//------------------------------// // Chapter 5 Part 1 - Out of Light // Story: The Nightmare Worgan // by Darkinfinity666 //------------------------------// (Crystal Empire - Present - Sal'Ador P.O.V.) Walking towards the crystal empire while making sure the Ice wolves stay back, I notice that the crystal ponies seem to be, depressed, heads low, colors drained away, and seemingly scared of everything, or just me and the pack of ice wolves. I noticed one of my wolves was growling at something in a bush. I head towards the bush, my hand, paw? Paw, gripping the handle of the sword as i carefully push the bush away revealing, a small gem. It was green and had what looked like a skull with a eye patch in graved into it. The skull also looked like it was on fire, as soon as i picked it up I heard a voice. “I am Asphyxious. The iron Lich. If you need my aid just take this token and call my name.” I stared at it, debating whether or not if I needed the help from someone at the current moment, and looking at the area i’m in, i might need some help as another displaced might help me, especially if i’m going to control this place, not in a evil monarch way, I just need a base of operations, and in return, the ponies will get the protection of my ice wolves. I made my choice, I held up the Token and Said “Asphyxious, come to my aid” At first nothing happened, then a dark portal appeared blowing wind around me and my wolves. I heard the sound of something large and macanacl, it sounded heavy. I looked up and saw a huge robot, it eyes were glowing it back was sparking with energy as it closed and opened it claws. “Out of the way Slayer!” A voice called out from behind it, the slayer stepped to one side as Asphyxious showed himself, he was just as tall as the robot. He carried a large sword in one hand that was covered in fire. His skull like head was that of a dragon and he even had dragon like wings sticking out from his back. “Now then who are you?” “I am Sal’Ador, a Deathknight Worgon” I respond, with my Ice wolves staying near me, I also still have my paw on my sword, and judging from his robot and what he looks like, he was probably more powerful than me. “Wait the crystal empire? What is it with displaced always summoning me here?” Asphyxious asked himself not paying attention to the crystal ponies who were now running away from them. I looked at the crystal empire, I suppose it did look important, I mainly choose it because it was far from the alicorn sisters, and its strategic position in the north, being in the cold and hard to get too. “Anyway Sal or should I call you Ador? Whatever why did you summon me? Need help dealing with sombrero or something?” He asked resting the sword into the ground, I saw the way it easily split the crystal earth and there was a hissing sound as the flames licked at the crystal. “You can just call my Sal, I came here mainly trying to get away from the Alicorn sisters, I didn’t know there was this ‘sombrero’ guy that needed dealing with, but I can tell he isn’t good news, so we’ll be dealing with him” I say, my grip on my sword not loosening in the slightest. “I get the feeling you don’t trust me, good. First times meeting a displaced can start misunderstandings. It is nice to meet a fellow undead, so how long have you been displaced?” Asphyxious asked, as the robot walked up to a house and was about to swing it claw into it. But the dragon lich held up his hand without looking and the robot stopped, it looked back at him then lumbered to his side. “I’ve been a Displaced for a short while, well, a short while where i was in control and not insane off power or trapped in stone” I say, looking at the crystal empire, the buildings looked nice, and made of crystals. So that made it sparkly, which was interesting. “Want to walk and talk? I can give you a heads up to what to expect, seeing as you may be seeing a pink alicon and her dashing husband.” Asphyxious said as he started to walk, with the large robot lumbering behind him. I follow behind him, my grip on my sword slightly loosening at the mention of another alicorn, having two is enough, but a third one? I don’t really like the sound of that, what next? There’s going to be a fourth alicorn? I hope not “so what am I going to expect? I need to be at least a bit ready.” Asphyxious laughed, like head head the punch line to a unheard joke. “Well little candy as I like to call her will be coming here soon after the wedding, Candy and her husband will be coming here to rule over the crystal empire.” Asphyxious said as we were walking to a large crystal tower, or was it a palace? “Huh, well that’s going to make things harder for me” I say, looking at the tower, palace thing. Asphyxious waved for his robot to stay behind as he opened the doors to walk inside. “That not even half of it, the old king comes back as a dark cloud thing. His name is Sombra but I call him sombrero just to tick him off.” Asphyxious added as he laughed. As he lead us around the palace, it looked beautiful. “Would it be that it has green wisps of smoke coming off it’s eyes?” I ask, tilting my head to look at him, it took me about 46 days to get here with all