepared for whatever was to come.
"After I picked her up, I walked back out and you know the rest..." Alistair finished, his right arm slowly regrowing. If Chrysalis said something under her breath, it was unheard as the sounds of a raging, raucous celebration over powered it. Although they sat on the massive staircase towards the upper levels of the main hall together, the sounds of beating drums and horns originally ringing out from the center of the shanty town were reverberating off the walls. Shadows danced against tents and small brick buildings as the people of all ages, the young and infirmed alike, celebrated what they perceived as not only a successful operation but a major blow against those who would seek to pervert their lands.
"This is...Alarming to hear...What do you think all of this means?" She asked with a straight face, her mind racing with thoughts and fears for her people.
"Honestly? I'm scared and confused." He started, those two words together alarming her somewhat. "I've seen dark magic before, I've mastered many schools of it as well...But this...This wasn't just dark magic, it was like something had torn magic itself and shaped it to its will...Those creatures are more than reanimated Humans, they're a perversion of the existing races as well." He finished, genuinely dumbfounded at what he saw. Grasping a bottle of home brewed mead tightly, he tried not to think about it.
"If they continue to form dens in our lands, I'll inform you; these things are obviously preying on Changelings as well...Whatever those things did to those drones...It's beyond monstrous..." She reassured, vocalising their unspoken support, equally outraged at what they did to the other races.
"It isn't just their dens and spawns that worry me...I saw things in those shadows Chrys...I don't know what they were, but I saw things that should've stayed in the dark. That creature in the hallway...I don't know what it is, but its eyes were haunting..." He mumbled, his mind reflecting images of its desperate eyes into his vision.
"What was it?"
"Not one of the things we cut down, that's all I can say for sure. Its flesh was mostly intact I think, and it seemed to have some kind of higher intelligence but what I saw was beyond disquieting..." He summarised, trying to convey just how inhuman it was.
"What happened to Dawnstar? She was always in tune with the darkness but to side with those creatures is beyond insane." She questioned, disapproving of his decision to not cut her down.
"If I knew I wouldn't be keeping a detail guarding her right now...All I know is what that...Thing told me...It gave her power and the cost of her mind..." He repeated, aggravation and sorrow in his voice.
"What was that thing? You still haven't told me what it was." She chastised and asked, annoyed at his cherry picking of information.
"It was a thing, that's all I can truly say...Countless eyes, haphazardly placed vestigial limbs...Mouths that said nothing and only seemed there to leak primordial muck..." He said quietly, mumbling his response. His description was limited to say the least, but even Chrysalis' blood ran cold when she saw how much he feared talking of it. "That all comes second place to the most chilling thing about it...It knew me...It seems to want me to be around for something...It wants something from me."
"What does this monster want?"
"If I knew, I'd probably wish I didn't..." He responded after a short, palpable pause. As they sat there in the uncomfortable quiet, the noises of the party deafening all else, eventually causing Chrysalis to sneer in irritation.
"Why are they celebrating? If they knew what you just told me they'd be sharpening spears and hiding their spawns..." Chrysalis snapped, the sounds of banging drums and thundering singing giving her an intense migraine.
"Most mortals see these things as heroic, they probably think they've slain the proverbial dragon. Besides, it's better they have a night of laughter after the nightmare the soldiers went through." He reasoned with a half smile at the humble, indoor town.
"These simpletons can enjoy banging their sticks together and getting blackout drunk but I'll never understand it. I'd much rather prefer a quiet, formal event over this rabble." She dismissed their frolicking with an audible scoff. She glowered at Alistair who was softly laughing at her.
"I don't know, I think you might enjoy getting blackout drunk. I certainly do." He remarked with a faint smirk, the terrors of the day fading away slowly.
"I'd assumed you were a more principled man then that Alistair, your station demands better." She admonished with a scowl at her compatriot, causing him to laugh even more.
"We're both immortals, sooner or later it's only natural we indulge in everything live can give us." He waved off her reprimanding words with a grin, remembering his wilder days.
"Some of us can't afford to be seen as a disgusting libertine, what would your followers think if they heard this malarkey?" She continued, shocked at his brazen carelessness and liberal attitude.
"It sounds like they'd give me a standing ovation. Honestly, I could probably piss on Scroll and they'd still like me." He jested, determined to take his mind off the prior day. Standing up, mead in hand, he walked down the stairs.
"Where exactly are you going?" She asked, confused that he was leaving mid conversation.
"To enjoy the party, want to come?" He offered with a half smile and a shrug of his shoulders.
"I'll pass on associating with drunk Ponies." she refused with a roll of her green eyes, scowling at the idea.
"Come on, even your guards are having fun." He continued, trying to reason with the bitter Queen.
"They are? I'll have to reprimand them." She assured, jotting down a mental note with a crestfallen, disappointed look. Before she could continue gripping, Alistair grabbed one of her hole ridden hooves and gently pulled her along.
