At HQ, Diamond Glow told:
“We received word from the Fourth Unit. It seems the captain of the infiltration team had been reincarnated.”
“You mean Cypress?” Aspen asked, a little worried.
“Yes, I believe so” Diamond Glow confirmed.
Noticing King Aspen’s concern look, White Light asked:
“There’s something wrong, King Aspen?”
“Cypress is not like any deer you may know” Aspen said. “He is a risk to anyone that approaches him.”
“In that case, we don’t have any choice, don’t you think, sister?” Ingrid said.
Celestia nodded and then said to Diamond Glow:
“Notify every unit. When he is found, he must be sealed immediately.”
“Is he actually that formidable?” White Light asked to Aspen.
“He possesses a combined nature that, like blacklight, can be very dangerous” he replied. “With him under the Reincarnation Curse, he may be use a certain forbidden spell.”
“In that case, we may give the word to Prince Star Knight as well” Ingrid advised.
“I agree” Celestia replied.
Diamond Glow nodded with the head, ready to proceed in taking those orders.
In a certain place near to where Cypress was, Ebony was running. He had joined the Alliance as he had skills that could help them. Meanwhile, Cypress was at the top of a mountain sending corpses to a ditch, where existed an enormous quantity of other corpses. Before that, he took the protection over one of his hooves that was surrounded by a dark aura. But he hesitated in doing so, but Gentle Light, who noticed that, said to:
“I know you don’t want to and I don’t want you to do, but there is no other choice for both of us.”
Feeling the curse affecting him, Cypress didn’t had any other option but touching the corpse, who also got the same dark aura, throwing them to the amount of corpses that also had that same glow. He then said, while focusing his energy:
“Jar of Poison Spell.”
And a barrier appeared over the ditch, covering the opening.
“Damn it…” Cypress said. “I can’t believe that I was forced to use this spell.”
He then heard steps and said:
“Good job. Finally someone found me.”
“It wasn’t very difficult, regarding I know you pretty well… brother” Ebony said, while arriving.
“Ebony…” Cypress said. “Little brother… It’s you…”
“So… for you to be like that, it means that…” Ebony started.
“Yes, I was killed and brought back by the Reincarnation Curse” Cypress confirmed.
Ebony made a move with his hoof and then asked:
“Please, tell me what your doing.”
“I’m here to cast the Jar of Poison Spell.”
“What spell is that? I never heard about it.”
“You never heard about it for two reasons” Cypress explained. “The first one is that is spell was classified as forbidden and second is that only those that possess the poison nature can actually cast it.”
“The poison nature, the nature that combines the earth and darkness and that you possess” Ebony said.
“That’s right” Cypress said. “A nature that create toxins that are manifested on my skin. To me they are harmless, but when in contact with another, they can destroy their cells in a very excruciating way.”
“I know all about it” Ebony said. “I’m your brother after all. Since I was a little fawn, I always wondered why you never touched me. It was naïve of my part, but I, at first, thought you didn’t like me. It was only when I learned about the poison nature that I realized the truth.”
He then looked to the pitch and said:
“If this spell uses your combined nature, then the lethal toxins inside those corpses are only transmitted by touch. What is the point of a spell such as this?”
“The Jar of Poison Spell requires a lot amount of flesh” Cypress explained. “That’s why is considered to be a forbidden spell. But I was able to gather many bodies from the battlefield. With my toxins acting in the cells and, with the decaying flesh, gas is released.”
“Of course, the gas” Ebony understood.
“In the next phase, the gas will be ignited and the cells with my toxins will be scarred and infect everyone in the immediate area” Cypress continued. “And that’s the forbidden Jar of Poison Spell.”
“So it doesn’t discriminate between friend and foe” Ebony concluded.
“Hurry, call for reinforcement” Cypress told to his younger brother. “You can’t stop me alone.”
“You’re wrong” Ebony said. “I can and I will stop you.”
And, from his breath, Ebony released an amount of darkness that went to involve Cypress.
“I’m quite impress that you were able to perfect your darkness nature” he said. “But the question remains: can you stop me?”
“Dark Sphere Spell!” Ebony exclaimed.
And the darkness around him got more thick and covered him completely, but then the darkness simply disappeared.
“Have you forgotten, little brother, that I can also use darkness nature?” Cypress asked.
“No, I haven’t” Ebony said, with pieces of darkness around. “But there are many ways of fighting, even with weapons that may seem not work.”
“You still think you can defeat me, hein?” Cypress said, smiling. “You’re still the same stubborn fawn you used to be.”
“What you call stubbornness, I call determination” Ebony replied.
“But your determination can lead you to your doom” Cypress said. “You still didn’t call for help. How do you intend to stop me?”
Ebony advanced and then said:
“I know you’re just buying time, as the toxins still need more time to spread through the corpses. And I also know that your horns are the only part of your body that don’t contain any poison, what means the toxins don’t affect ossified structures, so…”
And he started to run toward him, with his horns ready to attack.
“You may think you can stop me that way, but it won’t work.”
When Ebony was about to hit, Cypress retreat with a jump back and then said:
“Even if you use your horns to attack me, close combat is still very dangerous.”
“It’s only way I have to fight you” Ebony exclaimed.