the added difficulties, i’m pretty sure the wedding happened after my escape, From being in stone, so at most, about 50 days since I got out of that stone prison. “Sounds about right, so you ran into him before?” Asphyxious asked as he was leading me to what looked like a throne room but the main doors were closed. “Can’t have been fun, on the other hand can’t be any worse then what I had to deal with.” “I just froze his smoky body and shattered the ice, and no more trouble and I was able to get into the crystal empire with my pack” I Respond, his smoky from was easily enough to deal with, i don’t get why he is such a big of a threat. “You do know his incorporeal right? I don’t think he's going to stay dead for long.” Asphyxious replied, oh I didn’t know that. The dragon lich opened the main doors and we saw a Pink alicorn setting on the throne with a large number of ponies around her. We stared in silence for a moment until. “Sorry wrong door.” Asphyxious said and quickly closed them. “I think we maybe a little bit late… Or early, so do you want to hide or just come out and say hi?” “Well if they are related to celestia or luna in some way, then talking is useless as they would probably depict me as some sort of mindless monster that just destroys whatever gets in it’s way.” I say, “best chance, hide” I say, letting go of my sword for once. “You sure? I could try and explain what happened to them if you want? What did you do to make them think of you that way in the first place?” Asphyxious asked, as the sound of voices on the other side of the door were getting louder. “When i First Came to this world, I kinda went insane with the power that I got, and ended up killing a couple of ponies, don’t know what happened but that insane tendency is completely purged now after some sort of weird pulse wave after seeing a black bug creature with holes in its arms and legs.” I say, as I try to look for a good place to hide. “I see, talking it is then!” He said before opening the doors again. “Hello!” Asphyxious yelled before a cake hit him in the face. “Nice shot miss Pinkie Pie.” He added before a purple magic barrier appeared around him, it was the purple unicorn casting magic. Asphyxious was busy cleaning cake out of his skull leaving me to deal with the rest. I gripped my sword and pulled it out, feeling the frost enchantment on it, and got ready to defend myself, I sent out a burst of energy create spikes of ice towards the anthro ponies, and I made sure to make the spikes non-lethal and only to subdue them, I don’t really plan on killing anyone, not that they know that. “I really wish I was in my other form, this cake most likely is delishes.” Asphyxious said as he easily shattered the barrier. Much to the surprised of the purple unicorn. “Not bad Twilight still needs work?” “How this thing knows every pony names?!” Yelled the blue pegasus as she fly right at him, before delivering a roundhouse kick to his back then tried to punch him in the skull. That didn’t work out as well as she thought, wait. Is her mane and tail rainbow colored? “You know Rainbow we’d get a lot more work done if you all took just five to calm down and hear us out.” Said Asphyxious who was then kicked in the back by a pony with a cowboy hat. “Nice kick Applejack have you been working out?” It seemed less dire with him talking like this was a daily routine.   This seems like something I can’t really handle, and they aren’t focusing on me, so that’s good, i’ll just make sure no one tries to sneak up on me, so I just watch the area around me, and hopefully I won’t get attacked. “Enough playing around.” Asphyxious said as he casted a spell, that made everyone who was standing on the floor suddenly feel like they were walking a in a bog. Asphyxious also grabs hold of one of Rainbow arms and just holds her in the air. “Now then let all calm down and talk about this like full grown adults and undead.” I glanced at everyone currently in the room that’s accounted form, there’s the purple unicorn, which I am guessing is Twilight, then there’s rainbow dash, then the pink alicorn and what i’m assuming is her husband which has white fur with a blue mane and tail, and that seems like everyone in the room… wait where’s the other pink one? The pink earth pony? “Hi!” She yelled right in my face before she wraps her arms around me in a hug?! “I like your eyes! I’m Pinkie Pie it nice to meet you scary dog lady, how do your eyes glow! Is that skeleton guy your friend? Do you like parties? What your favorite color!” I Just stared confused at Pinkie Pie, she was strangely, Friendly to me despite betting celestia telling her what I did when i wasn’t in control. “hi?” was the simple response i made to pinkie pie because i’m confused, really confused. Asphyxious laughed. “Oh my gods, you made your first friend.” Asphyxious just kept laughing, the ponies looked just as confused as I did. All but Rainbow Dash who was still trying to break free of the dragon lich hold. “Anyway let get back to why we’re all here.” He started to say. “Pinkie what are you doing!? Don’t you remember the warnings celestia said about that monster!?” Yelled Twilight, Asphyxious looked