"Lighten up already, we just walked into hell and stared the daemons in the eyes, alcohol will be a welcome respite." He insisted, an uncharacteristic goofy grin on his face. With a groan of annoyance, Chrysalis allowed him to pull her into the raving crowd of partying and chanting cultists who welcomed their arrival with unanimous praise. The love for the two was so overwhelming that Chrysalis had to suppress a shudder from the emotional overload. Remembering to disguise herself when Alistair did as well, she tried to contain her detest for the people around her.
"Hey y'all!" Braeburn yelled over the partying, his hat lopsided and a massive mug in his hoof. He looked at the pair with a strange level of admiration and respect.
"Hey Brae, how are they?" Alistair yelled back, causing him to move to the side so they could look into the medical tent. Lancer and Boulder were in parallel beds with a mug and bowls of fruit each. Despite their injuries, they smiled and waved at the people who orchestrated their rescue.
"Feeling better by the minute! I tell ya what, y'all know how to throw a heck of a hoedown 'round here!" He praised as he downed his mug of golden, syrupy sweet alcohol before looking for something stronger and more bitter.
"They've been living in a desert with little to show for, it seems when they party they party hard!" Alistair said with a shrug as he toasted with the inebriated Captain when he found a new drink.
"You know, the last few days have been a fucking nightmare, and it means a lot for you guys to help me not only get payback, but bring back some of my colts. I ain't gonna forget what you've done for not only me, but for Appaloosa!" He announced with a massive burst of passion, getting a round of cheers from the surrounding patrons.
"You're a hell of a Captain and a good soldier to have in a foxhole Brae. As they said back home, 'drink for the fallen, drink for your friends and drink for the hell of it!'" Alistair quoted his father, as he clinked drinks with the Pony.
"I'll drink to that!" He responded, drinking and eating ravenously before a marking covered, rather attractive, mare danced up against him. Taking that as a cue to move on, the pair walked deeper into the party.
"At least he's dumb enough not to see through our disguises." Chrysalis said aloud as they approached the center of the celebration. In the center sat Snowfall and her trusty paw picked soldiers who were all merrily reveling in the overwhelming joy. Some were regaling others with their tales, but most surrounded Snowfall as she out drunk yet another soldier who wobbled off into the dance floor. As he moved through the dance floor, stepping past a jubilant Scroll who was dancing with a equally old Zebra, he approached Snowfall and sized up the gathered crowd.
"Boss! You're still here!" She joked, expecting him to have turned in early. "And you dragged her majesty into the revelries as well!" She jested, causing her men to laugh and some of her Changelings as well.
"That I am, so what's going on here?" He said, obviously starting a follow up question.
"Drinking people under the table Boss, so far I ain't even tipsy." She boasted with a smug grin as she rested in her massive carved chair.
"Bet you think you're unstoppable huh?" He inquired, a smile growing slowly.
"That I do, that I do."
"Bet you can't out drink me." He challenged, causing the gathered group to start whooping and gesturing for their friends to hurry over while Chrysalis groaned and put her head in her hooves.
"Bet I can. Starting light, mead, bottoms up." She started, pouring a generous amount of beautifully crafted, slightly mystical mead into their wooden mugs. As they raced each other to finish first, savouring the taste second to proving something, the crowd began chanting their support for whoever they wanted to win. Chrysalis begrudgingly chanted for Alistair to win with a frown. As the night grew colder, the party became more and more lively and heated till the point that it was nothing more than a blur of movement, music and overflowing booze.
The sounds of parting and imbibing were dulled by the passing of time. After Alistair could barely walk sometime in the early morning, Chrysalis had to carry him back to his room before she swiftly fell asleep on his couch in the corner. And so he laid there, staring at the swirling, blurred stars hovering before him. Whether it was the 'magically' enhanced alcohol, the tiring dancing or merely the lack of sleep over the course of four days, Alistair's vision was swirling and going in and out.
A part of him begged him not to go to sleep, fearful of what he'd see, and another welcomed the chance to confirm that his life wasn't just a prolonged, strange dream. He desperately wanted to wake up, roll out of bed and study some such nonsense. He desperately wanted Dawnstar to chastise his reckless lifestyle. He wanted to fly over to the Lion's Den and talk with Aurora about the constant troubles that arose. He just wanted to wake up.
Gone was his smile or the warm feeling of joy, in its place was a blank, expressionless thousand yard stare as he counted the countless stars and tried to not think about the life he lost. The people he lost or morphed with time. The lives he could've seen blossom. His life gone because of Celestia.
Few words could truly, utterly infuriate Alistair but with each repeat of her name he felt his blood boil and tears of hate and despair well up. As his eyes burned brighter, the veins surrounding his two toned eyes mirroring their respective colours, he thought countless murderous thoughts. He wished nothing more then to see her suffer, if it was in silence or in agony he didn't care. He wanted to see her lose everything and try to find a reason to continue onward. He wanted to take away her destiny, her fate, like she had done to him twice. He wanted to witness her suffer for as long as he lived.
As he gave into the grips of fatigue, a mad smile replaced his placid, sorrowful mask. As tears stained his pillow, he gave into the darkness and waited for whatever he'd find.