“The only ones that can fight me are long-rage attack users and the sealing team” Cypress said.
“I don’t know anyone like that nearby” Ebony replied.
And, with a quick advance, Cypress hit Ebony with the horns and threw him, making going to the pitch.
“Ebony!” Cypress exclaimed.
But, before he could pass the barrier, Star appeared and caught him, putting him then in safety.
“Prince Star Knight…” Ebony said.
“Well, kind of, professor” Star Knight answered. “I’m a clone. I came over here because I sensed your energy. Is that the deer the HQ told about.”
“That is very impressed” Ebony said with a smile. “I can see that you learned a lot during your training.”
“You bet!”
“I see, so that’s one of your students” Cypress said. “The famous Prince Star Knight… See if he doesn’t attack recklessly.”
“All I have to do is pulverize him, right?” Star asked to Ebony.
“If you do that, the toxins inside him will scatter” Ebony replied. “Besides, our opponent is a reincarnated being. We must seal him to beat him. And don’t touch him. He possess the poison nature. If you studied it, then you must know that, if you touch it, his toxins will infect you.”
“Not only by touch!” Cypress exclaimed, as he joined the front hooves and then created a small dark ball. “Poison Cloud Spell!”
And he blew it and a big smokescreen full of poison appeared, heading towards Star and Ebony.
“Get back!” Cypress exclaimed. “Don’t inhale it!”
Cypress then created a thick wall of darkness that halted the smokescreen. It didn’t took long for the two attacks to conceal each other.
“Touching or breathing it is very dangerous” Ebony told to Star. “Star, do you have any sealing spell?”
“No, I don’t” he replied. “That’s not a kind of spell that I learn at my grade. And you, do you have one, Professor Ebony?”
He then showed him a sealing tag and told him:
“I was given some sealing tags. But the only thing I don’t have is a way to apply it.”
“Get rid of those tags, Ebony!” Cypress exclaimed, approaching. “I’ll be forced to destroy anyone that puts in my way. My body will just attack on its own.”
“I won’t let you lay a single hoof on Professor Ebony” Star said. “I’m going to stop any of your attacks.”
“You’re the one that can’t touch him, Star” Ebony said.
“Yes, I know…” Star said.
“You better watch out, jinchuriki of Nine-Tails” Cypress said. “I’m not very easy to defeat.”
“That’s what we’re going to see!” Star exclaimed.
And the two advanced toward each other. The deer wanted to use the horns, but Star invoked an energy arm and held them. Cypress was able to release himself and then the two started to fight, with Star only trying to hit the places that were covered and avoiding any direct blow. While they were fighting, Ebony noticed the barrier around the pitch to started to glow.
Star then created a Spiraling Sphere with energy arms and use it to defend Cypress’ hoof. That caused an explosion that made the two retreat, with Cypress foreleg blown up and starting to regenerate. That only released toxins that Star struggled to not breathe. When his foreleg was regenerated, Cypress went to attack Star when he was vulnerable.
“Star, no!” Ebony exclaimed.
And he put himself in the way, ending up taking a punch from his brother.
“Professor Ebony!” Star called, while his teacher fell on the ground.
“No!” Cypress exclaimed. “Prince Star Knight, please take me down! Seal me, otherwise I’ll continue…”
“Professor…” Star said, kneeling beside Ebony. “Are you alright?”
And he started to get up and then said, while getting up:
“Stand back, Star Knight.”
“Professor…”
“Now, as I was saying, let’s settle this, just the two of us” Ebony said to Cypress, advancing a few steps.
“Ebony, how did you manage to survive that?” Cypress asked. “You touched my poisoning skin.”
“Yes, I touched it, but I had a little help” he explained. “You are my older brother. I wanted to help you with the problem you had with your combined nature. So I started to conduct an experience with beetles, feeding them with your poison. Years later, after many generations, I was able to get beetles with antibodies against the poison, antibodies that I used to make an antidote. It only last for some minutes, but it gives me the immunity against your power. And these are those insects.”
And a swarm of beetles got out of the pitch.
“With the antibodies they possess, touching your poison won’t kill them” Ebony continued.
And those beetles started to surround Cypress, who smiled and said:
“I’m impressed that you were able to produce these many beetles.”
“Well, I just had about ten with me” Ebony explained, while showing him an empty small glass flask. “But when I got here, I used that forbidden spell to multiply them. I have to say, it took way less time than I expected.”
“I see… you really never miss a detail” Cypress replied.
And Ebony took the sealing tag he had and then said:
“Forgive me for this, brother.”
“No, you don’t need to apologize” Cypress replied, still with his smile.
And Ebony threw the sealing tag that was placed on Cypress. His body was filled with symbols and then he let himself kneel, becoming still. With him sealed, the barrier of the forbidden spell disappeared and then Star asked Ebony:
“Professor, what do we do with everything here?”
“Don’t worry about that” he replied. “The user has been sealed. Eventually, the toxins will perish. Now, you have to go. The second unit is in that way.”
“Right!” Star answered, taking flight.
When he left, Ebony approached Cypress approached his sealed brother and told him:
“Thank you, brother, for all the care you gave me. It’s because of you that I am who I am.”
Having said that, Ebony raised up and then moved away.