like he was rolling his eyes. He then dropped Rainbow Dash and shook his head. “No, sorry I was thinking what if celesta mane was made of ice cream. What flavors would it taste like.” Pinkie replied getting a groan from some of her friends. She was still hugging me. As confused as I was, what Pinkie said also got me thinking of ice cream, to bad that i can’t actually eat anything as it would just turn into well, what would it turn into? Or would it just set there melting in my stomach? “I could really go for some Ice cream now.” Asphyxious added, as Rainbow was still trying to hit him. It was kind of funny to watch seeing as she couldn’t really hurt him. Could she? I think i’m getting more questions than answers, I would like some answers, but there probably isn’t going to be many answers, most likely because of the situation I am in. “Who or what are you two?” Asked the Pink Alicorn. “YES!” Asphyxious yelled making everyone jump. “At last someone asks the right question. Well to start with I am Asphyxious Hellbringer, Asphy to my friends. And our little undead puppy is Sal. I forgot the rest of her name sorry.” He was even scratching his cheek bone as he looked back at me. “I’m Sal’Ador A DeathKnight Worgon” I say, the alicorn asked for who or what, I just gave her both. “I see why did you come here?” Asked the alicorn, she looked tired. Like she hasn’t slept in days, when was the last time she went to sleep? “Well I came to see what would happen if you met Sal. Also to see how Sal would react to Pinkie Pie. I am not disappointed.” Asphyxious said with amusement in his voice. He was enjoying this. “I came here mainly to avoid the sun and moon princesses and to get somewhere where I can watch things at a distance, and only interfere with things when needed,” I say “also i got a bunch of ice versions of timber wolves that I can control outside which can be used as defenses.” The Alicorn looked to her husband and they talked. They nodded and she looked back at me. “Before we agree to anything I must ask, is what they say true? Did you really kill ponies?” She asked, it almost sounded like she didn’t want to knowI could tell the truth, which would prove to them that i’m honest hopefully later on but will also prove that I did kill ponies which would lead to distrust, I could also Lie which if they found out on my lie they would distrust me more and also find out that I Killed ponies if they found out the truth leading to more distrust, but that is if they find out the truth, most of the pathways lead to distrust, and I can’t Figure out which one to pick, and I don’t know if they would believe me if I said that the power I gained made me insane, and they might not believe me if I said I came from a different world, making this even more difficult, I was intensely thinking about this. “I’d say tell them the truth. Applejack can tell if someone was lying and it was over a thousand years ago. Anyone who still holds a grudge are either dead or the sisters.” Asphyxious said as he leaned on the wall as Rainbow had gave up trying to harm him and just stands there glaring at him. I let in a deep breath, and then says “Yes, I did kill ponies, I Was insane with the power I got and Lost control” I say truthfully. “How does that make you feel? Do you regret what you had done even after being turned to stone?” She asked. “Yeah, i regret killing all those ponies, they didn’t deserve it, they could h-have lived longer, and fulfilled their lives more” I say, this was the truth, the simple truth. The alicorn walked down with the help of her husband and took my hand. “Then I believe you can help us. The first step is to face what you've done and try and make amends. My name is princess cadence and I welcome you to the crystal empire.” Cadence said with a tired smile. “Now kiss.” Asphyxious whispered making me and cadence jump. He started to laugh as he was being pushed away by Twilight's friends scolding him. Twilight meanwhile looked back to cadence a little worried. I just sigh, life changes quickly, one minutes you are trying to run from ponies, the next minutes your becoming friends with them, this was a strange world, I look at Cadence and say “Thanks.” “Your welcome, is he your friend?” She asked pointing at Asphyxious who was now hugging Pinkie Pie while Applejack and Rainbow Dash yelled at him to put her down. Fluttershy was just looking on not sure what to do. “Well considering I only meet him today, i think so, he seems pretty nice” I say, looking at Asphyxious, slightly tilting my head. “So was it a romact meeting?” Cadence asked as she started to giggle. I scratch the back of my head, “it was a interesting meeting?” I say, smiling slightly her eyes go wide before she smiles warmly at me. “Oh I see, so you two couldn’t wait huh?” Cadence asked giggling more. My face flushes red, blue? Let’s just go with red “w-what?” I asked, slightly confused. “To kiss him, you two are a couple right?” Cadence asked, before she cover her mouth in realization. “On my I’m sorry I just thought you two were.” I sigh, as my blush starts to fade “It’s fine, it really is, just a simple mistake” I say, Cadence then held her head in