//------------------------------//
// The Bane 
// Story: The Last Apprentice: Equestria's Redemption 
// by general cat4 
//------------------------------//

I looked out my window to a pleasant sight. The morning air and the butterflies outside gave The Spook's dark home a little happier of a mood. I got dressed and went downstairs to find The Spook in the study, concentrating on the table in the middle of the room.On the table was the large map, being held flat by four knives stabbing each corner. The map was covered with pins, red string, and notes. He was facing my direction, leaning on the centered table by his arms, locking them straight at the elbows looking at the map on the table intently. He had bags under his eyes. He also had a large mug of mead, and many empty ones on the floor, and some papers on a separate table. He probably hadn't slept. The Spook was so deep in thought that he didn't even notice the door shut loudly behind me.

Usually spooks have great senses, and not just because it's a birthright. A spook has to be ready for anything to sneak up on him at night, or if something is out of the ordinary. If we can't pick up these things, we're much more vulnerable.

"Mister Gregory?" I asked nervously, trying not to startle him. "Can you hear me?"

"Aye lad." He grunted, eyes not leaving the map. "And I've got grim news."

"What happened?" I asked, getting worried. "Was the town attacked?"

"Nay. Ponyville is fine. The real problem is this." The Spook said, walking to the table with the mead. He picked up a scroll and tossed it to me. "Look at it." 

I opened the scroll to find multiple pictures and reports. I skimmed through them to find what they had in common. I saw multiple dead bodies of ponies, some women and children.

"Cole here put this together." The Spook said, downing the mead and motioning to Cole with a flick of the head. I turned around, looking for Cole. I saw he was leaning against the wall next to the door. He was only about two feet away from me. 

"How did I not notice him?" I thought.

"Hey Tom." He said casually, playing with his knife.

"Uhh, hi." I said while I turned back to face The Spook. "What's the problem?"

"There have been multiple occasions where crazed men and women have killed people, usually taking their thumbs. There have also been mysterious disappearances of babies and small children, found missing blood and some bones." The Spook grunted.

"Sounds like usual witch clan behavior.....maybe a little savage." I said, putting the scroll on the center table. "I don't see the severity of the situation." 

"The severity is that The Canterlot military has found something top secret. A silver gate." Cole said, flipping the knife in the air. "They kept that file locked up tight. I don't even think all the officers know it exists.

I gulped hard, and my spine shivered. I knew that the silver gate mixed with crazed behaviors and mangled corpses could only mean one thing. The Bane.

The Bane was one of the Old Gods. In The Human Realm he was worshiped by an ancient civilization called the little people. Eventually he grew in power and started to get greedy. The Bane could not live, even as a god, without blood willingly given. He started demanding yearly blood offerings from the little people, threatening to slaughter them all if they didn't provide. This scared the little people into agreeing. The king of the little people was king Heys. Who was forced to give up each of his sons,one by one, one every year. He gave his eldest the first year and down the line. But the youngest son Naze, a seventh son of a seventh son, bound him in the Catacombs deep underground in a maze, trapped behind an enchanted silver gate. The Bane lost his godly powers, and all his worldly powers. The only way for him to be freed was if someone opened the gate.

Eventually The Bane started to slowly get his power back, every year is started to creep back slowly. The thing he wanted most was to regain his living form, but that required close to full godly strength. He started to whisper to the people in the town above the Catacombs, slowly driving them insane. He later got one of his godly powers back, the press. The press allowed him to bend the matter around a living organism's body, causing the surrounding area to abruptly crush the life out of it. This allowed The Bane to get his blood that kept him alive.

Unfortunately since The Bane could only feast off of blood that was willingly given, so if he pressed at the first chance, he could not have the blood. He cleverly scared the people who wandered into the Catacombs by whispering. He would tell them that the maze would be their grave and they would starve. He offered them a way out, to be pressed.

At first people would ignore it, and look for escape, but there was a secret to the Catacombs.....they shift. The Catacombs can change, at any time, and any area. No one escapes while The Bane exists. Eventually people give up. Whether from insanity or starvation. Most people would die by press, to end their misery.

"So The Bane is near Canterlot?" I asked, hoping not. If The Bane was near too many people then his power could increase at an exponential rate. 

"Nay, we're in a bit of luck. The Bane is assumed to be in cave on the other side of the mountain Canterlot is stationed upon." The Spook said. "We've got to get to his before the Canterlot ponies get slaughtered."

"Well....Lt. had another idea..." Cole said suggestively.

"What?" I asked. "The Bane must be stopped."

"Well, the Lt. was the captain of Canterlot's royal guard when Shining Armor took over as leader. He was eventually accused of treason by some soldiers when he sacrificed his squad to a witch clan in exchange for his own life during a mission to capture plans on witch clan migrations. That's against the guard code to leave your squad. His defense was that he got the documents as it was the mission priority. Really showed his true colors, All for personal gain, screw the others. He was found guilty and banished." 

"So he wants revenge on the military?" I asked puzzled.

"He wants revenge on Shining Armor. He was in charge of Lt.'s sentence. "Lt. wants us to let The Bane kill off Canterlot to the extent of a full evacuation. He wants them to need us for help and to look like Canterlot's savior when The Bane dies, which is your credit."

"We can't do that! many ponies will die!"

"Aye, the lad is right. We can't let the ponies die." The Spook said. 

"Fine with me." Cole shrugged. "Just letting you know."

"Then we kill The Bane now, before he gets too powerful." I declared.

"Aye. Pack your bag lad, we leave tomorrow morning!"