//------------------------------//
// Chapter 8: Lacedaemon 
// Story: Havoc 
// by Histy 
//------------------------------//

I won't bore you with all those days that went by in much the same way as the previous chapter: non-magic duels, meditation, and me being bothered by Aurora. Instead, I'm going to start when that "Crystal Empire" finally reappeared.

It didn't appear in some sort of bright light or an epic event, it just popped up into existence. We didn't even notice it until Stiermann came back from scouting the areas around and told us. We immediately scrambled to get to the city.

I don't know how long it's been since it reappeared (I'm using that word quite a lot), but I hoped that those two ponies haven't beaten us there.

Wait, hoped? It really didn't even matter if they did get there before us or not, because we're still going to kick their ass in the end! Why I was hoping the exact opposite was beyond me.





We stop in the streets, looking over at the towering Crystal structure that lay in the city's center.

"So..." Stiermann said, "Guess that's where they're hidin', huh?"

"If they managed to get here before us, then yes, I suppose it would be logical for them to be in there," I replied.

Aurora decided to speak up, "What shall we do to them if they are, My Lady? I am eager to bring misery the likes they've never seen to them!"

"Nothing."

Aurora suddenly became dejected, "What?"

I turned to address them, "Well, you three aren't doing anything, at least to them. I can handle those mortals myself. What you can do, however, is destroy as much of the city as you want. Stiermann."

"Yes, Mah Lady?"

"Make sure these two leave something for me to destroy. I'd like to partake in some destruction later."

"As ya wish, Mah Lady." Stiermann bowed.

As they went off to destroy things, I looked back at the towering structure. To me, it represented power and authority to the city's populace, and if I know how mortals work (and I do), they tend to believe that they're the center of the universe.

"Mortals are so predictable." I went inside.





I started to notice something here, something that I clearly should have noticed before. 

This city is like a ghost town.

Ever since we arrived, we (or at least, I) have yet to encounter a single mortal soul. Seriously, the entire streets were deserted. Even in a royal residence, where a guard presence is supposed to be everywhere, there is completely no life to be found.

I found it boring. I at least wanted to kill some guards, but it seems that they were smart enough to get out of my way. Such a pity.

Despite all of this, I trudged forward, wandering the halls for anything remotely notable. Just looking for anything I could waste my time with, as there was nothing that-

Wait, is that magic?

...Yes, it definitely is.

I'm sensing it. It feels like as if it had been in use for an extended period of time, that being many hours. This was no mortal magic. Whoever was emitting it was more powerful. Not as powerful as me, of course, but still powerful nonetheless. It then finally hit me.

Those ponies. They made it here before we did. But instead of getting angered or even slightly upset at this revelation, I smiled.

"Looks like I have something to occupy my time with." I thought delightfully.





Cadence was starting to become exhausted. She had stayed up most of the previous night, and powering a massive shield over the Crystal Empire by herself also contributed to that.

"Just a little longer," she thought. Twilight and her friends would be here soon, Shining was waiting for them. Then they would figure out how to repel King Sombra's attempt to retake control of the city, however long that may take.

So she continued powering the shield, as she had all night and day, waiting for the inevitable arrival of Twilight. She couldn't wait, but she had to.

Then, Cadence heard something on the other side of the throne room doors. She first thought that it was Twilight finally arriving, but upon closer inspection, she didn't hear multiple hooves clipping on the ground. In fact, she didn't hear any hooves at all. They were far quieter, and sounded as if they had two legs instead of four.

Before Cadence could think about who could make such a noise, the throne room doors slammed open, and through them, came a figure she prayed she'd never encounter again.

"Why, hello there," Zerstörung greeted, a sinister smile forming on her lips.

She then had a questioning look, and inquired, "You're Cadence, correct?"

Cadence stuttered to answer, "Y-yes."

"And why are you projecting magic?"

"A-a shield, that was suppose to keep things like you out!" Cadence starting stuttering, but had gotten more confident as she continued her sentence.

"My, how insulting," Zerstörung replied sarcastically, "that shield of yours was uninteresting. I simply teleported passed it like it was nothing. Oh, and you do know that I can kill you anytime with this, right?" She said, pointing to her staff. Cadence didn't respond.

Zerstörung continued nonetheless, "But, where is the fun in doing that? I may thrive upon death, but I also thrive on misery, and agony, so I'll keep you alive for the time being."

"...T-tell me something," Cadence was stuttering again.

"Like what?" The Goddess replied, before adding, "make it quick, I'm thinking of the ways I can torture you right now."

The Princess had been holding on to this question ever since her aunt told her the Goddess' story. She had ever gotten more curious what the immortal being's plan was beside Equestria's destruction.

"What is the "perfect world"?"

Zerstörung was surprised by the question. She's never been asked about the topic at all, but yet she still knew exactly what the answer was. And it was, of course, based off of a particular place in her mortal life.

The silence between the question and the answer was deafening, until the Goddess of Havoc finally explained her plans in the long run.

"My perfect world is based on a place of my mortal one, which I assume you know about already. It was a particular city, known for its warriors and leaders. Its name was Sparta."

"Sparta?" Cadence questioned. It sounded like a weird name to her, but she didn't budge th at far.

"I'm not surprised you don't know what it is, but I won't bore you with its history, but I'll tell you how they made their warriors."

The Goddess began pacing, "Whenever a child is born, they are inspected. If they are small and weak, they are eliminated. But if they are strong, they live with their families until age five, where they are then sent to the wilderness to fend for themselves for another five years. If they returned home alive, then they are fully honored as a true Spartan, if they did not, well that's too bad then."

Zerstörung stopped pacing, staring deep into Cadence, "My perfect world can only be for the strong. The weak can only do so much as perish. And under my world of the strong, I will see to it that this world knows what true order is like. And for order to be achieved, mortals must perish and suffer."

It sounded horrible. Cadence could imagine mothers crying as they watched their newborn child be murdered in front of them. Or weep when they didn't come back after the five years in the wilderness had ended. For the Princess of Love, she knew that such a practice would cause mourning parents to blow up everywhere. 

But what could she do about it? She was barely holding the shield at this point, her magic nearly completely drained, and very tired. No matter how hard she tried, there was nothing she could do to the powerful Goddess.

"Now that my little story is done," Zerstörung began. Another sinister smile formed on her face again, except it seemed far menacing than the last one.

"Whatever will I do to you, Princess?"

Whatever Zerstörung chose, Cadence knew that she wasn't going to enjoy it.