pain. “It Sombra. He’s trying to get into the empire.” She warned holding her head. “Oh yeah, I almost forgot about him.” Asphyxious said as everyone ran outside. They saw the dark clouds as they were trying to push past the shield. Sombra face appeared and he was laughing. “I have a bad feeling about this” I say, holding my sword in my handpaws, looking directly at sombra. It looked like he had broken though put sombra roars with anger was he was pushed back out again. Cadence looked exhausted after that. “We need to find the Crystal Heart, it the only way to destroy King Sombra.” Said shining armour. Asphyxious at last had walked outside, the ponies did a double take when his robot walked up to him. “What?” Asphyxious asked turning to the robot. “Oh no there all friends now.” The robot lowered it head and let out a growl. “Yes i find this place strange to.” The robot let out a puff of steam and sook it head. “No you can’t run off to find something to fight.” Asphyxious told it, the robot seem to be unhappy by that. “Look how about when we get home I’ll find you some Farrow to fight happy?” The robot nodded it head and opened and closed it claws a lot. “What the hay is that thing?” Asked Rainbow. “I think it’s a robot” I say, looking at it. “Robot? Don’t insult my work.” Asphyxious called out, he must of had good hearing. “This is a warjack. One of my own making thank you.” “You made this!” Twilight yelled as she rushed over asking questions and talking about thing I couldn't even began to understand. It was like the two of them were speaking in a different language. “Shouldn’t we be looking for the crystal heart?” Asked Fluttershy. They all quickly agreed, but they had to drag Twilight away from Asphyxious before she could ask anymore questions about the Warjack. The two of them were alone. “So… what now?” Asphyxious asked, seeing everyone had run off to find this crystal heart. “We hold off Sombra until they get it, that’s what we do” I say, looking at sombra while holding my sword. “That’ll be a while, mite as well chill until he finally breaks through.” Asphyxious body go up in blue flames, at first I think someone had attack him. Until the flames die away to show a dragon standing in the same place as Asphyxious, only he had a eye patch on his left eye, was wearing a blue coat and had a sword strapped to his hip. “Want to look for any good places to eat?” . I blink before sighing and putting my sword back, “sure, he’s occupied with the barrier so we have time” I say, silently questioning his transformation. He didn’t look to bad ever. “Alright then let go.” Asphyxious said as he lead the way. “Confused about how I changed forms right?” He asked as we walked. “Yup” I admitted, he just kept walking like everything was fine. It was like Asphyxious wasn’t worried at all. “Changeling magic, mixed with my own and the elements gave me back a living body. But I think something else helped that along.” Asphyxious explained. “Well, that makes some sense” I say, as I glanced at sombra. It looks like he turned back into a cloud. I looked back at Asphyxious and wondered something. “Something on your mind?” Asphyxious asked as he stopped at a shop it looked closed down. I nod, “what did it feel like getting a new body?” I ask, Asphyxious seemed to take a moment to think about that. “It was nice at first, then I had to remember how to walk again seein gas I had legs again. Kind of cold being naked at the time. Then my chrysalis thought it was a good idea to make sure all my… Parts were working.” He blushed at that last part, he then sigh. “I miss her.” I debated whether or not to ask this question, but she decided so “what happened?” I ask, my head tilting slightly. “She died, killed by a enemy that took our children and used their souls to summon there master.” Asphyxious replied looking up at the sky. “There nothing more painful than losing someone you care about. But I took there master, killed him then ate him.” I went silent, not really knowing how to react, I haven’t really experienced anything like that yet, since I’ve only recently been able to fully control myself, but it still been over a month since she was freed from her stone prison and her insanity, and she has yet to really experience anything like that, and she is still pretty much the number one villain on Luna and Celestia’s List. “Hey now what that look for? It okay I’ve had a long time to get over it. I’m over one thousand two hundred years old now thank you. I’m still young for a dragon lich.” Asphyxious said as he start to laugh. I look at him, and smile, being a displaced was strange, but hey, you get to meet other displaced in somewhat the same predicament but different in every way, anyway, back to food “so, where are we going to get to eat?” I ask. Asphyxious walked up took my hand next thing I know I’m dizzy and inside the shop. “Sorry about that teleporting for two not easy. Always makes someone dizzy the first time round.” Asphyxious said as he walked off to find the kitchen. I shake my head trying to clear some dizziness as i look at the shop, Asphyxious looked to have found the kitchen and was already cooking something. “I hope you like toast and veggies, it was the only thing I could find that wasn’t hay.”  Asphyxious called out. “Hey did you know that ponies in some worlds can eat fish?” I blink “I didn’t know that ponies can eat fish, that is interesting” I reply “Each world is a mixed bag. Some you get ponies who can eat meat, some who can’t, some it a guilty pleasure.” Asphyxious went on letting little things here and there though his travels. “On some worlds the ponies have a heat cycle.” “That must be an, interesting experience” I say responding to the heat cycle bit, I don’t know if this world has one as i only stayed here for over a month so far actually exploring. “For me it been okay, I think it more of if you expect it or not. When your not expecting it, it can be a bit scary. But if you’re prepared beforehand and know what you’re getting yourself into you can do one of two things. One hide out with your friend on holiday somewhere else, or two go with the flow. It depends on the displaced I think.” Asphyxious said as he came out with two sandwiches, he was already starting to his one. “To be honest, my body don’t really need food. I just enjoy eating it.” I look at my sandwich, as I say “I don’t really know what would happen if i ate food, but I do know that I can walk 46 days continuously without need to stop to eat or drink, or really anything I wasn’t even tired, but I’m still going to eat this food because I want to see what would happen” I say as I take a bite from the sandwich, and chew on it “That as far as I know normal for a undead. Same thing happened to me, I would be awake for weeks before even feeling the smallest bit sleepy and four houses later I’d be up again and do it all over again. But at some point the mind needs to rest so it would most likely be good for you to take some time off and just rest for a few hours a day.” Asphyxious said as he took another bite. I Finished my first bite and it tasted great! I hadn’t really had any food since I came to this world, and that’s a long time, anyway, I nodded at what Asphyxious said, understanding, it might be good for the mind to rest, who knows what might happen to it. “So I have a question?” Asphyxious asked as he took another bite and ate it. “What is it?” I ask taking another bite after asking that. This was really good I could eat this forever. “Were you a guy or a girl before being displaced?” Asphyxious asked as he kept eating. I finished the bite before saying, “I, can’t really remember much from where i came from, like my memories where blocked or eased” I say, “I don’t remember a single thing of who or what I was before i became a displaced” “That sucks but happens to everyone, I lost all my memories of my past by going insane. Guess it doesn't really matter, gender is overrated anyway. I can go one way or the other both are fun.” Asphyxious said as he ate the last of his sandwich. Wait did that mean his?   I cover my face which was blushing again, I have finished most of my sandwich as well, he noticed i am blushing, stop blushing cheeks! “Was it that good?” Asphyxious asked smiling from his seat, acting like everything was fine. I just wordlessly nod, maybe if I focus on something else then I can make my cheeks stop blushing. “Did you know in some worlds the ponies walk around naked? I mean what up with that, don’t they get cold or something?” Why did he have to say that!? My cheeks are now a even further red from that! I use my hands to keep my face covered, “Are you blushing?” Asked Asphyxious. I couldn't say anything it didn’t help thoughts were in my head and wouldn't go away. “Was it the sandwich?” Asphyxious asked. I don’t know if I should do anything or not! “Or was it something I said?” Maybe if I don’t say anything he’ll forget about it. I then felt a hand on my head, I look up and saw Asphyxious was smiling and petting me. “It okay there nothing to be embarrassed about, I’m just happy my cooking made someone happy.” I smile slightly, was my tail wagging? Why did it feel nice when he petting me on the head? Who knows, i just know that it feels nice. Asphyxious stopped and sat back in his seat. “So anything else you want to know or talk about?” He asked, I wanted him to keep petting me. Anyway, “What is it like in your universe?” I ask, Asphyxious seemed to think about that for a long time before rubbing the back of his head. He also looked like he was blushing a little himself. “The best way I can describe it is chaos, it don’t really help I kind of have… Followers.”  Asphyxious replied, he seemed to not want to go into too much detail but I wanted to know more. The barrier around the crystal empire started to shake and dissipate, letting out some static like noises, signal to everyone, that the barrier was coming down, and sombra was about to move in, with his distant roaring. “Well here I go again, want to crash a party?” Asphyxious asked as he get up. “Yup, that sounds like fun” I respond, also getting up Asphyxious placed his hand on my shoulder this time and smarks. “By the way, I knew what was making you blush all that time.” I slightly freeze up, with my cheeks once again blushing, Asphyxious laughed and teleported us away.